Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed! It makes it worth it (even when school gets ridiculously tough!). I also wanted to write a note and clarify to the reviewer who pointed out that, at 27, Zach is too young to be a Senator. You are absolutely correct. Sadly, there is not a good reason for this--this story is a combination of two of the stories I had written that weren't working for me, and in one of them all the characters were in their thirties. For this story, I wanted to keep them in their twenties to keep the immaturity between Kimberly and Tommy a little more realistic, therefore, the Zach dilemma!
Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. All the criticism has been very helpful! You make this so worth it! (And bonus points to the people who have messaged me about the allusions in the titles. Good job!)
And now, without further ado...Chapter 8!
Chapter 8: Kat Scratch Fever
And there she was.
When Trini had told her he was going to see her again, he hadn't believed it. The last time he had said goodbye to her, Emily was on the back of his bike and she was in Tommy's arms. Even then, something in the back of his mind wanted to tell her a little bit more, bring her a little bit closer to the truth.
He had held back. He didn't think he could make her understand.
"Kat!" Trini said as enthusiastically as she could, shooting a guilty side-long glance at Kimberly, who was trying (with what appeared great difficulty) to keep her jaw from falling open in shock.
"Hello everyone!" she said, smiling softly, stepping aside to reveal a small teenage girl with sandy blonde hair down to her shoulders. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Darcy. I think she's the one you've been expecting."
Jason exchanged a look with Trini, who then nodded. "Hi, Darcy." She said, smiling as warmly as she could. "It's so good to finally meet you."
Darcy nodded, her eyes cast downward.
"She's…um…a tad bit shy," Kat said, timidly looking at Tommy, then immediately dropping her eyes back to Trini, her face slightly flushed.
Jason looked around the room, slightly panicked. There was one exit, and Kat was standing in front of it, a cork to the bottle already half full with the awkwardness that was (by definition) their room.
"Well!" Trini said in an unnervingly shrill voice, picking up on the same vibe Jason had. "I bet you two are exhausted, and I know I am. Why don't we go upstairs and relax? I can order some pizza."
There was a shout of joy from Conner and Ethan, who raced each other to the stairs, breezing past Kat who had to hold onto Darcy's shoulder to keep from toppling over. Kira, who under no circumstances wanted to be left alone with Trent, raced after them.
Trent sighed, then motioning to Dorian, went up to Darcy. "Come on," he said, urging her away from Kat. "They're not as crazy as they look." Smiling gratefully, both Kat and Darcy followed him and Dorian up the stairs.
Oh crap. Jason said, realizing as Tommy followed them that he was alone in the room with Kimberly and Trini. He hurried to the door as fast as he humanely could, noticing Trini in his peripheral vision.
That is, until she grabbed both of them by the arms.
"Come back here!" Kimberly barked, jerking them both backwards.
"Ow!" Jason yelped, batting her hand away. "You know, for a little girl you have the grip of a Samurai."
Kimberly did not acknowledge this comment. "Kat is here." She hissed, staring at the two of them.
"Um…yes?" Trini said, casting a helpless look at Jason.
"No…no, I'm afraid you don't understand," Kimberly said again, a tinge of angry desperation in her voice. "Kat is here."
"Yes, we know." Jason said, nodding his head.
"Jason, Kat is here!"
"Oh God!" Trini said, distraught. "We broke Kimberly."
"Howcouldyoutwonottellmeshewascoming?" words came out them in dramatic bursts, prompted by Kimberly's clenched fist. "You two! You knew. And you couldn't warn me?"
"It was Jason's idea!" Trini said quickly.
"Traitor," Jason muttered, then sighing, he turned to Kimberly. "I assumed that if you knew she was coming you'd just leave. We can't afford you leaving, Kimberly."
"I don't always leave!" Kimberly said, her voice reaching a crescendo. "Is that what you two think of me? 'Oh, stupid Kimberly, anytime there's a problem she just runs away!'"
