Kim kept looking at the empty desk next to her and wondering what had happened to Ron. She knew Ron was upset by Bonnie, but she figured he'd shake it off in time for class. The bell rang and still no Ron, this was n not like Ron at all Kim spent the next 50 min. half paying attention, and half looking at the door hoping that Ron would come into the room. It was a long hour but the bell finally rang and Kim was out the door headed towards Ron's locker.
Kim didn't get far before running into Tara, "Kim, Ron got into a really bad fight down in D hall." Tara said excitedly.
Kim looked at Tara in disbelief, "Ron in a fight, what happened?" Kim was now alarmed.
Kim seen Brick down the hallway and went down to meet him, Kim knew that Brick had to know something. Before Kim could get a word out, Brick was telling her all about the big fight. "Oh man, you should of seen it Kim, Ron and Jarrod Masters, it was brutal they're still cleaning up the blood." Brick said with an air of admiration.
Kim was feeling queasy, "Brick how bad is Ron hurt?" she asked with a voice full of worry.
Brick did a double take, and then realized that Kim hadn't heard about the fight. "It was brutal; Ron smoked Jarrod like a cheap cigar." Brick said excitedly.
Kim looked at Brick, "Ron, fight Jarrod…Ron…win, blood?" Kim said trying to grasp the situation.
Brick was amused, "Yea, Ron, big man, fight… Jarrod, he whip him big time…you speak English now, ok." Brick said laughing.
Kim regained her composure, "Why did Ron fight Jarrod?" She asked Brick not quite believing what she was hearing.
Brick gave her a big smile, "That's easy, Jarrod caught Ron by the lockers pushed his face into them and told him that you was dumping him for Jarrod and that Jarrod would be squeezing your…ummm…well it never got out what he was going to squeeze. Ron lunged at him, he went crazy, it was great." Brick said all wound up with excitement.
Kim walked towards her second period class in a haze; Ron had never been in this kind of trouble she thought. Jarrod Masters was a jerk and a bully and he probably got what was coming to him. Kim made it to class just as the bell went off, she took her seat and tried to clear her mind but she wasn't having much luck.
There's got to more to this, she thought. Ron runs from fights, he doesn't start them. "I'll get with Ron after school." She said aloud, before realizing what she had done.
There were some snickers and Kim blushed and hid behind her text book while trying to sink as low into her desk as she could.
Ron was an emotional wreck by the time he made it to the Principle's office. Principle Kelby questioned Ron about what happened and Ron gave his side of the story. Principle Kelby looked up, "Jarrod Masters has a different story, he says you just attacked him." She said in a rather accusing voice.
Ron wilted and told her it wasn't true, Jarrod was lying. Principle Kelby raised her right hand and silenced Ron with a look, "It doesn't matter who's at fault, and here at Middleton High we have a zero tolerance policy for fighting." She told Ron.
Ron was waiting for the death sentence, and he didn't have to wait long. "Your parents have been called and your mother is coming to pick you up. You will be suspended from school for a period of 5 days, you will then receive 30 days of detention after that and you will be required to take an anger management course before the time of detention ends. You will also be barred from participating in any extracurricular activities. Is this clear and do you understand the punishment?" She asked in an angry tone that made it clear she didn't want any discussion on the matter.
Ron nodded his head and accepted the punishment.
Ron sat in the office waiting for his mom to show up, he wondered how this day just went so terribly wrong. He looked at his right hand; it was throbbing and starting to swell, "Doesn't hurt bad." He thought.
Ron watched the parking lot, hoping his mom would get there soon, he knew he was in for it once he got home. He kept running it all through his mind, "Jew, Bonnie, Kim, Eric, Jarrod, why did everything become so complicated." He thought.
Ron's mother came and picked Ron up at school, she read him the riot act. Ron sat in the car for the ride home, expressionless, he was exhausted, drained from all that had taken place at school. He noticed his hand was starting to turn blue and two of his fingers were pointing in weird directions, but he said nothing.
Actually from all the yelling from Ron's mom it was obvious Ron couldn't say anything if he wanted to. "Do you understand?" his mother bawled out at him once in the driveway.
Ron nodded and went up to his room, he was sure his mom said something about grounding or not coming out or something. It didn't matter Ron thought, mom and dad weren't around much anyway.
Once in his room, Ron let Rufus out of his pocket, then Ron set down on the bed, and placed his head against the wall facing the window, he peered through the blinds towards the street and waited for Kim to come home from school.
