The ladies were at the clothes store, looking at all the items that were on sale, due to the going-out-of-business deal. Hand-knit sweaters were pouring from boxes. Exotic t-shirts hung from every place available. Shiny, leather pants and sturdy blue jeans could be seen hanging where t-shirts weren't. The girls believed they had died and gone to heaven.
"Oh! My! God! EEEKKK! Look at this sweater! It just so goes with my shoes! Grandma, please grandma, you must get it for me! Please, please, puh-lease?" Pan begged Chi-Chi, holding a powder-blue, light sweater to her chest. In her best attempt, Pan gave her grandma the puppy dog eyes.
"How much is it? Because, we can't be spending much until after we win the tournament money." Chi-Chi explained.
"Ha! You wish! Now that I have my son in the tournament, it's a sure thing that we're going to win!" Bulma scoffed at her friend. "Besides, if Gohan wins, you can't take his money. Now that he has a life of his own, he will be saving that money for Pan."
"Oh yeah? Well, we'll just see about that, now won't we?" Chi-Chi challenged.
"Now, now ladies! Settle down. You don't hear me bragging about Gohan or Pan winning the tournament, because I know that they all have an equal amount of chance to win. Besides, this tournament is supposed to be all about fun, not winning." Videl interjected in between the other two mothers.
Chi-Chi and Bulma looked at each other with a glare that could have scared Goku and Vegeta, but not themselves. With that, they both let out a "hmph!" and walked in separate directions. Pan followed Chi-Chi, still clinging to the sweater that was forgotten about to all but her. Videl went after Bulma, making sure that she didn't do anything irrational.
Meanwhile, outside on the promenade, Trunks and Goten were getting themselves into a little mischief, well, mainly Trunks.
"Hey there, sweet stuff!" Trunks called after a blonde. "How about you and I get an ice cream cone?"
"Not on your life, loser." the girl replied. Having said all that she felt dignifying him with, the blonde hustled off in the direction that she was heading.
"Hahaha! Oh, did you get burned Trunks?" Goten laughed mercilessly at his friend. "I'm sorry, but I just had to say that." the boy said as Trunks sent a disgusted look towards his way.
"Mm-sorry-mm-, yeah, whatever!" Trunks mumbled. He felt really low. It wasn't because he was suddenly rejected. It's because his friend got a girlfriend before him, and also because of one other thing. One other thing that Trunks couldn't tell anyone, because it would destroy his life. One other thing Trunks couldn't tell anyone, because he would forever be ridiculed by the rest of society.
"Hey man, don't worry about it. The right girl will come to you. You just need to hang in there and keep your eyes open." Goten said, playing the compassionate friend that he could be so good at sometimes.
"Thanks. I'll be waiting for that day." Trunks said quietly, although knowing that that day would never come. It would never come because the right girl will never come. Deep down, in the pit of his heart, Trunks knew that he wasn't into girls. He was sorta when he was younger, but around the time he turned thirteen, Trunks discovered that it just wasn't going to happen between him and a girl. This is what Trunks couldn't tell anyone.
The two teenagers walked around some more, finally sitting down on a bench with a hotdog and some soda.
"Dude, did you get that assignment done for Mrs.Extreve's class? I totally don't get it." Goten asked, trying to spark a conversation with Trunks.
"Yeah. It's really simple. All you need to do is read page forty-five in the book, and then basically spin her a story about how Leah felt pity for her father. Nothing to it." Trunks replied.
"Cool, thanks. I think I can do that." Goten said with a mouthful of his hotdog.
As the others were doing their thing, Gohan found himself talking with one of his colleagues. They had gotten into a long, boring tête-à-tête discussion about some papers that needed to be sent out once the tournament was over. Although Gohan loved his work dearly, he also loved taking a break from it too.
"So, how are the wife and kid doing, Gohan?" the man said, finally breaking off from the papers.
"Oh, they are splendid! Videl has recently started her own fitness program. That takes up most of her day, so it's sort of nice. Now I don't need to feel bad about her sitting at home alone all day." Gohan excitedly added to the conversation. "Pan is doing so well in school. No problems, excellent grades! I couldn't have asked for any better."
At the amusement park, lines were endless with visitors. It was normally busy at the park, but it has been extra packed ever since the tournament was getting ready. Krillan and his wife, 18, waited kindly in line for the roller coaster as little Marron jumped up and down excitedly. Her shoulder length hair was tied up in pig tails, as usual. She had inherited her mother's bright, yellow hair.
Over the last couple of years, 18 had learned to show some expression, more than just her stoic demeanor. She laughed when people told her a joke and she actually felt pleased when someone complimented her on something. She cried when she saw a sick or deceased animal and she felt righteous fury when she heard of a rapist on the news. 18 had learned to become the affectionate mother that she had always been, but could never become due to her androidian past.
Krillan was a successful car salesman. He was selling cars left and right better than any con artist could have dreamed. Krillan took pride in his black hair that he had grown out in the past years.
Step by step, the waiting line crept ever slowly to entrance of the ride. Marron plucked little puffs of cotton candy and happily ate them. The sweet candy turned her tongue into a pinkish-red color.
Finally, they were next to go on the ride. They got into a car and fastened the safety harnesses. Once everyone had gotten on, the ride started up. That roller coaster gradually climbed higher and higher. At the top of the hill, it plunged down into a gravity defying loop. Marron shrieked with fright and joy, but both Krillan and 18 just sat back and let their daughter have her fun. After flying around in the air at speeds greater than the present one, there was really no excitement for them.