Chapter 5
"So...how have you been?" Ron ventured, hoping the simple conversation starter would take a little of the tension out of the booth.
"I've been good. Same old stuff, you know how it goes," Kim responded with a smile. "How about yourself, is everything going alright?"
"Actually, yes it has. Monique's been great, we went to the mall last night and she helped me pick out a lot of new clothes. I kindda outgrew all my old ones. And get this, apparently I kept collecting Naco royalties for the last few years, so I've got quite a good chunk of change to my name," Ron rambled out faster then he could process the thoughts. He stopped when he noticed Kim smiling at him, and returned the smile.
"Sorry, guess I was rambling a little bit there," he said sheepishly.
"No, its alright", Kim dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I've missed hearing you ramble."
Ron smiled as Kim finished her sentence, and the two sat silent for a couple of minutes.
"Why is this so awkward?" Ron finally said, looking Kim right in the eyes.
"I don't know Ron. It shouldn't be though." She said keeping her eyes locked with Rons. "It should be two old friends reuniting after years. It should be happy."
"But its not..."
"Yea..."
"It's because of what happened isn't it. Because of where I've been, why I've been there." Ron said, and then looking down at the table, "It's why you stopped writing."
"Ron..."
"No, I understand, kind of. Some of the guys said it would be like this. Going to prison does more then just take away your freedom, it takes away your life."
"Ron." Kim began, reaching across the table and taking Ron's hand in hers. "It just took some getting used to. Not having you around all the time. And yes, knowing where you were and why you were there did affect me a little bit."
"Why did you stop writing me KP?"
"Well...there were missions, and school, and cheerleading and..." Kim looked away from Ron.
"Bull!"
Kim looked back at Ron with wide eyes. He had never raised his voice with her before, and it unnerved her a little bit. Ron pulled his hands from hers and crossed his arms across his chest.
"The girl that can do anything could find time to write her friend in jail." Ron said, his voice once again calm. "I want the truth Kim. Please."
Kim considered Ron for a moment. His physical appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed. Three years ago he would have let her lame lie slide. But he had a right to the truth, after all their years as friends, she owed him that much.
"I was scared, Ron. You were the one thing in my life I could always count on, the one thing I knew that would always be there for me. And you were gone." She looked at Ron, then back down at the table before she continued. "And why you were gone hurt to. I just couldn't believe it...I didn't want to believe it. So I just tried to lose myself in everything else, so I didn't have to think about it."
"And in doing so, you forgot about me."
Kim looked at Ron with hurt eyes, and saw his face was nearly emotionless.
"I could never forget about you, Ron."
"That's not how it seemed to me, Kim." Ron began, unfolding his arms and finally letting the hurt show on his face. "I was in the toughest spot of my life, and all of a sudden my best friend, the one person I thought would be there for me, seemingly abandons me. No explanation, no visits, just nothing."
Ron paused, letting his words sink in before he continued.
"And then I open the paper one day and the rest of my world came down on me. It was quite a kick to learn about Kim Possible's new sidekick. Imagine the surprise to find that out, especially after what you told me after my trial, if you recall that."
"You'll always be my partner", Kim said softly, staring at the tabletop with a sad look in her eyes.
"Apparently that only stands until someone better comes along." Ron said with a mixture of sadness and anger in his voice.
"Ron, it was so hard without you. Whenever something went wrong in my life you were the one I went to for comfort. Without you around I was lost. Josh has been good to me the last couple years, he helped me through a lot of the tough times early on." Kim said, then seeing the look on Ron's face, realized that had come out all wrong.
"Oh, so its like that is it?" Ron started, the anger more evident then the sadness. "I hadn't realized he had replaced me in your personal life to."
"He didn't replace you. Just more like a temporary fill in."
"Well I'm back now. You can tell Josh his side kicking services won't be needed anymore", Ron said, crossing his arms.
"Uh, are you sure you want to, so soon, I mean..." Kim began hesitantly.
Ron stood up suddenly, gathering his trash onto his tray. He looked down at Kim and shook his head.
