It Finally Happened: Part IX
Tuesday morning began with a meeting in Mr. Barkin's office. The two teens, after much discussion (and quite a few 'aw man's from Ron) decided the best way to deal with what had happened the day before was head on. They described, in excruciating detail, what had occurred at lunch the day before, leaving out only the precise nature of the clothing involved. Said article had already been utterly and totally destroyed, lest its evil do them more harm. Kim had been correct that the assistant Principal and multi-purpose substitute teacher had indeed assumed her leaving had to do with a mission, applying the same logic to Ron when he streaked from the campus.
Ron wanted to let the whole matter drop, but Kim argued that it would be tantamount to abusing a trust. The last thing she wanted was to be prevented from going on a mission simply because someone believed, even for an instant, they were using it as an excuse to get away from their other responsibilities. Of course, the actual activities that accompanied their discussion were also kept private, as well as what had nearly happened.
Kim could not describe the immense relief she felt that Ron at least had the presence of mind to resist the temptation. He was absolutely, totally right that her state of mind, her emotions were still too amped up to make a good, rational decision. What did hurt was that he called himself a loser for not taking advantage of the situation. She made very sure to explain to him, with her words and with her touch, just how much a winner he was that afternoon.
Barkin was pacing in front of his desk, his face its usual scowl, as if it had been cast that way when he reached adulthood, then fired in a kiln, setting it that way forever. Finally he stopped and faced the two teens, dividing his gaze between them. "While I can understand your reactions to yesterday's…event and I respect your honesty, there is still the matter of the two of you leaving school grounds without permission, in your case for personal reasons. That is a serious violation of the policies set forth by the school board. I have no choice but to give both of you detention today after school.
"In the future I would hope at least one of you could at least let somebody on the staff know what is going on, heaven knows, they pay enough for those counselors."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Barkin, it won't happen again." Kim said, ducking the glare of the large man as they beat a hasty retreat from his office, even though the first class they had that day would be under his command.
"Just a moment, Stoppable." Both teens halted. "Possible, why don't you wait for him at class. I will be there for the bell."
They looked at each other, Kim's eyes trying to send some strength over to Ron, knowing the enmity between the teacher and her boyfriend. With a nod from him, she turned and made her way down the hall.
It felt to her like every eye was on her. She had talked with Ron about the possibility that what had happened had gone beyond the three other people involved. After all, Kim had stormed out of the school in a white hot fury, pursued later by Ron. That alone was enough to start all sorts of tongue wagging. If the nature of what had set her off was known, even by a few…no, there was no way something like that would only be known by a few. Something like that would spread like wildfire. The only hope she held out was the lack of any heads up from Monique. If the rumor mill was in overdrive, Mon would know about it.
Would those guys have spread what they saw around? Brick had just been being Brick and he was mostly giving Ron a hard time. He had proven to be genuinely friendly, if not a close friend, ever since the Adrena Lynn incident. She also knew he didn't go much for spreading rumors, probably because he had been the subject of many of them, especially considering his on again, off again relationship with Bonnie Rockwaller.
Bonnie. She would be the real test. She was in Kim's first period class and if anything had gotten out, she would know about it. In fact, she would probably know the minute she walked in the door what the brunette cheerleader knew, based on just how smug she looked. At least she was on the outs with Brick at the moment (and had been since the prom) so that source was cut off for the time being.
She didn't have as good a bead on Walter Nelson. She had probably spoken five words to him in the last three years. For all the mileage the school had gotten from that one kiss, it really was just that, a kiss. He traveled in different circles from her and likely had been pulled into the fracas simply because he was one of the few who were actually associated with her.
Before yesterday she would have never thought of Josh as being capable of doing anything to actually hurt her. Yet what he had said to Ron, it was either the meanest thing she had ever heard from him, or the most bitter. She had no idea he felt that way about their relationship. They really had drifted apart. But was bitterness enough to make an otherwise nice boy like him stoop to spreading rumors?
She would know soon enough. The door to her first class loomed in front of her like a maw. She wished Ron could have been there to face it with her.
