It was Saturday morning. Goten woke up at about 11:30, and he felt terrible. He had trouble sleeping the whole night. Every now and then he could get a few moments' rest, but then something would just wake him. Something didn't feel right. He didn't really fall asleep until about 5 in the morning, and even then he didn't feel very rested after waking up.

Goten rose out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Waking up late was definitely not a good thing, because everybody else had already eaten. Goten poured some cereal into a bowl and then went for the milk. Only a droplet of milk came out of the carton. Goten cursed to himself and walked away from the kitchen. He still felt horrible, and he had this strange feeling that something wasn't right. Why was he so worried about Tina all of a sudden? Why did he keep getting this feeling that something had happened to her?

Goten went into the living room, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels and saw that there was nothing on. He slapped his palm into his forehead and groaned loudly.

"Damn...all the cartoons have gone off already...this sucks," said Goten aloud.

It was just a bad day for Goten. He needed cheering up. And he needed to be sure that Tina was okay. He reached over the couch, grabbed the phone, and dialed Tina's number. After a few rings, a man with a deep, harsh sounding voice picked up the phone.

"Who is it?" snapped Tina's father.

"May I speak to Tina, please? This is her friend, Goten," said Goten.

"...Wait a minute." Harry put the phone down for a second. "Tina, get down here! Some boy is on the phone! I better not find out you're fuckin' him or something, or it'll be your ass!"

Damn, why is he so harsh? No wonder Tina doesn't like talking about her family. thought Goten.

A few seconds later, Tina was on the phone.

"Hello?" said Tina.

"Hey, you're talking to the sexiest man alive," said Goten.

"Really? Well I'll have to let Goten know I met you!" said Tina.

"Funny. So how are you?"

"Um...alright, I guess. Are you okay? You sound tired."

"Tired isn't the word for it."

"Really? Are you sick?"

"Let's put it this way. You ever see that James Bond movie where Bond is strapped to a table and has a laser aimed at his manhood?"

"Yeah."

"Compared to how I feel, that would be paradise."

"Aww, poor Goten. You want to go out today? You might feel better."

"Yeah, that would be great. So where do you want to go?"

"How about the movies?"

"Sure. What time should I come get you?"

"2 in the afternoon. And don't be late, or I'll aim a laser at your manhood myself."

"Ouch...yes ma'am."

"Okay, bye Goten."

"Bye Tina."

Tina hung up the phone and turned to her father, who was sitting on the couch and reading a newspaper. She slowly approached him but purposely kept her distance.

"Dad..."

"What?"

"I'm going out today."

"Where?"

"I'm going to the movie's with my friend. He's..."

"You mean that boy who just called?"

"Yeah. His name is Goten. He's really nice."

"...Fine, just make sure you're not too late."

"Okay...oh Dad there's one more thing."

"What the hell do you want now?"

"Well a few kids from my school are going to a theme park after school's out and I was wondering if I could go with them."

"Are you out of your damn mind? I'm not paying for some little juvenile park!"

"I'll pay for it myself! I've got enough. It's only thirty dollars."

"And you're going with this Goten boy, aren't you?"

"...Yes."

"I'll let you go, but I don't want to hear anything else about this Goten kid, you hear me? Don't let me find out something else is going on with you two."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Whatever. Get the hell out of my face." Harry went back to his newspaper.

Tina ran to her room and went straight to her closet. She shifted through her clothes in search of something to wear. She had to be perfect for Goten. She wanted to tell him about the abuse, both physical and emotional, but that would be unfair to lay all her problems on him like that. At least that's the way she felt. But that didn't matter now. She was going to spend time with the one person who could make her feel better. And that's all that mattered.

********

Goten was busy going through his clothes and trying to find something to wear. He had a lot in his wardrobe, but everything seemed to look ugly to him. He finally found the perfect outfit: a black silk T-Shirt, thin gold chain around his neck, a thin red shirt over his silk shirt with the buttons open, black jeans, and tan Timberland boots. Goten got dressed, then jumped in front of the mirror and started making sure his hair was slick and even. He glanced at his clock and realized it was only 11:45. Saiyans do tend to get dressed faster than normal people. Now he just had to wait. And while he waited, he had one other thing to take care of: transportation. He already had a learner's permit and a junior license, but he also needed an adult in the car with him. And Goku was gone with the family car. Goten got an idea. He ran to the phone and dialed the number for Trunks's house. Bulma picked up two rings later.

"Briefs residence," said Bulma.

"Hi Bulma. It's Goten."

