Shuffle

Summary: There are moments in life that shaped our entire being, events that mold our entire character. Some are tragic, some hysterical. Some are horrific and some are blissful.

AN: In a series of flashbacks, we get to see some history of Tommy and Kimberly's friendship, from simpler times to the complicated years that adolescence brings.

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.

Chapter Five
13 years ago

"Chicken!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Shut up!"

"Eat it!"

"No!"

Five year old Kimberly Hart glared at her playmate viciously, pointing to the ant hill on the ground beneath them. Young Tommy Oliver grimaced back at the girl, refusing to cooperate.

"Eat it!" Kimberly demanded.

"Uh uh!" Tommy grunted, shaking his head furiously.

"I double dared you!" the girl shrieked, her long brown pigtails bobbing as she thrust her hand toward the tiny insects once again.

"You eat it!" Tommy challenged; a small smirk upon his face.

"You first!" Kim ordered.

"We both eat one!" Tommy said, nodding hopefully.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and collapsed her rag doll body onto the grass. Tommy smiled triumphantly and fell to his knees across from her.

Their parents laughter echoed in the distance alongside random passing cars as the California sun beat down on them. This was their ritual, running the twenty feet of lawn that separated their houses, into a small patch of bushes and daring one another to perform inexplicably gross but hysterical tasks.

Tommy weeks prior, had successfully managed to dare Kimberly to perform a back flip off the swing set in his back yard. The tiny girl, already training in gymnastics and proud as a five year old could be; met his challenge. The trick resulted in skinned knees and a painful bruise to her rump. Needless to say their parents were unimpressed by their children's shenanigans. But Kimberly had completed Tommy's dare; meaning he now had to follow through with hers.

Five year old Tommy Oliver was many things. An already impressive martial artist for his young years but stubborn: perhaps a bit shy around people with a lanky body and a curly tuft of hair, but certainly not a chicken. The fact that his best friend and coconspirator was a precocious, slip of a thing, sassy brunette; did not slip his own developing mind. If a girl could do a back flip off an eight foot tall swing set and come out with a few scratches, then he could most certainly eat an ant and come out a hero.

"Eat that one!" Kimberly chirped, flicking the appointed ant toward him.

Tommy flinched, rearing back slightly as the insect was kicked his way. Kimberly giggled as the boy frantically brushed off his pant leg, a small battalion of ants already finding refuge near his ankles.

"Come on!" Kimberly huffed.

"I'm going!" Tommy insisted.

"You're too slow!"

"I'm going!" He whined again, shooting the girl a glare before slowly reaching down and allowing one specimen to crawl into his palm.

"You do it too," He reminded her.

"Uh uh, you first!" Kim told him seriously.

Tommy scrunched his face with disgust, flipping his hand over to keep the aimless traveler aboard his skin. With the thumb and forefinger of his free hand, Tommy nervously pinched the hind of the tiny creature and quickly popped it in his mouth.

Kimberly's eyes lit up with glee as she watched the boy's throat expand the instant he swallowed.

"AGH!" Tommy wretched; gagging and coughing as he ran for his house.

"Tommy!" Kimberly called out giddily.

The boy stopped abruptly at the water hose assembled on the back porch. Twisting the knob, he held the tube high above his head as water began to pour. He greedily lapped at the liquid, dousing himself in the process.

Kimberly came to stand at the edge of the porch's concrete floor, arms rigid at her sides, hands balled into fists of rage.

"Cheater!" She rumbled.

"Bawtwago," Tommy gurgled as he spoke through the stream of water.

"What?"

"That's was gross!" Tommy pouted, wiping his mouth unceremoniously.

"You're all wet!" Kim stated, as though the fact hinged on anything relevant.

The young boy was suddenly struck with an idea. Regarding his companion for the briefest second, Tommy raised his hand and aimed the firing spray in the girl's direction.

Kimberly screamed as the first wave hit her, running away while Tommy followed; dragging the cord's length behind him.

"No fair!" Kim cried, stomping her foot while she wiped her damp hair away from her face.

Tommy laughed as the hose's maximum reach tugged him back. He dropped the contraption and started to run.

"You're it!" He cackled, sprinting back across the lawn.

"Meanie!" She yelled; her socks sloshing inside her sneakers as their game of tag began.

Eight Years Ago

"Give it back!"

"No way!"

"Give it baaaaack!"

"Too bad, shrimp!"

