A day Ron had not been looking forward to had come, Brian Konigy or Kong's last day at Smarty Mart for perhaps ever. Brian was leaving to return to Penn State to get ready for football season. Ron made sure that he had Kong's cell phone number, home phone and email address, Ron and Rufus had grown quite close to Kong and they would both miss him dearly.
The guys purchased a lot of beer and after work was over they had a big going away party in the back of the parking lot. There was a lot of stories and laughter and beer drinking, Ron wasn't a big beer drinker but he did manage to put away a half a can. The party was starting to wind down and Ron had to take Lacey home, so he said his goodbye's to his big friend.
Ron had a sad smile on his face, "We'll I gotta go, good luck with the football season and all." Ron told Kong.
Kong nodded and told him to walk with him away from the group, "Rufus with you?"
Ron nodded and called for Rufus to come out. Kong played with him for perhaps the last time, "Rufus started crying and hugged the big mans beard.
Kong patted Rufus on the head, "Hey, I'll be back for the holiday's little guy. When I turn pro next year, I'm getting me one of these little guys." He told Ron with a smile.
Ron nodded and laughed, "I'm going to miss you, won't be the same here without you." He told the man from the heart.
Kong reached out and gave Ron a big bear hug, "Now you call me when it comes time to try out for that cross country team and I'll get you so fired up you'll run those guys into the ground."
Ron nodded, "I got your numbers." He told his friend.
Kong nodded smiling, "That little girlfriend of yours is pretty cool too, and you didn't even need our help finding her." He said laughing.
Ron laughed, "Yea…go figure."
Kong smiled, "You take good care of her, don't play head games and you'll do ok."
Ron nodded, "ok"
Kong gave Ron a big smile, "Now when I turn pro, I'm gonna need a body guard and you're first on my list."
Ron laughed, "Save the world guy can do that."
They finished they're good byes and Ron walked over and hugged Lacey and they prepared to leave the party.
Ron and Lacey were making their weekly run to Quarry Lake before Ron would take her home. It was becoming one of Ron's favorite spots in the world. Sometimes he and Lacey would make out and sometimes they would just sit at a picnic table and talk to the wee hours.
This was a talk to the wee hour's night as Ron was kind of down with Kong leaving to go back to school; he realized that all his friends would be leaving soon as well. Ron knew that if he talked things out with Lacey that she would understand and help him feel better about things.
Ron smiled to himself, "Lacey has become my new best friend, funny how life works." He thought to himself as they walked hand and hand down to the picnic table.
Lacey could read Ron like a book, she knew he was down about his friend going back to school and she knew that his other friends would have to leave soon also. Lacey sat next to him on the bench, "Your going to miss your friends when they leave aren't you?" she asked to get the conversation rolling.
Ron nodded, "Yea, I mean I knew the day would come but it's all coming too quick now. These last few months have been the best of my life and I just want it to go on and on." He told her sadly.
Lacey elbowed him, "Ya still got me, Ron Man." She said smiling.
Ron chuckled, "I think that is a good thing?" he said smiling.
Lacey elbowed him a little harder, "You bet it's a good thing." She winked at her boyfriend.
What Ron and Lacey didn't know was that there were events in Middleton that would violate their privacy and open a wound in Ron Stoppable that would never fully heal.
Kim Possible was right now launching her plan to win back Ron, and she was calling in the biggest gun she had at her disposal, Wade Load. Kim was running her latest idea by Wade, "Wade, let me run this by you. Drakken gives Ron a motorcycle but not just any motorcycle but the one I used to ride on with Eric. Ron and I have a split, and then he introduces a little brown haired synthodrone to fill the void in Ron's life. Drakken knows that I'll figure this out but doesn't think I will do anything about because it's Ron. What do you think of that Wade."
Wade stared at the monitor, "Kim you woke me up at 2:30 in the morning to go jellin'?" Wade said shaking his head.
