meraki; power rangers lightspeed rescue

v. a matter of trust

I have been waiting for this weekend. Between classes, homework, and the last few days of my trial run with Lightspeed, I am thisclose to burn out. Maybe I'll get Carter to let me have some of the team's alcohol I know they've got stashed somewhere. (Or Joel. No way Carter will let me get to that stuff.) Speaking of which...

"Morning, kid." Our Red Ranger stands in the kitchen, chowing down on a bowl of cereal. Reeses Puffs, his favorite, as I've come to learn over these past few weeks.

Honestly, I know more about these people than I would like. It comes with living with them, but I also wish it wasn't a factor. Because the more I've learned, the more I've wanted to stay.

I'd also be lying if I said Carter isn't one of the most attractive people I've ever laid eyes on. Because dear lord, he is.

"G'morning." I hide a yawn behind my hand. "We don't happen to have any more of that, do we?"

A blush tinges his cheeks, and I can't help but stare. "Nah. Sorry." Apologizing for nothing, a classic Carter Grayson fatal flaw. I shake my head, offer a smile, and rummage through the fridge. For a moment, I'm back home, the morning news playing softly from the television, the warm scent of coffee floating through the air, the clink of spoons against bowls...

Guess a protein shake will have to do. (I'm never quite sure who buys these, since it rotates between Chad, Kelsey, and occasionally Dana-) "Please tell me you're gonna eat more than that." God. Another of his fatal flaws. Thankfully, he'd left his bowl on the table when he turned to face me, muscular arms crossed over his chest... Before I can stare for any longer than I already have, I dart around him and stuff a spoonful of cold Reeses Puffs into my mouth. Carter's jaw drops, and I nearly spit out the bite I'd taken in favor of laughing in his face.

"You shouldn't have left the opportunity." His eyes search my face, blue depths alight with laughter-

A door down the hallway creaks open and I step away from him, uncapping the chocolate protein drink just in time to see Dana emerge, bedhead a giant mess. Appearance aside- girl could literally be a model, even now- I note the way her eyes dart between us. "She stole my cereal!"

She crosses her arms and sits into her hip in such a way, I'm reminded of a midwest soccer mom. "Knowing you, you probably gave her the opportunity."

The giggles finally burst out, but Carter doesn't join me and Dana in our moment of stupidity. Instead, his eyes remain transfixed on the television screen. "Ally." Not a question.

A warning.

My phone rings.

———

When I step into Leon's hospital room, my parents are already there. But they're not focused on him, at least not anymore. "I tried to keep it a secret," my older brother mutters, voice crackly from disuse. He's probably been sleeping, since he rubs at his eyes and then points to the small television screen.

It's running a nearly identical story to the one I saw back at Aqua Base: Brother of regional superhero caught up in art heist.

"Is there any chance we can talk about this later?" Gone is the fearless superhero like the one the newscaster drones on about. In the face of both my parents' furies, I'm nothing but a little girl again.

My mother- Clara- sighs, dark circles under her eyes as she gazes at me. "We need you to reconsider."

"And I need to make sure people stay safe," I retort, "So that things like what happened at the art heist never happen again."

My dad- Scott- chuckles. "That's exactly what we figured you'd say, kiddo."

"Dad, I'm twenty years old. My GPA's never been higher, I have new friends-"