"Just forget it, Kim. I'm sorry I brought every thing up. Apparently it's easier to move on and forget when your not locked up. I figured I would come back, and every thing could go back to normal, but I guess I was wrong. I'll see you tomorrow in school."
With that Ron dumped his trash into the garbage can and walked out of the store. Kim watched him leave, and then buried her face in her hands.
Seeing the end of their conversation Josh and Monique looked at each other and sighed.
"Looks like that went well," Monique said picking up her trash. "I'll go after Ron."
"I'll say," Josh responded, doing the same. "I'll go talk to Kim."
They both stood and disposed of their trash, and headed off to talk to their given friends. As Monique was about out the door, Josh came up behind her and spoke softly to her.
"Talk some sense into him. We both know how much Kim needs him."
Monique looked at Josh and nodded, then made her way out the door to find Ron.
---
Ron sat on the park bench staring off into space. He couldn't help but feel he had been a little hard on Kim. But he had to ask what he asked. He had just hoped her answers had been a little more like the ones he wanted to hear.
"Looks like Shego is going to end up being right about this," Ron muttered to himself.
The sound of footsteps approaching snapped Ron out of his daze. He turned to his left to see Monique walking down the path towards him. He gave her a small smile, and patted the bench next to him.
"I take it that didn't go so well?" Monique said, sitting down on the bench next to Ron.
"You could say that."
Monique put her arm around Ron's shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "What happened?"
"I just wanted to know why. Why did she stop writing, why Josh? And every answer was like a swift kick to the family jewels." Ron looked at Monique with more sadness in his eyes then she had ever seen.
"I just wanted to come back, and everything to go back to the way it was. Sure I've been in jail, but don't I deserve a second chance? The only reason that even happened was because I was trying to protect her. Everyone seems to get that but her."
"I know what you mean, even her parents tell her that. I don't know what's wrong with the girl." Monique said, then looking at Ron she sighed. "Look, what I'm going to tell you stays between us."
Ron raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
"Kim knew what you had planned for that night. She was so excited. When everything happened, it knocked her for a loop."
Monique paused and watched Ron's reaction. He had looked surprised when she said Kim knew, but the look faded as he realized how she had figured it out.
"She hasn't been the same since," Monique continued. "For the first couple months after your trial she barely spoke to anyone, and barely went on any missions. When she started going on them all the time again, she was sloppy. Fell into a lot of traps, got herself banged up pretty bad a few times."
"Let me guess, that's when Josh came in," Ron said dryly.
"For the most part," Monique admitted. "We both saw the change in her, and we knew she was going to get herself killed doing it alone. With you gone, Josh and I were the closest ones to her. We decided that one of us had to step in and be her new partner."
"Why not you? Why did it have to be him?"
"Well, lets just say I'm not sidekick material." Monique pulled her arm off of Ron, and pulled the side of her shirt up, revealing a couple of nice scars on and around her ribs. "Broke two ribs and got singed with a laser blast on my second mission. Pretty much ended it for me."
"Ouch," Ron said fingering the scars.
"So after I was out, it was up to Josh. And I guess you know he did a pretty good job filling in." Monique started again, pulling her shirt back down. "To Kim's credit though, she didn't want either of us helping out. She remembered what she said to you after your trial, and she took that vow very seriously."
Ron nodded, and began to wonder if he had been to hard on Kim.
"Anyway, long story short, we convinced her that it was for her own good, and you would understand, because you wouldn't want her getting hurt," Monique finished up, crossing her arms.
"Which is true, that would be the last thing I would want." Ron began, leaning back on the bench. "But that still doesn't explain why she didn't seem to thrilled about me going on missions with her again, or why she didn't write me at all."
"I think she was afraid to write and visit you. She didn't want to upset you with anything that was going on, and seeing you in the klink would've made her more miserable then she was", Monique offered.
"Yeah, well what about me? Did she stop to think how much more miserable she was making me by not writing or visiting?" Ron snapped, causing Monique to jerk back a little bit.
"Easy stud, I know you don't like the message but don't take it out on the messenger", Monique said with a small smile.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, this is all just so..."
"Totally screwed up?"
"My thoughts exactly gorgeous", Ron said with a sad smile.
