Disclaimer: See part one.
Note four: I should have mentioned this last time, but I'll do so now. I'm keeping to a schedule for updates right now. Besides this week (which was a holiday week, and thus pushed the launch of this part back one day), I will update on every Wednesday. Unless something major happens to me, nothing will make me deviate from that schedule. And no, I will not post any sooner.
Early reads once again provided by sage of angst and PsYChO.
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Parallel and Perpendicular
A romance/fiction story by ShaggyDiz
Chapter One: You May Think You Hate Me
Part Two: A Deeper Hurt
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Begin Part Two
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"Man! That was the most boring of all the first year meetings we've had," Sharpener said to no one in particular, walking back into room twelve-eight with the students. Videl and Erasa once again had deadpan looks on their faces.
"Sharpener, you fell asleep… again," his girlfriend reminded him.
"And don't forget that this was the first one you've attended… ever," Videl said in tune.
"Yeah. Yeah," the blonde boy responded, waving his hand and brushing them off. Gohan came in behind them, confused and awed by the meeting.
"Um… guys, what was that all about anyway?" he asked as they climbed the stairs to their seats.
"It was a general meeting that the school always has every year," Videl answered, "It's your basic 'get everyone in one place to introduce them to yet another anemic year of high school' gathering."
Gohan simply nodded, taking his seat with everyone else.
It was then that Mr. Lou came in, grabbing his bag before turning to the class. "Attention everyone! The normal schedule will begin in approximately four minutes. Once the bell rings, everyone will either remain here for their next class, or proceed to whatever classroom you have scheduled for fourth period. I have a class down in twelve-one, so I'll be seeing you all again tomorrow morning." With that, he left the room. He paused for a second before turning back and looking up at the students.
"Mr. Son," he said, "A word for a moment, outside please."
Gohan looked left and right, shrugging his shoulders. He got up and walked down the stairs, stepping out of the room before Mr. Lou.
Only Videl knew what the teacher was going to say to him. Mr. Lou gave her one last look before following Gohan outside of the room.
It was a look of someone crushing someone else's hopes.
* * *
"What is it?" he asked Mr. Lou, confused as to why he would be called outside of the room.
"I want to advise you about befriending Ms. Satan: don't."
"Don't?"
Mr. Lou pressed on. "Ms. Satan is a girl not to be trusted. I want you to keep away from her at all costs."
The teen was shocked. Videl wasn't to be trusted? On whose account? "Why are you telling me this?"
The teacher smirked then, and the half-Saiyan knew there that the older man had the upper hand. "Why don't you just let Ms. Satan explain that one for herself, okay?" He turned on his heal and walked off, down the hall to room twelve-one. He left the teen standing there for several minutes, letting him ponder on his words.
"What is going on here?" he finally asked himself. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find some sort of answer.
He got none. The only one he would get was from Videl.
"I can't ask her now either. I've only known her for two hours!" Finally hitting that stumbling block, he reentered the classroom. He decided to remain silent about the exchange between himself and Mr. Lou.
Gohan took his seat and looked at Videl, who appeared ready to question him.
* * *
"Videl, what was that about?" Erasa asked her friend, watching Gohan and Mr. Lou exit the room.
"I don't like this," she said softly, though the two blondes next to her easily picked up on it.
"Was it about… that incident?" Sharpener asked.
Twitch.
"I hope not. He might just tell him not to be friends with me."
"Didn't he do that to that one new kid last year?" Erasa asked this time.
The black haired girl nodded. "He hasn't talked to me since." She paused, putting her head on her desk. "I can't go to the principal about this either. He's probably the fucking ringleader of them all."
"Well, don't give up hope yet!" the blonde girl squeaked out, somehow coming out with a pair of pom-poms. "I don't think Gohan will ignore you just because the teacher asks him to! He's smart, so he should figure by now that something is up."
"I sometimes wonder where she gets these things," Sharpener muttered from behind.
She sighed audibly. "I hope you two are right. It wouldn't do good to make him feel like he was betrayed after only two hours of the day." She sat back up a moment before the door opened, revealing Gohan with an awfully confused look on his face.
This doesn't look good, Videl thought to herself, turning to face Gohan as he took his seat.
* * *
Gohan noticed the stare coming from Videl. He tilted his head slightly to look into her eyes. Please don't ask what I think she's going to ask…
She studied him briefly before asking: "Is everything okay?"
"I think so… just confused." She didn't ask what I thought she would. Has this happened before?
She nodded. "Okay… try not to worry about it then."
Try not to worry? What is she thinking? "Okay… I'll try not to."
The door opened, revealing a short, somewhat pudgy woman. She walked – rather, waddled – over to the desk, flinging her bag onto it.
"Hello students," she said, her voice a mix of a high-pitched squeak with a rusty can clang. "My name is Ms. Pumpkin, and I'll be teaching you Advanced Mathematical Functions this year." She pulled a pile of papers out of her bag and walked over to the front row. She motioned for the student to pass them out. "Now, I'll start by going over the basic review functions…" her voice droned on, though most of the students by now had found some sort of earplugs to block out the sound of her voice.
Videl and Gohan received the syllabus, looking it over briefly before coming to a sound conclusion: Advanced Mathematical Functions would be the easiest class this year. For Gohan, he knew the most advanced calculus by age thirteen, while Videl had taken the time to teach herself several mathematical forms over the years.
"Easy 'A'," Gohan muttered as he flipped through the second page.
"Confident, are we not?" Videl asked, amusement on her face.
He turned his head slightly, making sure that the abrasive voice of Ms. Pumpkin was directed towards the board. "Don't forget: home schooled."
"Ah, right. Tell me something: did your mom ever let you out?"
He shook his head. "Not all too often. Her intentions were good, though it took her too long to realize that I would end up as a social nobody if I never got out of the mountains."
"You're doing fine now, you know… except for that little mishap with our sibling cuteness game," she said, muttering the last part.
"Thanks. I read a few things on the 'Net about how to interact with others. It's helping so far."
She nodded. "That's cool. You have the 'Net in the mountains?" Videl asked, curious as to how a mountain village could have access to the 'Net.
"It was a combination of my grandfather's money and my mother's constant pushing to have me learn. I believe this was her 'world history' phase."
Videl raised an eyebrow. "You mother had teaching phases?"
Gohan nodded. "Math, history… world languages… you name it, she had them. I'm surprised I remember them all."
"Ms. Satan!" called the unmistakable voice of Ms. Pumpkin. "Please stay quiet or I will write you up for a detention."
"Sorry," Videl muttered quietly.
"Um… Ms. Pumpkin?"
"Yes… what's your name?"
"Gohan, ma'am." She squinted her eyes, focusing on the boy sitting next to Videl.
"Hmm… what did you want?"
It took almost all of his self-control not to cover his ears. "I was talking… Videl shouldn't be reprimanded."
Twitch.
"So it seems." She turned back to the board, writing more problems on it.
Gohan turned his head slightly, looking at Videl out of the corner of his eye. "Sorry."
"Why?" she asked softly.
There was something odd then that Gohan noticed with Videl. She looked…
Hurt? But why?
"You didn't deserve to be singled out," he said, turning back to the front of the class.
You didn't have to do that though, Videl thought to herself, turning back to the front of the class. It happens all the time…
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End Part Two
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