"He didn't mean—"
"No! Let's hear it. Let's hear what you two really think of me. First you don't tell me I have to see Tommy again. Now Kat. Wow, I have the best friend in the entire fucking—"
"Don't yell at Trini! Believe it or not, we're not trying to torture you, Kimberly. We're trying to be adults, but you're making it damn near impossible—"
"You're treating me like a child, Jason. A fucking child!"
"Kim," Trini said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. You know I love you. She had to come—there was no way I could avoid it! I tried to prevent this from happening, and I thought I could make it work out, but I can't, and I—just please, don't hate me!"
Sighing, Kimberly's rage evaporated. "I'm sorry," she said, staring back and forth between Jason and Trini. "I don't know what's wrong with me…I'm just…I'm not myself."
"I'm sorry, too," Trini said, grabbing Kimberly suddenly in a huge hug, letting the tears spill over. "And I'm just so…so sorry."
Jason felt a lump rise in his throat, and he quickly turned to avoid looking at Kimberly.
Can't think about that now, he thought, straightening his spine. I can't think about Kimberly and all that other stuff.
"I'm going to go upstairs and meet Darcy," Kimberly said, forcing a smile. "Just to make sure she knows I'm capable of facial expressions other than 'shock and awe.'"
Trini smiled until Kimberly disappeared out of sight, then sent a shaky look in Jason's direction.
"Just wait until Billy gets here," he told her, preempting the quickly approaching freak out. "None of us are smart enough to figure out this prophecy. When he gets here, we'll deal with it. Don't you dare get upset on me now."
Trini nodded, and wiped away a tear that had been forming on the corner of her eye. "We'll figure it out," she repeated. "I don't care if I have to die doing it, Kimberly isn't going to fall."
Kimberly climbed the stairs, her head pounding, trying very hard to remember the last time her life was blissfully uncomplicated.
Kat's back?
It wasn't that she hated Kat—Kimberly herself had hand picked Kat as the next Pink Ranger. She was sweet, and classy. Kimberly had instantly liked her.
Of course, that was before she started to date Tommy, a voice in her head said.
After you broke up with him! Another voice snapped.
Kimberly sighed. The never ceasing conversation. She couldn't fault Kat for anything, and yet, she was still so angry.
Kimberly reached the landing and peered through the crack in the door, staring at the figures in Tommy's living room. Kira was sitting with Darcy, who was looking quite steadily at her hands. Trent and Dorian were in the opposite corner, with Ethan and Conner in the middle, happily munching on pizza. But where were Tommy and Kat?
Opening the door, she sneaked past the living room full of increasingly rowdy teenagers. She had quickly made the executive decision that all introductions could wait until her mental capacity was a little bit better.
Yes, she thought. I'll just go back to my room and read a little bit. That will clear my head.
As she approached the doorway, Kat's voice stopped her dead.
"Tommy?" she said quietly. "Could I speak to you for a minute?"
She heard the door to his bedroom open and close, as her heart dropped into her stomach, a sickness swelling inside her.
Turning abruptly, her course of action immediately disbanded, she headed straight into the den where Jason was staying. She flung the door open without knocking (now was not a time for such formalities) and immediately headed for his bag. A part of her, the part that wasn't now screaming for total and complete drunkenness, gratefully acknowledged that Jason was not in his room. This would make her task significantly easier.
Opening his bag, she took a moment to shudder in revulsion. Does he ever do laundry?
Resigning herself to the inevitable, she quickly began to dig, feeling her way through the dirt ridden clothes to the bottom of the bag. Finally, her fingertips felt the cool, arching glass.
Got it!
Grasping the bottle tightly, she pulled it out.
"Thank God for Jose Cuervo," she spoke to herself, unscrewing the top and pouring the liquid down her throat. She immediately shuttered at the aftertaste, her face squinched up in disgust.
Just give me about fifteen minutes. She thought begrudgingly, closing her eyes and taking another swig. The taste quickly gets better.
