Versus
--I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore--
The salon had taken all day. Or at least much longer than Bra had hoped. It seemed like a long time with all the talking and the showing off of nails and hair. As a matter of fact, everyone had made a huge fuss over Bra's hair. The short locks were curled upward in that oldies style that was coming back into fashion these days. She felt like an upside-down umbrella. She'd refused makeup. There was no way they would fix her up like a clown. She settled on applying her own lipstick at home. Her nails were trimmed, filed and coated with clear polish. And she refused to let anyone touch her feet. She could do that on her own if she wanted. Her eyebrows were fine. They had their own natural arch.
In all her treatment took around an hour and a half. Still much too long for her taste. She just watched the rest of the girls who took up to and including 4 hours for their makeovers.
They all separated in order to get dressed for the fashion show. What was this fancy occasion anyway? A bunch of models parading clothing that designers created. There was no fun in that. She'd be bored the whole time anyway.
The dress Bra had picked out to wear was a beautiful red sleeveless form-fitting dress with sequined designs. Something she'd had in her closet from one of the Capsule Corp banquets earlier in the year (which she hadn't gone to). She appreciated the fact that the dress had kind of a mock turtle neck thing going on, but way too much of her back would be exposed. The thing swooped down almost to her tailbone. And it was too long. She'd have to walk around holding it up a bit so she wouldn't trip over the bottom of it. Her shoes were red high heeled sandals. Diamond and silver teardrops dangled from her ears. A silver armlet curled about her upper arm. And around her ankle was a small silver anklet.
Hm. In all that red, she looked like the devil.
She exited her room and ran into her father, who was also dressed and ready to go. She smiled at him. He may have been crazy about his little girl, but she also had a soft spot for him.
"You look great, Papa," Bra complimented him.
Vegeta grumbled nothing in particular. He wasn't looking forward to this fashion show. Bra already knew that.
"Oh, Bra. You look fantastic," Bulma said from behind them. She had started getting teary-eyed.
"Woman, why aren't you dressed yet?" Vegeta bellowed.
All Bulma had on was a slip and some panty-hose. Bra doubted her mother would leave the house wearing that.
Bulma shot a stare at her husband. "I have to find my shoes, you impatient idiot!!" She stormed off.
Bra didn't grasp at all why those 2 were together for so long.
Vegeta smirked as he watched his wife exit the room.
Nope. Theirs was a relationship she'd never understand.
"I'm gonna wait outside for my date, Dad," Bra said, giving her father a kiss on the cheek.
"Date?" Vegeta asked angrily.
Oh yeah. Her mom must not have told him that she had a date for the gala. Pity. She sure hoped her father wouldn't kill the boy on sight.
"Escort really," Bra corrected. She went outside as soon as she felt his power level go up. Her father was angry. And he was catching it from all angles. He already had to go to a fashion show he didn't want to go to. Now he finds out that his little girl has a date.
Surprisingly enough, he hadn't chased her down to see who would dare date his daughter without his permission. And boy, was Bra thankful for that.
- & - & - & -
--the gala--
Randall had arrived in his own little blue capsule car around 3:40. He was dressed quite nicely, wearing a black suit. All black. Everything he had on was black. So now they would most likely be considered the couple from Hell.
When they arrived, of course, Marron was nowhere to be seen. She was back stage with the models and the other designers. But Pan, Trunks and Uubu were sitting at one of the tables in the corner. Pan waved frantically to her.
What was wrong with the girl? It was like she'd eaten red-hot chili peppers or something. As a matter of fact, her face was tinted pink. Bra smiled. She wondered how Pan was fairing now that she had an official date with her brother. Heh, heh, heeeeeeh. [Sigh].
"Hey, you two. Lookin' sharp," Trunks said to the two who had just arrived.
Randall introduced himself to everyone and Bra introduced the group to him. That poor chap would be uncomfortable the whole day, being around a bunch of people he didn't even know.
"Wow, everybody looks great. It's nice to see you guys dressed up every now and then," a familiar voice from behind them said.
