The Power Rangers series and all associated characters, settings, and events are property of Disney Entertainment. They are used here without permission. All stories on this site are not for sale and not intended for profit.

Author’s Note: This is my first Power Ranger Fanfic. I have been a Power Ranger fan for more than 10 years, and my favorite couple is Tommy/Kim, and always will be. I’ve been reading a lot of Fanfiction to help me in this process, but all the same, please review and be kind! I have been making power ranger videos for about a year, but I wanted to try my hand at writing. The story will have familiar details, some of which correspond to the actual seasons I refer to. It’s set after PRDT. Spoilers for everything abound, but keep in mind that this Fanfic is still completely AU, so forgive me if there’s anything amiss. My story, my rules. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. It’s all Disney/Saban. Please don’t sue me. Thanks.

Chapter 1

Email

7:30pm

1922 Valencia Drive, Reefside, California

Tommy Oliver’s Residence

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. The letter, the letter, that damn letter!” Tommy angrily clicked the email browser shut.

“I am so sick of everyone telling me to what to do.” He ripped his glasses off his face and tossed them toward the desk. He had been receiving emails about the infamous ‘Dear John’ letter for years, mostly from Jason, who had kept in touch with not only Tommy, but Kimberly as well. Lately, however, he had come back into contact with Aisha, and now she was hounding him too.

It wasn’t that Tommy didn’t want to resolve this overdue issue, but he just . . . didn’t want to. “Ha.” He laughed to himself. Who was he kidding? Resolving it meant it was behind him. Resolving it meant that he was over it, over her. Still, there were questions he had, he just didn’t know if wanted the answers.

He stood up from the chair sitting in front of his desk and made his way downstairs from the study into his kitchen. As he opened the fridge to begin his quest for edible food, his mind started to wander.

We’ve talked since the letter. Muranthias, and Trini’s funeral . . . why isn’t that enough? People break up. They break up, and that’s what they do. Teenagers break up all the time! I see it happen every day in class. A student who was fine on Friday, will walk into class by Monday, sulking. We were teenagers who dated, then broke up. We saw each other for a few awkward moments as adults. Case closed, right? Sure, Tommy . . . then why can’t you stop thinking about her?

The truth was, he hadn’t ever gotten over Kimberly Hart. Sure, he knew the rules, first love and all that jazz, but this was different somehow. It was as if they were linked beyond the normal ‘first love’. Perhaps it was the time in his life that he had met Kimberly. He was a new student at Angel Grove. He hadn’t met many new people, especially girls. Especially friendly, petite, contagiously beautiful girls . . .

“Slow down, Tiger.” He said to himself as his thoughts drifted to more intimate thoughts about Kimberly.

Tiger. That was the other thing that he thought perhaps had bonded them beyond normal teenage couples. They had been Power Rangers together. She was with him when he joined the team, lost his Green Ranger powers and had to leave. She was there when Zordon and Alpha had managed to create the White Ranger powers and reunite him with his teammates once again.

And while they had been seeing each other during his Green Ranger days, it wasn’t until he resurfaced as the White Ranger, and the new leader, that he and Kimberly truly became official.

That had been his strongest time. He looked his best, felt his best, his powers were stronger than ever and he and Kimberly had been at their happiest. So what happened?

“I am not apologizing again for sending her on that plane.” He thought aloud. Jesus. If Jason could see him now, standing in his kitchen, in his boxers, talking to himself.

“He’d never let me live it down.” He said. Tommy had finally decided to make himself a sandwich. He grabbed all the necessary items, closed the fridge and crossed over to the counter.

Just then, the phone rang.

And rang.

“I’m coming. I’m coming.” Tommy said hurriedly, dashing across the kitchen and into the living room.

“I really should get a cordless phone.” He thought to himself as he reached for the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Whom am I speaking with?” A rather nasal voice on the other line asked.

“Whom am I speaking with?” Tommy replied, annoyed. Although the voice on the other end did sound familiar.

“Does a Thomas Oliver reside here?” The voice said rather calmly.

“This is him. Can I ask who is calling?” Tommy asked as he glanced over his shoulder to look at the clock. It was eight in the evening, he couldn’t imagine it was a business call, however official the caller sounded.

“I don’t know . . . Can you?” The voice dropped five octaves lower at the ‘Can you?’ part and Tommy heard a loud, bellowing laughter echoing from the receiver.

“Jason! You ass! What the hell was that?” Tommy said through his own laughter.

“I could totally see your face, bro!” Jason choked out between chuckles.

“Ha, ha.” Tommy managed to squeak out.

Jason’s laughter eventually subsided, “What’s up?”

“Jase, you called me, bro. What’s going on?”

“You stopped answering my emails, man. I thought something was wrong, thought I’d pester you this way.”

“Well, you are the master pest, that’s for sure. My inbox is flooded from your emails, man. And now I’ve got a bunch of emails from Aisha to sort through too.” Tommy explained as he looked longingly back into the kitchen where his unfinished sandwich still sat on the counter. His stomach conceded and he took a seat on the couch, next to the table where the phone sat.

“Aisha? How is she?” Jason asked, amused that the feisty, former yellow ranger had begun her own damage control.

“ She’s fine. Great, actually. She’s an animal doctor for the ASPCA in Houston. She’s been there for about five months now.”

“Wow. That’s awesome. I remember her telling me she wanted to do that when we saw each other as Trini’s funeral.” Jason commented, quieting down as he recounted the last part of his sentence.

“Yeah. What a bizarre way to reconnect with everyone, huh?” Tommy agreed, somewhat solemn.

“Tell me about, bro. What a bizarre thing to have happened.” Jason was quiet for a moment. Then began to ease back into his original intentions for calling.

“So, what else do you and Aisha talk about? You said you have a bunch of her emails floating around?” Jason began again, prying a little too hard.

“Ah . . . yes, well, you and Aisha clearly bonded somehow, because you both seem to keep hounding me about the same thing.” Tommy answered, knowing exactly what his best friend was implying.

“Can you blame us? We’re yours and Kimberly’s best friends. We just want to make sure you guys are okay.”

“And I appreciate that Jase. I really do. I just think it’s water under the bridge at this point. If it wasn’t mentioned that last two times we’ve seen one another, why bring it up now?” Tommy questioned, proud of himself for displaying much more rationality than he normally did whenever this topic was discussed.

“Cause I don’t think it’s resolved.” Jason said, rather stubbornly. You would never think that the focused and courageous original Red Ranger could ever behave like a 5-year-old, but he did. Boy, did he ever.

“Oh, is that right?” Tommy chuckled. Jason hated not getting his way.

“Listen, man. I don’t know what kind of trust I’m violating by telling you this, but Kimberly and I still talk quite a bit and I’ve gone to visit her a couple of times in the last few months and I can tell she’s . . . ” Jason trailed off, afraid that he might have offered too much.

“She’s what, Jase? She’s still in love with me?” Tommy laughed out, attempting to sound as cavalier as possible.

Jason paused. Knowing that Tommy’s seemingly flippant statement was riddled with more hope than he’d ever let on.

“She’s not happy. I know that much. I’ve tried to talk to her about you but she gets really quiet when I do. But she’s not mad, Tommy.”

“Why would she be mad? Why should she be mad? Why should she be mad? If there’s anyone who should be, it’s me, right? She broke up with me. Not that it even matters anymore. Jase, look, it was a long time ago. And like I said, if we had nothing to say about it when we saw each other last, why would we now?” Tommy poured out.

“Well, you were with Kat after Muranthias and then at Trini’s funeral it wasn’t really appropriate, so those really aren’t the best examples. You guys need a chance to really reunite and just talk. Clear the air.” Jason said hopefully.

“You know, it’s against my better judgement, cause I really don’t think this is even an issue anymore, but why not? She’s still a friend, right? An old friend, that I haven’t seen in awhile. An old friend that I should reconnect with, like I did with Aisha. Two friends, reconnecting.” Tommy rambled on, getting more nervous by the second thinking about seeing Kimberly again.

“Two old friends. You just keep telling yourself that.” Jason said, smiling to himself, knowing how nervous Tommy was becoming already.

Tommy managed a small laugh. Jason knew him too well. He knew that seeing Kimberly would stir up everything Tommy had tried to forget and disregard as simply a ‘failed teenage romance’.

Jason continued, “All right bro, I’ll call you in a couple of days and let you know what the plan is.”

Tommy nodded as he answered his friend.“Right on, Jase. Maybe we can catch up on your love life next time we talk.” And with that, Tommy hung up the phone. He finally made his way back to the kitchen to clean up his unfinished dinner. He wrapped the sandwich in some aluminum foil before retreating back upstairs to his study. He wasn’t as hungry as he had been before his conversation with Jason. He couldn’t explain why, and although it would be a few days before he knew anything, he was already becoming nervous. Seeing Kimberly again was something he had simultaneously looked forward to and dreaded. It didn’t seem necessary and yet, all the questions he had ever since their break up seemed to plague him every day. A difficult thing, considering the turn his life had taken after college.

Tommy graduated from high school and went immediately up north to race for his Uncle’s race car team. It was a fun gig, for a while. But he got tired of it, and surprisingly, he missed school. He missed the camaraderie he had obtained during his high school years. Of course, his duties as a power ranger weren’t quite over yet. He had been sent on one final mission. That’s when he received his Turbo powers alongside Adam, Rocky, Tanya, Justin and Kat.

He and Kat were officially dating by then, and he knew that she would be leaving for a professional dance company back in Australia when their final mission ended. He knew that their inevitable, if not amicable breakup was fast approaching, what with all of them ready to return to their normal lives, and he figured that returning to school would be the greatest distraction. Of course, the last thing he expected, occurred. The space pirate, Divatox, the Turbo ranger’s newest villain, had kidnapped Jason and Kimberly. Sacrificing them to Maligore, her soon to be husband, and casting an evil spell onto them both.

Tommy could still remember their faces. Jason’s was blood thirsty and competitive. A side of Jason that Tommy supposed he possessed somewhere inside of himself, but that he denied, knowing the negative consequences of acting with those intentions. Kimberly’s face, was just mean. She had a devil-may-care glint in her eyes and she targeted Tommy and more specifically, Kat.

Tommy shuddered to think that the same qualities he believed to be buried deep inside Jason, were with Kimberly too.

“Well, perhaps not as deep as I thought.” Tommy scoffed to himself, then immediately smacked his forehead.

“Okay Tommy, that was unfair. After all, she did end up helping you save Jason.” He quickly reminded himself.

Which was true. When Kimberly had been released from the spell, Tommy was barely holding Jason inches above the fiery sacrificial pit of Maligore’s. Kimberly ran to him in seconds, I’m with you, she had said.

After Maligore had been destroyed and Divatox was sent packing, Jason joined the rest of the guys to compete in the Karate tournament that they had been practicing for before the attack. Kimberly was there in the stands when they won. But Tommy hadn’t spoken to her much. He had immediately raced over to Kat for a congratulatory hug. He remembered feeling a twinge of jealousy, even as he rested in Kat’s arms, as he watched Jason and Kimberly embrace each other. He knew it was platonic, and even familial, but he still couldn’t help himself. Kat must have noticed, because she quickly released Tommy from her grasp and planted a kiss on his forehead before asking him to share a walk with her along the beach. Which they did. It was the last time he and Kat would walk along the beach like that, hand in hand. Much like he and Kimberly had, right after she lost her powers.

Kat let him down gently. Tommy laughed at the thought.

“Let me down gently! Wow. It was overdue. She was so sweet about the whole thing.” He said as he continued to recall his break up conversation with Katherine.

Katherine had simply told him that it was for the best, and that she knew it wasn’t meant to be. But she was content with what they had. Even if it would never be what Tommy had with Kim. Tommy thanked Katherine for her compassion, but apologized all the same. He knew what Katherine had confessed was true, but it didn’t make it any easier. He had tried to love Katherine the way that he had loved Kimberly, but she was right, it just wasn’t meant to be.

After Kat, he and the other rangers, minus Justin, passed on their Turbo powers, Tommy went off to college. He kept in touch with everyone, even Katherine for a while. But the only person he remained in contact with, was Jason. That is, until a few months ago, when he started receiving all those emails from Aisha.

College was everything he had hoped it would be, and then some. Tommy met new friends, went to parties, even went on a few dates. It wasn’t until his junior year of college, that his life really started to take shape.

Tommy had been in a biology class with a young woman named, Haley Miller. She was an exchange student from New Zealand with long, wavy, auburn hair. She was intense, intelligent and feisty as all hell. Way out of Tommy’s league. But when they got paired up as lab partners, they realized that they actually had quite a bit in common. Haley seemed to share Tommy’s wry sense of humor, and they both despised their professor. Haley quickly became one of Tommy’s closest friends. She had even managed to get Tommy interested in Paleontology. A science he was never captivated with before, and certainly would have never been had the young lady not been so convincing.

They had been studying over at his apartment one evening, the first time Haley had ever been to Tommy’s place, and she noticed all the dinosaur and ancient, mythological creature paraphernalia he seemed to have around his space.

Little did she know, it was all of his old power ranger memorabilia that he had kept for old times sake. But she took it as a fascination with relics of the ages, and convinced him to look into archaeology and palenotology.

So he did. And the next thing he knew, he was in graduate school, studying under a world renowned scientist named, Anton Mercer. Tommy was a quick learner, and his interest, despite it having been provoked by merely trying to impress Haley, was growing. He became one of Dr. Mercer’s top students. An achievement that eventually led him to being chosen by Anton himself, to accompany him on a very prestigious dig after graduation.

Dr. Mercer was a genius, if not a bit eccentric. His whole life’s work was dedicated to this one archaeological dig. He had been preparing a revolution, so to speak. A new species that combined what was essentially dinosaur DNA with computerized technology. Machines. It was a brilliant idea, at least, that’s what Tommy thought when he had first begun helping Anton develop it. Then something went wrong. Something went horribly wrong. The island was destroyed. There was an unforseen fault in the technician’s equipment, and the lab and it’s subsequent technology blew up. Tommy, miraculously escaped. Dr. Mercer, or so he thought, was not so lucky. Everything they had worked on together for the last three years had been completely decimated.

It wasn’t until he returned home, safely, that he realized what he still had in his possession. Three seemingly innocent jewels. Gems. One red, one blue, and one yellow. He hadn’t given the rocks much thought when Anton had first placed them in his keeping, thinking they were perhaps merely trinkets. Tokens of remembrance on his first official dig. Boy was he wrong! Had it not been for the eerie glow emanating from the gems and the surreal yet familiar pulses of energy they possessed when held, he would have left them alone. But there was definitely something about these rocks. He could only think of one person who could help him. Haley Miller.

Haley Miller was among other things, a rocket scientist. Literally. Biochemistry, Computer Science, and Engineering were among the myriad of degrees that the 30-year-old woman held under her belt. What she was doing running a coffee shop, Tommy never understood, but she seemed content, so he never bothered her about it. Besides, she had been the one, and only person, he had ever confessed his Power Ranger identity to. He had no choice. When the gems were discovered to contain some hidden energy source, Tommy knew exactly what it meant. Granted, at the time it had only been an inkling, but he had served far too many terms as a ranger, and had held far too many of his own different powers to not know what this ‘hidden energy source’ could mean.

Tommy knew it would only be a matter of time before the gems would need a receptacle. A place to harness their energies. A person. He and Haley developed their own command center, a laboratory of sorts where they could study and examine the gems themselves, if there were possibly any others, and any other general findings. The bizarre and potentially dangerous aspect of these rocks, was that they seemed to have a specific receptacle in mind. When Haley had held them, they had no effect. No eerie glow, no pulsing energy. When Tommy had held them, a faint glow occurred and a low, murmuring pulse of energy could be felt. But nothing happened. No change in him had transpired. The powers of these gems weren’t bonding with him. He assumed the effects he was feeling were simply peripheral from having once been a receptacle of power himself. They just had to wait, and see.

Between the interim of having developed the command center and what was to occur, Tommy had begun teaching in the small town of Reefside. That’s where he bought the house he now lived in, the basement of which, housed the command center that he and Haley finally built.

It had been his first day of school that he had finally met the gems’ fateful owners. Three of his own students, in fact. Conner McKnight, Ethan James, and Kira Ford. They would go on to become the red, blue and yellow Dino Thunder Rangers, respectively. Then came the black Dino gem. Which, ironically enough, had bonded with Tommy almost immediately. Wasn’t he too old for this shit? Apparently not. Then there was an evil white ranger. A white Dino gem had been discovered by Mesagog, the Dino Thunders equivalent to Lord Zedd. Eventually, the white ranger was returned to the good guy’s side, revealing himself to be another of Tommy’s students, Trent Fernandez. It was also discovered that Anton Mercer had survived the explosion many years ago, and was Trent’s adoptive father. The biggest surprise of them all was that Anton Mercer, had been Mesagog. Or rather, Mesagog was trapped inside Anton Mercer. The rest of course, is history, and as the Power Ranger always seemed to do, they defeated Mesagog, after successfully separating Dr. Mercer from his diabolical alter-ego, and the gems were rendered powerless. All those years of study, and those gems that had once contained a power Tommy had not seen since his own power coin, were sucked dry, leaving them, fortunately, useless.

Which brought him all the way back to his present moment. Sitting in his study, at 10 o’clock in the evening, stomach growling, but not wanting to eat, having just had a conversation with his best friend Jason, about potentially seeing Kimberly, the love of his life.

“Ex-love.” He grumbled aloud. His mouth slightly dry from having been sitting there recalling the last 10 years of his life without a single utterance.

YOU’VE GOT MAIL! The email browser popped up, revealing a new message that had just been delivered to him.

Tommy chuckled softly, “Aisha Campbell, what the hell do you want now?” He said to his computer screen as he clicked the message screen to open the new email.

“It’s from Jason!” Tommy said, surprised. Hadn’t he just talked to Jason an hour ago? What could he possibly have to tell him that he couldn’t have said then?

Tommy scrolled down to read the memo.

Hey Bro,

Sorry I didn’t call you about this, in a hurry. Talked to Kim. She’s game. Picking her up tonight. Back in Angel Grove. Long story, she’ll explain. We’ll be in Reefside in the afternoon. I’ll call you before we get there. Be prepared. Shave, look nice. I know you will. Night, bro.

Jase.

Tommy’s jaw dropped.“WHAT?!” That was fast. Jason said he’d call me in a couple of days! DAYS! Not hours!

“Shit!” Tommy said to himself. He had to get ready. He had to prepare himself. He had to clean the house. He had to look presentable. He wasn’t ready for this so soon. Tommy begrudgingly shut off his computer and decided to head to bed. He had a lot to think about tonight. And a lot of preparing to do in the morning. Damn it, Jason. Damn it, all!

AN: I don’t know Haley’s last name, so I made one up. Sorry for all the exposition, but I thought it was appropriate for the story. The drama won’t really begin until Kim arrives, anyway. Please R&R! Thanks!

If You Go Away

Chapter 2

Adjusting the Mirror

9:00am Angel Grove, Ca

Kimberly Hart’s Apartment

Jason smiled at her. “Hopeful, aren’t we?” He said, motioning to all of her suitcases and bags.

“You do realize that this is supposed to be an overnight trip, right?” Jason kept smiling. He couldn’t help it. His two best friends were going to get back together. And he was the reason why. He loved himself.

Kimberly Hart sighed. “Jason, I packed all this stuff in case in doesn’t go well. So I won’t be stranded in Reefside in that one outfit, reminding me of the day I screwed up for a second time.” She said as she lifted another bag into the trunk of Jason’s car.

“Hey now!” Jason said, reprimanding her. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, Kimmie. But for a trip where you are ostensibly staying for a brief amount of time, this is an awful lot of shit to bring. Even for you.” His smile remained plastered to his face. He loved calling her out. He was always right, especially when it came to anything Tommy Oliver related. Kim hated that about Jason. Being a big brother figure had its benefits. He was protective and caring, but he was also nosy and antagonizing.

Kimberly managed a tight smile.“Ostensibly? Careful Jase, that’s a Billy word. We wouldn’t people to think you actually have a brain beneath that meat head exterior.” She finally laughed.

“Hey, can I help it if I’ve got brains and brawn?” Jason laughed too, glad that he had finally managed to crack the wall Kimberly had been keeping up for the last few months.

“Thank you for organizing this, Jase, seriously. I don’t think it would have happened if you hadn’t been so damn persistent.” She said weakly as she closed the trunk to the vehicle.

He looked over at Kimberly, her head bowed, looking at the ground. He could hear her stifling her tears.

“Hey, Kim. Don’t cry.” He said as he approached her and wrapped her in his arms. She continued to cry but allowed herself to rest her head against his chest.

“I told you. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Talking is the first step, okay? The outcome may not be what you ultimately want, but at least you’ll both know where you stand. It’s been way too long, Kim.” He continued to console her for a few more minutes before she finally pulled away from him, finally looking up.

She took a deep breath before speaking. “When did you get so wise?” she chirped.

“Eh . . . I’m growing up is all.” Jason responded bashfully. Kimberly gave him a quick peck on the cheek then dashed back to her apartment. She was gone for about five minutes before she returned, locking the door behind her and carrying her purse toward the car.

Jason made his way to the driver’s seat, reaching across the seats to open the passenger door for Kimberly from the inside. She hopped in buoyantly. Rejuvenated and much more cheerful than she had been 10 minutes ago.

“You have everything you need?” Jason asked her as he adjusted his mirrors.

“Gosh, I hope so. I have enough stuff with me to last a month!” She giggled. She pulled the rearview mirror toward her, and unzipped her purse, pulling out a vibrant pink lipstick, which she began to apply.

“A month? Try a year!” Jason said as he pulled the mirror back to its original position.

Kimberly playfully slapped him on the arm.“Hey! I was using that!” She reached for the mirror again, but Jason started to tickle her. She started laughing, causing her opened purse to spill out of her lap and onto the floorboard.

Jason stopped tickling her when the purse fell. He watched Kimberly let out a groan and started to laugh. Some things would never change.

“I just finished adjusting these.” He said, as he repositioned the rearview mirror once again. “You have a mirror on your visor you know.” He told her, reaching for the upholstered flap above her head. He pulled it down to reveal a tiny mirror with a little light bulb resting on top of it.

“See, and you have a light too. In case you need to reapply at night.” He mused. Girls and their make up habits. He never understood it. Sure, they looked good when they had the make up on, but why they felt the need to keep putting more and more on their faces, he’d never know.

Kimberly just groaned again. She was too busy contorting her tiny body in the passenger seat to find all the little toiletries that had escaped from her purse during Jason’s tickling attack.

“You are the master pest.” She grumbled. She had managed to recollect all of her things and tossed them haphazardly back inside her bag. As she sat back in her seat, readjusting her seatbelt, she heard Jason cackle. She turned to look at him, wide eyed.

“What is so funny?” She snapped. Jason’s face was beyond amused. She had used the exact same phrase Tommy had to describe him. And while the comment wasn’t necessarily complimentary, he found the irony far too enjoyable to be offended.

“Tommy said the exact same.” He grinned. Kimberly rolled her eyes at him.

“Well, at least Tommy and I still have the same feelings about you, Jase.” She said. Smacking him on the arm again.

“You ready?” He asked her, suddenly becoming serious.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.” She sighed. This was going to be a long drive, and an even longer trip if things didn’t work out.

“Reefside here we come!” Jason said as stepped on the gas pedal. Kimberly laughed as the wind blew in her face as they started down the road. She was scared, but hopeful. And she had meant what she had said to Jason. If it wasn’t for him, she and Tommy might never have had the courage to see one another. She was very lucky to at least have Jason in her life.

“Tommy and Kimberly, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes . . . ”

THWACK! Kimberly was immediately taken out of her reverie to hear Jason chanting. She smacked in on the arm once again. She smacked him hard.

“Ow!” Jason said, holding onto the steering wheel, rubbing his arm with his free hand. He started laughing, still rubbing the tender spot. Kimberly was tiny, but mighty. Even if she was being playful, she still packed a punch.

Kimberly rolled her eyes at him, “So much for growing up.” She said and resumed looking out the window. What was it she had said about having Jason in her life? She couldn’t recall.

AN: I know, this is a lot shorter than the first one. But I want to set the mood and introduce everyone before the story gets going. Please stick with me! I promise it will all be worth it! More about Kimberly’s life, next!

If You Go Away

Chapter 3

The Long and Winding Road

11:00am

Tommy’s House, Reefside

Tommy had been up for three hours. He had gotten used to waking up at 6am, to get ready for school and then make the drive from his secluded ranch house, all the way into town, where the school was located. But it was the summer. And although Tommy had woken up at 8am, still too early for most people, he took it as a wonderful treat that had managed to sleep in a few extra hours.

Even with his normal time schedule off, he was still motivated to perform his morning workout. Which included, but was not limited to, jogging around the perimeter of his property, a few relaxing katas, and stretching. He had recently started lifting weights again, but he usually reserved those for later in the day, when he returned home from school.

He had finished his workout around 9:30, leaving him plenty of time to shower and start cleaning his house.

He was padding around the space, in a black tank top and jeans, searching for his shoes. Tommy wasn’t a messy person, but he was disorganized. And forgetful. It was a habit he just couldn’t seem to shake. He had been better about his Swiss-cheese memory since he had started teaching, but little things, always escaped him. Like where he had thrown his shoes.

“Gotcha!” He exclaimed, pulling out a boot from underneath the couch. He must have tossed them aside the other night when he fell asleep in the living room. It hadn’t been a particularly exciting night, Tommy was just exhausted, and instead of making the trek up to his room, he had collapsed on his couch, hiding his shoes in the process.

He reached under the leg of the couch a little farther to retrieve the other shoe and slid it onto to his foot. He had spent a little less than an hour cleaning up his house, which was all the time he needed. Now, he was heading out to town, to buy more suitable food for himself and his, ahem . . . guests.

“Can’t let her think I don’t take care of myself.” He thought. It was a bizarre thing to say, but he didn’t want Kimberly or Jason, for that matter, to think he was lazy. He wanted to look his best when he finally saw Kimberly again, and if that meant pretending he always kept a fully stocked fridge full of wholesome food, then that was what he was going to do.

After he finished lacing up his boots, Tommy sprinted back upstairs to his bedroom, to grab an over shirt. Just as he completed buttoning the last button, the phone rang. He walked into his study to answer it.

“Hello?” he said, adjusting the collar of his white button down.

“Hey bro.” Jason said. The trip from Angel Grove to Reefside hadn’t taken them as long as Jason had thought. They had arrived at their hotel about 10 minutes ago.

“Hey Jase. Where are you guys? Are you okay?” Tommy asked, instinctively worried. Another habit he just couldn’t seem to shake.

“Relax, bro. We’re great. We’re in Reefside. Downtown at our hotel. Made it in just a few minutes ago.” Jason said, the reception on his cell phone was causing him to cut his sentences short.

Tommy started to roll his sleeves up.“I wasn’t expecting you until a little later. I was just about to run some errands. Where’s Kimberly?” he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“She’s checking in. Don’t worry about us, go run your errands. We won’t be over to your place for a couple of hours. Kimberly wants to check out the shops and tour the town for a bit.” Jason shouted over the static.

“Oh. Well, why don’t I meet you guys somewhere? I could show you around.” Tommy asked, hopefully. This would be a better scenario. He could see Kimberly but have a reason for not talking to her directly, yet. Size her up, gauge her reaction to him.

“And get out of talking to Kimberly alone? Forget it, man. Besides, after she shops, you know she’s going to come back with more shit to add to her six bags of luggage. Then she’ll want to shower and figure out what to wear before we come see you, and that’s gonna take at least another hour, bro. I’d say we’re looking at an early dinner, maybe 4-ish?” Jason quickly spewed. Between Tommy’s possibly objection and the static on his phone, Jason had to make plans fast.

Tommy laughed, Jason could see through him every time, even over the phone. “Fair enough, bro. We’ll plan for dinner around four. I’ll cook. Any dietary needs I should be considerate of?” Tommy asked as he finished tucking his shirt into his jeans.

“Not for me bro, I’ll eat anything. But now that you mention it, why don’t you make something Italian?” Jason suggested, his mouth slyly curving up at the corners. Tommy knew exactly what he was suggesting. Kimberly loved Italian food. He was trying to help Tommy get on Kimberly’s good side, as if he needed to be the one to make amends.

“All right. Italian it is.” Tommy said, without the slightest indication he knew what Jason was implying. He would beat Jason at his own game. Playing dumb was Tommy’s speciality. Especially when it came to women. And although Tommy had enough sense to recognize his weakness, he wasn’t going to let Jason know that he had accepted his own shortcomings.

“Great. Oh! Here comes Kim. I’ll let you go, the phone’s breaking up. But we’ll see you at four! Later, bro.” Jason said quickly. The reception on his phone had improved, but he didn’t want Kimberly to know he had been talking to Tommy. It’d spoil the fun.

Tommy was suddenly caught off guard. “Okay.Tell Kim I say hi and that I lov--See you later, bro. Bye.” Tommy quickly hung up the phone. What was he going to say? Had it been an involuntary slip? No way, he was just telling Jason to remind Kim of his presence, right? He knew Jason would call him out on his slip up later. Shit.

“Who was that?” Kimberly asked as she crossed back over to the car.

“No one.” Jason lied. “I was checking my voice mail.” Jason turned and smiled, hoping Kim wouldn’t catch on. Jason knew it be a few hours before they saw one another for themselves, but he loved playing up the suspense for his own amusement.

Kimberly caught the smug look coming from Jason, but she let it go.“Oh. Well, we’re all checked in, so we can either drop our bags off now or sight see and just bring everything in one fell swoop later.” She said, placing the hotel card keys she had received in her wallet.

“Everything? You mean besides our luggage? You’re really going to buy things? I mean, new things?” Jason asked her in mock surprise.

Kimberly rested her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I am going to buy some new things. Jase, you know me better than that. I’m in a new town, and this is a particularly stressful time for me. I am going to go shopping. Now, Are you coming or not?” She asked him.

“Yeah, I’ll come along. Why not. Maybe this way I can keep you out of trouble.” He said, laughing at her when she started to pout.

“I don’t need you around, you know. I just happen to enjoy your company. Consider yourself lucky that I even invited you.” She glared back at Jason, who was already getting into the car.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah Princess. Come on, Limo’s waiting’.” Jason said as he started the ignition.

Kimberly giggled. She loved shopping. Call it a vice, call it superficial, call it frivolous, she didn’t care. She loved buying new things. And not necessarily for herself. She loved buying things for other people, too. She loved giving gifts. She was good at it. Her friends and family always loved the little knickknacks and presents she picked out for them. Her constant, effervescent friendliness had always made her the ultimate people person, making her one of the most thoughtful women most people had ever met.

“Where to first M’lady?” Jason asked as they began their tour of downtown Reefside. He laughed and Kimberly giggled again. She wanted to find a speciality shop. An artifact store or something akin to that.

“I wanted to find a housewarming gift for Tommy. You know, to say thank you for letting us into his home. Letting me into home.” Kimberly said, blushing slightly.

Jason smiled. “A peace offering?” He offered, noticing Kimberly’s nervously glancing out the window.

“Yeah . . . ”She said absently. Jason had filled Kim in on what had been happening with Tommy’s life. She knew about the Dino Thunder Rangers and how he had inadvertently become the Black Ranger. And she knew that he was now a science teacher at the High school, with a PhD. in Paleontology.

“Well, last time I came to visit him, there was an antique map shop inside the mall. Maybe it’s still there?” Jason suggested.

“Ooh! That’s perfect! I’ll get him an antique map of Reefside! I bet he’d love that! You don’t think that’s too much do you? Too forward, I mean?” Kimberly questioned, hoping she didn’t sound like a complete basket case, worrying so much.

“No, not at all Kim. I think he’ll be very flattered that you thought about him at all.” Jason said.

“Of course I’ve thought about him. This whole trip is about him, about us.” She said, trailing off. She was starting to question whether or not she should get Tommy a gift. Jason gave her arm a quick squeeze.

“He won’t think I’m trying to buy him off or something, will he?” Kimberly asked.

Jason shot her a look. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard! When had Kimberly become so fragile? Was she really this nervous about talking to Tommy? For the first time, Jason started to doubt his good intentions. He quickly snapped himself out of it.

“Kimmie.” Jason said as pulled into a nearby parking spot. “Tommy wouldn’t think that. Would you relax? Tell you what, why don’t you go shop for a really nice outfit for tonight, and I’ll go pick out the gift for Tommy?”

Kimberly sat silently for a moment. She nodded her head. “Thanks. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” She said, smiling weakly.

“What time are we supposed to meet him?” she asked Jason as she stepped out of the car.

“Four. It’s about Noon right now, so that should hopefully give you enough time to do all your business.” He joked.

Kimberly had to laugh. She was notorious for taking forever to get ready. “Fair enough. I promise I’ll be a quick, little bargain hunter.”

“Okay. The main shops are this way.” Jason said, motioning in front of them. “And the map shop is on the other end of the mall. So why don’t we meet back up at the car in say, an hour? Is that enough time?” he asked her.

“Well, I’m not used to such strict time constraints, especially when I am trying to find a ‘really nice outfit’ but I guess I have no choice.” She stated, mocking Jason’s earlier statement..

Jason laughed. “Okay little sis, the mall is waiting’!” He shooed her off, after enveloping her into a huge bear hug.

Kimberly laughed and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks big brother, I’ll be good. Scouts’ honor!” She saluted him and skipped off. Jason just continued to laugh as he made his way from the car toward the map shop in search of Tommy’s gift.

3:00 p.m. The Waterfront Hotel, Reefside.

Kimberly’s shopping excursion had been beyond successful. She had found the greatest boutique at her end of the mall. The tiny shop had been filled with one of a kind, vintage dresses and loads of accessories to match.

She was a kid in a candy store. She and Jason arrived back at their hotel a little after two. She had been getting ready for the last hour, all that was left were her shoes and the finishing touches to her hair. She had been very proud of herself for getting ready on time. She knew she she’d be in the hot seat soon enough, no sense in being late and appearing rude on top of all the other nasty things she had imagined Tommy thought about her.

And despite the fact that Jason kept popping into her room, attempting to peek at her outfit the entire afternoon, which he failed at, thanks to Kim’s agile dash to the lock on her side of the adjoining door, she hadn’t fretted over which outfit she had wanted to wear. Oh yes, she had bought more than one ‘really nice outfit’, she thought about Jason’s fatherly comment once again. She was still laughing.

She had laid out all the outfits, all three of them, on her bed. But there was no doubt in her mind which one she would wear that evening. She couldn’t wait to see Jason’s face.

“Or Tommy’s, for that matter.” She mused, biting her lip. Her gleeful expression turned sour suddenly, thinking perhaps it was wrong to want Tommy to desire her again.

“He shouldn’t want to any more.” She thought to herself. “I guess I can’t blame him if he doesn’t.” She looked at herself in the full length mirror. She did look good though. She had to admit it. She looked really good.

“But it never hurts to try.” She said to the mirror. Her smile resurfacing. She had decided to leave her hair down. In high school and throughout college, Kimberly had always kept her hair shoulder length, but after her gymnastics career had ended, she figured to hell with the convenience of shorter hair, and decided to grow it out. It came to about the small of her back, a small wave throughout. It was still a caramel brown, but with subtle, blonde highlights. The benefit of spending a lot of her days not only in Florida, but in sunny California as well.

She straightened the hem of dress, and started to work on her shoes. Tugging a few wisps of hair from behind her ears, she continued looking at her reflection. She really wanted this evening to go well. She had a lot of explaining to do, and while her wildest dreams may not be fulfilled tonight, or ever, she knew she owed Tommy some answers. And she hoped they could at least bridge the gap that had been created from the letter she had sent him some 10 years ago.

“Knock, Knock.” A voice came through the adjoining door. Kimberly broke out of her reflective gaze and headed to unlock the door.

“We gotta get a move on, sis. It’s already three. Tommy lives out in the middle of nowhere so let’s . . . ” Jason trailed off. He had been so busy ordering her around that he hadn’t noticed her at first. But now he was stunned silent.

“Wow.” Was all he could manage.

“You like?” Kimberly asked, twirling around. She was wearing a cocktail dress, with a strapless, sweetheart top made of varying shades of pink, layered chiffon. The skirt of the dress hung loosely, following her spinning movements as she modeled the dress for Jason. The hem came right above her knees. Her feet adorned with 3-inch, silver gladiator sandals that were laced up her toned legs. But it was her face that Jason could not take his eyes off of. Her glorious mane of honey tinted hair fell over her tanned arms and glistened as it framed her delicate features. Her make up was subtle. She hadn’t put much on. But her skin glowed, even in the awful florescent lights of their hotel room. She had chosen not wear any jewelry either, letting her beautiful face and billowy dress speak for themselves.

“Forget this Tommy guy, let’s run away together!” Jason said, after her spell had worn off.

Kimberly cooed, placing a kiss on his cheek. “That’s a good sign. You look nice too.”

“Thanks.” Jason said meekly, looking down at his red dress shirt and black slacks.

“Seriously Kim, you look amazing. Tommy’s not going to even remember the letter.” He smiled down at her, guiding her arm through his as they left their hotel room.

“Somehow I doubt that. But I’m hoping to at least distract him for a while.” She said airily. Jason helped her into the car and shut her door. He slipped the slender gift bag off his wrist and placed it behind the driver’s seat before settling in.

“1922 Valencia Drive, right?” Kimberly asked him, pulling down her visor to check the mirror one final time.

“Yep. I’m going to stop at the liquor store first and pick up a couple bottles of wine. I doubt Tommy remembered to buy any.” Jason chuckled.

Kimberly giggled as she flipped the visor back up, “Good idea. Confessions taste better with wine.” She said.

They both laughed, trying to keep the mood light as they began, what they assumed would be, a very memorable evening.

Author’s Note: I know that there hasn’t been much drama yet, but I never like these thing to happen fast. It’s too easy and I feel it’s important to establish the characters first. This story will be long, I have a feeling.

If You Go Away

Chapter 4

Trivial Pursuit

4:00pm

Tommy’s House

Jason and Kimberly arrived on time to the nestled ranch house, overlooking the ocean. Jason grabbed the gift and bottles of wine from behind his seat as Kimberly carefully stepped out of the car. She looked onto the property with awe.

