"Dr. O, no offence, but why are we helping you look for new bedding." An odd tone entered the red clad teen male's voice as he observed the items on the shelf before him.
"More rather, why are we helping you look for pink and girlie bedding?" The blue clad African American male asked from beside his friend, equally confused.
The two young males looked at each other before they stared at the older man to their right with devious looks. "Having an identity crisis? Or is there something you're not telling us?"
The red clad male coughed down a laugh as he added on his own jab. "Yeah, another colour change in your future, Dr O? Along with some other changes you may want to inform us of?"
"Very funny, Conner." The black clad older male, Dr. O, observed the red youth with a tired expression. This was his fifth try at shopping and he was getting desperate. Thus, his shopping mates. "Ethan, you're Blue. I know you're smart enough to know this obviously isn't for me."
"Doesn't mean I can't make jokes." The boy in blue, Ethan, shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "I may be smart, but I'm still human. I'm gonna crack a joke or two when a grown man is shopping for young girls bedding."
"Ha-ha, Ethan."
"Seriously, Dr. Oliver, this is kinda weird. Even for you." The young girl in yellow and denim made her way over to the three fighting males. "Can you please tell us why you're doing this? Why we're helping you?"
Tommy Oliver let out a sigh knowing it was time to tell them. "You're right, Ethan. There is something I'm not telling you all. But," he was quick to add, as all three youths went wide eyed and opened mouthed in implication at this admittance. "I'm not changing colour, fingers crossed, and I'm certainly not getting a sex change, Conner."
He gave the red clad teen a hard look, to which the youth merely responded with one of un-assuredness and unease towards his mentor and former teacher.
"Well, then what are we doing here and what aren't you telling us."
"Well, Kira, what I'm not telling you is that I'm going to be having a house guest." Yet again his young companions met him with shocked looks of disbelief. "She's the little sister of an old friend. She and her mother have done an excellent job of keeping in touch and I'm happy to say I'm very good friends with them now, too."
All but Connor recovered with this information and listened with more understanding expressions.
"Lately she's been behaving weird. Her grades have been slipping and she's running with an odd crowd." Tommy sighed and picked up a comforter to keep his expression occupied. "She just moved back to Angel Grove from living with her aunt in Chicago, IL. It seems that that's where this whole mess started. She has improved, but that's not saying much.
"So, her mother and I have been talking and we decided that maybe somewhere completely different would be best. She'd lived in the Chicago area before and knew what to expect. Now granted she has lived in Angel Grove for around four years, Reefside is a good distance away and some what different. This seemed like the last chance for her to get her daughter back. I was more then happy to help, of course.
"I know her, she isn't like this. I've seen her grow, watched the light in her eyes get brighter the more she learns. I've seen her hands make beautiful works of art out of paper and pencil, or what ever medium she decides to use. Plus, I feel like this is something I need to do, as favor to an old friend."
"Who is he? Another former Ranger?" Kira took the comforter from his hands and put it back in its place on the shelf.
"No, he wasn't a Ranger." A reminiscent look crossed his face. "He was one of my martial arts students. He was in junior high when I was in high school. My first year of college was his freshmen year of high school. You could see the love he had for his sister, for his mother. Though, you could see that same love for his sister in everyone's eyes. His sister was infectious. You couldn't help but love her. Unless you were their stepfather and her stepmother. Their mom tried so hard to find someone who loved them and could guide them as only a male could do. It didn't work, and it took its toll on the kids.
"As the years went by you could see the love for his sister fade. He became jealous. She was still so open and caring and infectious when all he could do was hate these people that were hurting her, targeting her. He watched as she cried and cried as these people tried to break her time and time again. Yet, she never cried in front of them and stayed strong, never hating them as he did. 'What right does she have to be happy?'"
Tommy looked at the different bed sets before him, looking past them. Looking at a time when things were worse and easier at the same time.
"She was always so aware of those who were hurting her. She knew she was unwanted in her stepfather's house. As she was equally unwanted in her father's house. She knew she was unloved by these people, but she was sure as hell going to try to love them."
"Wow, to not have your father love you. I can't imagine what that must feel like." Connor's voice was pained.
