You and I Both…
Disclaimer : I don't own anything but all PR unrelated are mine.
: Thank you for everyone who has reviewed! I tried to finish this sooner but the past few days have been crazy. Anyway, this is the new chapter, hope you enjoy ; )
Chapter fifteen : Calamity Kimberly
Tommy walked casually into the Angel Grove High School hallway. He had come early today, that's quite an accomplishment.
He walked towards his locker, spotting the others had been waiting for him. Jason was eyeing his watch while Zack was trying to entertain Trini with his dance moves. Then Tommy realized that the gang wasn't completed yet. Billy was missing and so was Kimberly.
It was when he heard something that grab his attention.
" .. yeah, poor Kim. Today's not her day," at the first mention of her name, Tommy's steps automatically got slower. He turned his head slightly. Suze was talking to a tall blonde, who he thought was also Kim's friend. They were standing in front of, what he assumed, Suze's locker. She seemed to be rather annoyed.
" What happened?" the blonde girl asked. If Tommy guessed rightly, her name was Andrea.
" See, she accidentally left her paper at the Youth Center yesterday. Mr. Kent's paper," Suze added with a cringe.
" Yuck. Nobody wants to mess with him. That old frog," Andrea made a face.
Tommy nodded. That's an understatement. The fifty year old man was just nasty to say the least. He was heartless, had no mercy to anyone who dare enough to break his rules, which usually noone. Handed in the assignment on time was definitely one of those rules. And somehow, Tommy recalled something about Kim's story about his irrational sentiment towards her because she beat his daughter in the Gymnastics Competition months ago.
" She could always get it, but Ms. Monique had asked Kim to meet her bright and early this morning. Talking about that competition she was in, I guess," Suze explained and her face lit up. " her song rocks, girl. Kim must have won it," as if she sensed the third party overhearing them, she turned her head and soon her eyes locked with Tommy's. She frowned.
Tommy quickly glanced away and continued walking. He was thinking about the news he just heard. He looked down at his watch. There's still plenty of time. He stared at his friends for a moment. He could do it or not? Or the more likely question was, did he want to?
Hell, it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her. If Kim couldn't get her book, he could.
- 40 minutes later
He couldn't believe it. Tommy leaped out of his jeep and run towards the school entrance.
Everything went on well. He's off to the Youth Center and the amiably Ernie was there to give him Kim's paper. It all finished under 5 minute's time. But still, he got in forty minutes after that.
Tommy sprinted towards his old car and from the corner of his eyes, he spotted two guys corner an old lady. She looked mighty terrified. He glanced at his watch impatiently, the clock's ticking. But he couldn't just leave. Growling, Tommy shoved the car key back into his pocket and dealt with the unfinished business.
The little problem took him about ten minutes, save for almost five minutes of gratitude from the old lady. He succeeded in breaking away without being rude and bam, he had gone for a whole 40 minutes. School started about ten minutes ago.
The hallway was, of course, already empty. Eveybody had gone into their classrooms. When he thought he had sneaked in safely, Tommy heard an awfully familiar voice calling for someone, who he sured, was him.
" Hey, you, Young man!"
Perfect.
Tommy tried not to flinch but as expected, failed. He took in a deep breath before turning around. There he was, standing with all he was worth. The infamous old frog, Jerome Kent.
" Good morning, Mr. Kent," he forced himself to smile. The teacher squinted his eyes and moved closer, watching Tommy like a tiger eyeing its prey.
"Look who's late again," he smirked that sickening smile and stopped right in front of Tommy. Mr. Kent was about two inches shorter than Tommy but his aura seemed to glow all over his short figure and Tommy couldn't help but feeling a little bit cautious. Yup, him. Tommy Oliver.
" I can explain," Tommy was about to begin his tale of The Two Bullies Who Harassed an Old Lady when Mr. Kent cut him off with the gesture of his hand. Impulsively, Tommy closed his mouth shut.
" Tommy, this is not the first time I caught you being late," emphasized at the word I. Well, he's right. It must have something to do with the Oliver luck. " and even as a new student, you must know the simplest rule for not coming late, don't you?"
" I know,"
" And you know, after all these times, I can't just simply let you go and pretend like there's nothing happened, can I?" he lifted his head to look at Tommy in the eyes.