"As far as the missions go Ron, I'm pretty sure she's afraid of what will happen if you go along again", Monique said placing her hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Well I got along alright before, and I've gotten bigger and stronger, I think I'll be more then capable."
"That's not what she's worried about..."
A look of confusion clouded Ron's face for a moment before it lit up with realization.
"She honestly thinks that I might kill someone again. Like I'm some sort of psychopath?"
Monique said nothing, instead choosing to give Ron's shoulder another squeeze.
"I'm not a killer, Monique, I'm not. It just happened." Ron looked at Monique with pleading eyes.
"I know your not, Ron, I'm not the one you need to convince. And I'm sure you could convince her."
"To hell with that." Ron said standing up from the bench, stretching his back slightly. "If she doesn't want me tagging along because I'm a killer, fine. I'll still be her friend, but I shouldn't have to prove myself to her, not after everything we've been through, and as long as we've known each other."
Monique stood up, and smiled at Ron. "That a boy, you don't need to be running all over the world anyways. You've got a life to start again."
"Yea, your right. This is probably for the better anyway," Ron said with a smile that faded as quickly as it came. "So why doesn't it feel better?"
"Give it time, give it time." Monique reassured him. "Give you a ride home?"
"No thanks, I'll walk. But you can pick me up for school in the morning if you really want to drive me somewhere."
Monique smiled, and turned to head to her car. "I'll be in your driveway at 7:30, don't make me wait!"
"Wouldn't dream of it, Mon."
- -
Ron walked down the hallway of Middleton High. It was good to be back, and that thought made him smile. It was funny what one finds they miss when they have it taken away.
He took in the sights and noticed not much had changed. The same cheerleader made "Welcome Back" banner hung above the door, and students still flocked together in the hallways before class. There may have been a new coat of paint on the lockers, but Ron couldn't tell for sure.
One thing that had changed was the way Ron was regarded as he walked down the hallway. Once he could have walked the halls without so much as a passing glance. Now he was the subject of everyone's gazes. Those who remembered him eyed him up for obvious reasons, those who didn't know him, were just checking out the "new guy".
"Well aren't you a head turner these days, Mr. Freedom?" Monique said with a smile walking next to Ron.
"Yes, my adoring public. How they have missed being graced with my Ronness," Ron replied as he waved at Tara, who stared at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
They turned the corner and began walking down the senior hallway towards their lockers.
"Wow, the senior hallway, and our senior lockers. I never thought I would see the day," Monique said taking in the once forbidden hallway.
"Yea tell me about it," Ron replied, then stopped in his tracks as he noticed a certain red head loading books into her locker. "There she is. I guess it's now or never huh?"
"I wouldn't be that dramatic about it, but it probably would be better to say what you've gotta say now."
"Yep, no sense in putting it off. I'll just walk up, lay it out there, tell her to have a nice day, and go to my locker. Which with my luck will probably be right next to hers." Ron said, with a nervous smile.
"No doubt. Go get her tiger," Monique said, slapping Ron on the back as she walked to the other side of the hallway where her own locker awaited her.
Ron walked towards the bay of lockers where Kim was. Looking down at his locker assignment, he smiled. His locker was in fact right next to Kim's.
"Mornin' KP." Ron said as he opened up his locker and begin putting his books away.
Kim peeked around the open door of her locker at Ron, and smiled. "Hey Ron."
They both stopped what they were doing and turned towards each other.
"Look..." Ron began.
"About yesterday..." Kim started.
"I'm really sorry, I hope we can still be friends," they both said in unison.
They both looked at each other with goofy expressions for a couple moments before Kim broke the silence.
"Jinx, you owe me a soda!"
That brought a large grin to Ron's face, as he grabbed Kim and pulled her into a tight hug. When they separated they both seemed happier then they had been in years.
"There are still some things we need to talk about." Kim said, hoping Ron wouldn't blow up on her again.
"I know, but that will come when it comes. For right now though...friends?"
"Friends," Kim said with a smile. "But right now I've got to get going. See you at lunch?"
"Count on it, KP." Ron replied
"Great, see you then", Kim said as she turned and walked down the hallway.