"Oh, hi Goten! I haven't seen you in a while! What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering, can I..."

"No, you can't borrow my car."

"Why not?"

"Because your sixteen."

"Well could you give me a ride? Please? I would really appreciate it."

"What's her name, Goten?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?!"

"Come on. Who's the lucky lady?"

"...Her name's Tina. We want to go to the movies today, but I can't get a ride. Please Bulma, could you give me a ride?"

"I'm sorry, but I have Capsule Corp. business to take care of. But...hmmm...hold on Goten."

Bulma put the phone down and walked into the living room, where Vegeta was doing pushups on the floor. She leaned over him and smiled.

"Vegeta, honey?"

"What?!" snapped Vegeta.

"Can you do me a big favor?" asked Bulma.

"No."

"Oh, all I want you to do is give Goten a ride to the movies."

"That little fool can fly, can't he?"

"Yes, but he's taking a girl with him."

"So he can teach her how to fly, too."

"Vegeta, please? I'll give you a reward."

"Woman, what could you possibly have that I would want?"

"Vegeta, when you do those pushups, and you look at me, what do you think of?"

Vegeta stopped and sat on the floor. He thought over what Bulma was proposiong.

"...Fine. But they better not say a thing to me, you understand?!"

Bulma walked back to the phone and picked it up.

"Goten?"

"Yeah?" replied Goten.

"What time do you need Vegeta to be at your house?"

"Between 1:30 and 2:00."

"Okay. He'll be there."

"Thanks, Bulma. You're the best."

"Yeah, I know."

At around 1:45, Goten heard a horn repeatedly honking in the driveway. He ran out of his room at super speed, kissed Chi Chi on the cheek, and bolted out the door. Chi Chi had no idea what hit her.

"Get in the back and keep your mouth shut," snapped Vegeta.

"Thanks, Vegeta. I really appreciate..." started Goten.

Vegeta cleared his throat and started revving the engine. Goten sat back and shut his mouth, but he did have a sly smile on his face that was pissing Vegeta off.

"Address?" asked Vegeta.

"Sorry. Too busy shutting up," replied Goten.

"You know I'll just leave you here..."

Goten quickly said the address and they were on their way. Vegeta drove extremely quickly. Apparently he wanted to be done with this as soon as possible. Goten just sat back and thought about Tina. He would be with her soon. Within five minutes, Vegeta stopped in front of her house.

"Hurry up and get her," said Vegeta.

Goten jumped out of the car and ran to the front door of Tina's house. He straightened his shirt, slicked his hair over once more, and rang the doorbell. Tina came out a few seconds later.

"You're right on time," said Tina.

Goten couldn't say a thing. He was just stunned. Tina stood in the doorway, wearing a tight blue T-Shirt, a short black skirt, and her hair in braids. Goten stammered and stuttered, but he couldn't get a word out.

"Goten? What's wrong?" asked Tina.

"You...you look beautiful," said Goten.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Um...I'm sorry, what am I doing here again?"

"Just follow my lead, boy. You're lucky I like that dense side of you."

Goten snapped back to normal and held out his arm. He almost lost it there, but only for a minute. Tina took his arm, and they walked back to the car. Goten opened the door for Tina, watched her get in, then got in on the other side of the car.

"Tina, this is my chauffeur," started Goten. Vegeta growled loudly.

"Uh...friend..." Vegeta growled even more loudly.

"Uh...guy I know named Vegeta. Vegeta, this is Tina."

"Nice to meet you," said Tina.

"Likewise," said Vegeta. Goten was shocked he said anything at all. But at least he wasn't yelling.

Vegeta started moving in the direction of the nearest movie theater. Tina stared out of her window and sighed. She was happy to be there, but she dreaded going home. Something told her to open up to Goten right there, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Goten got a strange feeling that something was wrong.

"Tina, you okay?" asked Goten.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Tina. She inched toward Goten and put her head on his shoulder. "Now."

Goten put his arm around Tina and looked down at her. She looked back up at him. She was almost ready to open up, but she had to choose her words carefully.

"Goten, can I ask you something?" asked Tina.

"Of course," said Goten.

"Can I count on you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...can I count on you for support?"

"Of course. You know I'll always be here for you."

"And if I had a problem, I could talk to you about it, right?"

"You can tell me anything. Wait a minute...you're not really a man, are you?! Oh, Trunks said this would happen!"

"See, that's why I love you." Tina smiled and put her arm over Goten's chest. Goten got a scared look on his face that she didn't see.