"His name was Tanner Morrison. He soon moved out of his mother house and came to Angel Grove to live with his uncle. He needed time away from that environment. He joined my martial arts class and you could see the light re-enter his eyes as he talked about his sister. Soon he told me everything I just told you. It ripped him up inside to see he hated his sister in such a way. He soon began to long for their presence, his mother's and sister's. When his uncle died, his mother decided it was time for a change and brought Alyx out to Angel Grove where they all tried to be a family again but the ending was the same. Though he tried his hardest to change it."
The three teens stared at their mentor and friend, waiting for him to continue. "What happened to him?" Kira prompted when he failed to continue.
"He eventually dropped out of my class towards the end of his seventh grade year, made the wrong friends and followed the same path he had back in Chicago." Tommy sighed and faced his young companions. "I tried to help out. I did my best to bring him around but it soon became evident that all I could do was keep in touch. I soon became close to his mother and his sister. She was really smart for an eight year old. Very easy to get along with and bond to. She was very hesitant at first, almost hell bent at not being my friend or liking me. I later found out that it was because I was her brother's friend and she didn't want to seem like one of those siblings that clung to her brother and his friends."
A chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered her stubbornness the first time Kimberly and he had come over for dinner. At how quickly she and Kimberly had bonded. A dull ache pulsed through him, but he quickly swallowed it down.
"Any way, that's pretty much how she and I became friends." Tommy smiled at the youths before him and he shrugged. "She's been living in Chicago for the past year and decided it was time to come home. Her mother and her have talked this out, and not with out a few horse throats and bruises, they agreed that this could be best for her. Her friends aren't happy though. They just got her back, and they may not let her go."
Turning his head in thought, something caught his eye. "Oh, that's perfect!"
"Are you kidding me?" Kira looked at him in disbelief. "You think this is the one?"
Tommy picked up the bed set and smiled widely at his former students. "Trust me," he held up the classic Power Rangers themed bedding. "She's a major fan of the classics. If only they had the Green or White Rangers to go along with this. She would lose her head."
Tommy brow sunk in minor disappointment.
Connor heard this and perked up instantly. "They do, Dr. O. In the boys section!" The excitement in his voice was only mirrored by what was shown on his face.
"Really?" Tommy looked at his former student with hopeful eyes. "Did they happen to have a classic Batman set as well?"
"That I don't know." Connor looked at Tommy with an impish grin. "I only know about the power rangers one because I was thinking of getting them. They also have the Red Ranger."
"Good, she'll flip when she sees the whole set." He grabbed the yellow ranger set but stopped when he looked down to place the set in his cart.
"What's wrong Dr. O?" Kira looked over his shoulder and her brow furrowed in confusion. "They're different."
Tommy's smile broadened as he picked up the two sets and compared them. "This one is from the Ninjetti days. Do they have the pink?" He put both in the cart and began looking in the small section of Ranger bedding.
"Here you go Dr. O." Kira found the Pink Ninjeti Ranger bedding and handed it off to Tommy's excited hands.
A quick glance at the wall and he found the original yellow ranger he had been looking for.
Connor came back, eyes lit with excitement as he stopped in front of Tommy, nearly bouncing in his place. "Dr. O! They have you're Red Ranger bedding. Both of them. Zeo and Turbo."
"Oh, yeah. They have the Zeo and Turbo of the Pink and Yellow here, as well, Dr. O." Kira smiled at him but it quickly faded into a look of confusion.
"She won't want any of that." His expression had darkened momentarily as he turned and headed back toward the boy's section.
"That was weird. What do you think he meant by that." Kira's voice was weak as she grabbed her cart, which was loaded down with bedding and bathroom supplies. "But you guys go with him. I need to grab something for this chick that I'm sure none of you will think of nor want to do."
The two young males looked at each other confused and shrugged. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"
"No clue," Ethan may be a genius but girls were an unknown species to him. "Let's go help Dr. O, like she said, so we don't end up hurt."
Connor nodded vigorously in agreement, and the two off them headed toward the boy's bedding isle.
"There you guys are." Tommy looked relieved as he wheeled his own cart toward the end of the isle. "I need your guy's help big time." He handed the two of them two separate lists. "I'm heading toward the food section. Ethan, you go to the pet section and get the things on that list. Connor, you go to electronics, furniture and lighting to get the things on your list. We'll meet up at the front of the store when we're done, or we'll come find you."
Tommy and Ethan both looked at Connor pointedly. "What? Why does everyone think I'm gonna be the slow one who can't find what's on his list?" He looked down at his list to make sure that he knew what everything was, but something about the bedding in Dr. O's cart caught his eye. "Dude, what?"
