Double Entendre
Settling In
A/N: Again, my priority for those who might have read this story on AO3 is to correct grammatical and continuity errors. In doing so, I found I had to rewrite much of the introduction sequences where Tara meets everyone. To be honest, I think the rewrite helps the story flow more smoothly. Please let me know what you think.
"Good morning…this is your pilot speaking. We will be landing soon at Tri-City International Airport. Please return your seats to the upright position, secure and lock all trays, and fasten your seat belts as we begin our landing approach. Thank you once again for flying British Airways and enjoy your stay in the Tri-City area."
Sitting in a window seat in the first class section, Tara glanced out the window at the city and landscape. Smiling in appreciation at the mountains, she idly remarked to herself, "It's not so bad. I might be able to get some skiing in once the snow falls and the scenery is rather nice. I guess there are worse places to be teenager than here."
Disembarking from the plane after it had landed, Tara made her way swiftly to the terminal where she spied a sign with her name on it being held by a middle aged man and woman. Approaching the couple, she called out, "Miss me?"
"Hey, Tara!" The woman responded as the couple greeted their 'foster daughter'.
"Let's get your luggage so we can go home. If traffic's not too bad, we might make it back in time so that I can catch Upperton U's season opener. They're playing Go City U." The agent taking on the role of Tara's temporary foster father suggested as the trio made their way to the baggage area. Addressing his 'ward', he asked, "Have a pleasant flight?"
"Not bad." Tara replied, using the identifier code phrase, "By the way, Uncle John and Aunt Emma send their love."
"I'm glad they're doing so well. We miss them. And how is Alex?" The agent cast in the role of foster mother responded with the correct countersign, adding, "Your Aunt Betty is anxious to talk to you when you get situated."
"I'll give her a call the moment we get home." Tara replied, settling into her new role as she and her 'foster parents' walked out of the terminal and got into their car. Once safely in the car, the two Global Justice agents introduced themselves.
"Agent Carlisle." The man said as he reached back and offered his hand to Tara who shook it.
"Agent Evers." The woman sitting in the passenger's seat introduced herself. "As per arrangement, we'll stay out of your hair except when we're needed for the next month or so until your official emancipation papers come through. The house is yours…we've got families and situations of our own."
"Wife and two kids over here." Carlisle said with a grin.
"Live in boyfriend." Evers quipped, "Speaking of which, we better get moving. Jack's taking me dancing tonight."
"Right." Agent Carlisle agreed as he put the car in gear and began the long drive to Middleton. "The house is yours. Don't worry about anyone bothering you. Whatever you do in there is your own business."
"Two questions." Tara quipped, "First: Is the bar stocked? And second…does Middleton or Upperton have a Kitty-Kat Club?"
"Yes to both questions." Agent Carlisle laughed. "Mr. Steed informed us that we needed to make sure that the bar and liquor cabinet were well stocked with plenty of the good stuff along with your smokes." The Global Justice agent laughed, "You should have seen the look on Twinky's face when he got the requisition order for all that booze and the Sobranie Black Russians and Davidoff Toros! It looked for a moment like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. And there's always something going at the Middleton Kitty-Kat Club—strippers, booze, casino—if it's legal, barely legal or even a little illegal, you can find it there."
"Just like home." Tara laughed. "I assume it's like all the other Clubs—neutral ground for those of us playing the game?"
"Yeah." Carlisle nodded his head, "You'll run into all sorts there besides civilians—our people…spooks from the various intel agencies…independent operators such as yourself…mercs…none of HenchCo's grunt temps though—the bouncer won't let them in because those blockheads don't have the brains to figure out what the phrase neutral ground means. Hell, even Shego hangs out there when she's not busy elsewhere. When I saw her there last, she was on the prowl looking for a lay."
"Sounds like Cheeky." Tara laughed. "Last time I ran into her was Munich about a year ago—the two of us…well…better not say anymore…professional courtesy and all."
"If you're looking for outside work…" Carlisle suggested, "See Max at the bar. He's the local fixer."
"Any jobs he sets you up with are kosher as far as GJ's concerned—they mostly target the bad guys who won't squeal to the authorities because it'll get them in more trouble." Evers chimed in.
"Yeah." Carlisle agreed, "We've done a few odd jobs on occasion for him and in exchange, he helps us out with the odd tip. Win-win for all of us—except the bad guys. We just gotta make sure Twinky doesn't find out and fuck everything up."
"Twinky?" Tara raised her eyebrows in a gesture of amused curiosity. "That's the second time I've heard that name. Who…or what…is a Twinky? Other than a snack cake I mean."
Turning about in her seat, Evers gave the Englishwoman a quick rundown. "Our nickname for Agent Will Du. He's Betty's administrative ass…er…assistant. Du's a little runt who works in admin and thinks he's some sort of superspy, but he's really just an officious little troll." Speaking to her partner with a twinkle in her eyes, Agent Evers quipped, "Didn't you and some of the other guys and gals in spec ops take Du over to the Kitty-Kat Club last week?"
Carlisle laughed, "Yeah…we took him to the Club. We thought that a lap dance by Zoe might work that stick he keeps up his ass to another part of his body, but just as she got comfortable and started squirming…"
"Let me guess…" Tara laughed, "Pop goes the weasel!"
"All over his lap and poor Zoe!" Carlisle was now chortling loudly, "She jumped off him like she was stuck by a needle!"
Evers guffawed, "Everyone knows Du's the master of quick release."
