Amazingly enough, I've finished another chapter in an incredibly short amount of time. And it's not a short chapter, either. There are parts of this chapter that I just find hilarious and I hope you do, too.
BTW, you should all be thankful I got this chapter out as fast as I did. I'm having a really bad allergy attack (in the middle of winder, of all things) and the allergy medicine is making me rather drowsy. So, kiss my feet, all of you! Just kidding...it's the allergy meds talking. Hope you enjoy!
[Second note: sorry about that mix up in how chapter 2 became chapter 1 and chapter 1 became chapter 2. Don't know how that happened.]
Disclaimer: see part 1
--------Chapter 2: Gohan Gets A Makeover----------
Gohan had to literally bit down on his tongue to keep from turning around and talking to Trunks during the first morning lecture. Instead, he waited for his first opportunity: the break between classes when the teachers changed rooms. The moment the teacher started packing up his lecture notes, Gohan turned around, a mock look of reprimand on his face. Trunks whistled and looked away as if nothing was amiss. Gohan chuckled.
"You little punk! Why didn't you tell me yesterday you were coming here?" Gohan questioned. Trunks smiled.
"It would have ruined the surprise," Trunks said as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head, "Besides, it was funny seeing the look on your face when I walked in." Gohan just looked hurt at Trunks' words.
"And," Gohan said, lowering his voice as he glanced around to see if anyone was listening, "You suppressed your ki." Trunks just nodded.
"Well, then you would have noticed me the moment I stepped on campus," Trunks said, "And we just couldn't have that, now could we?" Gohan narrowed his eyes, feigning anger.
"You brat," Gohan said before chuckling. Beside him, Eraser and Videl both noticed the friendly conversation and wondered.
"Hey," Eraser asked, "You two know each other?" Both guys turned to look at Eraser. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I've known Trunks since I was, what, 7?" Gohan said, turning to Trunks for confirmation. Trunks nodded.
"Yup. Those were interesting times," Trunks commented, remembering the days before and during Cell.
"And, until a few days ago, I hadn't seen you since I was 11," Gohan said wryly, throwing a look at Trunks. Trunks held his hands out in defense.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? It's not my fault I couldn't keep in touch," Trunks defended. Gohan's eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.
"Sure," Gohan drawled, purposely nagging Trunks, "The same old excuse." Trunks glared at Gohan.
"Oh, shut up. I ought to hit you," Trunks said. Gohan laughed.
"You can do that later," Gohan said. Trunks looked at the sympathetic look on Gohan's face and started to laugh. Gohan caught on a few moments later, laughing as well at something that wasn't even particularly funny. Videl watched the exchange between the two, her eyes narrowing. She bought the story about them knowing each other since they were little, but there was something telling her that there was more to it. Eraser smiled.
"Well, that's nice. So, Trunks," Eraser said, turning to the purple-haired Saiya-jin, "Where do you come from?"
"West Capitol," Trunks answered simply. Eraser raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"Wow, that's a two hour drive." Trunks shrugged.
"Well, this is a pretty good school and I knew Gohan was going here, so it's not that bad of a commute." Gohan snorted.
Of course it's not. It's only a 20 minute flight for you, Gohan thought. Videl heard the snort and looked at Gohan suspiciously; Gohan seemed to have adopted an attitude most unlike what she was used to him having.
"What was that for, Gohan?" she asked, none too gently. Gohan looked wide-eyed at Videl, not expecting her to have heard him.
"N-nothing, inside joke," Gohan stuttered. Videl raised an eyebrow as she looked at Gohan questioningly. Eventually, she sighed.
"Never mind," she conceded.
"So," Trunks spoke up, "What's next?" Gohan sighed, his mind off of Videl's questioning.
"Math," Gohan stated. Trunks looked at Gohan with confusion.
"Why the sigh? I like math," Trunks said. Gohan just shot him a look.
"It's pre-calculus." Trunks practically guffawed.
"What? Only pre-cal?" Trunks sputtered, "But, I've already done pre-cal!" Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Join the club," Gohan sighed, settling back into his chair as the math teacher entered the room. Both Eraser and Videl looked impressed.
"Wow, you must be really smart," Videl said. Trunks shrugged.
"Runs in the family," Trunks explained, "My mom's a scientist." There were a few moments of silence before Trunks realized something.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I just realized that I don't know your names," Trunks said, an apologetic smile on his face. Eraser smiled broadly as his face became 5 times more handsome for the smile.
"My name is Eraser," she said, "And you should already know who this is." Eraser pointed at Videl. Trunks shook his head.
"No, I don't think I know who you are," Trunks said to Videl. Both Eraser and Videl were flabbergasted. From Videl's right, Sharpener spoke up.
"She's Satan Videl, the daughter of the famous Hercule," Sharpener spoke with a proud sneer. Trunks just looked even more confused.
"Hercule?" Trunks questioned. The jaws of Sharpener, Eraser, and Videl all visibly dropped. Gohan turned around, slightly panicked at Trunks' lack of knowledge.
"Remember? The guy who beat Cell?" Gohan said, hoping that Trunks would get the hint. Trunks remembered the name and face that went with it.
"Oh yeah," Trunks said, "But, Gohan, you-" Trunks' sentence was cut off by the piercing glare coming from Gohan, indicating that he should just shut up. Apparently Gohan wanted Trunks to go along with the "Hercule beat Cell" story; why, however, he couldn't figure. Trunks smiled at the other three.
"Sorry, I have memory issues," Trunks said. Inwardly, he was kicking himself for making himself look like an idiot. The other three nodded in understanding, though Videl wasn't buying his excuse.
He's almost as bad a liar as Gohan is, Videl thought, but let the thought go as the teacher began class; it would just have to wait until later.
***
Lunch eventually rolled around. The entirety of Orange Star High School was outside, enjoying lunch under the spring sun. But, Videl wasn't enjoying herself at all. Directly in her line of sight, about 20 feet away from her table, sat Trunks and Gohan, laughing and talking like normal people.
She was pissed. Not only was she stuck between Eraser and her ditzy friends on one side and Sharpener and his jock friends on the other, her plans of getting close to Gohan were now ruined after she spent the entire weekend devising a ruse for getting close to him. She knew he had no friends, so she was going to start being friendly towards him, a sort of savior in a friendless land. But, apparently, that plan wasn't going to work.
Noticing the camaraderie between Trunks and Gohan, it was obvious that Gohan had found a closer friend in Trunks than he would have been able to find in Videl. Videl clenched her fist as her gaze swept over to Trunks.
Bastard. He ruined all my plans, Videl thought. Part of her envied the close friendship between the two, not having something like it herself. Videl sighed. They're probably having a somewhat intelligent conversation, Videl thought longingly. But she just couldn't bring herself to get up and join them, not feeling comfortable enough with either Trunks or Gohan to just join them out of the blue. From next to her, a question was directed at her, but she missed it.
"What?" she said. Eraser sighed.
"You really are spacing out. I asked you if you were ok," Eraser repeated. Videl gave Eraser one of her gruff smiles.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," Videl said as she glanced over one last time and the table Trunks and Gohan sat at. I wonder what they're talking about.
***
"They call this food?" Trunks asked as he poked at his tray with his fork, trying to discern whether or not his food was organic.
"It reminds me of Bulma's cooking, actually," Gohan said, not daring to yet take a bite of what passed as food at the institution they called school. Trunks glared at Gohan.
"Hey, no remarks about my mom's cooking. Even though it's like eating paste," Trunks said, unable to suppress the chuckle that escaped. Gohan smirked.
"That's for sure," Gohan said. Trunks sighed.
