-1Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own the Power Rangers. One can dream, can't they?
A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post. I've been having major problems with my internet service. Hopefully, everything is better now. This chapter takes place the day after the events at the youth center from the last chapter. Hope you like it.
Christine opened the front door of her house, slinging her backpack over her shoulder to head out for school. She closed the door behind her and looked up as she heard someone approaching her. Surprise came to her face as she saw Laurie heading up the walk to her house. Christine crossed her porch and went down the stairs, meeting Laurie in the middle of the walk. "What are you doing here," she hissed. "Haven't you done enough without coming here and starting more trouble?"
Laurie came to a halt, shock coming to her face as she heard the venom in Christine's voice. She held up her hands, afraid that Christine might take a swing at her. "I didn't come to make trouble," she muttered. "I just thought we should talk. You should be warned about Jason and I'm just the person to do it."
Christine narrowed her eyes at Laurie, suspicion running through her. "What do you mean," she asked warily. "What kind of warning?"
Laurie gave Christine a smug grin. "He's a playboy, Christine," she smirked. "I wouldn't get my hopes up about being a steady girlfriend to him. He plays the field, never sticking with one girl for more than a couple of dates. That's what he did to my friend, Cara. Dated her twice, and then dumped her without any explanation."
Christine studied Laurie's face, wondering if she should believe her or not. She shook her head, pushing past the other girl and heading down the walk. She glanced at Laurie over her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about my being competition for you," she snapped. "After last night, you can have Jason. I don't want anything to do with him anymore." She turned her head back around and headed for school without another word.
Laurie watched her go, a look of satisfaction on her face. She turned and headed off in the opposite direction of Christine, ducking into some trees and looking around to see if anyone was watching her. When she was sure that no one was around, she disappeared in a beam of red light.
Zedd looked up as Laurie arrived in his throne room. He smiled as he stood up, looking the young woman up and down. "Well, Scorpina," he snapped. "Have you done the job I asked of you? Is that brat out of the picture?"
Scorpina smiled as her disguise disappeared. "Of course," she replied. "Did you ever doubt that I wouldn't do as you asked?"
Zedd walked right up to her, grabbing her chin in his hand and putting his face right up against hers. "You'd better be right," he snarled. "I don't want Jason to have anyone on his side. This plan will not work if he's got any support around him."
Scorpina jerked her head away from him, causing him to lose his grip on her chin. "I know how to do my job," she snapped. "Trust me."
Zedd grabbed her arm, meeting the angry gaze she gave him. "I don't trust you," he snarled. "Your first loyalty has always been to Rita. You'd better not double cross me." He released her arm as she glared at him. "Put your disguise back on and get back down there. You still have work to do."
Scorpina glared at him for a few seconds more before closing her eyes and bringing back her disguise as the teenage Laurie. She met Zedd's gaze before teleporting out of the moon palace. "I'd better be done with my part soon," she growled. "I can't stand pretending to be a human much longer. They are vile creatures."
"Just get back to work," Zedd snapped. "Don't fail me, Scorpina. I can still make you join Rita if you do."
"As you wish, my lord," Scorpina said, bowing low to him. "I live to only serve you." She stood up straight and teleported out of the moon palace before Zedd could say more to her.
Zedd glared after her, anger making his body glow a deep red. He turned with a snarl and went over to his balcony, focusing his attention to earth.
Jason closed his locker after getting his books out for his morning classes. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to his left, finding Trini standing next to him. "Hey, Trini," he greeted. "What's up?"
Trini smiled at Jason, moving closer to him without realizing it. "Not much, Jason," she answered. She opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped as a strange feeling came over her. She moved her hand slowly up his arm, looking into his eyes as she took a step closer to him.
Jason met Trini's eyes, shock at her actions temporarily keeping him from moving for a few seconds. Sense returned to him as Trini slid her hand up over his shoulder and to the back of his neck. He reached up, gently pulling her arm down as he noticed a slightly glassy look in her eyes. "Stop, Trini," his voice low and sharp.
Trini slowly lowered her arm, pulling it from Jason's gentle grip. She shook her head, seeming to come out of some sort of trance as she looked up to meet Jason's eyes. "I'm sorry, Jason," she whispered, shock coming over her face. "I don't know what just happened."
Jason stood looking at her, watching as the glassy look faded from her eyes. He did not see Christine standing just a few feet behind Trini, watching everything that happened with growing anger and disgust.
Trini felt her face turning red as she met Jason's gaze. "That was really weird," she exclaimed. "I don't know what came over me. I just got this strange feeling that I wanted to kiss you, and I wasn't about to stop." She shook her head, looking at him once again. "What is going on?"
Jason opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as movement behind Trini drew his attention. He felt apprehensive as Christine walked up to him. Before he could say anything, his head snapped to the side as Christine slapped him.
Trini and several other students stood in stunned silence, their mouths dropping open in surprise as Christine turned and stormed down the hall, never saying a word.
