Damn, I'm getting good at this. Would you guys believe me if I told you that I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting, not counting coffee, toilet and cigarette breaks? Well it's true O.o!

Either way, here's another quick update. The next one might take a while because I have another story to finish, but very soon this story will be my top priority :).

Now please read, review and enjoy!

"Mom, no, knock it off..."

"Stop squirming or else you'll end up looking like a beggar, Goten!" Chi-Chi hovered over him, a comb at the ready and her right hand glistening with something greasy. She was likely going to smear it in his hair to give it a semblance of a shape, even though it was nothing but a lost cause. Goten's locks always went in every direction they pleased, creating a spiky mess that couldn't be tamed. He liked it, though. Not only was it unique to him, but it was also reminiscent of his father, and that's why he chose to cherish it instead of cursing it.

"This isn't going to help, Mom," Goten pointed out. To demonstrate he flattened the spikes against his head, but they bounced right back into their original position after a second or two. "See?"

Chi-Chi gave a weary sigh and grabbed for a towel, wiping her hands clean with the cloth. "Fine," she breathed. "But don't come running to me when everybody thinks you look weird. Then you can tell them that you don't listen to your mother's advice."

"Mom, I'm going to school, not off to war," Goten pointed out. He refrained from telling her how much the two seemed alike. "Seriously, what are you so afraid of?"

His mother's eyebrows lowered into a frown. "Lots of things, Goten. I want you to make lots of friends while you are there, so you would do well to try and look the part." A glimmer of mirth arose in her gaze, and a small smile curved her lips to contrast her prior expression. "Oh, and maybe you can meet your future girlfriend there too! Oh, honey, wouldn't that be great?"

Gooten rolled his eyes and tried not to smirk. "Sure Mom. whatever you say..."

Chi-Chi ignored his obvious attempt to steer away from this particular conversation, scurrying towards the kitchen counter to make his sandwiches for the day. Meanwhile she kept on talking. She always did that when she was nervous. It turned her into a waterfall of speech.

"Now that you mention it, you've never told me what kind of girls you like," she mused, her knife hanging in mid-air and a clump of butter threatening to fall off.

"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought," Goten replied, sighing. True, he had never considered finding a significant other to be all that important, at least not right now. He was only sixteen, for crying out loud. But he wouldn't tell Chi-Chi that, oh no. That woman was very likely already planning his wedding, down to the details on his cufflinks.

"Well you should," Chi-Chi advised him. "It's never too early to start thinking about your future, you know? Do you even know what kind of job you want once you finish school?"

"Yes Mom, I'm pretty sure I told you like a thousand times already," Goten raked a hand through his hair. "I want to play in a band and write books. I've known this since I was twelve."

"And I've been telling you ever since how that's not a very bright idea," Chi-Chi wagged her finger at him in a manner that he couldn't help but interpret as condescending. "There's absolutely no financial security, and god only knows how long it will take for you to make a name for yourself. Why don't you find a subject you're really good at and find a job related to it? It worked for Gohan."

This time it was Goten's turn to frown. "And I'm pretty sure I already told you that my name is Goten, not Gohan. So please stop trying to turn me into him. It's not going to work."

Chi-Chi faltered. "Goten, I didn't..."

"Yeah, yeah, you didn't mean it, of course you didn't," Goten rose from his seat and snatched the knife from her hands. He continued to make his sandwiches himself, looking for an excuse to avoid further conversation with his mother. "Seriously though, maybe you should check your priorities for me. You seem to have me mixed up with your other child a lot lately."

This particular talk kept looping in Goten's head all the way to school. He would sigh off remarks like these most of the time, but every now and again it really got under his skin. Chi-Chi was so adamant on making her boys scholars that she seemed to overlook their happiness every now and again. Or perhaps her idea of happiness consisted of a solid salary and a nine-to-five schedule. Well not for Goten. He'd be damned if he ever voluntarily pulled on a suit and tie.

And that happened to be the exact garments that his mother had forced on him that morning. When he had looked at himself in the mirror he felt the immediate need to rip the tie away and toss it into a garbage can, but it would only lead to further argument. Luckily he had been smart enough to foresee this happening, so he had packed an extra set of clothing into his school bag. The bus driver gave him a curious sort of look when he changed into a more casual attire, but otherwise said nothing. Goten took a moment to study himself in the bus's window.