"Well, it's a good thing mom has something planned for me to have lunch at school. This is not enough to feed a Saiya-jin, even a half one." Gohan nodded.
"I know," Gohan sighed, "I have to eat twice as much for breakfast to make up for what I'm not eating at lunch." Trunks looked up at Gohan, a small smile on his face.
"Well, mom is making a capsule that holds a large table with a whole bunch of food on it. Want me to get her to make you one too? It's more than enough food for a Saiya-jin." Gohan smiled.
"As long as Bulma doesn't make the food, that's sounds perfect. No more suffering through school lunches." Trunks just snorted.
"Tell me about it. This stuff looks like Cell ate it and then threw it back up," Trunks said. Gohan's face twisted in disgust as he pushed away his plate.
"Well, after that colorful analogy, I think I have lost my appetite for the first time ever. Congratulations, Trunks. You managed to make a Saiya-jin lose his appetite." Trunks laughed as he put his tray on top of Gohan's.
"Thank you, thank you," Trunks said with a small bow, "I'll go throw these away." Trunks scooped up the two trays and headed for the trash cans to get rid of the mockery the school called food. Trunks quickly sat back down, a curious look on his face.
"Hey, Gohan, how come you let Mr. Satan take the credit for what you did with Cell?" Trunks asked, keeping his voice low so no one would hear their conversation. Gohan sighed.
"It's a little complicated," Gohan said, "I really don't want the credit for it. I mean, Mr. Satan is chased after all the time by the press; I really don't want that type of attention. Besides, he took credit for it anyway after we all left. Since the news crews couldn't really see what was going on at the end, they had no reason to doubt that Mr. Satan had won. Anyway, I mean, how many people would believe that an 11-year old child defeated Cell instead of a world-renowned martial artist?" Trunks nodded thoughtfully.
"I see your point. But it bothers me. I mean, you remember the words of that man when he called everything we can do nothing but tricks. The words of a coward," Trunks muttered. Gohan had to agree.
"I know, but I don't really feel like correcting him. And, besides, it's not like his claiming to have beaten Cell bothers me that much. It doesn't really affect me, so I see no reason to change everyone's thinking."
"Well, that's cool," Trunks said, "It's your choice seeing how as you defeated Cell in the first place." They were silent for a couple of minutes, Gohan staring off into space and Trunks eyeing Gohan carefully. After a few moments, a thought dawned on Trunks.
Where in the Hell did he get those clothes? Trunks thought, looking at Gohan's outfit. We are going to have to change that.
"Hey Gohan, what are you doing this afternoon?" Trunks asked. Gohan smiled mischievously.
"Why, Trunks? Wanna ask me out on a date?" Gohan laughed. Trunks punched Gohan in the arm, but it didn't affect Gohan much.
"Very funny," Trunks said, "I'm serious." Gohan stopped laughing.
"Well, I'm not doing anything. Why, do you wanna spar or something?" Gohan asked. Trunks shook his head.
"No, maybe later though. I was, however, thinking more along the lines of the mall," Trunks said. Gohan's head cocked to one side with curiosity.
"The mall? What for?" Trunks sighed.
"Gohan, where did you get those clothes?" Trunks asked. Gohan looked down at his outfit.
"I don't know; my mom got it for me a while ago. Why?" Trunks slapped a hand to his face.
"Because you look like you got dressed in the dark," Trunks said. Gohan blinked at him, completely oblivious.
"I do? But I thought this looked ok." Trunks just shook his head.
"It would look ok if you were 6, but you're almost 18 Gohan. We have to get you into the now. You need new clothes, clothes with some style."
"But, I don't have any money," Gohan explained, "How am I supposed to buy clothes without money?" Trunks smiled.
"Obviously you've forgotten who my mother is," Trunks said, "You know you are looking at the son of the richest woman in the world." Gohan looked almost horrified.
"But, Trunks, I can't ask you to do that," Gohan said, "How would I pay you back?" Trunks waved his head, dismissing the issue.
"Don't worry about it. Mom got me a Capsule Corp credit card with an unlimited spending limit. I just gotta tell her what I'm using it for; she won't care." Gohan still looked a little apprehensive.
"Well, ok, if you think she won't care. I don't see what's wrong my clothes as they are now, but I won't mind getting new ones. Thank you for spending the money, by the way." Trunks smiled.
"No problem. We just have to tell our parents we're going after school," Trunks said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cell phone, "I'll call my mom now and you can call Chi-Chi after school. I think she might get mad at you if you called home during school hours." Gohan chuckled.
"Yeah, that's for sure," Gohan said. Trunks laughed as he dialed his mom's number. It rang a couple of times before picking up.
"Moshi moshi, Bulma speaking."
"Hey mom," Trunks greeted.
"Trunks! What's up? Are you ok?" Bulma asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to call and tell you that Gohan and I are going to the mall after school today," Trunks explained. Bulma laughed.
"And why are two teenage boys going to the mall together?" Bulma asked.
"I'm buying Gohan a new wardrobe," Trunks said. Bulma laughed lightly.
"Kami knows he needs it. I take it you'll be using the credit card I gave you?" Bulma asked. Trunks nodded, though Bulma couldn't see it.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd mind."
"No, not at all," Bulma said, "But thanks for telling me. I gotta go, though. I'm working on that anti-matter laser I was telling you about. See you when you get home." Bulma didn't give Trunks a chance to reply before handing up the phone. Trunks pulled the phone away and looked at with raised eyebrows.
"Bye to you, too, mom," Trunks said sarcastically before disconnecting the line and placing the phone back into his jacket pocket.
"She's fine with it," Trunks continued, "She says you need a new wardrobe, by the way." Gohan rolled his eyes.
"One person says it, it's opinion; two people, gospel. I must really need a whole new look, or something," Gohan mused.
"Trust me, I may not be big on style or anything, but you could use a style upgrade," Trunks said. The moment those words left Trunks' mouth, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Well, better get back to that there book learnin'," Trunks said with a southern drawl. Gohan laughed and cringed at the same time.
"Trunks, for my sake, please don't try to speak with a southern accent again," Gohan said as they stood up from their table and headed back inside.
"Just as long as you let me burn that outfit," Trunks bargained. Gohan rolled his eyes, conceding.
"Sure, fine, whatever."
***
Videl followed Trunks and Gohan as they went to their lockers. Gohan's was only a few down from hers and she was surprised to find, as were Trunks and Gohan, that Trunks' locker was right next to Gohan's. Appearing to be gathering her books, Videl kept both an eye and an ear on them, trying to find anything out of the ordinary about them.
"Hey, Trunks," Gohan said after both he and Trunks got a good laugh out of having lockers adjacent to one another, "Let me borrow your phone so I can call my mom." Trunks nodded and pulled the phone out of his jacket. Videl eyes narrowed as she spotted the Capsule Corp logo on the jacket. How'd he get one of those?
I thought those were for employees only, Videl mused as Gohan took the phone from Trunks hands.
"Thanks," Gohan said as he dialed his home number. It rang several times before a flustered Chi-Chi answered the phone.
"Moshi-moshi," Chi-Chi breathed.
"You ok, mom?" Gohan asked, not even bothering to greet his mother.
"Gohan!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, "Is school out?"
"Yeah, it is. Hey, I have a question," Gohan said. Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"Yes? What is it?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Well, I was wondering if I could hang out with Trunks after school," Gohan said. Chi-Chi sighed with relief; at least the older Trunks was a good kid.
"Sure!" Chi-Chi said, "That's fine with me. Mirai Trunks is a very polite young man. He's a good person for you to be friends with. You have fun, ok?" Gohan smiled.
"Will do, mom," Gohan said, "See you when I get home."