“Wow. His house is beautiful.” She said, noting the view and various plants and flowers that were overgrowing all around the exterior. “It’s so lush for California. Downtown still looks like a typical city.” she continued, letting her surroundings distract her.

“I know. I was amazed too, first time I saw it. I had no idea California could be so....” Jason searched for the word.

“Rural?” Kimberly offered.

“Rustic.” He supplied in return. They both smiled slightly, approaching the front door. Kimberly took the gift bag from Jason’s arm. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and a smile before ringing the doorbell.

There was no answer. Jason rang the doorbell again. He glanced behind him, he hadn’t notice Tommy’s jeep when they arrived, but it had been there. Tommy was home. So why wasn’t he answering his door?

“Don’t tell me Tommy forgot about dinner?” Kimberly asked, somewhat amused. She knew Tommy was forgetful, but this was a little extreme.

“No, he’s here Kim. That’s his jeep.” Jason said, gesturing behind them. Kimberly took a quick glance over her shoulder. She hadn’t noticed the car when they arrived, either. But it obviously meant he was home.

Jason and Kimberly were right, sort of. Tommy hadn’t forgotten about dinner, but he had lost track of time. He had finished making the shrimp fettuccine, salad and garlic bread before he realized he hadn’t pick up any wine. As he was returning home, taking a short cut he used whenever he was running late, he had seen Jason’s car pass him. Tommy knew Kimberly was obviously in the car with Jason, and he wasn’t quite ready to see her yet.

So Tommy waited. He let Jason’s car get about a mile ahead of him before he started for his own house. When Tommy had pulled up to the perimeter, he saw Jason and Kimberly get out of the car. His jaw literally dropped when he saw Kimberly. Her hair was long and shiny, her skin was creamy and golden. And with her high-heeled sandals and flowing dress, she looked like a goddess.

“Damn it.” Tommy thought to himself. He had expected Kim to look good, like he always remembered her looking. But he hadn’t expected her to look that good. Tommy watched silently from his car a few yards away as they approached his front door. It was times like this that he wished for his powers of invisibility again.

He steered the jeep as stealthily as possible up the drive, and pulled up beside Jason’s car. He carefully crept out his seat, foregoing the bottles of wine for the moment. He turned his head to look at his friends, who had now begun ringing the doorbell.

Tommy made a mad dash for the underground layer. As it smoothly slid open, he shut the secret door once again, and raced upstairs.

“I’m going to call him.” Jason said, reaching for his cell phone. He placed the bottles of wine on the ground beside his feet and started dialing Tommy’s number.

Tommy quickly checked himself out in the mirror before answering the phone. He didn’t want to look like he had just ran a marathon. He looked good. Clad in a black dress shirt, with the top button undone, khaki slacks and his black boots, Tommy felt presentable. He went back downstairs to the living room to answer the phone.

Still outside, Kimberly had wandered away from the front door back to the side of the property, where she was daydreaming. The ocean was so peaceful. She needed the serenity before her encounter tonight.

“Hello?” Tommy asked quickly. He still had to answer the door!

“Bro! Where are you? We’ve been standing outside your door for ten minutes!” Jason laughed into the phone.

“Jason! Ha! I was just about to let you in! Sorry man, I got.....err.....distracted. You know, making dinner.” Tommy lied.

Jason just kept laughing. “Well invite us in already!” Jason said as he snapped his cell phone shut.

Tommy quickly hung up the phone. He sprinted over to the front door to open it. Jason greeted him with a hug and the bottles of wine.

“Hey!” They both said in unison, embracing one another. Jason had seen Tommy plenty of times over the years, even recently, but their reunions never got old.

“I thought we could use this tonight!” Jason said, indicating the bottles of wine in Tommy’s hands. The wine!

“Oh Jase! I bought some!” Tommy said suddenly. “Well, we may need all the help we can get.” Jason laughed as Tommy handed the bottles back to Jason.

“They’re in my car, let me go grab them.” Tommy said as he made his way out the door. “Just go ahead and set yours in the kitchen!” He called out to Jason as he approached his jeep. Kimberly hadn’t said a word since Tommy answered the door. She just watched him. He looked good. His hair was short now, in tiny chocolate spikes, topping his chiseled features. His skin was tan, complimenting his dark shirt perfectly. He was still in incredible shape, from what Kimberly could tell. His toned arms, filling out the sleeves of his shirt, his defined chest, peeking out slightly from where his shirt was unbuttoned. And his butt, filling out the seat of his khakis beautifully.

She wanted to remind him that she was there. She just didn’t have the courage. He looked gorgeous, and healthy and happy. Why was she here again? What was the purpose of this evening? She continued to silently watch him as he reached for the wine bottles in his passenger seat.

Tommy could feel her eyes on him. He had noticed her again when he had answered the door and greeted Jason. A little disappointed that she hadn’t been right there to greet him too. Luckily for him, he had forgotten the wine in his car. As he finished grabbing the bottles, he hesitated for a moment. He wanted to remind her that he was there and had noticed her. But he didn’t want to scare her off. They were just getting started. He thought the element of sweet surprise would be the best tactic.

He slowly turned around, holding the wine, locking eyes with Kimberly for the first time in 7 years. She had been staring at him. Good. He thought to himself. He remained silent for a few more seconds before mustering up the courage to say, “Hey beautiful.” He smiled. He hadn’t used his nickname for her in a long time. But he thought it was his subtle way of telling her he still loved her, without actually saying it.

Kimberly was shocked for a moment. Had he just called her that? She smiled back at him. She knew it meant that however difficult this evening’s conversation might be, he still loved her. She still loved him too.

“Hey handsome.” She responded softly. They both remained silent, blushing at each other for a few moments.

Jason watched his two best friends through the window. He smiled to himself. “Maybe tonight won’t be so bad.” He said.

Tommy waved his hand in front of Kimberly, motioning for her to go ahead of him.

“After you.” He said, as she nodded slightly and moved towards the door. Tommy’s eyes got cloudy for a brief moment as he watched her enter his house. He shook of the mist and followed her inside.

AN: Thank you so much to everyone who has already reviewed! It all happened so quickly! Haha! Well, our characters are established, but we still haven’t heard about Kimberly’s life. How will dinner go for them? Let’s find out! Enjoy! Please R&R! I want to know!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, don’t sue.

If You Go Away

Chapter 5

The Truth

Tommy’s house was deceiving. The outside had been so penetrating with the mysterious ivy and random foliage growing around it. But the inside was rather humble. Cozy, but humble. It wasn’t as though Tommy hadn’t done well for himself, he was a homeowner, after all. But on a teacher’s salary and the past few years of his life being threatened by alien domination, Tommy had wanted to keep his only refuge simple.

You were in the living room immediately upon entering the front door. There was a large, black leather couch in the center of the room, with a black coffee table beside it. A modest sized television set, facing the couch was really the only other thing in the room. There were two rounded archways on the north and west walls of the living room, each leading to various parts of the house. From Kimberly’s position she could tell that the north opening led to the kitchen, while the west one led to another room and the upstairs.

“Why don’t I give you a tour?” Tommy asked her, as gently pried the gift bag from her hands. She was still taking in her surroundings. Her hands clutched the tiny bag instinctively, not realizing what Tommy was doing at first. He stopped for a moment before she allowed him to take it from her. He set it on top of the small end table.

“Sorry. Yeah, a tour would be nice.” She blushed. She had been so entranced by Tommy and his home that she almost forgot she had been holding his gift.

“Oh! That’s for you. It’s a gift. A thank you gift.” She stuttered.

“For what?” Tommy asked with a smile. She hadn’t had to do that, he thought.

“Oh you know, letting me into your home, dinner, whatever . . . ” She trailed off. She was a nervous wreck. They were being so unbearably civil toward each other it was making her sick. Why was he still so nice to her? She groaned to herself.

“Well, thanks Kim. I’ll open it later, okay? Let’s take that tour. Jase, you wanna tag along?” Tommy called to his friend who had been in the kitchen, discreetly watching Tommy and Kimberly from a distance.

“I’m not really a tag along kind of guy, bro. Besides, I’ve already seen it. You kids have fun. I’m going to bust open some of that wine!” Jason said wryly. He knew what he was doing. The more time the two of them had alone, the better.

Tommy rolled his eyes, knowing all too well what Jason was thinking. Kimberly, on the other hand, just stood there, blankly. Would they talk about them during her tour? When was the best time? Should they wait? Would they wait? Why was she here again? She was beginning to get a headache.

“Fine. Just don’t touch any of that food, and we’ll be back shortly. Then we can eat.” Tommy suggested, offering his arm to Kimberly.

Kimberly snapped out of her daze and hesitantly took his arm. She gave him a small smile. He began leading her toward the west archway.

As they ascended the stairs, Kimberly could feel herself twitching ever so slightly. Why were they exploring the upstairs first?

“I thought we’d start upstairs and make our way down, that way we’ll end up in the kitchen for dinner.” Tommy whispered to her, as if reading her mind. He smiled down at her, and released her arm. He opened the first door on the upper level, located on the adjacent right of the landing.

“Here we have a bathroom.” Tommy laughed. It wasn’t an exciting first room, but he thought showing Kim a bathroom might break the ice. It worked. Kimberly lightly giggled. “I see that, Tommy.” She chirped. Tommy motioned her to keep following. The next room was his study, just left of the bathroom. As he opened it, Kim gasped slightly. It was practically a shrine.

The room wasn’t huge, but it still managed to fit three 4 foot wide bookshelves that were all along the far wall, floor to ceiling. On them were group photos of every Power Ranger Team in history. Along with the photos were miscellaneous Martial Art Awards and plaques and trophies. His various colored belts displayed in a glass case and even his diplomas. On the small black desk sat a silver laptop, a phone, a lamp and a wooden box.

Kimberly’s eyes drifted back to the photos. She glanced at the one of the original team, then at the two with Tommy in them. The first one as the Green Ranger and the second one as the White Ranger. She noticed something in the photo she hadn’t thought of before.

In the first photo, the green ranger merely stood beside the pink one, both in fighting stances. Granted they were beside each other, but not really connected. In the second photo however, the white ranger stood right behind the pink one, one arm over her shoulder, as if protecting her.

“Reflecting?” She snapped her head up, hearing Tommy’s comment. “Yeah.” She responded, somewhat quietly.

He smiled, trading her the old photo for a new one. She looked at it with a puzzled expression before realization hit her. “Oh my . . . gosh! These are the Dino Thunder Rangers! Jason told me all about them!” She said with glee. Although she herself had been a power ranger, there was something really neat about seeing the team she had only previously heard about.

“Yeah, they were a really cool group of kids. Different, but cool. They reminded me of our team a lot.” Tommy mused, thinking about all how Conner reminded him of Jason, and Ethan was a combination of Billy and Zack, and how Kira reminded him so much of Kim, but had a lot of Trini in her as well. And Trent, Trent reminded him of himself. It was definitely a cool group of kids.

“Wow. They all look so young. Did we look that young when we were rangers?” Kimberly asked.

“I think we may have looked younger, actually.” Tommy said with a slight chuckle. Kimberly handed the photo back to Tommy, who replaced it on the shelf.

“Look’s like you’re the Ranger Central, go to guy, huh?” She asked him. “Not anymore.” He responded, crossing over to his desk to grab the wooden box she had noticed earlier. He carefully unlatched the clasp and lifted the lid. In it sat four multicolored rocks about the size of her fist.

“Now that the gems are useless, I have no power. Which I am eternally grateful for. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time as a ranger but I’m glad the power has finally chosen to skip me for once.” He laughed slightly. Kimberly couldn’t help but giggle too. But her mood turn solemn quickly. She lowered her head and started to cry softly.

“Sometimes I wish I hadn’t given it up. Who knows where’d I’d be today if I hadn’t, but sometimes I wonder.” Kimberly shook off her tears. How embarrassing. And boy did she leave that door wide open for Tommy to start asking his tirade of questions!

“How was it, when you left? How was Florida? Did you enjoy your time at the Pan Globals? The team missed you. We watched you compete. You were great. What made you send the letter? Why didn’t we talk after Muranthias? I’m sorry I didn’t keep in better contact, I didn’t know if you’d want to, and I was busy with school, what have you been doing with your life? Do you still do gymnastics? Where do you live now? How long have you lived there? Jason mentioned something about Angel Grove, but I don’t really remember and–”

Tommy rambled. He couldn’t help it. Kimberly’s statement just sent him flying. He had been wanting to ask all these question anyway, he had just imagined doing so with a little more grace and tact and certainly at a slower rate.

“Tommy, Tommy. Tommy!” Kimberly practically shouted. He stopped. She shook her head and bit her bottom lip.

Tommy cleared his throat. “Sorry. I guess I got ahead of myself. Why don’t we finish the tour?” Tommy said sheepishly as he made his way out of the study and into the hall.

He hurriedly gestured toward the last door at the end of the hall. “Umm . . . that’s the bedroom and that’s it for upstairs, why don’t we head back down and I’ll show you the command center in the basement.” He said as he practically pulled Kim down with him. Her headache was coming back.

Tommy and Kimberly didn’t say much to each other during their time in the old command center. He would occasionally point out what something was or why certain equipment was used and gave a brief history of his process, but other than that, it was a quick tour.

They made there way back up the stairs and joined Jason in the kitchen, who was finishing up his second glass of wine.

“How was the tour?” he asked innocently. Having heard the momentary screech of Kimberly’s voice when Tommy had bombarded her with questions. He couldn’t wait until dinner.

“Interesting.” Kimberly said under her breath. Tommy shot Jason a look and started moving the food to the table.

Jason refilled his wine glass and poured two more for the others. Kimberly took her seat while Tommy started dishing out the salads and pasta. Jason set the wine on the counter and grabbed the garlic bread. Setting it down on his side of the table, he took his seat. Tommy joined them. The trio was silent for a few minutes as they all began to eat cautiously. A few polite smiles and appreciative nods were made in Tommy’s direction, congratulating him on a delicious meal. Kimberly eyed Tommy carefully, watching him twirl his pasta around his fork. He looked up to see her staring. She gave him a small smile, which he returned.

Jason, having had three glasses of wine already, was the first to speak. “So, Kim . . . why don’t you tell Tommy what you’ve been up to.” Jason said as he got up to top off everyone’s glass.

Kimberly finished chewing the bite full she had just popped in her mouth. She pulled the fork from her lips and swallowed. “Well, umm . . . let’s see, after Pan Globals, I chipped the bone in my elbow during training. It was a more serious injury than I realized and the doctor told me that I wouldn’t be able to continue. So I started coaching. I missed California so I came home to Angel Grove to finish my degree and then I stayed and started working for the Angel Grove Community Theater, doing costumes and choreography. Now I’m looking at getting my teacher’s certificate.” She said, reaching for her wine glass.

Jason was surprised by that last bit of information. Kim hadn’t told him she had wanted to go back to school.

“What will you teach?” Jason asked. Excited to be a part of the conversation.

“Acting, hopefully. I taught a few classes when I worked for the Theater and it was so inspiring. I loved having students who actually wanted to be there. I loved coaching gymnastics, and some of the girls were truly gifted athletes, but most of them just seemed pressured into being champions.” Kimberly shook her head.

“ You know, you might encounter stage parents too.” Tommy chimed in, having been listening this whole time, trying to find the best segue into the conversation.

Kimberly nodded in his direction. “Yeah, Reefside’s Drama Club put up West Side Story last year and I was asked to help choreograph the fights. Man, some of those parents . . . I tell you, they treated their kids like machines.” Tommy said, taking a bite of some garlic bread.

Kimberly nodded. She hadn’t thought about that. But it was good to know.

“Not that I’m discouraging you, Kim. I think it’s really great that you want to teach.” Tommy said, hoping he hadn’t appeared rude.

“Thanks. But no, it’s good advice. I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, I don’t have a degree in Theater. It’s in English, but I figure that’s where they’ll probably place me anyway, right? In an English class. But that way I can possibly add Drama classes to my load too.” She said, picking at her salad. When was the big question going to come up? She wondered.

“So, back up. How was Florida?” Tommy asked cautiously, not wanting to bombard her like he had an hour ago.

It was coming. The whole story was fast approaching. What was she going to tell him? The truth? That Florida had been a wonderful, life changing experience? That she had, in fact, met someone else, someone she broke up with Tommy for? How would she explain why they weren’t still together? Was it even his business?

Just as Kimberly was about to speak, Jason’s cell phone went off. He jumped up and opened the tiny phone. Wow, that timing couldn’t have been better, he thought to himself.

Jason had set his alarm to go off at some point during the evening. That way he would have a reason to leave them alone. He was hopeful that when Tommy had shown Kimberly around they would have talked it all out and then he could have stayed for the whole meal. But when they returned from the tour, Jason knew they hadn’t hashed anything out.

“Oh! I have to take this call, sorry guys.” Jason lied. He excused himself and started heading for the door. “I’ll just be outside.” He said, grabbing his glass of wine and shutting the door behind him.

Kimberly and Tommy stared at each other for a moment. Tommy finally spoke.

“So, where were we?” he asked softly. Kimberly inhaled a deep breath and faced the inevitable.

“Florida was incredible.” She said slowly, not wanting to pour salt in the wound that was beginning to reopen. Tommy gave her a half-hearted grin, imagining all the reasons why it had been so.

“I watched the Pan Globals.” Tommy added, knowing this statement would draw more information out of her.

Kimberly’s face lit up. All the time she competed, even after the letter, she always wondered if Tommy even cared how she was doing. “You did? ” She asked.

“Yeah. We all did. You were incredible. Took home a few medals, as I recall.” He said.

“It was a proud moment. It made the sacrifice of leaving Angel Grove worth it.” She responded. That was a bittersweet pill for Tommy to take, but he understood it. But he couldn’t take the dancing anymore. He had to know the truth. He took a swig of his wine and swallowed hard.

“Kim, why did you write the letter?” He asked flatly. Kimberly snatched her wine glass and proceeded to chug the remaining contents. She steadied her breathing for a moment and then got up from her seat to refill her glass. She stood at the counter for a moment, not wanting to face Tommy. Here it comes, she thought to herself.

She turned around and took a delicate sip of her wine. She remained standing. “Because it was the truth.” She said simply.

Tommy lowered his head. He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to hear it was a lie. Not that it would have made things better or easier, but he wanted to believe that Kim had felt young and capricious about breaking up with him, not realistic and concrete.

“But why?” Tommy asked again. He just couldn’t understand it. They had been happy and in love. Or so he thought. There hadn’t been any indication up until that letter that their seemingly perfect relationship was doomed. He was counting the days until he could hang up his morpher, sweep her up from Florida and carry her back to Angel Grove and marry her. But that fantasy never happened. After she broke it off, he questioned it, but he never questioned her. He just took it, and never deigned for an explanation. Until now.

“Because it wouldn’t have been fair to either of us.” Kim said, becoming frustrated. “Tommy, I loved you. Please don’t ever question that. But I met someone else I thought I could love. And he was in Florida. He was convenient, he was accessible and he was a fellow teammate, so he understood me.”

“He was convenient? Kim, I was your teammate too. I understood you. I understood you better than anyone.” Tommy said. He could feel his blood starting to boil.

Kimberly could see the rising anger in Tommy’s eyes. But she refused to back down. They had gotten this far on civility, might as well go for broke.“When I was a ranger, yes. But when I gave up the power, I gave up that life. I was a gymnast now. And I needed someone who understood what I was experiencing in that moment. Tommy, I couldn’t have asked you to give up your life and wait for me. I didn’t know what my future would be. I couldn’t say if I would stay in Florida and train for the Olympics or if I would return to California or if I would do something else entirely.” Kim continued.

Tommy shook his head. Kimberly knew him better than that. “I would have waited for you.” He said through his teeth. He couldn’t believe all the things she had decided for the both of them. It wasn’t fair.

“I didn’t even get a say in any of that. You didn’t call me or write me telling you felt that way. All of our phone conversations, all of our letters up until that point had been happy, hopeful. How long were you lying to me?” Tommy demanded. He stood up from the table, at which point Kimberly retreated back to her seat, wanting to be as physically disjointed from him as possible. He crossed over to the counter and grabbed the bottle of wine, taking a massive swig from it. He tried to control his breathing, to no avail.

Kimberly didn’t look at him, just traced the rim of her glass with her finger. “I didn’t lie to you Tommy. I hadn’t even started dating Keith until after the letter. But things were obviously developing between us and I didn’t want to lead him on or mislead you. So I sent you the letter when I was ready to. I didn’t call or talk about it because at the time, I thought you would try to talk me out of it, and I didn’t want that.” Kimberly said calmly.

“Of course I would have tried to talk you out of it! You weren’t even dating him! At least if you had cheated, I would have known you were breaking up with me based on a legitimate relationship! You broke up with me on a hunch! An inkling that you and this Keith guy had ‘feelings’ for one another!” Tommy shouted. He couldn’t believe the things he was saying. They were unnecessary, but his pride was beyond repair.

“You would rather have had me cheat on you? Instead of being a decent person and telling you the truth?” She challenged. She would not be reprimanded, although she felt like she slightly deserved it.

“How you handled this was not, I repeat, was not, by any stretch of the imagination, decent. You sent a fucking letter to the YOUTH CENTER! Man, Kim! Adam read half the letter before I even realized what it actually said!” Tommy chugged the rest of his wine. He gripped the stem tightly. He felt like crushing the delicate glass with his bare hand.

Kimberly remained silent. She bowed her head and started to cry softly. That had been a bad move. She didn’t know that anyone else had read the letter. She knew that everyone else knew about it, but she hadn’t realized other people had actually been present when Tommy had received it. She felt like a horrible person. But why? She had done the honorable thing by telling Tommy she had met someone else. Not cheating on him or carelessly avoiding his calls. She had addressed the issue immediately. So why did she feel like she was being punished?

Tommy noticed Kimberly’s muffled sobs. His first instinct was to run over to her and embrace her. But his ego wouldn’t let him. He was hurt, and he was angry. Instead, he remained in his spot, clenching his tight fingers around the object in his hand.

“I’m sorry, Tommy.” Kimberly whispered. “I shouldn’t have sent it to Ernie’s. That was in bad taste.”

“You’re damn right it was.” He said harshly. He had wanted to say more but when Kimberly raised her head to look at him he couldn’t. Pride be damned. She didn’t deserve that. He knew he would regret the things he said later, but 10 years of anger was getting the better of him.

“You have every right to be angry with me.” Kim said calmly. “But I never lied to you. And I’m sorry that we never spoke about this until now. I know going all those years without some sort of closure must have been frustrating. It was for me, and I did the breaking up. I just never thought it would be so difficult to talk to you about this after all the time that’s gone by.”

It was Tommy’s turn to cry. He turned away from her and let the tears slowly fill his eyes. He hadn’t expected it to be so difficult either. He was the one who had agreed to have this dinner in the first place, telling Jason that he didn’t even think it was a necessary conversation to have. But when Kimberly had told him how wonderful Florida had been, and how beautiful she looked when she arrived earlier that night, his emotions got the better of him.

He set his glass down on the counter and braced himself along the edge with his hands. He still had his back to her, not wanting her to see him cry.

He closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He thought back to when he and Kimberly had first met. Their first kiss, their first date, the first time they made love, all the hugs and hand holding. All the gifts and sly looks they always gave to each other. All the battles they had fought together, all the walks on the beach and long talks where they shared their fears and wishes with one another. He wanted that back. He wanted her back more than anything in the world, but he just didn’t think it could be possible anymore. She had hurt him too much. And now, he had hurt her and he was about to do it again.

He turned around and looked at Kimberly. She was aimlessly picking at her salad.

“You know that I dated Kat.” He said, finally. He didn’t know where he was going to take this conversation, but perhaps it would reveal more information from Kim that he still felt she owed him.

Kim lifted her head and tilted it to the side. Why would he bring this up now?

“Yeah. Jason told me.” She said, trying to get a read on Tommy’s face. She couldn’t. Where the hell was this conversation going?

“We were together when you and Jason got kidnapped.” He added. Still not sure how to steer this all to a point.

“Yes, Tommy, I know.” Kimberly said, becoming irritated. If he had a point to make, he better make it soon, Kimberly didn’t know how much more of this she could take. “Look, if you’re trying to get me to tell you that the reason I didn’t talk to you after Muranthias was because of you and Kat, you’re wasting your time. Keith and I weren’t dating anymore by then and I hadn’t known about you and Kat until that trip anyway. God knows how long it had been since we had actually talked to one another and by that point, I thought it didn’t matter anymore.” Kimberly sighed. That wasn’t completely true. She had assumed Tommy was happy with Katherine, and therefore didn’t want to intrude on his life. He had obviously moved on, just as she had. But she had wanted to talk to him, she just didn’t think it was appropriate.

“We broke up that night.” Tommy finally confessed. He knew what he was trying to say, now if he could only articulate it without sticking his foot in his mouth. Kimberly gave him a puzzled look. Tommy continued.

“I had been wanting to talk to you ever since you had been freed from Maligore’s spell. Obviously between then and the Karate tournament there really hadn’t been a chance to do so. I was watching you and Jason after we won and I have to admit, I got jealous.” Tommy blushed slightly, causing Kimberly to grin. Tommy returned it with a small smile of his own. It was nice to see her smile again, however confused she might be.

“ Anyway, Katherine must have noticed, cause she asked to speak with me after the award ceremony. She broke up with me, Kim.” Tommy added. Kimberly was now, officially confused. What was he trying to say?

“Am I supposed to feel guilty?” She asked, biting her lip. She hadn’t meant that to sound as bitchy as it had come out.

Tommy flew over to her and slid into the chair beside her. He grabbed her hands and held them in his own. She flinched slightly and then relaxed again.

“No, Kim, let me finish.” He hushed her. She only nodded and let him continue. “Kat broke up with me because she knew it wasn’t working. Me and her, it just wasn’t meant to be. She knew I wasn’t in love with her. I was in love with someone else.” Tommy said, giving Kim’s tiny hands a small squeeze. Kimberly felt her breath catch in her throat. She loved Tommy. She hadn’t ever stopped loving him, but they couldn’t possibly just pick up where they had left off. Could they?

“Tommy . . . ” She said quietly. She looked at him intently, gazing at his handsome features. He had grown up, his face finally showing signs of age, but his eyes were still dark and sincere. Penetrating. Inviting, but sad. Like a little boy lost, in a desperate search to find . . . something.

He returned her gaze. Staring at a face, he knew by memory. The slight widows peak, down to her full eyebrows and long lashes, her chocolate brown eyes that had lost some of their sparkle but were still hopeful, her slender nose and beautiful, full lips.

He kissed her. He didn’t plan on it, but it happened. He leaned in and kissed her. Kimberly hesitated at first, completely shocked at the sensation of his lips against hers. Once she realized what was happening, she quickly reciprocated. Their lips slowly parted, each other’s tongues gaining access into the other’s mouth. There, they danced and slithered around one another, teeth and lips colliding. They had both been so engulfed in each other that they hadn’t noticed Jason walk in.

“So how’s it go . . . whoops!” Jason said. He turned around and retreated to the living room. Kimberly pulled away first, immediately wiping her mouth. She got up and started for the archway. Tommy just sat there stunned. He hadn’t meant to freak her out, but he had been wanting to do that all evening. Kimberly stopped at the edge of the kitchen and turned to face Tommy.

“ I should go.” She said, turning on her heels and exiting the room. She found Jason, staring out the window.

“We should leave.” She told him, brushing past him to open the front door. She made a quick exit and started heading for the car.

Jason reentered the kitchen finding Tommy still sitting at the table, not having moved since Kimberly’s fast escape.

“So what happens now?” Jason asked his silent friend. Tommy looked up and shook his head.

“I don’t know.” Tommy said. He knew what he wanted, but based on her reaction, he had a feeling Kimberly didn’t feel the same. The two men sat in silence for a moment before Jason heard the car horn beep from the driveway.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, bro.” Jason said finally, seeing himself out.

Tommy just nodded. “Smooth move, Tommy. Real smooth.” He said to himself as he just sat, leaving his mind and his heart, racing.

AN: Time has past for our fateful couple, what will happen now? Thanks to everyone who was reviewed so far. Please keep sending me feedback! This is still my first fic, so I need all the help I can get! This story is nowhere close to being over! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Own nothing, sue no one. Thank you.

If You Go Away

Chapter 6

Cruel Summer

7:05 a.m.

Tommy’s house, Reefside

YOU’VE GOT MAIL! The automated voice called out. Tommy clicked the button and began browsing through his email.

It had been two months since the dinner. The night that all his questions about the letter were answered. The night that he finally saw Kimberly again. The night that he kissed her, spontaneously, and the night she ran out of his life for a second time.

Jason had called him the following morning, letting Tommy know that he was taking Kimberly back to Angel Grove before returning to his home in Los Angeles. Tommy didn’t even ask about Kim, not wanting to hear how mortified she was that Tommy had kissed her. Her fleeing from his kitchen had been enough evidence. Thankfully, Jason hadn’t said much about the previous night either. What he did mention to Tommy, was how worthwhile he thought the trip had been.

Tommy just rolled his eyes. For whom, Jason? He thought to himself. Tommy absently scrolled through all the new emails he had neglected over the summer, not really in the mood to read any of them. Nothing was pertinent, so he didn’t feel guilty about it. Nothing from Jason, nothing from Aisha.

“Well, at least they’ve taken the hint.” Tommy said to himself. He hadn’t talked to Jason since his last phone call, which was odd. They usually kept in better touch. He assumed Aisha had spoken to Kimberly, explaining why he hadn’t heard from her.

“They both probably hate me now.” Tommy closed his email browser and finished getting ready for school.

It was September 3rd. The start of a new school year at Reefside High. His favorite students, and former teammates would be seniors this time around, which meant he wouldn’t have them in class anymore. Seniors aren’t required to take Science, only needing to take Economics, U.S. History and English to fulfill all the 12th-grade requirements.

He hoped he would at least see some of them the Karate Club he had started at the school. It was an extracurricular activity that counted as a P.E. elective for upperclassmen. Tommy didn’t know how he had managed to swing that with the School Board, but he had a feeling the now ‘free from evil’ Superintendent, Dr. Anton Mercer, had pulled a few strings for him.

Despite the surreal and bizarre turn his summer had taken, Tommy felt good about this school year. New students, a new faculty, and a new start. He was ready to let go whatever had happened two months ago and begin again.

AN: I know, a ridiculously short chapter! But patience, grasshopper! The fun is about to begin!

AN: I really enjoyed the cast from Dino Thunder so I thought I’d use them in this story. Wondering what Kimberly’s been up to? Read on and find out!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I wouldn’t have to imagine Tommy and Kim getting back together, they’d already be that way. Don’t sue me.

If You Go Away

Chapter 7

Dramatic Irony

8:00am

Reefside High School

School began on a Wednesday, which meant no homework the first week of school. This was great news for the teachers. It gave them a chance to readjust from their summer freedom, and time to finish up any last minute lesson plans before the semester kicked in.

The first day was also a treat for the students, as classes didn’t begin until 9am today. The faculty had their annual “Meet and Greet” in the auditorium. This was a time to introduce new faces, share any important news or educational developments they had experienced over the summer, and a time to plan for all the major events that would take place over the course of the school year.

Dr. Mercer was sitting in a chair on the stage, facing the large group of teachers and interns. Anton became the superintendent at the end of the last school year, right after Mesagog had been destroyed and he had been freed of the monster’s spell. Elise Randall, now Elise Randall-Mercer, had also been freed from the spell. After Anton became the superintendent, he had gladly given Elise her former position as Principal, back to her.

Principal Randall sat beside Anton, waiting to begin the meeting. Once the general chatter had died down and everyone was settled in their seats, Superintendent Mercer stood up and approached the podium.

“I trust you all had a wonderful summer.” Anton began. “ Let me start by saying, thank you to everyone who made my transition into Superintendent, a smooth and welcoming one.” He applauded to the group, who joined him.

“Secondly, I’d like to add that Ms. Randall will be returning to her original position as principal this year, I think to have all the facts of what happened last spring, we can welcome her back to our family.” He said as turned to her, giving her a wink. Elise returned it with a small smile.

“And with that, I will now hand the mike over to Ms. Randall.” Anton finished and crossed back over to his seat. Elise stood up and addressed the faculty.

“Great to see you all again. I would like to begin today’s meeting by informing you that this year we will be implementing the faculty shadowing process, effective immediately. Thank you to all the teachers that voted for this procedure last year. I realize the experimental phase left much to be desired. But I think we found a much more productive system. Now, if you’ll all refer to last month’s newsletter, I will announce the new faculty and their senior teachers. Please follow along.” She said, as she referred to her clipboard.

Tommy was sitting in the back of the auditorium. He had been late. Moreover, he knew he’d be taking a lot of notes during the meeting, seeing as he had neglected to keep himself up to date. Deleting each email newsletter he had received over the summer.

“Guess those weren’t so unimportant after all.” He said to himself. He took a quick glance to check the front row. There were four bodies in the seats. From what he could tell, three women and one man. New faculty. Wonder where they’ll be placed? He thought to himself, and which senior teacher would they each be assigned to shadow?

Shadowing was an arduous process. It was necessary, as new teachers always needed someone to show them the ropes. School policies, location of classrooms, teacher’s lounge, office, etc. Tommy also understood that the principal was responsible for so much already, she didn’t really have the time to acclimate every single new faculty member individually. But it was so tedious! New teachers were like lost parrots. They’d follow you around everywhere and ask all sorts of stupid questions.

“Why did I become a teacher again?” he asked himself. He tilted his head to pop his neck and crossed his legs.

He lowered his head and pretended to read along with everyone else. He was waiting with his pen poised on top of his notepad. He felt like a teenager cheating on a test. It was the responsibility of each senior teacher to know every new face that joined the faculty. He didn’t really know why, perhaps to set a good example for the senior teachers to be, he supposed.

Ms. Randall began with the gentleman in the green shirt. “First we have, David Welch.” Mr. Welch stood up and turned to face the rest of the auditorium. He waved and smiled. “Please tell us a little bit about yourself.” Ms. Randall urged.

Mr. Welch cleared his throat and began to speak. “Hi. My name is David Welch. You may call me Dave, if you wish.” Tommy had to laugh. The teachers had a microcosmic version of high school all their own. You had fellow teachers you hung out with during your breaks, other teachers you avoided for whatever reason. You had the eccentric teachers that played by their own rules and the goody-good teachers that didn’t dare break any. Watching Mr. Welch introduce himself was like watching the new kid, forced to tell his life story in paragraph form in front a huge group of strangers. Tommy just continued to laugh to himself. He felt like the rebel loner kid, sitting in the back of the classroom, his feet propped up on the desk, not giving a damn.

As is typical with the rebel loner kids, Tommy had spaced out, not listening to a single word Mr. Welch said. But Tommy wasn’t that kid. In fact, he wasn’t a kid at all anymore. He was an adult. A seemingly responsible adult who was supposed to be taking notes. He broke out of his reverie to discover he had missed the first three teachers’ introductions.

Shit! He thought to himself. “If I have to shadow one of them, I am going to look like such an ass.” He mumbled.

“And finally, we have Kimberly Hart.” What? Tommy jerked his head up. Had Ms. Randall just said Kimberly Hart? Surely he had heard her wrong. Or it was possibly another Kimberly Hart, right?

“Grow up, Tommy.” He scolded himself. He looked over the sea of heads to a petite woman, with long caramel hair standing up to address the room.

“Hi. I’m Miss Hart. You may call me Kimberly or Kim. I am a native Californian, just completed my teaching certification and I’ll be teaching Senior English as well as Speech and Drama.” She said, cheerfully. If the teacher’s version of high school was true, and Tommy was the rebel loner, Kimberly was the hot, popular cheerleader. The girl that every boy wanted but couldn’t have. Especially the rebel loner boy.

He couldn’t believe it was really her. Did she say she completed her teaching certification? She must have finished it this summer. He thought to himself.

“Very nice to have you with us, Miss Hart. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with our drama club this year. We had such an amazing turn out last year with our production of West Side Story. The music and the acting and the fights! Oh! Which is a wonderful segue to introduce your senior teacher.” Ms. Randall gushed.

“Dr. Oliver.” Ms. Randall continued, scanning the seats for Tommy’s location. Had Kimberly heard the principal correctly? She knew that by coming into the school where Tommy worked, there would be the possibility of running into him, but she hadn’t counted on having to intentionally be glued to his side the entire first day. Fantastic, She groaned inwardly.

“Is Dr. Oliver here?” Ms. Randall asked, still not seeing him. Perhaps it was because he was slithered down in his chair, hiding. He was just about to slip out through the swinging door when he heard a man’s voice call out. “Is that him?” It was Mr. Welch. Yes, Tommy was the loner, Kimberly was the cheerleader and Mr. Welch was the tattle tale. He wondered how it would look to the school board if he stuffed a co-worker into a locker . . .

“Shit, shit, shit.” He grumbled to himself as he rose up from his crouched position, looking sightly embarrassed. Kimberly narrowed her eyes at him, what a year this would be, she thought.

“Dr. Oliver, may I ask what you were doing on the floor?” Ms. Randall said tightly. The spell may have been broken, but she was still his boss, and Tommy was behaving like an idiot. He deserved whatever humiliation was coming to him.

He struggled for an excuse, “Stomach cramps. I don’t feel so well, must have been the McDonald’s I ate on the way to school this morning.” He said meekly, trying to keep his up his façade.

Kimberly rolled her eyes at him. She knew he was lying. She knew him better than anyone in this auditorium even realized. And, she was the acting teacher after all.

Tommy caught Kimberly’s look and glared. She knew she shouldn’t help him out, seeing as he was desperately trying to avoid her at all costs, but she felt sorry for him.

“Ms. Randall, if it’s all the same to you, perhaps I can be reassigned a new senior teacher to shadow, as Dr. Oliver doesn’t seem fit to guide anyone around today.” She asked sweetly. Tommy knew better. He heard how she punched the last few words to emphasize his incompetence.

“Well, I wish I could Miss Hart, but the assignments are unfortunately set in stone. We paired new teachers up with senior faculty that had corresponding schedules. You and Dr. Oliver were a perfect match.” Ms. Randall said.

Ha! Kimberly thought to herself. The irony was so thick you could cut it with a chainsaw.

