A/N: Ashley, lovey, and Jasmine thank you for your reviews! And I have actually noticed a few errors in my story lol I guess I'll just lay it out there. I never clarified Goten and Valese's relationship status, but yes they broke up. I forgot to add that in GASP Also, remember the dog that Trunks got Pan for Christmas? Completely forgot about that too hehehe. Will the dog make a comeback? If we can all make believe that the dog was there all along then why not? :p

Also I'd like to point out for visual and disclaimer purposes that Ryo Shima is from the manga Crimson Hero and Takashi Komuro is from High School of the Dead, although I have altered their personalities for this story.

:*: Blue :*:

If you can't change your circumstances, change your attitude. Those words from Dr. Oshiro last week lingered in Pan's mind as she worked day and night, determined to perfect her assignments for her classes. Since her case hearing was coming up she made a great effort to participate in class and stand out among her classmates. With the development inside of her, she was tired and hungry twenty four seven, but she couldn't give up. She couldn't change her circumstances, she was done with regrets and crying. She left that doctor's office a new woman, it felt like. Not only a new woman, but a soon to be mother.

"Good luck today, Pan. No matter what happens, just remember that life has a funny and sometimes twisted way of working things out. Your family will always be here for you." He watched her from the doorway of the kitchen as she scrambled to scoop her books into her backpack.

"Uncle Goten, I don't like your grim attitude. You sound like the school's already made their decision. We better get going before we're both late."

Her upbeat demeanor surprised him. He figured she would be more worried than him about her case hearing after school, but maybe she was just hiding it better. Still he had to admit, ever since her appointment last Thursday she seemed to be in a better mood.

He had been working with her, pushing her to study more when she felt like giving up and cooking their late night meals for their midnight work sessions. The girl already had quite an appetite before pregnancy. Now it was almost like Bra had said, she's eating for two.

Spending his own studying time with Pan distracted him not only from his own school work, but also from the fact that Bra still hated him. He could live with a couple B grades, but seeing her blue hair across campus on the tennis court always left him feeling downcast, especially when she looked so happy being around her friend, Ryo Shima.

xXxXxXx

Ryo, Bra, Marron, and Ryo's roommate Takashi Komuro left the Emerald building to head out to their first class. Takashi was a freshman football player on Goten's team. After bonding more with Ryo and the girls, he was astonished to find out that the girls were so close with Goten. Takashi always took any criticism Goten gave him and tried to improve on it. Since Goten replaced Trunks' position as star quarterback, he had more of a leadership role on the team. He knew that Goten still didn't know his name, nor did he care to learn it, but as long as he wasn't given negative feedback he took that as Goten's silent praise.

Marron knew that Bra and Pan were feeding her bullshit. Since Pan was 'spending a couple days with Goten', as Bra put it, Marron and Pan maintained communication through texting. Pan pretty much told her the same thing, but hinted when she's ready she would fill her in. For now, Marron would accept that answer and leave it at that.

After school, Bra and Ryo made a brisk walk to their dorm to fetch their rackets and uniforms for practice. The upcoming weekend was many of the campus athletics first time competing, including football, tennis, and water polo. Bra and Ryo eagerly anticipated their first match against whomever their victims may be.

Bra pushed through the door of her dorm room and began undressing to throw on her green tennis skirt and top. From the bathroom she could see movement in front of the mirror. "Hey, Marron, don't you have practice, too?"

A moment passed before there was a response. "It's me."

Bra stopped adjusting her top as her blue eyes locked with Pan's dark orbs. She was dressed in a gray button up and black slacks, her hair smoothed neatly down to her bosom. She hadn't talked to her friend since their argument in the kitchen a little over a week ago, and frankly they missed each other.

Bra was the first to break the stare down when she cracked a smile. "You look so professional. Where are you going?"

"My case hearing is today."

She was nervous, that Bra could tell from her worried eyes. "No matter what happens, Pan-"

Pan released a small laugh. "Don't worry, Goten already gave me that little talk. I've thought about the possible outcomes. Still unsure of what I'll do if I get dropped, but like you said it's not the end of the world, right?"

Bra was more than surprised with Pan's new frame of mind. There was something different in her. She looked nervous and scared, but ready to take on whatever was coming towards her. "Right." She chuckled. "And Pan? I'm sorry for being overbearing last week. It was insensitive of me and-"

"Bra, don't apologize. You were just trying to help. If anything I should be thanking you. I went to see that doctor you circled on that list."

