Forever Friends
by Kendrix

"Bye," Kat whispered waving as she left the school, and into the bright afternoon sunlight of her hometown, Sydney, Australia.

"Hey Kat, wait up," a voice hollered. Kat turned and found her best friend Laurel McCann.

"Hey," Kat said as she stopped and waited for Laurel to catch up. "Are you going to diving practice?"

"No, I found out that Dean is playing at the cafe," Laurel said excitedly. Dean Huller, Laurel's boyfriend, is a guitarist and is playing at the cafe as his second concert, which was very important for his career.

"Oh that's cool, but you shouldn't miss practice! Madame is deciding who the three students that are going to the Pan-Global's!"

"I know, but... I don't really want to go, to tell you the truth!" Laurel murmured.

"Laurel, you have to try out!" Kat protested. "I'll need your support, for the decisions, 'cause I know she'll choose Melody Harper over me!"

"Katherine Marie Hillard! You are the top student on the team! There is no way she'll choose Melody over you!!"

"How do you know that?"

"I know, all right!?"

"Fine, then. I'll see you tomorrow at ballet rehearsal." Kat walked away as quickly as she could. She was severely disappointed. She had hoped that her best friend would show more support. Her best friend!

She walked up the driveway of their house. It was a basically nice house, but it needed a paint job, and new shutters, not to mention the weeds needed to be pulled.

"Kat, honey, that you?" she heard faintly from inside as she opened the screen door.

"Yeah, it's me,"

"Good, do you think you can help me babysit tonight?"

"Sure, after practice. Right?"

"Yea, after practice." Her mother, or mum, as she called her, came into the room, holding her baby sister on her hip. "Rebecca's been calling for you"

"Hi Becka," Kat said as she took her from her exhausted mother. "What's up for tonight? On a Friday?"

"Oh, Rick's got some important client meeting and we're going to the client's house for dinner." her mother explained.

"Neat-o!" Becka cooed as she pulled at Kat's hair.

"Becka!" her mother scolded scooping her away from Kat. "Oh, and honey, Mikey is coming home tonight."

"Oh good!" Kat said happily. Mikey, or Mike, her older brother, was away at college, and only came home so often. She headed towards her room, to change for swim practice. She entered her room, which was painted a light pink, and was pretty big.

She tossed her bag to the floor and picked up her mail from her desk. Magazine, magazine, letter from Angel Grove, California, magazine... Wait a minute, Angel Grove? She eagerly tore open the letter, and saw it was from Kimberly Hart, one of the people she met over spring break a while back. Kimberly had been part of a group of six, and had been vacationing in Sydney. She had met Kimberly and Billy Cranston one afternoon while they had been site seeing. They had instantly hit it off.

Greetings Kat,

Kat smiled and set the letter on the desk and went to her dresser. She opened the drawer and pulled out a pink and violet bathing suit. Violet is her favorite color. She always loved it, although she liked silver almost as much.
"Kat, are you leaving now?" her mother called.

"In about five minutes, why?"

"Oh, I was just curious."

Kat slipped into the bathing suit and a pair of jean shorts. After grabbing her bag, she slipped in her goggles, a towel, and her water shoes.

"Bye mum," she called and left the house, and into the hot afternoon sunlight.

Six hours later....

Kat, exhausted, said hello to her mother as she came into the house. It had been an exhausting day. Three hour practice, then three hours babysitting her three year old sister.

"Kat, you okay?" her mother asked looking wordily at Kat.

"Yeah, fine, why?"

"You look really run down. Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's just been an exhausting day. Three hour diving practice, then watching Becka for three hours. Who wouldn't be?"

"I guess," her mother murmured.

"I'm going to bed, see you tomorrow?"

"Did you find out who's going to the Pan-Globals?"

"Yeah." Kat said. She smiled brightly. "Melody, Michelle Landers, and I are going!"

"Great!" her mother said clapping her hands. "I knew you could do it, sweetie,"

"Thanks."

"Who is the understudies?"

"Laurel is one, Jake Haltered, and Tim Collider are the others too."

"Great job. Night."

"Night."

Kat went to bed, thinking about the Pan-Globals. And all the good things going for her.

Three months later....

"What a comeback for diver Katherine Hillard!" the announcer, Paula, announced.

"What do you mean, Paula?" Sam, the male announcer asked.
"Finding out three months ago, that she'd be moving, and her older brother dying in a car crash."

"Wow, how sad!"

"Yeah, and the last dive will be the tie breaker. If she scores a 9.7 in this competition, that means she'll be bringing the gold to Australia. If she scores below 9.5, the Australian team will be taking home the silver."

"That's pretty good still!"

"Yeah. Oh look, she's dismounting!"

"Looks like she's going to attempt a triple somersault, then into a...." he stopped talking as Kat took the leap.

Kimberly Hart, Billy Cranston, and Zordon watched in anticipation. "I hope she does well," Kimberly whispered as they watched her get ready to dismount on the Viewing Globe.

"Me too." Billy agreed.

"Oh Zordon, thanks for letting us watch this here,"

"You're welcome Kimberly. I know Kat's a very special friend to you two."

"She is," Billy and Kimberly said together.

They watched in horror, as Kat dismounted wrong, her head going towards the cement ground.

"OH NO!!!!" Paula screamed as the Australian coach, and a medical staff rushed over to the unconscious Katherine.

Six weeks later, Command Center, two days after Kim gave Kat the Pink Power Coin Kimberly and Kat stood in a back room of the Command Center, alone.

"I'm going to miss you Kat," Kimberly whispered as she gave her a quick hug.

"I'm going to miss you too, Kim,"

"Kat, you have to promise me something,"

"Anything." Kat promised.

"If anything happens to me, you take care of Tommy."

Kat looked at Kim in surprise. "What'll happen to you?"

"I don't know, but you have to swear."

"You can trust me," Kat promised.

"I know I can trust you,"

"We'll be forever friends," Kat predicted.

"I know we will,"

Next: What will Kat do when Kim sends Tommy the letter? Will she leave Tommy be, let him get back together with Kim, on their own? Or will she go after him, like she promised? Find out in: Choices To Be Made

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