Chapter 1
Five Years Later
Ron was running late, and he knew it, Kim would be over any minute to help him pack, so they could head to their new apartment near the campus of Upperton University.
Kim was nervous, Ron knew that, she was planning too far ahead, she had not even gotten her acceptance letter from the Dean's office yet, and, in Ron's opinion, her visit to the campus didn't go off as well as it could have, being interrupted for a mission call only about twenty seconds into it.
"He's upstairs, Kimberly, I don't think he's gotten out of the shower yet." Ron's mother, Ellen Stoppable stated, as Ron heard a voice carry up the stairs, a voice he knew all too well.
"I'll just go up to the attic and wait, Mrs. Stoppable, thanks." Kim replied, and Ron began to hear the familiar squeak of the stairs, and the opening, and closing of the attic door.
"I'd better hurry, before she starts getting impatient." Ron said to himself, dragging his razor over his face, and finishing up.
In the attic:
Kim had situated herself on the foot of Ron's bed, and was starting to get comfortable, today would be the first time that they would move into their own apartment . . . it was close to the campus of Upperton University, convenient to the campus of both Upperton University, and Middleton Academy of Culinary Arts, within at least five miles of both, but still within the limits of the city of Middleton.
"Come on, Ron . . . I only rented the van for today, we need to get ready." Kim hollered from where she was sitting.
"I'll be up in a minute, KP . . . if you want, you can start on the closet." Ron stated.
Kim got up form the bed, and walked to the closet, that's when she saw the large trunk sitting on the floor.
Many times, she had asked what was in there, Ron had said that it was 'nothing in particular,' and let the subject drop, never, in her mind, satisfying her curiosity, this time, she would find out, as she noticed that the trunk was unlocked, meaning that someone had been in it recently.
Kim opened the trunk carefully, the old cast iron hinges squeaked due to time, and rust, and the heavy steel lid was hard to get open because of it, but she finally was able to open it up to full volume. She saw several pieces of paper scattered all around it, along with a green spiral notebook, she quickly grabbed the notebook, and began to flip through the yellowed pages, what she saw made her eyes grow bigger, and bigger as she went.
The notebook was littered with very strange poems, as though they were song lyrics, and the pieces of yellowed paper below the notebook appeared to be handwritten sheet music, in Ron's handwriting. Kim quickly began to pick up on this, Ron had written song lyrics, and the music to go along with them, as several of the pieces of sheet music had the lyrics from the notebook printed on them, in neat block letters, making it very easy to read.
Kim picked up one of the old pieces of sheet music, and read it carefully, she noticed the title, 'So Young,' above it, and, in Ron's untidy handwriting, it read:
Needs a higher female voice.
'This is absolutely beautiful . . . when did Ron have the time to do all of this?' Kim thought to herself, flipping through the old pieces of sheet music at a rapid pace, that's when a voice from directly behind her caught her attention.
"I see you found my old trunk." Ron stated, in a monotone.
"When were you going to tell me about this?" Kim asked.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to." Ron replied.
"Why not," Kim replied, now turning to look Ron in the face, "these are beautiful, Ron, they can still be worked out."
"No, they can't Kim . . . the band hasn't played together in five years, and it was all because of someone you know all too well." Ron replied, his shoulders sagging in defeat.
"Let me guess . . . Bonnie?" Kim asked, to which, Ron nodded.
"What happened, Ron?" Kim asked.
"Well, it was pretty simple . . . remember back in Eighth Grade, when I seemed to disappear for hours at a time?" Ron asked.
"Yeah." Kim replied, nodding her head.
"I was working with a garage band I had got together, we called ourselves MP7, but within six months, it was all over, because of Bonnie's little rant about being in a musical group being beneath the status of a cheerleader." Ron recalled.
"Who all was in the group?" Kim asked.
"There was me, Brick, Tara, Hope, Marcella, Felix, and Zita, and we had a good thing going, I had starting writing our own material, and we were gearing up to practice for our first gig, when Bonnie showed up, and basically went on a rampage, splitting the group up right then, and there." Ron stated.
"Why didn't you guys get back together?" Kim asked.
"Well, dear Bonnie had taken to watching Tara, Marcella, and Hope so closely, it became rather impossible for us to get together again without her knowing about it. That kinda brought an end to it." Ron recalled.
"Tell you what, if I can get the rest of the group to agree to it, what would you say about reforming, and adding me to the group?" Kim asked.
"I don't know, Kim . . . it's been a long time, and we first need to get Bonnie out of the way, so she won't be able to interfere." Ron stated.
"It's a simple question, Ron, and it requires a simple yes, or no answer." Kim replied.
"Alright, Kim . .. If we can convince the others, then we can start up again." Ron stated.
