After a while, the celebration
finally died down, and Ron headed for Kim with angry thoughts on his
mind. He tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um. Kim?"
"Yeah?" she asked sweetly.
'Man…how can I get mad at a face like that?'
"Umm…we need to talk," he said uneasily.
"Okay. Sure." She checked to make sure Josh was okay (signing autographs) then led Ron to an empty food booth.
"What up?" Kim asked in the most innocent voice Ron could imagine.
"Uh…well…it's about Josh."
"I know! Isn't it great??"
"Great?? No!"
Kim seemed taken aback.
Ron tried to think of a nicer way to tell Kim. "I mean…do you really think this is a good idea?"
"You don't want Josh to join the team?"
"To tell you the truth…not really."
"Why?"
Ron struggled to form his feelings into words, without hurting Kim's feelings. "I…he just…I dunno…we've just been a…two person team for so long and-"
"What about Wade?"
"Wade?" Ron thought. "Wade! That's right. We have to ask Wade first before Josh officially joins the team!"
"Okay…" Kim looked at Ron and wondered if he really liked Josh or not. He had told Kim the other day that things were cool between him and Josh but…maybe he was just saying that to please Kim. She took note of Ron's actions then whipped her Kimmunicator out.
"Josh!" she called.
Finished with the last of his autograph signings, he walked over to Kim and Ron with a casual bounce in his step. "Yeah?"
"There's someone I'd like you to meet," she informed.
"Cool." He grinned. "Who?"
The Kimmunicator seemed to magically flash on and Wade's face filled the tiny communication screen.
"Hey, I've seen you before! You're Kim and Ron's little computer guy!"
Wade raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you could say that. Who're you?"
"This is Josh," Kim introduced. "Josh-Wade. Wade-Josh."
Josh nodded. "Nice to meet you, dude."
"Nice to meet you, too…" Wade paused for a second. "Wait a minute…Josh…Josh…I've heard of you." Wade rubbed his chin and tried to think back.
"Yeah, now I remember. Kim said you were a hot…" he smirked at his female friend. "…Never mind. And Ron said you were a fuc…" Wade's smile faded. "…Never mind."
"…Oookay…I think I've learned something new about myself today."
Kim spoke up, "Josh is thinking of joining the team."
"And you wanted me to explain to him how he can't because it's too dangerous, yada, yada, yada. Right?" Wade said smartly and took a sip of his soda.
"Actually, I wanted your permission to let him join."
Wade immediately spat out whatever soda he had in his mouth and looked at Kim questionably.
"What???"
Kim looked back with the same expression. "What's so wrong about that? I think he has good enough skills to help as much as Ron does…" Kim thought about it for a second. "Actually…now that I think of it…"
Kim was about to finish her sentence but realized she might've hurt Ron's feelings in the process.
"Never mind," she stopped herself.
"Um…Kim. Do you think you, me, and Ron could talk about this for a second?"
"Isn't that what we're doing?"
"No. I mean……"
Wade motioned toward Josh.
"…Oh. I get it," Josh replied. "Sure. You guys can talk it over if you want. I'll be right over…here." Josh took the time to go back to his fans. Ron rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong Wade? You look about as excited about this as Ron is," Kim told her ten-year old computer buddy. "You should've seen him a few minutes ago! He was amaz-"
"Kim," Wade stopped her. "I'm sure he's a good fighter, like you said. But…I can't help but wondering…"
"Do you just want him on the team so you can date him??" Ron finished.
"Yeah. What I was thinking," Wade added.
Kim looked at both of them in shock, although it didn't look genuine to Ron and Wade. "Uh!" she scoffed. "I can't believe you guys! Thinking that I…bringing him on the team just for…no way! You guys are just being close-minded about this. Think of how easier it would make things if we had another member on the team."
"You're just trying to get in his pants!" Ron told her.
"What??? Ron!!"
"Just speaking the truth," he said slyly.
Kim blushed dark red and glared at Ron.
"We've been friends and teammates for so long…and we haven't had any sexual thoughts about each other!! I think I can handle being around a cute guy everyday without being distracted by OTHER things besides crime fighting!"
Ron thought about her first sentence and quietly disagreed. It wasn't his fault…Kim was in a bikini…at the beach…just lying there…'tanning' or something…was it his fault she had so many curves???
"Wait……did you just call me cute??" Ron asked, slightly aroused by the thought.
Kim's cheeks grew even darker.
"Back on the subject we WERE talking about…" Wade interrupted, much to Kim's relief. "Are you sure about this Kim?"