"Ok, Gohan. Love you," Chi-Chi said.
"You too, mom," Gohan replied, "Bye." With that, Gohan hung up the phone and handed it back to Trunks.
"Thanks, man." Trunks looked over at Gohan with an eyebrow raised and a small, wry smirk on his face.
"You didn't even tell Chi-Chi what we're doing," Trunks said with thinly veiled amusement. Gohan shrugged.
"I think she would have objected if she really knew. This way, I can surprise her when I get home," Gohan said. Videl's ears perked with curiosity; surprise with what?
"And won't she be surprised," Trunks chuckled, "You have all your stuff?" Gohan nodded.
"Already had it all in my bag. I was waiting for you," Gohan said, emphasizing the last word, acting as if it had been a great chore to wait for Trunks to put away his things in his locker. Trunks rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, bitch, moan," Trunks sighed, "Let's go." Together, Trunks and Gohan walked away, Videl watching them as they walked side-by-side.
Videl let them go without following; she didn't think their afternoon activity important enough to trail them. It didn't, however, stop her from wondering about the two new kids. Trunks seemed nice enough, a little on the quiet side, though. Videl smirked; that wasn't all that bad.
But, with Gohan, that was a different story. Videl easily picked up the change in Gohan due to Trunks' appearance at Orange Star High. Videl had pegged him to be a rather quiet, shy individual, but seeing him around Trunks totally changed what she thought about him. Seeing him with Trunks made her want to be friends with him, a sensation she had never experienced before. He was animated, funny, and open when talking to Trunks. It made Videl shake her head in wonder at how different he was when he was around someone he knew well.
But there was still something off about him, the same with Trunks as well. Videl couldn't pinpoint it, but whatever was off about Gohan was the same with Trunks and she couldn't figure out what it was. But she would; Videl was determined to find out what it was about them the intrigued her. A small smile formed on her face; she looked forward to the challenge.
***
Gohan sighed as he looked next to him. Beside him, Trunks flew at the same pace, his eyes forward.
"So, where are we going?" Gohan asked. Trunks looked over at him and smiled.
"Where else? The West Capitol Mega Mall," Trunks drawled, "Where every single chain store in existence resides." Gohan sighed; he'd been to that mall before, though the last time it was as a pack horse, not a shopper himself.
"Great," he muttered as they flew, "Do we even know what type of clothing stores we're looking for?" Trunks shrugged.
"Won't know until we look, will we?" Trunks smiled. Gohan groaned; it was going to be a long day. They reached West Capitol and made a quick stop at Capsule Corp to pick up several empty capsules to store their day's purchases. They made their way to the mall in short time and stopped in front of the entrance, taking in the sight of the large mall.
"Ahh, capitalism at its best," Trunks quipped as they stood in front of the entrance.
"Well, let's not stand here all day, Trunks," Gohan said, "If we're going to buy stuff, we better go in." Trunks just shot Gohan a look that said "duh" before walking into the mall. They stopped a few steps into the mall and looked around. Customers were milling about everywhere, shopping bags jostling at their sides. Trunks glanced a seeking eye about the mall, quickly spotting what he was looking for.
"Ah, good, a directory," Trunks said, dragging Gohan over to the large board. He grabbed a map from the container next to it and opened it up, taking in the sheer number of stores at their fingertips. Gohan looked over Trunks' shoulder to peer at the map as well. When he saw the size and intricacy of the map, he whistled in amazement.
"Damn, that's a lot of stores," Gohan whispered. Trunks nodded.
"Yeah, but we're only looking for a few," Trunks said, using his finger to point at the map, "Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle Outfitters, to name the main ones. We'll stop by in Macy's for shoes, but that's about it. Gohan's eyes lit up as he looked at the map.
"Hey, they're all in the same area," Gohan exclaimed; maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Trunks nodded slowly.
"That they are, but they're on the other side of the mall. Come on, let's get going." With that, the two teenagers started walking, each of them glancing at the stores they passed by. A sudden thought popped into Gohan's head and he chuckled. Trunks looked over at Gohan and cocked an eyebrow.
"What's so funny?" Trunks asked. Gohan shook his head.
"Nothing, really. Just thinking how funny it is that two teenage males are shopping together at the mall for clothes and we both agreed to it." Trunks had to laugh as well.
"Yeah, well, I can see how that would seem odd. But I'm pushing aside my reservation against homosexual tendencies to take you shopping, Gohan. You're such a charity case when it comes to clothing," Trunks teased. Gohan glared at Trunks, but it was hard to make it convincing when he was smiling as well.
"You deserve to be beaten into the ground for that remark," Gohan said. Trunks scoffed.
"Like you could," Trunks said, full well knowing that Gohan could. Gohan tapped Trunks on the chest hard a couple of times.
"You know I can," Gohan reminded friendly, "And don't you forget it." A memory of the Cell Games flashed in Trunks' mind; he could never forget. They eventually made their way to the end of the mall they wanted to be at and stopped at their first destination: the Gap. Trunks smiled broadly while Gohan still looked a little apprehensive.
"Come on, Gohan," Trunks said, seeing Gohan's facial expression, "It won't be so bad. Just put one foot in front of the other." Gohan shot Trunks a none too friendly glare before walking into the Gap. Trunks just laughed and followed Gohan inside.
***
Several hours later, two tired teenagers left the mall. In addition to the Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle, they had stopped by a number of specialty stores to acquire the finishing touches to Gohan's new wardrobe, such as a leather jacket and novelty T-shirts. Gohan sighed as he and Trunks walked into the alley and took to the skies.
"Remind me to never do that ever again," Gohan said. Trunks nodded in agreement.
"And remind me to never suggest it," Trunks added. Gohan smiled weakly.
"No problem," Gohan said, looking down at the bulge in his pocket, the pocket that held the 5 capsules worth of clothing, "I think we bought out every store we went to. I don't even want to think about how much money you spent." Trunks shook his head.
"Neither do I. I suggest you don't add up the receipts. Lucky for us mom's a multi-billionaire and the several thousand dollars we just spent will go by unnoticed." Gohan chuckled.
"Well, at least my wardrobe meets your satisfaction. Isn't that right, your highness?" Gohan teased. Trunks shot Gohan a look.
"Yes, it does. And I am royalty, remember?" Gohan rolled his eyes; as if he could forget with Vegeta constantly reminding everyone that he was the "almighty Prince of the Saiya-jins".
"Well, if I ever forgot, I could always ask Vegeta. He'd set me straight in a heartbeat." Trunks laughed.
"That's how long it's take for him to punch you in the nose for forgetting," Trunks said, a wry smile on his face. Gohan laughed as well, the action fitting Vegeta to a T.
"Very true," Gohan said. Gohan looked down at his watch and cringed slightly.
"Well, it's about 7:00. I better get home and have dinner. Mom's probably wondering where I am," Gohan said. Trunks gave a curt nod.
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Trunks," Gohan called as he turned to head for home. Trunks waved his good-bye as he continued on towards Capsule Corp. Gohan boosted his speed as he headed for home, definitely wanting to get home in time for dinner. Having skipped lunch was definitely not good for a Saiya-jin to do and Gohan was very hungry. Gohan landed next to his front door 15 minutes later with a very empty stomach. Entering through the front door, the smells of dinner assaulted his nose and his stomach growled loudly.
"Mom, I'm home!" Gohan announced loudly.
"Hi honey!" Chi-Chi called back, her voice coming from the kitchen. Gohan set his school bag down by the door and walked into the kitchen, seeing his mother putting the finishing touches on dinner and Goten sitting patiently at the table. Chi-Chi turned to see Gohan entering the kitchen and she smiled at him.
