Callback 3
YASEMF 40: Chapter 1
YASEMF 43: Chapter 2
"I can't make it tonight," Kim said apologetically, as they put their books in their lockers, "I have a date."
"I know," Ron assured her, "don't sweat it, we'll catch up later."
Kim paused. "How did you know? I didn't know until Jeff sprang it on me last period."
Ron chuckled. "Because your dating patterns are pretty stable. First you find a pretty boy, usually shallow but not always, then you spend all your free time together, cutting our time to classes and missions. If the pretty boy you've crushed on is shallow, he'll monopolize your time because he's concerned with his rep and thinks me hanging out with you is bad for your rep and reflects on him. If he's not shallow, he'll do it because he's jealous of the time you spend with me. Regardless of which one it is, you'll figure it out in a week or two, spend more time with me to make it up to me, there will be a big scene, you'll break up, and things will return to normal until you crush on another pretty boy. Lather, rinse, repeat."
"What?!" Kim asked, shocked.
"Monique, back me up on this," Ron said.
"That... actually fits pretty well," Monique said thoughtfully.
"It's perfectly normal, K.P." Ron told her cheerfully, "have fun and don't worry about it."
"They weren't all shallow," she argued, as she thought about Jeff...
"There is nothing wrong with dating someone just because you are physically attracted to them," Ron assured her. "It's like a roller coaster, fun and exciting, just not that long a ride. Dating isn't marriage, no long term commitment has been promised."
"Speaking of which, since you aren't doing anything tonight, any objections to spending some time with me?" Monique asked.
"Not a one, but I must warn you it is Patrick Swayze night," he replied. "I am having a Swayze marathon. Are you up for the challenge?"
"Is Dirty Dancing included in that?" Monique asked with a grin.
"Only the dirtiest!" he promised grandly, unaware of the response of the girls in the hall around them as their eyes widened.
"What?" Kim asked, feeling she was missing something.
"I'll pick up dinner from your fave and meet you at your place," Monique said.
"See you there," Ron promised, before leaving for detention.
Kim frowned, unsure what she was feeling at the moment.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Barkin nodded and checked Ron's name off his list, a very short list as he was the only student there.
"So what are we working on today?" Ron asked.
"Normally we'd be covering the school assignments you missed, but at the moment you are all caught up," Barkin admitted, "and studying ahead would leave you bored in class which would lead to further rule breaking."
"So... work on a subject I'm not taking?" Ron suggested.
"Electives require equipment and supplies we don't have," Barkin admitted. "I could teach you military hand signs."
Ron quickly held a flat palm up for attention and then made a fist signaling for him to stop.
"G.J. already taught you?" Barkin guessed.
"Actually Bonnie insisted all the cheerleaders learn," Ron said with a shrug. "It was last year when they went to the finals. I played dumb so she wouldn't involve me. All I know is that while we didn't win the first prize... it's in our possession."
Barkin grinned. "If she was born a man, she'd have made one hell of a soldier."
"Soldier? Try General," Ron said, shaking his head. "What else have you got to teach?"
"Improvised -AHEM- can't teach you that," he stopped himself.
"Explosions or Booby Traps? Doesn't matter, I know them both," Ron assured him.
Barkin paused and took a closer look at Ron as if seeing him for the first time. "What do you know?"
"Everything," Ron said. "If it's a traditional military course taught up to Desert Shield, I know it."
"Hand to hand?" he asked with a grin, deciding to burst Ron's bubble and bring him back down to Earth.
"Let me grab my sweat clothes and meet you in the gym," Ron replied.
"Seriously?" Barkin asked, surprised.
"My best friend knows over a dozen forms of Kung Fu and we are continually fighting super villains and their henchmen," Ron reminded him.
"I've had to pull you out of your own locker three times this year," Barkin said.
"You want me to beat up teenagers?" Ron asked in disbelief.
"You are a teenager," Barkin reminded him, "and there is a big difference between standing up for yourself and simply beating people up."
"I don't want to get stuck paying a lot of medical bills because I had to make an example of one of them," Ron said, thinking of the bullies he dealt with every day.
"Bills? Haven't you ever heard of a soft take down?" Barkin demanded.
"Heard of... yeah," Ron said slowly. "Not something I ever learned though," he admitted.
"Then it looks like I do have something I can teach you," Barkin said proudly.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The football team was running up and down the bleachers, but Barkin ignored them as he set up several dummies, dressed in different styles of clothes, at the end of the field.
"I'm surprised you had these on hand," Ron said.
"We teach a self defense course on Sundays during the summer," Barkin replied. "They're a lot tougher to damage than a real person and can't sue the school for accidents or injuries."
Ron laughed. "I can see where that would come in handy. How often do you have to replace them?"
"Haven't had to yet," Barkin replied, "besides, I sprung for the lifetime warranty, even though I was told it was a waste. So go all out, show me what you're really capable of, Stoppable."
Ron looked at the dummy wearing a ski mask and carrying a rubber knife doubtfully.
"Pretend it attacked Miss Possible," Barkin suggested.
Ron snorted. "It'd be on the ground, unconscious."
"True," Barkin agreed, trying to think of a suitable victim. "Picture it attacking Tara," he suggested.
Ron leapt forward, launching a spinning kick to its jaw that spun its head around before grabbing its knife hand and continuing the spin, shattering the joint. Yanking down he ripped the limb off and spun back around using it as a club and decapitating the dummy. Still not done, he kicked its left knee, causing it to land backwards, before slamming a left into where its kidneys would have been, dropping the arm and slamming a snake hand into its chest, pulling out a handful of stuffing a moment later. "No heart?" he asked, surprised.
"Wow," Barkin said, impressed, "we have a lot of work to do."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"And then they brought out the pineapple," Jeff said.
Kim laughed as did several of the people waiting in line for the roller coaster with them. The date had been nearly perfect so far, but she couldn't help but feel something was off.
"Next!"
The line moved forward and Jeff cheered, "Yes, we just might make it out of here without resorting to cannibalism!"
Everyone laughed, the line moved forward, and she forgot what was bugging her.
Typing by: Abyssal Angel
