Chapter 4

            "What are you hiding from us?" Trunks asked Pan they entered the apartment after they said their good-byes to Bra and Goten.

            "What are you talking about, boxer-boy?" Pan asked, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

            "Give me a break, Pan.  We've been roommates for two years, I kind of already know when something is wrong or bothering you," Trunks said as he followed her to kitchen.

            "Which, if there was, don't you think that I would've told you, Bra or Goten," Pan responded as she leaned against the counter and looked at Trunks.

            "Look, Pan, I'm just trying to look out for you and make sure that you don't get hurt…physically or emotionally," Trunks said as he leaned against the other counter across from her.

            "Thanks, Trunks, but I can take care of myself.  I don't need you or Goten to always be there to protect me…I'm a big girl," Pan said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

            "All what I'm saying is that if you ever need my help…I'm here for you…and if you need someone to listen…I'm here," Trunks said as he looked at her one last time before he walked to his room and closed the door.

            'Maybe…maybe it was wrong to say 'yes' to Derek.  Maybe I should go right ahead and take Trunks' advice and go talk to Bra about this…besides…I don't even think I…I love…Derek the way that I used to,' Pan thought as she headed towards her room and thought about what Trunks had told her and what she was going to do about Derek.

            "Bra, Goten…what are you guys doing here?" Trunks asked as he answered the door.

            "You know…an answer like that isn't a good one when answering the door, especially when it's your sis and best friend," Bra said as she smirked at him.

            "Yeah…but I saw you guys yesterday," Trunks said as he looked back and forth between them.

            "Trunks…"

            "Whatever, Bra.  Come on in," Trunks said as he moved aside and let them in.

            "Is Pan here?" Bra asked.

            "Yeah…she should be in her room…why?" Trunks asked as he looked at her.

            "I don't know.  She called to tell me that she had something important to talk to me about and that she needed my help with it," Bra said as she started to make her way towards Pan's room.

            "Well, while they are having their 'girl-talk', you want to tell me what's up with you and Marron?" Goten asked, looking at his friend.

            "Nothings wrong, Goten.  Marron and I are fine," Trunks said as he sat down in the dinning room, while Goten sat across from him.

            "Then why did I get a call from Marron this morning, telling me that you and her are no longer 'connecting' as she so put it," Goten said as he looked at Trunks.

            "Look, Marron and I are fine, Goten.  If we were having problems, we would've talked to one another about it," Trunks said as he got up and went to the kitchen.

            "Which is probably why she told me to tell you that she wanted to talk to you sometime today," Goten said as he saw Trunks' back stiffen.

            "…What else did she say?" Trunks asked as he turned around.

            "That was about it, Trunks," Goten said as he looked at his friend apologetically.

            "...I knew that this was going to happen soon," Trunks said as he turned around and looked at Goten.

            "Weren't you telling me the other day that…"

            "Yeah, I know, but I guess I'm just kind of…shocked or something," Trunks said as he looked at the phone.

            "Well, you might as well go right ahead and call her so you guys and talk it out.  Don't worry though, I'll be here for you…as well as Bra and Pan," Goten said as he smirked.

            "Oh yeah, thanks Goten," Trunks said as he glared at him and walked over to the phone.  "Marron…yeah, I know…we need to talk."

            "And you actually believed the jerk and gave him another chance," Bra said as she sat in front of Pan and starred at her in shock.

            "…"

            "Pan…what were you thinking!" Bra yelled as she looked at Pan like as if she had grown another head.

            "…I don't know what it was that I was thinking, but I said that I would give him another chance and that if he screwed up, then I never want to see him again," Pan said as she looked back at Bra.

            "But Pan, after everything this guy has done to you and to another girl, you're letting him try his luck with you again!" Bra yelled as she got up and started to walk around.

            "Bra…I asked for your help…not for you to lecture me!" Pan yelled back as she still sat there on her bed, messing around with the ring.

            "I know…but…but…how could you!" Bra said as she calmed herself down and sat back down.

            "Bra…the thing is…I don't know why I gave him another chance and why I said 'yes' and everything, but…I don't think I love him anymore like I did before…well, before the whole thing happened," Pan said as she looked down at her hands.

