Chapter Two

"Hello, class. I am your homeroom teacher, Mr. Young, and I welcome you to another year at Orange Star High!" the teacher announced, clapping his hands to quiet everyone down. "Today, we are lucky to have a very promising young student joining our ranks, and you'd do well to follow his example. He attained perfect scores on our entrance exam - which is no easy feat, mind you! - and is on scholarship through the Capsule Corp. program. I ask that you treat him with the same kindness and respect as you yourself desire, and offer any assistance to him around campus should he need it. Now, please join me in welcoming him, Mr. Son Gohan."

"Its very nice to meet you all," Gohan added politely, unable to stop the spread of warmth to his cheeks as he blushed at all the attention; he hadn't been expecting to be put on the spot like that.

"Before we begin, why don't you tell us a brief summary about yourself? Any likes or dislikes, or plans for the future?" the teacher inquired, motioning for the teen to speak.

"Oh, uh… well, as Mr. Young said, my name is Gohan," he began, a nervous tinge to his voice as he was continued to be made the center of attention. "I was born and raised in the 439 East Mountain District of Mount Paozu, and have been mostly home schooled until now. I enjoy most subjects, though I'm particularly fond of the sciences and mathematics. And in my spare time, I like to hike the local trails and go fishing in the nearby lakes, and uhm… I do martial arts as a small hobby too, I suppose. And… that's about it…?"

"Very well, thank you for sharing," their instructor nodded, before glancing about the classroom for an empty chair. "Ah, yes… please take a seat next to Erasa, there at the end of the third row. Erasa, please raise your hand!"

"Yoo-hoo! Over here, cutie!" someone called. Following the sound of her voice, Gohan locked gazes with the sapphire eyes of a petite blonde, her hair trimmed short in a stylish pixie cut that was only accentuated by her seemingly bubbly appearance.

The Saiyan felt his face heat further up, taken aback by the blonde's overly friendly demeanor. "T-thank you," he eventually coughed out, climbing the stairs of their auditorium-like classroom to the indicated spot. Quickly taking his seat, Gohan set down his bag and pulled out his laptop to take notes - yet another perk of his new internship

"Wow, so Mr. Young wasn't joking when he said you were part of the CC program," Erasa gushed, noting the logo etched into its frame. "Gosh, is that a new model? I don't think this one is even out on the market yet."

"Oh, uh… yeah, I think so?" he answered, logging in and pulling up a word application. "Its part of the internship. Its mainly for assignments and reports they'll send me, along with video conferences and stuff since their main headquarters is all the way in West City, though I'll be shadowing researchers here at the local facilities. But I can use it for other classes and personal business as well."

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed, peering over his shoulder as he began taking down what had already been written on the board. "Notes would be so much easier to take if I brought my laptop, but I can't trust myself not to goof off…." Laptops and other electronic devices were allowed at school on the promise that they could be taken away if used for anything other than class work, but most students stuck to old-fashioned handwriting to avoid the temptation.

"Uhm… well research states that you remember things better if you take them down by hand anyway, so really you're doing yourself a favor," Gohan offered lamely, not sure how else to respond. 'Way to sound like a walking textbook,' he grimaced internally.

Instead of teasing him about it, as he expected, the blonde giggled softly before replying, "Yeah, I guess so." A moment later, her eyes lit up and she shook her head with disdain. "Speaking of remembering, I completely forgot my manners! The teacher already said my name, but I'll introduce myself properly this time. I'm Erasa… with an E!"

"Gohan," he answered, reintroducing himself as well and shaking the hand she offered. "Its very nice to make your acquaintance."

"You're so formal," she grinned, before adding, "We'll have to change that! Anyway, this guy over here is Sharpener." She indicated to a blonde haired male two seats over, who merely grunted quietly and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "And between us is Videl, though she doesn't need much of an introduction. I'm sure you already knew who she is!"

