The senior class had been at the camp for two weeks and everyone was doing great. There were no fights or anything disruptive going on and Pan was staying clear of Riho, Nikki, Heather, and Bra who seemed to be following her around wherever she went. It seemed whatever she signed up for, they signed up for and for some odd reason Trunks was always doing something she was doing. Pan just couldn't seem to get away from him and it was getting on her nerves. One day she went to one of her activities and waited around with a couple of other people. She turned around and saw Trunks and everyone else walk up and she sighed in frustration. She walked to the instructor.
"Is there something I can help you with," she asked.
"Can I go back to the cabin?"
"Why?"
"I'm not feeling too well."
"Go ahead."
Pan walked off and Nikki, Heather, Bra, and Trunks all stared at her as she did. Pan found the tram and rode it back up to her cabin and went inside and fell on the bed with a sigh. She eventually fell asleep and woke up when someone knocked on her door. She sat up and looked around and walked to the door. She sighed and opened it.
"What do you want?"
"Just wanted to see how you were feeling."
"What the hell do you want, Trunks?"
"Like I said."
"Oh please. You know I was faking now could you please leave me alone?"
"Sure."
She slammed the cabin door in his face and he left. She went back to her bed and fell back on it with a sigh and closed her eyes. She fell asleep and later that night, someone shook her and she opened her eyes.
"Hey Pan. It's time for dinner come on."
"Okay. This food is worse than cafeteria food."
"I know."
Pan got out of the bed and they both walked to the mess hall and walked in and got trays and got their food. They found a table and sat down and looked around. Riho was sitting next to another guy and she was flirting with him extensively. Pan rolled her eyes and looked at Trunks who was sitting against the wall with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and their eyes locked. He smiled at her and she gave him an evil eye. He closed his eyes again and she put her head down and ate her food. After she finished, she got up and threw her tray away and left the mess hall. Cassie followed her and stopped her.
"What's up, Pan? Are you alright?"
"I need some time to myself."
"Ok. Well I'll probably be back at the cabin in like ten minutes."
"Alright."
Cassie ran back to the mess hall and Pan put her hands in her jacket pockets and walked around. She looked at the stars and thought of what was going on in her life and how it had been before everything had changed. Everything had been so easy when she was younger and had no cares in the world. Then the unthinkable happened to her. She pulled a picture out of her pocket and looked at it. It was a picture of her and her uncle Goten. They were the best of friends. She sighed and put the picture back in her pocket. She looked up at the stars and crystal tears started to flow down her cheeks slowly.
"Why did you have to leave me, Goten? Why?"
Goten had been killed two years before they started high school and she was hurt more than words could've said. Goten had been killed in a car accident because of a drunk driver. He would be graduating this year if it hadn't happened. She cried softly to herself and fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She felt someone put their hand on her shoulder and she stopped crying and looked up. It was Trunks. He sat next to her and Pan looked up, embarrassed that he had caught her crying. It was something she wasn't known for.
"Hey what's wrong?"
"I was just thinking about Goten."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about him too. He's been on my mind a lot lately. I thought I was over it, but I guess the shock of graduating is hitting me."
"Yeah. And it's all my fault that he was killed."
"Don't say that, Pan. It wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it was. If I would've been paying attention, he'd still be alive."
"Well he saved your life so that means he didn't die in vain. He died saving you."
"But ChiChi hated me for so long."
"She didn't hate you. She was just in shock you know?"
"I know, but it's just so hard that she blamed me."
"Well maybe it was Goten's time."
"I guess so."
"You know it's weird thinking that you, me, Bra, Heather and Nikki all use to be friends. What happened?"
"I met Dylan. And I was fascinated with him and I guess I was still mourning Goten. So I guess it just seemed right."
"So you've been mourning Goten for five years? Don't you think that's a little too long?"
"It is. And I know he wouldn't want me to, but I feel like there's nothing else to live for. No one likes me and the only true friend I ever had moved."
"You've got Cassie."
