Chapter 5: Ready to Fall

by: Meredith Edwards

Tommy had Kimberly sitting on top of the island in the kitchen, as he wiped the blood from her knuckles and lip. She had busted her knuckles from all the punches, she inflicted upon Katherine's face and body, a few scratches on her legs and arms from Katherine, but nothing to worry about. He had to repeatedly place the icepack to her face, knowing she was going to bruise there anyway. Kimberly knew how foolishit was to fight Katherine. Fighting never solves anything, though Katherine did ask for it with the sucker punch. And Kimberly might have let things get out of hand, especially with the 'short bitch' comment Katherine made. Katherine wasn't a skilled fighter, she barely could count as a fighter, even with some teaching from Tommy. She was unlike Kimberly, who had years of training, and months with a true master. Kimberly could have knocked her teeth out, or even broken some bones, though Katherine seem like she wanted to break some bones.

"Anything hurts?"

"Not really, but you should see the other girl," Kimberly said with a smile as Tommy shook his head. They both laughed. Kimberly looked at her arm. "Stupid bitch bit me."

"Kimberly!"

"Sorry."

"You know how silly you two looked?" Tommy saw the bite marks to her arm. He got some water from the sink and wiped off more blood.

"She attacked me!"

"You could have killed her, Beautiful."

"Could have...should have more like it..."

"Kimberly!"

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have done that, I should have walked away. Katherine should be lucky you and Jase held me back! I might have really did some damage to her if not for you!"

"Look at your hands."

"Just a few knuckles, nothing to cry about."

"Thanks for the punch too," Tommy said, Kim put the icepack from her face down and touched his cheek. She got a hiss from him. Kimberly made a face of sorry for that. She couldn't believe she hit him that hard, Tommy flew back from her punch.

"You got in the way." She giggled as she touched and rubbed his cheek.

"I was trying to help stop the fighting." Kimberly lifted the icepack from the counter to his cheek.

"Better?" Kimberly asked.

"No."

"I'm sorry." She made a pouting face. Tommy smiled and bent over to kiss her. Just as Tommy pressed his lips softly against Kim's lips, the kitchen door opened.

"Well, everyone is gone," Jason said coming into the kitchen. Tommy pulled away quickly. Rocky and Adam were helping get everyone home safely, along with slight cleaning up around the front room. Emily had taken Tanya and Katherine and dropped them off at home, after Tommy kicked Katherine out the party.

"I'll be back," Tommy said handing over the icepack to Jason. "Make sure she keeps that on her face." Jason placed the icepack on Kim's cheek. She hissed a bit, trying to back away on the island, but Jason refused to let her get away.

"Gonna have a shiner tomorrow."

"You should see the other girl."Kimberly laughed. Jason smiled, shaking his head.

"Lil sis, why did you do it?"

"Jason, don't start with me too."

"I thought you two were just friends?"

"We are!"

"Then why fight her? Why were you two kissing when I came in?"

"We are just friends! Okay! She attacked me, gosh! How many times do I have to say that! I was defending myself! Maybe I got a little pissed off."

"A little? Kimberly, you have her blood on you!" Kimberly looked down at her costume for the first time in the light.

"Damnit, and this thing cost me 200 bucks!" She pulled off her misshaped wig. Katherine had pulled at her hair during the fight as well, causing Kimberly to cry out, as a few of the pins ripped at her real hair. "Now, I'm really pissed at that bitch!"

"Kimberly!" Rocky came into the kitchen.

"What a punch, girl! Dang, you really kicked her ass. You were like...hiyah...and hiyah to the stomach...hiyah to the face over and over...you had her rocking back and forth!" Kim laughed as Rocky imitated Kimberly beating up Katherine.

"Stop it!" Adam said. "One of them or both of them could have really gotten hurt! This is not a laughing matter! Our team could suffer because of this."

"Adam's right. This is not funny, you two," Jason said. "You and Katherine looked like foolish girls fighting over a boy!"

"I was attacked!"

"Still, it's not funny. How are we going to be friends, a team, if you two fight like that?"

"I didn't think about that."

"I know you didn't," Jason said.

"Well, the teams comes first. You know that's how I feel. I wouldn't do anything to endanger that."

"Good to hear," Adam said. "So, no more fighting?"

"I promise, never again."

"Our team comes first, guys. We have a world to defend, and not fight over some silly love drama. We are better than that, you are better than that."

"I'm sorry. You're right."

"Guys, thanks for helping, but Kim and I got the rest. You can all go home," Tommy said returning to the kitchen.

"Goodnight, girl," Adam said hugging Kimberly. "Ice and rest."