Bra's eyes lit up as Pan told her how the appointment went. She was delighted to see Pan speak about her growing baby in a positive light and actually look happy about it. "Pan, I'm so glad to see that you're starting to feel better about this. And if I start to get overbearing again just let me know, I'll hush up." She raised her right hand in a promising gesture.

After a few knocks came from their door, the girls looked to see their shaggy haired friend pop his head in. "Ladies, I hate to interrupt but if we aren't on the court in two point five minutes we are going to be forced to run laps. Hi Pan." He flashed her a cheesy grin.

She grinned back. "Still the same pushy Ryo."

"Ouch, that breaks my heart, Pan. It's okay though, I'll have Bra mend it back together." He raised an eyebrow at Bra as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

She was used to his flirtatious jokes by now. "Bye, Pan. Good luck." She pulled her into an embrace and gave her body a squeeze before releasing her.

"Good luck to you, too. I'd run if I were you." She laughed as the two of them took off like lightening. The relationship between Bra and Ryo was still unclear to her. She hadn't been around in a little over a week but from the looks of it everything appeared to still be the same. She hoped that once this meeting was over, she'd still have a chance to stick around and watch the Bra-Ryo mystery unravel.

xXxXxXx

Breathe in... Breathe out... She narrated to herself as silence overtook the conference room. She recognized about half of the faces seated at the long, dark mahogany table. Present were her professors, her coach, the dean, and some stern looking uptights she had never seen before. In front of them were papers and blank notepads that they began to scribble on as the meeting progressed.

"Let us begin. Pan Son, you out of the thousands of students enrolled here at Nagoya University were selected for our athletic scholarship, and here we are three weeks into the first semester and you have reported that you are no longer able to finish your waterpolo season. Would you please explain your reasoning?" One of the administrative heads spoke. She was a sandy blonde older woman with her hair clipped back in a bun. She held a very professional demeanor, seeking only answers and facts. Her narrowed eyes held no mercy.

Pan cleared her throat as she tried to make eye contact. "I am thirteen weeks pregnant." She managed to choke out. Her eyes returned to her lap as she heard pens scrawling across their notepads.

"And when did you realize you were pregnant, Miss Son?" The same woman spoke in her condemning manner.

"Two weeks ago, ma'am." More nods and scribbling.

"What were your thoughts when you first received the scholarship in the mail?"

Pan thought for a moment, thinking back to that day months ago. "I was... elated. Growing up I was always the tomboy of the bunch. Sports was the only thing I was good at. I wasn't into shopping, make-up, or books, I was into running, throwing, catching, and swimming. When I received the scholarship I felt... I felt like I had finally done something right. Somebody recognized me and wanted me to play on their team, there was no greater feeling than that... until I had my first ultra sound last week. There are no words to describe that spark inside you when you see you're soon to be child on that monitor. When I found out I was pregnant, it hit me really hard... The thought of not being able to play... it still hasn't completely sunk in, nor has the fact that I'm going to be a mother within the next year. My only wish as of now is that you give me the chance to continue my education here so that I'm able to try out again next year and graduate with my fellow classmates."

Her voice echoed in the room while more notes and throat sounds followed.

"Thank you, Miss Son. Can you please step into the hall while we discuss your future here at Nagoya?" It was more of a demand than a question, and Pan did as instructed.

Luckily there were chairs nearby in the hall. Without hesitation, Pan plopped herself onto the black cushioned seat and leaned her head back against the wall. Pulling her phone from her purse, she read her usual goodnight message from Trunks and tucked it back away without responding. All she could think about was the discussion in the nearby room, contemplating whether or not she would continue her freshman year of college.

Minutes passed before the dark wooden door reopened. The male gestured for her to enter as the group took their seats once again.

"Miss Son, viewing your high school records, you received MVP every year for your athleticism, and were even given credit for bringing your team to victory at the Tokyo tournament last year. There were high hopes for you to play for our team." Pan's eyes began to tear up as the woman basically told her she had let everyone down. "Undoubtedly, you would have been quite an asset on our women's team, but with that being said, I commend your dedication to athletics. I spoke with your professors about your academic performance. You are doing quite well, according to them. They praise your class participation as well as your written work. We here at Nagoya University do not have a written policy regarding this simply because every case is different. There is a, how do they say, ah yes, a twinkle in your eye when you speak about sports. I am putting your athletic scholarship on suspension."

