The night the Rangers graduated high school, they had set up camp and drank alcohol near the fire and under the moon.
"Happy Birthday to you!" The group ended the song. Kimberly held the cake in her hands in front of Trini. Trini looked behind the candles into Kim's smiling face.
Trini blew the candle of her yellow cake that Kimberly herself made.
"What did you wish for?" Kimberly placed the cake on top of the folding table that Jason had brought. "Cut that for me, babe" Kimberly told Jason.
Trini shrugged her shoulders, "I guess for our friendship to last… no matter what happens" Trini gave her traditional smirk to the group. Kimberly smiled and she hugged the youngest Power Ranger.
"Always" Kimberly whispered. Oh, how Trini wished this hug wasn't platonic. Kimberly broke the hug, "Alright guys, I actually got gifts for everyone." Kimberly grabbed her bag and took out 5 white boxes. The group huddled around the fire.
All the boxes had ribbons on them and the box with the yellow ribbon had the biggest ribbon.
"Trini, this is for you" Kimberly handed the box with the yellow ribbon. She proceeded the give everyone their power ranger colored box and saving the last pink bowed box for herself. "A little graduation present for everyone. Especially you, Zack, I don't know how you graduated with your outstanding attendance"
"HAH! Cheers to that!" Zack took a swig at his beer.
"Ok, on the count of three" Kimberly started, "One… Two… Three"
Everyone untied their ribbon and opened the box.
"Whoa, Kim, this must've costed a fortune for all five" Zack said examining his present.
Everyone received a silver metal ring with a designated color for each Ranger.
"Don't worry about it. Jason paid for my prom ticket, we didn't go to grad nite with the rest of the school, and I didn't have a need for the yearbook. So all that savings are invested in these" Kimberly pulled out her silver band with a pink ring around the middle. "Of course, the guys' rings are thicker so it compliments more, and for us ladies, it's a bit thinner."
"Thank you, Kimberly, these are amazing" Billy said trying to figure out which finger he should put the ring on.
"I was thinking the right ring finger but it's absolutely up to all of you guys" Kimberly placed her ring on her right ring finger.
"Thank you, babe" Jason took Kimberly in his arms and kissed her temple.
"Don't worry about it, red" Kimberly leaned up and gave him a small kiss to the lips.
Trini watched the public display of affection between her teammates. Trini agrees to herself that they're a match made in heaven but can't help feel jealous. How she wishes that she was the one taking Kimberly into her arms and kissing her.
Trini looked down at her ring, still placed in the box.
"Trini? Do you like it? You haven't touched it" Kimberly walked to her side. "Oh, I almost forgot." Kimberly reacted, she took off her own ring, "Look at the engraving inside"
Trini took out her ring from the cushion of the box and read the engraving inside, "Together we are more" Trini read the all capitalized letters.
The night continued on. Zach and Billy were talking to each other, seems like they were ready to pass out anytime. Jason and Kimberly shared a foldable chair and shared a blanket and eating cake together, they talked, they laughed, and Trini watched.
Trini was all by herself, she listened to her music, a sign that she didn't want to be disturbed.
When everyone is passed out, Trini was the only one left awake. She took out her power coin from her pocket and stared at it. She had already talked to Zordon about leaving the team and said that only true intentions of leaving will stop one from being a Power Ranger.
And while Trini is not prepared to say goodbye to her friends, she knows that life at Angel Grove will just be more chaos the longer she stays. The only thing keeping her there is her friends. At the same time, seeing the girl she likes fall for someone else is just heartbreak for her everyday. She's scared that one day, her parents will make her move again. She rather run than be forced.
Trini dropped her power coin on her next to Kimberly. She takes a couple of steps back. "Thank you" she says wholeheartedly to herself.
Trini runs. The further she got from her power coin the less she can run and jump further, but she still made it to her home. Trini had planned everything out, earlier in the morning, before graduation, she had placed her belongings in the corner of the trunk of one of her parents' car.
She had just gotten her driver's license so she can legally drive.
Silently, she took the car keys and started the engine in the middle of the night. Then she was off.
Trini has kept contact with a girl who helped her with experimenting with her sexuality back in Seattle, Washington. They met when Trini was a freshman while the other girl was a senior but they both know that they weren't meant to be but still remained friends. Her friend is living on college campus in Seattle and said she can crash there until she can pick herself up.
