Closing Time

The trio had been talking and telling jokes at Bueno Nacho much longer than any of them realized.

"Hey you guys, we're closing the lobby in 5 minutes. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here." It was Ted, the night manager.

"Closing?" Ron looked at the clock, it was 11:55 and, "I was supposed to be home an hour ago." He started to panic. Being late meant being grounded, and being grounded meant no GWA Thursday with Monique. He stood up quickly, nearly spilling his drink. "I've got to run. Thanks for inviting me out tonight Monique. Nice talking with you Tara. I'll see you both at school Monday. Bye"

"Later, Ron." Monique told him.

"Bye, Ron." Tara said as her eyes followed him out the door. They continued to follow him down the sidewalk, until he was out of sight. When she could no longer see him she let out a barely noticeable sigh.

"Tara." Monique spoke her name with an almost questioning tone, but garnered no response from the beautiful blonde. "Tara." She repeated slightly more forcefully. Tara turned her head quickly back from the window through which she had been watching Ron.

"What?" She asked, blushing slightly.

Monique had a sly smile on when she leveled her accusation at the blonde cheerleader. "You...like…Ron."

Tara blushed a deeper shade of red. "No…It's just…He's such a funny, nice, guy…Kim's lucky to have him for a friend."

Monique didn't believe Tara's denial, not for a second, but she'd let it slide. For now. "You're right, Kim is lucky to have him. I'm sure a lot of girls would love to have a boyfriend, I mean guy friend, as nice as Ron."

Tara stood up, still blushing, explaining herself to Monique as they walked to their cars. "I'm sure they would. I mean Ron is nice and all, but he's still…Ron."

Monique just smiled a knowing smile, "Well I'm heading home. I have to open Club Banana in the morning."

"I might be stopping by there at about noon, maybe we could do lunch?" Tara suggested as she stepped into her car.

"Sure thing Tara, give me a call if you are." Monique replied, "Bye."

Tara didn't return a farewell, she had already zoned Monique out. She only had two things on her mind, getting home and Ron. Was he the Mr. Right she had set out to find tonight? 'No.' She told herself, shaking the thought of him from her head as she drove off toward home.

Home

Andy's car pulled into Kim's driveway at 12:04, they were late getting back from the party. If her parents caught her sneaking in late, she would be in trouble.

"Couldn't you have driven a little faster?" Kim asked sounding slightly perturbed.

"We would have gotten here in plenty of time if a certain someone didn't insist on stopping at Bueno Nacho." Andrew replied, ribbing Kim about her late night snacking.

"Nothing covers beer breath better than some Diablo sauce." She told him, one of the perks of hanging out with Ron was learning everything she never wanted to know about Bueno Nacho.

"I'll have to remember that for next time." Andrew said as he popped another stick of gum into his mouth. "Goodnight Kim." He said as he leaned over to kiss her. When he pulled away, his face was red and his lips were tingling. "That sauce burns. How can you stand it?"

"I'm used to it I guess. See you later Andy." Kim said, stepping out of his car before walking to the front door. She quietly opened the massive door and stepped inside, closing it gently behind her.

"You're five minutes late young lady." The unnaturally calm voice of her father informed her from behind his evening paper.

"There was a line at the Bueno Nacho drive-thru." She lied, "I'm sorry, I should have called and told you I'd be late."

"I know you're not a little girl anymore Kimmie cub, what with dating boys and going to parties; But, I'm still your father, and I worry." He said not looking away from his paper. "Now get to bed, you've got that fundraiser with your mother in the morning."

"Goodnight daddy." Kim said as she turned to head up to her room.

"One more thing. You're grounded next week. No dates. No boys." Kim froze in her tracks and turned to ask why. "The Diablo sauce doesn't work as well as you might have been led to believe."

x.

Ron ran up to the front door of his house and opened it quickly, it was 12:05 and, he was an hour and 5 minutes late getting home. He didn't bother with trying not to make any noise when he entered, he was busted and he knew it.

"You were supposed to be home over an hour ago. Just where have you been?" His father demanded.

"I was at Bueno Nacho with Monique and Tara." Ron expected to hear the standard 'I'm your father and you're grounded for a week' speech that he had heard so many times before.

"I know Monique but who is this Tara person?" His dad asked.

"She's a cheerleader, you've met her before. The blonde with the pale blue eyes." Ron explained.

His father could hardly believe what his ears were hearing. Ron had been hanging out all night with two girls, neither of which was Kim. "Well I'm not going to punish you this time. Just remember to call us the next time you're planning to be out past curfew."

"I wasn't planning on it, we just lost track of the time." Ron said as he silently celebrated, he would be able to go to Upperton Thursday with Monique to the GWA meet and greet.

"You've got a big day helping Mrs. Possible with that fundraiser for the Children's Hospital tomorrow. So get to bed."

"Goodnight dad." Ron said before he headed upstairs to his room.

x.

Tara arrived home just scant seconds after her brother had pulled into the driveway. She parked her car next to his and got out.

"Back from Bobby Johnson's already, Andy?" She asked him.

"Yeah, Kim had to be home by midnight." He told her as he locked his car doors. "I didn't expect to see you up when I got home."

"I decided that I needed to get out of the house for a while." Tara told him as they walked up the driveway.

"What'd you do?" He asked as he unlocked the front door.

"Hung out at Bueno Nacho with Monique and Ron." She said.

"Kim's friends?" He asked as they walked upstairs to their respective rooms.

"Yep"

"Did you have fun?" If she had been out having a good time maybe she was finally starting to get over the whole Brick incident.

"Yeah, they're both really nice." She said as she stepped into her room and closed the door behind her.