A/N: Another Gohan centric fic, between the ages 16-17 and takes place during his junior year at OSH. Minor changes have been made to the storyline, and will somewhat follow canon timeline before deviating into original content. At this time, the Buu saga is not expected to occur, though that may change as the story progresses.

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and all its affiliated characters, world and content belong to Akira Toriyama and franchises. The sole purpose of their use in this story is for entertainment only, and I receive no monetary value in writing.

Chapter One

"This is a joke, right?"

Gohan looked up from the file in his hands, a bewildered expression upon his face as he stared at the pair of women who sat before him. His mother, with her dark eyes so like his own, stared back with unwavering determination while Bulma, honorary godmother and his aunt in all but blood, gave him a tentative smile of reassurance. The sixteen year old looked back and forth between the two, as if expecting one of them to yell 'surprise!' and tell him that it was all just a prank. He even spread out his senses, hoping to detect Goten and Trunks hiding somewhere in the other room, anticipating the moment that they too could join in on the fun; unfortunately, no matter how long he waited, nothing came.

"... right?" he pressed gently, an overwhelming sense of panic slowly beginning to set in. "Mom…? Bulma…? Please tell me that this isn't real..."

When he received only silence for his efforts, the Saiyan lowered his eyes, gaze lingering on the gaudy title illustrated across the papers. 'Orange Star High School,' it read, followed by a long list of information on class registration and course requirements. He easily identified the neatly inscribed information as his mother's handwriting, all his personal records and and whatnot having no doubt been filled out by her sometime earlier without his notice. The pages that followed included medical information, an extensive report on his educational background, even a letter of recommendation from Bulma herself; it was all a bit much to take in, and he glanced back up, desperate for answers.

"I don't understand," he began, weakly. In all his years, he had never once entertained the notion of attending public school, and yet here he was, practically blindsided by the two most important women in his life. "What… how… w-when was this decided? And… why?"

The women turned to one another, silent conversation passing between the two before Chichi finally spoke up, "Its something I've been thinking of for awhile now, to be honest. I was homeschooled, just as you and Goten, but I never went on to college or to pursue a career… and your father, well… he had other priorities. You know that education has been one of my main concerns with you and I just want to see you succeed where your father and I both failed. A high school degree will help you with that."

"Also," Bulma interjected quietly, "Its a requirement for the intern position you applied for at Capsule Corp. The specific job is geared towards students enrolled in an actual, physical high school as some of their classes and school credit will coincide with on-the-job training at our facilities. Now, no one is going to force you into this decision, but your mother came to me looking for a way to help persuade you and I was going to talk to you about this soon anyway. "

"I see," he murmured, his mind still struggling to wrap itself around what they were saying. Him… in high school?

Handing him yet another pamphlet, this time with the CC insignia stamped across it, the genius heiress continued, "If you accept, you'll be placed on scholarship and the funding provided will include the cost of all school materials, transportation, and you're even eligible for housing because of your commute. I mean, all of us here know that a trip to the city is a cakewalk for you, but on paper that's just how it will go…"

She trailed off softly, noting the shock had yet to truly wear off. "Uhm, is there… anything you'd like to say?" she asked, after several moments of awkward silence had passed.

"I… I don't really know what to say," Gohan admitted, staring unblinkingly at the stack of papers he had been handed. It had been a routine trip to Mount Paozu for the Briefs, Bulma dropping Trunks off to sleepover for the weekend as it was usual for him and Goten to play together. So when they had called him into the living room for what he had assumed to be the customary request to keep them line, he was practically blown away by this sudden turn of events.

"Its a lot to take in, I know," his mother consoled, reaching across the coffee table to pat his knee. "But I'd really like you to consider it, sweetie. There's only so much you can learn about the world in books before you need to venture out and explore it for yourself."

Gohan's lips parted, the beginning of a rebuke on his tongue, but she held up her hand to stop him and continued, "I know what you're going to say, and that's not what I mean. Yes, you've experienced more than your fair share of the wild and crazy things life has to offer, but there's more to it than that. There's a whole other side of living that you've yet to see, and more than anything, more than just a degree and career - though that's still very important -… I want you to experience that."

