Gohan found a seat right at the back and placed his newspaper on the faux wooden table before him, spreading out the entire thing. "Can I sit here?" A cool, feminine voice sounded out loud. He looked up to see Blondie stood in front of him, her ample chest level with his eye line. He looked around. There weren't even a dozen people on, and this was a forty seater.

Well, he could do with a little conversation for the long journey, the paper would hardly last him twelve hours. "Sure, be my guest." She placed her bag on the aisle seat and slid into the window one, facing Gohan. She crossed her legs underneath the table, 'accidentally' rubbing her foot along Gohan's leg.

"I'm Amy." She said, reaching her hand across for him to shake.

"Gohan." He said, clasping her smaller hand in his own. She smiled sweetly at him. "So, what are you escaping from?" He questioned.

She peered out of the window and sighed. "I'm going to my mother in West City. My parents are divorced, but I was put with my father. He's a bit of an ass, so I felt like a change. I haven't even seen my mother in two years." She turned back to him, the carefree look back on her face. Now he recognised her, she went to his high school, she was two years below him. Hmm, she didn't look like this in school, and she certainly didn't look sixteen. "So, what about you? What are you escaping from?"

The vehicle jolted a little as the bus started up, engines revving. It was finally goodbye from Gohan to this town. "Nothing really."

"You can't kid a kidder. Everyone who takes cross country coaches like these is running away from something."

"You are a very perceptive girl." He wondered if he should say anything at all to this girl, but saw absolutely no harm to it. "I'm running away from everything to be honest."

"Oh yeah?" She prompted him.

"Family, school, people."

"And...?"

"And what?" He asked, confused.

"There is always one more problem that men have in their lives, the most important one."

"Women..." He whispered.

"That's right. So who is it?" She leaned over placing her elbows onto the table top, her chin cupped in her hands. He stared out of the window and noticed for the first time the pouring rain outside and the darkening skies overhead.

"This girl-" He was stopped abruptly by a loud knocking on the door to the coach. He turned his head sharply to the direction that it came from and felt the bus coming to a sharp standstill. Looking around he noticed that they were only feet from the exit of the bus station. He sighed, he was so close to escape.

The driver had now opened the doors and he was talking with someone at the foot of the stairs. That person then stepped up a few steps and he could see the top of their head. His stomach tightened into a knot as he saw the dark head of hair that emerged.

Without even thinking about it, his body moved on its own, rising from his seat. He stalked his way to the front of the bus and her face came into full view.

"Why did you come here Videl?" He questioned in a harsh, monotone voice.

She turned to him quickly and a look of happiness mixed with sorrow took its place on her features. "Gohan..." She breathed.

He strode forward and took hold of her upper arm, and led her off the bus. "Could you give me just a minute?" He asked the driver, who simply shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"What do you want Videl?" He said as he walked towards her car, still holding her arm tightly.

"Let go of me!" She cried as she shrugged his hand off herself. She then turned so that she was stood in front of him, facing his body. "Don't go." She pleaded.

"Don't start with this Videl, I don't have time."

"Why are you leaving? Why are you running away?"

"Because I can't stand to be in this place."

"Are you going because of me?"

"Yes." He gave it to her straight. The rain was soaking him now, but his jacket was keeping him warm. He looked down at her as she shivered. She had come out with nothing but a t-shirt on.

"Your mother told me this morning that you were leaving. She said that I was the only one that could stop you."

"So you came here in a rush, huh?"

"Doesn't that tell you anything? I want you to stay so much. What kind of reason do you need? What if I was pregnant?"

He chuckled at her attempts. "You aren't pregnant Videl."

Tears were streaming down her face, but his heart was iron clad. "I could be." She murmured.

"But you're not."

The girl then placed her palms upon his chest and peered down at them. More tears poured from her eyes as she thought of what could possibly convince him to stay. "Why are you being so mean to me?" She sobbed. "Do you hate me that much?"

He sighed out loud. He didn't hate her at all. He placed a hand to her soaked cheek and moved it up so that his fingers tangled into her hair. "You cut your hair." He stated.

She laughed and reached her own hand up to his own. I was sick of swishing it about. That is what you said to me, right? That I go around swishing this hair of mine about."

"It suits you." Her small body was now shivering uncontrollably and he did the only thing that he could think of in the situation. Pulling his hand back, he took his jacket off and placed it around her fragile shoulders. "I'm nothing like the guy in your fairytale ending Videl."

"But you are the guy!" She screamed at him. He tried backing away but she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Videl, let go."

"If you won't stay, then take me with you. Just don't leave me alone. It's true that I have my friends and family, but if I was to be without you, then I would be truly alone in the world. I love you with all of my heart."

He looked down into her eyes as she looked up at him. "You silly girl. Love doesn't exist. It's just a hopeless prayer, a pretence for life."

"Do you honestly believe that? Are you saying that you don't love your mother, or even your little brother. I thought that what we shared was special, but you are saying that it means nothing, that you don't even love me at all."

He gazed hopelessly down into her blue eyes. What could he possibly do in this situation? He bent his head slightly and placed his lips to her forehead gently, then pulled back. He sighed and reached around to unclasp her hands from behind his back.

He gave her one last look before turning back towards the coach that would lead him to the rest of his life.