"Don't call me dude."
"Yeah, what ever." Connor rolled his eyes at his mentor and went back to glaring. "Why does she get a king size bed? That's so not cool."
"Because, she's going to be sharing it with a dog. Or was it two dogs? Either way, she needs a big bed." With that, Dr. Tommy Oliver made his way toward the food section of the Reefside Wal-Mart.
"I'll see you later, Connor." Ethan took his leave then and went toward the same area Kira had gone off to.
With a sigh, Connor made his way toward the electronics section. Looking over his list with a growing look of confusion.
'Why is Dr. O getting this chick all this stuff? A new TV? Video games?'
"This is so not cool." He dropped the list into the cart and stopped to look for the TV he had seen on the detailed list. "I mean, I know he can afford it, but who's he trying to impress. Her mom and her apparently move around a lot. They couldn't possibly be doing that bad."
"You wouldn't know, being a spoiled brat and all." A harsh feminine voice came from behind him. "Connor McKnight, star soccer player of Reefside High. I do believe you drive a perfectly restored Mustang. Am I wrong?"
He turned sharply, coming face to face with the hard expression of a very beautiful green clad blonde teenage girl. "You wouldn't know the first thing about living with financial fear, would you? Have you ever had a job? Other then professional jerk?"
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Connor tried to make his face as polite as possible with the violent waves that were rolling of the angry goddess before him.
"No, but you know my friend." Her features darkened for a moment before they softened slightly as she continued. "I don't like the way things went between the two of you. Stay away from her and the rest of my friends."
"What are you talking about? Who are you talking about? Who are you?" It became evident that she was not going to give any of this information out. He tried a different tactic. "How am I supposed to know if they're your friends or not?" His mind was still reeling at the odd and unexpected accusations of this blonde girl. "Are you gonna sticker them or something?"
"Maybe," A dark smirk snaked onto her lips as she lowered her brow in masked fury. "Or, maybe you should just know not to mess with some people when you're looking for a quick fix to your raging hormones. Think about it, McKnight, and be careful the next time your doing something you probably shouldn't be doing."
With that she whipped around and made her way towards the front of the Wal-Mart. Connor watched her go still slightly shocked and plenty confused. A flash of pink, purple and blue hair caught his eye.
The blonde stopped and talked to this person, who was standing with a brown a haired women, supposedly, who was only slightly taller then the other two.
Drawn to the possibility of figuring this weird girl out a little better, he snuck around the isle of DVDs that was separating them to hear better.
"Luna, where'd you go?" The voice was older, probably belonged to the brunette in the group. "We were looking all over the store for you."
"Yeah, Hun, I really started to get worried when you weren't in the kiddy pool section." The voice was throaty and made him think of dark rooms and sneaky business.
"Sorry about that." No harshness was in her voice, you could hear the smile in there now as she spoke to these two people. "Ms. Hart, I was wondering what you thought about having a karaoke night before school starts?"
A sigh came from whom was expected to be Ms. Hart, the older one most likely. "Sure, and we'll need black lights, strobe lights and fog machines."
"Ooh." A shiver ran up his spine at the sound. "Can we get fluorescent fog? That would make me really happy."
After a short pause, Ms. Hart responded with a defeated tone. "Sure! Why not. If we're gonna have a blow out, which is what this is looking like it's going to be, we might as well go all out." Another pause and the shuffling of feet. "Lead the way, girls."
Something about the voice of the odd haired girl had struck Connor as familiar, as did the other girl entirely, but he couldn't place how.
Sighing, he let it go, or at least tried to, and went back to his cart to find what was on his list. He found the TV and went on to find everything else, which was fairly easy until he got to the video games, computer and studying lamp. By the end he never wanted to see another wall clock for as long as he lived, then he shuddered remembering Dr. O had five.
A smile lit his face when he found the group at the meeting spot and found he was, in fact, not the last one to complete their list. Dr. O, as a matter of fact, had gone missing and the three teens were left waiting for him. As the three tried to wait patiently, though they were beginning to think they would rather kill each other, a throaty voice with a sultry undertone caught Connor's ears and he froze.
"Did you see Kim's face." Concern and shock colored her beautiful voice as the sound of shuffling feet was coming toward him. "I don't think I've ever seen her that mad. Not since PE when I refused to dress out."