He reasoned that he looked alright. His hair was still a mess, but there was nothing he could do to change that. The driver had given him a particularly strange look when he had switched pants, and the lord be praised that there was no one else on the commute to see his teddy bear boxers, but he felt a lot more comfortable now that he was wearing his tattered jeans. He wore a shirt by a band called the Gaslight Anthem, their name spelled out in a gritty lettering that was the result of years of washing and drying. His red sneakers tied the whole package together.

The bus came crawling to a stop right in front of South City High. Goten eyed the building, finding it to be nothing spectacular in terms of architecture. It was grey and square with nothing to really draw interest. That couldn't be said about the sea of green that enveloped it, though. Trees, flowers, grassy fields, it was like a sanctuary for the lovers of nature. Goten could already envision himself strumming on Banshee's strings on a nice autumn day, his worries melting away with the warmth of the sun. Perhaps this school thing wouldn't be too bad.

He kept his timetable and a map of the school's interior at the ready while he walked along the grounds. It would be a few minutes until class started, so a bunch of students were standing together in groups, mingling in what they probably considered to be the pique of their social lives. Goten was surprised to see the variety of people; while some were dressed in more simple garb, or looked like they were only trying to fit in, others were dressed more alternatively. He saw much more black than he had first anticipated. He liked that.

What he didn't exactly like were the stares that he was receiving. Almost all the heads turned in his direction when he passed by. Granted, South City High was an exclusive school, with not so many students attending, so he was bound to be noticed. An unfamiliar face was always interesting. He just hoped that they would consider him a part of the scenery soon.

Goten was stopped in his tracks just before he could actually enter the building. This because a huddle of kids about his age deemed it fit to observe him like he was some kind of animal in a zoo. Most of them seemed pretty bland, except for the girl with the pink hair, as well as the tall and sluggish boy that headed the group.

"'Sup!" The tall one said in a very loud and very obnoxious tone. "You mus' be the new kid! Name's Chett, nice to meet ya."

Goten shook the hand that Chett extended, introducing himself as well. His mother would flay him if he ever forgot his courtesies.

"So, you in my class or what?" Chett asked, once again using that voice that was making Goten's skin crawl. "3B?"

Goten shook his head, but repressed the sigh of relief that was building in his chest. "Nah, 3A."

"Damn," Chett said. "Too bad then. Well, nice meetin' ya anyway, gotta split. Class in five."

And just like that he was gone. Goten had to take a minute to let it sink in just how abrasive Chett had been. He could only pray that this didn't apply to every city dweller, cause if so he would be facing one hell of a long day.

With the danger having passed he could now focus on the matters at hand. First he would have to go to the administration desk to retrieve some additional paperwork that his mother would have to fill in. After that it was time for his first official class. According to his timetable it was to be second grade physics, something he sucked at so bad that it wasn't even fair anymore. Butterflies were swarming in his stomach when he considered the prospect. Damn Captain Underpants and his friendliness. Now he actually wanted to do good and make friends. Damn him all to hell.

It was all too clear that they would be getting a new classmate today. Even Clearwater wasn't her usual self, running amuck around the room and making sure that everything looked as neat and tidy as it possibly could. Trunks enjoyed the change of pace well enough, cause the woman was normally so adamant on keeping order. A low murmur of voices was audible around him. Most of his fellow students were theorizing what kind of person the new arrival might be.

Trunks himself couldn't deny that he was getting curious also. Marron and Jasper had theorized what the kid could be like for most of Friday. Of course, a large part of their discussion had involved just how cute the new guy was, but that aside Trunks felt that he might actually like him. He had a taste for music, that much was known, and after picking up on some whispers in the hallway he had discovered that Goten Son had moved to South City all the way from Mt. Paozu, which was a flight of several hours. With a little bit of luck Goten was so sheltered that he had never even heard of the name Briefs.

