Chapter 3
Thousands on thousands of eyes glared, glazed over, in disbelief at the ring, which had exploded into a furnace of golden light as a figure floated powerfully, bathed in electricity radiating over his body, his hair nearly white like his eyes.
"Knew Gohan was a freak..." Some voices whispered. "Great Saiyaman?!" Said others. "I knew it all along!"
But not every eye was on the display in the arena. One boy's were fixated on the rear of a nearby woman, and he was snickering to his friends about something. He lowered his shades. It was Bill.
Thorn had taken a seat a few rows above and to the side, where he had a nice, lofty view of just about everything and everyone in the stadium. He had arrived just following Videl's fight versus Spopovich; heard how severely she was injured. He just smirked in dark comprehension. The pain she felt in the ring was only a fraction of the emotional pain he felt every day. Now Gohan and some man with pink skin were putting on some light show, and though it caught the attention of mostly everyone, he had cast his scarlet eyes to a classmate of his that seemed to defy any limitations of beauty.
Barely visible under the mountain of junk food and merchandise she was carrying, Becky dodged, weaved, and excuse med her way back to her seats. A pleasant smile was on her face, she felt glad to be of use to Bill and his friends in getting their food and drinks. Hearing them talk, she swallowed the impulse to yell, "I'm back baby!" in her usual cheerful disposition, a hint of mischeif showing in her eyes as she tried to hear if they were talking about her. They were, but not as she had expected.
"...see that brunette in the next row? She is bangin'!" One of them started.
"Pssh. Maybe, but she's nothing I can't get." Bill retorted.
A boy with spikey blonde hair turned his head to him, bemused.
"Prove it."
When Bill got up to walk toward the woman in question, another one of his friends stopped him by placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Didn't think you'd actually do it. Come on man, you have a girlfriend, and she's hot."
Bill smirked, behind his sunglasses he raised an eyebrow. "Freshman routine, Jack."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Use her, abuse her, lose her?"
Bill was about to nod when he heard a sniffle behind him. He turned his head, and the other guys frowned in shame when they saw Becky there, tears in her eyes. She dumped the food onto Bill, hoping the hot nacho cheese would scald his skin, and stormed up the stairs, looking back one last time-
-and running smack into Thorn, who had stood up along with much of the crowd to watch as Gohan, Videl, and several other fighnters flew right out of the arena into the endless blue abyss above them. Thorn cried out in confusion as he hit the stairs and Becky fell atop him. For a moment, their noses nearly touched. Their eyes met, and through Becky's tears Thorn saw something that sent his heart and mind reeling. He knew Becky was beautiful, knew that he could never have her. But he had never noticed those eyes before. Resolving to look into them again someday, Thorn reluctantly broke their embrace by taking her firmly by the hand and helping her stand again.
"...sorry..." She blurted, covering her eyes and dashing up the stairs, as tears began to fall, her loss setting in again, bag bouncing against her hips in a way that Bill had intended to.
Thorn simply stood, dumbfounded and quarreling with his own reserve whether or not to go and comfort her. He shook his head. Help from him would only make things worse for her. He was just the hopeless dreamer from third period. She was the girl every guy wanted. He was the friendless, and this was natural selection. He wouldn't survive a moment in her heart, not even as an aquantaince. He knew her type. But...then...if all that were true, then what had he seen in her eyes?
Thorn turned to see Bill and his friends approaching. And they weren't happy.
Thousands on thousands of eyes glared, glazed over, in disbelief at the ring, which had exploded into a furnace of golden light as a figure floated powerfully, bathed in electricity radiating over his body, his hair nearly white like his eyes.
"Knew Gohan was a freak..." Some voices whispered. "Great Saiyaman?!" Said others. "I knew it all along!"
But not every eye was on the display in the arena. One boy's were fixated on the rear of a nearby woman, and he was snickering to his friends about something. He lowered his shades. It was Bill.
Thorn had taken a seat a few rows above and to the side, where he had a nice, lofty view of just about everything and everyone in the stadium. He had arrived just following Videl's fight versus Spopovich; heard how severely she was injured. He just smirked in dark comprehension. The pain she felt in the ring was only a fraction of the emotional pain he felt every day. Now Gohan and some man with pink skin were putting on some light show, and though it caught the attention of mostly everyone, he had cast his scarlet eyes to a classmate of his that seemed to defy any limitations of beauty.
Barely visible under the mountain of junk food and merchandise she was carrying, Becky dodged, weaved, and excuse med her way back to her seats. A pleasant smile was on her face, she felt glad to be of use to Bill and his friends in getting their food and drinks. Hearing them talk, she swallowed the impulse to yell, "I'm back baby!" in her usual cheerful disposition, a hint of mischeif showing in her eyes as she tried to hear if they were talking about her. They were, but not as she had expected.
"...see that brunette in the next row? She is bangin'!" One of them started.
"Pssh. Maybe, but she's nothing I can't get." Bill retorted.
A boy with spikey blonde hair turned his head to him, bemused.
"Prove it."
When Bill got up to walk toward the woman in question, another one of his friends stopped him by placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Didn't think you'd actually do it. Come on man, you have a girlfriend, and she's hot."
Bill smirked, behind his sunglasses he raised an eyebrow. "Freshman routine, Jack."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Use her, abuse her, lose her?"
Bill was about to nod when he heard a sniffle behind him. He turned his head, and the other guys frowned in shame when they saw Becky there, tears in her eyes. She dumped the food onto Bill, hoping the hot nacho cheese would scald his skin, and stormed up the stairs, looking back one last time-
-and running smack into Thorn, who had stood up along with much of the crowd to watch as Gohan, Videl, and several other fighnters flew right out of the arena into the endless blue abyss above them. Thorn cried out in confusion as he hit the stairs and Becky fell atop him. For a moment, their noses nearly touched. Their eyes met, and through Becky's tears Thorn saw something that sent his heart and mind reeling. He knew Becky was beautiful, knew that he could never have her. But he had never noticed those eyes before. Resolving to look into them again someday, Thorn reluctantly broke their embrace by taking her firmly by the hand and helping her stand again.
"...sorry..." She blurted, covering her eyes and dashing up the stairs, as tears began to fall, her loss setting in again, bag bouncing against her hips in a way that Bill had intended to.
Thorn simply stood, dumbfounded and quarreling with his own reserve whether or not to go and comfort her. He shook his head. Help from him would only make things worse for her. He was just the hopeless dreamer from third period. She was the girl every guy wanted. He was the friendless, and this was natural selection. He wouldn't survive a moment in her heart, not even as an aquantaince. He knew her type. But...then...if all that were true, then what had he seen in her eyes?
Thorn turned to see Bill and his friends approaching. And they weren't happy.