Well, Tommy couldn’t say she hadn’t tried. He gave her a feeble yet grateful look and wiped his forehead. He slowly made his way down the aisle to the two women. “Uh, Ms. Randall, I’ll be fine. I’d be very happy to show Miss . . . Hart, was it?” He said, smiling crookedly. He offered Kimberly his hand. If he couldn’t get out of it, he was going to have fun.

She stifled a small laugh and bit her lower lip. He was such a cheeky bastard! She played along, “Yes. Hart. Miss Hart. Miss Kimberly Hart. Like the organ, but without an ‘e’. “ She said innocently.

Tommy snorted a tiny chuckle at her choice of words. Sometimes he was a 12-year-old boy and just couldn’t help himself. The thought of the words ‘Kimberly’ and ‘organ’ in the same sentence, made him blush.

Ms. Randall stared at him for a moment. What has gotten into him today? She wondered. “Well, if that’s all settled, let me conclude our meeting with a round of applause for our new teachers and have a wonderful semester!” She finished, as the whole group started clapping. All the teachers started filing out of their seats, chatting and discussing lesson plans. Tommy and Kimberly just stood there in the aisle. Still holding each other’s hand, oblivious to the world around them.

It took Kim a moment to realize that he still had her gripped in a handshake before she pulled away. Tommy was taken out of his daze and blushed, turning away from Kim.

“So . . . ”She lingered on the pause for a second. “What do you want to show me?” She asked. Tommy laughed inwardly. Oh! The things he wanted to show Kimberly. There it was again, the 12-year-old boy.

He stopped himself before he received a dirty look and furrowed his brow. It was finally time to take things seriously. He still had a job to do, however ridiculous the current circumstances were.

“ Well, the job of the senior teacher is to assist the new faculty in any way they can. But that’s usually reserved for the completely incompetent. Since I’m quite certain that doesn’t include you, Miss Hart, Why don’t I just help you find your first classroom for the day. Don’t forget we’re an hour behind. You’ll want to refer to your second period.” He said, putting on his best professional voice.

“That should be easy, I’m in here.” Kimberly said, indicating the auditorium. “See? Drama, second period.” He looked down at the piece of paper she held out.

“Okay. Well then, you’re all set. Catch ya later.” He said, turning on his heels and heading for the exit. So much for having a job to do.

“Tommy, wait!” She cringed, thankfully no one else was in the room to hear her faux pas. “I mean, Dr. Oliver.” She began again.

He stopped and turned around to face her. He knew was being a coward, but he just didn’t want to deal with her. This was his turf. Why did she have to come here to teach? Why was he being such an asshole? He thought to himself. He smiled sheepishly and made his way back down to her.

“Let me see your schedule.” He said, gesturing to the paper. She smiled and handed it to him. He perused the document and snickered. “You have the same break period as me. Fourth. That’s at 12:46. We can meet up back here and have lunch.” He returned the sheet to her. Kimberly closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” Tommy asked her softly. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. The kids all have separate lunch periods, which gets confusing. But the teachers rotate their free periods according to what floor their classroom is on before the ‘B’ lunch period, which doesn’t even sound mathematically possible.” He laughed. The delayed bell rang. Since the students were essentially missing their first period classes today, the passing periods had shifted five minutes earlier than normal.

Tommy glanced down at his watch. 8:55. Five minutes until class started. Students would start filtering into the auditorium any moment.

“Sorry I was so—” He started to say, but Kimberly cut him off. “Ridiculous?” She offered. He nodded.

“Tommy, I know it was a surprise to see me, but I hope we can work together without it being awkward.” She said.

Tommy thought about it for a moment then reached over and gave Kimberly a gentle hug. She refused at first but then slowly let his arms engulf her tiny body.

“Kim, it’s going to be awkward for a while.” He said, laughing as he embraced her. His chest rattled softly against her cheek, making her giggle too.

He pulled out of the hug but his hands remained on her shoulders. “We’ll talk more at lunch okay?”

Students had begun to file into the auditorium. Tommy quickly released his grasp of Kimberly as grabbed her schedule once more. “So Miss Hart like the organ but without the ‘e’, You’re third period class is located in room A207, which will be your normal classroom for both Speech and English. I trust you can find your way to the second floor?” He asked, attempting to appear as professional as possible, hoping no one noticed the intimate closeness he had shared with their new teacher a few seconds ago. He returned her schedule sheet once more and nodded, making his way up the aisle toward the door.

Kimberly was stifling her laughter. On the outside, Tommy may have looked calm and casual, but deep down he was a giant ball of nervous energy. “Thank you Dr. Oliver. I look forward to our lunch date!” She called out, hearing some of her students swoon and whistle. She flashed a bright smile and giggled.

Tommy looked over his shoulder and glared at her. But as he turned back, he smiled too. The loner rebel had a date with the popular cheerleader. He gave himself a nudge on the shoulder as he made his way to his classroom.

AN: So, I hope this chapter made up for the lack of information in the previous one. How will their ‘lunch date’ go? Why are these two always so fickle around each other? Find out next time! Please R&R!

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. I hope I’m not making this too easy or fluffy for the characters. I like things to be complicated. ;) Please keep reading and let me know what you think, where you’d like to see the story go, etc. I can’t promise what direction this story will take, but I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Please don’t sue.

If You Go Away

Chapter 8

Hot for Teacher

12:41pm

Reefside High School

Since Science was the only subject Tommy taught, he was relegated to the third floor, where all the labs were located. There were five labs along the west wing, with adjoining doors and four science teachers. One teacher per lab. The last lab was usually reserved for Health class, taught by Mr. Worthing, an ex marine who seemed hell bent on scaring all of his students into abstinence. Along the East wing of the third floor, were all the math classes. Tommy tried to avoid those, as math had never been his favorite subject and all those classes seemed to be taught by the most officious older women he had ever met. They were always pinching his cheeks and telling him how handsome he was and what a shame that such an attractive, young man was still single, and if they were 20 years younger they’d snatch him up. He supposed they meant well, but it was just creepy having a fan club of grandmothers checking out your ass every time you walked by. Third period has just ended and Tommy was quickly packing up his materials in anticipation for his ‘lunch date’ with Kimberly.

Tommy had just turned the corner into the stairwell when a familiar voice rang out. Shit. “Thomas Oliver, PhD.”

Said the ancient Mrs. Franklin. Tommy took a deep breath and turn around to face her. He gave her a weak smile before she began again. “Where are you headed in such a rush?” The woman asked him, still standing by her door. He knew it was wrong to avoid Mrs. Franklin. Ultimately, she was harmless. But that didn’t stop her from leering at Tommy every time he was in her presence. She had latched onto him like a leech since his first day and she never wanted to let go.

“Umm, actually, I’m meeting someone.” Tommy stuttered. He was clearly uncomfortable, feeling Mrs. Franklin’s eyes on him, he actually sounded flustered.

“Oh, that’s right. Senior faculty shadowing. How noble of you.” Mrs. Franklin swooned. Tommy gave her an uneasy laugh. “Well, it is required and all, so I don’t know about ‘noble’ but, I’d hate to keep her waiting, so I’m just going to be–” He began to say, backing up from the hall. Mrs. Franklin cut him off, her face sinking at his words.

“Her? Oh . . . Thomas. You don’t have to play coy with me. You have a date! What’s her name? Who’s the lucky gal? Is she in the math department?” Mrs. Franklin gushed. Tommy glanced at his watch, 12:44. He had two minutes to get to the auditorium and meet Kim.

He laughed nervously, “Uh, her name’s Kimberly Hart, she’s the new Speech, English and Drama Teacher. And it’s not a date, you know, seeing as I have to show her around. All the same, I really should get going.” Tommy said quickly, and with that he spun around and raced down the stairs. Mrs. Franklin just looked on. She hated to see him go, but she loved to watch him leave. She smiled and returned to her classroom.

Kimberly sat on a bench in front of the auditorium. She crossed her legs and looked over her teaching materials for

her last class of the day. She glanced up to check the giant wall clock that hung above the atrium. 12:46, on the dot.

He’ll probably be late. She giggled to herself. A teacher or not, Tommy was still Tommy. She returned to her paperwork.

Tommy practically tumbled down the stairs and raced to the auditorium’s entrance in the atrium. He stopped abruptly when he saw Kimberly sitting on the bench. He just watched her for a moment, her tiny body situated on the metal seat beneath her. She was adorable. Her hair, which had been down this morning was now piled up on the top her head in a messy bun, tiny tendrils and wisps of hair falling in front of her face. She wore a tight, light pink blouse that made Tommy’s heart race. The fabric clung to her body, and every time she inhaled, her chest pushed the tiny buttons to their threshold, exposing the swell of her breasts. He continued his way down the rest of her body, where she wore a black pencil skirt that hugged her hips and stopped above the knees. Although, at the moment, she was sitting down with her legs crossed. The skirt had managed to rise up slightly, exposing a bit more thigh, which made Tommy’s pulse, not to mention some other things, swell. He followed the length of her legs down to her feet, when all illicit thoughts vanished. She was wearing a pair of pink converse low-tops. He laughed out loud, making his presence known. Kimberly looked up to see him smiling at her. She returned it with her own.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me.” She said brightly as she gathered her papers and placed them in her bag.

Never, he thought to himself. “Cute shoes.” He told her, offering his hand to help her up. She gladly accepted it and smooth out her skirt.

She giggled, “My feet are killing me! I am so glad I thought to bring an extra pair! I don’t think I would have made it this far in these!” She said, holding up a pair of black stiletto pumps.

Tommy’s eyes widened, now imagining her in the heels. Kimberly noticed and playfully slapped him on the chest.

“Tommy!” She said in a harsh whisper. “I know what you’re thinking. Stop it.” She jokingly reprimanded.

Tommy just shrugged. “What can I say?” He bent over slightly and lowered his mouth to her ear. Kimberly tilted her

head slightly, allowing him to whisper, “I got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, so bad. I’m hot for teacher.” He sang

softly. He lifted his head and turned away, grinning like an idiot. He started back down the steps toward the front door.

Kimberly just stood in awe. She was so puzzled by their dynamic. She knew how she felt about Tommy, but she couldn’t get a read on him. There was no question that they still found one another attractive, hence all the flirting. But what were they to each other? Between his behavior this morning and his actions a minute ago, she had no idea.

“Well, are we gonna eat or what?” Tommy called to her, now at the bottom of the stairs. She decided to let all her previous thoughts go, intending to just enjoy Tommy’s company, whatever it led to. She skipped down the steps and met him at the bottom. He held the door for her as she slipped through first while he followed.

Once outside, they made their way to the teacher’s parking lot. Tommy slipped his arm around Kimberly’s waist and led her to his car. She blushed at his gesture, but snuggled closer to his body as they walked. From the building, Mrs. Franklin and few other teachers were watching them, having seen them leave a few moments before.

“Who is that with Dr. Oliver?” one woman asked, glaring at Kimberly through the window. Mrs. Franklin smiled, “That must be Miss Hart, the new Speech, English and Drama Teacher. Thomas told me all about her.” She said. She really was harmless. She adored Tommy. Sure, she thought he was handsome. But she knew he was much too young for her and besides, she was married. She did want him to be happy though, and by the way he was interacting with this new teacher, it seemed that he was.

“Tommy is her shadow.” Mrs. Franklin said. “Isn’t that sweet? He’s taking her to lunch. He’s such a gentleman.”

The other women sighed. Dr. Oliver was the most eligible bachelor amongst the faculty, and they all knew it. Who was this new woman who had entranced him? It wasn’t fair, they all thought. They saw him first!

“They’re awfully close. Where did Miss Hart say she was from?” Another woman, Ms. Feldman, asked. Hannah Feldman was in the science department with Tommy. She had short blonde hair and was tall and slim. She had been smitten with her handsome associate since day one. And while she was older than him, by about 10 years, she thought she was decent looking enough. She never understood why Dr. Oliver had never asked her out to lunch.

“I think the newsletter said she was originally from Angel Grove.” Mrs. Franklin mused. The four women were too busy gossiping and craning their necks to spy on Tommy and his companion, they didn’t even notice Principal Randall snake up behind them.

“She is from Angel Grove.” Elise Randall said curtly. The women flipped around, flinching at the sound of her voice. Mrs. Franklin blushed, having been caught gossiping about her co-workers. Ms. Feldman just rolled her eyes. “May I ask what is so captivating about the window, ladies?” Ms. Randall asked.

“Isn’t Dr. Oliver originally from Angel Grove?” Ms. Feldman posed. Elise nodded, “Yes, Hannah. I believe he is. What is your point?” She asked the tall blonde, sternly.

Mrs. Franklin cut in, seeing the daggers in both women’s eyes. “We were just passing by and noticed how remarkably close Dr. Oliver and Miss Hart were. We were just wondering if they possibly knew each other previously?” She asked cautiously. Hannah Feldman just smiled tightly at Elise, nodding in agreement with Mrs. Franklin. The other two women had backed up entirely from the conversation. Leaving Mrs.Franklin and Ms. Feldman to bear the burden of Elise Randall’s wrath.

“Yes I believe Dr. Oliver has mentioned Miss Hart to me before.” Elise lied. She hadn’t realized that they would have known one another. But now that she thought about it, something was definitely going on between those two.

That might explain his behavior this morning, she thought to herself. I’ll have to speak to them about this later.

“So, they do know each other?” Ms. Feldman broke Ms. Randall out of her thoughts. Elise smiled and nodded. “Yes, they do. Now, I trust you ladies you have better ways of spending the rest of your break period than spying on co-workers.” She said as she turned and left.

“I knew it!” Ms. Feldman said, turning to Mrs. Franklin. “I bet she’s an ex girlfriend.” Hannah said, staring at the parking lot, which by this point showed no signs of Tommy or Kimberly. Mrs. Franklin just smiled and pulled Hannah from the window. “Well they didn’t look like it to me. Come on dear, let’s go before Principal Randall comes back.” Mrs. Franklin ushered Ms. Feldman away.

Tommy and Kimberly certainly weren’t behaving like an ex couple. In fact, there were acting so stupidly in love, it was sickening. Tommy had taken them to a tiny delicatessen a few miles from the school.

Feeding each other chips and trading bites of their sandwiches, the other customers in the restaurant were fixated on the giggling couple. They had a wonderful talk, a few awkward moments when Kimberly’s erratic behavior two months ago had been brought up, but laughter soon trumped embarrassment when they recalled the moment.

“Glad to know I have that affect on you.” Tommy said smiling he remembered how he abruptly kissed Kimberly in his kitchen, only to have her run out of the room seconds later. Kimberly giggled and threw a potato chip at him, which he caught in his mouth and crunched noisily. She laughed some more. “I know. I’m sorry. God, what a head case you must think I am.” She said, wrinkling her nose.

“I don’t think you’re crazy, Kim. I thought you hated me.” Tommy said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“I couldn’t hate you if I tried, handsome.” She said breathlessly. She leaned in, bracing her herself with the table. Tommy crept his face closer to hers before placing a dollop of mustard on Kimberly’s nose. “Good.” He whispered back. Kimberly flinched at the sensation of the substance on her face. “Eww, gross!” She squealed. Tommy sat back and laughed. She quickly wiped the yellow off her nose with a napkin. “Way to kill the mood Tommy!” She growled, throwing her dirty napkin at him. His laughter grew into a wide grin. He’d make it up to her later, he thought.

“I’m going to wash my face.” Kimberly said, hurrying off the restroom. Tommy glanced at his watch. 1:15. Luckily, their break period hadn’t been sacrificed to the awkward time change of the first day, so they still had 20 minutes before they had to be back at school.

Tommy began cleaning up their trash when two familiar voices entered the deli. “Dr. O!” a young girl dressed in a yellow sweater with black jeans called out. Tommy raised his head quickly and smiled. It was Kira Ford, the former yellow Dino Ranger. “Dude, what are you doing here?” the boy in red asked him. Conner McKnight, former Red Dino Ranger still called him ‘dude’. Tommy let it slide this time, offering his hand to Conner instead. “Just finishing up. I took my new faculty shadow to lunch.” Tommy said casually. His students didn’t need to know about the flirting and sickeningly sweet things he had also been doing with his shadow.

“We miss you!” Kira said, pulling Tommy into a hug. He missed them too. “I never thought I’d say this, but I wish I had science class.” Conner added. The trio laughed. “Well, I’m the instructor for the new Karate Club. You guys should come by after school and sign up.” Tommy suggested.

“Can’t Dr. O. I’ve got an audition.” Kira said excitedly. “That’s great, Kira. For what?” Tommy asked her.

“For the winter play, Romeo and Juliet.” A soft voice said behind him. He snapped his head around to see Kimberly standing a few feet away.

“Miss Hart! What are you doing here?” Kira asked surprised. “You two know each other?” Tommy asked, just as surprised. Kimberly gave him a light slap on the arm. “I’m her drama teacher, silly.” She said as she went to give the young girl a hug. Tommy nodded in comprehension.

“So you are going to audition?” Kimberly asked Kira. Kira nodded aggressively. “Yes! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Conner’s coming too!” She said, grinning widely.

Conner lowered his head in embarrassment. Tommy shot Conner a sympathetic look. He remembered all the plays and fashion shows Kimberly had dragged him to when they were in high school. He had enjoyed himself, if he remembered correctly, but performing was never his thing. He had done it all just to see Kimberly smile.

Conner was in the same boat. He liked shin guards, not tights. He was an athlete, not an actor. But it made Kira happy, so he went along with it. Tommy just laughed and shook his head.

“So, how do you know Dr. O?” Kira asked Kim. Tommy looked up, and before Kimberly could answer he said, “Take a good look at her, Kira. Does she look familiar?”

Conner and Kira exchanged glances. “Not particularly.” Kira said. Conner narrowed his eyes, inspecting Kimberly harder. She did look familiar to him, but he couldn’t place it.

“Is she your sister?” Conner asked, scratching his head. Tommy and Kim exchanged amused looks.

“Well, I am like a brother to her, Conner. But no, Kim and I aren’t related. Let’s just say we knew each other back in the day.” Tommy said. Kimberly winced at his reference to the break up letter when she said he had been like a brother to her. She gave her students a small smile.

“Tommy and I grew up together.” She told the teens. Kira smiled. “And now you teach together? That is so cool!”

“ Well, I hate to cut this short, but we should be getting back to school. Don’t you guys have class too?” Tommy asked, trying his best to exercise authority over the kids. With everything they had gone through together, it was tough to remind them that he was still a teacher.

“Yeah, we were just on our way back. We stopped to grab some sodas.” Kira said, nudging Conner. Conner groaned and reached in his back pocket to grab his wallet. He left the group and headed for the cashier.

“Well, it was good to see you again Kira, tell Conner it was nice meeting him. I look forward to seeing you after school.” Kim said, brushing her hair out of her face. Tommy’s flippant comment earlier had put her in a sour mood suddenly. She hugged Kira once more and made her way to the exit. Tommy nodded to Kira and clapped Conner on the shoulder upon leaving. “I feel your pain.” Tommy told the youth before he left, following Kim.

Kira slid up beside Conner. He offered her the beverage. “Small world, huh? Dr. O and Miss Hart being old friends and then meeting up here. What are the chances?” Conner said, popping open his can and taking a swig. Kira tapped her fingernails along the side of the can as they left the deli. She could see Tommy and Kim getting into Tommy’s jeep. Kira was still trying to figure out if she recognized Kimberly. Conner was oblivious, as he finished his soda and tossed the can into the trash.

The two teens were walking back to Conner’s car when realization hit her. “Holy shit!” Kira yelled, jumping up and down. Conner was caught off guard. “What? What is it?” He asked her, bewildered.

“She was the original pink ranger!” Kira told him, scrambling into the passenger seat. Conner collapsed into the driver’s side and turned on the ignition. “The video diary!” he said, finally putting two and two together. Kira just rolled her eyes. They couldn’t wait to find Ethan and Trent and tell them the news.

Kimberly had been quiet on the drive back from lunch. Tommy didn’t know what had happened, but he was sure he had something to do with it. He pulled the jeep smoothly into a parking spot and shut off the car. He jumped out of his seat and raced around to Kimberly’s side, holding her door for her. She gave him a small smile as he helped her out of the jeep. She stopped, rummaging through her bag, taking out her heels again she began to trade her comfy sneakers for her painful but professional looking pumps. As she was standing on one foot, she felt herself start to tip. She quickly held her hand out and braced herself on Tommy’s shoulder. He smiled down at her.

“Here, let me help.” He said, getting down on one knee to help her slide her slender foot into the shoe. Looking down at Tommy’s position, her eye started to water. She had always imagined this scenario. Except that in her mind, Tommy was kneeling before, holding a ring, not her foot. Tommy heard her quiet sobs and looked up. Setting her foot down and rising back up to face her, he touched her cheek with his fingertips. “What’s wrong, beautiful? Did I do something wrong? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left the deli.” He asked her, still brushing her face lightly. At the sound of her nickname crossing his lips, she sobbed. He grabbed her and held her in a tight hug.

She didn’t even bother returning the gesture, just letting him wrap his strong arms around her small, limp body.

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled, still crying. Tommy grabbed her by the arms, “Hey, stop. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry I said you were like a brother to me.” She confessed, wiping her face. Tommy moved his hands and grabbed her face. He lowered his mouth to meet hers and kissed her passionately. She released a tiny yelp before she melted into the kiss. His hands had moved from her face to her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her body press into his. He groaned slightly into her mouth, causing her to smile through the kiss. When they finally broke, Tommy gently set Kimberly back down on the pavement, his hands still resting on her hips. She looked up at him serenely, her arms still wrapped around his neck. “Still think of me as a brother?” he asked her sweetly, as they swayed in their position for a moment. Kimberly bit her lip before placing a tender kiss on his cheek and then whispering in his ear, “If I did, we’d be in big trouble mister.” She said, slithering out his grasp and straightening her skirt before walking away.

Now it was Tommy’s turn to stand there in awe. Just as Kim had surmised this morning, they were obviously still attracted to each other, but where did they stand? Was it enough to just flirt mercilessly with the other? Tommy knew that dancing around each other was their specialty, but knowing for certain was much more fulfilling.

The bell rang. His break period was over. He shook himself out his daze and saw Kimberly nowhere in sight.

I hope she knows where’s she going, he thought to himself. He smoothed down his tie before heading back inside.

AN: Ah yes, couldn’t let this story go without seeing the other Dino Thunder Rangers. Is it too fluffy? Let me know! What will Principal Randall say to Tommy and Kimberly? What will happen will Mrs. Franklin and Ms. Feldman? How will auditions go? Stay tuned and find out!

AN: Thank you all for the feedback! This story will keep going until all the loose ends are tied up and it just can’t go any further, so don’t stop reading and reviewing anytime soon! Auditions for Romeo and Juliet are coming up and more! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

If You Go Away

Chapter 9

Star Crossed Lovers

2:30pm

Reefside High School

“Thank you guys for taking it easy on me. Don’t forget that auditions are at 3:30 in the auditorium! Any participation in the play will count for extra credit! That means coming to see it too! See you all tomorrow!” Kimberly yelled over the general noise. The final bell had just rung and she was still trying to get out last minute information to her students. Senior English was her final class of the day, which she was grateful for. She remembered how she had been in high school, having French last period. She was always tempted to zone out, wanting nothing more than to hang out with her friends, not listen to a boring French lesson.

Fortunately, all her students were required to take the course if they wanted to graduate, so they had to pay attention.

Not that they had to do much on the first day. Introduce themselves, talk about previous English classes and discuss the syllabus. She had assigned Romeo and Juliet as their first reading assignment, knowing that it would correspond with the Drama Club’s production.

Kimberly was packing up her materials when she heard a couple students whispering behind her. She paid them no mind until she heard her name, at which point she turned around and saw Kira Ford, Conner Mcknight and two other boys she recognized from class. Ethan James and Trent Fernandez, she thought.

“May I help you?” She asked. The two boys looked at her in awe, while Kira and Conner just smiled. Kira was the first to speak.

“Miss Hart, you know how Dr. O asked us at lunch if we knew you?” The young woman asked her nervously. Kimberly bit her lip and nodded, having a feeling she knew where this was going. Kimberly, after all, had caught on earlier that Kira and Conner had been two of the rangers from the photo she had seen in Tommy’s study. When she saw Ethan and Trent, she knew she was standing in front of the whole team. “Yes, I remember.” She said.

“Well, I think we figured it out.” Kira said quietly. She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was in the hall to hear her confession. Kimberly laughed, causing Kira to give her a bashful look.

“Always be on the safe side, Kira.” Kimberly told her. Kira blushed and looked down, playing with the hem of her sweater. “Go ahead. Who am I?” Kimberly asked. She had never been a fan of hero worship, but it was still amusing to see these four young kids gawk at her like she was an elusive celebrity.

“You’re the pink ranger!” Ethan James blurted out. He jumped up and down, celebrating his discovery. “Man, this is so cool!”

Kimberly giggled slightly at his enthusiasm, while the rest of his peers just looked at him with disgust. “Dude, settle down.” Conner said, trying to act as if it wasn’t a big deal. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Hart.” The quiet boy in white said. Kimberly smiled at him. Tommy was right. Trent was very much like him. A bit more intense, but she could see what he meant.

“Thank you, Trent. It’s an honor to meet you all as well.” She said, curtseying. Conner glared at her. “You knew who we were?” Conner asked, breaking his cool exterior.

“Duh, Conner. How would we have known who she was if we weren’t rangers too?” Kira asked him, slapping his arm. Conner blushed. He was still a little slow on the receiving end of information.

“Were you like, totally bugging when you found out Dr. O had obtained another color?” Ethan asked Kim, still bouncing on his feet. Kimberly giggled inwardly. Tommy’s estimation of his teammates had been spot on. Ethan was totally Zack and Billy combined. The way he spoke, which had Kimberly not been an English teacher, might still need translating. But the way he moved, was very Zack. Spontaneous and energetic. She smiled at the teens.

“It was certainly a shock, but I wasn’t really that surprised. I’m just glad he was the black one. I would have killed him if he had taken my color.” Kimberly joked. The group laughed, imagining Tommy in a pink spandex suit with a skirt attached. Kimberly was just about to excuse herself when the intercom came on.

“Dr. Oliver and Miss Hart, please come to the office. Dr. Oliver and Miss Hart, please come to the office. Thank You.”

Kimberly’s eyes widened. Why were they both being called to the office? She swallowed gently before turning her attention to her students. All of them wore expressions of surprise and suppressed glee.

“What?” Kimberly asked them, resting her hands on her hips. Conner and Trent looked away, Kira bit her lip and Ethan grinned.

“You and Dr. O are in trouble!” Ethan said, holding his hands up and bobbing his head to imaginary music.

Kimberly gave Ethan a stern look. Kira caught it and immediately put her hand over Ethan’s mouth. Conner and Trent started for the door. “Sorry Miss Hart, we’ll let you go. See you at auditions!” Kira said frantically, dragging Ethan out of the room by the collar. Kimberly rolled her eyes and finished packing up her things before heading to the office.

Kimberly arrived at the office five minutes later. Recognized by one of the secretaries, she was directed to the last door and the end of the hall, Principal Randall’s office.

What in the world? She thought to herself as she lightly tapped on the door. “Come in.” Elise’s voice rang out behind the door. Kimberly stepped into the room cautiously. Ms. Randall motioned for her to have a seat. The two women sat in silence for a moment before a loud knock came from the door.

“Come in Dr. Oliver.” Elise instinctively said. She’d recognized his tardy but apologetic knock anywhere. Tommy entered the room with the same trepidation Kimberly had, unsure as to why they had both been called up there.

He took a seat next to Kimberly before Ms. Randall set her pen down and looked up at the couple.

“I’m sure you’re both wondering why I’ve called you in here.” Elise started, standing up and moving around to the front of her desk. She leaned against the edge before proceeding.

“It’s come to my attention that you two are previous acquaintances.” She smirked. She had a feeling Kimberly wasn’t just an old friend of Tommy’s. Tommy and Kimberly exchanged awkward glances. Had they been that obvious?

Ms. Randall held up her hand as if to silence their thoughts. “Now, I realize you both have after school clubs to supervise, so I won’t waste any more of your time than is necessary. But I should warn you that while having a history with a fellow teacher does not go against any school policy, having an affair, does.” She eyed Tommy specifically, knowing full well that he should have known better.

Kimberly was the first to respond. “Principal Randall, I can assure you, had Dr. Oliver and I realized this was an issue we would have never carried on the way we did. We didn’t mean to raise any suspicions of inappropriate behavior. We were simply surprised to see one another after so long.” Kimberly finished, pleased with her verbal reasoning.

Ms. Randall gushed, obviously impressed as well. “I guess that explains why you’re the Speech Teacher, doesn’t it?” She said. Kimberly gave her a weak smile before turning to Tommy, who had said nothing in their defense. Kimberly glared at him but all he could do was shrug his shoulders.

Principal Randall looked at the couple before heading back around the desk to her chair. “Look, obviously the school board and even myself, have no way of monitoring the goings on of every single faculty member, and frankly, your private lives are just that. Private. I certainly can’t stop anyone from dating each other, but seeing as you two already have a past, why don’t you make your present and your future a little more . . . discreet.” She concluded, taking her seat once again.

Tommy snapped out of his daze and addressed Ms. Randall, “So, we’re allowed to date one another?” he asked.

Kimberly turned her head in his direction ad glared at him. The principal gave him an amused look. “Yes, Dr. Oliver, you are. However, should your relationship begin to distract you from your purpose at this school, you and Miss Hart will find yourselves back in my office, planning your terminations.” Tommy’s eyes widened, not having realized the gravity of the situation until now.

“You’re excused.” Ms. Randall said. Tommy turned on his heels and headed for the door. Kimberly eyed him as he left and slowly stood up from her chair.

“Miss Hart.” Kimberly looked at the woman shamefully. “Should you encounter any problems with the other female teachers, let me know. Dr. Oliver and I are good friends, and he seems to care about you. I’d hate to see anything happen to either of you because of petty jealousies.” Ms. Randall said, returning to her paperwork. Kimberly nodded, walking toward the door.

How had she gotten herself into this mess? It was only the first day! She glanced at the clock, 3:00. She had a half hour before she needed to be in the auditorium for auditions. Confused and exhausted, Kimberly slowly made her way toward the teacher’s lounge to grab some coffee and a snack.

Out in the parking lot, Tommy was frantically gathering his work out clothes for the Karate Club sign ups later that day. He checked his watch, 3:05. He had 25 minutes to get back to the gymnasium, but not before he found Kimberly. He needed to talk to her. He needed to explain his earlier question about being allowed to date each other. He had wanted to ask her out, make his feelings known. He just hadn’t planned on confessing it in front of the Principal. And what would they do if their jobs were on the line? What if they started dating again and then broke up again? Tommy didn’t want to think about that. He just wanted Kimberly, and he had to tell her, soon.

Kimberly was refilling her coffee cup before heading over to the auditorium. She had quickly devoured a bag of chips and practically chugged a bottle of water when she got to the lounge. She had planned on looking over the audition sides while she was there, but most of the time had been spent thinking about Tommy. What did he mean when he asked Principal Randall if we were allowed to date each other? Did he mean us? Or was he simply asking permission for teachers in general? “Don’t be naive, Kimberly.” She quietly told herself. She knew Tommy was asking about them, which excited her. But it also unnerved her. What if we broke up again? She thought. Then, Ms. Randall’s warning crept back into her head. What did that mean? Tommy had told her at lunch about his encounter with Mrs. Franklin, and how she wasn’t the only one Tommy had been accosted by, but was it really a legitimate concern? Kimberly took a careful sip of her scalding hot coffee. She shook her thoughts from her mind, set the coffee down beside her on the table, and started packing up the audition sheets. She glanced at the clock once more, 3:20.

Kimberly was walking carefully toward the auditorium, making sure not to spill her coffee, when she stopped abruptly at the figure in front of her. She swallowed with some difficulty at the man before her. It was Tommy, but she hadn’t seen him dressed the way he was, in a long time. He was just standing there, wearing black, baggy sweat pants and a tight, white, wife beater. She remembered how he looked at dinner two months ago, imagining the impeccable physique she could now clearly see. Damn, he looks good! She thought to herself. “There should be a law against you, Dr. Oliver.” She said suddenly. She bit her lip, not having meant to say that out loud. Tommy smiled, holding the door to the auditorium for her. She blushed and walked ahead of him. He watched her hips sway as she cautiously walked down the aisle toward the stage in her tight skirt and heels. He let out a small sigh when he noticed her struggling with the folder under her arm, her coffee in the same hand, and her bag in the other. He caught up to her and slid the papers out from her side and grabbed her bag, setting it on the floor.

“Thanks.” She said, placing the coffee cup on the apron of the stage. Tommy handed her the folder before leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek. She smiled crookedly as his lips pulled away from her face. “What was that for?” she asked him. She started separating the papers from the folder into piles. Tommy just watched her as she made her way along the apron.

“For being you.” He said simply. She looked over her shoulder and flashed him a brilliant smile. Just then, the auditorium doors flew open, unleashing a small herd of students. Kira, Conner, Trent and Ethan among them.

Tommy and Kimberly turned quickly to face the teenagers. Ethan nudged Trent excitedly, while Kira and Conner padded down the aisle to greet them.

“So, are you guys okay?” Ethan asked Tommy and Kim. Trent grabbed Ethan by the collar and shook his head. Kira and Conner just rolled their eyes. The two adults exchanged amused looks before Kimberly said, “Yes, Ethan. We’re fine. Just a brief reminder on school policy.” Kimberly glanced back at Tommy who simply nodded in agreement.

“Are you all here to audition?” Kimberly asked them. Kira shook her head. “Not all of us. Ethan wants to help backstage but Conner and I are trying out.” She said.

“And I wanted to ask you about designing the poster.” Trent added. Kimberly smiled. “Wonderful! Well, Kira and Conner why don’t you both grab the sides for the roles you want to read for, and Ethan and Trent I can speak to you both right now.” Kira and Conner nodded, moving over to the apron where a bunch of other students were busy picking up their sides as well. Ethan and Trent took a seat in the front row, waiting for Kimberly.

“I guess this means you guys aren’t signing up for the Karate Club, huh?” Tommy asked the two boys. “We already did, Dr. O.” Ethan said. “Yeah Mr. Worthing helped us.” Trent told him. Tommy gave them a confused look. He glanced down at his watch, 3:34! He was late!

“Kim, I gotta run. I’m late for the sign ups, but I wanted to talk to you. What time will you be done?” He asked her quietly, attempting to mask his frantic energy.

“Auditions should be done by six the latest.” She whispered back. “Perfect. I’ll be done with sign ups in half an hour. An hour tops, since I’m late. Can I swing back by the auditorium and watch you finish up?” He asked her.

“Of course. Just be quiet when you enter. I don’t want any distractions.” She said, giving his arm a quick squeeze.

Tommy nodded and smiled as he backed up the aisle and sprinted for the door. Kimberly watched him leave then turned her attention back to the boys.

“So, Ethan. All you have to do is write down any conflicts you might have after school. Here are the dates.” She said, reaching behind her to grab a calendar. She handed the paper to Ethan, who proceeded to take out his notebook and started writing down his schedule.

“And as for you Trent, I would be delighted to have a student design the poster. Our deadline is October 1st, as the show will go up at the end of October. That should give us enough time to publicize. You can show me some sketches after 6th period next week. How’s that sound?” She asked.

“Cool. Do you have any guidelines or restrictions about what it should look like?” He asked her. Kimberly shook her head. “Nope. All I ask is that it be clean and simple. Oh! I guess the only thing I would ask, is for the title to read ‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’, not ‘Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare’.” Trent nodded and stood up from his chair. Ethan finished scribbling his conflicts and ripped out the page.

“Here you go, Miss Hart.” Ethan said. Kimberly took the paper and the calendar and smiled at the boys. “Great. Thanks guys. I look forward to working with you both.” They smiled and waved goodbye as they headed for the door. Kimberly set Ethan’s information down beside her coffee, which was now lukewarm and turned to face her actors.

“Okay folks. If you’re all ready, let’s get started. We’ll begin with Act one, scene three. I need a Juliet, a Nurse and a Lady Capulet. Who’s first?” Kimberly saw a million hands fly up. Kimberly eyed each girl before assigning them their parts.

“Okay, you as the Nurse, you as Juliet, and you as Lady Capulet. Don’t worry ladies. We’ll swap the roles around later.” She said as she motioned for the three girls to stand on stage.

“Now, please tell me your name and what part I assigned you to. Then we’ll go from there.” Kimberly took a seat in the fourth row at the end. She steadied her clipboard and wrote down the names as they were called.

“Leslie Fields, the Nurse.” Kimberly nodded, smiling at the next girl. She didn’t need to know her name, but it was

protocol. “Kira Ford, Juliet.” Kimberly motioned to the last girl. “Cassidy Cornell, Lady Capulet.” The pretty blonde said. Kimberly watched as Kira rolled her eyes. This was going to be an interesting evening.

Downstairs in the gymnasium, Tommy was sparring with Mr. Worthing, giving the kids who had stayed a demonstration of some techniques they’d be learning in the club. As they finished, Tommy and Mr. Worthing bowed to each other and then to the class. The students applauded and Tommy went to grab a towel. He was wiping the sweat from his face when a tall, slender woman approached him from behind.

“I had no idea you could move like that.” The woman said. Tommy turned around to see Hannah Feldman staring at him.

“Oh. Well, thank you.I was a martial artist before I was a science teacher, after all.” He said modestly.

Hannah just smiled, absently running her fingers along her collarbone. “Can I help you with something?” Tommy sighed.

“I was just on my way to the auditorium. I’m helping our new drama teacher with the winter production. Costume supervisor.” She said. “Of course you must know her. She’s your shadow, right? Miss Hart?” Hannah asked him carefully. Tommy cringed at the woman’s obvious knowledge of Kimberly and gave her a tight smile.

He could tell she was looking for trouble and he refused to give her any satisfaction.

“That’s great. Yes, Miss Hart mentioned the play to me. I think she’ll really appreciate all the help.” He said politely. Ms. Feldman groaned inwardly, annoyed that while he had engaged in their conversation, he was avoiding giving her any information. Tommy considered the source for a moment and got an idea. He knew it was cruel to play with this woman, as she obviously had the hots for him, but he knew he could use it to his advantage.