There was only one thing that rebuked that entire theory. Trunks had realized it just this morning. On more than one occasion his mother had invited her personal assistant over for dinner. He was a young man that was far too smart for his age. For god's sake, the guy had started working for Bulma when he was only eighteen. And being the PA of the world's most leading scientist at that age was nothing short of incredible. The first thing he had done once he had stepped over the threshold of the Briefs' residence was greet Trunks and Vegeta. The guy's name was Gohan. Gohan Son.

It could be a coincidence of epic proportions, but Trunks very much doubted it. This Goten kid was most likely Gohan's little brother. In a sense it was annoying, because it would mean that Goten knew Trunks's last name all too well, not to mention what it stood for. Then again, if he really was Gohan's brother, perhaps he would be a little more aloof to Trunks's financial status. Who knew, he could be a brainiac like his sibling, hoping to land a job at Capsule Corps as soon as he was finished with school. Time could only tell.

Marron was talking even more than normal. Seriously, she just wouldn't keep her trap shut. The girl had way too much energy on your average Monday morning as it was, but today she was a bouncing ball of pure annoyance. Whenever she spat out another string of words Trunks felt the need to tell her to can it, but that wouldn't do. He could use the distraction to lead him away from his thoughts.

"Sooooooo..." Marron stretched her vowels the way she always did when a new point of discussion came to be. "Whaddaya think this new guy will be like?" She had asked Trunks this question a million times over already, but apparently she never grew tired of seeing him shrug or mutter something inconclusive.

"Dunno," Trunks grumbled, laying his head on his arms and watching absentmindedly as Clearwater rearranged the physics-themed posters along the wall for the third time in twenty minutes. "We know he plays music, and he's a mountain boy, nothing more. All we can do is wait."

"Eh, I guess you're right, Trunkie," Marron chided. "I do think we should invite him to come to lunch with us, don't you agree? We could help him make some friends on his first day here. Just imagine how grateful he'll be."

Trunks found himself agreeing with her. "Sure," he replied, not turning to look at her. "I can use somebody new to talk to." He didn't tell her that he also enjoyed the idea because it would cut into all the talking time she had been claiming the past several months. Anything to silence her, anything at all.

"Too bad Jasper had to call in sick, though," Marron kept droning on. "I bet he would've loved to join me in drooling over the newbie. If he's hot, of course."

"He could have a hare lip, a squashed nose, and buckteeth, and you would still try to eat his tonsils," Trunks pointed out helpfully. "Seriously, you're going to drool over him anyway, so what's the point of getting yourself worked up?"

"Well, how nice to hear that you think my standards are that low," Marron feigned a scowl, then went right back to smiling. "Besides, a girl needs to have something to fantasize about. You're no fun, so it's not like you're the man of my dreams."

Trunks turned to her and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, but you still jaw-drop every time Jasper walks around the corner and he's as gay as can be. Face it, you've got something for guys who are out of your reach."

She slapped him on his arm, making him laugh. "Well fuck you too!" She hissed at him, even though she wasn't truly angry at him. It was just their way of interacting, dropping a nasty remark or two at each other's expense. Trunks found that he could manage being around her as long as he could veil his actual feelings towards her in such a manner.

There was a knock on the door. Marron reared her head like a dog following a tennis ball flying across a field. Trunks lifted his off the table just enough to see the new kid walk into the room. For a second there was nothing but total silence. Then there was the sound of Marron drawing in her breath.

Trunks had no idea what was up with him, but for the second time in a week he found himself appreciating a guy for his looks. Goten was tall and slender, though not too broad at the shoulders. Though the way he shuffled to the front of the class implied nervosity, he carried himself in a way that Trunks admired. Like he knew perfectly well who he was and he had no intention of covering it up for the sake of being likeable.

Goten was wearing very casual clothing, simple jeans and the name of a band that Trunks never heard of before spelled across his chest. The Gaslight Anthem. Trunks made a mental note to check them out.

Mrs. Clearwater hurried over to her new student, extending a hand which Goten shook. "Hello, dear!" She cooed in manner that was the perfect opposite of how she acted in front of a packed classroom. "My name is Mrs. Clearwater. I will be your physics teacher for the year, as well as your mentor. How nice to finally meet you!"