Ron sat on the bed and pondered the question, "If Eric were real, would KP have picked me or him to go to the prom with her?" he thought about the question over and over.
He closed his eyes and thought, "Of course KP would have picked me, we go way back." He thought.
Then doubt entered into the picture, "Losers like you don't get girls like Possible." He thought sadly.
Ron shook his head, he knew KP better than anyone and he knew she'd choose him, but then again she did lock him in a janitor closet for two days and ran off with Josh Mankey. "Hey that could happen to anyone." He thought.
"But it didn't happen to anyone, it happened to me." He thought nervously.
Then Ron began to think of Eric, "He had everything, cool bike, good looks, and money." Ron was starting to think he wasn't going to like the answer.
Kim managed to make it through the day, and walked home from school. She dropped here books inside the door and high tailed it up to Ron's house. Ron met her at the door and motioned for her to be quiet; they snuck up to his room and closed the door. Kim gave Ron a big hug and then noticed he was holding an old shirt over his right hand.
She looked at the shirt, "Why the shirt?" she asked.
Ron shrugged, "I hurt my hand in the fight.' he replied evenly.
Kim nodded, "So tell me what happened?" she asked in a concerned voice. Ron told her of all the days events after he had left her at her locker, he did leave out the restroom conversation as that was something he personally didn't want to think about.
Kim could see that something was bothering Ron, he didn't seem at all himself. He lacked that spark, those little quirks that Ron did that made him Ron.
Kim leaned forward and with a mischievous tone in her voice said, "I hear you stuck up for me today in that fight."
Ron perked up a little, "Yea, well they have to give my woman her props." Ron said trying to affect some hip hop swagger.
Kim laughed at the statement "your woman, huh?' she said leering at him. Ron started to blush, and motioned towards Rufus strutting around on the dresser, gansta style. They had a good laugh at that.
Ron was so glad KP had made it, he knew he could get through all this mess with her by his side. He started to relax as they talked about the fight and school stuff and Ron's punishment. Kim was sitting across from him in a chair and they teased each other about various things. Ron asked Kim if she could get her dad to bring his scooter home for him, she said she would. Ron stared out the window and turned and looked at Kim, "I had a bad day." He said sadly.
Kim shook her head, "I know." She said.
Ron looked sadly at Kim, he knew he shouldn't ask the question, but he had to know. "Ummmmmmmm Kim, can I ask you something?" He said nervously.
Kim nodded, "sure" she said.
Ron started fidgeting around, looking out the window, afraid to make eye contact with Kim.
Kim saw that Ron was uncomfortable and was puzzled, "Ron, what's the sitch?" she asked.
Ron looked away from Kim and then back to her, "Ummmmmm KP, you remember Eric the Synthrodrone?" he asked.
Kim lifted an eyebrow and replied, "Yes" still unsure of where this question was going.
Ron looked away again, and then faced her; he licked his lips and ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth before he continued, "If Eric was real and I told you how I felt about you, would you of went to the prom with Eric or me?" Ron asked nervously.
There was a long silence, Kim stared at Ron. She never really thought about that before, the question took her by surprise. Now it was Kim's turn to be nervous, "Ummmm, well it's not like…we are going steady or anything." Kim stammered trying to come up with an answer.
Ron's eyes got as big as saucers; he knew he shouldn't have asked Kim, he knew he wouldn't get the answer he wanted. Ron pulled his right hand out from under the shirt and started trying to rub the back of his neck with it. "Uhhhhhhhhhh, hey KP did I ask about my scooter?" he said desperately trying to change the subject.
Kim took one look at Ron's hand and gasped, "Ron, your hand, I think it's broken." She said in alarm.
Ron had forgotten all about his hand, he looked at it and not only was it swollen but was starting to turning blackish blue color.
Kim looked at the hand, "Ron why didn't you say anything to anyone?" she scolded him.
Ron just shrugged, "I figured I was in enough trouble and I didn't want to cause anymore." Ron said nervously.
Kim looked around the bedroom, "Get Rufus, we're heading to my house." She ordered.
"Mom will know what to do?" Kim said, and in the back of her mind she also knew that she could use some motherly advice right about now.
Ron hopped out of bed and put Rufus in his pocket. He left the house with Kim and they began walking to the Possible's house. There was an uneasy silence between the two; they both knew that the question Ron asked hadn't been answered.