Ron spent the next few days catching up on his homework so he wouldn't fall behind in class. He did odd jobs to occupy his time. He had a titanic show down with the garden gnome. Ron won easily, for some reason the garden gnome's fixed stare wasn't as threatening as it used to be. Ron also successfully ducked about 4 calls from Kim; he wasn't ready to talk to her just yet.
On Friday the big call came, "Is Ronald Stoppable available?" the caller asked.
Ron told her that she was talking to him. The caller continued, "This is Angela True with the human resources department of Smarty Mart, and I was calling to see if you would be available for an interview on Monday at 4:45 PM?"
Ron was out of his seat, "Monday at 4:45 PM, yes I can make it." Ron said not hiding his excitement. Ron was pumped up; so far having a car didn't seem like such a remote possibility any longer. He gave Rufus a big high five.
An hour later another call came through, the caller ID said James Possible. Ron cringed he knew it was Kim. He had avoided her calls yesterday, and felt terrible about it. He just didn't want to reopen his wounds.
He finally picked up the phone on the third ring, "Hello?" he said, knowing full well who was on the other end.
Kim sounded happy she got through, "Ron, are you ok, haven't heard from you in few days." Kim asked nervously.
Ron was silent for a long while, trying to organize his thoughts, "I…umm, you know, been busy and grounded and…stuff." He said wincing at how bad that sounded.
There was a long silence on Kim's end, "So you're doing...ok, then?" she asked.
Ron wanted to say more but knew if he did he might start to cry, that would be ugly he thought. Ron ran his tongue over his lips, he made a smacking noise, "Yea, KP, I'm, I'm doing ok…How you been?" Ron asked kicking himself for he feared he'd have to hear all about Kim's latest crush.
There was another long pause, "I'm doing ok…Just checking to see if you were…You know…Ok."
Ron could tell she was uneasy, figured he'd change the subject or they'd just say "Ok" to each other all night long.
Ron began again, "I've been doing all the course work, don't want to fall behind." He told her.
There was a nervous laugh, "Yea, end of the year approaching and all." She said.
Ron sat there, he wanted to yell at her, wanted to scream, wanted to beg, instead he did nothing. Kim's voice on the other end brought him out of his thoughts, "Ron, you there." She asked.
Ron looked around the kitchen, "Oh, yea, yea, I'm just…ummmmm seeing if Rufus is ok." Ron said cringing.
"Now we're going to be saying ok to each other again." He thought kicking himself.
He heard Kim clear her throat, "So is Rufus…Ok." She asked.
Ron chuckled, "Yea Rufus is ok." He told her.
There was another long silence, and then they both tried to speak at the same time, then more silence.
Then Ron spoke again, "I got to…get going, got some things to do before mom gets home." Ron was stretching the truth a little; he was just looking for an exit to get off the phone.
He could hear Kim letting out a loud breath, "Well, uh, I just wanted to…you know, see if you were…ok and everything." She said sadly.
Ron cringed, "Yea, I'm ok, KP, I'll see ya on Monday…OK."
Ron hung up the phone and shook his head; "I don't care if I never hear the word "OK" ever again." He thought to himself.
Ron looked at the clock on the microwave, he couldn't believe it. They had stayed on the phone for over half an hour and said absolutely nothing. Ron threw up his hands, "Cold day before I pick up that phone again." He said to no one, while looking for Rufus. He found Rufus over in the corner, Rufus just shrugged and went back to doing what ever it is that mole rats do for fun.
Ron returned to his blue funk, he walked back upstairs to his room and sat on his bed staring into the mirror. He tried to figure out why Kim had called, "Maybe she wanted to try and get back together and I botched it." He thought cringing to himself.
He shook his head, "No that's not it, Kim makes her mind up, that's it." Ron lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling and laughed a bitter laugh.
"Maybe she just wanted to see if I was…OK." He shook his head.
Ron sat back up in bed, "Have to stop this, it's not going to do any good, stop that stinkin' thinkin'." He told himself.
Then Ron began to let his mind wonder, "I haven't seen KP, since Tuesday night, and I'm already starting to forget stuff. I'm having trouble remembering what the twins look like. Memories that I never thought I could forget are not coming as easily as they used to. I remember the prom, I remember the song, I remember the dance, I remember the kiss, but I can't remember the color of her dress? It was…blue, I think?"
Ron rolled over and continued his musings, "I wonder if this is nature's way of trying to heal the mind? All those years and all those memories, I wish I could pull them all out and watch them blow into the wind, memory by memory until there was nothing left but the now." Ron thought sadly as he dozed off for a nap.
Kim heard Ron hang up the phone and she sat there staring until the phone started making those sharp fast tones to let you know there is no connection and to hang up. She hung up the phone and looked over at Panderoo, "I don't think Ron is…ok?" She told the stuffed animal, there was no reply from the collectible cuddle buddy.
Kim was now feeling pretty low, she had hurt Ron and she did not mean too. Kim was trying to figure Ron out, "Ron doesn't want to talk to me, he hasn't called, and he hasn't come by, no he said he was grounded, but Ron could still call me." She thought sadly.
Kim got up and walked across the room, she remembered on Tuesday how happy he'd been after a routine mission. Remembered him strutting down the street, he wanted to take me to the movies this weekend.
Then Kim cringed, she remembered his eyes when she told him she didn't think they should be going together and just stay friends. She remembered the look of disbelief, shock and finally the embarrassment in those eyes.
He went home and forgot his scooter, he was so rattled.
Kim decided to call Ron back, there was no answer. Kim hung up; "I guess he doesn't feel like talking anymore." She thought sadly.
She picked up the phone and called Monique, Monique was working at Club Banana so she told Kim she couldn't talk long.
Kim gave Monique that desperate whine, "Monique I called Ron, and I don't think…he's ok."
Monique chuckled, "I told ya so, should of stood by your Ron." She said confidently.
Kim winced, "I know, but I called Ron and I talked to him but I didn't really talk to him and now he's not ok." Kim said talking a mile a minute.
There was a silence before Monique answered, "Uhhhhhhh say that again except in English?" she told Kim.
Kim sighed, "Ok, I called Ron and he said he was ok, but it didn't sound like Ron, he would hardly talk to me. Then I tried to call him back but he wouldn't answer the phone." She told her friend.
Monique was quiet for a moment, "Ron is coming back to school on Monday right?" Kim told her that he was.
Monique was quiet for another long moment, "You must have hurt him good, you got a lot of talking to do to him otherwise your going to lose him for a friend as well." She told Kim sadly.
Kim swallowed hard, "I guess you were right, love changes everything." She told her friend.
There was a long silence on the other end, "Yea…everything, I gotta run Kim, I'll be thinking about you." Once kim said her goodbyes the two friends hung up.
Kim sat in the dark, hadn't noticed the passage of time. "How long had she been talking on the phone today?" She thought disbelieving the time of day. There was a knock on the door, Kim's mom popped in to see if Kim was ok. Kim said she was ok, that she talked to Ron and he's not ok. She also told her that she would try to talk to him in school and make things ok.
Then she just shook her head, "I don't care if I never hear the word "OK" ever again." She told her mom sadly. Kim's mom just gave one of those puzzled looks and pulled the door closed.