Kim waited until the clock in her bedroom told her it was one in the morning. She was certain everyone had to be sleeping by now including her family and the slaves on the plantation. She quickly got out of bed and didn't bother to change out of her nightgown when she left her bedroom. She neglected to put on shoes on purpose when she exited her home. She closed the door so slowly and carefully so that it didn't make any noises to alert anyone. Her mother was a very light sleeper for some reason and it wasn't hard to wake her up. Kim remembered being young and standing just outside of her parents' bedroom door late at night after she had a nightmare and her mother woke up almost immediately, sensing her daughter's presence. She had been very pregnant with her twin brothers at the time and had to waddle out of the room and put Kim back to bed. The redhead had a mammy at one point in time, but she died when Kim was young and her mother refused to replace her since she had been her mammy growing up, too. Replacing someone so dear to her heart was not something Ann Possible would ever do. It was somewhat unheard of for a woman to take such hands on care with her children since they had so much money, but Kim liked having a relationship with her mother whereas her friends seemed to barely know theirs.
Despite being close with her mother, Kim never wanted her to know that she sneaked out of the house past midnight every Saturday night (or, she guessed, early Sunday morning) to go climb trees on their extremely large property. If her mother knew what she was doing, Kim would be in so much trouble. What women climbed trees? Well, Kim thought, she sure did and she wasn't about to stop. She could have done this during the day, she assumed, because there were parts of the property nobody went to, but it would be difficult to explain why her dress was torn or why her feet were dirty.
Kim hiked up her white nightgown and quickly scurried away from the house and she most definitely didn't go near the slave quarters. They would definitely tell on her and bring her back to the house. The last thing she needed was to be returned to her father at one in the morning as if she was a child. Kim was fourteen years old, three months away from being fifteen, and didn't need to be punished like her brothers were when they got into trouble. Even though Kim was slightly odd, her parents thought she was a child prodigy. She excelled at everything she did such as being well mannered and playing the piano well. The only thing she didn't do so well with was cooking, but her mother assured her she'd learn eventually and she doubted Kim would ever have to cook a meal anyway, so they could hide that from a prospective suitor. She didn't really think about that. Her brothers, on the other hand, got into trouble constantly, but it was laughed at, everyone just saying they were boys and that was a good enough excuse.
If Jim and Tim climbed trees in the middle of the night, people would laugh and say how adventurous they were. If someone found out Kim climbed trees in the middle of the night, she'd be a disgrace. Her brothers even got nicknames. Kim would always be Kimberly and she loathed her name ever since she was nine years old. Kim was much better, shorter, and didn't remind her of a falling tree because of the word timber and her logic didn't even make sense to herself.
Kim felt the slight breeze on her cheeks and was thankful it wasn't sweltering like it had been during the day. The night was always cooler and more comfortable. Kim wasn't stupid and knew it was the sun which made it incredibly hot and the night could sometimes be significantly cooler, but she had a feeling part of the reason was due to the fact at night she didn't have to wear multiple layers of clothes.
When she was out of range, Kim pulled her nightgown up higher and she began to run quickly. She was a fast runner since she had been doing this since she was nine. She knew she could beat her brothers in a race, but she'd never suggest it because then people would think she was weird and she didn't want that. Despite the freedom she craved, she didn't want to be an outcast to society and eventually wanted to get married and have children of her own just like any other girl. Kim just wished her life could have more purpose to it.
Instead of going to her usual spot, for some reason, Kim decided to go towards the peach trees. She loved taking one right off the tree and eating it without even washing it first or cutting it. She actually liked it when the juice seeped down her chin and she liked tossing the peach on the ground without a care and pretend for just a little while that she was allowed to do this and be who she truly was.
