Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Trini isn’t sure why it started. It certainly wasn’t for the money. For her parents' many flaws, they did pay her decently to babysit her brothers. And it certainly wasn’t because she cared whether or not her classmates graduated.

If she said she wasn’t sure how it started, then she’d be lying. She just never meant for it to go so far. It started simply when she noticed a boy next to her in algebra eyeing her test. Maybe if she cared about school or rules, she would’ve been more careful with her answers. But she was never one for rules - kind of hated them really. Even if she got caught, it wouldn’t be long before she would be transferring to a new school anyways. So she moved her arm out of the way and slid the paper over a little, letting him get a better view. Their eyes met for a brief moment, he gave a nod of approval, and it was never discussed.

That was her second week at Angel Grove High.

Now it was a year later and people still may not know her name, but they know she can and will do their homework. For a price, of course. She may not need the money, but she wasn’t an idiot. Besides, it wasn’t always cash. She wasn’t afraid of a good barter.

Take Jason Scott, for example. It just so happened that the same day he asked Trini for help with a history report, her car broke down. Apparently football wasn’t the only thing he was good at, and they struck a deal.

“It looks like a problem with the radiator. One more time - what noise did it make when it broke down?”

Trini had started to repeat her poor imitation of the failing engine when the corner of Jason’s mouth began to curl and she realized he was teasing her. “Look, if you’re gonna be a jerk…”

“Hey, I was just kidding. But really, it sounds like all I need to do is-”

“Yeah, yeah, great. As long as you can fix it, please don’t bore me with the details. Besides, I’ve got a history report to write, yeah?”

//

Jason was her ideal type of student to help. He didn’t ask for help because he was lazy, but because he’d been so stressed out with football and home life that it slipped his mind and he couldn’t finish it in time. Helping him and kids like him almost made her feel good, in an twisted sense.

It was customers like Ty Fleming that Trini truly hated helping. The smug jerk walked around school like he was the king. He always had a letterman on but he didn't even play sports. And when he flipped his hair to the side and said “Hello, ladies” to every group of cheerleaders he passed, it made Trini’s skin crawl.

She had every intention of telling him no. Honest.

“Sorry, Ty, I’m already fully booked this week.” Trini closed her locker and turned around to face him.

“Aw, come on, Didi, I’m sure there is someone you can dump to make room for me.” He leaned forward putting his hand beside her head, waggling his eyebrows. His breath smelled like tuna.

She ducked under his arm, moving to the side and putting space between them again. “Afraid not.”

“I’ll pay double”

She cursed herself for pausing for even just a moment. “Nah.”

He banged his hand against her locker. “Okay, fine, but can I at least get in early for next week?”

“Sure, I’ll check my schedule and get back to you.” She needed about 500 more yards between her and this sleazeball, but as she spun to make her great escape she collided with something so soft yet terribly hard all at once.

“Dude, watch where you’re-”

“Whoa there-”

Kimberly Hart. She collided face first into Kimberly Hart.

“Hey, babe,” Ty said, stupid grin and zero interest in the well-being of either girl.

“Hey, Ty,” Kim responded, eyes still heavy on Trini. “You okay?”

Trini didn’t even have time to respond if she wanted to. Ty was already talking again. “Babe, it turns out I can’t take you to the bonfire this weekend. I have too much homework to do.”

This snapped Kimberly’s eyes from Trini. “Again?”

“Seems so. I’ll make it up to you though. I’ll buy you a new purse or something. You love that shit.”

“I told you I didn’t want you to buy me anything for our anniversary. I just wanted a night with you doing something new together.”

“The purse will be new.” Ty rolled his eyes, which landed on Trini. “Yo, that’s a gnarly red mark. I bet it goose-eggs for sure.”
Trini’s fingers ghosted over her forehead and she winced. She hadn’t realized how hard Kim’s chin had hit her.

Apparently neither did Kimberly. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Want me to walk you to the Nurse? We should get ice on that right away."

Trini tried to come up with a response, any response really, but her brain failed her. Too much time had passed and all she could do was stare dumbly, which probably only made the injury seem worse. She tore her eyes away, moving them to Ty, which was basically the equivalent of taking a cold shower. “I’ll do your stupid essay for double. Send me the details.”

//

Her services eventually extended beyond just classwork when Billy Cranston approached her with an odd request.

“Hi, Trini. I’m Billy. Billy Cranston. The kids used to-”

“‘Sup, Billy.” Trini cut him off. She’d heard his spiel before and it only made her blood boil. Kids can be such jerks.

“I’d like to hire you for your services.”

“Please don’t say it like that,” Trini mumbled before the request hit her. “Wait, what? Are you trying to lower your GPA? You’re already doing better than me in every class, Billy.”

“Except photography. But no, I don’t need help with school. School is easy. Plus, that’s cheating and cheating isn’t okay. I won’t snitch on you though. I heard snitches get stitches and my mom would be so freaked if I came home with stitches. It’s such a weird saying. I had to look up what it meant the first time I heard it and boy am I glad I did. That’s not exactly the type of lesson you want to learn the hard way, you know?” Billy’s rambling died out and Trini raised an eyebrow, curious where this was going. “I want to hire you to run my social media.”

So that’s how Trini expanded her market. Her and Billy went back and forth for a bit. Trini did her best to convince him that he didn’t need to pretend to be “cooler” on social media and that it should be used as an expression of himself. But when he finally mentioned that he dealt with enough bullying at school and he would like to avoid the cyber edition of it as well, how could Trini say no? She absolutely refused to let him pay her, so Billy asked for a list of her favorite bands. He never mentioned why, but as long as she wasn’t taking his lunch money to help him, she was fine with the deal.

