Meet Twilight C. Jackson
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my charas and whatever the hell I make up.
Chapter 1
"Trunks? Trunks? Where are you going?"
"Out. Business trip."
"Another one! But, Trunks, it's almost your birthday, and I was hoping that maybe we could all—"
"Goodbye, Mother."
"Trunks, wait!" The door slammed after him leaving Bulma alone in the office.
/ I hate seeing him like this. I hope it's not a Saiyan thing. He has enough on his plate already without one of those problems. /
Bulma sighed and watched as her only son strode out the door in the manner of a body whose soul had left prematurely, leaving the shell that continued to exist simply to exist.
/ Oh, I know Trunk has been going through some rough times and he asked me not to mettle in his affairs but, dammit, he's really testing my nerves. I know that this time it wasn't just some girl. It was Mary who he grew up with in high school and dated all through college. /
Vegeta at that moment decided to walk by. "Woman, why are you looking like that?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's Trunks. He just left for another 'business trip'." Vegeta sighed and rubbed his temples. He was weary of Trunks and how his antics were affecting his wife, particularly at night.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He'll be fine." She looked up.
"You really think so?"
"I know so."
Bulma lay on her side, wide awake still contemplating the afternoon's events. "Honey?"
"Mm?" Vegeta on the other hand had drifted off to dreamland somewhere in between him trying to hold her and her pushing him away.
"Do you really think that Trunks will be okay?"
"Oh, is that what you're worried about?" She nodded her head.
He sighed. "He'll be fine."
"Really?"
"Really. Now go to sleep, love."
"Oh you!" She punched him playfully. "You always know just how to cheer me up."
Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Now maybe we should do what you were suggesting earlier."
He perked up and lifted his head. "That's what I'm talking about!"
He grabbed her arm uprooting her and placing her on top, with a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, you want to play that kind of game?"
-
Trunks stared listlessly out the window of the plane. / Oh, the trees look so small from here. She would have loved it… /
Just then, his reverie was disturbed by a door crashing and a loud voice was heard arguing with the flight attendant.
"Miss, please calm down. Coach is that way." The attendant pointed toward the opposite direction.
"I ain't calmin' down till you let me onto my seat, sir! And I told you before. I ain't in coach. I'm in first class."
"Miss, please—"
"Do you see this ticket? Do you see this ticket?" She held up the ticket for emphasis.
"I see the ticket, Miss—"
"Then you know I am in first class."
"Miss—"
"You don't look like a stupid man. So why in the hell can't you understand good English? Hm?"
Trunks watched as the flight attendant tried and failed to calm the unruly passenger. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore and decided to end this so he could have his peace back.
He stood up and walked toward the man, saying, "Is there a problem here?"
Seeing him, the attendant got nervous and began to stutter. "O-oh, M-Mr. Briefs! I-I am so s-sorry for the d-disturbance the u-unruly p-passenger. I-I'll have her escorted right away to coach, sir."
/ Oh, Hell. Another suck-up. I gotta think of something quick. She looks like she's ready to fight. And I know this flight attendant./
"No. I am sorry I forgot to inform you that my girlfriend was coming as well. And she also did not see me or else she would have explained in the beginning." He shot her a look and watched as realization hit.
/ There we go. Now he'll let her alone for the rest of the flight and I can get back to peace and quiet. /
She glided over to him, attaching herself to his arm immediately and gazing up at him with 'lovestruck' eyes. "I'm sorry for the disruption, honey. Truly I didn't know you were there or I would have explained and come straightaway."
Trunks had to laugh inwardly at the sudden change in tone. "You're forgiven… lambchop. And now that that's settled, excuse me."
He tried to pass by the flight attendant but he was still suspicious and stepped up to block him. "You two aren't really a couple."
"Of course we are." The attendant crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah? Prove it." Trunks appeared flustered for a moment as his mind raced. / What! Prove it! He has a lot of nerve! He must be a newbie. But how in the world does he expect us to--/
His thoughts were cut short as she leaned in quick as you please and gave him a ten-second Frencher. She pulled away as Trunks just stood there, dazed. She turned toward the attendant who was still in shock. He hadn't actually expected them to prove it. She smirked. "Satisfied?"
He nodded and stepped aside while she glided along to Trunks' seat, with the man in question still stunned. / Whoa…/
He sat down and snapped out of it when he saw her preparing to sit next to him. "Hey wait a minute!"
She continued unpacking. "What? Can't I sit here?"
"Um… uh… sure." She sat down, pulled out some candy bars, and held one out to him.
"Want one?"
"Sure." He took it still unsure of where to begin. "So… how did you end up arguing with—"
"That jackass? Well you heard him. He didn't think I had a first class ticket."
"Did you?"
"No." That stopped him.
"What?"
"I didn't have one. I was trying to see if I could walk in but he caught me." She pulled out here headphones.
"So… what were going to do if you still got caught?"
"I dunno. I was playing it by ear and he looked like he needed to be taken down a peg. You just happened to be there at the right time."
"Nice…I guess. Any reason?" He opened up the candy bar and bit.
"I saw it in a movie once when I was a kid and said to myself, 'One day I'm gonna try that just to see if it works.' "
"You think it did?"
"Hell yeah! I'm sitting next to you, ain't I, Mr…"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm—"
"Trunks Briefs. I know." / Oh that's right. My name's plastered everywhere. /
"Oh, yeah, because of—"
"College. We were in the same classes together but you always hung out with Mary. God, you were such a couple then. What happened?"
"Tuberculosis. Last year. The doctors found it after she became violently sick last August as a result of pregnancy and had to go to the hospital. She died a week later." Waves of pain resonated throughout his body as he remembered for a second that day when he got the call that she had died painfully slow during the night. Tears stood on the threshold but he blinked them back.
"Whoa. Sounds tough."
"Yeah."
"So what'd you do after that?"
"Mostly work."
"Hn." She started singing to her cassette player. "And if you get lonely, call me and tell me; send a good gift to me that magic can't change. And-- Omigod! I never told you my name. I'm Twilight."
"Twilight?"
"Twilight Cynthia Jackson." He stared for few seconds. "My parents are hippies. Well they used to be. Well they still are."
"Really?"
"Yeah. When they had us, they wanted to let us choose between the free lifestyle or being normal. Most of us chose the normal route. I just kind of fell in-between." / Oh, well that explains it. Kind of. /
"Oh. Who's us?"
"My brother and sister."
"Older or younger?"
"Oh, they're both younger than me, and they're both a pain in the ass."
"…"
"But they're good kids. Once you pound em the right way." / Oh, my. /
"Oh, I'm kidding…most of the time! Ha ha ha!" / Topic change. /
"So where you headed?"
"L.A. You?"
"Me too."
"No shit?"
"Yeah… no shit."
"Well this is a small world. I wind up on a plane with my old college mate. And in first class too." / This is a small world. /
He grabbed a pillow suddenly exhausted. "Well I'm going to sleep. Wake me when we get there."
"Can do." He promptly fell sound asleep.
Twilight watched as he rolled over in his sleep, "Always and Forever" still playing in her headphones. / He looks so cute when he's asleep. What luck that I ran into him. I can't just ditch him now. He probably gets into all the best nightclubs being rich and all. Methinks t'would profit much if I were to stay. /
She brushed away a stray forelock. / Besides he looks so lonely. And don't forget cute. /
AN: C'mon. Whaddaya think?
"Always and Forever" by Luther Vandross (may he live forever through the power of music)