Kim felt the thick grass against her feet, some of it being quite coarse. Her feet had built up a tolerance to it and if anyone ever saw her feet, they'd be disgusted. They were calloused from her nighttime adventures and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
Kim climbed up the peach tree, skilled enough so she didn't trip on her nightgown, and went up and up until she got to a branch which made a good seat. She ripped off a peach and bit into it. She grimaced; it needed a couple more days to get ripe. Tossing it to the ground, Kim decided to look up at the stars and just enjoy the outdoors.
Kim literally felt her heart stop when she heard a shuffle below her. Did someone realize she was gone? Were they looking for her? Kim held her breath, her heart racing when she saw the dim light of a lantern. The candle inside of it flickered, creating a warm glow. Kim looked down and strained her eyes, not really able to make out the person below her. Nobody was calling her name, so was this person a thief? Kim was terrified. If this person found her, would they shoot? Kim didn't see a gun on the person's back and upon looking, she noted the person was a woman and her hair was long and black poking out from beneath the hood she wore. Her pale hand reached up and grabbed a peach off of the tree, placing it in the bag. She began to pick multiples, strategically going to different trees so the missing peaches would go unnoticed.
Kim didn't move, her muscles tense, her pupils were probably dilated, and her breaths were shallow and slow because she didn't want to alert this person. The girl kicked the peach with the very human bite on it Kim dropped. Kim tightened the grip on the branch until her knuckles were sore. The girl knelt down and picked up the peach. Slowly, she looked up. "I see you," the woman said, her voice slightly scratchy, but not unattractive. Kim sighed at being found out, but at least it was a woman so she didn't feel so threatened.
"Are you stealing those peaches?" Kim asked her from her perch.
"That's none of your business," she replied nonchalantly and went back to picking the peaches, placing the lantern down on the ground.
"Oh, well, it is my business," Kim stated bravely and quickly climbed down the tree to stand in front of the woman. "Because these are my peaches." She folded her arms over her chest. Her mother did that when she meant business when disciplining the boys.
"So you live here?" the woman murmured. She stopped picking the peaches and draped the sack of them over her shoulder. She leaned down and picked up the lantern.
"Yes," Kim nodded. "Daughter to James T. Possible, the owner of Middleton Manor." And then Kim remembered she was in her nightgown and she blushed furiously. She probably shouldn't have stated who she was since she wasn't in any real clothes. When the woman adjusted the peaches on her shoulder, it caused her face to go a little bit closer to the lantern. Although it was only truly illuminated briefly, Kim observed not a woman's face, but that of girl maybe a little older than her. And those eyes were piercing emerald green and-wait-Kim had seen those before. She'd seen that sharp jaw line, those unforgettable eyes, that thick mane of hair, and that distinct voice! Could it be…no, it couldn't be, could it? Well, Kim was already embarrassed beyond belief, her arms folding in front of her chest for an entirely different reason. "Sheila?" she squeaked.
The girl let out a chuckle which was more like a cackle. Kim was afraid she made a mistake. "You know my name? Well, what a terrible disguise this was." And that accent was definitely not southern. It had to be her.
"Don't you remember me?" Kim persisted. "Kimberly Possible? I met you in Atlanta maybe five years ago by now. I ran off with you and I took off my skirt and shoes to run around with you and you told me your name was Shego and you live a few miles away from me and…how come I've never seen you? And why am I still talking?" Kim blushed again and hugged herself tighter so she could maybe hide away from Shego.
"I remember. I took one of Georgia's finest and turned her into a little savage," Shego smirked.
"Really? You remember me?" Kim asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Of course. Everyone remembers meeting Kimberly Possible. You're pretty well known around here."
"I remember you called me Kimmie. I don't really like Kimmie, but I like that you shortened my name. I like Kim." Why was she babbling like an idiot? Kim was never this nervous around anyone! She had always been a charmer and charismatic in front of everyone. Why was Shego making her so, well, stupid?
"Right," Shego nodded. "So, people call you Kim now?"
"No, nobody does. Well, except I try to get one of the house slaves to call me Kim when nobody's around, but she never does."
