Chapter Eight
Life is known for the little mysteries it can create. Such as the pyramids, Stone Hedge, and the Bermuda Triangle. Gohan didn't care what anybody said about any of that for he had discovered the most bizarre and unsolvable mystery ever known to mankind. Women. He couldn't understand them for the life of him. And he thought his mother and Bulma were rare birds, but Videl made even them seem tame. He just couldn't figure out what she wanted. A week had passed since that incident in the park, and to his relief she and Gohan had made up rather easily the next morning. However, that didn't stop several similar incident's from occurring later that week. Nothing that broke out into a fight or anything major, but bad enough to upset Videl at least a bit.
It didn't help matters much that he was beginning to come to grips with these feelings he'd been experiencing. Yes, he was slowly starting to accept it, he was starting to care for Videl as more then just his friend. He tried to play dumb to the fact that that's what the feeling that had been growing inside him had been the entire time, but the game was long over. He couldn't pretend he didn't understand anymore. Everyone let him now about it anyway. His mother, Ryo, Erasa, half the school, and even Videl though she hadn't a clue Gohan had been talking about her when he told her what he was feeling. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Gohan hadn't quite decided just yet. It complicated things, that was for sure. These *feelings* could destroy a friendship if they weren't handled perfectly.
"Gohan! Are you spaced out or what?!" a slightly squeaky female voice asked from beside him. Gohan finally shook some sense back into this head, and finally took notice to the young lady who had been trying to grab his attention for over a minute now.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Kamari, I didn't notice you there. I was just thinking…"
"So, I noticed." Kamari blushed as she asked her next question. "Do you mind if I sit down? There's something I want to ask you."
"Of course not, go right ahead." Gohan smiled at the girl, as she sat down at the lunch table next to him. He really liked Kamari. She's what Gohan imagined his little sister being like if he had ever had one. "What's on your mind?"
The girl's blush darkened. "Well… I was just wondering. This might sound kind of strange, but I never properly thanked you for helping Scott and me out all that time ago. It took me a while, but I decided maybe I could thank you by maybe buying you dinner tonight or something."
"I told you already that you didn't need to thank me Kamari," Gohan laughed. "That's sweet of you, but it's really not necessary."
"I know, but it would make me feel a lot better. Come on accept, you have nothing to lose and it's a free meal. I promise I won't bug you anymore about it. Come on, give a girl a thrill."
"Now hold on a second!" A sly smile crossed his face. "Are you really looking to thank me, or is this just an excuse to tell people you went on a date with me?"
"Well, maybe a little bit of both," Kamari answered honestly. "And I do have some ulterior motives…"
"Like what?"
"Well…" Kamari leaned over, and whispered something into Gohan's ear. A smiled crossed his lips from about half way through the explanation, ended with a cheerful laugh from him.
"Is that it really? Awe, that's cute! In that case, of course I'll play along with you Kamari."
"Thanks Gohan," Kamari sighed, helping some of the blush to leave her cheeks. "Just promise me you won't tell anyone okay?"
"No problem. I promise."
Kamari said her goodbyes, and left just as Ryo and Videl arrived with their lunches. Videl eyed the girl suspiciously as she disappeared into the mass of humanity gathered in the lunchroom, before taking her normal seat next to Gohan. Ryo sat down across from them either not noticing or caring that the girl was even there. "Hey, isn't that the girl you saved from Rico a couple months ago Gohan? What did she want?"
"Oh that…" Gohan blushed slightly. "Um… She still wants to thank me properly for helping her and her brother out, so she's taking me out for dinner tonight I guess."
"What?!" Videl's eyes widened to the size of hubcaps, while Ryo nearly chocked on the food. "You mean like a date?!"
"No not exactly… She just wants to thank me, and I couldn't tell her no…"
Uh-oh, this isn't going to be pretty Ryo thought to himself, as Videl stood up from her seat.
"Well, it sounds like a date to me! Why couldn't you tell her no?! All you had to do was politely tell her you weren't interested!"
"Well, I tried, but she talked me into it! Besides, she's not really interested in a date or anything she just…" Gohan stopped himself as he remembered his promise to Kamari. He couldn't tell Videl about that even if it would save his hide, for whatever reason she was angry with him for. That just wasn't Son Gohan.
"She's just what?! Come on, spit it out Gohan!"
"Whoa, calm down Videl!" Ryo laughed, as he stood up next to her. "It doesn't matter whether it's a date or not. It's not like he's your boyfriend or anything, so I don't see why you're getting so jealous all of the sudden."
"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Videl screamed into Ryo's face, knocking him back down into his seat.
It seemed that then a light bulb went off in Videl's head tipping her off to just what she was doing. A blinding blush attacked her cheeks that seemingly forced her to lower her head, and sink back into her seat. "Of course I'm not jealous, that's ridiculous… Gohan has every right to go out with or be friends with anyone he pleases…"
"Then why did you get so mad then?" Ryo asked with an evil grin, only to get a bag of chocolate milk in the face. Luckily for him, somehow it didn't break and splash all over his head like Videl had hoped. "Touchy this afternoon aren't we?"
"I just remembered guys, I have something I need to do before class starts, so I'll see you two later," Gohan said, using the same tired old excuse he used whenever he wanted to get out of a situation fast. He didn't know why Videl was mad at him, but he knew when she was the best thing he could do was get as far away from her as possible.
"But what about your lunch?" Videl asked, sounding a little more desperate then she would've liked.
"I'm done already!" Gohan replied.