Kim lost her patients with her friend, "I am NOT Jellin', I'm looking out for Ron." She told Wade with a caring but tight smile.
Wade shook his head, "Kim I think your train has left the tracks, get some sleep and call me tomorrow, ok?" Wade said hoping to end the conversation.
Kim winced and decided to go in a different direction, "Wade do we still have access to the Smarty Mart human resource files?" Kim asked.
Wade shook his head, "Kim, I don't think we ought to do this, Ron's not real happy with me right now and if I start prying into his personal life…" Wade left his thought hanging.
Kim gave Wade a look, "We're not looking into Ron, I need you to pull up a picture of every brown haired female employee that works at Smarty Mart in Middleton. Please and thank you, Wade." She said sweetly.
Wade heaved a big sigh and started typing, "I don't think this is very ethical and I don't think this is going to end happily Kim….Done, there you go." He told his friend.
Kim started running through the pictures, "No, no, no, no, ewww, no, too old, course he did kiss Jennifer?" she said absentmindedly.
"Who's Jennifer?" Wade asked.
Kim shook her head, "The next on my list if I hear of anymore kissing. No, no, no….That's her, right there. Lacey Lipton, obviously a Drakken name, I'll get to the bottom of you yet my pretty." Kim said with a mischievous grin.
Then she looked at Wade, "Ok, now I'll need all the information you can get me on Lacey Lipton."
Wade was done for the night he was tired, "I'll do it in the AM, I'm off to bed Kim, and you better do the same."
Kim gave in, "Ok Wade, just one more thing, I haven't heard that motorcycle go by the house, and since I know we have Ron chipped, tell me where he is at 2:30 in the morning?" She asked sweetly.
Wade rolled his eyes, while typing at the keyboard, "Kim this is so wrong…There done, he's at Quarry Lake." He told Kim.
Kim shook her head, Quarry Lake?"
Wade started laughing, "It's where young people go to learn about Luuuuuuuuuuuuvvvvvvvv." He told her gushingly.
Then he spotted Kim's blank stare, "Oh sorry Kim….He's at Quarry Lake."
Then Wade shrugged, "I'm out talk to ya tomorrow." The Kimmunicator screen went black.
Kim looked at the darkened screen, "Ron's learning about…Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Lacey Lipton you are so toast…If you're working for Drakken…that is." Kim thought nervously.
Then it was off to bed, "Plenty of time for prying into Ron's personal life in the morning." she thought to herself as she crawled into bed.
Kim awoke the next morning and started going over Lacey's personnel file, "So she lives in Lowerton, how convenient our school's biggest rival. I knew she had to be piece of trash Lowerton girl…Errrrr Drakken synthodrone. She's not getting my Ron." Kim thought to herself.
Kim continued going through the file, "Hmmmmmmmmmm nothing else really interesting in here. Wade should be up, if not I'm waking him up, time to gather intel on the enemy." Kim smiled a nasty little grin.
Kim keyed the Kimmunicator button and Wade flashed up on screen, "Hi Kim, train back on the tracks this morning?" Wade asked with a smile.
Kim gave a sarcastic little laugh, "The train is out of the station and in high gear, Wade. What you got for me." Kim asked in a no nonsense voice.
Wade let out a breath and started typing, "Ok, let's violate some more ethics….Done, here you go transferring the records now."
Kim nodded, "Please and thank you" then she watched as school records, medical records and other personal information was loaded into the Kimmunicator.
Wade began looking over some of the files, "She was held back a year at school couple of years ago."
Kim looked up, "So she's like stupid….errrrrrrr Drakken sure is thorough, I mean." Kim said a little embarrassed by her reaction.
Wade shook his head, "No she had cancer real bad, still has problems from time to time, she can't have kids." Wade said shaking his head sadly.
Kim brightened up, "I can give Ron something she can't." She said happily.
Wade's eyes were huge, "Uhhhhhhhhhhh Kim, your starting to scare me."