And somehow, all these little expansions further from simply letting that boy copy some test answers all that time ago, is how Trini found herself agreeing to the worst assignment yet.

//

“Absolutely not, she says for the tenth time,” Trini sighed.

“Come on, crazy girl. This will be the easiest money you’ve made. It’s just one letter.”

She glared at Zack Taylor. The same boy who copied off her test what felt like ages ago. She honestly didn’t even know he still went to Angel Grove. He ended up dropping out of their class and she only saw glimpses of him through the hall every so often. Trini had no idea how he was even enrolled still. “If it’s so easy, then you do it.”

“Well, it’s not easy for me. But you are super smart and seem very emo and are probably great at this shit.”

“I’m not emo,” Trini grumbled. Zack shrugged and continued pacing back and forth across the top of an abandoned train. She watched him carefully. “Why her, though?”

“I like her recklessness. I think we’d have fun together.”

“So that’s all you want? To have fun with her? Slide into her DMs then.”

“That’s not all I want. But I think it’s a reasonable place to start. She’s super hot and wild and I can’t think of a better fit for me.” Zack paused, balancing with one foot in the air. “Plus her boyfriend is a tool and anyone else would be an upgrade for her.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. “Sorry, I’m just not comfortable doing this. Just write her yourself. If Ty Fleming can woo her, so can you.”

Zack twisted on his foot to face Trini. “Then you’ve left me no choice. Goodbye, cruel world.” And with that Zack stuck his arms out and fell backwards out of view and off the train.

“Zack!” Trini yelled, rushing to the train, hopping into a train car and leaning out the other side. “You dick.”

Zack laughed, perfectly cushioned in a mattress that looked much cleaner and nicer than it should.

A buzz sounded to Trini’s right. Zack’s phone lit up near his backpack. Trini only meant to reach for it, not read it.

Mom: I had an unusual reaction to treatment so the doctors are keeping me overnight to monitor me. I’ll text Marianne to bring you dinner unless you are staying at your friends house again. I love you to the moon and back, my sweetest boy <3

She set the phone down and looked back at the carefree smile on Zack’s face.

“Fine. One letter. Then the rest is up to you, Romeo.”

//

“Trini,” Zack yelled, chasing up the mountain after her, waving a paper in the air. “She wrote back!”

Fuck.

Chapter Text

“Cute… But if you want a shot with me, plagiarize a more interesting show.”

God, even her handwriting was pretty, Trini thought as she ran her fingers over the neat cursive stopping at the small heart drawn at the end.

“You plagiarized my love letter? I didn’t pay you to copy and paste some nonsense! If that’s what I wanted, I could’ve done that myself. And better, even.” Zack huffed.

"First of all, you haven’t paid me for anything-”

“Because you wouldn’t let me give you money and haven’t told me what you do want.”

Trini ignored that. “And second of all, this is good. Kimberly likes the game of it all. She’s challenging us. Trust me, Zack, this is good,” she lied to both of them. No, not lied. Hoped.

“What show did you quote anyways? Please tell me it was something cool like Strangers Things and not some CW crap.”

Trini glared at him. “Of course not. Besides, it wasn’t even a tv show. It was a musical.”

Zack burst out laughing, only to stop shortly after when Trini’s expression didn’t change. “You’re kidding right? That was where you were supposed to laugh with me then tell me what show it really was.”

“No, I’m not kidding. Apparently Moulin Rouge isn’t her thing though.”

Dragging his hand over his face, Zack grumbled, “Musicals probably aren’t her thing. They’re nobody's thing.”

“She loves musicals. She’s always humming showtunes in class. It’s irritatingly distracting.” Trini couldn’t focus on her own studies when Kim was lilting Jason Robert Brown. Especially the way she would slow down or speed up the tempo depending on when a lesson clicked for her or her shoulders would start to dance along in a very tiny way.

Zack thought for a moment. “I guess musicals aren’t all that bad. Most super hero shows have at least one cheesy episode where some musical villain comes and makes everyone sing and dance. I could be into it.”

“And they say romance is dead,” Trini deadpanned.

“Yeah, well they hadn’t heard about the new love doctor in town.” Zack nudged Trini, waggling his eyebrows her way.

“God help us all.”

//

K,

You got me. I guess it was easier to hide behind someone else's words than try to impress you with my own. You’re pretty intimidating, you know that? You’re funny, you’re smart, kind even when no one is watching, and I don’t think anyone has ever existed that is as beautiful as you. Despite your questionable taste in musicals, that’s a lot of power in just one person.

I think the scariest part is: all those traits? Those are the obvious ones. The ones everyone can see. But I know there is more beauty and wonder to discover beyond that. If you give me the chance, I’d love to learn all there is. Wherever this goes, I want you to be a story for me that I can believe in forever.

-Z

//

When Trini told Zack only one letter, she really had meant it. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to keep going. Especially since she still wasn’t sold on Zack having any real feelings for Kimberly. It just didn’t make sense, but he insisted he did and it was really none of her business. If it got Kim away from that tool Ty Fleming, all the better. Not that she cared. Kim was a big girl and could make her own stupid choices. If she could have anyone she wanted and chose a jerk, that’s on her.

“Miss Gomez.”

Trini is jolted out of her thoughts.

“If you can’t pay attention in rehearsal, perhaps we should find a new first chair.”

Deep red tints Trini’s cheeks as she realizes the entire room is watching her. “Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“I should hope not. Alright class, keep practicing the second verse. We’ll be focusing on that all next week. Class is dismissed.”

With a sigh of relief, Trini began packing up her cello as students shuffled out of the classroom.

“You still day dreaming or do you have a minute?”

Trini felt a presence near her, but continued packing.

“I’ll take that as still day dreaming, I guess.”