"And Bonnie?" Kim asked.
"Leave her to me, KP . . . I got an idea." Ron replied, as he walked to the closet, and pulled out a blue two piece suit, and a white shirt, smiling, he turned to Kim,
"I know where to find her . . . but, there's a catch." Ron stated, smiling.
Middleton Country Club, the next day:
Ron walked out of the passengers side of Kim's car, with a smile on his face, as he walked up to the doorman.
"Hello, George." Ron stated, addressing the doorman by first name.
"Good morning, sir." George stated absentmindedly, while looking at Kim, who was dressed in a beautiful blue dress that stopped at about mid calf, she was wearing black heels, and dark colored pantyhose, her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing her favorite black silk ribbon around her neck, holding it closed was a gold choker, with a glittering ruby dead center of it.
"Kim Possible." the doorman said, greeting Kim as though she were an old friend.
"That would be me, but I'm here on my boyfriend's membership." Kim stated.
"I think we can get you your own membership, Miss Possible, it's the least I can do after you saved my life during that freak thunderstorm last year." George stated.
"I'm not here for me, sir." Kim stated again.
"Is Bonnie Rockwaller here today, George?" Ron asked, to which George quickly turned around, and looked carefully at Ron.
"Ah, the loser . . . yes, Miss Rockwaller is dining with us this afternoon." George stated, in a rather rude voice.
"Thank you, George . . . Kim." Ron stated, offering his arm to Kim, who politely refused, and nodded to Ron to go in without her. Once Ron was out of earshot, Kim rounded on George.
"Word of warning. If I ever hear you talk about him like that in my presence again, you will meet my bad side in a hurry. Do I make myself clear?" Kim stated, her dissatisfaction evident in her face.
George gulped loudly,
"I . . . I'm only referring to him the way Miss Rockwaller does." he stammered.
"I. Don't. Care." Kim stated in measured tones, "Never talk about him like that in my presence again. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." George stated, snapping to attention very quickly, as Kim walked past him, her cheeks still inflamed with anger, and her expression still livid.
Once into the main reception area, Kim found the club owner, and Ron, in full flow, apparently, it seems that the doorman was the only one that treated Ron like dirt in this place, because the owner seemed to like Ron very much, and kept calling him 'boss' for some reason.
"Oh, Richard . . . allow me to introduce you to the only woman in my life, Kim Possible." Ron stated, taking Kim's hand quickly, and guiding him over to the club owner.
"So you're the one that landed the club's most eligible bachelor, huh?" Richard asked, smiling.
"That's me." Kim stated, smiling.
"Hey, Richard, do me a favor, and kind of let Bonnie Rockwaller know that I'm here, but don't mention me by name." Ron stated.
"How about I use the line of Middleton's Most Eligible Millionaire Bachelor." Richard stated, a chuckle coming to his voice.
"Well, I still have over half a billion, but I think that might not be good enough." Ron stated.
"Okay, how about the Duke of Kaandaq?" Richard stated, smiling at Ron, who seemed a bit floored.
"I don't have that kind of money, and you know it." Ron stated, chuckling slightly.
"It seems you have forgotten, the king conferred that title on you over a year ago, when you were able to whip up his favorite dessert in little under an hour." Richard stated, a knowing glint in he eyes.
"I almost forgot about that . . . good catch, Richard. Yeah, we'll use that." Ron replied, chuckling slightly.
"Right this way, Your Grace." Richard stated, his voice rising, so that it could filter to the table of Bonnie Rockwaller, only about a couple of feet from the podium where the Maitre'd normally stood.
"Might I be able to accompany Your grace to his table?" Kim asked, her voice holding a tone of laughter, and her eyes glittering with a slight hint of mirth behind them.
"Of course, milady." Ron replied, sniggering behind his hand.
It didn't take long for Bonnie Rockwaller to find her way to the podium, as Richard returned to it.
"Ah, Miss Rockwaller. How may I be of service to you?" Richard asked, looking carefully at Bonnie.
"Who is the dignitary you just seated?" she asked.
"That, my dear, is the Duke of Kaandaq, he's a major singer, and songwriter . . . only problem is that he has yet to land a record deal." Richard stated calmly.
"Is he any good?" Bonnie asked.
"They say he's one of the best . . . think Paul McCartney, or John Lennon, but on a much grander scale." Richard replied, smiling slightly.
"I SOOO have to meet him." Bonnie squealed, making a beeline for Ron's favorite table.
Once there, Bonnie quickly recognized Kim, who was sitting facing her, the duke seemed to have his back turned, and he was purposely hiding his face for some strange reason.
"So, K . . . I see you finally stepped up in the world." Bonnie stated, a smug look on her face, as Kim seemed to smile a venomous smile.
