Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made.

Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:

No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - Prom Night - A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains

Jake walked into the Brainfreeze with a couple of his teammates after his soccer game. They were new recruits for Conner McKnight's soccer team from out of town, and when Jake heard that they had never been to Ernie's Brainfreeze before, he promised to treat them to ice-cream if the team won.

"Ernie's menu can be a little overwhelming when you first come in," Jake said and he started to walk to the counter, "Why don't you two get a seat, and I'll order something to get you guys started."

"Something with chocolate," one of the boys said and Jake walked up to the bar to talk with Ernie. The boys looked for a place to sit before they spotted a girl in the corner. She was by herself and seemed distracted with whatever work was in front of her. The one boy nudged the other, who nodded, and they both approached the table and took a seat.

"Hey, that looks interesting," the first boy said as he leaned over and looked at her papers. "College?"

The girl put her hand over her papers to hide the information from the boys and looked up, "Are you two lost?"

Then she saw the jerseys they were wearing and chuckled, "Jake brought you here, didn't he?"

"You know Jake?"

"I've never seen you on the team before."

The boys looked to each other and then nodded their heads, "We're new players. We'll start next season, but Coach wants us to start practicing with the team early, and we go to the games to get a feel for how the team plays together. He's really into teamwork."

"Yeah, I know."

"So, Jake never mentioned he knew such a babe."

"We should get your number," the other boy said. "You know, just in case."

"In case of what."

"In case you ever wanted to come to a game. Normally you'd have to pay for tickets, but friends and family can come watch for free, so we can hook you up."

"Aren't you technically not on the team until next season? And why would I need you to watch a game when my boyfriend is already the star of the team."

"B… boyfriend?" the boys looked to each other and then each felt a hand fall on their shoulders. They looked up and gulped, seeing Jake standing behind them.

"Ice cream is on the way. Ernie's bringing it over," Jake smirked and pretended he had no idea of the talk his teammates had had with Gia, "Hey, Gia, I didn't see you there. Seems you've already met."

"Dude, we didn't know," the first player looked up at Jake apologetically. "We just thought she was a friend."

"Yeah, I mean… really," the other boy nodded his head in Gia's direction and then looked at Jake, "I mean… really?"

"It's my killer dance moves that won her over," Jake smirked. He sat beside Gia and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Gia put her head in her hands and sighed loudly. "No one can resist me when I'm on the dance floor, right Gia?"

"He's a better soccer player than he is a dancer," Gia said and then frowned at Jake, "And that's all I'm going to say."

"So…" the second player asked as he and his friend sat down across from Jake and Gia. He looked at Gia, "is this like… a dare or something? Are you getting money at the end?"

"Alright, now I'm starting to get offended," Jake frowned. Gia kissed his cheek and leaned into him.

"There's more to a man than meets the eye."

"I am offended," Jake glared at Gia. She shrugged her shoulders.

Ernie arrived with the ice-creams for the table. As he set them down, the first player grabbed his arm and pointed at Jake and Gia.

"Help us out here, dude. This can't be real."

"Jake and Gia?" Ernie asked. "They've been going out for a long time now. One of the cutest couples to eat at the Brainfreeze."

"Thank you," Jake smiled, finally feeling complimented for once. Gia rolled her eyes.

"Cute? Now I'm offended."

"So… this is real?" the first player asked. Jake chuckled and nodded his head. He kissed Gia, and when she didn't flinch or pull away, his teammates finally believed him. They leaned back into their seats with their ice-cream. "So, do you have any friends?"

"Single friends?"

"Two," Gia smirked and looked at Jake. He hid his mouth behind his hand so the boys wouldn't see him laughing. "Noah and Troy."

"Noah and… wait, that second one doesn't sound like a girl's name."

"Both boys," Gia nodded her head. "I can give you their numbers…"

"Uh… no, but thanks," the first player shook his head and the other agreed. "We were thinking more along the lines of… girls. We don't…"

"Play for that team," the second one finished.

"Hmm… girl friends? Do I have any girlfriends…?"

