Gohan silently exited the Satan house and entered his own. It was still early and he hoped that his mother was still in bed asleep, and that last night she had assumed that he would return soon. She went to bed pretty early anyway, so he could tell her that she must of just missed his return.

He didn't take into account Chichi's unfathomable worry for her son, despite there being nothing on the planet that could bring him to harm. She sat at the kitchen table, a fresh mug of coffee before her. How she had managed to stay awake all night she had no clue.

Upon hearing the tell tale click of the front door opening, she quickly brought her eyes level to where her son's would be in just a few moments. The door swung open slowly, revealing the crouched silhouette of Gohan, who obviously thought that he had got off scot free.

She groped out to her right hand side into the pitch darkness, reaching for the light switch. Flicking it with deadly efficiency, she swamped the room with light.

His pupils contracting rapidly, Gohan thrust his eyes closed to save them from the harsh brightness. He didn't dare open his eyes for fear of what might be before him. Images of his mother with her strong fingers wrapped around the handle of a weapon of some sort ran though his mind. Quickly however, he realised that he had more on his mind than the fury of his mother.

The way that he had read the girl next door's emotions so easily, as if she were an open book frightened him somewhat and it was playing on his mind. Her body language and the look in her eyes spoke volumes to him. Her response to the way that he had accused her of being dared to do that with him may have meant nothing to a simple bystander, but to him it meant everything.

He opened his eyes to see his mother with a sad and worried look on her face, rather than an angered one. "And where have you been?" She questioned.

He sighed loud enough for her to hear. He didn't need this right now, and he couldn't think of a worthy excuse. He walked towards her, his head hung low. "I was out."

"Out where? The last time I saw you, you went next door to tutor Videl."

"I'm not in the mood for this mother."

"I was up all night worrying about you and all you have to say is that you aren't in the mood. No Gohan. I won't take that as an answer."

"Would you stop it? I'm sick of this overbearing nature of yours! I'm eighteen years old, I can do whatever I like."

She looked none too pleased at his little outburst. "I am your mother and I can do whatever I like young man." She appeared to calm a little, and reached out to stroke the side of his face with her palm in a soothing manner, much like she used to do when he was a youngster. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. Is that so hard for you to understand?"

He flinched back as she made contact, causing her to recoil, the hurt evident on her face. "I do understand, but pretty soon you are going to have to let go completely. You have another son to take care of, so go take care of him instead." He breezed past her, avoiding looking her in the eye, not allowing her to see his face properly, thinking that it would give everything away.

Videl sat at the desk, her back aching due to the uncomfortable chair and prolonged period of constant sitting. At least she knew most of the answers, Gohan's tutoring had definitely helped in that department. She looked over to him now, sat on her right hand side, allowed back into the school to take the final tests they would do in high school, this one being the very last one.

He was busy writing away, filling the spaces provided for the answers with consummate ease. He was obviously having no trouble at all. He would get perfect scores on every single one of his examinations and go off to one of the world's top universities, leaving her to attend Orange Star.

She would be left alone with her dizzy friends and idiot of a boyfriend, whom she was now considering getting rid of. She wondered where that rumour about her getting married had come from. She had never agreed to anything like that. If Matthew thought that she was going to marry him, he was a bigger fool than she thought.

Yes, she would be all alone. Gohan had finished now, sat back lazily in his seat, eyes staring fixatedly forward, the male not allowing himself to be distracted by the one on his left. He had ignored her completely since that morning, and refused point blank to even acknowledge her as he entered the room that they were seated in now.

The principal had decided that she would invigilate this examination, and saw that he had finished. She hated that boy, the exact reason unknown even to her. With a smirk on her pallid and wrinkled face, she ambled on up to him and whispered down to him. "If you are finished, I want you out."

He stood without a word, towering over her. He turned a little to the dark haired the girl that he once thought that he loved, looking at her for what he assumed would be the last time in his life. She caught his eye and for a fleeting moment, saw the complex web of emotions held behind them.

He held his gaze and she looked away. She was too ashamed to even stare into his eyes for more than three seconds. If only that stupid dare had never been made. She damned Erasa and Bella for it was all their fault. If it had not been made, maybe the two of them would have found their way to each other, in a way that would not make Gohan hate her with a passion unrivalled.

She peeked up again after his back was turned and watched him being escorted from the hall by the haggard old woman, as did the rest of the teenagers in the room. Every single one of them returned to their papers only moments after he had left, suddenly realising the importance of the sheets in front of them.

Videl however didn't allow her gaze to waver, staring at the door he had just left through. That couldn't be the last that she would see of him. As much as he could hide from her in his attempts to ignore her, or as much as she wanted to hide from him her shame, she would have to find him, talk to him and explain everything.

She at least wanted to be forgiven on some level, to tell him the truth, that that bet had meant nothing, that she had wanted him for years. Loved him for years even. She had to make him see, to make him understand. Maybe then she could be at peace, even if he chose to never see her again after that, she could be at peace knowing that she was forgiven.