Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Only my OCs.
Chapter 5: Tryouts
"Ready?"
"Okay!"
"I wanna hear you say go, go! That's right! I wanna hear you say fight, fight! All right! I wanna hear you say win, win! Tonight! Angel Grove Junior High go, fight, win!"
"Win!"
Zoey winced as she and Jenna stood to the side watch the Junior High girls practicing before the cheer tryouts. "She lacks confidence."
"Yep." Jenna said, nodding in agreement as they saw Kim's cousin, Kelly, get frustrated and walk over to where Kim and Tommy were standing.
"Should we go over there?"
"What's the point?" Jenna shrugged as Kim started showing Kelly the cheer again, "There's nothing we can do about it. She's good. She's just gotta get out of her head. Wanna do some tumbling passes?"
"Could do with the practice before our tryouts later. Let's go."
1-2-3-4-5
"Mitzy is so mad." Zoey giggled, taking a drink of her water, "I cannot believe she thought that dance was going to get her and her girls onto the squad. They have no rhythm, they kept bumping into each other and their fumbling little tumbling passes knocked the smoothies out of Ernie's hands and all over the team's coach."
Jenna laughed, "Man, talk about spastic. What were Vivi and Kiki doing?"
"It looked like a cross between Disco and the Robot." The shared a looked, "It was like watching Barney and his dinosaur friends dancing around."
"Creepy." Zoey looked across the room as Tommy and Kim rushed in to talk to Zack, Trini and Billy at the bar, "What do you think that's about?"
"I'm not sure. Didn't they leave to follow Kelly?"
"Yeah. Maybe something happened. You know, something Rainbow related."
"They'll save her."
1-2-3-4-5
"Congratulations, you two." Kelly smiled as she walked over to the group, "You were awesome out there."
"Thanks, Kelly." Zoey smiled back, happy that they made the team, "Good luck, today."
"Well, well. Looks like the Wonder Tots made it to tryouts after all." Bulk sneer as he came over with Skull, "Too bad you brats won't make the team."
"Yeah. Too bad." Skull parroted.
"We made the team, you goons." Jenna rolled her eyes as Zoey snickered.
"Why don't you guys go pick on somebody with your own I.Q.?" Kelly snarked, shaking her head at the two bullies.
Kim pointed to the exit, "Yeah, I think the zoo might be down the street."
"You think you're so smart, huh?" Bulk taunted, "I'll bet you can't do this." He raised his arms and started mocking the cheerleaders, "Read? Okay! Bulky, Bulky, he's your man. If he can't do it, no one can. He's gorgeous, he hunky, he's f-u-n-n…" he turned and bent over, splitting his pants.
The entire room busted out laughing, "And nobody could put Bulky together again." Kim giggled as Skull took his hat off to cover his friend's backside.
"Wow." Zoey stared as they shuffled out.
"All right, Kelly, you're up next." The coach called out, clearing the floor.
They watched as Kelly did her dance routine, more confident than before, "That's more like it." Jenna nodded to the beat.
"Oh, yeah." Zoey looked over, "I give it a year."
"You think?"
"She wants to be like her big cousin, but it won't last. Tell you the truth, I think she's more comfortable with sports."
"What kind?"
"She likes to hang out at the racetrack. Helps out at the Action Shop a lot."
"Mmm." The clapped as Kelly just earned her spot on the squad, "I think she has an uncle that owns an action shop over in Reefside."
"Nice. Wouldn't surprise me if she ended up going to college there one day just to work there."
1-2-3-4-5
"Mom's kind of freaking." Zoey laughed as she sipped her smoothie.
"What for?"
"Tommy decided that he wanted to try out for the football team."
"What, she's not scared he's gonna get hurt, is she?"
"Petrified."
"Elizabeth Oliver, mom of a multiple black belt martial artist, is terrified he's going to get hurt over some physical contact?
"Weird, I know."
"Hey, girls." They looked over to see Tommy come over and sit with them at the bar, "Whatcha talking about?"
"Mom's inability to handle the idea of you getting tackled, but send her to a karate tournament and she turns into a maniac."
"Yeah, she really gets into it." He chuckled, "And she was really clingy this morning. Almost like she didn't want to let me out of the house."
"Go figure." Zoey squinted over at him, concerned, "What's wrong?"