"What about you, Tara?" Carlisle probed, "Got any memorable Kitty-Kat experiences…"
"Oh where to begin!" The blonde adventuress sighed melodramatically. "Let's see…oh yes…this is a good one. It happened at the Monaco Club a few months ago. I had a run of good luck at the Baccarat table and after cashing in my chips went to the bar to celebrate and find someone for a quick romp and met this really marvelous looking French stallion. I was planning on riding him all night and then his girl—Japanese and with the perkiest chebs you've ever laid eyes on—showed up and I thought, "Okay…this is either gonna end up very badly or very well."
"Crash and burn, Huh?" Carlisle chuckled.
"Nope." Tara's lips turned up in a wicked grin. "The three of us went up to my room and…I'll let you figure out the rest."
Turning into the driveway of a red brick house with garage, Agent Carlisle turned off the engine. "Well…here you are. Home sweet home. We'll help you with your luggage."
"Thanks." Tara replied as she and her 'foster parents' got out of the car.
"Your car's in the garage." Agent Evers gestured in the direction of the closed garage.
"Thanks again." Tara smiled, "I've missed my baby."
"If you don't feel like taking your car…" Agent Carlisle grinned as he handed Tara a piece of paper, "Here's a municipal bus schedule and it's not that long a walk to school if you should ever feel like stretching your legs."
"We'll pick you up for your orientation in a couple of days." Agent Evers remarked, "I'm afraid that's one of those rare occasions where we're going to have to show up as your foster parents."
"Right." Tara responded. "I think I'll go to the mall tomorrow and shop for a teenage wardrobe. No offense…but I'm sure that the outfits Betty picked are already hopelessly out of date and I haven't been out of my teen years that long to forget the fate that befalls fashion don'ts in high school."
"Those years are a fading memory for me—thank heaven!" Agent Evers chuckled. As she got back in the car along with her partner. "Oh…by the way…" She said as they waved goodbye, "My name's Janet."
"And mine's Scott."
"Okay…goodnight Janet…Scott…see ya in a couple of days!" Tara chuckled as she waved back. Waiting until the agents had departed, the leggy young blonde turned back to the house. "Time for a nightcap and a long soak in the tub and then bed. Busy day tomorrow."
Normally Tara hated mornings and this morning was no different as her alarm clock rang. Grumbling curses under her breath, she shambled out of bed and into the bathroom. After taking care of necessities and grabbing a shower, she emerged wearing a light blue bathrobe and made her way to the kitchen. "Coffee…now." She grumbled as she dropped a Jamaican Blue Mountain Cuvee pod into the Keurig and turned it on. Moments later she was seated at the snack bar enjoying her coffee with the usual dollop of cream.
"That's better." She sighed as a couple of slices of bread popped up from the toaster. After slapping butter and strawberry preserves on the bread, she poured a small glass of orange juice and began to nibble at her the sound of jazz filled the room.
Feeling better after her coffee and breakfast, Tara lit up a cigarette and practically danced to her room as the music played. Reaching her closet, she grinned as she put out her cigarette in the ash tray. "Now…let's see just how bad a fashion disaster I have before me." Nodding in satisfaction at her normal clothes, she then turned her attention to the teen wardrobe. Once she caught sight of the shirts, skirts, and pants that had been provided for her, the lovely blonde heaved a mournful sigh, "Oh Betty, darling…your style sense is so 1990s." Settling for an outfit consisting of crop top and low cut jeans that seem to never really go out style, Tara grabbed her purse and began her first full day as a typical teenager.
"Hurry up, Ron! I don't want to be late!" Kim Possible called out to her best friend from the bottom of the stairs of the Stoppable house.
"Almost ready! I just gotta put on my shoes and Rufus is finishing his breakfast. I don't understand why we have to be in such a hurry anyway." Ron complained as he finished tying his shoe laces and, picking up his mole-rat companion, slipped him into his shirt pocket. Closing his bedroom door behind him, the blond teenager made his way down the stairs to where his best friend stood waiting impatiently, tapping her foot on the floor in seeming irritation. "Club Banana's not going anywhere, KP." Ron moaned, "Besides…I thought we were planning on going after orientation."
"Change of plans." Kim replied as Ron joined her at the bottom of the stairs and the two headed out the front door of the Stoppable residence. "They're having a flash sale today and I want to get there before the best stuff gets taken. Besides…" She grinned as she set out her bait, "You get to hang out at the arcade and then we'll go to…"
"JP Bearymore's!" Ron exclaimed with glee.
"Yes." The redheaded hero affirmed through gritted teeth. "We'll go to JP Bearymore's."
"Hear that, Rufus?" The blond sidekick said to his naked-mole rat companion, We're going to the Pizza Partytorium! Meat Lovers Supreme Pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni here we come!"
"Yeah!" Rufus chittered with glee.
"I should have taken my car. Now I remember why I hate riding the bus." Tara muttered to herself as she got off the bus in front of the entrance to the Middleton Mall. "Well, I guess I'll do the next best thing and see if I can find a nice sized studmuffin to tote my loot and me back home."
Entering the mall, she quickly oriented herself, spotting immediately a Haute d'Style hair salon and Earrings jewelry store on either side of the Club Banana. Seeing the flock of teenage girls making their way to the clothing store, Tara nodded her head once and fell in behind a trio of girls roughly her cover age—the one in the middle with brown hair and tanned skin Tara instantly pegged as the leader of the little girl pack. One of the two girls on either side of the queen had red hair, fair skin, and was shorter, while the other had a darker skin tone and jet-black hair. As she drew closer, the leggy blonde spotted a tiny beauty mark on the cheek of the girl to the left of the queen bee. Smiling and giving the girls a cheerful hello that was ignored as she passed them by, Tara quickly entered the store, her eyes widening at the pandemonium they were witnessing.
