Episode 21: Setting The Record Straight
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Pan: I sat in the plane next to the window with my parents as I stared out continuing to think. What was wrong with Marron this morning? I've never seen her act so strange. A marriage between Trunks and I? Where'd she get an idea like that? She did manage to get some information out of me however...
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"Stop it Pan, tell me now. I know you've been hiding this from me. Just tell me."
"OK OK FINE I'LL TELL YOU....I like him, I like him ok?"
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"Stop lying I know you know. Please Pan. Where is TRUNKS?!"
"OK OK FINE I KNOW I KNOW!"
"WHAT?! Where is he?"
"I can't tell you, Trunks made me promise not to tell you."
"Trunks made you promise? When was this?"
"Look, it was two days ago... over the phone ok, can we get passed this now?"
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"MARRON THERE'S NO WEDDING!"
"STOP LY--"
"WHY WOULD HE MARRY ME IF HE'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!?"
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She shook me like a ragdoll and still said I was lying. I had never seen her so angry and upset as well as crying let alone so strong to the point where I couldn't even get out. Still even with my knowledge I haven't seen Trunks. I looked around the city he was in once, only taking about a three hours away to fly myself there, he wasn't there.
~~~~~~~~~~~2 days ago~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goten's cell phone started ringing, he wasn't home though, he was out with Bra and forgot his phone in his room. Thinking maybe it might have been Goten asking if he left his cell phone at home or lost it, I went ahead and answered.
"Hello?"
"Uh... Goten, you sick?"
I couldn't really make out who it was yet, but the voice was familiar.
"Who's this?"
"Oh, um can I speak to Goten please?"
"Trunks?"
"Yeah? Who's this?"
"Trunks! Where the hell are you?"
"Pan?"
"Yes, now where have you been?"
"Why?"
"You've been gone for too long, you're making Marron worry so much!"
"I am?"
"Yes, now why haven't you come back for almost a week now? Where are you? What's been going on that's so important you can't even call anyone?..." I went on just questioning and telling him how worried Marron is.
"Hey, I'm sorry ok. I'll be home soon eventually."
"So the 531 area huh?" The area code seemed familiar but I couldn't remember why.
"What? How do you know?"
"Caller ID Trunks, it comes with every phone."
"DON'T tell anyone ok?"
"Why not? Marron deserves to know where you are at least."
"Just don't! Please Pan, I'm begging you not to tell her."
"Oh so only Goten is allowed to know?"
"Well...now you know. So promise me you won't tell her."
"Why?"
"I don't want her coming after me."
"Wha--" Then it clicked, I knew where I saw that area code before... it showed up whenever Marron called. "OH I KNOW! That's the area where she went to college. WAIT! That means Geeno's there! Please tell me you haven't gone after him!"
"No, Pan don't worry I havent gone looking...not yet at least... he's the least of my worries. But Pan I need your promise...I need you to PROMISE ME you won't tell her! Please Pan promise me."
"Fine, I promise. Under one condition."
"What?"
"That you come back home at least in time for Marron's birthday, at least give her that."
"Ok, I'll be back by Marron's birthday then."
"Ok. So why are you down there anyway?"
"Uh, I have to get going. I'll see you in a couple of days ok. KEEP YOUR PROMISE PAN! Gotta jet, bye."
"DO YOU WANT ME TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE?"
"Pan don't do this to me."
"I won't say anything. Just tell me... I know it's not business, so why'd you leave for so long?...Trunks?...I can hear you breathing... Don't make me force it out of Goten."
"Ok, I'll tell you...but whatever you do.... don't tell anyone else... you can talk to Goten for specifics but don't mention this to anyone else...especially Marron..."
"Yeah."
"I think I've fallen in love with her."
"What?"
"Look Pan that's all I'm going to discuss with you... just talk to Goten. Bye."
"No wai--"
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Then he hung up. I haven't talked to him since then nor have I found him. Never had time to even talk to Goten about it because he was always with Bra...I'll just have to wait till Marron's birthday then... But why of all people would she think Trunks and I were getting married?
"I think I've fallen in love with her." I knew he liked her but... he fell in love. I knew it from the day she came back and I didn't see him as much.
