Chapter Twenty-One
Conner stood next to the smoking engine of his car, trying desperately to get some service on his cell phone to call for a tow truck and to tell Tommy that he was going to be late for class. But, since the teacher was already at school, Conner wasn't able to reach him via communicator, which would have been so much easier.
But, his luck seemed to change as a red SUV pulled up behind his own red car. The man who climbed out seemed nice and even gave Conner his phone to call where he needed to.
"Thanks. I really appreciate this." He said, getting the feeling that he should know the older man. His face seemed familiar, yet he just couldn't put his finger on who he was.
"No problem. I'm Jason."
"Conner." The teen said as he saw the tow truck pull up.
"Why don't I give you a lift to school? It's on my way, anyway and you really shouldn't be left out here by yourself."
"Plus, there's the fact that I'm going to be late for Dr. Oliver's class and he doesn't usually like it when you're late… so, yeah, thanks."
Jason's SUV pulled into the school parking lot, alongside a black jeep. Jason looked the school over, which made him think of his old friends. It also made him smile that he'd run into Melissa, yesterday. OF all the people he could have run into, he was glad that it was her.
"Thanks, Jason. I owe you one." Conner said, climbing out.
"No problem… If you really want to repay me, I can hire you to work for me. It's not a glamorous position, but I need the help."
"Actually, yeah. That would be great. Where at?"
"It's the new karate studio a few blocks down the road, near the park. Be there after school?"
"You got it." Conner said.
"Conner, there you are. I was getting worried." A familiar voice said, loudly to its student, so he would know that he was there.
"Sorry. Dr. O. My car broke down and Jason, here gave me a lift."
Tommy looked through the opened passenger side window to see the face of his best friend. A smile crossed his lips. "Jase?"
Jason smiled and proceeded to climb out of the vehicle. "Tommy, I didn't know you were here, 'Bro." He said, giving his former teammate a manly hug.
"Yeah, I moved out here a few months ago… Uh, but I've got to get to class. How about we talk, later, though?"
"Yeah, sure. Why don't you come with Conner to my new studio? We can talk there."
"Yeah, that'll be great."
Melissa sat on the same bench as yesterday. But, today, she had a different reason to be sitting there. She and Jason promised to meet there, so they could talk more. Plus, there was the fact that she had left her notebook in his building. But, she had her spare with her, this time, so she wouldn't be just sitting there, bored out of her mind.
"Forget something?" A familiar voice asked.
Mel turned to see Jason heading over to her, her notebook in hand. "Thanks." She said, taking it from him.
"I hope you don't mind, but I took a peak." He smiled as he saw her lightly blush. "It's really good… Send me a copy once it's finished."
She nodded. "Okay. I'll do that." She was now happy that she didn't include anything that would give her secret away. She figured that Jason would find out sooner or later, but if he were to find out, she didn't want to be the one who told. She figured that she'd let Tommy be the one who told. She smiled as he took the seat next to her, but his leg bounced nervously. Something was up. "You okay?"
"Okay, I know I said I'd be able to spend the day with you, but I just hired this kid… so, how about I make it up to you?" He asked.
"What did you have in mind?" She asked, shyly, her blush now much deeper than before.
"Dinner… with me." It was his turn to blush. He was a bit rusty when it came to asking girls out. He actually couldn't believe that those words escaped his mouth.
"Jason Lee, are you asking me out on a date?" She asked her surprise clear in her voice.
He paused before answering. "Yeah… a date… what do you say?"
She smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."
"I thought you might say that, so I already made reservations. So, where should I pick you up?"
She was about to give him Tommy's address, but then she thought twice. "Um, how about I meet you at the studio? The guy I'm staying with is kinda… weird." She couldn't believe that she had said that. But, what else could she say?
He gave her a puzzled look. "You're not staying at a hotel?"
"No. My boss is kind of cheap, so he arranged for me to stay with his nephew." She shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. I couldn't say no or I wouldn't have gotten this assignment."
"I don't like the sound of this." He said, tensing up at the sound of this whole thing.
"There's nothing bad about it… really. It's just… weird." She said. She wasn't lying. This whole situation was kind of weird.
"Look, why don't you stay with me? This doesn't sound safe."
"Jase, thanks for caring and all, but I'll be fine… So, what time is the reservation for?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Seven." He said, numbly. He still didn't like the idea of her staying with a guy that she said was weird.