"I don't think she was even as upset then as she was just now, but I'm not so sure she was mad." Luna's voice made Connor rethink his plan to turn around and find out who the mystery girl was.
"She was mad," The confidence in the girl's voice was undeniable. "She was glaring at that guy, hardcore. I would not want to be him when Kim finishes what ever it is she's putting the poor guy through."
"You two have so much in common, it's kinda scary." Luna's voice was light, but had a harsh undertone that shocked Connor until he was suddenly shoved into Ethan by the shoulder of what he supposed to be an angry blonde.
"Watch it!" Kira's voice rang through the air and Connor stiffened in fear of what would come next. He heard a weak sorry and knew that they were well on there way out of the store, or to a check out. Either way, the angry blonde was gone and he was safe. For now, at least.
"Well, that was incredibly rude." Kira scoffed in the direction Connor suspected they went in.
"Hey, Connor, man, are you okay?" Ethan looked at him wearily. "You aren't to looking to good. Do you not feel well or something? You're paler then Hayley on a bad day."
"Or something." He managed a wavering smile he was sure they could tell was fake. To say he wasn't feeling good was closer but he didn't want his friends to worry.
Hayley was the local MIT graduate and the residing genius of Reefside as well as the good friend of Dr. Oliver's. She could either be found in her lab, the good Doctor's lab or her café. This led to her being the typically pale indoor's prone science junky slash computer genius. It is safe to say that Connor didn't look his usual tan self if Haylay looked a healthier colour then he did.
To be perfectly honest, he didn't feel like his usual self either. He was shaken. Something had been pulling at the back of his mind since he met Luna. Since Dr. O had told his story about his friend's little sister even. The mention of skin paler then Hayley's shook him as well. It was driving him mad, because even though it made sense that these things would effect him, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why or how. This fact, that all these unrelated things fell into place for no reason and made sense, this was what bothered him most. What did he do that he couldn't remember? Who had he hurt? How bad?
The other two teens watched their friend drift off somewhere in his own head with worried eyes. All they could do was watch and be clueless on how to help. This wasn't like Connor and they were worried about what they would witness if they disturbed his thoughts in anyway.
"Hey! look guys, it's Dr. O." Ethan chuckled do to nerves as Kira sent him a pointed look while jerking her head toward Connor. All Ethan could do was send her a pained look and shrug his shoulders.
"Oh, cool." Connor was brought out of his staring contest with empty space and turned to see the good doctor coming from the food section.
The three teens were startled at his appearance when he finally came fully into view. He looked even more shaken up then Connor did, and rather worn out to add on to the apparent problem.
"Whoa, dude. What happened to you?" Connor's voice was shaky, still slightly effected by his own encounter's of the day.
"Don't call me dude." Was all they got as he huffed an exhausted breath and stopped his cart near his teen companions. He leaned over it, feeling as if he could die right there, and not really care either way.
Images of brown hair and honey skin flashed behind his lids as he closed his eyes and tried to forget the whole incident.
'It wasn't real, anyway, you old dinosaur. You imagined the whole thing and chased a mirage around the grocery section of Wal-Mart for no reason.'
"Um, are you okay, Dr. O?" Kira looked at her mentor and friend, worried as their conditions were identical.
"What?" Tommy shook his head and dispelled his self argument. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry Kira. Something just caught my eye and it had me thinking is all."
"What caught your eye, Dr. O?" Ethan was curious, he to noticed the similar looks on his companion's faces.
"Nothing you need worry about." With that he put on a brave face and stood tall, both hands clasping his cart. "Are you all done with your lists? Good, let's get out of here, drop this stuff off at my house and enjoy some pizza at Hayley's."
Connor followed with out question, afraid that things would shift back toward him. The other two teens just watched them go, dumbfounded about either incident and how they could possibly be related. So with one last pained look toward each other, they followed their teacher and friend with out another word about the incidents to either of them.
Tommy was true to his word. They dropped the spoils of the trip off at his house, putting the perishables away of course, and got pizza before going to Hayley's to relax and have smoothies.
The kids soon left though, claming tiredness and a desperate need to spend sometime away from their old teacher since they would see him the next morning for training as well.
"I know I don't say this enough, but that's a good group of kids." Tommy said, slightly distant with out outside conversation to distract him from his thoughts.
