7Chapter 6 - The Thanksgiving Ride From Hell - Part V
(2:45pm)
The van finally reached the exit, but not without suffering more damage. The right side of the van was completely covered in dents and scrapes, the hubcap on the right rear wheel was gone, the rear windshield was completely shattered, the front grille was gone, the passenger side mirror was smashed up and dangling with a few wires and the rear bumper was coming loose and flapping. The right tail light was also on the verge of coming loose. The car was also covered in syrup, dirt, prairie grass, and the front had the awful smell and bits of horse manure on it. This was in addition to the damage of the driver side mirror and the scraping of the left side of the vehicle against the SUV at the Bueno Nacho from earlier.
The clouds, in the meantime, were starting to gather.
"And here we are, Stoppables, North Platte, Nebraska!" Ron exclaimed. "Remind me never to say that phrase 'And nothing will go wrong' ever again!"
Rufus groaned over his owner's poor driving and trashing of the car.
Kim observed the place and said, "Looks like a smaller version of Middleton."
"So now that it's close to three pm, what do you three want to do?" Ron asked.
"We'll check into the hotel first." Kim insisted, . "And then we'll get ready to eat at the Bumblebees here."
"I'm right with ya on that strategy, KS!" Ron replied before turning to Rufus. "Now Rufus, watch the kids while Kim and I check in the hotel."
Rufus saluted while his owners went into the hotel lobby.
"We're here for our room." Ron said.
The hotel clerk said to them. "It's room 186, on the other end of the property."
Kim grabbed the hotel key and said, "Thanks! It's so not the drama!" She pulled the strap back up.
They parked the damaged van right at the end of the property. The dangling rear bumper, unaware to them, was clinging around a lightpost.
(6pm)
The room was actually a suite in which there was a pull-out couch and the kitchenette in one room and the bedroom in the other. The kids were going to occupy the couch while the Stoppable parents had the bedroom.
Ron and Kim chose the suite for more extra...privacy. As for Rufus, they brought along a small naked mole rat bed for him. Rufus got a little apron bib ready to take on the nachos.
"Okay, Ron." Kim called out from the bathroom. "I'm going to make some changes to my button-down shirt and then we'll go with the kids to the restaurant."
"Alright, KS! Let's see what you look like!" Ron said with anticipation.
Kim loosened the top two buttons to show off a little more cleavage and a b. She also added a couple of long gold and silver chain necklaces to her jewelry and replaced her teardrop earrings with gold hoops. She also swapped out her flats for black booties with a heel on them.
Kim also removed the top side buttons on both side to the leather overalls she was wearing.
Rufus gave a wolf-whistle as well.
"Ooooo! Very nicey! Me like!" Ron grinned devilishly, "The looks are just one thing of your complete package, KS!"
"Why thanks, Ron! Round up the kids and get to the van!" Kim replied "We're going to head to Bumblebees!"
Alexa and Justin were watching Baloney on the TV on their side of the suite before Kim instructed them to turn it off.
(15 minutes later)
The sky above them was slowly growing more dark and ominous. The storms were going to appear within a matter of hours.
Kim was at the drivers' seat of the Stoppable-mobile, starting up the engine. But unfortunately, the damaged rear bumper was caught against the lamp post, preventing them from moving.
The NWS broadcast was on the radio, informing the two heroes of what was to come.
The National Weather Service of Hastings Nebraska, has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the eastern portion of Nebraska until 2:30am. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph, rain up to 2-3 inches, and hail up to the size of golf balls is expected with this line of system of storms. Stay weather-alert.
"Ron, can you get out there and free the bumper?" she asked.
"Sure can do, KS!" Ron grinned. He went to the lamp-post and tried to free the loose bumper.
"Now, apply the gas!"
Kim pressed the gas pedal and Instead of freeing the bumper from the lamp post, the bumper was ripped free of the vehicle. Luckily for them, their Colorado license plate was still on the damaged tailgate.
"Whoa! That wasn't supposed to happen!" Kim exclaimed.
Ron was amazed at the result. Rufus whistled at the latest damage the Stoppable-mobile received.
"Me either." he replied.
"I think we still should head on over to Bumblebees." Kim said, "The kids are starting to get cranky for their food."
(6:15pm)
The Stoppables entered into the restaurant. Kim's overall strap was barely hanging onto her shoulder.
She asked the waitress, "Do you have a table for four?"
"We do, yes!" the waitress said, "Would you like a table or booth?"
"We prefer the booth!" Kim replied.
"Right this way." the waitress replied to them while getting coloring books and crayons for both Alexa and Justin. She then escorted them to a booth in the middle of the restaurant.
"Here we are! Your server will be out in a few minutes!" she said before leaving the Stoppables.
(5 more minutes later)
"So what's the general game plan that you're suggesting, Ron?" Kim asked her husband.
"I'd say that once we get to Rapid City, we're going to go for the Corn Palace first." Ron replied, pulling up the map of South Dakota on his smart phone.
"But that is a good eight-hour round-trip across almost the entire state!" Kim countered. "Justin and Alexa really do want to see the bears at Bear Country USA.
