Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z. So that means I don't own Trunks and Goten.

A/N: This story was going to be a one-shot but it seemed to be LONG. So I instead divided it to chapters. Well, R/R please! Oh, and I don't read much DBZ fanfics. So if anybody thinks I may have copied one of their own stories, I didn't.

blah, blah...=flashback

Sorry if you feel sorry for Goten here, but hey, the story gets better as you continue to read.

Shining Friendship

"Goten! Get him from that side!" a young purple-haired boy called out to his friend, a boy who's hair was always standing out in all directions.

"Un!" replied Goten.

It was the next Tenkaichi Budokai, and 9 year old Trunks and 8 year old Goten were participating in it as usual. The Jr. Division was having a two on two special and Trunks and Goten got the chance to fight two older guys. One, however, was already knocked out.

Trunks and Goten were now speeding down from the air, ready to knock out their next opponent.

Their opponent was trembling madly but not before long when Goten punched him in the face,

followed by one of Trunks's kicks hitting him in the gut. The boy shrieked in pain, and fell to the ground, not making an inch of a move.

"And ladies and gentlemen, it seems that the youngsters Trunks and Goten have won this match! Trunks and Goten! You are the new Jr. Division champions!!" the announcer's voice could be

heard in the whole stadium.

Goten jumped in the air, cheering loudly, "YEAH!! I WON!! WE WON, TRUNKS!!!"

"Yeah, whatever," Trunks mumbled. He wanted to compete in the Adult Competition instead

and couldn't do anything about it, since his mom was keeping a close eye on him this time.

"What's wrong with you?" Goten asked as he and Trunks were making their way out of the ring

and back inside the lockers.

Trunks shrugged. "Nothing. Just wanted to compete in the Adult Competition again. But

mom's keeping a close eye on me this time. It sucks." Trunks pulled his locker open and was

taking out some of his casual clothes.

Goten giggled. "I know what you mean, Trunks. My mom's keeping an eye out for me too!"

Trunks frowned. "Goten..." he growled. He seemed to be blushing a bit.

"What is it, Trunks?"

"Can you please get out of here? I need to change," Trunks replied.

Goten laughed. "Why? Is something wrong with me? I'm not bugging you, am I? Ha, ha..."

"No, it's not that. We're men and it doesn't seem right to be changing my underwear in front of

you," Trunks held up his underwear. "So, can you please give me some privacy?"

"Huh?" Goten looked dumb-founded.

"What?! You mean you don't know?!" Trunks cried. He almost burst out laughing.

"Don't know what, Trunks?" Goten scratched the back of his head.

"Well, uh, it's not right for a man to watch another naked one," Trunks blushed.

Goten snorted. "I sometimes take baths with my brother and he's a guy too. I don't see what's

so bad in seeing your brother's b-"

"GOTEN!! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!!!" Trunks shrieked out with his eyes wide open.

"Oh. Okay," Goten obeyed and quietly left the lockers.

Trunks sighed. Goten can be so stupid sometimes. Hasn't he ever gone to school? Man, it's like his whole family doesn't teach him any manners. He's just so... immature... Trunks sighed

as he changed his underwear. Goten is a good friend but only because he fights like me so I can't hurt him like I used to do to the other kids. I want a normal friend. I don't want some stupid guy who doesn't even know his numbers. Trunks pulled his yellow-green jacket over

himself and was soon ready to leave the lockers.







When Trunks walked out of the lockers, he saw many TV reporters outside who were already

interviewing with Goten. Goten, however, didn't seem to be paying much attention to them. He

quickly noticed Trunks and grinned. "See that person walking out of the lockers? That's my

friend, Trunks! Why don't you interview him instead?" Goten pointed to Trunks and soon all of

the TV reporters were on him.

Trunks slapped his hand against his own face as he saw Goten run away cheerfully and the TV

reporters running towards him now.

"Trunks, you are like so cute!"

"How old are you?"