Ten year old Kimberly Hart stood before Todd Allen; a brawny sixth grader who continually tormented the girl for her diminutive stature. The students of Angel Grove Elementary had been at recess; where Kimberly, Trini and some of their classmates had been playing 4-square on the chalk drawn boxes on the pavement.

Todd had been playing soccer in the field adjacent to the concrete when Trini's "cherry bomb" had bounced triumphantly from Kimberly's square and high into the air. As Kimberly scrambled onto the grass, hoping to catch it; she ran smack into Allen, who'd then caught the rubber sphere and had since refused to return it.

"It's mine!" Kimberly huffed.

"No it's not!" Todd scoffed, holding the ball high above his head as Kimberly continued to jump for it.

"Here take it!" The boy said sweetly, lowering the object.

Kimberly eagerly held out her hands before Todd laughed and scooped the ball back up, holding it once again over them.

"Hey!" She shrieked.

"Too slow!" He chuckled.

Kimberly's eyes bored into the boy; already an impressive five foot eight, as she contemplated a new tactic.

Trini called out to her, as did Todd's friends to him. Time stood still. As Todd continued to bait the small girl, another figure emerged from the inside. Ten year old Tommy Oliver walked absently toward the playground, his head down as he looked confusedly at the text book before him. He was having trouble in his English class, and as a result was assigned extra tutoring during half of his recess periods every day. He sighed before a loud cry was heard and he saw a rush of students barreling toward the soccer field.

Four feet, eight inches; wearing white overall shorts, a pink floral tank top and pink converse, Kimberly Hart charged at the overgrown sixth grader with all her force. The boy, not paying attention and unaware that the girl before him was a threat in anyway, continued to laugh as her feet left the ground.

But Todd Allen was not laughing now. Kimberly dove for his legs, indeed the entire lower half of his body since she barely came up to his waist. The tall young man lurched forward, his legs flying up and kicking into her as she pummeled him to the ground before plunging down onto his chest.

The sea of students immediately ran toward the action; a virtual coliseum of children watched in amazement and glee as Kimberly and Todd played Christians and Lions.

"Get off of me, shrimp!" Todd huffed, attempting to guard his face as Kimberly's flailing hands continued to parade down on him.

"Don't call me shrimp, jerk!" Kimberly hissed; her petite frame barely a speck atop Todd's expansive body.

Tommy, of average height as it was could barely see above the heads of the crowd; was unaware of who was fighting. He glanced to his sides before discovering Trini. He ran to her side and motioned toward the scuffle's center.

"What's going on?" he asked the girl.

"Todd Allen was being a jerk to Kimberly," Trini explained.

"Kimberly's in there?" Tommy said nervously, daring a quick glimpse back into the circle.

"He had it coming," Trini smirked.

Tommy shook his head as he pushed his way through the wall of bodies. Trini followed, elbows colliding with skulls as every child attempted to get the best view.

So far, the battle had been fairly one-sided; with Kimberly's incessant pounding against Todd's rather apathetic retaliations. Tommy and Trini squeezed through the mass and came out the other side, just in time to see the squabbling children be torn apart by two teachers. The crowd hissed and booed, even as they dissipated and wandered away.

Since Trini couldn't, Tommy volunteered to wait for Kimberly after school, where she and Todd had been detained by the principal. As Kimberly emerged from the office, Tommy stood to face her expectantly. She gave him a bashful grin before Todd too appeared, clearing his throat and tapping her on the shoulder.

"Kimberly?" Todd barely squeaked.

Tommy glared at the boy as Kim turned to face him, "What?"

"Would you be my girlfriend?"

Tommy's face fell into an expression of sheer disgust as Kimberly shrugged and nodded, "Okay."

Todd smiled and waved good bye. Kimberly turned back around and skipped out of school, completely unfazed by Tommy's disapproval.

Todd Allen and Kimberly Hart were boyfriend and girlfriend for approximately four days, two hours and eight minutes. The day after Todd's proposal saw the two holding hands in the cafeteria until one day…they just….stopped holding hands.

Kimberly found Tommy at the end of that day, sitting on the sidewalk outside the school's front steps.

"Tommy!" Kimberly called to him.

The boy spun around in his seated position and smiled, "Hey Kim. Where's Todd?" He asked with the faintest hint of hatred.

"I don't know," Kim said with a shrug.

"Isn't he your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Oh," Tommy said quickly. The thought was strange to him; that someone who was either your boyfriend or girlfriend might suddenly not be. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Kim said with another shrug.

