You and I Both…

Disclaimer : Any Power Ranger related aren't mine.

: Thank you for everyone who has reviewed :) nice to know you like my story. Just like I'd promised you all, this one is a Tommy chapter. Enjoy!


Chapter Three : Let's Call It a Day

He did hear someone call out his name. He did pretend like he didn't hear anything. Why's that? Because it's her. The Kimberly Hart. The same Kimberly Hart who had ruined his morning, aside from David's doing for making the jeep stopped on his way to school. He would pay. But that's later, for now…

" Hey, Tommy Oliver!" he would recognize the voice anywhere, anytime. He didn't answer that one time and she repeated. Again he didn't respond. He's waiting for the third 'Tommy Oliver' when someone tapped his shoulder. Acting on impulse, he swirled around to face the petite girl whose glare matched his.

" Where is it?" said the furious Kimberly. " where is my file?"

She's done talking, it's his turn.

" What file?"

Kim bit her lips, breathing to stop her hands from clenching and unclenching. " What do you mean what file? You know the one, my file, the one that you took after you hit and run? Ring a bell?" now her hands planted on her hips.

Tommy closed his eyes for a moment, calming himself from yelling at her face. What a perfect timing. Now she's here. Where was she when he looked for her all this day? Where was she when he's practically turning the school upside down this afternoon?

When he opened his eyes few seconds later, the soft brown orbs were still piercing at his firmly. It was when he saw her hand clutch a file-,his file tightly like he would snatch it from her without warning. Now that he came to think about it, it's not a bad idea.

" Give it to me," Tommy held his hand out but Kim's eyes didn't leave his.

" Yeah? Why don't you give my file first, then we'd talk," she shot back.

Tommy laughed, shaking his head. Who did she think she is? James Bond? He really wasn't in the mood for this. He looked down and said in a tightly controlled voice, " Look, I'll give you yours, but you have to return that to me,"

" I'm not giving it back, not until you return mine," she stated again.

Okay, she's stubborn, he's stubborn. Now who's gonna raise the white flag first? Absolutely not him. Usually, Tommy was a gentleman. His parent had taught him well and his Dad even gave him a long good lecture about how they men, had to respect women. That's a nature of life. But he'd make an exception. This was a special case.

From his chit chat with Jason earlier this morning, he'd collected some facts about Kimberly Hart. Like how she was his friend since they're in the kindergarten, where did she live, how she's a very nice girl and how her dog had passed away two years ago because of a drunk driver. He found them very intriguing… not! Her dog, for God's sake!

Unfortunately, like it had been all morning, she's not in the same class with any of them and even the Oliver, Scott and Taylor team-up couldn't find the perky Kimberly. Like she had pulled a perfect disappearing act.

" Find, if you don't want to give it back, then keep it," after all, it's no use. Mr. Poleman had assigned him for another assessment to make. A ten thousand word essay about the Ruling Dynasti of China. Due two days from today. Ten thousand words! In 48 hours! How the hell he would finish that? And China? He's completely blind about the oriental world. " and for your information," he paused, looking into the eyes that looked at him attentively. " your file? I threw it away,"

Silence. A very uncomfortable silence fell between them. Tommy could faintly hear the laughters from the Juice Bar.

He was expecting her to blow up, yell at him or maybe punch him good. But crying was not one of the options.

Okay, so she wasn't actually breaking down into tears. Her eyes misted up and he could see water welling in them. He thought. Her face was hard to read and slowly but surely, guilt started seeping into his soul. He hated girls for their crying habit, sometimes they're just so sensitive that they would cry over some unimportant things. But in the same time, he couldn't stand watching them did just that. Especially when it was caused by him.

" Hey, don't-,"

" You dumped it?" she sputtered, her voice was trembling. Either because of her anger or maybe because of she's holding back the tears. Tommy hoped it was the former. Kim's eyes grew perceptibly bigger. " how could you!"

" Look, Kimberly," he said her name for the first time. Her sudden gesture prevented him from talking much further.

" So you threw them away?" she opened his file, who had his essay in it, and grabbed it roughly. " see this?" she lifted her hand high enough for him to smell the paper. " say goodbye,"

Before knowing what'd happen next, Kim span around in frustation and walked towards the trash bin about three meters from them. She shot a dead glare at Tommy for the last time and released her grip on the papers.

Tommy's eyes bulging as the papers slowly vanish from his sight. He was too astonished to even comment, left alone to react.

Kim brushed her hands together as if she had done a very heavy task and succeeded. She looked back at Tommy and he couldn't find the tears that he thought was there before. Instead he found satisfaction and determination. Correct him if he's wrong, but the anger and sadness were still lingered somewhere in the brown depths.

" There! I just threw your file away, in case you don't know what I was doing just now," she began to leave but not before saying," next time maybe you can make an essay about The Critigue of Being a Jerk,"

Tommy watched as she cross the street and walk straight to the Juice Bar. It cost him about a full minute to regain his senses. She threw them away! In front of his eyes! He was clueless, whether he had to be angry or upset. As sappy as that sounded, it cost him about 15 hours of his 48 hours to make that damn paper.

Reaching at his bag, he absently unzipped it and peeked at a file inside. Contradicting with his saying, he actually didn't throw it away. But Kim did dump his. He laughed at the irony. Fine. No sweat. That paper was useless after all. Now what would he do with this?

" Hey, Tommy!" he lifted his head, finding Jason walked to his direction.