Peeking out the door to check for Jason, she quickly stole to the door to basement. Trini and Jason had quickly joined the festivities in the Living Room. It was the only place she could be alone.
She plopped into a chair, and unscrewed the bottle again, swallowing as fast as she could. The taste was lessening now, and a warm feeling of complacency settled upon her. She breathed deeply, the tense feeling slowly being numbed by the comforting feeling of impending inebriation.
"I can't fight you away," Kimberly whispered to no one, spinning around in the chair, watching the darkened room dancing with shadows. "I quit." She whispered to the darkness, bringing the bottle to her lips again. Spinning faster, she happily watched the room swirl into incomprehensible colors.
- -
The thirty minutes Jason had been sitting in the living room felt like an hour.
"How long do you think they're going to just sit in there and ignore the rest of us?" He whispered to Trini, annoyed.
"As long as it takes to sort out nine years worth of drama," she whispered back. "So far, the going rate is two weeks."
"So we just sit here and let them ignore us?"
"Well, we'll slide food under the door after a couple of days, and be prepared to prevent them from killing one another should we hear gunshots and screaming."
"You're not funny."
"I think I am."
"You're the only one. And no—" he said, cutting her off. "Zach doesn't think you're funny either. He just wants in your pants."
Trini glared daggers through the blush that was now creeping up her cheeks, clearly trying to find some sort of suitable reply.
Jason turned his attention back to the door, willing them both to come out.
This is ridiculous. He thought. You haven't seen her, spoken to her, or even acknowledged her existence since you left with another girl. Why on earth do you care that she's in there with Tommy?
Jason felt like growling.
"Why are you obsessed with them, anyhow?" Trini asked, recovered from her rather embarrassing episode. "Give them a second to talk!"
Jason shrugged, mentally sorting through appropriate replies.
I need Cuervo.
Standing, he strode into the den that he had made his temporarily residence, suddenly disheartened at finding his clothes strewn everywhere.
"Damn it, Kimberly," he thought, looking into his now empty backpack. "Where did you go?"
Standing up straight, he immediately furrowed his brows. Try as she might, all attempts to thwart him from his tequila would be futile. He would find her, and when he did, drunkeness would ensue.
Tommy closed the door to his bedroom, reluctantly turning around to the very beautiful blonde that stood behind him.
"So?" He said, taking a few strides towards the window to put as much distance in between him and Kat as possible, trying not to acknowledge the guilt that coursed through his veins.
"So." She said, nervously surveying the room, and then, rather abruptly sitting down on his bed. "Um…how have you been?"
"Better." He replied honestly, sighing. "Look, I'm really sorry about not calling you back."
"For three years?"
"I've been busy."
"Clearly." She gave a small giggle, but kept her eyes focused on her hands, which were tightly folded in her lap.
"I just…" he paused, seeking helplessly for the right words. "I just didn't want to lead you on. I didn't want you to think it was possible—"
"Oh, I assure you, I didn't." Kat's eyes were a little distant. "Believe it or not, you dropped plenty of hints in the duration of our rather short relationship that should have led me to that conclusion a lot sooner."
Tommy looked out the window, shame creeping in every vacant space in his body.
"I'm not here to make your life difficult. Trini called me, told me to find Darcy and bring her here. And believe it or not, those assorted phone calls over the years weren't attempts at a reconnection. I just…I need to tell you some things. And now is as good of a time as any."
Tommy crossed his arms, but nodded. Here goes nothing.
