Chapter Two

"Any idea what was taken, Wade?" Kim asked.

"You're not going to like it." he answered.

"I never do." Kim replied, dodging students on her way to Psychology class.

"The Amulet of Anubis." Wade said with a straight face.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Isn't anything original going to happen this year? Attitudintors, Bonnie, Walter Nelson and his Diablo Bot? I mean, something new would be nice!" she ranted.

"Can I continue?" Wade asked. Kim nodded. "The good news is that the scroll that gave the Jackal his powers was destroyed when Jackie Oakes read from it last time."

"So we're only dealing with supernatural strength. Great." Kim retorted. "So how's SADIE doing?"

The return to tech talk from mystical madness perked Wade up instantly. "Great! Although she needed a new hull, all of her inner workings were intact. Dr. Freeman was able to fit most of her accessories into a new fuel efficient hybrid."

"Spankin'!" Kim exclaimed, then cast a suspicious eye on him. "And how are you and Joss?"

"Uh, well, you know..." Wade stammered. She assumed that her Uncle Slim would undoubtedly be giving Wade as hard a time as her own father would give any boy, but she couldn't help it. She had seen so much of herself in Joss that she almost felt like a little sister. And Kim's natural protectiveness was kicking in. "We, uhm, talk..." Wade finished with a nervous smile.

"Just talk?" Kim asked as she reached her class. If Joss was anything like her, they were probably doing a little more than talking. "At least she's getting you out of your room... right?"

Wade seemed to calm suddenly. "Y'know, I never realized how much dust was on a ranch. I think I've lost ten pounds chasing horses at the Lazy C."

"That's my cousin." Kim grinned. "Keep an eye out for Camille, will you?"

"You bet, Kim." Wade acknowledged as his picture winked out. She opened the door to her Psychology class and as usual, was met by Professor Justin Credible.

"I see you made it onto the news once again, Ms. Possible. Should I be guarding my wallet?" he asked.

Kim hid her annoyance at the Professor. Was this how Ron had felt dealing with Mr. Barkin throughout High School? "No big, Professor Credible. Just a big mix up." she smiled. In truth, if not for Wade and his attention to detail and computer skills, Kim could have been in big trouble. Her reputation had been severely tarnished last semester during her and Ron's rampage across America. Fortunately, Wade had been able to expose Camille with the museum's security cameras.

"I'm sure." Professor Credible answered as Kim took her seat. A few more students filed in behind her and the Professor immediately began his lecture. "Today, I'll be speaking about grief. What causes it, and how people deal with it. From the 'I can't afford this jacket' grief, to the loss of a loved one." he said, pacing back and forth at the front of the class. "You will be expected to turn in a paper on an example in your own life about an event that cause grief, how it affected you, and how you dealt with it, so pay attention."

Kim almost choked. "This should be a piece of cake." she whispered to herself.

"You have something to add, Ms. Possible?" Professor Credible asked. "Or do you assume that because you save the world that you know better than anyone else in this class about grief?"

Kim blushed. "I... no..."

"Tell me, who in this class has lost a loved one?" Professor Credible asked, putting up his own hand and noting most other students doing the same. "How about suffered from a debilitating illness, or taken care of someone who has?" he asked, still holding up his own hand.

"Does being mind switched or threatened with turning into a void of nothingness count?" Kim asked, suddenly feeling very small.

"Ah, humor." Professor Credible said with a straight face. "Take note everyone. Humor is one of only a few common ways that we as humans use to handle grief."

Kim couldn't help but sink even lower into her chair.

Kim arrived home, pulled off her coat and shoes and slumped down on the couch. Ron would still be at work that night as it was an extra discount day at Smarty Mart. She laid still for awhile, her slender legs hanging over the arm of the couch as she stared up at the ceiling. While Lonnie Rockewaller was a pain in the neck cheer captain, she was still a Rockewaller, and thus had all the explanation she needed. Professor Credible though...