The whole group turned around and saw Goten making his grand entrance. And by his side was Bra's archrival. Paris was clinging to Goten's arm like he was her only means of survival. Bra couldn't blame the counselor for being so attached.
Goten was wearing a cream colored suit and black dress shirt. His blazer was unbuttoned. His hair looked exactly the same as it always did. He was, as always, a sight to behold. He was also looking right at Bra.
"Is there enough room at this table for two more?" the ditsy counselor asked. She pulled Goten over to a seat before she even got an answer. This lady didn't really know anyone at that table. The few people she did know, she didn't know very well.
Everyone asked Uubu about the things he had been doing while he was away. Bra didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. She was just trying her best not to think about or look at Goten, who sat right across from her. Was this stupid fashion fiasco ever gonna start?
"Um, Bra, are you feeling okay?" Randall whispered to her. "You look pale."
"I'm fine. I just need some air," Bra whispered back. She stood quickly and headed toward the ladies' room. She wasn't sure what had made her go into a sudden panic like that. She looked in the mirror and saw that she was indeed pale. Maybe the clown thing wouldn't have been so bad.
The door to the bathroom opened slowly. It was Pan. "Bra, what's wrong? You ran out of there like a monster was after you."
"Nothing's wrong. Just go away," Bra said, close to tears. What was wrong with her? Had she been blocking out her emotions for so long that they'd finally come rushing to the forefront? "Go away."
Pan slowly began walking toward her. "Bra, don't do this to yourself. If there's something wrong, you should tell someone." She walked over closer to her. "Are you pregnant?"
Bra would have been offended, but with the way she'd said it, it could only be a joke. The goofy quarter-Saiyan had made her laugh. They both laughed for a little while.
Then Bra sighed. "Really, Pan. I'm okay."
Pan put her hands on her hips. "Alright Bra. I've tried to go easy on you. Now it's time to break out the big guns." She stomped back out to the main room.
Bra was utterly confused as to what Pan meant. Break out the big guns?
"Wait! I can't go in there!" Goten's voice echoed from outside the bathroom door.
"Go! I'll tell them it's out of order. You're the only one who might be able to get through to her. Just find out what's wrong and report back," Pan told him, pushing him into the bathroom. "Don't come out until she's fixed."
Oh, no. Bra wasn't gonna stand for this. She wouldn't be locked in a room alone with this man. Pan seemed to know that he was one of her weaknesses. It was obvious that she would have to do something about that.
"Um, hi," Goten said. "You know, our parents finally showed up." That smile.
She lost her words so easily in his presence. For the past couple of days, she'd blocked off any thoughts of him that lingered in her mind, hoping that that was the way to rid herself of her love for him. But every time he came walking back into her life, she went walking right out of her mind. And when she looked at him now, she saw the strangest, most peculiar look in his eyes.
"I was...sent to fix you...or something like that," Goten said a little nervously.
Bra was still silent. She couldn't spit out any witty comments. She couldn't even think straight.
"So, what's wrong?" Goten asked quietly.
While she wasn't paying attention, she had backed up against the wall and Goten stood about 3 feet in front of her. She leaned against the wall. "There's nothing wrong. Why does everyone think something's wrong with me?" the outburst came. "Maybe something's wrong with THEM. Did they ever think of that?"
"Well, I've gotta admit, Bra. You haven't really been yourself recently," Goten proposed.
"Not you too. Listen, you wouldn't know what I act like now anyway. You went missing for so long. You didn't even come back to see how I was," Bra stated. She'd lost control. She shouldn't have let that happen, but her emotions got the best of her.
Wait. There was more. "Then you come swaggering back into my life 6 years later like everything's supposed to be exactly the way you left it. Well, that's not the way people work, dammit! People aren't like the room you left back home or the mountains you used to visit when you were a kid. People change whether you want them to or not." Boy, that was a load off her chest. She was beginning to feel lighter, like someone had lifted the world off her shoulders. Of course, she'd had no intention of telling him all of this. And she hadn't considered his feelings as she spilled out her own.
"Bra, I never expected things to be the same once I came home," Goten said.
She looked at him. Silence.
