A TEENAGE SAIYAN'S REALLY BAD DAY
This timeline in this story is right after Buu is defeated;
therefore Goku is alive and well. Goten
is around 8, and Gohan is in his late teens.
Goku, Gohan, Goten and Chi Chi sat at the dinner table and
ate. Of course, the three Saiyans ate
with a lot more gusto than the petite Earth woman. Chi Chi was amazed, and quite a bit disgusted at the usual gusto,
which her family ate with. Still, she
couldn't help be a little flattered that they loved her cooking so much.
After dinner, Chi Chi asked Gohan to help her with the
dishes while Goku went out with Goten.
The two of them had, after all, a lot of catching up to do since Goten
hadn't known his father for 8 years.
"Mom," said Gohan, "why do I always have to help you with the
dishes. Why don't you let Goten do it
for a change?" "Now dear," said his
mom, "you know how much catching up your father and Goten have to do." "But Dad's been back for 2 months now," said
Gohan. "I think it's about enough,
already. I mean, dad never talks to me
anymore. We haven't even trained in a
long time." "Well, you need to be
studying to prepare for college anyway," Chi Chi said. "That's all I ever freakin' do," thought
Goku's first son.
After the dishes were done, Gohan hit the books, as
usual. He could see out the window by
his desk, and saw that Goten and Goku were having a grand old time. Goku tossed little Goten up in the air, and
he laughed innocently. "That ignorant,
idiotic, dumbass laugh," Gohan thought.
"Little prick never had to study a day in his life. Hasn't even gone to school. He gets to fight with dad. When I was little, I hardly ever saw my
father because I was always studying, studying. Back in the day, when I kicked Cell's punk ass, I couldn't even
get the credit I deserved. Satan got it
all. After that, study, study,
study. I helped whip Buu's ass with the
Zed sword, and still I have to sit here and read this bullshit. I want to fucking fight, damn it." He continued his gaze out the window. Goten and Goku were going at it full
tilt. "Dad never trained me for
fun. Oh, sure, he trained me in the
room of time to fight Cell, but that was serious. We never just had fun.
I'm damn near an adult, and all that good shit passed me by." He looked at his little brother outside, and
a strange emotion filled his heart. He
had only felt this once before. Right
before his body nearly exploded when Cell killed 16. It was hate. He suddenly
felt a moment of shame for that emotion, but the longer he watched his brother
frolic with Goku, the more the feeling began to return. He looked in the mirror, and saw his eyes
begin to turn green. His hair had a
streak of blonde. "I'd better chill,"
he thought, and quickly returned to his work.
For now.
Later that night, after dark, the whole family was
inside. Goten, Chi Chi, and Goku were
watching TV. But, guess what Gohan was
doing. "I've got to get ready for these
finals," he thought. He heard a laugh
track on the TV. It was South Park. "Shit!
I love that show!" He heard
Goten laughing. Again, for no good
reason, his stomach turned. He got up
and set his papers to one side. "Finally done. 40 page
report, done. Thank Kame." Gohan got up and went into the living room. "Hey, guys," he said. "How's it going, son," said his mom. "Come watch some TV with us." Gohan looked at Goten. "Nah," he said, "I'm going to go out for awhile. I've been in all day. I need some air." "OK," said Chi Chi. "Can
I come?" said Goten with a smile. "NO!"
Gohan yelled. Everyone stared at
him. Goten looked as if he'd been
smacked across the face. "I mean,"
Gohan continued, "it'll be time for you to go to bed soon. Maybe tomorrow."
Gohan flew off into the cool night air. The breeze seemed to chill his anger for
awhile. He thought of going to hang
with Videl, but he really just felt like being alone. He sat under a tree in the woods and thought. His mind raced back to when he was very
little. When Raditz had shown up. He and his father had a great time before
that. After Radditz and his father were
killed, he thought about his training with Piccolo. Piccolo was a tough ass teacher, but deep down he knew the green
softie really cared for him. Piccolo
didn't like to show it, but Gohan new.
"At lease Piccolo didn't make me waste my life away reading," he thought. "Shit.
I could be at Super Saiyan 3 now if I hadn't wasted all this time." But, his mind kept going back to Goten. He remembered his life while mom was
pregnant. Dad had just died. Did his mom ever comfort him? Did she ever sit up with him on the nights
he lay awake crying thinking of his father?
Hell, no! It was just, "Gohan,
help me up. Gohan, go shopping. Gohan, make me a pickle and sauerkraut ice
cream Sunday." Then, came the little
runt. And from that day on, he hardly
existed in his mother's eyes. All he
did was study, while she changed diapers, sand songs, wiped his little
ass. "God. Did she forget she had another son? Oh, wait. I fucking
forgot. I'm the one who's going to make
the family rich one-day. I'm going to
be the great scholar." Now, his mind
drifted to he and Goten training before the World's Martial Arts
Tournament. He thought of how powerful
his brother was. "Mom's been training
me while you were studying," came Goten's voice. "Training," thought Gohan.
