Chapter 2: Settling In
Gohan looked around his newly acquired apartment. The first owner of an apartment that he had went to had practically kicked him out. It didn't take long for him to figure it out; in his home dimension the use of name suffixes had eroded away over the last half century - here it was very much in use it seemed. The pod in the right corner sucked away even more space from the already small apartment. He had flown it over under cover of darkness, flying slow enough not to generate a ki flame which, in darkness, would have been seen halfway across the country. The cargo container had returned home. Getting an ID hadn't been too hard; giving a sob story of his parents' death, and his decision to come live in the city, but some thugs had stolen everything, had the woman behind the counter reach out with her mother's instincts and issue him a new one. Getting some proper clothes had been easy after that.
He had just finished breakfast, it was 7:30 and it was time to go inspect a few Lower Secondary schools as they called it here, to see if he could enroll. First appointment; Juuban Lower Secondary school. He walked over to his shoddy tv, showing the breakfast news, and went to turn it off. He waited a moment as the announcer spoke of a disturbance at the movie studio, and some heroines called 'Sailor Soldiers', defeating a monster. He turned it off right after that.
*****
"Aaah! I'm late!" Usagi screamed as she raced out the door of her house. She really should learn to get up on time, she thought. She was wearing her school uniform, a knee length blue skirt, a white shirt on top, a sailor-like large blue collar, and a red ribbon in front of her chest. Her hair was the most original ever, on top of her head her long hair was made in two knots, and from those knots two very long bundles of hair hung down to below her waist. She raced along, passing house after house, building after building. A cat suddenly jumped from a roof next to her, it was dark gray and had a yellow crescent moon on its forehead. Usagi stumbled in surprise, but unexpectantly she managed to catch herself, and ran along, "Luna! Don't do that again! Bad cat!"
"We need to talk Usagi," Luna answered surprisingly in human speech. "Last night Artemis was checking up on Ami, and he found one of her sensors detecting a very strange energy signature, incidently at about the same that I was watching over Rei and she had a quick headache."
"Not now, Luna," Usagi called out exasperated, running along with all her speed. "I'm late for school, can't you see that. We can do this after . . . no wait, after school I'm going with Naru to the mall."
"Usagi, this is serious," Luna told the blonde with some irritation.
Usagi stuck out her tongue at the cat, and as she rounded a corner said, "So is-," BANG! Usagi smashed face first into something that felt like concrete, and fell back on her ass unceremoniously, then the rest of her body followed and she was lying on the pavement, staring up at the air. Luna immediately shut up, hoping she hadn't been heard. For a moment Usagi was silent, then she squinted her eyes, and cried out, tears spraying everywhere, "BWAAAAwahahah! That huuuuurt! What was the number of that truck!?"
"You should look where you're going," a friendly voice broke through Usagi's wailing. The girl blinked, and looked into two amazing deep dark eyes, set in a handsome face. The boy couldn't be older than her, probably even a little younger, he held out a helping hand. Amazed, Usagi took the offered hand and let herself be pulled up. The guy was a little taller than her, about as tall as Rei she noticed, and he probably still had his growth spurt coming. He wore a stylish set of jeans, and a smooth shirt that looked very becoming on him. "I'm Son Gohan," the boy introduced himself.
"Tsukino Usagi," Usagi returned the favor, blushing embarrassedly at her earlier behavior.
"Nice to meet you, Usagi-san," Gohan told her with a grin. Luna felt relieved, the boy didn't seem to have heard her, at least he wasn't acting all strange looking for the source of a second voice.
Usagi's eyes widened when she remembered, "I'm sorry, no time, I'm late for school, bye." And she ran off, around Gohan this time. Gohan's eyebrows raised as he watched her run off. He smiled, and sped after her, quickly gaining on her and running next to her.
"You wouldn't be going to Juuban Lower Secondary would you?" Gohan asked, startling Usagi.
The girl looked at him, huffing and puffing with effort, while Gohan ran next to her comfortably. "Yes . . . huff . . . you too . . . puff?" Usagi asked with surprise.
Gohan shrugged. "That's my destination. Meeting with the principal to see if I can enroll." Gohan grinned at her. Usagi smiled back, and together they ran to school. They reached the front door, where one teacher was about to close the doors.
"You two are late," the teacher scolded.
Usagi's eyes started to water, but Gohan said, "No, fifteen minutes early, appointment with the principal at 8:15."