Kim gave a little chuckle, "I mean…Should me and Ron get together…You know…Gotta beat Drakken first though."
Wade had a sick look on his face, "Kim, you and Ron, kids…Ron and all."
Kim leered at Wade with a look of hunger in her eyes, "You haven't seen Ron lately have you Wade, the boy got buff."
Wade swallowed hard, "Uhhhhhhhhh Catcha later Kim….I…I gotta go." Wade broke the connection, he was obviously freaked out.
Kim glared at the screen, "What would you know about it anyway, your only 13." She said mocking the Kimmunicator.
Kim sat down and began to work out her plan; she knew Ron didn't run today, so she knew that Ron would run in the morning. She knew the time he would start and she would dress in a tight pair of running shorts and tight little mid-drift t-shirt that will catch his attention.
She thought to herself. "Now the approach will be key to the plan, I'll talk about old times and use our history together as leverage and before you know it, good bye Lacey, hello Kimmie and I'll have my Ron back where he belongs." She smiled to herself, she was as certain in her plan as she was about her certainty of how well she knew Ron.
Ron woke up at 7:30 to take his Sunday morning run; he got cleaned up and tended to Rufus, stretched and then started off on what had become his favorite past time running. He made it down to the bottom of the hill and was starting to make the turn to go out of the subdivision when he saw Kim jogging out to meet him. Ron did a double take, "Wow Kim looks really hot." He thought to himself.
He waived and she waived back, "Mind if I tag along today?" Kim asked.
Ron nodded his acceptance; "If you think you can keep up." he told her smiling.
Kim gave him a look, "Hey now, who do you think your talking to?"
Ron started to laugh, "I know, you can do anything."
Kim was starting to get into the flow, "So you really do like this running?" She asked to make small talk.
Ron nodded that he did, "Working the two jobs, it really helps me to relax." He told her.
They Ran together for a while, Ron looked over to her, "I like the shorts…very nice." He told her smiling.
Kim smiled, "Didn't think you noticed, wore em' just for you."
Ron grinned and shook his head, "Ahhhhhhh I know better than that." He told her.
Kim started to work on her plan, "So tell me about Lacey? She asked already knowing the answer.
Ron shrugged, "Girl I've been dating that works at Smarty Mart with me, she's nice." Ron said.
Kim nodded, "Nice, huh" She smiled.
Ron nodded, "Yea been dating for about a month and a half now."
Kim nodded, "I hear you been spending a lot of time at Quarry Lake?" She asked innocently.
Ron came to a dead stop, "How do you know where I've been spending a lot of time at, and how do you know about Lacey?"
Ron was mind was kicking into gear, "How does she know where I'm at? Wade can always find me? How does she know Lacey?" The questions were starting to crowd his mind and he was starting to become angry.
Kim was caught off guard; her over confidence in "All things Ron" had blown her plan out of the water. Kim was stuttering and stammering trying to come up with an answer but it was too late.
Ron's mind had already started to unravel his questions, "I know you and Wade have a back door into the Smarty Mart HR data base, Lacey is easy enough to come up with. Now about where I've been spending time as if it was any of your and Wade's business. I know there was no one else out there last night….Kim, how do you two guys keep finding me all the time?" Ron asked not sure he wanted to know the answer.
Ron had a sickening feeling that he knew the answer.
Kim was looking around, anywhere but at her friend, she was caught and she knew it. She licked her lips, "Ron when we first started going out on missions, you were always getting lost or captured…So Wade and I decided to place a tracking microchip in you to find you easier." She had come clean with the truth.
For two years they've hidden it from Ron and now it was all out in the open. Ron's eyes were a mixture of horror and anger, his mouth had fallen open. He was trying to put words out of his mouth but nothing was coming out. He had suspected for some time but always wrote the idea off with a Kim and Wade wouldn't do that to their friend excuse, and now it turns out they really did this to their friend.
