Title: Faded
Author: Dana
Rating: PG-13 (To be on the safe side)
Warnings: Violence (the stuff you see on tv)
Summary: Tommy's hiding something from the other rangers and he knows if they find out, nothing will ever be the same.
Author's note: This is a sequel to my fic Losing White. This takes place a few days after the first fic ended. I highly recommend you read that fic first.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. I have been so out of the loop on the show, I don't even remember who owns them now.
"Tommy?" Charlotte Oliver asked as she knocked on the bedroom door of her eldest son. "It's time to get up."
"I'm awake." Tommy called from the other side of the door. He got out of bed and put on a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror and changed into a green t-shirt. He didn't want to be reminded of his time as the Gray Ranger but he wasn't ready to be the White Ranger. He brushed his hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. He walked out of his room and down the stairs to the kitchen. He sat down at the table.
Ryan Oliver put the newspaper down and stared at Tommy for a moment. "Would you like me to give you a ride to school?" He asked.
"No, Kim's already offered." Tommy didn't know what all the fuss was about. He had his own car, why would he need someone to give him a ride? It's not like he didn't know where the motel was.
"Eat up." Charlotte said placing a plate in front of both her husband and her son. She went into the kitchen to get a plate for her youngest son Cory and herself before sitting down at the kitchen table.
"You know Tommy," she started to say as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "You don't have to go to school yet if you aren't ready. I know you'll be asked a lot of questions and it will be hard on you. Mr. Kaplan already suggested it."
"No I need to go back." Tommy said pushing his food around on his plate but not eating any. He wasn't hungry.
"You really need to eat breakfast." Charlotte said. "I don't think you ate anything for dinner."
"I'm just not hungry." He said getting up and scraping the plate into the garbage and then placed his dishes in the sink. He saw Kimberly's car pull up to the curb. "There's Kim." He said and raced out the door. He saw Aisha sitting in the back as he got in.
"You ready?" Kim asked.
"I guess." He said. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"It won't be so bad." Aisha tried to reassure him. No one will know you were Devon Cray."
Tommy didn't say anything. He knew there would be questions. They might not know he was Devon, but they'd know something was up since he was declared dead during the fire at the high school.
Kim reached over and squeezed his hand as she parked in the parking lot.
"Do you know what your first class will be?" She asked.
Tommy shook his head. "I'll need to go see Mr. Lally." Mr. Lally was his guidance counselor. "I'm no longer in the records so I'll need to pick new classes."
All three got out of Kimberly's car and entered the school. Tommy stood staring at the door that would had originally led into the motel lobby but this one was where the school secretary was and the main office. Tommy still found it strange.
People stared at him as he walked into the building. Not that he blamed him. Under other circumstances, he'd find it creepy himself.
Kimberly walked with him over to the secretary, Mrs. Meyers sat. She looked up at them in surprise. "Tommy Oliver?" She asked.
"Yes." He answered. "I'm here to see Mr. Lally."
"Of course." She said and then went and called Mr. Lally. "You may go in." She said and then smiled. "It's right through the door on the left." She said with a smile.
"Thanks." He walked into the office.
"It's good to see you Tommy." Mr. Lally said with a smile. "Everyone was glad to hear that you survived the fire."
"Thanks." Tommy said sitting down.
"I was able to find one of your previous schedules and have attempted to place you in the classes that you were in before the fire. We couldn't do that with all of your classes, but I think you will be happy." He said and handed him a schedule. "There are no lockers as I'm sure you suspect."
"That's okay." Tommy said not really caring about not having a locker.
The bell rang. Mr. Lally handed him a map that had his classrooms circled.
"Thank you." He said and left the room.
"Tommy!" A voice called as he stepped out of the office.
He looked around and found the source of the voice. Someone came up to him juggling several books and looking a little harried. He frowned in concentration.
"What's your first class?" The guy said.
Tommy looked down at the paper. "History with Applebee."
"I am also in that class. I'll show you."
Tommy stood there for a moment and cringed. What was wrong with him? He wondered. Why did it take him so long to know he was talking to Billy?