Disclaimer: I do not own Dbz or any of the characters.
Chapter 7
I see some little sophomore punks pushing Tarble around.' Why isn't he fighting back? I know he can take these little f#!%$ easy. Maybe I shouldn't help him; he has to toughen up, especially against father.'
But my mind set changes when I see one of them throwing a fist towards him. I move quick enough to catch his punch in my hand before it connects with Tarble. Looking around, I mentally curse myself seeing a teacher watching the whole scene, but I have to protect my little brother's pride.
Sending one of them a round house kick, he crashes into a nearby locker and leaves a dent in it. The other comes at me with his fist punching rapidly in front of his face.' He really sucks at fighting.' I dodge all his punches easily enough and take him out with a simple punch to the face.
" Vegeta! Why did you do that for?" Shouted Tarble. "I had everything under control."
"No you didn't, unless my eyes deceived me. I saw you getting pushed around by those idiots and you were doing nothing to protect yourself. As usual I have to be there to bail you out of trouble." I said making a statement.
"Violence isn't always the answer Vegeta. I was trying to reason with them and for your information I never ask for you to bail me out. I don't need your help."
'I can't believe he just said that.' "Fine then! Next time when you need help, see if I care!"
Tarble was about to say something, until the teacher who witnessed everything approached us.
"Both of you to the principal's office right now!" Said the teacher.
Walking off, not caring what the teacher said, Tarble shot me a look that pleaded me to oblige to the teachers command. 'Ugh, why do I care what he wants!?'
Walking down the hallway of doom, once again, I wonder why I'm I doing this. I just said I wasn't going to help him anymore.
When we arrived at the main office, I tensed up upon hearing my father's voice. Looking around, I didn't see him anywhere then that's when I realized his vocal cords had come out of a telephone.' Great, they disturbed him during his work. Now we're really going to get it.' Just then the receptionist called us in the principal's office.
Taking our seats, Ms. Love put all her attention on me.
"Mr. Vegeta. What is this the second time on your first day here? This must be some kind of new record. We just spoke to your father and he seemed just as upset as me. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"You have no idea what the hell you just did." I mumbled under my breath.
"What was that? I don't believe I heard what you just said. Would you mind speaking up?"
"What's Tarble doing here? He had nothing to do with this." I said forcefully.
"Your brother is here simply to see what happens to trouble makers. I don't want him following your footsteps."
"Don't you think he would have f!#$%& done something by now, if he was going to "follow in my footsteps?" I said sarcastically.
"Seems you also have a mouth on you." Rubbing her fingers over her temples she said, "This is going to be a long year. It's barely in the middle of October and you already are giving the worst problems."
"Can we hurry up and get this over with? We have better places to be than here."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm I keeping you from doing something important? I wouldn't want to give you detention for talking back."
I just rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Already putting today as one of the worst days on my mental list. Reuniting with Bulma is the only good that came out of today.
"You have two more extra days of ISS. Next time you will be suspended. You may leave now."
Walking out of the school doors, I still feared what was to come. Trying to buy us some more time I asked Tarble if he wanted to go to Bulma's place.
"But father will know where we are. Remember the last time we tried to run away? He just followed our ki."
"I know, but I told him school ended at six today instead of four and he fell for it. He won't bother searching for us until then. So we have two hours to kill."
"Alright, let's go to Bulma's!" said an excited Tarble.
As we approached her door for the first time in five years, memories of the first time we meet came back. I was trying to escape fathers rage that day and somehow I ended up here at Bulma's front porch with a bloody nose.
Those memories were interrupted as Tarble started ringing the door bell. In no time Bulma was at the door shocked to see us there and in her bikini.
"Hi Bulma! Mind if we come in?" Asked Tarble.
"No, not at all. Come on in." She said with a smile on her face." I was about to go swimming. You guys want to join me?"
"Sure that would be great! But we don't have any swimming trunks." Stated a sad Tarble.
"That's alright. Vegeta could borrow some of my dad's and you can go in your boxers Tarble. I promise I won't be looking." She said doing her famous wink.
"Yea! Come on Vegeta."
Before I even knew what was happening I was shoved into a room and forced into a hideous pair of swimming trunks. I left my under shirt on, not wanting to expose anything to Bulma.
I went outside, embarrassed by the trunks I was wearing.
"You know your father has horrid taste in clothing." I said
"Yeah, tell me about it." Said Bulma." Is it weird that were swimming during October?"