Ron turned red and the veins throbbed in the temples of his head and now the anger was coming out, 'WHO GAVE YOU TWO THE RIGHT TO DO THIS TO ME? DO YOU GUYS HAVE CHIPS? NOOOOOOOOOOO, YOUR NEVER LOST OR CAPTURED AND WADE NEVER LEAVES HIS ROOM, NO, ONLY STUPID RON HAS A CHIP IN HIS HEAD. DID IT EVER OCCURE TO YOU GUYS THAT MAYBE I DON'T WANT A CHIP?"
Ron walked out into the road and was nearly struck by a car, Kim threw both hands up over her mouth and tried to calm Ron down but Ron wasn't listening. "KIM, I'M JEWISH, HITLER TAGGED MY PEOPLE AND TOOK EM' TO SLAUGHTER, AND NOW YOU TAG ME LIKE I'M A DOG OR COW OR WORSE."
Ron was walking in circles and had his hands clasped behind his head, "No, no, no, KIM, I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND, I TRUSTED YOU, I BELIEVED IN YOU!"
Ron glared at Kim with eyes full of anger and pain and Kim stood there with her mouth open, stunned at what Ron was saying. Ron started to rub the back of his neck as he always did an unconscious habit of his and he froze, "THE CHIPS IN MY NECK ISN'T IT, THAT'S WHY I KEEP RUBBING BACK THERE BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG THERE?"
Ron was still circling when a new more frightening idea came into his head and Ron gasped, "KIM, I'M JEWISH WERE NOT ALLOWED TATTOOS OR TO MARK OUR BODIES IN ANY WAY, YOU'VE DEFILED MY BODY, IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME ON ONE OF THOSE MISSIONS, I MIGHT NOT OF BEEN ALLOWED IN HEAVEN."
Ron was near tears, the most unthinkable thing in the world had happened, betrayal and betrayal by his former best friend. He turned his back on Kim and then turned to his side so he could see her out of the corner of his eye, "You dirty…" and he let it go, even as angry as he was he could not call her that, he could never call her that.
Ron ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth and across his teeth, he knew there was only one thing to do and as much pain as it would bring to him; it had to be done, So with eyes full of sorrow and pain, Ron closed his life long friendship with Kim. "Kim Possible, go home I don't want to be friends with you anymore!" Then Ron turned his back on Kim and jogged away.
Kim's mind had become an empty void; she stood there watching the best friend she would ever have or ever know jog away. Then the reality hit her, "What have I done? I never meant to hurt you Ron; we did it to keep you safe. We should have asked, no we should not have done it." Kim thought as she watched Ron disappear over the horizon.
There is an unwritten law, a code, an oath an instinctual process as old as time itself that two people take when they become friends, and when they are best friends it becomes a vow. "Do no harm." When they were young it was much simpler, if you hurt the others feelings or did something the other didn't like, you apologized and you made up and all was well.
She remembered a time when they were both in kindergarten, and Ron had teased her about her pig tails and how she cried. It upset Ron so bad that he had hurt his friend that he started crying too. It was harder to remember upsetting Ron because he would just go real quiet, he knew he would get over the infraction but he didn't want to take a chance on upsetting you. "Ron what did I do?"
Kim turned to walk home, her eyes were glassy and her face was hot and she was finding it difficult to breathe. Her mind was becoming clearer but the answers that were coming into her head were ones that she couldn't face. "Ron was my friend, and I hurt him. Ron brought me his love and I turned him away, not only had I turned him away but I rejected him as a best friend."
She bit her lower lip and raised her head to look at her house, "I need to make it home, I need to talk to mom." She was on the verge of tears.
Kim made it home and her mom was gone with the twins, she slowly climbed the stairs to her room and closed the door. "I rejected him as my best friend that night in May when I broke off our relationship with him. I told him we made better friends than a couple."