“Hannah.” He said sweetly, her ears perking up at the sound of her name crossing his lips. “I think it’s awfully sweet of you to want to help Miss Hart. I find selfless charity so attractive.” He smiled.

Hannah just sighed. Damn it. She thought to herself. Now she felt guilty about taking the position just to spy on Miss Hart. “Well, what are friends for? Miss Hart is such a pretty young thing, don’t you think?” She said, emphasizing the last three words. Tommy laughed to himself. This woman is far too old to be acting this transparent, he thought to himself.

“Well, Miss Hart and I have been friends for a long time, I’m sure I would have noticed by now. I suppose she has grown into herself nicely. Better than what she used to look like when were kids.” He said, laughing. Kimberly would kill him if she ever heard him describe her this way. He didn’t believe a word he was telling Hannah. Kimberly had always looked stunning, now more than ever. But seeing the shocked look on Ms. Feldman’s face was worth every minute of his little white lie.

“Do tell.” Hannah said suddenly more interested. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions about Miss Hart and Dr. Oliver. Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he was just being nice to Miss Hart since they were old friends and the poor girl was once an ugly duckling. Hannah laughed at the thought.

“Well, that’s not really appropriate Hannah. Besides, shouldn’t you be headed to the auditorium? Why don’t you wait a moment and I’ll join you?” He asked her, pleased with himself. She glanced at her watch. She didn’t really have to be at the auditorium today. She just wanted to spy on Miss Hart as much as possible. Feeling foolish and slightly embarrassed, Hannah Feldman gave Tommy a quick smile and headed for the door. Tommy watched her, slightly confused.

“I’ll take that as a no.” He said, whistling to himself as headed for the locker room to change. He glanced at his watch, 4:45. Perfect, he thought. He would freshen up and head back over to the auditorium and see Kimberly. A jealous Ms. Feldman present, or not.

“Let’s break for five!” Kimberly said as she stood up from her seat. She walked down the aisle toward the stage. She twisted her back to crack it and stretched as carefully as she could in her skirt. Kimberly wasn’t a smoker but she felt like she needed a cigarette to shake off her frustration.

Auditions had been more tedious than she thought, but the hardest part was yet to come. They still had to read all the Romeo and Juliet scenes. Throughout the first half of auditions, she had managed to narrow each character down to two or three people. She didn’t want to have call backs, since the first round of auditions were cold readings anyway and she wanted to get this show cast as soon as possible.

She gingerly lifted herself up to sit on the edge of the apron, looking over her notes. She smiled when she came across Kira’s name. From the moment she met Kira during second period, and the young girl’s obvious enthusiasm, she knew she’d make a perfect Juliet. She still had to see the other girls before she could make her final decision, but Kimberly had a good feeling. But it was Conner who surprised her the most. He was embarrassed at first, standing stiffly in one place throughout the scenes and reading the lines with difficulty. But as the evening had gone on, he had completely blossomed. He was still a little rusty with the language but as an athlete he was completely cognoscente of his body on stage. A compliment she couldn’t even hand out to some of her more dedicated students. She knew exactly where she would put Conner, if the other boys didn’t make a good showing.

She looked up at her students, most of them sitting down chatting. She hopped off the stage and steadied herself. “Okay folks! Let’s get back! I need all the following students in the front row, please!” She called out.

“Jessica Chambers, Cassidy Cornell, and Kira Ford.” She said, looking up to see the three girls excitedly moving to the seats. Kimberly smiled as she called on the boys, “Nathan Berringer, Conner McKnight and Brent Olson.” The boys gave each other high fives and took their seats next to the girls.

“As for the rest of you, thank you all for you time and your cooperation. The cast list will be posted by Friday the latest! If you do not get cast, please see me about other ways to get involved! Thank you again and break a leg!” Kimberly finished as the group of students started packing up their things and began filtering out of the auditorium.

She turned to the six students seated in the front row and smiled. “Okay ladies and gentlemen, let’s have Jessica and Nathan up there first.” The pair made their way up to the stage as Kimberly returned to her seat a few rows back.

“Take a moment to look over the scene again and then begin. I don’t need your names.” She said as the small group gave a tiny laugh. She flipped her old paper over her clipboard to reveal a clean sheet. She poised her pen above it, ready to take notes.

Tommy quietly opened the door to the auditorium. He scanned the seats for Kimberly when he found her. He slowly crept down the aisle. She was scribbling away, looking up every now and then to watch the students. Getting the feeling she was being watched, Kimberly looked over her shoulder and saw Tommy making his way toward her. She smiled and ushered him to take a seat beside her. She moved one seat in so he could take the aisle without having to climb over anything. He carefully sat in his chair and smiled at her, “How’s it going?” He whispered.

“Good. We’re reading the Romeos and Juliets right now.” She whispered back. Tommy nodded and turned his attention to the kids on stage. He couldn’t tell you what good acting was if it bit him, so he tried to watch Kimberly’s reaction.

She was biting her lip, which usually meant she was nervous. Or frustrated. She quickly looked away from the actors to write something down. She circled the note ferociously and punctuated it with three exclamation points. She let out a small sigh and returned her gaze toward the stage. Tommy gave a small laugh as he did the same. He leaned back in his chair and tried to listen to the poetry.

It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?

The young man wasn’t bad. But he was awkward, and he kept looking at his script rather than at his female partner. Kimberly let out a tiny groan before rising from her chair.

“Nathan, I know this is an intimate scene, I’m not asking anyone to kiss or touch each other right now, but I do need you to look at Jessica, okay? Connect with her. You’ve stumbled into her orchard hoping to find her and you do. When you see her, she’s the most breath taking sight you’ve ever seen. Now, I want you think of something that you want more than anything, and say those lines to Jessica. Okay?” The boy nodded nervously. “Good lord.” Kimberly huffed as she sank back into her chair. Tommy gave a laugh and smiled. She looked over at him and smiled back.

“How hard is it to imagine the one thing you want more than anything? Not hard at all, right? It’s easy, right?” Kimberly asked rhetorically, turning back to her notepad. Tommy pondered that thought for a moment, then slowly turned to stare at Kimberly.

She was amazingly focused. Furrowing her brow, biting her lip, her hand moving a mile a minute, frantically taking notes as the teens performed the scene before her. She continued to watch her while the previous question lingered in his mind. How hard is it to imagine the one thing you want more than anything? For Tommy, it was easy. Very easy.

But he supposed he was struggling with the same dilemma the young boy was, for obviously different reasons of course. Imagining what you want and admitting what you want are two very different things, he thought to himself.

Kimberly held up her hand to stop the scene.“Thank you!” The teens dropped the scripts and waited for Kimberly to continue. “Jessica, I’ll need you to stay. Nathan, I think I’ve seen all I need to.” The young boy lowered his head and returned his script to the pile. “This doesn’t mean you’re out of the running for Romeo, Mr. Berringer. Nor does it mean you won’t be cast at all.” Nathan mustered a tiny smile of hope before nodding and started packing up his things. Kimberly made a quick note on her clipboard and flashed it to Tommy. Benvolio, it read. Tommy smiled and laughed. “Who’s that?” he whispered. “Romeo’s cousin.” She whispered back. Tommy nodded, he didn’t remember much about this story. He was going to need to rent the movie before he saw the play.

“Cassidy Cornell and Conner McKnight, you’re next.” Kimberly said, referring to her sheet. Tommy grabbed Kimberly by the shoulder. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” He told her. Kimberly glared at him. “Why not?” She asked incredulously. “Well, Kira and Cassidy don’t get along too well. Pairing her up with Kira’s boyfriend might cause some problems.” He told her. Kimberly rolled her eyes and shooed his hand off her shoulder. “They are actors, Tommy. They’ll get over it.” She reassured him. “Whenever you’re ready.” She said to the kids.

Tommy watched Kira’s face, which, at the moment was complacent. Maybe Kimberly was right, Kira understood that they were acting. He just hoped Conner would. Tommy shifted in his seat watching Conner fawn over Cassidy, who was actually quite good, in his estimation. He looked over at Kimberly watching the scene, nodding.

She liked what she was seeing, but something was missing.

Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.

“Okay, stop for a moment.” Kimberly said, adding a quick note to her paper. “Cassidy, what is Juliet saying in this passage?” She asked the blonde girl. Cassidy looked at her script for a moment before answering. “She doesn’t want Romeo to swear by the moon, cause the moon isn’t dependable. So she asks him to swear on himself, which is just as good if not better?” She guessed. Kimberly nodded, taking in Cassidy’s response. “Okay, that’s a really good start Cassidy. Try it again, but this time, think about this; Juliet is smarter than she seems. Perhaps she doesn’t want Romeo to ‘swear by the moon’ because it’s a cheap pick up line.” Cassidy and the others started giggling. Kimberly smiled before continuing. “And by swearing on himself, Romeo is now accountable for all of his own actions instead of holding the ‘moon’ responsible! And the ‘god of my idolatry’, is a major line! Juliet’s basically saying that she worships Romeo. Got it?” Kimberly asked. Cassidy nodded. “Great, let’s start a few lines before that.”

Cassidy was better the second time around, having given thought to Kimberly’s direction. Tommy couldn’t help but smile. Kimberly was incredible. He knew she loved Shakespeare, but he never realized she was so good at it. The scene was building to a beautiful arc. Conner was on one knee, looking up at Cassidy. Taking his time, he gently placed a kiss on her hand. Cassidy sighed longingly as he began to run off upstage. She stopped him with a heartfelt cry. Kimberly, completely engrossed never took her eyes off of the couple. She grabbed Tommy’s hand suddenly and squeezed. He smiled and massaged her hand with his thumb, watching the scene come to an end.

Everyone applauded when they finished, even Kira and the young gentleman who had yet to perform. Cassidy and Conner blushed and returned to their seats. Kimberly released Tommy’s hand and stood up. “That was a beautiful audition you two. Cassidy, you’re good to go. Thank you again for your time, cast list will be posted by Friday the latest.” Cassidy nodded and gathered her things. “Conner, if you’re able, I’d like to have you read again.” Conner nodded and sat down next to Kira, who showed her excitement for her boyfriend by placing a tender kiss on his cheek. “Okay, that leaves Kira Ford and Brent Olson.” Kimberly said. She sat back down and turned to a fresh page of paper.

Let me stand here till thou remember it.

I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I love thy company.

And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.

“Now this kid, is an actor.” Kimberly whispered to Tommy. Tommy couldn’t disagree with her. His movements were fluid and his voice was clear. He never pushed or seemed false. He made it look easy. Kira was holding her own too. Reacting in perfect syncopation with Brent, they made a dance with their words. Kimberly was nodding appreciatively, looking down only to write a quick note here and there. She let the pair finish until the end of their scene with no interruptions. Kimberly raised her hand, signaling the end. “Thank you. Brent, you’re free to leave. Kira, would you mind staying after for a moment? I’d like to speak with you.” She asked the girl.

“Sure.” Kira said sitting back in her chair. “Great. Okay, one last time, Jessica Chambers and Conner McKnight.”

As the students made their way up to the stage, Kimberly looked at Tommy, who was staring blankly ahead. She waved her hand in front of his face before he turned to her. “We’re almost done.” She said sweetly. Tommy nodded and rubbed her shoulder. Kimberly turned her attention to the stage one last time. “Okay. This time Conner, I want you to imagine Jessica as someone you’d risk anything for.” Kimberly told the boy. Conner looked at her, slightly puzzled. Kimberly saw his confusion and attempted to clarify. “Conner is there someone special in your life?” She asked him. Conner immediately looked at Kira and then blushed. “Yeah.” He said shyly. Kimberly bit her lip, suppressing a knowing grin. “Great. I want you to imagine that Jessica, as Juliet, is that person.” Kimberly instructed. Conner nodded and looked over his lines once more. Kimberly focused in on Jessica. “ And you Jessica, I want you to think of Conner, as something you can’t live without. Keep it simple. Think of Conner as oxygen. You’ll literally die, if you can’t speak or look at him. Make sense? ” Jessica nodded. “Begin when you’re ready.”

O think'st thou we shall ever meet again?

I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve
For sweet discourses in our time to come.

O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb:
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale.

And trust me, love, in my eye so do you:
Dry sorrow drinks our blood. Adieu, adieu!

That little piece of motivation was all Conner needed. He grabbed Jessica by the shoulders and wrapped her in a glorious embrace. While his movements were smooth, they were a little large and melodramatic. But Kimberly let it slide. He was acting truthfully, and that’s all that mattered. Jessica however, was vacant. Kimberly thought perhaps the note she had given her was too obtuse, but regardless, Jessica was like a dead fish this time around. The scene ended and everyone clapped. Tommy stood up from his chair and stretched. Kimberly wiggled past him and headed down to the apron. She thanked Jessica on her way out, as Kira and Conner both approached her. She turned around to address them. “Conner, I’m glad you’re still here. I have a very serious question to ask the both of you.” Kimberly said as she glanced at her clipboard.

“How would you feel if you were cast as Romeo and Juliet?” She offered, biting her lip. The two teens looked at each other and smiled. “Seriously?” Kira asked, her face glowing with excitement.

“I’m not saying that’s who you’ll be cast as, but it’s an option. I shouldn’t be discussing this with you guys, but I needed to make sure that if I did cast you opposite one another, you could handle it.” Kimberly stated, narrowing her eyes at Conner. He caught the look and lowered his head. “Honestly?” He said, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t think I could handle it.” He said firmly. Kira shot him a hurt look. Why not? She thought to herself. “Kira’s the one with the passion for this stuff. I’m just along for the ride, ya know? Don’t get me wrong Miss Hart. I’m flattered. I just think that the role of Romeo should go to somebody who deserves it.” He said.

Kira looked at Conner and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said!” Conner blushed as he and Kira pulled apart. His hand continuing to rub along her back. Kimberly laughed and smiled at the young couple before leaning in and saying, “I appreciate your honesty, Conner. I will take that into consideration. But let me just say that I have complete faith in your abilities as an actor.” She gave him a wink before ushering them out.

“Cast list, Friday the latest! Have a good evening! See you tomorrow!” Kimberly called out as the teens left the theater, stopping only to say goodbye to Tommy for a moment. “Great job, guys.” Tommy told them as he waved goodbye. He turned around and headed for Kimberly, who was laying flat on the floor with her shoes off.

Tommy sat by her feet and started massaging her legs. “Long day?” He asked her, smiling down at the tiny woman in front of him. Kimberly giggled and wrinkled her nose. “You said it. I have my work cut out for me.” She sighed, letting the sensation of Tommy’s hands on her calves and feet sink in. “You were awesome.” He said, kneading her skin as she groaned, enjoying his touch. He smiled as her eyes fluttered shut, loving the feeling of satisfying her, even if it was by a seemingly innocent massage.

“How did the Karate Club go?” She mumbled, still reveling in the rub down she was receiving. Tommy chuckled, thinking about Ms. Feldman’s advances.

“Well, other than Ms. Feldman throwing herself at me, I think it went pretty well.” Tommy said happily. Kimberly’s eyes shot open as she sat up immediately. Her eyes flaring with jealousy as she thought about Principal Randall’s earlier comment.

“Ms. Feldman threw her herself at you?” Kimberly said through her teeth. She was seething inside, trying to remain calm for Tommy’s benefit. He looked at Kimberly innocently, not thinking she had any reason to feel threatened.

“Yeah, she totally hit on me. Poor woman, she was so obvious. She did seem rather interested in you, though.” He told her, as he continued to stroke her feet lightly. Kimberly eyed him carefully. He didn’t seem to care that Ms. Feldman had hit on him. In fact, he seemed amused.

“Why would Ms. Feldman care about me?” Kimberly asked defensively. She pulled her feet away and stood up, beginning to collect all the audition sides from the stage. Tommy watched her as she aggressively stacked the piles of paper on top of each other. His sudden laughter caused Kimberly to turn and glare down at him, before returning back to the sheets of paper. He was enjoying her tantrum. Tommy loved it when girls got jealous over him. It made him feel wanted. He especially loved it when Kimberly got jealous, cause she was stubborn. And getting her to admit it was half the fun. He rose up and slid up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his hands on her stomach. She flinched briefly before dropping her papers and held his hands in hers.

They swayed back and forth for a moment, Tommy’s chin resting on Kimberly’s head before he leaned in and kissed her neck. She tilted her head to grant him better access. He obliged by kissing her neck again, tracing the outline of her jaw with his lips. She spun around in his arms to face him. He easily lifted her up to set her on the edge of the stage. She hiked up her skirt slightly, allowing her legs to wrap around his waist and pull him closer. He ran his hands up and down her legs as she pulled his face into a forceful kiss. Tommy eagerly devoured her mouth, exploring every inch. She bit his lower lip playfully as his tongue grazed the edge of her teeth. She moaned softly into his mouth and pulled him closer with her strong legs. His hands slid under her skirt, rubbing her bare upper thighs. Kimberly giggled slightly at the sensation as Tommy removed one hand up to her torso. He ran the free hand across her breast, cupping it and squeezing gently. Kimberly groaned and pulled away from Tommy’s mouth.

Breathlessly, she held his face in her hands, trying to regain her composure. Tommy moved his hands back to rest on top of her thighs. She dropped one hand and ran the other through his short spikes, scratching the back of his head.

Tommy closed his eyes and smiled blissfully. Kimberly grabbed his hands and held them tight. He opened his eyes slowly, as if waking from a wonderful dream, and stared at her.

“What are we doing?” She asked softly. Tommy gave her a slightly puzzled look. “Well, by the looks of things, I thought we were making out.” He laughed. Kimberly shook his hands, still holding them in her own. “No Tommy, I mean, what are we? What are we doing?” She lowered her head and stared at their hands entwined together. Tommy wiped his smile away, took her chin and lifted it to face him. “What do you want?” He asked her.

“I don’t want to lose my job. I don’t want to fight with half the female staff. I don’t want to fend off vicious rumors, I don’t want to worry about other women, I don’t want to feel paranoid and I most certainly don’t want to sneak around.” Kimberly blurted out. Tommy chuckled, receiving a loud slap across the face from Kimberly. Tommy’s eyes instinctively began to water. The slap didn’t hurt so much as sting. Plus, he definitely hadn’t seen it coming.

“Ow! Jesus Christ, Kim! What the fuck was that for?” He demanded, tenderly pressing his cheek. Kimberly glared at him. “Because you’re not taking this seriously! I am trying to ask you a very serious question! If you haven’t noticed Tommy, I still have feelings for you and I’d like something to come of it. If you don’t feel the same way or you just don’t have the balls to do something about it, then just say so! But don’t you dare laugh at me!” She yelled. She hopped down from the stage and angrily threw her papers into her bag. She hastily slipped her heels onto her feet and started for the door.

He groaned, still holding onto to his face. “Kimberly!” He called out. She had no intention of stopping. “Kimberly, wait! I’m sorry!”

“Too late!” She yelled back, still making her way up the aisle. Tommy started after her.

“Go out with me!” Tommy yelled again. “Toooooooo, laaaaaaaaate!” She sang in return. She still hadn’t stopped. Kimberly was half way down the staircase of the atrium when Tommy stopped to catch his breath. She was just about to open the door when Tommy shouted, “Marry me!” he said, still gasping for air. That did it. Kimberly stopped abruptly in her tracks and turned around to face him. He was still hunched over, and his face still red.

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. “Are you serious?” She asked him in disbelief. Tommy straightened himself up, and smiled.

“I had to say something to get you to stop!” He laughed. Kimberly growled and slammed the door open and headed for the parking lot.

Here we go again. He thought to himself. The things he put up with. Kimberly should be groveling at his feet. He knew of no other guy that would put up with this shit. Most guys would claim the girl was a bitch or too high maintenance and bail. But not Tommy. He refused to give up, and he’d take almost anything Kimberly threw at him. He lost her once. He definitely didn’t want to lose her again.

He got outside to the parking lot and couldn’t see Kimberly anywhere. Just then, he heard the sound a car coming up the hill. Kimberly was heading straight for him in a tiny, silver truck. He quickly moved out of the road, as Kimberly’s car drove past him. She flipped him off and stuck her tongue out at him and sped away. He laughed slightly, feeling a little relieved that she hadn’t run him over. He knew he shouldn’t have laughed at Kimberly’s concerns. He just thought they were ridiculous and unfounded. Except for the losing their jobs concern. That was serious. But he knew that if he and Kimberly ever got together, they’d never let it get that out of control.

And Kimberly worried about other women? Please, she is so full of shit. He thought to himself. Kimberly knew better than that. As far as Tommy was concerned, other women barely existed. Sure, they were around, he noticed them, but he didn’t care. As long as Kimberly was in his life, he was content.

A little unsure of what tomorrow would bring, Tommy headed to his own car, feeling satisfied in at least knowing that Kimberly wanted him back. Now he just had to prove the he wanted her too.

AN: This chapter was loooooooong! Hope you enjoyed it! What will happen next? Who will get cast in the show?? So many questions! I’ve got answers! Until next time!

AN: Thanks to everyone who’s been keeping up with the story and reviewing! There will be plenty more rehearsal scenes once the play is cast! Speaking of which, who will the cast be? Will Kimberly and Tommy get together? The Return of an old friend, coming up! Hahaha! Please read and find out! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

If You Go Away

Chapter 10

Lesson Plans

7:30pm

Kimberly’s Apartment, Reefside

Kimberly was half asleep in her bathtub. Having drawn a steaming hot bath 30 minutes ago, she was still soaking. Her skin had already started to wrinkle, but she didn’t care. She needed to relax and wash off her grueling first day.

All this happened in one day? She thought to herself. It just didn’t seem plausible. She had dreaded seeing Tommy this morning, by lunch they were flirting, and by the evening they had already gotten into a fight.

She knew she had overreacted back at the theater. She hadn’t meant to slap Tommy. It was an involuntary reflex. She was scared. He had every right to not take her seriously about wanting a relationship. After all, she was the one to break it off 10 years ago. If she hadn’t, they might still be together, but not necessarily happily, she thought. Kimberly startled herself. It was the first time she had ever imagined her and Tommy not being happy. She sighed, letting her body sink deeper into the water. For once, Kimberly was grateful she had sent the letter, because it made them return to one another. And the return had been sweet so far, if not just a tad bit frustrating. She grumbled and sat up slowly, draining the tub. She stepped out of the bath and wrapped her robe around her tiny body. Piling her hair up in a towel, she went to the kitchen to grab a snack.

Kimberly’s apartment was modest. She certainly didn’t have the luxury of her own home, as Tommy had, but it fulfilled its purpose. She had received her endorsement checks from the Pan Globals long ago, but Kimberly decided to spend only a portion of them on the apartment and her car; a ‘98 silver, chevy pick-up truck. She giggled at the thought of Tommy’s face when she had pulled up beside him.

“He’s lucky I didn’t run him over” she said to herself, grabbing a bottle of water from her fridge. Kimberly didn’t need much, as it was only her she had to care for. She had a tiny kitchenette with a built in dishwasher and a microwave. The slender fridge, nestled between the counter and the wall and a small dining table with two chairs.

The kitchen opened up to the living area, which was about the size of her bathroom, holding only a small floral love seat with a pink afghan laying on top of it, and a tiny television sitting across the way on a small platform. From the living room was a tiny hallway that lead to the outside hall, and from there the front door to her building.

Past the hallway was her bathroom which adjoined her bedroom.

Her bedroom was the piece de resistance! Her luxurious full sized mattress that sat mere inches from the floor took up the majority of the space. Decked out in plush, satin pillows and a huge down comforter; it was the best seat in the house. She had a slip of a closet, which frustrated her to no end, and a small dresser. As Kimberly had no real work space, she simply kept her laptop on her dresser and dragged it across the room to her bed when she needed it.

Finishing her water, Kimberly glanced at the clock on the microwave, 7:45. She decided to work on her lesson plans and check her email.

Sitting on her bed with her computer in front of her, she scrolled down the screen. Finding endless junk emails and the occasional one from her mother, Kimberly came to a halt when she saw one from a curious address.

“Jason!” She squealed, opening up the email. She scanned the letter excitedly, realizing the email was more than two weeks old. She hadn’t talked to Jason directly in over a month. After returning her home to Angel Grove from Reefside, he had gone back down to L.A. He had told her he was in the process of opening a karate studio, but he had been saying that since he was 12. Kimberly had no reason to believe it would ever come to fruition until now.

Kimmie!

What’s going on little sis? Are you still planning your move to Reefside? Congrats on the job, I’m totally excited for you. I know someone else who’d be excited! Haha. Don’t worry. I’ve said nothing . . . Guess what your big bro has been up to? That’s right! I am the proud owner of the Red Dragon Karate Works Studio in Van Nuys! Tell me you are proud! Keep me posted on things up there. I’m going to try to visit for Thanksgiving. I haven’t talked to Tommy since the dinner, hope he’s not mad, I’ve just been busy. If you two ever get your shit together, will you tell him to call me? I could use his advice about something. Let me know how you are! I love you, stay out of trouble, write back and all that stuff . . .

Jase

She laughed and closed the email. She returned to her paperwork briefly before opening the browser again. She hit the reply button on Jason’s email and started typing.

Hey Jase,

Sorry I didn’t write back sooner. I just got your email. I am settled in Reefside and just finished my first day! You wouldn’t believe it if I told you! Anyway, I miss you! I am very proud of you! Congratulations! When will I get to see your new studio? I can’t wait! Tommy and I have made up, kind of. We’re rebuilding our friendship as we speak. I’ll tell him to call you. Speaking of which. Why can’t you call me? I need to hear your voice! Have you heard from Aisha? Last time I talked to her was after the dinner. I hope she’s okay. Anyway, Thanksgiving sounds wonderful, I hope you can make it! I love you and I’ll try to keep in better contact! Talk to you soon!

Love, Kim

She checked her email for typos, a habit since becoming an English teacher, and hit the send button. She sighed and closed the browser again. “Okay Kim, enough stalling. Get to these lesson plans.” She told herself. And with that, she began planning for her first full schedule of classes the next day.

“98....99.......100" Tommy said, as he set the weights back down on their tray. He had just finished his third set and he was sore. The first day had taken a lot out of him. So many conflicting emotions and events had occurred in one day, he thought he had possibly imagined half of them. Seeing Kimberly again had been so surreal. When he had seen her at dinner two months ago, he was blown away, but he’d still been expecting it. This morning, he had not been prepared. He always thought she would have been more cautious of him after the break up and certainly after the dinner. But she wasn’t. She was friendly, and inviting.

He had tried to imagine himself being flippant and cavalier toward her. Pretending like she didn’t exist, but he couldn’t. He just liked her. Obviously, Tommy more than liked Kimberly, he loved her. But he wasn’t thinking about romantic feelings at the moment, he was simply thinking about her. The way she laughed, the way she over gesticulated with her hands when she’d tell a story. The way she bit her lower lip and wrinkled her nose. And now after seeing her with the kids tonight, the way she taught. He liked her as a person. She was simply, a decent, fun, funny, kind and loving person. And he adored every inch of her.

What would they do tomorrow? Kimberly didn’t really need Tommy’s help guiding her around school. The only class she hadn’t taught today was first period, but it the same classroom as the rest of them, except for drama. And she certainly knew where that class met. She knew what time her break was and where to get lunch, on or off campus.

“Maybe I’ll surprise her with lunch tomorrow.” He said to himself. Sitting up from the weight bench, Tommy hiked upstairs to take a shower. Once the water was hot, Tommy slipped off his clothes and stepped inside. Letting the scalding beads fall all over his aching body, Tommy let his thoughts drift back to Kimberly. He laughed, remembering how he had yelled his phony marriage proposal across the atrium. He recalled the stunned expression on her face. He wished he hadn’t disappointed her. Had the circumstances been different, he might have been serious. And as much as he wanted Kimberly back in his life, he knew it was too soon to propose something like that. They were just getting used to each other again. And while they had managed to slip back somewhat comfortably into their old routine, it was different this time. They were older and now held firsthand knowledge that fairy tales don’t always come true. Imagining Kimberly in his life now, was much more exhilarating, because she had returned to it, not always having been there.

He couldn’t believe what he was thinking, but for the first time, he was grateful for the letter. He always assumed that if Kim hadn’t left they would still be together. But what if they had stayed together and started taking each other for granted? What if they had started to resent one another? Tommy thought to himself.

He shut the shower off and stepped out of the stall. Grabbing a towel, he patted his body down before wrapping the cloth around his waist. He wiped the steam off of the mirror and stared at his reflection. “Tomorrow’s a new day.” He said to his image. Tommy made his way to his bedroom and threw on his boxers. Throwing the towel into the hamper, he crossed the hall into his study and began working on lesson plans for tomorrow. He set his thoughts about Kimberly to the side for the time being and started to work on his plans for tomorrow.

AN: Short Chapter, I know! I had to clear my head after that last long one! So, this was a bit fluffy but necessary! Jason’s still alive! Yah! We’ll be seeing more of him again soon! How will Tommy and Kimberly’s week finish out? And who in the name of Beelzebub will be cast in Romeo and Juliet? Find out next!

AN: Please keep reviewing! Thank you so much for all the positive feedback! WARNING: Major Fluff included in this chapter and well as some more mature material. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

If You Go Away

Chapter 11

A Wink and A Smile

7:20am

Reefside High School

Kimberly entered the main office to start her first full day of classes and second official day of teaching. She glanced at her schedule once more, realizing she had Speech first period. She made her way to the mail room and checked her box. Inside were fresh rosters and a few newsletters reminding teachers about important dates coming up like midterms and school functions. She skimmed the papers, reminding herself to read them completely on her lunch break when she spotted a tiny slip shoved in the back of the slot. She reached in and pulled it out. It was a telegram instructing her to see the front desk.

Kimberly approached the secretary behind the counter and smiled. “Hi, I’m Miss Hart. I was given this.” She handed the older woman the piece of paper. The woman smiled and nodded, indicating she’d be right back. Kimberly unconsciously tapped her foot, waiting for the secretary to return.

“Here you are dear. This came for you this morning. There’s a card attached.” The woman smiled, setting a giant vase of pink and white Gerbera daisies on the counter. Kimberly’s eyes widened.

“Is it your birthday?” the lady asked her. Kimberly shook her head. Snatching the tiny envelope, she opened it and read the inscription.

He that is strucken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost.

-Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, sc.1

I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Love, Tommy.

Tears couldn’t help but form in Kimberly’s eyes. Of all the gifts Tommy had ever gotten her, this was by far the most thoughtful. She giggled as she read the card again, noticing the quote notation he had included. The older woman smiled at Kimberly’s reaction.

“Do you want me to get a student to help you carry these to your class?” She asked her, motioning to the flowers. Kimberly shook her head. “No, that’s all right. I can manage. Thank you though.” She told the woman. Kimberly slipped the card back in its holder and stuffed the rest of her mail into her bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder to free up her hands. Gingerly lifting the vase, Kimberly slowly found her way out of the office.

She had successfully made her way to the stairwell amidst the wild student reactions, complete with shouts and whistles, when her obscured view caused her to slam right into Hannah Feldman. Kimberly craned her neck over the bouquet to apologize before discovering whom she had run into.

Ms. Feldman gave Kimberly an exaggerated smile. “Oh my goodness! I am so sorry, dear!”she said. Kimberly rolled her eyes. Of all the people to run into, she thought to herself. “I didn’t see you behind all those flowers. You’re such a short little thing!” Ms. Feldman squealed. Kimberly had never complained about her height. Being a gymnast for the majority of her life, being small had always been an advantage, but at present, she wished she was tall enough to at least appear intimidating.

“What a beautiful bouquet!” Ms. Feldman gushed. “It’s not your birthday is it? Oh my goodness, should we–does the faculty know? Should I make an announcement? How old are you? I mean, you can vote, right?”She bombarded Kimberly. “Where on earth did these flowers come from? They’re exquisite!” She continued, glancing down at the card. Ms. Feldman cast her a concerned glance. “Do the students know about you and–cause they shouldn’t, you know. No one should, but of course you know that, I mean–I don’t know how many teaching jobs you’ve had.... ” Kimberly stared at the woman incredulously. The audacity was dumbfounding. I swear, if this tall bitch doesn’t stay out of my business, I am going to do something utterly, regrettable, Kimberly thought to herself. Ms. Feldman adjusted her jacket and turned to the stairs.

“Ms. Feldman?” Kimberly spun around and caught the woman on her first step. “I hope to see you at the production meeting for Romeo and Juliet on Monday.” Kimberly said, flashing the woman a phony grin.

Hannah raised an eyebrow before pursing her lips into a tight smile. “Oh. I’m sorry Miss Hart. I should have told you. I’m no longer volunteering with the Drama Club. The Science Olympiad competes a week later and I just won’t have the time. I’ve spoken to some of the students already, and they’re fine with it. I just think I need to focus on something that gives the kids a real career opportunity, you know? ” She gave Kimberly a sympathetic smile.

“Have fun though! You’ll be fine. You know, the sixth period Home Ec. Class isn’t half bad, maybe you could ask them to help you with the costumes?” Ms. Feldman offered condescendingly. Kimberly was speechless.

“I’d keep my eye on those if I were you.” Hannah said, indicating the flowers. “They die very quickly.” Ms. Feldman squeezed Kimberly’s arm aggressively before spinning on her heels and jogging up the stairs.

Kimberly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Although she hadn’t been a ranger in some time, Kimberly always tried to remember and abide by the rules Zordon had told her. “Never escalate a battle, never escalate a battle, never escalate a battle . . . ” She chanted quietly. What she wouldn’t give to have her power bow right this very minute.

She reluctantly climbed the steps toward the second floor and headed for her classroom. Once inside, she set the vase beside the window on her desk. She glanced at the clock on the wall, 7:45. Students were already starting to filter into the room. She pulled out her notebook and clipboard and moved to the chalkboard. There she wrote her name and underlined it. Beneath that she spelled out the phrase, WHO ARE YOU? in giant, white letters.

Setting the chalk down, Kimberly crossed back over to her desk and pulled out her mail from earlier. She sat in her chair and began to review the flyer of important dates more thoroughly. She took out a pen from her drawer and referred to her desk calendar. She quickly skipped to October to fill in the production dates for Romeo and Juliet before glancing back at the flyer. She noted the Science Olympiad and reluctantly wrote the dates down. Then she saw the blurb about the Homecoming Dance. She smiled, remembering all the school dances she and Tommy had gone to. Specifically their first one. She sighed and looked at her flowers. “I’m going to have to pay him back.” She said to herself. The 10 minute warning bell rang, sending more students into the classroom. Kimberly glanced at the doorway to see Kira and Conner enter together.

“Miss Hart!” They said in unison. Kimberly smiled at them, thankful for the sudden distraction. As the two teens approached her desk, Kira noticed the flowers. “Oh my gosh! Miss Hart these are gorgeous!” The young girl shrieked. “Thank you, Kira.” She told her. Kimberly noticed Conner’s mischievous grin before eyeing him closely.

“Who are they from?” He asked innocently. She rolled her eyes and paused for a moment, deciding if she should tell him. “Tommy.” She whispered to the boy in red. Conner gave her a confused look. “Tommy? Oh right, Dr. O!” He whispered back, smiling. Kimberly returned it with her own, grateful that he had taken the hint to keep the admirer’s name on the down low. Kira gave Conner a playful nudge. “Duh, Conner.” She scolded. “I could have told you that.” Conner gave her nose a tweak and headed for a desk. Kimberly laughed as Kira blushed, following Conner and taking the seat beside him.

The final bell rang as a few last minute students rushed into the room. Kimberly ushered the stragglers in before shutting the door. “All right folks.” She said, making her way back to the head of the class. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Miss Hart. This is first period Speech. If you are supposed to be somewhere else, then I hate to tell you this, but you’re already tardy.” The class laughed. Kimberly smiled and turned around to the chalkboard. “Because we didn’t meet yesterday, I wanted to start off today’s class with introductions. Everyone will stand up here where I’m standing, and present themselves to the class. Who wants to go first?” She looked out into a sea of nervous faces. She laughed. “If you can’t talk about yourselves, how do you expect to pass this class?” She asked them. Finally, one brave girl raised her hand. “Thank you.” Kimberly said. As the young girl slowly made her way up to face the class, Kimberly shook her head. This is going to be another long day, she thought to herself.

12:31pm

First period had gone by quickly, despite their initial hesitation. She had thought it was nice to have Kira in both her first and second period classes, until they got to the auditorium, when Kira caught the gossip bug all of her students seemed to be infected with. All through drama, the kids eyed her carefully, analyzing every comment she made. Kimberly’s hour had been filled with sycophantic children all on their best behavior, hoping that their sugary appearances would sway her final decision regarding the pending cast list. She had never wanted a theater class to end so fast.

She glanced at the clock, thankful that her third period English class was engrossed in their activity. They had been more productive than her last two classes. Assigning them to five groups, six kids to a group; she had them discuss and outline what they believed to be the most important plot points in each act of the play. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She had 15 minutes before her break period, and she couldn’t wait. She hadn’t seen Tommy all morning and she wanted to thank him for the flowers and the note. She still hadn’t decided whether or not she should mention her run in with Ms. Feldman. The woman was still a colleague of his, for all the trouble she seemed to stir up, and Kimberly didn’t want to instigate another argument.

The bell rang. Kimberly looked up at her students, “I need one person from each group to hand in their group’s notes.” She instructed, as the teens approached her desk, handing off their papers. “Thank you guys. We’ll discuss these tomorrow.” She said, watching the kids filter out of the classroom. She stacked the papers in a pile and put them in a folder labeled, 3rd period. As she made her way around the aisles of desks, cleaning up trash and picking up stray pencils, a soft knock came from the door. Kimberly looked up to see Kira Ford standing at the entrance.

“Miss Hart?” Kira asked lightly. Kimberly nodded to the girl to approach. “Hi Kira. Can I help you?” The teen cleared her throat before continuing. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last class.” She said, lowering her head to stare at the floor. Kimberly placed a gentle hand on Kira’s shoulder. Kira looked up slowly, casting a bashful look in her teacher’s direction. Kimberly smiled, “Thank you, Kira. I know you’re excited to see the cast list, I know you all are. But kissing my ass isn’t going to make me think you’re a better actor.” She told the girl. Kira’s eyes widened, laughing at Kimberly’s choice of words.

