Chapter 8: The Agreement
Skull stood around the back of the Youth Center, a large smoothie cup in hand. The wind gently rustled the leaves of the nearby tree keeping him shaded. He looked around, his hand fiddling with the pack of gum in his pocket while he waited. It wasn't long before he spotted Trini walk casually outside the main set of doors. He smiled and gave a whistle to get her attention. Her long, silky black hair swayed as she turned her head to look in his direction. She smiled back and shook her head before jogging over to him.
With a dopey, coy grin he held out the smoothie for her.
"You got me a smoothie?" she asked.
"It's a mango protein blend. I know it's your favorite." He replied. She gently took hold of the straw with a beaming smile, touched that he had remembered. She took a long slurp of smoothie, while he held the cup for her. He leaned in, his shimmering, blue eyes gazed deep into hers. She couldn't help but chuckle and pulled back from the straw.
"What?" she asked with a giggle. He gently shook his head with a shrug.
"Nothin'." He replied dreamily. Trini smiled, while a blush came to her cheeks. She loved these moments with him and desperately wished they could share these moments publically. But after their conversation last time…
Skull grew up believing: if you don't want someone to hurt you, you hurt them first.
'How can I get him to change his way of thinking?' she wondered.
"Hey, Trini? You okay?" Skull asked concerned. Her face must have shown that she was deep in thought.
"Hm?" she tucked her hair behind her ear, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She smiled reassuring his concern. Skull gave a half smile back. He wanted to take her word, but he knew something must be going on.
"You sure?" he pressed. She nodded, and rested a hand on his arm.
"I'm perfectly fine." She confirmed as she took another drink of the smoothie.
"Is…is it about me?" he asked worriedly.
"No…no..." Trini defended, but the boy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Okay, it is a little…" she confessed. He hung his head and sighed, "No, it's just…I wish we could tell people the truth about us. I don't want to hide how much I really care for you." She said tenderly taking hold of his hand. He in turn ran his thumb over her knuckle.
"I know and, believe me, I do too!" he replied, "But if we tell people, I don't want Bulk and Sharkie to gang up on you OR ME, and I know your pals would give the both of us a hard time-" he reasoned.
"But they're our friends. They'll understand-"
"And if they don't?" Skull asked concerned, "Trini, I don't want you gettin' hurt. Besides, it's not just our friends, it's your parents…" Skull began to list off. Trini was about to interject, but realized he was making a fair point, "there's those college scholarship smart people always watchin' you, and you don't want them to see Angel Grove's bright and gold student, Trini Kwan hangin' out with Eugene Skullovitch." He explained. She frowned. He had some good points.
"Okay, you may have a point…" she admitted.
"Yeah." He mumbled, taking a loud obnoxious slurp of the smoothie. "Stinks…" he mumbled.
"How about, just for now, we can keep this private until we feel ready, or after graduation. By then, it won't even matter." She said with an optimistic smile. He reluctantly nodded. She placed a hand on the side of his face, bringing his attention to her, "Or until you and Bulk can learn to not be so rude and arrogant." She suggested sternly. He pulled back and waved her off.
"Bah! That ain't no fun! Bein' all proper and nice. Nah! NO. WAY." Skull declared, looking off dramatically into the middle distance. "I'm a punk baby! A bad boy! And THAT'S how it's always GONNA BE!" he said, punctuating his declaration with another loud and unbecoming slurp of smoothie. She giggled and shook her head. His melodramatic proclamation was humorous, but she hoped he was only joking and someday willing to change.
"Well, listen, that bein' said…" Skull said as he finished swallowing the mango slush in his mouth and handing the cup to Trini to hold. "I was actually wonderin' if you wanted to go with me to the classical music concert thing at the park this Saturday night?" he asked. "Everyone's goin' to the dance, so no one from school will see us there together…that is…if you weren't plannin' on goin' with anyone to the dance that is…" he trailed off nervously.
"I would love to go with you." She replied, gripping his hand tightly. "I think that's a great idea!" she commented. Skull chuckled eagerly.
