SHOUT OUTS!
Classic Cowboy: Let's just admit it. They are targets and nothing more. Thanks!
Crystalized Ayame Pedals: Thanks!
Frosty Pickle Juice: Y'know, I think you're the reason I'm writing this so darn fast.
fryfan: Eh, Kim was just feeling all humiliated. As for Bonnie… just keep reading.
gargoylesama: Yeah, I heard those cursed UKers got to already see it. Lucky them. A spoiler site… I think I'll just wait. The anticipation is fun.
Intrepidwarriors: Yes, Ron will always be a bit of an idiot. Thanks for your compliment. I enjoy naming the chapters.
LJ Fan: Heck, I'd do the same thing if Ron told me he loved me. And screw detention. I also want to know why they gasped! But it has to be something good. Bwahaha. No, I won't be able to put any ninja guys in here. Sorry. At least I don't think I will.
nebulia: Wow. I'm glad I was able to give you a good introduction. There is other good stuff in KP fandom as well. But thanks!
RainSprite03: Thanks! I felt the same way about the commercial.
ShadowGirl: Yes, I did see that the 6th book is coming out! And I'm just thrilled! I do think Kim was mean—but she is mean in the series anyway, at times. Stupid Kim.
Spice of Life: Heck, I'm still living in horror that the movie won't turn out with Kim picking Ron!
Vapaad: Thanks!
WWLAOS: I actually tried to put Monique's full reaction into this chapter, but it just didn't seem to fit as well as I had hoped. Bonnie's human, all right. I could just imagine her doing something like that. I don't think she fully understood the gravity of the situation at the time. Either that, or I was just aiming for some contrast for her behavior in this chapter. Thanks!
xPussyWillowKittenx: Okay! I'll try and e-mail you later about the story. And yes, poor Ronnikins.
An entire freaking week. No, over a week. Or however many days it had made out to whatever total there was in any calendar system. None of it mattered. It was all based around the prom, anyway.
Which was tonight. Already? Kim couldn't believe it was already here. How the time had passed. Of course, most girls were usually asked a healthy month in advance. Not her. She was the lucky one, the spur of the moment.
Eric hadn't just asked her out of desperation? No, that was a silly thought. She was sure she would have already sensed any hidden motivation, if there were any. He was just new, already in love with her, and had only wanted to ask her to the prom. She giggled and rolled over in bed, turning her face away from the phone in a momentary lapse of concentration. One that didn't last long.
Maybe she should just get out of bed. Maybe then something would happen. She flipped back over, staring at the clock. Almost 6:30. That wasn't too bad, was it? Not for a Saturday. Especially how late she had been up last night, staring at that stupid phone… Guys were impossible.
Perhaps she could try just one more time. She reached for the phone, trying to dispel the sickness inside her. Butterflies. Prom butterflies, she told herself. That's all it was. She was just confusing emotions. She slid her thumb over the speed dial button and put the phone to her ear. It rang once.
Why in the world was she calling anyone at 6:30 on a Saturday morning? Who did that?
Unless it was an emergency, of course. Perhaps they would think it were an emergency, and rush in a panic to the phone and right into her trap…
She broke the connection, not letting it even strive for a second ring. Then, groaning, she fell back into her pillow. She felt awful. She really should have gotten more sleep. And that included the entire week. Eric had been so worried about her, but even a bouquet of flowers bought only with a few bucks but a lot of heart from the grocery store wasn't enough. She smiled at the flowers, still striving for life in a vase by the window. They were pretty. He was so sweet. And he was trying to understand.
Except he had no idea what she had been doing ever since that day. Calling over there. No, it hadn't even been that. This time, just now, had been her third attempt. Three attempts in over a week, how pathetic was that? She was Kim Possible, the girl who wasn't suppose to be afraid of anything, and here she was, with three measly telephone calls that never went past the first ring and hoping that the wonders of caller identification would release magic and make everything all right again.
But it wasn't happening. Ron wasn't going to call her.
She tried to remember. Did they even have caller i.d. over there? Maybe that was it. But why wasn't he calling her anyway? It had been way too long. Over a week. She had never, ever gone that long without talking to him. Not since before preschool, and those early years had still included the after-dinner chats on the kitchen phone while their parents had all rolled their eyes at the phone etiquette formulas of four-year olds. And now she hadn't talked to him in over a week.