"In five minutes?!" Videl called after him, but he was already out of earshot or so she thought. In the mean time, Ryo nearly face faulted into his lunch.
Gohan you dork! You can't tell me you didn't pick up on any of that?! Come on… You should've confronted her about it, not turn tail and run like some sissy! He can't be that clueless, there's just no way! Oh well… At least Videl's still here for me to pick on.
"So…" Ryo opened his mouth to do just that, when Videl shot him a look that said if you dare say anything your going to be getting more then a bag of milk in your face. Because of that, Ryo decided to take a different, much less life-threatening road. "So, I guess that news means any hope I had that you and Gohan really were doing something behind my back is dashed huh?"
"Well obviously," Videl snorted.
"So, what are you going to do about it?"
"What do you think I'm going to do about it?"
"Knowing you, you're probably going to crash the party."
Videl smirked. "So, are you going to help me or not?"
"Hey, it's your love life not mine." Ryo smiled, a truly devious plan forming in the boy's head the entire time.
Videl chose to ignore that comment for the time being. "Whatever… So… How is your friend from the hospital doing?"
Ryo got a far off look in his eyes. He smiled slightly, and turned his head towards the ceiling. "So, do you think it'll rain today?"
Videl took the hint. "Na, but you never know."
********
"What?! A date! What have I told you about your studies Gohan?! You can't be wasting your time gallivanting around with these girls!"
"It's not a date mom!" Gohan pleaded his case with her. "She just wants to thank me for saving her from some bullies a couple months back. That, and she wants me to help her with something else she had me promise not to say anything else about!"
"Oh, come on Gohan," Krillen said, as he punched the teenaged prodigy in the arm. "You really expect us to believe that? I'm not surprised though, seeing how all those girls flock around you I figured it was only a matter of time before you hit the dating circuit."
Gohan frowned. "How many times do I have to say this?! It's not a date! Do I have to spell it out loud for you?!"
Gohan's heated gaze caused the short man to rock back in his chair at the Son household's kitchen table. Usually, Gohan had a decent sense of humor, but Gohan's reaction convinced Krillen he shouldn't doubt the Demi-Sayians word. "Gee, I was only kidding, lighten up Gohan. If it bother's you that much then I'll give it a rest."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you… My friend Videl's mad at me again because of this, and I really don't feel up to being teased about this…"
"Well, she should be mad at you Gohan," Chi-Chi jumped into the conversation. "After all, I can't believe a son of mine would be going out with a girl other then his girlfriend anyway. I thought I raised you better then that?!"
"Wait a minute! So Gohan does have a girlfriend!" Krillen laughed.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Gohan insisted, but the red on his face said otherwise.
Krillen wanted to laugh at the expression on Gohan's face. The way his cheeks lit up with embarrassment, an almost exact opposite reaction from the serious look of anger he had shown before. Yes, there was obviously something going on with this one. "Videl huh? I'm insulted Gohan, how come you've never mentioned her to me before?"
"Because I knew you'd goad me like that if I told you I had a girlfriend! I mean a girl that's a friend! Oh, you know what I mean! Look, you've got me all worked up now! I need to get ready, I'm supposed to meet Kamari in less then an hour!"
Gohan used that excuse to excuse himself from the table, and disappear upstairs into his room. "Man he's got it that bad huh?" Krillen asked Chi-Chi once Gohan was well out of earshot. "I didn't know a human being could turn that shade of red. Half-Sayian or not."
"Yeah, he's losing it quick even if he won't admit it," Chi-Chi sighed. "I am his mother after all, I can see things like that. I guess Videl would make a good wife for Gohan. She's a bit rude, but other then that the only thing I can find wrong with her is that she's that fraud Hercule's daughter.
Krillen had taken a sip of water, only to now sputter it around the kitchen like a lawn sprinkler. "Hercule's daughter?! Whoa that's deep… How the hell did that happen anyway?"
"Damned if I know, they met at school or something. I guess I can live with that horse's ass as an in-law as long as he's rich, Gohan's happy, and hopefully the grandkids won't be too prone to delinquency."
"Um… Chi-Chi, don't you think your getting a bit ahead of yourself with the marriage and grandkids talk already? Gohan's only been in school about three months now, so they can't have known each other very long."
Chi-Chi frowned. "Of course I'm not getting ahead of myself! I'm planning my son's future here!"
"I see," Krillen laughed nervously. "But do uh… Videl and Gohan know anything about this?"
Chi-Chi got up in Krillen's face forcing the smaller man to inch down into his seat. "Stop arguing with me unless you want to go from a short man back to a short bald man again!"
"Shutting up now! Shutting up… He, he…"
********
"Thanks for not making me dress up for this Kamari. I hate getting dressy, and stuff like that…"
"Why would I have Gohan? Kamari smiled, with her chin resting in her hands. They were parked in a booth of a small restaurant near the school. "Its just dinner after all. Like I said, no strings attached. I only meant to be friendly, I wasn't trying to lie to you. Just dinner, and my one ulterior motive…"
"I didn't think you were lying for a minute," Gohan assured her. "Speaking of your ulterior motive, just who is this guy your trying to use me to make jealous?"
"Um… Well, about that…" Kamari blushed and lowered her head. "Please don't overreact when I tell you this but… It's Scott…"
"Scott!" Gohan yelped, barely avoiding stabbing himself with his fork. It slid out of his hands, and rattled against his plate after it hit. "But, but… Isn't Scott your brother?! I don't like to judge Kamari, but isn't that… Well, kind of unnatural?"