Halfway North on the 5 interstate, Trini made a pitstop at 6 in the morning for gas and food. Trini played with her silver and yellow band. She pulled out her phone and sent Kimberly a message.
"Sorry"
That was it. She swapped a new sim card into the slot as soon as she can and threw the old sim card away.
Trini felt free. Free from all the responsibilities she holds from Angel Grove. Free from her toxic family. Free from heartbreak over Kimberly Hart. But guilt also landed on her chest.
Kimberly woke up from her ringtone. She pulled it up to her face and saw it's a message from Trini saying sorry. Kim was confused, she got up from her sleeping bag and looked around her teammates. Everyone was there except Trini, she saw Trini's power coin left behind next to her sleeping bag.
"Guys… Jason, wake up" Kimberly's eyes continued to look around to see if Trini is somewhere but her eyes had failed her.
"Kim?"
"Trini… She's gone"
6 years later
Trini had changed her name from Trinity Kwan, a last name that stuck since her great great grandfather from Asia, to Trinity Gomez, still going by the nickname Trini. After 6 months in Seattle, working odd jobs, she landed in back in California, in Los Angeles where she studied in community college and got accepted into one of the Cal State University system and graduating with a Communications major.
She landed small jobs from short films, commercials, and television as a production assistant. She applied to become a casting assistant and soon promoted.
Now, she has a more stable job as a casting associate. She stays in the casting room helping the casting directors with technicalities and organization. She also reads the script to the actor from time to time.
The casting directors were casting an actress for Disney's reboot of Aladdin, hoping to find a fresh, talented, no name face to bring to the big screen. Trini dropped the folder on the other side of the table and then grabbed the folder of the actress they're expecting.
'Kimberly Hart' The side of the folder read and Trini's heart pounded hard in her chest.
The door opens and she enters. Kimberly Hart enters the room.
"Hello," Kimberly starts then her smile drops a little lower when she sees Trini standing by the camera. "I'm Kimberly Hart, audition for the role of Jasmine in the movie Aladdin
"Whenever you're ready… Our associate will help you with the script" The casting director said and Trini sat on the table getting ready for Kimberly to act and for Trini to read the script back.
"Father, I hate being forced into this. If I do marry, I want it to be for love." Kimberly starts.
"Jasmine, it's not only this law. I'm not going to be around forever, and I just want to make sure you're taken care of, provided for." Trini reads in an emotionless voice, avoiding eye contact with Kimberly.
"Try to understand. I've never done a thing on my own. I've never had any real friends. Except you, Rajah. I've never even been outside the palace walls." Kimberly pretends to have a pet Rajah by her side and smiles at her pet tiger.
"But Jasmine, you're a princess." Trini continued
"Then maybe I don't want to be a princess." Kimberly had said with so much emotion and compassion towards that line that it made Trini look up.
"Ok, I think we can stop there. I'm looking at your resume, it says you worked at Disney California Adventure as face characters and actresses and singers for their live shows." The casting director had started. Trini noticed that he had taken interest in Kimberly's performance. "Performed as Jasmine back when Hyperion was still playing Aladdin…" The director continued to read all of Kimberly's role which at the same time amazed Trini.
"Well, it's been a pleasure. We'll call you" The casting director smiled towards Kimberly and Kimberly gave the biggest smile. Kimberly looked into Trini's eyes but was ignored. When Kimberly exited the room, Trini placed Kimberly's folder on the potential lists and stops the recording.
"What do you think, Trini?" One of the casting directors asks.
"She's great. Lots of potential"
Trini may not be there for her friend physically for the past 6 years but here she is, trying to give a good impression towards the directors.
As the day goes by, the day finally ends and Trini exits the room. Once she does, she faces Kimberly who has probably been sitting there for the past 3 hours. Kimberly stands up and faces Trini.
"If you're wondering what their decision is, I'm pretty sure you're going to get a call back" Trini had said as she turned to walk on the hallway towards the elevator.
"Trini… That's not why I stayed" Kimberly had replied, following right behind Trini. Trini continued to ignore Kimberly, she pressed the elevator button going down. "It's been 6 years without any contact and now that I'm here all you do is ignore me?"
The elevator door opens and Trini steps inside, as well as Kimberly.
