For those that review, am I breaking the dialog up better or is it still confusing? Let me know. Thanks

Bubba

Kim caught up with Ron before school outside his locker, he looked as though he hadn't slept too well the night before. Kim looked him over, "How ya doin' BF?" Ron didn't appear to hear her, and he was going through his pockets. Kim reached out and tapped him, he jumped, "Hey BF how ya doin'?" She asked cheerily.

Ron looked around, "Hey Kim…I had a schedule for today…but now I can't find it?" Ron said with a vacant expression in his eyes. Kim nodded, "Well other than the schedule everything else…ok?" She was starting to get concerned Ron was still shuffling through his papers and then he opened his wallet, "Here it is." He said sounding relieved.

Ron turned and faced Kim, "It's like I can't remember anything any more. I have to write everything down." He told her with a smile. Kim nodded, "So you coming down for Monday night pizza?" She asked with a smile. Ron looked at her, "Let me check the schedule." Then Ron opened the paper back up and studied it hard.

He shook his head, "No, I work tonight…sorry." He told her with a bit of a shrug. Kim put her hand on Ron's shoulder, "I had a word with dad, and I think mom's going to talk to him too about the other night." Ron just stared at her, not quite sure what to say, "Ohhhhh hey, no big…I think I know what he wants…I'll just go low profile again…no big." Ron said trying to sound happy but not quite pulling it off.

Kim shook her head, "Ron it is a big deal, I want you to come over again." Kim told him in a soft voice. Ron smiled and looked down at his shoes, "I'd like to, I just wish I'd watched the time…If I wouldn't of been so stupid the whole thing never would of happened…I…I got to go to class." Ron said sadly as he closed his locker and wiped at his nose.

Kim shook her head, "Ron, I knew what time it was, I just wanted to spend more time with you…Dad shouldn't of harshed on you like that." She said trying to comfort her boyfriend. Ron shrugged, "Well, I don't know…I just…I just wish I could do it over again…well I got to go, Kim…see ya later?" He said with a sad grin.

Kim watched Ron leave for class, and then she went and found Monique before she left for her class. Monique has a few classes with Ron, "Hey Monique, do you have lunch with Ron?"

Monique nodded, "Yea, I have the first hour with him, lunch and a fifth hour class…Why you ask?" Monique was curious what her friend had on her mind. Kim looked around and took Monique's arm, "Make sure he eats something, He doesn't look like he's slept or eaten in a while." Kim asked with a worried look in her eye.

Monique nodded, "I can do that, but I thought everything was back to normal for you guys now?" She asked in a concerned voice. Kim shook her head, "I think things were going ok until dad harshed on Ron after the dance…We got in a little late...and now Ron's getting all weird on me" Kim told her friend sheepishly. Monique winced, "Ewwww..Fathers, I got you covered…make sure he eats."

Kim then thought of another problem, "Monique, I just thought of something…See if Rufus is with him, make sure he eats…If Ron hasn't been eating, he's probably forgotten to feed Rufus." Monique shook her head, "Uh huh, I draw the line at the pink freaky thing." Her tone let it be known that there was no compromise on this issue.

Kim looked around, "Don't make me do it, Monique." Monique closed her eyes, "Not the puppy dog pout…I'm not looking, I'm not looking." Monique said with her eyes clinched shut. Kim put on the puppy dog pout, "Ohhhh Monique, look at me…ohhhhh" Kim told her in her best loveable voice.

Monique peeked, "NOOOOOOOOO…I'll do it…The mole rat eats too." She said in a defeated voice. Kim had a big smile on her face, "Thanks, Monique, I owe you one." And then she took off for class. Monique watched her friend running down the hall, "Yea, you owe me one…more like one and a half." She yelled at her down the hallway.

Lunch time came and Monique spotted Ron sitting by himself pushing his food around on the plate. Rufus was up and eating, this relieved Monique because now she'd have to only worry about Ron eating.

Monique sat down next to Ron and he didn't seem to notice her, "Hey, mind if I sit here?" she asked him smiling. Ron shrugged, "Nope" then he looked up and smiled, "Hi Monique" he actually sounded happy to see her.

Monique looked at Ron's lunch, "What ya got?" she asked just to start off the conversation. Ron moved the food around, "Some kind of processed beef patty covered in gravy, instant mashed potatoes…a green vegetable that looks like…peas." Ron said as he pushed the peas into a neat row around the beef patty.

Monique looked at the plate, "Looks like you haven't touched the food, stomach problems?" She asked digging for information. Ron shook his head, "Haven't felt like eating, not really hungry for anything." He said flatly.

Monique nodded, "So when's the last time you ate?" She asked trying not to act too concerned. Ron started to squish the peas, "Ummmm…I don't know…maybe Saturday, I don't remember." Ron said absently.

Monique was watching him squash the peas, "You must not like those peas." She said with a smile. Ron was looking at the plate, "The peas surrounding the beef patty, worship the beef patty, and by worshiping the beef patty they think they will get to see the mashed potatoes…Some may get to see the mashed potatoes, but most will just get squished….and the great grand food tray just doesn't seem to care who is squished and who will see the mashed potatoes." Ron said with a half smile.