"Hold on a second, let me explain! I know it sounds weird, but you see… Scott's not really my brother. Our parents were good friends, so we grew up together. We were always really close, so ever since we were about ten Scott started calling me sis and referring to me as his sister because that's the way he always looked at me. For the longest time I looked at him like a brother as well, but now…"
Gohan quickly analyzed the situation for her. "But now you don't look at him like a brother, you've been seeing him as something much more huh?"
Kamari nodded her head slowly, still blushing slightly. "I know it's ridiculous to think like that, I know he still looks at me like his sister… But after we met you my hopes arose though… You see, after you helped us out with that Rico terd, for a while you were all I'd talk about and I started to flirt with you a lot. I started to notice he'd get a little agitated and upset when I did, so I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was getting a little jealous…"
"Well, I don't mean to get your hopes up, but judging from what you've already told me, I'd say that's a very likely possibility. My only concern is, wouldn't you think a stunt like this might hurt your cause more then it helps it?"
"Well, I considered that, but the way I see it is that if he cares about me at all, he'll show up here sooner or later and try to say something about it… If he doesn't well… I'm a big girl, I can take it."
"You sure have a strange view on the way romance is supposed to work Kamari," Gohan smiled. "Oh well, whatever works for you."
"Ouch! Take it easy Videl, or your going to rip my arm off!"
"Stop whining, and move your butt Sharpner!" Videl barked, dragging Sharpner down the street by the hand. "I don't have all night! By the time we get there, they'll already be done eating and gone!"
"Umm… Shouldn't we have dressed up or something?" Sharpner asked dumbly, struggling with both his balance and keeping up with Videl. It didn't help matters much for every time she would yank on his arm, to make sure she didn't lose him. Sharpner in the meantime, was expecting to crash to his face into the sidewalk at any moment.
"Don't be stupid Sharpner! There's no need to overdo it! Remember, I'm only bringing you along to act as a prop while I perform a little surveillance, and that's all!"
"Now, just wait one second!" Sharpner yelled, as he finally managed to pry his hand from Videl's grip. It was like a vice-grip really, none of the guys he worked out or arm wrestled with at the gym could hold a candle to her. "Why should I waste an evening of my hectic social life helping you spy on your dork friend Gohan?! What's in it for me?!"
Videl growled with frustration. "For the tenth time Sharpner! If you help me out, I'll let you tell the entire school you went out on one date with me if you want too!"
"And you won't deny it either?" Sharpner grinned.
"No, I won't deny it…" Videl moaned in disgust at the thought of all the gossip that would be floating around school come tomorrow… However, it was a necessary evil she was willing to deal with. She didn't know why the hell she thought it was worth it, but she'd have plenty of time to figure that out later. Right now she was pissed and determined, and that was all she needed to know.
"Works for me, I'm in," Sharpner sung with satisfaction.
Videl didn't like the grin the boy was giving her. She could almost tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. Videl scowled like only she could, and got right up in Sharpner's face. His eyes widened, as he pulled his head back just a bit. "I said you can tell everyone you went out on one date with me, but don't you even dare think about telling anybody you got lucky with me! If you do, I'll make certain you can never have children, you got me?!"
"Of course Videl… He, he… Wouldn't dream of it…"
"Good, now let's go!" Videl grabbed Sharpner by the hand, and proceeded to drag the mumbling boy behind her. Not too much longer afterwards, Videl finally came to a stop in front of the small restaurant Gohan had mentioned they'd be going to that evening. "This is the place, now come on!"
"So tell me, why did you insist on me picking an all you can eat place Gohan?" Kamari asked curiously.
"You'll see once I start eating Kamari!" Gohan laughed. "This way I can eat my fill, and it will only cost you a few Zeni. You'd never be able to afford to feed me any other way."
"Come on! You can't eat that much!"
"You'd be surprised. My entire family is like that! You should see my brother and…" Gohan stopped in mid-sentence as he watched Videl and Sharpner enter the quaint little eating establishment. Little did he know it, but he stared at them for a good while as the hostess led them to a corner table and as they sat down.
Curious as to what in the world Gohan had suddenly found so interesting, Kamari turned her head to see what he was looking at rather then ask him out right. Her eyes grew wide much like Gohan's did when she saw the two other teens together. "Sharpner and Videl?! Together?! Ewe, that's weird… I didn't even think Videl liked Sharpner all that much."
"Nether did I…" Why the hell are they together anyway?!
Eventually, whether she already knew where Gohan was sitting or not, Videl paid some notice to the Demi-Sayian. She waved at him, wearing one of the strangest smiles on her face that Gohan had ever seen. Whatever that smile meant, it caused Gohan to blush and sink lower into his seat at the booth.
Videl smirked in satisfaction at the look Gohan gave her, but that quickly gave way to a frown when she thought over just what she was doing. What am I doing?! I'm acting like a child… Why am I even here?! What do I care what Gohan does with his free time, even if it is with that… Videl looked over at Kamari, and growled coming up with just the right word to describe her. That little tramp!
"Umm… What exactly do you want me to do Videl?" Sharpner asked nervously, a bit edgy as to who that look on Videl's face was directed towards.
"Don't do anything! Just do what you normally do, and sit there and look like an idiot! Don't talk or do anything, unless I tell you to!"