"You're just in time for dinner," Chi-Chi said. Gohan nodded.
"I noticed," Gohan laughed as he sat down next to Goten at the table.
"How was your afternoon with Trunks? What'd you do?" Chi-Chi asked. Gohan smiled.
"We went to the mall and did some shopping," Gohan said. Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. A Son male voluntarily went shopping?
"Did you buy anything?" Gohan nodded and pulled out the 5 capsules from his pocket.
"Trunks thought I needed a new wardrobe, so he bought me a new one." Chi-Chi's jaw dropped.
"We can't possibly pay them back," Chi-Chi breathed, wondering just how many clothes were contained in the capsules. Gohan nodded.
"I worried about that, too, but Trunks and Bulma insisted it was fine. Trunks told me I was a 'walking fashion disaster and would never get a girlfriend with the old clothes'. I think he was joking, though," Gohan said, recalling the words Trunks has spoken to him in the Gap. Chi-Chi shrugged, accepting the fact that Bulma had essentially paid for Gohan's clothes and she'd never be able to pay her back.
"Well, if it'll get me grandchildren, I'm fine with it." It was Gohan's turn for his jaw to drop.
"Mom!" he exclaimed, turning bright red, "I just started school, for crying out loud. I have to get a girlfriend and get married and everything before even thinking of grandchildren." Chi-Chi let the issue drop, noticing Gohan's embarrassment over the topic and went back to finishing dinner.
Gohan looked over at Goten, who had been quiet since he entered the room. The barely contained laughter hidden behind his hands was proof enough that something was up with Goten. Gohan sighed with resignation.
"Oh, and what's so funny?" Gohan asked. Goten moved his hands away from his mouth and smiled at his older brother.
"Your face when mommy mentioned grandchildren," Goten giggled. Gohan mussed up Goten's hair in a sign of brotherly affection.
"Very funny, squirt." Goten laughed again.
"Did you have fun with old Trunks?" Goten asked, using the age difference to distinguish between the two version of Trunks, not quite understanding why there were two of them.
"Yes, I did, Goten." Goten smiled.
"Isn't cool that my best friend is Trunks and so is yours?" Goten asked. Gohan paused to consider Goten's words; did he consider Mirai Trunks his best friend? Gohan inwardly shrugged, knowing that Mirai Trunks was the closest thing to a best friend he had.
"Yeah, it is pretty cool," Gohan remarked as Chi-Chi set down the first course of dinner. Both Son boys began salivating at the sight in front of them. Chi-Chi had to restrain a laugh and gestured that they were allowed to start eating. In that moment, the feeding frenzy began and there was no stopping it.
***
The next morning, Gohan arose early, as he usually did, to begin getting ready for school. After showering, he stood in his room, figuring out what to wear that day. He held the 5 capsules in the palm of his hand, trying to remember what was in each of them. Having no room for the new clothes, Gohan decided to just keep them in the capsules he had brought home with him.
Eventually, Gohan decided to keep it simple, opened a couple of capsules, pulled out what he wanted and got dressed. He walked downstairs, dressed in his new clothes, ready to show Chi-Chi the new him. The moment Chi-Chi spotted him in the kitchen, she nearly dropped the dishes she was holding.
"Gohan," she breathed, "You look amazing!" The simple white button-down shirt, un-tucked with a couple of the top buttons undone, and tan khakis looked astounding on him, highlighting his best features. Chi-Chi briefly mused that her son looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. Gohan smiled and blushed slightly at his mom's compliment.
"Thanks, mom," Gohan said as he sat down at the table. Chi-Chi didn't say anything more, letting the matter rest, and served Gohan his breakfast. He ate his breakfast as fast as a Saiya-jin could and bolted out the door, putting on his new leather jacket and slinging his school bag over his shoulder before doing so.
It took Gohan little time to get to school. He landed on the roof seconds before Trunks did. Trunks spotted Gohan's outfit and smiled.
"Now, that's more like it," Trunks said. Gohan smiled back.
"I knew you'd think so," Gohan remarked as they walked down the stairs that led from the roof. They went straight to class, talking about nothing in particular. As they approached their classroom, they could hear the sounds of 30 students talking animatedly. The moment Gohan entered the room, however, that noise died.
Videl looked over right before Gohan entered the room to see Trunks walking in, wearing his usual Capsule Corp jacket (which she still had yet to figure out why he owned) with a black shirt and blue jeans. Her heart stopped in her chest, or so she swore, when Gohan walked into the room.
He was the epitome of male sexiness, in his white button-up shirt and tan khakis. She could see a hint of pectoral muscles peaking through the top of Gohan's shirt and realized that Gohan might not be the scrawny geek that everyone thought he was. The leather jacket set off the ensemble nicely.
He looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ, Videl thought. Apparently, she wasn't the only one impressed at Gohan's new look. Beside her, Eraser whistled low in appreciation.
"Would you look at that," Eraser said, "And here I thought he couldn't get any sexier." Videl didn't even have it in her to respond to that as she watched Gohan and Trunks walk up the stairs to their seats. Eraser was the first one to speak to them.
"Wow, Gohan. Love the new look." Gohan smiled.
"Thank him," Gohan said, pointing to Trunks, "He helped me." Eraser shot an incredulous look in Trunks' direction.
"You helped him with that?" Eraser asked. Trunks nodded.
"Yeah. I may be a guy, but I know what looks good and his old clothes just didn't look good." Eraser laughed out loud.
"Well, you certainly fixed the problem," Eraser said.
From a couple of seats down, Sharpener nursed a bruised ego. He didn't like the looks Videl was throwing at Gohan at all. He had spent the last three years trying to get Videl to like him and then Gohan entered the picture, ruining all of Sharpener's hard work (AN: like he had a snowball's chance in Hell).
I don't see what's so special about him. So, yeah, he has a few new clothes. Big fucking deal, Sharpener thought, wishing Videl had looked like that in his direction. I'll make that geek pay. I don't know how, but I will, Sharpener resolved. Eraser turned towards Videl, completely unaware of Sharpener's issues.
"What do you think, Videl?" she asked, indicating Gohan's new look. Videl looked over at Gohan and gave him a small smile that made Gohan's stomach flip. Trunks noticed the smile and Gohan's reaction, immediately knowing what was happening. He chuckled at the thought.
Oh, the irony, Trunks thought.
"He looks good," Videl said, not much tone to her voice. Eraser rolled her eyes and looked over at Gohan,
"That means she thinks you look awesome," Eraser interpreted. Gohan smiled back.
"Thanks," Gohan said before turning towards the front of the room where the teacher was setting up for the first lecture of the day. Eraser kept her eyes on Gohan for a few more moments before glancing up at Trunks, his good looks not escaping her notice. She inwardly sighed.
It should be illegal for men to look that good, Eraser thought as she pulled out a notebook, completely oblivious to the blank look on Videl's face. Videl was, at the current moment, trying to suppress the funny feeling in her stomach that she had no word for.
Why did it show up when I looked at Gohan? What is it? Videl questioned. Unable to pinpoint the feeling, she tried to shake it aside as class started.
From his vantage point, Trunks could watch Gohan and Videl easily. He didn't slip past him that every few minutes, either Videl or Gohan would glance over at the other. Trunks smiled.
This'll be an interesting school year.
-------------
Favorite quote moment: "This stuff looks like Cell ate it and then threw it back up" That line just strikes me as one of the best lines I've ever written. I think there are quite a few funny moments in this chapter and they'll just keep on coming in the upcoming chapters. I don't know when the next chapter will be up because I have homework due for my digital design class and then I have a Japanese test coming up, so I'll be a little busy...which is unfortuate because this story is just so much fun! Ja!