Was her reputation as a 'good girl' about to take a hit, perhaps even be shattered? There was only one way to know. Like so many other things, her mother's advice echoed in her mind. It's a pool of cold water. Time to take a deep breath and dive right in.
"Stoppable, I won't beat around the bush. The improvements you have made this last semester have been nothing short of impressive. I don't know if it's because you want to impress Possible or you've finally decided to wake up and realized the world can be a cruel, heartless place for a slacker like you. Don't know, don't care. What I care about are results. However, you have a lot more to overcome than just this one semester. While I think your grades for this term will be…acceptable, you still have your lamentable first semester to overcome. I have done some calculations and I have come to the conclusion that despite your advances in the last few months, you need to not only pass your finals, you need a B or better in each and every one. In fact, you need an A in geometry. Otherwise you will be faced with one of two things, neither of which would bode well for your budding relationship.
"One, if you under perform in one or two subjects, you will be faced with summer school to earn the credits you need to be promoted. Let me tell you, it will not be pleasant. A full semester's work crammed into six and a half weeks, with all the expectations the state places on the normal class. You will be kissing your summer goodbye.
"Two, if you fail to pass three or more classes for the year, you will have to repeat your Junior year. Now I know you have been promoted despite a string of failures in the past, but earning the right to be a senior, that takes real work, real results. Real grit.
"You've got potential, Stoppable. More potential than most of these hall monkeys, potential that up until recently you have wasted. I would hate to see all of that potential go down the drain. Do we have an understanding?"
"Y...yes sir." He finally squeaked under the big man's glare.
"Good. That took some brass, you coming in here to admit what you did. That shows respect. Now get to class before you're tardy."
"But if you're not there yet how…"
"I said move it, Stoppable."
Kim's entrance yielded a bit of a reprieve. Bonnie didn't even see her come in, being far to engrossed in a cell phone conversation. She was making the best of the remaining days of the year, as a new policy would take effect when they returned as seniors next year. It seemed there were just too many students like Miss Rockwaller who preferred to jabber away constantly, in class, in the halls, out in the commons. At any given moment perhaps half of the students in view were deep in some conversation with somebody other than whoever was right in front of them. Next fall, that would all be a thing of the past. Talking on a cell phone would be expressly forbidden and those who had one on their person at all would have to leave it turned off. Someone had successfully argued it would be safer for students to still have them in case of an emergency, but that would be the only time it would be allowed. Kim was still waiting for a ruling on her Kimmunicator, though it looked like it would be included in the ban as well.
"No, he's had his chance…I don't care if he apologizes, he is so history, especially after the way he treated me at the prom…no, I don't know, but she was behaving like a brazen hussy and she didn't even come with a date…"
Kim just shook her head as she took her seat next to the leggy brunette. Who was she actually talking to? Most of her posse were other students here, why not talk to them face to face later on instead of wasting valuable air time.
About that time Ron entered, looking white as a sheet. She didn't get the chance to ask him why as Barkin was close on his heels, the man assuming his station at the head of the class precisely as the bell rang. He immediately launched into his lecture. That was how Barkin taught. He may have been gruff, unpleasant and much more like a drill sergeant than an officer (he had at least once referred to himself as a Lieutenant, though in what service nobody seemed to know) he seemed to be well versed in a wide range of topics. Whether any one of those topics actually stuck with his students, only the grade sheets could say.
Ron spent the entire class, jotting down notes as if his life depended on it. Kim tutored him on how to take good notes, but somehow he was going even beyond that. As class ended she got up put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he started pounding his head on the desk top.
"My life is so over." He said with a moan, the traditional sign that his school career was again overwhelming him."
"It's okay, Ronnie. Come on, tell me on the way to chem. Class." She guided her numb boyfriend out of his seat, catching Bonnie's approach out of the corner of her eye.
"Trouble in paradise, K?"
"Nothing the two of us can't handle, Bonnie."
"Humph. Well, don't get your panties in a bunch. Ta ta!"
Kim turned the same color Ron had.