Middleton High—Coach Harris's Office the week of the last game of the season
"Here you go, boys. You earned every penny of it." Coach Harris said as he handed four envelopes to four different boys wearing football lettermen jackets. "You won't have to throw this week's game. Our backer wants us to get into State, so all you've got to do is make sure we get in under the point spread. Do that, and you'll find a little extra in your envelope next week. Now…get dressed for practice."
As the four players exited the coach's office, they didn't notice the young man standing next to his locker changing into pads who had caught a glimpse of them. Curious, Brick approached the boys, "Hey guys!" He called out in a cheerful voice, "What's in the envelopes?"
"Nothing, Brick." One of the boys, a defensive cornerback with sandy blonde hair named Troy Baker replied with a grin on his face, "Just something for our parents to sign. They're permission slips for us to visit Upperton U. to talk to the coach there. He's trying to recruit us."
"Yeah, Brick." One of the defensive ends, a muscular black youth names Devon Whitson chimed in, "Just some permission slips. No big."
"Oh…" Brick replied with a toothy grin, "Okay. Good luck!"
"Thanks, man!"
Returning to his locker to finish dressing out, Brick shook his head as he muttered to himself. "That's weird. No one has ever mentioned Upperton U. wanting to recruit them and I haven't seen the Upperton U. coach here in at least a month." Shaking his head, he finished dressing and pulled out his playbook. "Probably nothing. Better get this play down or Coach will have me running laps until sunset."
Once his players had left his office, the coach went back to his computer and, opening a file, made a quick entry before saving and closing. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Coach Harris grabbed his ball cap, whistle, and clipboard and exited the office. Entering the locker room, he bellowed, "Listen up! I want everyone out on the field in five minutes. Every ten seconds you're late, you owe me a lap."
Middleton High-Cafeteria
"What are you two planning for Thanksgiving?" Kim asked her two BFFs as they sat down at their usual table.
"We don't celebrate it in the UK." Tara replied, "So…for me, it's just a four day weekend."
"Pretty much the same for me." Hope concurred, "My parents made it very clear that I shouldn't bother coming over for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year."
"That's cold." Oscar interjected, joining the line along with Cindy. "Sorry…didn't mean to butt in."
"It's okay." Hope smiled back at the varsity wrestler.
"What about spending it with Sergei's family?" Cindy suggested.
"There are issues there…" Tara answered back with a crooked grin. "While his parents aren't exactly fond of the idea of our rather…unique…relationship, they've pretty much accepted it"
"The big problem is his grandmother." Hope finished, "She's very Russian and very traditional and he doesn't want to do anything to get her upset."
"Oh." Cindy exclaimed.
"Yeah." Tara nodded her head, "Although, in fairness, his babushka wouldn't like either one of us. We're not Russian, not Orthodox, and neither one of us can be described as proper ladies."
"So we strike out on all counts." Hope quipped.
"Right." Tara agreed, "So…better to not put the poor boy on the spot to begin with."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Kim replied consolingly. Speaking to Oscar, she inquired, "So…what are you and your father planning on doing?"
"Edna's having a special Thanksgiving dinner special at the diner. We'll probably go there." Oscar replied.
"What about you, Cindy?"
"Dinner at home." The dark-haired cheerleader responded, "My brother's coming in from college and we've got relatives coming in from out of town, so it'll be a packed house."
"What about Ron?" Tara asked, "Will his parents be home?"
"Yeah." Kim nodded her head, "They try to make it home for the big holidays like Thanksgiving and Hanukah, although he always comes by our place too—it's not Thanksgiving or Christmas if Ron doesn't show up." She declared with a slight grin. "Josh and I'll be splitting the holidays this year. He's coming to our house for Thanksgiving dinner and I'll be coming over to his for Christmas."
"The holiday dinner two-step." Steve chuckled as he, Kevin, and their girlfriends joined the others at the table. "We're doing my parents for Thanksgiving and Jess's for Christmas."
"Same with us." Liz said. "We're going to Kevin's for turkey day and mine for Christmas."
"So…where are Ron, Sergei, and Josh?" Steve asked.
"Josh is finishing up a project for art class." Kim replied, "He wants to get as much of it done as possible before the long weekend."
"And the soccer team's having an extra practice session." Hope answered, "The team's gearing up for State."
"They've got a good shot at it, from what I saw of their last game." Oscar commented.
"Yeah." Tara nodded her head, "Sergei's one of the midfielders and we've got a kickass striker. Our big weakness is at defense."
"Ron's putting the finishing touches on a story he's been working on." Cindy declared.
"What's the story about?" Liz inquired.
"It's actually pretty good." Cindy replied, "It's sort of a how to course on prepping up a quick and easy, but good Thanksgiving day dinner if you're on a tight budget. He's really very creative where recipes are concerned—like using cheaper alternatives for more expensive foods that taste just as good and making portions last longer and using leftovers. I never knew he was that talented in the kitchen."
"His mother bought him a Granny Crocker Quicky Bake Oven and Mixer Set when he was eight." Kim explained. "It goes back to her wanting a daughter. The funny thing is, he really enjoys cooking. He's very good in the kitchen—a hell of a lot better than me. My Mom and Dad won't let me anywhere near the oven with food in my hands."
"So…anything new on the 'saving the world' front?" Kevin asked in a joking tone.
"So far everything's been nice and quiet since Halloween." Kim sighed with relief. "Drakken and Killigan are locked up for now…the Senors seem to be quiet…and I haven't heard of Shego causing any trouble…"
"Sheila said something to me about a ski lodge at Aspen and an instructor named Phillipe." Tara giggled, "She called me a few days ago and told me she decided to get out of town for the holidays."
"So…she's not planning on busting Drakken out of jail?" Kim inquired.
"No." Tara shook her head, "Not until after the new year at least. Besides fooling around on the slopes, she's been busy digging into both the missing nukes and where those drugs are being manufactured. She doesn't want the headaches of babysitting Drakken through the holidays along with that. Besides, she's pissed as all hell at him and Killigan for that clusterfuck at the Med. Center."
"Why is she mad about that?" Oscar asked, "I thought she was one of the bad guys."
"Oh, she is." Tara agreed, "But the world's not a black and white place. There's a lot of grey…"
"Yeah." Kim nodded her head in agreement, "It took me some time, but recent events have kind of made me see that. I wouldn't call Shego a saint, but there are a lot worse out there than her."
"This is very true." Tara agreed, further explaining, "Sheila's got lines she won't cross and deliberately harming innocents—especially children—is high on that list. She's in no hurry to bust those two plonkers out. Barring someone new coming on the scene, we should be safe until the new year."
"Good." Kevin chuckled, "We've got end of semester finals coming up after turkey day."
Moaning, Hope gritted her teeth, "Don't remind me! I've got McGinty for chemistry and you know what she's like."
"And I'm struggling with English Lit." Jessica sighed.
"I gotta admit…" Kim shook her head, "…geometry's a lot harder than I thought it would be and…you know how Ron is about anything school related…"
"Study marathon at our house before exams?" Tara suggested as Hope enthusiastically nodded her head.
"Count us in." Jessica and Steve replied.
"Us too." Both Kevin and Liz agreed.
"We'll be there." Oscar and Cindy chimed in.
"I'll pass on word to Josh and Ron." Kim smiled, "But definitely count on me."
"It's a study date then."
Norma Jeane's Used Book Store—Middleton
Spotting her girlfriend sitting on a loveseat in the bookstore's lounge area, reading a book while sipping a cup of coffee, Zoe's lips turned up in a warm grin. Quietly approaching the auburn/brown haired young woman, the dark-haired exotic dancer called out in a soft voice as she leaned over and kissed her beloved on the cheek.
"Hey, lover. Whatcha reading?"
Momentarily startled, Crystal relaxed as she heard her girlfriend's sensuous voice and then her gentle kiss on her cheek. "Hi Zee." The Middleton High cheerleader smiled as she turned her head to her girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Thurber Country. It's for my American Lit. class, but, I'd read this book anyway, even if it wasn't assigned. Some of the essays are really fun to read like Country Living and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."
"That's great. Have you read The Catbird Seat yet?" Zoe asked as she sat down next to her lover.
