Ron dutifully followed the man he felt had been out to get him since ninth grade. (Wouldn't that be four years ago?) When they reached Vice Principal Barkin's office, he pointed to the chair Ron was to sit in, then the man took his own seat.
"Stoppable, would you care to explain this?" inquired Mr. Barkin, pointing to the package on his desk.
"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you are asking," Ron responded.
"Response number 27 may get you by in the classroom, but not here," Barkin replied.
"Really, I don't know what this is about. All of my work due has been handed in, I have not been tardy for two weeks for any class. Two weeks! Honestly, I don't know why I was called here."
"Just look in the box, Stoppable, and tell me what you see?"
Ron came over to the desk and lifted the box lid. There inside was Ruf-fus , looking like he was ready for a fight. "Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!" Ron quickly closed it waited a few seconds and opened it again. "... Ta ta ta dah da dah! Mole Rat Muscle!" Finally closing it for the last time.
"Okay..." Ron was beginning to feel a part of a very bad scrip, a script he didn't deserve to be in. Perhaps it was a dream? But whose dream?
"This creature was caught near the PA system by Principal Rules' office, when the 'Freedom of Expression Day' was announced," the vice-principal explained.
"Mr. Barkin, I still don't understand," the teenager responded with a questioning look, hoping to get out of any trouble that was coming his way.
The man continued, "Well the problem is, there is no 'Freedom of Expression Day.' Principal Rules and I were having a conversation in his office, while the announcement was being made." He was looking more aggravated as the conversation wore on. "You think I'm upset? That man acted like someone spit in his corn flakes this morning."
"But kids in this school have seen many teachers use the school's phones to make announcements over the PA system," said Ron defending himself. "Any other student could have done it. I mean, have you heard some of the impressions of you out there? I mean there is one guy when he..."
"Stoppable... focus?" interrupted the vice-principal.
"Ah, I mean, how could you be sure this was the one?"
"Fear," replied Barkin.
"Fear?" the blond teenager replied. The one thing he knew very well was fear. Whether it was the bullies in hall D, using his mad running away skills distracting the henchmen or even taking an algebra test, fear was something that stayed close to this young man. However, somehow he didn't see where it fit in this confrontation with the former military man.
"Fear, Stoppable, fear." The man got up out of his chair and came around the desk. Getting in the troubled teen's, or one who was about to be, face and gritted his teeth, "Impersonating a faculty member among friends is one thing, but doing it over the PA, where it can be traced... is just sophomoric."
"You think one of them did it?"
"Who?"
"The sophomores."
"NO!" shouted Barkin. Turning away, while pinching the bridge of his nose, he continued, "One of the admins watched him do it! He was caught red-handed."
"So, why do you think I have something to do with this?"
"Everyone knows you bring that little 'friend' of yours to school," Barkin replied. "So, you..."
Ron reached into his pocket and held up Rufus. "Sorry, Mr. B, but this is the 'little friend' you're referring to. I don't know what makes you think I had anything to do with this. I have to get to my next class so..."
"Uncle Rufus, get me out of this!" came an unwanted plea from the box.
"Well, I guess the problem answered itself," the vice-principal interjected. "Everyone knows your little friend's name, a very unique one as well."
"Man, this tanks. Would it make a difference to say, that I just got him this weekend from my Grandpa Joe and didn't know he was going to do this?"
"Your Grandpa Joe? Wait, wasn't he one who sent the, the," Barkin shivered as he said it, "the case of sparkling water?"
"Ah, yes."
"It was bad enough with the BBQ-peanut-butter flavored sparking water, but poor Ms Rockweller."
"Ya, but she did look as cute as a Japanese kewpie doll."
Ron couldn't believe it. Was Barkin cracking a grin on his face? Maybe he would be able to pull himself out of this mess. But soon all hope was lost when the man got control, shook his head.
"Stoppable, someone has to do detention. If this action would go unpunished, then another one would think they could do it, and then another, and do you know what would happen next?" inquired the ex-Marine.
"Ah, the students would feel more open to express themselves and their spirits would soar?"
"No, Mr Stoppable," The big man grabbed Ron by the shoulders. "The respect for the faculty would diminish."
"No! That would be like playing for the Chicago Cubs!"
"Exactly. So, even though you are an innocent bystander, someone has to do detention. We have to make the punishment large enough to prevent further enticement. Two weeks of detention, but the work done during that time will go toward extra credit needed in your classes."
"But, what about football and being the school mascot?" he asked. "Football? Where did that come from?"
"Football? What are you talking about, you're not on the football team? On being the mascot, you will be suspended from any of those activities for the first week," came the ruling from Vice Principal Barkin. He knew things like this had to be stopped and stopped hard.
#######################################################
The rest of the day did go better for Ron, even though the thought of two weeks of detention didn't give him the best of spirits. Finally on the way to Bueno Nacho, with Monique and Felix in tow, Ron had a chance to talk to the gang about the sitch.
"Man, this just tanks. I mean, I didn't tell Ruf-fus to do this, I didn't give him the idea, all I said was ..."
"Ron, I warned you about this. You don't know what Ruf-fus will do until you get to know him better," Kim said, trying to comfort Ron.
BEEP-BEEP-BE-DEP!
Knowing it was the Kimmunicator, Kim pulled the unit out of her pocket and asked, "What's the sitch, Wade?"
The tech whiz preteen responded, "It looks like someone has taken the Pandimensional Vortex Inducer."
"Ah MAN!" Ron shouted. "When are they going to have some real security for that thing? How many times have we had to recover it?"
"Let's not worry about that, Ron," Kim replied and then tried to continue her conversation with Wade, but was interrupted by Ron.
"I mean is this the fifth or sixth time?"
"Ron! How many times it has been stolen is not important." Kim snapped, then mumbled, "Besides, I've lost count too." Turning back to the little blue device in her hand. "Wade, do we have a ride set up?"
"All set up. GJ will be out front in 15. They have the coordinates and all the info."
"Mind if we tag along?" Felix asked. "I mean you could have a mystery on your hands."
"Sure, it might be fun," replied Kim. "But it we run into really bad guys, stay low and let Ron and me handle it." Monique and Felix understood and acknowledged by shaking their heads.
"Wade?" asked Ron. "Do you have any audio recordings of the bad guys we've gone up against? Sort of a 'Villains' Files'?"
"Well, yea, I can dig something up. Why do you want them?" The tech genius was puzzled.
"Oh, just a little Jack in the hole, that I'm working on," Ron replied with a grin.
"Ron, that's Ace up the sleeve, Ace up the sleeve," Kim corrected him.