"You?" then Kim was hit with a horrible thought, "You... you weren't... you -"
Now her Mom's laughter got the best of her, "Oh! No, Kim... I didn't mean -"
But she couldn't finish for laughing so hard.
"------------------------------------------------------"
"Are you alright, dear?" Anne Possible asked her husband.
"Ah... I will be. Just came as sort of a surprise, y'know? I hope... she wasn't too upset when I walked out, was she?"
"She took it as a bad sign, you might say. I tried to explain about your friend – that it wasn't about her – but she could still use some sign that you love her" she said, sliding under the bed covers.
"Yeah... yeah, I'll make it up to her" he sighed, and rolled over to spoon his wife, "You know how when they're born, and you count their fingers and toes, just to make sure they're normal? Because you don't want them to have any... problems... You want them to have a happy life... It's just – I just want her to have a happy life, is all. And being... gay... is just..."
"It's changed a lot since we were in college, Robert. It's not like it was."
"Yeah. Maybe. But I bet it hasn't changed enough... I mean, it may be 'better', but it's not 'great', know what I mean? The government doesn't recognize a gay relationship as 'legitimate', even in this day and age! Damn bureaucratic right-wing -"
"Now now, dear, don't get started. By the time she's our age, maybe even that will have changed."
"------------------------------------------------------"
One more to go. Her other best friend. Well, at least Monique hadn't been counting on ever being her girlfriend – despite her near-constant use of the word...
"Hi! And welcome to Club Banana! Can I help you find something today?" Monique squealed a little too energetically.
"Uh..." Kim was a bit taken aback by the other girl's over-enthusiasm. It wasn't like she didn't come here more days than not... Then, a man in a grey suit pushed aside the store-room curtain and non-chalantly walked over to the display of Banana Warmers, pretending to check prices. Kim figured it out.
"Oh... why, yes, uhm, 'Miss'... I'm looking for something to wear on a date? Y'know, casual but dressy at the same time?" she winked.
"Why certainly! Right this way, ma'am!" Monique lead her over to the opposite side of the store from the be-suited man.
Dropping to whisper volume, Kim said, "'Ma'am'? Gimme a break!"
Monique followed suit, pretending to rifle through some Pygmie Pull-Overs, "I know, I know, GF... big boss man watching, corporate-type. Gotta do the whole routine..." her voice went back to normal, "And this one has a drawstring in the hood for those chilly Arctic nights!"
Apparently the Corporate Man had had enough of hearing the drivel he required his underlings to exude, and left the store entirely, probably heading for the Starbuck's. Or perhaps Cinnabon, by the looks of his belly.
Monique slumped and breathed a sigh of relief, "Aw thank GAWD he's gone! Another minute and I SWEAR my reserve tank of ecstatic exhuberance would've been empty!" She frowned, just to make sure she still could. "So, Kimmie, back in the dating-game, finally, are ya? Well, 'bout time! So, how expensive will the dinner be, do ya think? The outfit has to cost three times the dinner. That's the rule."
Kim was feeling so comfortable with the other girl now, she totally forgot why she had been anxious when she'd walked in. Big Mistake.
"Oh, geez... I dunno..." she said, concentrating, "She has pretty expensive tastes in things, but I – urp!" She glanced into Monique's eyes to see if she'd caught the faux pas, but the black girl seemed frozen in her expression. She remained that way for just a little too long, too, then – as if someone had shouted "action!" snapped back to normal.
"Okay, well, we'll just try to cover all the bases, figuring at the high-end, then. How much do you have to spend?"
"Well... maybe... a hundred - Uh... Monique... don't pretend you didn't hear what I said... it's... sortof why I came here. Didn't quite intend to just blurt it out like that, but..."
"A hundred? Good thing I know what's already in your closet, because we're talking ONE new PART of an outfit, here!" She stood back to look at Kim full-length, working out what she could do for her with $100.
"Monique... c'mon, this is hard enough as it is. Say something..."
"What do you want me to say, girlfrie – uh, Kim? 'Hey, great, you're dating a girl'? Look, I'm hip, I can deal... with other people being gay. Just never thought you would..." she looked down, shaking her head to get the cobwebs off, "I'm sorry, Kim, I know – I mean I can imagine – how hard this is for you. And I'm really kind of ashamed of myself for... not handling it well. It's just... it's just SO far outta left-field, ya know? I really just have no idea what to say! None! Uh... anyone I know?"
Kim didn't know whether she should answer or not. It wasn't going as well as she had hoped. When she'd thought about doing this, she even fantasized that she'd find out Monique herself was lesbian – or at least bi – but it didn't look like that was going to happen. If only I knew SOMEONE else I could talk to! Mom and Dad are out, Ron's out, Monique's out... Can't very well talk to Shego about how she feels about me... dating... Shego. Darnit! Just... SOMEone! ANYone! Anyone who'd say "Hey, congratulations on coming out! I'm so proud of you! Now, here's what you need to know..."
A familiar voice came from behind Kim's back, "Excuse me, Monique? Do you have these in five-and-a-half? I can find five and six, but no five-and-a-half... Hey, Kim. Slumming today, are we?" Bonnie. Probably the last person in the world the red-head wanted to deal with right now...
Monique panicked, glancing at Kim. How much had she heard? Because if Bonnie heard anything, she was playing dumb... but then, that was just like the brunette cheerleader – wait for the time of Maximum Hurtage.
"Uh..." Then Monique saw her salvation – Bonnie was holding out a pair of baby-blue khaki's – the salesgirl grabbed them and said, "I'll check. Be back in a jiff!" She made a hasty exit, guiltily abandoning her friend to deal with "the BonBitch", as the cheerleading squad called her.
"So" Bonnie said, making it sound like a challenge.
