The Rules

It was a routine and rather quiet cheer practice, especially without Bonnie there. Kim had just finished leading the squad in the final cheer of the day. "Ok girls…and Ron…great practice. See you all again tomorrow same time, same place."

Most of the squad packed up their pompoms and headed quickly to the locker room to get changed. Soon only Kim, Ron, and Tara were left in the gymnasium. Ron was over on the bleachers changing out of his uniform. He also had to clean up the banana crème foam from his 'foaming at the mouth' routine; the janitorial staff had made sure of that.

"Kim?"

"Tara, what's up?" Kim asked, stuffing her pompoms into her gymbag.

Tara glanced over toward Ron for a second and then down at the floor, before lifting her eyes to Kim. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. As captain I'm always here for the squad." Kim turned and headed for the bleachers, figuring that she could change her shoes while they talked.

Tara followed her over and sat down next to her. "This isn't about the squad," she said, nervously biting her lip, "it's about Ron."

"Ron?" Kim asked in a loud voice, so loud in fact that Ron turned his head to see if she needed him. Kim waved him off, back to what he was doing.

'Hmm, I guess not.' Ron thought to himself before turning his attention back to the sticky banana crème on the hard maplewood floorboards.

"What's he like? I mean, y'know, outside of school… When he isn't trying to be nice and sweet and attentive and..." She calmed herself, she was revealing too much. "When he's just... normal."

'Normal? There's a word not used to describe him very often.' Kim took a look at her friend diligently scrubbing away on one of the last spots of crème. "Well, Tara. With Ron what you see is what you get. Usually. He's a genuine person, he doesn't act a certain way around certain people just to fit in. He's always been who he is, a sweet caring guy." Kim blushed a bit. "He's always been there for me when I needed him. He's helped me through a lot of bad times and breakups."

"Have you ever thought of dating him?" Tara stole a glance over at Ron, who was currently facing away from them on his hands and knees; she smiled a slight smile as she took in the view.

"Me and Ron? On a date?" She and Ron were best friends, nothing more. Besides that, she was going out with Andy.

"Yeah."

"No." Kim admitted, Tara let a brief smile find its home on her lips. "That'd be way against the rules… Ron is big on the rules." Tara's smile left as quickly as it came, her eyes saddening.

"Oh…" Tara stood up and started walking away, not noticing the look of pleasure in Kim's eyes.

Ride? Redux

"Let's go Kimberly." Her dad called to her through the open passenger window.

"Just a sec daddy." Kim turned back to Ron, who was holding her backpack for her. "Are you going to come over Wednesday night?"

Ron shuffled his feet a bit, "Of course KP, I wouldn't miss it."

"Kimberly. Now."

"Ok." Kim grumbled, before taking her backpack and stepping into the car. "Can we give Ron a ride home?" She asked.

Mr. Possible tapped his finger on a button, locking the doors, "No."

"No!" Kim snapped, turning away from her father to Ron, apologetically. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Sure thing KP. See you tomorrow." Ron waved sadly as he watched them pull away; Kim looked back at him through the rear window, watching as he grew smaller and smaller in her field of view.

"You need a ride?" A sweet feminine voice asked.

Ron turned, easily recognizing the voice of who was asking.

Kim, having not let Ron out of her sight, saw the baby blue Volkswagen pull up next to him. She also saw him take a step toward it and say something, 'Is that a smile on his face?'

Mr. P turned the corner, putting an abrupt end to her surveillance.

Bonfire

"Don't forget Ms. Rockwaller. Tomorrow same time, same place."

Bonnie stepped roughly past Mr. Barkin, "Whatever!" and into the hallway. She was fuming; spending time with the losers in detention wasn't high on her list of things to do. The current top priority on her list was… Tara. She was going to be made to pay.

RR 2

"Thanks, Tara," Ron leaned down to the open window, "but, I think I'll just walk home today."

"Oh, okay…" Her voice was low, sad. Ron noticed.

"You ok?"

"Yeah… It's just… Nothing." She perked up a touch and turned away from him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ron took a longer look at her, his eyes picking up the telltale signs with which he was so familiar. He rested his hand on top of the door, tapping it once, before stepping back. "Bye, Tara."

"Bye." She signaled, checked her mirrors, and pulled away from the curb.

Ron stepped back onto the sidewalk and started for home, taking one last look at Tara's car as she drove away.

In Kind

Bonnie flipped her hair playfully as she leaned against the locker. "So can you take care of my little… problem, Chris?"

"I'll think about it." He closed his locker and pulled his truck keys out of his pocket. "I'm going to need a good reason for doing it though."

She leaned closer to him, running her hand under his chin. "I'll give you plenty of reason, after you do it."

He smirked, "I guess we have a deal then Bon-bon."