Trini’s gaze followed long legs up to a gentle smile. “You talkin’ to me?”

Kimberly Hart looked over her shoulder at the now empty room. “I’m afraid so.”

Not as afraid as me, Trini thought. She stood up, slinging her backpack onto her shoulder. “What do you want?”

“Can’t a girl just say hey?”

Trini scoffed. “Sure, a girl could. But nobody just says hey to me.”

A mix of sadness and shame washed over Kim’s features. “I’m sorry. Trini, right?”

“Yes, Kimberly Hart. That’s me. Now get to it. You need help in biology, yeah?”

“Hey, some of us are okay with a solid B.” Kim put a hand over her heart, feigning offense.

This pulled a smirk onto Trini’s lips for just a moment. “Well, what is it then?”

Kim reached for Trini’s cello. “I’ll walk you to your ride. Can’t ask a favor of you if you break your neck toppling over from all these things you have to lug around.”

“You callin’ me weak?”

“I’m calling you small.”

“Did you know ants can carry 10 to 50 times their weight? You shouldn’t judge based on size.” Trini reached for the instrument, but Kim extended her arm up and back, keeping it just out of reach of the shorter girl.

“Do you really think you’ll win this conversation by comparing yourself to a bug?” Kim teased, her smirk growing by the second.

Trini studied her for a moment. Kim was enjoying this, and Trini worried she was enjoying it too. It was only when she noticed the corner of a letter sticking out of Kim’s jacket pocket that Trini was brought back down to reality. “Fine. My bike is this way.”

Trini took off and after a moment, Kim jogged back up beside her. “Ooo, a bike. Didn’t know you were bad like that.”

“Yeah, my Schwinn is real badass. I can go from 0-15 in six seconds.” Kimberly burst out laughing, causing the tips of Trini’s ears to warm. She stole a sideways glance, enjoying the joy on Kim’s face more than she’d care to admit. “So, what is it exactly you need from me?”

“Right,” Kim said, as if she too had forgotten why they were even talking in the first place. “So Ty and I might’ve gotten caught ditching music class last week. My dad talked the principal out of giving us detention, but as punishment, we have to perform in the talent show. I’ve heard you playing piano during lunch before and you’re really good.” Kimberly smiled shyly, tucking long brown hair behind her ear. “I was hoping you could be our pianist?”

Trini took a deep breath. She swore she was done doing any kind of favors or jobs for Ty Fleming. But it was never really about Ty anyways, was it? The only reason she wrote an essay for him before was because she couldn’t stand the disappointed look on Kimberly’s face.

Trini kept her eyes on her shoes as they walked. “How was the bonfire last weekend?”

“Huh?” Kimberly was caught off guard by the change of subject. “Oh, it, uh, didn’t happen. Things came up again.” Trini’s heart lurched towards the girl as she watched her put on a practiced mask of unbotheredness. “That’s just how teenage boys are, you know?”

“I really don’t,” Trini mumbled. “That’s not how they all are anwyays.”

Kimberly’s hand touched her pocket where the letter remained concealed and a small smile took over her lips. “I think you may be right about that.”

Trini’s internal warning alarms went off again. “Get me the sheet music and let me know when you want to rehearse.”

“Really?” Kimberly lit up.

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal. I’ll see if I can get extra credit for it or something.”

Kim beamed, and for a moment looked like she was about to hug Trini, but settled for squeezing her arms instead. “Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me.”

As Trini watched her bound away, her arms tingled and she began mentally rearranging her calendar to include “talent show rehearsal” into her already impossibly busy schedule.

Chapter Text

Sunday evenings at Trini’s home were always the most unpredictable days in the Gomez household. They started their mornings with mass and depending on the reading for the day, her mother was either impersonating a saint or a demon. Today was the former. So Trini stayed downstairs longer than usual, watching cartoons with her brothers as she worked on a report for Amanda Clarke.

When Trini heard a thud coming from upstairs, coming from what sounded like her room, she wished it was a day her mom was a demon.

She made a mad dash upstairs to find Zack in a pile of wild limbs underneath her window. “What the hell are you doing?” she whispered loudly, closing the door behind her.

He sat up with a goofy smile, waving an envelope. “Hello to you too.”

Trini rolled her eyes while making her way over to him. “You know, we have a fully functional front door.”

“Yeah, but you also have a very climbable tree right by your window. Very convenient.”

“If my mother finds out there is a boy in my room, she’ll be…” Trini wasn’t sure, actually. Probably thrilled about the boy part, furious about the room part. “What do you want?”

Zack moved towards her, waving the letter more emphatically this time. “She wrote back! Again! And it’s a much better response this time. You did good, kid.”

“Happy for you, pal. But shouldn’t you be home writing your response? I told you, this was a one time thing.” Trini’s fingers tingled as she fought the urge to take the letter from Zack, to see the curly scrawl again, to find out if another heart was left next to Kim’s name. But she had no real good reason for doing so, so she refrained.

“Aw come on, you didn’t really mean that. Besides, you broke that rule when you wrote the second letter. The seal has been broken. You can pee freely now.”

Trini’s face scrunched. “Excuse me?”

“You know, like when you’re drinking and you pee for the first time that night? You break the seal and have to pee every ten minutes?” Zack paused. “You’ve never drank before.”

It was a question disguised as a statement and it irritated Trini. Of course she hadn’t drank before. She was a teenager who had no real friends and two very strict parents. “Let me see what she said.”

The Color Purple, huh? Now that’s a much better musical. I’m glad I gave you a chance to redeem yourself. Don’t get too excited just yet though - you’re still on very thin ice.