Ron watched Kim walk away, then turned back to his locker to get his book and head to his class. When he turned around he found himself face to face with two people he didn't particularly miss.
"Well, well...looks like the little jail dork has come home", Bonnie Rockwaller said with a tone of voice that could only be described as "bitchy".
"Hey Bon-Bon, nice to see you to." Ron smiled, noticing that most of the people in the hallway had turned their attention to them, waiting for Bonnie to humiliate the new student. "And Brick, looking brutish as always."
Brick Flagg grunted, then with a grin, "So Stoppable, how did the big jail boys treat you in the shower room?"
This comment brought a murmur of laughter from the watching crowd. Ron smiled at the comment before he replied.
"Bend over and I'll show you."
Bricks expression immediately changed from humor to pure anger. He took a step towards Ron and made a fist.
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Stoppable," he growled.
"I wasn't talking to you Brick," Ron replied giving Bonnie a wink and a nod.
The crowd burst into laughter as Bonnie's jaw dropped and her face went red with embarrassment. She tried to say something, but instead just "harrumphed" loudly and pushed her way through the crowd.
Ron turned back to Brick, prepared to deal with a defense of Bonnies honor. Instead he found brick doubled over laughing his head off.
"Priceless, Stoppable, simply priceless." Brick said wiping a tear from his eye. "Maybe it will be good to have your nerdy ass back."
With that, he slapped Ron on the back and walked down the hallway with the rest of the dispersing crowd.
Ron smiled to himself as he prepared to head to class. It sure is good to be back.
TBC...
A/N- Hey look at that, two updates in the same month. I must be on some sort of roll. Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed this one, there will probably be 1 or 2 more chapters left in this story. And if any of you have wanted a little bit of action in this tale, there will be some coming up. So read and review, and bonus points if anyone knows what movie I based Ron, Bonnie and Bricks exchange on.
-Reed
ps- I notice that my little section breaks don't transfer over from word to this site, so if it seems like everything runs together without breaks, sorry. I keep trying new breaks, but none work.
"So...how have you been?" Ron ventured, hoping the simple conversation starter would take a little of the tension out of the booth.
"I've been good. Same old stuff, you know how it goes," Kim responded with a smile. "How about yourself, is everything going alright?"
"Actually, yes it has. Monique's been great, we went to the mall last night and she helped me pick out a lot of new clothes. I kindda outgrew all my old ones. And get this, apparently I kept collecting Naco royalties for the last few years, so I've got quite a good chunk of change to my name," Ron rambled out faster then he could process the thoughts. He stopped when he noticed Kim smiling at him, and returned the smile.
"Sorry, guess I was rambling a little bit there," he said sheepishly.
"No, its alright", Kim dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I've missed hearing you ramble."
Ron smiled as Kim finished her sentence, and the two sat silent for a couple of minutes.
"Why is this so awkward?" Ron finally said, looking Kim right in the eyes.
"I don't know Ron. It shouldn't be though." She said keeping her eyes locked with Rons. "It should be two old friends reuniting after years. It should be happy."
"But its not..."
"Yea..."
"It's because of what happened isn't it. Because of where I've been, why I've been there." Ron said, and then looking down at the table, "It's why you stopped writing."
"Ron..."
"No, I understand, kind of. Some of the guys said it would be like this. Going to prison does more then just take away your freedom, it takes away your life."
"Ron." Kim began, reaching across the table and taking Ron's hand in hers. "It just took some getting used to. Not having you around all the time. And yes, knowing where you were and why you were there did affect me a little bit."
"Why did you stop writing me KP?"
"Well...there were missions, and school, and cheerleading and..." Kim looked away from Ron.
"Bull!"
Kim looked back at Ron with wide eyes. He had never raised his voice with her before, and it unnerved her a little bit. Ron pulled his hands from hers and crossed his arms across his chest.
"The girl that can do anything could find time to write her friend in jail." Ron said, his voice once again calm. "I want the truth Kim. Please."
Kim considered Ron for a moment. His physical appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed. Three years ago he would have let her lame lie slide. But he had a right to the truth, after all their years as friends, she owed him that much.
