Chapter 10: Appeal and Reveal
Ron approached the park that sat next to the grounds of the pre-school. The old area hadn't changed much, the playground still looked the same and sounds of laughing children and bouncing balls resonated through the air. It was lunchtime for the kids their too, but they were much more active outdoors than those at the high school, playtime was always something to be cherished when you were younger, no worries, no stress, no status to maintain or no social hierarchy, just enjoyment of the company of others, providing you had friends of course, and when Ron had been there he sure had that. One very special friend in particular, and it was she who had brought him back there now. His heart was beating out of his chest, he was nervous and apprehensive, hoping above all else that Kim would be there where he suspected... that also brought with it excitement and a longing, a desire to see her. His heart felt as though it had regained its shape and buoyancy as he saw her, a mass of long, soft auburn hair resting lazily against a huge tree trunk while a petit body sat underneath it, legs curled up under her backside as she stared directly at the school play area. From his viewpoint of being behind her, she could well have been napping, but somehow he knew that she wasn't and he also knew what was going through her mind. 'she's so incredible... so sensitive and caring and still so strong and determined and brave. Let's hope she's forgiving too... I'm here for you KP, I'm... home' and he parked the scooter, and made his way gingerly towards her across the lush grassy fields of the park.
He carefully and lightly crossed the field until he was behind her, he didn't know whether to break her concentration she was instilling to the school fence so he simply kneeled down behind her and waited. She made no sound, he couldn't be sure whether she knew he was there or not, she had said she never wanted to see him again, and she had every right to feel that way, but his desire to speak to her and finally be open with her became too strong and he spoke, "Hi... KP..." there came no reply, only silence. He watched as the cool wind gently moved her hair and made it dance softly. He longed to reach out and stroke it but knew that the next words that came from him or Kim may mean that he would never make physical contact with her again. He took a deep prolonged breath and looked away from her, almost in shame as he continued... "Kim I..." before he could go any further Kim interjected, stopping his mouth dead.
"Twelve years ago... that was me and you in there. I think about that day so often. The day my life changed forever. Do you remember when we met? How we met? The sitch... it was like this... I was alone and nervous, I hated being amongst the crowds of the playground, I was shy, miserable, wanted so hard for there to be someone I could speak to... and then to make matters worse, a gang of boys decided to bully me. I was so scared, so frightened..." tears began to well up in Kim's and Ron's eyes, he wanted to reach out and hold her to save her from her upsetting thoughts but for now knew that he should just listen and accept the fate that was coming to him. He placed his hands on his knees as he rested on them and looked down to listen to Kim's words. "Then just at the point where I was beginning to give up, wanting to just let it happen and get it over with... this incredible young boy came over. He was small, had bright blonde hair, the cutest little freckles... and he said all the right things to make them go away. He didn't stoop to their level and get mean, or aggressive. He just told them to stop, to go away, to leave me alone. I've never felt so grateful to someone, I was grateful to you, and to god for letting you be there then, and be there ever since... a kind considerate person, who put others first... he dealt with things the good, right and honest way..." Then slowly Kim turned around and faced Ron, he looked up at the correct time to meet her tear filled glistening emerald eyes, filled with distress, confusion and disappointment, "he never once resorted to violence... violence and aggression, completely unprovoked... he knew those were the acts of a bully... and went against everything... everything... that he... stood for" and tears began to stream from her eyes as she began to cry harder and harder, bringing her hands up to her eyes to catch the falling tears as her hands trembled.
Ron wanted more than ever to reach out and hold her, for the first time in as long as he could remember, and it shamed him to think so, he realised how weak and drained Kim looked, she looked so ill, Monique was right, she was unwell, and she was right to be worried... why hadn't he been so? He wiped away the tears from his eyes, stared directly at his distraught girlfriend and ignoring the pain he felt in his chest and his aching soul, he began, "Kim... I'm still me. That... thing, that animal from yesterday, I don't know who that was but it wasn't me... the Ron-man, you're Ron-man. Kim I don't know what was going through my mind, I don't... no, that's not true, I do know, I just don't know how to explain it... I shouldn't have kept it from you."