Ron turned slowly in his seat, and stared at Bonnie with a looked that screamed murder.
"You might say that." he stated coldly.
"YOU'RE THE DUKE OF KAANDAQ?!" Bonnie yelled for everyone in the club to hear.
"Good eyes, Bonnie, I've held that title for a year now." Ron stated, never losing his composure.
"What are YOU doing here, loser?" Bonnie asked with nothing but venom in her voice.
"I happen to be a Platinum Card holder of this club, Bonnie, unlike a certain smug cheerleader I know, that happens to only be a Gold Card holder." Ron stated, his voice equally dripping with sarcasm, and venom.
"I'll have you know that my family is on the Board of Directors of this club." Bonnie stated.
"So am I. In fact, I was elected Board President, and Chairman two months ago, around the same time as your parents were voted off the board." Ron stated, smiling widely, and finally revealing his trump card to Bonnie.
"That's impossible, the chairman's name is Andrew Lipsky." Bonnie stated boldly.
"You must not read your monthly bulletins, he was kicked off the board two months ago, and an emergency board meeting was held, I got both the nomination, and the position by a unanimous decision, while your parents were kicked off the board for their fourth no-show meeting." Ron stated, just as boldly, smiling even wider.
"WHAT?!" Bonnie screamed.
"By the way, Bonnie . . . step into my office." Ron stated, leading Bonnie out of the dining area, and up a set of ornate stairs to the second floor, along the hallway, were several offices, each one with a brass placard next to the door, they finally stopped in front of a set of Walnut double doors, with the largest placard of all was set, it simply read:
R. Stoppable
President
Chairman of the Board
"This has got to be a bad dream." Bonnie stated, looking at the placard, with her mouth hanging open.
"Nope, it's all real." Ron stated, as the door closed as Kim stepped over the threshold. Ron then quickly rounded on Bonnie with fire in his eyes.
"What the hell is this crap I hear about you abusing your status within this club to elbow, and force your way into the kitchens?" Ron stated viciously, his face getting redder, and redder as he spoke.
"As a gold card member, I am allowed into the kitchens." Bonnie stated.
"That was put to a stop three months ago, when the State Health Inspector came in here on a surprise visit, and saw patrons in the kitchen, making demands of the chefs, and staff . . . one of them was you, Bonnie." Ron stated, his voice deepening, and becoming more menacing.
"It's not off limits to a gold card member, which I am." Bonnie stated.
"That was voted on three months ago, and decided that it was too much of a risk to the health of both the kitchen staff, and the patrons to let people back there, didn't you read the flyer we handed out around that time?" Ron stated.
"I received no such thing, only the usual flyer asking for contributions, of which I generously donated." Bonnie replied, still with her smug attitude.
"You should've read the back of that flyer, and the notice it had on it, because signing that flyer made you responsible for reading, and knowing the new regulations to Gold Card members, if you signed it without reading it, it's not my fault." Ron stated, smiling.
"So, what do you plan on doing?" Bonnie asked, in her usual smug, snobby voice.
"I plan on revoking your status in this club, and barring you from ever returning." Ron stated, smiling even more widely.
"I can fight that, you have no proof, or grounds for revoking my membership, besides, you need the vote of the board for that, and right now, I'm a lock to win the annual golf tournament." Bonnie stated, now crossing her hands across her chest with a huff, and a smug look.
"Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, might I make a suggestion as an observer?" Kims stated, looking at Ron carefully.
"Go ahead, Kim." Ron stated, now looking at his girlfriend.
"I think I can figure a way around that . . . as Chairman and Board president, you have the right to hand down certain loss of privileges to club members without board approval, am I correct?" Kim asked.
"Yeah, I can reduce status, I can even suspend them from the course." Ron stated.
Kim quickly pulled Ron off to the side, and talked to him.
"Ron, remember what Bonnie was crowing about earlier?" Kim stated.
"Her Gold Card status?" Ron asked.
"No." Kim replied.
"About stepping up?" Ron asked again.
"No . . . she's in line to win the golf tournament, remember, you can bar her from it, right?" Kim asked.
"Yeah, I can, I forgot about that, thanks, Kim." Ron said, now turning to Bonnie with a hard edge in his eyes.
"Remember . . . that trophy you're going for? It's not called the Chairman's Cup for nothing." Ron stated, smiling evilly at Bonnie.
"What about it, I'm a cinch for it, no one can even touch me, I'm in a sweet spot this year." Bonnie stated.
"That's where you're wrong . . . there is one person that can still touch you, and you happen to be talking to him." Ron stated, now leveling a hard edged gaze at Bonnie.
"WHAT?!" Bonnie asked, horror struck.
