Any Excuse for a Parade

Hey people!

Thanks for checking the story out.

As you'll probably realise, this is written from Dustin's perspective. It's like in a diary. I hope I got into his character well, but if I didn't please let me know with any comments to how I could make it better? I would appreciate that immensely. Please bear with me as I find it slightly difficult to get into a guys mind so you know, this is what I came up with.

This story is in conjunction with my other new one 'A Cure For The Itch' which is the other main characters perspective. It wouldn't matter if you didn't read both but it might be a good idea? Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: This is purely FICTION, hence the site. If it was real, it would have happened in the series and if I owned Power Rangers, Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder would still be on. So take the hint, I don't own Power Rangers at all. I also don't own any of the other works mentioned. The Harry Potter books belong to J.K. Rowling.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

I swear to God that teaching is never what I expected it to be. It's like, totally complicated. I never realised you had to do all these exams and then all the stuff where you can't actually injury the student. That really sucks, man. How many times do I have to tell them not to attempt to phase into the ground when your minds not completely clear? Trust me, that hurts bad. It's like worse than driving head first into a tree on a motocross bike while going at top speed. I should know, I've done that as well. I got a lot of stick from Tori for that stupid incident although I did get a good shot on the video recorder. So anyway, if one more student doesn't do what I say I may just scream. Ok, usually I'm all laid back and everything but I'm really getting stressed out with the entire class. What I want to know is why Tori and Shane's classes all behave while mine insist on ignoring me. Shane reckons that it's because they know I'm not strict. I didn't understand and he explained that they know that if they don't listen, it wouldn't matter since I wouldn't punish them. Ok, true I probably wouldn't as I know how it feels to do 100 push ups repeatedly. I might have to start being harsher, even though I'll probably cave after about a day. I'm totally useless sometimes.

I was talking to Cam today though and he told me something in confidence. I promised I wouldn't tell anybody but you're a book so technically, I can tell you as you haven't got a mouth to tell anyone else. Or have you? You could be like that magic book in Harry Potter. It really wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I could tell you and then you could go and tell Shane or Tori or you could take a trip across town to the Thunder Academy and tell Hunter.

Hunter, I wonder how he's doing? I really need to ring him and check how he is. I mean I haven't spoken to him in over 3 weeks because I've been preoccupied, which obviously isn't that hard for me to be, but he's probably all lonely over there. Then again, he does have Kapri to keep him company. Kapri is one of Cam's strange alien nieces, who attempted to destroy as some point. Then again, so did Hunter and Blake. So anyway, everyone wasn't that surprised, apart from Hunter himself, when Kapri decided to enrol in the Thunder Academy instead of the Wind Academy, like her sister Marah. Personally, I think she has this crush on him. Actually, I think he's the only one who can't see it. Blake was the one who told me.

Oh yeah, I wonder how Blake is as well, with his touring for Factory Blue. That's got to be time consuming. That might be why he hasn't written to Tori in over a month. I may have to smack some sense into the guy. Hurt my best friend, hurt me type thing. I know she'd do the same for me that's why.

Ok, where was I? Oh yeah, can you talk book? I really hope you can't, not after what I'm going to write down here. Here goes. Cam thinks he may be able to restore the Zords that we used in the old days. I say old days but it was less than a year ago so they're not exactly that old but anyway. Did you here me? I said, or wrote, or did I write, never mind, I said restore the Zords! I don't know how, and to be honest I don't want to know. It's probably in some sort of foreign language, and I don't mean Japanese. I wouldn't understand but I do know that if he does it'll be really sick. I asked him why he needed to restore them though, see I'm not that dumb, and he said that he thinks we may need them some time in the future. I must have looked confused, as he just gave a sarcastic look and then told me that he's been picking up on a lot of evil energy only about 10 miles away in a place called Reefside. Personally, I've never heard of it, but I was never the best at geography.

Before he could finish, I had to streak out of there to teach my class. That sucked big time.

So after that, I went and hung out in Storm Chargers with Shane and Tori. I still kept my job there because I need to make some money some how and I still love free styling. Kelly's backed me even more on that and she's even installed a few jumps so I can practise with the other free stylers. She is like the most awesome boss ever.

I got home at around 8. The tea had been cooked and the smell was drifting to my nose. My God, I sound like I'm writing a story. What can I say, I love food! I could eat all day if I was allowed but my parents fear for my health so won't let me. I was just taking a mouthful of my lemonade when I was told that I had to hang out with a girl (yeah I hang out with Tori but she doesn't count. She's more of a guy than a girl, just don't tell her I said that) while they visited! That put like the biggest dampen on my day.

I spat my drink out from shock but that was ignored, somehow. I do have to take the table cloth to the dry cleaners tomorrow though. I must have looked weird. I pulled my 'you can't be serious' face so my mom had to explain to me why.

According to the grapevine, we used to live next door to them. See, I don't remember this as I have like the memory of a goldfish. I don't even remember moving. How lame is that? As far as I was aware, I had lived in this house my entire life and now I'm told I haven't. I wonder what other parts of my very existence are a fraud? Maybe I'm being a little too dramatic but never mind. We did 'move' ten years ago, when I was eight so that might explain it. The people coming to stay are my parent's best friends, the Ford's. They all went to med school together. I find that very strange. I don't know how they could all still be friends even though 30 years have passed. I do hope me, Tori and Shane, or is it Tori, Shane and I? Oh, whatever. Well anyway, I hope we are still friends in 30 years. You know what I mean either way. They're staying for an undefined time so that could be anything from a week to the entire summer. How am I going to get away from her to get to the Ninja Academy? I might have to abandon her with Kelly or on the beach. This is going to be complicated.

You know what, I'm probably just annoyed that now I can't spend any time with Marah. I know, I know. You don't have to look at me like that, oh yeah, you're a book, and you don't have eyes, well never mind then. We're not dating or anything now and I understand that she nearly killed me. She stabbed me in the back viciously (big word huh?) but I don't know. There was something about her eyes. They looked so sincere and now she's joined the Wind Ninja Academy, I know I was right about the goodness in her. I am sure I've told you before but if not, as I can't be bothered to flip back through the pages and check, I'll tell you again. We broke up. Quite rapidly in fact. We had been dating for a while in secret (4 months) since she's supposed to be the bad guy and everything and I really did like her. I thought she liked me too but it appears she didn't because, dude, she ratted me out to her uncle as soon as the opportunity arose. That was painful. I've got over it I think now… just. The pain that is. The betrayal will probably take a bit longer. At least I know she is good now but I don't think I can forgive her fully, just yet. The situation just made me totally think about they way I look at the world and how much trust I put into people. Maybe that's my problem? What do you think Dude? Oh, I don't know! I'm confused again. I do know I like her though. She's very attractive, that's for sure and when she's not trying to exterminate (yeah, Shane bought me a dictionary for Christmas last year- and let me tell you, it's useful when you can't sleep) me, she's nice to talk to as well. Sincerely, I really don't know whether I want to date her or not. I think I'll live by my theory of 'what will be, will be' and I'm sure there's a song in there somewhere. Here I go again off of the subject. I really need to stop doing that.

I'm going to go now then, just to stop me filling the entire book with drabble about, most likely nothing of any importance. You never know, I may need the paper when this new chick arrives. She could be the most exasperating (Pg 191 in my dictionary :p) person in the world, and knowing my luck, she will be.

Anyway, write in ya later, dude.

Dustin.

Oh, I just thought, how would we pilot Zords without Ranger powers? Cam must be working too hard.

So? Did I do it well? No? Let me know so I can make it better! It's appreciated, much. Thanks!