Hi all! Here's the next chapter of Katsuko's Story. Thanks to everybody who reviewed the past stories, your comments really brighten up the day. ^__~
An awkward silence settled over the group as they continued to watch the sky where the Dragon had disappeared. Without warning, Katsuko shot straight into the air. She flew about 30 feet, then hovered there, gazing at the horizon.
Chichi, startled, shouted, "Katsuko! What are you doing?!"
Katsuko looked down at the confused group and smiled. "I'm watching the sunset! It's so gorgeous! I forgot how beautiful the sunsets on Earth are!"
Bulma cupped her hands and yelled, "Well, you better get down here and quick, because it's almost dinner time!"
Katsuko's eyes grew wide. She took another quick gaze at the sun, then phased out and appeared right next to Bulma. "So, what's cookin'?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dinner was finished, and everyone, Saiyans and all, had had their fill. Well, almost. Goten and Trunks, who were still hungry even after the huge feast with Marron and the Eternal Dragon, were fighting over the last cinnamon rice ball. They stood forehead to forehead with the lonely uneaten rice ball inbetween them.
"No fair, Goten! I reached for it first!"
"Yeah, well I'm hungrier!"
They continued on for a while until Vegeta reached in between them, grabbed the rice ball in his hand and then popped it in his mouth. "Problem solved."
Both of them watched Vegeta slowly chewing the rice ball. Then, sighing rather loudly, they plopped back into their seats. Katsuko longingly looked at the empty plate from where there had once been a pile of them. She loved rice balls, especially her mother's.
Gohan chuckled, then turned his gaze to Chichi. "Hey, Mom? Is Kat going to go to my high school?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Katsuko, who gave a nervous laugh. "I've been thinking about her education too, Gohan," Chichi said as she rested her chin on her hands. "But I don't want her to go into high school just yet. She's been away for seven years, and probably hasn't even touched a book once. I don't think that she's prepared at all for the entrance exams."
Katsuko, who had been busily examining her hands, looked up and grinned. "Actually, Mom, I have been studying." Everyone thought this was hilarious. She looked around the huge table. "What? What's so funny?"
Everyone, except 18 and the kids, knew that Katsuko didn't do so well when it came to the studying department. She was smart, no doubt about that. It was just that she didn't like it. Back before Cell came along, they always would find her hiding out at the Son's fishing hole, trying to escape from studying. Krillin, smiling, said, "You studied on your own?"
Katsuko grinned sheepishly, and started to rub the back of her neck. "Well...no. Dad made me study."
This was even funnier. Goku? Make his kid study? Come on.
"So, your dad tutored you?" Yamcha asked.
"No...Actually, King Kai set up people to take turns. You wouldn't believe how many smart dead people there are . . . Dad made me study, because he said he didn't want to get in trouble the instant he saw Mom again. He said that way all of Mom's work shouldn't be put to waste. He did try to help me with my homework once, though." She chuckled. "I remember when I was learning about the history of genetics. He tried to help me study about the role of Mendel. I got confused, then he got confused, so we just ended up going back to the teacher anyway."
Chichi smiled. "So, what was the role of Mendel?"
Katsuko's grin faded. "What was his role? Um..." She scratched her head. "Wasn't he the guy that made hybrid pea plants grow taller?"
Chichi nodded. "Yes, that was him."
Katsuko beamed. "Awright!! I actually remembered something I studied for once!"
"What I want to know is how did Goku actually keep you studying without you running off?" Piccolo asked.
"Well, we made a deal. He said that if I studied when I was supposed to, I could train with him in the hyperbolic time chamber each year. If I played hooky, then I'd have to make it up immediately. But, I only did it a couple times when I first started."
Chichi sighed happily. "Well, I'm glad that Goku cares about your education enough to help you study. But the hyperbolic time chamber? Doesn't that place go on forever? You could have gotten lost, sweetie."
"Well, we kept that from happening by staying within eyesight of the building. The training was tough, but I think it made me stronger."
"How many kanji symbols do you know?" Chichi said, changing the subject. "Before that charade with Cell, you knew about 100."
Katsuko thought for a moment. "Probably 1,000. Maybe not that much, but around there. I also know all of the romanji characters. See, I love learning languages and other forms of writing. That's actually fun to me, and not too many of the people in Otherworld spoke Japanese."
