KP in Tough Being a Girl

Ever wonder where Kim and Ron would be if Ron had been born a GIRL and still knew each other from since Pre-K? And then one day while visiting a top-secret lab to stop Drakken, she becomes the male Ron we all know and love? What would happen? What would any natural-born girl, stuck forever as a guy do? Read on to find out!

Chapter 21: Best Friend Nightmares

Kim's alarm clock goes off and she groans softly before she wakes up just enough to hit the snooze button with her hand. She pulls the sheets back over her head as she tries to back to sleep until the next time her alarm would go off.

Kim couldn't remember why in her sleepy state but half of her wanted to go right back to where it was warm, comfortable…peaceful. The other half was sluggishly thinking about the things she'd need to do when her alarm clock would wake up.

Kim knew she would have to do her usual routine of showering, getting dressed, getting her schoolwork together, eating breakfast and then… it was then that her brain finally woke up enough to override any need for the warmth and comfort of her bed as she bolts up in her bed with eyes wide and cries out, "Ron!" with her sheets flying off her to land in a mess at the foot of her bed.

Kim leaps from her bed and spins to grab the phone, noticing that her Pandaroo was on the floor. It had been thrown there along with her sheets but she hadn't slept with Pandaroo in quite some time so that meant someone gave it to her. Only she couldn't remember when that had happened.

Suddenly, "Kim? Is that you? Is everything all right?" came from downstairs and she knew that it was her mother. She says, "Yes Mom, I… just had a bad dream. That's all."

Kim's mother enters the room and Kim could see that she looked apprehensive about whatever was upsetting her.

Mrs. Possible says, "A bad dream? Do you want to talk about it?"

Kim grabs the phone and pauses as she holds it in her hand, wondering if she should bother her best friend with the dream… no, a horrible nightmare that she had. She could see that her mother was there and willing to listen. It took only one glance at the clock to know that Ron would probably still be asleep.

Kim sighs and puts the phone back where it belonged before she sits down on the bed and says, "This… nightmare I had…" She brings her hands up to rest on the sides of her head as her mother sits down beside her and says, "I dreamed that Ronnie… I mean Ron got forced to become the boyfriend of that witch Bonnie and then…"

Mrs. Possible says, "Kimmie… honey, that was no dream."

Kim's head whips towards her mother, eyes wide in shock as she says, "Then… Ron really is the boyfriend of Bonnie?"

Kim grabs the phone and says, "I can't believe that I allowed Ron to go home with her! Who knows what kind of trouble she's gotten into since then! I've got to call him!" She didn't even realize that she was mixing up her best friend's gender in her freaked out state.

Mrs. Possible lays her hand on Kim and says, "Kim, wait before you call there is something that you need to know."

Kim stops as there was something in her mother's tone of voice that told her that she should listen. She says, "What is it Mom?" She still has the phone in her hand as she waits for her mother to continue.

Mrs. Possible says, "I called Mr. Stoppable and he told me some stuff I think you should know."

Kim gets a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her that she didn't want to know what her mother was going to say but the part of her that was so very concerned about her best friend, the one that she'd known all her life and shared so much with wanted to know almost desperately. It was as if that somehow once she knew, she could work towards a solution and help somehow. After all, wasn't her motto that she could do anything?

Mrs. Possible says, "Apparently Ron didn't take to being Bonnie's boyfriend and well… I don't think you'll be seeing Bonnie around Ron for a few days."

Kim thinks, "YES!" cheerfully but for some reason the expression on her mother's face didn't suggest that there was any good news to follow.

Mrs. Possible could tell by her daughter's face that she had obviously thought that the news was good but she hated to tell her what became of it. She sighs and says, "Ron isn't going to go on any missions with you."

Kim is shocked and says as tears fill her eyes, "W-why? How could she do this to us?!"

Mrs. Possible wraps her arms around Kim to hug her before she says, "Ronnie lost her… I mean Ron lost his temper when Bonnie tried to kiss him in front of his parents and then he said some stuff. I don't know what, he wouldn't tell me but it resulted in Ron locking himself in his room and his mother forbidding to have anything to do with you if you're going to influence him not to listen to his own mother."

Kim looks at her mother and says, "What about school? I can still see her then can't I?"

Mrs. Possible nods, "She knows that Ron can't miss school but she's ordered Ron to not speak to you. I don't think that Ron will do that will to his best friend but be careful. If Bonnie learns of it, she could pull Ron out of school or get a court order that you stay away from Ron."

Kim shakes her head and says, "Why Mom! Why is Ron's mother so against me!" She softly pounds her fist into her mother's shoulder, not enough to hurt but just the action of it felt somewhat helpful for her.

Mrs. Possible says, "I asked him that and he says that it isn't exactly that she has a problem with you. It is just that she doesn't think Ron will grow into a man with you around. Her concern is that you still see her as the girl who was your best friend since Pre-K and that you'll never accept Ron as the boy he has now become."