I have to admit, I was surprised to get a letter from you. I know we’ve grown up in the same town, but you have always been so elusive, such a mystery. And although we’re only scratching the surface at getting to know each other, you’ve quickly turned into a pleasant surprise. I don’t talk to many people about musicals - none really. It’s something people either don’t know much about or write off as boring. It’s nice to have someone who I can exchange references with. It’s not very often you find a boy who is into musicals and women.

Only two letters (yes, I’ll be generous and count the first one) and I can already tell you’re unlike any boy I’ve met.

Similarly, I’m dying to know more about you as well. Tell me more about yourself, since you seem to already know so much about me. It feels rather unfair, really. What should I know about you? Why should I keep responding to these flattering, albeit cheesy, letters?

Convince me.

Kimberly <3

Trini’s heart was beating fast. She read it a few times, pacing her room as Zack made himself comfortable flopping on her bed. Her brain was screaming to remove herself from this situation, but her heart drowned it out. “Okay, we keep going.”

“You’re too easy,” Zack laughed, only to be interrupted by a pillow smashing into his face.

//

You want to know the real me? Alright. No more hiding behind great references (yes, both of them being great).

The truth is, I’m just a simple guy. Angel Grove is all I’ve ever known. I like adventure, but find myself hesitating because I don’t want to worry my mom too much.

So I lay low.

Too low, most days, and it leaves me feeling invisible. Like we both said, I’ve been here my whole life but what do you even know about me? And that isn’t a dig at you. I know it’s up to me to put myself out there. But when you’ve been trampled on so many times for being you, you learn to blend in, to hide. And not in the way where you conform, find a community and blend in with others, but in a very solitary way.

Lonely.

It’s not the worst, though. It makes it easier to protect yourself. Plus, you get to know people for who they truly are, when they think no one is watching.

Afterall, that’s what drew me to you.

-Z

//

I’m sorry I didn’t notice you much before. Not just sorry to you, but sorry to myself as well. The more I read your letters, the more I feel like you’re someone I’ve known my whole life, someone I’ve needed my whole life.

And I’m sorry to shatter the illusion, but blending in with people for the sake of not being different is a very lonely life as well. At least we have each other now.

So adventure seeking is something we’re both drawn to. Interesting that you hold back to keep your mom from worrying while I find myself leaping into rash decisions to get my parents to react in any sort of way.

//

Hm, good to know I’d be lonely either way then. Well, that is, before you.

Remember when I said being invisible allowed me to see people for who they really are? That means you can’t fool me, Kimberly. I know the real reasons for your recklessness.

I’ve seen the way you’ll blow stray kisses to the chess club just so kids treat them with a little more respect. Or the way you’ll ask questions in class that you already know the answer to, but you saw the way a classmate was struggling with it still and was too shy to ask themselves. Or how you stripped down and constructed a dress made entirely of toilet paper before running out of the bathroom, just to distract all the boys so her friend who started her period for the first time could sneak out unseen.

There were simpler ways to achieve the same goals, but those were too boring for you.

You aren’t reckless for attention or a reaction. You’re reckless for the compassion of others.

//

They continued their correspondence, neither taking more than a day to respond.

Eventually, Trini stopped lying to herself that she was done with the letters. Instead, they consumed her. It’d been over a week since she’d done someone's homework besides her own and she found herself making a list of all the things she wanted to tell Kimberly, ask Kimberly, share with Kimberly.

For Zack’s sake, of course.

Zack, who had made a habit of climbing in through her window even when he didn’t have a letter to pick up or drop off. Most days it was just for the company, while they both worked on their individual assignments. They didn’t speak much. She’d ask about his mom, to which he’d always respond by asking about hers and they’d both shut up.

One day, out of the blue, he finally asked, “So when are we asking Kim on a date?”

Trini choked on air. “What?”

“Well, the letters are working really well and all, but the end goal is a date. Something sick like ax throwing. And food. There has to be food.” Zack was playing the air drums with his pencils as drum sticks. Trini found herself annoyed by how casual he could be at the idea of a date with Kimberly Hart.

“I think it’s too soon. What if she says no?”

“Then she says no.” Zack shrugged, flipping one pencil in the air. “We’ve practically confessed our love for her-”

“You confessed your love for her.”

“- and she is still writing us back-”

“Writing you back.”

“She’s not gonna tell us no.”

“You’re right. She’ll be telling YOU no.” Trini fidgeted with her sleeve. It didn’t make sense for her to be so nervous. She had no stake in the game, afterall. Finally, she sighed. “I don’t know how to ask someone out.”

“Of course not. That’s where the guy comes in.” Zack smirked, bringing both thumbs up to point at himself.

Rolling her eyes, Trini pulled out a paper and pen. “Alright, Casanova, how do we do this?”

//

The letter asking Kim out was so unlike the others. Trini fully froze up and Zack had way more influence than he did in previous ones.

That probably was completely unrelated to the fact it’s been three days since they’d heard back. Two days longer than any letter before. It was fine.

It gave Trini time to take some more jobs, which she desperately needed. Apparently there was more wrong with her car than originally thought and Jason needed to buy more parts.

“I thought you said it was a simple fix, Jason.”

He’d found her at her locker to update her on the status. “I thought so too. But I really think I’ve found the problem this time.”

“You thought the same thing last time.”

“Well, that was more of a guess.”

“What the hell, Jason? I thought you knew cars.”

“I do! Or at least, I’m trying to. I know a decent amount, okay? I can fix it, promise. I just need a couple more parts and a little more time.”

Trini slammed her locker shut and glared up at him. Her eyes softened by the earnestness in his look. “Fine. Just let me know.”

“Am I interrupting?” A voice came from behind Trini, making her freeze. “Not that I would mind.”

“Not at all, Kimberly.” Jason responded, much to Trini’s appreciation.

