Act One

Middleton High School… again.

It had been a couple weeks since the explosion at Global Justice Headquarters. Kim was pretty much 100 percent, but Ron wasn't doing so well. He limped along on crutches, nearly covered in bandages. Rufus was okay too, by those standards.

Kim and Ron saw two familiar faces leaning against the lockers. It was Monique and Nathan. Their heads were really close together, but they weren't kissing. Monique seemed to be whispering something to Nathan. He smiled and listened. Then, the two saw Kim and Ron.

"Kim! Ron! Are you guys okay!" Monique asked with concern. "You missed like a whole week of school!"

"I can get you any notes that you missed," Nathan said.

"Thanks, but that's okay. And we're okay." Kim replied, "Just had a little bit of trouble saving the world, that's all."

"What happened?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, Ron and I ran into this guy named Mercenary. We tried to get back this thing he stole, but it blew up in our faces, literally. Don't worry, though. It's no big."

Rufus piped up with, "Yep, yep. No big."

"Ron," Monique said at last, "You look terrible. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," Ron said, forcing a smile, "it's not good to be in an explosion when you have a broken arm… y'know, the whole already-being-injured thing."

Nathan went up to Ron and Kim, "Well, you two look as if you need a break, so let me carry your books."

"Uh, thanks," Ron said. Kim nodded too. Nathan took their bookbags and any other stray textbooks that were slung under their arms and carried them into the classroom. Monique stayed behind.

"What exactly is the sitch between you and Nathan?" Kim inquired.

"We've gone out several times while you two were gone."

"So, he's there all the time? He never has to leave or anything?"

"Pretty much. Why?"

"Oh," Kim replied, blushing, "No reason, I guess."

"Well, Rufus and I are going to go thank this guy for all the niceness. Come on, buddy." Ron limped forward, using his crutches. Kim turned back to Monique.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," she said quietly. "I've had my share of boy experiences. Not all of them are easy."

"Relax, Kim. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Nathan is a really great guy. Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you and Ron join us tonight? We're going to go to this Chinese restaurant. I'd love it if you came. You should get to know Nathan better."

Kim was uncomfortable. One could see it on her face. "Oh… I don't know…"

"If you don't want to, I understand," Monique said with a downcast expression.

"No, I want to. I could be fun, right? Sure, I'll go! Ron will come too!"

---

Hours later, the four (well, five if you count Rufus) went to a restaurant called Chun Lee's. It couldn't be more like the Orient. Paper lanterns lit the entire room, and customers had to sit on blankets rather than chairs. Rufus acted as if it was an adventure.

"I just love the food here!" Ron exclaimed, diving into his eggdrop soup. "Thanks again for inviting me," he said in a muffled voice (from the food.)

Kim smiled nervously, slightly embarrassed by Ron's lack of manners. Monique watched him stuff his face and giggled. Nathan didn't say anything. Rufus enjoyed the soup as if it were a swimming pool.

A waitress approached them and asked, "Are we ready to order?"

"Nathan, why don't you go first?" Monique said.

"Why me? Oh, alright. Um, let's see… I'll have the pork fried-rice and the sweat and sour chicken. Could the sweat and sour sauce be on the side, please? Thanks."

Nathan closed the menu and looked at Kim. She realized that she hadn't taken her eyes off him for a good five minutes and finally came to. Monique went next, "Um, I'll have the almond boneless chicken. Not too much, please. Like a small size or something."

Monique smiled and Nathan rolled his eyes: she and her small orders. "Um, Kim?"

"Oh, right. Um, I'll have the same thing." Kim heard herself say that rather quickly, and then giggled really immaturely afterwards. Nathan and Monique looked at her. Kim sunk deeper into her chair, embarrassed.

"And for you, sir?" the waitress asked Ron. He looked up at her, his chin dripping with soup.

"Well, it's no Bueno Nacho, but I'll have… three eggrolls, four bowls of white rice, another three bowls of this soup, some of those nice cookie-things you have…"

Then Rufus chirped, "Hey!"

"Oh, right," Ron said after acknowledging Rufus, "make that six eggrolls."

Nathan and Monique looked at him with wide-eyes. Kim practically smacked herself in the face. Then Ron turned to all of them and asked, as if he had no idea what was going on, "What?"

When the food arrived, Kim was curious to see if Nathan was a messy eater like Ron. He was, but no more than Monique or Kim herself. She did find it interesting that Nathan didn't use the sweat and sour sauce at all: he simply combined the dishes of pork fried-rice and the chicken together. It should make for an appetizing meal.

Kim wished she had thought of that, but she hadn't been to Chun Lee's Chinese Restaurant before. Nathan and Monique had finished, and Kim hadn't even touched her food. Ron had to ask, "Are you going to eat that, KP?" before she even realized that she had watched Nathan the entire time.

Out of the blue Monique wrapped her arms around Nathan's head and kissed him right there at the table. They didn't even bother to go get a room or anything! Kim's mouth dropped, and the food practically fell out her mouth. She watched them make out for a long time, until Ron nudged Kim and gave her a "you're-staring-at-him look." Kim blushed and when back to her eating.

I can't have these thoughts! Kim thought to herself, what about my friendship with Monique? If I feel something for her boyfriend, what will happen to her? She's my friend, my close friend! I can't… I won't do that to her! Why do I even look at Nathan! He's even not that good looking. Yeah, that's good, I'll go with that.

Suddenly, Nathan's cellphone rang. Kim was so relieved something jolted her back to reality. As Monique smiled and dabbed her mouth, Nathan reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He opened it up but didn't put it to his ear. It was pretty obvious that it was a text message or something.

Nathan closed the flip phone and put it away, "That can wait." He turned back to Monique and she attacked him with kisses, resuming where they left off. Kim had to cover her eyes to not stare at Nathan again, but luckily, her kimmunicator went off.

"Go, Wade," she said as she turned it on.

"Monkey Fist is back." Wade said, "He's been spotted at the museum."

"Stealing monkey paintings?"

"You got it."

"Great," Kim said and turned to Ron, "let's go."

"But what about the eggrolls?" Ron asked tearfully.

Kim rolled her eyes and pulled him out of his seat, "Come on!"

"We're going to stay here!" Monique and Nathan said together.