"I've never played."
"Doesn't mean you can't."
"Optimist."
"Realist."
"Hey, Tommy." They looked over to see Kimberly and Trini walk over.
"What's wrong?" Kim asked, squeezing between him and Zoey.
Trini sat on his other side, "You seem so worried."
"He's moody." Zoey growled, pushing herself away from her brother's girlfriend, "About the tryouts." She grabbed her smoothie and smiled, "Maybe you can knock him out of his blahs. I'm going to the mat."
Jenna chuckled as she watched her friend leave, "I think I'll join her. I leave her alone too long and she'll go after Mitzy there in retaliation." She nodded over at the irritating blonde who was walking to the mats with her two minions in tow, "There's no telling what Pinkie Pie will say to set her off."
Tommy sighed, "No punches."
"No promises."
1-2-3-4-5
"All better?" Jenna leaned back on the mats as the two girls watched Tommy doing push-ups.
"If you mean, do I no longer want to slap the pink off Kim, then yes." Zoey smirked, sipping her water, "A nice verbal beat down on Mitzy and a very good laugh at Bulk in a tutu took care of all of that."
"Plus, a good workout never hurt anyone. Just ask your brother." They stopped laughing once Ernie walked over.
"Ready?" Tommy jumped up, excited to get started, nodding, "Okay. Now, here's a good exercise for agility." They watched as the bar owner demonstrated, "Dodge three steps this way." he shuffled to the left and right, "Back this way, two. Left, three. Back this way, two. Left, three. Right, two." He nodded at Tommy, "Let's try it."
"Like this?" Aggressively, Tommy repeated the steps, but ended it with a karate stance, "Oh, man, I feel like I've got two left feet."
"Give it time, Tommy." The older man encouraged, "Try it again. Ready? Left, three. Right, two. Easy now."
"Okay." Tommy took a breath and tried again, with the same result.
"This is going to take awhile, isn't it?" Jenna side whispered.
"Oh, yeah."
1-2-3-4-5
Later, Ernie had set up tackling dummy up on the floor for more training tips for Tommy, "Concentrate. Keep your eye on the target and go for it." He encouraged, grabbing the back to brace the dummy, "Get a foothold, but don't waver."
"Okay." Tommy bounced on the balls of his feet, "Here it goes." Tommy ran forward and, instead of tackling it, he hit it with a flying kick. With a frustrated sigh, he backed and tried again. This time, he hit it with his shoulder and fell to the ground. "I don't know if I can do this, Ernie."
"It's not karate." Ernie said, "But don't give up. You got it in you." He leaned down to help Tommy up, "Believe me."
"What's the point?" Everyone looked over to see a young woman with long long wavy brown hair walk over. She was wearing a bohemian dress and brown cowboy boots. "The hitting the pad thing?"
"Hey, Drina." Tommy smiled at the girl, which confused Zoey and Jenna, "How was your trip?"
"It was… enlightening." She chuckled, looking over his shoulder, "These are the sisters of you and Jason?"
"Um, yeah." He gestured the girls over, "Drina, this is my sister Zoey and that's Jenna."
"Hello, girls."
"Hi." Zoey turned to her brother, "Um…?"
"Oh, sorry. This is Drina. She's Kim's cousin." He explained, using the excuse the rest of the team had come up with, "She's taking a some time to backpack around the world."
"I can't help it." The girl explained, "I like to learn things. But, I can't always stay away from here. It's home."
"I've known Kim for years and I didn't know she had a older cousin." Jenna squinted, "You must be from her dad's side."
"Um, yeah, sort of." Drina chuckled before turning back to Tommy, "So?" She asked, pointing back at the dummy.
"Oh, Ernie is giving me some training tips for football. I'm trying out for the team this week and I've never played."
"May I watch?"
"Sure. Um…" he pointed to the side, "You can sit next to the girls as they continue to mock and make fun of me."
"Excuse me?" Zoey cried, "Mock, yes. Totally. I am full of sarcasm. But I would never make fun of my big brother. Picking on you is a different matter. I mean, it's my right as your little sister. But it's not the same thing as making fun of you."
Jenna nodded in agreement, "Right. I mean, we may joke around and pick on you guys, again, with lots of well-developed sarcasm…"
"Especially at our age."
