Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Heather Ray (read full novel .TXT) 📖

at the end of the hallway just feet from the editor's office, was Richie's station.

She smiled when she noted the gold plaque with his name etched on in bold letters. She slowly ran her fingers along the outline of his last name.

Hasada. Trini Hasada. Trini Kwan-Hasada...?

Her smile fell into a bitter frown when she realized what she was doing.

"I'm not in fifth grade," she scolded herself under her breath, as she sharply drew her hand away from the plaque. She drew in a deep breath, shaking her head in amazement at what she was doing. There she was, a twenty-four year old woman, being trained as a diplomat. And suddenly, she had been reduced to a lovesick kid, complete with gastric butterflies.

"Um, excuse me... are you looking for Richie?"

Trini turned around sharply, and locked eyes with a man carrying a large cardboard box. He looked a few years older than her, and he wore large glasses that nearly slid off his nose.

"Yes," she responded after a moment, "Do you know where he is?"

"He's in a meeting with Editorial."

The man noticed Trini's face fall slightly.

"...but, he should be done soon," he added, shifting the box into one arm to free one hand. "I'm Eric, by the way."

"Trini," she answered, shaking his hand. She noticed the man nod, an interested expression on his face.

"Pleased to meet you," he greeted, releasing her hand to catch the box before it fell, "Uh, take a seat in Richie's chair. He shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

"Thank you," Trini said, watching the slender man leave. She vaguely wondered why Eric had reacted that way when he discovered her name, until she sat down in Richie's chair.

It was a comfortable chair, and the flexibility of the cushion gave testament to its frequent use. The desk itself was very large, with a laptop sitting on the top, and numerous stacks of papers. Still, the large load of paperwork was neatly organized.

"He was always neat," she recalled, her eyes falling upon a flash of metal. She slid the large pile out of the way, and lifted the brass picture frame for inspection.

"Now I'm fishing through his stuff," she sighed wearily. Still, she couldn't resist taking a look.

No... no wife in the photo. Just Richie, Paul, and their parents, standing in front of their Angel Grove home.

That was a good sign.

"Only one picture?" she whispered, slightly surprised. She continued looking around the small space, and then noted the frames hanging on the small space of wall above the wide filing cabinet. The first frame was of his college degree. The second was a photo of his college graduation, with his extended family surrounding him.

Trini's mouth slid open in amazement as she noted the third frame.

Within was a news clipping of the Angel Grove Gazette, in the Community column. It was a small article, occupying about two columns of text, with a small photograph in the center.

The headline read "Three Local Students Chosen for Peace Conference."

Trini was so overwhelmed by her discovery, she felt her eyes sting slightly. The photograph was of her, Jason, and Zack, taken during the farewell party Ernie had thrown at the Youth Center, to wish them well.

"He... he kept it," she whispered incredulously, pursing her trembling lips together as she reached out. Her fingertips gently brushed the wooden frame, and her teary eyes skimmed over the contents of the article.

This could only mean one thing: Richie cared about her very much. It was equivalent to having her picture on his desk! That was probably why Eric knew who she was... Richie must've talked about her!

"My God," she whispered in horror, her hand flying to her face. Her skin touched the moisture left by a tear, and she shuddered in disbelief.

"I can't let him see me this way," she muttered, hastily rising to her feet, "It's so... wrong!"

She began taking deep, calming breaths, as she reached for her briefcase and hurried through the maze of cubicles, desperation speeding her step.

Chapter Four

Each day of my life
I'm filled with all the joy I could find.
You know that I am not the desperate type.
If there's one spark of hope left in my grasp
I'll hold it with both hands.
It's worth the risk of burning to have a second chance.

They were tears of joy that she shed. She was so completely overwhelmed by the very idea of Richie caring enough about her to be reminded of her daily, that the dam just burst, and the tears fell.

But at the same time, she couldn't meet Richie after eight years in that state. She couldn't let him see her crying with joy because of the frame. She was so embarrassed by her emotive reaction she couldn't make eye contact with anyone at the Gazette.

She wanted to sink into the wall.