"Not yet." Crystal replied as she took a sip from her coffee, "That's next."
"You'll like it." The dancer said as she gazed into her girlfriend's brown eyes. "So…when do you cheer next?"
"This Friday." Crystal grinned, "We have a home game against Upperton High. It's the season-ender, so it's a big one. Can you make it?"
"Yeah." Zoe nodded her head, "Clea's working that night. I'm working Saturday—so no problem."
"Terrific!" Crystal exclaimed. "Usually, we like to hang out at Bueno Nacho after the game…"
"What about those other girls…Bonnie, Marcella, and whoever…I got a feeling they wouldn't like the idea of one of their fellow cheerleaders being gay—even though I know at least one of your friends is bi."
"I've got a feeling I know who she is." Crystal answered back with a sly grin, "But…I'll let her tell me when she wants to." The shy cheerleader's smile then turned into a frown, "Yeah…you're right. Bonnie, Marcella, and the rest of her gang could be problems if they decide to show up. I mean I'm ready to come out to pretty much all of the rest of the team but Bonnie and Marcella…Amelia and Monique aren't cheerleaders, but they do like to gossip…"
"I know Tara, Hope, and Kim would be cool about it." Zoe commented, "And, from what I saw of Jessica, Liz, and Cindy, they'd be okay about us too. But from what you've told me about this Bonnie girl…" The Asian stripper shook her head. "And then there's your family. I've got a feeling they're not going to take it very well. You remember me telling you what my family's reaction was when I told them I was gay."
"Yeah. They threw you out of the house." Crystal nodded her head gritting her teeth in frustration, "But, you're right. My parents would hit the ceiling. It's just that I'm getting tired of hiding our relationship."
"I understand." Zoe sighed as she brushed back a stray lock of Crystal's auburn-brown hair. "Coming out is a big step, sweetie. We need to take this slow and gentle and ease people—especially your parents—into it."
"Yeah." Crystal nodded her head and sighed, "I suppose you're right. It's best we start with Tara, Hope, and Kim and go on from there. You can still hang out after the game though—can't you? We just have to remember to keep our hands off each other when anyone else is watching…that's all." She chuckled.
"You say that like it's going to be easy." Zoe laughed as she caressed her girlfriend's cheek. "It's taking every bit of self-control I've got to keep from jumping on you. But okay…Bueno Nachos after the game.
"You know…" Crystal proposed, "…there's another group we can come out to that's most likely safe—our Everlot guild."
"True." Zoe nodded her head, "Their online personas already know we're involved with each other and they're okay with it. But I'm sure they all live in different states—if not different countries so it's not like we can get together for drinks or anything."
"We could always ask them where they go to school in private chat and see if they're close." Crystal suggested with a smile, "Besides, I think I already know who Ronicus is."
"All right." Zoe nodded her head in agreement, "We'll ask them in chat tonight."
"Cool." Crystal grinned, "So…please say that you'll come over for Thanksgiving…I know we have to hide our relationship…but…I don't want you to spend the holiday alone or at the Club…please…" She begged using her best puppy dog pout.
"Oh…all right!" The normally cynical dancer laughed, "You talked me into it. But no fair using 'The Pout'! You know what that does to me."
"You know what they say, lover." Crystal purred as she gave her girlfriend a tender kiss, "All's fair…"
Possible Home
"Mom…Dad…" Kim took a deep breath before pitching her idea. "I was thinking…"
"About what, dear?" Ann encouraged as the Possible family sat down around the kitchen table for dinner.
"A bunch of my friends don't really have anywhere to go this Thanksgiving like Hope and Tara…"
"I know Tara's family's in England…" James interrupted, "But doesn't Hope have family here? I know she has issues with them, but still…"
"Her parents have disowned her." Kim frowned, "They told her not to come by their house for either Thanksgiving or Christmas."
"That's…" Ann shook her head, "I can't believe her parents could be so…why are they being so inflexible?"
"They've always been very strict with her." Kim explained. "She told me once that was the reason she was as shy as she was and why she was part of Bonnie's little group until she met Tara—she was just looking for someone to accept her. She doesn't like to talk too much about her homelife—I think some emotional or even physical abuse might be involved, but it was bad enough for her to all but draw completely into herself for a time."
Nodding her head, Ann responded, "Yeah. I remember how shy she was the few times I saw her."
"She's definitely not that way now." James remarked.
"She's certainly come out of her shell." Kim laughed. "For some reason, Tara was able to get her to feel safe enough where she didn't have to put on any fronts anymore or clam up like she used to. All I know is that those two became fast friends practically the moment they met. I think…" the redheaded teenager speculated, "…maybe she was looking for a chance to escape and when Tara appeared…."
"She took that chance." Ann nodded her head sagely, further agreeing, "Of course, they're invited to join us, dear."
"I get the impression they're not the only ones on your list." James laughed.
"Yeah." Kim smiled. "You remember Oscar, don't you? You met him at the Halloween haunted house with his girlfriend, Cindy?"
"Yes." James nodded his head, "Very polite and well-spoken young man as I recall."
"That's Oscar in a nutshell." Kim laughed. Her laughter fading, she somberly remarked, "Him and his father just moved here from North Dakota—he's working with the people who are doing the construction on the extension to the Space Center—Mr. Willemsen's a foreman."
Nodding his head, Dr. Mr. Possible noted, "I've seen them work. The new facilities will really enhance our research and development capabilities once they're completed."
"Yeah." Kim agreed, "Anyway, Oscar's mother died last summer—that's the reason why they moved here—they couldn't stay in their old house anymore. He says there were just too many memories."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Ann said as her husband nodded his head in agreement, "Of course they can join us."
"Anyone else you want to invite?" James asked jokingly. "We're assuming Ron's a given."
"Actually…" Kim smiled back, "Yes. Sergei and Josh."
"I can see inviting Josh over…" Ann commented, "But why Sergei? Doesn't he have family here?"
"Yeah." Kim nodded her head, "But they're planning on celebrating on the weekend—they've got relatives flying in from Russia who won't arrive until after Thanksgiving and well…I was kinda hoping that…since Tara and Hope will be here…"
"Vassili did say that they didn't have any plans for Thanksgiving day because he was expecting his brother and his family to come in from St. Petersburg on Friday and that their big day would be Saturday." James recollected.
"Okay, Kim." Ann chuckled, "I guess it'll give us an excuse to use the dining room for a change."
"Looks like I'm going to need to add the extra leaves to the table." James quipped with a crooked grin. "Just in case we get a few additional guests popping in."
Everlot—Private Chat—Glitterwald Castle, Headquarters for the Hospitaler's Guild
The avatars of four members of the guild sat at a virtual table in one of the halls of the medieval castle that served as the in-game headquarters of the guild. Hanging on the walls were tapestries of royal blue, white, green, and red cloth with gold, copper, and silver trim and elaborate heraldic designs of a sunburst, a lightning bolt, a sword and shield, trees, and, in one case, the newest tapestry, that of a naked mole-rat rampant. Tapestries of other members of the guild, now subdued, could also be seen on the walls.
Zina: Thanks for coming everyone. If you're like me, you're probably gearing up for semester finals.
Zara: No prob, Zina. I could use the break.
Fenrial: Same here.
Ronicus: Yeah, it's no big. So…what's going on?
Cassandra: Zina and I talked about it earlier today and we decided to tell you who we really are and where we go to school and work and all.
Zina: And don't worry if you guys don't want to share. We're not going to hold it against you. We just wanted you to know a little bit more about ourselves.
Fenrial: Cool. Count me in…I got no problems telling you who I really am.
Zara: Same here. What about you, Ronicus?
Ronicus: Sure. Wouldn't it be funny if we all went to the same school.
Zina: Well…I don't think we go to the same school, but it'd be kinda cool if we lived in the same city. That way we could get together in RL.
Ronicus: I like that. So…who's going to start?
Zina: I will, since I brought it up. My name's Zoe Chen—I changed my first name to Zoe when I left home a couple of years ago—it's complicated, maybe I'll talk about it one day. I go to Middleton Community College and work as a dancer at the Middleton Kitty-Kat Club—yeah…I'm a stripper.
