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Zach had spent the entire evening sitting on the roof of the trailer. He’d watched the sun slowly disappear below the edge of the mine, and gradually the night air began to cool. Fireflies began to dance around him before he’d even noticed where the time had gone.
He let out a low sigh. He didn’t want to sleep at home tonight, his anxiety was too great. Just thinking about sleeping there, at home, in that metal prison, his heart started to palpitate. Zach took a breath, inhaling out through his nose, rubbing one of his big hands against the ripped knee of his jeans. His knuckles were still bruised from where he’d punched the side of the trailer earlier in the week. He wasn’t good at expressing himself.
Stretching out on the blanket on the roof, he pulled his backpack from behind him, and propped it open. He’d just met the other ‘Power Rangers’ a couple days before, and while he was enjoying the company, he had one person on his mind.
Trini. She was the one person he was interested in. He’d made a bunch of noticeably flirty jokes at her, hoping to catch her attention, but so far, she’d rebuffed him. It had hurt, but he wouldn’t let it show. He wanted to get to know her, and talk to her, and tell her about all the things he’d never told anyone. He hated the feeling of wanting to be emotionally dependent on someone else. Especially someone that he barely knew.
Zach pulled a cigarette out of the pack that was in his bag, tapping it quickly against the box before lighting up. It was just one of his many self destructive tendencies. It was the only thing that kept him level headed. As tough as he appeared on the outside, Zach was crumbling inside. His mother was sick, and her death was unavoidable. As soon as she passed on, he’d be alone. Completely.
He tapped ash over the edge of the trailer, and looked into the dark. It was somehow more comfortable to wrapped in total darkness than it was to be in the confines of the metal trailer with his mom. He didn’t loathe her. He just loathed her sickness. It has stripped the life from her, and the innocence of youth from him. Zach felt bitter and old.
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the group chat from the other rangers. He rarely replied, only if it was about meeting up, or something training related. His fingers hovered over the new message button, trying to decide whether or not to text Trini.
Live a little, Zach, he told himself, and he opened the text. He stared at the blank screen, unsure of what to text her. I feel alone and need someone else, sounded too desperate. Zach didn’t want to put her off from the start. Instead, he took a breath before he messaged, “Want to spend the night out here? It’s cool out, and we can make s'mores”. He sent a tongue sticking out emoji before adding, “Nothing weird meant”. Zach cringed as soon as he sent the last message, he wouldn’t blame her if she ignored him now, he sounded like a nerd.
However, about two minutes later, the three little dots popped up on the screen, and soon after a text came in. “At the trailer?” She’d replied. Zach’s thumbs typed rapidly, “Yep, I can make a fire”. He hoped that didn’t sound lame. “Just me?” She replied, and he paused before replying, “Unless you want me to invite the others”. It had been getting chillier, but it wasn’t cold yet, a little bit of warm summer air still clinging to the early evening.
His screen lit up and he opened the new message from Trini, “I’ll be there soon".
Zach’s heart sped up, and he shifted on the blanket. Climbing down off the roof of the trailer with his stuff, he set his stuff down on the ground near the fire pit he’d made, month ago. Starting a fire was quick and easy, and he always kept a stockpile of firewood nearby, so he didn’t run out. The fire crackled, and soon a decent blaze was going, lighting up the area around the trailer.
He’d smoked three more cigarettes by the time Trini had arrived. She walked up quietly, and he’d just ground out the stub under his boot when she approached the campfire. “It’s nice out here-“ she told him, and he turned, a little surprised.
“I was wondering if you were going to make it.” He laughed a little, standing up to greet her. “I’m glad you came”. Trini shrugged a little, “I just wanted s'mores”. It wasn’t true, she’d been feeling lonely, and out of place, spending her evening laying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“Well, s'mores can be done.” Zach told her, and opened his backpack, pulling out crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. “There are some marshmallow sticks against the trailer there-“ he pointed just off to her left, and she took a couple steps over and grabbed them. “I haven’t made these in years-“ she laughed, stepping closer to the fire again.