"Yeah," Hayley's voice became sharp and cut through his slight daze instantly. "Cut the crap, Tommy. I know something's up, and I'm not going to except what ever BS reason you gave those three."
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Tommy tried to act as if this were true but failed when his eyes caught sight of the interview being shown on the screen behind the counter.
Hayley followed his gaze then turned to him with an expression so full of fire he began to sweat under her glare.
"I cannot believe you." Her voice was almost as harsh her gaze but Tommy barely noticed either of these things. "I thought you were past this. How can you so easily revert back to your high school boy self when she's only on an interview?"
Her words registered, and he knew she was right, but he couldn't seem to muster up the will to care. He knew he was being pathetic, but that was okay, because he was watching her, listening to her talk.
It was an old interview, but it was her. "Hart takes gold in Pan Global Games!" was the title of the interview. She was so happy, sweaty and tired, but happy. His eyes were too cloudy with what he expected to see to see the hollowness in the doe eyes that he was staring into through the TV.
Hayley could, though. It was the same hollow emptiness she had seen in Tommy's eyes several times since meeting him at MIT. She knew something just wasn't right about the whole situation surrounding their break up, but that it had to wait. Tommy was first, and until he finally could move past this, nothing could be done.
She tried once again to bring him around through reason and talk, but something was keeping him from listening.
Hayley noted that he was not listening with Kim around in any form and changed the channel.
"I was watching that!" Tommy snapped at her with out remorse, still enrapt in the previous program. They were just beginning the "Where are they now?" segment. Maybe now he could find her and see how she was. Maybe they could have coffee and talk about the letter and everything that had followed it. Maybe they could…. Could what?
"Exactly." Hayley heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed her temples. "It was just an interview, Tommy. An old interview, even, and it was like nothing else is or ever was with you."
"But, it wasn't just the interview." Hayley raised her eye brows in question and nodded for him to continue. "I saw her in the Wal-Mart today."
"Oh, God! You talked to her?" Tommy you dolt, was all she could think as she watched over 5 years of work go down the drain.
"No, just saw her." He lowered his head after that. "Or, at least I think I did."
Wait. "So, you didn't talk to her?" Tommy shook his head and Hayley sighed in relief. "You're not even sure who you saw was her."
Tommy nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, it's not possible anyway. She's probably in Florida with some gymnastics studio making a killing off her reputation as a Pan Global gold and Olympic silver medalist."
"And it's for the best Tommy. You clearly aren't in the state to see her." Hayley handed off a group of smoothies she had just finished for the kids at table 4. "And, if I wasn't already in love with the kid, I would try and talk you out of taking in Alyx."
Tommy stiffened at the implication in Hayley's voice and kept his head down to hide his shock. "She's so much like her, it could keep you from focusing and moving forward. Plus, she's most likely still in contact with Kimberly and who knows what could come of that."
Just what he hoped would happen, Tommy thought and took a healthy drink of his coffee.
Realization swept through Hayley and shown on her face. "Or, is it rather, what you want to happen."
Tommy sputtered and his coffee was no longer on its way down his throat.
"Thomas James Oliver!" You sly dog, almost got past me. "Are you planning on using this girl as a means of getting back in touch with Kimberly? You are!" When Tommy didn't respond she knew the answer anyway. "You are so low, you know that."
"I'm not using her. I'm helping her, I swear." Tommy lowered his eyes and mumbled the rest. "That fact that this could lead to Kimberly was only an after thought."
Hayley was grabbing at a metal mixing spoon when Tommy realized she had heard the last part. "That! And I wasn't even sure that that's what I wanted until I 'saw' Kimberly today in Wal-Mart. I need closure, clearly. At least that! You know I'm right, Hayley, I can see it in your eyes." That, and the fact that her hand had relaxed on the metal mixing spoon.
"You're SO lucky you're persuasive."
"I still can't believe that guy tried to pull that on you." Alyx maneuvered through the thick traffic of down town Angel Grove. "Who knew that you could find such creepers in a Wal-Mart? Oh, wait. That's common knowledge."
Luna giggled from the backseat and continued to nibble on the cherry tomatoes she just had to have.
"I know!" Kim looked over at her young companion and thought about the small incident involving harsh vibes towards a curtain soccer player. "Speaking of creepers: I saw Conner McKnight's car in the parking lot." Kim saw Alyx's brow fall as she suddenly focused on the road with unwavering concentration. "Not to mention some major hostility toward his innocent car."
