Chapter 14: Dealing with Success
Saturday afternoon at the Middleton High Gym, two days after Ron Stoppable told Kim Possible that he had earned a varsity position on the wrestling team. Ron's ears were still ringing from the ensuing discussion. Saying that Kim was unhappy about Ron leaving the squad was like calling Death Valley an uncomfortably warm and dry depression. Now she had to spend a Saturday afternoon judging the replacement mascots. She wasn't the only one upset.
The cheerleading squad wouldn't be happy to be in the gym on a Saturday afternoon. They hadn't expected it before Friday. How could Ron Stoppable be successful enough as a wrestler to leave the squad? Even with this, how could he give up his regular association with them to practice a sport that received almost no recognition in the school? And finally, he was a good mascot. True, the students at the football and basketball games loved their routines, but they also enjoyed the silly, acrobatic antics of the Mad Dog. How could he walk away from all of that?
As promised, Ron had arrived before the squad and did some warm ups with his three prospective replacements. All of them had a great deal of respect for him, as a mascot and acrobat, after the first time he had worked out with them. And they all appreciated the fact that he was trying to help each of them become the best that they could, within each of their limitations of size, athleticism, and time. Ron helped them each go through their prepared routine and then he called them together before the squad arrived.
"Everybody, I really appreciate you all trying out. I hope that I've been able to help you out." There were nods and murmurs of thanks from the three. "I need to ask you all a favor. I would like the two of you that aren't selected to keep with the program. I think that all of you realize how easy it is to get injured doing this, not to mention what could happen if someone was to get sick." More nods. "There is, of course, one other reason."
Ron took a deep breath, and double-checked to make sure that none of the squad had arrived yet. "This is a very competitive squad and they weren't exactly thrilled with gaining a mascot two years ago. They're all perfectionists and they've never been shy about letting me know when I've screwed up. Some have been more outspoken than others." The three girls in front of him stifled giggles. They knew whom he was talking about. "I'm not trying to be insulting,but it's inevitable that the new mascot will make an occasional error and while I'm hoping that they'll go easier on you than they have on me, they might not. I'm hoping that the three of you can stick together and help each other through any such experiences."
"Anyway, they'll be here in a few minutes. Even though I'm not the Mad Dog anymore, I just want you all to know that if you have any questions or want any help, just let me know. I'll do whatever I can for you. Even though I'm leaving the squad, I still want the squad to do well."
Ruth, Julie, and Lisa all looked at Ron. Finally, Ruth broke the silence. "Just let me say this Ron. You've always done your best for this squad and I think that at least some of the members have really treated you like crap. Good luck as a wrestler." The two others agreed with her.
Their appreciation gave Ron a warm feeling throughout the evaluations, even though he received icy glares from the entire squad. While the cheerleaders jotted down observations and kept scores, Ron jotted down the imperfections in their routines. When the routines were done, the cheerleaders gathered together too select the new Mad Dog. Ron gathered the contestants together and went over their routines, in order to keep them from thinking too much about it. Finally, Kim approached the group.
"Thank you all for coming today," she said, "we have made our decision. We have selected Julie as the new mascot. We would also like all three of you to keep working out with the squad. I'd like for you three to leave now, so that the rest of the squad can have a word, in private, with our former mascot." Ron flinched.
Finally, Ron stood facing Kim, Bonnie, Tara, Hope, and Marcella. "You all know that Ron is my best friend," Kim announced, "and the rest of you seemed to want a word with him. Trust me, he's heard me speak my mind so ladies, I will leave it up to you."
For several long seconds nobody said anything. Finally Bonnie started it. "Why?" She asked.
"Why what?" Asked Ron.
"Why leave? Why are you leaving the squad now, when we have a competition over the Holiday Break? Why leave us with a brand new mascot and no time to train her?" Bonnie was growling the words.
Ron took a deep breath. "I didn't intend to let the squad down. I just thought that I wasn't that bad of an athlete and I wanted to prove it. So I found a team that I could join without bringing it down. It turns out that I'm the best this school can put on the mat at 132, so I'm going to contribute."
"What about us?" Bonnie asked. "What about our team?"
Ron spoke before he had a full grip on his temper. "What about you? I seem to remember about six months of you making sure I knew that you never wanted a mascot in the first place. Then about a year and a half of you making sure I knew that I was the last person you wanted in that suit. Now you've gotten your wish, aren't you happy?"
It was complete silence for several long seconds. Bonnie was unable to meet Ron's eyes. Finally Hope spoke up.
"I'll admit that some of us," a hard look at Bonnie, "gave you a rough time. But you've put in over two years! Doesn't two years with this team mean anything to you?"
By now Ron's temper was well up and he wasn't even trying to control it. "Team? It sure wasn't my team! I came in here and gave you the best I had for over two years. What did I get in return? My teammates won't even acknowledge I exist when we aren't performing routines or practicing. In fact the only time my teammates ever acknowledged me during practice was when I screwed up, and then they could only tell me what an idiot and buffoon I was. Competitions were even better. How many times did I hear my teammates tell the other squads that I was only there because I was the captain's best friend? The trips were the best yet. Kim was the only one who would even sit near me on the busses and vans! Why? Do I have body odor? I don't think so since you only told me that I stunk in a figurative sense. Did I talk too much? I don't think so since I learned fairly early on to never say anything. So why did my teammates, with the exception of the friend I had before I started, never want anything to do with me?"
Ron stood there looking at the five girls. Now none of them, not even Kim, seemed willing to meet his eyes. Time ticked on. Finally Ron got tired of it all. "Fine," he said, "since you are asking me why I am doing this I'll be the self-centered, childish jerk you all consider me."
Looking around, Ron spotted a dry-erase board, with some pens, hung on a nearby wall. He strode to the board and grabbed one of the pens. He drew a vertical line down the center of the board then wrote a "W" at the top of the board, on one side of the line and a "C" on the other side.
"Let's score this out," he said. "First lets talk about making me a good teammate. When I screwed up, the cheerleaders told me how worthless I was. The wrestlers tell me what I have to do to be better." Ron put an "X" on the "W" side of the line. "Next comes recognition. When I do well, the other wrestlers tell me I've done a good job. You know pats on the back and handshakes? The cheerleaders just ignored me." Ron put another "X" on the "W" side. "Now lets talk about friendship. You might have heard about my little tussle in D Hall a month back? Two of my teammates stepped up and backed me up. Whenever I so much as said hello in the hall to one of my cheerleader teammates, you would just glare at me for having the gall to speak to you." A third "X" joined the other two. Ron put the pen back then turned to look at the squad again.
"Can any of you," he asked, "really say that you would stay with this squad if you were in my shoes?"
None of the cheerleaders said a word. A couple of lower lips quivered. Ron regained control of his temper.
"I really want this squad to do well." He told them. "I'm willing to keep working with the new mascot if you all think that it will help. The fact is that I am a pretty good wrestler and I enjoy the sport. My teammates want me around and think that I'm going to be an asset to the team. So I'm sticking with them."
Nobody seemed to have anything to say so Ron, with a voice quivering with his emotions, asked, "Kim, can we go now? I've got things I want to do, and I'm sure that all of you do as well."
"Does anybody have anything to say?" Kim asked, in a very weak voice. Nobody did, so Kim said, "so that's it then. Our next practice is Monday, and we have a game to perform at on Wednesday."
"Good luck, everyone." Said Ron. Then he headed to the Locker Room without a backward glance.
For several minutes after he left, nobody on the squad either moved or spoke. Some shoes were shuffled and some sniffles were heard. Finally Tara spoke up. "The wrestler's have a home match on Tuesday. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to see how my teammate does with his new team."