"Yeah, kind of, but it's not our fault a heat wave came in." said Tarble.
"I thought your father was working on a project and you absolutely had to be out of the house." I said interrupting them."What happened to that or were you just lying girl?"
"That's why I'm out here swimming, smart a$$."
"Humph." Was all I could mutter out.
For about thirty minutes I did nothing, but sit on the edge of the pool, looking at how much fun they were having.' I wonder if I still remember how to have fun? It's been a long time since I've had any.'
I snapped out of my thoughts in time to realize I was being pushed into the pool. I can't believe I didn't notice Tarble sneaking up behind me. I came up seeking air and pretty mad at him.
"Why the HELL did you do that for!?" I yelled.
"Geez. He was just trying to have some fun. Chill out." Said Bulma.
"Whatever."
I spent most of the time in the corner of the pool just chill laxing, until I noticed it was already 5:45.
" Tarble, we have to get going." I said.
"Aww, come on can't you stay for a little longer." Pouted Bulma.
I was about to object when Bulma splashed me. Splashing her back was actually kind of fun. We spent an extra five minutes having a splash fight until my shirt went up accidentally. My reactions were quick enough to put it down but I think she already saw the scar I was trying to keep a secret from her.
"What was that?" Bulma asked.
"It's nothing." I said trying to avoid the subject.
"That wasn't nothing, Vegeta."
"It's a scar he got from father like three years ago." Said Tarble.
"Shut up Tarble!"
"You can trust me. You do know that? Don't you Vegeta? I care about you guys so much and talking about it might help."
"Tell her about it if you want Tarble. I'm going to get dressed."
With that I left inside to get dried off and change.
With Tarble
"If you really want to know, I can tell you." I said getting out of the swimming pool.
"I don't know. It's his business. If he wanted me to know he would have told me himself." Said Bulma.
"Don't worry about it. He's just a grumpy person. Besides I think he wants you to know because he's letting me tell you. If he didn't want you to know, he wouldn't have gave me a choice to tell."
"Okay. Let's hear it. Are you sure it's okay for me to know?"
"Yes. Ok here goes nothing."
It was a Tuesday night and Vegeta was minding his own business, that is until father threw a pair of his slacks on Vegeta's lap.
"Get up and iron these for me. I have a meeting in the morning." Father said.
"No. You have two arms and legs, do it yourself."
Father gave him a look that could kill then I got in front Vegeta trying to spare him.
"It's okay. I'll do it." I said, not really looking forward to ironing.
"Nope. I told your low life brother to do it."
"Ha, that's a laugh. I'm a low life? If I recall it, you're the one who dropped out of high school and lost his wife."
Before I knew what was happening, father and Vegeta were fist fighting brutally. Then he pinned Vegeta down and it just so happens that the iron was right above them on the iron board already hot. Father had a tight grip on him and with his free hand he reached up and grabbed the iron. Vegeta saw this and his eyes literally popped out of his head.
"Get that f!#$%& thing away from me!" Vegeta screamed struggling to get out of fathers grip.
It came closer and closer to Vegata's exposed torso. I tried doing something. My mind told me to interfere, but my body wouldn't move no matter how much I tried. Once the iron landed on Vegeta's skin I looked away in horror. It only took about ten seconds for Vegeta to let out a big scream and when he did father had a pleased look on his face. He finally took the iron away a second later, but it seemed to be for an eternity that the iron was piercing through my brother's skin. The air then seemed to be filled with the scent of burnt flesh.
After this father walked into his room and acted like nothing happened.
"O my God Tarble, That's absolutely horrible. How did he survive that? He must have had at least a second or third degree burn." Said Bulma.
"I took him to the hospital, no matter how much he protested to go. They held him there for a couple of days until father came and signed him out. He said Vegeta was over re acting and wasting his "precious" hard earned money."
"The hospital didn't ask what happened to him?"
"Of course they did, but we just came up with some phony story."
"Whoa, I mean I knew you guys had it hard, but not that hard. I feel so bad for you two."
"Well, don't you sympathetic girl. We've been getting by just fine without you." A harsh, raspy voice said coming from behind Bulma.
"Vegeta. I didn't mean to upset you." Said Bulma
"It's fine." Vegeta said sounding irritated. "Let's go Tarble. We've already wasted enough time here."
"Ok, bye Bulma! See you tomorrow at school." With that being said, my brother and I flew away, leaving behind a worried Bulma.
'Hopefully father is in a merciful mode tonight.' I thought while flying away from our refugee house.