"True. But we'd never make fun of you. That's just rude." She smirked, "But I have no problem making fun of other people, as long as it's justified."
"And not mean or hateful." Zoey pointed out, "Unless they start it first, then they better hope I don't throw the first punch."
Everyone laughed as Tommy shoved his sister away from him, "Go. Now."
1-2-3-4-5
"How long has he been on the bike?" Jenna asked looking over from the bar as Ernie timed Tommy with a stopwatch.
"I don't know." Zoey shrugged, "30 minutes?"
"Can I ask," Drina leaned over, looking confused, "what's the point of the non-moving bike?"
The girls shrugged, "Um, you've never seen exercise equipment?"
Drina paused, knowing she had to be careful in her answer, "Well, I have. Just not a lot. I'm more of an outdoorsy, hands-on, type of person. I don't get along very well with modern conveniences. When I travel, I stay in camping grounds, or I sleep in a tent in the woods somewhere. I don't really watch a lot of tv. Ever, actually. No radio, either."
"Wow." Jenna stared, "So, music?"
"Well, I like music. But, live. And, acoustic. I'm more of an off-the-grid, nomadic type of person."
"I like you." Zoey laughed, "Don't get me wrong, I love modern conveniences, but sometimes it's just nice to… unplug, you know."
"Right."
"Hey, girls."
"Hey, Ernie." Zoey looked back as her brother was going through his bag, "Taking a break."
"Yeah, he needs it. Plus, I gotta get some work done."
"Ernie." Tommy rushed over, "Listen, man. I gotta go take care of something. Girls okay, here?"
"Of course. We'll do some more training later."
"Thanks, man." He looked at his sister, "Behave for Ernie. Don't talk Drina's ear off. I'll be back soon."
"Sure." She watched as he rushed off and turned back to Jenna, "Rainbow Effect?"
"Definitely."
"I'm sorry." Drina leaned forward, "What's the Rainbow Effect?"
"Um," Jenna hesitated, "actually, it's a nickname Zoey and I have for something that we keep in a private journal. We'd tell you, but…"
"It's private." She nodded wisely, "Understood." She leaned forward and whispered, "But, if this is about Rainbow colored superheroes, I already know. So, your secret is safe with me."
The girls eyes widened and, in unison, grabbed Drina by the arm and pulled her to an empty table, "What do you know?" Zoey demanded.
"Something I'm not supposed to talk about."
"Okay, how's this. Jenna and I keep a newspaper journal of the Rainbow Effect that those superheroes don't know about."
"They don't know about the journal or they don't know that you know?"
"Either." Jenna whispered, "We figured it out and are keeping it to ourselves, for their protection."
"Smart." Drina thought for moment. There was something about these girls. "Let me see your hands. It's okay."
They hesitated for only a moment and held their hands out. She grabbed and, closing her eyes, saw everything. She opened her eyes look back up at the girls, "How would you two like a new confidante?"
"Really?" Zoey asked, skeptical, "Why?"
"I'll keep your secret and you keep mine."
Jenna got excited, "Wait, you're not one of them."
"No, but they released me." Then she proceeded to tell them the story of who she was, how she got to Earth and how she was freed.
"We were right." Zoey squealed, "I mean, we knew but we didn't know-know. Does that make sense?"
Drina laughed, "Yes. It makes a lot of sense. Listen, I told you this so that you would have somebody to talk to besides each other. Someone you don't have to hide these things from. I'm not always going to be here, but if there is ever a problem, know that you can come to me with your concerns. When you see me."
"Wow, thank you." Jenna grinned, "Can I just say how glad I am that you're not related to Kim?"
"Right." Zoey agreed, drinking her smoothie.
"What's wrong with Kim?"
"Nothing, exactly. She's just… a lot. She's the watered-down, teenage version of this girl we go to school with. I've known her for years and she used to be really shallow." Jenna explained, "She's matured, a lot. It's just, sometimes she doesn't think before she says something, and it kind of rubs us the wrong way."
Zoey interjected, "Yeah, don't get us wrong, we don't hate her or anything. She's just so… Valley."
"Valley?"
"Let me explain."
1-2-3-4-5
A couple of days later, they were back at the Youth Center waiting on the results from the football tryouts.
"Thanks again, girls." Drina said, walking over, "I'm going to count on you two for more explanations later."
