A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while but yeah....been busy. In regards to my reviewer, Marshmallow13Dragon, I am sorry but I really, REALLY don't want to make a sequel to 'Gohan goes to boarding school'. However, I will be writing a new Gohan/Videl story as soon as I finish this series and my other story, 'A past best forgotten'.
And just a note of thank you to all my reviewers. You guys make writing worthwhile!
.:.
The next week at school, Eliza, Anna and Mez cornered Uub and I leaving a classroom.
"It seems you have been ignoring our little request, Uub." Eliza said, falsely sweetly. "We don't want to make your life hell but we will if we have to. The school dance is less than two months away and if Marron and Anna don't have Trunks and Goten as their dates by then, you'll have to deal with Mez. Got it?"
"Kind of." Came Uub's expectant reply.
"Well what don't you get?" Eliza simpered, upholding that revoltingly fake sweetness.
"He probably doesn't understand why two decent and respected young men such as Trunks and Goten would even consider taking Anna to the school dance. Although perhaps Goten wouldn't mind if Marron went with him..." I added the last sentence as an afterthought.
"You stay out of this, Bra." Eliza warned. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Well that makes a pleasant change." I said airily. "I suppose it's a relief that you're not shoving your ugly face into mine every day but I doubt that Uub finds it to be an enjoyable experience either."
"Right. That does it." Mez advanced on me and I prepared to fight, when the door opened and students entered the classroom to wait for next class. Mez had no choice but to back off.
"You were lucky that your girlfriend was here to save you, Uub." Eliza scathed. "But next time you won't be so lucky."
Anna nodded in agreement. "It seems we need to break up the nerd couple which is such a shame. Seeing as 'Uubs go' so well with 'Bras'."
They cackled with false laughter at the obviously well prepared joke. It seemed childish that something as simple as the way she pronounced 'Uub' to sound like a word that did indeed often accompany the word 'Bra' could be considered comical. Glancing at Uub, I gathered he found this new joke as amusing as a funeral.
"How do you do it?" He asked in a low whisper as we walked to next class.
"How do I do what?" I said with a hint of impressiveness. Uub hadn't asked me if he could ask a question. Maybe I was finally helping him to think his own original thoughts!
"You act as if they don't bother you." Uub mumbled. "They really bother me. And you know just what to say to them as well."
"It's no great skill. Just practice and a few good years of experience. You can't let them know you feel this way. Your weakness becomes their strength."
We entered the next classroom which was already full and took seats at the only available table, far away from my usual place beside Trunks. For some reason, it didn't seem to bother me. Possibly because I wasn't sitting on my own completely. Eliza was talking to Trunks quite happily and he was blissfully unaware of what happened scarcely a few moments ago.
"He doesn't know?" Uub asked and I didn't need to ask what he meant. He had been watching me stare at Trunks and Eliza since we had arrived in the classroom. When I shook my head, he cried in alarm. "If you told him, they would stop bothering you."
"Only until they recover from Trunks' beating and then they would just keep at it even if Trunks continues to give them a hard time. I know Eliza; she's persistent. It will just get worse if Trunks becomes involved. Do you really want to give Eliza the satisfaction of knowing she had finally broken our spirits when she discovers I went crying to my older brother?"
Uub considered this for a while, then shook his head. We were silent through the whole lesson, concentrating on the lesson. I expected Uub to ask me for help, but strangely, he hadn't asked me for help yet at all. Most of our teachers seemed to be pleased with him, so his grades mustn't be that bad. I supposed this was thanks to his excellent memory and ability to catch onto things quickly. If it had been anyone else in that position, they would have had a terrible time understanding things.
"I take back what I said before," I said to him when the bell rang, signaling lunch hour and we forwarded out onto the school grounds. "You know, about you needing a tutor because you haven't had any previous education. You have a fantastic memory capacity and you are an incredibly quick learner."
"Thanks." Uub smiled a little broader than usual. I grinned in reply; he looked nice when he smiled. Despite the fact he wore the same black pants and red jacket everyday, of course. "I'm nothing compared to you, though. You're a genius."
It was the first compliment he had ever given me, and although it was a basic, common compliment a received often, I was a little surprised and perplexed considering it came from Uub's mouth. I felt my cheeks reddening and it took me a good few minutes to realize I was blushing....me.....blushing!
"Listen, Uub." I mumbled as we sat down together underneath a tree, a considerable distance away from most of our peers. "I was wondering, like, um...."
What? I was speechless, and I added the word 'like' to the middle of my sentence like the common teenager! There was definitely something wrong with me.
"What is it?" He asked with concern as if he could sense the fact that something was wrong with me.
"You should smile more often." I added quickly. "Because it is simply unnatural and unhealthy to be stony faced every waking moment of the day."
"I've never had much to smile about." Replied Uub, taken aback by me sudden, random comment.