Goten seemed unsure how to react to this sudden enthusiasm, but that was when Mrs. Clearwater showed just how great of a teacher she could be. "But enough about me, how about you introduce yourself to your new classmates and get seated?"

Goten nodded his agreement and turned towards the twenty-something faces staring at him in utter curiosity. The sight of them seemed to scramble his nerves even more, judging by the goofy grin that cracked his lips and the hand that went up to muss the locks in his neck.

"God, he's so cute," Marron breathed next to Trunks. "It's almost unfair."

Two deep brown eyes gazed over every face looking back at him, and then Goten began to speak. His voice was much deeper that Trunks had anticipated, like a man who had smoked thirty years of his life away.

"Sooo... My name is Goten Son," Goten said. "I moved to South City about two weeks ago. My mom thought it would be a good idea to get me into a regular school, 'cause I've been studying at home until now. We originally came from Mt. Paozu, so the city is a bit getting used to, but I think I'll manage."

"And what are some of your hobbies, Goten?" Mrs. Clearwater probed for more information. "There's bound to be some people with common interests in this class, so maybe it'll help you make friends."

"Eh... Well I love to make music. I play guitar and I like to believe I have a decent singing voice. I enjoy reading and writing stories. Oh, and I play a lot of video games. I'm pretty average, I guess."

"Of course not, dear," Clearwater told him. "Nobody is average. That's just something we tell ourselves to hold us back. Now please have a seat. The spot next to Neve is still open, I see."

Marron gave an audible groan, disappointed that the new, hot boy would not be sitting near her, which meant that she couldn't harass him for any more information. Trunks didn't really care. They were going to invite him for lunch anyway, so there was plenty of time to get to know the guy. Besides, Goten was in his class, so he would learn enough about him as it was.

Now if only Marron would shut the hell up about how cute he was.

Goten walked through the doors of the wardrobe and into the sunlight. He gave a bit of weary sigh. It was only noon and he was already tired. Today had been a day of many impressions and lots of things to take in. A lot of people had wanted to chat him up and ask him everything there was to know about him. He didn't mind, not at all. It was nice to see that people were genuinely interested in who he was as a person. Still, it was tiresome to talk about yourself so much. This had resulted in him not paying attention during math class, where he had opted to scribble some random sentences and excerpts for his story instead.

Of all the people that he had met so far, Neve was the nicest. Neve was a very short, but broad shouldered boy of seventeen years old. Despite the crew cut and camo pants he wore, Neve had no desire to join the army. He had confided in Goten that he did so because his father would've liked it. The man had passed away more than five years ago, but he had left an impression on his son that could never be erased. Turned out he had thrown himself onto a grenade to save his comrades. This was why Neve did anything he could to preserve his memory, a course of action that Goten could fully stand behind.

Other than Neve there were a few people that Goten liked as well. There was Sady, a girl with hair as white as snow. She was a quirky one, but Goten saw no harm in it. She had spent a large amount of P.E. class tumbling in the grass with her feet in her hands, rather than partaking in the activity that the teacher had set up for them. It had amused Goten long enough to forget that he was supposed to physically strain himself, something that he despised with a passion.

Another person that he liked well enough was Tito. Tito was everything that his name implied. He was a surfer dude, despite the fact that they were at least a hundred and fifty miles away from the sea. He acted laid back and talked as if he had smoked half of his grandmother's vegetable garden. He probably had.

All in all it hadn't been too bad of a first day so far. Goten could see himself going to school here for the rest of his academic career. The teachers were nice to him, the students seemed interested, nothing to complain about. Well, there was one thing. Music class wasn't until Friday. Neve had informed him that South City High had a music room that could make even the largest rockstar in the world see green with jealousy. His fingers were twitching just at the thought of plugging Banshee into a ten thousand zeni amplifier. Oh, how she would sing.

He would have to soldier his way through the rest of the week first, though, even if it did not seem all that challenging. For now his greatest obstacle was finding a proper place to sit and enjoy his lunch. Most of the grassy fields around the school were packed with students. Goten had no desire to mingle right now, since he would be doing a lot of that the coming days.

Yet relief washed over him when he heard a voice calling to him from a few yards away. "Goten, over here!"