"Looks like every girl in Middleton heard about the sale." A female voice remarked.
Responding without thinking, Tara replied, "Mayhem and pandemonium reign supreme."
"Tell me about it." Turning in the direction of the voice, Tara spied a girl who could almost pass as the identical twin to one of the girls who had accompanied the pack alpha female into the store. "Hi." The olive-skinned girl said with a smile, "I'm Hope. Hope Rossi."
"Tara." The blonde responded with a warm smile of her own. "Tara King."
"New to Middleton?" Hope inquired as the two girls made their way into the store.
"Accent give it away?" Tara chuckled as they came to a clothes rack where a variety of tops hung.
"Just a little." Hope laughed. "You visiting from England?"
"No." Tara shook her head as the pair carefully eyed the assortment of tops hanging on a rack. "My parents died last year…"
"I'm so sorry…" The dark-haired girl interjected with an embarrassed look on her face, "I didn't mean to…"
"It's all right." Tara smiled back reassuringly. "I've had time to process it, but thanks. Anyway, I was fostered by friends of theirs until my legal emancipation comes through in a month or so."
"Cool." Hope replied, "So…are you renting an apartment or…"
"House." Tara smiled at her new acquaintances inquiries, "My trust fund pays for it."
"Wow!" The raven-haired teen responded with a wistful sigh, "I wish I could do that." Changing the subject as she pulled out a top, examined it, shook her head, and then put it back, asking, "Are you shopping for school?"
"Yeah." Tara chuckled as she also picked through the tops, finally finding one that she liked. "My foster mother's a wonderful woman, but her sense of style is atrocious."
"I know what you mean." Hope giggled as she picked out a top and held it up to her chest. "My Mom's the same way. So…what do you think…keep or toss?"
Nodding her head in approval at how it matched her new acquaintance's skin tone and body shape, Tara smiled broadly, "Definitely a keeper." Nodding her head once at a mirror, she pointed, "See? Perfect."
"You're right." Hope exclaimed gleefully as Tara held her choice to her chest. Nodding her head in approval, the dark-haired teenager gushed, "Oh you've got to get that one. That goes so well with your hair and eyes." Turning her attention back to the rack, she urged, "Let's see what else we can find and then we can check out the pants, shorts, and skirts."
"And then accessories." Both girls cried out in unison.
"Have fun, Ron!" Kim waved as her best friend disappeared into the arcade. Letting out a breath of air, the young redhead made her way to her prime destination, Club Banana. Entering the store, she shook her head at the pandemonium within, pleading to the gods and goddesses of teenage style and fashion as she made her way with steely determination to the jewelry section. "Please, let it still be here."
Arriving, the teenage hero spied her fellow cheerleader Hope in the company of a strange blonde. Watching in alarm as the blonde girl held the charm bracelet out, Kim let out a dejected sigh as the girl took a credit card out of her purse and paid for it. "I'm too late." Hearing her name called out, Kim's eyes widened in alarm as Hope approached with the new girl.
"Hey, Kim! I want you to meet someone." The raven-haired cheerleader called out as the pair drew closer to the redhead, "This is Tara. Her and her foster parents just moved in this weekend."
"Hello." Tara said with a smile as she extended her hand in greeting.
"Hi." Kim smiled back as she shook the newcomer's hand. "So…you're British?"
"Yeah." Tara replied, her smile growing wider. "And you're the Kim Possible I've been hearing so much about."
"That's me." Kim chuckled self-consciously. "So…I guess we'll be seeing you and your guardians at orientation tomorrow?"
Tara nodded her head, "Yeah. They're working today, but they'll be at the school tomorrow."
"What do they do?" Kim asked as the three girls made their way out of the store with their purchases.
"They're security contractors." Tara replied, using the cover story that Global Justice had come up with. "It takes them out of town a lot.""
"Yeah…Ron's parents are like that." Kim remarked sympathetically. "They're almost never home. It's like they're always off on cruises or package tours or conferences. I think they're in Italy now."
"I almost wish my parents were like that." Hope sighed, "They're always home. Between them and my brothers, I almost never get any time to myself."
"Tell me about it!" Kim heaved a mournful sigh. "If it's not the Tweebs, then it's my Dad." She shook her head as the trio walked the mall together, "I love him but he scares off any boy who even looks like he wants to date me."
"He's that bad?" Tara chuckled as two other girls, the girl with brown hair and tanned skin and Hope's near twin joined them.
"Oh yeah." Kim laughed, her merriment quickly disappearing as the chestnut haired girl approached.
"Hey Kimmie." The brown-haired, teal-eyed girl greeted with a faint sneer, "Did you finally ditch the loser?"
Picking up at once on the increased tension, Tara noted that the redhead was barely keeping her temper in check at the other girl's insult. Taking careful note of the open rivalry between the two teens, Tara quietly watched as Hope moved quickly to diffuse the situation.
"Bonnie!" Hope interjected as she gestured towards the blonde girl standing next to her, "This is Tara. She just moved here from England."
"Really?" Bonnie replied as she sized up the newcomer. "So…what brings you here?"
Certainly not your winning personality. Tara thought to herself as she responded politely in her posh accented voice, "I felt like a change in scenery."
Not completely sure how to take the newcomer's comment, Bonnie hesitated for a moment as Hope once again interrupted. I was just telling Tara that you're the go-to person on anything dealing with fashion or what…or who's…hot." Holding a crop top and jeans combo in front of her, Hope gushed in a display of false sincerity, "What do you think of this crop top and jeans combo? Is it too much?"
