Well Louis here, and I have to say that following behind John is a real challenge. My volume isn't quite as high but hopefully the content is pretty good. Its a great honor to get to work on a GWA colaboration. I hope I'm up to snuff! Thanks for tuning in and let us know what you think!
- A Cofee Caper-
Middleton, late afternoon
A loud creek popped the silent bubble that had expanded through the quaint little tree house that afternoon. The last few hours of school had somehow eked their way up the worn smooth rungs of the tree ladder and lazily plopped themselves on the dinghy blue sofa, strongly determined to lie down never to return to the land of the living. A gray tattered nap sack sprawled at the sofa's foot, its contents poking just visibly out of a few tares in the canvas bag. The quiet tree house audibly groaned, or maybe that was just Ron Stoppable.
One creamy lithe hand reached up from below followed by another, together gripping the sides of the trap door. The two hands contorted, their muscles and tendons visibly tightening as the top of a beautiful mane of auburn fire hovered quickly upward followed by two blazing emerald eyes. They stopped only momentarily as one of the hands quickly snapped back only to sling forward again, tossing a matching grey canvas backpack over head, it flew through the air and landed next to its mate with a loud thud obviously laden with a greater load than the former. Swiftly she climbed the rest of the way up pausing only to close the wooden door behind her before she half skipped over to the sofa itself.
Kim Possible stopped, hands on her hips, to look down at the lifeless figure sprawled on the couch. Two heavy lids parted slightly, actually just barely enough for their owner to peek out from under his eyes lashes to see the female figure looming overhead.
He thought for only a moment, wonder if she can tell that I'm awake.
"I know you're awake."
Darn. Silently he folded his legs up from their sprawled position making room for his girl to sit at the other end of the sofa. She plopped down at the gesture exhaling deeply as she settled thoughtfully quiet for a few minutes.
"Ronnie?"
He silently groaned inside. The infamous 'Ronnie'. Without a doubt this had become the unquestionable sign that she had something on her mind, something that he would have no choice but to succumb to. The infamous 'Ronnie' had gained lofty power, almost as lofty and potent as the Puppy Dog Pout itself! Maybe he could play it cool.
"Yes my Kimilla?"
She scowled slightly. Not a dark icy scowl, just a slight tweak, a scowl that revealed obvious exterior disdain, but also hinted that deep down she loved the nickname just as much as her best friend turned boyfriends favorite 'KP'. Only her Ron could get away with that. She smirked and looked over at her sprawled BF out of the corner of her eye.
"So how far along are you on that essay Mr. Barkin assigned yesterday?" Kim folded her arms and turned to face him, her hair fluttering to the left side of her face.
"I love it when your hair does the flippy!" A cheesy grin spread accompanying the mediocre attempt to avoid the question.
"Not gonna work there Mr. Smooth Operator." Ron winced as Kim barred down on him. "You've got to start taking school more seriously Ron." Her hard stare had already melted into a face of concern.
"Ah common KP, we haven't been out of the class room for even twenty minutes yet." His hands found the sides of the worn out cushions and pushed himself into a more upright position readying him self for an onslaught.
"Ronnie," Kim's eyes turned almost glossy as she wiggled close enough to place a hand gently on Ron's forearm. "I just want you to reach your full potential, besides, college would sure be lonely," she looked away pretending to speak to a far off person.
"Aww no fair!"
"Well if you don't want to go to college with me." Kim smirked as she sneaked a peak back at Ron, deliberately making eye contact with him. He crossed his arms and lowered his brow in defeat.
"Aww Common Kim! I've been really stepping up lately! I even got on the football team!" Ron's voice tittered on the edge of whining.
"I know Ron." She placed her hands on his shoulders again. "And I'm so proud of you! I'm just afraid you're superb football ability may not be enough to get you the edge you need for college! I know that's the ONLY reason you joined the football team." She looked at him half smirking. "Especially since you know that I don't care about dating a jock, I care about being with you…in college." Kim smiled full on as she saw her boyfriend squirming internally.
"Fine, I'll work on it tonight." He slumped back letting out a long sigh.
"Great idea! I'll call Monique! We can go to Starcups and make an evening of it!" Kim smiled as she reached down and pulled the Kimunicator from her backpack.