Love?! Did she just say love?! I'm not ready for love! Wait...maybe she meant like...brother and sister love. Yeah that's it...isn't it? Who am I kidding, this ain't brother and sister love! thought Goten.

Vegeta could see Goten's shocked expression in the rearview mirror. He smiled to himself and kept driving. Within a few minutes, they were at the theater. Vegeta turned his head halfway to the side.

"I'll be back in two and a half hours to get you. If you're not here when I come, you'll have to fly home," said Vegeta.

"Uh...yeah, Vegeta. Okay," said Goten.

Goten and Tina got out the car and watched Vegeta speed away. Goten scratched his head and laughed. Tina gave him a curious look.

"Fly? What did he mean by that?" asked Tina.

"Uh...oh, Vegeta's a big comedian! You know the type, everything's a joke! Heh heh..." replied Goten.

"I guess so. So, what movie do you want to see?"

"Whatever you want to see. Lady's choice."

"Wow, you're such a gentleman. I never knew this side of you existed."

"Neither did I..."

Tina and Goten walked into the theater, which was huge, and checked out all of the movies they were playing. They came across one poster that had a picture of Mr. Satan standing over Cell's broken body. The poster read, "Power and Triumph: The Mr. Satan Story". Tina and Goten both got a good laugh out of the poster.

"That guy is so fake. I know he didn't really beat Cell. I heard there was a little boy at the tournament that really beat him. Too bad it was before we were born, huh?" said Tina.

"Yeah. That reminds me, you gotta meet my big brother Gohan," said Goten.

Goten and Tina walked around the theater some more and saw one poster that caught Tina's eye. It was one of those sappy love flicks, called "Dangerous Love", which didn't mean a thing to Goten. But he could tell Tina wanted to see it.

"What do you think of this one?" asked Tina.

"This looks good. I was actually looking forward to it," Goten lied.

"Great, let's get some tickets."

There was hardly any line, so the couple got up to the counter pretty quickly. Goten bought both of the tickets with his own money, naturally, and the two of them went off in search of the theater. Half way through the theater, Goten spotted somebody familiar nearby.

"Hey, Trunks!" said Goten. Trunks turned around and saw him.

"Hey, Goten!" Trunks walked up to Goten. Marron was walking with him.

"Hey, Marron. How are you?" asked Goten.

"I'm fine, thanks. Hey Tina," said Marron.

"This is cute. So, you and Trunks, huh? I never saw it coming," said Tina.

"Uh...hey it's not like that. We're just two friends seeing a movie together, nothing more," said Trunks.

"Sure, buddy. I believe you," said Goten.

"Tina, you gotta help this boy. His mind isn't right," said Trunks.

"I know, but I can handle it," said Tina.

"So, what are you seeing?" asked Goten.

"Oh, man, we're gonna see that new Jet Li flick! That thing looks good!" said Trunks.

"I've been waiting forever to see it," said Marron.

"What? You mean... 'The Seven Assassins'? But...I thought you and me were gonna see that..." said Goten.

"Sorry, Goten, but you seemed busy, and I knew Marron wanted to see it. What are you gonna see anyway?" asked Trunks.

"Oh...um...just...this movie. Uh...the name escapes me at the moment..." said Goten.

"We're going to watch Dangerous Love," said Tina.

"Oh really? Well uh...*snicker*...that sounds...lovely. You two enjoy," said Trunks.

"Thank you, Trunks. You're too kind," grumbled Goten.

"Anytime, pal of mine. Well, we better get to our seats. Oh, one more thing. How did you two get here?" asked Trunks.

"Your dad gave us a ride," said Goten.

"Oh, man, you have my sympathy." Trunks patted Goten on the shoulder and then walked away. "Enjoy the movie!" Goten could hear Trunks and Marron cracking up as soon as they walked away.

"We better get our seats too. You ready, Goten?" asked Tina.

"Yeah...can't wait," said Goten.

Goten and Tina entered the theater and sat in the last row. The entire theater was packed with teenage girls and their miserable dates. Every male in the theater had terrible frowns on their face, and all the girls were talking about how good the movie would be. Goten tried his hardest to hide his dread. The previews started shortly after Goten and Tina entered the theater.