Kat took a deep breath, and raised her eyes. "I know a lot of what we had was just pretending. I know that you were still in love with Kimberly for the most part (if not all) of it. And at the time, I was okay with that. I guess I realized it was better for me to have you, even just some of you, then not have you at all. I was young then, a silly little girl looking for the cutest boy in school to take her to the dance." Tommy couldn't help but cringe at that word. "But above all else, we were friends, Tommy. And the more time I look back on it, the more I realize that's probably all we were. You owe it to me, as a friend, to treat me like a human being. I understand that your life is complicated right now, and me coming back probably doesn't make any less complicated. But I saved the world with you once, too. I was one of the people that you counted on—and to think that you'd just let that friendship die because you were too ashamed—"
"I wasn't ashamed!" Tommy interrupted, loudly. "I was embarrassed. I tried really hard to love you, Katherine. More than you'll ever know. But—"
"You couldn't!" Kat yelped, a little impatient. "I think that's a bit obvious at this point, Tommy. And I'm not complaining, because the more time that passed, I realized that all the time I was trying to hold onto you, it was because I was afraid. I don't need you as my boyfriend to be happy. And that's all I've wanted to say to you for these past few years, to let you know that I forgive you, and I don't think you're this horrible person. I would still love to have you as a friend."
Tommy turned and met her eyes, which were honest and open. "I'm so sorry, Kat. You deserved better."
"Hey! It wasn't all bad. There were some good times in the mix,"
"Not like you'd ever tell me anything was wrong during the bad times."
She smiled, and stared at her hands. "We can't help it, sometimes. Who we fall in love with, I mean. Sometimes the love of your life can be standing right next to you, and you don't even realize it because you're all blinded by someone else."
"And I'm really sorry about not calling you back. You totally deserved a chance to tell me how you felt—I guess I was just afraid of what you were going to say." He paused. "If anyone had a right to complain about me being a prick, it was you."
Kat smiled, but said nothing. "I don't let it bother me anymore." She said softly. "I think that in another time and place, a completely different world altogether, that you and me could have been happy. You know, married, children, grandkids, that whole bit." she paused, the smile growing more distant. "But I think that world would be significantly less of a great place, because it would mean Kimberly Hart was never born."
Tommy did not reply, trying to ignore the way those words filled him with a strangeness he could not try to comprehend.
"You!" Jason hissed, throwing open the doors of the basement to reveal an utterly inebriated Kimberly.
"Me!" Kimberly cried joyously, slinging her arms (and the bottle of tequila) over her head in an act of blissful celebration. "Me! Me! Mememememe!"
"Jesus, Kimberly! What the hell do you think you're doing?" He grabbed the bottle from her clutches and took a long swig. "You're a light weight. Too much tequila will kill you."
"Jason," she said, leaning forward slightly, her head rolling. "Of all the possible ways I'm going to die in the near future, Tequila is by far the best option."
Jason paled slightly, and took another long swig. "I'll just have to drink faster to keep up with you."
"A game!" Kimberly said, her eyes lighting up with girlish enthusiasm. "Oh let's play a game! Please? Please?"
He laughed, and plopped down on the floor next to her. "I've forgotten how much fun drunk Kimberly is. What game would you like to play?"
"I just made one up. It's called 'take a shot'!"
"How do you play?"
"Well, we both take a shot. Whoever finishes the shot last has to take another shot."
"And then?"
"You start over."
"You didn't really think this through, did you Kim?"
She rolled her eyes in a sweepingly dramatic gesture. "I have got all the thought I need right here," she said, grabbing the bottle back and lovingly clutching it. She passed the bottle back to Jason, who took another shot. "Are they still talking?"
He wiped his mouth, and nodded. The joyousness had faded out of her eyes, and was now replaced with a hollow gaze. "Oh." Was all she said.
Searching desperately to feel the hole the silence had burned between them, Jason took another drink.
- - -
Tommy swallowed, wishing for the strength to approach the inevitable conversation. "I just…I want to let you know again how sorry I am." He paused. "Especially Prom Night."
Kat shivered. "Please, let's not go there. We were both drunk. It's embarrassing enough."
"It should have never have happened. I know it must have hurt you—"
"Just one of many things on a list," she said, then cringed. "No, I didn't mean it to come out like that. I just meant that of all the things that happened, that wasn't the one that hurt me the most."
Tommy gulped again. "What was the thing that hurt the most?"
