Author's Notes: Well, here i was about to upload chapter five, and i realized there were only three chapters...sighs i'm such a ditz.
Chapter Four: Strawberry Soda Junkie...
Three days had passed since the singing incident and Goku's talk with the two hard-headed teens and everyone seemed to have forgotten about the whole affair since they all had other things to worry about. Another new student had arrived in the school and their group had accepted him without question...except for his long purple hair. They had asked him where he got the dye since it was so pale and silky looking. Unfortunately his answers had been terse and they all gave up when his penetrating blue eyes stopped them in their tracks. His name was Trunks, another thing they dismissed when he glared at them.
Walking through the halls to her sociology class, Kathi glanced at the silent teen thoughtfully then decided to risk an evil glare and talked. "Why are you so...quiet?"
Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he debated what his reply would be then shrugged. "Nothing to talk about."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you guys never really talk about anything I find interesting."
"Well...what kinds of conversations interest you?"
He grinned then nodded to another guy walking ahead of him. "Men and women."
"What?" She frowned then looked at the guy curiously before thinking about something she'd heard about her friend Jason. "Are you bisexual?"
"I suppose you could say that."
"Cool, now I'm not alone..."
"I thought you were asexual?"
"Well...I choose not to have sexual relationships at the moment, but I like both guys and girls. Kind of hard to find someone willing to share in their bisexual thoughts with me."
"I know that feeling. Your school is unique in that there are very few bisexual people here."
"That's not true, we just don't like to talk about it openly."
"Maybe you should."
"Oh."
He stopped walking and met her gaze earnestly. "In my experience with both sexes I have found that guys speak more openly about their female partners than they do their male partners while women like to discuss the romantic portion of their relationships. You seem more interested in keeping your thoughts to yourself until actually pushed to talk...like me."
"Hey now, that's not entirely fair you know. I like talking about sexual experiences."
"Right, and when was the last time you were with a guy?"
"Freshman year."
"How about with a woman?"
"Junior year."
"Which one did you prefer?"
"The guy...the girl didn't like being kissed very much. She said that people's mouths were disgustingly filthy."
"And you still had a relationship with her?"
"Yes...I liked her breasts...and she liked mine. Why are you asking?"
"To prove a point. I have to force you to answer me by forcing the questions on you."
"Oh." She looked down at her feet then shook her head and laughed softly. "I guess you're right you know...some people have to be forced to talk."
"Of course." He grinned and started walking again. "As another thought, why don't you talk to Vegeta anymore? The way I heard it, you guys were inseparable friends for the longest time."
"I don't know...he's changed since last year and I'm not sure what caused his change."
"Maybe you should ask him."
"Right, getting an answer from him, at least a straight answer, is like trying to make a brick do tricks. You have to throw it to make it jump."
"Can't you read what he says?"
"No, I'm not Goku...he can tell anyone what Vegeta means when he talks."
"Then have Goku help you."
"That's not cool...he won't say anything to me about anyone unless it was important."
"Whatever then." Shrugging, the taller teen flicked his hair back with a casual shake of his head and started walking again.
Standing there for a second, she considered the possibility of getting Goku's help then frowned and ran after her friend. "Hey, wait for me."
Twirling his pencil around in his fingers, Vegeta stared down at the paper in front of him, desperately trying to figure out the problems typed neatly on the white surface. "4x-15z6y=89...right, and I'm supposed to be a genius these days?" Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he started doodling on the edge of the paper then grinned and wrote down what he really thought of the stupid test he'd been given before handing it in to the teacher when the bell rang. He was in too much of a hurry to get out of the building to worry about some stupid equations. Dashing down the hall, he made it to the parking lot in time to see a fight breaking out near his car. Frowning, he slowed down then swore when he saw the combatants.
"You bitch, where do you get off insulting me like that in front of everyone?" Candice Deal (one mean ass bitch, I'm telling you) glared at the shorter girl in front of her, who also happened to be nursing a busted lip with one hand.
Kathi's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment then softened and shifted to one side. She wasn't much of a fighter either...it was up there on her list of things to learn about. "M sorry."
"You're sorry?" Laughing sarcastically, the larger girl slapped her upside her head and forced her to look in her direction. "Sorry isn't going to make up for calling me a lard ass in the commons."
"Well...your ass was in my way." Her lips quirked upwards in a wry grin, seconds before her head whipped to one side again.
Trunks stepped forward, growling obscenities under his breath, only to be jerked back by another person who had also been watching the whole thing.
"Don't fret this shit man, she always takes care of her problems this way." Joe nodded towards the approaching figure whose flame of black hair was frighteningly familiar. "Besides, if it gets too messy, he always bails her out."
"Why don't you guys do anything before she gets hurt though?"
He shrugged and lit up a cigarette. "Because she told me to stay out of her battles. I have to give her props for wanting to be all big and bad and shit but...she's just asking for a real beat-down one of these days."
"How badly has she been beaten before?"
"Remember that scar you saw on Vegeta's back while we were in gym class?"
"Yeah?"
"He got that at a club when she pissed of a biker because she didn't want to go home with the guy."
"So...it's a knife wound?"
"Hell no...he got beat down with a set of brass knuckles."
"Whoa."
"You're telling me...that's the first time I ever saw him lose a fight on purpose. I think it was because she eventually agreed to leave with the biker. We didn't see her for a week afterwards."
"Did she...get raped?"
Laughing, he shook his head and nodded towards the key chain dangling from her jeans. "She keeps a very sharp knife on her at all times...although I'm seriously considering getting her a boot knife...she'd be a heck of a lot safer then."
"Oh." Trunks turned his attention back to the fight at hand.
"Hey slut, aren't you going to defend yourself?"
She shrugged and held up one hand. "Alright, I'm defending myself."
Candice's eyes widened in anger when she saw the finger the smaller girl was holding up. "I'm going to kill you." Just as she started swinging, she felt strong fingers close around her wrist then pull her arm back.
"You shouldn't fight people smaller than you...it can get you hurt." Black eyes burned coldly into the offensive girl's then switched over towards the lesser of two evils. "When are you going to learn that making people jealous because you're smaller than them is not a good way to make friends?"
She sighed and shook her head before bursting out in laughter. "Never I suppose, but then, when you're a strawberry soda junkie like me...nothing ever phases you."
"No...I wouldn't think that it would." Releasing the other girl, he sighed and let her scurry off before walking to his car. "You are going to get so fucked up one day and I won't be around to save you when it happens."
Grinning, she licked her busted lip then jumped away from Michelle when she tried to help her. "When that day comes, I'll be sure to send you a mental thanks for warning me in advance."
"I figured you would. Just don't come to my house, bawling your eyes out, because I'll just turn you away."
"Yeah I know." Climbing into her car, she started it then turned the radio up as loud as she could. "Thanks for helping me anyway."
"Whatever Kathi." Starting his car with a reverberating roar, he shot forward then tore out of the school parking lot with one final glance back at her from his rearview mirror.
Trunks glanced at Joe, one pale purple eyebrow raised in question. "And that always happens as well?"
"More often than not man, more often than not."
"Hmm..."