Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I'm not making any money from this.
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Chapter 14: For Crying Out Loud!
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18th September
"And so I think the best idea would be to evaluate and read through the paperwork..."
Jesus. I am so goddamn bored! How much more of this crap have I got to sit through?
I sighed in irritation, putting my hand to my forehead. Think of it as a holiday, mom said. Some fucking holiday. I swear, if one more greasy middle- aged moron in a suit comes over and asks me to look over the paperwork I'll commit deadly assault with a biro.
"Excuse me, Mr. Briefs?"
I looked up, and, as predicted, there was a greasy, middle-aged moron blocking my view of the window. Okay. Biro at the ready.
"Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale, do you need some fresh air?"
Yes! Oh, Christ, yes. Anything to be out of this hellhole.
"Um, thanks." I muttered, standing up and wandering over to the door. As I opened it, I heard the mind numbing speeches commence once again.
~~~~
I walked through the corridors, not really thinking about anything besides a certain blonde friend of mine, and wondering whether she was still pissed at me for acting like such a bastard towards her. Maybe | should call her?
Yeah! All I have to do is explain how if feel, and she'll understand why I acted like I did! Hmm. If only it was that simple. Yes, I'm still a pathetic coward, and yes, maybe I should stop acting this way, but I just can't help it. It's not like I want to be this way, is it? If only I could get over this irrational fear of rejection.
I mean, seriously, who in their right mind would reject me anyway?
Okay, that was obviously my narcissistic side left over from high school throwing its two cents in. Ignore that.
But really, what have I got to be afraid of? If she rejects me, I can just act like I was joking. Or I can immigrate to a small island in the Pacific away from civilisation and cute girls. No, let me rephrase that. Cute BLONDE girls. The brunettes and the redheads can stay.
Should I phone her? What if she's still pissed? What if she laughs at me? What if...I just bite the bullet and tell her? What if she's pleased/flattered/feeling the same way I do/all of the above?
Should I...? What do you think? Come on, help me out here! Should I tell her and risk getting my pride hurt, or not tell her and just wait until the time is right?
...What if the time IS right? Right now?
Maybe it is. But...maybe it isn't. Maybe the time will never be right. I..I can't. I can't lose her. But...I can't bear being with her as a friend either.
What's more important? Our friendship, or...my feelings for her?
Oh, God, my head hurts now.
What if she tells me she's sorry, but she doesn't feel the same? What if she loves someone else? One of my friends? Goten?
Oh, Christ, what if she loves Goten?
And what if I stopped thinking what if and just got it over with?
I'm gonna tell her.
Yeah, I am. I'm gonna tell her.
I pulled my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and found her number in the phone book. My finger hovered over the 'call' button tentatively as my mind whirled.
I'm gonna tell her!
It was weird, I felt scared, but at the same time, I got this weird rush of excitement. I was finally gonna tell her. So it took me four years, but hey, I can't be fast at everything, right?
I rested my thumb on the call button, and was just about to push it when -
Ring, ring!
Ring, ring!
I almost dropped the phone in surprise. I shouldn't have turned the volume up so loud. Looking at the little screen, I was informed that the incoming call was from 'Ten. Wonder what he wanted? He'd better hurry it up, 'cause I've got more important things to worry about, like telling the girl I love that I love her. And hiding from those damned idiot suits.
"Hey, what's up?" I asked.
"Trunks, you have to come home right now! It's urgent!"
I felt a flash of panic go through me and gripped the phone tighter.
"What is it, G? Is someone hurt? Is everything okay?"
"No!" he yelled. "Everything is NOT okay!"
"Why? What's happened?"
"Remember Uub?"
I blinked. Uub?
Who?
Oh...wait. Yeah, I remembered him. Well, I remembered his girlfriend at the graduation ball, at least...damn...that was -
"Trunks, stop daydreaming about Rachel and concentrate."
"I wasn't." I told him evenly. "Now what is it? What about Uub?"
"Well, nothing, really, except the fact that he totally hates us both!"
"And?" I asked, bored. So what if some guy from high school hated me? It wasn't the guys I was interested in.
"And he took M-Chan out for a drink last night!"
"...What?"
Okay, now I didn't mind the hating me bit, but this? She wouldn't go out with that loser, surely! He couldn't even keep his girlfriends satisfied in high school, there was no way he deserved Marron.
"He took her for a drink! And I saw him talking to her this morning! You have to get back here and goddamn tell her how you feel before you end up losing her to him!"
Goten paused for breath while I let the whole thing sink in. Uub. Marron. Uub and Marron. Marron and Uub. Hi, Marron here, and this is my boyfriend/fiancée/husband, Uub.