She paused, her hands shaking. "The whole thing with Divatrox. The second Kimberly's face came up on that screen, your face…" she smiled slightly. "Well, let's just say I'd never seen that look before. It was all there, Tommy. Love, fear, desperation, angst. Everything I'd wanted you to feel for me. It was then I realized that I was never going to be the girl for you."
Tommy nodded slowly, unable to configure an appropriate response.
"I'm glad you're here," he said finally. "I'm glad we had this talk. I hope we can be friends."
"Absolutely!" she beamed. "I don't know how long I should stay. I know you all have plenty going on without me being here."
Tommy smiled. "I'm sure Darcy wouldn't mind having a friendly face staying here for too much longer."
"She's scared to death, bless her soul. These awful creatures just attacked her. I had to take her from her boarding school in the middle of the night. She didn't get to say goodbye to anyone." She paused. "Although, I'm not completely sure she had anyone to say goodbye too. I rather got the impression that her family was all dead."
"Sad story."
"Is there any other kind?"
"Some stories have happy endings," He said, suprising himself. He wasn't sure where that came from.
Kat looked at him, a tad bemused. "Channeling Kimberly, are we?"
"We should go out and be social," he said, quickly changing the subject. "We've been in here forever. We need to give the others a chance to catch up with you."
Kat laughed and reached for the door knob.
Jason slammed the glass down on the table, noting rather indifferently that the world was still spinning.
"I win!" He bellowed happily.
"Did not!" Kimberly slurred, pointing at one of the many Jason's that blurred in front of her. "You lost."
Jason considered this for a moment, loping his head to the side. "What happens if we lose, again?" he whispered dramatically.
Kimberly hiccupped. "Dunno!" she said, shrugging lopsidedly.
"New game!" He declared. "We shall now play 'Never Have I Ever'"
Kimberly groaned. "That game is evil."
"Nope. I am the drinking master. I have chosen."
"Drinking master?" she said, pushing herself up and pausing as she swayed back and forth. "Never have I ever run naked through the hallowed halls of Angel Grove High. Ha!"
Jason took a dignified sip. "It was Prom Night. I was about to graduate."
"Never have I ever jumped off a cliff naked in broad daylight."
Jason took another sip. "Never have I ever made fun of people who like to be naked."
Kimberly grabbed the bottle and took a sip, laughing the whole way. "Never have I ever admitted to enjoying being naked."
"Never have I ever gone skinny dipping in the ocean. In broad daylight."
"Jerk! Never have I ever hooked up with a teacher."
"It was a graduate student, that doesn't count. Never have I ever knowingly bragged about how flexible I am."
"You took that way out of context. You have the humor of a ten year old. Never have I ever…" she trailed off, searching for her next move. "Oh! Never have I ever hooked up on a motorcycle."
"Never have I ever had sex with another Ranger."
Kimberly coughed up the shot she had just downed, and gave Jason an icy look. "Hitting a little bit low, aren't we?" she said, trying not to fall out of her chair.
"The motorcycle thing brought back bad memories."
"Sounds like my life at the present moment. No sympathy."
"Fine, never have I ever made out at the juice bar."
"This game is stupid."
Jason raised his eyebrows, drunkenly sensing a challenge. "Listen, Ms. Hart. I am not afraid to rehash all our shortcomings."
"We only have so much tequila."
"Touché."
Kimberly giggled and leaned forward. "Have you ever realized how much easier life would have been if we had fallen in love?"
Jason smiled at her, trying to ignore the loneliness that was beginning to creep in with the strange euphoria. "Please. Life wouldn't be that kind." he told her.
"Of course not," she said, turning around in her chair once again. "I have to be in love with stupid Tommy Oliver and you have to be in love with Kat. As if our lives weren't complicated enough."
"Yup," Jason said nodding. "Wait, what?"
Kimberly giggled and continued to spin in her chair. "Don't worry. I'm the only one that's figured it out."
"When?"
"The night I met Emily."