"So" Kim replied, and turned to pretend to look through the blouses.
"The cargo-pants and belly-shirts are over there..." Bonnie said sarcastically.
"I'm looking for something to wear on a date, thank you very much. And the whips and chains are two stores over."
That actually brought a smile to Bonnie's face: they were on familiar ground, here.
"A date? You sure you remember how?" she turned her back to Kim and began searching for her size in the Desert Do-Me collection of slinky nylon running-shorts.
"I'll figure it out" Kim replied, No thanks to you. Gah! I shouldn't have said 'figure it out'! Sounds like I've never dated before! Must be careful! Can't let her know -
Monique had finally recovered some semblence of dignity and returned, "Sorry, Bonnie, no five-and-a-halfs. New shipment comes in next week, though. Anything else?" Go away! Go away!, she thought, trying magic in a desperate attempt to make Bonnie leave.
"Hm. Can I get a rain-check, then? Make sure no one else -" she shot Kim a glance, "- walks off with them?"
Monique huffed. Dammit, Bonnie, this is SO not the time for you to show up! "Fine, fine... I'll go write ya up a rain-check." She stalked off, obviously perturbed.
"I do think she's trying to get rid of me!" Bonnie chuckled meanly – it meant, of course, that she would have to draw this out as long as possible. "So, who's the lucky guy – or rather, the poor sap – then?"
"Non-ya" Kim said curtly.
"Oh, c'mon, you can tell me! Or... are ya too embarrassed to say, is that it? Right. I'm gussing Ron then. I wouldn't want to admit it, either... But, I don't think you'd be spending money on Ron... so that can't be it..."
"Here's your rain-check, Bonnie" Monique said handing her a slip of paper. She was no longer trying to hide her annoyance, "Now please, Kim has a date and a limited budget, so this is going to take all my skill to figure out a decent outfit that her girlfriend -" Monique stopped mid-thought and made a high-pitched squealing sound, rather like a dolphin calling to it's mate - almost out of the range of human hearing. Then she RAN back into the safety of the store-room. Kim just closed her eyes, her back still to Bonnie, and waited for the inevitable.
But Bonnie didn't say anything. In fact, she didn't move at all, for several seconds, her hand still holding the rain-check out. Finally, she tucked it into her purse and said, "Well, I never would have guessed. I have to say – I'm impressed. You've got more on the ball than I've given you credit for. Congratulations."
Congratulations? Congrat – BONNIE! No... No, I must be taking it wrong... BONNIE? Kim thought through her shock. "Are you saying... are you... No, you can't be... sorry, that was stupid, but -"
"About seventy-thirty girls-boys, I'd guess. If ya wanna put numbers to it. What about you?" Bonnie replied off-handedly.
It was a trick. It had to be a trick! She just wants to get me to say... something she can use later. "Never mind about me. I know what you're up to! You just want to get me to spill my guts so you can tell everybody what I said! You are SO the bitch, Bonnie!" Kim glared at her.
But Bonnie only sighed in response, and began fishing through her purse.
"If you're looking for your phone, I am just SO not in the mood, Bonnie. What I AM in the mood for is some real ass-kick -" She didn't finish because Bonnie was holding out a picture to her; of herself and another girl, in swimsuits, with their arms around each other's waists and goofing for the camera.
"My girlfriend. This was taken last year, and we were still kinna... feelin' each other out, if ya know what I mean. And if you want proof... hey, wanna give her a call? Ask her yourself! But... first, you gotta tell me who your date is."
Kim just kept glaring, with her mouth hanging open. It could still be a trick...
"Okay okay, you can tell me after, if it's that big a deal. C'mon" she spotted the phone on the cashier's counter, "Monique won't mind – if we ever see her again, that is." Bonnie broke in to very un-Bonnie-like giggles.
Kim's glare softened. WAS she serious? "You... you're serious? No tricks? Seventy-thirty?"
"Yep. Well... it's not like you can really put numbers on it, y'know... but if you were to take any ten people I'd consider attractive, seven might be girls and three might be boys. Might. So... put it like that. Oh, and if you want me to keep your secret, I assume you'll return the favor?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Of course! But look, Monique's boss is hanging around, we really can't use the phone... just tell me: who?"
"You wanna go get something to eat? I think Monique's going to be... unavailable for awhile anyway" the giggling returned, "You can come back for your whatever after. I'm starved. And since it's your first girlfriend – or, am I presuming too-"
"Yeah. 'My first girlfriend'. Gaw... I can't believe I'm talking to you about girlfriends!"
"Hey, same here, Kimmie-kins, and Cin is my first girlfriend, too" Bonnie smiled, "So anyway, I'll treat then. C'mon. I'll tell you about mine, you tell me about yours. We'll compare and contrast. 'Kay?"
Funny how things turn out. Bonnie had never told a SOUL that she liked girls, it was something her whole in-school persona was designed – on purpose – to hide. Seems she was rather picky; she liked butch babes, and there just weren't any in Middleton High. Her girlfriend lived in Upperton, twenty miles away. And although they'd been seeing each other for a year - after meeting through a company party given by the employer of both their fathers – they had yet to "go all the way". Next weekend was the Annual Company Picnic again, and that's when Bonnie had decided that she would take the plunge.
Hence the new shorts. A half-size too small. 7-Up shot out of Kim's nose, and Bonnie giggled uncontrolably, when she said that.
Kim eventually owned up her two secrets – one-hundred percent girls – as far as she knew, anyway - and Shego. She did leave out the "Mistress" aspect, of course. That was going to stay a secret!
They talked for two solid hours. Kim had thought she'd been desperate for someone to talk to – but Bonnie was nearly psychotic, and just would not shut up! It's hard when you think you're the only one. By the time they went their seperate ways, they both had new best-friends.
Funny how things turn out.
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