The teenaged Saiyan contemplated her words, weighing the pros and cons of his predicament. On one hand, he would be a liar if he were to say he had never thought about it; not necessarily actually going, but just wondering what it would feel like to be a student, with classmates and teachers and everything else it entailed. But at the same time, he wasn't exactly the most outspoken individual; and socializing with anyone outside their rather tight-knit group of family friends, he worried how he'd fit in. Not to mention, he'd have to remain close-lipped on his past adventures, and his rather unusual ancestry…

Still, there was also the matter of his internship. He had applied for a student position at Capsule Corp because he was quickly growing tired of learning through books, and wished to gain a more hands on experience in the scientific and research field. Capsule Corp, aside from being the lead company in all things technology, was a place he felt comfortable being, having already spent an extensive amount of time on their grounds and in Bulma's lab. He understood his mother's wishes for him to join the outside world, and joining CC had been his own, tentative first step in doing so… but this unexpected road bump had certainly thrown him for a loop.

"Can I have some time to think it over?" he finally asked, uncertainty radiating from him in waves; he honestly had no idea where to even begin.

"Of course," Chichi immediately replied, simply glad he had not denied her request then and there. She had learned much in her time as a single mother, and seven years without Goku to balance out her more overbearing tendencies meant she had to be more lenient when it came to her boys. "We didn't expect you to give us an answer right away. Take some time and think about it. The last day for late registration is still a week away, so you've got time."

"And even if you don't accept, I'm sure I can still find a place for you in CC," Bulma added, offering him an encouraging grin. "I've always admired your intellect, and we'd benefit greatly with you as part of our team. I would probably have to bend a few rules here or there, but don't think I'd reject your application on a simple technicality."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," said Gohan, genuinely thankful for her consideration; he had always counted himself lucky to be friends with such an affluent figure, and one who was always so willing to help him out. Gathering the files, he stood up from his seat on the recliner, "Is it okay with you two if I go and look these over on my own now?"

After receiving nods from both his mother and Bulma, Gohan excused himself from their presence and made his way into his room to think. When he had cleared the threshold, he quietly closed the door behind him before releasing an audible sigh.

"Oh boy," he mumbled, tossing the papers onto his desk and sliding tiredly into his chair. Shuffling through the various forms he'd been provided, Gohan sighed once more as he slowly took it all in. So caught up in his musings, he failed to notice when, several minutes later, his window slid open and a small, orange clad figure climbed through.

"Whatcha looking at, big brother?"

The older Saiyan jumped in surprise, startled out of his thoughts as his younger brother, Goten, peeked curiously over his shoulder.

"Goten, what are you doing in here? Where's Trunks?" he asked, looking around to see if the purple haired boy had followed him in.

"We're playing hide and seek," Goten explained cheerfully, before his head drooped slightly with shame. "I'm supposed to count to one hundred, but I don't know how to count that high. I thought you would help me…"

Gohan couldn't help but laugh at the younger boy's plight, and scooped him into his arms and settled him onto his lap. "Where did you get stuck?"

"I can count to twenty, but I don't know what's after that," he admitted, wriggling in his brother's lap as he moved closer to the desk. "Is this more homework?" he asked curiously, looking at all the papers spread across its surface.

"No, they're information packets and registration forms. Mom wants me to go to high school, and Bulma says its part of the requirement for that CC internship I applied for," Gohan answered, wrapping his arms around the smaller Saiyan to keep him from falling off.

"What's high school?" Goten questioned, his head quirking to the side in confusion as he picked up a random form and attempted to make sense of it. "There's a lot of big words on here."

"Yeah, lots of big words," Gohan agreed, smiling as he watched his brother look through the papers, as if they belonged to him and it was his duty to understand them. He liked to mimic him when he studied and worked, pretending to do 'grown up things' like his big brother did, but in the end it was all just a game to him. Their mother had been far more lenient with Goten in his studies, and rather than resenting it, Gohan was grateful that he could enjoy a more peaceful, less stressful childhood than he had.

"And high school is a place where young people go to learn. Its like what we do here at home, except you have teachers for every subject and you share them with other students," he explained, rolling his eyes with mock annoyance as Goten "ooh"-ed with understanding.