Flattered, Bonnie, her consternation at the new arrival temporarily forgotten, smiled magnanimously, "That crop top and jean combo works well for you. It's perfect." Tilting her head at the packages in the blonde girl's hands, she asked, "What else did you buy?"
Recognizing at once that this was what amounted to a test to determine her future position in the school hierarchy, Tara smiled as she took out one of the tops that she had purchased, "I saw this and just had to buy it." She remarked with a grin as she held the top up to her chest. "Hope helped me pick it out." She added, figuring that dropping Hope's name would help her pass the test.
After a few moments, the brown haired queen bee rendered judgment, "I think it'll look good on you."
Seeing Hope's slight grin and subtle thumbs up, Tara responded with a smile of her own. Bonnie then gestured to the girl standing next to her who could have passed as Hope's twin, "This is Marcella."
"Hi." Marcella, seeing that the new girl had Bonnie's seal of approval, smiled at Tara as she introduced herself.
"Hi, Marcella." Tara smiled back. She then heard Bonnie make a suggestion to her, "I think you should try out for cheerleader, Tara. What do you girls think?"
Hope readily agreed, encouraging her new friend, "You're a natural, Tara."
"Yeah." Marcella added her encouragement seeing that both Hope and Bonnie were on the new girl's side.
"What about you, Kimmie? What do you think? After all, you're the captain." Bonnie asked with a frosty grin on her face.
As Kim and Bonnie were rivals in the school's popularity dance, Tara was curious as to how the redhead would respond. She also recognized that Kim's reaction would determine their future relations with each other and how much more easy or difficult it would make the babysitting portion of her mission.
"Oh, definitely!" Kim enthusiastically responded, drawing an inward sigh of relief from the blonde in that her job had become much easier now. Turning to Tara, she said, "We're having tryouts at orientation—you're welcome to come. Did you cheer at your old school?"
"No…but I was pretty good in gymnastics and dance." Tara answered truthfully.
"That's okay." Kim responded with a smile. "We can teach you the cheers. The important thing is that you're able to handle the physical portion of our programs—right Bonnie?" Kim added, giving her rival a barely polite grin.
"Yeah, Kim." Bonnie agreed with an equally frosty smile and then turned her attention to the newcomer, "I guess we'll see you at tryouts then."
"Looking forward to it." Tara responded with a polite smile.
"Great." Bonnie replied, "Well…me and Marcella have to go." Her lips turned up in a smug grin, "We're meeting Brick and Trent—they're taking us to see the movie and then dinner. Bye!"
As Bonnie and Marcella departed, Hope turned to Kim, "Me and Tara are gonna grab a bite to eat at the food court. You're welcome to join us."
"Sorry…" Kim replied apologetically. "I'm meeting up with Ron and we're going to…" Tara could see the redhead visibly cringe as she uttered her next words, "JP Bearymore's."
"Oh…you poor thing!" Hope exclaimed, then, seeing the confused look on her new friend's face, queried, "They don't have a JP Bearymore's in England?"
"No." Tara answered back with a lopsided grin, "And I get the feeling that's a good thing."
"A very good thing!" Kim agreed with a laugh, further elaborating, "You know the sort of places you take little kids to eat? The places with the animatronic animals and games and all?" As Tara nodded her head, Kim smirked, "Well…that's JP Bearymore's. And since Ron's a big kid at heart…"
"Say no more." Tara giggled, "Actually." She remarked with a grin and a note of genuine sincerity, "I think it's kinda sweet. He sounds like he's a nice guy."
"Oh?" Kim exclaimed, slightly taken by surprise by the new girl's affectionate tone. Quickly recovering, she sheepishly concurred, "Yeah…I guess you're right. It is sorta sweet. And yeah…" The redhead affirmed with a warm smile, "He is a nice guy—the nicest." Glancing down at her watch, the teen hero gasped, "Oops! I gotta go meet Ron so we can catch the bus! Seeya tomorrow at orientation!"
"Later!" Tara and Hope waved goodbye as the redhead dashed off. Turning to her new friend, Tara suggested, "I don't know about you, but I feel like I could do with a bite to eat."
"Yeah." Hope agreed, "Me too. Let's go."
"And you can fill me in on all the juicy gossip while we eat." Tara prompted as both girls giggled.
After the two girls had gotten their salads and drinks at the Sensible Salad stall in the food court, they found a table and sat down to eat. "So…" Tara probed, "Was I correct in getting the feeling that there's something between Bonnie and Kim?"
"Picked up on that right away, did you?" Hope chuckled. "Yeah." She affirmed after taking a bite of salad and swallowing it. "Those two have been going at it since at least middle school."
"What started it?" Tara gingerly pressed, "Is it a fight for who's on top?"
"I think that's it." Hope replied, "Kim's captain of the cheerleaders and Bonnie thinks she deserves it."
"Does she?"
Lowering her voice, Hope pleaded, "Everything we're talking about from here on is just between the two of us—right?"
Tara nodded her head, "I promise."
"Okay…" Hope after several moments of hesitation, decided to take the risk and trust her new friend, "Bonnie's fixated with being on top of what she calls the food chain…"
"In other words, the school pecking order." Tara nodded her head in understanding.
"Right." The dark-haired cheerleader confirmed, "Throughout most of elementary and middle school she was the undisputed top of the chain. She was also captain of the cheerleaders in middle school."
"Where was Kim through all this?" The blonde inquired, "I take it nowhere near the top?"