"What? How?"
"Please, it was a classic case of replacement." Kimberly hiccupped. "A pretty, tall blonde that started out as a trouble maker but then—" Kimberly adopted a high pitched squeal "—rejected her evil ways and renounced all wrong doing after encountering the good guys."
"She—I---there was no replacing."
"Liar. You've thought Kat was hot all along."
"Well I am male. But Tommy's my best friend. I would never—" he dropped off upon seeing Kimberly's face. "Oops."
"Why did you say oops?"
"Because you…nevermind."
"Me? What did I do?"
"Let's play 'Take a Shot' again!"
"Jason! Finish your sentence."
He sighed. "I would never do that to Tommy."
"But they're over? Aren't they over? You told me they were over."
"I guess! But they've been in that damn room—I'm sorry, I'm drunk. I shouldn't have said that."
Kimberly was quiet. "How drunk do you have to be to forget?" she said, her brow twisted in pain. "I keep thinking I can keep drinking to the point where I forget. But he's just…he's everywhere! When I'm awake, when I'm asleep, when I'm eating, when I'm taking a shower. I can't escape him. And now….now I can't escape her either."
"She's not a bad person, Kimberly." Jason said quickly. "I know you two have a history, but she's wonderful—"
"I can't do it!" Kimberly said, panic increasing. "I can't watch them get back together. I just…" she quickly reached for the bottle, her hand shaking so badly she could barely lift it.
Jason looked at her, miserable.
Kimberly stared at the bottle for a few minutes. "No!" She suddenly exclaimed. "I am not going to be miserable. I have killed a pretty bunch of brain cells tonight. I'm going to feel like shit tomorrow. I'm not going to let it have been for nothing."
Jason raised his eyebrows. "What do you suggest?"
Kimberly gave him a long, calculated look. "Karaoke."
Zach's shoes tapped menacingly as he made his way down the marbled floors towards the Oval Office, his head pounding with every step.
It's like a damn drum, he thought bitterly. Every beat closer to my execution.
He walked through the doors, back straight, face unreadable. He was not about to let the President of the United States on to the mind numbing fear that was nearly paralyzing him. No, for him, he would present his ever present poker face.
The President stood in greeting, surrounded by a few of his most trusted officials. "Senator Taylor," he said, extending his hand. "I'm glad to see you well,"
"And you as well," he said, smiling what he hoped was a charismatic smile. "Shall we get down to business?"
The President motioned for him to be seated. "By all means! He nodded his head towards the gruff men sitting directly to the left of Zach. "You remember these gentlemen, I suppose?"
"Of course," he said, nodding in acknowledgement to the Joint Chief of Staff. "I trust you gentlemen are all well?"
"I've been better," the meanest looking replied. "You're causing quite the commotion these days."
"I assure you, it's very necessary. Everything we've heard about the prophecy is true. My agents have secured the six youths I spoke about at our last meeting. We are all prepared to go forth with the necessary ritual the second the craft in question can land."
"But the world isn't ready!" A man named Dreyfus spoke up. "You can sit there and tell me what we have to do to save the world, yadayadayada. The second you try and land a space craft in the United States, it's going to be chaos on our hands! The people will panic, we'll have to declare a state of emergency and reinstate martial law just to get everything under control! And even if we do manage to calm the people down, once our allies see that we are in contact with aliens, then they're going to blow us up just on principle!"
"I think you underestimate the spirit of humans," Zach said calmly. "You can say what you want to about the job the FBI has done to attempt and cover up the other alien encounters. But I was a Power Ranger, as my file will show. I lived in Angel Grove. I assure you, the people there know the things they have seen aren't because of something in the water, or from bad chicken, or whatever bullshit you're selling them these days. People have been speculating for years as to whether it's plausible, if aliens really exist. We have a chance to confirm their suspicions in the best way possible—to show them that these aliens can be our friends, that they can even help us save our planet."