The teacher blinked as the two teens entered the building, and said, "Oh, right, he mentioned something. But wasn't that only one . . . ?" The teacher looked around but they were already gone. She then shrugged and went about her business.
"The principal's office is that way," Usagi pointed, as they stood in front of her classroom.
"Thanks," Gohan said, smiling at her. "Perhaps I'll see you around, Bunny-san. Bye." And then Gohan was off.
*Bunny-san?* Usagi thought distractedly, as she opened the door to the classroom.
"You're late again, Tsukino!" the teacher scolded.
"It's all his fault," Usagi said pointing behind her. "If he hadn't slammed into me . . ."
"Him who?" the teacher asked sternly. Usagi looked back, Gohan was gone. "Are you lying to me?"
"No, he . . ." Usagi tried to explain.
A wooden sign on a rope was thrown at Usagi, and the teacher told her, "You can stand outside."
"That's not fair!" Usagi cried out as she went back outside. "Bwahahaha!!"
*****
"Hello," the principal greeted, as Gohan came in the door of his cramped office. The principal stood up, showing courtesy for the greeting. He gave an ever so slight bow, and added., "I'm principal Hattoyama. You are Son Gohan, correct?"
Gohan bowed somewhat deeper, and said, "Son Gohan is correct, sir. I have to inquire about enrolling, and I would like to see the possible curriculums, and a quick tour. I hope you understand I will be exploring other schools as well."
"Of course," the principal said, quite amazed at the maturity in such a young boy. "Please follow me."
The tour and the curriculums took about an hour, and then Gohan and the principal were back in his office. Gohan knew it wasn't the best school in the city, but it certainly wasn't bad either. He really didn't feel like going through this another few times. Plus, he already had made a friend sort of - she had given him the evil eye when they had passed her in the hall holding two buckets of water and a sign around her neck saying, 'I was late, and lied to the teacher.' His decision was made pretty quickly. "Principal Hattoyama, I've seen your school, and I'm impressed enough that I do not feel the need to look at other schools, I will enroll here, sir," Gohan explained politely.
"Splendid!" the principal called out with a smile. "Coincidentally, there is another student here who lives alone and has lost her parents. Her name is Kino Makoto. I don't know how much one would like to interact with others, or if it would just painfully remind you, but it is something to think about."
Gohan's eyebrows rose in surprise somewhat and then said, "I suggest starting my first school day tomorrow, so I can buy a uniform now, is that ok, sir?"
"Perfect," the principal said as he brought out the papers for Gohan to sign.
*****
Luckily, this time Usagi had remembered her lunch and she happily dug into it. She and her best friend were sitting at an outdoor table across from each other and Naru watched Usagi eat, or should I say stuff herself. No matter how often she saw Usagi's throat and mouth put away food like a black hole, it never ceased to amaze her.
"I'fm tephin yms, Naru. If I hafn't bumped ifto thod b'y, I wousstf been mn time!" Usagi spat out around her food, as she chewed it down, and gulped it away with a speed that wouldn't make a Saiyan parent concerned.
Naru felt disturbed for a moment when she realized she could actually understand that gibberish, but quickly shook it away. "Really? Was he good looking?" Naru asked interested.
Umino who sat across from her, next to Usagi, almost choked on his drink and looked jealously at the redhead. Usagi nodded, "Yeah, prftty good. Tall, aboot ten centimefefs tallfr thn me. Dark eyes, and a very well trained body." Usagi was through her food and looked hungrily at Umino's lunch. The boy quickly shielded his bread, and started eating a little faster himself before the blonde would eat his. *But he's no Mamoru,* Usagi thought wistfully, wishing her unofficial boyfriend could remember her.
"So, did you see the Sailor Soldiers at the audition too, Naru?" Usagi asked enthusiastically, a little of her ego slipping in.
Naru smiled, "Actually, yes. They were so cool battling that monster."
"Yeah, /but/ no movie career!" Usagi said, her eyes overly sad, tears threatening to fall. "We were going to be big movie stars, and every handsome movie star would fall to their knees before us!"
"I told you, you two were going overboard," Umino said, resetting his glasses.
Usagi was rudely interrupted in her fantasy and bit at the boy, "KNOW IT ALL!"
*****
Getting a uniform hadn't been too difficult. Gohan stood outside the clothing shop, holding the uniform wrapped in plastic in his right hand. He thought over what to do next, and decided to go to a bookshop to buy some necessary books. Thus he stepped out into the busy street and walked along.