"Pan...Pan, we're here let's go." My father said as he tapped my shoulder as my eyes left the window to him. I nodded my head and grabbed my carry-on and went to get ready for the wedding.
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*RING*RING*RING*
Goten:I had just finished saying bye to Marron as I entered the house after hearing my phone ring...I ran to my room picking it up seeing the caller ID said "Private Number"
"Yeah?"
"Goten?" the woman's voice was familiar but I wasn't 100% sure as it sounded like she had been crying.
"Marron, pigtails no more crying remember?"
"not Marron" she continued sobbing on the phone
"Bra?"
"GOTEN!" It hit me just then!
"PARIS?"
"I...I..ne-need to see you."
"Wait, what's wrong? Why're you crying?"
"Goten please?" she sounded horrible like something had happened "...are you home?"
"Y-ye-yeah, Paris where are you anyways?...Paris?....PARIS ANSWER ME!"
"Meet me at Feather Park at our bench...I'm leaving the hotel now...please Goten, I need to talk to you about something."
"Ok...I'll be there. Bye." Luckily this park wasn't the same park I was at with Bra last night... I hurried as fast as I could to get ready and was on my way...worried about her asking me back... what would I tell her... i've been with her too long to say no right away... but then again I had already began to move on thanks to Bra... I can't just ignore my feelings for Bra... or my past with Paris either...
Minutes later I arrived at the park and walked toward our bench, where a lot of history between us had been: this was where I asked her to be mine, whenever we fought we'd go here to try and work it out, this is where I said my final goodbye before she had left to do her modeling career, everything......I walked toward it, toward her from behind: I saw her sitting there. Standing behind her, I stared off ahead of me startling her as I placed my hands on her shoulders as she looked up at me. Slowly i looked down making eye contact.
"Hey there." I slowly said as she gave me a small smile.
"Goten..." She placed her hands on top of mine and let out a small sigh as if it seemed too familiar...I slowly lifted my head back up looking straight ahead at the lake.
"Paris...why did you ask me to come here?"
She looked down maybe in embarrassment. "You know I went and saw one of the guys I went on a date with once, just because I thought I might've had a thing for him...I even dated a couple more guys before I came to him too but it didn't work out."
"Paris why're you telling me this?" She gripped my hands and crossed them so they rested on the opposite shoulder from it's original position.
"You know why it didn't work out?"
"Paris, I've already mov-" She let go of my hands and quickly turned around kneeling on the bench facing me as my hands rested on the top of the bench. She then placed her hands on my face and looked at me.
"It's because I was too busy comparing them all to you... no one's treated me the way you did Goten... you trusted me although I was away from you... you loved ME... not the model." I placed my hands on her wrists and looked at her as if she was crazy.
"Of course, I fell in love with you Paris. I was with you BEFORE the modeling thing even hit off."
"Goten... do you still love me?"
I tilted my head down wondering what to say next... "Goten?"
She lifted my head up with her thumbs and looked at me "Do you?"
"Yes, I love you...I even bought a ring that I was going to give you before you left again last time you were here just as a little thing to remember me by anytime you were away." I pulled out my wallet and took the small 24k ring out and showed it to her. It was quite simple really, just a gold ring with a diamond in the middle. She took it and only looked at it with a little smile on her face.
"I know it's not much compared to what you usually get, but it was all I could afford at the time. I was acutally gonna go and return it today... till you--."
"No, no, no it's beautiful. Goten, I'm truely truely sorry for accusing Bra for our break up... the thing is Goten... I'm still in love with you... and I still want you in my life...because no one loved and trusted me more than you... i love you."
Then right there, she began kissing me... but this was different, it didn't feel the same. It was great, but...nothing compared to how Bra made me feel. I began leaning into the kiss more, like I was trying to get her to kiss me with the same passion I felt with Bra...then when we finally stopped we looked at each other...it took about a minute or two before one of us said anything...
"So are we getting back together?"
Not knowing what to say after that... i slowly took the ring she was still holding, placing it back in my wallet then to my pocket. "Paris... I love you, I do. But I've already started to move on without you."
"What?"