BTW, you should all be thankful I got this chapter out as fast as I did. I'm having a really bad allergy attack (in the middle of winder, of all things) and the allergy medicine is making me rather drowsy. So, kiss my feet, all of you! Just kidding...it's the allergy meds talking. Hope you enjoy!
[Second note: sorry about that mix up in how chapter 2 became chapter 1 and chapter 1 became chapter 2. Don't know how that happened.]
Disclaimer: see part 1
--------Chapter 2: Gohan Gets A Makeover----------
Gohan had to literally bit down on his tongue to keep from turning around and talking to Trunks during the first morning lecture. Instead, he waited for his first opportunity: the break between classes when the teachers changed rooms. The moment the teacher started packing up his lecture notes, Gohan turned around, a mock look of reprimand on his face. Trunks whistled and looked away as if nothing was amiss. Gohan chuckled.
"You little punk! Why didn't you tell me yesterday you were coming here?" Gohan questioned. Trunks smiled.
"It would have ruined the surprise," Trunks said as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head, "Besides, it was funny seeing the look on your face when I walked in." Gohan just looked hurt at Trunks' words.
"And," Gohan said, lowering his voice as he glanced around to see if anyone was listening, "You suppressed your ki." Trunks just nodded.
"Well, then you would have noticed me the moment I stepped on campus," Trunks said, "And we just couldn't have that, now could we?" Gohan narrowed his eyes, feigning anger.
"You brat," Gohan said before chuckling. Beside him, Eraser and Videl both noticed the friendly conversation and wondered.
"Hey," Eraser asked, "You two know each other?" Both guys turned to look at Eraser. Gohan nodded.
"Yeah, I've known Trunks since I was, what, 7?" Gohan said, turning to Trunks for confirmation. Trunks nodded.
"Yup. Those were interesting times," Trunks commented, remembering the days before and during Cell.
"And, until a few days ago, I hadn't seen you since I was 11," Gohan said wryly, throwing a look at Trunks. Trunks held his hands out in defense.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? It's not my fault I couldn't keep in touch," Trunks defended. Gohan's eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.
"Sure," Gohan drawled, purposely nagging Trunks, "The same old excuse." Trunks glared at Gohan.
"Oh, shut up. I ought to hit you," Trunks said. Gohan laughed.
"You can do that later," Gohan said. Trunks looked at the sympathetic look on Gohan's face and started to laugh. Gohan caught on a few moments later, laughing as well at something that wasn't even particularly funny. Videl watched the exchange between the two, her eyes narrowing. She bought the story about them knowing each other since they were little, but there was something telling her that there was more to it. Eraser smiled.
"Well, that's nice. So, Trunks," Eraser said, turning to the purple-haired Saiya-jin, "Where do you come from?"
"West Capitol," Trunks answered simply. Eraser raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"Wow, that's a two hour drive." Trunks shrugged.
"Well, this is a pretty good school and I knew Gohan was going here, so it's not that bad of a commute." Gohan snorted.
Of course it's not. It's only a 20 minute flight for you, Gohan thought. Videl heard the snort and looked at Gohan suspiciously; Gohan seemed to have adopted an attitude most unlike what she was used to him having.
"What was that for, Gohan?" she asked, none too gently. Gohan looked wide-eyed at Videl, not expecting her to have heard him.
"N-nothing, inside joke," Gohan stuttered. Videl raised an eyebrow as she looked at Gohan questioningly. Eventually, she sighed.
"Never mind," she conceded.
"So," Trunks spoke up, "What's next?" Gohan sighed, his mind off of Videl's questioning.
"Math," Gohan stated. Trunks looked at Gohan with confusion.
"Why the sigh? I like math," Trunks said. Gohan just shot him a look.
"It's pre-calculus." Trunks practically guffawed.
"What? Only pre-cal?" Trunks sputtered, "But, I've already done pre-cal!" Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Join the club," Gohan sighed, settling back into his chair as the math teacher entered the room. Both Eraser and Videl looked impressed.
"Wow, you must be really smart," Videl said. Trunks shrugged.
"Runs in the family," Trunks explained, "My mom's a scientist." There were a few moments of silence before Trunks realized something.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I just realized that I don't know your names," Trunks said, an apologetic smile on his face. Eraser smiled broadly as his face became 5 times more handsome for the smile.
"My name is Eraser," she said, "And you should already know who this is." Eraser pointed at Videl. Trunks shook his head.
"No, I don't think I know who you are," Trunks said to Videl. Both Eraser and Videl were flabbergasted. From Videl's right, Sharpener spoke up.
"She's Satan Videl, the daughter of the famous Hercule," Sharpener spoke with a proud sneer. Trunks just looked even more confused.
"Hercule?" Trunks questioned. The jaws of Sharpener, Eraser, and Videl all visibly dropped. Gohan turned around, slightly panicked at Trunks' lack of knowledge.
"Remember? The guy who beat Cell?" Gohan said, hoping that Trunks would get the hint. Trunks remembered the name and face that went with it.
"Oh yeah," Trunks said, "But, Gohan, you-" Trunks' sentence was cut off by the piercing glare coming from Gohan, indicating that he should just shut up. Apparently Gohan wanted Trunks to go along with the "Hercule beat Cell" story; why, however, he couldn't figure. Trunks smiled at the other three.
"Sorry, I have memory issues," Trunks said. Inwardly, he was kicking himself for making himself look like an idiot. The other three nodded in understanding, though Videl wasn't buying his excuse.
He's almost as bad a liar as Gohan is, Videl thought, but let the thought go as the teacher began class; it would just have to wait until later.
***
Lunch eventually rolled around. The entirety of Orange Star High School was outside, enjoying lunch under the spring sun. But, Videl wasn't enjoying herself at all. Directly in her line of sight, about 20 feet away from her table, sat Trunks and Gohan, laughing and talking like normal people.
She was pissed. Not only was she stuck between Eraser and her ditzy friends on one side and Sharpener and his jock friends on the other, her plans of getting close to Gohan were now ruined after she spent the entire weekend devising a ruse for getting close to him. She knew he had no friends, so she was going to start being friendly towards him, a sort of savior in a friendless land. But, apparently, that plan wasn't going to work.
Noticing the camaraderie between Trunks and Gohan, it was obvious that Gohan had found a closer friend in Trunks than he would have been able to find in Videl. Videl clenched her fist as her gaze swept over to Trunks.
Bastard. He ruined all my plans, Videl thought. Part of her envied the close friendship between the two, not having something like it herself. Videl sighed. They're probably having a somewhat intelligent conversation, Videl thought longingly. But she just couldn't bring herself to get up and join them, not feeling comfortable enough with either Trunks or Gohan to just join them out of the blue. From next to her, a question was directed at her, but she missed it.
"What?" she said. Eraser sighed.
"You really are spacing out. I asked you if you were ok," Eraser repeated. Videl gave Eraser one of her gruff smiles.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," Videl said as she glanced over one last time and the table Trunks and Gohan sat at. I wonder what they're talking about.
***
"They call this food?" Trunks asked as he poked at his tray with his fork, trying to discern whether or not his food was organic.
"It reminds me of Bulma's cooking, actually," Gohan said, not daring to yet take a bite of what passed as food at the institution they called school. Trunks glared at Gohan.
"Hey, no remarks about my mom's cooking. Even though it's like eating paste," Trunks said, unable to suppress the chuckle that escaped. Gohan smirked.
"That's for sure," Gohan said. Trunks sighed.
"Well, it's a good thing mom has something planned for me to have lunch at school. This is not enough to feed a Saiya-jin, even a half one." Gohan nodded.
