Disclaimer: all characters belong to Disney, blah blah blah, borrowing, blah blah, don't sue, blah. Bronson is very much my creation, don't steal him.
Sky looked very pissed off when Bridge returned to his room, after a fun afternoon out with Syd, exploring the compound. Bridge's roommate was sitting cross-legged on the smooth blanket stretched over his neatly made bed, and from the looks of things, had spent the entire afternoon glaring at the door as he waited for Bridge to arrive.
Bridge blinked under Sky's glare, but only for a second before going over to his side of the room to finally get around to unpacking his stuff. "You missed the tour," said Sky.
Bridge didn't turn around. "That's okay. Syd and I gave ourselves our own tour." He pulled his uniform out of his bag and shook it out vigorously. It was a little wrinkled, particularly on the arms and legs, but that was only because he didn't know how to fold. Though his back was to Sky, he could feel the other boy's disgust, just aimed right at Bridge.
"Commander Cruger is going to come by later, and talk to the D squad," continued Sky, his voice ridiculously even and condescending.
"Cool. I want to meet the BMOC." Bridge stuck a hanger through the neck of his uniform, smoothed out the shoulders, and hung it on the back of his door, a wrinkled mockery of the pristine uniform it faced. "Do you think we'll get to meet the A squad, too?" he asked. "All the original Rangers?"
Sky didn't answer. Bridge looked up from trying to match his socks, glancing over his shoulder. Sky was no longer fixating on Bridge or on Bridge's series of imperfections, but folding his hands over and over.
"Sky?" prompted Bridge. "Bro?" He wondered if Sky was even listening to him. "Do you know if we'll get to meet the original Rangers?"
"Not as cool as you'd think," the boy said shortly. Bridge frowned, puzzling that statement over, but seeing as how Sky was a man of few words, it seemed unlikely that he'd get an answer that easily.
"Um...okay," said Bridge. He gave up with his socks, grabbing the pile in his arms and dumping it in his top drawer. The door swooshed open, and they both glanced over. Syd was standing there. She waved, grinning. "Hi!"
"Hey, Syd. C'mon in," said Bridge. He waved his arms around grandly. "Let's continue our tour, shall we? This is my room. This is my side, this is Sky's side. You can tell by Sky actually sitting there. Sky, remember Syd?"
"Hi," said Sky, waving slightly. Syd fixed him with a charming smile that had won her several magazine covers, but he seemed unimpressed. With a slight shrug, she turned back to Bridge. "So what brings you here?" he asked.
"I finally found the trophy hall!" she said. "I wanted to show you." She smiled over at Sky. "We were hunting for it earlier, but kept ending up in the cafeteria. That place must have, like, eighty doors." He was uninterested by this explanation. "Do you want to come with us?" she said falteringly.
"No thanks."
"We better get going then," said Bridge, gently pushing Syd towards the door while she tried to catch Sky's eye. When it finally closed behind them, he shook his head. "I've never met anyone more antisocial," he said.
"Maybe that's why they roomed you with him," she suggested. "To get him to loosen up. I can't think of anyone more perfect for the job."
"So they're going to room you with the ugliest person imaginable?" he teased.
"I don't think they'll switch your rooming assignment this early," she retorted without missing a beat. Bridge laughed; he liked this girl. "It's right down this hallway," she said, making a sharp right turn, pushing through a door, and leading him into a hallway sparkling with plaques.
"When you said 'trophy hall', I was sort of expecting trophies," he said.
"For what? If you want shiny sports medals and cups, you have to go outside Academy walls."
"Or your room."
"Oh, don't mention that," she said, and when he glanced over his shoulder at her, she was flipping her hair off her shoulders irritably. "I just...I'm trying to stop being Sydney Drew, you know? Everyone knows who I am, and now I get a chance to actually do something and be behind a mask."
"Would you like me to set fire to your CD?" he offered with a smile.
"Go for it. Then you'll just have to buy another one," she said, winking at him. She turned back to the wall of plaques, and gasped. "Bridge, check this out!"
"What?" He stepped closer, peering over her shoulder, and read the name inscribed in the shining silver. "Commander Bronson Tate, Space Patrol Alpha, Red Ranger. Awarded for outstanding service to the community." He stared wide-eyed at Syd. "Tate? As in, Sky?"
"I think he's Sky's dad," she said.
"No wonder he didn't seem excited about the original Rangers. He grew up with them."
"Poor guy," she said sympathetically. "That would explain why he's so militant."
"And why he wouldn't want to come here," said Bridge.
"Cadet Carson and Cadet Drew, please report to the dormitory," came the annoucement over the intercom in the hallway.
Bridge winced. "Oops. Sky told me that Commander Cruger was going to come speak to us..."
"Then we better get going," she said, tugging at his sleeve. As they dashed down the hall, Bridge promised himself that he would try to be more understanding of his roommate. Well, less obnoxious, at least. For now.