"Yeah I know."
"But she can't take the place of Dylan or Goten can she?"
"Never will, but she's a great friend."
"Yeah." Pan sighed and stood up and brushed her backside off and looked around. Trunks looked at her and she smiled. "Hey that's the first time I've actually seen you really smile. Not one of those evil smiles you know."
She chuckled to herself and looked at him.
"Well thanks for listening to me."
"Not a problem. It's the first time you and I have actually had a real conversation since sixth grade."
"That's a long time."
"Yeah, I know it is."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
She walked off and he went the other way and she walked to the cabin and walked in. Cassie was sitting on her bed listening to her CD player and Heather, Nikki, and Bra were huddled on the floor whispering. They all looked at her when Pan walked in and she sat on her bed and sighed. Pan got in her pajamas and everyone left her alone as she went to sleep. They all went to sleep eventually and nothing bad happened that night, for once.
It had been a couple of days since Pan and Trunks had their talk and Pan actually started having a good time. Cassie knew something had happened that night, but she didn't pressure Pan about it. Pan actually smiled now and that was something she wasn't known for. People actually liked hanging out with her and doing activities with her and Bra, Nikki, and Heather thought something weird was going on.
"We must be in a twilight zone or something. No one's ever hung out with Pan for anything."
"I know. Something's going on," Nikki said.
"You know what? I've seen Trunks hanging out with her more often. Do you think he likes her," Heather asked.
"Eww."
"Hey it might happen. You never know," Bra said.
"Bra what is wrong with you? This is Pan we're talking about," Heather said.
"And we all use to be friends with her."
"But that all changed. When Goten died," Nikki said.
"I know that."
"And you know it was all her fault, Bra. So don't go changing your mind on us now just because of this little camp experience," Heather said.
"Who said I was?"
"We did."
Bra sighed and they all walked off to their next activity. Meanwhile, with Pan and Cassie and some other people, Cassie was trying to figure out what had happened. No one really liked to hang out with them and she was trying to figure out why. She blew it off as the mountain air doing something to everyone's mind. Later that night, everyone went to the mess hall and everyone wanted to sit with Pan. After dinner, they all went back to their cabins and got ready for the two night survival trip. Everyone had been given a paper and they had to read over it. Pan had read over it a billion times and she went straight to sleep as soon as she got into her pajamas. She already had her knapsack packed.
The next morning, everyone was woken up early. Pan walked to the bathroom and took a shower and looked at her hair. It had grown and it was almost to her shoulders and she didn't know how it had grown so fast. Maybe it was because she had always cut it before it got a chance to get to her shoulders. She pulled it back into a messy bun and got dressed. She grabbed her knapsack and left with the rest of her cabin. Everyone went to the mess hall and was put into groups. Trunks and a boy named Kin were put with Heather, Nikki, Bra, Pan, and Cassie. After that, everyone left and went their separate ways.
"Now I think that we should go that way," Nikki said.
"Nikki that's not what the map says," Pan said.
"That's exactly what it says," she said as she looked at the map.
Pan took the map from Nikki and turned it around.
"It was upside down. If we were to go the way you had it, we would be leaving the camp."
"Well that doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"Well then how would we get back to West City? Hike," Cassie asked.
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
They all walked into the woods and followed their map. Along with following a map they all had to find certain plants and mark them down and bring samples. Near noon, Nikki and Heather started to complain that they wanted to rest.
"Can't we stop and eat," Nikki whined.
"Why? If we get all of the things we need we can rest later," Pan said as she looked at a tree.
"But I'm hungry and I want to rest. I'm sweaty and dirty and my makeup's running and I can't stand it," Nikki said.
"Well no one told you to wear makeup," Bra said angrily.
"Hey whose side are you on anyway," Nikki asked.
"Just shut up. Pan's actually right anyway. Let's just get all of the plants and stuff and then we can eat and rest."
"Yeah and wait for the bears to come and get us," Cassie said.
"WHAT!"