"Gia! You'll never guess what I just got in the mail!" Emma cried as she hurried into the Brainfreeze, waving around some papers. "The city just approved the new recycling program I suggested! Can you believe it?"

Emma sat down right beside Gia and showed her the papers. The two players looked to each other before sliding around the table, closer to Emma. Jake held back his laugh and tried not to say anything. He couldn't blame them for trying, and he remembered when he had been just like them. As Emma gushed about her success with the city, the boys pretended to show an interest.

"You know, I've always thought the current recycling program could use an update," the first one said and the other agreed.

"It's so good of you to want to make a difference!"

"Thanks!" Emma smiled brightly and then turned back to Gia, "Uh… who are they?"

"Jake's friends," Gia said. "Coach McKnight just recruited them for the team. They'll start next season. They're hoping to have a girlfriend on their arm for their first game."

"Aw, that would be cute," Emma smiled at the boys. "I know Jake loves having Gia at his games to cheer him on. Well, Panorama girls do love soccer, so I'm sure it won't take you long."

"You know, girlfriends can get into games for free," the second player said. "If you ever wanted to see a…"

"I know," Emma smiled. "Gia's never had to pay for a ticket. It's really nice of Coach McKnight to let her sit on the bench. The view is great!"

Gia and Jake were now both trying to contain their laughter. Emma had a boyfriend already, and because of that, she wasn't picking up the hints the boys were putting down, assuming they already knew she was off the market. The boys didn't stop trying, though.

"I'm sure Coach McKnight will let you sit on the bench if we put in a good word for you."

"You don't have to do that," Emma shook her head. "I don't go to many games. Just the bigger ones to support Jake. By the way, Jordan and I are coming this Saturday."

"Awesome."

"Jordan? Uh… who is Jordan?"

"My boyfriend," Emma smiled and then snatched her mail from Gia, "His class is ending soon! I have to show this to him! He's going to be so excited! Bye, guys!"

Emma hurried out of the Brainfreeze with a skip in her step from her excitement. Gia and Jake saw the boys' faces fall and couldn't keep in their laughter anymore.

"So, Noah and Troy…"

The boys sunk into their seats and finished eating their ice-creams. Jake gave them a pat on the back.

"Don't worry about it, guys. And hey, Emma wasn't lying. Chicks in this town do dig soccer players. So, how's the ice-cream."

"Delicious."

"The best I've ever had," the boys replied in a monotone. Jake gave them a reassuring look. He had been in their position before and knew it would work out for them. Then he turned to Gia, seeing she was working on filling out some papers. He looked at the header, "Whoa… Gia…"

"At the end of the school year, Mrs. Chesterfield said she submitted my report card to several colleges across the state," Gia explained. "She wanted me to get a bit of a head start this year."

"Why just you?"

"I'm sure she's doing the same for Noah," Gia said. "I guess some of the colleges liked what they saw. I got this in the mail this morning. Mom's making me fill it out."

"Yeah, obviously," Jake nodded his head. "Gia, this is one of the best schools in the state!"

"It came with a letter," Gia took the letter out from the bottom of the pile and showed it to Jake. She knew he wouldn't want to read it all, so she summed it up for him, "Basically, they're saying that if I can keep my grades up, join a few extracurricular activities, and find a specific area of study, they'll pay for me to attend."

"They'll pay you to go to their school?"

"They won't pay me," Gia shook her head, "I just won't have to pay them."

"You don't sound to excited," Jake frowned and he passed the letter over to his two teammates. Both of their jaws dropped.

"My brother applied to this school," one of them said. "His average was ninety in high school; he was class president all four years, and organized a huge and very successful fundraiser his senior year, and they still turned him down! No one gets into this school unless they're a freaking genius."

"Gia, this will set you up for life!" Jake said. "And it's not like they're asking a lot. Joining some clubs would be good for you, and it's about time we start thinking about what we want to do with the rest of our lives."

"Yeah, I know, I'd just rather… not," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "I'll fill out their forms, and keep this as a fallback…"

"You're kidding, right?" the player asked her. "You're going to keep them in your back pocket?"