“Oh I totally understand! I just wanted to say that even if I don’t get cast, I want to help with the show anyway.” Kira explained. Kimberly nodded her head and crossed back to her desk. “That’s wonderful, Kira. Thank you. What did you have in mind?” She asked her. “I was thinking I could sing or play a song on my guitar.” Kira told her hopefully. Kimberly admired the young girl for a moment. She reminded her so much of herself. Tommy had assessed that one correctly too. Kira’s practicality and patience, and having been a yellow ranger, made her very much like Trini. But her vivaciousness and passion made her all Kimberly.

“You play the guitar?” Kimberly asked. Kira nodded and smiled. “I’ve been playing for about six years. I’m not an official rock star or anything, but I do have a few original songs and I’ve performed at Haley’s Cyber Café a few times.” She told the older woman. Kimberly cocked her head, “What’s Haley’s Cyber Café? I don’t think I know that place.” She asked the teen. Kira grinned and took an enthusiastic seat in front of Kimberly’s desk. “Haley was the Dino Thunder’s technical advisor. She helped Dr. O develop and build all of our morphers and weapons and stuff.” Kira told her. “She owns her own coffee shop downtown. It’s basically like, our traditional hang out spot. We went there almost every day after school.” Kira continued to explain.

Kimberly sighed. The Cyber Café sounded like this generation’s Youth Center. “I’d love to check this place out. Maybe I could see you perform again?” She asked Kira. The youth smiled and nodded vigorously. “That’d be so cool! I haven’t seen Haley in a while, I’ve been meaning to stop by and say hey.” Kira said.

“Well, if you get another gig, let me know. I’d love to come out and support you.” Kimberly told the girl. There was another knock at the door. The two women looked up and saw Tommy standing in the doorway. He gave them a bashful grin. “Sorry ladies, I didn’t mean to interrupt something.” He offered. Kira stood up and glanced back at the flowers that were still sitting on Kimberly’s desk. She flashed Kim a toothy grin before heading for the exit. Kimberly gave Kira a subtle wink and waved her goodbye.

“It’s cool Dr. O. We were done.” Kira told him, sliding between his body and the door. Tommy moved slightly further into the classroom to allow Kira better access through the door. Once Kira was gone, Tommy shut the door behind him and turned his attention to Kimberly.

“Hey beautiful.” He said, slowly making his way across the room. “Hey handsome.” She returned, standing in front of her desk, watching him stalk her.

“Those are some nice flowers you got there. Looks like someone has a crush on you, Miss Hart.” He said wryly, stopping right in front of Kimberly’s petite body. She looked up at him playfully. “You know what’s bizarre, Dr. Oliver? He has the same name as you.” Kimberly said, sliding one hand to grip his tie. Tommy unconsciously licked his lips, staring back down her. “That is bizarre. Tell me, Miss Hart, what does this man look like?” He asked her firmly, putting on his best interrogation face. Kimberly didn’t break, continuing to stroke his tie with her hands.

“Well . . . ”She started seductively. “He’s tall, dark and handsome.” She said, tugging on his tie to pull Tommy’s body closer to her. Tommy groaned slightly as his crotch was pushed into Kimberly’s thigh. She smiled knowingly and resumed her tease. “He’s got the most penetrating eyes.” She whispered, emphasizing the second to last word.

Tommy’s knees nearly gave out as she released his tie and slipped her hands around to his backside, and dug her nails into his butt. Kimberly lips curled as she lifted her head to whisper in his ear. “And he’s got the cutest ass. So firm.” She added. Tommy growled excitedly and grabbed her by the hips. She giggled as he lifted her up and began kissing her neck. She willingly accepted, wrapping her legs around his waist. She braced her arms against his back as he continued to lavish her collarbone with tiny pecks. She moaned as his strong hands gripped her behind, and his mouth made its way down her chest.

Anxious from their role playing, Kimberly grabbed his face and pulled him into a frenzied kiss. He set her down on the desk, holding himself up with his arms on either side of her. She tugged on his tie once again. Tommy’s body was now almost completely on top of hers as their lips and tongues frantically danced around each other. Tommy’s reached his hand down to the hem of Kimberly’s flowing skirt. Pushing the material up, he slid his hand along her bare leg until he reached the tiny string of her underwear. Kimberly winced as his fingers plucked the material and lightly brushed the top of her mound. The couple pulled away from their kiss and blushed. “We should stop.” They said in unison. Tommy crawled off of Kimberly and pulled her arms to sit her up. She tugged her skirt back to its original position as she smoothed out her hair. Now standing, Tommy straightened his tie and adjusted his groin, which had been painfully nestled against Kimberly’s leg during their make out session.

The two adults looked at each other with guilty smiles. Kimberly bit her lower lip. “What just happened?” she asked breathlessly. Tommy gave her a satisfied grin. “You got me all hot and bothered. When did you become such a tease?” He asked her, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him with a devilish smirk, “Since I became an Acting teacher.” She said.

“Oh, I see. You were just acting. You were just pretending to be completely turned on.” He scoffed in mock offense, holding her by the waist once again. She giggled and shook her finger in his face. “Now, now, Dr. Oliver. Acting isn’t pretending. Acting is believing. I was simply reacting truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” She told him.

He smiled and gave Kimberly a painful whimper before he whispered in her ear, “Believe me, there was nothing imaginary about those circumstances. It was real. Very real.” He cooed. She laughed, playfully hitting his chest.

“Why don’t we get out of here, grab some lunch before our break is over.” He said, pulling her off the desk.

Kimberly landed on the ground and turned to grab her bag. “Can we check out the Cyber Café? Kira told me about it before you got here and I want to meet Hayley!” She asked. Tommy scratched his head and gave Kim an apologetic look. “I was kind of hoping we could be by ourselves. I have something planned for us.” He told her nervously. Kimberly eyed him cautiously, unsure of this plan of his. Tommy caught her look of reservation.

“Don’t worry, Kim. It’s nothing scandalous. I swear by the moon.” He joked, grabbing her hand. She laughed and pulled her hand away, shaking a finger. “Swear not by the moon, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I’ll believe thee.” She told him, offering her hand to him once again. Tommy took it and pulled her into him. He stroked her face with his other hand and said, “I swear, we will check out Hayley’s tomorrow. But right now, a picnic is waiting for us in my car and if we don’t devour all that delicious food soon, I’m going to be a grumpy Tommy Oliver.” He told her, placing a kiss on her nose. She swatted his arm, which he then offered to her as he led them out the classroom.

They decided to have Tommy pull his jeep around to the side of the school where the outside entrance to the auditorium was located. Having learned their lesson about publicly displaying their affection from Principal Randall.

Kimberly bounded down the steps when she saw him drive up and hopped into the passenger seat. He gave her a wink from behind his sunglasses and sped away. The clock on his dashboard read 1:05. They would have to hurry and eat quickly, having spent more time in Kimberly’s classroom than he had planned. It was worth the delay, he thought to himself.

They pulled up to a secluded patch of land, just minutes from the school. He reached behind his seat and grabbed a large basket, a thermos and a bag of plastic cups. Kimberly grabbed the blanket and got out of the car. When she offered to help him carry the items, he refused, motioning for her to run up ahead and grab a spot on the grass. Kimberly skipped ahead of him and spread the giant cloth near a shady spot under a tree. Tommy came up and set the basket, cups and thermos down on the ground. He took a seat and started unveiling the goodies he had prepared. Kimberly clapped her hands excitedly as he handed her a monstrous plate of apples and brie cheese. She eyed the food savagely, her mouth watering.

Next, Tommy pulled out a tiny bottle of champagne, which made Kimberly shake her head. “Should we be drinking that?” She asked him, helping herself to an apple. He smiled as he turned the bottle around and read her the label.

“Sparkling white grape juice. California’s finest.” He said, laughing. She giggled at her mistake and continued to crunch happily on the fruit. Tommy opened the package of cups and poured the juice into a cup for each of them.

“What’s in the thermos?” She mumbled, her mouth full of food. Tommy gave her a quick smile and said, “Dessert.”

Kimberly shrugged her shoulders and reached for another bite. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the breeze and each other’s company. Kimberly took a sip of her juice before reaching over the blanket and placing a kiss on Tommy’s lips. He swallowed his food before licking his lips and said, “You’re welcome.” He smiled, stuffing another bite into his mouth. Kimberly gave him a playful pout. “How’d you know what I was going to say?” She asked, crossing her arms. Tommy reached for his cup and chugged the remains. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding. “What else would I deserve that for?” he winked.

She grabbed the miniature bottle and refilled their cups. Screwing the cap back on and nestling the juice back into the basket, she took a sip and said, “Thank you for the flowers and the card. I meant to say something earlier but, I kind of got, you know, distracted.” She blushed, biting her lip. He smiled, remembering their heated scene in the classroom. “Kim, I really am sorry for the other night. I never meant for you to think I didn’t take you seriously. I just thought it was silly for you to be jealous or paranoid of other women. Especially someone like Hannah Feldman! That broad’s just crazy. Besides, she way too old for me.”He laughed, grabbing Kimberly’s hand and massaging it with his thumb. Kimberly gave him a sad smile.

“Well that crazy old broad quit the Drama Club. And she knows about us Tommy. She knows we’re . . . whatever we are.” She huffed, taking her hand away and pulling her knees up to her chest. Tommy gave Kimberly a concerned look. How had he managed to say the wrong thing again? “Kim, wait a minute, back up. Why did she quit the drama club?” He asked her, scooting closer to rest his hands on her knees. Kimberly rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew she shouldn’t have told him, but as soon as he uttered her name, Kimberly couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t been able to vent to anyone about the incident and Tommy was the only other person she knew well enough to talk to about it, even if it started another fight.

“I ran into her this morning on my way to class. I was holding the vase of flowers and she read the card, saw it was from you and just started picking on me, on us. She insulted me, calling me short, asking if I was old enough to vote, insinuating that I didn’t have as much teaching experience as her, advising me to keep a low profile, suggesting that I should be more careful about our relationship, whatever it is, then she dropped the bomb on me by saying that can’t help with the play because she has Science Olympiad, something that could result in real career opportunities.” She mocked Ms. Feldman’s demeaning statement.

Tommy stared at her in shock, not believing all the things Ms. Feldman had done and said to her. Kimberly wasn’t finished. She looked at Tommy with tears in her eyes. “Then, to add insult to injury, if that’s not already redundant, she told me to look after my flowers, because they die easily.”

Kimberly inhaled sharply, stifling her sobs that were about to break loose. Tommy went to hug her but she pushed him away. He nodded his head, accepting her refusal. He reached over the blanket to grab the black thermos that had remained untouched throughout their lunch. “Want some dessert?” He asked her gently. She shook her head and sniffled, remaining closed off from his attempts to calm her down. “Well, I’m going to help myself to some, and once you see how delicious it looks, you’re going to want some too.” He said simply. He began spooning out fluffy chocolate mousse from the container. He knew it was strange way to transport chocolate mousse, but he had to keep his present to Kimberly a surprise. She eyed him angrily. She loved chocolate mousse! Damn it, she thought to herself. He saw her resisting the urge to say something, so he calmly spooned out the remaining dessert onto her plate and handed her a fresh utensil. She thanked him silently, taking a tiny bite off the top off her pile. Tommy watched her carefully, enjoying her satisfied groans as the chocolate substance disappeared behind her lips.

She popped the spoon out of her mouth and reached for another bite. Stopping half way to resume her rant. “I thought I was better about things after yesterday, you know? I thought I had over reacted and I should just grow up and stop whining.” Kimberly raised the bite to her face and inserted into her mouth. She swallowed before continuing. “And it upsets me to think that she was right about some of her comments. Like, I am young, and I don’t have as much teaching experience as her. But to claim that theater won’t lead to a real career?” She fumed, reaching for another spoonful. She slid the spoon into her mouth, letting the mousse slide down her throat. “The nerve of that woman! And then, to speculate about our relationship, which is none of her business, even if whatever we’re doing might be bending school policy . . . it’s NONE OF HER BUSINESS!” Kimberly cried out. She scooped up the last of her dessert as Tommy sipped on his juice, having finished his mousse during Kimberly’s returning tirade.

He waited for her to consume her final bite. She looked down at the tiny mound of chocolate hanging on her spoon. She set it back down on her plate and groaned, clutching her stomach. “I can’t eat anymore. It was so rich, thank you Tommy.” His face fell. She needs to finish that last bite! He thought to himself. He grabbed the spoon which still contained the mousse and offered it to Kimberly. “Are you sure you don’t one last bite? Last bite’s the sweetest.” He said, dangling the dessert in her face. She squealed and pushed his hand away. “No! I can’t. You eat it. I’m not in the mood anymore. I’m sorry. I just hate feeling like this, you know? All this paranoia, this powerless uncertainty surrounding our relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I love the time we’ve been spending together and I’m glad we so easily found this routine again, but don’t you ever wonder if we’re just wasting time? Like we’re scared of the future so we dance around each other for years but never actually do something about it?” She rambled, staring off at the sky. Tommy cleared his throat, gaining her attention again.

“Kim, I’m going to eat this last bite, then I want you to kiss me, but on one condition.” He stated. Kimberly looked at him incredulously. “Pfft. Okay, what’s that?” she snickered, eyeing him narrowly. “You can’t run away after you do.” He said seriously. She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to eat. “Don’t be a weirdo. Eat your mousse.” She told him, which he eagerly did. She watched him as he carefully swished the chocolate around in his mouth and swallowed gently. He smiled and reached out his arms to accept Kimberly’s embrace. She giggled, crawling over to him. Silently, he pointed to his left cheek, which Kimberly kissed. Then he pointed to his right cheek, where she pecked him again. Then he smiled as Kimberly descended onto his mouth. He slowly parted his lips to allow Kimberly’s tongue access inside. Kimberly’s eyes shot open when she felt something cold and hard float into her mouth. She pulled away from his lips and sat back. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small, silver band with a tiny pink heart attached to it. Kimberly looked at the ring, then back at Tommy, who was smiling nervously.

“What, what does this mean?” She asked him breathlessly. “Does this mean what I think it means?” Tommy lifted himself up on one knee and took Kimberly’s hand. She was starting to cry as Tommy hushed her with his finger, placing the ring on her hand. “Kim, nothing has to happen soon, but I don’t want you to question our relationship and what you mean to me anymore. I’m giving you this ring today, so you can stop worrying about tomorrow.”

Kimberly giggled softly. Tommy gave her hand a squeeze. “Piss off. I stayed up all night memorizing this.” He said playfully. She stifled her laughter and nodded for him to continue. “I love you, beautiful. Will you marry me sometime in the near future?” He asked awkwardly. Kimberly let her laughter roar and Tommy smiled. She pulled him by the hand, sending him flying on top of her, where she hugged and kissed him. “Thomas Oliver that was the most ridiculous marriage proposal I have ever heard.” She said, screaming at his sudden tickling attack. “Get those a lot do you?” He asked as the couple wrestled on the grass. She laughed and let out a yelp when he bit her behind. “You only asked me that so we could do this on school property.” She threatened, climbing onto his back and tickling his sides. He reared back as Kimberly slid off of him. They sat there for a moment, in blissful silence. They were engaged, sort of. Tommy knew things had happen quickly, but he was a fool if he thought he could be happier with someone else. He loved Kimberly, and now he had proven it.

“You know, you never answered my question.” He said, catching his breath. She gave him a tiny peck on the cheek. “You’re a dreamboat.” She told him softly. “So I’ve heard. Is that a yes?” He asked confusedly. She giggled and punched in the arm. “Of course I’ll marry you . . . someday.” She said, giving him a wink. He smiled and stood up, Kimberly followed suit as the two started cleaning up their picnic and headed for the car.

The drive back seemed quicker than the drive to the park, much to their disappointment. Tommy turned off the ignition and set his sunglasses on top of his head. “You wanna come over tonight? Have dinner and celebrate?” He asked her. Kimberly shook her head, “You’ve done so much already. Why don’t you come over to my place instead? I can order the best pizza in Reefside! Besides, I have to finalize the cast list and I was hoping you could help me.”

She told him. Tommy nodded, “Mmm, nothing says a romantic, engagement celebration like pizza!” He joked. Kimberly slapped his arm playfully. “Well, sorry I can’t cook like Mr. Gourmet chef over here!” She laughed. The bell rang, signaling the end of fourth period. Tommy and Kimberly scrambled out of the car and marched toward the school.

“We’ll talk about this after class.” She said, hurrying up the stairs. Tommy caught her hand and spun her around. “We can do this now.” He told her, pulling her into a spirited kiss. Kimberly felt herself melt into his embrace before passing students started howling and whistling. The couple separated, blushing at their audience. Kimberly gave him a wink and headed up the steps. Tommy watched her leave, receiving random high fives and pats on the shoulder from male students as he turned and left for his class.

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! There is a lot more of this story left, I hope you all stick with it!

What happens now that Tommy and Kimberly are kind of engaged? This and much more! On with the story! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Don’t sue.

If You Go Away

Chapter 12

Mixed Signals

7:00am

Reefside High School

Friday had finally arrived. Kimberly and Tommy had met at her apartment around six the previous night. The promissary engagement ring that Tommy had surprised Kim with went virtually undiscussed, as the two were still in shock that their lives had reunited them so quickly. Instead, the couple focused on helping Kimberly decide the final cast list for Romeo and Juliet. After a long debate about politics, protocol, talent, and nepotism; the two finally agreed on the best people for each role. Tommy had resigned to the fact that it was ultimately Kim’s decision long before they had come to a resolution, but Kimberly was insistent that he help her decide, having a better idea of the dynamics between certain students than she did. Kimberly also convinced Tommy to help her choreograph the fights again, wanting to implement martial arts and dance into the style. Tommy suggested having members of his Karate Club act as townspeople and random kinsmen during the combat scenes. Kimberly loved the idea. The trickiest part would be coordinating everyone’s schedules.

The newly devoted couple had called it an early night, agreeing to see one another at lunch the next day and checking out Haley’s Cyber Café after school. They gave each other a loving kiss and parted ways, Tommy thanking Kimberly for the pizza and her thanking him for all of his help.

Kimberly had woken up that morning with a renewed sense of hope. She knew that between a possible run in with certain faculty about her now recognized relationship with Tommy and the inevitable drama that would ensue once the cast list was posted, her day was a recipe for disaster. But Kimberly vowed to keep her wits about her, no matter what adversity she might encounter today.

She was in the kitchen with her laptop open, scanning her inbox for any new emails from Jason or Aisha, both of whom she still had not spoken to in over a month. Her ecstatic shouts echoed through her tiny apartment when she found the email she was hoping for. “Aisha! Finally!” She screamed. She clicked the link and started reading.

GIRL! IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG!

I talked to Jason and he thankfully filled me in on what’s been going on! Sorry I haven’t written or called. Work has got me so stressed. I hear you are teaching? With Tommy? You sneaky bitch! J/K~

Tell me what’s up! I want all the details! Jason said something about driving down to Reefside for Thanksgiving? If I can snag an extra couple of days off, I might join y’all. Anyway, I hate email, so I will try to call you soon. I’m a bad friend, girl. Sorry! I miss you! Sometimes it be like . . . damn! LOL! Don’t write back. Okay, write back if you must, but I hope to actually hear your voice soon!

XOXO , A

Kimberly laughed as she shut her laptop and nestled it in it’s carrying case. She knew if she did in fact, reply to Aisha’s email, it would be Thanksgiving before her friend would even read it. Kimberly made a mental note to call Aisha later that night, hoping to catch her after work. “Oh shit! I forgot to tell Tommy to call Jason!” She reminded herself. She glanced at the microwave clock, tossed the remains of her coffee into the sink and headed for school.

When Kimberly arrived, she made a beeline for the office. She knew she had to connect her computer to the office printer somehow and she hadn’t a clue how to do it. She fluttered through the doors and ran to the computer room. Setting her bag down, she carefully removed her laptop from its case and opened it. She fished for all the necessary plugs and cords before looking around the room aimlessly, trying to figure out what device plugged into what. “What I wouldn’t give to have Billy here right now,” she sighed to herself.

Just then, her prayers were answered, sort of. A round, older man peaked his head around the corner. He was about 5'9, with red hair and a receding hair line. His pale face and freckled skin against his bright green polo made him look like an overgrown leprechaun. He smiled as he slowly approached Kimberly.

“Mr. Welch!” Kimberly yelped, not having noticed him until just now. She remembered him from the faculty meeting, having sat next to him during introductions.

“I was . . . uh . . . in the other room and I couldn’t help but notice that you . . . uh . . . were having some trouble.” The man stuttered. Kimberly smiled, noting Mr. Welch’s adorable if not questionable, nervousness.

“Yeah, I need to print out a file on my laptop and I was trying to figure out how to hook up my computer to the school’s printer, but I don’t know where anything goes!” She told him helplessly. Mr. Welch nodded, suddenly the picture of complete confidence. He gestured to the cords in Kimberly’s hands, silently asking her if he could take them. She obliged and handed them off. Mr. Welch began separating the cords and plugged one into the back of Kimberly’s laptop and then turned his attention to the printer. He pulled the machine slightly away from the wall and crouched down to find the right plug. He tugged on the cord and placed the other end of the adapter into the printer.

He repeated the process again with the next cord and adjusted the settings on the printer’s keypad before sitting down to tackle Kimberly’s laptop. With a few simple taps to the buttons and a couple of scrolls on the mouse, Mr. Welch sat back and watched the computer screen light up. Displaying a tiny notification box that revealed a connection had been made to an outside source. “You’re all set!” he told her, grinning at his speedy handiwork.

Kimberly’s eyes widened. She spontaneously charged Mr. Welch and pegged him square on the cheek with a kiss.

“Oh my gosh, Mr. Welch! Thank you so much!” She squealed. Mr. Welch gave Kimberly a bashful smile.

“It’s the least I can do. Please . . . don’t hesit . . . hesitate to ask for my . . . my help again, “ he offered awkwardly, his previous confidence vanishing. Kimberly squeezed his arm gently he stood up and offered her the seat in front of the computer. She anxiously sat down and began to locate the file as Mr. Welch headed for the door. Kimberly’s head shot up as a thought suddenly came to her.

“Mr. Welch, wait!” She called to him. The man turned around and blinked nervously. Kimberly smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “What time is your break period? May I buy you lunch? I totally owe you for this,” she asked him. Mr. Welch’s face turned bright red. What on earth was a beautiful young woman asking to buy him lunch for? Sure he had helped her with her computer problem, but most women would just barely thank him and continue about their business.

“Third period,” he told her. Kimberly frowned. “Damn. I have mine during fourth. Oh! I’m going to check out this place called the Cyber Café after school, could I buy you a cappuccino instead?” She offered, biting her lip.

Mr. Welch stared at the floor and nodded. “That’d be nice,” he managed to say. Kimberly giggled and clapped her hands. “Great, it’s a date! I’ll meet you there right after school. I have to post the cast list for Romeo and Juliet at the end of the day, and I have a feeling I’m going to need any excuse to get out of here as quickly as possible!” she told him playfully. He blushed again before giving Kimberly a small wave goodbye and heading out the door.

Turning her attention back to her computer, Kimberly studied the cast list one final time. Deciding everyone was assigned accordingly, she added a few notes about rehearsal times and locations, the addition of the Karate Club, and a thank you to everyone who auditioned, including information about when she could be reached or contacted regarding involvement with the production. Satisfied, Kimberly saved the file and sent it to the printer. She stood up and crossed over to the machine, delivering her announcement in a matter of seconds.

She glanced at the clock, 7:45. She scurried around the room, carefully unplugging every cord she could find and shutting down her computer. She placed the cast list carefully into her folder and packed up the rest of her belongings as she made her way to her classroom.

Kimberly’s first period Speech class had gone much smoother today than on Thursday. Assuming the kids had just been timid, she eagerly engaged them in their first assignment; School Policies. The subject had been developing in Kimberly’s mind since the first day of school, now she wanted feedback. She passed out a list of various rules and regulations relative to the students and had them pair off, choosing a topic to research and discuss. Conner and Kira paired up naturally, deciding to tackle Public Displays of Affection, a rule they had recently come to despise. Kimberly had to laugh when they told her which issue they would be speaking about. The parallel dimension the teen couple was living in alongside hers and Tommy’s was amusing, if not a little unnerving. Class was dismissed and Kimberly began packing up her things as her students trickled out.

Conner gave Kira a quick kiss before heading off to his next class. Kira waited by the door as Kimberly approached and gave the girl a contemplative look. “Kira, I don’t want to talk about the cast list. Drama class is going to be difficult as it is,” she told the teen as they traversed the halls toward the auditorium. Kira gave her a pleading look but said nothing. Kimberly shook her head and laughed. “Have you given any more thought to the song you want to perform for the show?” She asked the younger girl. Kira nodded as she held the door to the auditorium open for Kimberly. “I’ve been trying but I just can’t seem to come up with good lyrics. Everything I’ve written so far is just . . . blah,” she whined. They made their way to the stage where Kimberly set her bags down and turned to face Kira. “Have you thought about covering a song?” She asked the girl. Kira gave her a defeated shake of the head.

“I know it wouldn’t be your own song, but you would still be performing it. And provided the music is easy to transpose, you could still play the guitar,” Kimberly suggested. At this, Kira brightened. She hadn’t thought of it that way. “Yeah, I totally could,” she agreed. Kimberly laughed and patted Kira on the shoulder. Kira smiled and went to find a seat in the theater.

9:30am

Third Floor, The Science Wing

Reefside High School

“So the largest species of mammoth was the Imperial Mammoth, good. And this creature matters to us because?” Tommy asked his class. He started every semester with a brief section on local prehistoric creatures. He found that introducing his students to the world of Paleontology could prove more palpable if were relative to where they lived, at least in the beginning. A young boy finally raised his hand. Tommy glanced at his roster, still trying to learn names. “Yes . . . Mark?” he pointed to the boy. “The Imperial Mammoth was indigenous to California,” he answered.

Tommy nodded. “Excellent. Well, that covers today’s topic. We have about 10 minutes left, so please use this time to start reading Chapters one through five, section 3; Mass Extinction and Meteor Collisions With Earth,” he instructed, removing his glasses and rubbing his nose. He remained in front of the class as the students began opening their textbooks and flipping through the pages. “Take notes, we will discuss these chapters on Monday and I expect you all to participate. Are there any questions?" he asked. Another boy raised his hand as Tommy referred to the list of names once again. “Alex, yes?”

“Do you have any information about the Science Olympiad?” the young boy asked him. Tommy shook his head. “No, I’m sorry Alex. This is a social science class, not a practical one. If you or anyone else would like more information about that, please see Ms. Feldman in Room A316, two doors down,” he told the class. Tommy replaced his glasses and turned to take a seat behind his desk. He laughed to himself, thinking about what Ms. Feldman had said to Kimberly regarding the Science Olympiad. He hated to think it, but Hannah had a point. Science could lead to more secure careers than the theater could, but she had stepped way out of bounds by saying it wouldn’t lead to a real career. Tommy glanced at his watch, anxious for the bell to ring.

1:00pm

Teacher’s Lounge

Reefside High School

Kimberly’s Drama Class had been eerily focused. Having given them basic scenes to perform on the first day, they did walkthroughs today, learning stage directions and basic blocking techniques to add visual interest. Her students had been so thoughtful, Kimberly nearly broken down and told them the cast list right then. Grateful for her present surroundings, Kimberly leaned back in her chair and sipped lazily on her soda. She and Tommy had decided to stay on campus, opting for a more cost effective rendezvous in the teacher’s lounge. She had remembered to tell Tommy to call Jason, mentally checking it off in her head. “Oh! I also invited Mr. Welch to join us at Hayley’s this afternoon,” she said. Tommy groaned. “Dave Welch? Why?” Tommy asked sullenly.

Kimberly shot him an offended look. “Because he helped me hook up my computer so I could print out the cast list this morning,” she explained. “You know that he teaches Anthropology. I would think you guys would be like two peas in a pod,” Kimberly said jokingly, taking another sip of her drink.

Tommy rolled his eyes. “ Kim, Anthropology is the study of human kind, not dinosaur kind,” he casually explained.

Kimberly playfully slapped his arm. “You know what I mean. And don’t be jealous, I just want to repay him for his generosity,” she told him simply. Tommy snickered. “I am not jealous. Me jealous? Jealous of that guy? Jealous of ‘Groovy’ Dave Welch? Please!” he rambled, tilting his chair back and resting his hands behind his head. Kimberly laughed. “How many times are you gonna use the word ‘jealous’? Who are trying to convince?” She asked, biting her straw. Tommy set the chair back on the ground before attacking Kimberly with kisses. She squealed as she tried to escape.

Just as the two were beginning to wrestle, Mrs. Franklin walked into the lounge, followed by a very distraught Ms. Feldman. Mrs. Franklin cleared her throat, as Tommy and Kimberly parted quickly, their faces’ red. Ms. Feldman gave a half-hearted grimace as she crossed the room to the vending machine. Mrs. Franklin took a seat beside Tommy and Kimberly. “Hannah’s ex-husband just finalized their divorce,” the older woman told them.

“Sarah!” Ms. Feldman cried, outraged. “Not that it’s any of their business, but I’m sure they don’t care,” she said as the can of soda dropped noisily out of the machine. Mrs. Franklin winced at the loud clunk as Kimberly straightened up in her chair. “Ms. Feldman, I’m really sorry. Is there anything we can do?” she asked the woman softly. Tommy shot Kimberly a look of confused apprehension, unconvinced that Kimberly should be the one to console Ms. Feldman. Hannah gave Kimberly a tight smile before motioning to Mrs. Franklin to join her. Sarah nodded, rising up to stand. She placed a tender hand on Tommy’s shoulder and gave Kimberly a warm smile as she noticed the tiny silver ring on Kimberly’s finger. Mrs. Franklin leaned in toward the couple and whispered, “Congratulations.”

Ms. Feldman gave Mrs. Franklin a suspicious glare before looking back at Kimberly. “Thank you for the offer, Miss Hart. But I’m a big girl, I’ll be fine,” Hannah told her coldly as she and Mrs. Franklin left the lounge as abruptly as they had come in.

Once the women had left, Kimberly turned and glared at Tommy, who was just as dumbfounded and she was. She took a deep breath and calmly took a sip of her diet coke before speaking. “I realize that I have no experience with divorce, and in knowing what Ms. Feldman seems to be dealing with should explain some of her behavior, but that woman is absolutely awful to me!” Kimberly stated, resting her head in her hands. Tommy gave her a consoling look and rubbed her back. “I know Kim, but try to understand her position. We don’t know the full story. Maybe her husband left her for a younger woman and she’s displacing all of her aggression out on you,” Tommy offered.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and huffed. “That doesn’t excuse her attitude,” she griped.

“Think about it, Kim. If her husband cheated on her with a younger woman, she must have felt replaced, right? So what does she think of when she sees you? A younger woman, a younger teacher, out to replace her,” he explained rationally. Kimberly stared at him in disgust. Why is he trying to get me to sympathize? She thought to herself.

“Tommy, I appreciate your psychoanalysis, but I am not a science teacher. Why would she displace me for some woman her husband left her for, if that’s even what happened? Besides, we all know the real reason she’s a giant troll to me, and that’s because of you, my dear Thomas. Because of you,” she sighed. Kimberly had expected to run into Ms. Feldman again, as they shared the same break period. And she knew she would possibly run into her with Tommy present, but she released any insecurity now that Tommy had inadvertently proposed. So why was she suddenly consumed with jealously again, knowing that the woman was probably just upset about her own relationship? Kimberly couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for making the conversation all about her. But that woman still drove her crazy, and that woman still wanted Tommy, finalizing a divorce or not.

“Kim, why are you being so literal? You’re acting really selfish right now. This may not have anything to do with you. Or me, for that matter. I know she’s overly attentive toward me, and I haven’t forgotten anything you’ve said about your experiences with her; but maybe she’s just lonely and confused and not handling it in the most appropriate way,” Tommy said, annoyed for having to explain himself again. Kimberly nodded begrudgingly. She hated being reprimanded, especially by Tommy. She always felt his wisdom and his judgement whenever he called her out, making her feel naive and immature.

“I’m sorry. I just thought that things would be different now that we’ve made this promise to each other. I thought I would be able to handle Ms. Feldman, or Principal Randall or anyone that could come between us, but I guess I can’t. Maybe this was a bad idea, “Kimberly said, playing with the ring before sliding it off her finger and setting it on the table in front of Tommy. Tommy stared at her in shock. “Kim, it’s been a day! Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” he asked her.

“Tommy, that’s my point! It’s only been a day, and it’s been three amazing days leading up to this. In my wildest dreams I wished for you and me to get back together and now it’s happened so quickly, I don’t know how to handle it. I can’t seem to control my paranoia. I feel like I’m intruding into this life you’ve already established with these people at school, and I don’t want to compete with that. If this ring is supposed to mean security in our relationship, than I don’t want it right now, and I don’t know if we should continue this for a while,” she poured, tears already falling from her eyes. She pushed the ring closer to Tommy. “I’m sorry. If giving this back to you means I won’t see it or you again, I’ll understand. I’m so sorry Tommy, I wish I knew what I wanted, but I’m just really overwhelmed,” she said, standing up and gathering her bags. She turned for the door and stopped to look back at Tommy’s face, which was, to say the least, devastated and torn. “Don’t worry about the play, either. I don’t expect you to want to still help me with it, I . . . gotta go . . . I’m sorry,” she told him, tears overpowering her tiny being as she ran out from the lounge.

Tommy closed his mouth, which had been standing agape for that last five minutes. What had just happened? He thought to himself. He stared at the silver band sitting lifeless on the table. She did it again, this time having promised Tommy she wouldn’t. She ran away, again. Tommy’s stomach suddenly turned, causing him to dry heave.

He felt nauseous. How had Ms. Feldman’s problem become Kimberly’s? Why was she behaving so irrationally?

What had prompted to confess all these feelings of insecurity that seemed to conveniently plague her every time she and he got one step closer?

The bell rang. Shit, he thought to himself. He wouldn’t see Kimberly until after school, if she was still even planning on going to Hayley’s. Tommy felt his heart sink at the thought of avoiding her. “We were just getting started!” He yelled, receiving some concerned looks from the secretaries and teachers who were on their way to and from class.

He stood from his chair, grabbing the tiny trinket and shoving it into his pocket before angrily heading off to his last class.

AN: THE CAST LIST IS POSTED! Oh my goodness, such drama! Why can’t they just live happily ever after? Cause they’re human . . . haha. Seriously, thanks to everyone who has been sticking with me and continuing to review and read! Will these problems ever get resolved? Yes, possibly . . . in time. Read on and find out what happens next!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don’t sue.

If You Go Away

Chapter 13

Ne Me Quitte Pas

2:29pm

Reefside High

Kimberly felt like melting into the floor. What had she done? What had she said? She had been the one yesterday to ramble on about how she wanted her and Tommy to stop dancing around each other. He had been more assertive in the last three days than she had ever seen or known him to be, and yet here she was, an invariable body of indecisiveness. The irony was heartbreaking.

She couldn’t even remember everything she had said to Tommy at lunch. But she knew why she had. Keith.

The final bell rang as Kimberly quickly collected her things and left the classroom before most of her students. She ran to the auditorium as fast as her legs could carry her, dismissing the looks and frantic exclamations from fellow teachers and students alike, as she practically pushed everyone out of her way. Once there, she quickly ducked into the women’s bathroom and locked herself in. She threw her bag across the tile floor and started screaming.

FLASHBACK

Kimberly’s Apartment

Miami, Florida

“Son of a bitch! Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare speak to me!” Kimberly yelled at the top of her lungs. Keith Smart was standing a foot away from her, trying to get her to calm down. “Kim, would you please lower your voice?”

He asked her. “No! THIS IS MY GODDAMN APARTMENT! I’ll talk as LOUD AS I FUCKING WANT TO!”

She continued to shout. Kimberly couldn’t remember the last time she had been this enraged, if ever. She never wanted to see him again. Not after what he had just confessed. “Kim, I’m sorry,” Keith said calmly, slowly approaching her. Kimberly held her hands up as if to strike him. “No! Stay away from me! I can’t trust you! You lying son of a bitch! Do you know what this is doing to me? Do you even care?” She accused, backing up as he walked forward. Kimberly and Keith had been engaged for a year, the last month of which, Kimberly had spent in the hospital recovering from a chipped bone in her elbow. Once she had been released, she was informed that she wouldn’t be able to compete again. Keith was still on the track toward the Olympics, a goal that he was not willing to give up, even if it meant breaking off his engagement with Kimberly.

“Kim, I never meant to hurt you,” he told her quietly. She glared at him and threw a pillow from the couch she had been hiding behind. “You asshole! Of course you never meant to hurt me! No one ever means to hurt someone!” She screamed. Keith sighed, realizing that there was nothing he could say to appease her. He turned and started heading for the door. Kimberly caught up to him and blocked the exit. She stared him down maniacally. She could literally wring his neck. “What? You’re just going to leave? You’re just going to forget about me? Am I no good to you anymore?” She yelled in his face. Keith closed his eyes and accepted the lashing, inciting her even more. “You know what? Fine. Just go. Be a fucking coward and leave me. You go and follow your dream and I’ll just go back to where I came from,” she exclaimed, slamming into his shoulder as she walked past him. Keith turned again and grabbed her arm. “Kimberly, stop it. It’s not fair, I know. But I wouldn’t expect you to give this up either if our places were switched. Some people just aren’t cut out for the Olympics. You came into this game really late, and you couldn’t finish. It happens,” he told her consolingly. She pushed him away and pointed to the door, not wanting to look him in the face. “I was cut out for the Olympics, you arrogant prick,” she said through her teeth, still not facing him. Her tears had begun to sting her eyes. “And I would have finished if I hadn’t been injured. How dare you insinuate that I was not good enough for this sport! And don’t you ever compare yourself to me! I am not like you. I wouldn’t dump my fiancee!”

