Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie by Heather Ray (beach read book .TXT) 📕

"As our Lord's fiancée, we are obligated to serve you as we serve him," Goldar answered.

Slowly a smile stretched Kimberly's lip. If nothing else, bossing these two around will totally make my day!

"Is there anything we can do for you at this time?" Scorpina inquired.

"A tour of the palace will pass the time nicely,"

she responded, regal disdain touching her voice. "I haven't seen the throne room yet."

To say things were "awkward"

simply wouldn't do the situation justice. It was as if a miasma of discomfort hung between them, separating them on such a fundamental level that, despite all the words that needed to be said, neither seemed particularly inclined to do more than breathe.

Katherine sighed faintly, staring at the quiet lawn of Angel Grove High's famous football field. It almost felt eerie, seeing a location typically bustling with activity so grave. Was it really nine months ago that she first sat in those cold metal bleachers? It felt like a lifetime ago...entering a new school in a completely new country, preparing to rebuild her entire life.

By the time the first day of school rolled along, she was already off to a great start. Billy had amiably offered her help with Calculus, after she'd expressed some concern that she wouldn't be able to keep up with the class. Rocky jovially provided a full report on the foods to be avoided in the school cafeteria, and the wisdom in making the trip down the block to the Youth Center whenever possible for a chili dog or the best French fries in town. Aisha was more than eager to divulge the latest gossip, orienting the Australian on which students were trouble, who was dating whom, and which teachers to avoid if at all possible. Adam volunteered to introduce her to the after-school activities available, taking her to a soccer tryout and even helping her locate the nearest Olympic-sized pool, to keep refining her finesse on the diving platform.

And Tommy...he was the axis around which her new life revolved. Sensitive, selfless, and just so

understanding, he was a dream come true for an insecure new girl. He had the kind of charisma politicians try to mimic; only with him, it was utterly genuine. No matter how guilty or inadequate Katherine felt after she'd accepted the overwhelming privilege of the Pink Coin, he knew just how to chase the blues away.

But that was then

...before the Letter. When they were friends, Tommy could openly care about her without guilt hindering him. He was never ashamed of their friendship, because he never considered it anything but

simply that.

After the letter, his ability to openly express affection... even friendly affection...was damaged. He was less confident, more apprehensive. Even when they dated, it was difficult for him to be as considerate and caring as he had been when Kimberly was in his heart.

And then everything went horribly wrong.

How could she do it? How could she capture the maelstrom of feelings that had been thrashing within her, and put them into words? Could she make Tommy understand how much she hurt...how much she pined for what was lost? Did he even care

? Or was his focus so narrow, only Kimberly's plight held any of his attention at all?

There was only one way to find out.

Steeling herself, she managed to turn around, and meet the haunted chocolate brown gaze she'd been avoiding like the plague for three days. The pain in his eyes was so engulfing it was impossible not to feel for him. She found herself unable to hold his gaze and yet maintain to her resolution.

"Tommy," she spoke, her fingers laced tightly together, "I think we both know things are...bad

between us."

She didn't lift her eyes to him, though she noticed his arms, previously hanging at his sides, folded over his chest.

He didn't speak...either in confirmation, or denial.

"What happened between us, the other day, wasn't a normal fight. It wasn't the kind of argument all couples go through, and then resolve. Everything that's been happening, for the past few months...it just...tore

us apart."

Her words were, again, met with silence.

Dammit, why isn't he talking? Doesn't he have anything to say??

She struggled against her disappointment that this would clearly be a largely one-sided conversation. She managed to swallow the lump that clogged her throat. "I just think it's time we made it official."

When she first decided (not quite by choice)

to take a walk with Tommy, she didn't really plan what was going to be said. She hadn't intended to take such decisive action; only, the way he let her flounder, silently stoic as she bared her pain, made her grimly certain that there was really nothing between them that could be salvaged.

Despite her cold logic, it still hurt to hear her own voice drive a nail in the casket of their burgeoning romance. Even though their relationship had taken such a dramatic, bitter turn, part of her still clung to him...to wistful dreams of mending all his emotional wounds, and creating a future with him.