"You got that right." Hope nodded her head, confirming her friend's supposition. "Throughout much of elementary and middle school, she was pretty much on the low end of the chain." The cheerleader explained, "She had to wear braces through much of that time which didn't help matters between her and Bonnie any as Bonnie would make fun of her and call her names like tin teeth."
"Yeah." Tara nodded her head as she cracked a crooked grin, "I can see where that would put a strain on things."
Chuckling, the dark-haired cheerleader continued, "Early in middle school, she had a crush on this boy—Walter Weston—he's since moved away. Anyway, they both wore braces and they kissed and…"
"Their braces locked." Tara giggled.
"Yep." Hope's chuckles turned into laughter. "Kim ended up calling Ron for help and then he called his mother who took them to the orthodontist."
Her respect for Ron edging up a notch, Tara remarked, "That was pretty decent of Stoppable to come to her aid like that. A lot of boys would have just laughed and made fun of her and Walter." Shaking her head, the blonde further commented, "Elementary and middle school seems to have been a rough time for Kim."
"Yeah…I guess so." Hope replied and then returned to the earlier topic. "Anyway, Kim tried out for cheerleading and Bonnie had her do a routine that everyone thought was impossible and told Kim that she had to nail it without making a single error in order to make the squad."
"Damn." Tara swore under her breath. "She really does have it in for Kim. I take it Possible succeeded."
"Yup. Didn't make a single mistake. So she made the team—much to Bonnie's disgust. And last year when we started high school, Kim was made the captain, totally bypassing Bonnie."
"And Bonnie's been resenting that ever since." Tara remarked.
"Right." Hope affirmed, further adding, "And then there's Kim's hero thing."
"Hero thing?" Tara inquired leadingly.
"I'm sorry…" Hope apologized, "I forget sometimes that Kim's not known everywhere. "She's something of a local hero here. A while back, while she was still in middle school, she rescued this billionaire who got locked in his own vault, and ever since then, her and Ron have been helping the police and fire departments out—not to mention ordinary people."
"What sort of stuff have they done?" Tara queried. Even though she had read the reports on Possible and Stoppable's activities, the blonde adventuress was curious as to the opinion of someone who was close to the two individuals.
"Sometimes it's pretty big stuff like with that billionaire." Hope related, "Most often, it's things like helping getting people out of buildings on fire or stopping bank robberies and heists. A lot of times though, it's just normal everyday type crap like getting cats out of trees or even babysitting. Here…I'll show you." With that, the raven-haired cheerleader took out her smartphone and turned the browser towards Kim's website. "She keeps a website where people can contact her when they need help."
"I can do anything." Tara read, "Bold statement. Can lead to getting your arse kicked if you're not careful."
"Yeah." Hope agreed. "I couldn't help but notice…not that I swing that way or was gawking at her or anything…when we shower after practice or PE that she'd gotten some pretty bad cuts and bruises a time or two after she got back from one of her little missions. So…I guess she might have gotten herself into trouble at one time or another."
"I'm surprised her parents and the police let her do it." Tara commented.
"Yeah…that is weird." Hope agreed. "I know she has curfew and her Dad gives her and any boy she's with the third degree whenever she wants to go out on a date—which isn't very often."
"Why's that so? Other than because of her father? She seems like the sort the boys would be falling all over themselves for." Tara inquired, hoping to get a little more insight on the girl she was supposed to be keeping an eye out on.
"It's because she's got this Ron Stoppable sized weight clinging on to her." Hope replied, shaking her head, "No…that's not completely right—I'm being a little unfair to Stoppable here. It's not all on him…it's her too. In her own way, she clings to him as much as he to her. Don't ask me why." The raven-haired cheerleader laughed as she shook her head, "Those two have been friends since pre-K from what I hear."
"How long have you lived here?" Tara queried, "Didn't you go to elementary or middle school with them?"
"Yeah…I'm a year older than Kim and the others." Hope further explained, "I went to a Catholic school from elementary through seventh grade until I was transferred over to Middleton Middle where I had to repeat the grade because of some bureaucratic snafu regarding transcripts or something like that. That was where I got to know them all."
"So…" Tara asked, shifting back to the original topic, "Why do her parents and police let her get away with what she's doing?"
"I guess it's because she gets the job done and it's good publicity for the city and the area. What I'm worried about…" The dark-haired cheerleader confessed, "Is that sooner or later her luck is gonna run out."
Remembering a couple of times in the past in which it looked like her luck was running out, Tara nodded her head in understanding before shifting the subject away from Kim and to the redhead's friend and sidekick, "So…why the hostility towards Ron on the part of Bonnie—and practically everyone else I've seen so far whenever his name is mentioned? I'll confess I haven't met him yet, so I don't have anything to go by, but from what little I've learned about him so far, he seems like a pretty decent boy—maybe a little daft at times…but still not a bad bloke."
Hope sighed melodramatically as she took a sip of soda, "Where to begin! Well…he can be more than a little annoying at times—he has a problem with saying and doing really stupid stuff. And he has a tendency of making an ass out of himself."
"Sounds to me like he's looking for attention." Tara noted sagely, "Can't be easy being in Possible's shadow like he is."
"I guess not." Hope conceded, "I never looked at it that way before. I mean…he's not a bad looking boy…a little goofy…" Her lips turned up in a slight grin, "I guess if you give him a wardrobe and style makeover and get him to tone it down a few notches he'd be all right." The olive-skinned cheerleader then shook her head, "The problem is that Bonnie and the jocks on the football and basketball teams especially have it in for him."
"Why?"
