Before the Numbers

Before the Numbers


"Oniichan... Come on or we'll be late!"

The pretty blonde haired girl grabbed her brother's hand and began to pull, smiling all the while. She was slender with thin, straight hair falling to chin length and light blue eyes that sparkled with excitement as she tried to lead her brother away from the school.

"Autumn, it doesn't matter if we are a few minutes late. Mom won't kill us," replied the dark haired young man she was dragging. He was her male counterpart with dark hair the same length as hers and the same blue eyes. "I need to be sure that I have everything for that History paper... I don't want to spend any more time in the library researching for it."

"Oh Matty, you're to serious," she said letting go of his hand.

The pair stood outside of a school with other students milling about them. The boy, Matt (or Matty to his sister), was searching though his satchel while the girl, Autumn, waited impatiently. She tapped her foot, looked around, tapped her foot some more, checked her watch (where all of a minute had passed) and finally sighed deeply.

Matt finally looked up from his bag and announced, "It's all there!"

Autumn took this as a cue to resume pulling. Matt laughed and started walking faster.

"There's no rush Aki-chan... the party isn't until seven." Matt adjusted his bag.

She let go of his hand when he came up even with her on the tree-lined street.

"But we have to get the house ready and the food ready and the drinks ready and ourselves ready... there's so much to do! We only get one eighteenth birthday party."

"Mom probably has most of that stuff done already. What are you so nervous about?"

"No-nothing." She looked down and blushed slightly.

Matt saw this and raised his eyebrows. "Oh that was convincing... what is it?'

Autumn sighed and said, "You invited all of the guys from your homeroom, right? Well... I kinda, sorta, maybe... likeonealittlebit."

"New crush, huh? Who is it?"

Blushing, Autumn mumbled, "Aaammm..."

"Who?"

She blushed more. "Aadmmm..."

"Who?"

She sighed again and said, "Adam."

Matt raised his eyebrows again. "Isn't he a little bit short for you?"

Autumn stopped and glared. "He's not that short! And he's really nice and sweet and funny and cute and nice and..."

Matt stopped a few feet in front of her and looked back. "You said that one already," he replied calmly.

Autumn increased the intensity of her glare. Matt smiled.

"Awww, come on... I'm just teasing Aki-chan... He's a nice guy. I'll even help you out and set you two up at the party tonight..."

Smiling, Autumn exclaimed "Really Matty?"

"... on one condition."

Autumn eyed her twin suspiciously. "What's that?"

Matt grinned goofily and struck a silly pose. "Put in a good word for me with Dana!"

A groan escaped Autumn's lips. "Matty, how many times has she said she won't go out with you?"

"Three-hundred and thirty-two times... but the three-hundred and thirty-third time is the charm!"

A look of long suffering came across Autumn's face.

"Matty, you know she has a boyfriend and she won't go out with you..."

"A good word or no deal."

Sighing yet again, Autumn responded with an exasperated, "Fine."

On impulse, Matt looked at his watch.

"Yikes! Mom is going to kill us if we don't get home soon!"

Autumn laughed and was about to start walking again when a man came up behind Matt with a needle.

"Matty! Behind youuu...."

The last thing she saw before she felt the prick of the needle in her arm was Matt looking up and behind her, his mouth opening seemingly to say something. But Autumn couldn't hear what it was because, then, everything went black.


A woman awoke with a start.

'Damn,' she thought. 'Always that same dream. I can never remember it but it feels so familiar.'

She looked out the window to see the sun peaking over the horizon.

'No use trying to get back to sleep now, I have to get up soon anyway.'

Pushing the covers of the bed off of her body, she turned to look at her husband's sleeping form. Tenderly, she moved an errant lock of his unruly hair out of his face. Getting up, Juuhachigou prepared to face the day.

Owari.


Disclaimer: None of the DBZ characters belong to me... I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

Author's Notes: This was the second story I ever wrote... I kinda like it and I hope you do too.