"I still don't see what's so special about him anyway," a young man grumbled as he peered into the window of the small restaurant, his eyes fixated on the young girl and her apparent *date* in the booth right beside the window. It took him a while to find a place to hide, but the bush in front of the building served as some nice cover. He needed to stand somewhere where he could peer inside, and at the same time not get caught looking in by the people eating their meals inside. He didn't want anyone to think he was some kind of weirdo or anything. "What does he have that I don't got anyway? Ah, who are you kidding Scott?! He's better looking then you, more popular then you, has better manners then you, and you sure held your head up high like a hero when Rico was threatening Kamari. Sigh… No wonder she flaunts all over him like that…"
"You know we all talk to ourselves occasionally Scotty, but when you start answering yourself you just might have to consider you have a small problem."
Scott jumped nearly ten feet in the air when the young man crept up from behind him. Bewildered, he turned around, and sighed with relief to discover it was merely the same person who had pushed him into coming here that day. "Kami Ryo, you scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Ryo giggled, as he walked up next to the boy who looked very much like a younger version of him. Brown hair parted almost the exact same way, and matching brown eyes. Scott could've easily passed for Ryo's younger brother, but the fact was that they'd only known each other a little over three months. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't chicken out, but you being here's a good sign. So, are you going to stand out here and window shop all night, or are you going to go inside and talk to her?"
"I don't know…" Scott sighed, and looked down at the woodchips and red rocks scattered at his feet. "She looks like she's enjoying herself, and I wouldn't want to bother her… I'd only embarrass myself anyway."
"Are you sure Scotty? Remember what we talked about, you'll never know if you don't try."
"She'd never be interested in me anyway," Scott continued his verbal bashing of himself, finding that his backbone was shrinking with each passing second. "She only thinks of me as a brother, hell I've called her my sister since as long as I can remember. It would make things too awkward… Well, if she has to be interested in somebody else I'm glad it's Gohan. At least I can live with that. I really tried to hate him, but he makes it too hard."
"I wouldn't get too ahead of yourself Scotty. How do you know Kamari's not here with Gohan tonight for the soul purpose of making you jealous?"
Scott frowned. "I'd love to think that Ryo, but what makes you say that?"
"Well, for one Gohan's kind of got a thing for somebody else, and he's not the type of guy to lead somebody on like that. Plus, judging from some of the things you've told me about Kamari lately, it sounds a lot to me like that's exactly what she's trying to do."
"Maybe…" Scott stared off into space as if he was considering this possibility. "How could I be sure though?"
"How do you think? There's only one way you're ever going to know for sure. For right now, let's survey the scene for a bit until you can finally make up your mind."
"Wait a second… Is that Scott?!" Kamari gaped, as she saw two brown heads quickly duck out of view when she looked out the window. "But who was that with him?"
"I think it was Scott," Gohan concurred. He ignored the question about the other guy. He knew who it was despite not being able to see him. I knew I felt Ryo nearby… Wonderful, I'm surrounded.
"I can't believe he's spying on me!" Kamari frowned, before her expression brightened. "How sweet! At least I know he's here, but what now? It won't do me much good if he's just going to stand outside."
"I have an idea." Gohan took a hold of Kamari's hand, causing her to blush slightly. "Let's try our best to motivate him to come inside."
Scott's eyes widened to the sight of Kmari's hands in Gohan's. "What are they doing?!"
"I dunno," Ryo stuttered, a bit shocked himself. His face lit up a bit more as Gohan's face leaned in closer to Kamari's, apparently whispering something into her ear that made the girl giggle. "This isn't good."
In the meantime, Scott was literally seeing red. "Who the hell does he think he is?! It's only their first date, and he's already putting moves on her like that! I thought he was different from those…"
All of a sudden a light bulb flashed in Ryo's head, as he realized what Gohan was doing. He smiled at Gohan's inquisitiveness, and decided to play along. "Don't look now, but I think I just saw him stick his tongue in her ear."
"What?!" Scott yelped, as he fell onto his back.
"What is he doing?!" Videl growled, a deep shade of red burning into her face as well.
"It looks like he's enjoying himself to me," Sharpner observed, smirking slightly. "What's the matter? You jealous or something?"
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Videl shouted into Sharpner's face, nearly knocking the boy out of his chair.
"Okay, okay, I was only joking!" Sharpner's eyes widened in confusion, as Videl took his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Just play along!" Videl growled. "If Gohan wants to flaunt in my face, then I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine!"
"You are?" Though surprised, Sharpner managed a smile. "Cool."
"Gohan are you okay?" Kamari asked, noticing his attention had drifted back to the table where Videl and Sharpner were sitting, and to say he didn't look happy would've been a severe understatement. She looked behind her once again, and noticed the apparent couple were now holding hands and coddling in a way similar, if fact almost identical to the way Kamari and Gohan had been doing. The only noticeable difference was that Videl and Sharpner weren't doing a near as convincing job as they were. While Sharpner appeared to be legitimately enjoying himself, Videl was apparently a horrible actress. She scowled every time she looked behind her, and when she did smile it couldn't have looked any more fake. A smile found Kamari's lips as she realized what was going, even though Gohan was still apparently oblivious to it. She turned back to Gohan, and practically had to yank his face into the table to gain his attention. "Videl huh? I see, so the rumors were true huh?"
"What, huh?" Gohan stuttered nervously. "What kind of rumors are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me." Kamari giggled at the blush attacking Gohan's face. "Videl's obviously trying to do the exact same thing to you, as we're trying to do to Scott. You haven't taken your eyes off of them since they walked into the place. Are you just a little bit jealous here Gohan?"