"But, we've been friends for a long time and I'd like to believe we still are," Goten continued. "Then it came down to this fashion show and things really seemed to change."
"If you hadn't noticed, things changed when you started dating that air-headed counselor," Bra interrupted. She was fuming. Anything that she thought now was very likely going to come flying from her mouth. She didn't care at this point.
"Oh, we're not dating. When the fashion show came up, I just asked her to come with me. I didn't wanna look like a loser. Especially after I saw that you already had a date," Goten said.
"So, now I'm the biggest loser you know?!!!" Bra shouted. What was he trying to say? That's what it sounded like he was saying. She should have rammed her fist through his good-for-nothing face!
"No, I'm trying to tell you that ever since I got home, the only person I've wanted to spend time with is you," Goten said quietly.
Huh? What was this? Was this another moment where she'd get her hopes up and have them slammed back down to earth like a cement slab? Bra's heart had flitted into overdrive anyway. She couldn't say anything. She wouldn't say anything. Not when whatever she said could cause her downfall.
"When I came back, I already knew that things wouldn't be the same. And the first time I saw you again, I knew there was something different." Goten turned his back to her. "But the difference I saw wasn't in you. It was in me."
It seemed he was beating around the bush.
"We grew up together. You're my best friend's baby sister. You're so much younger than I am. You're my student," Goten added. "But I just can't fight this feeling anymore." He turned back to her. "You're the only girl for me."
-- I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore--
--Sorry about the long wait for this episode. I've had a lot of things going on lately. I hope you enjoyed it.
--Bring on the complaints, questions and comments. Let me know what you think. I know this part wasn't what some of you would have liked. It seems my writing's getting crappier and crappier by the minute.
--I know I ended it in a bad spot. I know I should have gone on. But there's more to come. Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter out in better time.
--Oh, yeah. And for those of you who might be curious as to what's going on with the other couples in this story, please be patient. Besides, this is a Bra and Goten story from Bra's point of view. She doesn't have time to deal with their problems when she's got problems of her own.
--I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore--
The salon had taken all day. Or at least much longer than Bra had hoped. It seemed like a long time with all the talking and the showing off of nails and hair. As a matter of fact, everyone had made a huge fuss over Bra's hair. The short locks were curled upward in that oldies style that was coming back into fashion these days. She felt like an upside-down umbrella. She'd refused makeup. There was no way they would fix her up like a clown. She settled on applying her own lipstick at home. Her nails were trimmed, filed and coated with clear polish. And she refused to let anyone touch her feet. She could do that on her own if she wanted. Her eyebrows were fine. They had their own natural arch.
In all her treatment took around an hour and a half. Still much too long for her taste. She just watched the rest of the girls who took up to and including 4 hours for their makeovers.
They all separated in order to get dressed for the fashion show. What was this fancy occasion anyway? A bunch of models parading clothing that designers created. There was no fun in that. She'd be bored the whole time anyway.
The dress Bra had picked out to wear was a beautiful red sleeveless form-fitting dress with sequined designs. Something she'd had in her closet from one of the Capsule Corp banquets earlier in the year (which she hadn't gone to). She appreciated the fact that the dress had kind of a mock turtle neck thing going on, but way too much of her back would be exposed. The thing swooped down almost to her tailbone. And it was too long. She'd have to walk around holding it up a bit so she wouldn't trip over the bottom of it. Her shoes were red high heeled sandals. Diamond and silver teardrops dangled from her ears. A silver armlet curled about her upper arm. And around her ankle was a small silver anklet.
Hm. In all that red, she looked like the devil.
She exited her room and ran into her father, who was also dressed and ready to go. She smiled at him. He may have been crazy about his little girl, but she also had a soft spot for him.
"You look great, Papa," Bra complimented him.
Vegeta grumbled nothing in particular. He wasn't looking forward to this fashion show. Bra already knew that.
"Oh, Bra. You look fantastic," Bulma said from behind them. She had started getting teary-eyed.
"Woman, why aren't you dressed yet?" Vegeta bellowed.