“That’s good for you, Jason.” She smirked. “So I can steal Trini then?”

“She’s all yours,” he replied. Before he took off, he added, “Trini, I’ll let you know what I need.”

Trini gave Jason a nod before turning back to find Kimberly leaning back against her locker. “So?”

Kim gently shook her head. “Always to the point. I like that about you, Trini.”

Trini felt the tips of her ears burn and was thankful at her insistence to wear beanies despite what the weather was like. “I’m a busy girl.”

“Then I’m extra flattered you made some time for me,” Kim said as she began digging around her backpack before pulling out papers. “I finally decided on a song.”

Trini took the sheet music and read the title. “First Date/Last Night”. Trini smiled.

“Too cheesy?” Kim asked, appearing uncharacteristically shy.

“No, it’s perfect,” Trini hurried out in response. “I mean, it’s a good fit for you vocally.”

“Really?”

Trini nodded. “Definitely.”

Kim sighed with relief and Trini was caught off guard by how much her approval seemed to matter to the girl. “Thank you, Trini.”

“Not a big deal,” Trini mumbled. “Besides, I got approved for extra credit.”

“Like you need it.” Kim playfully rolled her eyes. “Give me your phone.”

“Why?” Trini asked, despite the fact she was already handing it over.

Kim took it for just a minute before her own phone chimed and she handed the device back to Trini. “So I can try and find some time in your busy schedule for us to practice. Speaking of, I’ve got to get to cheer. I’ll see you, Trini!”

Trini watched as she strutted away before looking down to see the new contact in her phone. Simply “Kim” for the first name, a pink heart for her last name, and underneath in “company” she had added “Yes Please ;)”. A dumb smile formed on Trini’s lips before she shoved the phone in her pocket and went to the music room to start learning the new song.

Chapter Text

Five days.

It’s been five days with no response.

“I told you it was too soon.” Trini kept her eyes trained on her laptop, doing her best impression of someone who totally wasn’t panicking. She sat on the floor, resting against the foot of her bed.

“Or maybe she swooned so hard she still hasn’t woken up. Maybe good ol’ Zack Taylor is the intimidating one now.”

Trini eyed him sitting at her desk and making two of her brothers action figures reenact some epic battle. “Yeah, no that’s not it.”

He froze, his eyes going between Trini and the toys, before he gently set them down. “Okay, fair. Maybe she needs time to break up with Ty.”

Trini hadn’t considered that aspect. That helped her calm down a bit. She had no idea how Zack could be so nonchalant about this. With one rushed letter, everything they had been building came tumbling down.

“Maybe…” Trini mumbled, pulling out her phone. Kim had gotten the last letter on Saturday and it was Thursday now. She scrolled to the latest edition to her contact book and took a deep breath.

Trini: hey, Kim. i have an opening saturday night. wanna rehearse?

Trini didn’t even have time to set her phone down before she saw a bubble pop up. Then go away. Then pop up again. It did that dance for a while, completely captivating Trini. It was only when her phone buzzed that she realized a response finally came through.

Kim: You know, when a girl gives you her number, you really shouldn’t wait so long to text her.

Trini bit the insides of her cheeks, trying her best not to smile. The last thing she needed was Zack getting nosy. Thank goodness there was no physical indication of the Olympic-worthy gymnastics her stomach was doing.

Trini: oh? and what would have been the proper turnaround time?

Kim: Because I like you and you’re doing me a favor, I’ll go ahead and do you one too. For the average girl, a day or two is fine. A girl you have no interest in, wait at least three. You’ll still want to respond because you’re not a jerk, but three days gives enough time for her to get the message. Now, a girl you really like? Their phone should be buzzing before she leaves your sight.

Trini: wow, that is good to know.

Trini: please ignore my previous text and i’ll talk to you tomorrow.

Kim: Oh Trini, you wound me.

Kim: Trini?

Kim: Come back.

Kim: This isn’t funny.

Trini snorts as a few more texts roll in.

“Laughing to yourself, crazy girl?”

Trini startled , nearly dropping her phone, from the reminder that she wasn't alone. “Maybe I’m laughing at your face.”

“Oh, good one.”

“Shut up. I’m trying to find out if you have a date Saturday night or not.”

At that, Zack closed the imaginary zipper on his lips and she returned to her phone.

Trini: so, saturday night. you free or nah?

Kim: I knew you couldn’t stay away for long.

Trini: Kimberly.

Kim: Ooo my full name. I’m in trouble now.

Trini: Kim.

Kim: Oh alright. I’ll behave. And ignore the fact that you would think I, Kimberly Hart, wouldn’t already have Saturday night plans two days out.

Trini: a simple no would’ve sufficed.

Kim: I didn’t say I wasn’t free. Just wanted to put it out there that I am offended by the assumption.

Trini: you are impossible.

While waiting for a response, she suddenly felt a presence over her shoulder. “Personal space, dude.”

“Sorry, I’m just… curious.”

Trini turned to look at him and was surprised to see, for the first time ever, a nervous Zack Taylor, now laying on her bed hovering over her shoulder. “Huh.”

“What?” Zack asked, a little defensively.

“You really do like her.”

“Maybe. I don’t know… I think I could. I would know for sure if we could go on a date. I mean, that’s how you find out that crap, right? Through dating?”

Trini tilted her head. “I guess that’s one way.”

“And what’s another way? ‘Cause I may need to look into it if she is in fact turning me down.”

Trini felt her walls going up. This was normally when she would grunt or roll her eyes or make some dumb joke and end the conversation right then and there, while they were still in safe territory. But as she looked at Zack, someone she’d grown to actually like and enjoy, to care about, perhaps even trust if she were to be brutally honest, she let the vulnerability settle in and took a deep breath. “I think sometimes it’s just inevitable. Like no matter how much distance you might try to put between you and them, nothing can ever really keep you apart. Not physically, not mentally, not emotionally. Sometimes they’re just always with you. And at that point, it’s just up to you to give in.”