"Great!" he exclaimed, "So…the thing starts at 6, want to meet there at 5:30-ish, so can grab a bite…maybe sit and…talk?" he asked teasingly wiggling his eyebrows. Trini chuckled and gave him a playful shove.
"Stop it." She said giggling as he grinned widely, leaning in closer and closer. "Stop it." She said weakly, unable to stop giggling as he pulled her in close and nuzzled the side of her head.
"Come on, you know you wanna play around." He joked, beginning to tickle her exposed sides thanks to her bright yellow crop top. She shrieked and laughed, struggling to hold her smoothie in one hand, and fighting the punk off with the other.
"Skull, quit it!" she said still laughing, struggling desperately to get out of his hold and get him back. "Skull!" she cried playfully. "Eugene!" He immediately froze. Not letting go of her, Skull craned his head back in shock.
"Eugene? OH. OH. Oh, now you're really in for it!" he threatened jokingly. She laughed before letting out a laughing cry as he hoisted her up, continuing to mercilessly tickle her.
"Ahh! Skull!" she laughed, "No!"
"You call me Eugene, this is what you get!" he laughed. She kicked and struggled to get out of his grasp. He was stronger than she realized, but then again, she wasn't really fighting against him.
"I'm sorry!" she shrieked, "Stop, I give up! I give up!" she surrendered. "Please…" she pleaded. Skull picked up the seriousness in her voice and set her back down on her feet.
"Alright…alright." He said giving into her pleas. The two smiled at one another, both catching their breath. Their faces softened and as the two leaned in close, closing their eyes… BEEP BEEP BEE-DEE BEEP BEEP Trini's communicator interrupted. Though Skull continued to lean in anticipating that kiss, Trini quickly snapped her attention to the device on her wrist.
"I'm sorry, Skull, I have to go." She informed, handing her cup back to him, "You can finish it for me. We can talk later, okay?" She offered, scampering off back inside. Skull furrowed his brow and ran in after her.
When he ran inside to the main room however, she was nowhere to be seen. He let out a defeated sigh and pulled out a stick of gum from his pocket. Anytime they started to really connect, she always seemed to disappear. Why? He stuck the gum in his mouth and smacked away, trying to ignore his frustration.
"Hey, Skull!" Bulk called from the juice bar, "Where've ya been? I've been looking all over for you!" he said as Skull made his way over. "I think I've got a plan to show up Zack's goody-good student for the karate competition this weekend." Bulk said, shoving a flyer advertising Sunday's junior karate tournament into Skull's chest. Skull looked over the flyer.
"Bulk! Says here, first prize in a trophy and a hundred bucks!" he declared excitedly.
"No kidding, dummy!" Bulk snapped. "My little protégé, Biff from Angel Grove Elementary will win us the money when he wins!" he explained, proud of his plan.
"You really think Biff that can take on Zack's student?" Skull asked not fully confident in his larger friend's scheme.
"I don't THINK, nitwit! I KNOW!" Bulk argued. Skull shrugged, ready to go along with it. The prospect of $50 was hard to not get excited about, but this scheme seemed so mundane to the plans he was anxious to meet with Trini. His heart fluttered at the thought and began to get lost in his daydreams- WHACK! Bulk smacked him upside the head.
"Focus, Skull! Now, I'm having Biff meet us here for some training. We've got some serious work to do. We can train as hard as we need to, tomorrow, Friday, AND Saturday." Bulk said, ringing his hands calculatingly.
"Saturday?" Skull asked, "Say, Bulk…Hypoallergenically…"
"Hypothetically?" Bulk corrected.
"Yeah, THAT…uh, what time do you think we'll train Biff on Saturday? I uh…I told my, uh, my… mom I'd…help with uh …somethin'." Skull lied. "…Saturday night at 6." He clarified. Bulk narrowed his eyes at him, suspiciously. Skull grinned nervously, smacking his chewing gum furiously.
"No problem, man. We can finish before 6. We can train early afternoon so we can finish before it gets too late." Bulk answered casually, not seeming to pick up on Skull anxious behavior. Skull sighed and relaxed. Just had to get through the rest of the week…