Videl leaned her head back into the passenger seat of her father's Ferrari. He started the car and let out a big sigh.
"So how long have you been sick, Videl?" He questioned, obviously very annoyed.
"I'm not sick, for the millionth time," Videl shouted.
"Well, why are you randomly fainting everywhere? Am I going to have to have Carrie take you back to her nutritionist?"
Videl loathed Carrie…and her stupid nutritionist. Videl didn't need that stupid stuff. Just because she was a fighter who happened to train a lot, didn't mean she needed to be under the constant eye of doctors.
"Daddy. Please…I don't need that stupid stuff. I think it's just the heat. Really."
"Well I hope you're right, Videl…because I noticed you're starting to become weak."
"What?" Videl screeched.
" And I hate to say this Videl…but Carrie thinks you should learn to eat right so you'll stay thin. You're getting near that age where everything you eat will make you pay."
"I'm fat?"
"No…well I mean…you don't look like your mother did at your age…but…you're not fat…but you should try to take pride in your body, you know?" Her dad questioned. This didn't even make him uncomfortable. He touched this subject so many times. It didn't even occur to him how much pain he was causing her.
Videl fought back tears. She didn't even respond to her father. She pretended to look out the window so he wouldn't notice her suffering. He always had to bring her mother into this.
Videl's mother was such a beautiful and perfect woman. Her father would never find another quite like her. She died when Videl was only nine years old, when a drunk driver hit her. But Videl, now seventeen, constantly looked through photo albums and yearbooks. She couldn't help how beautiful her mother looked. How thin. How PERFECT.
Everytime someone compared Videl to her mother she just felt like she had to work for it. She desperately wanted to be like her mother. Although she didn't know her for long, she knew she was an outstanding woman. And so thin. So very thin…and perfect. And thin.
Hercule pulled into the driveway of their beautiful mansion and slammed the car door, walking in ahead of Videl. Videl, already frustrated, got out of the car and slammed the door, as her father had. She opened the door to see her father talking to Carrie. She disgustedly walked by them, to the fridge, where she took out a jug of water.
"What are you doing with all that water, honey?" Carrie asked Videl.
"Drinking it?" Videl said, as if Carrie was stupid.
"It's not good to drink that much," Carrie said sweetly.
"God Carrie…will you just fuck off?" Videl screamed. She threw the jug of water at her and ran up to her room.
"VIDEL! Videl! Get down here and apologize," Hercule screamed as he heard the pitter-patter of feet going up the wood stairs.
Videl slammed her door and locked it, as tears streamed down her face. Why Carrie? It was always Carrie. In her face about what she ate, what she wore, what she did, how she looked.
"I fucking hate her," Videl thought to herself. She flipped to the picture of her and her mother. There she was…on the beach in a bikini. Perfect breasts, yet such a flat stomach. She even had a rib sticking out. Beautiful, Videl thought. Just then a loud and abrupt knock came on her door.
"Videl! You open this fucking door!" Hercule demanded. "You come out here and tell Carrie you're sorry."
"I'm not opening the door for either of you. Go the fuck away and stay out of my life," Videl spat.
"I'll break down this door!"
"I'll break your face in!"
Hercule backed off. "Maybe we should give her some space," he said to Carrie with a laugh. He would never admit it, but his daughter was stronger than he was by a landslide. The last thing he needed was her kicking his ass in front of one of his girls.
Videl rested on her bed for a few minutes. She then heard her father leave with Carrie. She opened the door and went downstairs.
She opened the fridge to find leftover pasta, a half-gallon of ice cream, and a family-size pizza. She then took out the gallon of water she was going to drink before Carrie came into the problem. She sat down at the table and quickly began shoveling the food into her mouth. She drank more and more water with each bite. After about seven minutes, she had almost killed all of the food. And she could see her stomach sticking out. She finished the entire gallon of water and ran into the bathroom.