"I was scared, Ron. You were the one thing in my life I could always count on, the one thing I knew that would always be there for me. And you were gone." She looked at Ron, then back down at the table before she continued. "And why you were gone hurt to. I just couldn't believe it...I didn't want to believe it. So I just tried to lose myself in everything else, so I didn't have to think about it."
"And in doing so, you forgot about me."
Kim looked at Ron with hurt eyes, and saw his face was nearly emotionless.
"I could never forget about you, Ron."
"That's not how it seemed to me, Kim." Ron began, unfolding his arms and finally letting the hurt show on his face. "I was in the toughest spot of my life, and all of a sudden my best friend, the one person I thought would be there for me, seemingly abandons me. No explanation, no visits, just nothing."
Ron paused, letting his words sink in before he continued.
"And then I open the paper one day and the rest of my world came down on me. It was quite a kick to learn about Kim Possible's new sidekick. Imagine the surprise to find that out, especially after what you told me after my trial, if you recall that."
"You'll always be my partner", Kim said softly, staring at the tabletop with a sad look in her eyes.
"Apparently that only stands until someone better comes along." Ron said with a mixture of sadness and anger in his voice.
"Ron, it was so hard without you. Whenever something went wrong in my life you were the one I went to for comfort. Without you around I was lost. Josh has been good to me the last couple years, he helped me through a lot of the tough times early on." Kim said, then seeing the look on Ron's face, realized that had come out all wrong.
"Oh, so its like that is it?" Ron started, the anger more evident then the sadness. "I hadn't realized he had replaced me in your personal life to."
"He didn't replace you. Just more like a temporary fill in."
"Well I'm back now. You can tell Josh his side kicking services won't be needed anymore", Ron said, crossing his arms.
"Uh, are you sure you want to, so soon, I mean..." Kim began hesitantly.
Ron stood up suddenly, gathering his trash onto his tray. He looked down at Kim and shook his head.
"Just forget it, Kim. I'm sorry I brought every thing up. Apparently it's easier to move on and forget when your not locked up. I figured I would come back, and every thing could go back to normal, but I guess I was wrong. I'll see you tomorrow in school."
With that Ron dumped his trash into the garbage can and walked out of the store. Kim watched him leave, and then buried her face in her hands.
Seeing the end of their conversation Josh and Monique looked at each other and sighed.
"Looks like that went well," Monique said picking up her trash. "I'll go after Ron."
"I'll say," Josh responded, doing the same. "I'll go talk to Kim."
They both stood and disposed of their trash, and headed off to talk to their given friends. As Monique was about out the door, Josh came up behind her and spoke softly to her.
"Talk some sense into him. We both know how much Kim needs him."
Monique looked at Josh and nodded, then made her way out the door to find Ron.
---
Ron sat on the park bench staring off into space. He couldn't help but feel he had been a little hard on Kim. But he had to ask what he asked. He had just hoped her answers had been a little more like the ones he wanted to hear.
"Looks like Shego is going to end up being right about this," Ron muttered to himself.
The sound of footsteps approaching snapped Ron out of his daze. He turned to his left to see Monique walking down the path towards him. He gave her a small smile, and patted the bench next to him.
"I take it that didn't go so well?" Monique said, sitting down on the bench next to Ron.
"You could say that."
Monique put her arm around Ron's shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "What happened?"
"I just wanted to know why. Why did she stop writing, why Josh? And every answer was like a swift kick to the family jewels." Ron looked at Monique with more sadness in his eyes then she had ever seen.
"I just wanted to come back, and everything to go back to the way it was. Sure I've been in jail, but don't I deserve a second chance? The only reason that even happened was because I was trying to protect her. Everyone seems to get that but her."
"I know what you mean, even her parents tell her that. I don't know what's wrong with the girl." Monique said, then looking at Ron she sighed. "Look, what I'm going to tell you stays between us."
Ron raised an eyebrow, but nodded.
"Kim knew what you had planned for that night. She was so excited. When everything happened, it knocked her for a loop."
