PRT 416- “A Sense of Understanding”
“Good job Morgan. Way to control
your slicer. Seven, that’s a blaster, not a pistol, your aim has to be more
accurate. Chance, great handling of that bow. OK,
that’s enough for today. Good training everyone. You’re dismissed. Echo, can
you hang back for a minute?” Kim asked as the others all headed off.
I walked over to her, “What is
it?”
“Echo, I saw some solid effort out
there and that’s great, but you need to work on handling those fans. They
aren’t toys and it’s likely they’ll save your life out there. I need you to
take this more seriously.”
I looked at her, “Are you
seriously serious? For real? I’m one of the best fan
handlers ever to grace this Academy and I know very well how to use my
fans…better than you could. And I’m offended you’d suggest
I’m not taking my training seriously.”
“Now Echo, don’t get all wound up,
I’m just trying to help.”
I sighed, “I know. I’m sorry…but I
am taking this seriously.”
“That’s my girl. Now run along and
clean up. We need to get you home for dinner.” Kim said as she patted my head.
After I cleaned up I met back up
with Kim and we headed home. Mom was just finishing dinner.
“Oh good, you girls are just in
time. Echo, can you set the table baby?” Mom asked.
I nodded and started to pick up
the plates, “Sure.”
“Echo needs to go do her homework.
I’ll set the table.” Kim said as she took the plates from me.
“I can do it after dinner.”
“Nonsense. You go do your homework and we’ll call you when dinner is
ready.”
I sighed, “Fine, whatever.”
I ran up to my room, closed the
door, and fell back on my bed. I know Kim’s heart was in the right place but
she was driving me crazy. Every time I turned around she was treating me like I
was 6 instead of 16. I decided I may as well take advantage of the situation and
really finish up my homework.
~~~~
“I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”
Michelle said on the other end of the phone.
“OK, see you then.” I said as I
hung up. I closed my phone and put in on the console and got back to work. I
was still doing some minor tune up on the Zords. We
hadn’t needed them yet but I knew it would just be a matter of time.
I was inputting the schematics of
the Dragon Zord when I heard a voice behind me.
“Working as
always.”
I sighed, not bothering to look
away from my work. I knew who it was, “Hunter, you’re not a Ranger anymore. You
shouldn’t be in here.”
“Something tells me if I were Tori or Dustin you wouldn’t be saying that.” He replied.
“What do you want?”
“To talk. I’m really tired of you avoiding me and since I happen to
know Michelle has a show tonight you can’t hide behind her like the last time
we talked.”
“Hide behind Michelle? Me?”
“You keep using her as an excuse
to not be near me. When she’s here backing you up it’s
worse. She’s gone and it’s just you and me. Talk to me.”
I finally turned my chair around
to face him. “What part of ‘stay away from me’ isn’t clear to you?”
“
“You love me with the condition
Michelle doesn’t want you! If she walked in here right now and said she changed
her mind and wanted you back you’d forget all about me!”
“That isn’t true!”
“It is too! Hunter, I’m not going
to play second to Michelle anymore…I’m just not.”
Hunter squatted in front of my
chair and looked in my eyes, “Can you honestly tell me you don’t love me
anymore?”
“You know I can’t…but I know I
can’t be happy with you. Please, just go.”
Hunter sighed, “What will it take
to prove to you that it’s you I want?”
“I’m not sure you can. Seriously,
go. I have work to do. These Zords won’t configure
themselves.”
“Fine. For now…but this isn’t over.” Hunter said as he left.
I sighed and got back to work.
Echo
~~~~
The next day at lunch I went to my
locker to drop off my books before I headed to the cafeteria. Morgan and Chance
were passing my locker as I opened it.
“Hey Ech.” Morgan said
as they stopped to wait for me.
“Hey guys.” I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Chance asked.
“Kimberly is driving me insane.” I
said as I slammed my locker shut.
“What’s Kim doing?” Morgan asked.
“She’s treating me like a baby.”
“Is this about what happened after
training yesterday?”
“No…well sorta…but
it’s more than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, like, last night, she
scolded me for being on the computer past 9 and tucked me into bed.”
“Where were your parents?”
“Sleeping
already. And this morning she tried to
lay out my clothes for school.”
Chance laughed.
“Shut up! It’s not funny. I love
Kim but I’m ready to kill her.” I said.
“Look on the bright side…Michelle
will be here today to do our training session.” Chance said.
“Thank god. I need a break from my
sister.” I said as we got to the cafeteria and met with Six and Seven. Seven
had sat in Six’s normal seat and Six was not happy
about it.
“Move it Seven!”
Six cried.
“Chick, it’s a seat, relax.” Seven
said, not moving.