Gohan leant forward to get a better look at who she was speaking about, surprised to find a familiar face; dark hair pulled neatly into two pigtails, with cerulean eyes - the girl who had helped him get to class! Turning back to Erasa, he gave a sheepish laugh and replied, "Not to sound disrespectful or anything… but I honestly don't. Uhm, other than the fact that I ran into her in the halls on the way over and she helped lead me here…"

This certainly piqued the other two's attention, Videl raising her brow curiously while Sharpener openly gaped with disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" he asked, sincerely confused with the other boy's lack of recognition. "Videl Satan?"

Gohan only blinked.

"As in Hercule Satan," the blonde insisted heatedly, "The same Hercule Satan that this city is named for? Or, more importantly, the Hercule Satan that saved the world from Cell? Is any of this starting to ring a bell?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in, and even longer for Gohan to wrack his mind for some sort of memory, but he eventually figured it out. "Oh… ohhh," he said, feigning his astonishment. "Sorry, I'm a little behind, growing up in the middle of nowhere and all… but wow, that must be something, being the daughter of a celebrity!"

At this, Videl once again lost interest in the conversation, replying with little more than a simple, "Its alright."

"Oh, please. Its way more than alright," Erasa scoffed, pushing her shoulder playfully. "Videl is just way too humble to do anything with it. But anyway, its not bad being friends with the daughter of a celebrity either!"

"Heh, I guess that sounds pretty nice too," he answered, scratching the side of his cheek thoughtfully. "Oh, uhm… the teacher is going over the syllabus. I enjoy our conversation, but is it okay with you if I listen to what he says? This is my first time in a classroom and I'd just like to know what will be expected."

"Oh my gosh, you're so cute! How can anyone say no when you ask it like that?" Erasa squealed, before waving her hand at his computer. "Go on, I'll try not to distract you anymore."

"Thanks," he smiled, before turning his attention back to the teacher.

The rest of his morning classes continued on in a similar fashion, as most instructors took the day to iron out their class expectations and highlight larger projects to come later in the semester. Gohan was pleasantly surprised to find that he shared many subjects with the blonde and black haired trio, especially considering how most of them were on the advanced placement track. But then again, he knew next to nothing about them, and told himself not judge them on appearance or personality alone. After all, despite it being a public institution, Orange Star High was known for its consistently above-average testing scores, so it would only be safe to assume that many of his peers were far more intelligent than they acted.

As the clock struck twelve-noon, the shrill blaring of the school bell rang throughout the halls, signaling the start of lunch. Gohan eagerly packed away his things and set a course for the outside to enjoy his meal in the fresh air, having grown a bit claustrophobic with the cramped quarters. Finding an empty picnic table beneath the shade of a tree, he happily set down his things and retrieved the food capsule his mother had prepared that morning.

"She wasn't kidding when she said I'd only get a snack," he sighed, as the smoke cleared to reveal his food. Four sandwiches, a thermos of beef stew, a chef's salad, several fruits, a dozen cookies… "And a light one at that!" Spotting the aforementioned power bar, he decided to eat that first, as its taste was a bit on the bland side and he wanted to savor what little food he had. Making a bit of a face, he took his first bite.

Gohan had barely made it through the bar and his first sandwich when he was interrupted by the harsh sound of mock laughter. "Would you look at that! The new kid isn't just a nerd, but he's a fatass too!"

The Saiyan quirked his head curiously before turning to face the source of the voice. There, standing before him, was a tall brown haired boy with olive eyes; he was lean, and had rather significant muscle tone - as was highlighted by the tight fitting wife beater he wore - and held an air of false superiority about him. Surrounding him were another three guys, just as lean and mean looking, and dressed in the same sort of wear his mother deemed appropriate only for 'thugs and hooligans'.

"I… beg your pardon?" Gohan stated, standing up to confront his aggressors. He could tell just by the fluctuation of their ki that they seemed to want a fight, or at the very least, to intimidate him in one way or another. 'Sorry, but my little brother puts on a scarier face when he misses his favorite cartoon,' the teen mused.

