Kimberly opened her school book. She tried to focus on the math problem. She had understood it in class, but now, it was a different language. Her mind was drifting. She closed her eyes and inhaled. A fruity smell filled her senses. Strawberry! Strawberry mango! She opened her eyes and found a smoothie sitting right by her math book.

“Compliments of a secret admirer,” Ernie chimed from behind her.

“Who?” Kim turned around, grinning wildly.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?” Ernie winked.

“Secret? What secret?” Jason plopped down, sitting backwards on his chair as he slid it to Kim’s table. “You keeping a secret?”

“Nah, I have a secret admirer. Not much of a secret if it’s Tommy.”

“Might be a secret to him…” Jason chuckled.

“Stop it… he’s sweet. I just soo wish he didn’t play this mystery game right now… I mean we’re seeing a movie tonight. Why should he be all secretive now?”

“Well, it could be someone else,” Jason reached for the glass with one hand and the straw with the other.

Kim knocked his hands back and snagged the glass for herself. “It’s for me, and one of my favorite flavs. Don’t think you’re gonna bogart it.” She smiled as she sipped the beverage.

“Hmm…. Yeah… What if it’s one of Rita’s tricks? Trying to poison you and make you think you’re a punk again?”

“A strawberry mango smoothie has corrupting powers? Come on.”

“What’s this?” Billy pulled up a chair and sat opposite of Kim. “You are not endeavoring to become an embittered youth without me this time.”

Kim snickered and closed the math book. This was not a time for studying. She slurped her smoothie. Her eyes darted to the clock.

“Geez, I have to get to the library.” She started assembling her books. “I have to do some research for my report if I’m going to have time for that date tonight.”

“Should have passed on the smoothie…” Jason grinned.

“We shouldn’t keep her from her educational pursuits.”

Kim set the empty glass down, stood up, and grabbed her books. She smiled at each of them and started out of the Angel Grove Youth Center. They trailed behind her as she walked swiftly back through the school and to her locker.

“So what is the confidential information that you were discussing?” Billy whispered as he nudged into Jason.

“Kim’s got a secret admirer. He sent her a smoothie, by way of Ernie. We’re trying to figure if it’s Tommy or not.”

“Tommy is the ultimate conclusion, but as Holmes would say ‘the obvious is not always the likely.’ We should weigh the other options.” Billy smiled as he adjusted his glasses. “Did you buy her the smoothie?”

“No,” Jason chuckled. “I gave up the ghost after the Green Ranger stole her heart.”

“Well, I am not the guilty culprit. Could it have been Zack?”

“Why?” Jason waved his arms indicating curiosity.

“Motive discussion comes after suggesting possibilities.”

“Naa… plus he’s at the video arcade right now with Trini. I just left them there to go catch up with Kim.”

Jason leaned against the locker next to Kim’s as Billy continued his list. Kim shook her head.

“Please say you guys are going to be over this soon. We know it’s Tommy. It’s got to be.” She opened her locker. A look of shock flooded her face. Shock morphed into surprise as her hand withdrew an object from its confines.

Jason, suddenly on his guard by Kim’s reaction, assumed fighting stance. Billy craned to identify the source of her surprise. Kim held a perfect red rose. Tied to the rose was a simple note card, the kind flower shops sell.

“A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” Kim read softly. Her face brightened and then grew confused. “Tommy?”

“What?” Tommy smiled as he approached. “Hey guys!”

“Hey, Tommy,” Jason nodded.

Billy waved at Tommy as Kim turned around and closed her locker door. She smiled sweetly at him and twirled the rose stem in her hand. He walked up close to her and looked down into her eyes.

“Hi, Kim.”

“Tommy… hi…” She smiled brightly, glanced at the rose, and then back to his eyes. “Thanks.”

Tommy smiled bigger, but curiosity flashed through his eyes. “Uh… you’re welcome, I guess?” He glanced around at Jason and Billy and then looked back to Kim. “Why are you thanking me?”

“For the gifts, silly. The smoothie and rose from my secret admirer. The note was soo sweet, too.” She blinked.

“It should be, it’s written by the bard himself,” Billy added.

“Tommy’s a bard?” Jason glanced at Billy.

“No, Shakespeare. Tommy quoted William Shakespeare, the bard-poet.”

“Oh,” Jason turned back to Tommy with an amused look on his face. “Good call.”

“Uh… I hate to say this, but I don’t remember quoting Shakespeare, or anything about a rose or a smoothie.” Tommy’s expression was totally perplexed.

Kim glanced at Tommy and then looked at Billy and Jason. Her eyes echoed her mind playing out all of the possibilities. Tommy suddenly was overwhelmed with concern.

“Maybe the solution is obvious in the subject’s tendencies. Tommy is consistently inclined to forget,” Billy smiled as he finished his conclusion. “Perhaps you arranged for these surprises a day ago and have merely misplaced the information. After all, it is leading up to your date tonight.”

“Yeah… yeah… I guess. Hmm…you’re probably right, Billy.” Tommy shrugged, but was only slightly set at ease.

“That’s got to be it,” Kim smiled once again. She leaned forward and kissed Tommy’s cheek. “Thanks again.” She looked at the others, “I soo have to get to the library and do homework before the date.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Billy nodded. He smiled at Jason and Tommy as he walked away with Kim.

“Later.” Kim smiled as she turned and waved at Tommy and Jason.

“Later.” Jason smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, see ya Kim.” Tommy mumbled as he smiled. As soon as she turned back around, Tommy’s smile dropped.

“Let’s head to Ernie’s. Hey, what is it, man?” Jason turned to Tommy. He bumped him and they began walking.

“I really don’t remember anything about Shakespeare, a rose, or a smoothie.” Tommy’s face was puzzled. “I mean, at least before, when someone told me I had forgotten, I usually remembered that I had forgotten.”

“Well, that’s true. But you know, weird things happen on days like today.” Jason smiled.

“Days like today? What’s today?”

“Tommy. You don’t know. You set a date for Kim today and you don’t even know the day?”

“It’s a school night? It’s not her birthday. I have that in giant pink marker on my calendar at home. She put it there.” Tommy snickered, obviously remembering the scene when she inscribed her birthday to help him remember.

“It’s Valentine’s Day. Haven’t you seen all of the pink and red hearts plastered all over the school?” Jason chuckled.

Tommy glanced at Jason, he glanced all around the room, and then he glanced down to his shoes. “Man! And I forgot to get her something!”

“You really didn’t get her that rose or the smoothie.”

“No, man. I didn’t.”

“So I wonder who did?” They both glanced around the room.

Off in a corner, just out of sight of the two Rangers, a figure lurked over his soda. A massive figure approached.

“WHAT are you doing?”

The smaller figure held his soda close as he slipped his book into his black leather jacket. “Nothing, Bulk. I was just reading.”

“Yeah, right! That would require a brain.” He reached over and wrenched the book away from Skull. “Romeo and Juliet? Man… I thought we were over that!”

“I needed to look up something.”

“It was for your sweetie again, wasn’t it? You waste your money buying her a smoothie and now you’re reading this garbage for her. When are you going to give this up?”

Skull sighed and glanced over to where Jason and Tommy stood with curious looks on their faces. “I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t matter.”