After a while he realized that he was walking aimlessly, and so he turned to a guy walking past, and asked for directions. Thanking him politely he walked in the direction the guy said. He reached a narrow side alley, and went over the guy's directions. If he was right, this could be a shortcut. Deciding a little exploring could be good, and he had plenty of time to spare, he entered the alley to his left. He walked along with a brisk pace, until as he had guessed the alley ended at a calm parallel street.
Gohan looked left and right, calmly taking in his new surroundings. A few beat-up cars drove along, passing by a tall brunette girl, with her hair in a pony tail. Gohan grew suspicious. The cars were going along very slowly. The three cars stopped, heavy pounding music coming from inside, and eight men, each of them dressed in leather and chains, got out of the cars.
"Hey, baby," the leader guy called. "How is it walking all alone? We could give you protection for the big bad men." His companions chuckled.
The brunette stopped and looked at them, she projected a calm exterior, and said, "I don't need any protection from bad men, they would sooner need protection from me." Then the brunette carried on walking. Gohan had barely heard her say it. He was across the street and some meters away. He slowed down his walk toward the scene, after hearing her say that, deciding to let her handle it on her own. He reached a place exactly across the street of the group of people, and stayed to watch.
The leader placed himself in front of the girl, and rode his groin up and down her, saying, "Come now, baby."
The brunette's hand rapidly snaked out finding the guy's balls, but she was not interested in taking the guy up on his offer. She squeezed, hard, and kept squeezing. The guy went white, yelling out his pain, his hands went to hers, but was unable to do anything. "I am not in the mood," the girl said, her grip tightening even more, and the guy sank to his knees. His minions looked astonished. "Last warning, get lost." The girl let go of the begging, and wheezing man and calmly walked onward.
"Get her," the leader groaned out, cradling his balls.
The men took out bats, knives and chains, and attacked the girl. For a moment Gohan felt the urge to intervene, but that quickly disappeared with the girl shot out a backward snap kick, catching one of the men square in the jaw, and sent him stumbling backward. A guy swung a chain, and the girl let it wrap around her wrist. She grabbed the chain and pulled. First she slammed him into a wall. Then, when he was dazed, she pulled him back making him crash into two of his buddies. She ducked underneath a swing with a bat, grabbed the guy's wrist and slammed it on her knee, making him let go of the bat instantly. A fist to his right cheek sent him tumbling backward. She grabbed another guy by the wrist of his knife-holding hand. She pulled him along rapidly, and the guy got sliced by a different attacker with a knife, who promptly got a foot in his face for his trouble.
*Wow,* Gohan thought with a grin, his arms folded across his chest, as he watched the girl going through the men like they were tissue paper. *Not many girls can do that where I come from.* Another guy went down, a round house kick sent one flying over the hood of a parked car, and the girl pounced on a guy who was just getting up. Gohan watched the leader get up behind her, recovered from his excruciating ordeal. He held up a steal baseball bat, and with an evil glint in his eyes he sneaked up on the brunette.
"UH, UH, UH!" Gohan called out loud, gaining both of their attention instantly. Gohan waggled a finger from his folded arms at the leader. "Attacking from the back isn't very nice."
The girl looked from the leader to Gohan, and back again. Then she grinned as she attacked. She grabbed the bat, and kneed him in the stomach. He doubled over with an 'oof'. The brunette threw the bat aside, and finished the leader off with an uppercut to his chin. He sailed a meter through the air and dropped unconscious to the floor.
The girl checked out her handy work for a moment, making sure the unconscious men, and the occasional conscious but moaning ones weren't a threat anymore, and then turned to Gohan. "Thanks for the warning!" she called out, waving at Gohan appreciatively.
Gohan grinned back, saying, "No problem. I'm Son Gohan!"
"Kino Makoto," the girl introduced herself. "You'll be going to Juuban I see," Makoto said with a smile indicating the uniform. "I go there as well."
*Kino Makoto! The girl with dead parents,* Gohan thought, recognizing the name from what the principal had said. "Yeah, I enrolled this morning, so I'll probably see you there," Gohan added with a smile and waving goodbye. Makoto waved back, and both continued on their way.
*****
Gohan returned to his rented apartment some time later, and turned on the tv that had come with it. He looked at it for a few moments, and then went to the pod. He got the toolbox containing the speciality tools for electrical circuits, then he got the booklet with preliminary instructions that had come with the cargo pod, and went to work.