He may have grown up away from the outside world, but he still knew a bully when he saw one; after all, he had been fighting 'bullies' since his early childhood, though on a far much grander scale. His sense of fairness and justice simply would not tolerate meanness, and while he wasn't about to show off, he would readily defend himself by any means necessary. Fortunately, he was saved the altercation by the introduction of a newcomer, as Videl called out to them from across the grass.

"What are you four idiots up to?" she demanded, hands set firmly on her hips as she approached. Behind her, Sharpener and Erasa followed at a more casual pace, as if this was but an everyday occurrence.

The other boys seemed to wilt in her presence, the ring leader of their little group making an audible gulp of apprehension as he took a few steps back. "Nothing, Videl," he said, holding up his hands as if in surrender. "We were just welcoming the new kid is all, right guys?"

"Yeah! Yup! Totally!" was their jumble of replies, each laughing and grinning nervously to show that they had meant no harm.

"That's what I thought," Videl asserted, jerking her head sideways to tell them to leave. "Now get out of here. If I see you messing with anyone else, I won't be so forgiving the next time around." They were quick to scramble away, leaving the vicinity just as suddenly as they came.

"Hmph… you sure know how to pick 'em," she remarked, once the four boys were out of range.

"Thank you for stepping in," Gohan answered, taking his seat once more at the table. "I appreciate it a lot."

"They had it coming," Videl shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Marker and his friends are some of the toughest kids in school and like to pick on other students because of it. But they know to be afraid of me, and with good reason. No offense, but you would have been creamed otherwise."

Gohan, who was just about to return to his meal, paused at her words, his sandwich held only half the distance to his open mouth.

"What?" she asked, noticing his odd response.

"Uh, it's nothing really," he said, shaking his head as he set the food down. "And I don't mean to be rude in any way… its just, isn't that bit presumptuous of you to say?"

"Hey, show some respect!" Sharpener cut in, as he and Erasa caught up to the two. "You don't know the first thing about those guys. They're real trouble, and Videl just saved you from a whole lotta pain! You could be a little more grateful, y'know."

"Oh, no!" Gohan replied, denying the accusations. "I don't mean any disrespect at all, and I'm very grateful for what she did. I don't think many people would be kind enough to stick their necks out for a complete stranger like that. I only meant that… uh…"

They stared silently, waiting for him to continue.

"... well, you were right in saying that I don't know anything about those guys," he went on, shyly, "But, to be fair… you don't really know anything about me either? I'm not saying I could have handled it all on my own, but to instantly assume I'd be… uhm… 'creamed' as you said… is well, a little… forward?"

Once again, he was met with only silence, and Gohan instantly feared that he had crossed some sort of boundary. Socializing was not his greatest strength, as he had very little experience outside of the family and Z Fighters, but he hoped he had not inadvertently overstepped any lines with his random ramblings.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, as he prepared to gather his things and find somewhere else to eat. "I didn't come here to make any enemies. I really mean it when I say I'm glad you stepped in. I appreciate it more than you know."

"So why did you?" Videl asked, stopping him from leaving just yet.

He paused. "Why did I…?"

"Come to school," she clarified, tilting her head curiously.

"Well… for the same reason everyone else does, I guess," he responded, taken aback by the unexpected question. "To learn and to get an education, to get into college later, as part of my internship requirement… and… to make friends too, I suppose… though I guess I haven't done very well in that department." Gohan chuckled half-heartedly at that, rubbing the back of his neck as he usually did when he got nervous; he had been doing that a lot today, he soon realized.

Videl continued to stare at him, eyes slightly narrowed as she contemplated this new enigma. Son Gohan was not like anyone she had ever met, and although it did rub at her ego, it was refreshing to find someone who was not falling over themselves in awe of her. In fact, he had done the complete opposite, claiming to have no previous knowledge of her whatsoever, and even standing up to her - in his own, unintended way - just now.

