A Glitch in Time

by Gary D. Snyder

Chapter 5:

Official airline schedules will show that a trip by commercial airliner from Middleton to Retroville takes approximately 5 hours, but this typically applies to those who can afford the luxury of traveling in the passenger sections and enjoying the pleasantries of flight attendants, snacks, and beverages. For those forced to settle for the less pretentious accommodations used to transport pets and other live cargo the trip can and does seem much longer. So it was that Ron Stoppable and Rufus arrived in Retroville reasonably whole but suffering from jet lag, stiff joints, and hunger pangs. Ron was especially annoyed about the last.

"I mean, it's not like I didn't pay," he complained, as he collected his luggage. "Okay, so I wasn't in the passenger compartment. But how much would a couple lousy bags of peanuts cost the airline? Especially ones that aren't even honey roasted? Would that really have dented their financial report for this year?"

Rufus gave him a non-committal shrug and grunt.

"Yeah, sure, you can say that," Ron continued to grouse. "But at least you had something to eat. Don't think I didn't see you swiping some of that hamster's pellets."

Rufus stuck his tongue out, giving a good impression of someone who has had a horrible meal.

"Still better than nothing." Ron sighed and looked around the terminal. "All right, the last time we were here we all went to someplace called the Candy Bar. I guess that would be the best place to start looking for someone who knows something about Kim and Jimmy."

The naked mole rat perked up at the mention of the Candy Bar. "Yummy!" he chirped.

Ron shook his head. "Dial it down, Rufus. We have just enough money to split a naco and get a flight back home. Whatever we eat here isn't going to be fancy." His lower lip trembled at the memory of the last trip. "It…it might not even be a naco."

Rufus' shoulders slumped at the gloomy announcement and he hung his head. Then he looked up hopefully and pantomimed dialing a phone. Ron frowned.

"Uh-uh, no way," he said firmly. "I am not calling Wade to have him wangle one of Kim's favors for us. We'll get by on our own somehow. If this thing with Kim doesn't work out…well, maybe it'll be good practice for us."

With that Ron hefted his baggage and set off with Rufus perched on his shoulder. Fortunately for both of them the streets of Retroville were laid out with almost geometric precision so that navigation was a simple task. Ron had gotten a good deal of exercise from his exploits with Kim, and the five mile hike from the airport to the Candy Bar was not a serious physical challenge, even toting the excessive luggage he always brought when travelling. Even so it was a warm walk and he was parched by the time he arrived at the sweet shop. He shambled up to the counter and dropped the luggage with a thud. As always, Sam was working behind the counter and eyed Ron curiously. He knew most of the young people in the area by sight and didn't recognize Ron as a regular, but knew that business was business. "What can I get for you?"

Ron counted the change in his pocket as best he could as he surveyed the products. "What's the cheapest thing you have here?" he asked.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing that would be you, Mr. Out-of-Towner."

The snipe stung and Ron grew angry. "Hey, just because I'm from out of town doesn't mean I'm loaded!" he shot back. "And for your information not every high school student has parents who can give them a new computer every year and a cell phone that will actually fit in your pocket and fancy designer school clothes and all the Le Goop hair gel that they need for unruly cowlicks!"

Customers in the Candy Bar were turning to stare and Sam, flustered by the unexpected outburst, tried to calm Ron down. "Hey, take it easy. I didn't mean anything. Let me get you a nice Purple Flurp on the house, yeah."

"I don't want your charity!" Ron snapped. "I don't need anyone to take care of me! I –"

"Ron Stoppable?" a voice at his side broke in.

Ron turned to see Cindy standing there. "Cindy Vortex?"

"I want to talk to you!" they both said together.

"Jinx!" Ron cried. "Ha! You owe me a soda!"

Cindy blinked. "Excuse me?"

"When two people say the same thing at the same time the first person to say 'Jinx' gets a soda from the other person," Ron explained. "Or the other person can't say anything until someone says their name. In Middleton we usually go for the soda."

"In Retroville we usually act sane," Cindy replied. "What kind of dumb kid's game is that?"

Ron lowered his voice. "Please, play along," he begged. "I'm dying of thirst here."

