Goten couldn't sleep. He just lay in bed with his eyes wide open and a big smile on his face. All he could think about was that kiss. Yes, that kiss. Tina's lips were so smooth, so delicate. And her hair felt like silk. And her skin, that chocolate brown skin. It was all too much for Goten. He couldn't believe he had kissed a girl who was so beautiful.
Earlier in the evening, Goku gave Goten and Tina a ride back to Tina's house. Goten and Tina were sitting in the back seat, and Goten had his arms around her. Goku drove like a crazy man, but that didn't matter to Goten at the moment.
The car arrived at Tina's house in about ten minutes. Goten got out the car, walked around it, and opened the door on Tina's side. Tina got out and walked up to the front door of her house with Goten. She kissed him on the cheek, opened the door, and waved back to him as she entered the house. Goten stood and waved. Then he went back to the car and sat in the front seat next to Goku.
"What's the matter, son?" asked Goku as he pulled away.
"Dad, I really like this girl. I'm having these weird feelings and I don't know what to do about them," said Goten.
"You don't do anything about it."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't try to change it. Just let it be. Let your feelings guide you."
"Wow, that's really deep, Dad."
"That's how I realized I loved your mother."
"But Mom said she tricked you into marrying her."
"Well, she did, but the love was still there. I honestly had no idea what marriage was, but I still had feelings for Chi Chi. And I still do. So instead of trying to figure out what my feelings meant, I just let them guide me, and about thirty years later I'm here talking to you about it."
"So I should just keep going and see what happens?"
"That's it. You've got it. Don't try to question it, just let things happen and then act upon it."
"Thanks, Dad. You really helped."
Goten sat back and relaxed the whole ride home. Goku glanced to the side and smiled at his son. Goten was having these questions at the same time that Gohan had them. Goten was just sixteen years old and already wondering about girls and learning life lessons.
Now, in the present, Goten was still staring at his ceiling. The image of Tina was stuck in his head. Not that he wanted that particular image out, it was just there. Goten closed his eyes and turned onto his side. There would be plenty of time to think about it in the morning.
Just then Goten heard a voice coming out of the room next to him: Gohan's room. Goten listened and heard Gohan talking but nobody else answered. Goten picked up the phone and listened.
"I'm sorry, Videl! Please let me come home!" pleaded Gohan.
"What home?! I don't even have a room to sleep in thanks to you!" yelled Videl.
"I promise not to take the training overboard anymore! Please, please, PLEASE LET ME COME BACK HOME!"
"No, Gohan! Not until you pay to have the wall repaired!"
"I can't afford that on a teacher's salary!"
"Well you should have thought about that before!"
"Videl, if you would just..."
CLICK
"Oh...shoot," said Gohan.
Goten hung up the phone and smiled. There was always some kind of drama going on in that family. He wondered if Tina had the same kind of drama in her family.
********
Tina sat at a desk in her room, writing in a journal. Obviously, she was writing about Goten. Goten was the only thing on her mind at the moment. She wrote and wrote and wrote. This was not the first time she had written about Goten, but it was definitely the best entry she ever wrote.
Dear Journal,
Today had to be the best day of my life. I didn't expect this to happen. Goten...and me. In a way I guess I should thank Trunks, too. I know Goten sent him to see how I felt about him, but I won't tell them that. I guess Trunks knows that I know too. Off the subject. Okay, well, I really want to go to Hydro Island with Goten, but I'm not sure if I can. I mean, Mom's probably too doped up to care or even be aware of what I'm doing. And Dad...I won't even mention him. There's just no point in doing that. Maybe I should
Tina stopped writing suddenly when she heard noise outside of her bedroom. She got up from her desk, put her ear to the door, and listened. Her parents were fighting, as usual. And she already knew what it was about. Her mother had gone off somewhere to get high, and she was trying to steal stuff from the house to give to the dealers. Her father was yelling at her for it when he caught her.
"Damn it, Joan! I keep telling you that you are not welcome in this house if you stay on that shit! I'm sick of you coming in here looking for stuff to give to your drug buddies!" yelled Tina's father.
"Fuck you, Harry! I'll do whatever I want to in my own home! You can't stop me, so don't fuckin' try to!" yelled Tina's mother.
Tina could hear her father slap her mother to the floor.
"Bitch, you pack your shit and get out of here! You're not gonna take another thing out of here! And I don't want you influencing my two daughters! I'm shocked Marcus even made it into college with this shit happening!" said the father.
Marcus was Tina's older brother, who she loved to death. Despite all the chaos in the house, he kept his grades up and was attending Yale. Tina's younger sister, Bianca, was only six years old and had no idea how to handle all the chaos. Tina prayed every night that Bianca wouldn't have to go through the same torment that she went through.
"I know you ain't talking about negative influence, the way you're always..." Joan stopped speaking when Harry slapped her even harder.
"I'm only gonna tell you once more, woman! Get the hell out of my house and don't come back!" he yelled.
Joan slowly got up and walked to the door. She opened it and looked back at Harry with tears in her eyes.
"Why did all this have to happen? I still love you. I love the kids. I want to change. I want another chance," said Joan.
"There aren't any more chances. Not for you, you God damn crackfiend. Now get out," said Harry.
Joan slowly walked away. It was raining hard, and in a few minutes there was going to be a thunderstorm. She walked through the rain and sobbed as she left the house. Tina knew deep down inside that this would be the last time she would ever see her mother. Tina turned out the light in her room, climbed into her bed, and tried to cry herself to sleep. She knew what was next, and even though she knew it was coming, she would silently pray every night that it wouldn't. She could hear her father slowly walking up the steps toward her room.
"Goten, I need you," Tina said through tears.
Her door slowly opened, and a silhouette of her father appeared in the doorway. Tina could see his shadow on the wall, but she didn't look up. She just lay perfectly still. Harry closed the door behind him and walked up to the bed. He sat on the side of it and stroked Tina's hair. Then he pulled her sheets down, climbed into the bed, and pulled her nightgown up.
"You know I love you right?" said Harry.
"Dad, stop. Please...just let me sleep," said Tina.
Harry firmly grasped the back of Tina's neck. The hold hurt worse than anything Tina had ever felt, and she thought she would pass out. Harry squeezed tighter and pulled her head up to his.
"You don't ever tell me to stop. I'm your father, you understand?" said Harry.
"Yes..." Tina said through tears.
"Good." Harry released Tina's neck. "You know I love you. This is for your own good."
Tina lay still with her father on top of her. She battled back tears and closed her eyes. She pictured Goten, somehow swooping in through her window and saving her. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. She just lay still, still running that thought through her head. And wondering. Asking herself the same question over and over.
Goten, where are you? she wondered.
And far, far away, Goten was jarred awake from his sleep. He sat straight up and looked around. He was sweating and trembling. His dream was not a good one by far, and there was only one thing on his mind.
"Tina...something's not right," said Goten aloud.
He had no idea how right he was.
END OF CHAPTER TWO