Well, here it is.
Mix
A sequel to Sugar and Lemons. Never thought it would happen, did you?
Me neither…
I've though long and hard about this and I might make a series of one shots that string together into a bit of a story around this until I'm ready to turn it into a full blown plot driven thing…
So what do you think? Tell me in reviews. Otherwise I'll just shelve the idea for the time being…
Hasn't been beta read, just to warn you…
They were all good people inside as far a he was concerned…just, good people.
They came off as loving and caring because that's what they were, good people who sometimes did stupid things.
But good people nonetheless.
He shuffled his papers around on his desk as he looked at the class in front of him. It didn't surprise him one bit that there was one student missing. The one student that seemed to make a habit of missing his classes…
He handed the assignment back from the week before and smiled as he gave the one with the big red B- to a bubbly brunette with a habit of misplacing most of her assignments before getting them in, (her report on the Stegosaur's defenses hand been quite interesting to read.) She accepted the assignment with gusto and began showing it to the student next to her.
The seat on her other side was empty.
Contrary to what some of his students believed, he wasn't blind.
He knew what was going on. He knew who was missing…he knew that student disliked him, though unsure as to why…
He'd thought they were friends.
"Dr. Oliver," He turned to see Randal standing in the doorway, the missing student beside her, his bicep in her grasp, "I have a gift for you." She snarled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The student looked away as he clutched onto his backpack, knuckles nearly white…fear? Why? Scared of him? The class? Neither one made much sense in his mind as he tried to process something. He had been trying to fight her off most likely.
A pang of sadness hit him. The young man really didn't want to be near him.
The student snorted as he was unceremoniously thrown into the classroom by Randal who then turned and left. Her high heels could be heard as she stomped down the hall.
He cleared his throat, "Mr. Stewart, so nice you could join us," he said to the student, an air of sadness creeping into his voice at the look he shot by the grumbling student. Some members of the class laughed, others sat in silence.
There was no doubt in his mind who he was…
No.
Had used to be.
This wasn't the person he'd known.
The minute he'd stepped into the classroom on the first day of school he'd known who he was. His hair was darker, clothes very different and eyes…
His eyes didn't hold the same excitement. There was a small sparkle of it, but they were colder.
He wanted to address him, talk to him, but there were signs…the new look, the glances he gave him probably unknowingly were so hostile, he thought it would be easier to push passed them. It was so much easier to pretend that it was another Justin Stewart in his classroom, not the friend he once had.
The student took his seat and he handed him back his assignment that he'd found on his desk one day since he'd skipped the class it was due for.
A+
Not the type of grade someone who acted like that normally got. More proof that was becoming harder to ignore.
"Mr. Stewart, I'd like to see you after class."
The young man rolled his eyes and stuffed the assignment into his bag.
It was becoming like a dance. Neither addressed the past directly, neither mentioned it, but they both knew it had happened. Even the odd student wondered about the relationship they had. It was like they couldn't stand each other, tension you couldn't cut, no matter how hard they tried, but both refused to be the first one to snap, both were confused.
"Most of you did very well on this assignment," he continued teaching as if the rather rude interruption had never occurred, "however, I don't think that all of you used the proper resources for the research you did. I've circled the questionable areas on the assignments and I'd like those with more than two circled areas to redo those sections…"
There was a collective groan from a group at the back of the classroom. He smirked slightly as one resembling Bulk attempted to look over another student's shoulder at their assignment. It was funny since no two students had written about the same thing and it wouldn't benefit him in any way.
He sat down at his desk and left the class to a work period.
He watched the student…
Justin Stewart…
Disinterested in school work the young man had chose to read a book instead. It was black and though he tried, he couldn't make out the title…
He'd changed so much from the person he'd known…how? Why? Maybe the answer was simple…
People weren't perfect.
They lost things.
Phone numbers, addresses…
They got distracted, by school, love, just…life.
He'd never known what had become him when he'd left, but he hadn't been with the Space Rangers…
Had the one thing that had brought them all together…rangering, helping people, helping others…distracted them from the one thing they all held dear?
He hadn't spoken to anyone in years…not Justin, or Kat, or TJ, or Adam, or Jason, or Trini, or Zack, the list went on and on…just no one…
Maybe that was it…
Good people who'd done something stupid unintentionally.
They'd ignored him...well, not just him…each other
When four of your best friends leave you…to be replaced by four new ones…who then leave as well…where is a person going to go? They certainly aren't going to be happy.
And suddenly things made sense.
When the bell rang the students frantically grabbed their supplies and booked it out of the classroom leaving the lone student and teacher to face off. Unbeknownst to them, three students stood, huddled near the door on the sides, waiting for their teacher, not realizing what they were about to hear…
"Justin, you have to stop skipping my classes-"
"I hand in all my work don't I? My grades are fine," he shot back throwing the paperback into his bag.
"You know I can't just let you get away with this. Look, I don't know how you are doing it since you're never here, but you have the highest marks in the class. If you tutor someone and promise to come to the rest of my classes, I won't phone home or make a mark on your record, okay?"
The deal seemed reasonable to him. But the student didn't care.
"I don't need to be here, okay? I'm going home" he went to push passed his teacher, but his arm was caught, "what?"
"We can't keep this up Justin-"
"So you do remember!"
Silence
Whispers floated inside from the lips of those huddled by the door.
The accusation hung in the air as both stepped back from each other.
They engaged in a staring contest that neither was fully aware of until the student bolted from the room, bursting passed the others outside the door, down the hall, and most likely out of the school.
It made him upset because he knew he was a good student, a good fighter, a good friend…
A head stuck in from the door, "Dr. O?" the young man in the red shirt asked, "can we come in?"
"Yeah, come in,"
A good person, who was just mixed up.