Erasa had spent the first ten minutes of lunch attempting to convince her and Sharpener to sit with the new kid, and she had agreed, if only to shut her up. That was how they had initially found him, and she was beginning to think it had been a good move. No, she would not immediately accept him into her close circle of trusted friends, but he was open minded and unassuming, and she - as reluctant as she was to admit - liked that. At the very least, she would give him a chance.

Holding out her hand in an offering of peace, Videl gave him a courteous nod and even a small grin.

"Well," she said, as he hesitantly reached out to take it, "consider one made."

Gohan was rather surprised with how well his first day of school went, and aside from the lunchtime confrontation and a little mishap during gym - where he had miscalculated the required strength to catch a ball - he would say it had been a pretty great start. Even more surprising, however, was that he had immediately been invited by his new friends to join their study group after school, and was currently following Sharpener's car on his hoverbike to the local Starbooks.

Turning into the parking lot, he re-capsulated the vehicle and waited by the store entrance for them to park, before opening the door and allowing them through.

"You're such a gentleman," Erasa smiled, before playfully smacking Sharpener in the stomach. "Y'know, you could learn a thing or two from him..."

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde grumbled, having only begrudgingly accepted Gohan as a friend, mainly in part due to Erasa and Videl's influence. It wasn't that he particularly disliked the other boy - he seemed relatively nice, if not a bit too formal at times - but he had a hard time justifying Gohan's apparent disregard for his personal hero. Still, he had literally come out of the woodworks for what seemed to be the first time that day, so he couldn't hold it against him for too long...

"I'm going to grab some coffee," Videl announced, as they claimed a table at the book store's adjoining cafe and set their things down. "Do you guys want anything? It'll be my treat," she offered, taking out her wallet. When both Sharpener and Erasa readily accepted, she turned to Gohan, waiting for his own reply.

"Uhm, thank you, but I don't want to impose," he said timidly, "I can get my own."

"I know you said you've never really made friends before, so I'm going to cut you some slack this time," she answered, shaking her head with slight amusement; it really was nice to finally meet someone again who didn't care for the perks of her family's fame and fortune. "But when someone says its their treat, the polite thing to do is to accept."

"Oh, well… in that case, yes… please," he nodded, "A coffee sounds good. Thank you very much."

"You talk exactly like the butlers at home… Erasa was right, if you're going to hang out with us, we're going to have to change that," she laughed. "Anyway, I'll be back soon."

Gohan watched the dark haired girl retreat, taking her place in the back of the short line to the register. Turning to the two that remained, he asked, "Am… am I really that bad?"

"Oh, no! No, no, no… not at all," Erasa insisted, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We won't really make you change. Its all in fun, honestly, but we're friends now, right? So you shouldn't feel like you need to speak so politely with us. You can relax, okay? Talk like a teenager!"

The Saiyan frowned, unsure of what she meant by 'talk like a teenager', thinking back on the few instances where he had watched shows aimed towards his age demographic. "So like… 'yo, yo homie… yolo… pound sign thug life'?" he attempted, throwing out random hand signals he remembered seeing on screen.

"Its… its actually hashtag," Erasa corrected weakly, "And… and no. No one… actually talks like that."

"Sorry, man," Sharpener added, shaking his head with pity. "But I'm going to have to say that if you ever do that again, I won't be responsible for my actions."

Realizing he had been duped by the media, Gohan immediately dropped his hands and coughed loudly to hide his shame. "Er, okay... "

Thankfully, he was saved from further embarrassment as Videl returned with their coffees, carefully setting the cardboard drink tray neatly in the middle of their table. "Cream and sugar is on the counter," she said, taking one from the container and leaving to prepare her own.

"Thanks again for the coffee," said Gohan as he followed her example, wanting a bit of sugar to sweeten his beverage.