The obvious next question was, "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know, buddy," Gohan replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I've never been to public school before. There will be a lot of people there, and I'm not sure how well I'd fit in."

"Why wouldn't you fit in?"

"Because I don't have much experience with people, and because I'm Saiyan. I'm not normal by Human standards…"

"You look normal to me," Goten chirped, blissfully unaware of the outside world's view on people like them and their family. "And you're the awesomest person ever! Anyone who doesn't believe that is just a… a retarded butthead!"

"Goten!" he admonished, glancing around to make sure their mother had not somehow heard, even as he smiled at the words. "Who taught you to say that?"

"Uh… Trunks…" the little Saiyan mumbled reluctantly, realizing his mistake.

'And I bet I know where Trunks learned that from,' Gohan mused, shaking his head with exasperation. "Don't say stuff like that, okay? Its not very nice," he said, attempting to keep a more straight face despite his amusement. "And speaking of Trunks… aren't you supposed to be finding him?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot!" Goten exclaimed, perking up as he was reminded of their game. "Do you think he'll be mad that I didn't count to a hundred?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it," Gohan assured, setting his brother back onto solid ground. "You've given him plenty of time as it is. But remind me later, and we'll go over numbers sometime this weekend, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Gohan!" he cried cheerfully, before adding, "Oh, and I think you should go. You always seem kinda lonely when you sit in your room all by yourself. Mom has Bulma and Grandpa Ox, and I have Trunks. Daddy had all his friends when he was around… maybe you can find someone to play with too! Anyway... see ya later!" Waving happily in parting, Goten exited the same way he came, leaping carelessly from the window as he shouted, "Ready or not, here I come!"

'Silly kid,' Gohan thought, chuckling to himself as he watched the boy disappear into the woods before turning back to the stack of papers still on his desk; he had much to contemplate, and his little brother had certainly given him even more to think about…

Three nights later, just as she was preparing for bed, Chichi was surprised to find her eldest son knocking gently on her door. Beckoning him in, she watched on as he approached cautiously, as if hesitant with his actions. With a nervous smile, Gohan carefully handed back the registration forms and simply answered, "Okay... I'll do it."

"No. I won't do it. You… you can't make me."

"But sweetie, its the uniform," Chichi insisted, holding up the orange slacks, white button up shirt, and black woolen vest she had ordered from the school district.

"They got rid of the uniform over ten years ago," Gohan replied, cringing away from the odd ensemble of clothing. He may have been a social recluse, but even he knew it was a bit on the ridiculous side. "They have guidelines on what you can and can't wear, but the uniform is only recommended if you have nothing else that will pass their inspection. It says so right here," he said, pointing to the school handbook they had been mailed only a few short weeks ago.

"Oh, but you'd look so handsome!" she pressed, "Don't you want to make a good impression on your new classmates?"

"I do want to make a good impression," he countered, before shifting his eyes and weakly adding, "... by wearing the clothes… that Bulma bought me…" Unlike his mother, the CC executive was not so removed from the world that she considered last decade's fashion as viable everyday wear, and had filled his closet with new clothing more suitable for someone his age and at this time period. Chichi, of course, had not been particularly happy with this, as she was a bit more... traditional in her style of clothing.

The Son matriarch gave a sharp 'tsk!' of disapproval, but said nothing else; as much as she disapproved, at the very least he would be wearing something other than his gi, and that was really more than she could ask for. "Clean up and pack your bag," she instead replied, shooing him out of the kitchen and back towards his room. "I don't want you being late on your first day of school."

Sighing silently with relief, Gohan mentally cheered at his victory and hurried on back to his room to change. After a quick rinse in the shower, he slipped into a casual pair of khakis and a plain black tee, covering up his figure with a dark hooded jacket colored forest green. He wasn't entirely sure yet how to explain his muscled physique, knowing his body was far more developed than most other boys his age, and decided it was simply better if he avoided questions altogether; or, at the very least, until he could properly gauge his new classmates' temperaments and behaviors.

"Not bad," he murmured to himself, catching his reflection in the mirror as he attempted to tame the wild mess of spikes that was his hair. Realizing it was but a futile attempt, the Saiyan glanced around for his brand new bag, finding the leather bound messenger bag lying limply below the desk. Double checking that he had all his materials, Gohan snapped on his boots and made his way back down to the kitchen.

