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

everything, starting from the utter silence before her birthday, to her conversation with Jesse Oliver, culminating with the stomach-turning encounter with Tommy's mother, when the truth was finally revealed.

She'd intended to keep her tale short and to the point… but instead she was overcome with the torture of it all, burning like welts that had yet to heal, ravaging her heart and beating down her soul anew. Before she was done, tears slid freely from her eyes as she mourned the love she thought she had, and the loss of her heart to a man capable of tearing it to pieces.

During the gut-wrenching story, Jason was positively mortified. He was beyond confused, struggling with the emotions churning within. Shock, that Kimberly could even accuse Tommy of such malevolence. Fear, that perhaps Tommy wasn't the terrific guy he seemed. Rage, that someone could do that to his little sister. But the emotion that won out of the end was sorrow. As he watched Kimberly speak, her thin shoulders quivering, skin blanching, and eyes bleeding… he mourned the change he'd sensed in her earlier. A heartbreak like that was simply impossible to recover from. She'd never be the bright-eyed, overflowingly positive young woman he knew her to be. Betrayal, by someone you trust above all others, would always leave a devastating scar. She'd never be able to trust like she once did.

She would always suspect… seeing the bad rather than the good in all the people surrounding her.

No…it can't be this way! There's got to be another answer!!

Jason rationalized, staring wide-eyed at his oldest friend. The picture Kimberly painted seemed so at odds with everything he knew about his best friend…there had to be a logical explanation.

"Did you ever talk to him again?" he asked gently.

Kim scowled. "I called his house twice, and his family made it more than clear that I had no business trying to talk to him."

"Maybe if you kept trying…"

Suddenly, Kim pulled her hands from his, infinite hurt blazing in her eyes. Mentally, Jason slapped himself. Great… now she thinks I'm siding with Tommy…

"Dammit, Jason…I didn't give him a reason not

to call me," she hissed, "If that bastard truly cared one iota about me, he would've called me! But guess what? His number never popped up on my Caller ID. Never an apology for missing my birthday, a message just to see how I'm doing…nothing

! If he doesn't think I'm worth the effort of picking up the goddamned phone and dialing eleven digits, then to hell with him! I'm not gonna chase him around, begging him to love me. If Kat's that damn irresistible, and that conniving to have her eye on my boyfriend while yet calling me her 'friend,'

then they deserve each other!"

She jumped from her seat, fingers clutching her purse as she leveled her humiliated gaze at Jason. "Good night, Jason."

With that, she hurried out of the restaurant, leaving a dozen or so witnesses watch her retreat after her outburst.

Jason blinked, overwhelmed by her reaction. My God…what's happened to her??

Immediately, he tossed some money on the table, and raced after her.

Chapter Eighteen

"I should've known…I should've known…"

Kim squeezed her eyes tightly, bare toes digging into the cold, damp evening sand of the famous South Beach. The sea breezes were strong, carrying her hair fitfully behind her back. The short hem of her skirt buckled to the powerful wind as well, raging against her bare legs.

But she stood still, her body frozen as she let this newest heartache sink in.

"I should've known…"

After all, Jason and Tommy were "buds."

"Bros."

Why would Jason believe her

, anyway?

Maybe it's a guy thing,

she contemplated, her stomach churning with profound disgust. Maybe they just don't see anything wrong with chasing skirts.

She knew she was wrong. She may have had doubts about Tommy, but Jason

never lied to her. Never even held a secret from her.

Please God…tell me I'm wrong. I need Jason

now… I need a friend I can trust. Someone to guide me through this…

"Wow, Kim… you really run fast for someone with such short legs."

She didn't respond to the joke. Jason swallowed the smile he forced upon his lips, foregoing humor completely as he set his hands on Kim's shoulders, and turned her to face him.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, "What I said… didn't come out right. I didn't mean to imply that any

of this is your fault. I was just so surprised…I mean…Tommy's not like

that."