Jason felt several pairs of eyes on him as he watched Christine practically run away from him down the hall. He looked back to Trini, seeing the shock and concern on her face. He let his breath out slowly, reaching up to rub his stinging cheek.
"Jason, are you okay," Trini asked, concern in her voice.
Jason sighed heavily. "I don't know," he muttered. He turned away from the stares of the other students, his face flushing slightly. "I'll see you later, Trini." He headed off without another word, leaving a baffled Trini standing near his locker.
Scorpina stood in the shadows, watching with a satisfied smile on her face as Jason walked off down the hall. She turned and headed in the other direction, pleased that Zedd's plan seemed to be working without any problem.
Kim sat at the lunch table, listening to other students talking about the encounter they had witnessed this morning in the hallway. She looked up as Trini sat down next to her, curiosity getting the better of her. "Did you hear what happened this morning between Jason and Christine," she asked.
Trini gave Kim an exasperated look. "Kim, I was right there," she stated. "I saw Jason at his locker and went over to see if he was all right after last night. The next thing I knew, I was almost kissing him. Christine must have seen the whole thing and she did not react well to it." She shook her head, meeting Kim's shocked expression. "The thing is, Jason didn't do anything to encourage me in any way. He seemed rather shocked at my actions and prevented me from doing anything. It was really weird."
Kim sat back in her chair, shaking her head as she processed what Trini had just said. She looked at her friend. "Where did that idea come from," she asked. "Why would you want to kiss Jason? I never knew you were attracted to him that way."
Trini shook her head, looking at her best friend in surprise. "I'm not," she stated. "Jason is like a brother to me, nothing more. I don't know what happened to make me feel that way, it came out of nowhere."
Kim frowned in puzzlement, shaking her head. "Something is going on, Trini," she stated. "Maybe we should go to the command center after school and see if Zordon knows anything."
Before Trini could reply, Tommy, Zack and Billy walked over, sitting down to join them at the table.
Kim let the matter drop as the boys started up a conversation on another matter.
Steve stood beside Christine's locker, waiting for her to gather her books for her homework assignments so they could head for the youth center together. He had heard other students talking all through the day and had appointed himself her protector, keeping the curious away from her.
Christine closed her locker and looked at Steve. "All set," she said, managing a small smile at him.
Steve smiled back at her, taking her arm and turning her towards the school exit.
Both of them stopped in shock at the scene before them, unable to move or tear their eyes away.
Jason closed his locker, sighing heavily as he heard someone walk up to him. He turned to his left and found Kim moving towards him. He turned to face her, wondering what she wanted.
Kim walked slowly up to Jason, wanting to see if he was all right. She had not had the chance to talk to him at all today. She gave him a small smile. "Hi, Jason," she greeted. "Are you okay?"
Jason sighed once again. "You heard?"
Kim nodded, stopping to stand right in front of him. "I couldn't help but hear," she stated. "The whole school was talking about it. What happened?"
Jason shook his head, not noticing that Kim was moving closer to him, slowly but surely. "I don't know," he muttered. "I said hi to Trini this morning, then the next thing I knew, she was trying to kiss me. Christine must have seen the whole thing and reacted by slapping me." He stopped as Kim suddenly dropped her books, pressing right against him. Before Jason knew what was happening, Kim turned him and pressed him against the lockers, her arms going around his neck.
Kim couldn't stop herself, reaching up and pulling his head down to her. She pressed herself tightly against Jason as her lips contacted his.
Jason resisted at first, shock making him immobile, but he slowly felt his resistant melting away and started to return Kim's kiss. He felt his arms going around her and pulling her tightly against himself, deepening the kiss as he found he could not fight the feelings raging through him.
Kim moaned slightly as Jason returned her kiss. Her mind was screaming at her that this was wrong, what would Tommy think, but she found she could not stop herself. She felt Jason's arms go around her and she responded by kissing him even more.
Jason could not stop himself, his long repressed feelings coming out in the kiss as Kim pressed as tightly against him as she could. He moaned and tightened his arms around her, parting his lips and pressing his tongue against her mouth.
Kim responded by parting her lips and letting his tongue enter her mouth. She moved her arms, running her hands down his well-developed arms and caressing him gently with them. She heard a startled gasp behind her and broke off the kiss suddenly, looking over her shoulder to see Trini, Zack, Billy and Tommy standing behind her.
Jason broke off the kiss at the same time as Kim, also hearing the sound of their friends behind Kim. Before he could do more than lower his arms, Tommy was on him.
Tommy grabbed Jason's shirt in both hands and slammed him up against the lockers, anger coursing through him.
Jason winced as his back slammed into the lockers. He lifted his hands, grabbing Tommy's wrists and trying to wrench his hands away.
Tommy responded by pulling Jason away from the lockers and giving him a powerful shove.
