Power Rangers Zeo - Venusian Encounters - Heather Ray (books to read to increase intelligence TXT) 📗

butterfly.

A forceful knock at her door drew Trini from her blissful sleep. Disoriented, Trini forced open her almond-shaped eyes, and looked around her room groggily. She sat upright, and blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"Anastasia went home for her father's birthday," Trini recalled, thinking about her Ukrainian roommate, "so who would be knocking at my door at seven in the morning on a Saturday?"

Trini sat Ticklesneezer on her bed, and wrapped her robe over her nightshirt. She pulled open the door, when she was suddenly embraced by three people at once. Trini was too sleepy to think straight, and too surprised by the people she saw to utter a sound.

"Trini!" Kimberly shouted, as the four friends disentangled the hug, "How are you?"

"K-Kim!" Trini stuttered, still in shock, "Jason! Billy! What're you doing here?"

"We decided to have a spur-or-the-moment Ranger Reunion!" Kim said excitedly.

"Ssh!" Jason uttered, "Is Ana still asleep, Trini?"

"She went home for the weekend," Trini answered, "The coast's clear."

The four friends entered the apartment, and Trini closed the door behind them.

"We planned on dropping in on Zack, since he doesn't have a roommate now that I left," Jason said, "but he didn't answer the door. We just had to hope Ana wasn't around. We'd like to be able to speak freely, you know."

"It's amazing how deeply Zack Taylor can sleep," Billy commented.

"He's probably not home," Trini said, "I'd bet he's with Siham."

Jason, Billy, and Kim stared at Trini in utter shock. "What?" they all asked in unison.

"He's been seeing Siham for months now," Trini said, turning on the coffee machine, "He's at her apartment almost all the time. She lives just down the hall."

"They're... that serious?" Kim said quietly.

"They're engaged, actually," Trini said, "He proposed to her last Tuesday, and she accepted."

"Zack? Engaged?" Jason said, shaking his head, "Our

Zack?!"

"Zack never took anything seriously," Billy said, "He certainly has changed."

"Why didn't he tell us?" Kim huffed.

"It's been hard for us all to keep in touch," Trini said, sitting down with the others at the small table, "I haven't spoken to any of you in months! The mail system's so unreliable, we constantly travel around, and you guys are all over the place! You have

to fill me in! How did you get here anyway?"

"We teleported," Billy said, "It certainly saves money and time."

Trini blinked. "Zordon let you use the teleporter for 'personal gain'

?"

"Not exactly," Kim said, a small grin on her face, "We should probably start from the beginning, but we shouldn't exclude Zack. He'll need to hear this story too."

"We could always knock on Siham's door," she offered.

"We... uh... wouldn't want to interrupt them," Billy said awkwardly.

"Oh, its not what you think," Trini said, an amused smile on her face, "Zack didn't spend the night. He and Siham go for a jog every morning, bright and early. They should probably be back by now. There's no harm in checking."

"Zack never much liked waking up early," Kim said.

"Or jogging," Jason added, shaking his head, "and I didn't even know he liked Siham."

"Well, he does. Personally, I was surprised that he proposed to her. I mean, he's only eighteen. That's way too early for marriage..."

Trini's words died on her lips as she saw the pained expression on Billy's face. She also noticed how Jason and Kim glanced at the former Blue Ranger.

"Um, I'll go get dressed," Trini said, "Help yourselves to some coffee. Then, I'll check and see if Zack's at Siham's place."

"I'll do it," Jason offered, rising to his feet, "I know where her apartment is. I'll be right back."

Trini walked towards the bathroom, carrying a pair of jeans and a yellow sweater. She closed the door behind her, and paused in front of the mirror. She frowned at her reflection.

Just perfect,

she thought, turning on the water and splashing her face, The first time that I see Billy in ages, and I'm a mess! What a way to get reacquainted...

As she spread cleanser on her cream-colored skin, Trini thought for a moment about the last time she had seen Billy. It had been what seemed like a lifetime ago, when Trini, Jason, and Zack boarded the flight from Angel Grove International to Geneva. Billy, along with the rest of the Power Rangers had come to see their friends off. After thinking about just how to say goodbye for over three days, Trini decided to give Billy a little hint. As the plane was boarding, Trini leaned over and kissed Billy on the cheek. It wasn't a particularly romantic kiss, but it was enough to make the shy genius blush. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to clue him in on exactly how Trini felt about him.

We were friends,

Trini reflected, washing her face with cool water, We had been friends for years, and we knew we'd continue to be friends. But I've hoped, almost since the beginning, that Billy and I could be so much more than friends. I just wish I had the guts to tell him so.