"There are no bears in these mountains okay?"
"Gosh you guys need to stop."
"Can we go already? We've spent too much time here arguing over stupid stuff," Trunks said.
"Fine. But there's no need to have a stick up your ass, T-Chan," Bra said.
He just sighed and walked off with Pan right behind him. Everyone followed them and eventually they found all of their stuff. They put up camp an hour before the sun set and cooked some of the food that was given to them. That night they all sat around the campfire, quietly and looked around. Pan and Trunks were sitting next to each other and it seemed as if everyone was staring at them, but not noticeably. Trunks and Kin went to bed first and the girls all stared at each other cautiously.
"So what's going on between you and my brother," Bra asked Pan.
"What're you talking about, Bra," she asked.
"You know what I'm talking about. It seems as if whatever you do, my brother does."
"Well it seems as if whatever I do, you three do too. So don't talk okay? And I'm not controlling what your brother does okay? If he wants to do that stuff that's fine by me. I mean I didn't pick those activities anyway."
"Do you like my brother?"
"Oh please. That's just the stupidest question I've ever heard and you know I don't anyway."
"Well we did all hang out together when we were younger so something can trigger it," Heather said.
Cassie gasped and they all looked at her.
"Yeah we all use to be friends when we were younger," Nikki said.
"Hard to believe. Isn't it," Bra asked.
"Yeah it is. Considering your conflicts and stuff."
"Hey we had a bad past."
"Obviously. I mean I knew something had to trigger that hatred from all of you but I just didn't know what."
"Well you don't need to know," Heather said.
"What the hell are you talking about, Heather? She can know whatever she wants," Pan said.
"No, she doesn't, because then she's gonna ask how it happened and why it happened."
Heather, Nikki, and Bra all stared at Pan and she sighed quietly. Cassie looked at all of them, obviously confused.
"Pan what happened?"
"When we were all in sixth grade, my uncle was killed. He was the same age as me."
"How did he die?"
"Um…"
"She was standing in the street and a drunk driver came up and hit her uncle. His name was Goten," Nikki said.
"Ok, so what does that have to do with her standing in the street?"
"Goten pushed her out of the way and in the process got hit instead," Bra said.
"And you all gave up on a friendship just because someone you all loved died? That's not something friends should do if they're truly friends. What you guys should've done was be there for each other. And I can obviously see that you all blamed Pan."
"Hey, it was her fault that she was in the street. She shouldn't have been standing in the middle of it," Heather said.
"Is this really that serious you guys?"
"Yes, it is. If Cassie wants to know then we need to tell her the whole story. Also, when you met Dylan everything changed between all of us. You became a Goth and that sure as hell wasn't you. You changed extensively when you became friends with him. You stopped hanging out with us when we tried to talk to you," Heather said.
"You guys wouldn't talk to me so why should I have tried to talk to you when you wanted me to talk to you?"
"I don't know, Pan."
"This is stupid."
Pan got up and left the campsite and everyone stared at her. Bra sighed quietly, stood up and walked to the tent and closed it. Cassie stared at Heather and Nikki and they all went to their tents and Cassie just stared at the campfire. Pan came back an hour later and she walked to her tent and went to sleep. Cassie put the fire out and went to sleep.
The next morning, they all got up, got dressed and did all of their necessities. They put their tents up and left their knapsacks on the ground..
"So what do we have to do," Heather asked.
"I guess we can just walk around."
"With these knapsacks," Nikki asked.
"Yeah. If we leave them here without someone watching them, they'll get stolen or something," Pan said.
"Fine."
They all started walking and then they all split up. Pan went by herself and walked around the forest. She found a cliff and started to climb up it. When she got to the top, she put her knapsack down and went to the edge and looked around. It was beautiful. There was an ocean in the distance and she could hear it softly. She sighed to herself and sat on the ground. She felt someone sit next to her and she turned her head and looked at Trunks.
"Hey Trunks."
"What's up, Pan?"