Jason staggered away from Tommy, forcefully bringing himself to a halt to prevent him from falling. He turned quickly; ready to defend himself as he heard his friend approaching.
Before Tommy could reach Jason, he came to a stop as Kim inserted herself between the two of them.
"Tommy, stop," Kim ordered. "Don't do something you'll regret later."
Tommy shook his head, meeting Kim's eyes before looking past her to glare at Jason. "Oh, believe me, Kim," he snapped. "I won't regret this at all. It will make me feel a whole lot better." He tried to move around Kim, but she grabbed both of his arms, preventing him from moving away.
"I mean it, Tommy," Kim snapped. "Leave Jason alone. He didn't start this, I did." She heard the gasps of surprise coming from Zack and Billy as Tommy turned a startled face in her direction.
"Say that again," Tommy demanded. "I don't think I heard that right."
Kim slowly lowered her hands, releasing her grip on his arms. "I kissed Jason," she muttered. "I'm the one to blame."
Tommy's face showed the hurt that came over him at her words. He turned away from her and stormed down the hallway.
Kim threw a quick glance at Jason over her shoulder, then turned her attention to where Tommy was shoving open the doors. "Tommy, wait!" She ran after him, not bothering to gather up her books that were still strewn on the floor.
Jason stood still, watching Kim run after Tommy as his heart seemed to break in two. He turned away from the scene, ignoring the curious stares that Zack and Billy directed his way. He saw movement down the hall and his eyes went to Christine and Steve, noticing them for the first time.
Christine glared daggers at Jason, then turned and walked away, not waiting for Steve.
Steve looked at Jason in disbelief, then slowly shook his head and turned to follow Christine, jogging to catch up to her.
Jason watched the two of them walk away, frustrated with the events of the past twenty-four hours. He felt his anger beginning to come on and he turned towards the lockers, slamming his fist into one of them. He headed for the nearest exit, ignoring Trini as she called after him. He slammed out the doors and headed for the park, just wanting to get away from all of this.
Zedd stood on his balcony, watching in sadistic glee as the events unfolded before him. He turned to Finster, who was standing behind him, a sudden thought coming to him. "I didn't know that potion would affect Jason," he stated. "I thought it was just supposed to affect those bratty teenage girls that came too close to him."
Finster nodded his head. "It won't affect Jason," he responded. "I made it specifically designed to only affect the female humans."
"But he kissed Kimberly…" Zedd began, and then paused as a sudden realization came to him. He began to laugh in triumph, unable to believe the good luck that had come his way. "Oh this is too good," he chuckled. "This couldn't have gone better if I had planned this myself."
"What do you mean, my lord," Finster asked, curious as to why Zedd was so happy. "What has happened?"
"Jason is in love with Kimberly, Finster," Zedd responded. "He didn't kiss Scorpina or Christine. He was able to resist them. Trini didn't even get a chance to kiss him. However, Kimberly, well he tried to fight it, but he wasn't able to. He responded by kissing her back, very willingly. This is perfect."
"Tommy, please stop," Kim pleaded, trying to catch up to her boyfriend.
"Not now, Kim," Tommy snarled, his anger having taken the place of the hurt. "Just leave me alone!" Before Kim could say anything, he jogged off, leaving her standing on the sidewalk in frustration.
Kim watched sadly as Tommy jogged further away. She sighed heavily and moved to one of the benches in front of the school, sitting down and putting her head in her hands. Now what am I going to do, she thought. I just hurt Tommy and he didn't deserve it. What have I done? She felt tears of frustration come to her eyes and she didn't try to hold them back. Everything was so messed up and it was all her fault.
Zack looked at Trini after Jason, Kim and Tommy had disappeared from the school. "What was that all about," he asked, shock still running through him. "Did I miss something?"
"I think we all missed something," Billy replied before Trini could speak.
Trini looked at the two of them, frowning as she recalled what had happened to her this morning. "Something is going on, that's for sure," she said softly. "I think we'd better get to the command center and see if Zordon can figure this out."
Billy and Zack nodded in agreement and followed Trini as she looked for a quiet spot from where they could teleport without being seen.
Zedd watched the three teens disappear from the school and frowned under his mask. He turned away from the earth, thinking fast. "Goldar! Get in here, now!"
Goldar rushed into the throne room, bowing before Zedd. "Yes, my lord," he snarled. "What do you need from me?"
"Get down to earth," Zedd ordered. "Find Gary and bring him back here right away. The yellow ranger is suspicious and we need to get rid of Jason before Zordon figures out what is going on. Move!"
Goldar bowed once again, then turned and headed out of the throne room to carry out Zedd's orders.
Zedd turned back to the earth, finding Jason as he slowly approached his house. "Your time is up, red ranger," he snarled. "You are going to die, tonight. I'm not going to let Zordon spoil my plans." He turned from earth and went to contact Scorpina to set his trap for Jason.
A/N: That's all for this chapter. Let me know what you think.