"Night fellows." Kimberly gave them all hugs and walked them out. "How much cleaning is left?"

"A little."

"Let's go ahead and do it tonight. I'm still wired."

"I got a punching bag in the basement."

"Ha, ha. You are so not funny." She threw a towel at him. Tommy laughed catching it.

"Watch it. You should go shower."

"I'll shower afterwards!"

Next morning

Kimberly woke up asleep on the couch, Tommy on the couch opposite from her. She smiled and rubbed her head. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at the clock above the fireplace.

"Oh, golly shit! Tommy get up!" Tommy groaned as she hit him.

"Wha?" Tommy rolled off of the couch. "Fuc-OW!" Tommy sat up rubbing his head.

"School started 20 minute ago!"

"Oh, shit!" They rushed to get dressed. Tommy and Kimberly rushed around, running into each other, as they rushed to shower, eat a little bit and head to school. Mrs. Applebee was not too happy as they came into her classroom 45 minutes late.

As the bell rung to end first period, Kimberly and Tommy were called to stay behind. The classed oooed at them.

"So sorry, Ms. Applebee about being late, the alarms didn't go off and..."

"I want a report done by tomorrow on what we discussed in class today. And I want one from each other you, different side of the argument, mind you. I do not think Mrs. Oliver would approve to find out how late you two were to class this morning when she was out of town. Do not do it again."

"Yes, Ms. Applebee," Tommy and Kimberly said. They sighed as they left. Tommy walked Kimberly to her locker first before next class. Some girls walked by the couple and snickered. Tommy and Kimberly looked back.

"I wonder what's so funny?" Tommy shrugged and looked at her. "Is my hair that bad?" Kimberly immediately looked into her locker at her messy high ponytail. Tommy smiled. "Not that bad," Kimberly said turning back to him. Tommy looked down at her and zipped up her hoodie to the top. He felt too much cleavage was showing for his taste. Kimberly looked at him. She unzipped it halfway with a smile.

"Ummm, guys!" Rocky came running down the hall. "You two have got to see this."

"See what?" Rocky handed over the flyer.

"Oh man!" Tommy went to crumble it up, when Kimberly stopped him. She gasped.

"Who would do this?"

"I don't know, but whomever did, they posted them all throughout the school!"

"What!" The flyer had a pictures of Kimberly, kissing many boys with SLUT across her forehead and her cell phone number. Half the boys, she hadn't really kissed, someone made it appear she did.

"Katherine."

"She wouldn't do this...not in her to..." Tommy stopped. "Where is Katherine by the way?"

"Tanya and her didn't show up today, probably after what you did to her last night too embarrassed," Rocky said. Tommy crumbled up the flyer.

"Hey, baby, why don't I give you a call tonight!"

"Shut up!" Tommy shoved him away. Another boy made a sexy call. Kimberly made a face. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"EW!"

"BACK OFF!" Tommy yelled, putting his arm around Kimberly to shield her from all the catcalls the boys were giving her. Tommy got into a fight later on that day, which caused him detention.

After detention, Kimberly and Tommy took most of their afternoon working on their papers for Ms. Applebee. Kimberly finished her paper well before him.

"What heck does that mean?"

"Did you not read the chapter!"

"Of course I did! Maybe I skimmed through it."

"Tommy, you should really read it first." The phone rang. Tommy groaned and picked up the phone.

"Yea!"

"Well, hello to you too son."

"Mom, sorry, I didn't know you would be calling... What's up?"

"It's okay, son. So, what is this about the police last night?"

"We didn't get any police here last night. A fight? Oh, just a small one, Mom. Nothing was broken." Kim snorted a little. "Wha? Uh, well, nothing inside the house. I promise, Mom. What? No, no. No, Kim is fine...I swear, she is alright. A fight, I don't...well, here you talk to her." Tommy smiled and handed it over to Kimberly. She gasped and covered the mouth.

"You are so getting it later."

"Promises, promises," Tommy said getting back to his paper, as she talked on the phone.

"Hi, Mrs. Oliver. Yes, I am fine. Yes, I shouldn't have did that, even though she asked for it. I promise, no more fighting on the front yard...okay, well, I didn't mean to...what...oh, how did it happen." Kimberly laid to the couch more comfortable as she chatted with Mrs. Oliver. She felt it was going to be a long conversation. "Okay. Oh yes. I'll talk to ya soon... Okay, I'll tell your son. Babyee." She clicked it off and tossed it at him. Tommy laughed.

"Move over." Kimberly sat up as Tommy moved to the couch. "You have to help me."

"I won't until you read the chapter."

"Please...pretty please."