For years, there have been renowned martial artists, played the message. Pictures of Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and of course, Bruce Lee, appeared on the screen. But despite all their talents, only one man could be known as the greatest martial artist in the world. Goten sat up in his seat and was immediately interested. Now, presented to the world for the first time, the chronicles of the strongest man in history...Mr. Satan!!!! Goten sank back down into his seat. Thrill to the adventures of Earth's greatest hero! Marvel at the trials and tribulations that resulted in a legend! And finally see Mr. Satan's greatest triumph as he defeats the menace known as Cell! Starring Shaquille O'Neal as the menacing Cell, Michael Buffer as the ring announcer of the Cell Games, and The Rock as Mr. Satan himself! The Rock entered Cell's ring with a terribly fake-looking afro on his head. "Hey Cell, do you smell what Mr. Satan is cookin'?!" Don't miss the greatest story ever told! Power and Triumph: The Mr. Satan Story!

Goten snickered and sat back. At least he had something to laugh about while he was slowly tortured with the boring movie. Two previews later, the movie came on. It was one of those typical love stories: Guy meets girl, girl has problem, guy meets conflict, guy and girl face conflict together, guy and girl fall in love. Goten didn't really care, but Tina seemed to be enjoying the movie. There was one scene in the movie that did get Goten's attention, though. The girl in the story lived in a terrible home. Her father repeatedly beat on her and her mother. Goten felt a little sad for the character, but then he reminded himself that it was a sin to actually like the movie. He glanced to the side and noticed Tina wiping a tear out of her eye. He put his arm around her and looked down at her.

"Pretty sad, huh?" said Goten.

"Yeah..." said Tina. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Goten knew something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Are you alright?" asked Goten.

"Goten...do you want to leave? I know this movie is boring you," said Tina.

"Oh no, it's fine. I like it."

"Goten, please? This movie is pretty boring. Do you mind finding something else to do?"

"...Sure. No problem."

Goten and Tina got up and walked out of the theater. One guy in the theater saw them leaving and got an idea. He was proud of Goten for taking a stand.

"Hey I'm with that guy! Let's get out of here!" yelled the guy.

"Yeah!" yelled every other guy in the theater.

Tina found a little bench and sat on it. Goten sat next to her and put his arm around her. All of a sudden, he saw about twenty teenage boys walking out of the theater and heading over to any action flick they could find.

"Goten, I'm sorry," said Tina.

"For what?" asked Goten.

"For dragging you in there. I know you would rather see that movie Trunks is watching. But I appreciate you watching this with me."

"Hey, it was no problem. You don't need to feel sorry for anything."

"You know, that movie was pretty sad. That girl had all those problems, but she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Not even the guy she loved. It was really deep. It makes me appreciate those who are close to me."

"Tina?"

"Goten, thank you. You have no idea how much this meant to me. I'm so glad I have a friend like you."

"I'm always here, Tina. You know I'll always be there whenever you have something on your mind."

"I know. I really appreciate it."

"Tina, is there anything you need to talk about?"

"...No, nothing. I'm positive."

"Alright. Just let me know whenever you have something on your chest."

"Goten, this means so much to me." Tina looked deep into Goten's eyes. "You mean so much to me."

For the next hour, Goten and Tina sat in each other's arms. Trunks and Marron walked out of their theater and were talking about the movie. They stopped when they saw Goten and Tina sitting on the bench. Trunks and Marron decided to wait until they got up to go talk to them.

"Trunks, you might as well come over," said Goten.

Trunks and Marron laughed and walked over to Goten. Trunks looked down at Goten with a sly grin, and Marron gave the same grin to Tina. Tina was incredibly confused.

"How did you know Trunks was there?" asked Tina.

"His cheap cologne," said Goten.

"Yeah, I ran out, so I borrowed this from Goten," said Trunks.

Goten, Tina, Trunks, and Marron walked through the theater and toward the exit. They were just talking and having a fun time, like teenagers should. They all stood outside of the theater and waited for Vegeta to show up. The car pulled around about ten minutes later. All four of the teenagers walked up to the car. Vegeta was shocked to see all of them.

"How the hell did you multiply?! There were only two of you when I came, and now there are four! What is the meaning of this?!" yelled Vegeta.

"We just kinda found each other, Dad," said Trunks.

"A conspiracy! That's what this is! This is a conspiracy to drive me to madness! Bulma set this whole thing up, didn't she?!"

"Dad, it's not like that. We just found each other."

"...Get in the car. Your mother and I will have words..."

Everybody managed to pile into the car and get comfy. Of course, Vegeta wasn't comfy. Marron and Trunks sat in the front, and Trunks's elbow was stuck in Vegeta's ribcage. Goten and Tina were still sitting in the back. Vegeta just wanted to blow the car up, but then Bulma would bitch.

"Hey Tina, did you ask your parents about Hydro Island?" asked Trunks.