"I'm not jealous! I was just…" Gohan defended, before stopping to think over what he was saying. Was he jealous? He didn't like seeing Videl getting so chummy with Sharpner, that was for sure, but was it because of some little ping of jealously? He'd never been jealous over anything or anyone before, so maybe this was some sort of reaction to some new emotion he was experiencing, but if that was true then why was he feeling it? "I mean I wouldn't say I'm jealous per say… Well, maybe a little, but the main thing is I'm not use to seeing Videl act this way… It's a little unnerving to say the least."
"Well… Do you usually act this way?"
"Well, not but…"
"Then what are you going to do about it?"
An evil smile crossed Gohan's lips, and he pulled Kamari closer to him. "Hey, if she wants to play games, then I'm up for it."
Kamari smiled. "So you're going to use me now, instead of vice versa?"
"Hey, we're not using each other. Just putting on a good show." Gohan looked over at Videl and sighed. Her and Sharpner were smiling at each other discussing something. "They sure look happy though. They're probably flirting with each other as we speak."
Videl stared into Sharpner's face wearing her best smile. "Don't get carried away with those hands Sharpner, unless you want me to strangle you with them!"
"Hey, you wanted this to be convincing didn't you?" Sharpner asked through clenched teeth. His smile was more nervous then anything. "Besides, I have the right to have a little fun with this don't I?"
"I wouldn't have too much fun if I were you, if your fond of solid foods that is. Just do whatever I tell you, and nothing else you got me?"
"I get the picture." Sharpner smiled, as he took a peek over at Gohan. "You better think up something quick though, because Gohan appears to be getting a little frisky over there."
Videl shot her head around quickly, and almost jumped out of her seat. Gohan and Kamari were leaning across the table, their foreheads touching, and partially rubbing noses. Videl wasn't sure if she should scream or puke. "Disgusting! In public! I can't believe him!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get down to business," Sharpner chuckled in anticipation, a little too anxious for his own good.
"Keep your hands to yourself!" Videl barked, knocking Sharpner's arms away as he reached for her. Videl sat up, and threw her arms around Sharpner's neck and pushed her face up just inches away from his causing the boy to squirm.
Sharpner's body became very tense, and it only got worse once Videl's eyes locked into his, her angry look and all. "Umm… Videl…"
"Just shut up, and sit still! And remind me to buy you some tic-tac's after dinner. What the hell did you eat for lunch anyway?"
"What?! No way…" Gohan stammered. "I didn't even think Videl could stand Sharpner, and now this…"
"Um-Gohan…" Kamari said, beginning to worry about Gohan. "Haven't you noticed that except for that bowl of soup Videl brought over, neither one of them has even had one bite to eat?"
"Well yeah, but they're probably still waiting for the waiter to bring their food."
"Gohan, it's an all you can eat buffet! That's why you had me pick this place remember?!"
"Oh yeah…" Gohan quickly thought up another possible theory. "Well, maybe they're just not hungry right now, or they're waiting for their stomach's to settle or something."
"Oh boy." Kamari sweat dropped. You are a dork Gohan… But a sweet one.
"What are they doing?!" Scott exclaimed, as Gohan and Kamari's faces inched even closer.
"This is getting good," Ryo hummed, trying his best to goad the younger boy. "It looks like a good game of tonsil hockey might break out any minute now."
If Ryo didn't know any better, he could've swore he heard that wall keeping Scott outside of the restaurant crumble into dust. "That's it! I can't take this anymore, I'm going in there!"
"You go boy! They could use a good referee!" Ryo giggled at the snort Scott gave him, as he headed for the door.
Videl growled as she watched Gohan and Kamari nuzzle again, practically strangling Sharpner in the process. "Damn that little… Yeah, you claim this wasn't a date huh Gohan?!"
"Videl loosen up, I can't breathe…"
"Stop your whining!" Videl loosened her grip, allowing some air to flow back into Sharpner's lungs. "This isn't working, we have to think of something quick. Something over the top, that will stop Gohan dead in his tracks."
"I've got just the thing," Sharpner smiled, suddenly gaining his nerve and confidence back. Videl looked back at him wearing her usual scowl to ask what it was, when Sharpner quickly gave her his answer. He nudged his head forward a bit, and kissed her full on the lips.
Sharpner pulled away wearing a Cheshire Cat type grin, and that only widened when he saw the look on Videl's face as she simply stared back at him shocked and blushing. The look on Gohan's face was priceless as well, practically frozen where he sat, and separated from Kamari for the first time in nearly ten minutes.
"Whoa, that was unexpected," Kamari commented to a Gohan who wasn't paying an ounce of attention to her. He was too busy cycling through his thoughts and emotions after watching Sharpner kiss Videl, which were pretty much all on the same train of thought. If he would've taken a second to analyze them, he would've realized that those thoughts would've answered his own questions regarding whether he was really jealous or not.
That no good, rotten, lousy, son of a pile of @X*&! #&%@*!! %^%^*!*!
Sharpner's grin hadn't faded one bit as he waited for Videl's response. The one she would give him wasn't what he had expected at all. She kissed him back… Um… With her fist. Sharpner clunked to the ground like a stone , grabbing his jaw as he rolled around on the floor in agony. "Oh, my face! My perfect face! What did you did do that for Videl?!"
Videl grabbed Sharpner by one of the bands on his tank top, and yanked his back up off the floor so he was in a sitting position. It surprised the hell out of Sharpner. He knew she was a tough girl, but he had no idea she was that strong. "You listen here! If you ever put your lips anywhere on my body again except for maybe my ass, then you'll be making a with drawl from the local blood bank, you got me?!"