"What do you want from me, Kimberly? To all the sudden bring up my past again. In case you're curious, yes, I'm happy now. That hell hole city called Angel Grove made my life miserable" Trini jammed the button to the first floor, impatiently waiting to get out of the elevator. It didn't make her completely miserable but it did do a damage on her.
"I… We don't… We don't have to talk about your past but can you please just acknowledge the fact that I'm here…" Trini could feel Kimberly's burning eyes on her, she feels Kimberly's soft touch to her arm. Trini clenched her eyes closed. All the memories of her and Kimberly rushing through her head and how she witnessed Kimberly and Jason together and then successfully moving on after running away from home. Now, everything she had done to push her friends and Kimberly from her head is coming back.
"I'm sorry, Kim. I ran away from Angel Grove because I wanted to forget. Stop bringing it back" Trini whispered in a dangerously low voice, she tugged her arm away from Kimberly's touch. The elevator door opened and Trini exited briskly out of there.
"If you don't care and you forgot about us already… Why do you still wear that ring?" Kimberly commented and it made Trini unconsciously bring her hands up to her chest and play with the ring. She continued to walk outside and when she finally does, she stops. She can feel her heart beating so fast, her chest tightening hard to the point where it becomes hard to breath.
"Look, I tried to look for a reason to stay… and you and our team were that reason but school, love, and family… I've been wanting to run away since I first moved but I didn't have the courage until I became 18" Trini confessed. She leaned back against the wall of the building, avoiding eye contact from Kimberly.
"I wish you brought me" Kimberly had said, it made Trini look up into Kimberly's eyes, which were focused on Trini. "I've wanted to run away too… even before I met you. Jason and I talked about it a long time ago but we became Power Rangers that night."
"Why did you want to run?" Trini asks
"Because of what happened in high school. The Amanda thing and her naked picture but like I said, we became Power Rangers and we hold this responsibility and our friendship means everything to me. It became my source of happiness"
"It was mine too. It just hurts to stay so I didn't stay. I would've broken down at some point if I did stay" Kimberly waited to see if Trini was going to say something else about her situation but nothing came out. Kimberly felt that Trini was going to open up the exact reason why she didn't stay but to no avail. "I need to go"
"Wait…" Kimberly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, she wrote down her number for contact. "Here's my number, please call me. Our talk isn't over" Kimberly took Trini's hand and placed the paper in.
"Like I said, Pink… You'll probably get a call back"
Trini actually had no intention of messaging or calling Kimberly but knowing Kimberly, she will track and find Trini now that she has a lead. Trini has so many questions though, things that she wants to say to Kimberly, doubting herself that she will say everything though.
Trini had thought of messaging her at 1 in the morning on a Saturday but she presses call instead of message.
"Trini?" Kimberly answers, her voice doesn't seem like she was asleep.
"Kim… Can we meet up please?" Her voice soft and defeated.
"Right now?" Kimberly asks
"If it's not a bother. I can't sleep"
"Oh… Ok, well, I live in Anaheim (about an hour drive from LA, ~30 miles-ish, it's the city where Disneyland is), I'll be there in a hour." Kimberly says as Trini hears ruffling in the background.
"No, stay where you are. I'll come to you. Is there like a place we can go to that's open at this time?"
"Not really. We can just stay at my place if that's okay with you"
"Okay, just send me your address" Trini had said, saying goodbye then she was off to her car.
About an hour drive later, she arrives in Kimberly's apartment.
"So, why do you live so far from LA?" Trini enters Kimberly's apartment and looks around, seeing that the color pink had stuck with her.
"It's close to Disneyland where I used to work so… yeah… but I don't work there anymore. I have enough money saved to last me two months of rent and food. I'm trying to get casted into anything in Hollywood basically. If I do get casted then I'll move" Kimberly closed the door behind her and locked it, "You want coffee or alcohol?"
"Well, I have to drive home, so coffee please" Trini responded, she sits down on the couch. She sees pictures on the TV stand, some of the rest of the rangers and one particular picture with her.
"You can sleep over here, you know? I don't mind… Just like the good ol' days" Kimberly walked to her fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, opens the lid and she hands one to Trini who scoffs but smiles as she takes it.
"I have so many questions, Kim… I know I said I want to move on and forget but… you're right you showed up and I can't just ignore and of this" Trini leaned against the couch, "I feel defeated when I talk about why I ran"
"You don't have to. Sometimes it just bottles up inside and all this negative emotion piles up. It's good to release it" Kimberly sits on the other end of the couch, she looks at Trini for eye contact but Trini just chooses to stare ahead.