"Nothing much. Just needed sometime to myself. I won't get it when I get home anyway. I know all of the lower classmen are gonna be jealous of us."
"Why is that?"
"We don't have to take finals. I heard from the principal we don't. When we go back to school we'll just have to act extremely good so we can get our final grade."
"Oh man. My science grade is gonna be bad then."
"Well I also heard that if we do good on the trip they'll bring our grades up a letter grade in each class. And right now I haven't done anything bad. It's just Riho from my knowledge."
"Yeah she broke up with me."
"I know. And it wasn't me."
"I know. Heather, Nikki, and Bra told her why I was going out with her."
"Oh. Trunks there's something I have to tell you."
"You're the cause for Rei and I breaking up?"
"Of course you already knew that."
"Yeah well thanks for doing that anyway."
"Well I did it for her own good you know. I may hate her but you know I don't like to see people get hurt because of what happened to me."
"Yeah I know."
"Why didn't you just break up with her before you got with Riho?"
"I don't know."
"You know why you didn't do it. You don't know how to break up with someone," Pan said.
"What?"
"You don't know how to break up with someone before moving onto another person. You're so used to girls throwing themselves at you. So in your mind you're never really 'with' someone."
"What have you been doing all of these years? Analyzing what I do with girls?"
"Don't have much else to do. I might as well. Ever since you got your first 'girlfriend' in the middle of seventh grade I've been doing it. So it makes it seem like I don't have a life."
"No, it doesn't actually. I think you're just watching all of us. To make sure no one hurts us."
"Exactly. And because you guys blame me for everything, I don't care. I've gotten use to it."
"Hey sometimes it really was your fault."
"But what I did to cause something wasn't on purpose."
"I know that now," he said quietly.
They got quiet and looked out at the ocean. They continued talking for two hours and they eventually got up and left. They ran into Kin who was looking for them. Everyone had grouped back up and they had sent him out to look for Pan and Trunks. They followed him back to where everyone was waiting and they were all shocked to see both of them together.
"Did you find them both in the same spot," Bra asked Kin quietly.
"Yeah. They were on this cliff and I found them when they were climbing down it."
"Oh."
Bra looked at them both and they weren't even standing next to each other. Pan was talking to Cassie and Trunks was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. Bra looked at her watch and sighed.
"Well they said we needed to be back at the camp before seven o clock. It's four thirty right now. If we start now we can make it before then and be early."
"Alright let's head on out then," Heather said.
Everyone picked up his or her knapsacks and started to walk through the forest. They were all quiet and two hours later they made it out of the forest. They were all sweaty and dirty and most people were coming out of the forest too. When everyone was gathered up by the administrators they told the seniors to take showers and meet back at the mess hall with everything they had collected. Everyone piled onto the trams and rode back up to his or her cabins and took showers. After that, everyone got their materials and walked back down to the mess hall. Everyone was told to sit in their groups so Pan, Cassie, Heather, Nikki, Trunks, Bra, and Kin all sat at a table together. The administrators called them up to the front as the last group and the teachers and camp counselors praised them on how well they had done. After that, everyone had dinner and went outside to the campfires. Everyone was sitting in their groups and talking and making smores. Pan's group just sat and looked at each other.
"This is so stupid. I'm taking a walk."
Pan stood up and walked off and everyone looked at her as she did. Eventually Heather, Nikki, Bra and Cassie left and went back up to the cabin and Kin left and Trunks was the only one left. Pan came back and sat next to him with a sigh.
"What do you do when you leave," he asked.
"I think."
"About what?"
"A lot of things. Like graduation and how shocked I am that I finally made it. I think about Goten. I think about all of us actually. I think it's just stupid to not be friends over his death. He wouldn't want it to be that way anyway. He'd want us to still be friends."
"You're right. To tell you the truth I was never really into the idea of hating you. It was Bra's and you wanna know why?"
"Why?"
"She liked Goten a lot and she was upset about it. Heather and Nikki just took her side."