"Wanna come over for dinner?" Tommy asked in the next second, effectively moving on.

"Sure," Kim chirped, thinking nothing of the change in subject.

"My mom's making tacos," Tommy said as they started down the path.

"I love tacos," she giggled, innocently lacing her hand in his as they headed back home.

Four Years Ago

"You have to!"

"Why?"

"Cause I said so!"

"That's not fair!"

"Tommy, it's the game!"

Fourteen year old Tommy Oliver rolled his eyes as he and his friends stood outside in Trini's driveway.

"What if somebody sees me?" Tommy reasoned.

"That's the whole friggin' point!" Kimberly countered.

"Tommy, come on," Jason said. "We all have to do—"

"Your dare was not running naked down the street!" Tommy snapped as everyone giggled.

"You could have picked 'truth'," Trini reminded him.

Tommy groaned as he glanced over his shoulder, "Your parents aren't home, right?"

Trini snickered as Zack saddled up beside Tommy and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I had to kiss Billy," the boy in black recalled.

Tommy pried Zack's arm off of him before giving Billy a consoling pat, "My condolences."

Zack scoffed in mock offense as Billy blushed furiously, "Thankfully Zack was not an especially enthusiastic recipient."

The gang shook their heads at Billy's unique vocabulary before returning their attention back to Tommy.

"Where do I have to run to again?" Tommy asked nervously.

"From here to the Campbell's mailbox," Kim informed.

"Why Aisha's house?" Tommy protested.

"Because Aisha is waiting for you with her camera!" Trini scolded.

"What? You're not taking a picture of me naked!"

"We need proof, Tommy!" Kim reprimanded.

"This is humiliating," Tommy groaned.

"Aww come on, man. Just do it!" Zack chided. "Like Jase said, we all had to do crazy dares."

"Nobody else had to get naked!" Tommy whined.

"It's nothing we haven't seen before! Come on!" Kim cackled.

"You may have but they haven't!" Tommy huffed, motioning to the remaining group. Jason gave Kim a curious look before wrapping his arms around her waist.

"When we were little," Kim informed Jason quietly, knowing a sudden suspicion had been aroused. Jason laughed and nodded into her neck.

Tommy grimaced at the couple for a moment before Trini's barking stirred him back to the present.

"Do you want someone to run with you?" Trini asked annoyed.

"No way!" Zack scoffed, "He can't have help!"

"No, Trini," Tommy grumbled, "I can do this by myself."

"Get on with it, pussy!" Jason howled; receiving an icy glare from his friend as the gang broke into laughter.

"Yeah, take it off, chicken!" Kimberly added.

"I hate you all," Tommy seethed as he aggressively ripped his shirt off and threw it at Trini.

"Hey!" Trini shrieked as next Tommy removed his jeans and threw them at Billy.

The quiet boy in blue fumbled the denim pants as the remaining group whistled at their almost naked friend. There Tommy stood, fourteen years old, his trim but lanky body covered by only his boxers. He ran a careful hand through his shaggy hair before taking a deep breath.

"Here it goes," he whispered.

Despite the sensationalism Kimberly's dare had been born of, she and her friends averted their eyes as Tommy swiftly removed his trunks and tossed them aside before taking off down the street.

Once running though, the remaining gang had watched their slim friend's every move. The sheer absurdity of Tommy's precious anatomy bouncing and slapping as he sprinted pass each house.

"Nice ass, bro!" Jason howled.

"I hate you!" Tommy sneered as he continued his gallop.

"Keep going!" Trini yelled out.

"I wanna see that camera flash!" Kimberly giggled.

"Not if I break the camera first!" Tommy threatened.

The teens squinted in the evening light as Tommy's figure stopped before Aisha's home, at least three yards from where they stood. They laughed and snorted wildly as Tommy precariously fought the girl for control of the camera.

"Just let her take the picture!" Zack shouted.

"What?" Tommy yelled as a blinding flash made him stumble back.

Aisha laughed triumphantly as Tommy gasped. The kids still standing on the edge of Trini's cul-de-sac began to jump up and down, ushering Aisha hurriedly back to them as an outraged Tommy chased after.

"Hurry!"

"Way to go, Isha!"

"Nice one!"

"He's catching up!"

"You guys are so dead!"

"Hurry!"

"I'm coming!"

"Quick! Quick!"

"Got it!" Trini said, snatching the Polaroid from Aisha before running back inside the house.

Tommy roared in anguish as he tried to stop Trini before Zack and Jason grabbed his arms.