He turned around and spotted the girl waving at him. He remembered seeing her in his physics class, so stepping up to her wasn't as awkward as he dreaded it to be. A boy was sitting beside her underneath the tree. He was quite the eye-catcher, Goten mused. Decent looking and just the right amount of 'I-don't-care' in his expression. That wasn't the unusual thing about him, though. What stood out the most was the mop of lilac hair on his head. Goten had seen pink hair, white hair, blue hair, even green hair. But never purple. Truth to be told, this had haunted him for more than half of physics.

He walked over to the duo and greeted them with a smile. "Hey!" He said, dropping his bag to the grass and planting his ass down as well.

"Hey!" The girl chimed in reply. She was a young, blonde thing, maybe a year younger than he was. She was a typical pretty girl. "My name's Marron!" She squeaked.

"I'm Goten," he replied, even though she already knew that. "Thanks for inviting me to sit with you guys, really appreciate it."

"No worries," Marron told him. "We thought you could do with some level-headed people. Also, if you don't know who this is, have a guess." She gestured towards the boy with the funny hair colour. He looked up at Goten, an expression in his face that said that the other boy shouldn't have too much trouble guessing who he was. And it was that easy.

"Trunks Briefs, right?" Goten answered. Marron's mouth fell open and Trunks rolled his eyes in an 'I-told-you-so' manner.

"I see that my name exceeds me," Trunks said, leaning his chin into an open palm. He began plucking blades of grass from the soil, letting them drift in the wind.

"No, not really," Goten replied. "It's just that you have your mother's eyes."

Trunks let a clump of dirt fall onto his pants, completely forgetting it and not minding the stains. "So you are Gohan's brother."

Goten nodded. "Guilty as charged. Gohan invited me and my Mom to take a tour around Capsule Corps, so I already met Bulma. Like I said, you have her eyes, so it wasn't that hard to recognize you."

Trunks sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Better than nothing, I suppose." He patted the dirt from his jeans. "Are you a brainiac like your brother or what?"

Goten laughed and shook his head. "Far from it. I couldn't figure out two plus two with a calculator. Gohan's the smart one. I'm the one with the pretty voice and the tender heart."

"Oh thank god," Trunks said. "We've had Gohan over for dinner a few times and it's astounding how much someone can talk about nanotechnology, or whatever him and my mom are working on these days. Is he like that with you too?"

"Not at all," Goten replied. "But our mom weasels it out of him whenever she can. She'll start praising him into the freaking heavens over it too, and he can't handle that. He goes all red in the face and starts mumbling. It's the funniest thing."

"Oh, I have to come and see that one day. Maybe he's not as uptight as I thought he was."

"Sooooooo..." Marron wedged her way back into the conversation. "I heard you moved here from the mountains. Must be big difference to live in such a giant city all of sudden."

Goten pulled his bag in closer and retrieved the mushed up sandwiches that he had abused in his anger earlier that morning. "You can say that again. It's been easier than I thought, though. Gohan helped me and my mom find a great house not too far away from here. It's only ten minutes by bus, so getting to school is easy enough. I have all my stuff unpacked already, so basically all I have to do now is not get lost on the way to the supermarket."

Trunks sniggered, but Marron wasn't done with her questions. What she asked next reminded Goten of his mother, in particular her lack of tact. "Why didn't your dad come with you, though?"

Goten noticed the glare that Trunks sent her way and it actually made him laugh. Sure, the answer to her question was anything but funny, but he couldn't help but appreciate the strange symbioses between the two. With a bit of luck he could at the very least be their third wheel.

"No, he didn't," Goten said, his smile faltering a bit. "Dad passed away two and a half years ago."

"Oh my god, Goten, I'm so sorry," Marron jumped up, waving her hands frantically, the expression on her face ridden with guilt. "I didn't know, I.. sorry."

"It's alright," Goten said, his smile returning to him. "There was no way for you to know. Besides, I've learned to live with it by now, so it's not that big of a deal anymore."

