Kimberly grinned and they kissed. ''I love you, too. C`mon, let`s go to class.'' She slipped her arm around his waist, and they started walking down the hall.

Jason thought while they walked about his best friend Tommy. He`d been totally distant to him since Jason had been home. He couldn`t figure it out. He`d even asked Billy what might be wrong, but he`d been in the dark, too. He shrugged, sure whatever it was, Tommy would just talk to him about it. He glanced at Kimberly, wondering how he`d gotten so lucky. When they reached Mrs. Appleby`s class, Adam met them at the door and smiled. ''I`m glad you guys are so happy.''

Kimberly smiled. ''Thanks, Adam. He`s been back three weeks, and it`s just like old times. Except for the fact that Trini and Zack aren`t here. But still, the newcomers are pretty great.'' She quickly said at the look on Adam`s face.

Aisha came to the door, and said, ''Guys, let`s go in already!'' She smiled at Jason and Kimberly, then entered the classroom, the others following.

Bulk saw Jason and called out tactlessly, (but way too late considering how long Jason`s been home,) ''Hey, Muscle Brains. How come you were only gone a day? Are you so much in love with Kimberly that you can`t be away from her for one minute?''

Jason nodded. ''Yes.'' He said, looking at Kimberly. ''And I don`t care who knows it. I love her. I don`t know why I even left in the first place.'' He smiled.

Kimberly felt shivers fall down her spine. Jason`s smile was always so wonderful. The effect that it still had an effect on her after all these years made her happy. She kissed him. Then she sat down and said, ''Jason, how about you come over to my house later?'' Then she glanced around and said in a lower voice, so only he could hear, ''And bring protection.'' She felt pleased that she was finally ready. They hadn`t yet, but she knew she was ready.

Jason gasped. Boy, had he underestimated her! He`d thought she`d wait at least until their senior year before making that commitment. He`d been ready since the beginning of the year. He smiled back, though, and nodded. Then he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote:

''Dear Zack,
Guess what? Kimberly wants to make love. I was surprised, but I`m ready. What do you think? Probably by the time you get this, it`ll be over, but I do want your opinion. I don`t know why I`m writing you first instead of telling Tommy. I think it`s because he probably wouldn`t want to know. He`s been really distant lately. It`s starting to worry me. I mean, we`ve never had an agrument that Rita or Zedd didn`t start. I don`t know what I did to make him mad at me. Have you any idea? Well, I hope you`re enjoying Switzerland, I better go. I`m in class.

YBF,
Jason

He sighed and passed the note Kimberly held to Aisha. He glanced at her while she read it, and knew what she was reading. She smiled at Kimberly, then began writing a reply. Boy, this was going to be a long class.

At the beginning of lunch, Kimberly was fishing her stuff out of her locker. Jason had already gone in. She found her lunch bag, and headed for their table. She smiled as she reached it. But she stopped as she heard Tommy say, ''I just can`t believe it. She went all the way to get him. How could I break them up by telling them I love her?''

Adam replied, ''Tommy, you wouldn`t be. You`ll be breaking up your friendship. They`ll never break up. They`ve never even had a fight, according to Billy.''

Kimberly ran towards their table. ''You`re Jason`s best friend! How could you do that to him? I can`t believe you! It doesn`t matter what I think, because I don`t have feelings for you. But you would be hurting Jason! I HATE you!'' She ran back out of the cafeteria, running into Aisha on her way out. But she just kept going.

When Jason reached his table, everyone was real quiet. He sat down and glanced at Billy, Adam, and Rocky. ''What`s wrong?'' He asked. ''Where`s Kimberly?''

Billy replied, ''Kimberly`s crying in the bathroom. Aisha and Tommy went after her. Jason, Tommy`s in love with her. He`s in love with your girl. Don`t get mad. Kimberly said herself she doesn`t have feelings for him.''