Kim shook her head in disgust, "Let's be friends, not lets continue being best friends, just the hollow let's be friends. A cliché', a nice sentiment but we all know what the means in the real world. Your not worthy to love me, you may be nice but I think you're a scab, don't call me anymore. Why didn't I think this through before? I'm sorry Ron, I'm soooooooo Sorry."
Kim realized what had happened, the silent unspoken vow they took all those years ago had been broken, and she had broken it, "And so I broke the vow." She thought to herself, and then the tears of shame came.
In Kim's tears came the cold hard reality, "I spurned Ron's love and he had moved on. Lacey wasn't a synthodrone but a nice girl that had accepted Ron's love, and I am the poorer for it." She thought.
The sorrowful tears flowed and all Kim could think of was, "I have broken the vow, I brought Ron harm." After all these years Kim Possible was finally realizing just how important her friend Ron had been, and now it was all over.
Ron returned from his run, he was mentally exhausted, and he was still angry. He told his mom what had happened and that they needed to head to the emergency room to have the thing cut out of him. He called off sick at Bueno Nacho, and off the hospital they went.
They did a series of x-rays and found the chip imbedded just below the base of the skull. The removal went fairly easy, when Ron heard the chip hit the metal tray; he felt a great since of relief, "Now I am finally free of these people." He thought to himself.
Ron was astonished by the size of the chip; it was no bigger than the tip of a pencil. In Ron's mind however it was the size of an elephant. Ron could smile now, it was gone and he was truly free and his life was once again his own.
Ron went to his job at Smarty Mart, he wasn't as talkative as he usually is, so at the lunch the guys got on him and he told them about the chip he had removed. Angry Bob was impressed, "Oh man, you must have been important, a chip? That's hard core stuff there buddy."
Ron gave a sick little smile, "Glad I didn't tell you about area 51, no telling what they would of done to you."
Angry Bob's eyes got big; "The Man" must be brought down, "The Man" is evil, "Death to the Man."
Ron held up his right fist, "Death to the Man"
Angry Bob nodded, "What you gonna do now?"
Ron looked at Angry Bob, "What do you think I'm going to do, work and avoid "The Man." Ron said laughing.
Super Dave was nodding, "That red headed girl did that to you? Ron Man, she's a little intense isn't she?"
Ron nodded, "Well, I got me a pretty good girl friend now so I won't miss her or the rest of those circus freaks she fights that's for sure." Ron said bitterly.
Ron finished up work and picked up Lacey and rode to Bueno Nacho, he was hungry, Rufus was hungry and he needed to talk. They walked in and went to the front to order, "Hey Ned, three of the usual Grande sized, I'm buyin'." He told his friend.
Ned nodded, "I see you missed work today."
Ron nodded, "Had to the hospital and have a chip dug out that Kim put there to keep track of me." Ron told him sadly.
Ned was shocked, "Wow, chipped you like a dog, huh?"
Ron gave him a look, "Yea….like a dog, Ned."
Ron and Lacey took their trays to the usual booth, Ron had noticed that Lacey wasn't quite right tonight but couldn't put his finger on it. Ron pulled Rufus out of his pocket and told him to have at, and Rufus wasted no time in digging in to the food.
Ron reached under the table with his foot and rubbed Lacey's leg, "Hey babe, feeling ok tonight?" he asked.
Lacey smiled a tired smile and nodded, "I forgot to take my iron pill today, I feel kind of washed out but I'll be ok." She told him.
Ron shook his head, "I feel kind of washed out too, I still can't believe she did that to me? Ron said shaking his head.
"I keep feeling like it's a bad dream and I'll wake up and it'll never of happened, but it did." Ron was flipping his food around on the tray.
Lacey nodded, "You've forgiven her already haven't you?" she asked smiling.
Ron shook his head, "NO, something's you just don't forgive, I'm ashamed of myself for not figuring it out sooner, I'm ashamed of myself for yelling at her about the whole defiling my body thing…God, I don't know where that came from, it ain't like I've never ate a hot dog or two in my time." He said chuckling sadly.