Zach was perched on a stone at the edge of the fire, adding a couple of new pieces of wood. “They’re my guilty pleasure,” he grinned, pearly white teeth showing. Even though he smoked, he took excellent care of his teeth, and made sure they didn’t stain.
Trini sat down on the rock beside him, and he handed her the bag of marshmallows. Sticking one onto the end of her marshmallow stick, she toasted it lightly over the fire. “So. Why’d you invite me out here?” She asked, looking up at him. Zach looked down, trying to avoid making eye contact. “I guess I was lonely,” he finally replied, the fire sparking between them.
Zach cringed a little, hoping that he didn’t sound too pathetic. He was uncomfortable with his emotions, and he didn’t feel like sharing. There didn’t seem to be a way that he could tell her why he’d invited her without sounding weird, if he didn’t tell her the truth. Looking over at her, and her cute braids, Zach just wanted to hold her.
Trini sighed softly, pulling her marshmallow out of the fire. “I guess I was lonely too”. It was the truth. She liked talking to Zach, she felt more open then she’d been in a long time. They hadn’t even discussed anything deep, but so far, they’d been honest.
The rest of the night went by quickly, the first Friday night they’d spent with someone else for a very long time. Zach could avoid thinking about how unavoidable death was, and Trini got to feel like someone wasn’t pressuring her to be someone that she didn’t want to be.
Soon they’d eaten all the S'mores, and spent so much time talking. Telling each other things they hadn’t said out loud. After several hours, Zach pulled out a six pack of canned beer, and once those were gone, they were tipsy enough that sleep was creeping up on them.
“I feel like it’s time to sleep-“ Trini told him through a giggle, tossing her empty beer can down near the fire. Zach was also starting to feel tired, his eyes drooping, chugging his own beer to finish it off. “I’m feeling pretty beat too,” he added. It had to be approaching four or five in the morning. It was a good thing it was Saturday, and they didn’t have school the next day.
He stood up, zipping up his backpack. “You can sleep in the bed inside, I’ll sleep on the floor”. The trailer was small, far smaller than the one that he lived in with his mom, but this one made him feel safer. “The bed’s kind of shitty, but it’s a bed-“ he told her with a shrug.
“Thanks,” Trini told him, standing up and dusting off her pants, pulling her plaid shirt around herself tighter. She was definitely starting to feel the cold now.
He headed to the door of the trailer and pulled it open. There were no lights inside, but he had a couple of flashlight lanterns set up, and he turned them on to light the place up. There was a bed against the back wall, and it had a thin mattress, but a decent amount of pillows. He placed his backpack on one of the two chairs, and the small folding table, before closing the door on the trailer.
“Just give me a pillow and a blanket from the bed, and I’ll be fine,” Zach told her, yawning and stretching his arms above his head, his t-shirt sliding up to show off his incredible abs.
Trini was already sitting on the edge of the bed, kicking off her shoes. “You know-“ she looked over at him, “There’s enough room for us both-“ before adding quickly, “As long as you don’t try anything funny-“. Zach shook his head, “Of course not”. Kicking off his shoes, he pulled off his denim jacket and tossed it over one of the chairs. While he’d been doing that, Trini had undone her bra under her shirt, pulled it out through her sleeve, and chucked in on the floor.
“Hurry up and get in here,” she demanded, patting the bed beside her, and Zach didn’t need to be asked twice. He clamored into the bed as she pulled back the sheet for him to get in. Rolling in beside her, he propped his head up on his elbow. “Comfy?” He laughed, as there was barely enough room for them both to breathe. She sighed, “Well you couldn’t sleep on the floor you oaf-“ she shoved him a little, “Stretch your arm out so I can lay my head on it”.
He did what she said, and she rolled onto her side, and he pulled the blanket up to cover them, enjoying the warmth radiating from her soft body. They were spooning, her back to his front, her head resting on his arm, and her head tucked up under his chin. Even though he was still feeling a little bit tipsy, there was warmth inside that couldn’t be attributed to the alcohol.
It almost felt like, happiness. Zach closed his eyes, and clung to the feeling until he fell asleep. In the morning they’d have to start training again to defeat Rita, and save the world, and the moment would have passed.