It wasn't her fault, was it? Had she honestly scared him away that badly? She hadn't even managed to see him in the school hallways, and somehow in their shared classes they were on opposite sides of the room. That jerk. Why did he have to do it that way? Why couldn't he just pretend that the whole hellish incident in the cafeteria in front of the entire school had never happened?
Why couldn't she pretend that? She hadn't been the one avoiding him. At least, she didn't think so.
She gave a scream and buried her face in the pillow.
"Kim?" A gentle knock sounded at the door. "Kimmie, are you all right?"
Oh, great. Had she just woken up the entire family with that scream? She lifted her face off the pillow and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to freak out. She wasn't going to freak out. "I'm fine, Mom." Please don't open the door.
The door opened. "Kimmie, you don't sound fine. You just gave one of your annoyed screams."
Kim sat up and climbed out of bed. "I'm fine, Mom. I'm sorry."
Her mother stepped into the room, her pink robe dragging across the carpet. She looked so different without her make up. "You're not upset about the prom tonight, are you? Your dress is already picked out, you're going to look gorgeous."
She shook her head, stretching down her pajama shirt to cover her tummy. "No, I'm excited about the prom." It wasn't a lie. It was the truth.
Her mother was silent for a moment, studying her in that way that only moms could pull off. "You still haven't spoken to Ron yet, have you?"
Again she shook her head. Suddenly it felt as if an entire building had collapsed on her head. She collapsed into her mom's arms, crying. "No, he won't call me!"
"Oh, dear." Her mother ran her fingers through Kim's hair, pulling at a bed head snarl. "I didn't think this was going to last this long."
Well, it certainly hadn't ended yet. Kim broke away and grabbed her phone, flipping to the list of past callers. "Look, Mom," she said, sniffing back tears. "See? Eric, Eric, Eric, Monique, Eric, Monique, wrong number, Eric. Do you see any Ron on there? She waved the screen in her mom's face, as if she would be able to do something about it. "There's a total lack of Ron there!"
She stared at the phone sadly, nodded, and took it in her hand. "Haven't you called him?"
The question of judgment. "No. I… I tried, Mom. I actually tried. I just can't… no one has picked up."
"You need to let it ring more than once or twice."
"Mom, I can't—" Kim sat down on her bed. At least the tears had momentarily stopped. "Mom, I still can't believe he did that!"
Dr. Possible sat down next to her, sliding her arm over her shoulders. "I can."
Kim started at her. "He… he said that in front of everyone!" She knew what the reply was going to be—what it was the afternoon of the entire incident. Something about "oh, it wasn't everyone." Mothers.
"You know very well it wasn't in front of everyone: the cafeteria wasn't even full yet." She took a deep breath. "I'm not saying it was the most brilliant idea, but let's face it, it's Ron we're dealing with. Though I must say I didn't think it was going to last this long."
More tears were coming. Kim fiercely wiped them away. "What am I supposed to say to him after that? What is he supposed to say to me?"
For once, her mother didn't answer right off. "You know," she finally said. "For years, I never thought that when this sort of thing happened between you to that it would go this way."
"I know, but—" Kim stopped. What had she just said? "You… you saw this coming?"
She grinned sheepishly. "Well, call it the feminine game if you will, or just a mother's instinct. You know I've always liked Ron. But how could it not happen eventually? You've been friends since you were just little."
"You knew he was going to randomly declare love to me in the school cafeteria?" Another building had just struck her head.
"Kimmie, it happens. When two people are as close as you and Ron are, feelings can change."
What sort of answer was that for a brain surgeon to give? "I don't want things to change. I just want him to be my friend again."
Her mother sighed. "You're not still upset with him, are you?"
Upset? Kim no longer knew what she was. "A little, I guess." After what he had done to her, after what he had said, how he wouldn't even come near her. "Mom, why is he avoiding me like this?"
"You… what you told me you said was pretty cruel. Kimmie, did it occur to you that maybe he was just as humiliated as you were? I'm actually kind of impressed by him, being able to say what he said in front of so many people. It shows courage."
"But I think he just blurted it out without thinking."