Fenrial: Cool, Zoe. My name's Felix. Felix Renton…
Ronicus: Felix? Is that you? It's me…Ron…Ron Stoppable. We were friends in elementary school.
Cassandra: I knew you were Ronicus, Ron! I'm Crystal.
Ronicus: Crystal…as in cheerleader Crystal?
Cassandra: Yep. That's me. (Sad emote) I'm sorry about all the bad stuff I said about you for all those years. I was such a jerk.
Ron: (Smiling emote) Don't worry about it. All history.
Crystal: Thanks. (Smiling emote)
Felix: Hey, Ron! Good news! I'm moving back to Middleton this summer. Mom's going to work at the Space Center, so I'll be going to school with you next year. You still hanging out with that redheaded girl?
Ron: Kim? Yeah. We're still best friends.
Crystal: She's also cheerleader captain—I'm on the squad with her.
Felix: Cool. What about you Zara?
Zara: My name's Zita. Zita Flores and I go to Middleton too. I also work at the ticket and concession booths at Middleton Multiplex.
Felix, Ron, Zoe, Crystal: Cool!
Zita: They gave me the wrong nametag, so if you see a girl with a nametag that says, Annie, that's me. I'm hoping they'll get it fixed by Christmas, but I doubt it. Lonnie…the assistant manager…is a little stupid.
Felix: So…what's everyone doing for Thanksgiving?
Zita: Family
Ron: Spending some of it with my parents, but most of it with Kim and her family
Crystal: Spending it with my family and Zoe.
Zoe: What Crys says.
Zita: So…everyone ready for finals?
Felix, Ron, Zoe, Crystal: No…Hell No!
Crystal: Maybe we can study together this weekend?
Zoe: It'd have to be Saturday afternoon or Sunday because I'm working at the Club on Sat. night.
Ron: Barring a mission, either time works for me
Zita: Working Saturday night too. Either time works for me.
Zoe: Let's go for Sunday afternoon at my place. I'll email everyone my address.
Crystal, Zita, Ron: Cool.
Felix: If it's okay, I can join you online.
Crystal, Zita, Ron, Zoe: Great! Sure!
Zoe: Okay…let's shoot for Sunday afternoon, 1PM. I'll supply sodas and munchies. If you guys want to bring anything over…feel free.
Crystal, Zita, Ron, Felix: It's a date.
Crystal, Zita, Ron, Felix, Zoe logging off
Middleton Civic Center—Josh and Kim
Watching with appreciation as his girlfriend executed a spin to finish her routine, Josh Mankey clapped his hands in appreciation. Skating on the ice over to her boyfriend, Kim Possible gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Did you really like it? I thought it was kinda sloppy, actually." The lovely redhead confessed, blushing modestly. "Ice skating isn't really my thing."
"I thought you were great." Josh replied with a chuckle as the couple skated side-by-side around the rink, "Of course, you did mess up that sit-spin."
"You mean when I landed flat on my ass?" Kim laughed.
"Eh…you hit a rough patch of ice. Besides…" The young artist leered, "I think you have a cute ass."
"So…you like my ass, huh?" Kim leered back as she gave her boyfriend a kiss and suggestive wink, After making sure no one was looking, she skated a little bit away and turning her back to him, flipped up her skirt to reveal her bottom, her spanks matching the dress. "Like what you see?" She teased as she skated into his arms and gave him a long, lingering kiss.
"Ummm…" Josh blushed, "Yeah."
"I can feel how much." Kim whispered seductively as she nibbled her boyfriend's ear, "Keep being a good boy and one day maybe I'll let you do more than look. Mmmm…nice…" She breathed, "Wanna go outside and do a little stargazing and a lot of making out?"
A smile appearing on his face, Josh exclaimed, "Let's go."
Lying on a blanket on a spot of ground at Lake Middleton Park with her boyfriend by her side, Kim kissed him tenderly. "Tara and Hope are having a study marathon at their house the last week before finals"
"Say no more…" Josh grinned as he returned his girlfriend's kiss, "I'm there. I'm having trouble with science."
"Great.' Kim smiled back, "I can help you out there and maybe you can help me out with humanities. I'm barely keeping my head above water."
"Cool." Josh leered, "You help me out with the birds and the bees and I'll work with you on your flying buttresses…"
"Birds and bees and buttresses, huh?" Kim replied with a throaty chuckle, "Come here and you can show me what you know about the birds and bees and I might just let you touch my buttresses."
Friday Night—Mad Dog Field—Last game of the season versus Upperton High
The Middleton cheerleaders leaped and cheered, waving their pom-poms as their Mad Dogs, led by star quarterback Brick Flagg charged out of the locker room and through the corridor created by the cheerleaders and their mascot.
"Go Mad Dogs!"
"Beat the Pandas!"
"Mad Dog Boogie, girls!" Kim shouted, calling out the cheerleaders' first routine as a hard rocking tune blared from the loudspeakers.
"Touchdown!" The cheerleaders yelled following Brick's successful touchdown pass as Ron went into his frothing Mad Dog routine.
High-fiving his teammates, Brick cheered on his team, "Great start, guys! Good job filling in for Bookman, Derek!" The quarterback slapped the second-team offensive tackle on his rear as the offensive team ran off the field.
"They looked good." Cindy, the most recent addition to the first team cheerleaders, remarked to Hope as the teams lined up for the kickoff.
"Yeah." Hope agreed. "Brick threw a perfect spiral."
"Congrats on making the first team, Cindy." Tara declared with a toothy grin.
"Thanks." The dark-haired cheerleader replied, "I was kinda surprised I got called up. I thought it was going to be Renee for sure."
"Renee's a fine cheerleader, no doubt." Kim remarked, joining the discussion, "But you're not giving yourself enough credit. You've got the right combination of athleticism, personality, and adaptability we need on first team."
Seeing the Upperton team threatening to score, Kim quickly ordered, "Okay, girls…time to cheer on the defense!"
"DE-FENCE! DE-FENCE! NOOOOO!" The cheerleaders cried out as the Pandas scored on a ten yard run.
"That's all right, guys!" Brick called out encouragingly to the defense as they left the field, "We'll get it back."
"And it's half-time!" The announcer's voice blared from the speakers. "With our Middleton Mad Dogs trailing the Upperton Pandas by three points."
"Okay, girls!" Kim clapped her hands, "Pyramid! Ron…you know what to do!"
"On, it, KP!"
"Gooooooo….Dogs!"
"Tight game, KP." Ron let out a breath as he took a drink of water after they had completed the pyramid.
"Yeah." Kim replied as she glanced at the scoreboard. "Third quarter and we're ahead by two points. Damn!" The redheaded cheerleader groaned as Lenny Richter, the backup tailback, fumbled the ball on the Panda ten-yard line.
"Don't sweat it, Richter." Brick said encouragingly as he helped the forlorn running back up from the field. "We're still ahead."
"Time to go into your act, Ron." Kim patted her best friend on the shoulder before waving her pom-poms as a signal to the other cheerleaders. "Give me an M!"
"And that's the two-minute warning with our Mad Dogs behind. The score is Pandas twenty-seven and Mad Dogs twenty. Brick Flagg steps up behind the center, Hicks and Stockman on the flanks. Third down and ten. No time outs. This could be it. The snap…Flagg drops back to pass…the Pandas are blitzing…Hicks is open. Flagg airs it out. Hicks snags it in the end zone for a touchdown! Our Mad Dogs are still alive! The PAT will tie the game and put it in overtime, folks!"
Everyone, including the cheerleaders, watched anxiously as the special teams trotted out on the field.
"The Dogs are lining up for the PAT. The snap. It's high! It's a live ball. Flagg picks it up and scrambles. He dodges one…two…three Panda defenders and he scores on the two point conversion! The Mad Dogs win with a twenty-eight to twenty-seven last second squeaker and go on to State. Let's hear it for our boys, everyone!"
"Great game, team!" Kim and the other cheerleaders cried out as the football trotted off the field and back to their locker room.
"That was a close one, wasn't it Ronicus?" Crystal said as she approached Ron with a grin on her face.