On instinct, he fell into a fighter's stance and raised his ki as he was met by an unexpected flashing of light, blinding his vision and momentarily disorienting his senses. When the spots cleared and he could properly see again, he was greeted with the sight of his mother fiddling with their digital camera, while Goten hid behind her leg and stifled his laughter at his brother's reaction. Scowling at the child with false aggression, he leant down and scooped him into his arms, tickling Goten's sides as he burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"G-Gohan! Stop!" he whined, squirming as his sensitive sides were mercilessly attacked by his brother's skilled fingers. "It… i-it tickles! Gohaaan!"

"Serves you right," the teen grinned, ghosting his fingers across the back of his neck - his little brother's ultimate ticklish spot.

"Mom! Mom! M-make him stooop!" Goten cried, whimpering and pouting even as more laughs escaped him.

"Oh, you two settle down already," Chichi demanded, smiling as she watched her boys; they were such close, loving siblings. "Here, put Goten on your shoulders and we'll take a proper picture. I want to put this one in the family album!"

"Don't mess up the hair," Gohan joked, Goten sticking his tongue out playfully before climbing around and settling onto the older boy's shoulders. They took a few pictures, some serious and others silly, before Chichi was finally satisfied with the ones she had taken and set the camera down.

"Thank you, boys," she smiled, reaching up to take Goten from his brother. "Now, do you have everything you need for class?"

"Yep," Gohan replied, patting a hand over his bag. "Its all there!"

"Good, very good," Chichi nodded, before reaching into her apron and pulling out a food capsule. "I've made you a snack for lunchtime, and included a power bar to help fill you up, but it will only be enough to tide you over until you come home. Kami knows those poor students don't need to see how much you really eat..."

The Saiyan gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his head in usual Son fashion as he gratefully accepted the meal. He was a little let down by the inclusion of a power bar - designed and formulated by Bulma to be extremely high calorie and densely packed with protein, carbs and other nutrients - but understood it was a sacrifice he'd have to make in order to better fit in with his peers. Tucking the capsule safely into his pocket where he knew he wouldn't lose it, Gohan bid his mother and brother farewell before exiting the house and jettisoning off into the sky.

Even at a casual speed, the flight from his home in Mount Paozu to the outskirts of Satan City took little more than half an hour, and he had arrived early enough that he still had twenty five minutes to spare. Landing behind a thicket of trees at the local park, he double checked that he hadn't been seen and made his way towards the street.

"Let's see, which direction is the school?" he mumbled to himself, reaching into his bag for the map the school had provided him. "Hm… okay, it says here they're two blocks off the 163 highway and that's… over there... " It took him a few moments to gather his bearings, still unfamiliar with the city's layout despite several recent visits to familiarize himself with it, but he eventually deduced the route and returned his map to its rightful place.

"Well, here goes nothing!" Retrieving a second capsule from his pocket, Gohan clicked the release and tossed it to the floor. In a bang and burst of smoke, a white hoverbike appeared before him, its smooth polish glinting brightly in the light of the morning sun. True to Bulma's word, the scholarship from CC had provided him with several options for transportation, and he had chosen the bike for his travels inside the city to avoid being seen flying.

Swinging his leg over the seat, Gohan adjusted his position as he hit the ignition and revved the engine. After making sure there was no oncoming traffic, he swerved across the street and rode off in the direction of his new school, nervous for what the day would bring.

Several minutes later, he slowed to a halt as the light in front of him turned red. He was still a few streets away from the school, but his watch let him know he still had another fifteen minutes to get there. Thinking he had made rather good time, Gohan was startled by the sudden burst of gunfire in the near distance, and the blaring of sirens and screeching of tires hit his sensitive ears. Cringing slightly with discomfort, he looked around for the source of disturbance and watched curiously as a black van skidded onto the street ahead of him and flew across the pavement in his direction.

"Hey, get outta the way!" the driver shouted, honking his horn and waving a gun as he quickly approached.

Other vehicles around him immediately drove off, and Gohan could only wonder what was going on as he remained a sitting duck, alone in the street as the van sped ever closer. Behind the van, several police cars raced to catch up, and quickly piecing things together, he realized that some sort of heist was taking place.