That ill-fated hope weighed her down, forcing her to fight against it, like a drowning woman fights to reach the surface of the brine. And suddenly, despite her fervent wish to stand strong in the face of heartbreak, tears clouded the watery blue of her eyes.

Two strong arms wove around her waist, pulling her against a body that seemed to tremble as much as her own. The feel of him...the scent of him so close only made it hurt worse, as the girlish romantic in her mourned the warmth it would never feel again.

At first, she furiously decided it was mercilessly cruel of him to touch her after her painful proclamation. Only, as the embrace lingered, Kat felt what he was trying to convey. He was completely without words...incapable of comforting her, or explaining himself, verbally. Instead, he'd taken the last resort, to let her feel

rather than hear his apology, his regret.

His trembling, anxious embrace spoke far more eloquently than words ever could have.

Finally, after over a minute of utter silence, he'd found a few meager words to express some of what he was experiencing. "It's...just not fair

, what happened," he murmured, an uncharacteristic waver in his voice. "Please believe me; I care about you...a lot

." He sighed, his breath tickling the back of her neck. "I only had the best of intentions, the highest hopes...I wanted something...wonderful

to happen between us. But...I think we should just end

it, too."

Somewhere deep inside, Kat recoiled. She knew it was best for them both...but she'd still wished, deep down, that he'd loved her enough to fight for her...to fight for them.

He just...didn't. Or couldn't

.

"I haven't been fair to you, and I know I won't be." His arms disengaged, leaving her suddenly cold. She turned around, watching his hands flail as he struggled to convey what he wanted to say. "Whatever...we might have had

together...has been ruined by the fact that if not for some stupid fake letter, we never would've been together." He gazed into her too-blue eyes, wincing at the sight. "D...does this make any sense at all?"

Her head jerked in a bare nod. She understood it perfectly. They were well suited for each other; under different circumstances, they might have made a wonderful, permanent couple. Only...whatever could have developed between them had been poisoned by the circumstances that brought them together to begin with. That kind of poison attacked the very root of their feelings for one another...and could never be cured.

Simply put...they never should have been together in the first place. Tommy still clung to his first love, and no matter how this nightmare would finally resolve, there was no way Tommy's heart would ever truly, earnestly love the girl he had replaced her with.

The ghost of Kimberly Hart would always linger between them...and the guilt that tormented both would never heal, so long as they strove for a romance that should never have blossomed to begin with.

Sobbing quietly, Katherine leaned heavily against Tommy's strong chest. His heart beat near her shoulder, strong and steady.

"God, Tommy...I'm sorry

!" she moaned, her voice muffled in the loose cotton of his T-shirt. "I'm sorry I hurt her...hurt you

...sorry she suspected we...we --"

His arms wound around her, one draped loosely around her waist, the other climbing her back, letting him gently stroke the straw-gold curls of her hair.

"Shh," he soothed, leaning his chin against her forehead. "We...we're both sorry about what happened. We both

wish we could go back in time, and just undo everything that happened since the day I got that letter. And I know you only wanted to help me. I just wish I'd seen that."

He lifted his eyes, staring up into the clear blue sky. Idly, he wondered what had happened to Kimberly...what would happen to her before they were finally able to take action.

He had no idea how deeply his actions had already affected events in the Lunar Palace.

Son of a bitch! Why that arrogant son of a BITCH

!!!

She backed away from the battered Repulsascope, just far enough to prevent the dripping flames from swallowing the old gadget in their consuming fury.

Flames tricked from the corners of her eyes like furious tears, smoldering on the stone floor of the throne room beside the feet of the near-Queen.

She'd only intended to take a quick look at Earth, the planet her fiancée would surely subjugate in the near future. She'd only wanted to contemplate the planet of her birth briefly, and consider how it would feel to rule over it.

By sheer accident, she figured out how to navigate the magical scope, allowing her to magnify the planet below to such a degree, she could close in on individual people. So her observant stare flashed across much of Angel Grove, just happening

to land on the Youth Center as