Monique paused and watched Ron's reaction. He had looked surprised when she said Kim knew, but the look faded as he realized how she had figured it out.
"She hasn't been the same since," Monique continued. "For the first couple months after your trial she barely spoke to anyone, and barely went on any missions. When she started going on them all the time again, she was sloppy. Fell into a lot of traps, got herself banged up pretty bad a few times."
"Let me guess, that's when Josh came in," Ron said dryly.
"For the most part," Monique admitted. "We both saw the change in her, and we knew she was going to get herself killed doing it alone. With you gone, Josh and I were the closest ones to her. We decided that one of us had to step in and be her new partner."
"Why not you? Why did it have to be him?"
"Well, lets just say I'm not sidekick material." Monique pulled her arm off of Ron, and pulled the side of her shirt up, revealing a couple of nice scars on and around her ribs. "Broke two ribs and got singed with a laser blast on my second mission. Pretty much ended it for me."
"Ouch," Ron said fingering the scars.
"So after I was out, it was up to Josh. And I guess you know he did a pretty good job filling in." Monique started again, pulling her shirt back down. "To Kim's credit though, she didn't want either of us helping out. She remembered what she said to you after your trial, and she took that vow very seriously."
Ron nodded, and began to wonder if he had been to hard on Kim.
"Anyway, long story short, we convinced her that it was for her own good, and you would understand, because you wouldn't want her getting hurt," Monique finished up, crossing her arms.
"Which is true, that would be the last thing I would want." Ron began, leaning back on the bench. "But that still doesn't explain why she didn't seem to thrilled about me going on missions with her again, or why she didn't write me at all."
"I think she was afraid to write and visit you. She didn't want to upset you with anything that was going on, and seeing you in the klink would've made her more miserable then she was", Monique offered.
"Yeah, well what about me? Did she stop to think how much more miserable she was making me by not writing or visiting?" Ron snapped, causing Monique to jerk back a little bit.
"Easy stud, I know you don't like the message but don't take it out on the messenger", Monique said with a small smile.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, this is all just so..."
"Totally screwed up?"
"My thoughts exactly gorgeous", Ron said with a sad smile.
"As far as the missions go Ron, I'm pretty sure she's afraid of what will happen if you go along again", Monique said placing her hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Well I got along alright before, and I've gotten bigger and stronger, I think I'll be more then capable."
"That's not what she's worried about..."
A look of confusion clouded Ron's face for a moment before it lit up with realization.
"She honestly thinks that I might kill someone again. Like I'm some sort of psychopath?"
Monique said nothing, instead choosing to give Ron's shoulder another squeeze.
"I'm not a killer, Monique, I'm not. It just happened." Ron looked at Monique with pleading eyes.
"I know your not, Ron, I'm not the one you need to convince. And I'm sure you could convince her."
"To hell with that." Ron said standing up from the bench, stretching his back slightly. "If she doesn't want me tagging along because I'm a killer, fine. I'll still be her friend, but I shouldn't have to prove myself to her, not after everything we've been through, and as long as we've known each other."
Monique stood up, and smiled at Ron. "That a boy, you don't need to be running all over the world anyways. You've got a life to start again."
"Yea, your right. This is probably for the better anyway," Ron said with a smile that faded as quickly as it came. "So why doesn't it feel better?"
"Give it time, give it time." Monique reassured him. "Give you a ride home?"
"No thanks, I'll walk. But you can pick me up for school in the morning if you really want to drive me somewhere."
Monique smiled, and turned to head to her car. "I'll be in your driveway at 7:30, don't make me wait!"
"Wouldn't dream of it, Mon."
- -
Ron walked down the hallway of Middleton High. It was good to be back, and that thought made him smile. It was funny what one finds they miss when they have it taken away.
He took in the sights and noticed not much had changed. The same cheerleader made "Welcome Back" banner hung above the door, and students still flocked together in the hallways before class. There may have been a new coat of paint on the lockers, but Ron couldn't tell for sure.
One thing that had changed was the way Ron was regarded as he walked down the hallway. Once he could have walked the halls without so much as a passing glance. Now he was the subject of everyone's gazes. Those who remembered him eyed him up for obvious reasons, those who didn't know him, were just checking out the "new guy".
