Our Place in the Food Chain: Part XV
Tuesday morning felt like another fresh start. Having a holiday after only one week of school made it feel like they were easing into the year. It also used to mean both of them sitting and listening to Mr. Barkin rant for about fifteen minutes about the excesses of federal holidays and how when he was an officer in the armed forces (which branch he oddly never mentioned) he didn't have holidays off unless he put in for leave in advance. It was a nice break from his more customary hit-the-ground-running, let's-start-with-a-pop-quiz teaching technique.
Well, Ron would probably have to endure that anyway, but he knew the material and if the overworked assistant principal derived any joy from watching his students squirm, he would be denied that bit of satisfaction from the former slacker, barring unforeseen mistakes or a curve ball from later in the course.
Kim was still walking on air after the wonderful three-day weekend she had with Ron. Shopping, movies, a non-starter of a mission and the family picnic at the lake all merged together in her mind, the only sour point being Saturday's start, which she chose not to dwell upon. Then too Ron had gone to his own home each night. She missed him mightily when he pulled away the night before, but she knew he still needed a good night's sleep in his own bed instead of the couch. Funny how he was still spending as many nights at her house now as when they were going on more missions.
"Ready for the first real practice with the new girls" Kim asked as they walked into the school. She was wearing Ron's leather jacket as the day dawned oddly cool and she was wearing just a teal t-shirt and rust colored bell-bottoms. Ron had taken one look at her and put it on her, dealing with the cool wind in just his jersey and turtleneck. She had already teased him about making sure her 'tag' was well covered.
"I just hope they're going to be able to do your routines if we want to do good in the regionals this year." He said, slipping out of his backpack and throwing it over one shoulder.
"What in the world?" Something was taped to the front of Kim's locker. It must have happened that morning since the janitorial staff would take that sort of thing down overnight.
"That looks like the robot from that cartoon on Sunday nights." Ron said, carefully peeling the tape off the door. "You know, the one that sounds a little like Doctor Drakken."
"I don't get it. I didn't even watch that when it was on…what do you mean he sounds like Drakken?"
"Well, it's not all the time, but when he laughs it sounds just like him. I even thought of asking Wade if he was doing voice acting."
Kim looked at the picture. Somebody had apparently downloaded a J-peg of the character and printed it out. There wasn't any writing or anything on it so she figured somebody had stuck it there at random.
She was just about to ball it up when Ron said, "He's pretty funny actually. He guzzles beer all the time and generally acts drunk."
Kim blanched. "Oh my God." She whispered, looking at the image again.
"Turns out he runs on alcohol and can't function without it. One time he almost rusted up when he tried going sober."
"Ron, what's his name?" She asked softly.
"Uh, Bender or something like that. He was a beam bender in a factory before he did whatever they do on that show. I haven't watched it in a long time.
Kim crumpled the paper up, growling.
"What's the matter, KP?"
"Ron, a drunk robot named 'Bender?' Hello, what do you think this means?"
"Somebody wants you to start a petition to bring 'Futurama' back? I dunno, they usually don't pay any attention to that sort of thing."
"Never mind." She said sharply, giving the lock a couple quick twists. She jammed her books into the locker, not caring the would be in the way of the fold-down monitor and slammed it shut. "I'll see you at lunch Ron." She turned away and headed down the hall, not noticing his hand extended for a goodbye squeeze.
She wanted to hurt someone and knew if she stayed with Ron too long she might say something she would regret. In the space of just a few minutes she had gone from the top of the world to a seething ball of petite muscular rage. There was another boy with yellow hair she wanted to find and rip him a new one.
Years of fostering a particular image were starting to unravel. First it was her open affection for Ron being interpreted as the two of them having sex constantly over the summer. Why was it simply having a committed relationship with someone always meant that? If Bonnie was going on about it, that meant others were too. Not everyone wanted to see her hurt like the tanning-bed queen but the rumor mills didn't care who they hurt.
Now apparently somebody had seen what happened to her at the party. More than likely it was the same person or persons who had spiked her drink repeatedly at the party. Probably having a good laugh about it right now, that was for sure.
Great, I've gone from 'perfect princess' to 'drunk slut.' It didn't matter that she had entertained many thoughts about going all the way with Ron and honestly intended to do so some day, when the time was right, but she hadn't. Before the party she had never had more than a single glass of wine and didn't like that any more than she did the taste of beer. Whatever she had been given was purely meant to get her wasted, not for the pleasure of doing it.
Was Cary at fault? The thought was crossing her mind but she just couldn't picture a guy that seemed so nice doing that. What would he have to gain by doing that anyway, he seemed to be trying to establish himself in the food chain and she wasn't in any particular position to be 'knocked down.' That wasn't the way he was going about it. The party was a way to 'buy' his way into it. He had good looks and the attitude to become one of the popular kids if he could overcome being the new guy.
Yet there was the strange feeling she had about him. She had put it off to just being incompatible with him. It wasn't enough for her to reject being his friend and he honestly seemed to want that once she rebuffed his date request.
Then again, it was his party and he didn't seem all that concerned with all the beer she had seen. It was a freaking Senior's party and the vast majority where still seventeen, just like her. Not even close to twenty-one.
Yes, she was going to give him a piece of her mind about that. If he wanted to be her friend he was going to have to come up with some kind of explanation.
"Miss Possible."
She was in such a state she almost didn't hear the woman addressing her until she reached out and touched her shoulder.
"What?" She said, a little more harshly than she intended for an adult. She let out a slight gasp as she noticed who it was.
"Doctor Director? What are you doing at Middleton High?"
