Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Two, Heather Ray [story read aloud txt] 📗

sounded stifled, as if his focus was on something utterly separate from the here and now. As if he was wrestling with some weighty crisis.

She was quick to recognize the visible signs. She saw them every day, when she looked in the mirror.

“Are you okay, Jason?” she ventured at last.

Jason looked alarmed, until he consciously hid it with a hasty smile.

“I’m okay. I’ve just got some…issues.”
With that, he threw a small wave, and walked back into the weight room.

“You…look like you’ve lost something,” Alexis blurted. It was rather obvious to her what he was dealing with, but she should have known better than to confront him.

Why would he want to talk to me? He probably doesn’t even know my name!

Her bold observation startled the young man, who turned around and gazed at her with renewed surprise. He paused, chewing his lip for a moment as he thought how to respond.

He decided the truth was the best route to take. Beside, he’d bottled up his feelings for so long, in an attempt to appear strong to his friends. Perhaps it’d be good for him to vent a little.

Just a little.

“You’re right,” he confessed, deep sadness in his voice, “I did lose something…someone

. My best friend. He’s not dead or anything…but I failed him.

He fell silent, his mind drifting as he stepped further into the hallway. He began pacing tensely, feeling Alexis’ rapt observation.

“How did you fail him?” she asked gently.

“I didn’t come through when he needed me. He…he was…hurt

, a few months ago, and it was my fault. I should’ve been able to help him, before things got out of hand.”

Jason paused again, glancing up at the fluorescent light hanging on the ceiling. It was difficult recounting the torturous story of the Green Ranger without actually telling

the story. He couldn’t put into words what really happened. How Tommy Oliver, his best friend, lost the Power because of his bungling.

There was absolutely no good reason why it took him so long to get the Green Candle! He should’ve been able to slip past Goldar. All he had to do was grab

it, and get out of there! Just a few months before that, he spent hours alone with Goldar in Rita’s Dark Dimension. He managed to survive that, despite being without powers.

By failing Tommy, he proved how poor a leader he truly was.

“But, that’s not how it ends,” he continued. “He eventually recovered. He wasn’t as strong anymore – that wound would never heal completely – but he was back in action. But it happened again

! And this time, he’s never

coming back.”

Zordon had managed to temporarily restore the Green Ranger powers, but those months weighed heavily on all the Power Rangers. Everyone was in constant fear of his powers fading in the midst of combat, leaving him vulnerable on the battlefield. Jason wanted so much to let Tommy take it easy, but it just didn’t work. In nearly every battle, they needed the Green Ranger. They couldn’t win without him.

Jason couldn’t lead them to victory. He kept screwing up.

When Lord Zedd arrived, things only got worse. He purposely targeted the Green Ranger, recognizing a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Those few weeks were utter hell for the team, as each day Tommy’s powers dwindled lower and lower. Finally…it was over. A green crystal absorbed the very last drop of power Tommy had left. Zedd had created a team of Dark Rangers, and had finally put an end to the Dragon Ranger.

Tommy had taken it pretty well, but there was a void in his eyes as he bid farewell.

That emptiness haunted Jason nearly every waking moment since that last battle.

The very next day, Tommy was gone. He had said goodbye in the Command Center, and mentioned something about needing a break, and how he’d miss everyone. But that didn’t lessen the pain.

How could he let a friend suffer

like that?

He shivered when a hand gently fell on his shoulder. He blinked, pulling himself back to reality. His vision was blurred with a thin veil of moisture, and he glanced down at Alexis, who watched him with deep sympathy.

He wasn’t even sure how long he had been silently soaking his guilty.

“I’m so sorry,” she said quietly, “I wish there was something…”

“It’s okay,” he answered, a smile forming on his lips again. “Thanks for listening. It helped.”

He stepped away from her, and turned to the clock on the wall.

“I’d better shower,” he commented. “The bell rings in twenty minutes.

Alexis’ eyes widened in alarm. “I’d better hurry up to Mr. Wilton.” She moved through the hallway, turning after a few steps. “See you in class, Jase.”

Chapter Four

"Lex, I think that fry has enough ketchup on it."

Alexis blinked, lifting her chin from her palm and shaking off the numbness that set into her hand. She then gazed at her other hand, which had soaked a single French fry in ketchup so long it had become soggy.

"I can see how interested you are in my ballet recital," Angela muttered, sipping her diet Coke.