Kim looked up at him, her face red and her eyes tired and weary, "what have you been doing Ron? What was going through your mind? What made you want to hit me? What made you stop yourself?"
Ron looked back down, and brought his hand up to stroke the back of his neck, there was still and uncomfortable distance between the two in the position they were sat but for the first time in weeks they felt some of the closeness in their hearts start to return. "I've been hanging around with someone who was, I thought, helping to make me happier, more of a better person."
"hanging around with someone... who's making you happier?" The wave of sadness started to overcome Kim again... "so you were seeing someone else... oh no... Ron please..."
Ron immediately realised what he had said, and brought his hands up to his head much like he had the night previous, he hadn't meant it to come out in that way... "no.. no Kim no... I don't mean that, that's not what I wanted to say, I can't word it properly... It's such a long story..."
Kim was becoming more and more anxious, the volume of her voice began to rise... "Ron please... who is she... just tell me!"
"Kim look..."
"RON PLEASE... TELL ME WHO YOU'VE BEEN SEEING! JUST TELL ME, WHAT'S HER NAME!" and she wailed with sadness and clenched her fists with frustration.
"Taylor Gordon!" Shouted Ron as Kim's wailing began to subside and she stared back at him confused...
sniff "Taylor... Gordon... as in... history class? You've been having an affair... with a guy?"
"WHAT?! No!... ewwww... not that there's anything wrong with people who like that sorta thing but just... ewwwwww no! Kim I haven't been "seeing" anyone like that... why would I want anybody else? Jeeze Kim being your guy is a dream come true, why would I look elsewhere?"
Kim's expression softened momentarily, but she had to stay strong, she needed to find out the truth about the last few weeks and why things had been so tough between them. "So what has been going on? Why would you hang around with someone like Taylor Gordon... he's such an arrogant pig!"
Ron felt his legs begin to cramp so he lowered himself down onto his butt and got comfortable, "can I please come a little closer?" he asked.
"I guess..." replied Kim, still confused and worried about her and Ron's future, but relieved that he hadn't been with another girl, her darkest fears, for the moment, had not been realised.
"Thank you... Over the past few weeks, Taylor has been helping me to train, to improve my health and fitness, it wasn't the plan originally when I was looking to get into it but he just happened to be at the same gym when I first attended it. Which was kinda appropriate... seeing as it was his suggestion that got me interested in developing my body and my fitness levels..."
Kim's crying had now completely stopped but she still spoke with a sense of disappointment "Oh Ron, look please don't lie to me. I don't mean to sound mean Ron honest, but I can so tell you haven't been attending a gym... or if you have, it can't be much of one, because you look no diff..."
Kim was stopped in her tracks as Ron removed his large baggy sports jersey. It revealed his grey training vest underneath which he hadn't bothered to remove in his haste to exit the academy. The vest clung to him and displayed every shape on Ron's upper body. His bare arms were now toned with round biceps and clearly defined triceps. His forearms were firm and the skin around them tight. They hung down from his broad shoulders that sat aloft a muscular chest, not heaving, but clearly developed, a slight depression was present above each nipple where his muscles were contracting in the cool wind. Below his chest was the beginning to six pack that was rippled and solid, but not yet fully complete, Ron was still a small guy, but what there was of him was now incredibly strong and defined.
Kim glared at him in silence, her eyes moving slowly up and down from Ron's eyes, that were fixed on her, down his stomach, then traced back up his arms and back to his face, her mouth was open as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Ron decided to break the silence "I've been training, six times a week for the past three weeks Kim, for up to six hours at a time... skipping, weights, sit ups, press ups... box..." but he stopped. His sudden stop made Kim snap out of the trance that Ron's new body had put her in.
"I'm... I'm so sorry I didn't believe you Ron... you clearly have been working really hard. I just couldn't tell with your jersey on... you look... incredible." Ron blushed slightly. "But there are still so many things I don't understand... why have you been training so hard? Why have you been so "off" with me at school... why would you hang with Taylor, he's so different to you, he's such a jerk! And what is box anyway? Some sort of apparatus?"