"Fine!" Kimberly helped him with his paper.

"What?" Tommy asked as Kim smiled, then she got a weird look on her face. "What?"

"Feeling a communicator moment."

"Huh?" Their communicators went off. "Damn, you're good." Tommy hit his watch. "Go ahead, Zordon."

"King Mondo and Zedd sent down monsters."

"We're on it," Tommy said getting up with Kimberly.

After the battle, the couple sat around with a box of pizza between them. Not noticed outside in the short distance, in the dark, sat a person in the tree outside Tommy's bedroom window. Kimberly lifted a slice to give to Tommy.

"Here, eat! Gosh!"

"Woohoo!" Kimberly went to handed it over, but he wasn't paying attention, too much into the baseball game on tv. Kim rammed it into the side and front of his shirt. She laughed as cheese dripped down his shirt. "Ahhh! Kim!"

"I am so sorry!" She laughed harder as he tried to clean up.

"No you're not! This is one of my favorite shirts!"

"Yes, I am! Wait, wait..! TOMMY!" Tommy pinned her to the bed and started tickling her. Kimberly grabbed a slice and shoved it into his face to stop him.

"Kim!" She giggled, until Tommy got an evil look in his eyes.

"No! No! No!" He got a slice of pizza and put it in her face to pay her back. "Ahhhhh!" Tommy smashed another slice into her hair, smashing it deep into her locks. Kimberly screamed, hitting him.

"Awww, mad are you!"

"You got cheese in my hair! I just got my hair done!" She pushed him off her. "Gosh! Why don't you just act your age!"

"You started it first!"

"I didn't shove cheese in your hair! Damnit!" She got up and walked to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her. Tommy sighed and picked up the fallen slices. Tommy knocked on the bathroom door softly given her a moment to herself.

"Kim? Everything ok? Kimberly?"

"Fucking go away!" Tommy sighed and went back to his room. Kimberly found Tommy about to head down the stairs for more napkins.

"Ready to fall?"

"Huh?" Kimberly threw the slice of pizza from her hair and it hit him right in the face. She busted into laughing. Tommy picked up the slice. "You think that's funny!"

"Uh oh!" She ran to her room. Tommy pushed at the door to open it, as Kimberly laughed and shoved from her side. She finally got it closed and locked. Tommy banged on it before an idea popped in his head. Kimberly stuck her head outside her door, when she found it quiet. She checked Tommy's room and found it empty. "Where is he?" She went back into her room and jumped into her door, as Tommy climbed through her window. She took off, Tommy in hot pursuit.

Next morning, Tommy stood at the bottom of the stairs, as Kimberly was still in her room. They were eating breakfast, when Kimberly spilled juice down her shirt, but instead of just changing that shirt, she had to redo everything. Now 20 minutes later, and school about to start, Tommy wasn't happy.

"KIM! COME ON!"

"Ya voy!" She screamed back. "Men, such impatient creatures." Kimberly applied more gloss to her lips.

"I am driving off in 2 MINUTES!" She came downstairs finally as Tommy opened the front door. "You had to changed everything!"

"Except my thong," Kimberly said picking up her jacket and bookbag.

"Prove it." Kimberly pulled the string up. Tommy's eyes went wide. Kim smiled. She pulled the keys off the hook. "Oh, I'm driving."

"What!" Tommy rushed to close the door and chase after Kimberly before she could get into the car.

At school, Kimberly was at her locker when Jasmine came over. She was putting away some books, as Jasmine closed her locker.

"Excuse you?"

"We are leaving."

"Going where?"

"My mountain house."

"Okay. When?"

"Now."

"Right now! I still...we still have 2 classes to go today!"

"Not unless you aren't game?"

"I am game, Jasmine. But..."

"But nothing. Oh, no, no, guess you're not game.

"I said I am."

"Good. Come on."

"How long are we staying?"

"Weekend."

"I have nothing packed!"

"We will stop by your place on the way."

"I have to tell someone!"

"NO!"

"What?"

"We leave now!" Jasmine grabbed her arm.

Tommy saw Kimberly getting pushed into a convertible by John. There were 3 other cars waiting, with many people in each.

"Kimberly! KIM!" He raced over to the cars as they started to leave. "Stop! Wait! Kimberly!"

"Wave to your lover!" Jasmine smiled and pulled off. Kimberly turned in the car and stood up in the backseat of the car. She looked at Tommy. Jasmine waved to Tommy as she passed him. "Bye loverboy!" All the cars honked on their way out the school parking lot. Kimberly shrugged, as Tommy's arms fell beside him in frustration, as he couldn't get to her in time.