All Bulma had on was a slip and some panty-hose. Bra doubted her mother would leave the house wearing that.
Bulma shot a stare at her husband. "I have to find my shoes, you impatient idiot!!" She stormed off.
Bra didn't grasp at all why those 2 were together for so long.
Vegeta smirked as he watched his wife exit the room.
Nope. Theirs was a relationship she'd never understand.
"I'm gonna wait outside for my date, Dad," Bra said, giving her father a kiss on the cheek.
"Date?" Vegeta asked angrily.
Oh yeah. Her mom must not have told him that she had a date for the gala. Pity. She sure hoped her father wouldn't kill the boy on sight.
"Escort really," Bra corrected. She went outside as soon as she felt his power level go up. Her father was angry. And he was catching it from all angles. He already had to go to a fashion show he didn't want to go to. Now he finds out that his little girl has a date.
Surprisingly enough, he hadn't chased her down to see who would dare date his daughter without his permission. And boy, was Bra thankful for that.
- & - & - & -
--the gala--
Randall had arrived in his own little blue capsule car around 3:40. He was dressed quite nicely, wearing a black suit. All black. Everything he had on was black. So now they would most likely be considered the couple from Hell.
When they arrived, of course, Marron was nowhere to be seen. She was back stage with the models and the other designers. But Pan, Trunks and Uubu were sitting at one of the tables in the corner. Pan waved frantically to her.
What was wrong with the girl? It was like she'd eaten red-hot chili peppers or something. As a matter of fact, her face was tinted pink. Bra smiled. She wondered how Pan was fairing now that she had an official date with her brother. Heh, heh, heeeeeeh. [Sigh].
"Hey, you two. Lookin' sharp," Trunks said to the two who had just arrived.
Randall introduced himself to everyone and Bra introduced the group to him. That poor chap would be uncomfortable the whole day, being around a bunch of people he didn't even know.
"Wow, everybody looks great. It's nice to see you guys dressed up every now and then," a familiar voice from behind them said.
The whole group turned around and saw Goten making his grand entrance. And by his side was Bra's archrival. Paris was clinging to Goten's arm like he was her only means of survival. Bra couldn't blame the counselor for being so attached.
Goten was wearing a cream colored suit and black dress shirt. His blazer was unbuttoned. His hair looked exactly the same as it always did. He was, as always, a sight to behold. He was also looking right at Bra.
"Is there enough room at this table for two more?" the ditsy counselor asked. She pulled Goten over to a seat before she even got an answer. This lady didn't really know anyone at that table. The few people she did know, she didn't know very well.
Everyone asked Uubu about the things he had been doing while he was away. Bra didn't really pay attention to what he was saying. She was just trying her best not to think about or look at Goten, who sat right across from her. Was this stupid fashion fiasco ever gonna start?
"Um, Bra, are you feeling okay?" Randall whispered to her. "You look pale."
"I'm fine. I just need some air," Bra whispered back. She stood quickly and headed toward the ladies' room. She wasn't sure what had made her go into a sudden panic like that. She looked in the mirror and saw that she was indeed pale. Maybe the clown thing wouldn't have been so bad.
The door to the bathroom opened slowly. It was Pan. "Bra, what's wrong? You ran out of there like a monster was after you."
"Nothing's wrong. Just go away," Bra said, close to tears. What was wrong with her? Had she been blocking out her emotions for so long that they'd finally come rushing to the forefront? "Go away."
Pan slowly began walking toward her. "Bra, don't do this to yourself. If there's something wrong, you should tell someone." She walked over closer to her. "Are you pregnant?"
Bra would have been offended, but with the way she'd said it, it could only be a joke. The goofy quarter-Saiyan had made her laugh. They both laughed for a little while.
Then Bra sighed. "Really, Pan. I'm okay."
Pan put her hands on her hips. "Alright Bra. I've tried to go easy on you. Now it's time to break out the big guns." She stomped back out to the main room.
Bra was utterly confused as to what Pan meant. Break out the big guns?
"Wait! I can't go in there!" Goten's voice echoed from outside the bathroom door.