“Kimberly, you said it yourself, long distant relationships don’t work. And if I’m going to be traveling around, training for the games, I can’t wait around for your call,” he told her coldly. She raised her head, turning to face him. Kimberly shook her head in disbelief. “You don’t want a wife, you want a fan. Someone who will sit quietly in the stands and look pretty and cheer you on,” she accused. Keith raised his hands in defeat and turned to leave. This time, Kimberly made no attempts to stop him. He grabbed the handle of the door before turning around to face his ex-fiancee once more. “Go back to your Tommy,” he told her dryly, slamming the door behind him. Her eyes widened as she rushed after the vibrating door, screaming at Keith through the wood. “Tommy wouldn’t leave me like this! Tommy would have helped me through my injury! He was a better man than you could ever be!” She sobbed. Kimberly collapsed to the floor in a heap of tears and shaking limbs.

END OF FLASHBACK

Kimberly found herself in the same position she had been that night, her back against the door, balling her eyes out.

She opened her eyes with difficulty, realizing she was back in the lobby bathroom of the auditorium. She slowly raised herself off the floor and went to the sink to wash her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, hating what she saw at the moment. Her daze was broken by a loud pounding on the door. She jumped slightly at first, not recognizing where it was coming from before she heard two voices in the lobby calling for her.

“Miss Hart? Are you in there? Miss Hart?” The voices pleaded. She dried her face and grabbed her bag before unlocking the door to greet whoever it was on the other side.

“Miss Hart, are you okay?” A deeply concerned Ethan James asked. Beside him, Trent Fernandez was copying his friend’s face with the same look of worry. Kimberly covered her face with her hands and slowly nodded. “Yes, Ethan I’m fine. I’ve had a stressful day, is all,” she told the boy in blue. Ethan gave Trent a puzzled look as the boy in white shrugged his shoulders. “We got scared when you ran out of class, so we followed you,” Trent explained.

Kimberly nodded again, “Thank you both for your concern, I’ll be fine,” she said, moving out into the lobby.

“I guess I better post this cast list before the mob shows up, huh?” she joked, attempting to reassure the two teens that she was all right. The laughed nervously as she pulled out her folder and looked at the announcement. She frowned when she saw the memo she had added that morning about the Karate Club members. “Oh dear, I don’t know if the Karate Club is still going to be a part of the show now,” she said to herself. Ethan and Trent gave each other surprised looks before approaching Kimberly. “I didn’t know we were part of the show at all,” Ethan said. Kimberly sighed, realizing that Tommy hadn’t even told his students about their involvement yet. “Well, then I guess it’s just as well. But I don’t know what to do about the memo,” she told Ethan, turning around to face him.

“Should we find Dr. O? Maybe he knows?” Trent offered. Kimberly fervently shook her head. “No, no, no. It’s all right, I have the whole weekend to straighten this out. I’ll talk to Dr. Oliver myself. Thank you though,” she said quickly. She turned around and pinned the cast list to the bulletin board in the lobby. Trent and Ethan gave each other a knowing glance and nodded. “Uh, Miss Hart? Did something happen between you and Dr. O?” Ethan asked softly. Kimberly froze in her spot, not turning to face the young boy. “You seem kind of anxious,” Trent added.

Kimberly could feel her eyes start to water again. She inhaled deeply and turned around, giving the teens the strongest smile she could muster. “I guess you could say we broke up, kind of,” Kimberly explained awkwardly.

Ethan and Trent simply nodded. While the two adults had never actually revealed to the students that they were seeing one another, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they were involved somehow. “Do you want to talk about it?” Ethan offered. “Yeah, I work over at the Cyber Café, Ethan and I were just heading over there,” Trent added. Kimberly bit her lip, “Tommy and I were supposed to meet there after school cause I’ve never been and I wanted to meet Hayley. I don’t think he’ll want to see me right now. If he happens to be there, would you please tell him to call me? You know, if he wants to,” Kimberly asked quietly. The boys nodded and headed for the door.

Kimberly gave them a small smile before gathering her bags and heading for the side exit.

In the atrium, Ethan and Trent ran into Conner and a very excited Kira. “Is the cast list up?” She asked the two boys she had just seen leaving the auditorium. Their faces were stricken with concern, which Kira mistook for disappointment. “What’s wrong? I didn’t get cast did I? Did Conner? Did either of us?” She bombarded them. Ethan shook his head. “No Kira. I mean, we don’t know, we didn’t look. We ran into Miss Hart in the lobby,” he explained. “More like we ran after Miss Hart. She bolted out of class this afternoon and locked herself in the bathroom. We chased after her and found her crying,” Trent clarified. Conner and Kira gave each other a confused look before looking back at their friends. “Is she okay?” Conner asked, his protective instinct kicking in.

“I think she got into a fight with Dr. O,” Trent said. “Yeah, she said that they ‘kinda broke up’,” Ethan added, quoting Kimberly’s previous statement. Kira’s eyes narrowed as she wrinkled her nose. Conner placed a tender hand on her shoulder. “Do you still want to check out the cast list?” He asked her. She nodded, giving him a quick kiss in the cheek. “Might as well,” she said. They moved past Ethan and Trent who turned to the couple as they parted. “We’ll be at Hayley’s if you guys wanna stop by afterwards,” Trent told them. They nodded and waved goodbye as Kira and Conner entered the theater lobby.

Conner glanced around for a moment until he saw the bulletin board. “Over there, babe,” he told Kira. She rolled her eyes and ran over to the board. Her eyes skimming the list, hoping to find her name.

RSHS presents

William Shakespeare’s ROMEO and JULIET

Directed by Kimberly Hart CAST LIST Chorus 1/ Clown- Deven Andrews

Chorus 2/ Friar John- Alex Graham

Chorus 3/ Apothecary- Jennifer Hall

Sampson/Peter- Evan Johnson

Gregory/Paris- Max Friedman

Abraham/Friar Laurence- Jonathan Turner

Balthasar- Leslie Fields

Benvolio- Nathan Berringer

Tybalt- Michael Reynolds

Prince Escalus- Nick O’Brien

Lord Capulet- Ryan Roberts

Lady Capulet- Cassidy Cornell

Lord Montague- James Fredericks

Lady Montague- Jessica Chambers

The Nurse- Monica Halbrook

Mercutio- Conner McKnight

Romeo- Brent Olson

Juliet- Kira Ford

Rehearsals will commence on Monday, September 15th at 5pm in the auditorium. There will be a brief production meeting on Monday, September 8th at 3pm in the Lobby. Anyone who is on the crew, or had asked about volunteering should be present at the meeting.

Tech Week begins Sunday, October 20th at 2pm. Performances are October 24th-26th, Thurs- Sat at 8pm.

Citizens of Verona and random kinsmen will be played by The Reefside Karate Club. All stage combat, fights and dancing will be supervised and choreographed by Dr. Thomas Oliver and Miss Kimberly Hart.

Thank you to everyone who auditioned! It was very difficult decision, and you all were amazing!

If you would like to help with the show in another capacity, please call me at 555-7465

between the hours of 5pm and 9pm. Please note: after September 7th,

I will no longer accept phone calls. Thanks again!

Kimberly Hart, Director.

“Oh my god, Conner! I got Juliet!” Kira squealed. Conner hugged her tightly and gave her a small but passionate congratulatory kiss. After the couple parted, Kira looked up at the cast list again. “I’m sorry you didn’t get Romeo,” she told him. Conner shrugged and grabbed Kira’s arm. “It’s okay. I’m just happy for you. I can’t believe I got cast at all,” he said, as they started walking toward the door. “You got cast as Mercutio, Conner. That’s still an awesome role. You get to die on stage!” She gushed. Conner laughed. “We both do!” He said excitedly, as they made their way to the student parking lot. Kira’s excitement was put on hold as she remembered what Ethan and Trent had told her about Kimberly. “I hope Miss Hart is okay,” she said, sliding into the passenger side of Conner’s car. “Yeah, I wonder what happened?” Conner agreed, shutting his door and starting the car. “You wanna meet up with the guys at Hayley’s for a bit?” He asked her, carefully pulling out of his spot. Kira nodded. She wanted to tell the guys about the cast list, but she also wanted to hear more about Dr. O and Miss Hart. Tommy had been their mentor and had almost achieved a fatherly position in the former rangers’ lives. And although she hadn’t known Kimberly that long, she too had fulfilled a motherly role for them as well. Thinking about Kimberly and Tommy fighting was like imagining her parents getting a divorce. It was heartbreaking, and she wanted to find out as much information as she could. Maybe she could help them resolve their problems? She didn’t know for certain, but she wanted to try. She owed it to them both and they owed it to each other.

3:30pm

Hayley’s Cyber Café

Tommy had decided to stop by the café after school as planned, hoping that Kimberly might make an appearance.

He was greeted enthusiastically by his old friend, Hayley Miller. The New Zealand native squealed in delight as she hugged her former comrade tightly. “I thought you got solidified in amber again!” She told him playfully. “I should have known you were just busy with school when you didn’t call me for help,” she continued to joke. She hadn’t seen Tommy since the beginning of the summer, right after the ranger’s victory. The teens came in occasionally, but not as often as they did during the school year. Now that school was back in session, she hoped Tommy’s surprise return signified more frequent visits. Tommy laughed with Hayley as they told each other about their summers.

As Tommy was finishing explaining his sudden reunion with Kimberly, a man’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

He turned around to see Mr. Welch standing behind him. He had obviously cleaned himself up before leaving school, but he still wore a bright green polo shirt and khaki pants. He was holding a small bundle of pink roses. Mr. Welch smiled at Tommy and extended his hand.

“Dr. Oliver, right? I’m Professor Welch. I teach Anthropology at the high school,” the man told Tommy. Tommy nodded his head, already privy to all the information the jolly man was telling him. “Yes, Mr. Welch. I remember you from the faculty meeting,” Tommy replied cordially. He thought the man was bizarre, but there was no point in appearing rude. “Do you know if Miss Hart is here yet? I’ve been waiting for our date for about a half hour,” the portly, older man asked him. Tommy’s eyes widened as Hayley let out a small gasp. “Oh! What do you know, I think I forgot something in my office, I’ll be right back,” Hayley said quickly. She gave Tommy an apologetic smile and ran off toward the back room. Tommy cringed and turned back to Mr. Welch. “Uh, Mr. Welch,” he said, not sure where to begin. Mr. Welch smiled innocently. “Call me Dave,” the man told Tommy. Tommy chuckled as he regained his train of thought. “Okay, Dave. I think you may have gotten the wrong idea. You see, Kimberly and I are engaged. We were both coming here this afternoon to catch up with an old friend of mine but then we kind of got into an argument at lunch and now I don’t know if she’s coming. She told me how you helped her with her computer and she said that she wanted to repay you. I’m really sorry if you had the wrong impression of why Kimberly asked you here and if there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Tommy rambled.

Mr. Welch blushed as he bowed his head in embarrassment. “I must confess, I feel a little foolish right now,” he told Tommy, still staring at the floor. “She called it a date and she didn’t mention anything about meeting you or that you two were engaged. Not that she should have . . . I . . . I guess I just mistook her friendliness for . . . for something else. Will you please tell her . . . tell her that she doesn’t need to, to, to . . . to thank me and these are for her,” Mr. Welch stuttered uncontrollably, handing Tommy the bouquet. He never had trouble speaking to his classes, as it was material he had memorized. But any extemporaneous communication was the bane of his existence. He just didn’t know how to socialize very well. Tommy hesitantly took the flowers from him as Mr. Welch waved goodbye nervously before leaving the café. Tommy sat in shock, unsure if everything that had transpired today was real.

Hayley peaked her head out from around the corner. Seeing that Tommy was once again alone, she stepped back up behind the counter. “What happened?” She asked him. Tommy just shook his head. Hayley gave a slight laugh as she poured a cup of coffee and set in on the counter in front of him. Just then, Ethan, Trent, Kira and Conner walked in triumphantly. The four teens had met up outside of the café to discuss and formulate a plan to get Tommy and Kimberly back together. They knew they shouldn’t be so presumptuous, but Tommy and Kimberly were two of their favorite teachers. Not to mention they were just cool adults, having been two of the original rangers and the way they included the students into their lives. Besides, between Ethan and Kira, no gossip could remain sacred for long and Conner just went along with whatever Kira decided. Trent was the only one slightly skeptical, but understood the loyalty that his friends were attempting to display.

“Dr. O! We have got to talk to you!” Ethan and Kira said, rushing toward Tommy. Conner hung back, watching his friends accost their teacher. Hayley gave Trent a stern look as he rushed around the counter and quickly threw his apron on. She tapped her wrist to indicate the time as Trent gave her a weak smile. “Sorry Hayley. Trouble in Paradise,” he whispered, motioning to Tommy. Hayley rolled her eyes and ushered Trent to the kitchen. She turned around to face the group and watched as the three teens were busy bombarding Tommy with questions and suggestions about his current dilemma. Tommy had told Hayley about Kimberly’s outburst at lunch right before Mr. Welch had approached him. Hayley had never been a sage with relationships, but she was a good listener and a great problem solver. She assured Tommy that Kimberly had just needed some time to cool down and that he should try to call her later that evening.

“So then, Miss Hart opened the door and Trent and I both knew she had been crying. We heard her screaming in the bathroom and she had been in there for like, ten minutes!” Ethan retold the events of this afternoon. “We think maybe something else is going on,” Kira added. “She wants you to call her,” Ethan told Tommy.

Tommy motioned for the kids to back up, which they did, embarrassed for having attacked him with their concern.

“Thanks guys. Hayley already suggested that. I think that’s probably the best course of action right now,” he told the teens, setting down the bundle of roses Mr. Welch had left in his possession. “You already bought her flowers, Dr. O? That’s a sweet gesture,” Kira commented. Hayley stifled a small laugh as Tommy glared at her. She stopped abruptly and turned back toward the kitchen. “They’re not mine. I mean, I didn’t buy them for her,” Tommy told them. Kira tilted her head, not understanding. “Who are they for?” she asked. “They’re for Kimberly. Mr. Welch bought them for her,” he told her reluctantly. Kira’s eyes widened in shock. She looked over at Ethan and Conner who stood surprised as well. “Miss Hart cheated on you with Mr. Welch?” Conner asked amazed. Tommy gave Kira and Ethan a pleading look. “Will you guys please clarify for Mr. McKnight?” Tommy asked.

Kira and Ethan just shook their heads. “Sorry Dr. O. Normally I’d be more than happy to bring up Conner’s shortcomings, but I guessed the same thing,” Ethan said. Kira nodded in regrettable agreement. “I’m with them,” Kira said quietly. Tommy sighed loudly, spinning the barstool to face them directly. “No, Kimberly didn’t cheat on me with Mr. Welch. That’s not what got her upset. Mr. Welch helped Kimberly with her computer this morning so she thought she’d return the favor by buying him a cup of coffee. Well, Mr. Welch took it the wrong way, thought it was a date, and brought her flowers. When Mr. Welch showed up and Kimberly wasn’t here, I had to set him straight. He gave the flowers to me and left right before you guys got here,” Tommy explained.

“So what’s got Miss Hart freaking out?” Conner asked, unconvinced that there was something else he didn’t know.

Tommy rubbed his temples aggressively and took a deep breath. “I proposed to her,” he began. The teens’ jaws dropped, ready to pounce with congratulatory exclamations. Tommy hushed them with his hands. “Now, before you guys go crazy, let me explain.” The students snapped their mouths shut and waited. “I proposed to her yesterday. We had gotten into a fight two nights ago and–”

“Geez, Dr. O! Another fight?” Conner blurted. Kira smacked his arm and turned back to Tommy, giving him an apologetic smile. Tommy rolled his eyes and continued. “And she had expressed her concern about the security of our relationship. Well, needless to say I didn’t think it was an issue so I kind of laughed it off. But I knew that I wanted Kim in my life so I proposed to her. Not really an engagement, more of a promise. So today at lunch, we received some news about a fellow teacher who’s been having some marriage problems,” Tommy explained further.

“Who?” Ethan asked excitedly, receiving a glare from Tommy. “Sorry Dr. O, totally not the point. Continue,” he recounted quickly giving his teacher a smile. Tommy snickered and went on. “Well the conversation got heated and Kimberly ended up giving the ring back to me and I haven’t spoken to her since then,” he finished. “But you and Miss Hart have only been together for three days. Isn’t all of this a little premature?” Kira asked him carefully. The teens knew that Kimberly and Tommy had been rangers together, which meant they had gone to high school together, but they didn’t know the entirety of their relationship. Tommy smiled. “I think you guys need to understand something,” he told them, as he began to rehash the couple’s long standing romantic history with one another.

The twenty minute recollection had moved the group over to the couch, where Trent and Hayley had also joined them. Once Tommy was finished, the group remained silent. Hayley, already having heard all of this before, had left to tend to customers halfway through. Conner was sitting on the couch, his arm around Kira’s shoulder, more confused then he was before. Ethan just sat in a chair quietly, not having expected the onslaught of information he had just received. Trent was standing next to Ethan’s chair, staring admirably at Dr. O. Kira, on the other hand, was crying. “That is the sweetest, most romantic thing I have ever heard!” she said, sobbing into Conner’s chest. “You guys are like Romeo and Juliet,” Trent mused. Tommy gave him a weak smile. While it was true that they were a couple who had always seemed destined for greatness, they were also a couple who seemed continually plagued with tragedy.

Kira’s head suddenly snapped up, breaking Conner out of his delirium. “I’ve got it!” She said excitedly. “Whatcha got?” Ethan asked her with a confused face. “I know what song I’m going to cover for the play!” She jumped up from the couch. “Dr. O? Do you think you could drive me to Miss Hart’s house and I could play it for you guys?” She pleaded. Tommy gave her a hesitant smile. “I should probably call her first. We still have a lot of things to talk about,” he told the eager girl. “You can use the phone in my office, Tommy,” Hayley said, approaching the couch.

Tommy turned around and glared at his friend who returned the look with a wry smile. “Thanks Hayley,” Tommy said through his teeth. Hayley shooed him toward the back of the café.

The answering machine picked up. Tommy paused for a moment, not knowing if he should leave a message. He began reluctantly. “Hey Kim, it’s me. I’m at the café right now and Kira–” he was cut off by the sound of the receiver picking up. A soft female voice came up from the other end. “Hey Tommy. What’s up?” she said quietly. Her voice sounded hoarse. Tommy’s fists tightened at the thought of having made her this upset. “Kira said she found the song she wants to sing for the show. She wanted to know if she could come over and play it for us?” He told her. “Are you driving her?” Kimberly asked. “Yeah. She wants the both of us to hear it. I promise we’ll leave as soon as she’s done,” he explained gently. Kimberly giggled weakly. Tommy smiled to hear her laugh, even if it was fragile and coarse. “You could come back after you drop her home, I think we should talk,” she choked out.

“Okay. I’ll do that. I’ll see in a few minutes, beautiful,” he said, wincing at his involuntary slip. Kimberly gingerly laughed. “I’ll see you when you get here, handsome,” she told him sweetly. Tommy hung up the phone. Happy that at least they were still using their familiar terms of endearment.

Tommy reentered the main café, looking around for his students. Trent and Conner were still lounging around the couch. “Where’s Kira and Ethan?” he asked the boys. “Kira went to get her guitar out of Conner’s car and Ethan’s printing out the guitar tabs for the song she wants to play,” Trent told him, now sitting in Ethan’s old spot.

“I rock!” The three men heard a voice yell out from across the café. Ethan James came sauntering up the group, holding up the sheet music proudly. “Dude, it’s not like you composed the song, you just googled the music tabs,” Conner said dryly. Tommy laughed as Kira came bustling through the door, carrying her guitar case. She tossed Conner his keys and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Are we ready Dr. O?” She asked him brightly. He nodded as Ethan handed her the music. “Thanks Ethan, I owe you one,” she told him. Tommy and Kira waved their goodbyes and headed for Tommy’s jeep.

“Kira, tell the truth. Why did you want me to come along? Kimberly’s your director, she’s the one that needs to hear the song,” Tommy asked her as they pulled up to Kimberly’s apartment. “You both need to hear it,” Kira told him simply. Tommy laughed and parked the car. He led Kira up the stairs to Kimberly’s door, knocking softly. Kimberly answered it a few moments later, looking tired and puffy. Her eyes were bloodshot from having cried so much this afternoon. Tommy gave her a hug, unsure how much affection was appropriate given the circumstances. Kimberly motioned for them to come in and sit down, taking her own seat on the floor. Tommy stood by the couch as Kira set up her guitar as she placed herself on the edge of the love seat.

“So Kira, Tommy said you found the song you want to play for the show?” Kimberly asked the girl. Kira nodded.

Kimberly gestured for her to begin. Kira looked at the sheet music as she started to strum her guitar, humming to find the key.

If you go away
On this summer day
Then you might as well
Take the sun away
All the birds that flew
In the summer sky
When our love was new
And our hearts were high
And the day was young
And the nights were long
And the moon stood still
For the night bird's song
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .
But if you stay
I'll make you a day
Like no day has been
Or will be again
We'll sail on the sun
We'll ride on the rain
And talk to the trees
And worship the wind
But if you go
I'll understand
Leave me just enough love
To fill up my hand
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .
If you go away
As I know you will
You must tell the world
To stop turning
'til you return again
If you ever do
For what good is love
Without loving you?
I can tell you now
As you turn to go
I'll be dying slowly
'til the next hello
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .
But if you stay
I'll make you a night
Like no night has been
Or will be again
I'll sail on your smile
I'll ride on your touch
I'll talk to your eyes
That I love so much
But if you go
I won't cry
Though the good is gone
From the word goodbye
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .
If you go away
As I know you must
There is nothing left
In this world to trust
Just an empty room
Full of empty space
Like the empty look
I see on your face
And I'd been the shadow
Of your shadow
If you might have kept me
By your side
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .
If you go away
If you go away
If you go away . . .

Kira strummed the last chord as the haunting song came to an end. Kira looked up to see both Tommy and Kimberly with tears in their eyes. She set her guitar carefully back in its case. “What do you think?” She asked Kimberly tentatively. Kimberly could only nod in admiration. Kira smiled before turning to Tommy, who also nodded.

“Well, I guess I better get you home,” Tommy said reluctantly, moving toward the door. Kimberly got up quickly to stop him. “Why don’t I come with you? That way we can talk on the way back, maybe stop for some coffee or ice cream or something?” She offered. Tommy laughed tenderly and stroked her cheek. Kira cleared her throat uneasily. She didn’t want to disturb them, but she definitely didn’t want to see anything she shouldn’t. Kimberly grabbed her jacket and led them out the door.

Tommy was deep in thought on the way to Kira’s house, still affected by the song. Kimberly was attempting to converse with Kira. A slightly difficult task considering the fact that she was not only losing her voice but having to strain over the bustling wind. “You know Kira, you don’t have to sing that song anymore. I’m assuming you saw the cast list?” Kimberly yelled over the noise. Kira nodded, trying to keep her hair out of her face as she spoke. “I did! Thank you so much for this opportunity, Miss Hart! But I want to sing the song!” Kira yelled back. Kimberly nodded as the car came to halt. “We’ll talk about this at the production meeting on Monday,” Kimberly said, thankful she didn’t have to strain anymore. Kira nodded as she jumped out of the backseat. “Thanks again you guys for humoring me,” Kira said. The couple waved to her as she hopped up the steps to her house. Tommy waited to make sure she got in safely before pulling away. Kimberly and Tommy sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both feeling cleansed from the song Kira had played for them. Kira’s preview performance was the first time today that Kimberly had welcomed the tears.

They pulled up to a small diner a few miles from Kira’s neighborhood. Tommy jumped out and raced to Kimberly’s door and helped her out. Once inside the establishment, Tommy excused himself to the restroom while Kimberly found them a secluded booth in the corner. A young man came up to the table a moment later. “Miss Hart?” the boy said. It was Brent Olson, the young man who had just been cast in the show. Startled, Kimberly clutched her chest before realizing she knew the teen. “Oh, Brent! I’m sorry, you scared me! How are you? Congratulations,” Kimberly told him, finally relaxing into the leather seat. Brent smiled as he set a menu on the table. “Thanks. I’m really excited to start rehearsals. I was kind of flipping out at first, you know, title role and all, but I think I’ll really dig it,” Brent explained, swaying as he spoke freely. “I didn’t realize you worked here. Not that I’ve ever been here, I’m still discovering new places in this town,” Kimberly said awkwardly as Brent laughed.

“Yeah, I’ve worked here since my freshman year. I figured I’d get a head start on living an actor’s life,” He joked. Kimberly had to laugh, Ms. Feldman’s comment suddenly flashing in her mind. “Well, you just keep bringing your talent to the table and I’m sure you won’t be serving food much longer,” She assured him, pushing the negative thought away. Brent blushed, taking out his order pad and pen. “Well, since I’m still here, what can I get you?” he asked her, pen poised against the paper. Kimberly looked down, seeing the singular menu. “Actually, I’m waiting on someone, we’ll probably need a few minutes and another menu,” she told him sweetly. Brent nodded and grabbed another menu along with a fresh place mat and silverware. He began situating the extra place setting as Tommy approached him from behind. Kimberly looked up to see the two men interact. “Excuse me,” Tommy said graciously as Brent moved out the older man’s way. The teen pointed his finger at Tommy, recognizing him. “You’re the guy at auditions! Hi, I’m Brent Olson,” he said, extending his hand toward Tommy. Tommy took it and greeted the boy in return. “I’m Dr. Oliver. You’re Romeo, aren’t you? Congratulations. I’ll be choreographing your fights,” Tommy said, giving Kimberly a subtle wink. Kimberly smiled as Brent released Tommy’s hand and stood in awe.

“Thanks Dr. Oliver. Oh man, this is so cool! I saw West Side Story last year and it was awesome! I didn’t audition cause I can’t really sing or dance, but I’m so stoked to be in this show!” Brent gushed.

“West Side Story is just a poor man’s Romeo and Juliet anyway. This year we’re going to show ‘em how it’s really done,” Kimberly added, schmoozing with the teen. Brent smiled and turned to help another customer, letting Tommy and Kim know that he’d be back in a few minutes to take their order.

Tommy laughed as he watched the young man bounce away. He turned his attention back to Kimberly, who was just staring at him longingly. “You still want to help with the show?” she asked quietly, admiring the man across from her. Tommy nodded slowly, reaching across the table to grab Kimberly’s hands. “Of course. We’ll work out whatever we are, and even if we don’t, I told you I would help. I’m not about to break that commitment,” he said, choosing his words carefully. He was anxious to know what had happened to her this afternoon. What had caused her to snap so suddenly, but he knew that if he wanted any sort of confession from Kim, he was going to have to assure her that he wasn’t angry. She smiled and released his hands as Brent approached their table once again.

“Have you decided on what you’d like? We serve breakfast 24 hours a day, our soup tonight is broccoli cheddar, and we have a moonlight special for 10.95; a double helping of our famous spaghetti and meatballs, a 12 oz. fountain drink and your choice of garlic bread, salad, or soup for the side,” Brent rattled off. Kimberly and Tommy nodded in appreciation, acknowledging the boy’s fluid memorization skills. He was going to be a joy to direct in the show.

Tommy motioned for Kim to order first. She looked down hungrily at the menu before returning to face Brent. “Okay, I think I’ll take the moonlight special with a diet coke and a salad, no dressing,” she chirped, handing the menu off to the boy. Brent turned to Tommy who handed him his menu before ordering. “I’ll take the same, but with a Dr. Pepper and the garlic bread.” Brent nodded, noticing the wink Tommy gave Kimberly before heading off to place the order. He turned to watch the two adults as they began to interact again, seemingly unaware of anyone else around them. Brent made a mental note to himself before turning back to fill their drinks.

Back at the table, Tommy was the first to speak about the incident earlier that day. “How can so many things happen to us in three days? It feels like it’s been a month already,” he said playfully, trying to break the ice. Kimberly bit her lip, mustering up the courage to reveal what had been plaguing her. Brent returned with their drinks. The couple thanked him and smiled before returning the attention to the inevitable conversation. Brent lingered at the table for a moment, studying them carefully. Tommy looked up to see the young man still standing there, watching them.

“Thank you for our drinks, Brent,” Tommy said. Brent opened his mouth as if to say something but then quickly walked away, saving his thought for another time. Kimberly laughed at the intimidated teen and turned back to Tommy, where her smile quickly vanished.

“Tommy, I owe you an apology,” she began quietly, lowering her head to collect her thoughts. Tommy leaned back in the booth and prepared himself to listen. “I’m still not sure what prompted me to fly off the handle this afternoon, but I do know why and you deserve to know why too,” she continued, refusing to look at him as she revealed her reasoning. “Keith and I were engaged right before I had my accident and was in the hospital,” Kimberly told him, still looking at her hands in her lap. Tommy straightened up in his seat and placed his palms flat on the table. He hadn’t known that Kimberly and the man she had left him for, had been engaged. He never asked her about it, considering it none of his business. He hadn’t thought about Kimberly with Keith in quite some time. After having reconnected with her at the high school, proposing and coming to terms with the letter; all his hopelessness had dissipated into positive reinforcement. But now that she was confessing that her breakdown about their relationship was because of her and Keith, his newly appointed faith was starting to falter slightly.

“Well, after the doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to compete anymore, Keith broke off the engagement. He said he couldn’t stay be with me if I couldn’t compete alongside him. He tried to make it sound noble, in this bizarre way,” Kimberly continued with her story, still avoiding Tommy’s gaze as she spoke. “Keith said I wasn’t cut out for such a high level of competition, that’s why I got hurt. I told him he was selfish for abandoning me and he called me a bitch for making him feel guilty about pursuing his dream,” she told Tommy softly. He was beginning to get frustrated that she kept adverting his eyes. He cleared his throat to indicate that the food was arriving as she lifted her face slightly.

Brent carefully set the plates down in front of each of them, noticing the eery silence between the couple. Brent nodded and smiled politely before heading back to the kitchen. Kimberly slowly reached for her fork and began twirling the pasta around the utensil. Tommy watched her for a moment, taking a sip of his drink. She swallowed her bite and continued her story.

“I guess I never expected him to leave me. So when I heard about Ms. Feldman’s problems, I started thinking about

all the things that go wrong when couples get engaged or married. It’s like, all that courtship is forgotten and you’re expected to just follow each other in everything you do. I got freaked out. I want to be with you, Tommy. But I don’t want either of us to expect the other to choose,” she finished, taking a sip of her soda.

“Let’s take this to go,” Tommy said suddenly, calling for their waiter. Kimberly gave him a confused look as Brent obediently rushed to their table. Tommy instructed Brent to put the rest of their food into the carry out containers while he payed for the meal. Kimberly grabbed Tommy’s arm, handing him some money. Tommy pushed the money aside and bent down to give her a tender kiss on the forehead. Kimberly watched in guilty admiration as he payed for their food and thanked Brent as he grabbed their doggy bags.

As the couple situated themselves into Tommy’s jeep, Kimberly turned to face him. Tommy gave her a smile before turning the ignition and speeding off. It took about five minutes before Kimberly realized they weren’t going back to her apartment.

“Tommy, where are we going?” she asked him nervously. Tommy said nothing, but kept driving. 20 minutes later, they arrived at Tommy’s house. Tommy unfastened his seatbelt and grabbed the food from the backseat. Kimberly sat in confusion as Tommy walked around the car to help her out. She reluctantly let him, placing her feet on the rocky driveway.

“Tommy, please stop being so nice to me. Say something, please?” she begged him. Tommy just shook is head and led her into the house. Once inside, Tommy set the food on the coffee table and started to unwrap it. He ran to the kitchen to grab silverware and napkins before returning to the living room. Kimberly continued to stand in amazement, not sure exactly how to respond. After he was finished setting up the food, he pulled Kimberly over to the couch, where he removed her jacket and shoes and placed her lovingly amidst the pillows. Kimberly giggled slightly when Tommy fluffed the cushions behind her back. He smiled and took a seat in the chair beside the couch.

“Now, I want to say something Kim, and I don’t want you to respond until I’m finished, okay?” he asked her firmly. She nodded and listened. “I’ve been processing everything that’s happened today and at first, I admit I was angry at you. I couldn’t help it. I thought you were just going to take off like you did this summer,” he stated. Kimberly winced as she started to see the pattern in her erratic behavior. Tommy leaned over and placed his hands on her legs. “But when Ethan and Trent told me how they found you, and I listened to the song Kira played, and then you explained your break up with Keith, I realized why I shouldn’t be angry,” he continued, still resting on her thighs.

Kimberly couldn’t help herself, she had to say something. He was just too complacent about her ridiculous behavior.

“Tommy, you don’t understand. We promised each other that we’d always be together, and then I sent you that letter. Keith and I promised each other we’d always be together, and then he left me. I don’t want to make any more promises I know we can’t keep,” she blurted out. Tommy sighed, annoyed that he’d now have to back track his speech.

“Kim, you seem to forget that you left me to pursue your dream, just like Keith left you to pursue his. The only difference is, I never asked you to choose. I wouldn’t ask you to choose. If another opportunity like that came around, I’d want you to make that choice for yourself. Kimberly, I’ve come to terms with the letter. I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” he told her calmly. She stared at him in wide eyed wonder. Sure, she had thought the same thing, she just never expected to hear that he felt that way too. Tommy lifted her legs and placed them on top of his lap as he took a seat beside her on the couch. He ran his hand along her cheek as she leaned into the caress. “We found each other again. Most people aren’t that lucky. I can’t be angry with you, and I don’t want to be. I want you to start trusting us, trusting this,” he said as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She started to cry as their mouths met. He muffled her sobs by kissing her harder.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he grabbed her by the waist, lifting her into his lap. She pulled away reluctantly, catching her breath.

“I’m not going anywhere, beautiful. We don’t have to do anything right now, no ring, no promises, nothing,” he told softly, placing tiny kisses on her throat. She giggled pathetically through her tears, crushing Tommy’s face into her chest. He lightly stroked her back, resting his head against her bosom. “Can we start over?” Kimberly asked him quietly. He pulled away to look at her and smiled. “Stay with me tonight,” he told her, more of a direction than a question. She blushed, climbing out of his lap and sank back into the couch. “I don’t have anything to wear,” she said mischievously. Tommy gave her a wry smile, his thoughts quickly becoming illicit. He crawled over to Kimberly’s end of the couch as she sank deeper into the pillows. He braced his arms on either side of her, hovering over her tiny body. She stretched her legs out, allowing him to straddle her better. He leaned over and started to kiss her collarbone. “I have a few T-shirts you could wear,” he said between kisses. “But I have to warn you, once I see you in my clothes, I can’t promise they’ll stay on.” Kimberly bit her lip, shoving Tommy backwards. He landed on the other end of the couch as Kimberly sat up and leaned forward, her mouth inches away from his.

“We’re not making any more promises, remember?” she said huskily, standing up and pointing toward the stairs, silently asking him for permission to ascend. Tommy’s nodded dreamily as Kimberly strutted up the stairs.

Tommy quickly removed his shoes and socks, leaving the rest of his clothing for Kimberly to handle. He threw his foot wear haphazardly on the floor and raced up the stairs. He turned the corner to his bedroom, seeing the door shut and knocked once.

“Come in,” she said innocently. Tommy turned the handle slowly and pushed the door open. His jaw dropped instantly, as he knew it would. Kimberly had her back to him, standing in front of the full length mirror on his closet door, piling her hair on top of her head to wrap it in a messy bun. She was wearing one his old white T-shirts, and practically nothing else. As her arms reached to secure her hair, the shirt rose slightly, revealing the curve of her butt, and the tiniest bit of her black, silky underwear. Tommy’s heart began to race, not to mention his groin. Kimberly caught his reflection in the mirror and turned around to face him directly. She wasn’t wearing a bra Tommy noticed, as the thin fabric of the T-shirt in the light gave way to the outline of her nipples. He swallowed with difficulty, trying to control his breathing which was getting shorter by the second. Kimberly smiled and beckoned him with her finger. He happily obliged, crossing the room before being commanded to stop by her hand. She eyed him carefully, and deciding he was much too clothed for her taste, began to slowly pull his shirt out from it’s tucked in position. Tommy started to help her by unbuttoning the shirt, but was stopped by a slap on the wrist. He conceded graciously as Kimberly unfastened the buttons quickly and pulled his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor behind him. Next came his tank top, which Kimberly swiftly pulled off his body, and flung it into the air. She ran her hands down his bare, muscular chest before deftly undoing his belt buckle and pulling the strap out from the waistband of his pants. She tossed the belt aside and slowly pressed herself against his body, wrapping her arms around his waist. He dropped his hands to grab her backside before receiving another slap. He quickly removed his hands and held up his arms in surrender. She smiled devilishly as she slithered her hand between their bodies and undid the remaining closure of his khakis. The pants fell into a pool around his ankles. Kimberly slid down his legs, removing his feet from the pile. She looked up at him, and slowly started moving her hands up the sides of his body. Tommy let out a sharp gasp as her face passed his throbbing member. She raised herself up to face him again, staring at the boxer clad Adonis before her. She bit her lip while Tommy unconsciously licked his. She tugged the waistband of his shorts and pulled him onto the bed.

AN: Oh! I am mean! I stopped at the best part! Either way, I think we all know what happened next! So, Tommy and Kim made up (obviously) but they aren’t going to push any issues. Does that mean the story is over? HAHAHA! Far from it, my friends! Rehearsals are about to begin and much more! Stay tuned and find out!

AN: The song, “Ne Me Quitte Pas” was written by Jacques Brel. The English translation, “If You Go Away” has been covered by numerous artists; most notably Shirley Bassey, Emiliana Torrini and Frank Sinatra. As for the rest of the story, what happens now? Are Tommy and Kimberly finally back to normal? Read on and find out! All questions will be answered in time! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

If You Go Away

Chapter 14

A Productive Meeting

3:30pm

Reefside High

The weekend had been a long, luxurious break for Tommy and Kimberly, who had spent most of it in bed. They had decided to call off the engagement or promise or whatever it had been, for the time being. Agreeing that the pressures of two career oriented adults in an educational setting were just too much for them to deal with right now.