"I know," Gohan sighed, "I have to eat twice as much for breakfast to make up for what I'm not eating at lunch." Trunks looked up at Gohan, a small smile on his face.
"Well, mom is making a capsule that holds a large table with a whole bunch of food on it. Want me to get her to make you one too? It's more than enough food for a Saiya-jin." Gohan smiled.
"As long as Bulma doesn't make the food, that's sounds perfect. No more suffering through school lunches." Trunks just snorted.
"Tell me about it. This stuff looks like Cell ate it and then threw it back up," Trunks said. Gohan's face twisted in disgust as he pushed away his plate.
"Well, after that colorful analogy, I think I have lost my appetite for the first time ever. Congratulations, Trunks. You managed to make a Saiya-jin lose his appetite." Trunks laughed as he put his tray on top of Gohan's.
"Thank you, thank you," Trunks said with a small bow, "I'll go throw these away." Trunks scooped up the two trays and headed for the trash cans to get rid of the mockery the school called food. Trunks quickly sat back down, a curious look on his face.
"Hey, Gohan, how come you let Mr. Satan take the credit for what you did with Cell?" Trunks asked, keeping his voice low so no one would hear their conversation. Gohan sighed.
"It's a little complicated," Gohan said, "I really don't want the credit for it. I mean, Mr. Satan is chased after all the time by the press; I really don't want that type of attention. Besides, he took credit for it anyway after we all left. Since the news crews couldn't really see what was going on at the end, they had no reason to doubt that Mr. Satan had won. Anyway, I mean, how many people would believe that an 11-year old child defeated Cell instead of a world-renowned martial artist?" Trunks nodded thoughtfully.
"I see your point. But it bothers me. I mean, you remember the words of that man when he called everything we can do nothing but tricks. The words of a coward," Trunks muttered. Gohan had to agree.
"I know, but I don't really feel like correcting him. And, besides, it's not like his claiming to have beaten Cell bothers me that much. It doesn't really affect me, so I see no reason to change everyone's thinking."
"Well, that's cool," Trunks said, "It's your choice seeing how as you defeated Cell in the first place." They were silent for a couple of minutes, Gohan staring off into space and Trunks eyeing Gohan carefully. After a few moments, a thought dawned on Trunks.
Where in the Hell did he get those clothes? Trunks thought, looking at Gohan's outfit. We are going to have to change that.
"Hey Gohan, what are you doing this afternoon?" Trunks asked. Gohan smiled mischievously.
"Why, Trunks? Wanna ask me out on a date?" Gohan laughed. Trunks punched Gohan in the arm, but it didn't affect Gohan much.
"Very funny," Trunks said, "I'm serious." Gohan stopped laughing.
"Well, I'm not doing anything. Why, do you wanna spar or something?" Gohan asked. Trunks shook his head.
"No, maybe later though. I was, however, thinking more along the lines of the mall," Trunks said. Gohan's head cocked to one side with curiosity.
"The mall? What for?" Trunks sighed.
"Gohan, where did you get those clothes?" Trunks asked. Gohan looked down at his outfit.
"I don't know; my mom got it for me a while ago. Why?" Trunks slapped a hand to his face.
"Because you look like you got dressed in the dark," Trunks said. Gohan blinked at him, completely oblivious.
"I do? But I thought this looked ok." Trunks just shook his head.
"It would look ok if you were 6, but you're almost 18 Gohan. We have to get you into the now. You need new clothes, clothes with some style."
"But, I don't have any money," Gohan explained, "How am I supposed to buy clothes without money?" Trunks smiled.
"Obviously you've forgotten who my mother is," Trunks said, "You know you are looking at the son of the richest woman in the world." Gohan looked almost horrified.
"But, Trunks, I can't ask you to do that," Gohan said, "How would I pay you back?" Trunks waved his head, dismissing the issue.
"Don't worry about it. Mom got me a Capsule Corp credit card with an unlimited spending limit. I just gotta tell her what I'm using it for; she won't care." Gohan still looked a little apprehensive.
"Well, ok, if you think she won't care. I don't see what's wrong my clothes as they are now, but I won't mind getting new ones. Thank you for spending the money, by the way." Trunks smiled.
"No problem. We just have to tell our parents we're going after school," Trunks said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cell phone, "I'll call my mom now and you can call Chi-Chi after school. I think she might get mad at you if you called home during school hours." Gohan chuckled.
"Yeah, that's for sure," Gohan said. Trunks laughed as he dialed his mom's number. It rang a couple of times before picking up.
"Moshi moshi, Bulma speaking."
"Hey mom," Trunks greeted.
"Trunks! What's up? Are you ok?" Bulma asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to call and tell you that Gohan and I are going to the mall after school today," Trunks explained. Bulma laughed.
"And why are two teenage boys going to the mall together?" Bulma asked.
"I'm buying Gohan a new wardrobe," Trunks said. Bulma laughed lightly.
"Kami knows he needs it. I take it you'll be using the credit card I gave you?" Bulma asked. Trunks nodded, though Bulma couldn't see it.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd mind."
"No, not at all," Bulma said, "But thanks for telling me. I gotta go, though. I'm working on that anti-matter laser I was telling you about. See you when you get home." Bulma didn't give Trunks a chance to reply before handing up the phone. Trunks pulled the phone away and looked at with raised eyebrows.
"Bye to you, too, mom," Trunks said sarcastically before disconnecting the line and placing the phone back into his jacket pocket.
"She's fine with it," Trunks continued, "She says you need a new wardrobe, by the way." Gohan rolled his eyes.
"One person says it, it's opinion; two people, gospel. I must really need a whole new look, or something," Gohan mused.
"Trust me, I may not be big on style or anything, but you could use a style upgrade," Trunks said. The moment those words left Trunks' mouth, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Well, better get back to that there book learnin'," Trunks said with a southern drawl. Gohan laughed and cringed at the same time.
"Trunks, for my sake, please don't try to speak with a southern accent again," Gohan said as they stood up from their table and headed back inside.
"Just as long as you let me burn that outfit," Trunks bargained. Gohan rolled his eyes, conceding.
"Sure, fine, whatever."
***
Videl followed Trunks and Gohan as they went to their lockers. Gohan's was only a few down from hers and she was surprised to find, as were Trunks and Gohan, that Trunks' locker was right next to Gohan's. Appearing to be gathering her books, Videl kept both an eye and an ear on them, trying to find anything out of the ordinary about them.
"Hey, Trunks," Gohan said after both he and Trunks got a good laugh out of having lockers adjacent to one another, "Let me borrow your phone so I can call my mom." Trunks nodded and pulled the phone out of his jacket. Videl eyes narrowed as she spotted the Capsule Corp logo on the jacket. How'd he get one of those?
I thought those were for employees only, Videl mused as Gohan took the phone from Trunks hands.
"Thanks," Gohan said as he dialed his home number. It rang several times before a flustered Chi-Chi answered the phone.
"Moshi-moshi," Chi-Chi breathed.
"You ok, mom?" Gohan asked, not even bothering to greet his mother.
"Gohan!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, "Is school out?"
"Yeah, it is. Hey, I have a question," Gohan said. Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"Yes? What is it?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Well, I was wondering if I could hang out with Trunks after school," Gohan said. Chi-Chi sighed with relief; at least the older Trunks was a good kid.
"Sure!" Chi-Chi said, "That's fine with me. Mirai Trunks is a very polite young man. He's a good person for you to be friends with. You have fun, ok?" Gohan smiled.
"Will do, mom," Gohan said, "See you when I get home."
"Ok, Gohan. Love you," Chi-Chi said.