She opened up the toilet seat and lodged her head in, once more. She was so full she didn't even have to trigger her body to throw up…it just happened naturally. She shoved so much food into her body it was practically begging to come out. She watched as her food came out in a completely different form. Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw everything up. The pain, the suffering…but most of all the food…the food that could not harm her body anymore…because she wouldn't let it. She sat up after a half-hour, exhausted from all the throwing up, and then proceeded to stand up. She turned to the side and eyed herself in the mirror. She could tell her stomach was getting flatter. Soon she would be able to see a rib sticking out of her skin.
All of a sudden she heard ditzy giggling from the doorway. SHIT! Her dad and Carrie were back. She quickly brushed her teeth and left the bathroom.
"Let's stay in for dinner," Hercule said. "I think there's some leftover pasta and a whole pizza in here somewhere."
"Great! I could go for pizza," Carrie said. Hercule's face dropped. He looked extremely confused.
"I know I put a pizza in here last night," he said to Carrie.
"Videl," Hercule called. "Will you please come down here?"
Videl walked down slowly and apathetically. "Yeah?"
"Videl, do you know anything about a pizza that was in here?" Hercule asked his daughter.
"No…what makes you think I would know about a stupid pizza," Videl said nervously.
"I was just..."
"No Dad! You think I did something with your pizza. Well I didn't. Maybe it was Carrie. Or one of the girls she doesn't know about," Videl spat. And with that she stormed out. Carrie's eyes grew wide.
"Teenagers and their hormones," Hercule said to Carrie.
"She's a pistol dear," Carrie said with a laugh.
"Yea…well there might be pasta in here too," Hercule said. He fished around for the pasta, but again could not find anything. "This is so weird," he continued confusedly.
Meanwhile, Videl was in her room doing intense sit-ups, when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Videl! Hey…it's Gohan," the voice on the other line said.
"Hey Gohan, what are you up to," Videl asked as a smile made it's way to her face.
"Nothing really. I just called to see how you were doing."
"I'm doing a lot better, thank you Gohan!"
"I'm not going to lie…you scared the shit out of me," Gohan said with a little laugh.
"I'm sorry…I really didn't think I was that weak," Videl said. "But don't worry, I came home and I drank so much water. Even you'd be proud of me!"
"Well that's good to hear. I'm so glad you're doing better. How's everything else?"
"Oh god Gohan…you don't even want to know."
"Not well," he asked concerned.
"That's an understatement," Videl said. "I'm just so sick of my dad…and Carrie. They won't get off my back about things."
"Yeah…I know how you feel," Gohan said. "My parents can be like that sometimes too."
Videl laughed…it was so nice of him to try to relate and make her feel better. But she was sure his parents never brought him down. Either way, she didn't want him to know the entire story.
"Anyway…I just wanted to call to see…" Gohan paused.
"To see what," Videl asked.
"Would you like to go out with me this Saturday night…if you're feeling up to it?" Gohan asked nervously.
"That sounds fun! Where do you want to go?"
"I was thinking maybe a walk in the park or something," Gohan said.
"I would absolutely love to! What time?" Videl asked, excited.
"How about I pick you up at eight?" he asked.
"Definitely…a night walk sounds nice."
"Alright then it's set," Gohan said. "I'm glad you're doing better…and I'll…"
"Gohan…wait!"
"Yeah Videl?"
"Is this like…a…you know…is this…a date?" she asked nervously.
"I'd like it to be. Can it be a date?" He asked.
"Yes…yes Gohan…I'd like that too!" Videl said.
"Alright…well hang in there until Saturday, and I'll be there 8pm sharp!" Gohan said excitedly.
"Alright…goodbye Gohan…take it easy," she said.
"Goodbye."
She hung up the phone and her face beamed. Did Gohan Son actually ask her on a date? A date! It really was a date. He even confirmed it. She was going on a date. Someone actually liked her like that…after a year…she was noticed…by the person who noticed her. Her face was glowing and she didn't even know it. She rushed to the closet right away to pick out an outfit for Saturday. Oh! How far away it seemed!