"The jocks because…" Hope explained with a derisive snort, "…well…a lot of them—with the exception of Brick and a few others—aren't anything but stupid bullies. They see Ron as someone they can pick on easily because he can't play sports, acts like a total geek, doesn't have any muscles, and won't fight back. Thankfully…" the raven-haired cheerleader sighed, "…not all the jocks are like that. The baseball team's cool and so are the soccer players and most of the other boys and girls sports. But football, basketball, and ice hockey are the big three around here and those teams just happen to have most of the ass wipes."
"So they harass him." Tara's lips turned down in a frown. She then commented, "You know…he probably does have muscles and I'm willing to bet he's more athletic than he lets on."
"Why do you say that?" Hope asked, her curiosity aroused.
"Well…he goes out with Possible on all her missions so that means he's probably in the thick of it with her. I have a feeling he comes back from their little outings with his share of cuts and bruises. And as for why he doesn't stand up for himself…" Tara shook her head, "…it goes back to that whole lack of confidence thing. He needs to see that he can save the day without Kim's help. Once he finds out that he can do that, I'm willing to bet that he'll start getting better."
"Maybe." Hope allowed, "I gotta admit, I wouldn't mind seeing him standing up more for himself."
"So…what does Bonnie have against Stoppable? Did he run over her puppy or something like that?"
Chuckling at her blonde friend's joke, Hope replied with a shake of her head, "Damned if I know. For some reason, from what I've heard, Bonnie's had it in for him since kindergarten. For a long time, it was just name calling, but it's gotten a lot nastier since I've started coming here—to the point where I feel like I'm walking on egg shells whenever I'm around her and Ron or Ron's name comes up."
"I can't believe she's held a grudge against the boy for this long." Tara exclaimed.
"Really." Hope sighed, sounding a cautionary note as the pair finished their salads. "I don't know what he did or what happened but…" She shook her head as the pair got up from their table and discarded their trash, "One thing I've learned is that Bonnie does not believe in forgive and forget."
As the pair made their way to the exit, the blonde moaned. "I knew I should have taken my car. Now I have to wait for my bus ride home."
"You can ride home with me." Hope offered. "I'm sure my Mom won't mind giving you a lift back to your place. Of course…you'll have to put up with the brats…but it beats sitting in that bus all the way back to your house."
"Thanks." Tara grinned, "I was so not looking forward to riding that bus back."
Spotting a late model sedan with a woman and two children in the back. Hope smiled as she pointed at the car, "There's my Mom. I'll let you ride in the front passenger's seat—it'll save you from having to ride with the terrors." She then suggested as the pair made their way to the car, "If you want, I'll give you my number so you can call me."
"Thanks." Tara responded as she entered Hope's number and then gave the raven-haired cheerleader her phone number. After a short ride during which the blonde adventuress discovered that everything her new friend had said about her siblings was true—the younger children were indeed little monsters—it was everything she could do to keep from turning back and swatting the two horrors—they reached her house. Getting out of the car, she thanked Hope's mother for the ride and gave her new friend a wave goodbye, "See you tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow!" Hope waved back as her mother pulled the car out of Tara's driveway.
"Well Tara seems like a good girl."
"Yeah." Hope nodded her head in agreement. "I think we're going to be good friends."
The Possible House—evening
"So…did you kids have a good time at the mall?" Mrs. Possible asked as Kim and Ron entered through the front door.
"Yeah." Kim replied as she went to the stairs to put her purchases up in her closet.
"I think KP bought out the store." Ron joked as his best friend turned her head about and playfully stuck her tongue out at him.
After putting away her new clothes and returning down the stairs, the young redhead announced, "We met a new girl who's going to be starting school with us this year."
"Oh?" James lifted his head up from the newspaper he was reading, "What's she like?"
"She seems to be nice." Kim replied with a grin as she glanced at Ron, "Her name's Tara, and she's got really pretty blonde hair and she just moved here from England." Giving her old friend a knowing wink, she quipped, "I think you'll like her, Ron."
"Why do you say that KP?" The blond sidekick asked with a confused look on her face.
"Well…I was talking about how much you liked going to JP Bearymore's and she said that she thought that was kinda sweet and that it sounded like you were a nice guy." Her lips turning up in a grin, the young redhead quipped, "Plus, you're gonna love that accent of hers."
"I see this girl has good tastes." Anne Possible declared. "Because you are a nice boy and sweet, Ron."
"I think she's going to be a good fit in the squad." Kim remarked, further remarking, "We need someone who can keep things smoothed out."
"So she's trying out for the cheerleader squad?" Ron exclaimed.
"Yeah. I think so." Kim replied as the Possible family and their guest sat down for dinner. "I got a feeling everyone at the school's gonna love her."
Middleton Kitty-Kat Club
Tossing the keys to her Spyder to the valet, Tara playfully instructed the boy as she blew him a kiss, "Don't scratch the paint, luv!"
"No Ma'am!" The valet, a young man with sandy blond hair, responded as he caught the keys and slipped into the driver's seat of the Alfa-Romeo sportscar. After parking the car, he handed the keys to the youth behind the counter. "Here you go, Big Mike! Keep an eye on that one—don't let anything bad happen to it." He said pointing to the silver Spyder. "The babe who owns it is a hot blonde with a British accent that I intend to get to know better—if you know what I mean."
The large, beefy teen behind the counter grunted "You ain't gettin' in her pants," as he slipped the key ring on a hook.
"Gotta dream big, Mike!" The valet waved as he grabbed a golf cart and drove back to the front of the club to await other guests.
