Disclaimer: Already Gone is owned by the best band in the world, the Eagles. The song in this story is missing many lyrics, because I wanted it to look as if they were Tommy's thoughts. Just so you don't think it's a weird song or anything. Oh, and I recommend it to anyone who has had their heart broken.
A/N: Yes, I'm writing a Tommy/Kim fic, so sue me.
One-Shot
Already Gone
Prom had been the most interesting dance the teenagers of Angel Grove ever had. The music was great, the atmosphere was pleasant, and having a wonderful date right by their sides was exceptionally wonderful.
"Yeah, prom was awesome, it's too bad you couldn't be there Kim" said Rocky.
The now Turbo team was sitting around their usual table having defeated Maligore before hand.
"Well" said Kim in an easy voice, "I wasn't there, but I'm sure I had an even better time winning my many trophies in the tournaments."
"That's great Kim" said an enthusiastic Tommy. "So, when are the actual games?"
"In two months; but who knows, after the games, I was thinking of coming back here."
The group around the table started getting really hyped up, except for a certain tall girl in a pink top and her best friend Tanya Sloan which both gave aggravated looks to one another as Kim talked about her return.
"That's awesome Kim, so how long will you be staying here?" asked an annoyed Kat hypocritically.
"Well, it seems like three more days and I'm out. Coach Schmit wants be back soon."
"Oh, that's just too bad. We only have three days of shopping" said Tanya sarcastically, which Kimberly picked up at immediately.
Tommy looked in Kim's direction not knowing if Kim was going to pounce at this or not. He then looked over to Kat who was now grinning at Tanya.
"Well, as much as I liked to shop. I know that there are more important things in life now" said Kim not focusing her eyes off of Tommy.
Tommy smiled at this and continued to look her direction.
Kat saw the two and shook her head.
"Hey, I got an idea, why don't we go to the lake. I know we'll have a good time" said Jason, wanting to break the uneasiness of this moment.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun" Adam said.
"Umm, where's Justin?" asked Kat in Tommy's direction.
"I don't know, I think he went to study for something" he answered.
"Oh, well, I'm gonna go look for him. I don't want Reggie and Junior messing with him again."
"Okay" said Tommy easily, "So, you need a ride?"
"No, it's alright, I'll catch up with you guys later" she said with a sad tone.
The teens all nodded their heads except for Tanya who met Kat outside as she was heading in a different direction than the others.
"Hey girl, anything I could help you with?"
"No thanks Tanya, but…I really need to be alone right now."
"Kat, what if…"
"Tanya, that's just the point. What if? I can't keep feeling like this. She's staring at him ninety-nine percent of the time and he keeps smiling at her" she said referring to Tommy and Kim's connection.
"But Kat…"
"No buts Tanya. I'm through. I can't keep going like this anymore. Every time she's near him I get this horrible feeling in my stomach."
"But you're his girlfriend Kat, not her."
"What if seeing her again has changed his mind about me completely?"
"Kat let me tell you…he's smiling at Kim the same way he's smiling at Jason. He's happy girl…he's got two of his old friends back in his life; and like it or not, she was his girlfriend Kat, you can't change that."
"Oh, so who's side are you on Tanya?"
"I'm on you're side girl. Look, that shopping crack I said was just because…well, yeah you're right, she has been staring at him since they got here…but hey, that just might mean that she's just as jealous cuz you have 'em now and not her."
Katherine smiled at her friend for trying her best to make her feel better, yet something inside her really didn't feel right. She just couldn't get it off her chest that Tommy had not mentioned talking to Kim about the infamous 'letter' that ended their relationship. With being in her thoughts, she really didn't know how to handle the whole thing.
"Thanks Tanya, but I think I still have to go for a walk" Kat said, still not convincing her friend.
A voice from beside the two came forcefully, "Hey Tanya, coming or what?"
"I'm going Rocky" she said before patting her friend on the shoulder and making her way towards her other friends.
"Hey, so what do you guys say we go throw the Frisbee for old times sake?" asked Jason.
Kim looked in Tommy's direction who was looking around as if he was questioning something.
"Hey" she told him putting her hand on his shoulder making him swiftly turn around, "something on your mind?"
He looked down shyly but still grinned, "Na' it's just Kat. She's been acting kinda weird for some reason."