Her mother laughed. How could she dare laugh at a time like this? "That's because he's Ron. That's what he does. But he still said it, and he still waited for an answer. He took what you said—in front of 'everyone'—" She demonstrated with finger quotation marks—"and to me that says something. To actually wait for an answer from you, even if he did just blurt it out. And he didn't get angry with you. He did all of that for you."
How was that supposed to make her feel any better? "Why didn't you tell me all of this earlier? Like when I came home from that last week?"
"I guess I was hoping you two would figure it out on your own."
This time Kim couldn't stop the tears. "I didn't mean to hurt him that badly. I just… I just didn't know what to do."
"Kimmie." Her mother pulled in her a hug. Kim couldn't back away. "Just because you're a cheerleader and get good grades and save the world doesn't mean you have to know everything. You're still young. You're still human. Why, I probably would have reacted the same way."
Kim lay there a moment, thinking. "Thanks, Mom," she finally said.
"Are you going to be okay?"
She gave a small shrug.
"Then I think I'll go start some pancakes." Dr. Possible gave Kim a kiss on the forehead and stood up. "Don't worry, honey. You're best friends. A strong friendship can't be ruined that easily. And remember, you still have a prom to attend with an awesome guy. Even if your father disagrees."
Kim lay on her bed long after her mom had left. "Ron," she muttered. She was so sick of this. All these days of horror just because of one stupid moment in the lunchroom. She'd have to make it up to him, somehow.
A silver picture frame lay face down on her desk. She had knocked it over that day. Slowly, cautiously, she stood up and crosses the room to fix the picture. Her and Ron and Rufus.
Well, then. She'd have to deal with this later. No matter what, there was still a prom to go to. With Eric. Her heart gave a flutter in spite of everything else.
Maybe she would still see Ron at the prom, anyway. Between all of Monique's apologies, she had said they were still going.
Kim sighed and opened her closet to stare at her dress. Her dad had paid for it, not knowing, of couse; Kim's mom had simply stolen his credit card. Gorgeous, simple, and blue. Monique was already in love with it, and had even offered to steal it. At least Monique was still speaking to her. At least Kim wasn't mad at her. Of course, she still wasn't sure all that Monique had said to Ron to inspire all of this. The rushed apology didn't explain anything. But Monique had been sincere, if nothing else, and hadn't said a single word about the incident since. What a good friend.
At least Kim still had one friend left.
Shego stood on Drakken's contraption, the one he hadn't designed himself, and stared down it into it. She still was impressed, amazingly enough. In the time since its creation, not a single bad thing had happened, no god of irony had struck, and the device that might actually do something neat was still in perfect working order. Heck, maybe she should take credit for it, if the plan pulled through. Which it just might. True, she had seen plenty of ideas that were superior, but considering that this was Drakken… hey, she couldn't be picky. So he had finally mastered the basics of evil villain philosophy.
Shego could already see the victim—once the victim was selected, of course—strapped just so inside, lasers and the rest of it all happily strapped to the sides. Perfect, perfect, perfect. If perfect could be defined in the ironic way that this looked just like any other doomsday device. And yet actual logic had been included. Someone had thought this through. Yes, if she knew little Kimmie well, the brat wouldn't try to use much imagination. Not with this plenty threatening diversion to distract her. Twice.
Eric yawned and knocked on the side, sending a vibrant metallic echo through the room. "So this is it? Looks cool."
Shego frowned. "You don't seem all that impressed."
He shrugged and fiddled with one of the screws. "Hey, I can turn on a computer and send someone an instant message. That's as far as technology and I get along. How do I know if "looks cool" is a respectable opinion or not?"
"Trust me, lover boy, it's not." She hopped down to the floor. "So you haven't developed any feelings for Kimmie that might wind up in some unexpected and dramatic reverse of alignment and cheesy heroics which will eternally win you the girl's heart yet waste all the time and effort we put into this?"
Eric laughed. "Hey, I told you that she isn't my type. She's cute and fun to kiss and all that, but can you really see me with some redhead? I told you, I like blondes. Still, it's good practice."
"Right. You're going to study musical theatre again?"
He looked disgusted. "Musicals? Never. Dramatic theatre! Dramatic theatre!"
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Have you even been accepted in a college yet?"
"No…"
Men. "Okay, whatever. As long as this gets done. So are you certain Kim has fallen for you?"