“The name is Six, not ‘chick’.”
“Six, calm down, there’s other
seats.” Morgan said.
“Yeah,
seriously.” I agreed.
Six sighed, “I’m just sick of this
arrogant jerk always getting in my way.”
“I’d rather be an arrogant jerk
than a stuck up bitch.” Seven countered.
“Whoa, ok, enough you two.” Morgan
said as she pulled Six down into a chair.
“Would it kill you two to be
civil?” I asked.
“Maybe.” Six and Seven both replied.
“You guys are both are friends,
can’t you find a way to get along?” Chance asked.
“No.” they both replied.
“Well, I for one,
have had enough of the fighting. I’m going to another table until you two can
get along. Who’s with me?” Morgan asked.
“I am.” Chance said.
I stood up, “Right behind you.”
After school we all went to
training.
“Michelle, hey!” I said as I got to the training area. I noticed Kim
standing there too, “Kim? What are you doing here?”
“Just came to watch you train. I’ll
just be a fly on the wall, pretend I’m not here.” Kim said.
I made a face, “Yeah, sure.”
“Ok Rangers, let’s kick it into
gear.” Michelle said, “The most important thing about being a Ranger is being
ready for anything at any time. Being a Ranger is a 24/7 job so you can never
let your guard down. The second you do we’ve lost. Now I haven’t been working
with you all as much as I would have liked so you’re going to start off with
some sparing so I can see where we’re at and where we need to go.”
Training actually went pretty
good, except for Kim watching us like a hawk…although I kinda
felt she was watching Michelle more than me. I had a feeling there was some
serious tension between those two. I shrugged it off and took off the second
Michelle dismissed us. I wanted to try to get away before Kim got a hold of me
again.
Hunter
~~~~~~
I wasn’t ready to give up on Cam.
I knew he was protesting because he didn’t want to get hurt, not because he
didn’t love me. I went back to the Wind Academy. I figured he’d be on the
training grounds. I headed that way, but as I got closer I heard voices. They
were clearly Kim and Michelle’s voices.
“I’m not shurking! And Jon has never done anything but be nice to you.” Michelle said.
“Jon has treated you like crap for years and still is!” Kim cried
“He’s my boyfriend. He loves me.”
“He’s MARRIED!”
“It’s a technicality.”
“It’s a commitment! He vowed till death do them part…twice!”
“Yeah, and he vowed till death do us part too.”
“That commitment was broken when you divorced…and do I need to remind you that you were so unhappy you cheated on him with Hunter?”
I was standing about six feet back from them at this point but the discussion had gotten so heated they were oblivious to my presence.
“I was an idiot.” Michelle continued.
“Are you saying you regret being with Hunter?” Kim asked.
“Maybe.”
“Seriously, you regret your time with Hunter?”
“Yeah, that’s a really good question.” I said, making my presence known.
“Crap.” Michelle mumbled.
“Answer the question. Do you regret what we had?”
“I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”
“Then how did you mean it?”
“Just…I never should have divorced Jon.”
“So you do regret being with me.”
“I didn’t say that…just…I shouldn’t have gotten a divorce.”
“So you’re glad we had an affair?”
“I don’t know, stop twisting my words!” Michelle cried.
“Michelle, it’s an easy question…did you ever love me.”
She sighed, “Yes, or at least I thought I did.”
“You thought you did? Michelle, how can you say that? You were the love of my life.”
“What are you even doing here Hunter? I told you to stay away from me. Besides, aren’t you pursuing Cam now?”
“I actually came looking for Cam…didn’t expect to find you denouncing our love.”
“Oh my god. That is not what I was doing.”
“Yes, it was…and I won’t say it didn’t hurt, cause it did, but I also know you need serious help so I will let it go for now.”
“Not you too!”
“He’s right, you do.” Kim chimed in.
“Stop it! Everyone stop it! I do not ‘need help’. I’m just fine! I’m happy! Why people can’t handle that is beyond me. For the love of all things sacred, just leave me alone and let me live my life!” Michelle cried as she stormed off.
I sighed and looked down.
“Hey, you ok?” Kim asked as she put a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, sure, the woman I once thought I’d be with forever just pretty much said she wishes she’d never been with me. I’m great.” I said.
“I’m sorry Hunter…but you’re right. She does need help. She isn’t in her right mind. This isn’t the Michelle any of us know.”
“Yeah, I know…I’m gonna just go.”
Kim nodded, “Ok, but if you need to talk or whatever, I’m here.”
“Thanks Kim…really. I appreciate it.” I said as I took off.
Echo
~~~~
I got home before Kim thankfully.
“Hey Mom.” I said.