Pan stopped breathing. Suspension? This was it. This was her last day on campus. She wouldn't be able to return to this school until next year, as a freshman once again. A silent tear flowed down her cheek as she visualized herself graduating a whole year behind Bra and Marron.

"I am giving you two options. The first option, and the one I recommend, is that you take the year off and start again next year to fulfill the four year athletic contract. This way you will be able to focus on your current health and avoid financial compensation. The second option I am giving you is to continue the year on the suspended scholarship. You will be placed on academic probation and will commence your athletic programs your sophomore year. Regarding the academic probation, you must maintain a minimum of a 3.8 GPA for both of your freshman semesters. A breech in this agreement will penalize you with financial compensation of the school year, which is a sum of twenty-eight thousand four-hundred and sixty-eight dollars."

Pan drew in a breath of relief. A 3.8 would be very difficult for her to maintain, but it sure beat the hell out of graduating a year late. She happily took the latter offer.

xXxXxXx

Goten, Renji, and a couple other teammates headed out of the locker room, shirts off and jerseys in hand. They spent the past three hours on the field, running plays and perfecting their tosses in preparation for their first game tomorrow.

The boys, used to the cat calls from onlookers, ignored the whistle they heard until a voice called Goten's name. He looked to the familiar sound to see Marron catching up with them.

Still clad in her cheer practice uniform, consisting of spandex shorts and a Nagoya Cheer Squad t-shirt, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and chugged her water bottle.

"Hey, Marron." He greeted her. "How was practice?"

"Pain in the ass, as usual. You?"

"Just about the same."

"I still don't see what's so hard about cheerleading." Renji muttered. Goten cringed for his friend as he felt Marron collect the energy from the air to begin her verbal assault.

"Should of kept that to yourself." Goten whispered before Marron began her rant.

xXxXxXx

"Seriously though, you are going to kill at the meet tomorrow, no pressure." Ryo nudged Bra, both of whom were laughing heartily after their practice. "Wait, isn't that Renji?" He pointed towards a small group of people, all of them shirtless except for one familiar female. "Why is he doing a backhand spring?" They both winced as Renji crashed to the concrete mid-attempt. "Correction, why is Renji attempting to do a backhand spring?"

"How do you know what a backhand spring is?" Bra asked as they headed towards the group.

Ryo rolled his eyes as if remembering an annoying memory. "I used to date a cheerleader."

"Ah, of course." Bra nodded in response.

"Flexibility, something you don't have." Marron taunted the man on the ground while the others laughed. "Hey guys. You're just in time to hear Renji make a confession."

"You know," Renji coughed as he slowly rose to his feet. "You're awfully bold for a freshman."

Marron held her nose high, accepting that statement as a compliment.

Bra averted her eyes after noticing she was staring at Goten's bare, sweat-moistened chest. If he hadn't begun twitching his pectoral muscles she would have been stuck in that trance for who knows how long.

Goten on the other hand began twitching his chest muscles because he had caught her staring at him. Once her eyes darted away she refused to look his direction again, not even mentioning one word to him. They hadn't spoke since their argument last week. He thought that by now she should be over it, but maybe she would at least let him apologize to her.

"Alright, blondie, we'll settle this tomorrow. After party at my place. Shaggy, Blue, you come too." Renji motioned towards Ryo and Bra.

"What's the occasion?" Bra asked, ignoring the fact that he had just called her Blue.

"To celebrate our first game-"

"and our first victory of the season, right Takashi?" Goten interrupted, elbowing his freshman admirer next to him.

Until Goten brought him up Bra didn't even notice him standing there. Takashi was a handsome brunette with a lean, muscular build. From what Bra, Marron, and Ryo had seen from him so far he played more of the shy, quiet role, totally opposite from his roommate Ryo.

"Oh, uh- yeah, right." He stuttered nervously.

Bra rolled her eyes. "Don't mind his cocky attitude, Takashi. He thinks talking a big game will help him play a big game."

"Ouch..." Ryo, Renji, and Marron sounded in unison.

Goten's brows raised, surprised by her remark. Before he could get a word out she continued.

"But it's okay, Goten knows everything. If he says you're going to win, you are. If he says you're a carefree brat who has no say in anything, then you better watchout and let him handle things." She ended with a sweet, deceiving smile. "See you guys later, good luck tomorrow, although obviously you don't need it."

Ryo left with her, leaving everyone behind them dumbfounded, including himself.