Ron threw up an exclamatory index finger but between his brain, his mouth, and an eyeful of an almost boyfriend melting smile emanating from his girlfriend he was lost for words. Finally he settled back with his arms folded again grumbling. I swear Rufus buddy, sure wish you were here. How can this girl go from girly girlfriend to hardcore heroine and back in a blink of an eye? He stopped mumbling to himself almost shouting. "You know coffee gives me bad dreams!"
Kim looked up from the Kimunicator and smirked at Ron incredulously. "Seriously Ron, do I look like a synthodrone to you?
He scowled and folded his arms tighter, "No…I'm just saying…the whole melting thing was kind of freaky…", his grumbling was cut short as two hands pulled his face over behind a curtain of auburn and laid down some serious lip lock. She released him with an audible lip smack and went back to her handheld. The freckles on his face twanged as his mouth spread into a goofy grin.
Kim smiled at her best friend-boyfriend as she dialed Monique. "So not the Drama Ronnie, no melting here." Ron couldn't respond, his brain was too busy rebooting.
"Oh snap, Monique's at work. She sent me a text message though, said she'd meet up with us later." She looked over at Ron. "We should get going."
The grin was still plastered on his face, "Whatever you say Kimilla." With that the redhead was down the tree house latter, her blonde boy floating dreamily behind her.
"Couldn't we study at Bueno Nacho?"
"No Ron. I need coffee!"
Columbia, a small coffee shop
"Eye laddie, nae like a good cup a'joe to sooth the soul." Duff Killigan's lips pursed at the brim of his cup. The hot coffee made an obnoxious slurping sound as the short Scotsman took a long draught. Several small children giggled from the corner of the room as they peaked from around the service counter of the small dirt floored shop. He scowled as he noticed their giggling through the steam floating upward from his cup. Donna undastand why wee tikes donna appreciate a kilt nowadays?
"Well Mr. Killigan, I do enjoy a good cup before work, nothing like a black cup of coffee to get the day started." A needley middle-aged man sat across from the bearded golfer. "What I don't understand is why you've called me down here to Columbia."
Killigan grinned, his dark eyes almost dancing with mirth. "Well Lad, I've come to be needing a bit of hand with a rather large plan I've dreamt up." He repositioned himself on the tall stool and leaned in secretively. "See I've been, how do yee say, investing in the coffee industry and ma plan is a wee larger in scope then I first anticipated."
"Well I'm not sure my schedule would permit involvement with an evil plot at this time." Hank sat his cup down on the little round table and reached into his pants pocket digging for his day planner. A second later he was flipping through it, a pencil in one hand, the other flipping through the pages. "I'm tutoring on Tuesdays, a wedding on Wednesday. Thursday looks open except for my Sudoku tournament. Oh how I do love a good word game!"
Killigan's face darkened slightly in annoyance. "Eye lad, yee do keep y'self booked now don't yee."
"Well as I've said before, I'm a self starter Mr. Killigan." Hank laid the little book on the table and took up his coffee again.
"I just need a part time commitment lad. I'm sure we can make the venture worth your while." The shorter man grinned a yellowish grin and rubbed his fingers together implying a financial opportunity.
"Hmm. Well I do believe I can free up a few hours in the mornings." Hank grinned as the dollar signs lit up in his minds eye.
"Mornings will be perfect." The bearded golfer raised his cup to his lips and too another long draught, his eyes closed in relaxation. He smiled as he looked back at Hank again and grinned.
"So just what did you have in mind Mr. Killigan?"
"Ah Lad, how would you like to invest in a nice commodity?"
"I'm all about investments! I've actually already started a lucrative 401k plan for my early retirement. The temp agency took care of all the paperwork."
"Well Lad, I've been try'n to corner the coffee market for the past week and I think you'll appreciate the opportunity." The two cohorts set their cups down almost in unison.
"You have my undivided attention Mr. Killigan!" Hank clapped his hands together and rubbed them back and forth greedily.
Starcups, that evening
'What would you like Ron? Kim stood, her hands on the counter as she looked back over her shoulder at her boy. A young woman, maybe in her mid twenties, stood behind the register patiently waiting for the younger teens order. She wrapped her fingers around the backside of the register head and glanced out at the nearly empty coffee shop. Kim could tell the poor girl had obviously had a long shift and was trying to be patient.
