KP – One Oh One : Part VI - Here's Your Sign
Kim was doing something she knew she wasn't supposed to be, but part of her didn't care. It was just after dark and most of the main campus had cleared out. Being only a medium sized school, Middleton College held most of their classes during the day. She was fortunate, even with the heavy class-load she had signed up for in order to complete her difficult degree in just four years, she managed to have all of her classes done by mid-afternoon. Ron didn't turn out so lucky. Being in much more basic courses, the classes were larger, forcing him to take his science lab in the evening. He kept insisting he was going to hop a bus home, but hanging around waiting for him wasn't so bad.
The first couple weeks she used the time to explore the campus a little better, something that was discouraged in high school. Back there, you were pretty much supposed to be someplace specific at any given time. At college, with the larger gaps between actual classes, there was more opportunity to wander around and discover things.
One thing in particular she liked were the study halls. At MHS, that usually meant a vacant classroom. At her new school, the halls were usually like smaller versions of the library, with handy resource texts and large tables where a student could spread out and do some serious work. During the days, the better spots in those rooms were pretty much spoken for all the time, but at night she almost always had them to herself. They proved to be the ideal place to do the lion's share of her homework. Even when the rooms were crowded, she was pretty much left alone to do it, without constant interruptions from her mother doing housework or nosey brothers who were starting to discover loud music. All she had to do was plug her headphones into her Kimmunicator, set it for some soft random tunes and settle in.
She was getting used to working on a laptop instead of writing everything down. The portable computers were a virtual requirement for incoming students, though she thought at first she would be able to get away with using her Kimmunicator, but typing on the tiny keypad located under the main button panel proved to be a royal pain in her 'Little Bubble Butt.'
Both of them were a little afraid of what they would be in for, but they settled into a routine fairly easily. So far they had only missed a couple classes due to missions, but it was always easy to acquire good notes from new friends, so they were able to keep up. All in all, since a lot of their classes were in fact designed as transitions from what they were used to in high school, it wasn't all that hard to adapt. In fact, the pace actually seemed a little more leisurely since all of their classes weren't crammed into a single day.
Ron was the first one of them to actually make an honest-to-goodness friend. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, they had a large enough overlap in their schedules they could afford to have lunch together. At first they did try eating at the student cafeteria (people looked at them a little strangely when they called it 'the caf',) but it turned out to be just as bad as it looked so they went back to their old habit of bringing their lunches. That was a healthier choice anyway.
Then one day Ron's sandwich got scarfed up as a second breakfast, so he convinced Kim to walk with him and see what was to be had in the neighborhood. Things were quite a bit different in that part of town, at least compared to where they lived. Instead of a row of fast food joints like the Pizza Shack, Burger Prince, the Donut Shop, et cetera, the miniature 'downtown' that had evolved near the campus was made up of small, independently owned places. There were coffee shops…real places that hearkened back to the days of beatniks and poetry readings. There were funky little places, like one making creations called 'fish tacos,' which were far tastier than the rather prurient name suggested. There was a pizza place that served 'California Style' instead of the fast-food deep dish they were accustomed to.
It was the delicatessen that eventually got their business. Ron had never been much on keeping Kosher, but he still liked deli foods. The place looked like a real hole in the wall, with bare brick and the menu written on chalk boards. Case after case of every meat and cheese imaginable was in there, clearly catering to both those who followed the Jewish traditions and those who wanted something a little more 'white bread.' Kim made a habit of ordering a club sandwich (which was so large half of it could be wrapped up for the next day) and Ron would get a grilled pastrami reuben on pumpernickel.
The owner's son turned out to be in Ron's history class. His name was Paul Resnick and he was a fairly tall young man. He practiced a more traditional form of the Jewish faith, wearing long fore-locks and making a good-faith effort to grow the beard, though it would be several more years before it was anything more than a thin wisp growing from his chin. Even in class he wore his yarmulke, though he never had a single critical word about Ron's Reform Jew practices or the fact he was engaged to a gentile.
The two of them hit it off quickly, Paul helping Ron with the finer points of his Hebrew while Ron filled him in on the intricacies of dealing with "Professor" Barkin. They could talk for hours, though both of them had the presence to bring Kim in on the conversation when they could. Still, it was clear she was just a tad the outsider. She didn't mind. It was a very good thing Ron could make a friend like that.
Being a conscientious student, Kim pretty much kept on top of her assignments, so some nights even the empty study halls started feeling a little stuffy to her. Even though there were signs all over the campus warning students not to walk alone, she found herself doing just that, figuring her training would be enough to protect her. After all, help was only a button push on her Kimmunicator away.
