Kim was too upset over Ron's anger to sleep well that night. She knew she should have confided in him. She got up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning and headed over to Ron's for the conversation she realized she had put off for too long.
The two almost never knocked at each other's houses. The door was unlocked and Kim walked in. Ron's mom was in the living room playing with Hana. “Hello,” Kim called, “is Ron in his room?”
“Yes, go right on up.”
“Thanks.”
“Go away,” was Ron's response when Kim knocked on the door.
“Ron we need to talk.”
“I don't want to talk. I'm nursing a major mad at you.”
“That's why we need to talk.”
He finally opened the door to his room, “Bueno Nacho?”
Kim opened her mouth to protest, then decided against it, “Okay.”
They rode in silence as she drove him over. She said nothing as he ordered two breakfast burritos and a large soda. She got a small diet soda and joined him at the booth. After the first burrito he had calmed down enough to talk.
“So, Monique, Wade, your Mom and Dad, and everyone else in the time zone knew about Shego but me?”
“I was worried you'd be upset.” She could see his jaw muscles tense
“And so lying to me will keep me from getting upset?”
“I wasn't exactly lying to you… I never said I wasn't having coffee with Shego.”
“Kim, be honest with me now. Please. What in the world is going on with you and Shego that you were afraid to talk with me about it?”
“Nothing is going on with me and Shego. Why does everyone think that? She wanted someone to talk with who wouldn't be scared off by who she was.”
“So, if nothing is going on why couldn't you say something? Why did you keep it a secret?”
“Because I thought you'd go all ballistic on me, like you did yesterday.”
“Well if you'd told me from the start I wouldn't be worried.”
“You wouldn't have been worried? C'mon, Ron, you say I'm lying to you. You're really telling me you wouldn't have been worried? You were worried when she was here as Miss Go.”
He didn't answer, so she prodded him verbally, “You do admit you were worried before, right?”
“Yes, and jealous,” he admitted grudgingly. “But you still should have told me.”
“You may be right. No, you're probably… Okay, you're right. I messed up. The first time she contacted me it was just sort of spur of the moment. I didn't think it would happen again. And if it wasn't going to happen again there was no need to tell you.”
“But it did.”
“Yeah.”
“And you still didn't tell me.”
“Look, Ron. I wasn't planning on liking coffee with her. I mean, when the attitudinator hit her I found I really liked hanging around with her. We like a lot of the same things. The ray just changes your alignment, it doesn't change who you fundamentally are. She and I are a lot alike. I told you, she's like an older sister to me.”
“An older sister who's evil and tries to beat you up.”
“Well, yeah. But we have a truce at the coffee shop. Will you come with me some Friday?”
He thought for a minute, “Is this like when you and she talk and talk about girly stuff and I feel, like, totally out of place.”
“Well… yeah.”
“I think I'll pass. But you've got to be careful Kim. This has got to be a trap.”
“It isn't a trap. She's just lonely and wants someone to talk with.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because she told me!”
Ron shook his head in amazement at her assertion, “Kim, she's a liar. She couldn't tell the truth if she tried. Don't believe a word she says. Don't trust her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I'm sure. Why, what has she been saying?”
“Well, she said you and I should have stayed together. She thinks you're a great guy, and if she could meet a guy as nice as you she could go for him in a big way.”
There was an awkward pause, “Death Warrior five is coming out this weekend. Want to see it? I know four was lame, but they say the special effects in this one are really something.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
“You honestly expect me to believe she was saying nice things about me?”
“Yeah, weird isn't it? You know what else is weird? My enemy seems to trust me more than my best friend does.”
“Well, you don't trust me, or you'd have told me.”
“I trusted you. I trusted you to worry about me. I trusted you'd worry about my safety and help me if I needed help. Shego has never asked me to choose between the two of you. She won't, ‘cause she knows I'd pick you. Please don't ask me to choose between the two of you. I'll stop seeing her, but I would resent it. I can promise you this, even if Shego and I are friends, nothing is going to break up what we have. You mean too much to me.”
“Is it that serious with you and Shego?”
“What do you mean, ‘is is that serious’? God, Ron, you and Monique and my mom have too much imagination. This is just like when I met Monique and you were all jealous and convinced I was dumping you as a friend in favor of her.”
“I wasn't all jealous.”
“Yes, you were. And when you got to know Monique the two of you became friends.”