"Positive. We're just gonna try it out on a trial basis, first. If he does good, THEN we'll talk more about this…" Kim looked at Wade and Ron. "Okay?"
The boys looked at each other, both still unsure.
Wade sighed. "Fine…"
"Ron?"
Ron looked down, trying not to look into Kim's eyes. It was sure to be deadly if looked…he WASN'T going to look up…he wasn't looking up…he wasn't looking up……he wasn't…he looked up.
"No! Stop! Please!" Ron begged.
Kim put on the saddest face she could (the puppy dog pout as Ron and Kim called it) and was looking right into Ron's eyes.
"Pwease Wonnie…" she said like a little child…more like a kitten from Ron's point of view…hehehe.
"…Fffine. Whatever. Just stop…looking at me like that."
"Yes! Thanks guys! You won't regret it!"
Kim's Kimmunicator flashed off and Wade went back to playing computer games. Kim put her arms around Ron and gave him a nice, warm…'friendly' hug. Ron was frozen, unable to move his arms or legs and unprepared with words to spit out. He always did that around Kim…whenever she decided to show her 'girly' signs of affection. Around some other guy or Rufus, Ron was used to a high five or a knock on the knuckle. But this…always made Ron feel even better…even if it was JUST his best friend.
"Don't worry Ron. Josh isn't as bad as you think…although I have no idea what or why you think about him…"
"Yeah…yeah…" said Ron, dazed for some reason.
Kim kept her arms around Ron. She noticed something about him. "……Are…you…sniffing me?"
Ron pulled out of Kim's grasp and tried to play it off by looking out the window. "What? Me?? Sniffing you?? Why would I do that??"
"I…I don't know…" said Kim, lost for words. "Anyway…I'm gonna tell Josh the good news…be right back, 'kay?"
"Sure," Ron replied, still looking away.
Kim considered what had just happened. She could've sworn she saw Ron looking at her differently…and deliberately putting his nose right next to her neck…but why had she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her?
"Kim? Am I in?" Josh asked hopefully.
Kim smiled. "Yeah…welcome to the team."
"Yeaahh! This is gonna be great! All I gotta do is get my parents' permission now and…aww yeah! Thanks Kim!"
Josh wrapped his burly arms around Kim…and she hugged back…but…nothing…
"Um. Kim?"
"Yeah?" she asked sweetly.
'Man…how can I get mad at a face like that?'
"Umm…we need to talk," he said uneasily.
"Okay. Sure." She checked to make sure Josh was okay (signing autographs) then led Ron to an empty food booth.
"What up?" Kim asked in the most innocent voice Ron could imagine.
"Uh…well…it's about Josh."
"I know! Isn't it great??"
"Great?? No!"
Kim seemed taken aback.
Ron tried to think of a nicer way to tell Kim. "I mean…do you really think this is a good idea?"
"You don't want Josh to join the team?"
"To tell you the truth…not really."
"Why?"
Ron struggled to form his feelings into words, without hurting Kim's feelings. "I…he just…I dunno…we've just been a…two person team for so long and-"
"What about Wade?"
"Wade?" Ron thought. "Wade! That's right. We have to ask Wade first before Josh officially joins the team!"
"Okay…" Kim looked at Ron and wondered if he really liked Josh or not. He had told Kim the other day that things were cool between him and Josh but…maybe he was just saying that to please Kim. She took note of Ron's actions then whipped her Kimmunicator out.
"Josh!" she called.
Finished with the last of his autograph signings, he walked over to Kim and Ron with a casual bounce in his step. "Yeah?"
"There's someone I'd like you to meet," she informed.
"Cool." He grinned. "Who?"
The Kimmunicator seemed to magically flash on and Wade's face filled the tiny communication screen.
"Hey, I've seen you before! You're Kim and Ron's little computer guy!"
Wade raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you could say that. Who're you?"
"This is Josh," Kim introduced. "Josh-Wade. Wade-Josh."
Josh nodded. "Nice to meet you, dude."
"Nice to meet you, too…" Wade paused for a second. "Wait a minute…Josh…Josh…I've heard of you." Wade rubbed his chin and tried to think back.
"Yeah, now I remember. Kim said you were a hot…" he smirked at his female friend. "…Never mind. And Ron said you were a fuc…" Wade's smile faded. "…Never mind."
"…Oookay…I think I've learned something new about myself today."
Kim spoke up, "Josh is thinking of joining the team."