"His car ain't so innocent." Luna mumbled from her lounged state in the back seat. Louder she commented with: "The guys a major creeper. Anything involving him deserves an attempt of murder by way of glare. Why do you ask?"
Alyx rolled her eyes and briefly looked at her friend through the rearview mirror. "She didn't ask a question. She made a comment." Luna stuck her tongue out and threw a tomato at the back of Alyx's head.
Kim chuckled at the two young girls who reminded her so much of Trini and herself back in high school. She made a mental note to steal Trini away from Jason for some girl time.
"All I'm saying is that I was a teenager once. I know hostility toward a male for "certain reasons" when I see it. What's going on?"
Luna grumbled from the backseat and Alyx scoffed. "Ms. Hart, Connor and I have," she screwed her face up in an odd way and searched for the right word as they pulled up to the Golden Crane Gymnastics studio. "History. We have history. In that car."
Kim nodded in understanding until those words truly sunk in. "Wait. What kind of history. Deep history, Crust Level history or playful history?"
Alyx turned off the jeep and sighed as she looked out the front window. "A little of each, but very little Deep history, you know?"
Kim looked between the girls to see if this was true. Luna's scowl said everything.
The thing with Luna and Alyx was simply this. They were close and very protective of each other. Upon Alyx's move to Angel Grove the first time, the two bonded at the Junior Officer's Benefit Dance and they haven't been anything but close since.
"Well, that's interesting." Kim looked at her young companion and smiled. "So, girl talk time. How was it?"
It never seemed to amaze her how nothing could ever get the girl to blush. Alyx, do to an odd childhood, never found anything startling or indecent. Well, not indecent but nothing that was so far from her frame of thought that it would make her blush.
"He's a great kisser." The slight quirk of her lips and the way her gaze darkened told Kim that she could guess what else he was great at from there.
Kim laughed and got out of the car. The girls followed and they all trekked back and forth from the car to the training center's office bringing in the items they had purchased.
Alyx turned on the jeep once more and replaced the top, then locked it and headed straight for the girl's locker room. Kim busied herself in her office that was placed just above the locker rooms. Luna, having nothing to do, positioned herself on the floor routine mats, pulled out her laptop and began watching a movie, happily popping cherry tomatoes into her mouth.
Alyx returned, having abandoned the basketball shorts and tank she had been wearing for a pair of smaller shorts and a tighter camisole and sports bra. She remained shoeless, having kicked her flip-flops off in the car and not needing them for her work out. She also carried with her a pair of 10lb weights and her iPod.
She fiddled with her iPod for a moment, connecting it to the gym wide sound system and selecting her play list. Luna soon noticed this, considering she was sitting right by the controls where Alyx was fiddling. Her eyes grew wide and she squealed in objection.
"Go change." Alyx smiled and Luna took off towards the lockers. Alyx chuckled and scratched the nape of her neck as she waited for her friend.
Upon Luna's excited return Alyx began her work out routine. It was a mix of dance, aerobics, boxing and weight training. They finished up by grabbing a pair of 5lb weights from the rack across the room and doing minor toning then a small amount of calming stretches.
Luna breathed in heavily and made way to sit down, but Alyx stopped her, equally worn out. "I want to just lay down as much as you, but we need move to help our muscles transition." Luna nodded and the two began to circle the room.
They smiled when they caught sight of Kim moving across her beam and slowed down to watch. She hadn't competed in years, but Kim never truly quit. She probably never would.
Kim saw the girls finally done with their work out and dismounted, it was nothing special. Her left leg had been questionable lately, old injuries acting up like they often did when she was under stress.
"Why'd you dismount?" Alyx made her way over, meeting Kimberly half way. "I'm not done. I still have my dancing to do."
Kim wiped her face down then fiddled with her towel. "Well, I got something to tell you. You remember we were talking about your "thing" with McKnight? Well, I was wondering: if the two of you were okay with it, why'd you stop?"
Alyx stared for a moment then sighed. "I cut it off. He was always leaving suddenly. Then it was the lame excuses for why. So, finally I got him alone at one the Angel Grove - Reefside games. He said he wasn't looking for a good time anymore. That he had done of lot of growing and thinking lately, and that was the end of it. He wanted a mature girlfriend. So, I asked what his idea of mature girlfriend was and it turns out that I wasn't her."