"Do you smiling can make a person feel pleased with themselves?" I said, in the voice I always seemed to obtain when I was stating a fact. "It is a healthy way to encourage self esteem and helps you to recognize your inner beauty. Oh, and did you know that the average person smiles over fifty times on an average day?"
Uub had no chance to reply because Lucas, my fellow student librarian, approached us and rudely interrupted the conversation, hitching his oversized glasses up on his ultra pale nose, pushing his plain mousy hair back so that his pimpled forehead became more visible and grinned to show off his braces.
"Hey Bra." Lucas squeaked in his ordinary high pitched voice. "Are you going to the dance?"
"No," I said absent mindedly. "I believe that teenage social activity is just an excuse for adolescents to dress up in clothes far too mature for them and flirt pathetically with each other."
"Yeah, I agree." Lucas nodded solemnly. "I won't go either."
"Is that all?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Because Uub and I are engaging in an important conversation about the effects smiling often has on a person's self esteem."
"Um...interesting." Lucas mumbled half-heartedly. "Well, catch you later, then."
He stumbled away, his legs lanky beneath the rest of his weight. I shook my head sadly, feeling a sense of sympathy wash over me as he hurried away. Lucas and I had very much in common, especially with our relationship with peers. But because of his unfortunate appearance and a name that rhymed so well with mucus, he seemed to suffer even more than I.
"Who's that?" Uub asked quietly.
"Lucas Stugniburg." I whispered back. I expected him to splutter with insane laughter at first, but then reminded myself that Uub's name was just as strange and he wasn't the sort to laugh insanely anyway.
"Was everything you said about the dance true?" Uub questioned.
"Most definitely." I answered truthfully. "Unless you enjoy hyperactive teenage dancing, I suggest you follow my lead and chose not to go."
From what I saw at Trunks' birthday party, I knew that Uub probably did agree with me. So I didn't pester him for an answer when he settled back against the tree and stared absent mindedly into space.
.:.
"My God, Bra." Trunks shouted. "Do you have to be so persistent?"
"It's a quality I pride myself on." I smirked evilly. "And don't take the lord's name in vain or christens will be highly offended."
Trunks rounded on his heel and stormed out of the study we had both been sitting in, finishing off our homework. Well, Trunks had been starting and I had been finishing but I did need to give my elder brother some credit. He certainly wasn't stupid, just a little lazy. But he had been trying hard with his studies since Mum began to pester him about getting good marks in the HSC so he could take over the family company.
Although I did enjoy playing the role of irritating little sister when the opportunity arose and I did have an excuse to do so. Marron's obsessive flirting with him ever since the time and date of the school dance had been announced. I followed him out of the room and down the corridor, skipping childishly behind him.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, Trunks." I laughed. "Blonde bimbo girls just seem to find you irresistible. I suppose you would be used to such behavior now. In fact, I think you enjoy attention."
"No I don't." He retorted. I knew for a fact that he didn't, but I was in an irritating mood today.
"If you want, I could fill in for Marron while we're at home." I used my superior acting skills to put on my best imitation of Marron. "Let's ask each other random questions, Trunks. Oh come on, it will be like, totally so much fun!"
"Give it a rest, will you?" Trunks whirled around to face me.
"Now, Trunks. Sibling rivalry is a healthy part of growing up so we must engage in casual arguments to teach each other the values of argument and consequence. Now it's your turn to come up with a witty reply."
Trunks ignored me and continued pacing towards his room. Is was ready to call it a day when he spun around wildly, the glint in his perfect blue eyes warning me that he had, indeed, come up with something witty.
"Ok, I have something." He said slowly, enjoying holding me in suspense. "What about you and Uub? Did you know smiling makes you feel better?"
I froze, eyeing him suspiciously. "Who told you about that?"
"Eliza," He smirked. "She caught you flirting with him under the tree. Looks like Marron isn't the only one trying to find a date."
"I thought I told you, Trunks Vegeta Briefs." I scowled. "I am not even going to bother going to that dance."
"Fine," Trunks shrugged. "Believe what you want, little sister. But believe me, I know better."
I cleared my throat loudly, glaring at him fiercely. "Oh shut up."
"Make me."
"Easily."
I knew better than to attack my brother, who was a highly skilled fighter. But I learnt from a young age that my verbal ability was my greatest strength.
"Well?" Trunks enquired, waiting my next reply.
"May I also point out that your irresistible charm has reached such great heights that even a mere toddler had decided she'd have you as a husband." I recalled Pan's obsession with wanted my brother as a 'husband'.
"Gosh, do you have to bring that up?" Trunks' cheeks burned red. "Fine, then. You win, but let me remind you that what I said about Uub is true. If were you, I'd quit flirting before it becomes something more because you know what Dad would say if he found out you were dating."
"We won't date!" I screamed as he ran upstairs, laughing hysterically.
