The Little Orphan Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters
Why? Why did she agree to come here?
Susie, in a way, enjoyed doing thing just to annoy Bulla. The blue-haired girl had wanted a sleepover so why shouldn't Susie join in? Anyway, that's what her new 'family' wanted. Susie had realised that this family would most probably not desert her. Maybe it was the way they kept on trying to include her even when she pushed them away but now the young girl had a deep respect for the Briefs. Maybe not love exactly but definitely a kind of trust.
But still, coming for the sleepover was a horrible idea. Pan and Bulla spent all their time talking about random topics, things Susie could not be bothered with. And they ate like elephants. Susie's appetite had died when she saw Pan eat. How did the Saiyans manage it?
Now it was almost one in the morning and apart from the girls everyone was asleep. They were watching a horror movie. Well, it was more comedy than horror and Susie could not help but laugh a few times. It felt good, laughing freely. And it felt even better to not have to listen to Bulla and Pan's endless bickering.
Pan was sitting between the two of them and it was for the better. Had Bulla been next to Susie… the girl shuddered at the thought. Pan would have certainly thrown them out. Susie thought about the last time she had watched a movie with someone. It was a superhero one and she had been bored a lot. However, there had been one memorable event.
She had fainted after the movie ended. She had been feeling weak all day and then she had just collapsed. Janet had taken care of her really well. She brought her to the orphanage and did everything she could. When Susie had woken up she had found Janet by her side, holding her hand gently. That incident had brought the two quite close.
The girl smiled at the memory though her eyes turned bleak. The same Janet had left her. Did she not like her anymore or did she just give up hope? Did she feel that nothing could be done about Susie? Or maybe, maybe she asked Bulma to adopt her because she actually felt that Bulma could give her a better life. Susie wanted to think that was the case but something told her that it was not entirely true.
"Did you see that?!" Bulla exclaimed.
Susie blinked. She looked at the TV screen. The hero, a little boy of ten, was fighting against a ghost with a blanket. Seriously, blanket? Suddenly the blanket turned into a rope and he made a loop of it and threw it round the ghost's neck. On its part, the ghost morphed into a fly and, well, flew away.
"This is so silly," Pan said, "How does that work?"
"It doesn't," Bulla replied, "That's why we are watching it."
Susie had a sudden urge to get some fresh air. It was getting too stuffy in the room. She got up and went out of the house.
The night was too dark, she could barely make out the shapes of trees and mountains. There was no moon and the light provided by the stars were too less. She looked up at them, admiring their beauty. The stars, which were so big, looked so tiny from here. But they added something to the night sky, something without which it would be incomplete. Her family was like stars, bright and beautiful. And Bulla was the night sky, without the stars she was useless.
Wait… from where did that thought come? Her family? Since when did she start thinking of them as her family? She tried so hard to keep a distance from them but… she could not. Whether she wanted it or not, she was a part of that family. She felt weird thinking about it, uncomfortable even. The last time she felt anybody was her family it was Janet.
"They'll abandon me the moment I start thinking like that," she thought bitterly. Wasn't that what had been happening ever since she was young? But then she had changed forty something foster homes and didn't last anywhere for more than a week…
"Hey, what happened?"
Susie turned around, startled, only to find Pan standing behind her. She relaxed. Pan was a good girl. A tomboy but a sweet kid. She reminded Susie somewhat of herself.
"Nothing," she replied, "I was just feeling a little stuffy inside."
Pan walked towards her, a smile on her face. Not a smirk or a stupid grin but a real smile.
"I know it must be hard," Pan said, "Though I can't really imagine myself in your place. But Susie, consider yourself lucky this time. You have got a very good family."
"I want to think that way too," Susie replied with a sigh, "It's just… It's hard to trust. I don't know how to open up to others. And then they try to make me talk about how I feel. I don't want to talk about it. I don't know how I feel. I am confused, Pan. Very confused. I just don't know what to think. I want to trust them but my previous experiences with trusting haven't exactly been very good."
Susie surprised herself. This was the most she had spoken to anybody about how she felt. Pan rested a hand on her shoulder. She didn't flick it off.
"I understand what confusion is," Pan said, "But maybe you should try. I know these people very well. And I know they are not the kind of people who desert others. In fact, I'm sure they will stick with you forever."
"Bulla doesn't like me," I said abruptly.
Pan scoffed. "Of course she doesn't. You have taken the spotlight. I think I don't need to explain to you that she doesn't like sharing attention with someone else. Especially another girl. And I think she is jealous. But tell me this, do you like her?"
Susie paused. Did she like Bulla? She knew that she didn't hate her, she didn't even dislike her as a person but…
"I don't dislike her," she replied, "But I don't know anything beyond that."
"Well, it's a big thing that you don't dislike her," Pan said, humour in her voice. It became serious though. "Just remember, if you want to share something you can tell me. I'm good listener, at least for my friends."
Susie smiled warmly at the girl. She liked Pan. In fact, she considered the younger girl to be more like a sister to her than Bulla.
"Thanks friend," she said. The words sounded strange on her lips, it had been a long time since she had used it.
"You're welcome. Now, we have a movie to catch up on."
I know it has been a long time since I updated this. I'm not giving up on this story but I really don't have many ideas for it. Writer's block, I guess. But I will finish it. Thank you for reading. Wishing you a happy new year!