Billy looked away immediately, embarrassed that his friend was being held captive while still completely stark naked. "I'm gonna….go….help Trini."

Kimberly and Aisha giggled while attempting not to stare as Tommy struggled against the other boys' hold.

"Let go of me!" Tommy whined before pulling away and stumbling backward.

"Here," Zack snickered, tossing Tommy his clothes.

Tommy clutched the fabrics with a guttural pang before smirking and letting them drop the ground. "Seriously guys, who wants a hug?"

Jason cried with laughter as Tommy took off after Zack. Kimberly clung to Jason's side; half covering her face with one hand as Aisha attempted to snap more quick picks with the camera.

Two years ago

"Surprise!"

Sixteen year old Kimberly Hart shrieked as the lights came on, revealing her family and small group of friends.

"Oh my gosh!" She chirped, her hand covering her mouth as she noticed the room. A large banner with her name and congratulatory wishes hung proudly over the mantle of the Youth Center. A large buffet table loaded with all her favorite snacks and candy as well as gifts, balloons and an impressive bouquet of pink daisies.

"You guys!" Kim practically cried as she spun around and smacked Trini's arm playfully.

"Hey, don't look at me. I just helped decorate!" Trini joked as the girls embraced.

"Yeah, this was all Jason," Tommy nodded dutifully, giving Kim a quick hug.

Kimberly finished her round of embraces before turning to her boyfriend of two years, Jason Scott.

"You like it?" He asked softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She nodded but said nothing, instead planting a chaste but lingering kiss to his lips. The young man smiled as his own arms squeezed at her hips.

"Thank you," she whispered once they broke their kiss.

"Come on, let's open those presents!"

Jason led them back toward the group, everyone helping themselves to food and mingling. Kimberly excused herself to greet her family as Jason saddled up beside Tommy, who was currently dishing himself a plate.

"Thanks, bro," Jason said in hushed tones, grabbing a plate as well.

"For what?" Tommy asked casually, spooning a heap of macaroni salad onto his dish.

"Ya know, planning all this and letting me take the credit," Jason reminded him. "That's real solid, bro."

Tommy nodded with a shrug, "Yeah, sure. Whatever, right?"

"Seriously, look at her," Jason motioned with his chin. "She's so friggin' happy."

Tommy glanced over his shoulder to regard the petite brunette also, smiling sadly as he watched her talking wildly to Trini and Billy.

"Yeah, she looks like it," Tommy said.

"Seriously, bro. You have made my job so much easier. Can I like, have you on call when it comes to Kim?" Jason said half jokingly.

Tommy snickered, "Sure…" he laughed nervously.

"I think I love her," Jason said seriously. Tommy nearly choked on the fork in his mouth as Jason turned back to face him.

"Would you take this for me?" Jason asked, handing Tommy his plate, "I'm gonna go talk to her."

Tommy nodded, his mouth thankfully still full of food as Jason wandered off, leaving Tommy to watch as the young man made his way toward the birthday girl.

"Sweet sixteen and never been kissed," Zack joked as Jason approached the trio.

"Hey babe, can I talk to you?" he asked quietly. Trini and Zack exchanged knowing looks before waving the couple off and heading back to the party.

Kimberly pulled Jason to the side and watched him carefully as he fidgeted before her.

On the other side of the room, Tommy spied the pair anxiously, needing for some unbidden reason to gauge Kimberly's reaction.

It was certainly what he expected, though not what he'd hoped for. And her gasps of joy didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the intimate gathering either. Before he knew it, Jason had dragged Kimberly to the center of the room and announced his proud declaration of love for the girl they'd all gathered to celebrate. Tommy feigned excitement along with the rest of the crowds more genuine congrats as cups were raised in salute.

The party continued on until early in the morning; presents were opened, cake was served, dancing was made, more food was eaten, and enjoyment was had.

Around what would be the final hour, after most of the parents had retired, Kimberly ventured outside and found Tommy, sitting alone on a giant rock sculpture outside the Juice Bar. Without a word of greeting, the girl wandered over to the spot beside him and took a seat.

The pair just sat in silence for awhile, enjoying the breeze that broke the California heat and observed the space around them. Finally, but without turning to face him, Kimberly spoke.

"Thanks, Tommy," she whispered.

"For what?" He whispered back, following her lead to remain faced forward.

"I know you planned this whole thing tonight," she said, turning to face him as she smirked.

"What makes you say that?" he baited, knowing full well she knew he was dodging.

