Versus
--A Bad Case of Day Lates and Dollar Shorts--
She wanted to know what those two talked about after his first class. Goten and that woman. That COUNSELOR. It was the second day she'd shown up there. On the first day the two kissed. On the second day Bra was dismissed. What was going on behind closed doors at her high school? She simply had to know. And she would ask him directly. No beating around the bush. No cleaver innuendos. Just simple and to-the-point questioning.
She entered the local library and saw him sitting there. As usual, he read his newspaper without a care in the world. That was the way he'd always been. No cares. No worries. She was ashamed to say that she envied this man for his ability to be so unconcerned with what went on around him. Or at least it seemed that way to her. She knew that everyone had his or her concerns in life, but this guy sure didn't show it. She could feel herself growing slightly angry with HIM now. But then again....
He looked up at her and smiled. This man was relentless in his attacks on her heart. Every single blow sent her farther and farther beyond the point of no return. This had to come to some sort of conclusion one way or another.
"Hi," Goten said to her.
It was his usual greeting, but for some reason, it enraged her. He was once again oblivious to her feelings. He had to know something was up. He had to. He had the ability to search for people's feelings.
"You're late, little missy. I'm gonna have to keep you here longer," Goten razzed playfully.
She was in no mood for games. She just gave him very VERY serious look.
Goten obviously noticed THAT. "Whoa! Hey, what's going on? I was just kidding. Don't bite my head off about it." He scratched the back of his head.
It was cute to see him go all panicky like that, but she wouldn't let that stop her from getting down to business. So her facial expression stayed the same and she headed up the spiraling stairs. She would get the answers she seeked.
The two entered their usual room. Goten hesitated at the doorway as Bra took her seat.
"Um, listen, Bra. If you don't wanna do this today, I completely understand. We can take a day off and start fresh tomorrow," Goten suggested nervously.
"We're doing this today," Bra said. She had complete control over her voice this time. It was like she'd finally summoned enough of her own willpower to take matters into her own hands. She was actually pretty proud of herself.
Goten silently entered Bra's domain. He was very slow about closing the door, but when it finally clicked shut, Bra motioned for him to have a seat.
"Okay," Goten muttered, obeying her request.
What was he so afraid of? Sure, Bra was being pretty weird and even a little cold-hearted toward him, but that was no reason for this grown man to behave this way. Maybe he remembered the old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
"Now," Bra began. She looked at him sternly. "First things first. Why is that Paris woman always coming to your classroom after class?" Sure, she probably shouldn't be asking him this. If he didn't know she was in love with him before, he undoubtedly knew now.
He looked surprised.
What? Could he not believe she would ask something like that? It was the logical thing to do, wasn't it? Every time she wanted to talk to him after class, Paris was there. And they both sent her away like some kind of lost puppy.
"Well..., we're old friends," Goten said. "Like I said, I dated her in college.... And—"
And what? What was he leaving out? What did he NOT want to tell her?
"Why are you asking me this?" Goten asked innocently.
How dare he? He hadn't even finished his statement. "I'm asking you this because I'm concerned.... I'm concerned for my friend's well-being." She'd backpedaled. She was supposed to confess it all here and now. And she'd failed to do so. She would have to try again before their study session was done.
"Oh...." He sounded a bit strange when he said it.
"What else were you going to say?" Bra asked him.
"Um..., she...wants us to get back together. She asked me out and I kinda said yeah. Just as friends. And we'd see where it went from there," Goten murmured, fiddling with his fingers.
That knocked the wind out of her. Where had she gone wrong? Was there a way she could have stopped this from happening? She hadn't concentrated enough on the problem itself. She was sidetracked by other things so much so that she had overlooked the source of the problem. Paris.
And what about the man before her? Had she danced around the subject for so long that it had come to this? She hoped that she was dreaming. She wished that she would wake from this nightmare she called existence. But all the wishing in the world wouldn't get her out of the situation she was in. All the wishing in the world would not turn back the hands of time. Wait! All the wishing in the world? The dragon balls!
No. That was just the adrenaline talking. If it were meant to happen this way, then there was no need for her to even consider changing it. Besides, there was no guarantee that the circumstances wouldn't turn out the same.
Her head hurt from the silence. From the heartache. From the anger. What was keeping her in this tiny room with this man who was dating another woman? This man, to whom she would pour her heart into a glass and offer it like wine. This man, to whom she would relinquish her soul if he asked.
"Whatever makes you happy," was all Bra said before she stormed out of the room. She hadn't remembered standing. She hadn't remembered opening her mouth to speak. It was like the week had begun again, only this time, she hadn't gotten anything out of it. And this time, Goten hadn't called to her.
- & - & - & -
--back at home--
The dress she'd worn that day was in tatters. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she didn't care since she never intended to wear it again anyway. She wasn't sure where she'd gone or what she'd done. She remembered a mountain and lots of smoke. Then she remembered landing at Capsule Corp. with blood running down one of her arms and a pain in her side.
But surprisingly, she felt pretty good. Sure, all her muscles were sore. Yeah, her hair had gone from shoulder length to short uneven spikes. Hm. Her hair. How had that happened?
She went into the guest bathroom to get the first aid kit in order to bandage her bleeding arm. It was nothing serious. A rock must have nicked her during the afternoon. She would have to get in the shower and change that bandage soon.
She went into the kitchen and saw her mother getting something out of the cabinet. Uh oh. How would she explain her appearance?
"Welcome home, sweetheart," Bulma said without turning around. "You're back late. Long study session?" It WAS around 9:00.
Bra tried to sneak back out of the room. "You could say that."
Bulma turned and looked at her daughter. "What happened to you?"
"Funny story actually," Bra began. "You see..., I was working on this side project and it kinda...blew up in my face." That was the perfect explanation because it was true.
"I told you to be careful with the amount of voltage you put through those experimental do-dads of yours," Bulma told her.
"I'll be more careful next time. I promise," Bra said. Her mother had called out something else to her before she was all the way out of the room, but she hadn't heard. She went to her room to her own personal shower. It felt good to stand under the warmth as it rained down over her.
If she could clear her mind completely of any thoughts of Goten, things might go much smoother for her. That would be hard to do. He WAS, after all, her history teacher AND tutor. But if she could just control the things her mind did, she would be in much better shape. Thinking about him had been all she'd done for years. She wasn't sure if her mind would be able to comprehend anything else. She needed something else to focus on. Maybe she should look for a boyfriend around her school. Maybe she could meet someone somewhere who she could pawn her feelings off on.
Bra exited the bathroom with her now short hair wrapped in a towel. Maybe she needed a new look. She didn't have much of a choice right now. She'd have to cut it a little more for it all to be even.
She plopped down on the bed and heard something rustle under her. What was this? She pulled out a rather formal-looking letter. She wasted no time opening it:
'You're Invited.
The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested
At the Annual Gala Fashion Show and Reception
To be Held at the Satan City Garden Center
On Saturday, August 12th
At 4 O'clock'
Hm. It was from Marron. She thought it may have been something from Goten. Why she would think something like that, she wasn't sure. Well, maybe this was the occasion she needed to get her mind off of Goten. There were bound to be some nice guys there.
--End A Bad Case of Day Lates and Dollar Shorts--
--Bra gets her wits about her. Bra gets shut down again. Bra loses her mind and turns to self-inflicted abuse (or something like it). Now Paris has made her move. Is this the end for our heroine? Find out in the next episode of Versus.
--Thank you for reading this installment of Versus. I honestly believe this story is coming to an end. I'm sure some of you are tired of seeing this poor girl suffer like this. I think I have an idea about what will happen. So, if you could just stick with me for about 4 or 5 more chapters, I think we'll actually make it through this thing.
--A Bad Case of Day Lates and Dollar Shorts--
She wanted to know what those two talked about after his first class. Goten and that woman. That COUNSELOR. It was the second day she'd shown up there. On the first day the two kissed. On the second day Bra was dismissed. What was going on behind closed doors at her high school? She simply had to know. And she would ask him directly. No beating around the bush. No cleaver innuendos. Just simple and to-the-point questioning.
She entered the local library and saw him sitting there. As usual, he read his newspaper without a care in the world. That was the way he'd always been. No cares. No worries. She was ashamed to say that she envied this man for his ability to be so unconcerned with what went on around him. Or at least it seemed that way to her. She knew that everyone had his or her concerns in life, but this guy sure didn't show it. She could feel herself growing slightly angry with HIM now. But then again....
He looked up at her and smiled. This man was relentless in his attacks on her heart. Every single blow sent her farther and farther beyond the point of no return. This had to come to some sort of conclusion one way or another.
"Hi," Goten said to her.
It was his usual greeting, but for some reason, it enraged her. He was once again oblivious to her feelings. He had to know something was up. He had to. He had the ability to search for people's feelings.
"You're late, little missy. I'm gonna have to keep you here longer," Goten razzed playfully.
She was in no mood for games. She just gave him very VERY serious look.
Goten obviously noticed THAT. "Whoa! Hey, what's going on? I was just kidding. Don't bite my head off about it." He scratched the back of his head.
It was cute to see him go all panicky like that, but she wouldn't let that stop her from getting down to business. So her facial expression stayed the same and she headed up the spiraling stairs. She would get the answers she seeked.
The two entered their usual room. Goten hesitated at the doorway as Bra took her seat.
"Um, listen, Bra. If you don't wanna do this today, I completely understand. We can take a day off and start fresh tomorrow," Goten suggested nervously.
"We're doing this today," Bra said. She had complete control over her voice this time. It was like she'd finally summoned enough of her own willpower to take matters into her own hands. She was actually pretty proud of herself.
Goten silently entered Bra's domain. He was very slow about closing the door, but when it finally clicked shut, Bra motioned for him to have a seat.
"Okay," Goten muttered, obeying her request.
What was he so afraid of? Sure, Bra was being pretty weird and even a little cold-hearted toward him, but that was no reason for this grown man to behave this way. Maybe he remembered the old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
"Now," Bra began. She looked at him sternly. "First things first. Why is that Paris woman always coming to your classroom after class?" Sure, she probably shouldn't be asking him this. If he didn't know she was in love with him before, he undoubtedly knew now.
He looked surprised.
What? Could he not believe she would ask something like that? It was the logical thing to do, wasn't it? Every time she wanted to talk to him after class, Paris was there. And they both sent her away like some kind of lost puppy.
"Well..., we're old friends," Goten said. "Like I said, I dated her in college.... And—"
And what? What was he leaving out? What did he NOT want to tell her?
"Why are you asking me this?" Goten asked innocently.
How dare he? He hadn't even finished his statement. "I'm asking you this because I'm concerned.... I'm concerned for my friend's well-being." She'd backpedaled. She was supposed to confess it all here and now. And she'd failed to do so. She would have to try again before their study session was done.
"Oh...." He sounded a bit strange when he said it.
"What else were you going to say?" Bra asked him.
"Um..., she...wants us to get back together. She asked me out and I kinda said yeah. Just as friends. And we'd see where it went from there," Goten murmured, fiddling with his fingers.
That knocked the wind out of her. Where had she gone wrong? Was there a way she could have stopped this from happening? She hadn't concentrated enough on the problem itself. She was sidetracked by other things so much so that she had overlooked the source of the problem. Paris.
And what about the man before her? Had she danced around the subject for so long that it had come to this? She hoped that she was dreaming. She wished that she would wake from this nightmare she called existence. But all the wishing in the world wouldn't get her out of the situation she was in. All the wishing in the world would not turn back the hands of time. Wait! All the wishing in the world? The dragon balls!
No. That was just the adrenaline talking. If it were meant to happen this way, then there was no need for her to even consider changing it. Besides, there was no guarantee that the circumstances wouldn't turn out the same.
Her head hurt from the silence. From the heartache. From the anger. What was keeping her in this tiny room with this man who was dating another woman? This man, to whom she would pour her heart into a glass and offer it like wine. This man, to whom she would relinquish her soul if he asked.
"Whatever makes you happy," was all Bra said before she stormed out of the room. She hadn't remembered standing. She hadn't remembered opening her mouth to speak. It was like the week had begun again, only this time, she hadn't gotten anything out of it. And this time, Goten hadn't called to her.
- & - & - & -
--back at home--
The dress she'd worn that day was in tatters. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she didn't care since she never intended to wear it again anyway. She wasn't sure where she'd gone or what she'd done. She remembered a mountain and lots of smoke. Then she remembered landing at Capsule Corp. with blood running down one of her arms and a pain in her side.
But surprisingly, she felt pretty good. Sure, all her muscles were sore. Yeah, her hair had gone from shoulder length to short uneven spikes. Hm. Her hair. How had that happened?
She went into the guest bathroom to get the first aid kit in order to bandage her bleeding arm. It was nothing serious. A rock must have nicked her during the afternoon. She would have to get in the shower and change that bandage soon.
She went into the kitchen and saw her mother getting something out of the cabinet. Uh oh. How would she explain her appearance?
"Welcome home, sweetheart," Bulma said without turning around. "You're back late. Long study session?" It WAS around 9:00.
Bra tried to sneak back out of the room. "You could say that."
Bulma turned and looked at her daughter. "What happened to you?"
"Funny story actually," Bra began. "You see..., I was working on this side project and it kinda...blew up in my face." That was the perfect explanation because it was true.
"I told you to be careful with the amount of voltage you put through those experimental do-dads of yours," Bulma told her.
"I'll be more careful next time. I promise," Bra said. Her mother had called out something else to her before she was all the way out of the room, but she hadn't heard. She went to her room to her own personal shower. It felt good to stand under the warmth as it rained down over her.
If she could clear her mind completely of any thoughts of Goten, things might go much smoother for her. That would be hard to do. He WAS, after all, her history teacher AND tutor. But if she could just control the things her mind did, she would be in much better shape. Thinking about him had been all she'd done for years. She wasn't sure if her mind would be able to comprehend anything else. She needed something else to focus on. Maybe she should look for a boyfriend around her school. Maybe she could meet someone somewhere who she could pawn her feelings off on.
Bra exited the bathroom with her now short hair wrapped in a towel. Maybe she needed a new look. She didn't have much of a choice right now. She'd have to cut it a little more for it all to be even.
She plopped down on the bed and heard something rustle under her. What was this? She pulled out a rather formal-looking letter. She wasted no time opening it:
'You're Invited.
The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested
At the Annual Gala Fashion Show and Reception
To be Held at the Satan City Garden Center
On Saturday, August 12th
At 4 O'clock'
Hm. It was from Marron. She thought it may have been something from Goten. Why she would think something like that, she wasn't sure. Well, maybe this was the occasion she needed to get her mind off of Goten. There were bound to be some nice guys there.
--End A Bad Case of Day Lates and Dollar Shorts--
--Bra gets her wits about her. Bra gets shut down again. Bra loses her mind and turns to self-inflicted abuse (or something like it). Now Paris has made her move. Is this the end for our heroine? Find out in the next episode of Versus.
--Thank you for reading this installment of Versus. I honestly believe this story is coming to an end. I'm sure some of you are tired of seeing this poor girl suffer like this. I think I have an idea about what will happen. So, if you could just stick with me for about 4 or 5 more chapters, I think we'll actually make it through this thing.