"I got you, I got you, but, but… You wanted to put on a convincing show didn't you?…"
"Stop making excuses!" Videl howled. She swung her arm in the air, inadvertently knocking her bowl of scolding hot soup into Sharpner's lap.
"AHHHH!" Sharpner immediately forgot about the pain in his face, as it was severely overshadowed by the burning sensation now roasting the crotch of his pants. He shot up to his feet and did a Mexican hat dance around his chair as the burning hot liquid began to seep through his pants, and worked its way towards his… Well…"
"Serves you right," Videl huffed, as Sharpner fled from the restaurant screaming his thick head off.
Kamari blinked her eyes a couple times. "Dang, talk about mood swings."
Gohan smiled happily. "Now that's the Videl I know, and… like" Gohan wisely chose to stop before he said love.
Sharpner stormed out of the restaurant just as another young man was rushing inside just as quickly. Sharpner bowled over the much smaller boy, and temporally forgot about the burning sensation invading his most sensitive areas as it eased up slightly. "Hey, watch it you little twerp! It doesn't seem to matter whether we're at school or in town, but you always seem to be in the way don't you?!"
"But you're the one who?!" Scott stopped there, and shook his head. He didn't want to give this muscle bound ofe any more attention then he deserved. "I don't have time for this, I'm in a hurry!"
"Geek!" Sharpner snapped, as the boy ran into the restaurant. Sharpner bounced a bit when a familiar sensation made itself known again, creeping a little to close to home for comfort.
"That was rather rude of you Sharpner," Ryo frowned at the larger teen.
"Don't preach to me about being rude!" Sharpner practically whined. "Can't you see I'm in pain here?!"
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Mind your own business dork!"
Ryo growled, and looked up towards the sky. "Look out Sharpner, there's a plane flying overhead!"
Sharpner looked up, and saw the very plane Ryo had mentioned. "Yeah, so what?!"
"Well, you might want to get back inside before it mistakes your forehead for a runway, or an aircraft carrier!"
Sharpner made a move to lunge at who he assumed to be a weaker individual when he felt another tug at his pants. "Look, I don't have time for this!" Sharpner chocked out through the pain, and practically bounced away on one leg. "Oh, it burns, it burns, it burns!"
Ryo cocked an eyebrow. "And he calls me a dork."
"Who calls you a dork?"
Ryo jumped a little, only to find Erasa's smiling face behind him. "Oh, just about everybody Erasa. What are you doing here anyway?"
Erasa opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped for whatever reason. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can't say. I promised I wouldn't…"
"Oh, I get it," Ryo smiled. "You're here to spy on Videl and Gohan too huh?"
"Oh, you already know? It that case, yeah! You don't mind if I join you do you?"
Ryo appeared to think her request over. "Umm… That depends, blond isn't contagious is it?"
Erasa got her usual far off look on her face. "I don't think so…"
Ryo sweat dropped. "Umm… It was only a joke Erasa, no need to take that seriously. Sure you can join me. You missed some of the fireworks, but the best part has yet to come."
"Man, she looks mad," Kamari said referring to Videl. At first she had sat back down in her seat and just sat there for a brief while looking pissed off to high hell, before excusing herself to the bathroom."
"Yeah," Gohan agreed. "Judging from the way they were acting I would've figured that's what she was wanting to get out of him. Guess I was wrong."
"Kamari, Kamari!" A huffing and puffing Scott came roaring in, scooting to a stop in front of their table.
"Scott?" Kamari said, her eyes brightening a bit.
"Hey Scott, what's up?" Gohan asked cheerfully.
"Umm… Oh… Ah…" Scott lowered his head, finding his recent surge of courage had disappeared in a heartbeat. "Hi guys… I'm sorry to bother you two but…"
"But what Scott? Why are you here?"
"Well I…" Scott lowered his head in defeat. "Umm… Never mind. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you…"
"Wait a minute Scott, get back here!" Kamari barked, in almost Videl-like fashion before Scott could escape. Matching frown too. "You interrupted us just for that!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down now Kamari, no need to get upset." Gohan looked towards Scott and smiled, more because he already knew the answer to his own question then anything. "You obviously came here for a reason, so why don't you tell her?"
"Um well…"
"Spit it out Scott!"
"Okay, okay!" Scott blushed, and took a deep, very deep breath. "Can we step outside and talk for a minute?…"
"Sure," Kamari replied softly, suddenly finding herself nervous as well.
Scott looked over at Gohan nervously. "Um… You don't mind do you?"
"Not at all. You two kids go ahead."
Gohan smiled as he watched the two kids leave the restaurant together. "Well, it looks like my work here is done. Well, since dinner is already paid for I might as well eat up! I'm starving!"
Gohan made a beeline towards the buffet table, when he nearly crashed into Videl. "Hey watch it!"
"Oh, I'm sorry Videl. I didn't see you there."
"Whatever. So, where's your little girlfriend?" Videl scowled, noticing she was no longer at their table.
"Well first of all she's not my girlfriend," Gohan smiled. "Second, she's outside talking to the guy she really likes."
"Guy she likes?" Videl's brow furrowed with confusion. "What are you talking about?! If she likes anyone it's you, I saw the way you two were hanging all over each other!"