I couldn't know it then, but for once, I was wrong about something. And in a few short weeks, my life would change forever....
And just a note of thank you to all my reviewers. You guys make writing worthwhile!
.:.
The next week at school, Eliza, Anna and Mez cornered Uub and I leaving a classroom.
"It seems you have been ignoring our little request, Uub." Eliza said, falsely sweetly. "We don't want to make your life hell but we will if we have to. The school dance is less than two months away and if Marron and Anna don't have Trunks and Goten as their dates by then, you'll have to deal with Mez. Got it?"
"Kind of." Came Uub's expectant reply.
"Well what don't you get?" Eliza simpered, upholding that revoltingly fake sweetness.
"He probably doesn't understand why two decent and respected young men such as Trunks and Goten would even consider taking Anna to the school dance. Although perhaps Goten wouldn't mind if Marron went with him..." I added the last sentence as an afterthought.
"You stay out of this, Bra." Eliza warned. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Well that makes a pleasant change." I said airily. "I suppose it's a relief that you're not shoving your ugly face into mine every day but I doubt that Uub finds it to be an enjoyable experience either."
"Right. That does it." Mez advanced on me and I prepared to fight, when the door opened and students entered the classroom to wait for next class. Mez had no choice but to back off.
"You were lucky that your girlfriend was here to save you, Uub." Eliza scathed. "But next time you won't be so lucky."
Anna nodded in agreement. "It seems we need to break up the nerd couple which is such a shame. Seeing as 'Uubs go' so well with 'Bras'."
They cackled with false laughter at the obviously well prepared joke. It seemed childish that something as simple as the way she pronounced 'Uub' to sound like a word that did indeed often accompany the word 'Bra' could be considered comical. Glancing at Uub, I gathered he found this new joke as amusing as a funeral.
"How do you do it?" He asked in a low whisper as we walked to next class.
"How do I do what?" I said with a hint of impressiveness. Uub hadn't asked me if he could ask a question. Maybe I was finally helping him to think his own original thoughts!
"You act as if they don't bother you." Uub mumbled. "They really bother me. And you know just what to say to them as well."
"It's no great skill. Just practice and a few good years of experience. You can't let them know you feel this way. Your weakness becomes their strength."
We entered the next classroom which was already full and took seats at the only available table, far away from my usual place beside Trunks. For some reason, it didn't seem to bother me. Possibly because I wasn't sitting on my own completely. Eliza was talking to Trunks quite happily and he was blissfully unaware of what happened scarcely a few moments ago.
"He doesn't know?" Uub asked and I didn't need to ask what he meant. He had been watching me stare at Trunks and Eliza since we had arrived in the classroom. When I shook my head, he cried in alarm. "If you told him, they would stop bothering you."
"Only until they recover from Trunks' beating and then they would just keep at it even if Trunks continues to give them a hard time. I know Eliza; she's persistent. It will just get worse if Trunks becomes involved. Do you really want to give Eliza the satisfaction of knowing she had finally broken our spirits when she discovers I went crying to my older brother?"
Uub considered this for a while, then shook his head. We were silent through the whole lesson, concentrating on the lesson. I expected Uub to ask me for help, but strangely, he hadn't asked me for help yet at all. Most of our teachers seemed to be pleased with him, so his grades mustn't be that bad. I supposed this was thanks to his excellent memory and ability to catch onto things quickly. If it had been anyone else in that position, they would have had a terrible time understanding things.
"I take back what I said before," I said to him when the bell rang, signaling lunch hour and we forwarded out onto the school grounds. "You know, about you needing a tutor because you haven't had any previous education. You have a fantastic memory capacity and you are an incredibly quick learner."
"Thanks." Uub smiled a little broader than usual. I grinned in reply; he looked nice when he smiled. Despite the fact he wore the same black pants and red jacket everyday, of course. "I'm nothing compared to you, though. You're a genius."
It was the first compliment he had ever given me, and although it was a basic, common compliment a received often, I was a little surprised and perplexed considering it came from Uub's mouth. I felt my cheeks reddening and it took me a good few minutes to realize I was blushing....me.....blushing!
"Listen, Uub." I mumbled as we sat down together underneath a tree, a considerable distance away from most of our peers. "I was wondering, like, um...."
What? I was speechless, and I added the word 'like' to the middle of my sentence like the common teenager! There was definitely something wrong with me.
"What is it?" He asked with concern as if he could sense the fact that something was wrong with me.
"You should smile more often." I added quickly. "Because it is simply unnatural and unhealthy to be stony faced every waking moment of the day."
"I've never had much to smile about." Replied Uub, taken aback by me sudden, random comment.
"Do you smiling can make a person feel pleased with themselves?" I said, in the voice I always seemed to obtain when I was stating a fact. "It is a healthy way to encourage self esteem and helps you to recognize your inner beauty. Oh, and did you know that the average person smiles over fifty times on an average day?"