"Kim, we've been over this before, not a whole lot here at Starcups I like." Ron stepped up next to her just close enough that his hip brushed against her own. Kim smiled a tiny smile as she looked down at her hands on the counter; shifting her weight ever so slightly she leaned into Ron's side, her arm pressing into him purposely. Pulling a curtain of auburn away from her eyes she looked back up at the waitress.
"I'll take a large hazelnut coffee, black, and he'll have a hot chocolate, with marshmallows." She paused and looked him in the eyes. He caught her smile and returned it gently as he pulled his wallet out of the rear pocket of his cargos and handed a ten-dollar bill to the waitress.
"We'll take two chocolate chip cookies also please." Ron looked back at Kim almost oblivious to the tray that was set down before them. The waitress stepped away from the two for a few moments and returned holding two freshly poured drinks. She sat the cups and two paper wrapped cookies on the tray and slid it forward.
"The hot chocolate is no problem but let me tell you now, that was our last, and I do mean absolutely last cup of coffee." The woman blew a lock of hair from her face and leaned against the counter as if she was exhausted.
"No big, I think we're all but done anyway." She looked at her watch not giving the odd shortage of coffee a second thought and then turned to head back to the table with Ron.
"You didn't have to do that Ronnie" Kim smiled as Ron picked the tray up and led her back to a corner booth.
"Kim, Kim, Kim. How many times do I have to go over this with you?" Kim sat down and scooted around the round table allowing Ron to put the tray down and clamber in behind her. "Now that we're dating the Ron man has got to step it up. Got to treat the ladies right!" Ron grinned and splayed his hands out as it smoothing an imaginary line.
"Ladies?" Kim's eyebrows arched as she pickup her coffee and pulled a textbook up to her seat. Books and papers lay sprawled on the table along with several empty Styrofoam cups and pencils.
"Um…I mean…to say…that is…" Ron squirmed. A single bead of sweat formed at his temple.
"Relax Romeo." Kim snuggled in closer to his side forcing Ron to almost instinctively wrap an arm around her shoulders. She spoke softly as he held her gently. "As much as I like you the way you are, the new surprises I'm learning about you are kinda nice too. Kim looked at him smiling softly, her green eyes almost sparkling as he stared back at her in wonder. The wonder left his face turning into a gentle smile of his own; he leaned in closer to her with his own soft words barely escaping. "KP its been a really great summer, I know schools gonna be badical this year too. I…"
"Good thing lover boy got a job or he might have been buying you coffee with a coupon girlfriend!"
The two snapped out of their small little world and spoke in unison. 'Monique!"
Kim grinned "Jinx you owe me a..." Ron cut her offer and landed a peck on her lips quickly enough to catch her off guard.
"Awe common you two, get a room." Monique grinned and sat down in one of the corner booths seats nearly across from the couple. "Sorry I'm late, work was a killer today."
"No big Mon. We were just getting back to a paper than Ron is working on." Kim smiled at Ron as he scowled and pulled a spiral pad out of a stack of books.
Monique smirked and sat down across from the two on the outside of the booth. "Don't you mean the paper you're writing for him."
Ron had already returned to the half finished sentence he had been writing before he weaseled his way back up to the service counter with Kim. The period finally found its place at the end of the line of text as he grumbled under is breath. "Yeah right, not with this slave driver."
"What was that Ron?" Kim scowled.
"Nothing KP." Ron smiled a toothy grin as he stroked well into the next paragraph.
"Woe. What have you done with our Ron baby girl?" Monique's eyes widened at the fast and furious penciling of Ron Stoppable.
Kim smiled innocently, "Nothing at all Mon, Ron just needed the right motivation to reach his full potential. Isn't that right potential boy?"
"Yeah sure." Ron grumbled as he lifted his cup to his lips and gulped some of the chocolaty liquid.
"Anyway, did you want some coffee or something Mon?"
"Nah I haven't got paid yet this week and this place is kinda pricy. I'm just here for the study session.
"Yeah, I kinda know what you mean. The prices do seem higher than I remember."