Gohan looked legitimately confused for a moment, before breaking out into laughter. "Oh that! You got it all wrong Videl! You see, the only reason Kamari asked me out tonight was to help make another guy she likes jealous. I thought it was cute, so I decided to help her out. He was spying on us from outside the window, so we decided to put on a good show to try and draw him inside. It worked like a charm, and now they're both outside talking it over."
Videl blushed slightly. "Uh… Really?"
"Yes, I told you this wasn't a date Videl! I promised her I wouldn't tell anybody, that's all…" An evil grin crossed Gohan's lips. "Now, what in the world were you doing with Sharpner? Before you put his lights out that is?"
Videl ignored his question as she was too busy berating herself to listen. Oh Kami! What did I do?! I hung all over that jackass for nothing! And he kissed me, yuck!… I'll go through ten tubes of toothpaste before I get that nasty taste out of my mouth! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Videl are you okay?"
"I think I need to sit down…"
"You did what?!" Scott exclaimed, wearing a slight smile as Kamari confessed her and Gohan's little drama to him.
"Well, I couldn't get you to open up to me in any other way could I?" Kamari pointed out. "It worked didn't it?"
"I can't believe you… And Gohan was in on it too huh? Well, I'll tell you that you two were very convincing. It didn't help matters much that Ryo kept whispering in my ear either. You know you could have just come out and told me how you felt, instead of putting me through all that torture."
"Well, you deserved it for all the torment you put me through," Kamari retorted. "Besides, the guy's supposed to approach the girl you know."
"Since when were you that old fashioned?"
Kamari turned her back to him playfully. "Well, if you knew me as well as you thought you did then you would've already known that now wouldn't you?"
Scott took her comment a little too seriously. "I'm sorry Kamari… I like to think I know you well… I'm sorry I never came to you before either but… I thought you just thought of me as a brother, and I was afraid you'd laugh at me if I said anything."
"You are such a nerd Scott," Kamari teased. She turned around quickly, and gave Scott a peck on the cheek leaving a trail of blush that spread throughout his face. "Now, would you mind walking me home? It's getting late."
"But I always walk you home," Scott reminded her with a smile.
"But it's a little different this time." Kamari took Scott by the hand, causing his blush to deepen. "We'll talk more about it once you get me home."
"Okay…"
"Oh, that's so cute!" Erasa cooed at the display from the two younger teens.
"Yeah, I'm good aren't I?" Ryo stated proudly.
"Wait a second, what did you do?"
"Well, as a matter of fact…" Ryo stopped, and scratched his head. "Hold on, what the hell did I do?"
----------
Videl stumbled out of the restaurant with wide eyes. She'd never seen anybody eat so much in her entire life. No literally, she didn't think she'd consumed as much food in her entire life as she had just watched Gohan devour in one sitting. Of course she knew that wasn't true, but it was the only way she could describe what she'd just witnessed.
"All you can eat my butt! Do you think I have a legitimate lawsuit for false advertising here? How often do they kick people out for eating too much anyway?"
"They didn't exactly kick you out Gohan," Videl laughed. "They asked you rather politely to leave, and save some food for the other paying customers."
"Well, I was under duress!" Gohan whined.
"And how were you under duress Gohan?"
"Because I'm a nice guy."
"Well, that's your problem isn't it?!" Videl chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not the one who has to feed you."
"Well… What do you want to do now?" Gohan asked, as his hands rested behind his head.
"I don't know, it's still a little early to go home yet… Why don't we take a walk or something?"
"Sounds good to me."
Videl and Gohan didn't exchange many words as they wandered around Satan City. Videl was still embarrassed over her little incident with Sharpner, disappointed in herself with the way she acted. She was also forced to consider the reasons behind why she acted that way, reasons making her uncharacteristically uncomfortable around someone she would've in all honesty considered her best friend if she had known him a little longer. Gohan meanwhile, was thinking along the same lines, wondering just what in the heck Videl was doing with Sharpner that evening. Despite how naïve he could be at times and how much he was afraid to admit it, even he could see that it most likely had something to do with him.
Somehow they found themselves in the park again, and wisely chose to stay away from the bench that Gohan was convinced was possessed. Instead, they hid in the seclusion of Videl's secret spot, well really there's now, looking up at the sky without saying much. Videl had developed a soft spot for this place with Gohan in it recently. It's the place where they truly became friends, and that day was when this entire mess started. Videl hated him for it too. For giving her that fuzzy feeling in her chest whenever he'd look at her in a certain way. For making her jealous, and causing her to make an ass of herself in front of a room full of people because of it. For haunting, or more like sweetening her dreams on what was becoming a nightly basis. Mostly, just for being unlike any other person she'd ever meet. She really hated him for it. Hated him up until every time she'd look into that cute innocent face of his, forget everything and ask herself how in the world she could ever possibly hate him. In reality she knew she couldn't, and only hate the things that he does to her. The things that felt good, but she wasn't ready to accept.
"So Videl… Do you want to tell me what was up with you and Sharpner now? You've been ducking the question all night."
Videl was caught off guard. The first sentence he'd uttered in almost an hour other then the occasional *uh-huh* or *sure thing*, and it had to be that. Videl sighed, and decided to hell with it. She'd never been afraid of anything before, so why start now? "You really want to know huh? All right… I'll admit it, I was a bit jealous for some reason. I guess I just didn't like seeing one of my friends hanging all over somebody else like that."
"I see," Gohan said, somewhat disappointedly. He had really hoped there was a deeper meaning behind her actions, but he guessed that was just wishful thinking. "So, you and Sharpner were doing pretty much the same thing Kamari and I were doing eh?"
