Forever Seventeen
Chapter 2: The Funeral

Disclaimer- I do not own Power Rangers, or any of the songs. This fic is strictly for entertainment purposes only.

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"Thanks for hogging all members for your club, Trini." Kimberly said angerily as she stormed up to Trini, Billy, and Zack.

Today was the day at Angel Grove High when the students got to pick what club they wanted to join. Trini had a Volleyball club, and Kimberly had a Garden club. So far, Trini had tons of members, and Kimberly had none.

"Kim, if you want, we could get together after school and I could help you recruit some members for your club." Trini said in a friendly voice.

"I don't need your help anyway, so just buzz off." Kim said in a mean, cruel voice.

She stormed away; leaving behind a confused Trini, Billy, and Zack.

"What's her problem?" Zack asked.

"I don't know." Billy replied.

Kim woke up covered in sweat. Her heart was beating fast, and she was taking short, shallow breaths. She got up out of bed, and ran to the bathroom. After splashing her face a couple of times with cold water, she felt better. She walked into her living room and sat down in her chair. Feeling better now, she began to reflect on her dream. It was so familier to her. Suddenly, she let out a gasp.

"I remember!" She exclaimed.

She began to think about the past, and it all became clear to her. She remembered that day that it was yesterday. The reason she was so rude to Trini, was because she was put under a spell. A spell of jealousy that was put on her by none other than the evil Lord Zedd. At the end of the day, Trini helped her to see that she was under a spell and, together, they broke it.

"Trini, you were always there for me." She said to herself. "But the one time you really and truly needed me, I wasn't there for you."

How badly she wished she could turn back time. How badly she wished she could talk to Trini just one more time. A knock on her door brought her back to reality and out of her thoughts. She had on her robe, but she didn't care. Opening the door, she saw Zack standing there.

"Hi Zack." She said. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a friend visit a friend without a reason?" Zack asked sarcastically.

"Sure." She said as she motioned for him to come in.

He came inside and sat on the couch. Kim took a seat beside him.

"It's been a long time." He said.

"Yeah, it has." She agreed.

She couldn't contain it anymore. She scooted over to him, and gave him a hug. For a minute he just sat there, but then he hugged her back.

"Sorry." She said as she pulled away and got back into her orignial position. "It's just that I haven't seen you in so long."

"Don't worry about it." He said cheerfully. "I needed a hug."

"So..." She trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Kim, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" He asked.

"Nope, not at all." She replied.

"Well, you and Tommy don't look like you used to. I mean, you two used to be inseperable. Now, you two are hardly together. What's going on?"

"So, they didn't tell you, huh?" She began; looking kind of nervous. "Tommy and I broke up."

"No way!" Zack said disbelievingly. "How did it happen?"

"Well, it all started when I went to the Pan-Globals in Flordia. I was down there for a long time. A very long time. I didn't think I would ever get back home. Then I remembered how Kat used looked at Tommy when she first met him. She was totally into him. I gave it a whole lot of thought, and I finally made a decision. That decision was to break it off with Tommy." At this point she got a little teary-eyed. "I thought that if I couldn't be happy, at least he deserved to be. Besides..." She trailed off; realizing that she ws about to say too much.

"Besides, what?" Zack asked with extreme curiosity.

"Nothing." She replied flatly. "Tommy and Kat are together now, and I'm just glad that he's happy."

"Tommy and Kat?" Zack questioned; unsure about that particular couple.

"I know. I feel the same way. At first I thought it was just me being jealous, but when I saw them together...Something just wasn't right. Oh well. Maybe things will get better over time."

"Yeah." Zack agreed.

"So what about you, Zack? You have a girlfriend?"

"Well..." Zack began shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I was in love with..."

"With who, Zack?"

"Trini." He replied sorrowfully.

"Oh Zack..." Kim said.

"Don't Kim. Just don't. I'm fine."

"Okay, well, I'll change the subject. I had a weird dream last night."

"What was it about?" Zack asked becoming curious.

"Well, do you remember the time at Angel Grove High when some of us created clubs?"

"Yeah...I think so. I had the Dance club, you had the Garden club, and Trini had the Volleyball club."

"Well, I had a dream about that last night."

"Really?" Zack asked; surprised.

"Yeah. The whole thing...Just like I was watching it from another person's point of view."

"That is weird." Zack said. "Last night I had a dream about Trini, too. It was of the time all of you threw me a surprise party for my Birthday."