"Go! I'll tell them it's out of order. You're the only one who might be able to get through to her. Just find out what's wrong and report back," Pan told him, pushing him into the bathroom. "Don't come out until she's fixed."
Oh, no. Bra wasn't gonna stand for this. She wouldn't be locked in a room alone with this man. Pan seemed to know that he was one of her weaknesses. It was obvious that she would have to do something about that.
"Um, hi," Goten said. "You know, our parents finally showed up." That smile.
She lost her words so easily in his presence. For the past couple of days, she'd blocked off any thoughts of him that lingered in her mind, hoping that that was the way to rid herself of her love for him. But every time he came walking back into her life, she went walking right out of her mind. And when she looked at him now, she saw the strangest, most peculiar look in his eyes.
"I was...sent to fix you...or something like that," Goten said a little nervously.
Bra was still silent. She couldn't spit out any witty comments. She couldn't even think straight.
"So, what's wrong?" Goten asked quietly.
While she wasn't paying attention, she had backed up against the wall and Goten stood about 3 feet in front of her. She leaned against the wall. "There's nothing wrong. Why does everyone think something's wrong with me?" the outburst came. "Maybe something's wrong with THEM. Did they ever think of that?"
"Well, I've gotta admit, Bra. You haven't really been yourself recently," Goten proposed.
"Not you too. Listen, you wouldn't know what I act like now anyway. You went missing for so long. You didn't even come back to see how I was," Bra stated. She'd lost control. She shouldn't have let that happen, but her emotions got the best of her.
Wait. There was more. "Then you come swaggering back into my life 6 years later like everything's supposed to be exactly the way you left it. Well, that's not the way people work, dammit! People aren't like the room you left back home or the mountains you used to visit when you were a kid. People change whether you want them to or not." Boy, that was a load off her chest. She was beginning to feel lighter, like someone had lifted the world off her shoulders. Of course, she'd had no intention of telling him all of this. And she hadn't considered his feelings as she spilled out her own.
"Bra, I never expected things to be the same once I came home," Goten said.
She looked at him. Silence.
"But, we've been friends for a long time and I'd like to believe we still are," Goten continued. "Then it came down to this fashion show and things really seemed to change."
"If you hadn't noticed, things changed when you started dating that air-headed counselor," Bra interrupted. She was fuming. Anything that she thought now was very likely going to come flying from her mouth. She didn't care at this point.
"Oh, we're not dating. When the fashion show came up, I just asked her to come with me. I didn't wanna look like a loser. Especially after I saw that you already had a date," Goten said.
"So, now I'm the biggest loser you know?!!!" Bra shouted. What was he trying to say? That's what it sounded like he was saying. She should have rammed her fist through his good-for-nothing face!
"No, I'm trying to tell you that ever since I got home, the only person I've wanted to spend time with is you," Goten said quietly.
Huh? What was this? Was this another moment where she'd get her hopes up and have them slammed back down to earth like a cement slab? Bra's heart had flitted into overdrive anyway. She couldn't say anything. She wouldn't say anything. Not when whatever she said could cause her downfall.
"When I came back, I already knew that things wouldn't be the same. And the first time I saw you again, I knew there was something different." Goten turned his back to her. "But the difference I saw wasn't in you. It was in me."
It seemed he was beating around the bush.
"We grew up together. You're my best friend's baby sister. You're so much younger than I am. You're my student," Goten added. "But I just can't fight this feeling anymore." He turned back to her. "You're the only girl for me."
-- I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore--
--Sorry about the long wait for this episode. I've had a lot of things going on lately. I hope you enjoyed it.
--Bring on the complaints, questions and comments. Let me know what you think. I know this part wasn't what some of you would have liked. It seems my writing's getting crappier and crappier by the minute.
--I know I ended it in a bad spot. I know I should have gone on. But there's more to come. Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter out in better time.
--Oh, yeah. And for those of you who might be curious as to what's going on with the other couples in this story, please be patient. Besides, this is a Bra and Goten story from Bra's point of view. She doesn't have time to deal with their problems when she's got problems of her own.