"What languages did you learn?" Bulma asked.
"I know some English, and a few words in Spanish. Before I came back, I was just starting to learn the Arabic alphabet. There are so many people to learn things from. Oh, and a language that was really fun to learn was Namekian. Dende taught me."
Piccolo seemed very pleased with this. "Tell me something in Namekian, Katsuko."
"Um...okay. Let me think." She paused for a couple seconds, then spoke. "Owana irad ley. It means I am a jelly donut," she told the others, cracking up. "See, there was this one Venusian named . . . and then . . . Nevermind. I think you had to be there."
Piccolo gave a half-smile. "That's pretty good, but your accent is lacking a little."
Katsuko nodded. "Yeah, I know. But Dende said that if I work on it a little longer, I'll sound just like a real Namek. Do you think you could continue teaching where Dende left off?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
"Well, it seems that you've learned quite a bit while you were gone," Chichi said, "But before you take the exams, I want you to study with me for about a week so I know where you're at."
Katsuko slouched. She thought that by telling her mother all that she learned she might be able to skip high school alltogether. *Oh well. Maybe it'll be fun. I'll probably get to meet Gohan's new friends.*
Bulma took a sip of her coffee and set it down on the table. "Chichi, you need to take a break. I mean, you're already tutoring Goten! Why don't you let Katsuko come over here to study? I've hired a student teacher to tutor Trunks for a while. He's a college student, and he does great with Trunks."
Chichi nodded. "Alright. But can he teach her some more kanji? I want her to learn some more, just so she can get up to Gohan's level. He knows about 2,000."
Katsuko jerked her head toward her brother. *2,000?! How did he do that? Well, probably because he studied more than me before I died.* Gohan smiled and shrugged.
Bulma grinned at this. "Yes. I'm sure he could teach her some kanji."
"Good. It's settled then. So, when does she start?"
"On Monday. It'll give her a couple of days to get herself acquainted with life again."
Katsuko listened to their conversation and sighed. She wouldn't be able to get out of it if she tried. She was going to school.
There ya go, people -- you've read, so go ahead and review!
An awkward silence settled over the group as they continued to watch the sky where the Dragon had disappeared. Without warning, Katsuko shot straight into the air. She flew about 30 feet, then hovered there, gazing at the horizon.
Chichi, startled, shouted, "Katsuko! What are you doing?!"
Katsuko looked down at the confused group and smiled. "I'm watching the sunset! It's so gorgeous! I forgot how beautiful the sunsets on Earth are!"
Bulma cupped her hands and yelled, "Well, you better get down here and quick, because it's almost dinner time!"
Katsuko's eyes grew wide. She took another quick gaze at the sun, then phased out and appeared right next to Bulma. "So, what's cookin'?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dinner was finished, and everyone, Saiyans and all, had had their fill. Well, almost. Goten and Trunks, who were still hungry even after the huge feast with Marron and the Eternal Dragon, were fighting over the last cinnamon rice ball. They stood forehead to forehead with the lonely uneaten rice ball inbetween them.
"No fair, Goten! I reached for it first!"
"Yeah, well I'm hungrier!"
They continued on for a while until Vegeta reached in between them, grabbed the rice ball in his hand and then popped it in his mouth. "Problem solved."
Both of them watched Vegeta slowly chewing the rice ball. Then, sighing rather loudly, they plopped back into their seats. Katsuko longingly looked at the empty plate from where there had once been a pile of them. She loved rice balls, especially her mother's.
Gohan chuckled, then turned his gaze to Chichi. "Hey, Mom? Is Kat going to go to my high school?"
Everyone's eyes turned to Katsuko, who gave a nervous laugh. "I've been thinking about her education too, Gohan," Chichi said as she rested her chin on her hands. "But I don't want her to go into high school just yet. She's been away for seven years, and probably hasn't even touched a book once. I don't think that she's prepared at all for the entrance exams."
Katsuko, who had been busily examining her hands, looked up and grinned. "Actually, Mom, I have been studying." Everyone thought this was hilarious. She looked around the huge table. "What? What's so funny?"
