Power Rangers Zeo - Venusian Encounters by Heather Ray (best summer books .txt) 📖

A slight frown wrinkling her tan face, Kimberly pulled the curling iron along a lock of caramel hair, rolling it back toward her scalp once it reached the bottom. After holding it for a few seconds, she released the clamp, letting the curled lock fall to her shoulder. Carefully placing the heated device on the vanity, Kim picked up a silver barrette, decorated with clear rhinestones, and clipped the left side of her hair above her ear. Satisfaction in her eyes, Kim turned her head and examined the matching clip that held place directly opposite the first.

"Finally," Kim sighed, clipping on the matching earrings, "Honestly, Trini, I thought I was doomed to suffer a bad hair day! My hair just wouldn't hold a curl!"

Trini smiled in amusement at her friend's familiar preoccupation, while zipping the back of her sleeveless cream colored silk mini-dress, that narrowed past her chest and enclosed her neck. Nibbling on her lower lip, Trini stepped in front of the full length mirror behind the door, and examined her reflection.

"What do you think, Kim?" Trini asked, pulling down the hem of the dress slightly.

Kim turned around, and smiled in approval. The oriental design of the dress was quite flattering, and the short length revealed a daring amount of leg. Well, daring for Trini, at least.

"You're a knock-out!" Kim squealed in excitement, "Since when did you go for short skirts, Trini?"

Trini frowned slightly. "Is it too short?"

"No, not too short... just shorter than I've ever seen on you." Kim's smile suddenly subsided to a mischievous grin. "I'm sure Billy will like it."

Trini's eyebrow arched, and she tried desperately to prevent a blush from rising on her creamy cheeks. "Oh really?"

Kim rose to her feet, and pulled slightly on the cotton belt of her rose robe. "C'mon, Trini. We've been friends forever! Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

A cold shadow seemed to pass over Trini's face. "I... I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know anything... about me, Billy, or anything."

Trini took a deep breath, and sat down on her bed, staring at her feet. "I don't know if I can build up the nerve to talk to him about us, after all this time."

Trini looked up, and fixed Kim with a weary gaze. "Kim, tell me about Cestria?"

Kim shrugged a bit. "I'm sorry, but I really didn't know her. I only met her once, at the senior prom."

Trini nodded. "I guess I can't help but wonder about the girl who swept Billy's heart away, you know?"

Kim nodded, slowly sitting beside Trini and enclosing her shoulder in her own hand. "Trini, I know this must be very difficult for you," she said in her calm, easy voice, "Trust me, I have an inkling on what you're going through. I have to tell you... facing Tommy about the letter was one of the hardest things for me to do. I felt like... I had missed my chance. I had screwed up, and I couldn't expect Tommy to still have feelings for me. But if I didn't build up the nerve to talk to him about it, I never would have found out the truth."

Trini covered her eyes with her palm and bowed her head, causing flowing locks of raven hair to sweep over her shoulders and hide her features in a dim shadow. "I feel so... guilty! Like I'm trying to steal Billy away from Cestria. Like I'm taking advantage of her death to get what I want."

"At least tell him what you're feeling," Kim recommended, "No one can ever blame you for being honest."

With that, Kim rose to her feet, and tugged once again at the cotton belt of her bathrobe. "Now, I've got to get dressed. Just think about what I said. You really don't have anything to lose."

Trini watched Kimberly disappear into the bathroom. She then sighed loudly, throwing herself backward upon her bed. Thick ebony hair cascaded around the bed in a dark halo around her head, and several tears streaked down the corners of her eyes as she stared at the ceiling.

"I don't have anything to lose?" she asked the empty room, "What about my self respect? What about Billy's trust and friendship?"

Billy stared into Zack's bedroom mirror, a bland expression on his face. He could see how sickly he looked. His eyes had lost their glimmer, he had clearly lost a significant amount of weight, and his healthy California tan was gone. His dark blonde hair hung rather limply about his eyes.

He looked so hollow it was frightening.

Taking a deep breath, Billy ran the comb through his damp hair slowly, pushing the blonde locks away from his face into a neat, reserved fashion. Once his unruly hair finally obeyed his command, Billy grabbed his navy tie from the chair of Zack's desk, and fumbled with the knot.