"Well aren't you a head turner these days, Mr. Freedom?" Monique said with a smile walking next to Ron.
"Yes, my adoring public. How they have missed being graced with my Ronness," Ron replied as he waved at Tara, who stared at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
They turned the corner and began walking down the senior hallway towards their lockers.
"Wow, the senior hallway, and our senior lockers. I never thought I would see the day," Monique said taking in the once forbidden hallway.
"Yea tell me about it," Ron replied, then stopped in his tracks as he noticed a certain red head loading books into her locker. "There she is. I guess it's now or never huh?"
"I wouldn't be that dramatic about it, but it probably would be better to say what you've gotta say now."
"Yep, no sense in putting it off. I'll just walk up, lay it out there, tell her to have a nice day, and go to my locker. Which with my luck will probably be right next to hers." Ron said, with a nervous smile.
"No doubt. Go get her tiger," Monique said, slapping Ron on the back as she walked to the other side of the hallway where her own locker awaited her.
Ron walked towards the bay of lockers where Kim was. Looking down at his locker assignment, he smiled. His locker was in fact right next to Kim's.
"Mornin' KP." Ron said as he opened up his locker and begin putting his books away.
Kim peeked around the open door of her locker at Ron, and smiled. "Hey Ron."
They both stopped what they were doing and turned towards each other.
"Look..." Ron began.
"About yesterday..." Kim started.
"I'm really sorry, I hope we can still be friends," they both said in unison.
They both looked at each other with goofy expressions for a couple moments before Kim broke the silence.
"Jinx, you owe me a soda!"
That brought a large grin to Ron's face, as he grabbed Kim and pulled her into a tight hug. When they separated they both seemed happier then they had been in years.
"There are still some things we need to talk about." Kim said, hoping Ron wouldn't blow up on her again.
"I know, but that will come when it comes. For right now though...friends?"
"Friends," Kim said with a smile. "But right now I've got to get going. See you at lunch?"
"Count on it, KP." Ron replied
"Great, see you then", Kim said as she turned and walked down the hallway.
Ron watched Kim walk away, then turned back to his locker to get his book and head to his class. When he turned around he found himself face to face with two people he didn't particularly miss.
"Well, well...looks like the little jail dork has come home", Bonnie Rockwaller said with a tone of voice that could only be described as "bitchy".
"Hey Bon-Bon, nice to see you to." Ron smiled, noticing that most of the people in the hallway had turned their attention to them, waiting for Bonnie to humiliate the new student. "And Brick, looking brutish as always."
Brick Flagg grunted, then with a grin, "So Stoppable, how did the big jail boys treat you in the shower room?"
This comment brought a murmur of laughter from the watching crowd. Ron smiled at the comment before he replied.
"Bend over and I'll show you."
Bricks expression immediately changed from humor to pure anger. He took a step towards Ron and made a fist.
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Stoppable," he growled.
"I wasn't talking to you Brick," Ron replied giving Bonnie a wink and a nod.
The crowd burst into laughter as Bonnie's jaw dropped and her face went red with embarrassment. She tried to say something, but instead just "harrumphed" loudly and pushed her way through the crowd.
Ron turned back to Brick, prepared to deal with a defense of Bonnies honor. Instead he found brick doubled over laughing his head off.
"Priceless, Stoppable, simply priceless." Brick said wiping a tear from his eye. "Maybe it will be good to have your nerdy ass back."
With that, he slapped Ron on the back and walked down the hallway with the rest of the dispersing crowd.
Ron smiled to himself as he prepared to head to class. It sure is good to be back.
TBC...
A/N- Hey look at that, two updates in the same month. I must be on some sort of roll. Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed this one, there will probably be 1 or 2 more chapters left in this story. And if any of you have wanted a little bit of action in this tale, there will be some coming up. So read and review, and bonus points if anyone knows what movie I based Ron, Bonnie and Bricks exchange on.
-Reed
ps- I notice that my little section breaks don't transfer over from word to this site, so if it seems like everything runs together without breaks, sorry. I keep trying new breaks, but none work.