"You say that now. Wait until the religious groups get a hold of this! They will view this as the government's undermining of their religion—they'll want us all at the stake! And, oh God, the Press! They'll have a field day with this one! I can see it now!"
"The people will ultimately be the ones to decide," Zach said, his jaw clenched.
"Yes, and that's a risky maneuver," The President spoke up, quietly observing this exchange from his desk.
"Without the craft landing, Dr. Cranston will not be able to land," Zach said, growing impatient. "Without Dr. Cranston, the world will be overcome by alien attacks and ultimately be destroyed. Either way, gentlemen, aliens will soon be a normal occurrence. It is up to you to decide which way it's going to be."
"You underestimate the United States Armed Forces, son—"
"Because they were excellent at fighting them the first time, weren't they?"
The vain in Dreyfus's forehead turned bright purple as his eyes bulged. "You hold your tongue—"
"Can't admit your precious little project failed? Well, it did Seymour! The only force capable of stopping the world's destruction is my force. Take it or leave it,"
"Gentlemen," the President said again, interrupting the heated debate. "It is obvious that the space craft must land. What is not obvious, however, is how we deal with this."
"We can try to touch down in a desert," James Huntingdon suggested.
Zach shook his head. "No good. We've already checked with the Airlines. There's no way something this huge won't show up on their radars."
"Even if we declare a no fly zone?"
"You can't hide them!" Zach burst out. "They are coming to earth with the intentions on starting positive relations between the Intergalactic Force and earth. If we deny them to the public, act as if we're ashamed of them, they won't cooperate with us and all will be lost." Zach paused, trying to prevent the desperation he was feeling from spilling forth. "We need them, sir. Without their help, we're doomed."
The President rested with his hands under his chin. "Alright, then," he finally said. "It's settled. Tomorrow I will give a Press Conference saying that, after being faced with eminent danger, have decided to open contact with this newly discovered Intergalactic Force, who have agreed that joining forces is the best way to defeat these evils. In the meantime, we need to warn the other countries that this is coming. I don't want a single one of them to be surprised."
Zach breathed a sigh of relief, a smile rising to his face.
So it begins.
This is what hell is going to be like, isn't it? Jason thought miserably, as Kimberly poorly performed Cher's "Half Breed," for what felt like the millionth time.
"Do you not know any other song?" He moaned, a headache slowly starting to sink in behind his eyes.
"Nope!" she said happily, swaying from side to side.
At least it's better than her brief Britney Spears faze.
He sighed, wondering how much more tequila it was going to take to make Kimberly pass out.
"Your turn!" she happily announced.
"Kimberly, I haven't sung once. What makes you think I'm going to automatically start this time?"
"Because I asked you nicely?"
"Now I know you're drunk."
"Soooo sleepy."
"Then go to sleep!"
She paused for a moment, weighing her options. "Okay then!" she said, and sliding off the chair and cuddling on the floor, immediately went to sleep.
Jason stared at her in amazement. "Wow," he said aloud. "I always thought she was crazy, but now it's completely confirmed."
"What's confirmed?" A voice spoke from behind him. A beautiful, Australian voice.
Shit. I'm fucked.
He turned slowly to see Kat standing in front of him. "Kimberly…she's…never mind."
There's not enough Tequila in the world for this.
"Have you been drinking?" Kat asked, smiling slightly as she made her way towards him, sitting down in the spot where Kimberly had just been sitting.
"A little," he slurred, taking another sip of the nearly empty bottle.
"Easy!" she said, taking the bottle from him. "It would appear you've had enough."
"I'm a big boy. I can handle it."
"Oh I don't doubt that," she said, the smile in her voice increasing.
Jason stared at her, fighting a very conscious battle between drunk and sober. Do not do anything stupid.
"You and Tommy catch up?" he said, watching her face fall.
Like that.
She regained composure rather quickly. "Actually, yes," she said. "I had a chance to explain my point of view."
"How'd he take it?"
"Well, I was nice about it."
"Why?"