"I remember that! It would have been the perfect surprise, too, if Lord Zedd hadn't ruined it."

Zack sniggered at the thought of Lord Zedd. Kim shot him an odd glance. He looked back at her, and burst into laughter.

"What is so funny, Zack?" She asked.

"I just remembered the time when Lord Zedd took you to be his wife!" He exclaimed; laughing even harder now.

"And just what is so funny about that, Zackary?" Kim asked him in a mocking voice.

He wanted to answer her question, but when he opened his mouth to do so, he just laughed even harder.

"I mean, I can't say that I blame him."

That brought a roar of laughter out of Zack. He fell to the floor holding his sides. Kim started to laugh, too. She grabbed one of the pillows that was on the couch, and she threw it at Zack. It hit him right in the head. He picked it up and threw it back at her. That led to a huge pillow fight. Right when Zack had Kim on the floor; beating her with a big, white fluffly pillow, the doorbell rang. She ran over to the door, and opened it; not caring what her hair looked like, or that she was still in her P.J.'s.

"Jason?" She questioned.

"Woah!" He said taking a good look at her, and then at her apartment. "What happened in here? Did a tornado hit?"

Just as Kim was about to reply, Zack came running out of the hallway.

"Oh, hey Jase!" He exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Jason asked now looking at the messy state Zack was in.

"I've only got two words to say to you..." Zack trailed off winking at Kim.

"Pillow fight!" They both shouted together as they attacked Jason with pillows.

He was taken by surprise, so he fell into Kim's living room. Kim shut the door, and Zack continued to clobber him with pillows. Finally, Jason managed to get Zack off of him long enough for him to grab a pillow. And once he did, he didn't hold back. He slung it left and right; hitting both Kim and Zack as he swung. They all fell to the door laughing uncontrolably, and they were still hitting each other with the pillows as they went. Suddenly, the door flung open. Kim, Zack, and Jason stopped in mid-air. There in the doorway stood Tommy, Kat, Tanya, and Billy.

"Care to explain what's going on here?" Billy asked the trio lying on the floor.

All three of them just stared at Tommy, Kat, Tanya, and Billy for a moment, then they started to laugh uncontrolably again.

"Pil-Pillow-Pillow fight." Kim managed to get out through her laughter.

"Okay..." Said Tanya.

Billy turned to walk out, but Kim threw a pillow at him. It sailed through the air, and hit him right in the back. He stopped dead in his tracks. Then, he did something unexpected. He turned around, picked up the pillow, and charged to Kim. He hit her with it, and then the Pillow Fight resumed. Laughter filled the air, and Tommy, Kat, and Tanya joined in. After they were finished, all those who didn't know each other introduced each other to themselves.

"Well, Kim, we have to be going." Tommy said looking at his watch.

"Yeah. I, uh, guess we'll see ya tonight, huh?" Kat asked.

"Yeah, you will." Kim said.

Everyone else said their "good-bye's" to Kim and they all left. Kim spent the rest of the day practicing her song that she was to sing at the funeral. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

"What am I gonna wear?!" She asked herself worriedly.

Rushing to her closet, she found only jeans, mini-skirts, and shorts. She glanced at her clock.

"5:30." She said to herself. 'That's enough time to do a little shopping."

Grabbing her car keys, and her purse, she rushed out the door. She sped to the mall, and rushed inside to the clothing store as soon she pulled into the parking lot. She didn't even have to look for even the least amount of time before she found the perfect dress. It was a long, black one that had long sleeves. It wasn't too fancy, but it wasn't too ordinary. It was absolutely perfect. After trying it on, she purchased it for $153.30. When it came to Trini, it had to be the best. Even if it was for her funeral. She got home at 6:15. Luckily, she had a pair of black, high-heels in her closet, so she put on her out-fit, grabbed her C.D., and rushed out the door. She wanted to get there first, so that she could spend some time alone with Trini.

She arrived at the funeral home in no time. She got there at 6:30, so she was the only one there. The others would arrive most likely in about 15 minures. That gave her just enough time. With her heart racing, she got out of her car and climbed the stairs to the front door. Once inside, she followed the signs that pointed the way to the room Trini's funeral would be in. She found it in no time. She was just outside the door. After signing the guestbook that was to the side of the door, she slowly began to push open the doors. The doors were completly open now, but her eyes were closed. After three deep breaths, she opened her eyes; and let out an unearthly scream.

