Forgiveness

Tara stood down the hall from Kim and Ron, not wanting to risk talking to him with her around. She was absently curling a strand of long blonde hair around a finger, lost in thought. 'How'd he get all wet? …I hope he doesn't catch cold. Why is Kim blushing so much?'

"Tara?" The reticent voice of a familiar friend asked from just behind her.

Startled, Tara nearly jumped out of her skin, "Bonnie. What do you want?" She asked suspiciously, turning her head back slightly to keep an eye on Ron.

"We need to talk." Bonnie took hold of Tara's arm and led her, quite unwillingly, away from her object of interest and into the girls' bathroom.

"Talk about what?" She asked, finally wrenching her wrist free of Bonnie's grip.

"Yesterday." Bonnie glanced down at her feet, seemingly ashamed to face her friend. "I was totally out of line. It's really none of my business what Kim and Ron do." She reached out and took Tara's right hand in hers. "Or what you do with him… I'm sorry." Glancing up, her eyes only briefly meeting Tara's, she asked. "Can you ever forgive me?"

At first Tara said nothing, just giving her friend a disbelieving look. "You're kidding right?" She finally asked, sarcastically. Bonnie's demeanor shifted, from that of a remorseful little girl to a woman scorned, her eyes narrowed and her free hand clenched into a tightly balled fist. "Of course I forgive you." Tara had a broad smile on her face as she pulled her friend into an affectionate hug.

Bonnie returned the hug, 'She actually bought it? She's even dumber than I thought,' squeezing her friend tightly. "This means so much to me. I don't what I'd do if I ever lost you as my friend Tara."

Tara stepped back from her, "Bonnie we've been friends too long to let anything as insignificant as Ron Stoppable come between us. I don't know what I was thinking when I told on you… I'm sorry too."

Bonnie sprung forward and embraced her once again. "That is so nice of you to say." She pulled back and looked Tara in the eyes. "Do you want to hit the mall after school? Just you and me… like old times."

"I'd love to Bonnie." Tara said, smiling a genuinely false smile.

The period bell rang and Tara slung her book bag over her shoulder, she'd have to wait to drop it off at her locker until after Sociology. 'Bonnie must think I'm stupid. Like I'm actually going to believe her apology.' "We'd better get going Bonnie, we don't want to be late… and get detention."

Bonnie smiled and gave a slight chuckle in response to Tara's playful jibe. "Detention… right…"

By Any Other Name

Ron stood in the boys' bathroom, his shirt and pants hung over the walls of a toilet stall, drying himself off. 'I hope Tara didn't get the wrong idea about me calling… not calling her last night. Why'd I hang up?' He was still fretting about his indecisiveness when the period bell rang. 'Oh man, I'm going to be late for Chemistry.' He pulled his still somewhat wet pants back on. 'I'm sure KP will try and cover for me though.'

'She's a real sweet tomato.' The little voice was back.
'Shut up.'

Pulling his shirt on as he stepped out the bathroom to head for class he had to wonder. 'Sweet tomato? What's that got to do with KP?' Pushing the thought from his head he jogged down the hall and into Room 206. "Sorry I'm late Mrs. Hansen." Apologizing as he took his seat next to Kim.

"That's all right Ronald, Kim told me about your accident." She turned her back to the class and began to write out instructions on the blackboard. "Now that we're all here let's get started on today's assignment."

"Thanks KP." He whispered.

Kim lightly ran a finger across his arm, "It was no big, Ron."

Assignment

Monique sat in the library with a new PDA in hand, going over her schedule for the week. 'Let's see… Club Banana gets the shipment of lotion today; Since Kim hasn't asked me to get it for her. That means she probably asked Ron. Perfect.' She leaned back in her chair, resting her chin on her hand. 'Of course it is a long way to the mall, and since I'm sure he doesn't want to walk all the way there…' She smirked. 'He's going to need a ride, and I know just the person he can ask.'

Hang Ups

Ron hurried from Chemistry to Home Ec, completely skipping going back to his locker with Kim. He was hoping to talk with Tara before class started. He made it with time to spare, 'She's already here, good.' Walking in he gave her a nodded 'how's-it-going' before sitting down.

Tara, content to let him make the first move, went back to doodling in her notebook.

'Come on Ron. You can do it. Nothing to be nervous about.' He began to turn in his seat, before stopping halfway. 'What am I going to say? How can I tell her? What if she… What if she takes it the wrong way?' Deciding that he had to do it, no matter what, he turned to face her. "Tara."

She closed her notebook and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes and a hesitant smile on her lightly-glossed pink lips. "Ron."

He bit his lip, 'Does she have to look at me like that?' and took a breath. "About last night…" She leaned in slightly, her eyes widening in anticipation. "When I called…" He paused. "…It was a mistake." Her eyes went wider, suddenly sad; she looked down and away.

"A mistake?" She choked out, her lower lip trembling.

Ron leaned in closer, dipping his head to look her in the eye. The twinkle was gone, replaced by brimming tears. He locked onto her baby blues. "I shouldn't have hung up…"