Our Place in the Food Chain: Part XXVII

Kim checked herself in her mirror one more time. She was wearing blue jeans and a fleece sweater over her teal long sleeve top. Instead of lipstick she was wearing plain lip gloss. She wanted to look perfect for this strange new kind of night out.

Perfect, as in absolutely nothing special.

It was just a group of friends going to the mall and then possibly a club, nothing more yet every time she thought about it she felt guilty, like she was doing something that should have been reserved only for Ron. She picked up the prom photo from her nightstand and touched Ron's face, wishing that he was just rolling up on his motorcycle or in his mother's old car. She knew that wouldn't be happening. The bike was downstairs in the garage.

"I wish Rufus was staying with me instead of Wade." She said to herself. Even though she couldn't understand him the same way Ron could he was still somebody to talk to and she wanted to talk. She even regretted convincing Monique and Felix to spend the evening by themselves. Their relationship was on the fast track and she knew from personal experience that it was time for them to be alone. 'Private time' was very important to couples like that.

"I am not that pathetic." She protested when she spoke to her girl-best-friend that afternoon as she dropped her off at home.

"Uh huh. So who was it who called me begging for something to do the last time Ron bailed on 'Ron night?'"

"It's different this time, Mon. Cary and a bunch of his friends are hanging out tonight and they invited me to join them."

"I do not like that boy." She muttered.

"You're not going to start on that black and white thing again?" Kim asked.

"No. He's cleaned up his act that way, so I think the party thing was just a fluke, but I just get a weird vibe every time he's around. Even his name gives me the willies."

"His name? What's wrong with Cary?" Kim cocked her head, a move accentuated by the full-face helmet she was wearing.

"Cary On? What kind of name is that?" Monique pulled off her helmet and handed it back to her friend.

"It's his mother's maiden name. She had it legally changed when she got divorced from his father. He used to go by 'Arrington.'"

"Cary Arrington? Still sounds funny, but at least it's got a sort of preppy ring to it. Any idea what his Dad's like?"

Kim shook her head. "Not a clue. You aren't thinking he's a party boy, like he 'carries on?'"

"No, though that did occur to me after that one party he threw. No, say his name out loud, what does it sound like?"

"Cary On. I don't get it. It sounds just like the joke everyone makes about it."

"Uh uh. Cary On. Carrion. Like dead meat."

Kim made a face, scrunching up her nose. "Ew, Monique. That's disgusting. He's not a dead animal on the side of the road."

"Just calling them as I see them, or in this case as I hear them. Maybe that's why he always introduces himself with his middle name."

She thought about that a moment. "Nah, it's his father's first name. I think he really cares about his Dad, even though he lives with his Mom."

"There's a whole lot of weird there, but I guess that's just me. If you think he's okay, then I guess he has to be."

"Hey, I'll call you tonight if you're home early." She said as she started the bike back up.

"Don't bet on it, girl. Mister Romantic has promised me a special evening tonight." Monique grinned slyly.

"You go, girl." Kim said as she gunned the motor and headed for home.

All of her bluster melted away as she sat alone in him bedroom. It all just seemed so wrong to her. She put that off to nerves and a shy streak she simply would not admit to anyone. That was one of the main reasons she had such a small, tight-knit circle of friends.

Then to there was her family. Very few were fortunate enough to have such tight knit familial ties like she did. Even her brothers, who were unique pests in their own right, were quite close to her. When she complained about her feelings to her mother, all she had was support.

"If they're friends then it should be alright, Kimmie. I think it's a good thing you got invited. It'll do you a world of good to expand your horizons a little bit."

"But what about Ron?" She pouted.

"I think he'd understand. In fact I think he'd be for this too. I've spoken to Cary's mother on a couple occasions. He's a nice kid even though his father turned out to be such a bad egg."

Kim glanced at her, slightly confused. "Bad egg? What makes you say that."

"Oh, she said he's been in prison some. He's out right now but she told me he's been nothing but trouble. She was so happy when she had the opportunity to come out here and open more of her stores." She sat on Kim's desk chain, watching her daughter fret over her clothing.

"Prison. Huh. Cary never mentioned that before."

Anne shook her head. "He's probably embarrassed about it. His father's named Allen Vernon Arr, um Arlington or something like that. Used to be some kind of scientist before he got in trouble with the law."

"Arrington. Monique said Cary Arrington sounds too preppy."

"Well, I'm sure his mother had a good reason to change his name to On." She looked at Kim's desk. The computer was using pictures from her 'my pictures' file as screen savers. Most of the pictures were now of Ron, whose image dominated her hard drive nowadays. Every so often a prison picture of her foes would pop by, though they seemed fewer and fewer as more and more photos of her boyfriend were loaded into the system. A string of arrest photos slowly scrolled by. Most of them she recognized, though a few she didn't. Drew Lipsky she knew, of course, having met him a couple times before he dropped out of college. Then there was Monkey fist, then Drew's cousin, Eddie Lipsky. A couple went by she didn't know, like a weak-chinned guy with a fake beard and mustache, a short, stocky guy who still managed to look weasely and another guy who seemed to be dressed like a bird. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the same time. They were such an odd lot, but she was used to that.