"I told you what that friend of hers did, Jon or whatever his name is. They haven't spoken since." He grinned and slicked back his hair. "She definitely wants me."
At least he had the spirit. Though the suggestion of that team being broken up… "Does this mean we won't be using the buffoon as bait?"
"I doubt it."
Shego sighed. Whatever. "We'll get someone else, then. There's plenty to work with." Now to get to the fun part of the day. "So what are you planning on wearing tonight?"
Eric stared blankly at her.
And to think he wanted to be a theatre major. She smiled happily. Now for her element. "Well, more fun for me. I actually just shoplifted some options from a tuxedo store this morning…"
The day was passing agonizingly slow. Just like every day since the cafeteria incident. Ron slid to the floor of the video arcade and stared out the glass wall at the passing people, attending a lovely Saturday indoors at the mall with no problems whatsoever. While he had to suffer. It was all kinds of Ron.
"Salty!" Rufus jumped from his pocket and took a large chomp from Ron's pretzel, the one he had bought about an hour ago and hadn't even touched. For a moment Ron considered putting up a fight, but it seemed like Rufus was actually hungry while he… he had barely eaten breakfast that morning. Rufus could have the pretzel. At least he had something.
Why had he done that? Done something so incredibly stupid? To Kim, of all people? To announce that, like it would matter to her, and launch himself into the worst time of his life.
Rufus was already half-way through the pretzel. Didn't he care? If he couldn't sympathize, he didn't deserve a pretzel!
Ron plucked him away and tossed the pretzel across the floor, ramming into some kid's foot who was fortunately off in his own little videogame world. Videogames provided no solace. He had already tried that.
"She's gone," Ron muttered to Rufus. "She completely hates me now. All those years of friendship, washed down the drain just because I have to go and open my big mouth." She hadn't even tried to apologize, hadn't even looked his way. The only communication from her had been those one-ring calls. What sick prank was that supposed to be? "How come this never happens in movies? Every time a guy does something like that in a movie, the girl thinks it's romantic and falls instantly into his arms!"
He hadn't meant to stretch his arms out like that—people were beginning to stare again.
Rufus sighed and shook his head.
"I'm just glad I have you to complain to," Ron said, stroking Rufus on the head.
Monique hadn't been much help. Was it too much to just let them drop the whole prom routine? She had called him days ago, demanding that they were still going to the prom. Said she had something up her sleeve. And what was that supposed to mean?
"Monique," he said softly. She really had better get him out of this mess. No, there was no way whatsoever out of it. It wasn't her fault. At least she wasn't repulsed by him. At least she still wanted to go to the prom with him. That was some mild comfort. Very mild.
"Maybe it's for the best," he continued. Something stabbed itself into his heart as he spoke. Yes. That was it. "I should have never have said that. We were just supposed to be friends, nothing more."
Rufus glared at him. For what reason?
"You can't change my mind!" Ron snapped. Quietly. He wasn't going to be booted out of yet another store. Not while he felt like this. "And yes, I still love her. Now that I know I do, I will always love her. She's Kim. She's the greatest person ever to walk the planet. She's beautiful, she's smart, she's a great friend." He sighed. "Was a great friend. Until I blew it with the only gossip to make it on the front page of the school paper in five years!" Actually, the paper hadn't been published yet.
Rufus muttered something, still frowning.
Rufus was right, whatever he was trying to get at. Ron buried his head into his knees. That truly was the worst thing he had ever done. He hadn't meant to lose her, not like that. "So I humiliated her. I can't even be a good friend for her. She deserves so much better than me."
Rufus patted his forehead encouragingly.
It wasn't very comforting. "No. You've seen it, too. I'm just the sidekick. The tag-a-long best friend. I'm not even a help to her. She deserves someone who will be there for her, take care of her, and won't humiliate her like I did."
"Uh-uh," Rufus squeaked.
The stupid rodent wasn't helping at all. Ron knew the truth. He could see it all in a whirl of painful color that flashed through his mind. Every mission they had ever been on, every activity they had ever done, anything. He was useless to her. "Rufus, you know you've seen it. I'm the klutz, the buffoon, the idiot. She doesn't need someone like that. She deserves Eric. He loves her. He could do anything for her." He hadn't meant to say all that. But he knew it was true as it came out. Every word. The invisible knife twisted around. "I don't deserve her at all."