No way. There was no way I was gonna let this happen.
"Kinda ironic, don't you think?" Goten asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, you stole his girlfriends all the time in high school. And you didn't really have feelings for any of them. Then the one girl you're hopelessly in love with, he takes away from you."
I scowled, even though he couldn't see me.
"For fuck's sake, Goten, you know I can appreciate irony, but this is not the time!"
"No, you're right. It's the time for you to get your ass back here, right now."
I hung up.
~~~~
"Hey, that sounded like trouble."
I turned around, and noticed a girl leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette, and looking at me with interest. Amusement twinkled in her eyes as she offered me the packet.
"Here. I think you need these right about now."
Now, as a rule, I don't smoke. I used to, in high school, but I quit four years ago. Have a guess who persuaded me to. Ironic that I was starting up again because of her.
I took the packet, thanked her, sparked up, gave her the packet back. She shook her head and gave it back to me, telling me I looked like I was gonna need all of them. For a while, neither of us said anything, just leaned against the wall in silence, slowly filling the corridor with smoke.
"So then, what was that all about? Or is it none of my business?" the girl asked. I glanced sideways at her and pondered whether to tell her. Hey, why not? So I explained about the whole situation, about Marron, Uub, Uub's girlfriends, Rachel Turner in particular, making sure to highlight the fact that none of them meant a thing, because all I was in high school was a hormone driven little bastard. Like most eighteen year olds.
It was only after she turned away that I realised she'd gone quiet. I looked at her, confused.
"Did I say something wrong?" I asked curiously.
"We don't know each other's names, do we?" she asked. "You're Trunks Briefs aren't you?"
"And you?" I asked, frowning.
"Rachel Turner." She said, and then walked away down the corridor, disappearing through the double doors at the end, while I stared after her in complete disbelief.
For the love of God, someone put me out of my misery.
~~~~
A/N: Yay, another chapter that served no purpose whatsoever! *throws confetti* Fun-ness! Hope you liked reading it, and don't forget to review! Big warm fuzzy hugs to everyone who has done so far, especially Tasha, who is so nice to me even though it takes me years to email her, and to Jack, for writing that fab T/M ficcy, Prince Charming, that brightened up my evening! Loved it! You should have way, way more than two reviews for it. ^^
Bye for now!
Aerith
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Chapter 14: For Crying Out Loud!
~~~~
18th September
"And so I think the best idea would be to evaluate and read through the paperwork..."
Jesus. I am so goddamn bored! How much more of this crap have I got to sit through?
I sighed in irritation, putting my hand to my forehead. Think of it as a holiday, mom said. Some fucking holiday. I swear, if one more greasy middle- aged moron in a suit comes over and asks me to look over the paperwork I'll commit deadly assault with a biro.
"Excuse me, Mr. Briefs?"
I looked up, and, as predicted, there was a greasy, middle-aged moron blocking my view of the window. Okay. Biro at the ready.
"Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale, do you need some fresh air?"
Yes! Oh, Christ, yes. Anything to be out of this hellhole.
"Um, thanks." I muttered, standing up and wandering over to the door. As I opened it, I heard the mind numbing speeches commence once again.
~~~~
I walked through the corridors, not really thinking about anything besides a certain blonde friend of mine, and wondering whether she was still pissed at me for acting like such a bastard towards her. Maybe | should call her?
Yeah! All I have to do is explain how if feel, and she'll understand why I acted like I did! Hmm. If only it was that simple. Yes, I'm still a pathetic coward, and yes, maybe I should stop acting this way, but I just can't help it. It's not like I want to be this way, is it? If only I could get over this irrational fear of rejection.
I mean, seriously, who in their right mind would reject me anyway?
Okay, that was obviously my narcissistic side left over from high school throwing its two cents in. Ignore that.
But really, what have I got to be afraid of? If she rejects me, I can just act like I was joking. Or I can immigrate to a small island in the Pacific away from civilisation and cute girls. No, let me rephrase that. Cute BLONDE girls. The brunettes and the redheads can stay.
Should I phone her? What if she's still pissed? What if she laughs at me? What if...I just bite the bullet and tell her? What if she's pleased/flattered/feeling the same way I do/all of the above?
Should I...? What do you think? Come on, help me out here! Should I tell her and risk getting my pride hurt, or not tell her and just wait until the time is right?
...What if the time IS right? Right now?
Maybe it is. But...maybe it isn't. Maybe the time will never be right. I..I can't. I can't lose her. But...I can't bear being with her as a friend either.
What's more important? Our friendship, or...my feelings for her?
Oh, God, my head hurts now.