Deciding that that it might make getting some answers easier, Cindy sighed and raised two fingers, silently instructing Sam to fix sodas for her and Ron. After she paid for the drinks the two and Rufus headed for a booth for a talk. Ron put an extra straw in his drink for the naked mole rat and Rufus began greedily guzzling the fizzy concoction through his.

"All right," Cindy said. "Spill."

Rufus looked puzzled at this, shrugged, and tried to upend the drink. Ron gathered him into one hand before he succeeded. "Dude, she didn't mean that literally." Ron looked quizzically at Cindy. "Did you?"

Cindy looked disgusted. "No. I want some answers from you."

"Fire away," Ron replied between sips.

"Why was Kim here?"

Ron's face lit up and he leaned forward. "So Kim is here! I knew it!"

"I don't know about is. She was, yesterday. But why?" Cindy pressed.

Ron shrugged. "Don't know."

"What does she want with Neutron?"

Ron looked troubled at that but shook his head. "Don't know."

"Why didn't she bring you with her?"

The troubled expression changed to one of sadness. "Don't know," Ron admitted.

Cindy gave up and looked annoyed. "You don't know much, do you?"

"That's why I'm here," Ron returned, just as annoyed. "Mind if I ask you a few questions of my own?"

"Go ahead."

"Okay. What's Jimmy up to with Kim?"

"Don't know," Cindy admitted.

"How long have they been seeing each other?"

"Don't -" Cindy broke off and stared at Ron. "What?"

As Cindy continued to stare at him, dumbfounded, Ron's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I'll ask the questions, thank you very much. How long have they been seeing each other? Answer me!"

"Have you taken one too many in the head from Shego or something? What kind of question is that? Why would Kim be seeing Jimmy? And if she was, why would I know about it?"

Ron seemed to relax a bit at that. "You mean, you haven't suspected anything? Until now?"

"Why would I suspect anything?" Cindy protested.

"Well…I kind of thought…you know…that you and Jimmy were an item. And if he were seeing someone else…well…"

Cindy recoiled in horror at the thought of what Ron was saying. "Eww! No!" she objected. "Me and Neutron? You have got to be kidding! I wouldn't be an item with Neutron if he were the last person in this space-time continuum. If I were about to be sucked into a black hole, and dating Neutron was my only hope of escaping it, I'd rather disappear forever. If –"

Ron's face was a study in skepticism. "Oh, yes," he deadpanned. "I can tell that this is not a thought that has occupied your mind for hours on end."
Cindy crossed her arms and fumed. "It's just a ridiculous idea, that's all," she snapped. She glared at Ron. "Why are you so tweaked about Kim seeing Neutron, anyway?"

Ron looked discomfited by that. "Because we are an item." He hung his head. "Or were. I don't know anymore."

"What? You and Kim are dating?"

"Were, I said." Ron sighed heavily. "I don't know what the sitch is now."

Cindy was dazed by this. When she had last see Kim, Kim had told Cindy that she had never had those kind of feelings for Ron except when Kim had tangled with something called a modulator. "Well, there must be a reason," Cindy said. "Girls like Kim don't dump guys for no reason." She thought about it and gave Ron a narrow look. "What did you do?" she demanded.

Ron was not and had never been a good liar. "Nothing. Everything was cool," he fudged. "I don't know."

"What?" she repeated.

As Ron hemmed and hawed Rufus finished the last of the soda and belched contentedly. "Monkeyfist," he squeaked.

"Monkeyfist?" Cindy repeated. "What's that?"

Forced into a corner by Rufus' admission, Ron caved. "Monkeyfist is one of Kim's enemies and my personal arch-foe. A little while ago I learned that he was up to something with another bad guy named Duff Killigan. I thought I could take them out and went mission mode without Kim." He grimaced at the painful memory.

"The mission went bad?"

Rufus nodded vigorously as Ron said, "Way bad. Kim had to launch a rescue mission to get me. Worse, Monkeyfist got away because of me."

Cindy didn't sound very sympathetic. "Well, why didn't you tell Kim when you went off on your own? Was she grounded, or have a big test to cram for, or something?"

