Over the Edge
Back From the Dead
As they walked into Middleton High, Bonnie didn't even realize that she was still holding Ron's hand. Her locker was near enough to his that they followed the same path. That was when a large, yet unnamed thug stepped in Ron's way.
"This is a toll hall loser," he grunted. "Toll's five bucks."
Ron, as this was part of his normal routine, pulled out his wallet, but Bonnie opened her mouth. "Excuse me! Social reject, who told you, that you were allowed to be within eight feet of me?"
The thug was taken aback. He had been so focused on his target, Ron, that he hadn't noticed Bonnie. "Er… I… uh…"
"Get lost, freak," she said. She waved him away with a gesture of her hand, and lead Ron past.
Ron was for the most part quite impressed. He still had his wallet out when they reached Bonnie's locker (his was a few down). He looked at her and realized she was not the same girl he had walked in with, at least not on the inside. This was the Bonnie he had known until this weekend. This was the high-school queen, the social royal. In short; this was Bonnie in her element.
She saw the look of shock on Ron's face. "What?" she asked, the most timid of smiles playing about her face. That was when Ron saw the Bonnie he had gotten to know. "You told me not to change who I was. So I figure I'll change a few of my vices, and use a few of them to do so." She shrugged.
Ron smiled, "You just caught me off guard, is all." She smiled and let her face fall back to its mask. Ron was reminded of a poem he had once read on Barken's demand. It was called "The Paintbrush". He couldn't remember all of the lines at this moment, but he remembered what the Poem was talking about. It was a person who covered herself up, painted herself. In the poem, she was speaking to a person she cared about, and promising to peel away the layers for them, but also explaining that she need to keep her paint brush.
"Hey Ron," Kim called from up the Hall.
Bonnie scowled fiercely as the redhead jogged and weaved up the hall.
"Hey KP," Ron said greeting Kim with a wave, but watching Bonnie's expression.
"Uh… Hey Bonnie," Kim said carefully. "How are you?"
"Fine till you showed up," Bonnie sneered.
"I was trying to be nice," Kim said defensively.
"When I want you to be nice Possible, I'll tell you," Bonnie sniped. Then she leaned in close to Kim's ear and whispered, so that not even Ron could hear, "And I will never want your pity!"
Bonnie stood straight and looked to Ron, "I'll see you in English." With that she took off down the hall.
Kim huffed and leaned against the lockers as Ron walked down to his. "Glad to see nothing's changed with her," She griped.
Ron knew that deep down, something was different about Bonnie, but that wasn't what he said. "Yeah," he said with a distant smile. "Me too."
Kim looked at her friend with an expression of mild confusion. 'What was that about?' she thought.
"We better get to Latin," Ron said as he took the last of his books out and shut his locker.
Kim smiled at him. He had been her best friend for years, why did she feel like this Bonnie thing would be the end of them? Why did she feel so jealous? She had examined her feelings for Ron time and again. She didn't want to date Ron, he wasn't her type, but she did want to protect him from girls who might break his heart. Bonnie was high on that list. She looked over and saw he was watching her while she was deep in thought.
"Don't worry KP," he said. "Semper Fidelis."
She smiled again and walked into Latin with her best friend.
Most of the day from that point went off as if nothing had changed. That is until they got to practice.
With the boom box playing, the girls talked about new moves. Kim had just finished describing a new routine she wanted them to try for competition next month. "Unless you have any ideas Bonnie," Kim said sarcastically.
"Well with the exception of a couple of points there, I think you have a good routine. I think we might be able to make it better." The entire squad dropped their jaws. Bonnie had never said anything that supportive. Albeit she did sound quite indifferent and at best apathetic, but they attributed that to the fact that it was Kim's idea. The entire practice seemed to be a competition though. Bonnie was doing Kim's routine, but she seemed to be trying to do it better than Kim. Ron, and even some of the girls, occasionally missed his cue watching the agility and lengths both Kim and Bonnie were going to top the other.
As Bonnie entered the locker room after practice she saw the shattered mirror had been covered with packing paper. She looked away from it quickly. After she had dressed and changed, she waited. When Kim passed, Bonnie grabbed her wrist, and pulled her aside.
"What's the big idea?" Kim asked in annoyance.
"Listen… I need to ask you something, but you can't tell anyone I asked you," Bonnie said in her commanding tone.
"Fine what?" Kim answered impatiently.
"What are you and Ron?" Bonnie ask, all confidence gone from her voice. She sounded… helpless.
"Why?" asked Kim skeptically.
"Just tell me," Bonnie pleaded.
"we're just friends. Nothing more." Kim did not like where this was going. "Now tell me why you want to know."
"I… I just want to know," Bonnie stammered.
It was Kim's turn to take a dominant role. She pushed Bonnie against a nearby locker. "Ron is my best friend, if you play with him, like I've seen you do others, and hurt him, I swear this little rivalry of ours will go World War Three!" Kim's eyes contained a fire of powerful hatred.
"I wouldn't." Bonnie countered, getting into Kim's face. "Not him. He…" she paused again, losing her confidence. "He saved me."
Kim glared, but walked out without saying another word.
That was a short chap I know, but tell me what you think of it.