"Better get used to her asking questions out of the blue like that," Trunks chipped in. He retrieved a packet of cigarettes and lit one, filling the air with a scent that made Goten want to retch. Upon seeing him crinkle his nose, Trunks mouthed a silent apology, followed by a question of his own. "What did he die of, if you don't mind me asking."

Goten could not resist. Even his father's passing couldn't overshadow the glory of this opportunity. He steeled his face, his eyebrows pressing down into a frown he didn't even know he had in him. And just when Trunks gave him a quizzical look, he stared him dead in the eye and replied "Lung cancer."

Trunks's eyes about tripled in size, wandering towards the death stick between his fingers and back to Goten. Marron just kept silent, regarding the whole exchange with something that resembled curiosity.

"A-Are you serious?" Trunks asked, every shred of zen gone from his voice.

Goten laughed so hard that he felt he might tear something. "Yeah, I am. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to scare you shitless is all."

Trunks breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god, for a minute I thought you were trying to jinx me."

"Who says he isn't," Marron said in a teasing manner. :"Anyway, Goten, let's move away from the depressing talk. So you play guitar, huh. Jasper is gonna love hearing that. I bet the two of you will get along just great."

"Jasper?" Goten questioned.

"Yeah, he's in 3B," Trunks answered. "Although you'll probably be in the same music class as him. He's a drummer and he's been raving about you coming here for a while now. Don't think too much of it, but he might try to hit on you."

"He's been nagging our heads off about getting himself a guitarist boyfriend," Marron explained.

This made Goten smirk. "Thanks for the heads up, I'll make sure I won't let him get too close, or else I'll mace him."

The three of them laughed in unison.

Lunch came to an end for too soon for Goten's liking. He sent a silent thank you to up above that he was in the same class as Trunks was. It was surprising how easy it had been to get a conversation going with the guy, and he hoped that there were plenty more to come. And he was pining for Friday to come around the bend already, because damn it, he wanted to let Banshee sing the blues like she never had before.

The first week of school went by pretty damn fast in hindsight. After the fatigue of the first day had passed the rest of them flew by before Goten could even blink. Not that he minded, because that meant that Friday afternoon was there even faster.

So at noon he collected his things a little earlier than normal, saying his quick goodbye to Marron and Trunks. He had spent every lunch break so far with the duo and he had enjoyed every minute of them. He would sit next to Trunks during classes as well, or otherwise next to Neve. He was actually making friends.

The teachers seemed to like him as well. Much to his luck he had gotten a creative writing assignment during his first English class. His teacher, Ms. Erickson, had been blown away by his hand-in. He had received full marks for his first graded task, which made him glow with pride. Sure enough, there was also that particular one who seemed to despise him from the minute he had first laid eyes on Goten. Mr. Verma was of the older generation of instructors. Goten, who was not yet fully familiar with the school's layout, had been tardy for about thirty seconds. Verma had still let him in, but had spent the rest of the hour making snide remarks under his breath. This had led Goten to believe that the man had a fifty foot stick up his ass.

He had no trouble finding the music room. This because he had sought it out several times before, even if only to gaze in through the window next to the door. The place was littered with every piece of musical equipment that Goten could possibly dream of. Amps, drum kits, keyboards. A whole arsenal of guitars, but none of them as pretty as Banshee, of course.

He had brought his girl along to school today, cause he'd be damned if he didn't give her any chance to shine. It had been a while since he had transported her -the moving of houses aside- and the weight of her on his shoulders was like greeting an old friend.

Goten was early to class by a rather wide margin. It would still be at least another twenty minutes before class would start, but he couldn't contain his excitement. Much to his surprise he found the door to be open. It seemed kind of irresponsible to leave this much expensive gear unguarded, but he forgot all about that when he walked inside. Seeing everything around him took his breath away.

He glanced around for a bit, seeking out the perfect amplifier to hook his baby up. He spotted it in the corner of the room, tucked away behind so much more equipment. He'd call it blasphemy, had there been anyone around to hear it.

It was a Fender Bassman. He had read about them a million times over, and he had even tried one out in the tiny as hell music store at the foot of Mt. Paozu. She was a thing of beauty and she would fit perfectly with Banshee. Yes, he was also calling it a 'she' now, sue him if you didn't like it. The Fender was originally intended as an amplifier for bass guitars, but many players around the globe had adopted it due to the delightful and warm sound that it produced. One should never, ever try to play anything but the blues on a Bassman. Anything else was sacrilegious.