Alyx looked Kim solidly in the eye. Kim sighed and shook her head.
"I just got off the phone with Jason. Turns out, Tommy's been keeping company with colour specific teenagers lately. And one of them was a soccer player with an affinity for red." Alyx laughed sarcastically and turned her head toward the ceiling as she just sort of moved around. Luna leaned against the wall as she appeared to be trying to add two and two together and was getting no other answer then fish. "I can hardly believe it myself, but it is Tommy, I suppose."
Alyx nodded as she began to laugh in earnest. "Why'd you call Jason, though?"
Kim paused her own laughter. "He and Trini invited Zack, Aisha and I over for dinner. Rocky might be coming as well, if he can pull away from the fiancé for the evening."
Alyx nodded and began making her way toward the sound controls. She chose her play list and began doing a simple routine to loosen herself up. "I'll keep it short then."
Kim nodded and headed back to her beam and continued on with her minor work out.
As Alyx moved across the floor, she thought of Conner and how this information made her feel. She realized she was okay with it. So what if he thought his experiences over the last year gave him the right to ask her to change then he could get over it and move on. It made no difference to her. Things probably would have ended in someway or another, none of them having much of hope of being pleasant. Conner could find a decent companion for himself, and she wished him the best could only find herself happy for him.
This brought her to think of how she was able to come to this conclusion so easily. The song changed to something more energetic after a small pause for her to re-stretch her muscles. Tommy and Kim's relationship had much to do with this. The way they had ended had helped her review herself and grow a little faster in regards to things ending, no matter how rock solid they seemed.
But this brought on darker thoughts. There were things she knew that next to no one had become privy to. She was once again faced with the thought that she handled things wrong. That if she had just thought things out a little better when it would have made a difference things would have not gone the way they did.
But what did it matter? It was done and everyone lived out their lives as best as they could. Nothing could have come from it. And maybe it was for the best. Kim may have never accomplished so much and Tommy might have never branched out from what he had been.
Thus she came full circle and realized that even if it may not have been the right way to handle things, it was for the best. So, she would hold on to her tidbit of knowledge for a while longer. No one but Jason, Kat and herself would know that The Letter was nothing more then the product of a jealous, hormonal would be teen temptress.
Her set changed one final time into another easy routine as the double doors of the gym were disturbed by someone entering. "You guys took forever. I was getting worried." Jason made his way over to the beam to hug his sister.
Kim was quick to remount her beam when Jason backed away. He was sure to watch her left leg. Being a football coach and well trained martial artist he knew how dangerous it was when an old injury was acting up. He looked around the gym when he was satisfied that it was nothing that would cause her harm by doing the simple routines she was engaged in.
A smile crossed his face as he took the scene in. Luna was practicing simple floor maneuvers and Alyx was tearing up her already terrifying feet. It was a common scene for summers. The gym was often empty, most of the students going off to training camps or vacations. Considering the intense training that went on during the times when her students were here, it was a nice break every now and again. One she encouraged very much. Although she agreed fully with her students being driven and determined, she knew how necessary it was take some time to family, friends and yourself. She was training girls and boys to enjoy their time with their passion, not exhaust it.
The three paused in what they were doing and took this time to fire off excuses and blame. Kim dismounted when Alyx threw an accusation her way and made her way over to the odd haired teen. Alyx met her half way and Luna, obviously feeling left out, ran over to join in the farce blame battle.
As soon as claims that Alyx's nails should listed as deadly weapons, Jason interjected. "Ladies!" They stopped and looked at him as he made his way over. "I don't care who it was. A lot of messed up and dangerous stuff has been going on in Reefside lately. I was just concerned as to what could have happened."
"Well, we're safe, obviously." Alyx folded her arms over her chest and looked at Jason with a would be angelic smile if he didn't know her. "No scary monsters or finely toned men in spandex to be found. Not that I didn't look."
Luna set her gaze on her and asked with an amused lilt in her voice, "For the monsters or the men?"
Alyx made of show of giving it thought and replied in a dead pan state, "Yes."
Everyone just chuckled and stared at her for moment. Jason looked to Kimberly with a quizzical stare. She simply shook her head. "I don't know."
"Right." Jason shook off the exchange and looked to Kim. "I came to offer you a ride so Alyx and Luna can get on with their with evening."
Kim offered her thanks and excepted the ride whole heartedly. After that the girls separated to change.