A tear tried to spill out of Trini's eye but stopped it, "How are the other Rangers?" Trini drinks.
"Good. Everyone is kinda doing their own thing. We're all disbanded and there's new Rangers now. I was the second to go after you" Kimberly decided to look ahead as well, looking at the pictures inside the storage of her TV stand, knowing she won't get any eye contact.
They were only 2 feet away from each other but it still felt so far.
"Why did you leave?"
"Uhm…" Kimberly raises her chin, "Things just weren't the same when you left. The new yellow just wasn't you and it threw the team balance over. Then there's this green ranger, he was like possessed by Rita or something, he did all these crazy things that ultimately destroyed our friendship. It let out secrets and deep dark thoughts of the team out and… even if we defeated green, it created this… rupture in our friendship" Kimberly wiped a tear that fell on her cheek. Trini saw from her peripherals how Kim wiped her tears and hear her voice crack.
"Like what?"
"You shouldn't know," Kimberly takes a long drink then bringing her hand to her eyes, ready to wipe her tears.
Trini looked at Kimberly's now defeated state. "That bad?" Kimberly nods.
Trini gave Kimberly a few moments to regain herself. Neither of them spoke to each other, just silence to regain composure.
"What about you, what's your story?"
"Nothing you haven't heard before. Ran away from home and left friends to suffer." Trini starts, her voice had a dark tone filled with guilt. "Stayed in Seattle for a while… I used to live there before moving so I have some connections. Let's see, I moved to LA then studied and graduated. You know… Life goes on and here I am"
"Fate is funny don't you thing?" Kimberly sighs, "We think it's fate that we were all at the mine but it also becomes our downfall. We became our biggest enemies." Kimberly ponders as she finishes her drink, placing it on the coffee table, she looks at Trini and Trini looks back. "Do you think fate is doing the same thing to us right now? Bringing us together and this becoming our downfall?"
Trini didn't argue when Kimberly said that they're sharing a bed that night. Trini was too drunk and sleepy to argue. They both got under the covers and just closed their eyes until Kimberly spoke up.
"I'm bisexual" Kimberly mutters. She looks at Trini's closed eyes open at the confession. "It's one of the secrets that led to our group's downfall"
"What?" It came out of Trini's voice almost inaudibly, just a breath but Kimberly could still understand.
Kimberly sits up from her position. "Tommy had outed me out. Jason isn't mad that I'm bi but he's mad at the fact that he believes I've fallen for you. He said that he wished he ended this early so I can find what I really want… We're still close but… not the same"
"Kim… I…" Trini starts, unable to find the words to say.
"Let me finish. Zack got mad at me for not telling you. He said that if I came out earlier… before you left, you would've stayed because you liked me and the situation would be different. That's his deep dark thoughts about everything that was going on. I got so outraged that we started fighting and hurting each other physically and… Billy lost it, he hates seeing his friends fight and I… I'm in the center of it all."
"It's not your fault, Kim. The way that Tommy dude just outed you out when you weren't ready." Trini sits up and places a hand on Kimberly's arm.
"Even if we got together as a team to defeat Tommy. It left a permanent scar in our friendship. I left because of guilt. Jason followed because it didn't seem like the team anymore. Zack left next because the new team was just toxic for him. Billy was the last, he didn't have the same connection with the new Rangers as he did with us. We see each other yearly, we ask how we're doing but every year there's silence and awkwardness but… We try to move on" Kimberly explains everything and Trini understands now. Now guilt poured onto Trini as there was some truth to what Zack said to Kimberly about leaving the group.
"Tell me the truth, Trini. Am I the reasons you left the team?"
Trini removes her hand from Kimberly's arm, she thinks, "No… Yes…" Trini struggles. "It's 're not the only reason, it's piled up. With you and Jason together, I didn't stand a chance. My parents were just waiting for me to fuck up with my sexuality again and move again and I can't let that happen. It's this never ending mental abuse." Trini plays with the ring on her finger. "We're kinda fucked, huh?"
Kimberly lets out a small laugh, she sees Trini play with her ring so she brings her right hand to Trini and shows her own silver and pink band.
"So you do have feelings for me" Kimberly smiles to herself. Trini smiles and blushes.