Zack nodded thoughtfully, letting the moment sink in. “Yeah, I’m really just gonna need her to say yes to the date.” Trini laughed, elbowing him in the side. “That sounds nice though. I hope I get there one day.”

“You will,” Trini assured him. “With the right person.”

“Have you? Ever felt that way about someone?”

Trini's fingers slid over her phone. “That’s not important.”

“Of course it is.” Zack rolled onto his back, scooting up enough so that his head could rest on Trini’s shoulder. She leaned her head back, gently knocking their heads together. It surprised her how comfortable it felt letting someone in.

“Yeah, I guess I have.”

“So did you tell them?”

“I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

She thought for a moment. “Too dangerous, I guess.”

“That may be the craziest thing you’ve said. There's nothing dangerous about love. You're really living up to your nickname.”

“It’s not crazy. It’s... survival.”

Zack’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Trini mulled carefully over what to say next. “It’s not always safe for some people.”

Zack seemed unsure what to ask next, and the silence was beginning to suffocate Trini. Luckily, before she found herself giving too much away, her phone buzzed, lighting up as they both jolted upright.

Kim: I don’t know if I’m free Saturday night or not.

They looked at each other for a moment, before Zack started pushing at her shoulder. “Text her back!”

“I will if you stop pushing me!”

Zack dutifully responded, holding his hands up before clasping them together and placing them in his lap, but still craning his neck to see the screen. “Well, go on.”

Trini grabbed her phone and got to work.

Trini: what do you mean?

Kim: Well, I've received an… invitation of sorts.

Trini: cryptic.

Kim: I think I was asked out. On a date.

Trini: and water is wet.

“She THINKS? I thought she was smart.”

Trini waved her hand at him. “Shut up.”

Kim: shut up.

Trini laughed and Zack groaned.

Trini: okay well if you have a date, we’ll reschedule. 

Kim: A maybe date. But I don’t know if I should go.

Trini: well, do you want to go?

Kim: it sounds like it’ll be fun.

“It will be,” Zack stated, his usually cocky air about him.

“Okay, enough of you. Go sit in the corner and let me work,” Trini said, pushing him away.

“I’m not a dog,” he grumbled as he obeyed her command.

Trini: then you should go.

Kim: but if it is a date, I can’t. I have Ty.

Trini: my deepest condolences.

Kim: stop it, he’s not that bad.

Trini: “not that bad”. i hope that makes it into the wedding vows.

Kim: He can be really sweet! I promise.

“Dude, you good? You look like you’re about to snap your phone in two.”

Trini looked down, surprised to see her hands forming tight fists. She took a deep breath and loosened her grip on her phone. “It’s nothing.”

Trini: hey, it’s none of my business. go on the maybe-date or don’t. i was just seeing if you wanted to rehearse.

Kim: Yeah, sorry, I did kind of dump all of that on you, huh?

Trini: it’s cool. i didn’t mind. anyways, good luck with saturday, whatever you decide.

Relief washed over Trini when Kimberly simply reacted to her last text with a thumbs up, meaning she didn’t have to overthink another reply. She scrolled through their texts, beginning to over-analyze everything from response time to word choice to grammar, when Zack cleared his throat. “Well, do we have a date on Saturday or not?”

“Honestly? No clue,” she sighed. “Girls are confusing.”

//

The next day in math, Trini got a text from Zack that only said “YO” with an attachment - photo of a letter, written in that perfect scrawl that got Trini’s heart racing, her stomach tumbling, her cheeks warm.

Let’s do it.

Chapter Text

Trini was happy for Zack. She really was. Despite living in Angel Grove for over a year now, he was her first real friend.

At least, she was pretty sure they were friends.

Even though they only started hanging out because of the letters, it wasn’t long before Zack would come over just to bring her snacks and hangout while they did homework or played video games or talked about shows. He even started showing up to classes they shared and he’d meet her at her locker between them. They started texting regularly, sharing dumb memes or updates on their lives.

It had been a while, but Trini was almost certain this made them friends. And most surprisingly, that thought didn’t scare her. She welcomed it, even. It had been years of her shutting people out, under the guise of protecting herself, that she’d forgotten how nice it was to have someone.

So that’s why she was so irritated with herself that she had to keep repeating how happy she was for Zack. The entire reason they even started talking was so that she could help him get the girl.

Well, mission accomplished.

And so she was happy for him.

But she also had this horrible knot in her stomach that felt like it was pulling her apart from the inside-out. Every text she got from him - asking her what they should do or what he should wear or if he should buy her flowers or if it was sexist for him to open the door for her - tightened her chest more and more.

She was happy for him.

She was.

She had to be.

And just to prove how happy she was for him, she even offered to help him plan the perfect date for Kimberly Hart, because that’s what a good freaking person does when they’re happy for their one and only friend.

“What if I hired ninjas to ambush us partway through and we could fight them and I would save her and it would be super romantic?”

Trini took a deep breath. “Okay, sure. Where do we hire these ninjas from? And what money are we using?”

Zack thought for a moment. “I’ll look into it.”

“Sure, buddy.” Trini entertained him, while continuing to hang up fairy lights throughout the abandoned train car. They had spent all morning cleaning it and setting up a table and chairs in the opening. “Okay, so you’ll have dinner here.” She gestured to the setup, complete with a tablecloth, center piece, and candlelight. “Just put on the ‘Kim’ playlist - it’s all set up and ready to go.” She handed him a portable speaker and an old ipod she had.