'you've put her through enough... tell her everything, she deserves it, forget what you've been told, she comes first... always and forever...' Ron went on to tell Kim everything, right from his original chat with Taylor and the other Basketball guys at the school gymnasium, right through to becoming a member at RingKing and the fact that he was training to become a boxer to be in a fight that would either make or break the academy "So you see KP, Taylor had told me how to be the guy you wanted I had to be stronger, to offer you the protection you needed, be the guy that you deserved that our peers would approve of, maintaining your status and ultimately, improving my own. And I guessed he was right about girls liking athletes because you had even said on that walk home that night that you were proud I was on the football team... I joined the RingKing boxing academy, it turns out Taylor's dad owns it and they said I had to attend six times a week so that I could make my membership worthwhile. Taylor has been training me to be a fighter. I didn't realise until yesterday that I was actually being trained for a fight tomorrow... if I lose the academy is to be closed. Which explains why him and his dad are working me so hard"
Kim sat and listened to Ron's revelations. She said nothing until she felt Ron was finished. "Ron... why would you feel as though you had to change yourself? What do the views of others matter? I don't care what anyone thinks about us, but believe me from what I hear and see I think people are pretty psyched for us."
"But you're the best looking girl in school Kim... scrub that... the planet! Plus you're the head cheerleader, you need to be with some tanned volcano hottie who others think you belong with... this is high school KP, it's all about what others think"
For the first time in weeks, Kim smiled, and then broke into a giggle. "a tanned volcano hottie huh? you mean that's not what I have now?"
"No Kim... you have me... a nobody... what do I have to offer someone like you..."
Kim reached out and touched Ron on his cheek, energy surged through each of them as they made meaningful contact for the first time in weeks. "It's about what others think?... Oh come on Ron, you don't believe that rubbish do you?... you do realise here that you've been dealing with the male version of Bonnie... and she only put up with him for a week... yeah ok, he's a reasonably good looking guy, but he thinks he's gods gift" she shook her head gently and rolled her eyes, she could see Ron was looking sheepish and embarrassed... she decided to lift his spirits "what exactly did Taylor say us girls wanted again?"
Ron glanced up at her to see her beautiful face close to his, full of warmth and compassion. Ron continued... "He said girls wanted someone strong, popular and hot... someone who offered protection. The opposite of me"
"Uh huh... Uh huh... wow, for once maybe Taylor has said something correct..." she beamed a huge smile that made Ron's heart explode and radiate heat throughout him "Let's take a look at your profile... popular? Yeah, I would say so, you have two families who love you to bits, you have a bunch of close friends, you have a girlfriend... a girlfriend who loves you Ron, Loves you just the way you are" She inched a little closer and ran her thumb on his cheek "hot? Well... some girls may not see it... but I think you're smokin'..." Ron broke out into a smile... "strong? Yeah.. you sure are strong... strong in your heart, strongwilled, strong enough to stand by what you believe in, to stand by your girl whenever she needs you, that's real strength Ron, not muscles... although they are rather spankin'!" she put her hands on Ron's solid chest as she leaned her head even closer, "And offer protection... Ron if you weren't by my side I would never have the guts to do half the things I do... I couldn't function properly without you Ron... you inspire me..." she winced as she thought back to the way she had quit the squad, how she hadn't told Ron about that. They both had their secrets that had driven them apart, it wasn't all down to him.
"Oh Kim... how could I have made things so difficult? I don't know why I was so stupid to treat you how I have. I didn't like being away from you, it killed me not being able to hold you and love you how I wanted but I became so wrapped up in believing boxing was my soul purpose. Taylor said things that I believed, things about how girls made men soft and that a soft guy was no real guy. He practically poisoned me against you... preventing me from being intimate with you and making sure I kept my activities a secret as you wouldn't understand and would make me stop and I let him manipulate me and damage the greatest thing possession in my life... He instilled this awful aggressive fighting side in me that I... that I released on you... He made me think it was right for me, and that it was all for you" He looked down in shame "I'm so so sorry Kim... I would never have hurt you, you know that... it just came over me, my head was a mess... How could I attack you, hurt you... hit your beautiful, perfect face?" and tears began to fall from his eyes again as he reached out and touched Kim's cheek the way she was holding his.