"Don't worry, KS. We'll stop and get some food and gas on the way there." Ron said as the waitress came to their table.
"Welcome to Bumblebees! What can I get you two to drink?"
"I'll have a cola and my bon-diggety wife here will have a diet tea." Ron said, "The oldest one will have a fruity soda as well."
"Okay, I'll be right out there with your drinks!" the server said.
(10 more minutes later)
"Oooh, it seems that Sheila has sent me a text!" Kim said when she felt a buzz on her phone. She went through her handbag and as she did so, her overalls strap slipped off her shoulder.
It read the following:
Princess,
I found something on PictoGram that you may would want to see. The directors of that live-action movie about you is going to drop some big news tomorrow.
Your friend
Sheila.
"Hmm...it's about time someone released something for that live-action movie." she said, "It's been three months since there was any news about it."
"Maybe they'll keep her plasma powers intact." Ron wondered.
"I think they'll maybe keep the blue skin of Drakken." Kim laughed as the strap was now on her elbow. "Ah, here are our drinks right now!"
The server came to their table and awaited their orders.
"My husband would have the nachos supreme, same with our naked mole rat here, and I would like a Caesar salad." Kim said, "The kids would like to have two grilled cheese sandwiches."
"Coming right up." the server said, leaving the table.
"So what else do you wanna talk about?" she asked, pulling the overalls strap back up.
"Maybe the weather?" Ron said while looking out the window.
"That's so the oldest conversation starter in the book!" Kim chuckled.
"No, KS. The weather's gonna go south in a few hours." Ron exclaimed while pointing it out on the doppler. He could see a lot of red associated with the storm, which meant really heavy rainfall.
"A really bad storm's headed our way! With big hail and everything!"
"It's so not the drama!" Kim said, blowing off the storm.
"What about the Stoppable-mobile?" Ron asked, "It can't take much more abuse that it has already gone through!"
"Rest assured, Ron." Kim reassured him, "The van will make it to the Lipskys!"
(30 more minutes later)
"Oh man... I am stuffed!" Ron exclaimed, holding his stomach. He had already paid for the food.
"I'm glad that I brought along my baggy overalls for the trip." Kim said. "That'll offset whatever pounds I'll put on at the Lipskys."
Kim added as she was standing up. "I'm going to use the ladies' room, Ron. You and Rufus watch the kids!"
"Sure do, KS!" Ron replied.
"Uh-huh!" Rufus squeaked.
Kim left the booth, grabbed her purse, and headed towards the ladies restroom.
(4 more minutes later)
Kim got out of the restroom and she was somewhere between the borderline of angry and embarassed. The rest of the restaurant's patrons were laughing and pointing at her. The servers couldn't help but chortle at her predictament. Even worse was that some of the said patrons were holding up their smartphones, taking pictures and video.
Three of the waiters were then tripped by one occupant of the restaurant near where the Stoppables were at. This resulted in her being drenched with soda and covered in ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue ribs, chocolate and ice cream all over the front of her one-strap black leather overalls.
"Oh hey...uhm...KS! You look more scrumptious than usual." Ron chuckled nervously.
"Ron...this is so the most embarassing moment of my life!" Kim growled. "I want you to cover my back!"
"Covering your back? I thought you only said that on missions!" Ron said.
Kim groaned and turned her back to Ron to point out the reason why. The right back pocket of the overalls was torn out, showing off Kim's Pandaroo panties and a bit of her back leg.
Rufus, Justin and Alexa couldn't help but laugh.
"Why couldn't we do that?" Justin asked.
"You're doing what Daddy does!" Alexa giggled.
Ron gasped and asked, "How did that happen?"
"Bathroom door lever got caught against my pocket and...this happened!" Kim grunted with all the chocolate syrup and ice cream dripping off of her.
Rufus was even taking video of this too on his very small smartphone. Ron sighed at his mole rat and said "Why do they even sell small smartphones to mole rats is even beyond me."
"Let's just get out of here before I make a bigger joke of myself!" Kim insisted.
Ron covered up the damaged part of her overalls by him grabbing her behind with his left hand.
Kim sighed, "Why do I even bother?"
"Sorry, show's over! Turn off your smartphones! Nothing to see here!" Ron exclaimed.
Justin, Alexa and Rufus followed them out of the restaurant.
"Do you have any duct tape, Ron?" Kim asked when they got in the van.
"I do, in the glove compartment." Ron replied while going to the glove compartment and pulling out the duct tape.
"These overalls cost me $800 from Country CB and now they're ruined!" Kim complained, "I'll have to sew them when we get back home..."
Kim then applied the duct tape to her behind and started the car. The damaged van crept out of the parking lot and headed back to the hotel.
Flashes of lightning were seen in the distance as the storms were heading this way to make the family's night even worse.
The man who tripped over the waiters grinned and spoke through a microphone.
"My Queen, the show has just begun!"
About 200 miles away, Bonnie Rockwaller was enjoying the misery of the Stoppable through her small television allowed in her prison cell!