She sighed. "Because, after years of therapy, it has been brought to my attention that I had a dangerous addiction to bad boys who are emotionally unavailable."
Jason gave her a bemused smile. "I would hardly call Tommy a 'bad boy'. I was twice the bad ass he was."
Kat laughed. "Still. He fought evil and was completely in love with another girl. I was too silly to let go."
"And you paid someone to tell you that? I could have told you that five years ago."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I was afraid of how it might sound?"
"And how might it sound?"
Jason looked at her, a part of him wanting to confess the loneliness he felt.
"Did Tommy apologize?"
Kat met Jason's eyes and stared at him intently for what felt like hours, trying to read his emotions. "He really had nothing to apologize for."
"Don't pretend like he didn't hurt you. I saw it all the time. We all did." He added quickly.
"But he didn't mean to. And for that, I can't make him apologize. If I had said something, or made him fight for me, or demanded he love just me…then he'd have something to actually be sorry for. I just swept it all under the rug."
"Why? Why did you bother?"
Kat looked down into the bottle. "How terrible is this stuff?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Pretty damn bad. Does a good job getting you drunk."
Throwing her head back, she downed as much as she could swallow.
"I bothered," she said finally, meeting a shocked Jason's eyes. "Because for the first time in my life I had friends. People who knew everything about me. I didn't want to mess that up. Tommy had been your friend first—for me to ruin that dynamic would have been social suicide. Besides, I was silly. I firmly believed that if I loved him enough, he would come around."
Jason looked at her carefully, all common sense in his head pushed aside. "And Prom Night?"
Kat looked alarmed. "Did he tell you?"
"No. He couldn't."
Kat sighed. "It was terrible. Here I was, all decked out, and he could barely notice me. Graduation was coming up, and I knew it was all coming to an end. I just…I wanted to show him that I loved him. So, the after party, we were both drunk for the first time, and I tried to initiate…well…you know." She paused, blushing. "I don't know why, looking back. I guess I figured I might as well make one more attempt to connect with him."
Jason ignored the anger that was now predominately controlling his mind. "And?"
"He pushed me away. Told me, in a fabulously drunken state that I wasn't 'her'. That I could never be like 'her'. I walked home by myself, crying the whole way. It was terrible."
Jason held his tongue, afraid of what he might say.
"After that, I just put on a brave face. I knew it was over. I was just waiting for him to tell me."
"It had been over for awhile." Jason told her, as gently as possible.
"I know that now," she said. "But at the time…I just wanted to mean something to someone. I wanted to be the reason someone was fighting, the way Kimberly was to Tommy years after she broke his heart." She stopped. "Now, I realize that it was stupid. That pain and love aren't mutually exclusive. That I should have looked in places that made me happy, not in places that constantly made me feel like I wasn't good enough."
Jason sighed, looking at Kimberly's peacefully slumbering figure. "Sometimes pain and love can't help but walk hand and hand."
Kat gave a small smile. "I suppose. But I think we all reach a point where we have to let go of the fear. We have to forget what happened to us, what could have happened, and just realize that all we have in this life is one shot."
"You are perfect, did you know that?" Jason was shocked at the words leaving his lips. Didn't mean to say that.
Kat's lips formed a small smile. "Thank you," she said, finally. "It's been a long time since I've been able to talk to someone who understands me." Their eyes connected, and Jason felt a surge of energy through his currently numb body.
A loud snore interrupted them. Damn it, Kimberly! He thought. Three years of listening to you bitch and I can't even have a moment?
"We should probably get her upstairs," Kat said, still looking at Jason with an odd expression on her face. "She can't be too comfortable on the floor."
"It doesn't matter where she sleeps," Jason said dully. "Wherever she wakes up, she's going to wish she wasn't born."
"Rough night?"
"Let's just say that bottle of Tequila didn't drink itself."
Kat giggled, and held the door for Jason has he lifted Kimberly up and prepared to bring her upstairs.