"Wow I didn't think she ever liked Goten. The way she acted around him. Always calling him dumb and an idiot and…"
Trunks looked at her and she put her head down and sighed. He started to chuckle and she looked up at him. With the light of the fire he could tell she was blushing.
"I never would've guessed. How long," he asked.
"Since we met."
"First grade?"
"Yeah."
"That's a long crush to have."
"Yeah."
"And I always thought that you didn't like boys that's why you didn't go out with them."
"Whatever Trunks. And when you started hating me I just kinda gave up on ever getting with you."
"Is that why you did all that stuff to me?"
"Exactly. And I wrote that note that you thought Rei wrote you."
"I knew it, but when I thought that, I thought it was a joke."
"Nope. I was serious."
"Wow the Dark Angel and the Japanese Idiot together?"
"Odd couple, huh?"
"Yeah it is," he said. Pan put her head down and sighed quietly. "But I wouldn't mind giving it a try you know?"
"Are you serious," she asked.
"Yeah. I mean honestly I've liked you too for a long time." Pan laughed and looked at him with a smile. "Something on this trip must've changed you. You never used to smile unless you were plotting something," he said.
"I know. It has to be the mountain air," she said jokingly. He laughed and then he hugged her. "So does this make us a couple," she asked.
"Yeah."
"Wow how do I break this to my parents," she asked.
"They'll figure it out."
They got up and he walked her back to the cabin. When they got to the door she hugged him and he kissed her softly on the lips. She went back inside the cabin and went to sleep. Trunks walked to his cabin and thought to himself. It was funny how Pan had changed so suddenly.
Two days later, everyone woke up and got ready to go back to West City. Everyone had packed the night before and couldn't wait. They all got dressed and loaded their bags onto the buses and got on. Pan had told Cassie everything and Cassie was happy for her and didn't really care as long as she was happy. Bra had started to like Kin and they talked constantly, also. Bra, Heather, and Nikki were okay with it and so was Rei, but they all knew that Riho would be upset. Even though she was mad at Trunks, she still wanted to be with him. They all knew that everyone would be shocked when they went back to school and saw them all hanging out with Pan and Cassie. When the bus drove off everyone talked animatedly and the teachers were dying.
"So Pan are you going to prom," Heather asked.
"I don't know. I didn't go last year."
"Well you should go. It's senior year you know."
"I know."
"Come on. I know with your imagination you could turn any dress into a masterpiece. I heard you know how to sew from Cassie," Nikki said.
"Yeah I do."
"Well buy a dress and fix it up. Prom's at the end of the month so you'll have enough time."
"Yeah I guess you're right."
All of a sudden they heard Bra laughing hysterically. They all looked over and saw her sitting on Kin's lap and he was whispering into her ear.
"Oh God you two love birds. Stop it or get a hotel room," Pan said.
They both laughed and Pan rolled her eyes. Everyone could tell that Pan was so much better now. She wasn't hiding all of her emotions now and that was something that she had been doing for a long time. Eventually, they all fell asleep and when they got back in West City, the teachers woke them up and they got off the bus. They got their bags and looked around. Pan sighed and then she felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned around and her eyes widened in shock.
"OH MY GOD! Dylan!" Dylan was right behind her and she jumped into his arms and he hugged her. He looked completely different. He wasn't dressed in all black. "What're you doing here?"
"Just visiting."
"Wow you look different."
His hair was still red and black, but he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white button up shirt with some tennis shoes.
"Yeah the Goth thing was getting a little old to me. I see you're still the same."
"That might change you know?"
"Really?"
"Yeah I'm going out with Trunks."
His eyes widened and he smiled.
"Hey congratulations, man," he said to Trunks. "You're a lucky man."
"Thanks."
"Do you know how many times I tried to get this stubborn girl to go out with me?"
"How many times," Trunks asked, with a smile.
"Too many to count. I can see she was waiting for you." Trunks chuckled and Pan hit them both. "It's the truth. But I'm okay with it. As long as you're happy."