"Oh yeah. They said it was okay," said Tina.

"Great. Goten, you and me have to find some good bathing suits," said Trunks.

"Sounds good to me," said Goten.

"Well I'll have to find the right suit. Something that you would like Goten. Got any requests?" asked Tina.

"Hmmm...dental floss. Definitely dental floss," said Goten.

"You know that's not gonna happen," said Tina.

"Oh, okay...nothing at all, then."

Vegeta tried his hardest to tune out everybody else in the car. If he didn't, he would go insane. He just concentrated on the road and, at one point, contemplated pushing them all out of the car while it moved, starting with Goten. But once again, he would have to hear Bulma's mouth. So he restrained himself and kept driving. The car arrived at Tina's house after a little while. Goten opened the door for Tina and walked her to her house.

"Thanks again, Goten. I had a lot of fun today," said Tina.

"I had fun too. Take care." Goten kissed Tina on the cheek and walked away. Then he turned back around. "At least consider the dental floss bikini?" asked Goten.

"Fine, I'll consider it," Tina laughed. She opened the front door and walked in. Once she was in, she walked upstairs as quietly as possible. She glanced into her father's room and saw that he was asleep. Finally she ran into her room, fell onto the bed, and smiled.

Goten jumped back in the car, and Trunks and Marron got an idea. They each got in the back seat, with Trunks sitting on Goten's right and Marron on his left. Goten looked around for an explanation. Marron inched closer and punched Goten in the arm.

"Uh...ow?" complained Goten.

"So, how long have you been a playa?" asked Marron.

"Don't call me that. We're just friends...really good friends...really close friends...but still, just friends," said Goten.

"Come on, Goten. What's your secret?" asked Trunks.

"What secret? Can't a guy and a girl be just friends? I mean, you too are just friends...allegedly," said Goten.

"Look, if you don't want to admit it, that's cool. But I saw a glint in your eye that I've never seen before," said Marron.

"That's true. The way you look at her is not the way two friends look at each other. But we'll leave it alone...for now," said Trunks.

"You two are crazy. That's all I have to say," said Goten.

Marron looked over to Trunks, grinned, and nodded. Trunks grinned and nodded back. Then he punched Goten in the arm. Marron punched him in the other arm. They took turns punching him in the arms until Goten was rocking back and forth. They were all young adults, but they were still kids a heart.

"Hey, what is this?!" yelled Goten.

"We're gonna beat the truth out of you!" said Marron.

Trunks and Marron continued punching Goten's arms. He tried to fight them off but couldn't. He charged his ki, transformed into a Super Saiyan, and unleashed his power to fight Trunks and Marron off. Trunks powered up and turned into a Super Saiyan too, and all the power blew the roof off of the car and singed Vegeta's hair. Vegeta turned around and glared.

"Out! All of you! OUT!" yelled Vegeta.

Goten, Trunks, and Marron all climbed out of the car. Trunks ran to the other side and leaned over to Vegeta. Vegeta was ready to kill him.

"Dad, we're sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart not to..." Trunks was cut off by Vegeta speeding away.

"Trunks, when are you gonna tell him his hair is on fire?" asked Goten.

"He'll figure it out sooner or later," said Trunks.

"You guys want to come to my house? It might be too dangerous too go to Trunks's house," said Marron.

"Yeah, that's cool. You want to get Pan too?" asked Goten.

"Sure, let's just have a sleepover at my house. I'm sure my parents won't mind," said Marron. With that, Goten, Trunks, and Marron flew toward Marron's house.

********

Tina was busy writing in her journal as usual. Still writing about Goten, of course. Then she heard her door open. She looked over her shoulder and saw her little sister Bianca standing in the doorway. Bianca walked up to her and glanced at the journal.

"What are you writing?" asked Bianca.

"I'm writing about a friend of mine," replied Tina.

"It's that boy you went out with today?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"You like him, don't you?"

"We're just friends, nothing more. Just...really good friends...really close friends...but still, just friends."

"I bet I know how to tell if you like him or not."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"I know how to read lovelines. Want me to read yours?"

"Okay. Go get your blanket, some popcorn, and get dressed for bed. Then come back. You can sleep in here and read my loveline. But I bet you won't find anything."

"Okay, we'll see."

Bianca ran into the kitchen to make popcorn. Tina was slightly intrigued by the whole idea of having her loveline read. Maybe it would show something about Goten. Maybe it wouldn't. But it would be fun to try something new. So she was ready to test it out. And, all things considered, it was a good day for both she and Goten.

END OF CHAPTER THREE