And you can’t be let down if you don’t expect the world, right? Besides that, they were now able to relish in the fact that no one else could get a clear read on their relationship. They had spent the whole day playing games with one another, much to the faculty’s confusion. Ms. Feldman had accidentally bumped into them in the xerox room, making out like a couple of randy high school students. When she predictably ran to tell Mrs. Franklin, the couple staged an argument, complete with Kimberly storming out of the office and Tommy slamming the door on his way out, leaving the older women in a cloud of bewilderment. Were they being sadistic for playing with people’s minds? Sure. But it made for an exhilarating itch that they couldn’t wait to scratch once they left school. As it was, they’d have to wait a half hour longer before they could consummate their puckish revelry. They were both deeply engrossed in the production meeting for Romeo and Juliet, which had commenced at 3pm on the dot.

Tommy and Kimberly were present, along with Kira, Ethan, and Trent; Mr. Worthing, the assistant Karate Club instructor, who had agreed to help with the fights; Miss Jacobs, the stage manager; some students from her 5th period English class who wanted the extra credit; Cassidy Cornell, who had offered to video tape random rehearsals for posterity; and surprisingly, Mrs. Franklin, who had expressed an interest in taking over Ms. Feldman’s old position as costume supervisor.

Kimberly greeted everyone and introduced folks according to their involvement with the production. As Kimberly started to explain her concept for the show, Ms. Randall came busting through the auditorium doors, a reluctant but satisfied Ms. Feldman right behind her. Tommy shot Kimberly a worried look, which she returned. Maybe they had laid their act on a little too thick. Ms. Randall marched down the aisle toward Kimberly.

“Miss Hart, I’d like to have a few words with you if I may?” she asked Kimberly sternly. Kimberly nodded, excusing herself, indicating that she’d be right back. Elise Randall grabbed Miss Hart by the arm, pulling her back to the top of the auditorium. Ms. Feldman smiled with glee before Ms. Randall shot her look of contempt. “Thank you, Hannah. You can leave now,” she snapped at the woman. Ms. Feldman gave her disgruntled huff before brushing past the two women in a fury of denied glory.

“What can I help you with, Principal Randall?” Kimberly asked sweetly. She was afraid that if Ms. Feldman had anything to do with this, she was best to watch her temper. Elise looked at Kimberly lovingly, finding it hard to begin. “Miss Hart, do you remember my anecdotal caveat I enlightened you with the last time we spoke?” Elise asked her cryptically. Kimberly bit her lip, understanding the woman’s question but unsure how to respond. “Yes, Ms. Randall, I remember,” she told the woman, suppressing the reflex to roll her eyes.

“Well, it seems that our dear friend Ms. Feldman can’t leave well enough alone, and thanks to her, I have enough gossip about you and a certain paleontology teacher to make the school board want to crash their BMW’s just for the hell of it. Now, as it stands, this is all just speculation and as I said, gossip, on Ms. Feldman’s part, so there really isn’t much I can do. However, if I know Dr. Oliver, he’ll want to keep the peace as much as possible. As for you, I’m guessing you’re like me and want to race out of this auditorium and cat fight Hannah Feldman, to hell with the consequence, am I right?” Elise cheerfully gushed. Kimberly was in awe. Although she hadn’t said it directly, Kimberly knew that Principal Randall was an ally. Tommy had practically saved her life, and she owed him. And if that mean that saving Kimberly’s reputation was her debt, so be it.

Kimberly nodded slowly, carefully watching Elise’s reaction. Ms. Randall just smiled as she looked over her shoulder to see Tommy watching the woman, trying to decipher if their discussion was good or bad. Elise smirked and turned back to Kimberly. “I’d give him a smile so he knows you’re still employed at the school,” she whispered to Kimberly, who did just that. Tommy smiled back reluctantly and turned back to the group. Kimberly focused her attention back to Elise.

“Miss Randall, why are you telling me all of this? What does this mean? Are Tommy and I in trouble?” Kimberly blurted out. Elise laughed and gave her a friendly slap on the shoulder. “Miss Hart, Hannah Feldman is 40 year old, recovering alcoholic who’s been ‘finalizing her divorce’ for six years. She’s tired, she’s lonely, she’s bored and quite frankly, she’s not as clever as she thinks she is. Now I know trouble when I see it, and while you might have a slightly unorthodox way of heeding my advice, I know that Dr. Oliver is still scared of my wrath, an evil spell or not,” she winked at Kimberly, who gasped slightly at the confession Elise had just made.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kimberly stuttered. Elise laughed again, threading her arm through Kimberly’s as she led her out into the lobby. “Miss Hart, I remember everything that happened to me, which means I remember everything about Dr. Oliver. And in case you’re wondering, that includes the rangers; young and old,” she said with a wicked grin. Kimberly shook her head in horrified amazement. If Kimberly’s assumption was true, and Principal Randall was indeed on her side, she had a bizarre way of showing it.

“Well, I think I’ve said all I need to say,” Elise stated, clapping her hands together. “Miss Hart, I’m entrusting you to loosen Dr. Oliver’s tie a little bit, metaphorically speaking of course, and I’m entrusting him to keep you a little more in line. If that’s understood, I don’t think we’ll need to have these little therapy sessions as often, do you?” She asked Kimberly, not waiting for a reply. Elise patted Kimberly’s shoulder and started for the exit. Kimberly stood speechless, not knowing if she had just been reprimanded or granted permission.

Elise turned to face Kimberly once more before leaving. “ Miss Hart, the offer still stands. If Ms. Feldman gives you any more trouble, let me know before that innocuous woman gets the chance. I hate tattle tales,” she snickered, leaving a stunned Kimberly in her wake.

Kimberly slowly returned to her production meeting, giving them all the necessary paperwork before dismissing the group. Kira, Ethan and Trent wanted to hang around a bit longer but Kimberly politely asked them to leave, which they did. Tommy and Kimberly gathered up their belongings before heading out the side door toward the parking lot.

“So what did Principal Randall want? You two seemed chatty,” Tommy asked playfully, poking Kimberly’s side. She laughed involuntarily but stopped abruptly as she pulled away from Tommy’s hand. He looked at her worriedly, concerned that her conversation with Elise hadn’t gone well and she wasn’t going to divulge.

“I’ll tell you later. Can we just go home and relax? I need a bath,” she grumbled as she through her bags into her truck.

“Home? What is this? You paying rent or what?” Tommy joked, grabbing her by the waist and kissing her on the neck. Kimberly whined and pulled away. “You know what I mean! Come on, please? I’ll explain it all later, right now I’m cranky, I’m tired and I just want a hot bath and maybe a glass of wine,” she complained, smiling a little at the mention of the wine. Tommy laughed and grabbed her hand. “Can I join you?” he asked her softly, kissing her hand. She giggled and slapped his chest. “Only if you’re good,” she joked. He stuck his tongue out and licked her face. “Eww, gross Tommy! Yuck!” she squealed and wiped away the saliva. Tommy laughed and went in for a real kiss but was denied when she socked him in the stomach. Bent over, Tommy blinked as a pair of soft lips descended onto his forehead. “I’ll follow you,” Kimberly told him, getting into her truck. Tommy stood up awkwardly and saddled into the driver’s seat of his jeep. He beeped at Kimberly as the two cars pulled out of the parking lot and chased each other down the road toward Tommy’s house.

AN: Principal Randall is a strange woman isn’t she? Every piece of information you receive will be worth it as the story progresses. I promise you that. A week has passed, rehearsals are beginning and now, Mrs. Franklin is on the production crew. Is she a spy? Is she a friend? Who knows?! Will Ms. Feldman ever get hers? Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

If You Go Away

Chapter 15 Fate vs. Free Will

5:01pm

Reefside High School

The gossip mill was churning. Kimberly could feel it in her gut. Last week had been littered with unnatural disasters. First was her surreal conversation with Principal Randall, who in no uncertain terms revealed Hannah Feldman’s continuous deviation to sabotage Kimberly and Tommy’s relationship. And while Elise had warned her to keep a low profile, she never seemed bothered by the scandal that Ms. Feldman’s interference was creating. In fact, Principal Randall had seemed rather amused by the whole thing, casually reminding Kimberly to keep her posted if Ms. Feldman gave the couple any more trouble.

The second thing that had occurred last week, was the unexpectedly altruistic move made by Mrs. Franklin, stepping in as Ms. Feldman’s replacement as costume supervisor. Kimberly was shocked when the older woman approached her about helping with the production, ironically filling the spot that her closest colleague had so rudely abandoned.

Kimberly couldn’t help but question Mrs. Franklin’s motives, but she granted the woman permission to help, tiptoeing around any conversations that might feed Mrs. Franklin with too much information about her personal life.

Next came the melodramatic phone call she had received on Wednesday night. Jessica Chambers, who had been cast as Lady Montague, was having ‘second thoughts’ as her mother called it, about being in the play. Kimberly assured the woman that the role her daughter had received was fairly low maintenance, which only fueled the stage mother’s fire. Mrs. Chambers exploded into a rant about how her daughter has been acting since she was born, and that her apprehension was from not knowing what to do with a role that small. Kimberly practically threw up as she listened to her student’s mother pan handle her daughter’s talent. She had wanted to tell Mrs. Chambers that if Jessica had been a better actor, then maybe her child would have been cast in a more fruitful role. But instead, she calmly reassured the woman that if Jessica did not want to accept her role, she would regrettably find someone else. Mrs. Chambers cooed and gushed over the mistaken flattery, telling Kimberly that Jessica was the consummate professional and wouldn’t want to burden a director with the task of finding a replacement. Kimberly falsely praised Mrs. Chambers for her incredible parenting skills and told her she hoped that Jessica would reconsider. Mrs. Chambers assured her that Jessica would be there on Monday.

And finally, the icing on the wrecking ball, Mr. Welch. Kimberly had completely forgotten about unintentionally ditching him at Hayley’s the week before, resulting in a pride squashing run in with Tommy. Kimberly had found herself back in the office during her lunch break on Thursday morning, trying desperately to remember how Mr. Welch had hooked up her computer to the printer. She wanted to print out the edited script she had revised for Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Welch had popped in to make a few extra copies of an assignment for his class when the two ran into each other. Upon seeing him, all remembrance came rushing back to Kimberly. She apologized profusely to Mr. Welch, pathetically trying to amend her major faux pas. Mr. Welch smiled politely at her attempt, but proceeded to give her the silent treatment before making his copies and leaving the office as quickly as possible.

Kimberly felt awful. Even trying to speak to him after school proved uneventful. She had received twisted looks from fellow teachers and students as she followed Mr. Welch to his car, pleading with him to speak to her again.

So here she was, a week later, passing out the scripts that she had finally managed to get printed out, to her cast.

Jessica had decided to stick with the role, playing the martyred actress who would ‘do her best’ with what she had. Kimberly rolled her eyes, thanking her stars for not having scheduled a lot of rehearsal time with the girl. Miss Jacobs, her stage manager, had proved invaluable however. She was a student teacher who came in every other week to shadow the English classes. Kimberly had met her on the first day of school at the faculty meeting. She helped quiet down the excited students and handed them their rehearsal schedules and the contact sheets before turning their attention back to Kimberly.

Kimberly smiled and led the teens in a round of introductions and vocal warm ups explaining, that starting tomorrow, they would be warming up their voices and bodies every day for the first half hour of rehearsal. Some of the students groaned at the thought, but most just nodded eagerly. Brent Olson, who was playing Romeo, raised his hand.

“Miss Hart? Could I lead tomorrow’s warm ups? I have this book that has all these cool rhymes and chants that really get the blood pumping,” he asked enthusiastically. Kimberly smiled and nodded her head.

“Yes you may. Thank you Brent, that’s a great idea,” she told him. “Now, before we start our read through, I want to explain my concept for the show and maybe that’ll shed some light on how I’ve broken down the cast list. As you may have seen, some of you are double cast. The chorus for instance, has been broken down into three parts. Now, before you start freaking out that this means your stage time or lines or whatever have been minimized, let me assure you that the chorus plays an extra special role in this version of the play,” Kimberly explained.

“I want you all to refer to your scripts. Take a look at whom the chorus has been double cast as. Can anyone tell me why I’ve chosen those three roles in conjunction with the chorus?” she asked them methodically, pacing slowly back and forth between the clumps of students sprawled out on the stage. The teens remained silent, unsure if there was a real reason. Kimberly laughed and rephrased her question.

“Okay, let me try this again. What purpose does a chorus serve?” Several hands shot up immediately. Kimberly smiled and called on a young man with dread locks. “Yes, Deven?” Deven Andrews was a skinny boy in her second period drama class. He was a freshman with amazing potential. His energy, humor and eccentric looks made him an ideal candidate for the clown role. He lowered his hand as he answered Kimberly’s question.

“The chorus serves as a narrator. Shakespeare didn’t use choruses very often, but he wanted a sort of, omniscient character to remind the audience of Romeo and Juliet’s fate every once in a while, like the Greeks used in their plays,” he commented, receiving a high five from another cast mate. Kimberly laughed and applauded.

“Very good, Deven. Thank you for having paid attention to our history lesson last week,” she said, smiling at the group. “So, let me return to my previous question, adding the information supplied by Mr. Andrews. If Shakespeare wanted an ‘omniscient’ character, good word choice by the way,” she winked at Deven. “Why would I double cast that all knowing role with roles like the clown, or Friar John and the apothecary? Anyone?” Kimberly posed, resuming her weave around the teens. The students looked at each other, all searching for an answer that seemed obvious. Finally, Kira and Brent raised their hands simultaneously. The group of students howled and whistled at the ironic tandem response that their Romeo and Juliet had given. Kimberly laughed and hushed the group. She looked at the pair happily, who by now were blushing scarlet.

She pointed to Kira first. Kira set her hand down and cleared her throat. “Fate intervenes in those three scenes,” she said quietly. Kimberly nodded, liking what she was hearing. Kira shrugged and looked at Brent who smiled and picked up where Kira left off. “Well, it seems to me, and Kira and I were talking about this, that a lot of the story of Romeo and Juliet is based on free will versus fate. Like, they’re star crossed lovers, and the chorus keeps telling us that they will die no matter what. But all the events that take place, seem to be caused by the character’s own choices, except in those three scenes; the clown, Friar John, and the apothecary,” Brent explained.

Kimberly smiled proudly at Kira and Brent. She baited him with another proposition. “Okay, but don’t the characters choose to interact with each other? I mean, what makes those three characters so special?” she asked, narrowing her eyes to the group. Brent chewed on his lip, thinking about his next response. Kira blurted out her answer before he could speak. “A fight breaks out, which is nothing new. Benvolio and Romeo are talking when the clown appears. The clown just happens to be a Capulet servant, who just happens to mistakenly invite Romeo to the Capulet ball, where he meets Juliet. Then later in the play, Friar Laurence gives a letter to Friar John to give to Romeo, telling him that Juliet isn’t really dead. Friar John just happens to not deliver it, due to the quarantine. Romeo thinks Juliet is really dead and just happens to find the apothecary who just happens to give him a fatal poison. Those three scenes are all major turning points when fate dictates the character’s free will,” Kira finished triumphantly. The whole group applauded her as she smiled proudly. Kimberly nodded and gave her a bright smile.

“Very good Kira, I couldn’t have explained it better myself. Now do you all see how the chorus is being interpreted?” she asked her students. “The chorus will become this eery, puppet master; reappearing throughout the play like a three headed grim reaper, sealing Romeo and Juliet’s fate. We’ll discuss the blocking and costumes later on. Let’s take a quick break and then resume our discussion. I still haven’t told you guys about the Montagues and Capulets yet,” Kimberly told her students excitedly. The teens jumped up and scattered, some stretching their legs, others running to the bathrooms. Kimberly approached Kira, Conner and Brent who were all still seated in their tiny huddle on the stage.

“Great discussion you guys. I am so impressed that you both have already started interacting with each other and discussing the play. Makes my job a whole lot easier,” she told the teens. Conner brushed his hair out of his face and looked up at Kimberly. “When are we gonna talk about Mercutio?” he jokingly whined. Kimberly and Kira both rolled their eyes. “Oh don’t worry sir, you can’t discuss Romeo and Juliet without talking about one of the most famous characters Shakespeare has ever written,” Kimberly flattered him. Conner eased back onto his elbows and nodded his head, receiving a playfully shove from Kira. Kimberly laughed and made her way back to the edge of the stage to grab her water bottle. Brent jumped up quickly and followed. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Kimberly turned around to face the young man. She smiled, opening herself up to his inevitable question.

“Miss Hart, I was wondering, could I speak to you about some character work stuff after the read through? I have a couple of ideas I’d like to run past you,” he asked nervously. Kimberly smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder.

“Sure Brent, I’d love to hear them,” she told him. He smiled awkwardly and ran back to his seat on the stage.

Kimberly wrangled the group back to the stage and proceeded to divulge the rest of her concept. She had been asked by almost every single student who auditioned, what the Montagues and Capulets were going to be based on. She’d laugh, saying it was a surprise. Now, the cat was out of the bag. She explained to the actors the idea of youth versus age. They snickered and looked puzzled. Realizing they weren’t grasping the concept, she proceeded further.

“The Capulets and Montagues are inconsequential. It could be any two feuding families. Sure, their names are necessary to the story, but that’s about it. I want to concentrate on the relationships the adults share with their children. For instance, the nurse and Friar Laurence; they are the only two adults in the play that actually know about Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage. Then we have the juxtaposition of the parents. Both Juliet and Romeo are only children, both have a mother and a father. The parents spend the majority of the play dismissing their corresponding child’s needs, resulting in their deaths. I think it’s important to illustrate the danger of parents who don’t take responsibility, which is why Lady Montague, you will be in the last scene. I’m cutting your death,” Kimberly explained, directing her last comment to Jessica, who smiled at the idea of more stage time.

“Additionally, the youth of Verona are the only ones who will yield weapons, fight and die,” She added, receiving a few random groans from the teens who were playing the adults. Kimberly laughed. She continued on, explaining everyone’s dynamic with each other and engaging them in a lively discussion about friendships and romance before finally starting the read through.

The read through had gone slowly, some of the kids adjusting to the language, others adjusting to scenes and lines they hadn’t familiarized themselves with. Kimberly went around the room, taking notes on each individual actor, assessing what they’d need to work on. It was the first read through, so she let little things slide like, mispronunciations and awkward line readings. But larger mistakes, such as stopping at the end of each line as opposed to following the punctuation, she knew she needed to curb right away. Once they had finished, Kimberly went over the rehearsal schedule again, reminding the actors of when to meet, appropriate rehearsal attire and other important dates.

“Mrs. Franklin is going to be taken measurements all this week! Please give her your full attention and cooperation when she is measuring you. And be honest! We don’t necessarily want short and tight outfits on you guys! Especially those of you who have to fight!” Kimberly said playfully, the kids laughing. “See everyone who is in Act One tomorrow! Those of you in my second period drama class, you may select a scene from this play to work on tomorrow in class, have a good night!” She called out, dismissing the group. Brent nodded toward her as she waved him over.

Kira and Conner said good bye to Brent and Kimberly as Tommy entered the auditorium. The couple exchanged hellos and good byes to him as they made their way toward the door. Tommy turned back and headed for the stage where Kimberly and Brent were sitting.

“Hey Dr. Oliver!” Brent greeted the older man. Tommy smiled and shook Brent’s hand before giving Kimberly a welcomed hug. Kimberly gave him a wink as he pulled away.

“I thought I’d drop off some dinner. I didn’t know how long you were going to be here. Should I go back to my place and reheat it later?” He asked her quietly. She looked over her shoulder to ask Brent’s opinion. “Brent, would you mind horribly if Dr. Oliver stayed while we have our discussion?” Brent shook his head as his stomach growled, smelling the Chinese take out Tommy had carried into the theater. He blushed, grabbing his mid-section. “Umm, only if I can run to the vending machine and grab a snack for myself,” he smiled. Kimberly and Tommy laughed. “You’re more than welcome to share our food, God knows I bought enough of it,” Tommy offered. Brent smiled at him gratefully. “Really?” he asked Tommy. Tommy nodded and started dividing the cartons. Kimberly gave Tommy a loving smile, silently mouthing, thank you, to him. He nodded and gave her a wink as he continued to separate the food.

Kimberly situated herself on the stage. Notebook, script and pen, ready to talk. Tommy took a seat beside her, digging into his food. Brent sat across from the couple, eagerly spearing the food with his chopsticks. Kimberly giggled at the two men engrossed in their food. She threw her pen down and tossed her papers aside, joining them in the food.

The trio sat in silence for a few minutes, compelled by satiation. Kimberly slurped a noodle into her mouth, smiling at Brent. “Aren’t you glad you agreed to let Dr. Oliver stay?” she laughed, poking Tommy with the end of her chopstick. Tommy playfully slapped her hand away, stealing a piece of broccoli from her carton. The couple giggled and laughed as Brent eyed them carefully. He swallowed his bite of food before wiping his face with a napkin.

“Actually yeah, I’m glad you’re both here. That’s kind of what I wanted to ask you about,” the young man said, looking up nervously at Kimberly and Tommy who had stopped flirting long enough to hear his comment. They exchanged awkward glances before turning back to the boy.

“You see, I’ve never had a girlfriend so at first, when I got the role, I was kind of nervous ‘cause, you know, I didn’t think I’d know how to act like I was in love or whatever. But after I saw you guys at the diner and kind of the way you two are right now, I was wondering if I could like, you know, use you guys as my model type thing, for how to act in love,” Brent explained bashfully.

Tommy and Kimberly blushed, exchanging slightly embarrassed glances. Tommy nearly choked on his food as he finished swallowing and looked at Brent. “What makes you think we’re in love?” Tommy asked the boy. He figured Brent was a bright enough kid to notice something between he and Kimberly. That, and the fact that Brent had now seen them interact on more than one occasion, but he asked him the question anyway. As if to reaffirm any doubts that Kimberly still had lingering in her mind about the buoyancy of their relationship. Kimberly shot Tommy a look of admonishment, reluctant to be having this conversation with one of her students.

Brent chewed on his lip, sensing Kimberly’s discomfort. Kimberly gave him a permissive smile as to answer Tommy’s question. “Well, I guess I look at you guys, and I notice the way you look at each other. It’s like there’s this unspoken pact. This silent contract of trust. You two seem like you could just be in each other’s presence and never have to say a word or remind one another that you care, you just know. And when you do talk to each other, there’s always this feeling of wanting the other’s approval, no matter if you’re asking her to sit and watch the audition, or telling him to stop eating off your plate. It’s like you value each other’s opinion so much, you never want to seem too pushy or selfish. I admire you guys a lot. My parent’s got divorced when I was three. Guess that explains why I’ve never had a serious girlfriend. I was always afraid that if we ever got serious, we’d just end up like my parents. Yelling all the time, blaming one another for everything and wanting to claw each other’s eyes out,” Brent revealed, lowering his head at the last thought.

Kimberly felt her eyes start to water. She reached over and grabbed Brent’s hand. “Brent, you know, my parents got divorced too. I had the same worries and fears that you have about relationships, until I met Tommy,” she told the young man tenderly. Brent looked up, realizing he’d never heard Kimberly use Tommy’s first name before. He smiled, thankful for her sympathy. “I’m really flattered that you think so highly of our relationship. I’m kind of ashamed, I feel like I don’t really deserve all those compliments. You’ve only seen me on my best behavior,” she confessed lightheartedly. Brent looked over at Tommy, who nodded softly. “Don’t let her fool you, Brent. She’s amazing. Sure, she’s had her share of bad days, but so have I. All couples do. It’s part of the process. I think we’re lucky to have gone through so much in our lives, we understand the importance of respecting the other person, no matter how you feel about them emotionally. Kim’s taught me a lot about relationships too,” he told the teen, wrapping his arm around Kim’s shoulder. Brent smiled, eternally grateful for their compassion and candor.

“You two don’t seem like you’d ever fight,” Brent told them frankly. Tommy and Kimberly gave each other amused looks before turning back to the boy. “Oh trust me, we fight,” Tommy said flippantly. Kimberly smacked his chest. “You see?” she said, laughing as Tommy tugged on her ponytail. Brent laughed as he continued to watch the two adults playfully shove and slap one another. “We fight all the time, Brent. Well, not all the time, but we’ve had some major arguments. Some were about really serious issues and others I can’t even remember because the fight was so pointless,” Tommy told him as he and Kimberly settled down again. “Well, Tommy probably can’t remember them because he forgets everything. He’s got a colander for a brain. Like this one time in high school, he was running late for class because he forgot to set his alarm. Then, when he got to school, he forgot his books in his locker, then he forgot to shut his locker and then . . . well, you get the idea,” Kimberly and Brent laughed at Tommy’s expense.

Tommy blushed, remembering that day vividly. Brent gave the couple an amused look. “I didn’t realize until just now that you guys knew each other before this year,” Brent said innocently. He shook his head at his own naivete and laughed.

“Tommy and I dated in high school before I moved to Florida to train for the Pan Global Gymnastics team,” Kimberly explained, finally comfortable and glad that she was getting to know Brent better. Brent stared in awe.

“You were a gymnast? Did you compete in the Olympics?” he asked her eagerly. Kimberly shook her head. “No, I chipped a bone in my elbow, an injury that unfortunately caused me to retire from training. But I coached other athletes for a while before moving back to California,” she told him. Brent nodded and motioned to Tommy. “You must have been happy. I mean, not that she couldn’t compete anymore, but that she was at least back here with you, right?” Brent asked. Tommy gave Kimberly an apprehensive look, but she nodded softly, encouraging him to divulge.

“Actually Brent, Kimberly and I broke up when she was in Florida. We didn’t speak to each other for a long time after that. I didn’t even know she had moved back until this past summer,” he confessed. Brent’s jaw dropped.

“Really? Wow. Why did you guys break up? Were you unhappy?” Brent asked freely, not realizing the weight of his question. Tommy gave Kimberly a bittersweet smile before answering for the both of them. “Yes and no. We were happy with each other, but unhappy with the pressure of being separated. Our lives were leading us down different paths, so we decided it was best to break up. After that, we grew up and lost touch for a while. Then this past summer, a mutual friend of ours got us all together for a kind of reunion. Kimberly told me she’d be teaching in the fall but I didn’t know it was at Reefside. Suffice it to say, it was a pleasant surprise,” Tommy carefully expounded. He gave Kimberly a wink, knowing that his diplomatic half-truth would be discussed later on.

“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not possess anything in this world, least of all other people. We only imagine that we do. Our friends, our lovers, our spouses, even our children are not ours; they belong only to themselves. Possessive and controlling friendships and relationships can be as harmful as neglect,” Brent recited wistfully. Kimberly cocked her head in amazement. The boy was like a savant, rattling off the entire quotation like he had demonstrated at the diner a week ago. She turned to look at Tommy, who was just as impressed, if not more so. Kimberly fixed her attention on Brent once again.

“How in the world do you do that?” Kimberly asked the teen. Brent broke out of his daze and shrugged his shoulders. “I think I have a photographic memory. I always see the words I’m saying as if they’re projected in front of me,” Brent supposed.

“Well I gotta tell ya, I am totally impressed. That memory of yours is amazing. And thank God for it too, cause you got a lot of lines to learn, Mr. Olson,” Kimberly playfully jabbed. Brent laughed as he glanced at his watch. “Oh wow. It’s almost 10 o’clock. I better get home. I told my mom I’d be out of rehearsal at nine, she’s gonna kill me!” Brent’s previous glee giving way to panic. “Do you want me call her? Let her know that I kept you after so late?” Kimberly asked him. Brent shook his head.

“Nah. I was just speaking metaphorically. She’s probably just worried. I’ll give her a call on my way home,” he assured her. “Thanks again Miss Hart, and you too, Dr. Oliver. I had a really nice time. Thanks for letting me in on your lives and stuff, I hope it’s all right if I use it for inspiration,” Brent told them quietly. Kimberly extended her arms and wrapped Brent in a soulful hug.

“Anytime, Brent. If you need any advice about anything, not just play related stuff, feel free to ask me and I’m sure the same goes for Tommy as well, right?” She offered, glancing over her shoulder to Tommy, who nodded. Brent smiled as Kimberly released him. He timidly waved goodbye as he made his way toward the exit. Kimberly stood there a moment, reflecting on the evening’s events. She turned to see Tommy cleaning up the food. She broke her reverie and started helping him. Tommy wrapped up the left overs and threw out the trash while Kimberly cleaned up her paperwork. He returned to her side and grabbed her bags, leaving her to carry her production folder and water bottle. The walked out of the theater arm in arm, thinking about the conversation they had just been privy to.

“Brent’s a great kid. I bet he’s the parent when he’s at home,” Tommy said, nestling Kimberly’s bags into the bed of her truck. Kimberly nodded, unlocking her door and tossing her things into the cab. “I bet he’s the oldest kid too. He probably takes care of three little sisters or something,” Kimberly added. “Is it wrong that we’re assuming Brent’s a great kid despite an unhappy home life? ” Tommy asked her. Kimberly shook her head. “Not necessarily. It’s probably true, but we don’t have to let him know that we think that,” she told him simply. Tommy nodded. “Yeah. My heart goes out to him though, you know? There’s this underlining sadness in everything he says, even if he says it cheerfully,” Tommy mused, releasing a snicker. “Whaddya think of what he said about us?” Tommy asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled, resting her hands on his shoulders. They swayed gently as they gazed at one another.

“Well for one thing, it made me realize how ridiculous I must seem to you. Not believing that some couples do actually make it work or appear to make it work,” she told him. Tommy pulled her closer, letting her arms wrap around his neck as she buried her head into his chest. “Beautiful, we do make it work. We will make it work. And you could never be ridiculous to me. A little paranoid and spastic at times . . . okay yeah, I take it back, you can be a little ridiculous,” He said playfully, squeezing her tighter. Kimberly struggled to break free as Tommy laughed.

Kimberly shoved him off of her, brushing her jeans before giving him a contemptuous groan.

“You wanna know what I think?” Tommy asked her. Kimberly crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him. “No!” she said, turning away from him. He approached her again, slowly coming up behind her and grabbing her by the hips. He slid his hands into the front pockets of her jeans as he rested his chin on her shoulder. “I think I want to love you the way he thinks I do. I felt so guilty, listening to the hope and belief he sees in us, cause I know that I don’t always fully trust us either. But if that kid can observe and point out all the love and trust and respect that we apparently show one another, then it must be there. I think sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make the other one happy, that we don’t realize we already do. Maybe we should just stop worrying so damn much and just enjoy one another,” Tommy said, planting a tiny kiss on Kimberly’s neck before releasing her from his grasp. She turned around and gave him a hug, which he gladly returned with full force.

“Thank you for preserving my dignity, by the way. You didn’t have to do that,” Kimberly told him, referring back to his explanation of why they had broken up. Tommy shrugged. “He doesn’t have to know everything, Kim. Besides, it was partly true or maybe even wishful thinking. If you hadn’t sent the letter, we could have very easily broken up the way I said we did,” Tommy suggested, rocking Kimberly in his arms.

“Do you think we still would have returned to each other? Like the quote Brent recited?” Kimberly asked him quietly. He ran his hand over her head, coaxing her gently. “I don’t know. Probably not. Fate’s got a secret love affair with tragedy, I’m afraid,” he told her, laughing slightly. She giggled, pulling away from his embrace. She reached up on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the lips. “ I love you, handsome,” she whispered. “I love you too, beautiful,” he whispered back.

The pulled apart and made their way to their respective vehicles. “Do you want to stay the night? I can reheat the take out! There’s plenty left. Brent eats like a bird!” Tommy shouted across the parking lot, laughing at his own remark. Kimberly giggled, opening the driver’s side door to her truck. “Not tonight, handsome. I have a lot of work to catch up on. Can we rain check for Thursday? I have to block Act three that night and I have a feeling your bathtub’s going to be calling my name!” she yelled back, blowing him a kiss. Tommy pretended to catch it and smacked his cheek. Kimberly giggled as she got into her car and rolled the window down. “I’m holding you to Thursday!” He said, getting into his jeep. She beeped and started the ignition. Tommy backed out his space and pulled up beside Kimberly’s truck so both their drivers’ sides were facing each other. Tommy leaned out of his seat slightly and gave Kimberly a quick kiss. “Have a good night, beautiful,” he said before speeding away. “Night, handsome,” she said as she watched his car disappear from sight. She sighed longingly and drove home.

7:55am

Reefside High School

Kimberly had to drag herself out of bed this morning, having gone to sleep around 3am, catching up on tons of paperwork she had neglected. She had finally settled herself in her chair, coffee and water sitting on her desk, when the P.A. system blasted the morning announcements.

Good Morning Reefside, this is Cassidy Cornell with today’s announcements. First off, I would like to congratulate both our Varsity Soccer and Football teams for their victories this past weekend. Sorry for the late update boys, Miss Cornell has rehearsals now. Which brings me to my next announcement. Tickets for the upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet will be on sale starting Friday. Get them while they’re hot! I have a feeling this show is going to sell out quickly! And speaking of Friday, what are your plans? Cause the Homecoming game begins at 6pm folks! Watch our boys lead the Reefside Tigers to victory! And don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the Homecoming dance on Saturday. Tickets are five dollars per student. Any Faculty who would like to chaperone the dance, please see Mr. Donovan during lunch or after school. Have a great day Reefside. This is Cassidy Cornell, signing off.

Kimberly had moved across the room during the announcements, preparing to shut the door and commence class for the day when the P.A. system blared once again.

Miss Hart, please come to the office. Miss Hart, please come to the office, thank you. The scratchy intercom buzzed off. Kimberly groaned, marching back to her desk to organize a temporary reading assignment she could give to the class in her absence. Just as she was about to speak, Miss Jacobs ran into the room. Kimberly looked up and sighed.

“Oh my gosh! Miss Jacobs, thank God. Could you look after my class? I’ll be back shortly,” she told the young woman. Miss Jacobs nodded and scurried around the room. Kimberly called after her, heading for the door. “Ask Miss Ford to show you today’s lesson plan. Kira, would you help Miss Jacobs, please?” Kimberly asked the teen frantically. Kira nodded and Kimberly bustled out the door. Silently cursing What the hell could it be this time?

She marched into the main room, dismissing the secretary’s directive gesture toward Principal Randall’s office. Kimberly already knew where she was headed. Kimberly was so flustered by the quickly becoming weekly visits with Ms. Randall, she didn’t notice the person in front of her. She slammed headlong into none other than Ms. Feldman. Kimberly almost excused herself before realizing whom she’d run into. The two women glared at each other.

“Excuse you, Miss Hart.” Ms. Feldman said snidely. Kimberly rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

“Aren’t you ever in class?” Kimberly asked the older woman coldly. Ms. Feldman laughed, crossing her arms defiantly. “Are you ever not in the Principal’s office?” the woman snapped back. Kimberly dropped her arms and pushed past her. “Piss off, Hannah,” Kimberly said, heading for Randall’s door.

Before Kimberly could get her fist to the door, Ms. Randall’s voice rang out. “Come in Miss Hart,” she said calmly. How the hell does she do that? Kimberly thought to herself, before entering the room carefully. Kimberly stopped abruptly when she saw another person already sitting with Ms. Randall. It was Brent, and he looked awful. He looks like he’s been in a fist fight, Kimberly thought. Her worst fears bubbling, she rushed over to the young boy and gave him a hug. “Brent! Are you okay? What happened?” she asked him desperately. Elise Randall cleared her throat, grabbing Kimberly’s attention. “Please Miss Hart, have a seat,” she instructed. Kimberly did so, reaching over to grab Brent’s hand, which he gladly accepted.

“Miss Hart, I just got off the phone with Brent’s mother. It seems he came home an hour later than he was supposed to last night and his mother seems to think it’s all your fault,” Elise began. Kimberly quickly spoke up. “It was, Ms. Randall, completely my fault. He stayed after to ask me some questions about character work and we got to talking and before we knew it, it was 10 o’clock,” she explained feebly. Elise snickered. “Well, as it is, Mrs. Olson doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Brent to continue with the play,” Ms. Randall continued. Kimberly stared at her in shock, not believing her ears. She turned to Brent who shamefully lowered his head. Kimberly looked back at Ms. Randall.

“Please, let me just call his mother and explain the situation. I’m sure that if she hears it from me directly she’ll understand and let him back into the show,” Kimberly begged, tears forming in her eyes. Elise stood up and moved around her desk to lean in front of it. She removed her glasses before speaking. “I wish it was that simple Miss Hart, but it seems as though Brent hasn’t been completely honest with his mother about his whereabouts, have you?” she asked the young man, who shook his head slowly, still staring at the floor. Kimberly turned to Brent and squeezed his hand. “Brent? Brent, look at me. Why didn’t you tell your mom where you’d been? I thought you said you were going to call her and let her know that we stayed after the rehearsal to talk. Why didn’t you just tell her? This can be fixed,” she pleaded.

“NO IT CAN’T!” Brent suddenly screamed, ripping his hand away from Kimberly. Kimberly clutched her chest in shock. Ms. Randall raised her eyebrow and walked back around to her desk as Brent started sobbing. “IT CAN’T BE FIXED!” the boy continued to shout. “I didn’t tell my mom I was at rehearsal because she doesn’t even know that I have rehearsal. She doesn’t even know that I’m in a show! I got cast in a lead role and she doesn’t even care!”

He blurted out, continuing to sob. Kimberly was stifling her own tears in a failing attempt to soothe the young man.

“Why don’t you just tell her? I’m sure she’ll be proud of you and understand why you’d want to spend the extra time to work on it,” Kimberly offered. Brent violently shook his head, glaring at Kimberly.

“You don’t get it, do you? My mom doesn’t care because she doesn’t want me doing stupid plays! When I got home last night, my mom was still up, waiting for me. She asked me where I’d been so I told her I was covering a shift for a friend at the diner. She said I was lying and followed me up to my room. She grabbed my backpack and started ripping out all my folders when she found my script and notes for the play. She asked me what all of it was for, so I finally told her. I told her that I had been at rehearsal for a show where I was the lead and that I had stayed after to ask the director some questions. She ripped up the papers and threw them away. When I tried to stop her, she hit me. She thinks you’re some kind of perverted harlot who’s got me brainwashed. Her words, not mine,” he sniffled, regaining some of his composure. Elise chuckled at Brent’s last comment, receiving a confused look from Brent and a deadly one from Kimberly.