Kimberly nudged him with her shoulder before letting her body rest against his side, "Jason doesn't do this kind of thing."

"Oh no?" Tommy inquired.

Kim giggled, "You know how I knew right away?" she asked.

Tommy shrugged, still not facing her as she continued to lean into him.

"The flowers," she supplied, "Jason buys me roses."

Tommy nodded before bowing his head with a smirk.

"You've always bought me daisies," she reminded him.

"You always wanted—"

"Always wanted to go to the park and pick daisies in the spring, yes, I remember."

To this, Tommy smiled, finally turning to face her as she sat up, "You always made me wear that stupid daisy crown or whatever."

"It's called a daisy chain," she corrected.

Tommy chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she sunk into his side once more.

"So…Jason...the 'L' word, huh?" Tommy asked after a moment.

Kim snickered, "Pretty crazy, right?"

"Do you love him?"

Kim shrugged, "I don't know yet. I think so. Is that bad? That I don't know for sure and he like, told everyone?"

Tommy laughed, "I can't believe he actually announced it to the entire party but…I don't know…I mean, I think it's okay to not be sure….I don't know…"

Kimberly shook her head and nuzzled Tommy's arm with her nose, "I wish I could be as certain about him as I am with you, ya know?"

Tommy's throat went dry as he relinquished his arm from about Kim's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

Kimberly sat up straight once more and gave him a serious look, "Well, I know for certain that I love you, right? I mean, you're my best friend. You're like my family. I know that you'll always be there for me and protect me and help me and never hurt me. But with Jason, I don't have that guarantee, ya know?"

Tommy considered Kimberly's words carefully before reacting. Settling on a smile and a simple nod, he once again wrapped his arm around the small girl's shoulder and rested his head atop hers.

"I know," he said, hoping his choice to omit a particular reciprocal response would go unnoticed. It hadn't, but luckily Kim never mentioned it.

"Besides, he doesn't even know what my favorite flower is!" Kim balked playfully.

Tommy chuckled heartily as Kimberly smiled; enjoying the slightest tingle she received as Tommy's laughter echoed in the air.

Two Months Ago

"I think Kim's cheating on me."

"What?"

"Yeah."

Tommy stared at the phone incredulously, mouth agape. This was the last thing he expected to hear when Jason had called him ten minutes earlier. The entire group of friends had spent the last few months partying every night, only to finally separate these last two weeks before their senior year began. Jason had left for Texas in the middle of August, and Tommy hadn't heard from his since his departure. Grateful to hear his friend's voice, all his excitement came crashing down at Jason's newest revelation.

"Kim's in love with you, bro," Tommy insisted.

"Eh, I don't think she is anymore," Jason said dismissively.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I don't know…we had this like, intense make out session before I left…"

"Yeah, I remember," Tommy said rather quickly, not wanting Jason to go into detail.

"…and we talked about our feelings or whatever and going further…"

"Right…" Tommy clenched his teeth. It was a difficult to listen to Jason sometimes, due to the fact that despite being his best friend, he wanted to inexplicably punch the guy's lights out.

"That's why I left, really."

"What?" Tommy asked; his daydream of clocking his best friend's jaw suddenly ripped from his conscience.

"I didn't have to go to Texas with my dad, ya know? But after Kim and I talked it was…I don't know…weird…"

"Really? Why?" Tommy asked dutifully. He silently cursed himself for not listening to Jason's previous ramblings. Now the man would have to rehash all of it.

"What did you mean, 'I remember'?" said Jason suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Tommy! Bro! Wake up, dude! I said I was smooching on Kim and you said you remembered? Did Kim talk to you?"

Tommy sighed, "She kind of mentioned you guys were getting more serious."

Jason snickered, "That's the other thing, bro."

"What?"

"You, man. Don't take this the wrong way but, sometimes I just wanna beat your face in."

Thank God Jason was three states away and could not see the shock-ridden expression his face now gave. Tommy stammered a series of half grunts and sighs, trying his best to laugh at the man's exclamation.

"W, w, why?" Tommy giggled conspicuously.

"Cause Kim's obviously crazy about you, bro! I mean, not in a romantic way obviously, cause ya know, then I'd really have to beat your face in but, she talks about you all the friggin' time!"

"Really?" Tommy asked, trying to temper his eagerness with a more concerned tone.