"No problem. And, hey," Zoey shrugged, "we're only 10. Almost. And we have a biased opinion of people. I hope that I eventually grow out of it. So, don't take everything we say to heart. You're a good person who went through a lot. Form your own impressions. You look like you're a pretty good judge of character."
"Why, thank you."
"All right, boys and girls." Mr. Caplan called, getting everyone attention, "It's my pleasure to announce the starting offense for this year's football season. Lights!" The room dimmed and spot light were turned on, "The new Angel Grove team, first string will be…"
"Jason."
"All right, Jason!" Jenna stood up, clapping.
"Billy."
"Woo! Go Billy." Zoey leaned over, "Billy and sports? Really?" Jenna just shrugged.
"Zack."
"All right, Zack!"
"Bob."
"Matthew."
"Ryan."
"Michael."
"Thomas… and Paul. Well, that's it ladies and gentlemen. Congratulations to our new team."
"What?" Zoey stood, "No way. Where's Tommy. He worked really hard for this."
Jenna groaned, "That's so not fair." Zoey just sent her a look, "What?"
"You just sounded like Kim."
"Oh, no." The brunette shook her head, frantic, "She's rubbing off on me."
"Wait," Zack rushed forward and picked something up off the ground, "It looks like you dropped something Mr. Caplan." He handed it off to the principal who looked at with a grimace.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He chuckled, "I seem to have made an error here. There are more names." He looked down, eyes wide, "Well, well, well, well. I'm pleasantly surprised." He looked up, "So, let's introduce… Bulk."
"Bulk?" Zoey and Jenna looked at each other in shock, "How?"
Bulk jumped out of the arch, did a twirl, knocked into Mr. Caplan and fell to the crowd… much to the delight of the crowd. "We're still working on the agility part." Skull said, helping his friend up.
"Yes." Mr. Caplan nodded, waiting for them to move, "But last but not least, I would like to introduce to you our new star quarterback… Tommy!"
"Yes!" Zoey screeched, rushing forward to jump in her brother's arms, "I knew you could do it!"
"Well," He hugged her tight, "I had a good cheering section." He set her down and nodded to Jenna, "Thanks for believing in me."
"Who, me?" Zoey just batted her eyes, coyly, and chuckled, "You're my big bro. I'll always believe in you."
"And I you, Miss Cheerleader."
"That's Miss Co-Captain Cheerleader to you."
"Oh, how could I forget. Like you and Jenna do anything without each other anymore."
She sighed, "True. Now, go celebrate with your friends. I'll be right over there thinking of new cheers for my awesomeness."
1-2-3-4-5
"Did you hear what happened with Bulk and Skull at the High School?"
Jenna looked up from watching Zack and Angela on the floor of the Center, "Is it better than watching those two playing music while Zack serenades and begs forgiveness from Angela?"
"Um, that was awesome, but I think the other is funnier."
"Well, do tell."
"You know how their teacher wanted everyone to find something they consider a flaw in their personality or character and work on changing it?"
Jenna nodded, "And everyone pointed out that Tommy needed to work on his absentmindedness."
Zoey grumbled, "He can't help it. You can't change something like that in a freaking week." She shook her head, "Anyways, Bulk and Skull showed up to school in suits, with coattails."
"They did not."
"Oh, yeah. They walked right up to Ms. Appleby, in view of our brothers and their four friends and tried to charm her. Then they handed her a present to show their appreciation of her."
"She didn't open it, did she?"
"Nope. She said she had just had her nails done and asked them to open it."
"Oh, no. What was in there."
"It was rigged. As soon as the lid came off, silly string started shooting out."
The girls shared a laugh, "When will those two learn?"
"I don't know if they ever will."
"Did you see the sign-up sheet for the Motor Marathon?"
"That charity event for the children's hospital? Yeah. How cool is that."
"Way cool. Wish we were old enough."
"Eh, I'm not worried about ATVs right now. We've got our first game next week. We've got to go over the cheers again."
"Rah, rah, rah." They laughed.
"Wanna head to the park to practice?"
"I'd love to. Hey, there's Drina." They looked over to see the girl coming in, "Let's see if she'd want to come with us. We can learn so much from her."
"And we can teach her all about Earth and modern day customs."
"Can our lives get any better?"
