A Bet Worth Losing (Chapter Five – Kenji)

*

Maybe another time... Videl thought. He better tell me today. I would've never guessed... Gohan actually likes someone. I wonder who? She closed her locker and sighed, gripping hard onto her Health textbook. He better tell me...

"Videl!"

She turned around at the sound of her name, and was greeted by her best friend. "Hey Gohan."

"Good morning."

"Gohan!"

Gohan looked forward, forcing a pleasant smile. "Oh, hey Angela."

Videl felt someone tap her on her shoulder, and she turned around, frowning a bit. "Eh... Kenji? Do you need anything?" she asked, halting while Gohan and Angela walked off to their classes.

"Actually, yes," he stammered. "You know the Winter dance that's coming up? I know it's sort of late to ask... but... will you... go with me?"

"I..."

"If you don't want to, I'll understand..." he said disappointedly.

"Kenji," Videl began quickly, not wanting to hurt him. "I'll think about it, alright? If we do go... it'll be as friends, right?"

His face somehow didn't get any happier. "S-sure. That's fine."

She smiled at him, shifting her book uncomfortably in her arms. "I've got to get to class now... I'll see you later?"

Kenji nodded slowly. "O-okay. See you."

They both turned away, and Videl headed off to class, not believing that she had just been asked out by one of her classmates that she had known ever since kindergarten, but never really talked to.

"Hey, Videl!" Gohan called to her as she entered the classroom. "Where were you?"

"I... I was with Kenji."

Gohan's face faltered. "Kenji?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He... he asked me to go to the dance with him."

"What'd you say?" Gohan urged curiously, leaning towards her.

She took the seat next to him and sighed. "I told him I'd think about it."

"Well, what's your answer going to be?"

"I don't know!"

"Has he ever asked you out before?"

Videl stared at him, looking at him weirdly. "What's with all the questions?"

Gohan pulled back, not realizing it himself as to why he was asking all of those unnecessary questions. "Sorry, I guess... I guess I'm just kind of surprised that he asked you."

"What?" Videl asked almost angrily, continuing to stare at him.

He gave her an apologetic look. "No! Videl! I didn't mean it like that! I seriously didn't mean that in a bad way! It's just-"

"Gohan, just... be quiet."

For some reason, that shut him up. He looked at her and touched her arm, but she pulled away as if she had been burned.

He sighed.

Today was going to be a long day...

*

"Hey," Videl greeted casually as she sat down next to Kenji, placing her lunch beside him. "How's the day going for you so far?"

"It's been, um, fine."

"Oh, well, that's good."

"Yeah," he said, biting his lower lip. "Why... why aren't you sitting with Gohan and them?"

She shrugged, sitting down. "I just didn't feel like it. So I decided to come here... is that okay?"

He nodded quickly. "Of course!"

She smiled. "Good."

Gohan stared at her back, not even paying any attention to his lunch. For some reason, he now felt... empty. It was awkward without Videl by his side. She was always by his side... and he didn't know... it just felt weird.

"Just make up," came a high voice behind him. "It's obvious you like her, and you don't want to lose her. I don't know what you guys were fighting about, but you better go apologize before she just totally blows you off."

"Erasa, it's not that easy, and I don't like her... in that way..."

The blonde looked at him. "Okay, Gohan. Yes, I'm a blonde, and yes, I can be very stupid at times, but it doesn't take a genius to see that you love her."

"But I don't..."

"If you don't, then stop staring at her."

"What? ...Oh."

Erasa sighed. "Videl's my friend, and I don't want to see her get hurt. The same goes for you."

"I don't know why she got so mad! I barely said a thing! I used to say that all the time, and she didn't care."

"She didn't care as much before because she wasn't attracted to you then. Whatever you say now affects her a lot. Despite her rough attitude, Videl is still a girl. She's stronger than most, but that doesn't change a thing. Do you get it?"

"But I..."

Suddenly, Angela appeared beside him, hugging his arm.

"Uh..."

"Oh, Gohan... isn't this great?"

No, he thought bitterly. Nothing's great. "What is?"

"Us."

"Us?" Since when is there an 'us'? "Uh... sure."

*

"Bye Videl!"

She waved a little to Kenji as she closed her locker, heading off the opposite direction.

"Hey Videl," Gohan greeted as he appeared in front of her, pleading her to talk to him through his eyes. "Are we going to do anything today?"

She shook her head. "No, you can go home."

"Videl-"

"I really need to get home, Gohan. I have a lot of things to do."

He stopped as he watched her go. "...Okay..." he whispered.

*

Videl... she's really pissed at me. When I told her that I was surprised that she got asked out... I didn't mean that she wasn't attractive or anything... but I... why did I say that? Of all the other things I could've said...

He sighed.

I said that because I didn't want to tell her that I...

What? He what?

What am I saying...? I don't like her in that way, do I? She's my best friend... best friends aren't supposed to fall for each other...

He didn't know. He didn't know anything. He didn't know anything when it came to love... more than that, Videl.

I suppose I'll log on and see if she's on...

Entering chat room...

UltimateScholar1: Hey Videl.

SaiyaGirl2: Um, I've gotta go. Bye.

UltimateScholar1: No, wait, please... I need to talk to you.

SaiyaGirl2: I'll talk to you tomorrow. I've gotta go.

UltimateScholar1: ...Okay...

I'll call her...

Gohan picked up his phone, dialing Videl's number almost automatically.

Lets hope she picks up...

"Hello?"

"Hey, Videl?"

"...Oh, Gohan. I'm sort of busy right now..."

"I really need to talk to you..."

He could hear her sigh from the other line. "Can't we talk tomorrow? Kenji's on the other line right now..."

A growl emerged from his throat, and Videl blinked.

"Gohan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he sneered. "I'll talk to you tomorrow then."

Videl felt guilty as she hung up, clicking back to Kenji's line.

"Hey, Kenji... I gotta go. I don't feel so good right now... I'm going to head off to bed right now... I'll see you tomorrow."

*

Yeah... as said before, I was still sleep deprived when I wrote this. I pretty wrote down whatever popped into my head. I haven't read it over, but I will, eventually...