I'm feeling a little sick today. I don't really have anything to say to open this chapter except that this is my favorite chapter so far. Whenever I read my work, I find myself laughing. Enjoy.
Chapter 13: Vegeta vs. Goku
Elevator music plays while Goku asks, "Which button do I press?"
"Two," Cathy answers.
"Okay." He thinks really hard on which one says "2". A light bulb shines dimly as he presses "5". The elevator commences motion. "Yay. I did it!" Goku exclaims while clapping once.
"You pressed the wrong button," Jessie points out.
"Maaaan," Goku says. "And I had my hopes up."
"This might be a good thing," Cathy starts, "Vegeta's here, in the elevator next to us. His elevator might stop on the second floor. He'll then notice that we're going to the fifth. That will give us time to disguise ourselves."
"So I did a good thing?" Goku hopefully asks.
"By accident," Jessie states.
"Give him a break," Cathy says, "we've picked on him enough."
Vegeta's elevator stops and he exits. "Floor five!" he shouts. "They think they're so smart, skipping floors." He reenters the elevator and presses '5'.
Cathy presses the stop button and presses '2'. "This is two; that is five," she shows Goku.
DING! The trio enters the second floor.
"Go sit at the table, Goku," Cathy instructs. "Glasses or book?" she asks Jessie.
"Glasses," she answers quickly.
"Fine, leave me with the hard part," Cathy complains.
"It's your plan," Jessie returns. She changes into reading glasses with plain glass as to not destroy Goku's vision.
"Here put these on quickly," Cathy commands. "Listen carefully. I'll become a book. If Vegeta asks you what you're doing with a book, tell him you're looking at the pictures of a cookbook."
Goku nods his head. "I'll use that excuse and many others if I have to," he says as Cathy transforms into a blank book.
DING! Vegeta's elevator warns Goku that it's show time. Vegeta steps out and instantly spots Goku,…reading a book and wearing glasses?
"What the…? Kakarot, what do you call yourself doing?"
"I'm blending in with the others."
"What others?" He looks around and notices other humans wearing glasses and reading books. Sweat drops form behind his head. "Kakarot, what are you reading?"
"You know I hate to read. I'm just looking at the pictures of this cookbook and boy does this food look good."
Cathy begins to feel awkward. "Hurry and get Veggie-man to leave," she thinks to herself.
"Are those girls here?"
"No, they're at home, helping Chi Chi cook."
"Then what are you doing here and how come I can't feel your energy?"
"I'm here with Gohan. He's looking for some books to help his studies."
"And you energy?" Vegeta pries.
"I learned how to hide it completely." Goku forces a straight face.
"Hmmm…whatever. I thought maybe you were bringing…never mind," he stops himself and thinks, "If I had finished that sentence, it would remind him to bring them here. Wait! They are here." "Are you sure they're at your living quarters?"
"That's where I left them."
"Okay, but the librarian said they were here. Oh well. Don't let your son see you with those ridiculous glasses. It's a bad look for a warrior."
"Sure thing, see ya later."
"I hope not." Vegeta continues his search elsewhere.
"Phew, that was close," Goku sighs.
The girls become themselves. "Next time you're going to be on his face. I'm not doing that again, nuh uh, no!"
"Ever thought what parts of a book correspond to human body parts?"
Jessie quickly changes her mind, "I think I'm better off being glasses."
"Okay, Goku, change of plans," Cathy informs. "We'll have to become flies and follow you through the library."
Goku frowns, "Oh great now people will think that I stink when they see you two flying around me."
"Do you have a better idea?" Jessie interrogates.
"Hmm…as a matter of fact I do."
"Well what is it?"
"You can fly without following me."
Cathy and Jessie fall over.
"How are we supposed to change floors?" Jessie asks.
"Yeah," Cathy adds, "we need you to either open the elevator or the staircase doors."
"How about this; tap each shelf, fly toward me, and land in my hair. Tell me when you both are here and I'll go to the next floor."
Cathy scratches her head. Jessie raises an eyebrow.
"That sounds almost like what they said before," Gohan sneaks in.
"How long were you in here?" Goku asks, afraid that his son might have seen him with glasses.
"I used the stairs and came in a little after Vegeta left."
"Are you done looking for books?" the father asks.
"Yep. I'm ready to leave when you are. By the way, you could use the air ducts like before. I'm not sure you want to be in my dad's hair."
"Hey, that's not nice," Goku responds.
"Thanks, Gohan," Jessie expresses greatly.
"Give us five minutes," Cathy requests. "We'll meet you on the first floor."
"Gotcha," Goku nods his head and returns to the first floor with Gohan. The Colorless nod toward each other and commence their learning.
Meanwhile, Vegeta has checked all of the floors and is heading back to the first. He's mumbling to himself as the elevator brings him and two others down.
