-Relative Normalcy

The next week was much less action packed than that day. The stadium had been shut down for an undetermined amount of time. What they were trying to find was beyond my knowledge as the pod was destroyed with absolutely no evidence remaining. School was still in session though there remained a conspicuous absence of Domestic Science classes.

I was outraged when they, at first, tried to pin the event on my mom, mostly Brittany Rouge, Angela's mother and head of the PTA's doing. But with the witness support of thirty students the blame was quickly removed and the incident labeled a mistake.

Ms. Rouge was livid, the angry blush on her face almost matching the red of her hair.

Angela came back by the next Monday, bandages on both arms but for the most part okay, she immediately sought out Gohan, as she had found out who her saviour was from her friends, and though the name wasn't familiar, finding the Son boy wasn't hard. He had a way of standing out, the air just felt lighter around him.

Speaking of feeling lighter... Sharpener passed by my sight more than a few times this week. After a couple of days of groveling for me to take him back, the last of which resulting in a hard slap for him, he seemingly gave up. He'd seethe at me when he saw me in class, the few times he actually went to class, but otherwise he said nothing. I felt lighter and not the least bit put off by the break up, probably due to the company I kept.

Gohan was noticeably quiet over the week, he was never really talkative but he had a worried expression on his face most of the time, hiding it when Videl, myself, or surprisingly Angela would grab his attention. I shook it off as him being new to the school and perhaps being put out by the Phys. Ed class. Crass was enough to make anyone miserable...

It was the day after Angela's return, the Tuesday when the slightest bit of unnatural came about, walking into the gym the first thing I noticed was the lack of the coach and the unnatural presence of the Son boy.

As he sat on the bleachers, his face held a seriousness that made him appear double his age. Even still, Angela and I still skipped up the stairs to reach him, both of us sliding in on opposite sides of him, shocking him out of his trance.

"H-Hey girls," he gave each of us a one armed hug, as was common practice, blushing slightly as Angela scooted closer to him.

"Hey cutie," I flashed a small smile at him, "what's wrong?"

"Hmm?" he turned his attention from the redhead on his arm, "Nothing's wrong, just thinking. Family stuff, you know?"

"Mhm," Angela nodded her head understandingly, "I get in spats with my mom all the time, they clear up soon enough."

Gohan's face drooped for a second before he regained his composure, "Yeah that's it..." he gave an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

I raised an eyebrow at the hesitation but said nothing. I really have to act on these things I pick up.

"Yo Mountain boy!" My ex, coming through and disrupting the cozy atmosphere we had going on. "You're brave coming here after, coach chewed you out."

I scoffed at him as Angela rolled her eyes and flipped her hair, "Didn't you hear? Coach doesn't teach here anymore," the redhead informed the blonde boy as she would a three year old.

"What!" Sharpener exclaimed, "they got rid of coach?! He's the best there is! What's going to happen to the football, boxing, track and field, and martial arts teams!"

"Don't worry," a new voice soothed. We turned around to see a man in an orange gi, with a small scar on his face. "Crass is still in charge of most of those teams, with the exception of the martial arts team, that's mine." he gave a cocky smirk as he pointed to himself.

"What makes you good enough to train the three time defending Satan Squad?" Sharpener asked, offended as he turned around only to have his world flipped upside down, behind him was perhaps the most famous baseball player to ever grace the earth. Yamcha "The Bandit" Heater. The man who had to try to get doubles instead of homeruns, the man who called it a bad day if his hits didn't make it out of the stadium.

"You-You're Yamcha!"

Yamcha gave a mock shocked look and looked himself over, "Huh? I guess I am, who knew?" he finished with that trademark confident smirk of his.

I was a tad starstruck but not much, being around Videl helped numb that emotion and the embarrassment that usually followed.

Gohan excused himself from Angela's clutches and from both of our spaces politely with a simple "Excuse me."

He made his way down the bleachers past the blonde boxer and shook hands with the superstar casually, "Nice to see that you haven't changed a bit," Gohan said it easily and teasingly, much more laid back than he had spoken with anybody at school thus far.

