Chapter Three
Aly sat there, resting her head on her arm, as she tapped her pencil on the table. Her mind wandered on her when it should have been focused on her homework but her homework was the least of her worries. Her worries were on Jason and her friends, leaving in a hurry without knowing why they had to leave. One of the things that she doesn't know about them and to honestly tell herself she didn't think she would ever know why either.
She sighed deeply as she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. Sitting back in her chair, she tossed her pencil on her notebook.
"Looks like you could use one of these."
Aly looked up as Ernie placed a smoothie on the table, "Thanks," She said, taking the glass. She was about to reach in her pocket to pay for it, when Ernie stopped her.
"It's on the house," He smiled, "You looked like you could use a boost."
"Yeah," Aly said, as she felt tears build up in her eyes.
Ernie sensed something was wrong, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," She said, as a few tears rolled down the side of her face. She quickly whipped them off with the back of her hand, hoping that Ernie did not see them.
"Okay, if you need anything, I'll be right over there," He said, pointing to behind the counter.
Aly looked up and smiled, "Thank you."
Ernie left and Aly tried focusing herself on her Math assignment that was due the next day. But she knew she wouldn't get much done. She flipped the hard cover book closed and stuffed her books back in her back pack, placed a couple dollars on the table, said bye to Ernie and left the Juice Bar, heading home.
ºººº
The 6 rangers arrived at the power chamber, ready to take on anything that stood in their ways.
"Rangers, Angel Grove needs your help," Zordon said.
"What seems to be the problem?" Tommy, the leader of the Zeo Rangers said.
"Another one of King Mondo's creatures is loose in Angel Grove," Alpha 5 informed them.
The 6 Rangers turned to the globe, and watched one of King Mondo's creatures; walk through the town of Angel Grove, destroying everything in its path.
ºººº
Jason watched. He hoped that Aly was still at the Juice Bar, safe, away from harms way. He wouldn't forgive himself if she got in the way and got hurt. Before he left he could tell that him leaving her, had made her upset and it would take some effort to make it up to her. But for the time, he had a monster to stop.
ºººº
"Dad...I'm home," Aly called out as she let herself into her house, upon hearing no answer she called again, "Dad? Are you here?"
"In the den honey," Her father called out, finally.
Aly dropped her back pack on the floor and walked down the hall to her father's den. "What's going on?" Aly asked coming up to his side.
"Another attack on Angel Grove," He told his daughter, not taking his eyes off the TV, as she turned to the TV.
She grabbed the remote and turned the volume up. It was the park where she and her friends normally sat and studied, or just fooled around. It was their spot, and now some two-bit monster was tramping through it, "Hey, that's our spot," Aly said, getting up, walking to the TV, "It's destroying everything."
"I'm just glad you kids aren't there right now," Mr. Monroe stated as he got up and walked over to his daughter and placed his arm around her.
"Well, thanks to that ugly thing, we won't have a spot to go to now."
"I'm sure the park service will rebuild it sweetie."
"I doubt it," Aly said, getting frustrated, "They didn't the last time some ugly stupid thing came crashing through Angel Grove."
"Why don't you go finish up what homework you have left and I'll start making dinner," Her dad said as he switched off the television, seeing that she was getting upset.
"Okay," She said. She kissed her father and left the den, walking to her room, on the second floor, grabbing her back pack on the way up the stairs.
ºººº
Later that night Aly sat on her bed going through some photos she had collected over the years, hoping to one day make a scrapbook with them. Some were of her father, some of them were of her friends she had taken when they were hanging out at the park and some were of her mother.
She separated the pictures into two piles...family and friends. She gasped softly as one of the pictures caught her eyes. She picked the picture up with trembling fingers. A small smile came to her lips as she looked at it. It was a picture of her mother and her, taken back two years ago when she was still alive. She could remember the day when the picture was taken like it was yesterday. They were at the mall shopping for some shoes for school but instead end up buying more then what they came for. The perfect Mother-daughter day. It was only them, having the time of their lives.
A few tears fell from her eyes as she remembered the best day of her life. But as she stared at the picture, sadness took over her heart. Like a curse upon someone the unforgettable day when news came to her and her father that Mrs. Carla Monroe had been hurt in a car accident. That was when her world came crashing down. Her father and her had gone to Angel Grove Hospital where later that night after seeing her laying in the hospital bed with tubs and monitors hooked up to her. The look of her...bruises and cuts and gashes...would make another person sick to their stomachs. They didn't know just how bad her injuries were until that night when Carla said her good-byes to the man that she loved for 17 years; Max and to their only child, her precious daughter; Alyssa, and took her last breath leaving the world with only happy, loving memories behind.
Aly's thoughts were interrupted by the knock at the door. Aly placed the picture down on her bed and whipped the tears off her face, "Come in."
The door to her bedroom opened and her father poked his head in, "Hi honey, I'm heading off to bed. I have an early day tomorrow. You should do the same."