Of course you can, if you want to. Tommy bit his tongue. He nodded.
" In that case," Mr. Kent tapped his notebook in his hand and frowned. " you see this hallway?" he pointed at the now empty hallway then returned his eyes to Tommy. " I don't like to see it so clear.. So, why don't you stand here so it won't look so empty anymore?"
Ah… if Tommy forgot to mention this before…
Jerome Kent had claimed that he had been teaching for almost thirty years. Unfortunately, he wasn't most students all time favorite teacher and definitely NOT Tommy's. What's so important about him was this.
Mr. Kent had this unique punishment for everyone who broke his rules. Which was to send the guilt to stand in front of the class. Yeah, he did that, to a high school student. Call it embarrassing, call it humiliating, and call it unusual. Tommy was likely his number one person to do just that.
And he was about to tell Tommy to do it again.
Come on! What kind of reasons is that? ' I don't like to see this hallway looks so empty…' yeah, right. So empty my ass.
" Mr. Kent, I'm terribly sorry. I have a perfect explanation," Tommy's a high school student, for God's sake! Sending a high school student to stand in front of the class OR in the corridor was NOT an option. He just couldn't do that.
" Even though you're new around here," Tommy tried not to sigh at that. The whole you're-a-new-student thing was bo-ring. " you must know that I never, ever, take my words back," he continued sternly, piercing his eyes to Tommy's.
Okay, just let's get this over with. Standing? Cool. No big deal. No sweat. " I understand,"
" Very good," Mr. Kent smiled that sickening smile as always. " now put your bag on the staircase and you can start your detention," the teacher didn't even let Tommy to put his bag to his locker, which not so coincidentally was located about three feet from where they were standing now. Fine. Mr. Kent didn't know that.
So Tommy did what he had told to do. He smiled bitterly with the sudden turn of events. Nice. Instead of Kimberly who was standing here, he was. He did this for Kimberly. She owed him BIG TIME.
Mr. Kent left Tommy standing like a complete idiot living statue. Thank God there're no tests for today or he would surely miss them all. Mr. Kent didn't tell him for how long Tommy needed to 'decorate' this 'empty hallway'. This was the worst morning. Well, maybe the second. He remembered of his third day when he bumped into the very lovely Miss Kimberly Hart.
He leaned back against someone's locker and closed his eyes. Bored started getting into him. If he once thought that studying in the class was boring, he was deadly wrong.
" Tommy?" the boredom was so strong until he started hearing things. " Tommy," the second call was followed by a light punch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to find Kimberly standing in front of him.
" Kim? What are you doing here?" he asked, blinking to make sure his eyes not playing any tricks on him.
" I just went back from Ms. Monique's office," Kim explained shortly. " what are you doing here?"
Tommy decided to just hell with it and told her, a slight embarrassement laced his voice. " Mr. Kent told me to stand here. I was late,"
Kim raised one eyebrow. " Again? Tommy, Tommy… you really have a serious problem with punctuality. What happened? Your alarm acted up on you?" He gave her a glare. If she only knew. Kim continued talking. " so, until when you have to do this punishment?"
He shrugged, still awed from the fact that she, of all people, was here to find him.
" Talking about Mr. Kent…," her face turned to a grim expression. " you know what? I left my assignment at the Youth Center! How stupid is that?"
" Nothing to surprise me," Tommy replied, receiving a smack on his arm from the angry Kim. He's still considering of telling her that he got her paper with him. As weird as this sounded, he didn't want to look so nice in front of her.
" Well, since you'll be here for an indefinite time, you better give me that lab report. I don't want to get a E just because you're not there to hand it in," Kim saw his bag on the stairs and without saying anything made her way to where his bag lay.
Tommy looked as Kimberly bend over and grab the bag. It took about three seconds to register what she was doing with his bag. " Kim, wait!" it came too late. She had unzipped it and rummaged through it. She had her back to him so he didn't know what her expression gonna be when she found the paper. The sudden stillness told him that she had seen it.
" Mr. Oliver!"
Great! Tommy groaned in frustation when he heard the voice. The timing was just sucks. Tommy swore under his breath and turned around, ready to face once again, Mr. Kent. Meanwhile, Kim had also put Tommy's bag back and stood on her feet.
" Well," Mr. Kent looked displeased. " look what we've got here," then he peered over Tommy's shoulders. His eyes shone with an unmasked delight.
