“Conner?”

Conner looked up from his locker, to see Trent leaning against the wall and looking unusually tense. “Yeah?” he asked, hoping it was nothing bad.

“Um, well . . .” Trent trailed off.

Conner waited.

“Uh, I was wondering if you . . . do you . . . uh, do you know if we have any homework for math?”

Conner paused, wondering why Trent would expect him to know that. “I don’t think so.” Trent still looked tense, so he added, “Don’t worry. I haven’t handed in my homework a ton of times, and all they ever do is give detention.”

Trent nodded, before walking away down the hall. Feeling good about being able to reassure him, Conner headed to biology feeling a little lighter than usual.

--

“Conner?”

Conner spun round. If he hadn’t recognized the voice, he probably wouldn’t have stopped. “Hey, dude, can it wait? Because I’m late for soccer practice, and I’ve missed so many it’s just . . . well, I really should be on time.”

“Yeah, no problem. I mean, I was just wondering if . . . I mean, never mind. I’ll ask you later.”

“Yeah, sure. See you!”

Conner continued his run down the hall, hoping coach wouldn’t be too mad he was late.

--

He felt a little surprised to see Kira and Trent standing by his car, till he remembered that Trent had wanted to talk to him. Kira probably just wanted a lift somewhere. Hopefully not to Dr. O’s, because the science project they’d been sent was really not something he wanted to discuss.

Mainly because his was still in the stage called ‘unstarted’.

“Hey,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Trent wants to ask you something,” said Kira. “Not something about homework.” She paused, then added, “Or Hayley’s, or rangering, or any school-related topic, or . . .”

“Thank you, Kira,” said Trent. “You can go now.”

Kira gave him a look she normally reserved for Conner, stomping back towards the school steps. Conner watched as she flopped down, staring so hard in their direction he wondered why she didn’t just pull out some binoculars.

“Conner,” said Trent, drawing his attention away from Kira. “I just wanted to know . . . are you doing anything this weekend?”

Conner paused, wondering why Trent would ask that, and then deciding he didn’t want to know. “Um . . .” Should he say yes or no? “Um . . . maybe.”

“Maybe?” Trent raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’ve, um . . . I’ve not really decided yet. I might be. Or I might not be. It depends on what other people are doing.” That sounded believable, didn’t it?

Trent frowned. “Oh. ‘Cause, you know, I was just wondering . . .”

Conner bit his lip, suddenly wanting very much to spend the weekend with Trent. The whole weekend, and lots of time after it as well. Which made him remember why he’d been trying to limit contact with Trent. Some feelings weren’t good. They just led to trouble, which he should remember.

Trent equals trouble. It was just a pity that Trent seemed to equal stupid giddy happiness as well.

“I might not be busy,” he offered. He could always text Trent with an apology. That would be easier than saying it.

Trent didn’t reply, alternating his gaze between the ground, Conner’s car, and Kira, who was all but cupping her hands around her ear.

“Are you doing something?” Conner asked. Maybe Trent wanted a lift. That could be it. And wouldn’t Conner feel stupid, when he realized how he’d over-reacted.

“Not really,” said Trent. “Which is why . . . do you want to do something this weekend?”

Conner paused, reminding himself that he might be busy. “Doing what?”

“I don’t know!”

“Well, sorry.”

“Do you want to go see a movie?”

Movie. Date-like. Potentially very awkward. They wouldn’t have to talk, or at least they shouldn’t have to. But if Conner got nervous he’d probably talk anyway, and therefore annoy everyone. “There’s not really anything out I want to see.”

“Oh. Well, is there anywhere you do want to go out?”

Go out. As in, going out. With a guy who had tried to kill him. And, was male. “Um, no.”

“Do you want to do anything with me at all?”

Trent sounded a little annoyed, and embarrassed, which made Conner say, “Yes.” Deciding he had to back it up, he added, “There’s a soccer match on. We could watch it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s EPL.”

Trent looked blank.

“English Premier League? Liverpool v Arsenal. It should be a really good game.”

“That sounds cool.”

Trent didn’t look totally convinced of that, but Conner told him anyway, “Kick-off’s at one, so come round before that, or you’ll miss the start.”

Trent grinned, ducking his head slightly. “Okay, cool. See you there.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, see you.”

“Yes,” said Conner again, the realization that he’d just agreed to spend over an hour and a half alone with Trent. “Um, I have to . . . go. Bye.”

He left Trent looking confused, walking as fast as he could back in the direction of the soccer pitch. The click of heels was the only warning he got before Kira grabbed his arm. “Conner! Where are you going?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you going out with Trent?”

He paused, considering not telling her. It would be a good revenge—but she’d probably hit him, and then get Trent to tell her anyway. “We’re going to watch a soccer match.”

She hit him.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You’re going to watch a soccer match? Conner, I can’t believe you would ask Trent to do that! Couldn’t you go to the movies or something? Something normal?”

“Soccer is normal.”

She rolled her eyes, then squinted, looking at him closely. “You’re not freaking out, are you?”

Yes. “No. It’s just that he’s . . .” Trent. Who was evil.

“I thought you’d forgiven him?”

“I have! I know it wasn’t his fault, and I know he’s good now. But . . .” It didn’t change the fact that evil-Trent had tried to kill him. Manipulated him. Kissed him.

Could good-Trent remember that? How evil-Trent had acted? Conner didn’t want to ask. Which was stupid. He was a power ranger, and so was Trent. They both understood that evil did bad things—obviously—and that the people who got caught up in it weren’t to blame, even if they should have known better. Kira didn’t look like she was dwelling on it.

He should just remember how he used to feel around Trent—okay, nervous and stupid, but also happy. He still sometimes felt happy, but it wasn’t the same. It felt mixed up, with humiliation and shame and anger. Not all of the time, just when Trent did something, or looked a certain way.

Maybe making some good memories would help.

“Trent’s still standing by your car,” said Kira. “I think you’re worrying him.”

He didn’t reply, but turned and walked back towards his car. Trent watched him come, looking nervous.

“I thought I’d forgotten something,” said Conner, though Trent must have seen him talking to Kira. “But I haven’t.”

Trent nodded. “Right. Well, so, I’ll see you Saturday?”

“Yeah,” he replied, holding out a fist for Trent to bump, like he’d done a thousand times before with Ethan and Derek, and tons of other guys.

Except bumping fists with them had never made him feel quite like that.

And he didn’t remember them making him blush, either.

--