            "Well, duh!  Who would want to still love him after everything that he did," Bra said as she smacked her head and looked back at her friend.

            "I know, Bra, but why was it then that I was crying my eyes out for two days and then…I feel nothing for him at all," Pan said as she fell back on her bed.

            "Oh my gosh, Pan!  Who do you like?" Bra asked as she got up from her seat and sat down on Pan's bed.

            "W-what are you talking about?  I don't like anyone…and even if I did, Derek would still be the best guy that I know…even though he did…cheat on me," Pan said as she sat up looked at Bra.

            "I don't know, Pan, but I believe that you like someone else and about that someone else…would he happen to have…lavender like hair?" Bra asked as she smirked at her friend.

            "Bra!  What would make you think that I have a crush on your brother!" Pan said as it was her turn to look at Bra like she had grown another head.

            "Well, you two have been arguing a lot more lately and I've seen the way that you guys look at each other sometimes," Bra said as she put on this all knowing smile.

            "Whatever, Bra.  You must've been hallucinating or something, because I do not like your brother," Pan said as she got up and walked towards her dresser.

            "I'm sure," Bra said as she got up, too, and walked to where Pan was.

            "…Bra…there is also something else that I need to tell you that happened between Derek and I," Pan said as she started to mess around with the ring.

            "What is…don't tell me that…"

            "No!  I would never do that, especially with someone like Derek," Pan said as she turned around and starred at Bra.

            "Well, what do you expect me to believe when you make it sound like its something terrible…besides the fact that you're giving the creep another chance," Bra said as she smiled slightly.

            "Umm…well…you see…"

            "Out with it already, Pan!" Bra said as she waited for Pan to tell her.

            "Okay…well, you see…DerekproposedtomeandIsaid'yes',butnowIdon'tknowwhyIdidsay'yes'and…"

            "Wow…slow down, Pan," Bra said as she only understood the first word.

            "Bra…"

            "I'm serious, Pan.  I couldn't understand you…which is strange because I usually do," Bra said as she looked her friend, who was looking around nervously and messing with something that was in her left hand.

            "Okay, but I'm only going to say this once," Pan said as she looked up at Bra.

            "Alright then, I'm waiting," Bra said.

            "Promise that you won't blow a gasket," Pan said, hoping that everything would be alright.

            "Well…"

            "Bra!"

            "Alright, alright…I was just kidding," Bra said, becoming serious when she saw the look on Pan's face.

            "…Derek proposed to me and I said 'yes', but now I don't know why I did say 'yes' and…"

            "You did what?!"

            "…Yeah, I'll see you around, Marron…bye," Trunks said as he hung up the phone and fixed himself a bowl of cereal.

            "Well?" Goten asked, seeing the look on Trunks' face.

            "We're over and we both did agree that we weren't working out anymore," Trunks said as he walked back to the dinning room table and sat down across from Goten with his snack.

            "At least the girls understood," Goten said as he leaned back on his chair and thought about his break-up with Paris.

            "Yeah…unlike our other break-ups," Trunks said as he also leaned back on his chair.

            "You did what?!" came Bra's voice from Pan's room.

            Startled, both Trunks and Goten fell from their chairs and onto the floor, only to have both Bra and Pan come running out from the room to see what the noise was.  When the girls got to the dinning room, they doubled over in laughter at how the guys were sprawled out.  Goten, apparently, had leaned back too far and grabbed the nearest thing closest to him, which happened to be a cloth on a table that was under a vase full with water.  Goten was able to catch the vase before it fell and broke, but somehow, he caught it upside down, making him get soaking wet.  Trunks leaned back too far and had somehow managed to bump his knee against the table, which caused the bowel of cereal, which was filled with milk, to spill on his shirt and pants as he fell backwards.

            "And just what is so funny?" Goten asked as he slowly got up from where he was.

            "Yeah, that's what I would like to know, too," Trunks said as he got up and slowly started to walk towards where the girls were laughing.

            "Umm…well…water…" Bra started, but couldn't stop laughing.

            "…You…milk…with…cereal i-in your…h-hair," Pan said as she leaned on Bra for support.

            "…Pan…maybe we should stop…laughing and try to run," Bra said as she slowly started to back up when she saw the looks on the guys faces.