“Hey sweetie. Where’s Kim?” she asked.
“Don’t know, don’t care.” I said as I started to set the table before Kim came in and sent me to my room again.
“Are you two fighting sweetie?”
“It’s more of a one way disagreement.”
“What’s going on?”
“Kim is treating me like a child and I’m kinda sick of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“She talks to me like I’m a baby, she even scolded me for being up too late last night.”
“You don’t have a bedtime anymore Echo, you know that.”
“I know! Tell Kim that!”
“I’m sorry sweetheart. I can have a talk with her if you’d like.”
“Pretty sure it wouldn’t do any good.” I said as I heard Kim’s car.
“Crap! She’s home. Can I take a plate to my room real quick? Tell her I went to bed already or something.”
“Ok, ok…sure…but I think you should try talking to her.”
“I tried! She won’t listen to a word I say!” I cried as I quickly put some food on a plate and rushed upstairs. I didn’t really want any part of Kim’s tyranny today.
A couple of hours later there was a knock on my door. I didn’t respond to it.
“Come on Echo, I know you’re awake.” Kim said as she opened the door and peeked in.
I sighed, “What is it? And no I’m not ready for bed yet.”
“No, not that…” Kim came in and closed the door and sat on my bed. “So it seemed like you were trying to avoid me and I mentioned it to your mom. She told me you feel like I’m treating you like a baby.”
“Thanks Mom.” I mumbled.
“I’m glad she told me. I’m really sorry. When I think about it I guess I have been and I’m sorry. It’s just…I don’t see you much and so I guess to me you are still a little girl. I failed to realize you’ve grown into a capable and pretty remarkable young woman. You don’t really need a big sister telling you what to do.”
“No, I don’t…but I do need a big sister that can be my friend.”
Kim smiled, “I think I can do that. Give me another chance?”
“Of course.” I said as I hugged her. Everything was going to be ok.
Hunter
~~~~~~
After I left the Academy I just drove for awhile trying to clear my head. Finally I decided I needed to talk to someone before I exploded.
I was on my way to go see Tori when one of Jon’s songs came on the radio. I had the sudden urge to punch my radio. I had never hated anyone the way I hated Jon. Ever since he’d met her he’d twisted Michelle and manipulated her. I’d saved her from him once but she went back and he did it to her again. Now it was to a point where myself and everyone else that actually cared about Michelle were scared for her life. It had gotten that bad. Rocky had told me not so long ago that my love was the one thing that could save Michelle. I knew he believed that and it had to be hard for him to admit but I was beginning to think he was wrong. There was nothing that could save Michelle now.
I arrived at Tori’s apartment. I really needed to talk to someone and in spite of Kim’s best intensions we just weren’t that close. Tori was my sister-in-law and really more of a sister to me now. Next to Blake she was probably my best friend too. I went to her door and knocked. I expected Tori to answer but it was Michelle.
“Forget your…keys…” Michelle said, obviously expecting Tori and not me.
“Oh, hi Michelle. Is Tori here?” I asked.
“She ran to the laundry room. She’ll be back.”
“Oh…ok. Can I come in?”
She sighed, “I guess so.”
She let me in and closed the door behind me then she went to the sofa and went back to watching TV. She was completely ignoring my existence!
“What is your problem?” I demanded as I stood over the sofa and looked down at her.
“Me? Nothing. Just watching TV trying to see if Elliot and Olivia catch the bad guy.” she replied.
“For months you’ve acted like you hate me. What gives?”
“I don’t hate you, I’ve just moved on.”
“With your ex-husband that used to beat you.”
She rolled her eyes, “He’s changed.”
I scoffed, “Sure.”
“He has. Besides, he knows how powerful I am now. He wouldn’t dare try to touch me.”
“You know we were happy.”
“Whoa, left field much? Where did that come from?” she asked.
“Hearing you say you regret leaving Jon for me really stung. You know how much I loved you…how much I still love you.”
“We were poison together.”
“No, we were happy together.”
“Yeah, until you broke my heart.”
“That went both ways.”
“Newsflash, we wouldn’t have broken up if you hadn’t abandoned me.”
“You weren’t exactly there for me either.”
“Yes I was! I wasn’t myself but that was because of the Rangers. I did what I had to do but you always came first! I wanted to share my life with you…I wanted a family with you! You’re the one that turned his back on me!”
“I have apologized profusely for that!”
“I know that but it’s not one of those things sorry will fix! You can’t take it back!”
“Then tell me, what can I do to make you forgive me?!”
“There’s nothing you can do Hunter! What’s done is done, you can’t undo it!”
I crouched down by the sofa, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her forward, “Then tell me what I can do to help you because I can’t stand seeing you like this.”