"Now it's your turn to be honest… Did you ever, at any point in your life…" Trini looks at Kimberly's eyes directly, capturing Kimberly's eyes, "ever fell in love with me?" Kimberly takes her time then nods, "When?" Trini asks.
Kimberly licks her lips to think, "I think I've been in love, I just didn't really see it until you left. Until I realized that you were gone and it made me rethink everything"
Kimberly looks at Trini's eyes, down to her open hand, taking Trini's hand and they intertwined it together. Kimberly pushed her eyes back up to look into Trini's.
"Are you still into me or did you move on?"
"I thought I was but you reappeared" Trini softly said, trying her best to maintain eye contact and pull herself together at the face that Kimberly smiles and is now caressing her intertwined hand.
"I'm sorry it took me so long…" Then Kimberly leans forward and presses a chaste kiss to Trini's lips, so quick that Trini couldn't even react to the featherlight kiss. "So, here I am, 6 years late… Do you want to go on a date with me?" Kimberly hold on Trini's hand tightens and watches Trini's confused face turn into happiness and tears started flowing. Kimberly hugged Trini. Trini never wanted to let go.
"You did really great, trust me, I'm pretty sure they found their Princess Jasmine" Trini opened the door to her apartment where she found Kimberly lounging in the couch, nervously playing with her fingers. She had just finished her final callback 3 hours ago and waited at Trini's apartment. "I mean, don't hold me hostage if you don't get it, it's my personal take… but so far it's looking really good"
Kimberly got up from the couch and rushed towards her girlfriend. Kimberly gave the biggest bear hug and squealed while slightly jumping up and down.
"So, uhm… anyway, I was thinking I should move to LA soon as well. I mean, even if I don't get casted. I figured it's better since ya know" Kimberly stammers and holds Trini's hand, "I've been looking at apartments…"
"Why don't you just move in with me?" Trini asks like it was nothing
Kimberly smiles confusingly, "Isn't it a bit too early in our relationship? We've only been dating for a month" Kimberly smiles and takes Trini to sit on the couch.
"Oh… I mean I'm comfortable with having you here… I mean… I—I don't mind but if you're not… I—It's okay I guess… You don't have to" Trini basically blew up. "Just suggesting" Trini blushed harder than any red object. They haven't consummated their relationship yet but they have been to second base and that already pushes Trini to the edge.
Plus, sleeping together (like not having sex) is a regular thing for them as neither of them wants to drive an hour to get home so they sleepover at each other's apartments.
"Okay" Kimberly replies with the biggest grin on her face. Still holding Trini's hand, she plays with the ring on her finger.
"Okay?" Trini asks in disbelief.
"Yeah… I'll move in" Kimberly kisses Trini on the lips.
"By the way, the Power Rangers meet up is in two weeks… I'm going but you don't have to if you don't want to"
Trini thought for a moment, seeing her old friends. Maybe this is her chance to redeem herself for running away. "I think I want to… I think I'm ready to face them again"
—
Two weeks passed and Kim is on the driver's seat, driving to her hometown, Angel Grove, about an hour North of LA. Kimberly could tell how nervous Trini is to return back to what she believed caused her misery.
Kimberly pulled up at the base of the mountain and the couple hiked their way up, making sure that neither of them falls to their death. Trini sometimes missed her powers. They reached the top where the meet up was suppose to be held, the same location where they shared their feelings and secrets to each other when they became Power Rangers. The same location where they would run away from home for the night. The same location where they spent their grad night.
"Hello, boys" Kimberly smiled as she pulls Trini into the view of their past teammates. "Look who I brought to the party"
All the boys stood up and had the greatest expression she had seen in her life. The boys were shocked and so happy, "TRINI!" They all yelled and all the sudden there was an OG Power Ranger group hug.
Trini couldn't help but smile. She felt like she belongs.
After pulling away, the boys started asking questions rapidly and all Trini could do was smile, she held her girlfriend's hand tighter to give her more confidence.
"Look, I'll answer all your questions. It's gonna be a heavy night but I'm here now… You guys are my family and… I'm not running away again"
Throughout the annual reunions, they don't really talk about what happened 6 years ago. Now all five former Rangers believes that this is the time… The time to rebuild their broken friendship.
Thanks for reading!
Tumblr: KxmberlyHart
Ao3: Pinklemonades