Monique looked at Rufus but all he did was shrug, then she stared at her friend, "Ron has lost it…Maybe he's just hungry?" she thought to herself. Monique snapped out of her thought, picked up a fork and picked up some potatoes and peas, "Eat Ron…Open wide…here comes the airplane in for a landing." She said teasingly. Ron put a hand over his face, "Ok, ok, I'll quit playing with the food and eat something, just don't do a puppy dog pout." He said as he took a bite off of Monique's fork.

Monique let out a laugh, "Don't tell me about puppy dog pouts…You know Kim's pretty worried about you." She told Ron as she looked at him for a reaction.

Ron took a bite of the beef patty, "I know…I'll be fine…I've just got a cluttered mind right now." He said sadly.

Ron was talking but Monique was still worried, "Ron…are you…you know…ok?" She was embarrassed to ask, she was afraid Ron would get upset with her.

Ron took a bite of the potatoes and peas, "Sometimes, I feel ok, and sometimes I feel like a squashed pea…then sometimes…I just…don't know, Monique." Ron was shaking his head sadly.

Monique nodded her head, "I guess we all have days like those?" She said in an understanding voice.

Ron nodded and lifted up his fork with some peas on it, "Hey Monique…would it really matter if I didn't eat any peas? I mean…in the big picture, if I just stopped eating peas…would it matter?" Ron asked while examining the fork full of peas.

Monique was eating her food and trying to figure out just where Ron was going with the whole pea thing, "Well…uhhh…if you just stopped eating peas…wouldn't the potatoes get lonely?" she asked unsure of if she had the right answer or not.

Ron's eyes lit up, "Ahhhhh…Good answer, never thought about it like that before." He said happily putting a fork full of peas into the mashed potatoes.

Monique gave Ron a queasy smile and went back to eating her food. Ron could see that he'd made her uneasy and closed his eyes. He knew he had something wrong but he didn't want to run people away from him.

Ron looked over at Rufus who was busy eating a gooey cheese covered food thing, "Hey Monique…I didn't mean to…I just haven't had good sleep in a while." He told her truthfully.

Monique looked at the black circles under his eyes, "Yea, that can play hard on your mind Ron…try and get some more sleep…because your starting to scare me…Ok? She told him in a serious voice.

Ron nodded, "I never wanted to scare her, what is going on with me…I…I wish I would have stayed home on Saturday night…Uh oh, she's looking for an answer." Ron was thinking to himself. Ron was still nodding, "Yea, I'll sleep more tonight, I gotta run Monique." Ron told her as he backed away from the table and grabbed Rufus and left.

Monique was watching him leave, "Me and Kim is gonna have to talk, he's got some problems…I just hope it's the sleep thing." She thought to herself as she finished her meal.

Ron was up and down emotionally for most of the week, Thursday came and Ron was no where near in shape for the cross country meet. Ron's sleep was off, he hadn't been eating regularly and he had lost interest in running altogether.

They had rode the bus into Upperton, Ron stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. J.D. Rottler sat down beside him, "You awake?" Ron looked over at him and nodded. J.D. pressed him further, "You sick, you don't look so good?" He asked Ron out of curiosity.

Ron looked out the window, "Just tired, lot on my mind." He said absently. J.D. nodded, "Well I hope you feel better, shame not to have Middleton Gazette's athlete of the week have a bad run." He told him smiling.

Ron looked at him puzzled, "What?" he asked genuinely surprised. J.D. looked at him, "You mean you didn't know? Your serious…You didn't know? You had your picture in the Sunday paper and everything." J.D. told him shaking his head in disbelief.

Ron's eyes darted around the bus, "Oh yea, I knew about it…yea pretty cool with the picture and all." He said happily. Ron turned and looked back out the window, "I didn't know that…was that why Kim gave me that paper on Tuesday….or was it yesterday? I wish I could remember should have written it down." Ron thought sadly to himself.

The bus arrived at the Upperton for the meet, Ron performed his pre-race stretches. He was trying to coax his mind into gear but the lack of sleep was making things difficult for him to concentrate. Ron was looking at the other team warming up, "They look ready, I wish I felt better. Where's Kim at? Kim's back in Middleton, I wish I was back in Middleton." Ron thought to himself as he stood up to get ready for the race.

Ron lined up next to J.D. and Wally Tamron, Wally pushed Ron hard to one side and Ron glared at him, "Head in the game Ron." He said with a smile. Ron's temper started to work, he just used a KP phrase and the last one Ron had wanted to hear.

The race started and Ron fell into a comfortable fifth place, "This isn't too bad, hold this and press at the end." Ron thought to himself. Then a Upperton Runner passed him, and another, and another. Ron's eyes were big now; he'd never run this far back before.