"Oh?" she asked, knowing that it was she the reason why Kat was acting the way she was acting; jealous.
"Ah Kim, why do I kid myself; it's you. I think for some reason she just feels that I'm kind of neglecting her."
"Well, you have been spending plenty of time with me Tommy."
"Actually, I've planned everything for Jason and I, you've just tagged along" he said jokingly.
She giggled a bit while taking his hand. "Here, come with me" she said as she led him to the part of the lake that they first kissed.
Tommy, taking her hand looked back at Jason in which he shrugged an 'I don't know' in return.
Katherine walked along the grassy field of Angel Grove Park. She was no where near the lake, nor did she want to be.
He told me he loved me, she thought. Those thoughts of Tommy and her just floated through her mind as she was walking towards a wide shade giving tree. As she approached it, she touched it gently remembering her third date with Tommy.
After everything you've confessed to me, you still act so distant sometimes. Going over to the sand was just out of the question knowing she would burn easily so she decided to sit under the tree's shade to comfort herself somehow. Pulling her knees up pressing her thighs up against her chest and just fearing of what she knew would come; she just sat there letting memories float through her head.
"Umm…this is the place where we first…" Tommy couldn't find himself finishing the sentence.
"Yeah Tommy, you could say it. Where we first kissed" Kim finished for him.
"Kim" Tommy started.
"No" she stated, "look Tommy, let me start off by saying I'm sorry."
Tommy looked at her questionably, "sorry? For what?" Already anticipating what they were going to talk about.
"Sorry for the letter of course. I'm especially sorry for making you lose me. I see how hard it affected you. It affected me hard too, Tommy. I just wish it had never happened."
"But it did."
"Yeah it did. I just hope with me coming here, it changes a couple of things."
"Things like what? Our friendship is still there, I hope."
"Yeah, but our love Tommy; I'm trying to resuscitate that."
"Kim, my love for you is still strong, but…"
"Exactly Tommy, we can reclaim what we once had."
"That's exactly what it is, Kim. 'What we once had', it's not what we hold now. Kim, you're probably just confused. I mean, seeing you brought up a lot of emotions for me too…"
"Then, let's start off where we left off."
"Kim, where we left off was mere 'puppy love'. I've grown out of that. If I went back to you and started that again like you say, I'd be taking a step backward."
"But Tommy…"
"I've made too much progress, Kim. Way too much, to just let it slump down like that."
"If the letter would've never gotten to you…"
Tommy then remembered for a split second the day that he got the letter, and the thoughts that went through his head:
Walking down the ground of green grass just reminiscing about his days he spent with her. He had heard rumors of Kim wanting to send a letter breaking up with him, but didn't believe any of it. He believed in her, and no one else. Yet something in his heart didn't fit quite right; even before the letter had arrived.
Well, I heard some people talkin' just the other day The letter that you wrote me made me stop and wonder why It was so much more. His feelings for someone else were tearing his heart in two. He felt his love for Kim strong, yet didn't know why he just kept staring at Kat the whole time he told them at the Youth Center that he had to leave. It was as if he somehow wanted to send her a telepathic signal that he needed her there for him at that time.
and they said you were gonna put me on a shelf.
But let me tell you I got some news for you and you soon find out it's true
and then you'll have to eat your lunch all by yourself.
but I guess you felt like you had to set things right.
Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky
you can see the stars and still not see the light, that's right.
Well, I know it wasn't you who held me down. But me, I'm already gone Yes, I'm already gone
Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free.
So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains
and we never even know we have the key.
and I'm feelin' strong.
and I'm feelin' strong.
He felt a touch on his shoulder and turned around to find himself looking into Kat's eyes. She looked sad, but did she really care about him? That was something he needed to know; and was dying for to find out.
…things wouldn't be like this" she finished.
"Kim" he began again, "I don't want you to think that I'm acting out of character because you broke up with me"
"Then, why is it?" she said, almost afraid to ask the question.
"It's just that…when Adam read it…and he told me that I should read the rest…all I had were two more sentences to read."
"What are you getting at here, Tommy?"
"I just never understood why you would write such a short letter. It wasn't even a letter," he stated in a higher tone correcting himself, "It was more like a note or something. Something that someone leaves on the refrigerator door telling you that they're gonna be back in a couple of hours."