Uub had no chance to reply because Lucas, my fellow student librarian, approached us and rudely interrupted the conversation, hitching his oversized glasses up on his ultra pale nose, pushing his plain mousy hair back so that his pimpled forehead became more visible and grinned to show off his braces.
"Hey Bra." Lucas squeaked in his ordinary high pitched voice. "Are you going to the dance?"
"No," I said absent mindedly. "I believe that teenage social activity is just an excuse for adolescents to dress up in clothes far too mature for them and flirt pathetically with each other."
"Yeah, I agree." Lucas nodded solemnly. "I won't go either."
"Is that all?" I quirked an eyebrow. "Because Uub and I are engaging in an important conversation about the effects smiling often has on a person's self esteem."
"Um...interesting." Lucas mumbled half-heartedly. "Well, catch you later, then."
He stumbled away, his legs lanky beneath the rest of his weight. I shook my head sadly, feeling a sense of sympathy wash over me as he hurried away. Lucas and I had very much in common, especially with our relationship with peers. But because of his unfortunate appearance and a name that rhymed so well with mucus, he seemed to suffer even more than I.
"Who's that?" Uub asked quietly.
"Lucas Stugniburg." I whispered back. I expected him to splutter with insane laughter at first, but then reminded myself that Uub's name was just as strange and he wasn't the sort to laugh insanely anyway.
"Was everything you said about the dance true?" Uub questioned.
"Most definitely." I answered truthfully. "Unless you enjoy hyperactive teenage dancing, I suggest you follow my lead and chose not to go."
From what I saw at Trunks' birthday party, I knew that Uub probably did agree with me. So I didn't pester him for an answer when he settled back against the tree and stared absent mindedly into space.
.:.
"My God, Bra." Trunks shouted. "Do you have to be so persistent?"
"It's a quality I pride myself on." I smirked evilly. "And don't take the lord's name in vain or christens will be highly offended."
Trunks rounded on his heel and stormed out of the study we had both been sitting in, finishing off our homework. Well, Trunks had been starting and I had been finishing but I did need to give my elder brother some credit. He certainly wasn't stupid, just a little lazy. But he had been trying hard with his studies since Mum began to pester him about getting good marks in the HSC so he could take over the family company.
Although I did enjoy playing the role of irritating little sister when the opportunity arose and I did have an excuse to do so. Marron's obsessive flirting with him ever since the time and date of the school dance had been announced. I followed him out of the room and down the corridor, skipping childishly behind him.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, Trunks." I laughed. "Blonde bimbo girls just seem to find you irresistible. I suppose you would be used to such behavior now. In fact, I think you enjoy attention."
"No I don't." He retorted. I knew for a fact that he didn't, but I was in an irritating mood today.
"If you want, I could fill in for Marron while we're at home." I used my superior acting skills to put on my best imitation of Marron. "Let's ask each other random questions, Trunks. Oh come on, it will be like, totally so much fun!"
"Give it a rest, will you?" Trunks whirled around to face me.
"Now, Trunks. Sibling rivalry is a healthy part of growing up so we must engage in casual arguments to teach each other the values of argument and consequence. Now it's your turn to come up with a witty reply."
Trunks ignored me and continued pacing towards his room. Is was ready to call it a day when he spun around wildly, the glint in his perfect blue eyes warning me that he had, indeed, come up with something witty.
"Ok, I have something." He said slowly, enjoying holding me in suspense. "What about you and Uub? Did you know smiling makes you feel better?"
I froze, eyeing him suspiciously. "Who told you about that?"
"Eliza," He smirked. "She caught you flirting with him under the tree. Looks like Marron isn't the only one trying to find a date."
"I thought I told you, Trunks Vegeta Briefs." I scowled. "I am not even going to bother going to that dance."
"Fine," Trunks shrugged. "Believe what you want, little sister. But believe me, I know better."
I cleared my throat loudly, glaring at him fiercely. "Oh shut up."
"Make me."
"Easily."
I knew better than to attack my brother, who was a highly skilled fighter. But I learnt from a young age that my verbal ability was my greatest strength.
"Well?" Trunks enquired, waiting my next reply.
"May I also point out that your irresistible charm has reached such great heights that even a mere toddler had decided she'd have you as a husband." I recalled Pan's obsession with wanted my brother as a 'husband'.
"Gosh, do you have to bring that up?" Trunks' cheeks burned red. "Fine, then. You win, but let me remind you that what I said about Uub is true. If were you, I'd quit flirting before it becomes something more because you know what Dad would say if he found out you were dating."
"We won't date!" I screamed as he ran upstairs, laughing hysterically.
I couldn't know it then, but for once, I was wrong about something. And in a few short weeks, my life would change forever....