“Ms. Randall, I hardly think what Brent has told us, is funny,” she glared at the woman behind the desk. Elise rolled her eyes and stood up. “Thank you Brent, you’re dismissed,” she told the boy. Brent nodded obediently and headed for the door. He stopped and turned to face Kimberly. “I’m really sorry Miss Hart. I would have really liked to be in the show. Thanks for all your help anyway. Tell Dr. Oliver thanks also,” he said calmly, dragging his feet and shutting the door behind him. Kimberly snapped her head back to Ms. Randall, eyes ablaze.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” Kimberly screamed. She shot up out of her seat and began to pace furiously. “We can’t just let this woman get away with this! I mean, it’s child abuse, right? She can’t actually force him to quit the show, can she? I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t fucking believe this is happening,” Kimberly said deliriously. Ms. Randall let out a loud sigh. “Miss Hart, please calm down and watch your language. You’re still in a public school you know, as hard as it is to imagine sometimes,” Elise said dryly. Kimberly stopped in her tracks and faced the other woman. “Whose side are you on?” Kimberly demanded, clenching her fists. Ms. Randall motioned for Kimberly to sit, which she ignored. “I’ll stand, thank you,” Kimberly pouted. Elise threw her hands up in conceit and returned to her desk. “Miss Hart, I would like nothing better than to see every abusive parent die a horrible death, riddled with guilt at the pain and suffering they’ve caused their children. However, since that’s not really possible or entirely healthy for me to feel that way, I simply choose to ignore it,” she calmly stated. Kimberly was seething. “How can you ignore this? Surely there is some sort of intervention? I mean, isn’t it our responsibility to contact child services if we know something like this is going on?” Kimberly implored.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do nowadays. There are so many laws protecting the parent’s right to raise their children however they see fit. Whether that means buying them a car when they get good grades, or sucker punching them when they tell them they’ve been cast in a play,” Elise said somberly. Kimberly sank into the chair, her strength giving out. Kimberly lowered her head into her hands and started to sob piteously. Elise awkwardly handed her a tissue, which Kimberly took gratefully. “Besides that, it would only turn into a ‘he said, she said’ fiasco. Now, I understand that Brent’s parents are divorced, is that correct?” Elise asked Kimberly, who nodded weakly.

“Well, I suppose our only loophole is if Mr. Olson were to witness the abuse and retain sole custody of Brent. Of course, the only person who could legally stipulate any form of abuse is Brent himself,” Ms. Randall added. Kimberly raised her head, getting an idea. “But couldn’t somebody, you know, tip him off as to what’s been going on?” she asked hopefully. Elise shook her head. “I wouldn’t advise it, Miss Hart. Parents have a strange loyalty to one another and ex-spouse or not, no parent wants to hear that their son or daughter is being smacked around by the other, from some nosy teacher. Their words, not mine,” Elise chuckled at her reference to Brent’s earlier comment.

Kimberly groaned. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She’d gladly receive daily phone calls from Jessica’s mother in exchange for Brent’s well-being. She buried her head in hands once again, feeling sickeningly pansophical. Her flippant assessment of Brent’s unsatisfying home life burning a hole in her conscience. Elise ungracefully handed Kimberly another stack of tissues and led her to the door. She grabbed Kimberly’s shoulder fiercely. “We can’t save the world all the time, Miss Hart,” she said grimly, turning back to her desk.

Kimberly floated out of the office, walking aimlessly back to her class. She glanced at the clock, 8:48. She watched the clock as the hands clicked over to the next minute. Just then, the bell rang, signifying the end of first period. She stood in the middle of the atrium as students and teachers began to fill the space, buzzing all around her. She watched them from afar and stared at them. She wondered how many other students went home and experienced the same things Brent did. She wondered if they ever told anybody. She wondered how many teachers knew the personal lives of their students, pitying the ones who did and envying the ones who didn’t.

Kimberly made her way mechanically to the auditorium, figuring Miss Jacobs or Kira would come looking for her eventually, carrying her bags and paperwork. She padded down the aisle and sprawled out on the stage, wanting nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare.

AN: Wow. Didn’t see that one coming, did ya? Cliff hanger, I know. What will happen to Brent? What will happen to the show? Stay tuned and find out!

AN: Thank you to everyone who keeps reviewing! I really appreciate all the positive feedback! The same day continues on. What happens next? Get ready for a cat fight! Haha! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Expect strong language from here on out, just in case I forget to mention it again.

If You Go Away

Chapter 16

A Plague on Both Your Houses

8:52am

Reefside High School

Kimberly reluctantly sat up as students started to filter into the theater. She looked up and saw a frightened Miss Jacobs, juggling her own bags in addition to all of Kimberly’s. “Grace! Let me help you!” Kimberly called to the younger woman, running to catch her before she tipped over. “You didn’t come back! I checked the office but they said you left, so I went back to your classroom and then I remembered that you had drama second period, so I ran all the way here to bring you your stuff,” Miss Jacobs said frantically. Kimberly sighed. More like drama, first period, she thought to herself.

“Thank you Grace. I’m sorry I was gone the whole time. How was the class? They didn’t give you any trouble did they? The lesson plans were easy to find?” Kimberly interrogated. Miss Jacobs correspondingly shook and nodded her head, as each question was rattled off. Kimberly smiled weakly. Miss Jacobs gave her a look of concern.

“I have to get back to the second floor. Here’s all your stuff Miss Hart. Is everything okay?” she asked softly. Kimberly nodded, then shook her head, then laughed pathetically. “Thanks again, Grace. I’ll see you at rehearsal,” Kimberly told the woman. Grace nodded and turned to leave. Kimberly began reorganizing her papers when she spotted something. It was her class roster for Drama. She quickly scanned the piece of paper, tallying up the names in her head of which students were not only in her drama class but in the play as well.

She had 28 kids in the class, 15 of which were cast in the play. The only students in the play who weren’t in her class were Conner, Leslie Fields; who played Balthasar, and Brent. Shit, she thought. “So much for that idea,” she said to herself. Kimberly was hoping she could rearrange her lesson plans to fit in some extra rehearsal time during class, but without Brent, it would be almost impossible. “This is a total nightmare,” she sighed, as Kira approached her from behind. Yelping in surprise, Kimberly turned around to see the young girl before her. Kira flinched at Kimberly’s jumpy response.

“Sorry, Miss Hart. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologized. Kimberly controlled her breathing and focused back on Kira. “Brent wanted me to give you this,” the young girl said, handing her a piece of paper. Kimberly snatched the note so quickly, she practically took Kira’s hand with her. Kira pulled back slightly, jarred by her teacher’s aggressiveness.

Kimberly skimmed over the note, catching a few key phrases that tugged on her heart.

Miss Hart-

I talked to my dad. He’s going to let me stay with him this week. I wanted to say I’m sorry for messing up the show. I really wanted to be in it. I hope you can find someone soon. I’m going to try to come see the show. Break a leg! Thanks again for everything.

Brent

Kimberly quickly refolded the note, tucking it into her pocket. She glanced around the room and counted the heads of the students, including Kira. The young girl watched her as she pressed her palms together and mouthed a silent prayer toward the ceiling.

“Miss Hart, what’s going on?” Kira asked her. Kimberly looked back down at the teen. “I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to make a phone call, would you lead the class in a warm up?” she asked the girl. Kira nodded and spun around to see Kimberly race up the aisle and out the auditorium. Kira shrugged her shoulders and rallied the class up on stage.

Out in the atrium, Kimberly was moving furiously toward the office, when she was stopped abruptly by Ms. Feldman. Kimberly gasped and caught herself. “Jesus Christ, Hannah! We really need to stop doing this,” she told the woman. Ms. Feldman smiled dryly and rested her arms across her chest. “Why is it that every time I see you, you’re either running to the office or running from it?” she asked snidely. Kimberly sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. “Hannah, I really don’t have time for this right now. If you’ll excuse me,” she said, moving aside to pass Ms. Feldman. Hannah stepped in her way, blocking Kimberly’s escape.

“Listen little girl, Don’t think I’m not onto you. Principal Randall can’t help you, you know. I’ve told her all about your lurid affair with Dr. Oliver and she’s assured me that the appropriate actions will be taken. So stop running to her every time there’s trouble in paradise, because she doesn’t care,” Ms. Feldman said harshly. Kimberly looked at the woman viciously.

“You do realize that by tattling on me, you’re also putting Tommy’s job in jeopardy, right?” Kimberly snapped. Ms. Feldman laughed. “Well, perhaps Ms. Randall would like to know how our little drama teacher spends more of her time consorting with her students, rather than teaching them,” Hannah said, narrowing her eyes at Kimberly.

Kimberly’s ears perked up. Why did this type of argument feel so eerily familiar? “Consort?” she asked proudly.

“What do think I do with my students, Ms. Feldman? Host orgies in the auditorium? Slip ecstacy into their juice boxes, what? Oh God. I’m giving you ideas, I should stop,” Kimberly rattled off sarcastically before violently pushing Hannah’s arm out of her way and heading for the office. Ms. Feldman flared her nostrils and turned around to face Kim, ready to pounce.

“You think just because you teach drama, you deserve special treatment? Theater is not a real subject, Miss Hart. You’re brainwashing these poor children into thinking that this ridiculous hobby will actually get them somewhere!” Ms. Feldman yelled out. Kimberly froze in her spot, slowly spinning around to face her. The older woman met her stare, smiling triumphantly.

What happened next, was a blur. Kimberly didn’t even feel her feet separate from the floor. Nor could she feel the impact as her fist made contact with Ms. Feldman’s face. She was somewhat aware of a pinching sensation, as her hair was pulled and nails were dug into her skin. And she was vaguely cognoscent of a faint chanting and screaming surrounding her. When she finally snapped back to reality, she was being pulled off of Hannah Feldman’s lanky, battered body and dragged into Principal Randall’s office.

“Thank you Sarah. I can handle it from here. Please let Hannah know that I will speak with her after school. For now, make sure the nurse’s office keeps her in a separate room. I don’t think the students should see that,” Elise instructed Mrs. Franklin, who had been the one to break up the fight. The older woman handed Elise an ice pack and a towel before heading out. Elise locked the bolt on the handle and spun around, resting up against the door. She looked narrowly at Kimberly and tossed her the towel and ice pack.

“Wow, twice in one day. Miss Hart, I’m flattered,” Elise chuckled dryly. The woman was tough. She was stern, but she never seemed phased by anything around her. Kimberly caught the items and wrapped the ice pack in the towel and proceeded to rest the cold compress on her forehead. She had suffered minor scratches compared to Ms. Feldman’s bloody nose and busted lip. If anyone had doubted the petite woman’s tenacity, they were eating crow now. Elise lazily crossed back to her desk, propping herself up on its edge. She pulled the ice pack away from Kimberly’s face, examining her cut. Elise shook her head woefully.

“You should see the other guy,” Kimberly mumbled, placing the compress back on her face. Elise snickered.

“Well your sense of humor isn’t gone, I guess that means you’re okay,” the woman said. Kimberly gently removed the cold bundle from her forehead and placed it in her lap. As she began to open her mouth to speak, Ms. Randall silenced her with a finger.

“Miss Hart, I would love to sit here all day with you, gossiping about boys and music and who’s slept with whom and ‘oh my god, did you see Hannah Feldman today? Yeah, I heard she like, totally got her ass kicked’, but since you’ve already missed a significant amount of class already, why don’t you clean yourself up, regroup in the teacher’s lounge and get ready for third period?” Elise slid off her desk, guiding Kimberly out of her seat and toward the door. Kimberly nodded, surrendering to Ms. Randall’s bizarre prescription. Elise stopped suddenly, running back to her desk and handing Kimberly a tiny pouch. “Take two of these and call it a day,” she told her, scooting Kimberly out the door.

Kimberly crossed into the teacher’s lounge, thankful it was empty, and poured herself a cup of water. She chugged the contents before throwing the cup away and regarded the small bag in her hand. She unzipped the pouch and dumped its contents onto the table. Two aspirins and a piece of paper. Kimberly rolled her eyes and unfolded the slip. She gasped as she read the information on the paper. Mr. Olson’s work, home and cell phone numbers, all hastily scratched on the note. How the hell does she do that? Kimberly thought to herself.

1:01pm

Kimberly’s classroom

Reefside High

By fourth period, everyone in the school had heard about the cat fight in the atrium. Kimberly had been told by Principal Randall that Ms. Feldman went home for the rest of the day, citing experiences of ‘nausea and discomfort’.

“I’ll bet,” was all that Kimberly had said in response. She had spent the first 20 minutes of her lunch break calling the various phone numbers belonging to Brent’s father. She had left a voice mail on his cell phone and a message with a receptionist at his work, who had told her he was out for the day and to try him at home. As Kimberly began dialing Mr. Olson’s home phone number, Tommy burst into the room, holding a Burger King bag and two cans of soda, high above his head.

“MY CHAMPION NEEDS MEAT!” he yelled out, as Kimberly quickly hung up the phone. She glared at him questionably. He placed a kiss on her cheek and set the bag in front of her. “Hungry?” he asked sweetly. She rolled her eyes and dug into the bag, pulling out a massive cheeseburger. “You’re incorrigible,” she said quietly. Tommy smiled and straightened his tie. “You’re welcome,” he said haughtily, taking a bite of his food. She snickered as unwrapped her food.

Tommy had raced to Kimberly’s classroom after third period, having helped prepare a student teacher for Ms. Feldman’s absence the rest of the day. She told him about the fight and quickly summed up Brent’s predicament, before he offered to buy her lunch, which she gladly accepted. Now they were back in her classroom, door locked, greedily consuming their food in silence. Tommy wiped his face with a napkin before addressing Kimberly.

“Did you reach Mr. Olson?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink. Kimberly shook her head. “Nope. I was just about to call him at home when you barged in, screaming your head off,” she huffed. Tommy gave her a soft smile and rubbed her arm. “I’m proud of you,” he told her quietly. Kimberly gave him a cockeyed stare. “Are you kidding?” she asked him incredulously. Tommy shook his head and laughed. “I mean, I’m not proud that you got angry and resorted to violence, even though she may have had it coming, but I’m proud of you for trying to help Brent,” he explained. Kimberly pushed her food away and pulled her legs up onto her chair. She stretched and yawned out a loud sigh. “I can’t believe I hit her, Tommy. I don’t even remember the fight. I remember her calling me a spineless bohemian and accusing me of misleading the students or something like that, and then everything went fuzzy,” she recalled. Tommy started laughing. She shot him an annoyed look before burying her head in her hands.

“From what I heard, you clocked her square in the mouth, then threw her to the ground, pinned her, and clocked her again,” Tommy said, amused. Kimberly looked up and rolled her eyes. “Tommy, I could get in serious trouble for this. Ms. Feldman could sue me and I don’t even care because as far I’m concerned, she is no better than Brent’s mom. You know they both accused me of ‘brainwashing’ the kids? No shit, they both used the same, exact phrase. I am so sick of hearing people talk about theater as if it’s some player’s club of hedonistic, Satan worshiping gypsies!” Kimberly fumed. Tommy choked back a giggle as Kimberly smacked his arm. “You can stop laughing any time,” she snapped. Tommy exploded with laughter, setting his food down and grabbing Kimberly out of her chair and into his lap. She pouted in his arms, not caring to join in his cavalier attitude.

“Kim, come on. Lighten up will ya? I mean, you gotta admit, your tiny, little body scrawled across Ms. Feldman . . . fists and legs, kicking and flying . . . it’s pretty funny to imagine,” Tommy teased, pinching her cheek. She smacked his hand away, remaining morose in his lap. “I bet nobody thought you could fight like that. Of course, I know better,” he said, giving her a wink. Kimberly groaned and got up from his lap. She sat back in her chair and picked up the phone, dialing Mr. Olson’s home number. She nervously tapped her nails along the desk as she waited, giving Tommy a stubborn glare. He shrugged her off and quietly ate the rest of his burger.

The other line clicked as Kimberly straightened up in her chair. Tommy stopped mid bite, hissing at Kimberly. “Did he pick up?” he whispered harshly. She shushed him with a wave, hearing a man’s voice on the other end.

“Hello?” the man’s voice asked. Kimberly swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled out Brent’s note from her pocket and smoothed it out on her desk. “Yes, Mr. Olson? This is Miss Hart, Brent’s teacher?” she responded slowly. She listened intently as the man on the other end hushed someone in the background. “Sorry, that was my daughter, Marie. She’s five, so she’s very curious about everything. I was just about to drop her off at the nanny’s. You’re lucky you caught me. Miss Hart, you said? Brent’s teacher? Is something wrong? Brent called me this morning, rather upset. I’m letting him stay with me for the week, his mother and I are divorced and I think some time with his father would do him some good. What can I do for you?” Mr. Olson rambled. Kimberly could sense Mr. Olson’s influence. He was clearly a businessman of some sort. Polite, charming, unassuming, and oblivious.

“I won’t keep you, since I realize you’ve got places to be; but I was just curious if Brent mentioned anything about why he was staying with you?” Kimberly continued tentatively. Tommy grabbed her hand as if to send her strength.

Mr. Olson sighed, unsure if he wanted to be having this conversation. “Yes, Brent mentioned he and Suzie weren’t getting along at the moment, so I thought I’d take him off her hands for a while, let her cool down,” He responded confidently. Kimberly cringed. Either the man knew what was going on and chose to ignore it, or he didn’t have a clue and never thought to ask. Either way, Kimberly knew he wasn’t going to enjoy what she had to say next.

“I’m sure Brent is very grateful to have a father like you. Mr. Olson, I have reason to believe that Brent might not be living in the healthiest environment with his mother. He came to school today with a black eye and bruises on his face,” she told him quietly. She could hear the little girl in the background start to cry, then an older woman’s voice trying to console her while Mr. Olson spoke to them both in soothing tones. He returned to the line and responded to Kimberly’s accusation.

“Miss Hart, are you implying that my ex-wife hit my son?” he asked calmly. Yep, he was definitely a businessman. Kimberly guessed possibly even a lawyer. “Well, Brent mentioned that he and his mother had gotten into a rather heated argument last night after he came home rather late and he said that she hit him, so yes, I suppose that is what I’m implying,” Kimberly said, struggling to control her temper. The man was an adult, couldn’t he surmise what she was implying? Unbelievable, she thought to herself. Tommy nudged her carefully and shook his head as if to warn her to watch her tone. She nodded and turned her attention back to the phone.

Mr. Olson cleared his throat before continuing. “Why would Suzie hit him for coming home late? He comes home late all the time! He works at a 24-hour diner!” He told Kimberly, challenging her alleged statement.

“It doesn’t seem that the time he came home was the problem, but rather, why he was coming home so late,” Kimberly clarified. “Why was he coming home so late? Where was he?” Mr. Olson pressed gently. Kimberly bit her lip and went in for the kill.

“He was at rehearsal with me, for the school play. We’re performing Romeo and Juliet and Brent’s the lead, he’s Romeo, so he had a lot of questions after the read through and we stayed after and talked for a while before we realized it had gotten so late and called it a night,” Kimberly confessed timidly. She listened as Mr. Olson began laughing inexplicably.

“So you’re the reason my son was so late? I’d like to meet you sometime, Miss Hart. Brent never gets that distracted! Are you sure you aren’t calling to apologize for yourself?” He said, laughing fiendishly. Kimberly’s eyes widened in embarrassment. She didn’t know if this reaction was better or worse than him screaming at her. She put the phone up to Tommy’s ear so he could listen to the man chuckle wildly. Tommy shrugged and threw his hands up in conceit. She brought the receiver back to her own ear and waited for Mr. Olson’s laughter to subside.

“I realize that I should have kept better track of time, Mr. Olson. But Brent was so enthusiastic and engaging, I didn’t want to dismiss his interest. He’s a really good kid and he’s worked so hard already but Mrs. Olson doesn’t seem to agree with this particular choice of activity, which is why I’m asking you to let Brent come back to the play. He’s such an amazing actor for his age and I’d hate to see him miss this opportunity. I realize that you share custody, and I’m not asking you to go against his mother’s wishes . . . well, okay, I am asking you to go against her wishes, but not secretively. Maybe if you could just talk to Mrs. Olson and convince her that this is something Brent likes to do and that’s he’s good at, I mean really, really good at it, then maybe he could return?” she digressed.

“Are you concerned for Brent’s well-being or the sanctity of your show, Miss Hart? Doesn’t matter. Look, you sound like you have a genuine concern, however, I must inform you that I don’t particularly agree with theater as a hobby either. It takes up too much time and Brent needs to be concentrating on his school work. He already spends half of the time working at that diner, when he should be at home studying. But he at least he’s getting paid for working at the diner,” he began. Kimberly reflected on his statement for a moment, finding it slightly misdirected.

“Mr. Olson, I can assure you that I am not using hyperbole just to keep my show in tact. I would gladly forfeit the entire show if it meant that Brent was safe and happy, but I truly think that being in this play would make him happy. The safety part is where you come in,” Kimberly suggested. Mr. Olson laughed.

“Miss Hart, please don’t misconstrue my tone, I am very much concerned for my son. Had I known this was happening, I would have stopped it immediately. Now, as I mentioned before, neither myself nor Mrs. Olson is extremely for Brent’s theater interest. We both find it excessive and unnecessary. Having said that however, you make a good argument for Brent’s affinity toward this acting thing, so I’ll make a deal with you,” he began. Kimberly grabbed Tommy’s hand and squeezed tightly, hoping for the best.

“I don’t know how much time Brent would be spending in rehearsal, but it seems to me that his mother’s biggest concern is that Brent won’t be making as much money if he’s in a play. So, here’s my offer; Brent can be in the show, but he’s not allowed to miss any work due to rehearsals. I might be able to negotiate with you on performances, seeing as that’s the whole point of needing Brent to continue. I’d also like to set up biweekly meetings with you, Principal Randall and Brent, to ensure that his school work is being attended to. Finally, I’d like to request that the performance be video taped so that I can see my son in action. If he’s as good as you say he is, I’d like some proof. How’s that sound?” the older man concluded.

Kimberly paused for a moment and grabbed a pen, scribbled a quick note on her napkin, and slid the paper over to Tommy. He snatched it off the table and scanned it quickly. He nodded, gave her a kiss on the cheek and left the room. Kimberly returned to the phone.

“I’d like to renegotiate some of your demands, sir,” she stated, playing into his litigation. Mr. Olson laughed as he instructed her to continue. “I can guarantee you that Brent will not miss any work due to rehearsals. However, the week prior to the show’s opening, we have tech rehearsals that require every cast member in attendance and those nights can sometimes run longer than expected. I would be remiss to compromise the rest of the cast’s time because Brent isn’t allowed to be there. So here’s a trade off; Brent is only required to attend two days of rehearsal, leaving whenever he must to get to work on time, in exchange for the entirety of tech week and the three shows, of which he would be allowed to stay for an indefinite amount of time, should rehearsals take longer and/or his performances are so revered, his fellow cast mates decide to take him out and celebrate, within reason of course. I have no problem with the biweekly meetings, I am in correspondence with Principal Randall as we speak, coordinating schedules and times. I can speak to Brent about this, although I assume you’ll want to as well. And as far as the video tape is concerned, I’m afraid I can’t do that Mr. Olson,” she retorted nervously.

“Why not?” The older man asked her incredulously. “Because my only other stipulation, should you agree to my terms, is that you and Mrs. Olson are required to see Brent perform live,” she said proudly. Mr. Olson’s silence worried Kimberly, so she proceeded with caution.

“I’ll be more than happy to comp your tickets, sir. For you, your ex-wife, Marie, the nanny, your girlfriend, your secretary, the pool boy, whoever! If you only promise me that you’ll make the effort to see your son act in person,” she stated, tears forming in her eyes. Mr. Olson laughed. “You’ve got spunk, Miss Hart. I would really like to meet with you sometime,” he told her. Kimberly forced a nervous laugh of her own.

“Well, you’ll certainly get that chance sir, if the progress meetings happen,” she told him politely. Mr. Olson cleared his throat. “I think all of that can be arranged. Is there rehearsal after school?” he asked.

“Yes, there is. It doesn’t begin until five though. I know Brent works tonight, he’s free to leave whenever he needs to,” she told him. The man gave her an affirmative grunt. “What’s going to happen with Mrs. Olson?” she added.

“Well, fortunately for us, my ex-wife would rather swallow glass than give up shared custody of Brent, so if I inform her that I plan to take her back to court, she’ll have no choice but to concede,” Mr. Olson said confidently. Kimberly winced slightly at the idea of blackmailing Brent’s mom. It didn’t seem fair, even after what she had done.

She had hoped he would have taken the initiative to get Brent out of his mother’s house, but as it was, Mr. Olson seemed more interested in scaring his ex-wife. Rather than actually keeping Brent safe from harm. Kimberly reluctantly ended the discussion. Mr. Olson thanked her for the enlightening conversation, to which Kimberly responded with her own grateful summation, thanking him for his time and compassion. She might not be a lawyer, but she was just as slick. She hung up the phone right as Tommy reentered the room. He smiled as she mockingly collapsed onto her desk. He crossed over to her and grabbed her by the waist, kissing her softly.

“Well? How did it go? You don’t seem too upset,” Tommy asked her, showering her in playful kisses all over her face. She grimaced when he went to lick her cheek, stopping his face with her hand. “It went better than I thought. No telling what Mrs. Olson’s going to do, but Brent’s going to be in the show!” The couple cheered as Tommy wrapped her in a bear hug and snuck a puppy dog kiss to her face after all. She squealed, hitting his chest. He laughed and placed a real kiss on her lips once again. “How did everything go with you? What time is it? What did Randall say?” she bombarded Tommy once they had settled back into the chairs.

“I took care of it all, it’s 1:34, and Randall should be calling you and Brent into her office right . . . about,” Tommy trailed off, watching the speaker on the wall as the P.A. system crackled and Elise’s voice came streaming over the intercom just as the period bell rang.

“Now,” he finished, smiling at Kim.

Brent Olson, please come to the office. Brent Olson, please come to the office. Thank You.

Kimberly gave him a twisted look. How did he and Principal Randall do that? She thought to herself. “Why wasn’t I called?” she asked him, dismissing her boyfriend and boss’s psychic tendencies. Tommy smiled. “ I had her summon Brent over the intercom cause I knew I could get back here in time to tell you. Besides, she agreed that it would seem suspicious if you were both called at the same time, something about ‘Miss Hart’s reputation’?” He explained casually. She poked him in the side, causing him to involuntary jump. “What am I going to do about my class?” she groaned. She hadn’t spent more than an hour today actually teaching. “I already took care of that, too. Miss Jacobs should be arriving any minute now,” he told her, grabbing her by the waist again and planting a firm kiss square on the lips.

As if on cue, right as Tommy kissed her, Miss Jacobs came bustling through the door, greeting the couple bashfully.

Kimberly pulled away in surprise, eyeing Tommy carefully. “Okay, you really need to stop doing that,” she told him gravely. Tommy laughed as he glanced over his shoulder to greet the young woman. Miss Jacobs waved coyly and made her way to Kimberly’s desk.

“Tommy told me what’s going on. I had no idea about Brent! Is everything okay? Why didn’t you say something this morning?” Miss Jacobs asked Kimberly frantically. Kimberly gave the woman a soothing smile.

“I was going to after school, but I didn’t know what would happen. Thankfully, Brent’s still going to be in the show. Thank you again for saving my ass repeatedly today. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she told Grace, giving her a hug. Miss Jacobs smiled and shooed her toward the door. “Well, thank Tommy for this last one. I almost went home after lunch! You get going to Randall’s office, I’ll be fine. This class is reading The Grapes of Wrath, right?” she asked Kimberly innocently. Kimberly gave her a look of horror before realizing she was kidding. She rolled her eyes as Tommy and Grace laughed.

“Joking, Miss Hart. They’re reading Romeo and Juliet, I know. Piece of cake,” Miss Jacobs told her. Kimberly blushed as Tommy escorted them out of the classroom. He grabbed her hand before parting ways.

“Meet me in the parking lot after school? We can grab an early dinner before your rehearsal,” he offered. Kimberly smiled and nodded. He leaned over and gave her a slow and gentle kiss. Students started whistling and howling as the couple parted, gazing dreamily at one another, grinning at the random catcalls. Kimberly slowly slid her hand out of his grasp and waved seductively goodbye, turning on her heels and heading for the office. Tommy backed up slowly, watching her leave. He was stopped abruptly by two hands landing on his shoulders. He spun around to see Ethan James and Trent Fernandez grinning wildly at him. He waved them along with his hands, attempting to regain a professional demeanor. “Get to class you two, go on,” he told the boys, shoving them through the door. They grabbed his hand and forced a couple of high fives into his palm, laughing all the while as they made their way into the class. Tommy chuckled and shook his head, making his way to his classroom.

1:41pm

Principal Randall’s Office

Reefside High School

Kimberly arrived to the office right as the passing period ended. She was becoming such a familiar face amongst the secretaries, they didn’t even acknowledge her when she came in. Kimberly snickered and headed for the end of the hall. Elise’s door was open this time, so Kimberly let herself in without knocking. She entered the room to see Brent sitting there, much like he had been this morning. Elise looked up, startled to see Kimberly standing there.

“Miss Hart! Please, have a seat,” the woman told her, returning to the papers she had been reading. Kimberly sat in the chair next to Brent. “I was just telling Brent here, about his stroke of good fortune,” Elise said, looking up from her paperwork. Kimberly looked at Brent hopefully. He smiled, albeit still somewhat confused. Kimberly grabbed his hand. “I spoke to your father,” she told the boy. Brent’s grin disappeared slightly.

“You didn’t tell him what happened, did you?” Brent asked her desperately. Kimberly bit her lip. She gave Elise a worried look and then returned to Brent. “I did, Brent. But I also told him how much being in the show means to you. I admit I was a little skeptical at first, knowing that your father seems to share the same opinion about theater that your mother has, but he was very cooperative,” Kimberly explained. Brent nodded and lowered his head.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Brent asked, staring into his lap. Kimberly looked at Elise. Principal Randall gave her a nod and picked up where Kimberly left off. “Your father has agreed to let you continue with the show but in order to do that, he has requested biweekly progress meetings with myself, Miss Hart, and you. He wants to ensure that your involvement in the play won’t deter you from your school work. I have agreed and so has Miss Hart. Our first meeting will be this Friday,” Randall concluded, handing the floor back to Kim.

“Your father also mentioned how much he and your mother value your job at the diner,” Kimberly gently stretched the truth. “So I told him I’d rearrange your rehearsal schedule to accommodate your work one. I’ll need to go over that with you so we can utilize everyone’s time better. You’re only required to be at rehearsal two days a week, and the days that you’re there, you can leave whenever you need to for work, ” she added.

Brent looked up at her, tears in his eyes. “But what about the other days? That’s not fair to the rest of the cast! I mean, thank you so much for everything Miss Hart, but how are we gonna manage if I can only be there two days out of the week?” the young man asked frantically. Kimberly grabbed his shoulder, turning him to look directly at her.

“Don’t worry about that. I have an idea, provided Ms. Randall agrees,” she told him hopefully, turning her attention toward the other woman. Elise raised her eyebrow and began sifting through her desk drawers, looking for something. After a minute or two of searching, Ms. Randall pulled out a small folder filled with half sheets of paper.

She smiled wryly and handed the folder to Kimberly.

“I’ll need the signatures of the students and at least one parent. This is good for the run of the show, should you need to make more outside trips than anticipated,” Elise said, shutting her drawer. Kimberly flipped through the folder, smiling gratefully at Ms. Randall. Brent looked at both women, confused.

“I don’t understand, what’s going on?” He asked them. Kimberly closed the folder and set it on her lap, reaching for Brent’s hand again. “Your father only has a say in when and where you rehearse, so on the days that you can’t be there, the rest of the cast and I are going to be taking a little field trip to the diner,” Kimberly revealed excitedly.

Brent smiled and hugged Kimberly awkwardly. She gladly accepted the hug, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

The young man pulled away and looked at Kimberly with concern. “But what about my boss? I mean, I can’t just slack off and rehearse while I’m there, I’m running around constantly at the diner,” he told her, his hopefulness suddenly stifled.

“We’ll figure that out once I get the schedules rearranged. Don’t worry, we are going to make sure your time doesn’t get sacrificed more than it has to,” she told him. Brent smiled once again as Kimberly squeezed his hand. Just then, Principal Randall’s intercom went off.

“Yes?” the woman answered. “Ms. Randall, Hannah Feldman is on line one,” the secretary’s voice buzzed. Elise gave Kimberly a knowing look before responding. She depressed the button on her speaker, “Thank you. I’ll be right with her.” Ms. Randall released the button and stood up. Kimberly and Brent followed suit, letting themselves out. Elise held the door for them as they crossed the threshold, stopping Kimberly after Brent had left.

“Expect a phone call at home,” Elise whispered to her. Kimberly sighed and nodded. Ms. Randall patted her shoulder and sent Kimberly on her way. Shutting the door behind her, Elise sat back down at her desk and picked up the phone. Connecting to the first line, she took a deep breath and answered. “Hello Hannah . . . ”

In the atrium, Brent was sitting on the steps, waiting for Kimberly. She took a seat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“Thank you again, Miss Hart. I’ve never had an adult care so much about my happiness,” he said, laughing at his own sentimentality. Kimberly blushed, wondering why she felt the need to protect Brent so fiercely. He was a good kid, one that didn’t deserve the reprehension he received from his parents. Maybe it was the ‘child from a broken home’ in her that understood where he was coming from, or maybe it was her innate kindness that had made her a formidable super hero. Or maybe it was bigger than that. Maybe it wasn’t about Brent. Maybe it was to prove to everyone and anyone who doubted theater’s contribution and necessity. Brent was merely an example.

It made her concept for the show that much more tangible. There were too many adults not listening to their children. Some who were demanding and uncompromising, like Mrs. Olson and Ms. Feldman; others like Brent’s dad, who was controlling but oblivious; and some with good intentions that go awry, like Mrs. Franklin or perhaps even, herself. She looked at Brent, wanting to know that all she had done was truly what he wanted.

“You’re okay that I talked to your dad?” She asked him quietly. Brent gave her a small smile. “Yeah, it’s cool. I know he can kind of seem abrasive sometimes, but he’s always been supportive, even if he doesn’t agree with my choices,” he explained. “It’s my mom I’m worried about. My dad, for as well as he treats my stepsister and me, doesn’t really care what happens to her. He got the majority of the money in their settlement, while my mom got the larger share of custody. That’s why my dad only sees me when I request it,” Brent added flippantly, although it hurt him to say it. Kimberly gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Well, that’s something positive, right? You’re mom would rather have you than the money,” she told him hopefully. Brent snickered and played with the strap of his backpack. “Actually, I think she wanted me so he would have to pay child support,” he told her casually. Kimberly winced at his comment. Brent was usually so happy and joyful, but became very guarded and aloof whenever he spoke about his parents.

It was then that the irony hit her like a ton of bricks. She was sitting next to Romeo. Brent’s vitality and love for theater was his Juliet, a forbidden obsession that he didn’t bother sharing with his parents because they’d either get angry or simply wouldn’t understand, much like the Montagues and Capulets. Her comparison then begged the question, who was she in all of this? Kimberly suddenly thought back to her fight with Ms. Feldman earlier that morning. “Consort?” she said to herself. Brent gave her a confused look, but she just smiled and dismissed her comment as nothing.

She had become a hybrid of Mercutio and Benvolio. The instigator and the consoler. The one who rationally stood up for Brent’s choices but bombastically attacked any opposition. Kimberly supposed Principal Randall fell into the Prince Escalus role, the voice of reason, however misinformed it might be at times.

Everyone played their parts, which made Kimberly laugh out loud, receiving another twisted look from Brent.

“What’s so funny?” he asked her. She shook her head and gave Brent a hug. “Nothing. I’m just glad you’re back in the show,” she told him. Brent smiled as he returned her hug.

“So, what do we do now? I know we have rehearsal tonight, but I have to work at seven. How are we supposed to fit everything in before I have to leave?” Brent asked her after they had parted. Kimberly pulled out her notebook and a pen from her bag. “Let’s figure that out right now,” she told him. “Write down your work schedule while I look over the rehearsal scheme and then we’ll compare notes,” she instructed. Brent nodded as Kimberly handed him the notebook and pen. He began writing while she regarded the calendar. Fortunately, this week would be the easiest to tackle. They were blocking acts one and two tonight, act three tomorrow, and act four on Thursday; the only act that Romeo wasn’t even in. Next week, when Kimberly had planned to block act five and walk through the whole show, was when things would get trickier.

The pair sat in silence as they both tended to their papers in front of them. Once Brent was finished, he handed the sheet over to Kimberly, comparing it with the rehearsal calendar. “I don’t want to start having rehearsals on Fridays until we get closer to the show, but we might have to just to squeeze in some extra time. You work a lot. How did you even manage your school work before you were in a show?” Kimberly asked him, mentally rearranging the schedule as she looked at the notebook.

Brent shrugged. “It’s really easy to study quietly at work. I don’t know how rehearsing there is going to be,” he told her. Kimberly laughed “We’ll figure something out,” she assured him. “If you were in my drama class, this would be a lot easier,” she joked. Brent gave her a bashful smile. “Yeah, I really wanted to take it, but you can guess how well that went over with my parents,” he explained sorely. Kimberly gave him a playful nudge.

“Okay, I think I have a game plan. Now, you may not be rehearsing on the same two days every week, but I’ll make sure you know ahead of time when you will need to be there,” she explained. Brent nodded, looking over her shoulder to read her notes.

The final bell rang. The pair stood up and gave each other a hug as the atrium began to fill with people. Kimberly shook Brent’s hand goodbye and told him she’d see him later at rehearsal. Brent smiled at the thought. “Thank you again, Miss Hart,” he said, brimming with joy. Kimberly returned the smile. “You better make me proud, sticking my neck out for you!” she told him playfully. “I won’t let you down. I promise. I’ll the best Romeo you’ve ever seen!” he told her confidently. Kimberly laughed as they parted, watching him walk away.

Yes you will, she thought to herself. She shook her head as she made her way toward the parking lot to meet Tommy.

AN: Did I solve this too easily? Not that the drama’s over, but was it too easy? What will Ms. Randall have to tell Kimberly now? How about that cat fight, huh? Sorry there’s been so little Tommy/Kim action. I had to establish the subplot before I could move on. This story is nowhere near completion! Please keep reading and reviewing! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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