"I just don't understand how she could have done that to me, I would never have dreamed of doing anything like that to KP. I don't know what Kim was thinking?" Ron said sadly.
Rufus popped his head out of his naco to give his opinion, "Kim, Yuck"
Ron nodded, "Yea, Kim Yuck" he told his buddy.
Lacey giggled, "I know your hurting now Ron but you'll forgive her, you always do."
Ron nodded sadly.
Lacey was starting to perk up a little, "Ron you don't have a hateful bone in your body, don't start now."
Ron nodded and chuckled, "She even knew we'd been to Quarry Lake."
Lacey did a double take, "What….Did she know you got to second base?" she said smiling.
Ron blushed and shook his head, "No, then again, I never made it to second base, you did though."
Lacey laughed, "Well maybe next time."
Ron smiled, "You know I normally charge girls a quarter to touch it?"
Lacey smiled, "I'll pay ya later."
Ron laughed, "I'll consider a trade for next time." Then they both had a good laugh.
Two guys entered Bueno Nacho and headed towards the restroom, Ron didn't see them come in but Ned didn't miss them. Ned walked over to Ron's table, "Ron, I gotta problem."
Ron looked at Ned, "What's up?"
Ned sat down next to Lacey and started to whisper to Ron, "Two guys just came in and went straight back to the restroom."
Ron looked at Ned, "You think they're here to rob you?"
Ned shrugged, "That's what those guys did last year." Ned said nervously.
Ron looked at Ned, "Go drop your cash and I'll go wash my hands." He told his friend.
Lacey gave him a frightened look, "Ron?"
Ron winked, "Probably just a couple of drunks. Rufus, don't let nothin' happin' to Lacey now, I'll be back." Ron slid out of the booth and headed towards the restroom.
Ned headed to the front to empty out the register into the time lock safe.
Ron reached out his hand push the restroom door open; he stopped and let out a deep breath. He pushed the door open and went inside, he didn't see anyone and thought Ned's imagination was running away with him. Then the door closed and he knew there was someone behind it, then he heard movement in the stall where the toilet was.
Ron licked his lips and headed to the sink, he turned on the water and began to wash his hands. The door to the stall behind Ron opened and then he heard the voice, "Hello Squeeb, long time no see."
Ron closed his eyes, Gil, his old enemy from camp wannaweep. Ron turned to the door, Jarrod Masters had his back to it to make sure no one else came in or more importantly that Ron did not get out.
Ron knew one of two things were about to happen, either he was going to take both Gil and Jarrod and take Lacey home, or he was in for a very bad beating.
Ron looked up at the mirror and there was Yori, "Yori?" Ron thought to himself.
Yori leaned forward in the mirror, "Stoppable San, You must pay attention."
Ron nodded and glanced to his left, "He..hey, Gil what's up?" he stammered nervously and then turned back to the mirror.
Yori was gone but in her place was Master Sensei, "Stoppable San, when outnumbered sometimes the wisest course of action is to initiate the attack."
Ron nodded, "So..so Gil what brings you into town?"
Ron was stalling for time. Ron had tuned out Gil, he heard him say something about his cousin, "Jarrod's his cousin? Figures" Ron thought to himself then he turned his attention back to the mirror.
Master Sensei was waiting, "When you initiate attack you must hold nothing back, strike hard, strike quick, ferocity of attack can offset a limited numerical advantage." Ron nodded as Master Sensei image faded.
Gil was still on his monologue about how awful they were going to beat Ron, and that he was going to pay for breaking Jarrod's nose and such. Ron reached out and turned off the water, "Hey Gil, mind if I dry my hands first….I kinda hate being beat up with wet hands."
Gil laughed his sinister laugh, "Knock yourself out squeeb, we got all night."