"Ron you didn't hit me... and I know deep down you were never gonna... That isn't you... I don't think I like the thought of you in a boxing fight Ron, what if they mess up your cute face?" She smiled warmly, "But I would support you if that was what you wanted deep down, but I think you are showing now that it isn't" she snuggled a little closer to Ron's chest "what stopped you? You never said... what made you refrain from hitting me?"
Ron paused and then reached out and grabbed Kim holding her in a long loving embrace, pressing his cheek against the top of her head and holding her so tight in his warm muscular arms. "Because when I looked down... I saw the look of fear in your eyes, you were terrified... because of me!" he kissed her head firmly "How could I make you fear me? The girl I adore, I always have, ever since we met over that fence... and I made you tremble with fear, not even Drakken or the worst villains we have ever faced have sent you like that... I hate myself for that Kim... I'll never forgive myself."
Kim eased back from his firm grasp, she was loathed to do so, but she had to look him in the eye. "Ron... you didn't hit me... but yes, I was scared, more scared than I have ever been. I don't get scared by Drakken or Killigan or Monty... because I have no feelings for them at all, but when someone you care about more than anything suddenly turns against you... it hurts and destroys your wills so fast that fear just overtakes you." She continued, "Me and you are all that matter in this relationship Ron... in an attempt to improve on perfection by listening to the advice of someone who will never experience what we have, only succeeded in driving us apart, not bringing us together."
Ron began to cry more violently... "I l... love you... so much KP... I will never... ever hurt you... mentally or physically again..." and he pulled her into his arms once more.
"I believe you Ron... and I love you too... more than anything. Its just me and you against the world... like it is in the field" and she began to cry as well as chuckle.
Ron gave Kim a soft kiss on her head before she eased back, brought her lips up to his, and they shared a long, deep passionate kiss, as intense as it was loving. Then Kim gripped him tight and held him for all she was worth, they remained like this for the next ten minutes or so. Ron broke the peaceful silence and whispered gently into Kim's ear "you look so beautiful KP... but you look so tired and drained, so stressed, and you feel so thin. I know I've been a major problem to you but, is there something else wrong?"
Kim felt comfort wash over her for the first time in weeks, 'He's concerned, he could always tell when there was something wrong... he's back' "I've been so stressed lately Ron... with all the cheer squad issues and things, it all became too much"
Ron then released Kim and slapped his forehead... "Oh my gosh! The cheer squad! Oh babe! How is it going? I completely forgot about it... I've missed watching you practice so much, I can't believe I did... is it going ok... I bet the routine is looking great now huh?"
Kim gingerly leaned back on her butt, breaking his contact and sighed, "I wouldn't know Ron... I quit last week."
Ron suddenly felt a surge of nausea run through him... "you quit... why? Oh Kim why didn't you say? Why didn't I ask... why didn't I see! Oh Kim, could I suck anymore at being a best friend? Or a boyfriend... or even a soulmate"
Kim looked downwards, closing her eyes... "I just couldn't concentrate on it Ron, it's like I told you, when you aren't there I can't concentrate, have no focus, just cannot function. That's what you mean to me Ron... I need you... you're the best boyfriend ever, you really are, you don't suck at all... you excel, I need you more than you'll ever know. Soulmate" and she smiled and took Ron's hand in hers
Ron leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of Kim's nose... "I've never had you down as a quitter KP... in fact, I remember once lambasting you about using quitter talk..." Kim smiled softly in remembrance "we need to go on a mission KP... let's go" and he stood up and picked her up like a groom would his bride. She let out a small chuckle... "Ron... where are we going?"
"We gonna make up for lost time... in more ways than one" said Ron... "operation relationship revitalise!" he shouted, and raised his right arm in a look of triumph, before realising he was about to drop Kim and put his arm back under her legs again, and with a mischievous grin to her and a look of confusion back from Kim, they headed towards his scooter.