"You're going to turn them down?" Jake asked. Gia shrugged her shoulders and gathered up her papers.

"Jake, we haven't even started our senior year, yet," she gathered up her papers. "I've already got this college shoving their noses where it doesn't belong. Do we have to think about this now?"

"It's good to start," Jake shrugged his shoulder. "I mean, dad's making me look into colleges. We're looking at what we can afford, what has a good soccer program… you know, so we're ready."

"That's good, Jake," Gia said. She got up and looked to the two boys, "It was nice meeting you. I guess I'll see you Saturday for the game."

"Yeah, nice meeting you, Gia," the boys waved goodbye. Gia gave Jake a kiss before she walked out.

When she left the Brainfreeze, she quickly turned the corner and found a garbage can. She ripped up the papers and stuffed them all inside. She jumped, startled, when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder.

"Paper can be recycled, you know."

She turned around and saw it was Troy. He was only teasing her, knowing it was something Emma would say if she had been the one to catch Gia.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Troy chuckled. "What's with all the papers anyways?"

"Just junk mail."

"And you couldn't recycle it at home? You know, Emma would kill you if she saw this."

"It didn't occur to me," Gia said. Troy crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a knowing look. She sighed. "I'm not ready for college."

"College?" Troy asked her, surprised. Gia nodded her head and reached into the trash. She pulled out some of her papers to show Troy.

"I'm just getting my life back," she explained as Troy's jaw dropped when he saw the name of the college, "Now these people are trying to tell me I have to figure it all out or I'm screwed up again. I don't even know what I want to do."

"Have you looked into some of their programs? This is an amazing school. I'm sure…"

Gia shook her head, "It's all… boring. And where exactly is this going to take me? Some boring office job?"

"More than that."

"I don't know what I want to do," Gia snatched the papers back. "Jake wants to play soccer. Emma wants to recycle the planet, or do photography. Noah's going to cure cancer or invent a time machine or something. I don't have a passion like that."

"You were awesome at mountain boarding the other day," Troy smiled at her, "And that was after several weeks off."

"That's a hobby, Troy. I don't want to… that's not a job. Nothing out there is me… you know?"

"I don't know what I want to do either," Troy said. "Knowing I'll have to think of the rest of my life this year kind of freaks me out too, and I don't even have high marks like you. I'm just average in school."

"But you don't have colleges sending you papers already. Senior year hasn't even started, and already everyone's trying to tell me what I need to do. I feel like high school just started."

"Cliff took away that part of your life, didn't he?" Troy asked. Gia looked up at him. Her eyes were starting to water as she nodded her head. Troy pulled her in for a hug. "You're going to do great things, Gia, I know it. Whether you're in this amazing school or not, you're going to be awesome."

"By doing what? I've got no focus."

"This is the year we find one," Troy smiled. "Look, I'm helping Rebecca get her life back together too."

"She's only going into junior year."

"She's going to need to start thinking ahead too. We'll find something, okay? You're not the only person who's got no idea what's in the future. I'm freaking out too. It doesn't help we've also got a world to save. I mean, that would be amazing to put on a college resume."

"Yeah… it would…"

"We're going to be okay, Gia," Troy assured her with another hug. "Just do your best, and if it takes a little more time to find something for you, then that's alright. Dad's always telling me he still doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up."

"But I don't want that. I want to know. I want to be like the others…"

"But you're not, and it's a good thing you're not. Gosei didn't pick us to be Rangers because we're just like everyone else. We're special, even if we don't see it. We'll find something to do, I promise."

"Not at this school, though," Gia said and put the papers back in the garbage. "This isn't for me."

"You're definitely special if you're turning down the school that turns down most of its applicants every year," Troy chuckled. Gia rolled her eyes and then smiled.

"Thanks for this, Troy. It means a lot."

"What are friends for? Now, I was just going into Ernie's. Want to join me?"

"I just got out of there," Gia shook her head. "I'm going to go home. Maybe I'll look at some schools online, see if anything hits me. There's got to be something out there, right?"

"There always is," Troy smiled.