"Like I said, it was my treat," Videl replied, pulling off the lid to her cup and pouring in some cream. Mixing in a packet of sugar, she stirred the concoction before securing the lid once more and held it up to him, as if in a toast. "Y'know… to a new year, and new friendships."

"Heh, yeah…" he answered, bumping his cup gently against hers. "New year, and new friendships."

When they returned to the table a few moments later, the two blondes had already opened their books and started on the first of their shared assignments. Neither of them wanting to be left behind, both Gohan and Videl quickly followed suit, retrieving their own materials and setting to work.

"We're supposed to read and outline chapter one," said Erasa, as she flipped through her book, "but do you think Ms. Folder will want us to include the information in the text boxes too?"

"Its up to you," Sharpener mumbled in reply, chewing on his pen as he highlighted a passage.

"She doesn't really grade them," Videl added, glancing up from her own work. "She said it's mainly to make sure that we actually read the chapter."

"Hmm… what do you think, Gohan?" she asked, reaching across the table and poking him with her pencil. "You're the genius of the group, after all!"

"Huh? Oh, well… Sharpener is right," he answered, chuckling slightly at her comment."I mean, if you're just doing it for the assignment, its most likely not necessary. But at the same time, outlines are learning tools and this will be a good way to review later on for the test, without having to go back and read the whole thing. So yeah… it really is up to you."

"Well, I guess if you put it that way…" the blonde grinned, as she returned to her assignment. "Thanks guys!"

It was a bit of a change of pace for the Saiyan, Gohan having grown accustomed to working and studying solo, but he had to admit that it was rather nice getting and sharing input whenever one of them came across a problem. The work wasn't particularly difficult, as it was only the first day and they had yet to cover much, but the sense of joint purpose and camaraderie was something he hadn't known he'd been missing until then.

Taking a sip of coffee to hide his smile, Gohan thought, 'Maybe high school won't so bad after all...'

"You're late!" a tiny voice shouted, as he took his first step into the house.

Gohan laughed as his brother pouted, hands clenched into fists as he stomped his foot. "Sorry, Squirt!" he apologized, unslinging his bag from his shoulder and setting it onto the floor. "I was invited to join a study group after school and it ran a little longer than I expected."

"You promised you'd be home as soon as you could," Goten insisted, his face still set in an annoyed scowl. "You said we would play after you got back."

"Well, I'm back now, so why can't we play?" Gohan countered, squatting down so the two were eye level.

"Because its almost dinner time," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "And after dinner, you always go out and train, meaning now you won't have any time to play with me!"

"Ah, you're right," the elder brother nodded, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well, how about this then… why don't you come train with me tonight instead?"

He instantly lit up, the frown quickly replaced by an ecstatic grin. "You mean it?" Goten asked excitedly, bouncing energetically on the balls of his feet. "I can train with you?"

"Yeah, why not?" smiled Gohan, shrugging. "I'll be gone most of the day now, so you'll be man of the house when I'm at school. And you need to be able to protect Mom from any wild animals if I'm not here, right? But, I mean… only if you're up to it, that is…"

"I'm up to it! I'm up to it!" Goten exclaimed, grabbing his brother's hand and tugging him in the direction of the door. "I'll show you right now!"

"Whoa, no… not yet, kiddo," said Gohan, standing up and pulling his brother into his arms. "I just got home, remember? Let me put my things away and change into my gi first, okay? More importantly, we train after dinner, and I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

"Bleh…" Goten mumbled, sticking his tongue out with disgust. "But Mom made meatloaf…"

"What's wrong with that?" asked Gohan, as he carried him to their room. "You love Mom's meatloaf."

"I know, but it has the word 'loaf' in it… it just sounds gross..."

Gohan laughed and shook his head. 'Oh, no… don't tell me we're going into that phase already!'