"Sure was Cassandra." Ron answered back with a smile. "So…did Zoe make it?"
"Yeah." Crystal grinned as she waved at the Asian woman waving at her. "We're hoping to talk to everyone about…us…if you know what I mean. We know you already know we're dating Ron and that I'm gay. And Kim, Tara, and Hope know Zoe's gay because they all know each other from the Club, and I think they've figured out we're going out with each other. But we talked about it and decided to come out to the others—Sergei, Kevin, Liz, Oscar, Cindy, Steve, and Jessica. How do you think they'll take it."
The blond youth replied with an encouraging smile on his face, "I don't think you have anything to worry about from them. They're all badically cool people."
"Thanks, Ron." Crystal answered back as the pair walked to the locker rooms together. "I think they are too and I told Zoe that they're not going to be a problem for us. It's…" As her eyes fell on Bonnie and Marcella walking together towards where Monique and Amelia and other members of Bonnie's court stood waiting for their queen, Ron nodded his head in understanding.
"Yeah." He acknowledged, "They're not going to be so accepting."
Bueno Nacho
"Brick did a good job bringing them back from behind." Steve commented as he, Oscar, and Sergei moved several tables together to serve as one single large table for the group of teenagers currently standing in line.
"Da." Sergei agreed as he began grabbing chairs and placing them at their makeshift table. "Is good leader. Especially in how he got the most out of his second team members who had to take the place of starting players."
"The team sure suffered its share of injuries this season." Oscar remarked as Jessica and the Dirty Pair arrived at the table with their trays.
"Yeah." Jessica agreed as she gave her boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek. "We're kinda limping into State."
"Brick's going to have to carry the team. No doubt about that." Hope asserted as she and Tara took their usual places on either side of their lover at the table.
"We sure squeaked by tonight." Kim declared as she and Josh joined their friends at the table.
"Hey, everyone!" Ron called out as he and Rufus sat down at the table with the others. Chuckling as Tara tried to wrestle control over her naco, the young blond imparted his wisdom. "Not like that, Tara. Don't fight it. You've got to become one with the naco. Like this." He demonstrated as he smoothly picked up his naco and stuffed it into his mouth without dribbling a single drop. "The key is to do it in one fluid motion."
"Ewwww…" Liz chuckled as she and Kevin took their seats. "Ron…" she teased with a smile on her face, "…you are a walking, talking garbage disposal."
"You don't have to watch him eat all the time." Kim joked as she took a bite from the chimurito on her boyfriend's plate. "Try some of this…" Kim tempted as she offered Josh a bite of her enchilada.
"Hmmm…good." Josh mumbled as he chewed the morsel. "What happened to our defense?"
"They were definitely off their game." Oscar replied, "I noticed the defensive backs missed a couple of easy tackles."
"That's odd." Kim mused as she sipped her soda, "Jackson and Baker normally don't do that."
"I noticed the defensive ends didn't seem to be hitting the line like they normally do either." Tara, lowering her voice, observed, "If it weren't for the fact that the team's suffered so many injuries…I'd say they were trying to throw the game."
"Gotta admit." Steve nodded his head in agreement, "It doesn't look good, but there have been a lot of injuries to the starting rotation. That could explain it."
"Still might not be a bad idea to keep our eyes and ears open before State." Hope suggested, "Especially keep a watch on Jackson and Baker."
"Good idea." Kim nodded her head in agreement. "We should talk to Brick about it on Monday. He won't like hearing what we have to say…"
"But he'll hate even worse the fact that someone might be throwing games." Steve interjected.
"And if they are involved in fixing games…" Cindy finished, "He'll make sure they get what's coming to them."
"Private conversation?"
"Crystal…Zoe!" Tara motioned the couple over to their table. "Grab a couple of seats and join us."
"Rough game, huh?" Crystal said as she and her girlfriend took their seats next to Ron.
"We were just talking about that." Kim replied as she brought the other two girls up to speed.
"Could be injuries…" Zoe commented, "Could also be they were trying to throw the game. If there is some fixing going on, they've picked the right time to do it. The injuries give them the perfect cover."
"Yeah." Cindy agreed. "About the only way we're going to be able to prove anything is if they either come out and say something or they were stupid enough to put it down on paper or disc."
"You thinking what I'm thinking, bestie? Hope quipped with a wink.
"If you're thinking a little midnight walk…then I'm thinking the same thing, luv." Tara answered back with a smirk.
"You two aren't going to…" Kim rolled her eyes, "You are. Just…don't get caught…okay?"
"Caught doing what?" Tara riposted with an innocent look on her face.
Crystal interjected as she and Zoe both looked about the restaurant to make sure that there weren't any uninvited eavesdroppers, "Sorry to change the subject, but Zoe and I have something we want to tell all of you, however we kinda don't want it to get out yet…at least not further than this table…okay?"
Lowering her voice, Tara answered back with a crooked grin, "If you're trying to tell me, Hope, and Kim that you two are dating, we figured that out a long time ago, luv."
"You are!" Jessica whispered in a low voice as the others at the table all smiled. "That's great news!"
"So…you were the girlfriend Zoe said that had to cancel coming to the Halloween party, Crystal?" Liz remarked in a low voice.
"Yeah." The auburn/brown haired cheerleader smiled shyly. "My aunt and uncle came into town with their brats so guess who got stuck babysitting while they went out."
"Do not worry about us keeping your secret my friends." Sergei vowed, "We will we not tell anyone before you do."
"Right." The other boys at the table asserted in agreement.
"Thanks." Zoe smiled as she addressed her next remarks primarily to the three girls she knew from the Club, "You girls know I don't give a shit about who knows whether I'm gay or not, but my girlfriend…"
"We understand." Kim interrupted in a sympathetic voice, "Not everyone at the school's so accepting. Like the boys said, we'll keep it quiet as long as you want us to."
"See…" Ron smiled at the couple seated near him, "I told you that everyone here's cool. Now that we got the drama over with…" Ron grinned, "Let's dig in. I bet I eat more nacos than anyone else at the table."
Rufus looked up at his human and chittered, "You're on!"
Middleton High—Late night/early morning
Opening the junction box on the roof of the school. Tara snipped a blue and red wire. "That's the feed to the security cameras." Then, spotting something unusual, her lips turned up in a wicked grin. "Take a look over here, luv…" She instructed as she pointed to a strange black wire spliced into the security feed.
"Looks like someone's piggybacking on to the camera feed." Hope quipped sarcastically, "I wonder who it might be…"
"Drakken…Drakken…Drakken…" Tara jibed in a sing-song voice as she snipped the feed with her cutters, "You've got to be more subtle, luv."
"Not picking up anything on my meter." Hope declared as she put away her scanner.
"Okay. We pick the side door." Tara murmured as the pair made their way back down from the roof and to the side fire escape door where she easily picked the lock. "We go in…get Wadesy to scan Coach Harris's computer while we check his papers, and then get out. Shouldn't be any security on duty and night crew's done. All goes well…in and out.."
Proceeding down the hallway, the pair quickly reached the gym and the boys locker room. "Doesn't smell that much worse than ours." Hope joked as the duo reached the coach's office. Taking out her lockpicks, the raven-haired cheerleader froze on hearing a sound.
Hearing a noise that sounded like footsteps approaching, Tara pointed to a dark corner where the two girls crouched as a single heavy-set man entered. Pausing at the locker room entrance, his eyes looked this way and that before he entered, moving swiftly to the office. Taking out his keys, Coach Harris opened the door and entered his office where he made his way to a small safe in the corner. Opening the safe, the coach placed an envelope inside and then, after closing the safe door, spun the lock. Turning about, he exited the office and, after locking the door, left the locker room.
Waiting until she was sure that the coach was safely out of earshot, Tara whispered, "Now that's interesting. Are you as curious as to what he put into the safe as I am?"
"Definitely." Hope grinned as the pair sneaked to the office door. Taking out her lockpicks, the raven-haired cheerleader easily picked the lock. Entering the office, Hope went to the desk while her blonde teammate made at once for the safe. Rifling through the drawers, Hope found a small notebook. Opening the book, she skimmed through the diagrammed plays and notes on players until coming up on a roster sheet with four stars next to the two ends and defensive backs in question and Brick's name crossed out. "Hey, bestie!" Hope whispered as she waved the notebook, "You should take a look at this."