"Sheesh, Man," Zack commented, stepping back into the apartment. He walked over to Billy, and properly adjusted the tie, "My little brother can tie a tie better."

Billy grimaced. "I haven't worn a tie in ages, and even then, it wasn't often."

Zack shrugged, his dark eyes examining Billy's attire carefully. The slender genius was wearing a charcoal suit, with a white and blue striped shirt and a navy solid-tone tie.

"Lookin' pretty sharp, Billy-Boy," Zack approved, giving his friend a thumbs up, "Now, all you have to do is smile once in a while, and you're in good shape!"

Billy's lips pursed slightly in response, and he took a seat on Zack's bed. He watched absently as the former Black Power Ranger examined the contents of his closet.

"Is Jason still in the bathroom?" Zack inquired, not looking away from the ebony suit he selected.

"The shower had ceased about ten minutes ago," Billy answered, "He should be out momentarily."

Zack nodded, lying the suit on the bed and rummaging through his drawer. "Why don't you go check on the girls? You guys can go get a cab if they're dressed. I won't take more than ten minutes, and I'll get Siham and meet you downstairs."

Billy nodded in agreement, grabbing the jacket to his suit as he walked out the door. He slid his slender arms into the blazer as he strolled down the narrow hallway of the apartment complex. Moments later, he arrived outside Trini's door. He quickly knocked on the door.

"Just a minute," Trini's serene voice called. Billy watched as the door parted before him, and his breath caught in his throat as his old high-school crush came into view.

Trini felt the intense manner in which Billy observed her appearance. She felt slightly uncomfortable at the attention, yet it encouraged her that he would even notice her.

"You can come in," Trini said, trying to suppress her excited smile as she stepped out of Billy's way, "Kimberly's just about done."

Billy remained wordless as he entered the apartment. Kimberly turned around from Trini's vanity, smiling at her friend as she sprayed a hint of floral perfume to her bare neck.

"So, what do you think?" Kim asked standing up from her chair to display her pale pink tank dress. She could tell that, while Billy was indeed looking in her direction, something else was occupying his mind. It didn't take much to notice that he kept glancing at Trini.

Kim smiled, as she began twirling a lock of caramel-brown hair. Things are definitely looking pretty good for Trini...

"Uh, Zack recommended that we procure transportation while the others finish their preparations. They will meet us at the gate expediently."

Trini blinked in surprise at the flurry of Billy-speak that just graced her ears. It brought back a warm feeling of yesteryear, when Billy only managed to communicate in a manner so completely incomprehensible to most of the populace of Angel Grove High. As time passed, he only used techno-babble when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

This observation didn't get passed Kimberly either. "Why don't you two go ahead?" she suggested, sitting back down, "I still need to put a top coat on my nails. I'll be right behind you."

"See you soon," Trini called, quickly picking up her purse and walking behind Billy into the hallway. Kimberly watched the door close behind them, and leaned against the back of the chair she was sitting on. A warm smile crossed her face, and she rubbed her hands in excited expectation.

"This is going to be great

!" she gasped, chewing on her lower lip, "Well, so long as Trini does go through with it..."

The group of close friends enjoyed a relaxed yet elegant dinner at one of Geneva's most cherished formal restaurants. Thanks to the lax alcohol restrictions in Europe, the teens were able to enjoy a touch of wine with their meals, and they toasted all the concepts that brought them together. They toasted friendship, loyalty, and each other.

Zack remained wonderfully animated throughout the dinner, detailing for Kimberly, Billy, and Jason just how he had fallen in love with Siham, and at what point he realized that she was exactly what he had been searching for all his life. He also announced their wedding plans, which included a wedding in America and a honeymoon in Syria and Lebanon. Their wedding would take place after the Peace Conference was over, in the spring of 2000.

"Wow," Jason commented, "that's a pretty long engagement."

"We're not in a rush to get married," Siham said in her reserved, gentle voice, "After all, we have the rest of our lives to enjoy together. We want to complete the duty we were chosen for. In the countries bordering Syria, there has been war and hatred for generations. It must come to an end, and I'm prepared to work for it."

Zack grinned proudly at Siham's demure strength, and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Isn't she the best?"