Thanks for the reviews, guys. I missed you all. Now here's another one-shot for you all! It's pretty short; sorry. But it's semi-angst, which might make up for it.
25: Green-Eyed Monster
The worst part was how happy Kimberly was with Tommy, fifteen-year-old Billy thought to himself as he laid on his bed. His homework was all done already, and no monster had attacked recently, so he had had plenty of time to wallow in self-pity and jealousy.
When he had seen her and Trini giggling over the kiss she and Tommy had shared last week, Billy's stomach turned into a knot. It was official. She and Tommy were a couple. As in like like each other. As in boyfriend-girlfriend.
Sure, Billy had known this day would come. He had known that Kim was bound to find someone she liked in 'that way' eventually. But he hadn't known that 'eventually' would come so soon. Or that it would come in the form of someone Billy viewed as a friend.
Billy couldn't find it in him to be even annoyed at Tommy personally about the situation. In the abstract, sure, he could get plenty angry. But he couldn't find it to be mad at Tommy, just jealous. After all, none of the other Rangers knew about his feelings towards Kimberly, and they had known him since kindergarten. How could Tommy, who had moved to Angel Grove in the fall of '93, know then? Furthermore, it wasn't like he could fault his taste.
And yet…
Billy exhaled, miserable. He wasn't surprised his Ranger suit hadn't turned green from jealousy and cowardice. True blue? Only if that meant treating the friend who was dating your crush like he had to- as a perfectly normal friend.
Poor Billy. Speaking of Tommy, I think I now know why it took so unbelievably long for him to get back to normal in Dino Thunder. The episode "Fighting Spirit" (where Tommy is in a coma has to fight the Green Power Ranger, the White Power Ranger, and the Red Zeo Ranger to snap out of it and get back to normal) occurred on the tenth (eleventh…no, tenth) anniversary of "Day of the Dumpster". When the Power Rangers are involved, there are no such things as coincidences, so I'm guessing this isn't either.