Chapter 2

Bonnie scanned the room watchfully, mind racing at an incredible speed. There was no way she could get to Ron with Kim vigilantly watching over him, suspicious of her every move. She was sure Ron didn't have such a distrustful attitude towards her since he, well, almost always assumed the best of everyone. In a turn of fortune for her, found herself in the perfect position to make a move; she was in the same English class as Ron, and half of their class was "imaginative" group work. After her English teacher took attendance, he told the students to get in pairs and discuss their homework.

Now was the time. She smoothly made her way to Ron and gave him a big smile when he looked up from his desk. She pulled a chair to the other side and sat down facing him.

"Hey, Ron. Want to be partners?"

"Uh, sure Bonnie."

"Great!"

"Yea." Uncomfortable silence. She realized how awkward this was, talking to her worst enemy's best friend. She almost felt regret for what she was planning to do, but thoughts of Kim Possible stifled such feelings. The students rarely actually discussed their homework, breaking up into more social topics, so Bonnie initiated her plan almost immediately. The conversation needed to have an ingenuous feeling, yet not be too light or too deep at the same time. She fired her first shot.

"So, I know we haven't been the best of friends, so before I start I'd just like to apologize." To Ron, it almost sounded sincere and genuine. However, he was still somewhat wary of Bonnie.

"Really? But, but…" Bonnie interrupted him.

"You're probably wondering why; well, let's just say that I've come to see you as the enjoyable person you really are." The tone she took was overbearing as she realized she was plainly overdoing it. She made a conscious effort to sound more genuine.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Well, unlike Kim, you have this aura of cheerfulness surrounding you. And unlike Kim, you aren't ostentatious, obnoxious, shallow…" When it came to bad mouthing Kim, Bonnie had trouble finding a way to stop.

"What? Kim's not shallow at all, nor is she any of the other things you've said!" His defiant outburst of loyalty surprised Bonnie, but she quickly got back on track. 'Ok, no bad mouthing Kim. Come on Bonnie; you can keep up this charade.'

"I'm sorry. You know, sometimes I just get caught up in this rivalry thing with Kim, and it clouds my judgment." The distrustful look Ron gave her was enough to realize just how badly she was doing. Unfortunately, her unerring hatred for Kim, along with Ron's fierce loyalty towards her, was clearly getting in the way of her plans. Kim was the one person Bonnie couldn't keep her usual methodical coolness around.

"Bonnie, what do you want?" Ron asked exasperatedly, looking at the tan brunette in a very untrusting manner.

"Listen, I just want to apologize and…make up for everything I've done to you. You want to hang out today after school?" She rarely laid out all her cards like she was doing, but she was willing to make an exception in this case. Besides, how could someone like Ron resist her?

"Sorry, but I'm busy." What? How dare he refuse me? Bonnie was fuming inside, but she just gave a beautiful smile on the outside and seductively looked at Ron.

"Okay, how about tomorrow?"

"Busy." She was quickly losing her patience with this "loser."

"So when are you free?"

"Um, how about Friday?"

'Argh I'm going to have to give up Friday for this?'

'Remember, it's to get at Possible.'

"Friday's good," she said, smiling sweetly. "Where do you want to go?"

"Bueno Nacho." Bueno Nacho!

"Um, okay, so after school?"

"Yea, sure thing."

"Just out of curiosity: what are you doing those other days?"

"Hanging out with KP."

"Are you not hanging out with her Friday?"

"Nah, I think she's going to Brikk's party or something." 'Brikk's party. Damn, that's what I'm going to have to miss.' The bell rang, bringing an end to the conversation almost perfectly on time.

"Okay, can't wait until then! Later…Ron." She found it somewhat hard to resist calling him loser or dork, especially since it was so ingrained into her mind. Mercifully, she stood up and headed to her locker.

X.X

The usual crowd was there at Bueno Nacho that afternoon as Kim, Monique, Ron, and Rufus pigged out on their nacos. It was then that Ron did something highly unusual that piqued Kim's attention; he stopped in the middle of his eating to actually initiate the conversation; usually, he just stopped briefly to answer before eating again. To some, this may have seemed trivial, but to Kim and Monique it meant something big. Thus, it was no surprise when they too stopped eating and stared at Ron.

"Uh, what?" His confused voice got only silence in response, so he got on with his original topic. "There's something that's really been bothering me about today."

"And that is…" Both Kim and Monique leaned in ready to hear the important news.

"Bonnie asked me to hang out with her Friday."

"WHAT!" Like the day before, Kim's outburst brought about a lot of unwanted attention as the customers stared at her in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds as she sat down in embarrassment. "Ron, something's definitely up."

"I know."

"So what'd you say?"

"Well…"

"Ron, don't tell me you said…"

"I said yes. Who knows KP? Maybe she's changed and really does want to be friends with me." Kim smacked her head in exasperation.

"What! She's just using you to get at me!" Ron felt a twinge of pain at her comments.

"And how do you know that for sure?" Ron said defensively.

"Well, because…" she trailed off, searching for euphemisms.

"Because I'm a loser?" His angry words stung Kim as she struggled to find comforting words for her friend. "KP, do you think I'm a loser?" His trusting, brown eyes met Kim's.

"No, of course not." Lies. Ron Stoppable knew Kim far too well for her to lie to him about something so serious. He visibly frowned as his eyes seemed to darken. His facial muscles contracted as he bit down hard to control his emotions. His best friend had just called him a loser; no, worse, she thought him a loser and pitied him too much to tell him.

"You don't need to lie." He said it so flatly, so devoid of emotion that it took Kim off guard. Monique could only watch on in confused silence at the scene that was playing out before her. He jumped up swiftly, ignoring his uneaten food. His appetite long gone, Ron calmly walked out of Bueno Nacho before taking off in a run. Kim felt herself too shocked to do anything this whole time as she watched her best friend dash away; if she had looked closer, she would have seen the solitary tear that slipped out of Ron's left eye as he left Bueno Nacho.