Chapter 2 - An Ordinary Day?
(...Middleton High...Wednesday morning...)
Bonnie strolls through the halls. She turns the corner, but stops suddenly. She peeks around the corner. It's only Josh, standing at a locker. Kim walks along carrying books in her hands. She, literally, bumps into him. Her books litter the floor. She never could get it together when she was around him.
"Hey, Kim."
"Oh. Hi, Josh", she said as she bent down to collect her books.
Josh joins her on the floor to help her. A scowl quickly develops on Bonnie's face.
"So...have you heard about the...dance on Friday?", the redhead asked nervously.
"I have, and there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
Kim, try as she may, couldn't contain the smile on her face.
Bonnie couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, as her thoughts seemed to reverberate in her head:
'I can't believe this! Not only does Josh blow me off, but he's making plans with Possible...right in front of me! You have got some big ones, Monkey-boy!'
Visibly disgusted, Bonnie storms off.
"...so I've got to miss the dance. I hope you're not too upset."
"Of course not", Kim stammered.
"See you later."
Josh walks away.
Still stinging from the bad news, Kim shuffles down the hall to class.
(...the halls of Middleton High...a couple of hours later...)
Kim leans against a locker and sighs. Ron walks up to her.
"Hey, KP."
He notices the sad look on her face.
"What's with the sulk?"
"It's Josh..."
"What did he do? If he's done something to you..."
"It's not like that. It's just that...I was kinda hoping to go with him Friday night."
"Ohhh. What's happening on Friday night?"
"The dance. I'm looking forward to it...well, at least I was."
"Me too. I just know I'll have a great time as long as, you know, I don't end up locked in any closets."
Kim grimaced at the mention of the long-ago night.
"For the thousandth time, I'm sorry."
"It wasn't easy being in there all night."
Tears started to well up in Kim's eyes. Sure, it was a rotten thing to mention, but did Kim really need this now? Ron sees her tears and decides to ease off.
"But things got better once I started chatting up the mop. I tell you, though: once she gets going, there's no stopping her."
Ron's lightening up the mood helped; for the first time in a while, Kim smiled.
"Feelin' better?"
Kim wipes away her tears.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Getting back to Friday, what do you mean 'at least it was'? You're not going?"
"I was kinda hoping to go with Josh."
"C'mon. It's not like he's the only guy in the school."
"No. He's just the only guy I wanted to go with."
"It's no problem. We can just hang out Friday night. Up for a movie?"
"No. It wouldn't be right for you to miss the dance because of me."
"There must be someone else you could ask. Like Bobby Johnson."
"How do you know about him?"
"I have my ways."
"Would eavesdropping be among these ways?"
Ron hesitates a bit.
"Probably."
"Nah. I heard that he was taking Justine Flanner. How about you? You thinking of asking Amelia?"
"Forget it, KP. She's as lost a cause as they come. Besides, I was thinking of taking Zita."
"Sounds great. Did you ask her?"
"Well...I haven't technically asked her yet, you know?"
"You are something else."
The chimes of the Kimmunicator interrupt the conversation. Kim takes the device from her pocket.
"What's the sitch, Wade?"
"Last night, a truck full of gas tanks was stolen from a warehouse in Lowerton."
"Any evidence?"
"One of the workers says that the thief was dressed in green."
"Shego."
"And where there's Shego, there's Drakken."
"There's more. An eyewitness says they saw the truck pull into a bakery. A bakery that's been closed for six months."
"A bakery? That's hardly Drakken's style", Ron states.
"I'll say."
"I mean, he seems much more like the old factory/dark lair type, you know?"
Kim's eyes roll a bit as she turns back to Wade.
"Can you get us a ride?"
"Already on it, Kim."
"Thanks, Wade. You rock."
Kim switches off the device and takes off down the hall. Ron runs to catch up with her. In his haste, he knocks over Tara. He helps her to her feet and continues after Kim.
"Sorry 'bout that, Tara! See you later!"
"That's okay", the blonde cheerleader said. Unfortunately, it was at normal volume and Ron was half out the door, making him unable to hear her.
Tara blushes a bit as she watches the door.
'There he goes; off to help Kim save the world. He's so selfless and brave.'
She leans against the wall and sinks a little.
'Why can't I ever tell him that?'
Tara puts her hands to her heart and walks down the hall.
Bonnie steps out of a classroom and looks questioningly at her fellow cheerleader.
(...the cafeteria...)
Brick carries his tray full of food around the cafeteria. It was a rare moment when the jock had any time to think...or even think much at all. He made his way through the room, Tara's words still ringing in his head:
'...you haven't done one romantic thing for me...that's what couples do.'
A surprising look of insight crossed Brick's face.
"That's it! Romance. I can do romance...right?"
At that moment, the examples from yesterday's argument filled his mind, and it dawned on Brick:
"I don't know jack about romance. Maybe I could find someone who does know."
Lost in thought, Brick bumps into Monique. His tray hits the ground, though most of the food remains intact.
"Sorry about that."
"Well, it was kinda my fault. I was just standing here, minding my own business."
Brick picks up his tray.
"Hey. What do you know about romance?"
"Basically, it's what brings couples together. It's what keeps them together when the spark leaves the relationship."
"Like how?"
"A picnic, a candlelight dinner, a walk under the stars, you know? Us girls really like that."
"You think you could teach me about romance?"
Monique looks at Brick.
"Romance isn't really something that can be taught, but I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Monique."
"Meet me at Bueno Nacho after school, all right?"
"It's a date."
The dark-skinned girl smirked a little at Brick's comment as she walked to a table.