"What are you staring at!" he yells at them.
"You're talking to yourself," the first man says.
"Do I look like I care?" the Saiyan asks.
"I like your shirt," the second man teases.
"That does it," Vegeta presses the emergency stop and pushes the two men out on the second floor. "And stay out!"
"That guy need plenty of help," the first man states.
"Yea," the second man agrees, "he needs not only anger management but a total makeover. Since when did green shoes match with a pink shirt and yellow pants? And did you see his hair? Talk about psychotic."
The girls complete their 'training' and make their way back to Goku. Vegeta takes his time exiting the elevator. The duo of flies meet their new friend and his son. Before the gang can leave the building, Vegeta stops them.
"Freeze, Kakarot, I realized something. Libraries don't normally carry cookbooks." He grabs his rival's collar and pulls him down to eye-level. "You lied to me again, didn't you, Kakarot? Where's your glasses, huh?"
Goku doesn't answer.
Gohan stares at the two.
The female librarian over hears the conflict and says, "Did I hear on of you two say that we don't carry cookbooks?"
Vegeta says, "This isn't your concern. Go alphabetize the books or something."
Goku finally speaks, "It was him who made the cookbook statement."
"Sir, for your information, we do carry cookbooks."
"Do you also carry reading glasses?" Vegeta asks with sarcasm.
"Of course. Sometimes people forget their glasses at home or work. That's why we're the best." The librarian smiles with her eyes closed.
"Fine," Vegeta shoves Goku away. "You're off the hook this time. You'd better go home before I find something else to yell at you for."
Goku and his son speed out of the library, grinning sheepishly, flies following as well.
"And take a shower!" Vegeta yells after them.
"We had too many close calls," Jessie reports to Chi Chi when they were eating dinner.
"But it was a success," Cathy says.
"Wanna hear something funny, Mom?" Gohan starts. "The librarian at West City didn't know what an orthopedist was," he laughs.
"I'm not surprised," Chi Chi responds.
"So what is an orthopedist, Gohan?" Goku asks.
Everyone gets quiet.
"Aw, come on. How come everyone is silent after I say something?"
At Capsule Corp., Vegeta is just entering when Bulma is on his case. "Where have you been, mister?"
Vegeta just ignores her.
"I went all over the city looking for you."
This catches the prince's attention. "Even the mall?"
"That's part of the city isn't it?"
"I was at the large building of books when I ran into Kakarot and his son."
"You did? Well how are they?"
"If you really want to know, they look healthy enough. Although that idiot had a couple of flies around him…" he trails off. "Those flies…were them! Darn it!" he thinks to himself. He leaves Bulma in mid-conversation.
After dinner, Cathy helps Chi Chi clean the kitchen while Jessie takes a bath. When she finishes, the girls switch places, Cathy a bath and Jessie in the kitchen. Cathy finishes and meets Jessie in the guest room. They both fluff their pillows and ready their beds for the night.
There's a light knocking on the door and Jessie says, "Come in."
Goku opens the door and enters quietly.
"What's up?" Jessie asks.
"Well, if you're not busy tomorrow," he starts, shifting his foot, "I was wondering if you two would want to spar with me."
The pair look at each other.
"I think we were gonna…hey!" Cathy bumps Jessie subtly to stop her. She leans over and whispers, "We'll do that later, Jessie."
"Oh, okay then. Sure, we'll spar with you tomorrow."
"Thank you," Goku bows happily. "Goodnight," he concludes as he leaves the room and closes the door.
"'Night," Jessie says as she covers up.
"'Night," Cathy returns.
"Seventy-six degrees, seventy-seven degrees, seventy-six degrees, seventy-five degrees, seventy-six degrees…" a cricket chirps constantly with other of its kind.
Cathy can't sleep. She looks at Jessie.
"You're closer to the window," Jessie says, "You tell them put a sock in it."
Cathy approaches the window, opens it, and, in cricket language, yells, "SHUT UP!"
The crickets respond by quieting down and leaving.
Gohan knocks on the door. Jessie goes to the door and opens it.
"Hey Gohan," she says.
"Are you guys okay? I heard something that sounded like a giant insect."
"Oh, we're fine. That was Cathy. She told the crickets to shut up."
"Uh…okay. I didn't know you could talk to animals."
"Of course we can. We have to know how in order to be an animal. If we didn't, and we were dogs, for example, we'd have trouble responding to the command 'speak'."
"I understand. Goodnight."
"'Night."
Jessie closes the door, and both girls go to sleep.
Phew, I've been doing actual work, again. I also took a break on writing. I write the chapters before I type them and I'm about 5 or 6 chapters ahead of you. I don't want to catch up with my writing because it will take me even longer to post. Don't worry as soon as I get rid of writer's block, I'll continue to write. Until the next chapter, Roosha.