Trini went on to reflect the time she spent with Billy. The times when he stuck with her through difficult situations, such as when she had to deal with her fear of heights, or when she searched for her lost Ticklesneezer. It was impossible to count all the times he helped her with her activities, just to lend her support. He was an integral part of her life before she came to Geneva, and she found that, once she was there, she wished he could still be an integral part of her life.

We kept in touch in e-mail for awhile, but all we ever were was friends. Nothing more. I just didn't know how to let him know what I felt, and now, years later, I still don't know. But I do know this... I want him in my life again. I missed him more than I anticipated during all this time. I didn't realize just how much he meant to me. But, we fell out of touch before, and more than likely it'll happen again...

Trini looked up and stared at her reflection for a moment, determination glinting in her dark eyes. "...at least, unless I do something about it."

Chapter Six

Jason walked through the empty hallway of the apartment complex housing the international delegates. Even though it had been months since he left Geneva, it still felt like yesterday when he was strolling down this very hallway constantly, visiting friends, rushing to classes, dragging himself to the library, or chasing Zack to retrieve an embarrassing photograph. A sentimental grin crossed his face, and he stopped in front of Siham Saade's doorway. He knocked once, and waited for her to answer.

"One moment," came a heavily accented voice. The door opened, revealing a short, slender, olive-skinned Syrian with waist length mahogany hair and dark brown eyes. She smiled instantly when she recognized the visitor, and rose to her tip-toes to greet him with a kiss on each cheek: a typical Middle-Eastern greeting.

"Jason!" she declared in excitement, beaming happily, "I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?"

"Not bad, Siham," he responded, his hands in his pockets, "I'm basically working this summer, until September rolls in. Then, it's off to college."

"Fantastic!" she said, leaning against the doorway, "I'm glad to see you in such good spirits. The last few weeks before you left, you seemed rather despondent."

Jason shrugged. "Well, I made the right decision by going home. Still, it's great to visit."

With that, Jason glanced over Siham's shoulder into the room. "Say, is Zack here?"

Siham's full lips tugged into a grin, and she nodded. "He'll be surprised to see you. Come in."

Jason walked into the bedroom, which was decorated rather elaborately with both Islamic and Arabic paintings, statues, and accents. He walked through the entrance area, and glanced into the small kitchen, where Zack Taylor was sitting, with his head on the table. Jason chuckled slightly when he heard a soft snore escape Zack's nose.

"He's still not much of a morning person," Siham commented, "but he still accompanies me on my morning jog. He's so thoughtful."

"Same ole' Zack," Jason whispered, sitting down across from him. He reached across the small circular table, and grasped his shoulder. "Hey, Bud! Wake up!"

Surprisingly, Zack didn't budge. Jason blinked, and shook him harder. "Zack? You alive?"

Siham began to giggle, and stood behind Zack, her hands on his shoulders. "He stayed up most of last night at a club downtown," she explained, "He wanted to demonstrate Hip-Hop-Kido to a group of locals. He's quite a dancer."

Jason snorted. "And he knows it, too."

Siham smiled again, and leaned over towards Zack's ear, her long, thick curls tickling his cheek.

"Rise and shine, Habibe," she said into his ear. Jason shook his head in amazement when Zack's eyes weakly opened, and a yawn escaped him.

"Same ole' Zack," he repeated, folding his arms, "A gunshot wouldn't wake him up, but a beautiful woman's whisper snaps him right into reality."

"Hey, Sweetie," Zack whispered, slowly lifting his head from the table, "I thought I heard Jason just now."

Siham smiled, putting a hand to each of his cheeks. She then gently turned his head around, until he jumped in surprise when Jason entered his field of vision.

"Whoa!" Zack shouted, jumping to his feet, "What's up, Bro?!"

Zack practically leapt across the table, and greeted Jason with a bear hug. Jason laughed as he returned the hug, and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"That's what you get for not keeping in touch," he chided. Zack rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I didn't get too many calls from you, Bro," he retorted.

"So, what brings you back to Geneva?" Siham asked, taking a seat at the table, "It seems like such a surprise."

Jason shrugged. "Well, I figured I needed to say hello to a couple old friends. So Siham, do you mind if I steal your fiance from you for a few hours? We have some catching up to do."

Siham smiled, and waved them away. "Good. Maybe without him around, I'll get some work done!"

Zack chuckled, and leaned over to plant a kiss on Siham's lips. Then, he and Jason strolled down the hallway, toward Trini's room.

"Man, this is such a surprise, Bro," Zack commented, his face beaming with joy, "And it's not even my birthday!"

"It gets better," Jason said with a conspiratory grin. He didn't respond to Zack's inquiring gaze, and turned the knob of Trini's apartment. Zack went in first, and his jaw dropped