Despite his brother's initial misgivings, dinner came and went without a hitch. Goten asked for thirds, fourths and fifths, while Gohan answered his mother's questions about his day through mouthfuls of rice. Chichi was more than pleased to learn of his new friends, encouraging her son to pursue their friendships, though she gently reminded him not to fall behind with his work in doing so. After helping her clear the table and washing the dishes, the two brothers left for the nearby meadows to get their training started.

As it turned out, Goten already knew the basics of fighting, having been taught several stances and kata by their mother without his notice - practically a bombshell to the older boy, considering how against it she had been when he was a child himself. Gohan marveled at how much their mother had changed over the years, choosing then to test Goten's skills to see how much he had learnt. They sparred for a little more than two hours, Gohan sending his brother home to bed before continuing his own training well into the darkness of night.

By the time he was satisfied with his workout, the stars had appeared and the moon shone radiantly against the backdrop of sky. Gohan fell to the grass, sweat gleaming on his brow as he laid back to catch his breath, releasing a soft sigh of contentment. This was probably the teen's favorite part of the day, his body aching with exhaustion and accomplishment; a moment to himself to just lay and think, or speak aloud any words he had been afraid to say.

Late night stargazing had been a favorite hobby of his and his dad's, back when Goku was still alive; just the two of them, father and son, making quiet conversation as they watched the stars shine. He couldn't help but laugh as he reminisced, thinking back on all the jokes they had shared and the things they'd talked about. It was probably what Gohan missed the most about his dad; not anything big, like celebrating birthdays or family parties, but the little things - just talking would have been enough...

"Some days... I still ask myself why," he spoke, quietly, as he stared longingly out into the heavens. "Out of everyone, why did you have to die? You'd already given so much. It wasn't fair…"

"When you first died," he continued, choking slightly as he remembered those darker days, "I didn't really know what to do, or how to go on. I was lost without you… without your guidance. And I was angry… so, so angry…" Gohan trailed off, thinking of the weeks that followed the Cell Games; he had trained every day until collapse, barely eating and rarely sleeping, working himself to the bone in atonement for what he then considered to be his greatest sin.

"Then came the Intergalactic Tournament, and Bojack and his men attacked… we were overwhelmed, and I had lost all hope. But you never once lost faith… you believed in me, and defied even the will of the Kais to let me know that. You saved me from Bojack and for that brief second, you held me in your arms again… and you told me to let it go." Gohan closed his eyes, the memory of that day still vivid in his mind. "Its taken me a long time, but I think I'm finally ready to really move past it. I'll never get over it… not completely… but enough to finally understand what you were trying to teach me all along."

"I remember we were lying here one night, some time during the period before the Androids arrived, and you said you'd give up fighting forever if it meant the world would be at peace. I didn't really understand it back then - fighting was your passion, and you loved it. But you loved us more… and that was why you died, and why you chose to stay dead. I see that now…"

His lips twitched, the corners of his mouth lifting upwards until he was smiling. "There are so many days - like today - where I wish you were still here, so I could tell you about what I'd seen, and who I'd met… but even though you're gone, have been gone for several years now… I know you're still with us, with me… watching over the world like you always have..."

…

Far across the dimensions, in a world not our own, Goku smiled as he watched his son, his firstborn, and heard his words. Laughing softly, he whispered a reply, "I'm glad you're moving on, and happy you've made some friends. But I'll always be with you, Gohan, whenever you need me. I never truly left..."

A/N: And there you have it, chapter two and the rest of Gohan's first day. Not much in terms of actual plot development, but more of a buildup of the characters and their relationships to one another. More Gohan/Goten brotherly love, because I can, and a small Goku/Gohan father-son moment at the end. As you saw, Gohan is still training, but he's chosen to believe in his father's sacrifice and its more along the lines of keeping his memory and spirit alive, as well as being prepared for worst case scenarios. Still more info to come, though I'll try to convey it more through the story itself than these author notes.

Thanks for reading, and please review!

- Son