'Ahh, no… what do I do?' he panicked, frozen to the spot; not with fear, but with indecision. His first instinct was to step in and stop the vehicle, but that would only give him away and he had hoped to avoid drawing unusual attention to himself. At the same time, he knew he couldn't leave in good conscious if he did nothing to help, and it would eat away at him all day. Eventually, he decided on minimal intervention, blowing a small hole in the street with a swift ki blast undetectable to the normal human eye.

Seconds later, the front tires burst open as they were pierced by the impromptu pothole, and Gohan quickly maneuvered his bike out of the way as the van went screeching past. Almost instantly, the cops in pursuit were able to catch up, sandwiching the van between two patrol cars until it eventually skidded to a halt. Several more swarmed the area, and deciding he had done his part, Gohan continued on towards school.

He arrived in the parking lot with ten minutes to spare, and after re-capsulating his bike, went off in search of the front office. Thankfully it was easy to find, and after picking up his schedule and receiving his school badge and locker assignment, he ambled his way down the halls to find his first class. It was mostly empty as he navigated a path through the school, and his only company was the occasional freshman, just as lost as he as they desperately clambered to find their own rooms.

By chance, he came across a girl who looked like she knew where she was going, and quickly called out for her assistance. "Excuse me, Miss?" he asked, gently tapping her shoulder as she pulled books from her locker and stuffed it into a bag.

"Yeah, what?" she asked briskly, obviously in some sort of hurry to get to class.

"Sorry, I don't mean to bother," he apologized, offering a polite smile in greeting. "I'm new here, and I was just wondering if you could help point me in the right direction?"

She glanced up at him with a piercing stare, azure eyes slightly narrowed as if inspecting him for any sign of deceit. A moment later, she held out her hand for his schedule, fingers indicating for him to hand it over. She took one glance at his paper and laughed, handing it back to him as she returned to gathering her things, leaving Gohan bewildered and confused by her response.

"Follow me," she said, shutting her locker and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Looks like you and I have the same class."

'Oh, phew! For a second there, I thought she was going to leave me here!' "Thank you very much," he replied, following after the girl as she turned and led him down the hall. "Uhm… I'm Gohan by the way," he introduced, offering her his hand as they walked.

"Videl," she answered, shaking his hand briefly before speeding up her pace. "Though I'm sure you already knew that."

Gohan's brow lifted with her remark, but before he could ask why he would know her, she stopped in front of a door and pulled it open. "This is it," she said, stepping through. "You said you're new, right? I'll let the teacher know you're here, and he'll probably come out to meet you before letting you in."

"Oh, uh… okay, thank you," he replied, nodding with understanding.

"No problem. See you in class." And without another word, she was gone, leaving Gohan alone to stand in the hall by himself.

"Yeah, see you…" he muttered shyly, taking a moment to readjust his clothes before the teacher came out to greet him. He didn't have to wait long, as a minute later the door opened and a kindly-looking old man popped his head through.

"Son Gohan?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir. That's me."

The old man broke into a warm grin, pushing the door further open for him to step through. "Wonderful! Its a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in and we'll introduce you to your classmates!"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." And with an audible gulp and a shiver of anticipation, Gohan took his first steps into class.

A/N: So there you have it. It follows a very basic premise of many other 'high school stories about Gohan' though I tried to give more reasoning behind his attending than just to make friends or getting a degree. I'm aware some (many) are not fans of Chichi, but it was shown that she had toned down in the years following the Cell era and I personally am just not a big fan of turning her into an unnecessary 'villain' and making Gohan angsty when doesn't need to be. Also, I believe he and Goten are extremely tight-knit (super head-canon) so I showed a bit of that as well.

This will also be mentioned more as the story progresses, but Gohan has not slacked in training for those of you that wonder. That doesn't necessarily mean he's gotten much stronger, but he kept up with it enough to keep his power and skills from dwindling as they did originally.

Its a bit of a slow start, but I ask you stick with me until we get the ball rolling. Its my first venture into fanfiction, so if you have any concerns or questions please let me know. Reviews are more than welcome!

- Son