The conversation dwindled from there as the three friends dove into their studies for the next couple of hours. Ron amazingly finished his essay just a few minutes before one of the wait staff had stopped by their table to inform them that it was fifteen minutes to closing time. It was a good thing too for Kim had lost track of time and the two of them had to make a mad dash to get back to the Possible residence. Ron spun his scooter through the drive way and let Kim off on the sidewalk with only a minute to spare before curfew which left just enough time for a long goodnight kiss. Kim smiled brightly at Ron as she pulled away and clutched her backpack to her chest as she reluctantly stepped backwards away from the scooter towards the front door of her home. Ron smiled gently and wriggled his fingers in a goofy wave and slowly walked the scooter to the end of her driveway. Kim entered the door and spun around to lean on the doorsill as she watched her boyfriend putter down the cul-de-sac on the tired little scooter. She sighed contently and stepped back. She couldn't think of a better end to a perfect evening.
The Next Morning
Kim's eyes fluttered open just in time to hear the electronic click of her alarm clock preparing to blast her with it's annoying wakeup call. Almost reflexively the blanket flew back as a lithe feminine arm snapped out crushing down the snooze button on top of the brightly colored clock. She rolled to her side, sliding her free arm under the pillow, her face pressed into it, leaving just one eye exposed to the blinding red digital numbers of her cuddle buddy alarm clock. Slowly her brain came to life just awake enough to contemplate the reason why she still had the almost preschool looking clock.
She told everyone that it was the only clock she'd ever found that was loud and annoying enough to successfully wake her in the morning. In reality, clinging to her pandaroo plush a little tighter, the truth be know she just couldn't stand to part with the lavender clock, no matter how childish it looked. Childish, that got her thinking in other directions. Wonder if Ron is awake. No. Couldn't be. I'm barely awake. Coffee.
She sighed and finally found the gumption to force her limbs to operate. Slowly the soles of her bare feet found the cool floor causing her toes to wriggle as they scrambled to pull the loose cuffs of her pajama pants under the edges of her feet for some protection from the cold. Kim rubbed her sleep-laden eyes, made a halfhearted attempt to rake her fingers through her hair, and then groggily made her way to the steps exiting her loft.
Ten little toes hung off the edge of each step, the smalls of her feet fitting perfectly into the worn smooth centers of the stained wood as she made her way down. Kim could barley see as she shielded her eyes from the light that blazed from the kitchen. Stumbling she made her way though the doorway and stepped foot onto the cold linoleum floor.
Kim cringed as she padded over to the kitchen counter and reached up to the cupboard. Grabbing her favorite glass mug, it somehow found its way back into the cupboard everyday, I've got to remember to thank mom for being so awesome, she reached for the coffee pot and brought the two together to meet for their ritual coffee cup to coffee pot relationship.
The two glass pieces came to a screeching halt just barley clanking together. Something was amiss. Kim lifted the coffee pot up to eye level as her cup tilted limply in her other hand. Her usually bright green eyes seemed like big dingy saucers as she peered through the empty transparent container. Her frizzy hair bounced on her head as she rotated in place one foot after another as she looked out into the kitchen like it was large new scary place in which she had been abruptly dumped into. As if providence Mrs. Possible chose this very minute to walk back into the kitchen carrying a hot cup of tea. She herself looked the part of a displaced foreigner as her fuzzy bathrobe trailed behind her.
"Mom…?" Kim's voice was almost desperate, pleading as if her mother would be a one source of comfort in this strange frightening world. She held the empty coffee pot out in the direction of her mother in hope that somehow she could repair it as if it was cracked and leaking.
"Sorry Kimmie, we're all out and for some reason all of the stores in Middleton are backordered on almost all coffee brands." Mrs. Possible pulled the tea bag out of her cup and tossed it in the under counter waste can. "There's always tea."
Kim's lip jutted out in the most pitiful pout ever mustered. "Oh no…" She almost whimpered.
Down the street at the other end of the neighborhood a blonde haired, freckle faced young man snapped wide-awake in almost silent realization. "Oh snap!"
Well I hope everyone likes the first part of my addition to our senior year collaboration. Now that Season 4 is finally hear things seem really exciting a fresh! I'm trying to incorporate bits a peices from season 4. Hopefully our efforts might seem like they could fit into the show without contradicting it too much. Let us know what you think and thanks for reading! I'll conclude my peice asap!