Wally had dropped back into fifth and J.D. had dropped back to third. Wally turned and saw Ron way back in eighth place. He held up a bit to wait on Ron, Ron pulled up next to him. Wally shoved Ron hard, "Damn it Ron run, quite draggin' your ass." He huffed out angrily. Ron responded they were running a little harder now; they picked off another Upperton runner. Wally was still in his ear, "Picture in the paper, big star, now prove it." Ron ran harder and put himself into sixth. Wally wasn't done with Ron, "Damn it Ron, don't you quit on us…we worked too hard for you to quit…Now RUN." He told him and gave Ron another hard shove and then Wally ran on by.

When the race was over J.D. had finished in second, Wally fourth and dragging along in fifth was Ron. After cool down Wally was waiting for Ron, "Ron, what ever you got going on in your head…You gotta get it together, we are so close to winning district…Me and J.D. our parents can't afford to send us to school, we have to do good in order to get scholarships...You about cost us the meet, we've worked too hard for this Ron…Don't you dare screw this up for us." Wally's tone wasn't angry it was a plea and it shocked Ron.

Ron put his hands on top of his head and walked over to J.D., he was pacing back and forth, "Ron it don't look good, if the girls don't have a big day we can lose this one today. Ron this is too important to us, you've got to start giving a 110 again….If you don't…our season is done." J.D. told Ron sadly.

Ron was sick, he wanted to cry, "We lose it's my fault, all my fault…I didn't mean to drag them down…I…I shouldn't of done any of this…I shouldn't of went out last Saturday night…If those guys lose scholarships because of me…it will be all my fault." He thought to himself.

Ron walked around the finish line waiting for the girls, "They had to do well, I don't want to be the cause of losing." Ron thought sadly. The girls came across the finish line, Ron wasn't sure where anyone finished, they'd have to wait for the points to be awarded.

Ron was pacing back and forth, "If we don't win, it's all my fault, my fault, I shouldn't of started dating again, it's all my fault, Mr. Dr. P was right…all my fault." Ron couldn't pace anymore, so he just sat down on the ground and stared at his shoes.

The points were totaled up and the girls had done just enough to pull the event out by two points. Ron was smiling about the win but he was shaking and he was the first one on the bus, all the way in the back so he could hide out on the trip back home. Ron was so grateful to the girls, now it wasn't his fault anymore, but he still felt horrible.

The girls let the guys have it, the guys were normally making fun of the girls but now it was there turn to have some fun. The guys just sat there, it was almost like a loss to them, J.D. finally moved back to sit next to Ron, "Well, we're still in the drivers seat, remember Ron, regional meet on Tuesday and State meet on Saturday. Work hard this weekend…Ok." J.D. told Ron trying to make him feel better.

Once the bus arrived back in Middleton, Ron got off the bus and walked sadly to his car. The sun had gone down and it was night, Ron threw his bag in the back seat and slid in behind the wheel. Then he picked up his cell phone and called Kim.

Kim looked at the call waiting and saw Ron's number appear, "Ron's calling, he hasn't called in days." She thought to herself. She answered the phone, "Hey BF, how'd you do?" She asked happily.

Ron was silent for a long moment, "Kim, do you have a pen and paper handy? I don't and I need you to write this down for me or I'll for get it." Ron said heaving a big sigh.

Kim didn't like the sound of Ron's voice but she found a pen and paper, "Ok, I'm ready…Ron how'd you do today?" her tone was now one of concern.

Ron scrunched his eyes together trying to remember the meet days, "On Tuesday we have regional meets and then…on Saturday…we go on to state. I need you to write this down or I'll forget it Kim…my memory is so shot these days." He told her sadly.

Kim wrote the information down, "Ron how did you do today?" she asked still trying to find out how Ron did at the meet.

Ron closed his eyes, "I got fifth, I just about cost us the meet…It was all my fault…all my fault." Ron told her shaking his head sadly.

Kim nodded her head, "Hey you had a bad day, you'll do better on Tuesday." She told him.

Ron nodded, "I have too, I never realized how much they were depending on me…If I don't do well…It would have been all my fault, Kim, all my fault….I'm going home now…I'm so tired, I wish I could sleep…I'm so very tired." Ron's voice trailed off.

Kim swallowed hard, "Ron it can't be that bad…You do need to get some sleep, would you like to come by here first and talk?" She asked hoping to see him for a visit.

Ron's tired eyes, shot open, "No, I better go on home…I'd like to but I better try and sleep…I'll see you at school tomorrow." Ron said trying to sound casual. Then Ron hung up the phone. Ron started the car and drove away from the school, "I'd like to drop by and see Kim…but I don't think Mr. Dr. P. would appreciate me coming over again…I'm so tired, I couldn't take another negative reinforcement session…I seem to be doing pretty good at that on my own…got to clean up my mind." Ron thought to himself sadly as he drover for home.

Kim heard the phone disconnect, "He doesn't want to come here anymore…He's afraid of dad…no he's afraid of what dad might say to him. He hasn't been eating or sleeping well, it's almost as if he's walking a fine line afraid to fall one way or the other…He sounded so tired, I never heard him sound that way before. I've got to find a way to help him…but how?" Kim's mind was breaking everything down and trying to come up with a solution on how to fix Ron.