Something was different about the woman. Maybe it was the fact she was wearing a prim skirt-suit instead of her usual Global Justice jumpsuit. That wasn't completely it. Something else was missing…
"Where's you eye patch?" She said finally, realizing the woman in front of her was looking at her with two eyes. She somehow suspected it was there for show or some other purpose.
"I am afraid you have me confused with my younger sister Betty. I am Doctor Wilma Director. The Board of Education has assigned me as the new principal of this institution. Please come with me. I need to have a word with you."
"Um, I'm going to be late..."
"That was not a request young lady. I'm the director of this school, I can take a student out of class when ever I feel it appropriate."
Not knowing what else to do she followed the woman. Since when did the head of Global Justice have an older sister? All she knew about was her evil twin Sheldon. Well, she actually didn't know about him until he kidnapped Ron trying to find out what it was about her boyfriend that created the synergy that made Team Possible work.
Kim had to admit she really knew very little about the woman.
Wilma Director could have been another twin. Her hair was the same color, it was even cut the same way. If she was older it couldn't be more than a year or two. Just how old was Doctor Director anyway? She didn't look any older than her mid-thirties but her twin brother looked much older.
She was led into a nearly barren office. There was a desk, two chairs and several empty bookcases. There weren't even any boxes yet, making her wonder if the new principal had sought her out first thing upon her arrival.
"Miss Possible, I would like you to empty your pockets and your backpack onto the desk, please." She said curtly.
Her heart jumped a little. There wasn't anything in either that she was ashamed of, though sometimes things were forgotten. As the woman watched with keen interest she took her books and papers out, stacking them on the corner. There was also a folded up set of mission clothes and a pair of black combat sneakers. She frowned slightly when she realized her grapple gun was at home. There was a compact and a tube of lipstick (real lipstick) and a small cache of feminine supplies. The last would have been slightly embarrassing if a male faculty member had seen it, but what would they expect in a woman's belongings.
The only thing in her pockets was her Kimmunicator.
Wilma Director picked up the lipstick and examined it closely, as if she was expecting something else.
"What is this about?" Kim asked as the woman carefully looked through her belongings.
"Take a look at this." She unlocked a drawer on the desk and produced a thin lap top computer.
It was grainy footage from a security camera. Kim recognized the cafeteria despite the strange angle. With the touch of a few keys the image jumped to a table near the center of the room.
It was Kim, sitting with Ron. First they were playing with a pair of glasses, each trying them on in turn. Then she pulled out a tiny box. Her heart jumped when she realized what would come next.
The image wasn't incredibly clear and what happened wasn't all that visible in black and white but something appeared to shoot out of the ring, singing Ron's bangs. She hit a key and the last scene replayed once more.
"I am quite fully aware of what you do in you spare time Miss Possible. That's well good and fine…when it is not on school property. Perhaps you haven't realized it, but nationwide there is an epidemic of weapons on school grounds. Tell me, what would have happened if that…laser ring had been pointed an inch lower?"
"It's not like that. That ring saved my life later that week." Kim pleaded.
"Would that matter if it had put Mister Stoppable in the hospital? How would your friend look if that thing had taken out his eye or half his face?"
She was starting to shake. It never occurred to her that it might have hit more than his hair. The laser was meant as a cutting tool, but it was powerful enough to burn through titanium plate. The thought of Ron being permanently scarred made her heart ache. She had visions of his face covered in burn scars, perhaps even wearing a patch like the woman's sister.
Guessing where Kim's mind was she said, "Yes, that's what happened to my sister. In her case it was in the line of duty, back when you were still playing with baby dolls. Point of fact, you had a dangerous, potentially deadly weapon in your possession on school property. I don't care if it is some piece of sophisticated technology you use in your…hobby. It's no different than if you had a loaded pistol with you.
"Now I know what you're thinking. You wouldn't dream of using these things as weapons on people. That doesn't matter. The rules, no, the law is quite clear in this matter. No weapons. No grapple hook firing hair dryers, no lasers, no whatever those glasses do. This is not the place. Have you even considered what some of these students could do if they got their hands on these things and didn't have your training? Even so, you are not immune to accidents as the footage shows.
"Apparently the faculty has been lax in these matters before. I don't care what has gone on here. I don't care if my sister shows up right now to plead your case. As long as you are a student of this school you will abide by the rules as set for under law and by the Board of Education. From the moment you arrive on campus to the moment you set foot off of it you are a student like any other here. That means no more leaving campus for any reason outside of a normal emergency and that does not include situations where you feel it is your misguided duty to intervene.
"There will be no more of your devices. I am willing to overlook the computer hookup in your locker since you apparently use it for school work as well as communicating with others on your…team. I'm also willing to overlook this thing." She held up the Kimmunicator. "Much as I would like to tell you to leave it at home, the board has already ruled it no different than a regular cell-phone so you can keep it as long as it is deactivated while you are on the property. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am." She answered, stunned.
"I've seen what you do and you apparently are good at it. However, this is school and you are here to get an education just like the other one thousand seventy five students here. Leave your hobby at the door.
"On another note I have already been apprised of some other situations that have arisen. You may think the faculty is dumb and blind to what goes on around here, but the rumors get back to us and while I don't put much stock in all of it, you know what they say about 'where there's smoke?'" She paused to let that sink in. "I would suggest you re-read your Student Handbook, paying very close attention to the sections dealing with sexual activity, fighting and drugs and alcohol. Judging from your record I have disregarded what I've heard so far, but you have been warned. Now pack your things up." She pulled out a hall pass pad and scribbled a few notes and her signature on it.
Kim hung her head as she slowly made her way to class.
What else is going to go wrong?
A/N - If you're curious what Cary looks like or how Kim looked dressed up for the party, I've posted drawings ofthem at DevArt. There's a link to my DA page on my profile
Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney