Versus
~I Count Your Eyelashes Secretly~
She'd left the classroom without a word to Goten. Like he cared. All his attention had gone to the sparkly little redhead. The woman had littered his face with kisses. As a matter of fact, it was the last thing Bra had seen before she made her unannounced exit.
Now, with what was left of her heart, she slinked out of the classroom. Her mind was in a whirlwind. Her body was hot with anger. Her bottom teeth ground incessantly and uncontrollably against the top. Her muscles were tensed and her fists were clinched so hard that her knuckles had turned a dismal shade of white. Yet, she had kept her cool. She hadn't said a word. She hadn't made a scene. She hadn't instigated a fight. All she did was walk away. And that was something not even her father would have done.
The rest of Bra's day went by in a dark gray haze. None of her teachers spoke to her in a language she could understand or would understand. Their lips moved, but she could not hear what they were saying. Devoid of any hope of retaining information, she just sat in all of her classes without saying so much as a 'here' when they did role call.
Pan had even tried talking to her, but she got as much of a response as the teachers did. She'd tried asking what was wrong, but it was no use.
When her last class was dismissed, Bra walked slowly down the hall of the nearly vacant school. Her locker seemed miles away and she could make out a figure standing next to it. As she drew nearer, she could make out that it was a man. A man wearing a white shirt. It was Goten, and he was trying to say something to her. What was he trying to say? She walked over closer and watched his lips move. Why couldn't she understand the muffled sound that so distantly came through?
Suddenly, she was able to register sound again and Goten's words finally pierced her ears.
"—study together," was the only part Bra had heard.
The dark gray mist that had overcast her sight finally lifted. "Hm?" she asked. She was still quite overwhelmed by his presence.
"I said that there have been some strange things going on lately, but I was wondering if you still wanted to study together," he said slowly, almost timidly.
Now surely he knew her feelings for him after she kissed him the other day. That was a given. And he had to know that she'd seen the redhead kiss him after class today. So why would this guy ask her to study with him when she was pretty much...mad as hell? That was the funny thing about the Son boys. They could basically feel people's feelings, but they never had any idea of the origins of such feelings. A bit naive, but at the same time, it was charming.
It was impossible for her to stay mad at him. She really had no reason to be. It was that redhead she was up against, not this sweet young man before her. Who knows? Maybe he'd put everything that happened yesterday behind him.
"....Okay," Bra said calmly.
Goten then smiled a smile that sent a jolt to her, jump-starting her heart. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled.
| * | * | * |
~another study session~
It was one thing to be a masochist, but what Bra was putting herself through now was just suicide. She sat in the same library, in the same room, in the same chair, and beside her was the same man. Why?
She looked over at Goten and saw that there was something on his mind. His whole attitude seemed much different than when they first walked into the room.
Neither of them spoke for a long time. As a matter of fact, neither of them even moved. The deafening silence was beyond anything she had ever imagined. What was on his mind? Was he thinking about their first meeting between the four walls that confined them once again? Would she be forced to relive the suffering she'd acquired here only yesterday?
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened here yesterday," Goten finally spoke.
And there it was. The moment she had come to dread was at hand. At the time she knew not what to make of her feelings. On one hand, she wanted to do again what she had done the day before; but on the other hand, she wanted to strangle the life out of him. So what does a descendant of the great Prince Vegeta do in a situation like this?
"I don't want to talk about it." That was it. End it there and the subject would never be mentioned again. Bra had made her stand. She'd said what she came there to say and now he had to deal with it.
"Well, I do," Goten countered.
Ah, her words were not as strong against this one. He was a Saiyan. He was a Son. More importantly, he was the owner of her lonely heart.
"Sometimes people think they feel things they don't really feel," Goten began.
That was NOT the way to start this conversation. Not after the hell she'd been through over the past couple of days. It was only a matter of time before her anger detonated in a raging storm of aggression. And then, not even HE would be immune to her wrath.
"Now, I can usually get a good handle on my feelings," Goten continued very slowly, "but this time I think I'm really stomped."
What was he saying? Was he trying to tell her that he felt the same way about her? No! She would not put herself through this kind of torture again. Even if he DID feel that way, he undoubtedly HAD a girlfriend already.
"I don't see why," Bra said, not looking at him. "It was just a spur of the moment action. It didn't mean anything."
Goten was silent for a while. "Oh...I see."
Bra looked over at him. It was hard for her to read into what he was feeling. Her family didn't really have that gift. She had a hard time reading facial expressions, let alone feeling for someone's emotions. But there was definitely something in his face. She just couldn't figure out what.
Then came the usual Son smile. "Well now! Why don't we get to your studies? I mean, that IS what we came here for, right?"
She was really confused now. Everything about this man confused her. What had he been trying to say to her? Had she made a mistake by not letting him continue?
Now he flipped through his Teachers' Edition. He hadn't looked back at her. He just studied the book. Bra sat engrossed in the motion of his hands as they followed the words on the page. Once again he had started talking, but the words were just a slow jumble of random babble to her. She nodded every now and again, but he never looked back at her. It was like he was talking to the wall, and he may as well have been because she heard none of his words.
"Mind if I ask you a question?" Bra interrupted before she was even aware of her own voice saying the words.
Goten finally looked at her. "What is it?"
"Who was that girl who came to see you after class today?" Bra asked involuntarily. There was no way for her to stop the question from coming out of her mouth. And now it was out. All that was left was to wait for an answer.
He frowned. Not the reaction she had expected. "We dated in college. She was the reason I started taking history classes."
Ah ha. The truth was out. The whole reason he went into the study of history was because of a girl. Should have known. Back to rekindle the old flame, huh? Well, Bra would see to it that it did not happen.
~End I Count Your Eyelashes Secretly~
--What in the world was that? If there was a chance for Bra to find out Goten's feelings, it was then. That crazy girl stopped him. What's wrong with her?
--Thank you for reading the story that gets more and more ridiculous by the minute. Hey, give me a chance. It may seem strange now, but I'm sure it'll make sense in the longrun (at least I hope). Thank you for your patience.
~I Count Your Eyelashes Secretly~
She'd left the classroom without a word to Goten. Like he cared. All his attention had gone to the sparkly little redhead. The woman had littered his face with kisses. As a matter of fact, it was the last thing Bra had seen before she made her unannounced exit.
Now, with what was left of her heart, she slinked out of the classroom. Her mind was in a whirlwind. Her body was hot with anger. Her bottom teeth ground incessantly and uncontrollably against the top. Her muscles were tensed and her fists were clinched so hard that her knuckles had turned a dismal shade of white. Yet, she had kept her cool. She hadn't said a word. She hadn't made a scene. She hadn't instigated a fight. All she did was walk away. And that was something not even her father would have done.
The rest of Bra's day went by in a dark gray haze. None of her teachers spoke to her in a language she could understand or would understand. Their lips moved, but she could not hear what they were saying. Devoid of any hope of retaining information, she just sat in all of her classes without saying so much as a 'here' when they did role call.
Pan had even tried talking to her, but she got as much of a response as the teachers did. She'd tried asking what was wrong, but it was no use.
When her last class was dismissed, Bra walked slowly down the hall of the nearly vacant school. Her locker seemed miles away and she could make out a figure standing next to it. As she drew nearer, she could make out that it was a man. A man wearing a white shirt. It was Goten, and he was trying to say something to her. What was he trying to say? She walked over closer and watched his lips move. Why couldn't she understand the muffled sound that so distantly came through?
Suddenly, she was able to register sound again and Goten's words finally pierced her ears.
"—study together," was the only part Bra had heard.
The dark gray mist that had overcast her sight finally lifted. "Hm?" she asked. She was still quite overwhelmed by his presence.
"I said that there have been some strange things going on lately, but I was wondering if you still wanted to study together," he said slowly, almost timidly.
Now surely he knew her feelings for him after she kissed him the other day. That was a given. And he had to know that she'd seen the redhead kiss him after class today. So why would this guy ask her to study with him when she was pretty much...mad as hell? That was the funny thing about the Son boys. They could basically feel people's feelings, but they never had any idea of the origins of such feelings. A bit naive, but at the same time, it was charming.
It was impossible for her to stay mad at him. She really had no reason to be. It was that redhead she was up against, not this sweet young man before her. Who knows? Maybe he'd put everything that happened yesterday behind him.
"....Okay," Bra said calmly.
Goten then smiled a smile that sent a jolt to her, jump-starting her heart. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled.
| * | * | * |
~another study session~
It was one thing to be a masochist, but what Bra was putting herself through now was just suicide. She sat in the same library, in the same room, in the same chair, and beside her was the same man. Why?
She looked over at Goten and saw that there was something on his mind. His whole attitude seemed much different than when they first walked into the room.
Neither of them spoke for a long time. As a matter of fact, neither of them even moved. The deafening silence was beyond anything she had ever imagined. What was on his mind? Was he thinking about their first meeting between the four walls that confined them once again? Would she be forced to relive the suffering she'd acquired here only yesterday?
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened here yesterday," Goten finally spoke.
And there it was. The moment she had come to dread was at hand. At the time she knew not what to make of her feelings. On one hand, she wanted to do again what she had done the day before; but on the other hand, she wanted to strangle the life out of him. So what does a descendant of the great Prince Vegeta do in a situation like this?
"I don't want to talk about it." That was it. End it there and the subject would never be mentioned again. Bra had made her stand. She'd said what she came there to say and now he had to deal with it.
"Well, I do," Goten countered.
Ah, her words were not as strong against this one. He was a Saiyan. He was a Son. More importantly, he was the owner of her lonely heart.
"Sometimes people think they feel things they don't really feel," Goten began.
That was NOT the way to start this conversation. Not after the hell she'd been through over the past couple of days. It was only a matter of time before her anger detonated in a raging storm of aggression. And then, not even HE would be immune to her wrath.
"Now, I can usually get a good handle on my feelings," Goten continued very slowly, "but this time I think I'm really stomped."
What was he saying? Was he trying to tell her that he felt the same way about her? No! She would not put herself through this kind of torture again. Even if he DID feel that way, he undoubtedly HAD a girlfriend already.
"I don't see why," Bra said, not looking at him. "It was just a spur of the moment action. It didn't mean anything."
Goten was silent for a while. "Oh...I see."
Bra looked over at him. It was hard for her to read into what he was feeling. Her family didn't really have that gift. She had a hard time reading facial expressions, let alone feeling for someone's emotions. But there was definitely something in his face. She just couldn't figure out what.
Then came the usual Son smile. "Well now! Why don't we get to your studies? I mean, that IS what we came here for, right?"
She was really confused now. Everything about this man confused her. What had he been trying to say to her? Had she made a mistake by not letting him continue?
Now he flipped through his Teachers' Edition. He hadn't looked back at her. He just studied the book. Bra sat engrossed in the motion of his hands as they followed the words on the page. Once again he had started talking, but the words were just a slow jumble of random babble to her. She nodded every now and again, but he never looked back at her. It was like he was talking to the wall, and he may as well have been because she heard none of his words.
"Mind if I ask you a question?" Bra interrupted before she was even aware of her own voice saying the words.
Goten finally looked at her. "What is it?"
"Who was that girl who came to see you after class today?" Bra asked involuntarily. There was no way for her to stop the question from coming out of her mouth. And now it was out. All that was left was to wait for an answer.
He frowned. Not the reaction she had expected. "We dated in college. She was the reason I started taking history classes."
Ah ha. The truth was out. The whole reason he went into the study of history was because of a girl. Should have known. Back to rekindle the old flame, huh? Well, Bra would see to it that it did not happen.
~End I Count Your Eyelashes Secretly~
--What in the world was that? If there was a chance for Bra to find out Goten's feelings, it was then. That crazy girl stopped him. What's wrong with her?
--Thank you for reading the story that gets more and more ridiculous by the minute. Hey, give me a chance. It may seem strange now, but I'm sure it'll make sense in the longrun (at least I hope). Thank you for your patience.