Everyone, except 18 and the kids, knew that Katsuko didn't do so well when it came to the studying department. She was smart, no doubt about that. It was just that she didn't like it. Back before Cell came along, they always would find her hiding out at the Son's fishing hole, trying to escape from studying. Krillin, smiling, said, "You studied on your own?"
Katsuko grinned sheepishly, and started to rub the back of her neck. "Well...no. Dad made me study."
This was even funnier. Goku? Make his kid study? Come on.
"So, your dad tutored you?" Yamcha asked.
"No...Actually, King Kai set up people to take turns. You wouldn't believe how many smart dead people there are . . . Dad made me study, because he said he didn't want to get in trouble the instant he saw Mom again. He said that way all of Mom's work shouldn't be put to waste. He did try to help me with my homework once, though." She chuckled. "I remember when I was learning about the history of genetics. He tried to help me study about the role of Mendel. I got confused, then he got confused, so we just ended up going back to the teacher anyway."
Chichi smiled. "So, what was the role of Mendel?"
Katsuko's grin faded. "What was his role? Um..." She scratched her head. "Wasn't he the guy that made hybrid pea plants grow taller?"
Chichi nodded. "Yes, that was him."
Katsuko beamed. "Awright!! I actually remembered something I studied for once!"
"What I want to know is how did Goku actually keep you studying without you running off?" Piccolo asked.
"Well, we made a deal. He said that if I studied when I was supposed to, I could train with him in the hyperbolic time chamber each year. If I played hooky, then I'd have to make it up immediately. But, I only did it a couple times when I first started."
Chichi sighed happily. "Well, I'm glad that Goku cares about your education enough to help you study. But the hyperbolic time chamber? Doesn't that place go on forever? You could have gotten lost, sweetie."
"Well, we kept that from happening by staying within eyesight of the building. The training was tough, but I think it made me stronger."
"How many kanji symbols do you know?" Chichi said, changing the subject. "Before that charade with Cell, you knew about 100."
Katsuko thought for a moment. "Probably 1,000. Maybe not that much, but around there. I also know all of the romanji characters. See, I love learning languages and other forms of writing. That's actually fun to me, and not too many of the people in Otherworld spoke Japanese."
"What languages did you learn?" Bulma asked.
"I know some English, and a few words in Spanish. Before I came back, I was just starting to learn the Arabic alphabet. There are so many people to learn things from. Oh, and a language that was really fun to learn was Namekian. Dende taught me."
Piccolo seemed very pleased with this. "Tell me something in Namekian, Katsuko."
"Um...okay. Let me think." She paused for a couple seconds, then spoke. "Owana irad ley. It means I am a jelly donut," she told the others, cracking up. "See, there was this one Venusian named . . . and then . . . Nevermind. I think you had to be there."
Piccolo gave a half-smile. "That's pretty good, but your accent is lacking a little."
Katsuko nodded. "Yeah, I know. But Dende said that if I work on it a little longer, I'll sound just like a real Namek. Do you think you could continue teaching where Dende left off?"
"Sure."
"Thanks."
"Well, it seems that you've learned quite a bit while you were gone," Chichi said, "But before you take the exams, I want you to study with me for about a week so I know where you're at."
Katsuko slouched. She thought that by telling her mother all that she learned she might be able to skip high school alltogether. *Oh well. Maybe it'll be fun. I'll probably get to meet Gohan's new friends.*
Bulma took a sip of her coffee and set it down on the table. "Chichi, you need to take a break. I mean, you're already tutoring Goten! Why don't you let Katsuko come over here to study? I've hired a student teacher to tutor Trunks for a while. He's a college student, and he does great with Trunks."
Chichi nodded. "Alright. But can he teach her some more kanji? I want her to learn some more, just so she can get up to Gohan's level. He knows about 2,000."
Katsuko jerked her head toward her brother. *2,000?! How did he do that? Well, probably because he studied more than me before I died.* Gohan smiled and shrugged.
Bulma grinned at this. "Yes. I'm sure he could teach her some kanji."
"Good. It's settled then. So, when does she start?"
"On Monday. It'll give her a couple of days to get herself acquainted with life again."
Katsuko listened to their conversation and sighed. She wouldn't be able to get out of it if she tried. She was going to school.
There ya go, people -- you've read, so go ahead and review!