"Tommy, if you only knew how hard it was for me…"
"Kim…it just felt as if you were just heading out the door with your new boyfriend and said, 'oh wait, I have to write a quick letter to my old boyfriend breaking up with him."
"So, this is why you want to talk about us; because of the length."
"You made me doubt myself, Kim."
"How so?"
"By writing such a short letter, it made me feel that it was how you felt about me."
"But it wasn't."
"Honestly Kim, it made me feel like if I wasn't even worth a full paragraph, just a couple of four sentences. It made me think if I wasn't good enough for you, then I would definitely not be good enough for Katherine."
"But Tommy, I love you"
"I love you too Kim, but…as a friend, and nothing more."
"But all Kat cared about was you. Nothing more. If you ask me, she's nothing but a loser that didn't have anything better to do with her spare time than to think of you twenty-four seven!" she said desperately, wanting to add a bit of sloppiness to Kat's personality in Tommy's eyes.
"See, that's where you're wrong, Kim" he said irritated at the fact that his girlfriend had just been offended; something he hated most, "To tell you the truth, I was getting restless of waiting for you. I would go to the gym practically every day to relieve my stress of having to see Kat all day and not being able to tell her how I feel because you were still claiming me."
"Tommy, do you realize what you're saying?"
"Yes, Kim. I do realize what I'm saying. You have to understand that I'm with Kat now."
"But I know you don't love her, Tommy. You just think you do."
"Wait…how would you know how I feel about her?"
"Well…you've only been seeing her for what, like six months. Compare that to our two years together."
"Kim, time has nothing to do in this situation. If you could only know what I felt when she fell off that cliff, Kim." Kim's eyes at this changed and had a somewhat blank look to them. "I honestly thought I was going to lose her for a split second. I just remember that it was the longest second of my life. The thing about it was that I didn't even think twice about jumping off that cliff to go save her, either. It was as if the only thought that went through me was, if I didn't save her then I would never forgive myself for losing the one I love."
"You could've killed yourself" she said in a whispering tone as speaking to no one.
"Yeah; but it was definitely a chance I was willing to take…for her" he soon added.
Kim blinked several times to try to take in everything that was said to her. She acted as if blinking off her hurt; yet knew it was still there, and would remain there for a very long time. She looked down and just seemed to understand that what they once held was the past, and this was the present. She then looked up at him and her smile was all the reassuring that Tommy needed.
He went towards her with a similar smile on his face and took her into his arms as they shared a warm friendly hug with each other.
"I guess I'll head over with the others" she said crossing her arms over her shoulders and walking towards the group's direction.
Tommy then turned around to catch her wiping off several tears as he looked down into the water seeing it ripple with the little wind that the day was sharing.
"Is this a spot for two?" Tommy asked Kat as he went over and sat down beside her.
She turned around and her sad eyes met his warm brown eyes. "I guess you could do whatever you want, it's a free country right?" she said coldly.
Tommy was taken back by her comment but decided to brush it off, knowing her feelings were getting the best of her now.
"Kat, what's wrong?"
"Like if you don't know" she said in the same tone.
"No, to be blunt, this isn't like you at all."
"Look Tommy, I know how hard it is to get over someone you love; so I'll just spare you the whole awkward breakup speech."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know what you're going to say."
"And I'm really tired of people saying that to me. Just because I had something going on with some one a long time ago, doesn't mean I'm in love with them."
Kat was about to say something rude yet again, but stopped herself before beginning and looked in his direction instead of out at the sea.
"Didn't I tell you that I love you?"
"Yeah" she said, not knowing what was going through his mind.
"Kim and I talked already" he said, trying to reassure her.
Katherine felt a small internal smile cross her as he talked.
"We know where we stand with one another; we're just friends, and nothing more."
Katherine felt her now smile exterior itself from her as she hugged Tommy tenderly.
"Thank you" she said, "that's all I ever wanted."
Tommy smiled as he hugged her back knowing all she was asking for was thoughtfulness by his part; even if all he had to read were her sapphire blue eyes.
A/N: So, what'd you think? Should it be a Tommy/Kat thing, cuz I feel it more as a Tommy/Kim for some reason. It really shows them talking and getting everything out of the way; well, that's what I think.