"NO!"

She ran back out the doors. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. After she calmed herself down, she walked back inside. The doors were now closed behind her. She slowly made her way to the casket. She was crying out loud now. She got to the casket, and her knees buckled beneath her.

"I'm so sorry, Trini." She said; the good times she had eariler in that day now melting away, as though they had never taken place. "I'm so sorry."

She was screaming now. Screaming to the top of her lungs. Suddenly, the doors to the funeral room burst open. In rushed Tommy, Billy, Zack, Jason, Kat, and Tanya. Kim knew that had come in, but she didn't care. She still continued to scream to the top of her lungs. Tommy and Jason rushed up to her, and grabbed her arms. She tried to jerk away from them, but they held her strong.

"Kim, it's okay." Tommy tried to the best he could to comfort her.

She had now stopped screaming, and Tommy and Jason let her go. She fell to the floor, and pushed herself up. Billy helped her up, and she hugged him tight. After they broke apart, they all looked at the casket that lay before them. There wasn't a dry eyes among all of them at that moment.

"You okay, Kim?" Kat asked her thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah, Kat. I'm just peachy!" Kim replied angerily at her. "I couldn't be better! Ya know, what with seeing my Best Friend laying dead in that casket right in front of you!"

Everyone stood with their mouth agape.

"I'm sorry, Kat. I have no idea why I said that." She said starting to break into tears again.

Kat walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry about it, Kimberly."

Tanya looked at her watched. It was 7:00.

"Guys, we better get our seats." Tanya said.

"Yeah." Zack agreed; indacating the cars now starting to pull up.

Everyone went, and took their seats. It was packed inside of there. There were a lot of people left standing, and the line went back out through the front door. Trini's parents sat on the first bench opposite the side of Kim and the rest of the gang. Trini was truly a sight of beauty. Her long, black hair hung down on her shoulders, and she was wearing a yellow dress. In fact, you couldn't even tell she had been in a car accident. The minister got up, and began talking. Kim tuned him out. It seemed like forever untill...She got a knot in her stomach. He had called her up to sing her song. All her friends gave her looks of encouragement, and she walked onto the stage. It was facing the whole room, and she could slightly look down on Trini. The stage was about a foot above the floor. Kim suddenly felt a little better, and a little less nervous.

"If Trini could speak to us tonight, I think this would be what she would say." Kim stated.

Then, the music came on. The room was quiet and all eyes were on her. The words she sang brought tears to her eyes.

"Never thought it would be me
Living in a shattered dream
Could this be the end for me?
What I wouldn't give to have
A life to live, a day to plan
Instead I'll be forever seventeen

Could have lived out every dream
I could have been the most anything

Can someone wake me up?
I haven't lived yet
I'm only seventeen
God, did you forget
I'm just a baby?
And I don't wanna be
Forever seventeen

I'll never have a bed to make
A test to take, a summer day
I'll always be forever seventeen
Could have had a family
If things have worked out differently
Instead I'll be forever seventeen

Could I have just one more day
A chance to learn from my mistakes?

Can someone wake me up?
I haven't lived yet
I'm only seventeen
God, did you forget
I'm just a baby?
And I don't wanna be
Forever seventeen

In a matter of a moment
Life fell before my eyes
And now I'm looking at the meaning of
The miracle of life
Where are we going without even knowing
The answer deep inside"

She couldn't take it anymore. The words she just sang, looking down on her Best Friend's corpse, all the people staring at her intently. She felt it coming. The flood of tears. She knew she was going to break down. It didn't matter about all of the people around her. It didn't matter that all of them, including her friends, were staring at her. There wasn't a dry eye out of all the people that were gathered. They were all moved by the song she had sang.

Clutching her fists, she ran off stage. Pressing through the crowd, she was trying her besat to get outside. She wanted someplace to be alone. Someplace where she could just be by herself. Not knowing what she was doing, she started to run. Running from all that surrounded her. Running from all her friends. Running from pain and sorrow that had set on her ever since she first entered the room that held Trini's corpse.

Inside the funeral room, the minister resumed his position at the front of the room. Jason and Zack volunteered to look for her. As quietly as they could, they exited the funeral home and started on their search for Kimberly.

Tommy and the others remained seated and waited for the service to be over. After it was over, they found Jason and Zack. Both were out of breath.

"Where is she?" Tommy asked them.

"We can't find her." Jason replied worriedly.

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