Kim pulls back to look at her mother, trying to determine what her own mother thought about all this but all she could see was sadness. She thinks about her actions, her words towards her best friend and on some level she could see how it looked like she was still fighting the fact that Ronnie was now a boy.

Kim knew that on some level, if she ever fully accepted Ronnie as a guy then her dream, where she was dancing with Ron would come true. She wasn't sure she was quite ready to accept that she was in love with her best friend because it meant that she was willing to let go of the person that she'd been so tight with for so long to be replaced with someone she would have to get to know all over again.

As if reading Kim's thoughts, her mother says, "You know what I learned the hard way long ago?" She pauses to get Kim's full attention and says before Kim can answer even though the question was in the eyes, "It doesn't matter what they look like on the outside because they're still going to be the same person you know and love… ok, maybe a little different but that comes with the territory of switching genders but I want you to keep an open mind honey."

Mrs. Possible brings a hand up to Kim's cheek as she looks into her daughter's eyes and says, "I used to have a friend who went to change their gender, during my early college years. It hurt… because I thought that meant things had to change between us and it didn't but by the time I realized that… I lost a friend."

She could see Kim's surprise on her face as she had never told anyone in her family about this or that she'd even known someone who'd gone for such surgery. She takes a breath and says, "Kim… I don't want you to lose your best friend just because you're trying to hold onto the past and I'm not saying that you shouldn't, but you need to allow yourself to build a future upon it or… you won't have a future with Ron."

Mrs. Possible stands as she says, "I don't think you want to lose Ron, do you? I don't know what to do about Ron's mother but maybe you should try to at least try to accept Ron for whatever she… he… is before you lose your friend?" She looks at her daughter sadly for the longest time.

Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing! It almost sounded like her mother was telling her to… she couldn't be! Could she? She had to admit that there were times when it was tense because she wouldn't treat Ron as anything other than Ronnie, as if she needed to know that somehow her old friend wasn't gone forever.

Kim thinks about what happened at Bueno Nacho for a minute before she jumps up to her feet before her mother, tears still in her eyes before she says loudly, "What about what my friend wants? How do I know which to call my best friend? Do I just forget all these years and accept that Ronnie is gone forever? How can I be asked to do that?"

Mrs. Possible shakes her head and says, "Honey, I'm not asking you to forget Ronnie. I'm asking you to build from Ronnie the foundation for who will become Ron. Don't you think the reason you don't know which way to call Ron or Ronnie is because Ronnie/Ron is confused as well?"

Kim shakes her head and says, "What does all that mean!?!?"

Mrs. Possible says, "I think on some level, Ron wants to still be Ronnie because you want Ronnie."

Kim clutches at the phone tightly as she says, "I can't believe this! You're siding with Ronnie's mother!"

Mrs. Possible raises her hand, causing Kim to flinch but she uses her hand to only hold out a finger as if to point before she says, "Now wait a second young lady! I am most certainly NOT agreeing with that horrible woman! I am doing this because I don't see any other way to let you keep Ron in your life! I am doing this all for you!"

Mrs. Possible lowers her hand to point at the phone and says, "If you call Ron right now, you'll find out the same things I've told you! Only, Ron won't be able to tell you that he's staying as Ronnie for you! Mr. Stoppable told me that Ron talked in his sleep and said that Ron was asking you which to be! Ron or Ronnie? He wants your permission to be whoever you want him to be!"

Kim staggers back for a moment as she takes in the fact that her friend's confusion could all be her fault! She shakes her head, "No! I can't believe it! Nooo!" She runs past her mother, leaping down the stairs that lead to the next floor and surprising her father who had come to see how things were going.

Mr. Possible says, "Kim?" which gets a hard look from his daughter before she runs into the bathroom and slams the door shut moments before the door could be heard locking.

Kim holds herself with the phone still in her hand as she says, "No… It can't be my fault that Ron is hurting…" She curls up for a moment before the antennae of the phone pokes into her cheek.

Kim looks at the phone for the longest time, wondering how it happened to be in her hand before she thinks, "I… need to talk to Ron. Will she… no, Mom's right… I need to let go of Ronnie…"

She closes her eyes and remembers all the things that the two of them had done together over her life and thinks, "Can I really let go of Ronnie? Or is there a way I can have both? Is my best friend both now? Ronnie with a guy's mind and body for the rest of…" She couldn't even finish the thought as she couldn't even decide if it was for his or her life.

A moment later there is a soft knock at the door and her mother's voice filters through, "Kim, please come out. Your father and I just want to help."

Kim was still angry and hurting as she shouts, "If you want to help then get Bonnie away from my Ron! He should be my boyfriend, not Bonnie's!"

Tim and Jim were outside the door as well and hear Kim's words. They both only have to look at each other to see that they had the same thought before running off without saying another word.

Kim's parents were too preoccupied with Kim being in the bathroom to notice them running off and if they'd known what the twins had in mind, they would have stopped them.