"That's right…" Videl cringed at the thought of her and Sharpner and… "Ugh, I'm going to regret that decision the rest of my life! I can't believe that creep kissed me! I had hoped my first kiss would be memorable, but not like that! I was hoping I'd enjoy it, or at least have it be with somebody I actually liked!"
"I know what you mean. I can't believe you decked him like that though! You're probably regretting that decision by now though huh?"
"Yeah, you're right, I am. I wasted a perfectly good bowl of soup."
A bit of a delayed reaction later, Gohan and Videl looked at each other and laughed. "Well, at least the night wasn't a total bust. Kamari got what she wanted, and I'm happy for them. They'll look kind of cute together, once I can get the idea of them not actually being brother and sister set in my head. It still seems kind of weird."
"Yeah… So it really wasn't a date huh?"
"Nope. To tell you the truth, I'm not ready to start dating yet. I don't think anyone would like me that way anyway. Let's face it, I'm a dork, I'm boring, and I'd just make an ass out of myself anyway."
"Hey, don't talk about my friend like that!" Videl poked him in the chest playfully. "I don't care if it is you!"
"I'm sorry, but it's true," Gohan insisted.
"No, it isn't!" Videl fell silent for a moment. She knew what she wanted to say, but she needed to think it over. Her next few words could hold serious repercussions if she didn't. Then again, she'd never been a coward. Why fight it any longer, she knew what she wanted. She'd always been the type to push for, and get what she wanted anyway. Maybe if she put enough heart into her words, she could make these otherwise useless feelings into something worthwhile. "You never know Gohan. They say there's somebody out there for everybody. I'm sure there's someone out there for you too… For all you know she could be sitting right next to you…"
Gohan smiled a bit, and looked around as if he was looking for her. "Nah, I don't think so Videl. If somebody felt that way about me, I'd think I know."
Videl's head shook a bit, and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from screaming out loud. She controlled herself fairly well, despite the shade of red her face was turning, but his next line would completely push her over the edge. "Besides, someone would have to be pretty desperate to be interested in me!"
"ARRGH!" Videl growled, scaring Gohan right down on his back. "You are such a ditz! What's your problem, you can't take a hint?! You are so clueless!"
"Videl, where are you going?!" Gohan asked as she stormed away from him. His sensitive Sayian hearing picked up on what she was mumbling, though he didn't understand what it was all about."
"Why do I even bother?! That's it, I quit! Stupid Gohan…"
"That's it…" Gohan said to himself, as he watched Videl storm away. "I'm just going to shut up from now on. If I keep my mouth shut, then I can't get myself into more trouble then I need. I'm not saying anything else, because it's always the wrong thing! I just going to keep it shut."
Videl hadn't made it all that far, when her anger suddenly deteriorated into more of a depressed lonely feeling. She stopped walking and sighed, throwing her back against the support of large tree and slumping down to her rear end.
"Face it Videl, Gohan's probably brushing you off because he's not interested in you that way… There's no way he can be that clueless, he's one of the smartest people I've ever met for Kami's sake! I know he's a bit naïve, but he can't be that dense… I'll just have to take it like a Satan, and accept reality for what it is…"
"You know, I think you might be the one that's sounding a bit naïve Videl."
Videl frowned a bit at the sound of the voice, and didn't even bother to look up as the boy appeared next to her. "You know, you're making a bad habit out of showing up out of nowhere like that Ryo."
"What can I say, it's a talent," Ryo sighed, and sat down next to her.
"How did you find me anyway?" Videl asked, hating the thought of yet another person stumbling onto her secret spot.
"Would you believe I followed you here by sensing your life energy?"
"I've heard that excuse before Ryo," Videl smirked slightly. "Can't you come up with something more original, like the truth maybe?"
"Okay, okay," Ryo laughed. "I was spying on you guys, and I tailed you here from the restaurant. I was hoping to see a good show, but judging from what I've seen so far I think I'm going to have to demand my money back."
"I already figured you were following us," Videl sighed. "I don't know what you were expecting to see though. We're just friends Ryo, there's nothing going on. That's that, so just drop it okay?"
"So, there's really nothing going on hey?"
"Nope, nothing. Just friends, that's it, and all we'll probably ever be."
A sly smile crossed Ryo's lips. "I guess we've all been wrong then… Hmm… So, that mean's you're still available then doesn't it?"
Videl frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean you're still single, considering you're not seeing anybody or anything."
"No, I'm not. What does that have to do with anything though?"
"It means I won't feel as guilty if I asked you out to a movie on Friday night," Ryo said, surprisingly calm for someone with his normally bashful demeanor.
"What?!" Videl blushed, a bit stunned by the offer. "You mean like a date? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm serious. Since you *claim* you don't like Gohan and vice-versa, I figured it wouldn't kill me to ask."
"Well I… I don't know Ryo. I'll have to think about it okay?"
"No problem, take all the time you need," Ryo said, not seeming the least bit offended or worried. "I know where to find you. I'll see you tomorrow Videl."
"Umm… Yeah bye…" Videl was practically speechless until Ryo was safely out of sight. "Did that really just happen?!"
End.
-Note: My apologizes to all the blondes that may have been offended by Ryo's little comment towards the end there. I meant nothing by it, so please don't send me any hate mail because of it. I am a blond myself, and I am by no means stupid, so I have a right to poke fun. Speaking of Ryo, can you guess what the next chapters going to be about already? What the hell is he up to anyway? Until next time, Thanks for reading!