"Kimmie, you have to tell people you want to be called Kim. You can't just expect people to know that." Her perfect green eyes rolled and Kim wished her eyes were that green.
"Oh, please. You think my parents would find that acceptable?" It was Kim's turn to roll her own eyes. "And I just told you to call me Kim and you didn't," she pointed out.
"Yeah," Shego said and adjusted the sack over her shoulder again. "But I'm the one who gave you your first little nickname, so by default, I can call you whatever I want."
"Even if it means I'll tell on you?" Kim gestured towards the peaches. She saw Shego look uneasy just for a second before she recollected herself.
"I'll be long gone before anyone finds out, Kimmie," she said, emphasizing her name to make a point. Kim sighed in defeat. She'd never tell on Shego. It wasn't like they'd miss the peaches, anyway. Nobody monitored them and they were only picked when her mother asked.
"Sorry," Kim said. "I won't tell. But didn't you say you lived on a large plantation a few miles from mine?"
"You sure do remember a lot about me," Shego smirked again. "But yes, I do."
"Then why do you need to steal these peaches when you have acres and acres of land?" Kim asked her.
"I have my reasons," she paused. "I wouldn't take them if I didn't need them."
Kim trusted her. She probably shouldn't be trusting a girl dressed in her own nightgown with some kind of hooded cloak draped over her stealing from Kim's family. She knew she shouldn't trust someone who probably stole from them many times and was just smart enough not to get caught. She seemed to stay at the edge of the property where old, forgotten fruit trees and shrubs had been planted a few generations ago. She didn't ask any more questions because she saw Shego felt uncomfortable for even admitting she needed them. Kim was rich. But she remembered how Shego had been dressed back in Atlanta. She was probably poor and her family moved to the plantation cheaply. Kim didn't know much about buying properties, but maybe the property was for sale at a cheap price and her family took it and tried to build something great off of the land. Maybe her family failed.
"I've seen you before," Shego said. "At a couple of those barbeques." Well, there went that theory. Only those of high social classes and great wealth attended those events. But she ignored it because Shego wasn't like other people and she introduced Kim to a whole new world. Kim made her own adventures now and even though it consisted of running around at night and climbing trees, it was still better than what she had been living before. She felt stimulated and she could never go back to that boring life of not doing anything fun.
"Why didn't you say anything to me?" Kim asked.
"You think I actually stuck around? Ha!" she exclaimed. "I always wandered off and explored the properties. And no, I didn't steal anything," she said when Kim gave her a look. "Okay, sometimes I did. But it wasn't like anyone was going to miss a couple of berries here and there."
"Shego!" Kim tried to sound shocked, but it came out as more of a laugh. "Stealing is wrong. You can't keep stealing from other people and my family."
"It's wrong, but my philosophy is wrong is fun. I think you realize that now, don't you? Climbing trees in your nightgown. Neither of us are directly hurting anyone. I mean, if your parents find out about you, you'll hurt them probably more than these missing peaches."
Kim just nodded. She was right. But she'd never stoop to stealing because she didn't need to. She had everything she needed except the freedom she craved. To her, Shego was the definition of freedom and she did things she wasn't allowed to do. Kim wondered what else Shego did in her spare time and Kim hoped it wasn't something that would go against her morals.
"Do you ever look up at the stars?" Kim wasn't sure where her question came from.
"That was random," Shego replied without answering her question.
"Sometimes I look up at them and wonder…" she trailed, not completing her thought.
"Come here," Shego said and put her sack of peaches on the ground and sat down in the dirt and grass, inviting Kim to sit beside her. Kim did and she didn't care that her nightgown would be dirty in the morning. She'd deal with it when the time came. For now, sitting beside the mysterious girl full of adventure was the only thing on her mind. Shego took her hooded cloak off and laid it on the ground. She rested her head on it and Kim copied her. She followed Shego's gaze and looked up at the stars. "You ever read anything about astronomy?" Shego asked.