Kim shouts again, "Please! Just leave me alone! I'll come out when I want to!"

Mr. Possible says, "Ok, we'll give you some space but come out before its time for school. Ron will be there, I think he would be happy to see you."

Mrs. Possible whispers, "I don't think that's helping honey…" before she turns to the door and says, "Please come out in 30 minutes, otherwise you won't have time for breakfast before school."

Kim doesn't say anything for the longest time before she shouts, "Ok!" in an somewhat angry voice.

Mr. Possible steers his wife away from the door as he softly says, "Lets just give her some time… I'm sure she'll be ok." Even though his wife looked less than certain about that.

Kim just stares at the door for a moment as her parents walk away before she turns her attention to the phone in her hand. There was a clock on the countertop, which came in handy when you have a doctor in the family and so she saw that it would be about the right time for Ron to be up.

Kim softly whispers with tears flowing down her cheeks, "What do I do? I don't want to lose Ronnie… but I don't want to lose you either Ron…" She leans forward to rest her head against the phone in her hands as she tries to think about what to say.

Suddenly the phone goes off in her hand and since it was her own line, she jerks her head up sharply to see that it was Ron on the caller I.D. and once she saw that she couldn't press the talk button fast enough!

Kim says breathlessly, "Ron?" as she brings the phone up to her ear. Her heart skips a beat in her chest as she hears Ron's voice with some false cheerfulness in his voice as he says, "Hey Kim! I just thought… um, that I'd call and see how… yeah, you're doing this morning. I know we didn't part on too good terms last night…"

Kim says, "Ron… wait, we're fine. It is ok really. I wasn't really mad at you. It was Bonnie and your mother."

Kim could imagine Ron nodding on the other end before she hears him say, "Yeah… about that, I didn't like what happened either and it kind of got me in some hot water."

Kim says, "Ron… I know, my Mom told me that you can't talk to me or go on any missions with me…" before Ron says, "Yeah, well I talked to her and she agreed that I can go on missions since they help save the world and all. She's also agreed that we can talk again some which won't make Bonnie happy when she learns of it."

Kim smiles for the first time since she woke up and says, "Really? Yes! I could kiss you Ron!" She then blushes as she hopes that no one could hear her outside the door before a thought pops in her head, "You already shouted that you want Ron as your boyfriend, I doubt that they'd object to that." This only makes her blush even more deeply in the end.

Kim glances at the clock and sees that she has to get ready for school soon if she wants to be able to chat with Ron in person. She hated to cut the conversation short but she really wanted to be able to see her best friend in person at that moment and she wasn't going to do it sitting in her bathroom.

Kim says, "Um, hey Ron… Is there anything else you want to tell me? I still need to do some stuff before I head to school." She waits for what seems like a long time but really was a moment or two before she hears him say over the phone, "Um, sure Kim. I guess we can talk more later on. I just wanted to see if we were square… that's all."

Kim smiles as she says, "Ron, we are best friends and we've been that way since Pre-K. I'll always be your friend, now and forever! Even if your mother doesn't like it!" She just had to say that last bit as she was still miffed at Mrs. Stoppable for doing all this in the first place.

Kim hears Ron say with a bit of his natural cheerful charm in his voice, "Yeah, best friends forever KP!" After that she hangs up and rushes out of the bathroom to go grab her clothes from the upstairs. She figured she still had time to grab a quick shower and she didn't want to go to school all smelly!

Kim quickly grabs some clothes from her closet and runs down into the bathroom, which she'd been locked in earlier. She manages to take a quick enough shower and even find the time to dry her hair before she comes out all dressed and goes down the stairs just in time to find her father reading the newspaper in the kitchen like usual with her mother serving breakfast.

Kim sails into the room with her backpack full of the stuff she needed for school and surprising her parents with her cheerful attitude. She eats her food quickly as her mother asks, "Kim, I don't mean to pry… but why are you so happy?"

Kim stops eating and says, "Because Ron called me while I was in the bathroom and told me that he could go on missions with me!" She looks at her watch and says, "Oops! I gotta go if I'm going to catch Ron!" She leaps up and kisses her mother on the cheek, and then her father before she quickly says, "Bye! I love you both!" before disappearing out the door, leaving two very confused parents.

AN: Well everyone, I hope you like this chapter! Poor Kim wakes up to find out that it wasn't all a dream! What did you all think about the way I had Kim reacting throughout this whole chapter? I know it seems a little 'UnDisney" (I know that's not a word) but hey, it gives it that sense of a real, yet loving family right? Kim didn't get to find out everything from her friend so be prepared for surprises. Don't you just LOVE the confusion with Kim's parents? As for Bonnie and Mrs. Stoppable... don't worry, I've got stuff planned for them that will make all of you very happy but it won't come just yet.
Bonnie will show up in the NEXT chapter so for those of you who have Bonnie voo-doo dolls, get them all ready! (For those who have made some for Mrs. Stoppable too, let me know and I'll give you warning too.)