Disclaimer: I don't own any of these, except my imagination of the plot.
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Author's Note: I'm real sorry about the late update. School just started again and there is so many things to do. But, I made it up by writing a extra long chapter. ;p and also to make up for not replying to review, I'm sorry, but time is just not enough for me. But no worries, I did read the reviews, thanks for reviewing! Added other couples as suggested but I have to say beforehand, the main coupling here is TK. Don't ask me who Kira will choose, cuz I have no idea either, maybe you can suggest it in the review. Enjoy!
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Kimberly dreaded the moment as the school bell rang shrilly, signifying the end of school. After the students had cleared out, Kimberly took her time in packing her stuff and was thinking about what she should do about her appointment with Tommy. Should she bail out now? She felt utterly perplexed as she pondered on her final decision.
Just then, the sound of Tommy's voice coming out of nowhere startled her.
"Ready to go, beautiful?"
At Kimberly's embarrassed look, Tommy realized what he had just said and started to panic. "I mean Kim, err, sorry, I'm just…used to it."
Kim beamed back. "It's ok, really. I'm alright."
Tommy let out a huge sigh of relief. "So, we ready to go?"
As Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, she asked Tommy, "Where we going?"
"The best café ever in Reefside" Tommy replied with a grin as a puzzled look emerged onto Kim's face.
Haylie's cybercafé
"Haylie's cybercafé?"
"The best café!" Tommy exclaimed.
"And the reason being?" Kimberly asked warily.
"They have the best bands playing here, not to mention their coffee, and also the layout and design. They're comfy, and the boss here is a great person too. Man, is this the perfect place or what?"
Kimberly chuckled.
"What?" Tommy looked bemused.
"If I didn't know you better, I might have thought that you were salesman, a good one in fact."
"That's one career I never thought of." Tommy said as he led Kim to a vacant table.
Kim sat down. "Why?"
"It's too fast paced and chaotic!" Tommy replied as Trent walked over with his order pad.
"I see you've finally brought a date, Dr O." Trent teased.
Tommy panicked, like a child caught in a lie, "It's nothing like that!" he mumbled, quickly glancing over to Kim, to make sure that she wasn't noticing his embarrassed expression.
Kim's smile calmed his nerves, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "The usual for me and an iced tea for the lady."
Trent looked over at Kim who nodded her head before writing it down onto his pad and walking off in the direction of the counter, however, not before Tommy called out, "And I'm not so dateless!" Trent smirked and replied over his back, "Yeah yeah!"
The two kept momentarily silent until Trent brought the drinks around and left them alone. Tommy took a deep breath before asking, "How have you been?"
"Good, you?"
"Couldn't be the same."
"How long have you been living in Reef side?"
"A year."
"Oh."
Once again, silence fell for several moments, until Tommy suddenly broke it. "Kim, we need to talk." His tone sounded dead serious.
"Aren't we doing that right now?" Kim replied and grinned.
Tommy looked stumped, and he felt like a total idiot. Composing himself with a few deep breaths, he added "Err, yeah, what I meant was about us."
Kim sighed. "Tommy, I already said ---"
"Why?" Tommy blurted.
"Huh?"
"I want to know why, Kim."
"The why has already been answered long ago, Tommy."
"Then, where is he?"
"Who?"
"The guy you left me for."
"It didn't work out."
"That's all?"
"What do you think then?"
"Kim, this is absurd,"
"What is?"
"You dumped me for a guy and now you tell me it didn't work out?"
"What do you want me to do about it?" Kim retorted.
They glared at each other before Tommy stood up and spoke in a soft and hurt tone, "I thought you were done hurting me. Guess I was wrong after all,"
With that, he exited the café, leaving Kim there clutching her glass of iced tea in stunned silence. His last words pierced through her heart as tears started rolling down her cheeks.
"That went well," Ethan muttered, sitting at the sofa near the entrance with Kira and Conner.
"Never see Dr O in this way before, he's really hurt isn't he?" Conner asked.
"She really means a lot to him," Kira said, reaching for a popcorn in the bowl, but unwittingly, her hands knocked into Conner's as he was also reaching for a popcorn.
Embarrassed, Kira withdrew her hand immediately, "You can have it,"
"It's ok, you can have it,"
"You reached for it first, you can have it,"
"You're a girl, I should let you have it,"
Rolling his eyes in disdain, Ethan exclaimed out loud, "Oh for God's sake, there's a whole bowl of it!"
Conner glanced at Ethan before apologizing, "Sorry, Kira,"
"It's ok…" Kira replied.
After a few seconds, "So you want some popcorn?" Connor asked.
"Nah, I'm fine, you can have it,"
"Never mind, you can have it,"
Ethan let out, "For God's sake, get a room you two!"
They both looked embarrassed. Kira got up, "You can have it, I need to go anyway, meeting Trent at the mall later on,"
"Trent still here," Ethan pointed out.
"Ya, but I'm going to drop by a friend house first," Kira explained.
After she left, Conner smacked Ethan across his head.
"Ouch! What's that for!" Ethan scowled.
"Get a room! Ring any bell!" Conner bellowed.
Ethan chuckled, "Dude, What's wrong with you two man? You both are acting strangely,"
Conner pretends to look casual, "What you mean?"