"You too, mom," Gohan replied, "Bye." With that, Gohan hung up the phone and handed it back to Trunks.
"Thanks, man." Trunks looked over at Gohan with an eyebrow raised and a small, wry smirk on his face.
"You didn't even tell Chi-Chi what we're doing," Trunks said with thinly veiled amusement. Gohan shrugged.
"I think she would have objected if she really knew. This way, I can surprise her when I get home," Gohan said. Videl's ears perked with curiosity; surprise with what?
"And won't she be surprised," Trunks chuckled, "You have all your stuff?" Gohan nodded.
"Already had it all in my bag. I was waiting for you," Gohan said, emphasizing the last word, acting as if it had been a great chore to wait for Trunks to put away his things in his locker. Trunks rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, bitch, moan," Trunks sighed, "Let's go." Together, Trunks and Gohan walked away, Videl watching them as they walked side-by-side.
Videl let them go without following; she didn't think their afternoon activity important enough to trail them. It didn't, however, stop her from wondering about the two new kids. Trunks seemed nice enough, a little on the quiet side, though. Videl smirked; that wasn't all that bad.
But, with Gohan, that was a different story. Videl easily picked up the change in Gohan due to Trunks' appearance at Orange Star High. Videl had pegged him to be a rather quiet, shy individual, but seeing him around Trunks totally changed what she thought about him. Seeing him with Trunks made her want to be friends with him, a sensation she had never experienced before. He was animated, funny, and open when talking to Trunks. It made Videl shake her head in wonder at how different he was when he was around someone he knew well.
But there was still something off about him, the same with Trunks as well. Videl couldn't pinpoint it, but whatever was off about Gohan was the same with Trunks and she couldn't figure out what it was. But she would; Videl was determined to find out what it was about them the intrigued her. A small smile formed on her face; she looked forward to the challenge.
***
Gohan sighed as he looked next to him. Beside him, Trunks flew at the same pace, his eyes forward.
"So, where are we going?" Gohan asked. Trunks looked over at him and smiled.
"Where else? The West Capitol Mega Mall," Trunks drawled, "Where every single chain store in existence resides." Gohan sighed; he'd been to that mall before, though the last time it was as a pack horse, not a shopper himself.
"Great," he muttered as they flew, "Do we even know what type of clothing stores we're looking for?" Trunks shrugged.
"Won't know until we look, will we?" Trunks smiled. Gohan groaned; it was going to be a long day. They reached West Capitol and made a quick stop at Capsule Corp to pick up several empty capsules to store their day's purchases. They made their way to the mall in short time and stopped in front of the entrance, taking in the sight of the large mall.
"Ahh, capitalism at its best," Trunks quipped as they stood in front of the entrance.
"Well, let's not stand here all day, Trunks," Gohan said, "If we're going to buy stuff, we better go in." Trunks just shot Gohan a look that said "duh" before walking into the mall. They stopped a few steps into the mall and looked around. Customers were milling about everywhere, shopping bags jostling at their sides. Trunks glanced a seeking eye about the mall, quickly spotting what he was looking for.
"Ah, good, a directory," Trunks said, dragging Gohan over to the large board. He grabbed a map from the container next to it and opened it up, taking in the sheer number of stores at their fingertips. Gohan looked over Trunks' shoulder to peer at the map as well. When he saw the size and intricacy of the map, he whistled in amazement.
"Damn, that's a lot of stores," Gohan whispered. Trunks nodded.
"Yeah, but we're only looking for a few," Trunks said, using his finger to point at the map, "Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle Outfitters, to name the main ones. We'll stop by in Macy's for shoes, but that's about it. Gohan's eyes lit up as he looked at the map.
"Hey, they're all in the same area," Gohan exclaimed; maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Trunks nodded slowly.
"That they are, but they're on the other side of the mall. Come on, let's get going." With that, the two teenagers started walking, each of them glancing at the stores they passed by. A sudden thought popped into Gohan's head and he chuckled. Trunks looked over at Gohan and cocked an eyebrow.
"What's so funny?" Trunks asked. Gohan shook his head.
"Nothing, really. Just thinking how funny it is that two teenage males are shopping together at the mall for clothes and we both agreed to it." Trunks had to laugh as well.
"Yeah, well, I can see how that would seem odd. But I'm pushing aside my reservation against homosexual tendencies to take you shopping, Gohan. You're such a charity case when it comes to clothing," Trunks teased. Gohan glared at Trunks, but it was hard to make it convincing when he was smiling as well.
"You deserve to be beaten into the ground for that remark," Gohan said. Trunks scoffed.
"Like you could," Trunks said, full well knowing that Gohan could. Gohan tapped Trunks on the chest hard a couple of times.
"You know I can," Gohan reminded friendly, "And don't you forget it." A memory of the Cell Games flashed in Trunks' mind; he could never forget. They eventually made their way to the end of the mall they wanted to be at and stopped at their first destination: the Gap. Trunks smiled broadly while Gohan still looked a little apprehensive.
"Come on, Gohan," Trunks said, seeing Gohan's facial expression, "It won't be so bad. Just put one foot in front of the other." Gohan shot Trunks a none too friendly glare before walking into the Gap. Trunks just laughed and followed Gohan inside.
***
Several hours later, two tired teenagers left the mall. In addition to the Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle, they had stopped by a number of specialty stores to acquire the finishing touches to Gohan's new wardrobe, such as a leather jacket and novelty T-shirts. Gohan sighed as he and Trunks walked into the alley and took to the skies.
"Remind me to never do that ever again," Gohan said. Trunks nodded in agreement.
"And remind me to never suggest it," Trunks added. Gohan smiled weakly.
"No problem," Gohan said, looking down at the bulge in his pocket, the pocket that held the 5 capsules worth of clothing, "I think we bought out every store we went to. I don't even want to think about how much money you spent." Trunks shook his head.
"Neither do I. I suggest you don't add up the receipts. Lucky for us mom's a multi-billionaire and the several thousand dollars we just spent will go by unnoticed." Gohan chuckled.
"Well, at least my wardrobe meets your satisfaction. Isn't that right, your highness?" Gohan teased. Trunks shot Gohan a look.
"Yes, it does. And I am royalty, remember?" Gohan rolled his eyes; as if he could forget with Vegeta constantly reminding everyone that he was the "almighty Prince of the Saiya-jins".
"Well, if I ever forgot, I could always ask Vegeta. He'd set me straight in a heartbeat." Trunks laughed.
"That's how long it's take for him to punch you in the nose for forgetting," Trunks said, a wry smile on his face. Gohan laughed as well, the action fitting Vegeta to a T.
"Very true," Gohan said. Gohan looked down at his watch and cringed slightly.
"Well, it's about 7:00. I better get home and have dinner. Mom's probably wondering where I am," Gohan said. Trunks gave a curt nod.
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Trunks," Gohan called as he turned to head for home. Trunks waved his good-bye as he continued on towards Capsule Corp. Gohan boosted his speed as he headed for home, definitely wanting to get home in time for dinner. Having skipped lunch was definitely not good for a Saiya-jin to do and Gohan was very hungry. Gohan landed next to his front door 15 minutes later with a very empty stomach. Entering through the front door, the smells of dinner assaulted his nose and his stomach growled loudly.
"Mom, I'm home!" Gohan announced loudly.
"Hi honey!" Chi-Chi called back, her voice coming from the kitchen. Gohan set his school bag down by the door and walked into the kitchen, seeing his mother putting the finishing touches on dinner and Goten sitting patiently at the table. Chi-Chi turned to see Gohan entering the kitchen and she smiled at him.