"Can you fly?! How?"

"Is that a trick question?" Trunks replied to the 'can you fly, how?' question.

"We've been told that you're really smart."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"How come your friend isn't?"

Trunks's eyes looked up instantly. "What?"

"Your friend said that he didn't know what the color 'violet' was but that he knew what the color

'purple' was."

"How does it feel to have a very dumb friend?"

That made Trunks snap. "STOP MAKING FUN OF MY BEST FRIEND!!!! AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT HE'S SO STUPID!!!"

The TV reporters were shocked at Trunks's sudden outburst. Trunks's face was deep red.

Afraid of what the boy could do, the TV reporters walked away slowly making enough room for

Trunks to be able to stomp away. Which was exactly what he did.

"Trunks, what happened?" A blue-haired woman came running towards him. She happened to be his mother, Bulma. "Your face is all red!"

"They're annoying those TV reporters..." was all that she received back.

"Oh. Well, the plane's taking off now. We're going back home now," Bulma made her way out

of the crowd with Chi-Chi, Goten's mom.

Trunks noticed his friend by his mother's side, his cheeks wet where apparently some tears seemed to have fallen. Goten had accidentally overheard Trunks's outburst.



*******************



Trunks hadn't spoken a word to Goten since their last fight. The words Trunks had said to him

hurt him very much.

"Why, Trunks? Just 'cause I'm so stupid?" Goten sniffed.

"That's right!! You're nothing but a stupid, brainless roach! You're nothing but an embarrassment all the time! Me all the time hanging out with a stupid kid like you!!"

"But I thought we were friends..."

"WERE friends, Goten. But not anymore. I only used to hang out with you because you were the only one who didn't need to be sent to a hospital everytime I punched you by accident. But it's an embarrassment for me, a very smart child who's soon going to own a corporation worth more than a billion and son of a saiyan prince, to be hanging out with a low-life person like you! That was then I was friends with you because nobody wanted be MY friend because they were so scared of my strength, but that was a long time ago. Now. Now I can try again and make some more new friends who aren't as stupid and as embarrassing as you!!"

It's been weeks since that fight. Trunks now hanged out with many friends and rarely even spoke a word to Goten. At least he's got friends who aren't stupid like me, he thought. Today was the first day of school and Goten was now making his way to the school gates. He wasn't supposed to go to school. His mom was going to tutor him instead. But he protested and begged her to let him come to school. He wanted to prove himself to Trunks. He wanted to study real hard and prove to Trunks that he wasn't as stupid as he had said.

However, as weeks continued to go by, Goten was having quite a hard time with school. His

grades weren't doing so well. Chi-Chi shook her head sadly when she had read Goten's Progress

Report one night. "I'll never make it," Goten sighed.

"Sure you will! Just eat a lot like me!" Goku, Goten's father, slurped his dinner and soon

stopped, only to open his mouth wide and let out a loud burp. "See? That'll help you!"

"Really?" Goten's eyes were now full of hope.

"A-hem!" Chi-Chi interrupted, "Goku, we're not talking about training! We're talking about

Goten's progress at school! Try minding your own business sometime, 'kay?"

A dumb-looking Goku gulped, but obediently replied, "Um, sure Chi-Chi."







Goten tried to make out the letters in the darkness. He glanced at his alarm clock. He sighed

when he read that it was 2:00 a.m in the morning. He looked back at his desk which was

completely full of nothing but study books. He sighed again and continued to work, forcing his

eyes to try to make out the letters in the darkness. I can't give up. I have to continue studying if I want Trunks back. I have to continue, he thought. But his lack of sleep was too strong now

and he couldn't keep his eyelids open. Oh, well. Tomorrow's another day, and with that thought he stretched out his arms and pulled himself into bed, letting sleep take over from then on.

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Sorry if I made Goten a bit too dumb. And don't worry. This isn't even half of the story. It gets better, trust me. But now... REVIEW!!!