The door opened, and Trunks and Vegeta entered.
"Trunks, do you know anything about this?" Bulma asked, handing him the letter. Vegeta looked over his shoulder to read it.
"I knew it!" he accused. "You were that student, weren't you? No wonder you were so ashamed of that cut on your face you said you'd been sparring with Kakarotto's brat. A human gave you that scar, right?"
"He did not!" Trunks argued. "I wasn't that student! I wouldn't let any teacher come near me!"
"Trunks, did Goten REALLY give you that scar?" Bulma asked.
"Er..." Trunks looked at the floor. "Yeah. Where else would I have gotten it?"
"Trunks." Bulma said sternly. "You should've told us! Who was he?!"
"Listen, he didn't attack me!" Trunks protested.
"So how'd you get that injury?" Vegeta inquired.
"...." Trunks sighed. "Fine. I was walking past the math block on my way home when I heard a scream. So, I went to check it out and a saw this girl being attacked by that teacher. So... the two of us got fighting. He ran off eventually."
Bulma narrowed her eyes at him.
"Is that right?"
"Honest, mom, it's the truth!" Trunks swore. He looked at Vegeta. "Anyway, I don't think he was human. He looked like one but he seemed different somehow."
"Who was this girl?" Vegeta asked.
"Just some girl in my class." Trunks replied.
"And you saved her life?" Bulma seemed to lighten up.
"That's what she said, too. But that guy really wasn't that toug - Whoa!"
"Who cares?! My boy's a hero!!" Bulma beamed, hugging him.
"Mom... let go... I can't breath..." Trunks pulled away from her.
"I'm so proud of you!! Who is she?! Why don't you invite her over so I can meet her?"
"No way!" Trunks shook his head. "Her name is Lavender Kinoba and she is WEIRD! She's a black mage and -"
"Kinoba?" Bulma gasped. She looked at Vegeta. "Do you know who that is?!"
"Hm?" Vegeta tried to think where he'd heard that name before. "Oh, the woman who got killed, right?"
"Yeah. Lavender is Mizu's daughter." Trunks said. He looked at Bulma.
"Mom, she is NOT coming round here!"
"Alright...." Bulma gave in. "But she owes you! You tell her that!"
"Yes mom..."
*the next day*
"I don't know... why don't I just give him the present?" Lavender said.
"Oh, come on! You're crazy about this guy!" Mia urged.
"And you've finally got an excuse to make your move on him. Use the whole "hero" thing." Sandra added. Mia nodded.
"But he's not interested in me..."
"Come on! At least try!"
"..." Lavender sighed. "Fine."
The door opened. All three of them jerked their heads towards it. Trunks entered the room. Mia gave Lavender an encouraging nudge.
"Go."
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Lavender mumbled as she stood up. She made her way over to Trunks, who was sitting at his desk. Trunks raised his head, and looked at her.
"Lavender?" he seemed surprised.
"Here." Lavender handed him a presant.
"What's this for?" Trunks asked, taking it.
"Just my way of saying "thank you" for saving my life." Lavender replied.
"Oh right. Er... thanks." Trunks said, still surprised. He unwrapped the present. A small box of chocolates.
"I didn't know what to get you, so I just figured you'd like those." Lavender explained.
"I do. Thanks." Trunks put them in his backpack. Lavender turned her head to look at her friends, who gave her encouraging looks. She reddened, and turned back to Trunks.
"Er... Trunks..." she began.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"How about... we go out sometime...? Saturday?"
"Oh, er..." Trunks said. "Oh man! How are you gonna get out of this? Okay, find an excuse!"
"I er... I would, but... I'm really busy this week. My mom's birthday's coming up and, er... we're gonna throw her a surprise party."
"Oh... that's too bad..." Lavender mumbled, disappointed. She forced a smile. "Next time, right?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Lavender made her way back over to her friends.
"Well? How did it go?" Mia asked.
"He ditched me." Lavender groaned.
"Huh?"
"He said he couldn't come because it was his mom's birthday... but I could tell he was lying..." Lavender said.
"That guy's a jerk anyway!" Sandra protested, trying to cheer her up.
"Thanks, Sandy..."
"She's right. You're a great girl. He's the one with the problem." Mia said.
"I guess it was nice of him to try to protect my feelings, though..." Lavender mumbled.
"Forget him. He doesn't deserve you."
~~~
Lavender and Mia walked along the school corridor. It was the end of the day, and Mia was heading home while Lavender was staying behind for her clarinet lesson.
"I'll see you in about half an hour." Lavender said, stopping outside one of the music rooms. She was still living with Mia.
"Alright. See ya." Mia waved, and continued down the corridor. Lavender knocked on the music room, and entered.
"Ah, Lavender. Where were we up to last time?"
"Scales, miss."
"Oh yes. Now, I want you to play this..."
~~~
Lavender played her clarinet as she walked to Mia's house. She'd been set a much harder piece for homework, and she needed to do a lot of practicing. She didn't mind, though. It would take her mind off everything that had been happening. And she needed a break. She could see Mia's house in the distance. Lavender smiled. Mia and her family had been so good to her over these past few days. She didn't like to hang around at Mia's too long, though. Not because she didn't like Mia. And she knew she was more than welcome to stay there as long as she wanted, but Lavender knew she must be interrupting in some way. She needed to get things sorted out at home. But the thought of going back in that house....
"Hey, why are you worrying about that now? Mrs Chestnut will start tea soon. Don't be late again!" Lavender started walking a little faster, still playing her clarinet.
As Lavender got closer, she could see police cars parked outside Mia's house. What?! Lavender stopped playing her clarinet and stared at them, frozen with fear. She broke into a run.
"God please no..."
She skidded to a halt in front of two policemen.
"What's happened?!"
"Excuse me, do you know this family?" one of them asked.
"Mia's my best friend, I'm living with her at the moment."
"What's your name?" the other policeman asked.
"Lavender. Lavender Kinoba. Has something happened to them?" Lavender asked desperately.
"Lavender. I'm very sorry." the policeman seemed sympathetic as he said it.
"No..." Lavender ran towards the house.
"Hey! Come back here!"
She ignored the policeman's cries as she ran into the house. Lavender gasped as a policeman and a policewoman walked past her, carrying a body bag.
"No..." she ran after them. "Is Mia alright? Her family?"
"Who are you?" one of them asked.
"Lavender. I'm her friend. What's happened?!"
"I'm very sorry..." the woman seemed sympathetic too.
"Mia's whole family? What about her parents? Her little brother?"
"They've all been killed."
"But he was only two years old!!" Lavender protested.
"I'm sorry."
"Do you know who could've done this?" the second policewoman asked.
".... Yeah. I think I do." Lavender replied.
"Could you just wait a while? We'll need to take you down to the station."
"Yeah... Sure."
Lavender turned her head, and saw someone sitting down in a chair. She recognized her. Mia's neighbor. Lavender approached her, and crouched down beside her.
"What happened, Sarah?" she asked. Sarah looked at her.
"Lavender, right?"
Lavender nodded. Sarah wiped the tears of shock from her eyes.
"I heard screams. So I ran down here." she began. She looked at the ground. "But when I got here, he'd already escaped through the back door. And Mia... her parents..." more tears came. "Even little Joshua. All of them were dead." she began to cry. Lavender turned her head away, and a tear leaked out from her eye.
"Why...?"