She glared at me and tried to pull away, “I’m just fine! I don’t need help!”
“You’re a shell of the woman you once were. You’re falling apart and you don’t even see it.”
“Leave. Me. Alone.”
“I will not sit back and watch you fall apart.”
“I’m not! Just let me live my life!” she screamed.
“Why can’t you admit you need help?! That maybe, just maybe you need me!”
“You arrogant, self absorbed jerk!” she cried.
I really couldn’t stand seeing her like this anymore. I needed to find a way to fix this. I needed to find a way to get my Michelle back…to remind her how wonderful her life used to be before she went back to that sorry excuse of a man. I pulled her forward and kissed her passionately. She instinctively kissed me back. She pulled me forward and laid back. I lifted my body up so I was on top of her. The kiss never broke and in fact intensified. This is how it was supposed to be. She was into it too. In that moment I felt like I had my Michelle back. She was kissing me and holding me with that same passion we’d once shared. I wanted her back so badly. I never wanted this moment to end…but it did when Tori walked in.
“Hey, I’m…oh…geez…” Tori said jumping back.
Michelle and I scrambled to sit up.
“Oh, hi Tor.” Mich said as we tried to catch our breath.
“Hunter, what are you doing here?” Tori asked.
“I…was in town for the night and wondered if I could crash on your sofa.” I said. It was half true. I didn’t want to tell her the whole truth with Michelle right there.
“Um, yeah, of course. You’re family.”
“I…I’m going to my room.” Mich said as she stood up.
“Mich, don’t, we need to talk.” I said as I grabbed her hand.
She pulled away, “No, we don’t. What just happened was a huge mistake.”
“How can you say that?” I asked. Talk about twisting the knife!
“We were fighting and like always when we fight it turned into…that.”
“That should tell you something…we still have passion.”
“Only when we fight!”
“Michelle…”
“No, don’t Michelle me. I’ve had it. I’ve had enough. I have training early. I’m going to bed. Goodnight Tor.”
Michelle left the room and I sat back on the sofa and sighed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Tori said as she sat next to me.
“It’s ok. I just…for a second I felt like Michelle was Michelle again.”
“We’re all worried about Michelle but she’s convinced she’d fine. Seriously Hunter, if you keep pushing you’re going to push her away completely.”
“I know, but it’s so hard to see her like this.”
“I know it is.”
“You know, she told Kim earlier that she regretted ever divorcing Jon to be with me.”
“Oh god, Hunter, I’m sorry. That had to be hard to hear.”
“You have no idea.”
“You know she’s a little obsessed with Jon right now. When she comes to her senses she’ll realize she didn’t mean that.”
“Yeah, I think she did…but you’re right, she’s not in her right Mind…Jon keeps twisting her. If someone doesn’t talk some sense into her soon we’re going to lose her…she’s going to kill herself Tori.”
Tori nodded, “I see her on that path too, but there is only so much you can do for someone that doesn’t want help.”
“I know.”
“Listen, it’s getting late. Get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.” Tori said as she stood up and grabbed a blanket and handed it to me.
“Thanks Tor.” I said as I hugged her.
“No worries. Anytime.”
I was lying on the sofa trying to sleep, but failing horribly. I couldn’t get Michelle off my mind. She was right in the other room. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to hold her…and the way she’d kissed me earlier. I couldn’t get it off my mind. I stood up and crept into her room. I closed the door behind me and got into bed behind her. I wrapped my arms around her and started to kiss her neck as I slide my hands up under her pajama shirt and took her breasts in my hand. She moaned softly as she slowly woke up. When she woke up she realized what was happening and jumped away from me.
“Whoa, calm down, it’s me.” I whispered as I tried to ease her.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” she hissed.
“I wanted to be close to you.”
“Well go away. This is my room. You’re not invited.”
“Please Michelle, talk to me.” I begged.
“For the last time Hunter, go away and leave me alone.”
“Why can’t we talk? You know at one time you wrote a song called ‘You Take Me Home’…it was about us.”
“You’re right, I did. And I meant every word of it at the time…but Hunter, that was a long time ago and a lot of time has passed.”
“Michelle, look into my eyes and tell me you don’t still feel at home with me. That you don’t still feel I could save you from the crazy LA life.”
She sighed, “Hunter, it’s over, deal with it…seriously.”
“Fine. I’ll go…but you will eventually remember what we had. You can’t escape it.” I said as I stood up and walked out of the room. Ok so maybe I had handled that badly. I fell back on the sofa and sighed. I really needed to let this go. Michelle made her choice, I needed to live with it or I’d lose her and Cam. I couldn’t let that happen.