" Hi Jase,"

" So, where have you been? I thought I'm going to introduce you to the gang," said the martial artist in the black T-shirt. Yeah, Jason was into karate too and Tommy couldn't wait until they could spar together. It's nice to know someone who shared the same interest as him in this new place.

Jason's words came up. The gang? Considering Kimberly had been his friend since they're so little, it's safe to assume that she was in the gang too, right? He couldn't meet her, not after what'd happened.

" Actually, I can't. Something came up and I have to go home," he must be convincing enough that Jason only poked him in the shoulder.

" Too bad, man. Well, maybe tomorrow?" Jason suggested.

Well, let's see. Was one day span long enough? Honest to be said, Tommy wasn't sure if he could face Kim without feeling irritated. First day meeting and she definitely wasn't the person he wanted to hang out with. Seeing her was in the bottom of his short to-do list. " We'll see,"

" Great. You already knew Zack, and you surely have to meet Trini, Billy and Kimberly!"

Bingo… Surely he had to meet her.

".., they're cool, you'll like them!" Jason finished without paying any attention that his new friend had gone quiet.

" I bet," Tommy replied flatly, not too sure about it. " so, Jase, have fun with the guys. I guess I'll see you in school?"

" Yeah, I need to talk to Kim anyway," Tommy's ears pricked at this one. His eyebrows rose involuntarily. Jason noticed and shrugged. " I want to ask her about the music competition she's in,"

Music competition? Tommy thought that was a poem or something like that. Well, he didn't quite paying too much attention at it. " So, what about it?"

" Well, I wanted to know if she has collected it. Today's the latest. Billy said she had given it yesterday but I'm just curious,"

Yesterday? So the one with his wasn't the super important file? But then why did she cr-, almost cry when he told her he had thrown it away? Or maybe Billy was wrong?

This morning, after he realized that he had taken the wrong file, he just put it on his bag, not really sure what to do or more likely didn't want to see the thing that had put him into a new trouble. To his two friends he just explained that there's an accident and he ended up having Kim's file but Tommy didn't mention what file it was, and they too didn't ask. Instead he got a short history lesson about Kimberly Hart's life by Jason Lee Scott, PhD. Duh.

He didn't know anything about any competition at that time, and since he didn't think the paper was somekind of assignment, he just practically forgot about it. He went for the hunting of Kimberly Hart, hoping Mr. Poleman would take it easy on him if he could present it that day and perhaps he could return her file back to Kimberly. If they met, which they didn't.

Tommy realized that if somehow Jason was wrong and the file he got was indeed 'The One'… " Hand it to whom? The committee or something?"

" Of course to Ms. Monique," Jason regarded Tommy with a funny look. He blinked some more. " what's wrong, Tommy? You want to join too? I don't know you're into music," he chuckled.

" No, just asking," when Jason's still eyeing him curiously, Tommy knew it's time to end the conversation. " so, I have to go. See you, man,"

" Bye, Tommy"

Tommy walked to his now full tank jeep. What Jason'd said kept playing in his head. The questions didn't come up for nothing. Even with his grudge at Kim, it just didn't feel right.

Fine, the accident this morning was his fault. He's man enough to admit it. Taking the wrong file was his fault as well. Lying at her was too, his fault. So basically, everything was his own doing. But she for being so annoying was not his fault. He knew that aside from her throwing his essay away, she didn't do anything. But what with this feeling? He didn't know. Yet.


A group of cheerleaders descended the stairs and walked passed him, whispering and giggling at each other. Not thinking so highly about himself, Tommy knew that he's the object of their talk. It's already been that way since his first step into this building. He never considered himself as good-looking, but with the letters that always waiting for him in his locker almost everyday he probably had to rethink. He didn't know most of the senders, but he read them alright. At least he could show some respects by reading the letters. Mostly they would consist many 'I like you's and 'you're so cute's. Come on, didn't they know that guys disliked to be called cute? Well, at least Tommy did.

After walking to the wrong direction twice, he finally reached Ms. Monique's office. What would he do now? Knocking at the door then what? Tommy wasn't sure why he did what he did, but it seemed to be the best thing to do.

" Come in," a woman answered to his knock and he opened the door. Ms. Monique stopped from whatever she's signing at the moment and raised her head.

" Good afternoon," said Tommy rather awkwardly.

" Yes, can I help you, young man?"

Tommy reached for his bag and pulled out the blue file. Kim's file. He put it on the desk in front of Ms. Monique. " This is Kimberly Hart's. She has to go home early because something happened," please don't ask what happened. It just came out.

Ms. Monique took the file, opening it and studied the papers inside. Meanwhile Tommy stood there like an Indian statue. Two seconds later, the redhead teacher took her glasses off and looked up at him with unmask interest. " Thank you. I was afraid that she changed her mind. Thankfully she didn't,"

" Yeah..," lacking for something to say he just nodded. " okay, thanks, Ms. Monique," he smiled and turned around, wanting to get out of here before questions started to flow.

" Wait!"

Great." Yes?"

" Are you a friend of Kimberly? I believe I never saw you before,"

Was he a friend of Kim? They just had a verbal fight not until an hour ago, could he count that as friend's daily banter? He decided to leave out the first question. " My name is Tommy, I'm a new student from Texas,"

" I see," she took her pen and offering him a bright smile. " well then, welcome to Angel Grove,"

" Thanks," he smiled self-consciously.

Tommy closed the door quietly, taking sometimes to sort everything out. Good. What had to be done is done. Then he groaned. Man, that ten thousand words paper! Damn!


: The end of chapter three… Don't forget to leave your review, let me know what you think. No Flame!

- Yuuri