Ron shook his head. "No. I didn't want her along. I wanted to do it myself. And because I messed up, I think Kim has given up on me. I mean, why would she want to hook up with a loser?" Cindy's head hit the table with an audible thump and she covered her head with her arms. "Hey, don't take it so hard," Ron told Cindy, with obviously forced optimism. "We'll still be tight as friends." His voice lost some of the false confidence. "Maybe."

"It's not that," Cindy said without lifting her head. "It's just that I suddenly realized that guys are going to be oblivious idiots through high school."

"Is that all?" Ron sounded surprised and sought to reassure Cindy. "Don't worry about that. According to my mom, it goes on way past high school."

"So not helping, Ron," came Cindy's muffled voice.

"No?" Ron looked puzzled. "So what exactly are we talking about here?"

Cindy's head re-emerged and she glared at Ron. Despite the situation she felt compelled to set him straight. "You really don't know?"

"No. What are you talking about?"

Cindy let out a snort of disgusted exasperation. "Don't you get it? Kim was perfectly happy with things as they were. And then you pull one of these macho things to try and impress her. What were you thinking?"

"Hey, it wasn't like that!" Ron protested angrily.

"No?"

"No! I wasn't trying to impress her! I wasn't trying to be macho!" Ron half-rose from his seat. "I just wanted to show her that I could take care of myself! That I wasn't just a loser!" Now that the truth was out Ron dropped limply back onto the bench and went on in a much quieter voice. "Yeah, sure, Kim and I started dating. But it took her more than ten years and one very messy break-up for her to want that. All that time I was there by her side and it was always someone else she was crushing on. Someone who wasn't a loser. I's like she never even saw me. Is she really perfectly happy with things as they are? If she wasn't interested in me as a loser yesterday, why should she be interested tomorrow?"

Cindy was actually touched by Ron's words. "Did she ever call you a loser?"

"No," Ron admitted. "But a lot of other people have. And if someone says something long enough and loud enough anyone will start to believe it. Like the time I wanted to be the Middleton Mad Dog mascot. Even though everyone else on the cheer team was against it I thought for sure that Kim would back me up on it. But she didn't. It was only later that she stood up to the others. And at Cheer Camp that time at Lake Wannaweep when I was sure that Gil – or Gill – was up to something and no one believed me. Not even Kim." He looked sad. "Despite all our bravado and stoicism, we guys still need some reassurance sometimes." He looked startled. "I never realized that before."

"That guys need reassurance sometime?"

"No, that I knew what 'bravado' and 'stoicism' meant." He shook his head. "The point is that sometimes when I need Kim to be there, it takes her a while to stand up for me. How solid is she on this more-than-friends thing?"

"Well, has she ever backed down when she does?" asked Cindy.

Ron considered it. "No. Not yet, anyway."

Ron lapsed into an unhappy silence and Cindy thought over what he had said for some time before finally speaking. "Okay, Ron," she said, "I don't have all the answers. Maybe you don't even want answers from me. I mean, a lot of times when girls tell guys their problems they don't want someone to solve it for them. They just want someone to listen and know that there's someone who'll always be there for them. But whatever Kim was doing in Retroville, I'm sure it wasn't to dump you, even for – I mean, especially for Neutron. That means something's up. Something big."

"How big?" Ron wanted to know.

"I'm not sure. The last time Kim and Neutron teamed up it was save-the-world big and it was pure luck that they got together. But if Kim went out of her way to involve Neutron, I'd bet it's even bigger. A whole lot bigger." She looked thoughtful. "I don't know exactly what, but I'm pretty sure I could figure out…in time…"

End of Chapter 5

Author's Notes:

At least one reader has asked a very good question concerning how the singularity was affecting things. I'm glad to know that people are actually thinking about what's going on in these stories because I do try to be consistent and put in enough of a solid foundation to make these stories believable, both in terms of plot and characterization. It's good to know the effort is not going to waste. Unfortunately that means delaying some things because of the time it takes to lay the necessary groundwork and the need to introduce some story elements at the right time. The next chapter will address some of what the singularity is doing and hopefully answer questions some people have.