"Now why would the coach have Brick's name crossed out?" Tara quickly answered her own question, remarking, "If he was planning on throwing State…he'd have to get rid of Brick if he wants to be sure the Dogs lose."
"You're right." Hope affirmed. "Brick's too much of a wild card. So…how's he going to get rid of him? Grades?"
"No." Tara shook her head, "While he's no danger of being first in his class, Brick's not a total numpty. His GPA's good enough to keep him on the team."
"Practice injury." Hope concluded. "Easy enough to pull off. Those two defensive ends hurt him in scrimmage. They run laps for punishment and get a little extra in their paycheck."
"Exactly." Tara nodded her head as she took out her cell phone and took a picture of the roster sheet. "Good catch, luv. Let's see what else we can find."
"Right." Hope nodded her head as she took out her Kimmunicator. "Hey, Wadesy."
"Yeah." A pajama clad Wade, rubbing sleep from his eyes, grumbled.
"Sorry to wake you, but we need you to scan the hard drive of this computer and see if you can find anything juicy on it."
"Sure…If it'll get me back to bed quicker." Wade complained as he typed on his keyboard. "Okay…I'm in. Let's see…looks like an account ledger. No names…just numbers."
"Could those be jersey numbers?" Hope inquired.
"Yeah." The young techie nodded his head. "Good catch."
"Can you run them through the Mad Dog roster?" The olive-skinned cheerleader requested.
"No problem." Wade replied as he again typed on his keyboard. "Got 'em. Five names: Troy Baker, Devon Jackson—defensive backs; Willie Mitchell, Bart Goodman—defensive ends; Fred Bookman—offensive lineman…suspended for bullying."
"That's right." Tara remarked, "Bookman was reported for giving a wedgie to Nate Desmond a few weeks ago. He got ten days out of school suspension and kicked off the team."
"And Mitchell and Goodman would be perfectly placed to injure Brick in a scrimmage." Hope concluded.
"I wouldn't rule out the other two doing it on a safety blitz." Wade interjected.
"No." Hope shook her head, "Generally they don't blitz in scrimmage…although…" She corrected herself, "Coach might have them do it giving as an excuse that he was prepping his offense for Danville's blitzing."
"Now I'm really curious about what's in that safe." Tara murmured as she returned to the safe. Taking out an electronic device, she placed it on the safe as she slipped on an earpiece connected to the device by a wire. Moments later, the blonde cheerleader grinned in triumph as she opened the door. Taking out her Kimmunicator, she immediately began snapping pictures. "Money…a bank book…" Taking the book out, she snapped pictures of the contents. "Now…" She smirked as she held up the envelope, "I wonder what's in here…" Opening the envelope, she chuckled as she took out a large number of dollar bills. "Well…well…well…looks like a payout." Counting the money, she spoke to Wade. "He's got twenty grand. Assuming he's giving the players no more than twenty percent…that gives him a cool sixteen grand take for this game. I'm betting he stands to collect fifty g. for throwing State."
"What do you want to do about the money, bestie?" Hope inquired. "Much as I'd like to split twenty grand, probably not a good idea to take it."
"You're right about that." Tara quickly agreed. "Wade, luv…can you get the serial numbers on these bills?"
"Ask me to do something hard." The computer genius grinned as he quickly complied with the blonde cheerleader's request. "Got 'em."
"Great." Tara grinned as she slipped the money back into the envelope and placed it back into the safe, making sure that it was situated exactly as it was before she had taken it out. "We've got what we've come for." The blonde agent declared, "We need to get to school early tomorrow to warn Brick before he goes to practice and get this information over to Mr. Barkin and Ron."
"Ron?"
"Yeah." Tara grinned, "I should think that this is something the Mad Dog Gazette would want to cover."
"Good idea." Hope agreed, commenting with a quirky grin, "I got a feeling tomorrow's going to be a busy day."
Middleton High—the next day
Coming in to school early, Brick Flagg made straight for the locker room. His lips turned up in a wide grin as he anticipated a morning workout in the weight room followed by scrimmaging with his teammates. Hearing voices coming from the coach's office, Brick's smile grew wider as he anticipated working out with other members of his team instead of his usual solo workout. However, once he drew close enough to make out what coach was telling the other players, his blood froze.
"Good job bringing us in under the point spread, boys." Coach Harris said as he handed envelopes to each of the four young men in his office. "Like I promised…something a little extra."
"Thanks, Coach."
Damn. Brick thought to himself. While by no means a Rhodes Scholar, Brick Flagg did possess a great deal of what could be called common sense—as well as a strong sense of right and wrong. Yes, he slipped up a couple of times in the past like when he teased Stoppable once. However, he felt bad about it shortly after he did it and apologized, but he generally tried to do the right thing the first time. Taking out his cell phone as he remained hidden, he began to record both audially and visually the conversation going on a few feet away from him.
"Okay…" Coach Harris announced, "For State, the backers want us to throw the game. Losing the game will get you guys paid, but if you can lose it by ten points or more, there'll be a little something extra in your envelopes."
"There could be a problem with Brick." Troy Baker, one of the safeties, pointed out. "You saw what he did in the last game with those second stringers. Give him another week or two with them…"
"We're going to take care of that problem in this morning's practice." Coach declared, "I want you four to make sure that Flagg does not start in the State Championship. I'm going to put him through a tough workout before scrimmage—any little thing I find him doing wrong or can make up is going to cost him laps and he'll be lucky enough to get a couple of swigs of water or Gatorade before scrimmage. This scrimmage we're gonna be doing blitz drills. That's when you take him out."
"How bad do you want him hurt?" One of the defensive ends inquired.
"Make it a career ender as far as I'm concerned." Coach Harris cold-bloodedly replied. "Just make sure he can't play at State."
Eyes open in shock and hurt, Brick felt tears beginning to flow down his cheeks as he slowly backed out of the locker room. Striving valiantly to maintain control over his emotions, he ran into Tara, Kim, and Hope coming towards him from the opposite direction.
"Brick!" Tara called out, "We need to talk to you!"
"No time." The quarterback responded, "I've got to get to Mr. Barkin."
Drawing closer, Kim muttered to the football player in a low voice, "We know about Coach Harris fixing the games."
Startled at hearing the cheerleader's words, Brick came to a halt and turned towards the two girls, "How do you know?"
"Hope and I broke into his office last night, luv." Tara admitted. "We found evidence that he was getting paid and paying players off to throw games or come in under the point spread."
Hope interjected in a worried voice, "We also found out that he was planning on…"
"Injuring me." Brick finished in a forlorn voice as he took out his cell phone and played the audio and visual evidence he had collected.
"That ices it." Kim declared in a determined voice, "We've got to go to Mr. Barkin with this."
"Agreed." Tara affirmed as the others nodded their heads in agreement, "But first, we need to make a side trip."
"Oh?" Kim interjected with raised eyebrows. "Where?"
"The Mad Dog Gazette." Tara declared, "I think Ron and Cindy would be interested in this."
Her lips turning up in a grin, Kim nodded her head, "You're right. Also, putting it out in the open will force the school board to do something about it."
"Exactly." Hope smirked.
"So…what are we waiting for?"
Middleton High—Office of the School Newspaper
"This is hot." Cindy declared as she and Ron looked over the evidence.
"Yeah." Ron nodded his head in agreement. "You realize this is gonna blow up big, don't you Kim…Tara…Hope…Brick?"
Nodding their heads, the three cheerleaders replied, "Yah. But we're looking at multiple felonies here…"
"Including a conspiracy to injure Brick." Hope added.
"What Coach and those boys are doing ain't right." Brick solemnly declared.
"Your call, Cindy." Ron said, deferring to the judgment of his mentor.
"You willing to be interviewed, Brick, on the record?" Cindy inquired of the quarterback.
"Yeah." Brick at once responded. "I don't want Coach and the others getting away with it. Crap like this hurts the whole school."
Looking up at the husky athlete and smiling warmly, Tara placed her hand on his shoulder, "You're a good bloke, Brick."