"Okay daddy," Aly said, "I just need to finish up with what I'm doing and then I'm going to bed."
"All right," Mr. Monroe said, "Goodnight sweetheart."
"Goodnight daddy."
Mr. Monroe closed the door. Aly gathered up her pictures and reached across her bed to her nightstand. She pulled open the second drawer and placed all the photos inside and closed it. She stood up and pulled back her comforter and got into bed, covering herself with the light purple comforter and turned off the lamp. She laid back and closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.
ºººº
"TANYA!" Aly called the next day in school, trying to attract her friend's attention from the other side of the hallway.
Tanya waved through the mass of people filling the halls, as some made their way to their after school activities and home.
"Hey chickie," Aly smiled as the two girls were finally within three feet of one another, "How did you do on Mr. Jenkins math test?"
"Past it with flying colors," Tanya said, "One of his only easy tests."
"Definitely," Aly nodded as another person caught her eye.
"Hi Aly," The girl said, as she walked up to Aly and her strange friend.
"Lexi," Aly cried out at once, excited, "This is my friend Tanya...Tanya, this is Lexi, her mother and she just moved here from New Salem."
Tanya smiled, "Nice to meet you."
"Me too." Lexi gave a small smile.
"We're heading to the Juice Bar, you wanna come?" Aly asked her friend, as they walked outside.
"Oh..." Lexi looked around quickly slightly lost.
"It'll be fun."
"O-o-o-ok." Lexi finally gave her head a nod, "Lemme just call my Mom and let her know."
"You can call her when we get to the Juice Bar," Aly said, as the 3 girls headed for the Juice Bar.
"Sure," Lexi said, pushing her dark blond hair behind her ear.
ºººº
"This is the Juice Bar," Tanya said, as they walked up to the building.
"Cool." Lexi nodded unsure of what to say now, as the three girls walked into the main area and found themselves a table.
"The phone is right over there," Aly said, pointing to the phone booth across the room.
"Thanks." Lexi smiled pulling out two quarters from her bag before heading over to the booth.
Once Lexi was out of ear shot, Tanya leaned over, smiling. "She's perfect. They'd make the perfect couple."
"They would," Aly smiled, "Now all we have to do is get Kat in on it, and introduce Lexi to Tommy."
"Right," Tanya said, looking at Aly questionably, "But how do we do that?"
"Well Kat knows we want to fix up Tommy," Aly explained, "But she wasn't sure with who, and she was too busy sticking her tongue down Rocky's throat to plan with us yesterday, so maybe one of us will corner her somewhere today and let her know that Lexi's our girl."
"Works for me," Tanya said, "I can get Kat away from Rocky long enough to tell her."
"Good," Aly smirked, then looked worried, "And now onto the little problem of getting Lexi and Tommy together...I guess stealing all their clothes and locking them in someone's basement together is out, huh?"
"Yeah," Tanya laughed. "I have an idea sorta. But, maybe this weekend, we all could go out to the movies or something."
"Maybe," Aly crunched up her nose, "But movie theaters are all dark and stuff, I want them to see and talk to each other. Not get shushed and ruin the bottom of their shoes on old spilled soda."
"Um...how about..." But her words were trailed off hearing Rocky's big mouth. The 2 girls turned around, just as the others walked in.
Tanya smiled as she got up, went to grab Kat, and the two of them headed directly to the girls' washroom. Rocky and Adam looked at Aly confused, "Don't ask. It's girl talk."
"Terrific." Rocky rolled his eyes and he slung himself down into the nearest seat, "Just don't get any bright ideas to torture us guys."
Aly laughed, then smiled when she saw Lexi heading back over to the table, "Now you two behave, "Aly warned them glaring at Rocky, "I brought a new friend here today and don't want you scaring her off."
Lexi looked around at the group of friends, "Hi."
"Hey," Adam flashed her a kind smile, "Pull up a chair."
"Thanks," She said, shyly, as she grabbed a chair from the next table.
"That's Adam." Aly began the introductions, "And this idiot is Rocky. Don't worry he doesn't bite, and if he does something naughty just whap his nose with a rolled up newspaper and say, no. He'll learn quickly enough."
"I'm Alexis, but you can call me Lexi," Lexi smiled. "It's nice meeting you guys."
"Nice to meet you too Lex," Rocky smirked as Tanya and Kat came back to the table.
Kat noticed the unfamiliar girl, sitting at the table with the others, "Hi, I'm Kat," She said, sweetly.
"Hi," Lexi said, flashing a quick smile. Kat pulled a chair up next to Lexi.
"Hey Aly, Jason said he was gonna be a little late. He has something to do with Tommy."
"Oh of that I have no doubt," Aly rolled her eyes; "It's what he's doing with Tommy that worries me."
"I don't know," Kat told her, "He just told me to tell you so you wouldn't worry why he didn't come with us."
"Right," Aly nodded.