"I've read about the stars and the moon in poems," Kim smiled, recalling the beautiful words describing them.
Shego cackled. "No, real books, princess. Not those damn poetry books everyone expects you to read." Kim gasped at the curse word, putting her hand over her mouth to show her state of shock. She looked at the black haired beauty with wide, olive eyes and saw Shego roll her bright green ones without even looking at Kim.
"You shouldn't swear," Kim managed to say.
"I will swear all the damn time if I want to," she stated with a raised voice, showing her temper. She paused to let her anger simmer down. Kim bit her lower lip, waiting for her to speak. "So the answer to my question was no, you never read anything about astronomy. And I highly doubt you've read anything of substance."
"I've read a bit of Shakespeare," Kim spoke up, but with a quiet voice.
"You've basically never read anything that'll make you think."
"Poetry makes you think," Kim countered.
"Not in the way you should be thinking. Kimmie, I can tell you're a smart girl." Shego kept her eyes trained on the night sky while Kim stared at Shego, studying her face and how striking her profile was. "Get your hands on an astronomy book and read it. Maybe something on the constellations and other planets. There's so much knowledge out there that men don't want women to know and women are oblivious to it."
"How come you're not?" Kim asked her. "What makes you so special?"
"I'm not afraid to wonder and ask questions about things. But I don't ask my father or my brothers. I read books when everyone's sleeping. When I go to Atlanta on occasion, I sneak into sections in the library that women usually don't go to. There's academic sections filled with books about facts and real knowledge we aren't taught. And yes, I steal them sometimes. Don't give me that look."
Kim looked at Shego with an annoyed expression because she still felt stealing wasn't right. She'd never break the law like that because people worked hard to earn their wages, which she seemed to recognize and Shego really didn't seem to care. Shego was selfish, but she woke something up in Kim that made her realize that she loved adventure and going outside at night to run around and be anything but a lady.
"You do realize by coming outside at this hour you're breaking house rules and societal norms," Shego pointed out.
"The rules I break don't hurt anyone. When you steal, that hurts someone," Kim persisted. "It isn't right."
"You'll hurt your parents when they find out," Shego replied.
"They won't find out," Kim stated, sure of herself.
"They will. My father found out and he's pissed, but he can't do anything and he can't stop me," Shego smirked. Kim looked back up at the stars because she didn't want to admit that her father put a stop to her adventures before they could even start so she had to resort to doing things at night and in secrecy. Shego did have a point; Kim was breaking rules and if anyone found out, she'd be an outcast and her family would probably be shunned, too, or at least to a certain extent. "You see that up there?" Shego pointed. Kim followed her finger and looked up at the stars. "It's really hard to explain, but the constellation, Hercules, is up there."
"Hercules?" Kim murmured.
"Something else for you to look up. Find a book with the constellations in it and you'll find it."
Kim merely nodded and looked up at the night sky.
"Well, I better get going," Shego said as she sprang up from her spot on the ground. Kim stood up as well and grabbed Shego's cloak. The black haired woman already had the sack of peaches and Kim had to stop herself from laughing at Shego still stealing her family's peaches. She wasn't going to stop her.
"I'll see you again?" Kim asked quickly. She stood closer to Shego and wrapped the cloak around her. She held her breath when she tied a neat bow underneath her chin to keep it in place, pulling the hood up to hide her long hair.
"Yeah, sure," Shego nodded. Kim bit her lower lip, contemplating about saying something else, but decided not to. Instead, she let Shego run off into the night while Kim stood there and watched her go until she couldn't see the glow of her lantern anymore. After she left, Kim slowly walked back to her house and hoped she'd get a couple hours of sleep.
It seems like a couple of people liked the first chapter, so I figured I'd post chapter 2 and see how this does. Thank you to the people who reviewed/favorited/followed this story!