"I can disqualify you from the tournament, and revoke your carte blanche at the club, reducing you to nothing more than a simple member." Ron stated, his eyes taking on an almost evil appearence.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!" Bonnie screamed.
"Oh yes I can, I can do it, and without board approval." Ron stated calmly, almost dangerously.
"But that would reduce me to nothing more than a . . ." Bonnie began.
"Commoner . . . a loser?" Ron finished.
Bonnie shrieked in rage, and began to get up from her seat.
"Don't even get up, and head for the door, Bonnie, or I will reduce your membership quicker than you can say, 'Check, please.'" Ron stated, smiling at the fact that he had Bonnie caught between a rock, and a hard place.
"WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?" Bonnie stated through clenched teeth.
"I want you to SIT DOWN, and SHUT UP!" Ron stated, finally raising his voice. Bonnie sat down quickly. She knew that to incur the Wrath of Ron Stoppable meant pain the likes of which she had never felt before, nor did she ever want to feel it.
"Now, here's the deal, are your ears working?" Ron asked.
"WHAT?!" Bonnie screamed, this quickly earned her a raised eyebrow from Ron, who's ears began to resemble curls of raw beef.
"What?" She asked, her voice dropping to an almost meek demeanor.
"Tell Marcella Rodriguez to meet me at The Basement in two hours, she'll know what you're talking about, and to bring her keyboards . . . repeat it." Ron stated.
"Is this about that BAND thing?" Bonnie asked, putting a heavy emphasis on the word band.
"That is none of your damned business, now, repeat it." Ron stated.
"You're ruining MY life over something that should've been left in Junior High?" Bonnie asked.
"I'm ruining your life like you tried to ruin mine . . . now . . . REPEAT WHAT I TOLD YOU TO TELL MARCELLA!!" Ron stated, his voice once again rising in volume.
"Your basement, two hours, bring her keyboards." Bonnie repeated.
"Not my basement . . . THE Basement." Ron stated.
"Okay, The Basement . . . two hours . . . bring her keyboards." Bonnie recited.
"Now, remember, if she doesn't show up in two hours, you can kiss your carte blanche buh-bye." Ron stated, smiling, as Bonnie headed for the door.
"Oh, Bonnie." Ron stated, smiling as Bonnie whirled around, angrier than ever.
"I GOT IT, I GOT IT! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" she bellowed.
"Make sure to pay your tab before you leave." Ron stated, as Bonnie slammed the door behind her, knocking a picture of Ron's father off the wall.
"Now all we can do is hope that Bonnie gets the message to Marcella." Ron stated, as he got out of the high backed leather chair, and walked to the door, with Kim at his right.
"Wow . . . I haven't seen Bonnie that hot since Graduation." Kim stated.
"That's her problem, you know what they say . . . 'what comes around goes around,' and for her, it's going around." Ron replied, smiling widely.
Later that evening:
"Okay, who should we call first?" Kim asked, as Ron sat at his desk, his phone in hand.
"Felix." Ron said again, smiling.
"Why Felix?" Kim asked.
"He's one of the best drummers I know, he was with us from the beginning, and I would prefer that he be behind the drums again." Ron stated.
"Alright, Felix." Kim replied, as Ron dialed the number of Felix Renton on his cell phone.
"Hello." came the voice on the other end.
"Felix, buddy, this is Ron, waddup?" Ron asked
"Same old thing, I got turned down by Upperton University, bud, so it looks like I'll not be rooming with you and Kim." Felix stated.
"Forget about that, I got something better, you got your old drum set handy?" Ron asked.
"Sure do, why?" Felix asked.
"Because I'm getting the band back together." Ron replied.
"You're KIDDING?!" Felix exclaimed.
"Nope." Ron replied.
"On one condition." Felix stated.
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"That Marcella's there." Felix stated.
"No problem, she'll be there." Ron stated.
"I'll believe that when Zita picks me up in the van." Felix stated.
"Get ready." Ron replied, smiling.
"Alright, but you'd better not be pulling my leg, Ron-man." Felix replied.
"I'm not . . . I'll see you at The Basement in two hours." Ron replied.
The rest of the calls went smoothly, and when the last call to Brick was made, Ron shut his cell phone off, and placed it into his pocket.
"Well . . . we'd better get moving, KP . . . we got about a twenty minute ride ahead of us." Ron stated.
"Where are we going?" Kim asked.
"You'll see." Ron stated, as he took Kim's hand, and led her out of their apartment, and to the small parking lot next to it, where Kim's car was parked.
Two chapters in one night, I must be doing something right. [poet and don't know it, LOL
Get ready, ladies, and gentlemen, the party has just begun.
As always, keep the reviews coming,
Doug