"And you wanted me to explain to him how he can't because it's too dangerous, yada, yada, yada. Right?" Wade said smartly and took a sip of his soda.
"Actually, I wanted your permission to let him join."
Wade immediately spat out whatever soda he had in his mouth and looked at Kim questionably.
"What???"
Kim looked back with the same expression. "What's so wrong about that? I think he has good enough skills to help as much as Ron does…" Kim thought about it for a second. "Actually…now that I think of it…"
Kim was about to finish her sentence but realized she might've hurt Ron's feelings in the process.
"Never mind," she stopped herself.
"Um…Kim. Do you think you, me, and Ron could talk about this for a second?"
"Isn't that what we're doing?"
"No. I mean……"
Wade motioned toward Josh.
"…Oh. I get it," Josh replied. "Sure. You guys can talk it over if you want. I'll be right over…here." Josh took the time to go back to his fans. Ron rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong Wade? You look about as excited about this as Ron is," Kim told her ten-year old computer buddy. "You should've seen him a few minutes ago! He was amaz-"
"Kim," Wade stopped her. "I'm sure he's a good fighter, like you said. But…I can't help but wondering…"
"Do you just want him on the team so you can date him??" Ron finished.
"Yeah. What I was thinking," Wade added.
Kim looked at both of them in shock, although it didn't look genuine to Ron and Wade. "Uh!" she scoffed. "I can't believe you guys! Thinking that I…bringing him on the team just for…no way! You guys are just being close-minded about this. Think of how easier it would make things if we had another member on the team."
"You're just trying to get in his pants!" Ron told her.
"What??? Ron!!"
"Just speaking the truth," he said slyly.
Kim blushed dark red and glared at Ron.
"We've been friends and teammates for so long…and we haven't had any sexual thoughts about each other!! I think I can handle being around a cute guy everyday without being distracted by OTHER things besides crime fighting!"
Ron thought about her first sentence and quietly disagreed. It wasn't his fault…Kim was in a bikini…at the beach…just lying there…'tanning' or something…was it his fault she had so many curves???
"Wait……did you just call me cute??" Ron asked, slightly aroused by the thought.
Kim's cheeks grew even darker.
"Back on the subject we WERE talking about…" Wade interrupted, much to Kim's relief. "Are you sure about this Kim?"
"Positive. We're just gonna try it out on a trial basis, first. If he does good, THEN we'll talk more about this…" Kim looked at Wade and Ron. "Okay?"
The boys looked at each other, both still unsure.
Wade sighed. "Fine…"
"Ron?"
Ron looked down, trying not to look into Kim's eyes. It was sure to be deadly if looked…he WASN'T going to look up…he wasn't looking up…he wasn't looking up……he wasn't…he looked up.
"No! Stop! Please!" Ron begged.
Kim put on the saddest face she could (the puppy dog pout as Ron and Kim called it) and was looking right into Ron's eyes.
"Pwease Wonnie…" she said like a little child…more like a kitten from Ron's point of view…hehehe.
"…Fffine. Whatever. Just stop…looking at me like that."
"Yes! Thanks guys! You won't regret it!"
Kim's Kimmunicator flashed off and Wade went back to playing computer games. Kim put her arms around Ron and gave him a nice, warm…'friendly' hug. Ron was frozen, unable to move his arms or legs and unprepared with words to spit out. He always did that around Kim…whenever she decided to show her 'girly' signs of affection. Around some other guy or Rufus, Ron was used to a high five or a knock on the knuckle. But this…always made Ron feel even better…even if it was JUST his best friend.
"Don't worry Ron. Josh isn't as bad as you think…although I have no idea what or why you think about him…"
"Yeah…yeah…" said Ron, dazed for some reason.
Kim kept her arms around Ron. She noticed something about him. "……Are…you…sniffing me?"
Ron pulled out of Kim's grasp and tried to play it off by looking out the window. "What? Me?? Sniffing you?? Why would I do that??"
"I…I don't know…" said Kim, lost for words. "Anyway…I'm gonna tell Josh the good news…be right back, 'kay?"
"Sure," Ron replied, still looking away.
Kim considered what had just happened. She could've sworn she saw Ron looking at her differently…and deliberately putting his nose right next to her neck…but why had she felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside her?
"Kim? Am I in?" Josh asked hopefully.
Kim smiled. "Yeah…welcome to the team."
"Yeaahh! This is gonna be great! All I gotta do is get my parents' permission now and…aww yeah! Thanks Kim!"
Josh wrapped his burly arms around Kim…and she hugged back…but…nothing…