"I get it, ya know? You guys are best buds or whatever. But do you know how many times I've had to listen to her go on and on about the crazy shit you guys did growing up? Its like, 'Hello! Kim! I know! You've told me a thousand times!' And she like, forgets that you're my best friend too, right? It's not like I don't know anything about you. I don't tell her all the crazy shit we've done!"

"I hope not," Tommy said with an uneasy chuckle.

"No doubt! I mean, she's got you on this like, pedestal or something, man. I'm never gonna be as important to her as you are and between that and now this…whatever it is she's thinking….I think we should stop now."

"Jase, that's not true, bro," Tommy said emphatically, though his heart hoped Jason's observations were the contrary.

"Kim loves you. I'm just the big brother, ya know? I've just always been around. But I mean it Jase, Kim's totally in love with you. Trust me, she's not cheating on you, bro. She's probably not even thinking of cheating on you. She's never said anything to me that would prove otherwise."

"You know what this is?" asked Jason, "It's a…it's like a conflict of interest."

"What?"

"You being both our best friend. I talk to you about Kimberly; she talks to you about me…"

"Oh, no! She just mentions tiny things on occasion, bro. I'm sure the big stuff goes to Trini," Tommy assured him.

"Well, if she's so in love with me, why haven't I heard from her? I've been gone for a week now and I tried calling her but she's always busy or out with you or Trini….I mean, if she doesn't tell you everything, who's to say she's not cheating on me?"

"Do you want her to be cheating on you?"

"Of course not, bro! I just…I think something like…changed when we talked about getting serious. I mean for both of us. I think we should break up."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"But, but, but….you guys are already serious. You've been dating for three years!"

"I know. That's crazy too. I mean, I'm eighteen years old and the only girl I've dated this whole time was Kim!"

"So?"

"So?" Jason echoed, "So, maybe I'm crazy to keep this up! If I think she's not really into me anymore, and I know how I feel….why should we stay together, right?"

"But Jase, I told you, she is into you! Trust me, nobody else even comes close!" Tommy pleaded, knowing his words to be sickeningly true.

"Or maybe, that's the problem, bro!" Jason chimed, a new thought suddenly rising.

"What? She likes you too much?" Tommy snorted, disbelieving how absurd that notion was.

"Yeah," Jason answered earnestly, "Maybe I can't handle how much she's into me."

If Tommy's eyes had rolled an inch farther, they would have surely fallen out of his head. That deep-seated sensation to box the man's chin with his fist suddenly rose again.

"You think she's too into you?" Tommy clarified the thought slowly, his teeth clenched tightly.

"I think so," Jason said sadly, as if diagnosing someone with a terminal disease.

Tommy clutched his forehead with his free hand, suppressing the desire to slam the receiver back into its cradle. "Well…" he breathed after a moment, "Maybe you should break up with her then."

"Yeah?" Jason asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Tommy repeated, "Maybe it's time to move on."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, "I should try her again tonight."

"No, no, no," Tommy insisted, "Tell her in person, man. She deserves that much."

Jason considered his friend's advice, "I don't get back until the 30th,"

Tommy exhaled slowly; Jason would have to tell her at school. "Well, just make sure you guys are alone and be honest. Tell her you thought about it a lot and that you're sorry."

"Yeah," Jason said enthusiastically, "That's good. Don't even mention the cheating thing."

"She didn't cheat on you," Tommy reminded him, checking his frustration.

"Right, I mean, don't even mention that I thought she liked somebody else."

"Okay…"

"Give her the out, right? Like, tell her how we're both gonna be seniors and this is our year to like…"

"Explore other options?" Tommy suggested.

"Perfect, bro! Awesome, man. Seriously, I need to like, hire you or something!"

Tommy feigned amusement as Jason's chuckle vibrated over the phone. "Well, I should go bro."

"Oh yeah, right on," Jason said, "Hey, please don't say anything to Kim, okay?"

"Of course not," Tommy said curtly, "That would be a conflict of interest, right?"

Jason laughed, "Exactly. Okay, this is awesome. I feel better about this. I feel good. So, I'll see ya in a week, yeah?"

"Yeah. Enjoy the rest of your time in Texas," Tommy sighed.

"I'll try. Later, bro."

"Bye."

Tommy froze as the line went dead; the receiver still nestled between his shoulder and ear. He sat on his bed, staring into nothing for what felt like forever. Maybe there was a bright side to this whole mess he'd just been privy to. Kim was crazy about him, so Jason said. His own feelings had been brimming since before he could remember. And in a week's time, she'd be single. She'd be available. Maybe this would be his year.