Alexis sighed, chewing on her sodden fry. "Sorry. I've just been thinking."

"It happens to everyone once in a while."

Alexis smirked, tossing a dry fry at Angela. The target ducked, giggling
at the frustration on her friend's face.

"You throw like a girl!"

Alexis rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a giggle of her own.

"So, what're you dreaming about today?" Angela inquired, her sculpted eyebrow rising with interest, "Or better yet... who?"

Alexis pursed her lips. Angela grinned.

"What happened?"

"I saw Jason this morning in the weight room at school," she began, absently dunking another fry mercilessly, "We talked."

"About what? The weather, or something more serious? Like... the Halloween dance coming up?"

Alexis raised her drenched fry threateningly, prompting her friend to shut up. "He was really down, actually, and he kept talking about losing his best friend. Do you know what he was talking about?"

Angela craned her neck to the front of the Youth Center. From their table, she had a clear view of the bar, where Kimberly Hart, Trini Kwan, and Billy Cranston were involved in some conversation. She then turned towards the gym area, where Jason and Zack Taylor were sparring.

"I don't know... but there's definitely

something going on with them," Angela decided, leaning back in her chair, "Zack hasn't called me in two weeks straight!"

Alexis blinked. "Wow... that's not good."

"Tell me about it!" Angela huffed, "That boy treated me like a queen all last year. Then, I saw less and less of him." She folded her arms. "I should've known Zack Taylor couldn't take anything seriously."

Alexis frowned in comiseration, but the latter brushed the thought aside. "Jason's probably upset about Tommy."

"Tommy?"

"Yeah, Tommy Oliver. Tall, cute smile, ponytail. He's Kim Hart's boyfriend."

"The quarterback, right?" Alexis noted after a moment. "I think I've seen him around."

Angela smirked. "He's always sparring with Jason, but I can guess where your eyes always were..."

Alexis glared, once again lifting a fry menacingly. Angela smothered a laugh, but promptly stopped teasing.

"So, what happened to Tommy?"

Angela shrugged, picking up her soda again. "He hasn't been in class all week. Rumor has it he's really sick. He's taken off several weeks from school."

"Wow... things must be pretty bad."

Angela watched as Alexis' gaze fell upon the mats. She too craned her neck, and watched as Jason prepared to kick a board elevated for practice. He moved in to attack, but hesitated, bouncing back on one leg.

Angela frowned with slight concern, looking away as Zack moved in to whisper something to his friend. "Whatever's going on, it's totally wrecking his concentration."

Chapter Five

“Okay, Jason,” Zack instructed, his index fingers indicating the tall, padded structure that would serve as the recipient of the day’s exercise, “place your foot high, and concentrate on the midsection.”

“Alright,” Jason breathed, his eyes narrow. He hopped from foot to foot in preparation, and then launched his body into a spin kick. However, his arm was off the mark, and his foot missed the target entirely.

Zack sighed with worried frustration, while Jason growled at his own failure.

“I…I just can’t concentrate,” he excused, pushing back his sweat-soaked hair from his eyes.

“Try again,” Zack said patiently, his thumbs tucked into the band of his sweat pants.

Jason frowned.

“Come on, Man,” Zack coaxed, this time more insistent. “Try again! The tournament’s only a few hours away.”

Jason’s face remained wrinkled with impatience, as he licked his lips and stepped back. After adjusting his pants, he once again shifted between his two feet to catch his balance.

He moved forward, preparing to strike the target. But to his horror, the target no longer looked like a wooden, padded dummy.

It became Tommy.

Jason nearly stumbled, holding his leg in mid-air. He backed away, his eyes wide.

What was happening to him?

“I…I just can’t,” he groaned, his brow knitted in worry.
In all honesty, the tournament couldn’t be less important to him.

“What’s wrong?” Zack asked gently, hanging his arm on the dummy. Jason fidgeted, leaning against the dummy himself.

“I know,” Zack whispered, nodding with realization. “It’s Tommy. You miss him.”

Jason bit his lip in frustration. “It’s more than that.”

“What?”

“It’s my

fault he lost his powers in the first place.” He bowed his head, lips twisting into an angry snarl. “If I had gotten the Green Candle, he’d still be one of us!”

Zack sighed, shaking his head. “Come on, Jase, you had no choice! I know. I was there!”

“No,” Jason growled, more to himself than Zack. His hands were tense with frustration as he clutched the back of his head. “I should’ve