"We're gonna have to leave you girls out of this." Cindy said to the Dirty Pair, "Leaving out the fact that you technically committed a felony by breaking and entering, the evidence you got would most likely be ruled as inadmissible in court."
"Brick's interview and what he picked up on his cell phone should be enough right there." Kim concluded.
"And we can state that the other evidence came from an anonymous source." Ron interjected.
"If Mr. Barkin moves fast enough." Tara suggested, "He could confiscate the evidence. As it's on school property, he would have the right to search the coach's office and safe without violating any of your constitutional amendments."
"Good point." Cindy nodded her head. "Okay, Ron. You've got the interview with Brick, then write up the story." Her lips turning up in a slight smile, she quipped, "Looks like your piece on Thanksgiving Day dinner and leftovers is going to get pushed out."
"Barkin's Office?" Kim asked as Ron began his interview of the quarterback.
"Right after Ron finishes." Tara declared. "I don't want the school board to have one inch of space to squeeze out of having to deal with this."
Middleton High—Mr. Barkin's Office
"Damn." The grizzled ex-Marine grumbled as he studied the evidence, "You girls sure know how to ruin a man's day." Picking up the phone, he dialed a number, "Get me Detective Ponder, ASAP. This is Steve Barkin…Middleton High. Yes it's important—damned important. So put down the goddamn coffee or donut or whatever you've got in your hand, get your ass in gear and connect me with Detective Ponder—NOW!"
"I'm sorry about all this, Mr. Barkin…" Brick began apologetically only to be cut off by the substitute assistant principal.
"Don't be, Flagg. You're doing the right thing here." A few moments later, the hardened combat veteran spoke into the phone. "Hey, Roger…no it's not about the bullying although I'm glad to hear that you're close to making an arrest. It's about something else." Barkin then outlined what was going on with Coach Harris. "Yeah. We've got to move fast. Definitely, we'll need the uniforms. I can do that. No problem. Thanks. Bye."
Looking up from his desk at the students in his office, Barkin growled, "Okay, here's the sit-rep. Detective Ponder is on his way with a couple of uniforms to arrest Coach Harris and those players involved in the fix and the conspiracy to injure Flagg. I'm going to call Coach into the office to talk to him about the logistics for travel to Danville for State. I was planning on doing that anyway, so he shouldn't get suspicious. You students get back to your classrooms. You'll be called to the office when you're needed. Dirty Pair—One week's detention for breaking and entering…to be pardoned if you agree to fix the security system where it can't get hacked into again. You two made that look too easy and I'm not happy about a third party splicing into the system without anyone knowing."
Turning his gaze to the two school reporters in his office, he requested, "Grouse…Stoppable. I'm not going to tell you to kill the story. However, I am going to ask you to sit on it until after Detective Ponder has made his arrests. Do you agree to that?"
"We can do that, Mr. Barkin." Cindy replied as Ron nodded his head in agreement.
"Good. Now…if there are no further questions…"
"Mr. Barkin?" Kim called out.
"What is it, Possible?"
"What's going to happen to the team…with State and next season?"
"While the football team most likely won't be facing the death penalty, it's pretty damn close." Mr. Barkin thoughtfully replied, "Most likely, we'll have to forfeit State and maybe all our games this season and we'll probably be put on probation next season which will make us ineligible for State that year. You can bet they're also going to be taking a close look at all the rest of our programs. Other than boys basketball, I'm not too worried about what any auditors might or might not find. With the exception of Sanders, the other coaches do a great job keeping their programs in line. However, I'm betting that once he gets wind of what's about to happen to Harris, he'll clean up his act."
"He better." Kim opined under her breath to her friends as Barkin, pretending to ignore the redhead's not so veiled threat, continued his analysis.
"If we're lucky and we keep our noses clean, we'll be eligible for State again after only one year's probation. Us coming clean now, as soon as we found out there was a problem, and then moving decisively to deal with it, works a lot in our favor and is probably the only thing saving us from the death penalty. But the Department of Education and the Colorado High School Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations take a dim view of gambling and fixing games and especially conspiracies to injure players. Once this gets out in the open—and that's where Grouse and Stoppable come in—the District will have to crack down and crack down hard. In short…they're going to make an example out of us."
Seeing the crushed look on his students'…especially his quarterback's faces…he gave the young people in his office a look of sympathy as he ruefully remarked, "I'm sorry. I know you all worked hard for us to get to State and no one's more proud of you than me. Flagg…you busted your ass out there every game. I know that and the scouts who have been watching you know that."
"It's not about me, Mr. Barkin." Brick protested, "It's about…"
"The team." Barkin finished with an approving smile on his face, "I know. You're not the one who let your teammates down, Flagg. Coach Harris and those other boys are. Never forget that, young man." His gaze now turning to all his students, he commanded, "Now…all of you…get back to class. I'll call you in when you're needed."
Middleton High—Cafeteria
"Sergei and I were in the locker room when the shit hit the fan this morning." Steve announced to the other students sitting at what had become their table.
"Da." Sergei, sitting in his customary space between his two girlfriends affirmed. "Mr. Barkin came in along with the politsiya and, after searching his office, arrested Coach Harris and four players."
"So…they were throwing games." Kevin concluded with a grunt.
"Yeah." Hope nodded her head in affirmation, "We found evidence last night and Brick recorded the players getting paid off by Coach Harris and then overheard them plotting to injure him during the morning scrimmage."
"Damn." Jessica shook her head. "So what happens now."
"Nothing good." Tara declared as she relayed their earlier conversation with Mr. Barkin.
"Shit." Liz moaned, "I feel sorry for Brick and the other boys. They busted their asses and now they gotta see all that hard work go for nothing."
"You know what we should do…" Kim declared as inspiration struck her, "We should hold a rally for them on the day of State. Maybe get Mr. Barkin to make it a school assembly…"
"That's not a bad idea." Oscar interjected, "I think we can talk Coach Winters into having the wrestling team participate."
"I'm pretty sure we can get Coach Howard to allow the baseball team to join in." Steve exclaimed.
"Coach Antonelli will most likely allow the soccer team to take part as well." Sergei added.
"And I can make up some posters…" Josh chimed in, offering his talents.
"Great!" Kim beamed, "Let's do it."
Thanksgiving Dinner—Possible Home
"Before we dig in…" Mr. Dr. Possible, standing over the large turkey just waiting to be carved, said to his family and guests sitting at the large, rarely used, dinner table in the Possible dining room, "…we in the Possible family have a tradition where we mention at least one item we're thankful for this year. I know for some of us, it has been a hard year, but there have been bright spots in the year. I'll start us off. I am thankful for my lovely wife and family."
"And I am thankful for my husband and family." Mrs. Dr. Possible declared.
"I'm thankful for my parents…and even you, Tweebs, and my best friend Ron." Kim declared. "You have always been there for me, Ron, even when I'm not at my best. You are a kind and loving boy and I don't know where I'd be without your friendship. I'm also thankful that I've gotten the chance to become best friends with Tara and Hope. Thank you girls for opening my eyes to a whole lot of stuff…and for expanding my vocabulary…" James, Ann, and Ron all coughed in embarrassment as Tara and Hope flashed evil grins. Also, thank you for all those tea-talks we've had and will continue to have. I'm also thankful that Josh is my boyfriend. I am truly lucky to have gotten to know the sensitive and poetic person who is Josh Mankey."
"I'm thankful that Kim has been my best friend for over twelve years." Ron stated, giving his lifetime friend a warm smile. "I'm thankful that she's always there for me. I'm also thankful for you Drs. Mr. and Mrs. Possible for being a second set of parents for me. And I am thankful for all my other family and friends and for Rufus."
Standing up, Josh looked down on his girlfriend with a warm smile. "I am thankful that Kim is part of my life. People always talk about her courage and heroics in saving the world time and again and yeah, she is even braver and more heroic than what the news broadcasters and reporters say, but that's not the first thing I think of when I think of Kim. When I see Kim, I see a person filled with love and compassion for others. A person who is willing to give completely of herself for a complete stranger A person with a kind and loving heart. Those are the things that first drew me to you, Kim."