Without a word, Takashi caught Goten's jersey he tossed over to him as he ran to the departing duo.

"Bra, are you fucking kidding me?" He halted in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "I told you I was sorry-"

"And I'm not accepting it. You really hurt me, Goten. I have a right to be pissed off at you! Not because I'm a brat, but because... I'm tired of playing your games." She ended with an exhausted exhale. Her weary eyes locked onto his, encouraging him to say something.

The contradicting thoughts began ringing through his head once again, arguing with each other. He had a hunch that this wasn't exactly about their argument. Bra came from a wealthy family, as did his ex-girlfriend,Valese. Whenever he went to buy Valese something, nothing compared to what she already had. It was a difficult relationship that ended up just being sex. He felt like he had nothing else to offer her but that. He didn't want to make the same mistake again.

He and Bra had met each other years ago and he still didn't know what he could give her to make her happy. All he had to offer was himself, as with Valese, but that got dull quick.

Bulma wanted an equal match for her daughter, despite the male's appearance. He still remembered the Capsule Corporation Christmas party where she set Bra up with that panda looking fellow. Goten was a middle class student with the hopes and determination of being a successful architect. Until then, he wouldn't be able to prove himself worthy of Bulma's acceptance.

Ryo watched closely as Goten stood there, contemplating on something. Bra brushed her tennis sneakers against the concrete, growing impatient.

"I'll see you later, Goten." She unfolded her arms and dropped them to her sides as she pushed past him. She was hormonal, probably about to start her period, she thought. She had let this grudge against Goten get out of hand and should have controlled her temper better. She knew she had to leave before she said something else she'd regret.

To say she was frustrated was an understatement. After bringing an eighty-eight percent economics test home to her mother last weekend, her mom threatened to suspend her credit card if she got anything less than a ninety-five.

Trunks was able to do it, so can you. Bulma told her. It was like she wasn't the same woman anymore. Bra knew her mother was scared of losing everything she had worked so hard to build. The business was suffering, and Bulma was getting hit the hardest.

She didn't tell anybody about her mother's reaction to her test, not even her brother whom she spoke to earlier that week. All she wanted to do was lean on somebody's warm shoulder and cry out her frustrations.

Unfortunately for her, the warm shoulder she had in mind was either being a coward or was trying to reject her politely. Maybe that's it... Bra thought to herself. Maybe he doesn't even like me but doesn't want to hurt my feelings... Damn it, I'm so stupid.

Ryo stood there and observed while Goten continued to stare where Bra once was. After a moment Goten's eyes narrowed as they met with Ryo's. "You must be loving this, huh." He spat bitterly.

"Seeing Bra upset? No, of course not. I hate it. Funny how she's upset only when she's around you." He saw a fire flash in Goten's dark eyes, but deep down Goten knew that shaggy was right. "We'll be rooting for you guys tomorrow." He waved a fist in the air mockingly, then walked the path Bra had taken toward the dormitories.

Once Goten finally got home, he was more than relieved to finally hear some good news. Pan told him how her meeting went and her new academic probation. Goten thought that the 3.8 deal sounded more like a punishment, but was happy that his niece was able to maintain her enrollment.

Since she had cooked dinner, they discussed other small matters like his day at school and football practice. He left out the part about Bra, of course.

"I invited Bra to come eat with us but she's going to eat with Ryo."

Goten shrugged indifferently.

Pan stirred her rice with her fork, studying her uncle for a moment. "Have you seen Bra since the argument last week?"

"Yeah, saw her today." He answered in short.

"Good, so she's not mad at you anymore."

"She's not mad, she's pissed at me."

Pan was surprised, that was unlike Bra to hold a grudge against one of them for this long. From what she remembered, Goten said some judgmental things, but to not even accept an apology there had to be something else bothering her.

"I'll talk to her, Goten."

"No." He swallowed down his final bite with the last of his water. "I know why she's upset. I'll talk to her."

Sleep didn't come easy that night. He should have been thinking about the plays for his team's first game tomorrow night, instead he couldn't get the color blue out of his head. When he used to think about her, she was like the sky. He would soar in it, her smell overtaking his senses. The weight of school, football, his brother's pain, Pan's situation, and now having to confront his feelings for Bra were weighing him down. Now that beautiful blue was like water, pooling into his lungs and drowning him.

In junior high his coach used to say that waking up from a nightmare on game day scared the victory away.

Goten rubbed his eyes, as the morning sun rays danced in his window. "We're fucked."