After several hours of repairs Gohan sat back and smiled at a job well done. The ship was nowhere near being finished, but it would do for now. Gohan casually looked over to the tv, the music and sounds beckoning him. *Stupid,* he thought. He had completely forgotten about the still running apparatus. The news was on, and there was a section on the unexpected return of the Sailor Soldiers, who had stopped a monster from killing people in a film studio a day earlier and today another one. Gohan blinked as images of the Sailor Soldiers battling some monsters were shown. Since most of the footage was taken outside, and not inside a movie studio, it was obvious this footage was not of yesterday. Gohan raised his eyebrows as he saw the micro skirts the girls were wearing. *Not bad,* Gohan thought with a grin, and quickly wiped it off his face. He wondered if they deliberately wore such revealing clothes to distract enemies, sexually speaking, or trying to get their enemies to underestimate them. It could be an effective strategy. Something caught his eyes and he looked closer at the screen; wasn't there something familiar about them? But the screen was just lacking the quality needed to allow Gohan to put a picture on it. The screen wasn't good, the footage couldn't be good, combine them and you get really, really bad.
When this Sailor Soldier item was over, and the anchor got back in the picture, he turned off the tv, and went to bed.
*****
The next day
This was boring. Gohan sat in the back of the classroom and looked forward at the blackboard and the teacher going on and on about a math problem. Gohan had already had it back home, so not only was the teacher boring, he was also retelling something Gohan already knew. He missed his friends from his classroom, he wished they were here, they would have been able to spice up this place. Of course it didn't help that it seemed in the sciences, and thus in mathematical classes his dimension was further ahead. As a result the classes back home in those subjects were given at a sightly faster pace. Ugh, this was horrible. Gohan sank forward, laying his head down upon his arms, letting his eyelids flutter.
"Son Gohan!" the voice thundered. Gohan sat up instantly, looking around bewildered. His fellow students snickered and laughed. Gohan realized to his embarrassment that he had fallen asleep. The teacher standing right next to him stated, "I am disappointed in you. As the new student I would have expected you to pay attention."
"I apologize . . ." Gohan tried.
"No!" the teacher told him sternly, a smirk on his face. Gohan blinked up at him. "I should have known better. Obviously you already know all this, please complete the problem. If you can't, you'll go outside, if you can, you can go back to sleep," the teacher said with a sarcastic tone of voice that made it obvious he thought he'd humiliate Gohan in front of the class some more before sending him outside.
Gohan blinked and looked at the board. He peered at the problem, calmly let it sink in, making the teacher smile. Then Gohan answered, "Two X squared plus 3 X minus 5, sensei."
The teacher's smile instantly faltered, and he looked over at the board, doing the same calculations in his own head. "That . . . is correct," he stated dumbfounded. The classroom instantly became silent and looked back at the newcomer. One of them, a blue-haired girl, looked back with a lot of interest.
*****
Finally the class was over and Gohan quickly packed his things and left the classroom. He had no idea how he was going to survive that class in the next few weeks to months. The teacher he had for mathematics back home made the entire subject a feast to be part of . . . but this. Gohan shuddered. Suddenly a blue-haired girl pulled up next to him. She batted her eye lashes at him and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Mizuno Ami, we had math together."
Gohan looked at the girl, and gave her a slight smile, saying, "Son Gohan. Don't you think the teacher is a bore?"
Ami giggled, and nodded, then asked, "What's your next subject?"
"Chemistry," Gohan answered the girl.
"So is mine!" Ami answered enthusiastically, and added, "I thought you were awesome back there. Nobody in the class knows how to differentiate, let alone by head."
Gohan gave a shrug. Ami quickly pointed to a corridor to the right. He gave her a thankful smile and they entered the hallway. "It isn't that hard, once you know how." Ami's face brightened, Gohan actually had some brains! He might actually be able to keep up with her, although she doubted that, at the very least he'd stay much closer than anyone else in the school, teachers included.
"Really?" Ami asked interested. "Where are you from?"
"From the rural country," Gohan answered her, and gave her the name of the place he had memorized. "I came here to live after my parents died," he added, giving her the half truth.
"That's so sad," Ami said softly her eyes ready to water.