"I can't believe

this is happening to me!" she groaned loudly, exhaling dramatically as she sat on her hotel bed, "I ran away!"

Trini just wasn't good at dealing with the unexpected. She liked to be prepared for everything, or else she had no control over the situation. True, she didn't have a script memorized for her reunion with Richie, but she certainly didn't want it to include tears.

Her muscles were tense with anxiety as she slid her pumps off her feet, and peeled her nylon stockings from her legs. The entire day was overwhelming for her! She was back in Angel Grove, and she was almost certain Richie carried some sort of torch for her.

And then the dinner conference heralded in even more good news.

It was decided that a representative from the Geneva headquarters of the World Peace Conference should oversee the selection process of candidates for Terra Venture. Whoever was appointed to that position would have to live in Angel Grove for the next year, until Terra Venture is ready to depart.

Twelve months in Angel Grove... it was too good to be true! Plenty of time to create some kind of foundation for a relationship, and definitely enough time to plan out what they'd do after they were separated again. Perhaps, the Peace Conference would want a representative to stay with NASADA indefinitely, to work with any future programs dealing with interplanetary relations, or further colonies.

While it is true Trini is a very young member of the Conference, the fact that she is a native of Angel Grove, as well as an accomplished student in diplomacy and organization, would make her an excellent candidate for the position.

"But... how can I bring myself to reach Richie again?" she questioned, lying backward and sinking into the soft mattress, "I can't go back to the Gazette... that'd be too embarrassing!"

Suddenly, the shrill ring of the telephone seized her flighty attention. She wearily raised herself from the bed, and lifted the receiver. "Hello?"

^Trini? Uh... hi.^

Trini froze, her eyes widening at the soft, almost timid voice that had always managed to catch her breath in her throat.

^It's Richie.^

"Hi, Richie," Trini breathed, after she had recovered from her amazement. She slowly sat back on the side of her bed as she searched for the next words to say. "How's it going?"

She rolled her eyes at her own foolishness.

^Everything's great,^

he answered, the uncertainty in his voice giving away his discomfort. That made Trini feel a bit less foolish.

"So, how'd you think to call me?" Trini inquired, her brow furrowing with curiosity. After all, she hadn't even seen him, much less leave him her phone number.

^Well, my brother and my co-worker Eric told me you were in town,^ he answered, ^and the receptionist Dorothy told me that an exotic Asian woman was looking for me. I knew it had to be you, even before I talked to Eric and Paul.^

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she pursed her lips together tightly to prohibit a squeal of delight from escaping.

^So... you had dinner?^

"Actually, I just got back-"

^How about dessert, then?^

he interrupted.

"Sounds terrific," she said honestly, turning to face the mirror on the vanity. She unclipped her flowing ebony hair, and fingered her bangs carefully. "What time's good for you?"

There was a long pause, until she received an answer. ^Actually, I'm... I'm in the lobby.^

Trini blinked in surprise. "You're here?"

^Yeah... but take all the time you need...^

"I'll be down in five minutes," she said, an excited smile creeping onto he lips.

^Terrific. See you soon.^

When the phone clicked on the other end, Trini released the excited squeal she had just managed to hold in. Once she recovered her senses, she raced to her suitcase, rummaging through her work clothes to find something appropriate.

Chapter Five

No, no, no, no, no, no I need you baby.
I still believe that we can be together.
If we believe that true love never has to end,
Then we must know that we will love again.

"Good evening, and welcome to The Beanery. Two?"

"Yes."

"Right this way."

Richie gestured Trini to walk before him, as the pair followed the waiter between the circular wooden tables to the corner table by the window of the homey coffee shop. Once the waiter placed the menus on the table, Richie was quick to step in front of Trini, and pull her seat out. She smiled gratefully as she sat down, and watched Richie remove his blazer, and take a seat.

He hastily picked up his menu, glancing up at her to grin tenderly before he began perusing the restaurant's offerings.

Trini lifted her own menu, but couldn't help but gaze at Richie as inconspicuously as possible. He hadn't changed at all, despite the eight years that had passed since their last encounter. He still had the dancing light in his eyes, heartwarming grin, and gentle mannerisms that made him the perfect