FLAWS
Ashley's life seems perfect, but what the other rangers don't know is that nothing can be as perfect as it seems.
The bell rang just as Ashley hurried through the door and into her seat next to Carlos for Mr. Nersten's chemistry class. "That was close Ash." Carlos kidded here as she pulled her lab notes from her book bag.
"Whatever Carlos." Ashley rolled her eyes in reply. She skimmed over her notes after hearing from JT that Nersten had a pop quiz planned.
As expected, Mr. Nersten announced, "Alright class. Put everything away, we're going to have a pop quiz." The class groaned in response. As Ashley received the paper from the person in front of her, Ms. Rogers entered the room with a note for MR. Nersten.
He took the note and walked over to Ashley. "Mrs.Reitsma wants to see you. You can make up the quiz tomorrow at lunch." Carlos looked up at Ashley with a questioning look in his eyes. Ashley took the note and quickly repacked her book bag, shrugging her shoulders at the black haired boy in response to his unspoken question before exiting the classroom.
"Mrs.Reitsma will see you now Ashley." Ms. Rogers, the secretary informed her. Ashley sighed, she had only been waiting for twenty minutes to see her guidance counselor. She gathered her belongings and was ushered into the conference room.
"Ashley thanks for coming." Mrs.Reitsma began kindly. Ashley just nodded, still confused as to what the meeting was about. "Listen, Saturday night we're having an abuse awareness meeting at the community center. I think it would mean a great deal to the community if you and your brother would come and share your testimony." She stated, aware of the history of the Hammond family, as she had been Ashley's guidance counselor since she was in junior high.
"You want us to tell everyone about out step mom?" Ashley asked din disbelief. She paused for a minute. "I don't know Mrs. Retisma, my friends don't even know about her." She admitted quietly as tears filled her eyes, as harsh memories of her childhood were forced to the front of her mind. She closed her eyes to block out the horrific images that still plagued her, especially this time of year. Every March, her family had to go to court and testify at her step mom's parole hearing and plead for her to remain locked up.
"I know this is a difficult time of year for you and your family. But I think it might be healing if you talked about it." The guidance counselor advised the distraught girl. "And I know it could help others dealing with abuse."
"I'll have to think about it, and ask Jeff." Ashley finally said, not looking up.
"That's fine, Ashley. I know you won't be in school tomorrow, but just give me a call if you're going to come." Mrs. Reitsma spoke softly as she put her hand on Ashley's shoulder.
"Hey Ash!" Carlos called as school let out for the day. "What did your guidance counselor want?" He asked her as she arrived at her locker where TJ and Cassie were waiting for her.
Ashley looked up startled. "What did you say Carlos?" She asked, not hearing his question. "I asked, " he began but decided to ask a different question when he saw the haunted look in her eyes. "Are you okay Ash?" He wondered concerned about his best friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Ashley responded as she shut her locker and began heading to the exit.
" Aren't you coming back with us?" Cassie questioned her distracted teammate.
"Sorry Cass, I need to go talk to Jeff." Ashley replied as she hurried away from her friends before they noticed the tears that threatened to escape once again.
A quiet Thursday afternoon on the Astro Mega ship, Cassie is venting her frustrations to TJ after receiving another patronizing letter from her mother, while Andros continues scanning the universe for his sister. Carlos is down in Angel Grove helping his mother, and Ashley is at home talking to her brother.
"Can you believer her? What nerve!" Cassie fumed as she took her books out of her book bag and slammed them on the table, startling TJ awry form his math homework.
"Calm down Cassie. What did your mom do now?" TJ's calm voice broke through her fury. He only knew of one person who could make the normally peaceful pink ranger so furious.
"She wants me to come live with her for the rest of the school year!" Cassie spat out angrily. "As if I would even consider moving to Chicago. Graduation is in less than 3 months, what is she thinking?" The pink ranger asked rhetorically. Just then Carlos stormed through the door to take a seat next to the blue ranger.
"What's going on Carlos?" TJ asked surprised at the black rangers dark expression on his face. "It's my mom, she's afraid her company's going to let her go, if she loses her job then my family won't be able to afford tour house." Carlos stated frustrated.
"Well, welcome to the bad news day club." Cassie commented sarcastically. Carlos looked up to look at her. "Another letter from you mom Cass?" Carlos guessed correctly. "You know it. She wants me to move to Chicago." Cassie replied, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"Doesn't she know graduation is in three months?" Carlos asked in shock.
"Oh she knows alright. She just wants to prove she's in control." Cassie remarked as Ashley had the unfortunate timing of walking into the room at that moment.
"Hey guys." Ashley greeted them a lot less cheerful than usual, but the others didn't notice. Actually, she looked terrible. She hadn't slept in a week and had lost some weight from her lack of appetite. She went through this every year a t this time and this year was no exception. She grabbed a cup of hot tear from the synthetron and sat down with her teammates. Everyone seemed to be in a bad mood so she remained silent, knowing she would draw their anger if she tried to lighten the mood, and feeling upset herself, didn't want to try. Andros walked in, his head bowed, as it usually was whenever he was thinking about his sister.
Ashley sighed. "Any sign of Karone, Andros?" She asked quietly. The red ranger shook his head no, and sat down next to her, completing the silent circle of friends.
Finally Carlos spoke. "My mom's afraid of losing her job. " His statement caused the others to open up to the group as a whole as well. "Yeah, my mom wants me to move in with her in Chicago." Cassie declared sadly.
Ashley thought to herself, "At least you have a mother." Her own mother ha died when she was two years old. She had a great dad and a brother who loved her very much which helped to ease the pain of not having a mother. Thought of family made Ashley remember why she hated this time of year and the terrible events that had made her brother, father, and her such a close knit unit that her friends envied. But they wouldn't envy her if they knew why.