" Morning, Mr. Kent," Kim greeted him with her usual cheery tune that made Tommy look at her. She seemed so… relax? However, the teacher misinteprated the attitude and he strode closer to her. He pointed his finger in front of her face.
" Ah, who is this if not the best gymnast in Angel Grove," if somebody else said it, Tommy might take it as a compliment. But not this one. Kim remained calm, as a matter of fact, she was smiling.
" Thank you, Mr. Kent. You're far too kind," was her answer and Tommy tried to hide his smile. That's his girl, alright.
Mr. Kent smirked. " What are you doing here, if I may know? Aren't you supposed to be in your classroom, instead of being here with this…," his eyes moved to Tommy with disgust. He tried to find one word that fit Tommy's description. " this…,"
" This very wonderful student," Kim filled for him. Tommy nearly lost his control and almost laughed out loud at that statement. Of course, Mr. Kent didn't find it funny.
" You!" he raised his finger until it was an eyelevel with Kim. He seemed to be lost for words but only for a moment. " you, stay here! I definitely will report this to Mrs. Applebee later,"
" Me!" Kim asked, perplexed by her teacher's irrational mind. " what did I do?"
" Silence!" Mr. Kent almost yelled. His face was red from surpressing his anger. Tommy couldn't say that Mr. Kent had done a vey good job at doing it. " stay. Here."
Kim pouted. " Fine,"
Then Mr. Kent left Tommy for the second time, this time with Kim by his side.
" You and your tongue," Tommy started, looking down at the petite brunette with a small smile. " you could get away easily, you know,"
" Please! That teacher is so unbelievable!" she pointed out angrily. " he got to be the most unreasonable person who didn't deserve to be a teacher at the first place! He couldn't even teach," Kim grumbled, scratching her chin.
" Our life are fulled with so many strange things,"
" You becareful or that's gonna be your future," Kim said half jokingly and nudged his arm." A self righteous, selfish bastard,"
Tommy fixed her with a glare. " That's what you said to someone who-," he stopped, not too sure want to finish the sentence. For a moment he forgot that Kim had found her paper, in his bag. The minor accident with Mr. Kent had Swiss cheesed that part of memories.
" Who what?" Kim challenged him.
" Someone who you claimed was a very wonderful student," Tommy said, choosing to focus on the AIDS ad instead of the girl beside him. He could literaly feel the weight of her eyes on him.
" Someone who has taken my paper back that he was late to school?"
" I didn't say that," Tommy quickly said.
" Yeah, but that's true, isn't it? That you're late because of me,"
"Well, it's not completely true. I got sidetracked when I headed back to school," he admitted sheepishly."there some bullies who tried to scare an old lady,"
" Wow, you really, really, late because of me?" her face glowed. Her small hand clutched at his sleeve. Tommy didn't know whether he had to be happy or embarrassed.
" Did you hear me? I said I was late because I have to teach those jerks a lesson,"
" Well, it's all the same. You know, the dominoes effect,"
Tommy suddenly turned to face her, looking more than a trifle annoyed. " You're so stupid. Now my sacrifice was for nothing!"
Kim chuckled. " Sacrifice? Such a big word for someone like you, Oliver,"
" Shut up," suddenly he felt his hand being pulled down and the next thing he knew, a warm lips brushed against his cheek lightly. It only lasted for half a second but the effect was amazing. " Kim?"
She bit her lips, smiling shyly. " That's really sweet. What you did for me,"
Tommy couldn't help his smile that flashed across his face. " Sweet?"
" Well, yeah. I secondhandedly responsible for all these to happen," Kim shrugged. " but of course, it's still your fault because I never asked you to help,"
" You're welcome," he retorted back. After thinking for a while, he tugged at his pony tail and said," Kim, two days from today is my birthday,"
" So you do remember! And yes, I know that and for your information, I've been planning to give you a dozen of alarm clocks for your birthday present," she grinned cheekily, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
" I was thinking. Just like you said, you're responsible for this and you can compensate by doing something for me,"
" As long as it's not hunting down Mr. Kent and beating him up, try me,"
" I know a nice place somewhere in town. How about you and I go check it out?" he said in one breath of air, waiting nervously for her answer. He cocked his eyebrows. " well?"