“And the fun shit?” Zack asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.

“It’ll all be fun, Zack. You’ll be on a date with Kimberly Hart,” Trini mumbled, heading over to the tree line. Speaking louder this time, “Axe throwing is all set up for you here. I swear to god, if you do any unsafe shit and either of you get hurt, I will personally kill you.”

“Yes, mom,” Zack teased, having already picked up an axe to start swinging around.

“And then if you don’t fuck up the night, there will be blankets and pillows in the other end of the train car with a portable dvd player and some of Kim’s favorite movies.”

“Pfft, if things go right, we won’t be watching anything.” Zack nudged Trini, waggling his eyebrows.

“Uh, right,” Trini managed, feeling like she might throw up at the thought. “So, just to recap. What time will you be at her house?”

“6 o’clock.”

“6 o’clock sharp. Kimberly is not the kind of girl you show up late for. And don’t forget to account for time to stop by the florist. I put the order under your name. I’ll drop the food off when you’re on your way and sneak out in time. It’ll be in a warmer bag, so you’ll have to set it up yourself, but-”

“Trini, I got this. This is the easy part - don’t worry.”

“Right, the easy part.” She feigned understanding, because she could not fathom how this could possibly be the easy part. No matter how much planning one could do for a date, there was no final edit of it; so much was out of her control.

“It’s gonna be great. You’ve made sure of that. You’re a good friend, crazy girl.” Trini could only nod her head, as the conflict within her continued to tumble around her chest. Zack pulled her in for a tight hug. “Seriously, thank you, Trini.”

Her stomach dropped, as she did her best to respond normally, playfully shoving him away. “Yeah, yeah. Now, uh, go get the girl.”

//

In a pleasant balance to her very unusual morning, Trini dove head first into a pile of assignments she’d fallen behind on. Mostly her own, but she was also able to pick up a few gigs for the weekend - some essays, a report - things to ground her back into some normalcy. She was desperate for anything to take her back to before the letters started, before that gnawing feeling in her stomach became a permanent symptom of the correspondence. She had let her participation in the courting of Kimberly Hart go on too long and she was relieved it would finally be over after today.

All that Trini had left to do was make the dinner and get it dropped off in the perfect window where it would still be warm and fresh, but that she could sneak away before Zack and Kim arrived at the site. Then she never had to think about how to win Kimberly’s heart ever again.

Trini was mid research about the Straw Hat Riots when her phone went off. She saw a text from Kimberly and, despite her better judgement, opened it and nearly dropped her phone when a picture loaded of Kimberly. It was a mirror selfie, and she was sporting a floral sundress and jean jacket. Trini swallowed hard as her eyes followed Kim’s legs up to her mid thigh where the dress ended. Kimberly’s long hair was in a messy bun on top of her head and her makeup wasn’t done yet, and Trini barely registered the groan that escaped her as she thought about how irritantingly beautiful the girl in the picture was.

Before Trini could recover, a second picture came in, nearly identical but this time Kim was wearing jeans and a tight sleeveless pink shirt. And then another picture came through, followed by a few more, all with different outfits.

Kim: Help, what should I wear?

Trini: whatever you’re comfortable in.

Kim: I’m comfortable when I look good.

Congrats on eternal comfortness then, Trini thought.

Trini: they all look fine.

Kim: I don’t want fine. I want stunning, breathtaking, desirable.:

For someone who went to church every Sunday since she was born, Trini wasn't sure how she pissed God off enough to submit her to the torture that was studying pictures of Kimberly Hart in equally good-looking outfits. And yet, here she was, scrolling through them as fast as she could, as if she might burn her finger if it lingered on the photos too long. She did her best to focus on the clothes and not the curves or the exposed skin or that playful smirk that seemed to grow as each picture went on. It might’ve been just a coincidence, but Trini was suddenly very aware of the feeling of her tongue in her mouth.

Trini: the third one.

Kim: Really?

Trini: or not. i don’t really care.

Only a half lie.

Kim: What about the jacket? Is it too much?

Trini: don’t you have cheerleader friends who are good at this stuff?

Kim: Yeah, but I want to know what you like.

Trini tried not to read into it, tried not to treat it like a confession, but she couldn’t help the way her heart beat sped up and her ears grew warm.

Trini: it’s not too much. it works really well. whoever the lucky guy is won’t be ready for it.

Trini saw Kimberly start to text back but quickly put her phone on DND and set it aside as her stomach began to churn again.

The day could not end sooner.

//

It was a little past 8pm when Trini settled onto the couch. Her parents were out for the night, her brothers were in their room watching a movie and drifting off to sleep, and Zack was about two hours into his date when the doorbell rang at the Gomez house.

Trini paused her show, slightly annoyed but mostly curious, as she headed to the door.

“I swear to god, if this wakes up the twins I will-” Trini’s threat fell off as all air left her lungs and she stared dumbly ahead at Kimberly Hart standing on her doorstep.

Chapter Text

“Hi, Trini,” Kimberly greeted her, smile beaming in the soft light, hands behind her back.

Trini’s brows scrunched together, peering behind for any sign of a car, particularly one she might recognize. “What are you doing here? You should be… somewhere else.”

“Wow, okay, not the greeting I was expecting,” Kimberly mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Trini was caught off guard by how disappointed she seemed. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you to be here. You did have plans tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I just… Can I come in?”

Trini did her best to find a reason to say no, but looking at Kimberly on her doorstep looking so… small, all she could do was give in. “Yeah, sure.”

With Trini now holding her front door wide open, she watched as Kimberly Hart stepped inside, slipped her shoes off at the door, and wasted no time to start studying every piece of furniture, decor, and photos in the entryway. Trini suddenly felt very vulnerable and a little regretful for how quickly she folded. Not even Zack had been anywhere in her home besides her room. Her room which she could curate, decide which parts of her she wanted represented. But here, in the living space of her home? It represented everything she tried to keep hidden: her family.