Gaining quick admittance to the club after showing the bouncer her platinum Kitty-Kat card, Tara, wearing a little black dress with silver filigree necklace and matching earrings along with black pumps, strode confidently into the nightclub, flashing a leer as she spied a stripper, a lovely and luscious brunette, elegantly removing her long opera gloves on the stage as the band played a smoky sensuous tune. Deciding to forego watching the show for now, the lovely blonde made her way to the casino bank where she withdrew a stack of chips. Finding an opening at one of the blackjack tables, she took her seat and placed her wager as the dealer dealt out the cards.
"Drink, Ma'am?" A waitress wearing a tiger striped leotard with sheer stockings and cat's ears and a tail asked as Tara checked her hole card.
"Gin and tonic, please." Tara requested as she took a cigarette out of her gold cigarette case and lit it with a silver lighter. She then examined her cards as the waitress quickly returned with her drink. Letting out a stream of smoke and seeing that her hole card was a five while her face card was a king, she noted that the dealer's face card was a ten and that he had frozen. Signaling for the dealer to hit her, she took another drag from her cigarette before taking a sip of her drink. As the four of clubs appeared in front of her, she stood on the nineteen, her lips turning up in a triumphant grin as the dealer revealed his hole card to be an eight. Taking another sip of her drink, she settled back in her chair as she played hand after hand, quitting after she had won what she figured was a tidy sum.
Cashing in her chips, Tara then approached the bar. Taking a seat at a vacant stool, the lovely blonde adventuress signaled the bartender as she allowed the jazz music being played by the band to soothe her. After placing her order for another gin and tonic, the bartender greeted her with a smile, "Good night at the tables?"
"Very." Tara grinned and then inquired with a slightly raised eyebrow, "You Max?"
"Maybe." The bartender responded his eyes narrowing into slits. "Who wants to know?"
"Tara King. Scott and Janet referred me to you. Said you were the one to see about getting involved in the local import-export trade." Tara said in a conversational tone as she took out a cigarette and attaching it to her cigarette holder, lit it.
"Your reputation precedes you Ms. King." Max replied with a slight grin. "I'm afraid I don't have anything right now, but I might have something lined up in a week or so that should be right up your alley. There's an element of risk involved, but someone of your reputation in the business shouldn't be too concerned about dealing with high tech security alarms and traps and a few goons. If you're interested, see me about it in three or four days. I should know something definite by then."
"Thank you, Max." Tara responded with a brilliant smile as she sipped her drink. Watching as the brunette stripper left the stage to be replaced by an Asian girl, Tara licked her lips lasciviously. "I'll talk to you later. For now, I think I'm going to catch the show."
"Enjoy yourself, Ms. King." Max grinned as he wiped down the bar, making a mental note to check to see whether that B & E job to steal a certain microchip from Professor Dementor was still open. If so, then that would be the perfect job for the woman who had successfully made off with the Eye of Xerxes.
Hearing her front doorbell ring, Tara, now dressed in a green sleeveless shirt and blue skirt with black shoes answered the door. Seeing her cover foster parents, the blonde adventuress grinned, "Hey, come on in. I've got fresh coffee brewing. We should have time for a cuppa before we head out."
"Thanks." Janet Evers replied as she and her partner, Scott Carlisle, both Global Justice agents, entered the house. "I see you did some shopping."
"Yeah. Tara replied as she lit up a cigarette and sat down at the snack bar with the two agents. "Updated my teen wardrobe and then cruised by the Kitty-Kat Club last night where I won a couple thousand dollars at the blackjack tables."
"Run into anyone we know?" Scott inquired as he poured some sugar into his coffee and stirred.
"I checked in with Max and he's looking into a possible job. I'll know more in a few days." Tara responded. "I also made contact with Possible in the mall yesterday."
"What are your impressions?" Janet queried as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Confident…sure of herself…maybe a little overconfident." Tara replied thoughtfully. "So far she hasn't really taken on much in the range of opposition. A few bank robberies…an armored car heist…fires…risky, yeah…and from what Hope told me at the mall, Possible's picked up some bumps and bruises, but she still hasn't faced what I would call 'A' level opposition yet. Something tells me that's going to change soon though."
"Hunch?" Scott raised his eyebrows.
"More like a feeling." Tara answered back thoughtfully. "I don't have anything definite and haven't heard anything through the rumor mill yet, but…my nose is twitching and when my nose twitches, I begin looking over my shoulder."
"Well…in this business you're stupid if you don't go with your gut." Scott said with a grunt as he sipped his coffee
"Right." Tara agreed as she put out her cigarette. "Hopefully, I'll make it on the cheerleading squad. That'll allow me to keep closer tabs on Possible. Well…ready to take me to school for orientation."
"Let's go, Kiddo!" Scott grinned as he got into the part.
Middleton High School
As Tara and her 'foster parents' entered the high school, the blonde adventuress looked up as she heard her name being called out. At once recognizing Hope standing with her parents, Tara waved.
"Hey Tara! Come on over! I want you to meet my folks!" Hope called out. As the blonde and her 'foster parents' approached, Hope made introductions. "And this is my mother and father."
"Gino Rossi." The man introduced himself extending his hand, "And my wife, Elena."
"Hi." Scott responded first taking Gino's hand and then Elena's, "Scott Carlisle."
"And I'm Janet Carlisle." Janet said as she shook the hands of Hope's parents.
As her parents and the undercover agents made small talk, Hope drew Tara aside, pointing to a tall, muscular man dressed in suit and tie and with dark hair cut in a flat top who passed by and took his position behind the podium. "That's Mr. Barkin." The olive-skinned cheerleader explained. "He's a pain in the ass, but he's fair. He doesn't cut anyone any slack—not even Bonnie and Kim."
