As the night wound down, and the crowd thinned out, the Rangers rearranged themselves in smaller groups. Tommy was not surprised that Shane and Conner had grabbed a small table for themselves and were involved in an intense discussion about fighting styles and leadership qualities. He was able to overhear a little of what was said and was grateful that Shane was not trying to impose "rules" of leadership on Conner. Instead he emphasized listening to others and trusting the rest of the team. Conner seemed to be taking it all in.
Ethan and Dustin had paired off as well. They looked like two poorly trained conspirators; hunched over a small table they exchanged information in excited whispers. They seemed to be engrossed in a deeply detailed retelling of Ranger history - Ethan sharing what he had gleaned from Tommy's tape and internet research; Dustin sharing his comic book information. Surprisingly, both sources were accurate on many counts. The occasional exclamations of, "Dude…no way!" or "Man that's sick!" was the only indication that the two were even still in the room.
That left Tommy with Kira and Tori. Tori had given Kira a rundown of "helpful hints" for dealing with hormonal, teenage boy teammates. Tommy had actually learned a lot from that discussion himself. Then the girls moved on to exchanging fashion tips. Tommy was about to call it a night and leave it to the rangers to find their own ways home when a commotion by the computers caught his attention.
Dustin had left the corner where he'd been skulking with Ethan and was on his way to the bar with their sodas for some refills when he was cornered by Reefside's own Cassidy Cornell. She'd been intrigued all evening by the group who'd joined Conner, Kira and Ethan. They didn't seem to belong with the group any more than the original three. Cassidy wanted some answers, and she decided she needed a fresh angle.
"Cassidy Cornell," she announced as she thrust a mini tape recorder in front of Dustin's face. "Reefside's roaming reporter. Are you here for the surfing exhibition? How do you like Reefside? You seem to be very friendly with a number of the locals. Have you made any new friends in your short visit to our lovely hamlet?"
Dustin seemed stunned by the aggressiveness of this young woman who was so insistently in his space. Then he got a good look at her face. "Whoa. No way." He didn't say it loudly, but Tommy noticed that both Shane and Tori were instantly attentive. Shane was already halfway out of his seat, and Tori had risen as well. It struck Tommy as odd – Cassidy was annoying, but she wasn't a threat.
"No time for that, Cassidy." Haley intervened. "I'm closing up now. There'll be time for more investigative reports tomorrow." Cassidy looked irritated but was not put off.
"Oh that's alright, we can take it outside." Cassidy grabbed Dustin by the arm and steered him toward the door. He threw a look over his shoulder at Tori; Tommy thought he looked like a drowning man caught in a strong current. At that point, everyone pretty much headed for the door. Tommy managed to toss off a "Night Haley!" before getting outside.
Dustin did not strike Tommy as a person who was deliberately rude, and therefore was unable to shake off Cassidy's attention. Tori and Kira however had no such issues. In a spontaneous display of girl-power they squared off against Cassidy. Tori, not so gently, disengaged Cassidy's grip on Dustin's arm, gave her a slight shove and moved forward to take her place. Kira moved to stand supportively on Dustin's left side.
Tori's mask of righteous indignation cracked slightly when she got a good look at Cassidy's face. No wonder Dustin's so freaked out. She looks just like Marah! With a toss of her hair, Tori put her "face" firmly back in place. "Excuse me? Where do you think you're going with our friend?"
Cassidy's eye's narrowed. Hmm…she didn't strike me as his girlfriend earlier. I wonder why she's so possessive? Cassidy tossed her own hair before responding to Tori. "I'm doing a report on "The Tourist's View of Reefside"…I was just trying to get an interview." Her face lit with a brilliant, yet overdone smile. "Perhaps you'd like to be interviewed as well."
Cassidy gestured imperiously to Devin. "Devin! Set up the video camera over there." She pointed vaguely to a spot. "Make sure you can get us all in the shot."
Devin, startled out of his stupor, hastened to obey but seemed confused about exactly where to go. Kira chimed in, "Are you sure this is the best time? Night lighting can be so tricky…" she pointed to some imaginary spots on Cassidy's face. "You're looking blotchy under the streetlight."
Cassidy squealed in alarm, her desire to maintain her appearance won out over her desire to chat with these mysterious strangers. She dove into her bag for a compact mirror. Tommy decided to step in. "It's getting late, Cassidy. Everyone's headed home. I suggest you do too. Maybe you can find some other tourists to talk to tomorrow."
With that Tommy herded the Dino and Wind Ninja Rangers in the direction of his jeep. Cassidy was too distracted by her own reflection to notice them moving off. "Do you guys need a ride anywhere? I'm sure we could manage to squeeze you all in." Tommy offered.
"No thanks." Shane replied. "The hotel's not far at all, we'll just walk over."
"Hey, what time are you guys leaving tomorrow?" inquired Conner as he slid his seat belt on.
"Not until after the exhibition." answered Tori, "We didn't really get to see much of the surfing this afternoon." The Ninjas exchanged looks. The Dino Rangers misinterpreted it to mean they missed the surfing due to the unusual way the teams had met.
"Let us make it up to you," Kira offered. "We can get together in the morning. We'll show you the best spots on the beach. You'll be all set before anyone else gets there."
"That sounds great!" Tori smiled. She wasn't about to turn down that kind of offer.
"Let's meet here for breakfast, since you guys know how to get here and everything. And we'll go from there." Ethan said. It was agreed on by all.
Tommy waited to pull out until Kira and Ethan were settled in the back of the jeep. The Wind Ninjas waved good-night, and started walking back to the hotel. Tommy's team was excitedly chatting and exchanging information about the other Rangers. They couldn't see what he saw in the rearview mirror – Tori and Shane closing ranks on a rather dejected looking Dustin. Shane has an arm around his shoulders, and from the way Tori was walking, she had an arm around his back. Tommy wasn't clear on just what exactly had Dustin so down, but it made his heart glad to see such strength in the team on the sidewalk. If these guys can develop the strength of team anywhere close to what those guys have, we can handle anything Mesogog throws at us.