What if she tells me she's sorry, but she doesn't feel the same? What if she loves someone else? One of my friends? Goten?
Oh, Christ, what if she loves Goten?
And what if I stopped thinking what if and just got it over with?
I'm gonna tell her.
Yeah, I am. I'm gonna tell her.
I pulled my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and found her number in the phone book. My finger hovered over the 'call' button tentatively as my mind whirled.
I'm gonna tell her!
It was weird, I felt scared, but at the same time, I got this weird rush of excitement. I was finally gonna tell her. So it took me four years, but hey, I can't be fast at everything, right?
I rested my thumb on the call button, and was just about to push it when -
Ring, ring!
Ring, ring!
I almost dropped the phone in surprise. I shouldn't have turned the volume up so loud. Looking at the little screen, I was informed that the incoming call was from 'Ten. Wonder what he wanted? He'd better hurry it up, 'cause I've got more important things to worry about, like telling the girl I love that I love her. And hiding from those damned idiot suits.
"Hey, what's up?" I asked.
"Trunks, you have to come home right now! It's urgent!"
I felt a flash of panic go through me and gripped the phone tighter.
"What is it, G? Is someone hurt? Is everything okay?"
"No!" he yelled. "Everything is NOT okay!"
"Why? What's happened?"
"Remember Uub?"
I blinked. Uub?
Who?
Oh...wait. Yeah, I remembered him. Well, I remembered his girlfriend at the graduation ball, at least...damn...that was -
"Trunks, stop daydreaming about Rachel and concentrate."
"I wasn't." I told him evenly. "Now what is it? What about Uub?"
"Well, nothing, really, except the fact that he totally hates us both!"
"And?" I asked, bored. So what if some guy from high school hated me? It wasn't the guys I was interested in.
"And he took M-Chan out for a drink last night!"
"...What?"
Okay, now I didn't mind the hating me bit, but this? She wouldn't go out with that loser, surely! He couldn't even keep his girlfriends satisfied in high school, there was no way he deserved Marron.
"He took her for a drink! And I saw him talking to her this morning! You have to get back here and goddamn tell her how you feel before you end up losing her to him!"
Goten paused for breath while I let the whole thing sink in. Uub. Marron. Uub and Marron. Marron and Uub. Hi, Marron here, and this is my boyfriend/fiancée/husband, Uub.
No way. There was no way I was gonna let this happen.
"Kinda ironic, don't you think?" Goten asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, you stole his girlfriends all the time in high school. And you didn't really have feelings for any of them. Then the one girl you're hopelessly in love with, he takes away from you."
I scowled, even though he couldn't see me.
"For fuck's sake, Goten, you know I can appreciate irony, but this is not the time!"
"No, you're right. It's the time for you to get your ass back here, right now."
I hung up.
~~~~
"Hey, that sounded like trouble."
I turned around, and noticed a girl leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette, and looking at me with interest. Amusement twinkled in her eyes as she offered me the packet.
"Here. I think you need these right about now."
Now, as a rule, I don't smoke. I used to, in high school, but I quit four years ago. Have a guess who persuaded me to. Ironic that I was starting up again because of her.
I took the packet, thanked her, sparked up, gave her the packet back. She shook her head and gave it back to me, telling me I looked like I was gonna need all of them. For a while, neither of us said anything, just leaned against the wall in silence, slowly filling the corridor with smoke.
"So then, what was that all about? Or is it none of my business?" the girl asked. I glanced sideways at her and pondered whether to tell her. Hey, why not? So I explained about the whole situation, about Marron, Uub, Uub's girlfriends, Rachel Turner in particular, making sure to highlight the fact that none of them meant a thing, because all I was in high school was a hormone driven little bastard. Like most eighteen year olds.
It was only after she turned away that I realised she'd gone quiet. I looked at her, confused.
"Did I say something wrong?" I asked curiously.
"We don't know each other's names, do we?" she asked. "You're Trunks Briefs aren't you?"
"And you?" I asked, frowning.
"Rachel Turner." She said, and then walked away down the corridor, disappearing through the double doors at the end, while I stared after her in complete disbelief.
For the love of God, someone put me out of my misery.
~~~~
A/N: Yay, another chapter that served no purpose whatsoever! *throws confetti* Fun-ness! Hope you liked reading it, and don't forget to review! Big warm fuzzy hugs to everyone who has done so far, especially Tasha, who is so nice to me even though it takes me years to email her, and to Jack, for writing that fab T/M ficcy, Prince Charming, that brightened up my evening! Loved it! You should have way, way more than two reviews for it. ^^
Bye for now!
Aerith