"So what is this bunch supposed to be doing tonight?"

"Mostly hanging out at the mall. Cary talked about going to Bundy's, but I think I'll bail if they go there. Seems too much like a date place to me anyway."

"Oh, I think you should go. Have a good time. It's not like you were just going with this Cary boy. It's really a very normal thing for kids your age to do. It's a far sight better than you sitting here on the couch alone eating fudge ripple ice cream until you can't move, pining away over Ron. You keep that up you'll have to wear those baggy pants all the time."

Kim giggled slightly. Twice her mother had marched into the den and taken the quart container away from her. She didn't even realize she was doing it. Must be more of Ron rubbing off on her, just sitting in front of the television, watching it until her eyes developed big black circles.

"You're right. I do need to make more friends. Ron's great but he's only one person and I can be around other folks. I'll just save all the real boyfriend things for Ron."

"That's the spirit, Kimmie."

"I just hope they don't want to slow dance, cause that's something I won't do with anyone else."

"What about your Dad. I can think of a time you would like to dance with him." Anne smiled at her daughter.

Kim was exasperated. "Mother! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's not like we're going to head for the church the moment we turn eighteen."

"Glad to hear it. Well, at least your father would be. He adores Ron but I think he's got this notion you're not going to get married until you're thirty."

She shook her head at her mother. "Okay, that's just ridiculous, like I'm going to wait that long to marry Ron."

Anne looked up and raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "So you are thinking ahead to a wedding?"

"Well, not specifically, but I do see it in our future. Maybe after college some time."

Her mother nodded. "I can live with that. Would you like some dinner or are you going to get something at the mall?"

"I think I'll take my chances with the mall food." She said finally.

Anne nodded and headed back down the stairs, leaving her daughter alone with her thoughts.

It was getting close to seven. She was expecting the car to pull up any time. That really wasn't necessary, since Middleton Mall was in easy walking distance, at least for her, but Cary did live halfway across town.

Just as she expected, a dark colored car pulled into the driveway. It was a brand new Dodge Charger and from the sound of things, it probably had one of the big Hemi engines in it. She remembered seeing it in the driveway at his house but she had no idea whether it was Cary's car or his mothers. She hadn't noticed it in the lot at school, so she suspected it was the latter's.

Hazarding one last look in the mirror she noticed her jewelry. She had her emerald earrings and her gold heart shaped locket on. Ron had given them to her for her birthday and it dawned on her that she always wore them on their dates, whether the green stones went with her outfit or not. She had a sudden feeling that wearing them tonight might send the wrong signal. The locket was made to hold Ron's class ring when he finally got it, but that was still a couple months off. They usually arrived just in time for Christmas. Without it, it was simply a tiny little gold heart shape. Inside were the traditional pictures of both of them, facing each other when it was closed.

Making a decision, she took the earrings off and carefully put them in their box. The locket she kept on, putting it inside her top, feeling that by doing so she was keeping Ron close to her heart. With one last wave of seemingly unwarranted guilt she headed down the stairs.

Kim's father was looking out the curtains. "It sure is a good thing this guy isn't here to pick you up for a date." He nodded at the waiting car outside. "When I was in high school, we sure didn't wait in the car for a young lady."

"Dad, it's not a date. It's just a bunch of friends going to the mall. They're worried I'm going to be sitting home all lonely on my usual date night."

He nodded, looking a little sad. "Okay. Don't be out too late, though I suppose there's no reason to be since it's…'not a date.'"

She kissed her father's cheek. "No, not a date, and that's the only kiss I'm giving anybody tonight."

Feeling a little better, she walked out to the car.

Upstairs her computer cycled through more pictures. The strange, bird-like man scrolled by once more. It was a shame she wasn't there to look closely at the name on his arrest photo.

"A.V. Arrington."

Cary got out of his car and held the door for Kim. She slipped inside, noting the leather seats. The stereo was playing a ripping dance track, probably from one of the mix CDs he was playing at the party.

"Hey, where's everyone else?" She asked, noting the otherwise empty car.

"Oh, Brittany called and said she couldn't make it and Roger's going to meet us at the mall."

"Huh? I thought you said this wasn't a couples thing." Kim said, a little concern crossing her mind.

"It's not. You're the only one in the whole bunch with a steady boyfriend."

"Okay. Is this Roger the only other one we're meeting." She asked as they slowly pulled away from her neighborhood.

"He's the only one I know for sure. He called me right before I left my house. There're a couple more who might show up. I don't know." He said easily.

"Well. Alright. But if nobody shows up, I want to go back home. I don't want to chance giving anyone the wrong impression."

He smiled at her, flashing his blindingly white smile. "How in the world could I give anyone the wrong impression."

Kim had the strangest feeling as she looked at him.

Somehow those eyes didn't seem as friendly as they did when she was at school.

Kim Possible and all related characters © Disney