Ron glanced at mirror, Gil was three feet behind him just to his left, Ron glanced to the door Jarrod was still there smiling an evil little smile.
Ron grabbed a couple of paper towels and dried his hands, then he tossed them towards the trash can, before they hit Ron was on the attack.
Gil was leaning against the doorway to the toilet; he was congratulating himself on his plan to trap Ron. Ron would dry his hands and then the beating would commence.
He watched the paper towels fluttering in the air, seen Ron turn, saw the fist headed his way. Gil was trying to move but he was caught in the door way of the toilet stall, and then he saw the bathroom ceiling as he flew to the back of the stall and collapsed to the ground.
Ron covered the additional four feet to reach Jarrod, who was so taken by surprise that he was only now beginning to uncross his arms. Ron pushed Jarrod back into the door hard and drove a knee into his stomach. Ron heard the "Whoof" of air coming out of Jarrod and he knew he made good contact.
Jarrod doubled over in pain and Ron pulled his shirt over his head and drove Jarrod's face into his knee, once, twice, three times before sending him to the ground between the urinal and the toilet stall. Ron made the distance back to the stall in time to meet.
Gil was trying to regain control of the situation but Ron wasn't having any of it, he jumped in the air and kicked Gil square in the chest sending the boy back into the stall, against the back wall, hard.
Gil's eyes were glazed from the shock of Ron's attack and from the pain. Ron looked down at his old adversary, "YOU DONE GIL? I SAID, ARE YOU DON'E GIL?" Gil could only glare at Ron but he made no effort to get up.
Ron nodded, "Yea….your done…You know when you don't have the mutant thing going, your just a punk."
Then he turned to leave the bathroom. He looked over and saw Jarrod sobbing on the floor, shirt still pulled over his head. Ron shook his head, "Boy you guys sure picked the wrong day to do this." He told them as he walked out the door.
Ron walked out the door, his hand hurt but it wasn't bad, "I've got to stop punching people in the mouth" Ron thought to himself.
He then told Ned about the two big pieces of trash he left in the bathroom and that he shouldn't have anymore trouble from them. They weren't there to rob him, they had come to beat Ron up.
Lacey was shaking as he returned to the booth, "No big, you ready to go home now?" He asked as he took her into his arms.
She shook her head, "Yea, I'm tired."
Ron nodded and they left. On the ride back to Lacey's house Ron's mind was active, "Did I really see them or was I remembering stuff that happened during the week I was there. I wish I had paid more attention. How many seventeen year old kids get to go to a ninja school for a week?" Ron thought smiling to himself.
Once he reached her house, they hugged and kissed and then Ron asked a question that had been nagging at him for quite some time, "Lacey…am I…you know…a good boyfriend." He was looking down nervously.
He still thought that the reason things fell through with Kim was his fault, he'd been dieing to ask that question for a while but was afraid of the answer. Lacey gave him a big hug, "Yes Ron you're a good boyfriend, you're the best." They hugged a while longer.
Lacey told him to wait there she had something for him; she went inside and came back with a stuffed penguin. Ron shook his head, "Great get me into collecting cuddle buddies." He thought to himself.
She handed him the penguin, "Here this Barty, he's my favorite, but you gotta watch out he can be mean." They both laughed.
Ron secured it to the bike, "Great a possessed toy." He told her.
She smiled, "See you tomorrow?"
Ron nodded, "Yea see you tomorrow." And then Ron rode off for home.
Ron arrived home and found he had received more retirement gifts from the old foes that he and Kim used to do battle with. Senior Senior Junior sent him a lovely basket of hair goop and other hair care products.
Ron smiled, "That's nice of Junior, it even comes with a comb." He thought. He looked on his nightstand and there was a card from Monty Fiske, return address Central County Correctional Facility.
Ron winced, "I guess he didn't make it out of the parking lot." He thought to himself.
Ron then turned off the light on what had been a very ugly day.