Jason interrupted as Billy was about to go on. ''But he broke the code. If you have feelings for your best friend`s girl, you never tell them. NEVER.'' Jason got up. ''I`m going to find her. See you later, guys.'' He walked out, and ran into Aisha in the hallway. ''How is she, and where`s Tommy?''

Aisha said, ''I calmed her down, but please don`t hurt Tommy. He never meant for you to find out, Jason. He really didn`t.'' But Aisha didn`t really know Jason. She couldn`t know how angry he was.

But Tommy, coming up behind her, did. And he had a real scared look in his eyes. He knew Jason had a higher black belt than him, and he also knew that that was what Jason was planning to do right now. ''Now, Jason. Please don`t do anything rash. I really didn`t mean to break the code, I really didn`t. Please don`t fight me.'' He pleaded.

Jason listened without pity. ''You made my girlfriend cry, and you broke the code. Give me one good reason why I shouldn`t pound you into the floor.'' At Tommy`s silence, he continued, ''See, even you know why I have to beat you up.'' He began circling Tommy, and a fight broke loose.

Tommy wasn`t really fighting, but even if he had, Jason would have won hands down. When Tommy was lying in a heap on the floor, Jason leaned down and said in a low voice, ''Thomas Samuel Oliver, if you ever come near me or my girlfriend again, I will beat the shit out of you again. You hear?''

Tommy nodded. ''I hear.'' He waited until Jason was gone, and then he picked himself off the floor. He knew what he had to do. He was going to resign as a Ranger. He and Jason would never be friends again, and both of them knew who`s fault it was. He walked slowly and painfully to the men`s bathroom and teleported to the Command Center. ''Zordon, I`m resigning as the White Ranger.''

After school, the teens recived a call from Zordon. They walked to a secluded place while Jason waited paitently. Kimberly said, ''What is it, Zordon?''

Zordon replied, ''Tommy has resigned, and I need a White Ranger. Do you think Jason would?'' He asked, hope in his voice.

Kimberly replied, ''Of course! He`d love it!'' She motioned Jason over and told him, ''Zordon wants to know if you want to be the new White Ranger.''

Jason smiled, totally ignoring the fact why he was being asked. ''Sure!'' He didn`t say anything about what a wimp Tommy was.

They teleported to the Command Center. Jason was excited. He was going to be a Ranger again!

Tommy stood on the Youth Center mats. He`d seen them teleport. He sighed. He knew why they were teleporting. Jason was going to be the New White Ranger. He knew he`d done the right thing.

"Every now and then,
We find a special friend,
who never lets us down,
who understands it all,
reaches out each time we fall,
You`re the best friend that I`ve found.
And I know you can`t stay,
part of you will never go away,
your heart will stay.
I`ll make a wish for you,
and hope it will come true
That life will just be kind,
to such a gentle mind, and if you
lose your way, think back on yesterday,
Remember me this way, remember me this way.
I don`t need eyes to see the love you bring to me
No matter where I go
I know you`ll be there, forevermore a part of me,
You`re everywhere, I`ll always care.
I`ll make a wish for you,
and hope it will come true,
That life will just be kind,
to such a gentle mind, and if you
lose your way, think back on yesterday,
Remember me this way, remember me this way.
And I`ll be right behind your shoulder, watching you,
I`ll be standing by your side in all you do,
And I won`t ever leave as long as you believe.
I`ll make a wish for you,
and hope it will come true,
That life will just be kind,
to such a gentle mind, and if you
lose your way, think back on yesterday,
Remember me this way, remember me this way."

Tommy sighed. He knew the song lyrics running through his head didn`t fit him and Jason, but he didn`t care. That`s how he felt. He knew he`d always wish he`d done things differently.

Jason recieved the powers, and felt the rush as they washed over him. Suddenly, he felt sad, and the song from "Casper" ran through his mind. He was suddenly sorry he and Tommy weren`t friends anymore, but he also knew it had to be.