Banshee let out a deep hum when he plugged her into the Bassman. Hearing it made him heart soar like it hadn't done in years. Hang on, Darling, he thought, prepare yourself for the ultimate thrill.

Slowly, he began to strum her chords. The sound that erupted from the Fender was like a musical orgasm. God, this was amazing. Before he knew it he was picking up the pace, his hand gliding up and down Banshee's neck like they were lovers that had been apart for a year. She sang beautifully. Her song was so much more uplifting that it had been in a long while too. No more cries of solitude, but instead an anthem of better days to come.

As always he had no particular recollection of how long he had been playing her. He only came to when a voice behind him dragged him back to reality.

"Holy crap, you're amazing."

Goten whirled around and saw a boy standing only a few feet away from him. In seconds he felt the blood rushing to his cheeks at the compliment. The boy was watching him with minty green eyes, a tumble of rust-coloured hair falling into his face. He brushed the curls aside and made Goten grow even redder.

"T-Thanks," Goten muttered, plucking a lone string and letting the sound bounce through the room. "I try."

The boy laughed and walked up to him. "I don't think you are, and you have no idea how jealous that makes me."

"Okay, how did you know?" Goten asked, a smirk curling his lips.

"Simple," came the reply. "If you can play like that with your eyes closed, I can't imagine what you'll pull off with them open."

"Fine, fine, busted," Goten laughed. "But still, I don't think I'm all that fantastic, seriously. Maybe it's just a musician thing."

"It definitely is," the boy agreed. "I can't tell you how many times I cursed myself out 'cause my timing is off, while everyone keeps telling me that I'm as tight as can be."

"A drummer, huh?" Goten lifted an eyebrow. "I guess that makes you Jasper."

"Damn straight," Jasper replied. "And I take it that you're Goten."

"Right on the money."

"Nice to meet you," Jasper said, shaking Goten's hand. His eyes lingered on Banshee for a while. "I was already hoping you would play the blues. Nowadays everyone want to play simple three-chord pop rock. It's kind of sad."

"Not me," Goten answered. "I'd rather be found dead than play anything that simple."

"Good to hear, great even," Jasper told him. "Say, do you want to try out for my band sometime? We need another guitarist and I'm pretty sure you're overqualified."

"Overqualified?" Goten began to laugh. "Well why the hell not, I always wanted to play in a band anyways. When can I audition?"

"To be honest I don't think you have to anymore, but I suppose that the guys in the band need some convincing too. They tend to not believe me so much anymore after when I promised them we'd be opening for the Gaslight Anthem before Christmas. They never forgave me for that."

Goten laughed even more now. "Awesome, you're a fan too, huh? I listen to them almost religiously."

"Oh, totally. National Anthem is my National Anthem."

"Really? You seem more like a Keepsake kind of guy to me."

"I like that one too," Jasper smiled. His eyes fell on Banshee once more. "Amazing piece of equipment you got there," he said, pointing at her. "Is she a Fender?"

"Nope," Goten said. "She's a Gibson in heart and soul."

"She sounds more like a Fender."

"I know," Goten said, chuckling. "But that's the amp talking."

Jasper rolled a pair of glorious green eyes. "Just take the compliment already."

"Ugh, fine," Goten said, feigning annoyance.

Jasper kept silent for a second or two, then asked something that scared the hell out of Goten.

"Would you mind if I played her for a bit?"

If Banshee hadn't been strapped across his shoulder, Goten would've dropped her straight to the ground. Jasper picked up on this. "I guess that's a 'no'," he said. "I get it, though, our instruments are our children after all."

Goten let out a little sigh and then smiled. "No, it's not that. I'm just surprised that you know it's a she."

Jasper shrugged. "She looks like a she, and she sure wails like one."

That had Goten laughing so hard that he almost doubled over. "Well you're not wrong."

"So does that mean I can fiddle with her strings?" Jasper gave him the puppy dog eyes. "Pretty please?"