Ashley's life seems perfect, but what the other rangers don't know is that nothing can be as perfect as it seems.
The bell rang just as Ashley hurried through the door and into her seat next to Carlos for Mr. Nersten's chemistry class. "That was close Ash." Carlos kidded here as she pulled her lab notes from her book bag.
"Whatever Carlos." Ashley rolled her eyes in reply. She skimmed over her notes after hearing from JT that Nersten had a pop quiz planned.
As expected, Mr. Nersten announced, "Alright class. Put everything away, we're going to have a pop quiz." The class groaned in response. As Ashley received the paper from the person in front of her, Ms. Rogers entered the room with a note for MR. Nersten.
He took the note and walked over to Ashley. "Mrs.Reitsma wants to see you. You can make up the quiz tomorrow at lunch." Carlos looked up at Ashley with a questioning look in his eyes. Ashley took the note and quickly repacked her book bag, shrugging her shoulders at the black haired boy in response to his unspoken question before exiting the classroom.
"Mrs.Reitsma will see you now Ashley." Ms. Rogers, the secretary informed her. Ashley sighed, she had only been waiting for twenty minutes to see her guidance counselor. She gathered her belongings and was ushered into the conference room.
"Ashley thanks for coming." Mrs.Reitsma began kindly. Ashley just nodded, still confused as to what the meeting was about. "Listen, Saturday night we're having an abuse awareness meeting at the community center. I think it would mean a great deal to the community if you and your brother would come and share your testimony." She stated, aware of the history of the Hammond family, as she had been Ashley's guidance counselor since she was in junior high.
"You want us to tell everyone about out step mom?" Ashley asked din disbelief. She paused for a minute. "I don't know Mrs. Retisma, my friends don't even know about her." She admitted quietly as tears filled her eyes, as harsh memories of her childhood were forced to the front of her mind. She closed her eyes to block out the horrific images that still plagued her, especially this time of year. Every March, her family had to go to court and testify at her step mom's parole hearing and plead for her to remain locked up.
"I know this is a difficult time of year for you and your family. But I think it might be healing if you talked about it." The guidance counselor advised the distraught girl. "And I know it could help others dealing with abuse."
"I'll have to think about it, and ask Jeff." Ashley finally said, not looking up.
"That's fine, Ashley. I know you won't be in school tomorrow, but just give me a call if you're going to come." Mrs. Reitsma spoke softly as she put her hand on Ashley's shoulder.
"Hey Ash!" Carlos called as school let out for the day. "What did your guidance counselor want?" He asked her as she arrived at her locker where TJ and Cassie were waiting for her.
Ashley looked up startled. "What did you say Carlos?" She asked, not hearing his question. "I asked, " he began but decided to ask a different question when he saw the haunted look in her eyes. "Are you okay Ash?" He wondered concerned about his best friend.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Ashley responded as she shut her locker and began heading to the exit.
" Aren't you coming back with us?" Cassie questioned her distracted teammate.
"Sorry Cass, I need to go talk to Jeff." Ashley replied as she hurried away from her friends before they noticed the tears that threatened to escape once again.
A quiet Thursday afternoon on the Astro Mega ship, Cassie is venting her frustrations to TJ after receiving another patronizing letter from her mother, while Andros continues scanning the universe for his sister. Carlos is down in Angel Grove helping his mother, and Ashley is at home talking to her brother.
"Can you believer her? What nerve!" Cassie fumed as she took her books out of her book bag and slammed them on the table, startling TJ awry form his math homework.
"Calm down Cassie. What did your mom do now?" TJ's calm voice broke through her fury. He only knew of one person who could make the normally peaceful pink ranger so furious.
"She wants me to come live with her for the rest of the school year!" Cassie spat out angrily. "As if I would even consider moving to Chicago. Graduation is in less than 3 months, what is she thinking?" The pink ranger asked rhetorically. Just then Carlos stormed through the door to take a seat next to the blue ranger.
"What's going on Carlos?" TJ asked surprised at the black rangers dark expression on his face. "It's my mom, she's afraid her company's going to let her go, if she loses her job then my family won't be able to afford tour house." Carlos stated frustrated.
"Well, welcome to the bad news day club." Cassie commented sarcastically. Carlos looked up to look at her. "Another letter from you mom Cass?" Carlos guessed correctly. "You know it. She wants me to move to Chicago." Cassie replied, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"Doesn't she know graduation is in three months?" Carlos asked in shock.
"Oh she knows alright. She just wants to prove she's in control." Cassie remarked as Ashley had the unfortunate timing of walking into the room at that moment.
"Hey guys." Ashley greeted them a lot less cheerful than usual, but the others didn't notice. Actually, she looked terrible. She hadn't slept in a week and had lost some weight from her lack of appetite. She went through this every year a t this time and this year was no exception. She grabbed a cup of hot tear from the synthetron and sat down with her teammates. Everyone seemed to be in a bad mood so she remained silent, knowing she would draw their anger if she tried to lighten the mood, and feeling upset herself, didn't want to try. Andros walked in, his head bowed, as it usually was whenever he was thinking about his sister.
Ashley sighed. "Any sign of Karone, Andros?" She asked quietly. The red ranger shook his head no, and sat down next to her, completing the silent circle of friends.
Finally Carlos spoke. "My mom's afraid of losing her job. " His statement caused the others to open up to the group as a whole as well. "Yeah, my mom wants me to move in with her in Chicago." Cassie declared sadly.
Ashley thought to herself, "At least you have a mother." Her own mother ha died when she was two years old. She had a great dad and a brother who loved her very much which helped to ease the pain of not having a mother. Thought of family made Ashley remember why she hated this time of year and the terrible events that had made her brother, father, and her such a close knit unit that her friends envied. But they wouldn't envy her if they knew why.