“Oh, yeah,” Ron laughed, but it had a slightly bitter note. “And you're going to tell me that Shego and I will be friends some day?”
Kim shrugged, “Weird things happen. I didn't think I'd ever see her as a friend. Ron, she's coming over for dinner this Friday night. Do you want to come over too, please?”
“No, I won't eat dinner with her.” He paused, then continued. “You really like hanging with her?”
“Yeah.”
“And you really think she's doing it because she enjoys the time and not just to trick you into going easy on her and Drakken?”
“I really do.”
“I'll try to accept that.”
“Oh, you mentioned Drakken. He doesn't know about the coffee truce. Will you promise not to tell him next time we fight?”
Ron actually laughed, “Drakken doesn't know? At least I found out before him. Man, lying to Drakken. That's the Shego I know.”
By the time Kim drove him back home the two were almost chatting normally.
Twelfth Friday
Kim moved quickly as the doorbell rang, but her father beat her to the door. Shego was stunning, Kim felt, in black chinos and a dark green sweater. She held a large bouquet of flowers.
“Good evening Dr. Possible.”
“Good evening Shego,” He sounded a little stiff and uncomfortable.
“Would you give these to your wife please? I would have gotten you a bottle of wine, but Kim said that brain surgeons aren't allowed to drink.”
Kim's mom had come to the door herself and taken the flowers. “That's not exactly true. A little drink every now and then is acceptable. But regular drinking or getting drunk turns a brain to oatmeal.”
“But Mom, don't they say red wine is good for the heart?”
“Which would you rather have Kimmie, sound brain or sound heart? Which one can we replace with a transplant? You can think about the answer while you come into the kitchen with me. I need you to finish setting the table. Shego? Why don't you stay and talk with James for a few minutes until dinner is ready.”
Dinner went reasonably well, far better than Shego had expected. The twins were everything Kim had warned her about. Mrs. Possible seemed understandably cold, but managed to stay polite even if she couldn't be genuinely friendly. Kim wanted desperately for everyone to like Shego and Kim's dad seemed to warm to her and chatted freely, which completely confused Shego. She wondered if clueless or compassionate fitted him better.
As the family talked about Kim starting college the Drs. Possible told stories of their college years. And in one of the stories James mentioned having captained his university's bridge team.
“I used to play a little,” Shego offered. “It's hard to get a good foursome.”
“I know what you mean. Jean, Kim, how about a couple games after dinner?”
Jean Possible didn't really want to sit down to cards with Shego, but knew her husband loved the game and reasoned philosophically that cards were probably better than a serious attempt at conversation. She didn't even mind when, since James was easily the best of the players, he was given Kim, the worst, and Shego became her partner. At least with Kim's play being magnificently inept Mrs. Possible had the pleasure which accompanied beating James at bridge.
Shego was on her best behavior. If she wasn't a wanted criminal suspected of designs on Kimmie Mrs. Possible would have enjoyed the evening. Between rubbers Jean went to the kitchen to fix coffee and dessert.
“Kimmie, while your mom's in the kitchen would you ask the boys to turn down the television, again.”
“Let me go with you Kim.”
“Thanks Shego.”
The two were giggling loudly as they returned a few minutes later, but at least the volume stayed down in the other room.
“Should I call the boys for dessert?”
“Don't do that Mom, they're happy watching television and it will be easier to finish the game without them running around in here.”
At the end of a second game Shego thanked her hosts and prepared to leave. “Kim,” she observed, “you play dummy very well. Lessons from Ron?”
Kim rolled her eyes and mouthed, “I'll get you for that.”
“Mrs. Possible, I really appreciated the invitation. Thank you for everything.”
“You're welcome Shego, you're, um… not exactly what I expected. Oh, I'd better let the boys know they can have dessert now.”
“Dr.-Possible-thanks-for-everything-I-have-to-run.”
“Good-bye Shego, stop by anytime,” he shouted at her rapidly disappearing figure.
“KIMBERLY ANN! HERE, NOW! JAMES BRING SHEGO AND KIM IN HERE!”
“Want me to try and catch Shego?”
“No Kim, I think your mother wants me to bring you to the television room.”
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time…
Jean Possible stood in the television room, livid with anger, glaring at Kim as she entered. Tim and Jim were neatly duct taped to the wall, improvised gags keeping them from calling for help. The television was set to the Golf Channel, the volume low. “KIMBERLY ANN! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR BROTHERS! ANSWER ME! JAMES! STOP LAUGHING!”