"The way you two looked at each other, or act when around each other, something's fishy,"
"No idea what you talking about," Conner denied.
"Oh come on bro! I'm not that dumb, there's definitely something going on between you two,"
At Conner's silence, Ethan continue probing, "You did something to piss her off?"
"No,"
"Then what-"
"I kissed her," Conner blurted out. "Or rather WE kissed, or to be specific, we-"
"Don't wanna know!" Ethan cut in.
Conner rolled his eyes, "You're the one that keep probing!"
"How do I know you kiss her!"
"It wasn't just me! It…it was mutual!"
"What!" Ethan looked flabbergasted. "How?"
Conner sighed, I don't know, I mean I was walking her home after the homework revision, when she suddenly trip and I catch her, and I accidentally, I swear, it was and accident! I kissed her,"
"So it was just an accident," when Conner didn't confirmed, "…or not?"
Conner looked uncomfortable, "Well, I don't know what got into me, but I continued kissing her, and she kissed back! And the next thing I knew, we were making out. Then…"
"Then?" Ethan prompted.
"Then she broke off and say sorry before running off," Conner ends.
Ethan looked stunned, "And I'm sensing it's more than the kiss that's bothering you,"
"After I kissed her, I realize I have feelings for her," Conner confessed.
Ethan slapped his hand on his forehead, "I need painkillers,"
"Me too,"
"What about her?"
"What do you mean?"
"What does she feels?"
"I didn't have the chance to find out do I?"
"Guess you didn't dude." After a pause, "What about Trent? He really loved her!"
"I know! Why do you think I need painkillers for?"
The both of them sat there with their arms crossed, frowning.
"So the painkiller is for when Trent beat you up or for your worries of how to tell Kira?" Ethan asked, earning a glare and a smack from Conner.
Tommy is sitting on the front of his porch. He was suppose to continue to clear up his secret ex-rangers' lab today but after that meeting with Kim, he just couldn't concentrate. Now he has time to sit down and think, he feels that there is something wrong with Kim. She seems cold, deliberately cold. It's like she wants him to be angry with her, or push her away. And thanks to his temper, she succeeded. "Dammit!"
"I hope you're not cursing me,"
Tommy looked up, "No Haylie, I'm cursing dumb Tommy,"
Haylie laughed, "And why is that so,"
"Let my temper got in the way again,"
"Well, I see that you learnt your mistake already, so I will be please to tell you this information,"
"What information?" Tommy asked warily.
"Kimberly is living with one of her friend name Aisha,"
Tommy raised an eyebrow and glanced at Haylie, "How did you know that?"
Taking a seat next to Tommy, "I chat with her after you left,"
"Haylie…"Tommy started warningly.
"No, I didn't tell her anything about you, I merely chat with her,"
"And you managed to get information on where she lived?"
"You could have too, if you control your temper,"
Tommy fell silent.
Haylie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Go talk to her, NICELY,"
Tommy nodded, "Going now, thanks Haylie,"
Haylie smiled, "It's the least I can do since you recommend my café that well,"
Tommy chuckled, "Merely stating the facts,"
He stood outside the door for about five mins now, still trying to compose himself well first. He had called Aisha and talked to her. He got the address and the whole night to talk to Kim as Aisha told him she is gonna catch some movies, and if she have to catch all the movies for them to talk it out all, she will.
Finally mustered up all his courage, he pressed the bell, and wasn't surprise when Kim answered the door. Kimberly is wearing a pink pajamas.
"Pink after all this while?"
"I don't think you came here to talk about my clothing color,"
There it is again, trying to get him mad, off topic. Not falling for that again, he tells himself. "Sorry, let's start over again. Hi, brought you flowers, sorry about earlier, again,"
Kim chuckled and softened, "Me too, thanks. Oh, come on in,"
"You want anything to drink?"
"No, I'm fine,"
Kimberly settled onto the sofa next to the one Tommy is on.
Before Tommy starts to talk, Kim said, "Don't begin with we need to talk,"
"Not intending to. And that's not the reason I'm here,"
"Then why are you here?" Kim asked.
"I need to talk,"
Before Kim could say anything this time, Tommy held up his hand, "Please let me finish."
Tommy took a deep breath, "When I first met you, I fell in love with you. You're like an angel to me. Then we had great times together. When I'm with you, I feel that anything is possible. You are my strength. I never felt this way before, you; you make me feel, special. And when I say I love you, I meant it, both heart and soul. I felt blessed. Then you told me you met the other guy, and you're breaking up with me, over a letter,"
Tommy took another deep breath before continuing, "I felt devastated, and my whole world came crashing down. I always wanted to ask why, but I do not have the strength to hear you tell me why you the other guy over me. I'm not fine, this past 9 to 10 years, there's never a day I never thought of you nor got over you. I know you may think it's nothing to you but you're still the only person I loved till now."
Kimberly was closed to tears, "Tommy, I can't-"
"I'm not asking for your love when I said that, I just want you to know my feelings. So stop hurting me, please," Tommy pleaded.
Kimberly swallowed her tears, "The only way not to hurt you is not to love you,"
Tommy blinked, "What?"
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A/N: Special thanks to Alex, my good editor. And oh yea, PLEASE please review! That's' the only way I know what you think about it or any suggestions. Thanks!