"She nearly killed dad and I if we mentioned training, and now SHE goes
and trains this little bastard?" He
remembers asking his mother about that.
"Goten just isn't as smart as you, dear," Chi Chi had said. "I thought that since he probably won't be
much good at school, I might as well teach him something he could do." "Gee, mom," Gohan angrily thought, "maybe I
like fighting, too. Maybe I wanted to
honor my father's memory by doing more than just fighting in some stupid
tournament." Now, he thought back to
how he felt when he first saw Goten become a super saiyan. 7 years old, he was. "Jesus!
I nearly killed myself to learn to do it. I remember the pain in the room of time. My God!
It was so hard. And he does it
at 7?"
Gohan returned home soon after, but he didn't feel much
better. He said hi to his family, and
then went to put his papers in his book bag for the next day. Only, they were gone. "Now, where the hell did I put them?"
thought Gohan. "I know I left them
right here. Mom. Have you seen my report?" "No dear," she replied. "Dad?"
"No, son. Sorry." Then he looked
at Goten. "Hey, squirt. Have you seen my report?" "Your what?" came a tiny voice. "The papers that were on this desk, like, 40
of them, have you seen it?" "Oh," said
the little one with a silly grin, "was that important?" Gohan looked at his brother. Now, mixed with the anger, was fear. "Goten," he said between his teeth, "where
the FUCK is my report???" "Um," replied
Goten. "Mom made me throw out the
garbage, and I saw all those papers and though…" Gohan ran outside. He
looked in the trash. The can was
empty. When he got inside, Chi Chi
looked at him with a very sorrowful gaze.
"The garbage men already came, dear," she said.
Gohan looked from one family member to the other. His eyes fixed on Goten. He thought of all his frustrations throughout
the day. He thought of the 12 hours it
took to write the report. Goku sensed
Gohan's ki going up, and began to look worried. Gohan kept staring at his brother. But, his brother was gone.
In his place, he saw, Radditz, Freeza, Cell, Buu. All the ones he hated. He saw them all in one mutated, coagulated
mass.
"Son…of…a…BIIIITTTTTCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
He ran over and grabbed Goten.
He began to shake him violently.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, YOU
LITTLE BASTARD. SINCE THE DAY YOUR WERE
BORN I'VE HATED YOU! YOU'RE AN
IDIOT! A MORON! A CRYBABY!
I WISH YOU WOULD DIE SO MY LIFE COULD GO BACK TO NORMAL! I WANT YOU TO DIE, MOTHERFUCKER! I HAAAAATTTTTEEE YOU! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD! DEAD!
DEAD! BASTARD!!!!" Goku quickly ran over and tried to pry Gohan
off his brother, who he was still shaking.
Goku tried to pry Gohan's hands free, but was amazed that he
couldn't. Chi Chi ran over and tried to
help Goku. Goten's head was flopping
around like a rag doll. Even Goku, who
didn't have the highest IQ, knew what could happen if you shake a small child
that hard. And, this was his extremely
powerful son doing it. "Gohan! STOP!" screamed Goku. "You're going to kill him! Calm down!"
Gohan stopped and looked at his father.
He looked at his mom. Then, he
looked at Goten. The mutated demon was
gone. His little brother was back. Goten's eyes were terrified. He had never seen his little brother show
that kind of fear. He let him go. Goten dropped to the floor and tried to get
up, but he was so dizzy that he just fell on his ass again. Chi Chi ran to him and tried to pick him up,
but Goten just stared blankly at his big brother. His eyes filled up with tears.
With a hysterical crying that Gohan never heard come out of him before,
even during one of his famed temper tantrums, Goten got up and ran to his room.
Goku grabbed Gohan by his shoulders. "What in the hell is wrong with you, boy!"
screamed Goku. "I've never done it
before, but if you ever put your hands on anyone in this family again, I will
bust your ass! And you know I can do
it, son!" "Oh, yeah," said Gohan,
sarcastically. "I forgot. I yelled at your precious little
angel." Gohan turned around, and walked
out the door.
Later, Chi Chi walked into Goten's room. His was lying on his bed; his eyes blood red
from crying. Chi Chi tried to explain
to him the stress his brother has been under because of his school work, but
all she got at of Goten was the hiccupping jitters of a small child that has
just finished crying for 2 straight hours.
She kissed his forehead, and told him not to worry. "Your brother really doesn't hate you
sweetheart. He just needs time to cool
off." Goten looked at her.
"I…didn't…mean…to…throw…away…his…pa…pa…paper," Goten whined. "I know dear," said his mom. "And Gohan will realize it too. Just give him time." "No he…won't. He hates…m…m…" Goten
began to cry again. Chi Chi had to sit
with him for a long time before he finally fell asleep. She knew Gohan shaking him hadn't hurt
him. Hell, she'd seen the kid fall from
50 feet in the air and get up and laugh.