The ubiquitous clutch of Goths were hanging out in the quad. Kim gave them a wide berth, partly because they sort of gave her the creeps, partly because they all smelled of stale cigarette smoke. Grandpa Possible had been a pipe smoker and every now and again she would catch a whiff of one and it would take her back to younger days when he was still with them, but cigarettes she just couldn't stand. How could the same plant that produced something so wonderful and homey as pipe smoke smell so dad-gummed horrible in a cigarette. Even cigars were preferable to that smell, though most of those made her gag to be around. One of her professors, a tall, lanky fellow from Arkansas, had the habit of gnawing on one all the time. She never saw him light it up, but the miasma on his clothes told her he must at some point or another.
Ron's 'Never be normal' attitude had rubbed off on her enough to be tolerant of other people, but the Goth culture she just couldn't fathom. On the surface they seemed to be rebelling against the norm, striking out in their own direction. In reality, their look was even more uniform than people who dressed more conservatively. She had met people who preferred wearing black as much as possible, but they took it to an extreme. Some of them had their faces painted white, some had visible tattoos. There were dog collars and chains and thick soled boots that looked like combat boots on steroids. On the whole they looked dirty and more than a little dangerous.
Well-honed senses told her that one of them was paying her much more attention than the rest. It was a pleasant, warm mid October evening, so she was dressed conservatively in her black slacks and teal top. Except for the fact she knew she was very attractive, there was nothing about her to distinguish her from any of several hundred more coeds on the campus.
She didn't break her stride, but decided maybe it was better to head back toward the science building and wait in the study hall for Ron to get out after all. Sixteen kinds of kung-fu aside, something about the guy was really creeping her out in the worst way. Besides being tall, there was nothing to really distinguish him from the rest of the ebon clothed college students. He didn't have much on in the way of face paint except a lot of black makeup around his dark eyes, but he had the rest of the look down pretty well. Maybe it was the way he looked at her that gave her cold chills.
Without realizing it, she was walking faster, taking her clear of the quad, into a smaller space between some of the buildings. The warm, inviting look the Victorian buildings had during the day took on a more sinister cast at night. Pleasant bushes and cozy nooks formed deep shadows in the night. Even the inclusion of many street lights throughout the campus couldn't chase all that blackness away. It wasn't like the bland, modern looking buildings that made up the campus of Lowerton Community College or the huge, blockish nineteen sixties buildings of Upperton University. Modern lighting just wasn't made that could illuminate every shadowed corner in a place like this.
Feeling a little more frightened than she was accustomed to, and feeling very alone to boot, Kim decided to turn around and head right back to the science building. That meant passing near those other kids again, but she would rather take the more direct route through the middle of the campus than risk a wider loop to avoid them all together.
Getting her wits about her, she started back across the large, open area. Just to be on the safe side, she unclipped the Kimmunicator from her waist, holding it clasped to her chest along with her laptop. Kim was aware her body language would look like she was a little distressed, but it was a calculated risk. She started the video recorder on the device and held it so it would catch a picture of the group as she walked by. Something was troubling her about that one guy and she was going to find out who he was. If he was a student, his picture would be on file and that would pose little trouble for Wade. Being a college and not a secretive mega-corporation, he could access the systems without her having to chance getting caught like she was when they infiltrated Smarty Mart.
Her heart jumped a little bit when she realized he was no longer there by her second pass. Nervously she looked around, but he was nowhere in view. By the time she crossed into the pool of light near the entrance of Ron's building, her heart was hammering in her chest.
I can do anything. I'm not in any more danger than I would be breaking into Dementor's fortress. She tried telling herself. How had one random guy who just happened to notice her as she walked by affected her so much? It could have been as simple as a guy who was after all, still a guy under all that weirdo stuff and he thought she was attractive. It really shouldn't have been any different than her letting her eyes linger on some of he nicer looking men on campus (hey, she was committed to Ron for life, but she could still look!)
Kim almost yelped as she looked up at the glass doors that formed the entrance of the science building. He was standing right there alone, blowing smoke through his nostrils. His mouth curled into a sort of cockeyed smile as she walked past him. The look just sent cold chills down her spine, though she didn't know why. Unless he just happened to be skilled in some form of martial arts or had a weapon, there was no way he could hurt her and she really thought, given his appearance, he wouldn't have the discipline for the former and since the campus forbade any kind of weapon beyond a simple pocketknife, the chance of the latter was reduced, if not removed.
She didn't breath again until the glass doors slid shut behind her. Thankfully, she still had the video recorder running and it was likely she got a good picture of him. Hopefully Wade could match him up.
There was still thirty minutes left in Ron's lab, so started toward the study hall once more. She took one step into the room and realized the problem. It was by then completely deserted, as were many of the smaller classrooms nearby. The last thing she wanted to do was chance him coming inside and trapping her there. Well, he couldn't exactly trap her, but if he wanted to, there was nothing keeping him from coming inside once he finished his smoke. Just the thought of him being in the same room with her was enough for her.