"I get by," Gohan dismissed her concern quickly, he really had no intention of making a girl cry in the middle of the school because he lied to her. They reached the classroom at that moment, and Ami was shaken from her sad mood by it, and Gohan's dismissal. When Ami didn't go in immediately, Gohan decided to go first, and Ami quickly checked out the rest of his body. *Oh, my,* she thought as she saw the way he moved, and the smooth muscles in his lower forearm that he had bared. *Nice butt too.* Ami shook her head mortified. This was not her! Mizuno Ami didn't go after boys, her head stayed firmly in the books. But oh, he read the books as well /and/ looked like he worked out regularly /and/ was handsome. She'd never met a combination like that, and her heart started beating a little faster. She shook her head again, as she took a seat next to Gohan, uncharacteristically for her in the back of the room. *Mizuno Ami, don't go there, you're not like that, you have school to finish first! You want to be a doctor!* she scolded herself, but her traitorous eyes slowly moved to regard Gohan again.
Gohan gave her a smile, and she smiled back. The room had long, stretched out tables - wooden ones - and they contained sinks and faucets, as well as gas outlets, conveniently already linked to a burner. The walls were lined with cabinets, which were filled with bowls, glass jars, microscopes, etc., an opening in the front of the room lead to an adjacent room where the chemicals were kept.
"Hello, class," a cheery feminine voice called out, right after which the door audibly closed. Gohan looked over to check out his teacher, and . . . his eyes were glued to her, staring, following her to the front, along with all the other boys. It was no mystery really, Gohan was a healthy thirteen-year-old boy, his hormones had just started raging, and the teacher . . . The teacher wore high heels, pantyhose - or stockings - a short tight skirt, that reached half way her thighs, and a tight sweater that showed off her well-endowed chest, although not too well-endowed. Finally her face was lightly made up, luscious lips, fantastic face, and deep, expressive eyes, that were pools of green, finally her hair was a deep blonde, and they hung loosely over her shoulders. In short she was most boys' wet dream while still looking like a competent strong woman, and not like a woman going out trying to attract every man like bees to honey.
Ami noticed the boys staring at the teacher, as they returned a 'hello', and was unperturbed as usual, although the other girls seemed more than a little annoyed. She looked back over to Gohan, and noticed him staring and following the teacher with his eyes, and she was instantly disappointed, and then quickly gained the same annoyed look as the other girls.
The teacher calmly pulled out a sheet, and skimmed over it. "Ah, a new name," she remarked, seemingly oblivious to her effect on the boys, although more than likely she knew exactly what effect she had, she just chose to ignore it. "Son Gohan?" she asked, and looked up into the room. With a smile - which upset Ami more - Gohan raised a finger, and the teacher noticed him, smiling back - which, not surprisingly, incensed Ami even more. "Hello, I'm Miss Akimoto, welcome to my class," Miss Akimoto told him with a smile, until she noticed Ami sitting next to him. Usually she was sitting right up front, and the teacher frowned for a moment, but just as easily became cheery again. "I see you've chosen to sit next to Ami. That's good, she's the best student here, if there's anything you might not understand she'll be able to explain them," Miss Akimoto explained to Gohan with a smile.
Gohan looked over to Ami, who smiled shyly. He turned his head back to Miss Akimoto, and said, "I'll be sure to remember that, Miss. Thank you." He gently inclined his head, and the teacher nodded.
Miss Akimoto's smile disappeared then, and all business - but not without losing her melodic, and friendly tone - she said, "Ok, class. Yesterday at the end of our hour we quickly brushed over what happens to water when we put electricity in it. Today we're going to do the practical experiment. Each pair will go into the room beyond, and under supervision you will put electricity in soapy water, and one of you will get to hold a lit match against the formed bubbles, and you'll see what happens. In the mean time, the rest of you can do your self studies and answer the questions, obviously if you move ahead so far you get to other experiments, call me first." Miss Akimoto than looked around the classroom for a few moments, "Good, well then, let's get to work."
*****
Gohan walked out of the classroom after the chemistry class was over. A moment later Ami joined Gohan, and she said, "Hey, Gohan-san."
"Oh, hi, again," Gohan answered as he contemplated the girl. She was nice, but she was getting a little too clingy.
"Hi, I just wanted to ask . . . uhm . . . uh," Ami started and looked into Gohan's dark, dark eyes. She shivered, and then forced herself to say, "if you . . . uh . . . wouldliketodohomeworkwithme . . . at my home . . . ?"