As the two girls talked, more students and parents filed into the auditorium. Spotting the Possibles accompanied by Ron, Hope whispered, "Looks like Stoppable's parents couldn't make it this year either."
"Ron's the freckle-faced boy with the jersey and blond hair?" Tara inquired.
"Yeah." Hope nodded her head as the two girls were joined by the rest of the cheer squad whom she introduced to Tara. "Kim will be joining us shortly."
"I hope she leaves the loser back this time." Bonnie grumbled as she took her usual place in the middle of the cheerleaders.
"No such luck." Crystal grumbled as Kim approached the cheerleaders with her best friend in tow.
"Hey, girls!" Ron called out cheerfully, "Who's ready for another bon-diggedty good year at Middleton High with the Ron-Man!"
Tara on seeing and hearing the young man for the first time couldn't help but both giggle and face-palm simultaneously.
"And you must be the new girl I've been hearing so much about!" Looking up, Tara found herself face to face with not only Ron, but his naked mole-rat companion. "Hi! I'm the irrepressible…and irresistible…Ron Stoppable and this is my chief social secretary, Rufus."
"Take a hike, dweeb." Bonnie growled as most of the other cheerleaders turned away from the boyish clown.
Still snickering, Tara glanced up to see Ron looking down at her, "Trying to look down my top to sneak a peek at the girls, Stoppable?" Her laughter growing as his face reddened even more, she teased with a playful wink, "If you're curious, they're real and they're fantastic."
As both boy and naked mole-rat turned even redder in the face in embarrassment, Tara was soon joined by the other girls, even a red-faced Kim, in gentle laughter—all that is except for Bonnie, whose laughter carried a sarcastic and harsh tone to it.
"Don't worry Stoppable, you'll never get to touch a real one except in your wet dreams." Bonnie snarked as her loyal posse consisting of Liz and Marcella snickered evilly while most of the other girls smiled nervously. However, Tara noted, there were two exceptions besides herself, Hope, and Kim: a blonde with a freckled face, who had joined her, Hope, and Kim in giving the youth a sympathetic glance, and another girl with tawny skin and reddish brown hair, who sat quietly, squirming uncomfortably in her seat.
Lowering her voice so that only Kim, Ron, and Hope could hear, Tara apologized, "I'm sorry, Ron. I was only having a little fun with you. You seem like an all right bloke. There was no call for her to say that to you."
"Thanks." Ron whispered back, "No hard feelings."
"Yeah." The little naked mole-rat said as he popped out of Ron's pocket. "You're nice."
Tara joked with a smirk as Rufus preened at her praise, "Your little mate's nice too. And yes, my chebs are fantastic."
As Ron took his seat next to Kim, Big Mike, accompanied by his fellow detention inmates, Vinnie and Junior, entered the auditorium. Glancing at Tara as he passed by where the cheerleaders were sitting, the husky teenager gave the leggy blonde a conspiratorial wink.
Returning the boy's wink with one of her own, Tara watched as Big Mike and his friends took their seats in a back corner of the auditorium just as Mr. Barkin began to speak.
"What just happened, KP?" A mystified Ron who, along with his best friend, had caught the silent byplay between the husky boy and the newcomer, whispered to his friend.
"I'm not sure." Kim whispered back, "But I think someone just picked themselves up a bodyguard."
"Attention, students!" Mr. Barkin's voice rang out in the auditorium only to be ignored by the students all busy talking with each other while their parents sat in the back observing.
"ATTENTION STUDENTS!" Barkin bellowed, getting everyone's attention. "Parents, if you'll turn to the first page in your program, we'll begin our orientation. Students! You will be responsible for all rules and regulations in your handbook. These rules will be strictly enforced and violations punished. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse. Now…I'll turn you over to the principal…"
"Okay, Tara…let's see your moves!" Kim commanded as Hope turned on the music while the parents of the cheerleaders, including Tara's 'foster parents' watched.
As the music played, the blonde adventuress began her gymnastics routine with a series of tumbles and leaps and then segued into a dance routine before carrying out a series of cartwheels and spins that brought about nods of approval from Kim, Bonnie, and the other cheerleaders, not to mention a certain blond sidekick and his naked mole-rat companion.
"Congratulations, Tara! Welcome to the squad." Kim exclaimed as Hope and the other cheerleaders, including Bonnie, crowded around her offering their cheers and compliments on her routine.
"Way to go, Kiddo!" Scott grinned. Lowering his voice, he said, "Drinks are on us."
"Welcome to the team." Hope said with a smile as she gave the newest Middleton High cheerleader a hug. "We're all planning on going to Bueno Nacho to celebrate and then a slumber party at Kim's. You in?"
Seeing Scott and Janet's subtle head nods, Tara grinned, "Sure. Let me make sure it's okay with my fosters and we can be off." Turning to her 'foster parents, the young blonde grinned, "Rain check on the drinks?"
"Of course." Scott grinned back. "Just give us a call and we'll set it up. Now…go and be a teenager and have fun." His lips turning up in a winsome smile, he advised, "The key to surviving with your sanity in this business is to stay young at heart. Otherwise…you end up like Will Du…or worse."
Tara then heard Hope call out to her, "Come on, girl! It's party time!"
"On my way!" Tara responded as she dashed to her new friends, placing an arm around both Hope's and Kim's shoulders, giving both Ron and Rufus a playful wink as they walked out the door together, the lovely blonde thinking to herself, This might not be such a bad gig after all.