Why am I behaving like a scared little girl who's afraid of the dark she asked herself as she made her way upstairs. The door to the lab was open and she could see the students inside busily working on their projects. From her vantage point, she couldn't see Ron but other, less obvious senses told her he was in there. Feeling somewhat more secure with other people nearby, she sat down on the floor, leaning against a handy wall. During the day, dozens of students could be seen sitting just like that, either waiting for a class to open up or just doing a little homework, or even simply vegging.
She cycled back through the video and found a good shot of the tall Goth. "Wade, I'm sending you a picture. See if you can match it up with the student directory."
"Sure thing, Kim. Got anything else that might speed up the search?"
"Sorry, just a face."
He set to work, using facial recognition software to compare the video shot to the picture the school security department had on file.
"Got a match. Dorian Conyers, age nineteen, Aurora, Illinois. Nothing spectacular. No arrests, no special notes in his file. He is kinda freaky looking." Wade put up the file shot. He wasn't wearing any of the black makeup but his hair was pulled up into a rooster crest. Kim shook her head, rolling her eyes. He was just your average, twenty-first century rebellious youth, dressing and acting like a freak, probably just to tweak his parents.
"You rock, Wade. Hey, you wanna meet Ron and Me at BN tomorrow night?" Kim took every opportunity she could to pry the younger teen out of his room, with varying degrees of success. The notion of all-you-can-eat Tex Mex and free pop refills was usually enough to do it, though she really wanted him to get onto a better diet as well.
"Sure, if you guys can pick me up."
"Kay. We're out of our last class at four, so look for us after that. See ya tomorrow." She shut off the device and clipped it back to her waist, feeling somewhat better. She might ask a few of her new friends if they knew about him. At nineteen he could either be a Freshman or a Sophomore at that point in the year. She kind of doubted he would be younger, though the makeup and hair made it hard to tell. Failing anything along those lines, she would simply let the matter drop.
There was a commotion in the classroom. Folks were packing up their materials, getting ready to leave. Ron was about the fourth person out and he caught sight of her almost immediately. Holding out his hand, he pulled her to her feet.
"I'm so hungry, I could eat a side of beef, what about you?" He said, not letting go of her hand.
Kim was fighting to keep her imagined ordeal from showing in her eyes, knowing if he looked into them long enough, he was going to know something was wrong. That wouldn't be fair to him, as good a mood as he appeared to be in.
"Sounds to me like somebody wants to take me to the steakhouse tonight." She smiled broadly. If there was one thing she found she really liked to eat – a lot – it turned out to be steak, though she preferred Ron's creations over anything that could be found at the national chain places. Still, they served a really good slab-o-beef at the roadhouse style place near the interstate, so they found themselves going there often, splitting a dinner, while ordering Rufus a big platter of cheese fries (Kim constantly had to get after Ron for sneaking some of the gooey treats. The red meat was fattening enough as it was.)
Their hands stayed locked together as they left the building. With Ron beside her (and a stream of his classmates still milling about) the whole campus seemed a lot brighter place, though the sun was by them completely gone. They set a brisk pace, heading for her car.
"Ronnie?" She asked, switching to one of her regular pet names, signaling she wanted to ask of something of a more personal nature.
"Yeah Babe?"
That made her smile. She would call him, variously, Ronnie or Baby or less often Honey (which tweaked him a little when they first started out, since that's what both their parents called each other sometimes) but Ron pretty much stuck to calling her Kim or KP. Every now and again he's work in Babe, just enough that it spiced things up a little bit.
"Your folks expecting you back tonight, you know, to help with CJ?"
"Nah, Mom's pretty much back on her feet now. Next week she's even going back to the gym to get more of her muscle tone back, so they've pretty much got a handle on the little sis front. Why do you ask? Wanna catch a movie or something?"
"No, I was just thinking. Maybe after dinner we can ride back to my house. Like, maybe, you could spend the night."
That surprised him a bit. They pretty much accepted that didn't sit too well with her Dad and let it go at that. Once winter set in, they were going to head up to the ski lodge some Saturday night, but for the time being they had reverted back to regular dating.
"You sure about that? You know that pushes your Dad's peeve button."
"Honey, at the moment, I don't really care." She realized she had already committed herself, so she related what had happened to her while he was in class. "I just don't want to be alone tonight, okay?"
"Sure, KP. Just, if your Dad says no…"
Kim nodded. "If he puts his foot down, that's it. It's still his house, but I'm going to tell him the same thing I told you. I think he'll understand."
Ron put his arm around her shoulders protectively. He understood perfectly well what she was feeling. Even a year ago this wouldn't have happened to her, but things had changed. Things had happened and even though nothing bad had happened to her physically, there were other kinds of scars, deep wounds that would never totally go away. Even her father would understand, given the sitch. That night wouldn't be about romance, though there would likely be some kissing. It was about making sure Kim felt safe, and Kim making sure it was Ron who made her feel that way.
Putting those darker thoughts away, he opened the passenger door for her, switching seamlessly into date mode.
Though he wished he knew more about this Dorian guy who set this off all over again.
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