She sniffled weakly. "You don't think I know that?" she choked, "You don't think I've struggled with this? Jase, I loved

Tommy. I loved everything about him. He was sweet yet strong, shy but bold… he treated me like a princess. To think that he could ever hurt me, even by accident, was so hard for me to swallow. But there's no other explanation."

"Maybe --"

"No

other explanation," she repeated emphatically. "You said yourself that Tommy and Katherine are dating. What more do you need?"

He chewed his lip, carefully planning his response before a word of it left his mouth. He knew he was treading on thin ice.

"Because…it's hard to believe Tommy feels anything for Kat that he did for you."

Kim froze, her choked shudders stopping completely at the totally unexpected answer. She stared at Jason, eyes wide with disbelief… and something else. Something deeper, that she tried so hard to bury and forget.

Hope.

"W…what makes you say that

?" she breathed.

He offered a wan smile. "Kim, I saw you two together. I saw the way he looked at you… how he raced in front of you to open the door… how he walked you home every chance he got. You know we're friends… but you don't know how many times he asked about you when you weren't with us. Back before you were dating. He just wanted to know everything about you. Your favorite food. Favorite music. Favorite color… although I think that was pretty obvious."

A small smile graced her lip.

"With Kat, he's not like that. It took me weeks to figure out they were anything more than platonic friends. They don't hold hands in public, or hug, or even spend much time together. So you can imagine why it's really

hard for me to believe Tommy dumped you for her."

Kim was silent, eyes on the floor as she began quivering again. "B…but," she struggled, "Kat's so beautiful. Why wouldn't he love her?"

"Hey, I'm just telling you what I see," he answered, holding her close in a tight hug, "and what I don't

see. And I don't

see Tommy and Kat in love."

"No!" Kim howled, pushing away from her friend. She glared at him, desperately trying to douse the excitement he'd managed to stir in her just by alluding to a slim possibility. "I can't trust him…I just can't

! Fine, maybe he's not in love with Kat. Maybe he just got tired of her already, like he did with me."

"Kim…"

"No!"

she repeated, "If he cared for me at all, why didn't he call me

?! Why was he skiing with Kat on Valentine's Day, huh? Why'd he take her to dinner? Why didn't he call me

?!?!"

"I don't know, Kim," Jason answered gently, "but I do know one thing…there's only one person who can answer those questions."

Kim paled visibly, frown shifting from rage to bewilderment. "You can't be serious…"

"Come back to Angel Grove after the Games," he pleaded. "Just for a day or two."

"Are you nuts

?! I can't face them!"

"Kim, you can!" he assured her, "You're strong, Kim. Strong enough to pick up the pieces here. Strong enough to search for the truth. You have suspicions Kim. I'm not saying they're not warranted, but they are suspicions. You need facts. You need answers…or you'll always wonder what really happened that weekend. Right?"

"But I…" she stammered, backpedaling as she tried to collect her thoughts. "I…I'm through with Angel Grove! I don't need him!"

"You don't," Jason conceded, "but you need to know."

She squeezed her eyes closed.

"Kim, please. Just come for a few days. Stay with my family… visit your old friends. And together, we'll figure out what really happened."

Kim shook her head, overcome with indecision as she faced the offer she really couldn't refuse.

Part Five: Patience

Author's Note:

As this Part takes place in space, a few alien species not originating from Power Rangers will appear. Can you guess where they're from?

Chapter Nineteen

A short, bald biped from the planet Ferengenar stood behind the elevated podium. A confident grin settled on his oily face as he turned his beady eyes to the audience before him.

"And now, for the prize of the auction," he announced, sweeping his arm dramatically. A heavy velvet curtain pulled back, revealing a small, ornate box. The box was no more than a foot in breadth and depth, but even from a distance the glittering, transparent jewel that adorned the lid was plainly visible.

A few hushed whispers filtered through the subsequent silence. Creatures in the audience peered forward, gleams of excitement animating the eyes of many an educated consumer. Most of them easily recognized the fabled crest of Edenoid royalty.

"May I present an infamous weapon…so dangerous