"I am thankful for my best friend and housemate, Hope…" Tara announced with a tender smile on her face, "…my other best friend, Kim. For Sergei, for his strength, gentleness and compassion and also for a few other talents me and Hope will talk to you ladies about later…" she gave the Russian youth a playful wink as Oscar and Mr. Williamsen both coughed. "I'm also thankful for my Grandmama, Uncle John, and Auntie Emma who taught me all sorts of fun stuff and raised me and loved me, and for all of you for taking in a rather…"
"Devilish?" Kim gently teased.
"Just so." Tara chuckled, "A rather devilish English girl and giving her a second chance to be a teenager."
Tearing up, as she stood, Hope grabbed Sergei by one hand and Tara by the other as she smiled warmly at Kim. "I'm thankful that I met my best friend, Tara, at the Club Banana store before the start of school and that she gave me the encouragement to come out of my shell and be myself for the first time and for taking me into her home when I had to leave mine. I'm thankful for Sergei and his kindness, strength, courage, and…" she gave the Russian boy a mischievous wink, "…superhuman endurance…ladies…you know what I'm talking about." Grinning impishly at the assorted blushes, chuckles, and coughing around the table, the raven-haired cheerleader continued, "I am also thankful for getting to know Kim and Ron better and that Kim is my other best friend."
Rising to his feet, Oscar looked down on his father and then his new friends. "I am thankful for my Dad and for my Mom who is no longer with us. I'm also thankful for my new school and friends and especially for getting the chance to get to know Cindy."
Standing up, Mr. Williamsen, nodded his head in gratitude at his hosts. "I am thankful for my job and for my new friends. I am also most thankful to God for giving me the time I had with my lovely wife, Maria, and for giving me my son. When I look into your eyes, Oscar, I see those of your mother's. I am also thankful that Oscar has found new friends and a good school."
After a brief prayer of thanksgiving, James smiled at everyone at the table as he began carving the bird. "So…who wants white meat and who wants dark?"
Monique's House—Thanksgiving Dinner
"We thank you for all you have given us…Amen." Daniel Moreau, concluding the dinner prayer, cut into the small turkey that served as Thanksgiving dinner for himself, his daughter Monique, and son Eugene. "White meat, Monique?" The loving father placed a couple of slices of breast meat on his daughter's plate before handing it to her. "And a drumstick for you, Eugene."
"Thanks, Dad." Monique replied with a loving smile as she took the offered plate from her father and ladled on some stuffing, cranberry sauce, string beans, and a spoonful of gravy.
"So…what's been going on at school?" Daniel asked as he settled down at the table.
"The football team might get put on probation." Monique reported, relaying the recent events at the school. "So…we might end up having to forfeit all our games and the State championship."
"That's what happens when you cheat." Daniel pointed out, adding consolingly, "But I do feel sorry for those poor boys who did things the right way and have to pay the price too."
"Yeah." Monique agreed, "Especially Brick—the quarterback. He's dating my friend, Bonnie, right now. "Everything he did this season is going to get wiped off the books. That's the big shame. I wonder how many recruitment offers he would have had are going to go away now because of this."
"Probably not as many as you might think." Daniel pointed out. "Those schools send out scouts and they'd have reported on how he plays. He wasn't part of the scandal. In fact, from what I've read in the paper and heard on the news, he played a big part in exposing it. Yeah, some college coaches who are running less than clean programs will probably back away from him, but the good coaches are still going to try to recruit him. Tell your friend that her boyfriend is still likely to end up in a decent school with a good program."
"I hope so." Monique replied as her brother exclaimed.
"Dad? Can we watch the GWA after dinner?"
"Yeah, Eugene." Daniel and Monique both laughed.
"You know Bulldog's going down, Eugene." Monique teased.
"No way!" Eugene laughed, "Louie Leprechaun all the way!"
Thanksgiving—the Rockwaller Home
"Poor Bonnie…" Connie Rockwaller sniped as she ladled a spoonful of turkey gravy on to her stuffing, "Her boyfriend's team got caught cheating and is having to forfeit the entire season."
"You sure know how to attract the losers, darling." Lonnie smirked.
"Enough!" Mr. Rockwaller growled as he carved a piece of breast meat. "This is not the time or place for this childish bickering."
"Your father's right." Mrs. Rockwaller exclaimed, adding her voice. "Leave Bon-Bon alone." Turning to her youngest daughter, the Rockwaller matriarch asked in a concerned voice, "How's your young man doing, Honey?"
"Fine, Mom." Bonnie replied in a flat voice as she picked at her food. "Can I please be excused? I'm not very hungry now."
"But darling…" Mrs. Rockwaller protested, "You've barely touched your food. Can't you just eat a few more bites—please! Connie and Lonnie will leave you alone for the rest of dinner…" She then glared at her other two daughters, "Right, girls?"
"Yeah, Mom." Both older sisters replied through pursed lips, "We'll leave Bon-Bon alone."
"Finish your plate, Bonnie." Mr. Rockwaller ordered, "Then you can be excused."
"Yes, Sir."
Thanksgiving—Crystal's Home
"So, Zoe…" Mrs. Edwards smiled as she spooned some cranberry sauce on to her guest's plate, "Crystal tells us that you go to school at Middleton Community College."
"Yes, Ma'am." The Asian exotic dancer answered back with a polite smile.
"What are you majoring in?" Mr. Edwards inquired.
"Computer science." Zoe responded, "I'm hoping to transfer to Upperton U. after getting my AA and then maybe get a job in web design or something like that."
"Sounds like you have a solid plan. What do your parents do?" Crystal's mother probed.
"My father's an engineer and mother's a teacher." Zoe answered back. "They're still living in Lawndale."
"My…you are a long way from home!" Mrs. Edwards exclaimed, "What brought you all the way out here?"
"After getting my GED I needed a change in scenery…"
"You mean you haven't graduated high school?" A shocked Mr. Edwards exclaimed. "Why not?"
"If you must know, I left home." Zoe shook her head, "There were some…issues…nothing illegal or immoral or anything like that, but they are between me and my parents."
Seeing that they had accidently upset their guest, Mrs. Edwards quickly apologized. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to pry into sensitive matters…"
"Mama's right." Mr. Edwards interjected, also speaking in an apologetic tone of voice, "Please accept my apologies. It's just that…well…I guess we were a little too nosy."
"You see…" Mrs. Edwards tried to explain, "We don't get to see too many of our daughter's friends other than her little game group—not even her fellow cheerleaders. Crystal's always been very shy…so…when she finally brings a friend over to see us…I'm afraid we were so excited that we went a little too far in our curiosity."
Smiling, Zoe graciously accepted her lover's parents' apologies. "That's all right, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards. You're just concerned about who your daughter hangs out with. I understand. It's just that I'm very sensitive about the problems my parents and I are having."
"Thanks for accepting our apology, Zoe." Mr. Edwards replied, taking a deep breath. "We hope that one day you and your parents can work out whatever problems you're having and if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know." Seeing that the tensions in the room had subsided, he proclaimed as he picked up the carving knife, "So who wants white meat and who wants dark?"
.
Possible Home—Thanksgiving after Dinner
"Watch GWA with us, Ron!" The Tweebs begged as the blond youth smiled indulgently.
"All right! You twisted my arm."
"I gotta go outside for a smoke." Tara grumbled to Hope and Sergei as she picked up her purse.
"I wouldn't say no to a shot of vodka either." Hope smirked as the three lovers made their way out of the house.
"Wanna take a walk, Josh?" Kim pleaded as she slipped her arm around her boyfriend's waist.
"Sure." The artist/musician replied with a grin as the pair followed the threesome out the door.
"If you two want…" James suggested to Oscar and his father, "You can join us in the main living room. The game should be on."
"Thanks, Dr. Possible." Mr. Williamsen replied as the rest of the gathering made their way to the living room.
"Have a seat." James gestured to the couch, "And please…call me James."
"And I'm Ann." Mrs. Possible announced.
"All right, James…Ann…" Mr. Williamsen responded with a big grin, "And please, call me Gustav."
"Swedish?" James inquired.