"You're just in time for dinner," Chi-Chi said. Gohan nodded.
"I noticed," Gohan laughed as he sat down next to Goten at the table.
"How was your afternoon with Trunks? What'd you do?" Chi-Chi asked. Gohan smiled.
"We went to the mall and did some shopping," Gohan said. Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. A Son male voluntarily went shopping?
"Did you buy anything?" Gohan nodded and pulled out the 5 capsules from his pocket.
"Trunks thought I needed a new wardrobe, so he bought me a new one." Chi-Chi's jaw dropped.
"We can't possibly pay them back," Chi-Chi breathed, wondering just how many clothes were contained in the capsules. Gohan nodded.
"I worried about that, too, but Trunks and Bulma insisted it was fine. Trunks told me I was a 'walking fashion disaster and would never get a girlfriend with the old clothes'. I think he was joking, though," Gohan said, recalling the words Trunks has spoken to him in the Gap. Chi-Chi shrugged, accepting the fact that Bulma had essentially paid for Gohan's clothes and she'd never be able to pay her back.
"Well, if it'll get me grandchildren, I'm fine with it." It was Gohan's turn for his jaw to drop.
"Mom!" he exclaimed, turning bright red, "I just started school, for crying out loud. I have to get a girlfriend and get married and everything before even thinking of grandchildren." Chi-Chi let the issue drop, noticing Gohan's embarrassment over the topic and went back to finishing dinner.
Gohan looked over at Goten, who had been quiet since he entered the room. The barely contained laughter hidden behind his hands was proof enough that something was up with Goten. Gohan sighed with resignation.
"Oh, and what's so funny?" Gohan asked. Goten moved his hands away from his mouth and smiled at his older brother.
"Your face when mommy mentioned grandchildren," Goten giggled. Gohan mussed up Goten's hair in a sign of brotherly affection.
"Very funny, squirt." Goten laughed again.
"Did you have fun with old Trunks?" Goten asked, using the age difference to distinguish between the two version of Trunks, not quite understanding why there were two of them.
"Yes, I did, Goten." Goten smiled.
"Isn't cool that my best friend is Trunks and so is yours?" Goten asked. Gohan paused to consider Goten's words; did he consider Mirai Trunks his best friend? Gohan inwardly shrugged, knowing that Mirai Trunks was the closest thing to a best friend he had.
"Yeah, it is pretty cool," Gohan remarked as Chi-Chi set down the first course of dinner. Both Son boys began salivating at the sight in front of them. Chi-Chi had to restrain a laugh and gestured that they were allowed to start eating. In that moment, the feeding frenzy began and there was no stopping it.
***
The next morning, Gohan arose early, as he usually did, to begin getting ready for school. After showering, he stood in his room, figuring out what to wear that day. He held the 5 capsules in the palm of his hand, trying to remember what was in each of them. Having no room for the new clothes, Gohan decided to just keep them in the capsules he had brought home with him.
Eventually, Gohan decided to keep it simple, opened a couple of capsules, pulled out what he wanted and got dressed. He walked downstairs, dressed in his new clothes, ready to show Chi-Chi the new him. The moment Chi-Chi spotted him in the kitchen, she nearly dropped the dishes she was holding.
"Gohan," she breathed, "You look amazing!" The simple white button-down shirt, un-tucked with a couple of the top buttons undone, and tan khakis looked astounding on him, highlighting his best features. Chi-Chi briefly mused that her son looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. Gohan smiled and blushed slightly at his mom's compliment.
"Thanks, mom," Gohan said as he sat down at the table. Chi-Chi didn't say anything more, letting the matter rest, and served Gohan his breakfast. He ate his breakfast as fast as a Saiya-jin could and bolted out the door, putting on his new leather jacket and slinging his school bag over his shoulder before doing so.
It took Gohan little time to get to school. He landed on the roof seconds before Trunks did. Trunks spotted Gohan's outfit and smiled.
"Now, that's more like it," Trunks said. Gohan smiled back.
"I knew you'd think so," Gohan remarked as they walked down the stairs that led from the roof. They went straight to class, talking about nothing in particular. As they approached their classroom, they could hear the sounds of 30 students talking animatedly. The moment Gohan entered the room, however, that noise died.
Videl looked over right before Gohan entered the room to see Trunks walking in, wearing his usual Capsule Corp jacket (which she still had yet to figure out why he owned) with a black shirt and blue jeans. Her heart stopped in her chest, or so she swore, when Gohan walked into the room.
He was the epitome of male sexiness, in his white button-up shirt and tan khakis. She could see a hint of pectoral muscles peaking through the top of Gohan's shirt and realized that Gohan might not be the scrawny geek that everyone thought he was. The leather jacket set off the ensemble nicely.
He looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ, Videl thought. Apparently, she wasn't the only one impressed at Gohan's new look. Beside her, Eraser whistled low in appreciation.
"Would you look at that," Eraser said, "And here I thought he couldn't get any sexier." Videl didn't even have it in her to respond to that as she watched Gohan and Trunks walk up the stairs to their seats. Eraser was the first one to speak to them.
"Wow, Gohan. Love the new look." Gohan smiled.
"Thank him," Gohan said, pointing to Trunks, "He helped me." Eraser shot an incredulous look in Trunks' direction.
"You helped him with that?" Eraser asked. Trunks nodded.
"Yeah. I may be a guy, but I know what looks good and his old clothes just didn't look good." Eraser laughed out loud.
"Well, you certainly fixed the problem," Eraser said.
From a couple of seats down, Sharpener nursed a bruised ego. He didn't like the looks Videl was throwing at Gohan at all. He had spent the last three years trying to get Videl to like him and then Gohan entered the picture, ruining all of Sharpener's hard work (AN: like he had a snowball's chance in Hell).
I don't see what's so special about him. So, yeah, he has a few new clothes. Big fucking deal, Sharpener thought, wishing Videl had looked like that in his direction. I'll make that geek pay. I don't know how, but I will, Sharpener resolved. Eraser turned towards Videl, completely unaware of Sharpener's issues.
"What do you think, Videl?" she asked, indicating Gohan's new look. Videl looked over at Gohan and gave him a small smile that made Gohan's stomach flip. Trunks noticed the smile and Gohan's reaction, immediately knowing what was happening. He chuckled at the thought.
Oh, the irony, Trunks thought.
"He looks good," Videl said, not much tone to her voice. Eraser rolled her eyes and looked over at Gohan,
"That means she thinks you look awesome," Eraser interpreted. Gohan smiled back.
"Thanks," Gohan said before turning towards the front of the room where the teacher was setting up for the first lecture of the day. Eraser kept her eyes on Gohan for a few more moments before glancing up at Trunks, his good looks not escaping her notice. She inwardly sighed.
It should be illegal for men to look that good, Eraser thought as she pulled out a notebook, completely oblivious to the blank look on Videl's face. Videl was, at the current moment, trying to suppress the funny feeling in her stomach that she had no word for.
Why did it show up when I looked at Gohan? What is it? Videl questioned. Unable to pinpoint the feeling, she tried to shake it aside as class started.
From his vantage point, Trunks could watch Gohan and Videl easily. He didn't slip past him that every few minutes, either Videl or Gohan would glance over at the other. Trunks smiled.
This'll be an interesting school year.
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Favorite quote moment: "This stuff looks like Cell ate it and then threw it back up" That line just strikes me as one of the best lines I've ever written. I think there are quite a few funny moments in this chapter and they'll just keep on coming in the upcoming chapters. I don't know when the next chapter will be up because I have homework due for my digital design class and then I have a Japanese test coming up, so I'll be a little busy...which is unfortuate because this story is just so much fun! Ja!