"Oh, just shut up."
"Rufus?" Ron lifted his head, only to see Rufus staring at him, just as confused. "You didn't say anything? Did you, buddy?" Wow, Rufus' English was just getting better and better. If… no.
"Up here, moron!" The familiar voice practically pelted itself down at him.
He looked up into the scowling face of Bonnie. Oh, boy.
She was clutching a shopping bag and smelled of lotion from that tanning bed place in the mall. Probably getting ready for prom. Like Monique was. Like Kim probably was. Like every other girl at school was. "Stoppable, sometimes your stupidity amazes me."
It was just like her to waltz in and make everything worse. As if it could get worse. He tried to stand up. "Hey, I didn't—"
She rolled her eyes and held out her hand defensively. "I don't want to hear it. All I'm trying to say is that you have reached a new level of pathetic. Sitting here in an arcade full of second-graders and feeling sorry for yourself so that the entire mall can hear you." The once-defensive hand reached down extremely offensively and grabbed his shoulder. "Get up. Now!"
The painful pinch on his shoulder was enough. He jumped to his feet, Rufus just cleaning to his sleeve. What the heck was going through her brain?
"That's better," she said, the scowl still not fading. "I guess I was wrong when I thought that you weren't so stupid as to not realize that myself and anyone else I deem worthy are the only ones allowed to make fun of you."
He blinked. What was going on? "You don't deem me—"
"Of course I don't!" she exclaimed. "I have a busy day ahead of me, I have a thousand things to do before Brick picks me up, and yet I have to deal with you. Come on, are you really going to give up that easily?"
"Give up?"
She gave a silent scream, banging the shopping bag against his legs. She had something heavy in there. "Okay, Ron. I, like everyone else in this hemisphere, know what you did in the cafeteria. Stupid of you? Oh yeah. But I can't believe you're just going to sit around in a silly arcade and not try to work this out."
"Work what out?"
Bonnie looked ready to give a real scream, but somehow channeled it into a sigh. "This is going to be harder than I thought. You and Kim, moron. Just because a girl gets mad at you once doesn't mean she wants you to stop trying. If you try again, a girl might just give in. Or think you are a complete freak and file a restraining notice. But you don't try, you won't know. So are you even going to the prom tonight?"
Ron gulped. Bonnie was going to kill him, there was no doubt about that. "… yeah. I'm taking…"
"Monique. Yeah, I heard about that. Good for you. But the main idea is that you are going to the prom. And you're not going to pull any of that awful Mad Dog stuff. And you're going to be smart for once." She whipped an envelope and a pen out of her purse and started scribbling. "Flowers. The usual corsage for Monique, but a bouquet for Kim. I'm sure Monique won't mind. You know, on second thought, I bet she'd even let you break the date. I bet she'd love to, for the sake of a friend. You're going to show up at Kim's house before Eric does and you are going to beg for mercy. Beg!"
And…?
"Candy, too," Bonnie continued. "Candy is always good. But frankly, those aren't important." She tore up the envelope. "So never mind. Just be at her house and ask her, for once, to go to the prom with you. Do not give up. Now what are you planning on wearing? Not that, I hope?"
This was another nightmare. Ron looked down at his usual jersey and cargo pants. "Um, no? I was just going to wear some slacks and maybe a button-down t-shirt…"
"No, you're not. Give me your wallet."
"And now you're mugging me?" Still, Ron found himself pulling his wallet out.
She flipped through it, nodding. "Not bad, Stoppable. Not bad. You should order post-practice pizza for the squad more often. But not now. I know we can definitely get a decent suit out of this. Come on." Once again she grabbed him, this time dragging him out of the arcade and down the mall strip.
"Bonnie, what are you going to do to me?" He still hadn't the slightest idea what was going on.
"Get you something proper to wear," she replied fiercely. "Ron, you are really going to owe me for this one. I'm taking an hour out of my precious time to help you."
"Why?"
She stopped, her hand still painfully gripping his shoulder. But the scowl was giving way to a rare smile. "Because I always thought you and Kim would be cute together."
He stared at her. Not Bonnie Rockwell. "You… thought that?"
The scowl was back, and once again there was the dragging. "And if you say a word to anyone about that, I swear you won't live to do your mascot routine again."
A salute was the only reply Ron could give.