" Like a date, you mean?"
" Not a date," Tommy corrected her. " more like a down payment,"
Kim frowned, confused yet intrigued by his game. " How about the rest of it?"
He answered with a secretive smile that successfully bothered Kim's curiousity. " One at a time. I'll have something in mind," he could see on her face that she was still dissatisfied, but for now she had to keep it to herself because he wouldn't say more.
" You pay for it?"
" You bet,"
" It's on then,"
Kimberly
She peered at her watch for the umpteenth times. This started to get ridiculous. Where the hell was he?
Since Jason had declared that they would throw a small party at the Youth Center on Friday, Tommy had moved the 'date' to Thursday.
Tommy had sincerely apologized for not able to pick her up but had promised he would take her home before ten. So they decided to meet up in the park.
He did say 5 p.m., didn't he? Or it was 5.30? Well, not like it mattered because her watch told her it was 5.40 already. That guy really had a very bad problem with punctuality. Did he forget about this… down payment?
Kim scooted on the park bench that was far from comfortable. She had been sitting on it for the last fifty minutes and counting. Tommy was so utterly dead!
Anyway, his lack of punctuality was kinda cute. After all, it was one of many factors that made him Tommy. Kim wondered if there'd be one day when she didn't have to wait. Yeah… she hoped this wouldn't be the last time they hang out together. Just the two of them, that is.
What he did for her yesterday was definitely something. Okay, so they both ended up with detention. Not a smooth move, if someone asked. But the little occurrence was enough to crack the smallest smile from her being. That was something and the little peck she gave him was another. She's still confused from where the nerve came from but it's nice, nevertheless. Really nice.
Tommy, where are you?
Kim looked heavenwards, frowning when finding the sky was almost dark. The wind played with her hair and Kim regretted her decision to leave her hair down. She pushed a strand of hair to the back of her ear.
She felt experiencing a déjà vu all over again. The sky was dark, the wind was wild, the park almost empty. Just like it did on that damn island. No need an expert to tell it's going to rain. Soon.
Tommy would be dead, as soon as she got a hold on him. Really dead that he would be sorry for making her waiting.
Kim got up. She wouldn't wait for him any longer. There's just no way she would sit here while the rain could pour anytime soon. It was when the first drop of water hit her nose. It's only the beginning before the sky released all the water in full force. It happened so fast that she didn't have time to react.
Was she the one who's so stupid until not noticing the weather because she's busy thinking of Tommy? Oh, ALWAYS his fault! He brought bad luck! In no time, she's soaking wet from head to toes. Her outfit was all ruined and it's still new. Damnit, Tommy!
Kim walked as fast as she could without falling due to the slippery ground, cursing Tommy every once in a while. She couldn't find a shelter nearby so she made a split decision to head towards the small superstore that she knew was located at the other side of the park. " Damn you, Tommy! You're one hideous jerk!"
When she reached her destination, she nearly cried from relief. Kim's hand was already on the glass door and about to push it open when she saw something.
The places had a small cafetaria inside and please, guess who's in there?
Tommy. Not alone. But with that girl. Marissa. Again. They're sitting face to face, two cups of hot drinks in front of them.
Kimberly couldn't believe her eyes. This just so… horrible. Why, WHY did she have to do that? First that little shopping trip that led to the accident and now this? Kim wanted to cry so badly that it hurt. How could he do this to her?
There she was, all wet and cold while they sat there in the warmth of the place. He stood her up, for Marissa.
Hot tears stung her eyes. She was upset, angry, disappointed and jealous all together. She couldn't accept that Tommy could be so mean.
Kim stepped back and walked to the payphone. After waiting for eight seconds, her bestfriend picking it up.
" Trini?" her voice was trembling. " it's Kim,"
: Thank you for reading and I know, it's not the birthday chapter. Please don't hate me, it will be up soon, promise! I titled this chapter Calamity Kimberly because this somehow reminded me of that very wonderful episode where Kim had a very terrible day. But of course, Tommy was there, ready to 'take his chances'. Yeah, I LOVE that episode! Unlike in Calamity Kim, this chap didn't end with a happy ending. I know I made Tommy looked so heartless, trust me, I hate it too! But please, continue reading and don't forget to leave your reviews, they mean a lot to me. NO FLAME!
- Yuuri : )
