Chapter 21: Post Game
"No fancy cyber chair stuff," said Ron.
"Oh, Oh like I need that to beat you," Felix gloated right before he sank his shot. After Kim caught the ball as it came down, Felix asked, "Got game Possible?"
"Oh, I came to play Felix."
"Bring it on Possible, bring it on." Felix replied as Kim spun the basketball on her finger.
Kim took a drink from a bottle of water while she and Ron sat on the bleachers catching their breath. Felix wheeled on over to them, "Do you two still want to play the third game?"
Kim replied, "Love too, but can't. I've got to go over to Monique's and work on a history project. Next time the three of us play 21, I'll win at least one game."
"Even if you did beat Kim by three, then four baskets and me by one, two, three…"
"He beat you by eight baskets both games Ron," Kim finished for her friend.
"What can I say, I've got a sweet hook shot," replied Felix.
"Yeah, like I said I'll get you next time," Kim said before she headed out of the gym.
Felix pivoted around to face Ron and asked, "What about you? Are you up for another game?"
"Bring it on Steel Wheels."
"That looks spankin," said Kim as she looked at the replica western expansion town Monique and she had finished building.
"No big, it helped that you got some photographs of the architecture used at that time," Monique replied.
"I helped out this museum curator while he was an archeologist when they accidently uncovered some…"
"It's alright Kim. I'm not sure that I would want to know what he found."
"It's cool. I'm glad we got this done with a week to spare."
"I've learned that it helps to get it done ahead of time with you. After all, you never know how your mission schedule turns out. Speaking of schedules, why did you want to meet later this afternoon than we had planned? Was it another mission?"
"Nothing like that, I took the time to play some basketball with Ron and Felix."
"Felix? Felix…he's the new kid in the wheelchair right?" Monique asked.
"Yeah, the same one I told you about that helped Ron and me with the car parts theft sitch." Kim replied.
"Right, the one Ron seemed to hit it off with. About as fast as you and I hit it off I think."
"That's a pretty good way to describe it. There were definitely a couple of guy things that went over my head when those two chatted."
"Like the whole turbonic charger valve name?"
"I still don't get why that was such a good name, but it got Motor Ed's attention all right." Kim commented as she rolled her eyes.
"I haven't had the chance yet, but I definitely want to at least meet him. You know make a new friend…expand my Middleton social network." Who knows, it might be fun to share some Kim-Ron interaction observations. Those two have no idea how many debates they cause in gossip circles. They cover the gambit from 'how can such a socially knowledgeable person be a friend (let alone a best friend) with someone who is proud of his outsider status' to 'are you sure they're not a couple?' and everything in between. I'm sure he is bound to have some good ones if he hangs out with Ron like I hang out with Kim.
"Man! That hook shot gives you a nasty post game Felix."
"At least you only lost by six baskets this time."
"The Ron man will have has his day, but in the meantime it's off to Bueno Nacho. All that playing made me starving."
"Since you treated me to the food at the monster truck rally, how's about I treat Bueno Nacho. Seems like the right thing to do, especially after whooping you into such a starving state."
Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket and just made his munchies hungry sound. "Sure I'll treat you too Rufus."
Ron and Rufus both said, "Booyah!"
After some nacos and burritos, Felix and Ron departed on their separate ways. As Felix rolled down the street, he thought about the conversation he had with Ron in Bueno Nacho. I've have to say, in all the places I've been with my mom moving around with her work in advanced cyber-robotics and stuff, I have never seen a relationship like Kim and Ron's. Watching them at the fair, I thought they were an interesting couple. Especially how she kept pulling him off to the side to say something or jabbing him in the ribs. Then there was the look on Kim's face when Motor Ed had taken Ron, thinking he was taking the turbonic charger valve. How she seemed to be consoling Rufus and herself at the same time with her words. My biggest clue was when it didn't take much convincing for her to let me come with. She went from being nervous around me to taking me on a mission without knowing how much my mom tricked out my chair. Then in Bueno Nacho, I make the comment that he and Kim are quite the pair and his response is 'well we've been best friends forever'. Best friends? I guess I shouldn't have assumed, but I was still floored. Without realizing what I meant by pair, he goes and tells me more stories about some of their missions. All he really did was talk about what Kim did or how she saved the day. Ron just makes me wonder what he does on all these missions Kim takes him on.
"Are you Felix Renton?"
Felix looked over his soldier. He then smoothly pivoted on his back wheels and spun the chair to face the individual and said, "Yes, and you are?" as he stuck out his hand.
"I'm Monique, a friend of Kim and Ron."
"Oh, you're the girl Kim went to go finish a history project with. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I noticed you coming down the sidewalk with a pondering look on your face. Let me guess you were thinking about Kim and Ron?"
Felix laughed and said, "Yes I was."
"I figured. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to figure out those two since I moved here a few months ago. They're the best friends I have, but sometimes I don't understand them in the least."
"Care to share some stories? I only have a few so far, but I get the feeling life is never boring with those two as friends."
"You don't even know a quarter of it, let alone a half. You are right though; I really can't think of a dull moment I have had when it comes to either one of those two." Monique then smiled proudly. "I've got too many stories for just one sit down."
"Great, I'm sure the stories will be a blast. So maybe you can actually tell me what Ron does on missions. When I talk with him, he sometimes mentions what he does, but most of the time he tells me what Kim did or how she saved the day."
"Sure I can tell you that because when I get the story details from Kim, she glosses over what she does and mostly talks about what Ron did or how he helped."
Yup, Felix thought those two are definitely quite the pair.