Had she given him a funny look like Ron had given Barkin? What was his problem? She couldn't imagine what would cause him to seemingly despise her so much. Picking up her Psychology text, Kim flipped through the pages until she reached the assigned reading material. "How to deal with grief." she said aloud.

Her own grandfather Possible had passed away when she was only eight and she had hardly really known him. Her mother's parents had died so long ago that she hadn't known them at all.

She thought of Ron, and all the times that he had gone missing during their missions together. Of how she felt when Erik had betrayed her and just recently when she thought Ron had as well. She had always faced it head on, got it over with, and got on with her life.

Kim smiled. She had faced grief, despite what Professor Credible said. She had known pain, she faced life and death decisions every day!

Kim's thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. "Hello?" Kim answered, picking up the portable from the back of the couch.

"Surprise, girl!"

"Monique?!" Kim asked, sitting up and tossing her notes to the floor. "How have you been?!" she squealed.

"Upperton University is da bomb! Things are going awesome. In fact, you're speaking to the new head manager of Upperton's very own Club Banana shopping center." Monique laughed. "How are you and Ron?" she asked slyly. "Imagine my surprise when I looked up both your phone numbers and found they were the same."

Kim could hear the grin in Monique's voice. "Yes..." she blushed. "Ron and I are great. It's been a busy couple of months, but things are going okay."

"Just okay?" Monique asked. "Girl, you are in your first year of college and I haven't heard nor seen you since you left. You had better have more details than that!"

"Alright, alright!" Kim laughed. It was definitely good timing on Monique's part. Writing a paper on grief wasn't how Kim wanted to spend an evening after having the Seniors get away with a mystical artifact.

Hours passed and Ron arrived home to find Kim upside down on the couch, her head hanging off the seat and her legs hooked around the back of the couch, and the portable phone apparently fastened to her ear. She grinned and waved as Ron closed the door behind him and hung up his Smarty Mart vest.

"He did!" Kim said into the phone. "It totally weirded him out! So tell me about your new beau."

Ron gestured to the shower and Kim replied with a nod.

"A wrestler? Are you joking? Anthony, huh? I'll bet he keeps you on your toes. Uh huh... uh huh... Monique!" Kim blushed. "Anyway, Ron just got home." Kim said, then gasped. "Shut!" she laughed. Ron could only imagine was the other side of the conversation was as he stepped into the shower. Pulling the overtime at Smarty Mart after a day of classes with football practice was going to wear him down sooner or later, even with his monkey powers.

Hearing the tell tale beep of the phone as he dumped shampoo into his hair, Ron listened intently. Sure enough, Kim quietly opened the bathroom door. "So what'd Monique have to say?" he asked.

"Just catching up." Kim said from the other side of the shower curtain. "Apparently she met a new guy, Anthony. He's on the wrestling team of Upperton University."

"Coolio! When are they coming up?" Ron asked as he soaped up.

"Probably won't be anytime soon. Monique's now a head manager of a Club Banana in Upperton."

"Really? Wow." Ron said. Hearing of their friend's success caught him a little by surprise. Monique was running her own store and Ron was just a pet department supervisor. "Uh, any word from Wade?" he asked, turning off the water.

"Hmm?" she asked as Ron stepped out. "Oh, you won't believe this. The Seniors took the Amulet of Anubis."

"Okay. So they've got some new bling. Is that a big deal?" Ron asked as he toweled off.

"Ron! Don't you remember the Jackal? He almost destroyed your Global Wrestling... thing." she replied.

Ron thought for a moment. "I thought that was Adrena Lynn..."

"No, she was your other fake action hero." Kim assured him with a sigh. "Suffice to say, the Seniors now have an amulet that can give someone supernatural strength."

"And that's bad." Ron said, tying a towel around his waist.

"The Jackal was unstoppable so long as he wore that amulet, Ron. We were lucky. We're going to have to get it back before the Seniors figure out how to use it."