Gohan grinned at her, and asked, "Like doing homework, huh?" Ami blushed for multiple reasons, and looked up at him, nodding a little timidly. Gohan thought it over some. Part of him told him not to get involved with anyone here since he'd be leaving soon enough. Another part of him told him that didn't he think Ami got clingy? But that was soon squashed aside because she seemed to have a legitimate reason for being close to him. A final thought occurred to Gohan: that if he was going to be stuck here he might as well have a friend, he preferred it to be a boy of course, but Lime wasn't so bad once he got to know her, wasn't she? "Ok, Ami-san," Gohan answered Ami with a smile. "As long as homework isn't the only thing we're going to be doing." Ami nodded enthusiastically. "What time do you finish today? We could meet at the main entrance and go together?" Ami nodded happily, answering she was finished at four in the afternoon. "So am I," Gohan said. "Great, we'll meet then."
The two of them passed next to the announcement board and Gohan's eye fell on the martial art tournament poster. He stopped abruptly, and went over to it. He read over the poster and muttered out loud, "I think I'll enter this."
"You know martial arts?" Ami asked a little surprised. She hadn't expected that from the brainy kid. Of course now that he turned around and her eyes shifted to his muscular arms again, she realized she could have known that one. *Stupid! Keep your head on straight!* she thought to herself in annoyance.
"Yeah," Gohan told her, and they walked on again. "Quite some, but I've got to go this way for my next class."
"Ok, bye, Gohan-san" Ami said giving a small wave and then he disappeared into a side corridor. Ami sighed and then resumed on her way a spring in her step at realizing she was going to have him over.
*****
Ami walked along the school grounds dreamily at lunch time. She was woken by a familiar voice calling her name. She blinked and then turned and walked over to Usagi sitting at the table. Naru, Umino, and Makoto were present as well, and she sat down next to the blond, and across from Naru. "You seemed dreamy, Ami," Usagi poked around. "Seen a hot guy?"
"Not Ami," Naru started but was startled by Ami's sigh.
"It's so not me, and I don't understand why I can't keep my thoughts off of him, but . . ." Ami sighed again, looking dreamy for a moment.
"Makoto's got it good too," Usagi said enthusiastically, ramming a sandwich into her mouth. "Mft a gfy yesterdfay."
"Ah, I hardly know him, he just gave me a heads up when a guy tried to bash my body in with a metal bat," Makoto half dismissed the event. "He looked pretty good though." She took a bite from her sandwich.
"Yeah, fantastic arms, and . . . uh . . . well," Ami said looking embarrassed.
Makoto nodded, "Yeah, warrior's arms, and a very handsome face. He reminds me of the boyfriend I had."
"Lovely dark eyes," Ami filled in. Makoto nodded again.
"Son Gohan," both of them stated at the same time. Both their eyes went wide with shock, looking at each other. The other three looked a little surprised, and then Naru giggled, Umino seemed he wanted to be very far away from the impending estrogen explosion, and Usagi joined Naru's giggling.
"He's mine, I saw him first," Makoto told Ami with a growl.
Ami looked back at the brunette, and told her, "Seeing doesn't make him yours, /I/ have already talked to him. /I/ have already invited him over to my house, and he's coming this afternoon."
"A good friend would back off," Makoto returned with more dangerous eyes.
Ami returned the stare, and made it just as bad, as she said, "Exactly, especially seeing as you bean stalk would make him look stupid."
"I wouldn't, and he doesn't care about that sort of thing," Makoto bit back, a hand flexing reflexively into a fist.
"Plus, you can't keep up with him. He's smart, almost as smart as I am, he'd think you retarded," Ami added, insulting Makoto, her deadly stare never wavering.
"Why I . . ."
"GOHAN-SAN!!" Usagi suddenly called out, startling the two other girls out of their staring contest. "OVER HERE! COME JOIN US!" Usagi felt a little mischievous, as well as romantic. It would be so cool if one of her friends got a boyfriend, of course the battle for him would be interesting to.
Makoto turned around, as well as Naru and Umino, and Ami looked over. Sure enough, there was Gohan who had just exited the building. He looked over, recognized a few faces, hesitated for a moment and then walked over.
"Hi, Bunny-san," Gohan greeted Usagi, and walked around the table, sitting down across from Umino, right next Ami, who seemed to be in heaven at the prospect. While Umino, and Naru giggled a little at Gohan's greeting of Usagi, she turned her head to the boy, narrowed her eyes, and gave a short, high-pitched grumble. Gohan was oblivious to the threat, and inclined his head at Umino, and greeted, "I am Son Gohan." Then he inclined his head at Naru.
