Downstairs, Adam sighed as their waiter returned again.
"Has the rest of your party arrived yet?" the waiter asked patiently.
Adam shook his head, but Tanya put a hand on his arm.
"Let's order dinner," she said. "They can order when they get here. There's no point in all of us sitting here hungry if they're just running late."
Nodding in agreement, the rangers all placed their orders for dinner. But Tommy, Hayley, and the kids never showed up for dinner.
Back upstairs a while later, Aisha, Tanya, and Kat sat chatting quietly in Kat's room while the guys were watching TV in Tanya and Adam's room. Sophia was already asleep in the third room.
"I wonder why Tommy and the rest didn't join us for dinner," Tanya mused, stretching out across the foot of the bed. "We didn't even get a phone call…"
"It's probably me…" Kat said ruefully.
She was sitting at the head of the bed, her knees pulled up with her chin resting on top and her arms wrapped around her legs.
"No, girl," Aisha said, shaking her head from where she sat on the edge of the bed. "I really don't think it was you. Tommy looked tired, after all."
"Aisha's right," Tanya said, looking at Kat. "Maybe they just ordered in and forgot to call us. I mean, Tommy's got to be tired and sore after the car accident he was in last week. The past week, which was the last week of school, had to have been crazy for him."
"Maybe," Kat sighed. "But what did happen? I never heard earlier."
"I don't know much," Tanya said. "Just that he was in an accident involving a car. But from the way Zach explained it, it sounds like he may have actually been hit by a car."
Aisha and Kat both gasped.
"But he's going to be alright?" Kat asked.
"He's going to be fine," Tanya reassured her. "I was talking to Trini and Jason about it. I guess his back is pretty messed up and he's under doctor's orders to take it easy. He's not really supposed to move around much. And then you saw his cast, so he must have broken something."
"Speaking of not moving around much," Aisha interrupted. "Did either of you notice that girl—Kira, I think—and the way she was acting?"
Tanya and Kat both nodded.
"I don't think she left that chair the entire time we were there," Kat said.
"She didn't," Tanya agreed. "And she didn't say a word to anyone. I tried to say hi, but all I got was this weird look, like she was frustrated or upset about something. I thought she was going to say something for a moment, but she never did."
"Teenagers nowadays are so rude," Aisha sighed. "So stuck up."
"It was like she thought she was too good for us. We were never like that as kids," Kat added. "And did you see the way the one boy—Trent was his name, I think—was waiting on her hand and foot? He was constantly fetching her something or another. And with his arm in a sling! Honestly, I don't understand why Tommy brought any of them."
"You're telling me, girl," Aisha said. "I know Tommy's friends with Trent's dad, but that's no excuse. It feels like they just invited themselves along."
"And we can't even talk openly with them around," Tanya added. "This was supposed to be a week for us to reminisce about being rangers and we can't say anything in front of them without giving away the secret."
Aisha and Kat nodded in agreement. Leaning back against the headboard, Kat sighed and stretched out her legs.
"Did you get to talk to Tommy at all?" Tanya asked after a moment.
"No," Kat said, shaking her head. "And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I even want to say to him right now. I'm so confused—"
The door from Adam and Tanya's room opened and Rocky poked his head in.
"Hey, honey," he started to say.
All three girls turned to look at him, glaring daggers.
"Umm… never mind," he muttered, disappearing again and shutting the door behind him.
Rolling her eyes, Aisha turned back to Kat.
"Do you still love him?" she asked bluntly, getting right to the point.
"That's the problem," Kat groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know how I feel. It's been so long since I've seen him that I thought it was all gone—but then I saw him at the Youth Center and…I don't know…Maybe if I try and ignore it the feelings will just go away again…"
"Honey, they aren't just going to 'go away'," Tanya said, sitting up and scooting next to Kat, Aisha taking her other side. "You're going to have to deal with the feelings sooner or later."
"And who knows," Aisha added as she and Tanya put their arms around Kat's shoulders. "Maybe he still has feelings for you. You guys could have a second chance."
Kat just groaned again.
"Girl, we're not saying you need to chase him," Aisha said. "Just try talking to him again, like old times. See where it goes."
"And if nothing happens, then nothing happens," Tanya said. "But then you won't regret it later, like you are now."
Looking up, Kat sighed and nodded. She knew her friends were right.
"Alright," she said. "I'm going to let the past go and just be—me, I guess. And if Tommy still has feelings for me—and can forgive me for breaking his heart—then maybe we can start over."
Aisha and Tanya smiled, hugging Kat in between them. Settling back again, the three girls started going over plans for the week.
"Mmm…" Hayley mumbled a few hours later, stretching as she looked at the time. "Hmm… I guess it's time for bed."
It was after ten. Shifting Tommy's legs again so she could stand up, Hayley yawned and stretched. After doing one final round of the penthouse to make sure everyone was doing alright, she headed to the second bedroom to sleep.