"The Bandit" shook his hand and patted him on the back familiarly. "Hey Gohan, nice to see you again," ignoring that little jab to his ego. "Thanks for setting me up for this gig. I need all the positive publicity I can get right now."

"My pleasure, it'll be nice to have an actual martial artist as a coach."

"Wait you did this?" Sharpener was outraged as were his goons. The students nearby stopped their excited mumbling to watch the scene. "You kicked coach out of the job just because he dissed you? That's a bitch move nerdboy."

"I offered Yamcha because he's the better teacher. He's not here for any more than this unit, the coach is still getting fully paid as Yamcha is doing this as volunteer work. If all goes well he'll be here for the baseball unit as well but this is in noway a permanent replacement."

Gohan felt a firm hand on his shoulder and turned back to see Yamcha shaking his head. "No need to defend me, bro. I get where they're coming from." he turned to face the smug looking blonde, with a controlled glare on his face, "But as for you, that's really no way to treat a peer, or a teacher. You've got to learn how to chill kid. My sensei wouldn't take that and I definitely won't tolerate any of that attitude in my class. Clear?"

Sharpener responded with a reluctant "yes sir" as his crew nodded behind him.

"Good!" Yamcha broke out into a wide grin, one befitting of his usual casual nature. "Now all of you gather around. We're going to break off into three categories. No martial arts experience on the left, greater than two years experience in the centre, and greater than 5 years experience to the right."

The students complied relatively easily, there teacher was a celebrity after all.

Yamcha scanned the group, duly surprised that the majority of the students had at least limited practice in the arts.

"Okay so you're a large group so it's impractical for me alone to give you optimal training as a group, and considering that there's a tournament going on that's the important part. So if you're not interested in competing in the tournament or learning martial arts I'll set you up with something different, worth full marks of course."

There were cheers from more than half of the class as we separated ourselves until only eight people remained. Gohan was surprisingly over with those who didn't want to learn from the celeb. Videl must have noticed as she called out to him.

"Hey Gohan! What are you doing over there? We all know that you're already a good fighter," she shot him a quizzical look.

Gohan looked sheepishly at all the faces now staring at him, glancing at Yamcha to perhaps lend a hand.

No such luck as the Bandit seemed content to fold his arms and give him a go ahead nod.

"Well... I've already learned from Yamcha. I've known him forever and he's taught me a bit over the years," came the answer to which Yamcha scoffed, but otherwise remained silent.

"The kid soaks it up like a sponge," Yamcha mumbled before telling us that for this first day we could do whatever and get full marks. "Just don't hurt yourselves," was the only rule.

A large amount of the remaining kids went to play a pick up baseball game, seeing as the equipment was there for them and they were in the presence of a Superstar.

I contented myself with simple volleyball exercises, alongside Angela. Gohan was there to keep us company but didn't join in instead contending himself with sitting by us, cross-legged eyes closed, chatting.

It's strange how nowadays I was hanging out with these two. Me and Angela had been in school together just as long as me and Videl had been but we ran in different circles, even with similar, gossipy personalities, and being on the same volleyball team for three years now.

Sure we talked but never really hung out and sought each other out to just talk.

I bumped the ball back to Angela as I delved into thought.

Gohan was another weird case, sure he was a top grade, ten-out-of-ten cutie pie and a nice guy but he was for all intents and purposes, your typical nerd. Genius level smarts, socially awkward, and adorably shy, he fit the bill perfectly. If he hadn't saved that café a week ago, I'd probably never have paid him any mind.

Angela wasn't much different, she wasn't exactly a nerd, or an athlete, or a gossip, just a run of the mill girl. She was cute, pixie like, but wasn't as outgoing as one of the "popular" girls. Her living was modest and she even had a job, much better than most of the girls, living off of daddy's credit card.

I usually was one to hang out with the popular kids, the alleged "upper crust" of OSH. The rich and the strong, and the almost unbearably prideful. But I guess I somehow wormed my way to the more common. The more modest, the ones who couldn't afford a vacation to Payapa Island or North City every year but were content being where they were.

