REVENGE AND ACCEPTANCE
DISCLAIMERAUTHOR'S NOTE
Sequel to "Always Me". Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to write a sequel, but for some reason, I was compelled to write this. I am in no way trying to be exploitive, and if this fiction comes across that way, tell me, and I will willingly take it down. Takes place directly after "The Ninja Encounter", so Jason, Zack, and Trini haven't left for Switzerland yet. Again, I don't own anybody except Tressa's sister Pauline or people you don't recognize. Everyone else belongs to Haim Saban and Fox Kids.
PROLOGUE: THAT OLD, FAMILIAR FEELING
Kids laughed as they hung up streamers, put out cupcakes, and painted signs. Tommy Oliver, the White Ranger, had just finished his section of a banner he was working on, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"What's up, beautiful?" he asked, looking up.
"Look who showed up," his girlfriend, Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, answered. Tommy followed her gaze to three teens who were standing in the doorway.
"Rocky, Adam, Aiesha!" he called happily. The three acknowledged him and walked up.
"Hey, Tommy," Adam Park greeted. The Korean brushed back a stray lock of hair.
"What are you guys doing here?" Kimberly queried.
"We heard there was good food," Rocky DeSantos quipped. Aiesha Campbell smacked him.
"Actually, we came to help," she responded.
"That'd be awesome," Kimberly stated. Together, the two walked over to a table where a group of girls were making name tags.
"Could we help?" Aiesha queried.
"Sure," one of the girls answered. Farcus "Bulk" Bulkmeier and his best friend and partner in crime, Eugene "Skull" Skullovich stared at the striking beauty of the African-American.
"She is gorgeous," Bulk stated.
"Aw, she's all right," Skull said, his gaze wandering to Kimberly.
"Come on," Bulk growled, dragging his friend along.
"Bulk and Skull," Kimberly sighed. "What do you want?" she asked.
"An introduction," Bulk replied. "Who's your friend?" he questioned.
"Aiesha Campbell. She goes to Stone Canyon," Kimberly answered.
"Kimberly, how about a date Friday night?" Skull invited.
"Ugh. Not in this lifetime," Kimberly told him.
"What? You think you're too good?" Bulk sneered. He and Skull closed in.
"Is there a problem here?" a voice questioned. The bullies turned around to see Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger and leader of the team.
"What do you want, goody-goody?" Bulk sneered again.
"I believe Kimberly just said she wasn't interested," Jason replied.
"How do you know what she said? You were way over there," Bulk pointed out.
"I saw her body language," Jason answered, standing firm.
"Well, stay out of things that ain't your business," Skull snapped. "She's going out with me," he continued, grabbing her arm.
"You know, I could always sic Tommy on you guys," Kimberly said casually. At this, the bullies froze. They remembered what had happened when the boy had first moved to Angel Grove. And how his eyes had glowed green that one time.
"S---sorry," they stuttered. Then, they hurried off. Kimberly, Jason, and Aiesha laughed.
"Good one, Kim," Jason told her.
"Little do they know that he wouldn't hurt a fly," Kimberly stated. Meanwhile, Trini Quan, the Yellow Ranger, had just asked Tommy to hang up a streamer. As he was on his way to do so, he was intercepted by Rebecca "Becky" Belmont, a tall blond. The Ranger supressed the urge to sigh in frustration. Though the female population had found him very easy on the eyes, most of them had accepted the fact that he and Kimberly were dating and settled for polite conversation. Becky, however, didn't seem to get the fact through her head.
"Hi, Tommy," she said.
"Hi, Becky," he acknowledged.
"Whatcha doin'?" she asked.
"Trini asked me to hang up a streamer," was his reply. He moved to pass her, but she quickly did the same.
"Let somebody else do it. I wanna talk," she stated.
"I really need to go hang this up," he told her.
"Whatcha doin' Friday?" Becky queried.
"Probably something with Kimberly," Tommy answered. Again, he tried to pass her, but was stopped as she lay a hand on his arm.
"Wow. You've been working out," she noted.
"No more than usual," was his response.
"Tommy, come on, just one date?" she queried, leaning in towards him seductively. Tommy tensed.
"Becky, stop it," he said. She began to lope her arms around him and his mind flashed back to an attractive woman with dark hair, doing the same thing.
"Stop it," he repeated. She didn't listen, but began to stroke his cheek bone.
"I said, stop it!" he growled, pushing her back. The shove was so forceful that it knocked her into one of the tables.
"Respecting the word 'no' goes both ways," he told her. Then, he walked out into the halls. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Rocky, Adam, and Aiesha had grouped themselves together as the scene had unfolded out.
"Man, what happened?" Rocky wondered.
"I don't know," Zachary "Zack" Taylor, the Black Ranger, replied, shaking his head. Like Aiesha, he was African-American.
"He seemed rather upset," William "Billy" Cranston, the Blue Ranger noted.
"I'll go see what's up," Kimberly said. With that, she also headed for the halls.
"Tommy?" she asked. She heard the sound of a fist hitting a locker and followed the noise.
"Tommy?" she asked again, seeing her boyfriend. He punched his locker again. "Are...you okay?" she queried nervously.
"I'm sorry. I just had to get out of there," he told her.
"What happened?" she wondered.
"Becky started flirting with me and it was like it was happening all over again," Tommy responded moodily.
"Oh. You mean Tressa?" Kimberly asked softly. He nodded.
"Do you...want some company?" she offered. He shook his head.
"Okay," she said. Then, she walked off.
