Two days later, I was walking through the park when I saw Jason up ahead,
practicing some karate moves. I wanted to make peace with him, so I came up
behind him. "Mind if I join you?" I asked. He shook his head without even turning
around. "Go away." he said. I understood why he was upset with me. Ever since his
dad had gotten arrested, Jason had been putting all his effort into his karate, so he
could use it efficently whenever they fought. It was also the only mode of self-
defense he knew. "Jason, come on. You shouldn't practice by yourself, it's not
safe." I reminded him of what our instructor had always told us. He whirled around to
face me. "Go away. I already told you I don't want to be around you." he said. I
sighed. "Listen Jason, I'm sorry I'm doing this, but I can't stop. Besides, you should
try it. It gives you an adrenaline rush. It's fun Jase, you should try it." I said. He glared
at me and rolled up his sleeves revealing a big bruise that hadn't quite gone away.
"Fun? Getting drunk is fun? Does this look like fun to you, Tommy?" he asked,
showing me his arm. It was still all scarred and bruised from 6 months ago. But the
pain would never go away for Jason. "This is not fun, Tommy. This is what the
alcohol does to those around you. It causes you to act crazy. It causes you to do
things you don't mean to do. It causes you to hurt people, people you care about.
This is not fun." he said, still holding his arm out. "Jason, I..." I said, before I was cut
off. "No, you're going to listen to me now. This is what is going to happen to you. Not
what happened to me, but what happened to my dad. You will end up in jail, wasting
away 25 years of your life. And all for what? Just for enjoying the rush you are
getting? Maybe. But what about your friends, Tommy? What about your family?
What will happen to them? Take it from me, Tommy, it's no fun being drunk. I may
never have been drunk, but I experienced it enough by my dad. And look where it
got me; It ended up getting me abused, ending me up in therapy, thanks to Kai. I
used to blame myself for my dad's actions. But you were the one who told me that it
wasn't my fault that he kept doing this to me. Tommy, you're my best friend, and you
know I love you like a brother. But I can't be around you when you do this to yourself.
I used to come to school every day, always dreading going home because I knew
what would happen. I wondered why I would always go home and my dad would be
drinking. At first I thought it was my fault." he said, pausing to take a breath. I
grabbed the opportunity to speak. "But it wasn't your fault, Jason." I said. He
nodded. "I know that now. But then I would be sitting in my room at night doing
homework or something and he would come home from work and come straight to
my room, grab me off the bed and start hitting me. That was no fun for me. I never
told anyone this Tommy, but there were times I would sit in my room and actually
start crying because I wanted to know what I had done to make my dad so mad. So
you see Tommy, alcohol abuse not only affects you, but it affects those around you.
You can see why I don't want you to do this to yourself. I love you like a brother, and I
can't stand the thought of you turning out like my dad. I hate my dad for what he did
to me. I don't ever want to hate you." he said, finally stopping to let me speak.
"Jason, I'm not your dad. And it's not alcohol abuse. I can control it, unlike your
dad." I said. He shook his head. "You think you can. And it is too alcohol abuse.
When you drink every day nonstop, that's abusing the alcohol. Especially for you,
Tommy, because you are underage. You're scaring me, Tommy, you're scaring me
and Kimberly and Trini and Zack and Billy with what you are doing to yourself. None
of us want to see you end up in jail for 25 years like my dad did. Do you remember
when I refused the help that Kai offered me? Remember when I tricked you guys into
thinking Zordon called you and I was waiting for you as the evil red ranger? I almost
killed you, do you remember? I almost killed you because of what my dad did to me.
I was taking it out on you guys, which I shouldn't have. Tommy, please, stop and
think about what you are doing to yourself." he said. And without another word, he
walked away leaving me to think about what he had just told me.
practicing some karate moves. I wanted to make peace with him, so I came up
behind him. "Mind if I join you?" I asked. He shook his head without even turning
around. "Go away." he said. I understood why he was upset with me. Ever since his
dad had gotten arrested, Jason had been putting all his effort into his karate, so he
could use it efficently whenever they fought. It was also the only mode of self-
defense he knew. "Jason, come on. You shouldn't practice by yourself, it's not
safe." I reminded him of what our instructor had always told us. He whirled around to
face me. "Go away. I already told you I don't want to be around you." he said. I
sighed. "Listen Jason, I'm sorry I'm doing this, but I can't stop. Besides, you should
try it. It gives you an adrenaline rush. It's fun Jase, you should try it." I said. He glared
at me and rolled up his sleeves revealing a big bruise that hadn't quite gone away.
"Fun? Getting drunk is fun? Does this look like fun to you, Tommy?" he asked,
showing me his arm. It was still all scarred and bruised from 6 months ago. But the
pain would never go away for Jason. "This is not fun, Tommy. This is what the
alcohol does to those around you. It causes you to act crazy. It causes you to do
things you don't mean to do. It causes you to hurt people, people you care about.
This is not fun." he said, still holding his arm out. "Jason, I..." I said, before I was cut
off. "No, you're going to listen to me now. This is what is going to happen to you. Not
what happened to me, but what happened to my dad. You will end up in jail, wasting
away 25 years of your life. And all for what? Just for enjoying the rush you are
getting? Maybe. But what about your friends, Tommy? What about your family?
What will happen to them? Take it from me, Tommy, it's no fun being drunk. I may
never have been drunk, but I experienced it enough by my dad. And look where it
got me; It ended up getting me abused, ending me up in therapy, thanks to Kai. I
used to blame myself for my dad's actions. But you were the one who told me that it
wasn't my fault that he kept doing this to me. Tommy, you're my best friend, and you
know I love you like a brother. But I can't be around you when you do this to yourself.
I used to come to school every day, always dreading going home because I knew
what would happen. I wondered why I would always go home and my dad would be
drinking. At first I thought it was my fault." he said, pausing to take a breath. I
grabbed the opportunity to speak. "But it wasn't your fault, Jason." I said. He
nodded. "I know that now. But then I would be sitting in my room at night doing
homework or something and he would come home from work and come straight to
my room, grab me off the bed and start hitting me. That was no fun for me. I never
told anyone this Tommy, but there were times I would sit in my room and actually
start crying because I wanted to know what I had done to make my dad so mad. So
you see Tommy, alcohol abuse not only affects you, but it affects those around you.
You can see why I don't want you to do this to yourself. I love you like a brother, and I
can't stand the thought of you turning out like my dad. I hate my dad for what he did
to me. I don't ever want to hate you." he said, finally stopping to let me speak.
"Jason, I'm not your dad. And it's not alcohol abuse. I can control it, unlike your
dad." I said. He shook his head. "You think you can. And it is too alcohol abuse.
When you drink every day nonstop, that's abusing the alcohol. Especially for you,
Tommy, because you are underage. You're scaring me, Tommy, you're scaring me
and Kimberly and Trini and Zack and Billy with what you are doing to yourself. None
of us want to see you end up in jail for 25 years like my dad did. Do you remember
when I refused the help that Kai offered me? Remember when I tricked you guys into
thinking Zordon called you and I was waiting for you as the evil red ranger? I almost
killed you, do you remember? I almost killed you because of what my dad did to me.
I was taking it out on you guys, which I shouldn't have. Tommy, please, stop and
think about what you are doing to yourself." he said. And without another word, he
walked away leaving me to think about what he had just told me.