"Norwegian with some German and a little Lakota." Gustav answered back with a gentle shake of his head, "Although I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a Swede and maybe even a Dane or two in the woodpile."
"So…" Oscar asked as he sat down next to his father. "Who's playing?"
Walking until they were far enough away from the house the three lovers stopped near a tree. Leaning up against the tree, Tara took out her cigarette case and lighting a cigarette, took a drag before exhaling. Sighing with relief, she took a second drag before joking, "After that meal, I'm going to have to run a marathon."
"Tell me about it." Hope laughed as the two girls drew their boyfriend into their embrace. "Come here, studmuffin. We need you to keep us warm."
"Gladly." Sergei responded as he slipped in between the two young women and taking a flask out of his coat pocket, handed it to Hope. "Vodka…that should warm you up."
"Until we get back home." Hope purred as she took a swallow and then handed it back to the Russian, who, after taking a swallow, handed it to the other girl.
"Thanks, luv." Tara sighed as she took a drink. "Perfect. Hope, luv…" She murmured as she nibbled Sergei's ear, "I'll take the left side if you take the right."
Nibbling on the Russian's right ear, Hope let out a breath, "Mmmm…sounds good…"
Hearing the sound of contented sighs coming from a tree where three figures stood, Kim chuckled as she walked with her boyfriend, their arms around each other's waists. "Sounds like Sergei and the Dirty Pair are keeping warm."
"Yeah." Josh grinned as the couple came up on a secluded area. Stopping, the young man turned to face his girlfriend. Gently tilting her head up as he looked down on her, he said in a soft voice, "You really are beautiful."
"Is that all?" Kim gasped in a low, seductive voice.
"Charming…"
"Keep going…"
"Smart…"
"More…"
"Okay…" Josh grinned, "How about very…very…sexy." Moaning, his redheaded girlfriend kissed him long and hard, murmuring, before they kissed, a single word.
"Jackpot."
Middleton High—Last Day of the Semester
"Congrats on your article being nominated News Story of the Year." Oscar grinned as he patted Ron on the back. "Cindy says that it's even gotten traction in the national media."
"Yeah." Ron replied modestly, "ESPN called me up for an interview during the holidays and FOX Sports wants to do a series on corruption in high school sports. I still feel sorry for Brick and the other players…"
Oscar nodded his head sympathetically, "I know what you mean. They practiced hard, played by the rules, get to State and then Coach Harris and those other boys had to do what they did. I really feel sorry for this year's and next year's seniors also. This year's especially—they made it to State. And next year's will be on probation. At least we'll graduate eligible—they won't."
"True." Ron nodded his head.
"Hey!"
Turning about, the boys waved as they saw the Dirty Pair and Kim approach. "Hey, girls! What's up?"
"We just got our grades for the semester—all As and Bs!" Kim grinned.
"How did you guys do?"
"B average." Oscar replied. "The As counteracted the Cs."
"Made it with my usual C average." Ron replied. "Even managed to finish Barkin's extra homework."
"So…what are you girls up to?" Oscar asked with a smirk, "Hopefully it doesn't involve breaking and entry or other felonies."
"Not this time, luv." Tara grinned, "We're hunting down our boyfriends."
"We've got something special planned for them." Kim smirked.
"It involves the whipped cream and maraschino cherries we're carrying in these bags and the skimpy bikinis we're wearing underneath our clothes." Hope leered.
"We're gonna find out how the boys are with body art." Kim bantered playfully.
"There's Sergei!" Tara called out.
"And I just spotted Josh!" Kim grinned.
"See you boys later!"
Noting with concern the look on his friend's face as he watched the three girls race after their boyfriends, Oscar placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. "You doing okay, man?"
"Yeah." Ron nodded his head, "I'm fine." Then, spotting Zita Flores walking down the hall, the young man's face brightened, "In fact…I'm better than fine. See you later, Oscar, and tell Cindy I'll meet up with her in the Gazette's office."
"Will do, Ron!" Oscar grinned as he saw his friend catch up to the new girl and then, after a brief conversation, walk away alongside her, both teens obviously enjoying each other's company. His eyes scanning the hallway, he smiled as he observed the other couples pairing up. Kevin and Liz walking together holding hands…Jessica and Steve kissing in an alcove…Crystal on her cell phone—most likely talking to her girlfriend…even Bonnie in a touching scene with Brick as she was apparently comforting him.
"All's well that ends well?"
"Quoting Shakespeare at me Grouse?" Oscar grinned as the couple watched their friends beginning to enjoy the Winter Break a little early. "You know that's not fair—I only got a C in English Lit."
"What about all the world loves a lover?" Cindy playfully bantered as she slipped her arm around her young man's waist.
"I can get behind that." Oscar grinned as he walked arm-in-arm with his girlfriend. "Looks like Mr. Barkin's relaxing the no PDA rule a little today…wonder what put him in such a good mood."
"Who knows?" Cindy shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe he just decided to give everyone an early Christmas or Hanukkah present. Best to not question it and enjoy it while it lasts."
"Good idea."
"So…Steve…" Mr. Amberson asked as the two teachers quietly observed the couples walking down the hall hand-in-hand. "Why are you lightening up on the no-PDA rule today?"
"Besides it being the last day of the semester, Jeff?" Mr. Barkin grinned.
"Besides that." The calculus teacher/chess team faculty advisor replied.
"They've had a rough few weeks." The permanent substitute declared, waving his arm in a sweeping gesture at the students walking and talking together in the halls. "The football team worked hard to get into State and to have it yanked away from them because of a bad coach and a few bad apples." He shook his head. "That didn't just hurt the football team, it hurt the entire student body. Add to that the pressure of finals. The pep-rally organized by the cheerleaders and the soccer team's win helped to improve morale some, but people are still down. They need something to make them feel good about themselves. You know, I've been accused by some of concentrating too much on the firm part of 'firm but fair', but that's not really true." He laughed, "I know full well that sometimes all that does is make things worse. You've got to know when to slack off on the reins a bit—to emphasize the 'fair' part over the 'firm.' This is one of those times. But at the same time…" the former service man cautioned, "…you have to remember that you can't hold the reins too loosely."
Emphasizing his point, Mr. Barkin called out to an overly affectionate couple. "Tone it down or you'll be doing detention all of next semester. Now…get to your class!"
"Yes, Sir." The couple, breaking up from their clinch, quickly made their way down the hall.
Chuckling, the substitute teacher quipped to his fellow teacher, "Like I said, lightening up a little on one day does not mean you can let them get away with murder."
"Firm, but fair." Mr. Amberson chuckled.
"Right." Steve Barkin laughed as the two teachers walked together down the hall, "Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee in the lounge and we can trade Dirty Pair stories."
A/N: Spring semester begins next part as sophomore year for Kim and her friends grinds to an end. I have to admit to having more fun than I thought I would writing Josh and Kim-they're a couple you don't see portrayed in a positive light very often which I think is a shame as canon Josh was always portrayed as being a decent young man. I think he would have made a helluva boyfriend for Kim as his sensitive, compassionate, and artistic nature would have complimented her Type A personality very nicely. And yes, Kim is feeling more comfortable in her sexuality and in expressing it which might eventually cause problems with her father. One of the problems I had at first in writing this part was a hook I could use to tie everything together-enter Brick and the football team. I see Brick as being a basically good person who occasionally makes mistakes only to regret them immediately later. I also see him as a natural leader on the field and possessing a fair amount of common sense even though academically he might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer. It was fun showcasing him in this part. As for Ron-things are beginning to look up for him now as he's finding friends outside Kim and maybe even a new romance...
Edited for grammar and continuity and there have been some small, but I think important, scene changes.
Stay tuned...next part will kick off the spring semester with a ski trip...and please...feel free to let me know what you think in the comments and have a great week! Thanks, ninja. As to Hope-what can I say, she's a natural. :) She's taken to her new life like a duck to water. Also, now she feels safe to reveal more of her true self that she had always kept hidden. More seriously: I would have liked to have gone more into the very intense training she's been going through at the hands of Tara and later on Kim and other specialists and probably will in a future vignette story if there's interest, but as this story clocks in at well over 300 thousand words, I'll admit I did cut some corners and Hope's training was one of those corners.