Dammit, this guy was cute. He suddenly recalled Trunks's comment about how Jasper might try to flirt with him. Goten wasn't getting any vibes like that, but hell, Jasper knew how to convince a guy.

"Okay, why not," Goten eventually answered. "But be really, really careful, because if you hurt her I will sodomize you with the nearest drumstick I can find."

Jasper sniggered and took Banshee from his hands. He slipped her strap over his shoulder and accepted the guitar pick that Goten handed to him. He stood there for a while, as if he wasn't sure what he was doing, and then let the pick slide over the strings. Never in her life had Banshee sounded so horrible.

Jasper must've seen him scrunch his nose. " Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I can't play guitar for shit," he said, laughing at his own expense.

"You sure as hell can't," Goten said, an amused smile playing his lips.

"Maybe you can help me."

Goten had to blink twice at that. "Pardon?"

"I was asking you to help me," Jasper repeated. "If you could just show me how to properly pick a chord or something, you would be a great help."

"O...kay," Goten said, not really sure how to react. "Well If you want to play a D-chord, just put your index finger... there," he explained, pointing to the correct place. "And then your middle finger goes there, and your ring finger over there."

Jasper did as he was told, but failed miserably. When he gave Banshee another strum she sounded like she was being choked. Goten couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, try again," he said. "You're getting there."

"See, this is why I asked you to help. I suck at this. I'm much better off as a drummer." Jasper clacked his tongue, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I don't suppose you can help me set my hand in the right position?"

Goten wasn't sure if Jasper had heard, but in his own mind the sound that left his throat resembled that of a beached whale. Oh sweet lord, this boy was flirting with him. And Goten was letting him do it. Even more so, he was encouraging it. And, if he was being honest, he was enjoying it as well.

"Y-Yeah, sure," Goten stepped in behind Jasper, their shoulders bumping together as he slid his hand along Banshee's neck. He was a little hesitant to touch Jasper's, but after a few seconds he raked up the courage and did it anyway, praying to whatever was above that Jasper wouldn't make half a turn and see the colour of his face. Never had he been such a brilliant shade of red. Shit, this guy was gorgeous, from the little freckles in his neck to the flowery scent of his hair.

Goten gave a sharp but silent exhale. "See, you just take your hand and curve it against her neck like this, with your palm a little bit cupped." He guided the warm hand a little farther up the guitar's neck. "Then you take your fingers and you make sure that they're on the strings in a ninety degree angle. If you don't she'll sound like she's being strangled."

"Okay, so like this?"

Goten nodded. "Uh-huh. Now, yes, like that. And then you can strum. Try it."

Jasper let the pick glide over her strings for the third time, ands that was the charm. While it was still a long way from playing the actual blues, the first step had been taken.

"Fucking awesome!" Jasper laughed out loud. "Thanks a lot, dude! Now all I need to do is practice for a hundred years more, and then I'll be as good as you!" He startled the life out of Goten by turning around and dragging him into a crushing hug.

Goten was spending an abnormal amount of time thanking deities today, because they were responsible for Jasper missing his cheeks shifting tones. He ran about a million defense mechanisms through his head, finding that humour would be the best way to deal with his embarrassment.

"Keep on dreaming, kiddo," he said, making Jasper laugh even harder.

Jasper released the hug and stepped backwards. "Say, I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick. Class should start any minute now, so maybe you best find a spot. It's a pretty crowded class." And with that he marched off, leaving Goten with some room to fan the heat away.

Fucking hell. He was only at school for a week and he had already developed a crush. Great, just great. The mere idea terrified him. Not because he was scared of admitting to his feelings. The butterflies in his stomach were a dead giveaway in that regard. Nor was it that he feared his feelings not being reciprocated, because he'd eat his shoe if Jasper hadn't been flirting with him just now.

No, if there was one thing that made him fear for his precious life, it was that he would have to tell his mother that he wouldn't be supplying her with any grandchildren. The thought alone was enough to weaken his bladder.

Chi-Chi Son was one hell of a scary woman, especially when she was denied something. Maybe he should hide Banshee away for a little while, or else Jasper wouldn't be the only one to be receive a threat of musical sodomy.