And I was having a lot more fun. There wasn't need to keep up appearances, wearing last season's fashions wouldn't get you scorn. The conversations wee better, heck even my marks had improved much to my mother's joy. I just felt lighter. It was an easier way to hang out. I could be me.

I smiled lightly as I volleyed the ball again.

Angela noticed. "What's so funny?" she shot me a quizzical look, not worried just wondering.

"I just feel really good about myself, really light ya know?" I smiled wider as she did the same.

"Uh huh! I totally get you girl. Weird as it sounds I've been feeling really happy, despite the little incident I had. It's been a nice change of scenery since then."

"What do you meeeeaaaaaaaan!" my sentence turned into a shriek I was pushed away from where I was standing by a strong tan arm. I almost fell as I looked for the culprit, shocked at it being Gohan.

I was about to ask him what his deal was when the foul tip hit him hard in his chest with a grunt and a wince, right where I would've been standing. My frustration quickly turned to concern as he clutched the impacted area.

He fell back into his seated position as he rubbed the area, trying to soothe it. I was right by his side as were, Videl, Yamcha, Angela, and the batter who'd hit it.

"Yo sorry bro, it took a bad cut off the bat, I'm real sorry man." He apologized profusely and sincerely.

"It's fine," the Son boy grunted, trying to stand up. Yamcha halted him with a hand.

"You sure bud? I really didn't mean it," the kid was sweating bullets as Yamcha put his hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine kid. But he needs room. Go back to the diamond and tell everyone he's okay." He sent him a soothing smile. "It took real guts for you to apologize. I'm impressed."

The teen, Johnny, nodded numbly as he went back to tell the rest of the class the relieving news.

Yamcha helped Gohan to his feet as he whispered in his ear. "You sure you're okay man those things hurt like nobodies business if you're not ready for them."

Videl peeped up from the left. "How're you still fine after that? most people would be hard pressed to not cry after a blow like that. You only look winded." She looked at him worriedly buy she was grateful that everything turned out fine.

I didn't even care about the how or why. I glomped him as gently as I could. "You saved my life Gohan! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I gave him a peck on the cheek and held him tightly. His blush was adorable.

"You're, like, the best guardian angel a girl could have Gohan! That was amazing!" She hugged him too but she let go as I held on tightly.

"Looks like you're in good hands Gohan," Yamcha gave a playful smirk but didn't comment further. "I'll leave him I'm your care ladies. He have Gohan a proud nod before signaling for Videl to follow him back to the other martial artists in training.

"I can't believe you saved me again Gohan. I don't even know if I'd be here without you." I refused to let him go as we sat him down in the shade outside. "Thank you so much." I said it quietly.

"Y-you're welcome Erasa. I'm just happy I was there."

"There has to be someway to repay you."

"It's okay Erasa, really I don't need anything, I'm just happy your safe," he sent her a soft sincere smile, before turning to the incoming Angela, thanking her for the bottle of water.

"At least let me see the bruise Gohan, just to make sure you're okay." Angela said and I nodded in agreement.

Gohan looked away shyly before nodding his head in consent. He took off his shirt reluctantly, the blue t-shirt revealing a deep purple muscle shirt that molded to his muscles perfectly.

He moved his shirt to the side to show where he was hit but aside from a slightly more pinkish tint there was no damage. There was however, scar after scar. They littered his body various sizes and intensity.

He gulped as we examined them, holding in our breath until at last he couldn't take the staring and put back on his t-shirt.

"See, I'm fine," his voice was quiet as he tried to play off the scars as an everyday occurrence.

"Gohan..." 'what happened?' was what I wanted to ask but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The bell rang one tense minute later and Gohan was the first to stand up and make his way out, though he helped us up first.

Angela followed him and I trudged behind her worriedly.

'What happened to my Gohan...'

A baseball coming off a metal bat reaches an average speed of 106.5 mph. I think that would be like a mosquito bite to an unprepared Gohan, due to the small area of impact and the tightly wound centre of the ball.

As always, go tell Patreca to write a story.

Thanks for Reading!