Crosses and pictures of the Gomez’s in their Sunday best littered the walls. A visual timeline of when Trini started to drift away. Or be pushed off to sea. It was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

As Kimberly passed her, Trini saw what she had behind her back: a bouquet that looked all too familiar. Her stomach began to ache again. “Uh, if you still wanted to rehearse, my brothers are already asleep so I can’t play the piano.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Kimberly said, hand sliding along a credenza, stopping near a picture of her brothers. “Is this them? They’re cute.”

“They were at that age.” Trini nodded at their baby photos. “Now they’re six and complete menaces.”

Kimberly studied her for a moment. “You love them.”

Trini scoffed, waited a beat. “Okay, yeah, they’re pretty great. For menaces.”

Kimberly smiled at her again, that dumb smile that made the rest of the world melt away until all Trini knew was the two of them, and she wasn’t sure which would end her first: that smile or the silence that took over the room. But she couldn’t think of anything to say to break the silence that she didn’t fear would also break the smile.

“Did you, uh, need water? Or to use the restroom?” Trini asked, carefully picking her words.

“I’m okay, thank you,” Kim replied over her shoulder.

“Okay, it’s just…” This was killing Trini. “I’m sorry, but why are you here?”

Kimberly sighed, turning around and leaning back against the wall. She crossed her arms and the flowers hung down by her side. “I don’t know, Trini. I just needed some air and then found myself here.” She shrugged, as if that was such a simple statement and not incredibly vague and layered and causing Trini’s mind to spiral.

Trini nodded as a million more questions flooded her head. “Is everything okay? Did something happen?” She was suddenly mad at herself for leaving her phone off and up in her room, probably collecting text after text from Zack.

“I’m fine,” Kimberly assured. She stood up, shaking her head. “I’ll go though. I’m sorry, I just… I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to be seen tonight, and I felt like I was and wasn’t all at the same time. And then I realized the only other person who doesn’t treat me how they think I want them to is you and then I was here. I’m sorry, I’ll-”

As Kimberly turned towards the door, Trini reached out, grabbing her arm. “Stay.”

Relief washed over Kim. “Okay.”

Trini led her to the living room and they settled in on the couch. It was clear to Trini that Kim did want to talk about things, but she didn’t push. She knew all too well what it was like to be forced to talk before she had her thoughts all sorted. So she let the silence wrap around them, giving Kim space until she was ready.

The two sat on opposite ends of the couch. Trini tucked her legs to the side and leaned an arm over the back of the sofa. Kimberly sat across from her, pulling her knees to her chest and fidgeting with her bracelet. It was almost alarming to see Kimberly so timid, so unsure.

“I went on a date tonight,” she finally said.

It felt like Kim was waiting for a response, but Trini was nervous about revealing too much, so she supplied a solid “Oh.”

A smile played on Kim’s face, but her eyes stayed locked on the jewelry spinning between her fingers. “I know: you knew that.”

“You mentioned it, yeah.”

“And you listened. You’re really good at that.” Kimberly glanced up for a moment.

Trini shrugged. “It’s not that hard.”

“You’d be surprised.” Kimberly sighed.

“So, the date was that bad, huh?” Trini was torn between what she wanted the answer to be.

“That’s the thing… I’m not sure how to explain it. On paper, it was perfect. And the guy, he’s really sweet and fun, but something felt off and I just couldn’t shake it. And I feel bad, because he obviously put a lot of planning into it. I felt so understood just from the thought of it all.”

Trini nodded as she listened along.

An empty laugh escaped Kim. “I sound so ungrateful, I know. But I was just expecting something different. Not something more, just… I don’t know. And when I mentioned it being nice making new friends, I could tell he was hurt and I hate disappointing people and the next thing I knew I was here.”

“You don’t sound ungrateful. It’s okay to put your needs and expectations first. That’s not inherently a bad thing.” Trini watched Kim’s shoulders relax and she was glad one of them was at least starting to feel more at ease. “And anyone would be lucky to be friends with you, so I’m sure he was anything but disappointed. Just give it time.”

“Oh please, I don’t know about that. But I hear you. Maybe it was just too much too fast.”

Told you it was too soon, Zack, Trini thought. “Yeah, just give it time to settle. You deserve someone sweet and fun, someone who puts thought in for you. You deserve so much, Kim.”

Kimberly tilted her head, that smirk returning to her lips, and Trini felt the other girls gaze heavy on her body. If she were stronger, she would’ve looked away, torn her eyes off Kimberly Hart sitting in her living room, looking painfully gorgeous and so human. But she couldn’t do anything but watch as Kimberly shifted onto her knees and reached out to squeeze Trini’s hand once, before rubbing small circles over her knuckles.

Trini screamed at herself to respond, to do anything. Her fingers were tingling to touch back, take Kim’s hand in her own. Honestly, anything other than gaping at the other girl would’ve been great right about now.

But before she could begin bargaining with God to help a sister out, a loud thud came from upstairs.

“Shit,” Trini mumbled, as she pulled her hand back.

“What was that?” Kimberly asked.

“The twins,” Trini lied. “I’ll be right back. Stay here. Or don’t. I mean, you can do whatever you want of course. But you don’t have to leave. Or stay. Sorry, just give me a minute.”

Trini’s heart was racing as she sprinted up the stairs, silently mumbling cursed under her breathe, and slipped into her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

“Dude, this is not the time to ignore me. I’ve called, like, eight times. I sent fifty texts. What's the deal?” Zack said, rubbing the back of his head.

This was fine.