"Okay, well, if you're going to meet that kid, I suggest that you do. It looks like he just pulled up." She said, pointing to the kid who just entered the parking lot.
"Right. I'll see you at seven?" He asked.
"Nothing can stop me." She said, smiling as he got up from the bench and ran over to the studio to meet with Conner and, what looked to Melissa to be, Tommy. She decided that she should leave before one of them decided to call her over.
She got up from the bench and pulled out her cell phone. She searched through her directory until she found the number she was looking for.
"Hey, Kira? It's Mel. Can you meet me at the mall in ten minutes? I need some girl advice."
Kira walked up to Mel, who was sitting on a bench as she waited for her. "So, what's up?" She asked.
"Okay, I know you don't like this whole mall thing, I don't either, but I have a date tonight and I need help finding something to wear."
Kira gave her a disgusted look. "What?" This was the last thing she had expected to hear.
"Yeah, I know, but I didn't expect on having a date, while out here and I have this dress in mind… I just need someone else's opinion… Please?"
"It sounds pretty important… Who is this guy?"
"I'll tell you only if you help me." The older woman smiled evilly at the teen.
That got Kira's attention. She wasn't the one who would usually care about something like this, but it seemed important to Melissa. Plus, there was the fact that she wanted to know who the guy was. "Okay, fine."
Melissa jumped up from her seat and pulled the teen into the store that she'd been staring at. "Thank you… Okay, you watched Tommy's video diary, right?" Kira nodded. "Okay, so the guy I'm going out with is Jason, the first Red Ranger." She lowered her voice, just in case anyone was listening in.
"Wow." Kira said.
"And I only ask you this favor, 'cause I really like him and she's such a great guy."
Kira laughed at how eager the older woman was. "I'll bet he is."
"Okay, let me explain. My feelings for Jason are almost like… your feelings for Trent." She said as she sifted through the racks to find the dress she'd been looking for.
Kira gave her a puzzled look. "How do you know about Trent? Dr. O. sent him to find something. You haven't even met him."
"I don't have to meet him to know that you really care for him. I can feel it… It's kinda of how I can feel that Hayley doesn't trust me or that Tommy is heart broken and in love at the same time."
"Wait. Hayley doesn't trust you? Why?" This surprised the teen. Hayley was alsways so trusting of everyone.
"I don't know. I don't know why she thinks that, I just know that she does. Ah-ha! Here it is!" Melissa said, pulling out the dress she wanted. It was a black dress with a green shimmer. The perfect dress for her. It had a long skirt with a small, calf-high slits on each side. It had spaghetti straps and a bodice that cut right in the middle of her chest, just where her shoulders met her arms. "What do you think?"
"It's very pretty." Kira answered as she still wondered why Hayley wouldn't trust her.
"Okay, but you have to be totally honest when I try it on."
"Okay." Kira took a seat outside of the dressing room as Melissa took in the dressing room to try it on. "So, what's Jason like, anyway?"
"You know, he hasn't changed a bit since I last saw him. He's sweet and charming and funny."
"Reminds me of Trent." Kira smiled as she thought of him.
"Have you told him how you felt?" Melissa asked.
"I can't." The yellow ranger picked at her nails, from the nervous feeling she was getting.
"Why not? Doesn't he feel the same?"
"That's the thing. I don't know if he does or not."
"Well, how are you going to know if you don't ask? Okay, please be honest."
The door to the dressing room slowly opened as Melissa slowly stepped out. All Kira could do was smile as she saw the woman before her. The dress fit her perfectly. It hugged in all the right places and even blended in with her green eyes. It was perfect.
"Too much?" The Green Ranger asked.
"No. You look very beautiful… but, you need shoes… Wait right there." She got up from the chair and wandered over to the small shoe section the store had. She found the perfect pair. They were black backless with a small strand of green ivy across the strip of the toes. "Here. Try these." She said, handing the shoes over.
Melissa tried them on, surprised that they were the right size. She looked at the outfit in the mirror. They were perfect.
"Absolutely perfect." Kira said, smiling.
Okay, I know this is a girly chapter, but keep in mind that I am, in fact, a girl. Please read and review. I could use them.
And if you couldn't tell, I started to get writer's block and when I get writer's block, it gets kinda... well, dull. But, I'm slowly recovering from that. The dull parts are just to bridge what's going to happen later.
Thanks for reading.