{[ Italics = inner thoughts/daydreams/flashbacks ]}
Chapter 2
"Relaxed and Unappreciated"
"Ok girls, let's go," Kim instructed the squad, pushing the play button on the boom box.
The big cheer competition was coming up soon and Kim wanted herself and the other girls to do the best they could.
"Pyramid formation!" Kim called out, breaking into a run so she could mount the top of the pyramid.
Just as she leapt up, something was hurled through the air and hit her square in the forehead to cause her to lose balance and fall flat on her back.
"Kim! You ok?" one of her fellow cheerleaders asked, the whole squad going to her side.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kim muttered, picking up the particularly large spitball wad with her thumb and forefinger. "Major yuck factor!" she said, sticking out her tongue in disgust.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of someone dashing from the gym and out the doors. Kim cast a glare, greatly despising whoever the assailant was, and then to her feet to continue with cheer practice.
*~*~*~*~*
"Ha! That was priceless! Oh man," Vicki doubled up with laughter, clutching her sides and leaning against a nearby locker to prevent from falling over. "That'll teach those primping superficial sissies!" she smirked, continuing down the hall.
As she was walking, her cell phone began vibrating wildly in her pocket. It was her mother calling.
"What's up?" Vicki answered.
"Hi, Honey. Just called to ask if you'd be able to pick up the twins from school today," Mrs. Baxter asked her daughter.
"Aw, Mom! I've got to meet someone today, can't you do it?"
"I would, but I'm tied up down at the bakery and can't get away even for a minute. It's like everyone decided to have their wedding today just to push my buttons," Mrs. Baxter complained.
"All right, all right, Mom. I'll get them," Vicki caved in.
"Thanks a lot, Princess. I'll make it up to you when I get home, ok?"
With that said, the two hung up.
Off I go, she sighed. I just hope I can get back before that boy gets to the house, and then it dawned on her. Oh great! I don't even his name, for God's sake! she smacked her forehead, now feeling very stupid.
Vicki then quickly left out the school's front doors and headed for her sisters' elementary school.
*~*~*~*~*
It was about 3:15 pm, and Ron was ready to head off to Vicki's house. How could he not when there was the promise of plentiful munchables awaiting him at his destination.
"Ron!" Kim's voice called to him from the opposite end of the hall, hurrying over to him. "I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to—"
"Sorry, can't talk, Kim. Places to go, food to eat," he cut her off.
"Huh?" she said.
"Yeah, I have other plans. Is that so hard to believe?" he indicted.
"That's not what—" she began again.
"I have a life outside of you and crime fighting, you know! I'm not always going to be there when you've got an hour to kill," he said, his anger beginning to surface.
"I don't have time for this, Ron. I'll wait until you've cooled off," Kim said, turning heel and stalking off in a huff.
"Oh sure, you don't have any time to spare! Not when a sale at the Mall is at stake!" Ron yelled after her.
He then stormed off, burst through the doors of the school, and stomped down the front steps.
"Arrgg, where'd I put those directions?" he mumbled, digging through his pockets till he came upon the scrap of paper with Vicki's address. At least I'll have an afternoon of relaxation away from being a sidekick. Like Kim ever really needed me in the past… he thought bitterly, continuing down the sidewalk.
*~*~*~*~*
"Britt! Tiff!" Vicki called out to her sisters, who then promptly came running up and clung to her legs.
"Hey big sis!" Tiff and Britt said in unison, identical innocently sweet smiles on their faces.
But Vicki knew better.
"What'd you two do this time?" she asked, taking each twin by the hand and leading them down the sidewalk away from the school.
"Nothing," Britt said in a singsong tone.
"Yeah, we didn't drop those cherry bombs in the toilets today," Tiff accidentally blurted out, getting a hasty pinch in the arm from her twin. "Uh, or any day!" she tried to recover.
"Uh-huh," Vicki eyed them suspiciously. "Hmm, maybe I won't tell Mom what happened… for a price of course," she said.
"Two bucks!" Britt and Tiff offered.
"Two bucks and that lollypop you've got in your pocket," Vicki countered pointing to the lump in Tiff's jeans pocket.
"Deal!" the twins agreed, Tiff handing over the blueberry-flavoured lollypop and the two dollars.
As Vicki popped the sucker into her mouth, the three of them reached their large Victorian-style home. The twins rushed inside and scrambled up the staircase to their bedroom, with Vicki not far behind them.
She went to her own bedroom, immediately diving into her walk-in closet and turning on the light inside.
When she emerged, she glanced at the clock and went into an instant frenzy.
"Shit! He's gonna be here any minute!"
*~*~*~*~*
The doorbell rang at a little after 3:40 pm, but Vicki still bolted down the stairs as if he were right on the dot. With a least minute straightening of her skirt, Vicki opened the door with the same beaming smile she'd worn the day before.
Ron smiled back, quietly looking her over from head to toe.
She'd changed into a pair of homemade bellbottoms (patches and all) and a black t-shirt that ended just above the belly button, which read 'Become nonconformist, everybody's doing it'. He couldn't help but smile at the slogan.
"Nice shirt," he complimented.
"Thanks. Made it myself," Vicki responded, leading him into the house and shutting the door after him. "Mind taking off your shoes at the door," she called back as she walked down the hall to the kitchen.
Ron slipped off his sneakers and socks, setting beside the other pairs in the entryway. He followed he path, finding her bent over with her head in the open refrigerator.
"Want anything to drink?" she asked.
"Uh, soda if you have any. I'm not picky," he said.
Rufus then took this moment to pop out of Ron's pants pocket, sticking his nose in the air to take in the new scents.
"Aw! He's so cute!" The twins cooed, having now appeared in the kitchen doorway.
The scooped him up and then retreated back up the stairs to their room.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Ron called after them.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," Vicki assured him. "I guarantee he won't be harmed. Chef's honor," she said, tossing him a bottle of Orange Crush.
Ron glanced warily up the stairs, but smiled back and accepted Vicki's word.
Ah, this is going to be a good day… Ron thought happily, the anger left over from his argument with Kim now having completely melted away.