Naru and Umino returned the gesture, and told him their names. "If you guys don't mind, I'm famished," Gohan told them as he pulled out his lunch box, his /big/ lunch box. Gohan licked his lips as he opened the box, and everyone looked inside, just a little astonished at the buns and fruits.
Except Usagi, she just looked with shiny eyes at the lunch. Not suitably impressed, she asked, "So, Gohan-san, may we call you Gohan-kun?"
"Oh, sure," Gohan answered absentmindedly deciding on where to start. Usagi noticed with a smile that both Ami and Makoto stiffened and then gave her a quick look. Then they looked back at Gohan starting to eat, and this time even Usagi was suitably impressed. The pile of food was being stuffed into Gohan's mouth, suitably chewed, and swallowed away like he was a vacuum cleaner.
"Whoa!" Umino exclaimed with large eyes. "You eat even faster than Usagi."
"Yet much cleaner," Ami added, as Gohan gave a shrug and continued scarfing away.
"Heeeeyy!" Usagi complained at the insult.
Ami looked over to her, and said, "Sorry, Usagi, but it's the truth."
Usagi folded her arms across her chest, hmpfed, and said, "That's not fair."
Ami returned to watching Gohan with fascination. He stopped only moments later, leaving only three buns and an apple in his box. "Aah," he said, tapping his tummy. "That hit the spot, I'll leave the rest for this afternoon."
"Wow, that was impressive," Makoto said, and looked up into Gohan's smiling face. Nothing stuck beneath his teeth, which was very impressive. She always thought she'd be turned off by any guy eating as fast as Usagi, now she knew it was eating as /messy/ as Usagi.
"What was really impressive was the way Gohan-kun handled Mr. Asahara, tell 'em," Ami said with a wide grin, and nudged Gohan, the girl getting a glare from Makoto.
"Handled?" Gohan asked a little perturbed. "I didn't really 'handle' him, I fell asleep, and when he woke up he told me I could go back to sleep if I knew the answer to the problem he was explaining on the board, or I could go to the hall." Gohan shook his head, eyebrows raised, and shoulder raised, in a 'what's the big deal?' gesture, and finished, "I gave him the answer." The group looked at him a little stunned.
"You should have seen his face, guys," Ami said, and did an exaggerated fake of the teacher's shocked and dumbfounded face. Gohan gave a shrug, and the group laughed and giggled.
Feeling uncomfortable with what Gohan thought as false merit, he quickly changed the focus, saying, "So, Umino, tell me something about yourself."
Gohan didn't notice his flub of missing the name suffix, and for a moment Umino wondered if Gohan was insulting him or considering him a good friend, which seemed rather quick. Gohan's smile made Umino decide to take it as the later, or at least just a mistake, and so he started to tell a little about himself.
Gohan had hoped to dodge the bullet about himself, but Makoto - still very interested - managed to get a 'What about you?' in, so Gohan was stuck answering the lie about his parents dying and he moving away from the rural country after selling the house. "My parents are dead to," Jupiter answered, a little too enthusiastically to Gohan's mind. "They died in a plane crash. How did yours die?"
Gohan blinked, he hadn't figured out that answer, the first thing that came to mind was the truth. "They died in an explosion," he answered, gaining sympathetic looks from the group. Gohan felt like cheat and a bastard, granted his father did die that way, but his mother and little brother were just fine. Of course, he couldn't exactly tell them the truth, now could he?
"You know," Makoto suggested with a smile. "We could get together soon, and exchange experiences?"
"Uh . . . I suppose," Gohan answered uncertainly.
"How about this afternoon?" Makoto asked sweetly, which earned her death glare from Ami. Normally Makoto wasn't very active toward boys.
Gohan blinked, remembering his get-together with Ami, and he answered, "Sorry, but I can't this afternoon."
"Tomorrow?" Makoto added, for some reason now that she had competition for a guy, her natural aggressive nature came out.
"Ok," Gohan said, cringing inside, wondering what he had gotten himself into. He then heard the bell ring, luckily, and he quickly got up, put his stuff back in his bag, and said, "Well, I'll see you later." And then he quickly left the table. "Bye, Bunny-chan."
Naru giggled, Umino chuckled, Ami and Makoto were glaring at each other, and Usagi glared after Gohan, thinking, *BUNNY-CHAN!?*