But, Gohan had done with words what no one had ever done. Not Buu.
Not anyone. Gohan had single
handedly broken Goten's spirit.
Late that night, Gohan came home. His mom and dad were waiting for him. "Gohan," Goku started.
"Are you OK now?" "Yeah, I'm
cool," he said. "Look. I'm sorry about before, but I just couldn't
take the fact that Goten destroyed those papers. I've rewritten them, but that's just because Dende let me use the
room of time. I've been gone for a
week." "Well," Chi Chi said, "I hope
you've had time to think about what you've done. Your little brother is devastated." "Ah, he's a tough little guy.
You don't really think I'd hurt him, do you?" "It's not that," Goku began to explain. "Sometimes words can hurt more than any punch, kick or
blast. You've done with words what
Recoom did to you awhile back. Maybe
even more. Your little brother loves
you and looks up to you, even more than me.
Every time I'm outside with him, he asks when you can come out and
play. I tell him you can't because
you're studying." "Oh, he doesn't
care," Gohan responded. "Oh, no? Do you know what Goten said the other day,
Gohan?" Chi Chi said. "He said,
'Mom? Why do you always make Gohan
study? It's not fair. Why don't you let him come out and
play?' I explained to him that I knew
how smart you were and that you'd be a success some day. Gohan, I think you're a little angry with
me, your father, all of us. But, you
were wrong to take that anger out on your brother. You should have told all of us how you feel. If the studying is just too much, just tell
me. I only want the best. I don't love your brother any more than I
love you." "Same here," said Goku. "I was thrilled when both of you came
along. "Well, I'm sorry about the way I
acted," began Gohan, "but I'm still pissed about the paper. Goten has to learn to be a bit more
responsible." "Then, teach him,"
replied Chi Chi. "You're about the only
one he listens to." "But first," Goku
said, "I think you're going to have to sit down and talk to him." "Yeah, when I'm ready. Goodnight."
Gohan lay in bed and couldn't sleep. He thought of his mother and father's
words. "Your brother looks up to
you." "He loves you." With the stress of his term paper behind
him, he was free to think much more clearly.
He thought back to when Goten was 5.
Gohan had woken up to get a drink when he heard crying from his
brother's room. He went in and saw
Goten sitting up in bed, upset as hell.
Goten had had a real whopper of a nightmare. "I'll go get mom for you," Gohan had said. But it wasn't mom Goten wanted. It was him.
Gohan sat up all night with his brother until he fell asleep. He thought of the time he himself was
sitting alone crying. Goten had walked
into his room and caught him, straight out.
"What's wrong, big brother?" Goten had asked. Gohan had explained how he was thinking about dad and was feeling
depressed. Goten walked up and gave him
a big hug. And, amazingly, he felt better.
Gohan got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and saw tears
streaming down his face. He thought of
all his words from earlier that night, or week, for him. "I hate you." "I wish you were never born."
"Die." "Die." "Di…"
"Oh, God," he thought. "I didn't
mean that. What have I done? Just because I had a bad day I had no right
to take it out on the little guy." He
stared at his reflection for one more moment, splashed water on his face, and
headed for his brother's room.
Goten was asleep, but Gohan inhuman senses could tell it was
a restless, uneasy sleep. Looking at
his brother made him begin to cry again.
There's just something about the innocence of a child sleeping that
could melt any heart. "Hey," Gohan
whispered, shaking his brother lightly.
"Wake up, kid." Goten woke up
and the first thing he saw was his big brother. At first, his sleepy mind didn't know what to think. Maybe Gohan was in here to kill him. The look of fear made Gohan feel even worse. "Please," he said with tears literally
pouring from his eyes now, "don't ever look at me like that." He sat down and put his arm around his
brother. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I said. I didn't mean any of it. I, I just had a rough week and took it out
on you. I don't have any excuse. I don't blame you if you hate me, and if you
want me to go, I will. Just please,
don't ever look at me like, like an enemy.
You know I'd never hurt you, no matter what." Goten looked up at Gohan, and he too was now crying. "I'm sorry about your paper," he said. "That's OK.
Don't worry about it. I redid it
anyway, and it's even better now."
Goten looked up at Gohan, and they both smiled. "I love you, big brother," Goten said. "I love you too, kid."
The next day Chi Chi woke up. Goku was still snoring.
Well, at least it kept the wild animals from miles around away. Chi Chi pulled out her earplugs and walked
into the kitchen. After breakfast was
done, she went to wake up the boys.
When she got to Gohan's room, he wasn't there. "That's weird," she thought.
"Maybe he's up already." She
went to wake up Goten. When she opened
the door, she saw both her sons. Gohan
was sitting up, asleep, with Goten in his arms. Both were smiling. Chi
Chi smiled, and quietly turned around and shut the door. For the first time ever, she let her boys
sleep in late.
The end.