"Well I am."
"Hey Pan, who's your friend," Cassie asked as she walked up.
"Oh Cassie, this is Dylan. Dylan, this is Cassie. She moved into your house and she has your room."
"Oh you're Dylan. I've always wanted to meet you," Cassie said with a smile.
"Well thanks."
"I love your room."
"Thanks."
"So what have you been up to lately," Pan asked.
"Oh, I just graduated and I'm going to college here in Japan."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"For what?"
"Business. You know I've always been into it anyway."
"Yeah and you could always be an intern at Capsule Corp," she said.
"Yeah. I'm so glad to be back here in Japan. It's like my home and the states was so different."
"Really?"
"Yeah, so technologically behind," he said with a smile.
"That's the truth. It's hard to believe that the states was ahead of Japan at one time and then Japan just flew right past us," Cassie said.
Everyone laughed at what Cassie had said and Pan looked at Cassie and Dylan, who were looking at each other. She smiled and got Trunks' attention and he smiled back at her. Dylan eventually left and they all went back home. When Pan walked into her house, her parents didn't even hear her. She walked up to her room, took a shower and got dressed. She put on a knee length, dark, blue skirt that Cassie had bought for, that she had never worn and a white spaghetti strapped shirt. She put on some tennis shoes and put her hair up into a ponytail. She looked around her room and thought to herself. It was time for a change. She didn't need to mourn Goten forever and besides he was in a better place now and she knew he was happy for her. She walked downstairs and as she did, Videl walked past the stairs and stared at her in shock.
"Pan?"
"Hey mom. What's up?"
"Nothing much. Did you just get back?"
"Yeah. Sorry I didn't call, but I ran into Dylan at the school actually."
"Really? What's he doing here?"
"Going to college."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And I think Cassie likes him." Videl smiled and Pan smiled back. "Well I'm going to Cassie's. We're all hanging out later tonight. Is that okay?"
"We?"
"Oh Trunks, Bra, Heather, Nikki, Dylan, and Kin."
"Oh okay. That's okay. Go ahead and have fun."
"Thanks mom."
Pan walked out of the house and Videl looked at her in shock. Gohan walked in and looked at Videl.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. It's just Pan is acting so different."
"Yeah I heard her and I thought it was her twin."
"Oh wow."
"And for once she wasn't dressed in all black."
"Oh wow."
"I think something happened while they were on that trip."
"Most likely. I wouldn't doubt it."
"Yeah."
Meanwhile, with Pan, she had just gotten into her car and drove off to Cassie's house. She knocked on Cassie's door when she got there and Cassie opened it.
"Hey girl. Come in."
"Alright."
Pan walked in and followed Cassie up to her room.
"I have to get something first alright?"
"That's fine."
They walked up to her room and Cassie grabbed something and they left. They got in Pan's car and drove off to the mall. Pan looked around and thought to herself. She liked all of her Goth clothes and said to herself that she would wear them sometimes. She and Cassie bought a couple of new outfits and jewelry. They went to a salon and Pan got her hair re-dyed so the red would show up for prom. Cassie got rid of her black streaks and left her hair platinum blonde. They left the salon around seven that night and went back to Pan's house. Pan decided to wear a long, black skirt with a red shirt with some black tennis shoes. Cassie put her hair up into a ponytail and curled it. Cassie wore a baby blue skirt with a white shirt. They left and went to Trunks' house where Dylan was staying at for awhile. They walked in and waited for Bra to get dressed. After that, they all left and went to a club that played all kinds of music. Everyone that saw Pan and Trunks together were shocked and were trying to figure out if it was a joke of some kind, but when they all asked, Pan and Trunks both said that it wasn't and they were going out. Everyone congratulated them and went on with their way. Pan, Trunks, Bra, Heather, Nikki, Cassie, Kin, and Dylan all left around two that morning and went to their homes. Everyone went to sleep happy with what was going on in their lives.