            "Umm…you know what, Bra…I totally agree with you," Pan said as she started to back up and took off into a sprint towards her room, with Bra right behind her.

            Unfortunately for the Trunks and Goten, when they started to chase after the girls, they managed to slip and fall on themselves as the girls made it safely to Pan's room.

            "...So…what are you…going to do…about your…p-problem?" Bra asked as she tried to catch her breath.

            "I-I'm…going to have…have to b-break it up with…with him…but I don't want…"

            "…Look Pan, you're going to have to follow what in what you believe in and what you know is right.  I know that Goten and Trunks are…"

            "No!  We can't tell them…especially Trunks!" Pan said as she looked at Bra frantically.

            "They are going to find out sooner or later, Pan," Bra said as she looked at her friend.

            "I know, but…I just don't know…"

            "Don't worry, Pan.  I won't tell them a thing.  Besides, what are friends for?" Bra asked as she pulled Pan into a hug.

            "…I swear, Bra…I don't know where I would be if I didn't have you here," Pan said as she returned the hug.

            "Hey…is it just me or is it too quite out there?" Bra asked as she looked at Pan and leaned against the door to hear.

            "Maybe we should go outside and check on them," Pan said as she got up from the floor and slowly opened the door.

            When Pan opened the door to take a look around, a hand snatched her arm and pulled her away from the door, while another hand pushed the door opened and dragged out a laughing and screaming Bra.

            "Goten!  Stop!" Bra yelled as he started to tickle her.

            "Trunks!  Let me go!" Pan yelled as he started to tickle her, too.

            "Not until you give up!" both Goten and Trunks yelled at the same time, not letting up.

            "I-I…p-promise…that if you…l-let me g-go…G-Goten…I'll m-make y-your meals for…a w-week!" Bra yelled as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

            "Hmm…you promise, Bra?" Goten asked as he still continued to tickle her, but he leaned in on her until their noses were touching.

            "Y-yes!" Bra yelled as Goten stopped his tickling and gave her a slow kiss on her neck.

            "Deal," Goten said as he got up and saw Bra blush.

            "G-Goten…where are you…"

            "Didn't you say that you were going to cook all my meals for a week?" Goten asked as he turned around to look at her.

            "Well…yeah," Bra said, wondering why she made a deal like that.

            "Heard of the expression, 'no time like the present,'" Goten said as he smirked at her, only to have Bra glare at him.

            "T-Trunks…stop!" Pan yelled as Goten and Bra turned around to see Trunks still on top of her, waiting for her to give up.

            "Do you give up?" Trunks asked as he still continued to tickle her.

            "N-no!" Pan yelled, not willing to give up yet.

            "Pan, you know…I could do this all day," Trunks said as he stopped tickling her for a moment so she could catch her breath.

            "W-why don't w-we…j-just call it a…a t-truce," Pan said as she looked up at him.

            "Hmm, I don't know, Pan.  I kind of like the 'position' that we're in," Trunks said as he smirked down at her.

            Pan looked up at him in confusion, but then she realized that her legs were tangled with his, he was sitting on her stomach with his weight resting on his elbows, and his face was just a few centimeters away from hers.

            "Umm…Trunks…"

            "Yeah…Pan," Trunks said as he leaned in closer.

            "…Maybe…we should…"

            "Umm…yeah…lets call it a truce," Trunks said as he shook his head and got up and slowly helped Pan to her feet.

            "Trunks…about what just happened…maybe we should…"

            "…Act like it never did happen," Trunks finished as he looked around nervously.

            "Umm…yeah," Pan said as she looked down at the floor.

            "Bra!  What on earth did you put in here?!" Goten yelled from the kitchen.

            "We better go and see what it was that Bra put in Goten's food," Pan said as she started to walk towards the kitchen.

            "Yeah, we better," Trunks said, trying to forget what had just happened between him and Pan.

Another chapter up!  Hope you all like it so far!  Thank you guys for reviewing and giving some helpful tips…I'll put those into effect later on in the story, hehe.  Anyhooter, PLEASE REVIEW and KEEP ON REVIEWING!!!!  Flames are also welcomed!  Laters all!  - Bluepiper