A/N This is a two-part party chapter, and I wasn't going to make anyone stick in the muds lol Everyone is drinking and enjoying themselves. Everyone's a little OOC due to intoxication lmao obviously that will be rendered in the next upcoming chapters. Happy Reading :)

Routines started to form over the course of the month, and friendships began to build. The newness of attending university started to wear off, and soon things fell into a casual and comfortable pattern. Gardening Club on Mondays, Martial Arts Club on Fridays, and the Worship Center on Sundays.

Dende worried less over the mysterious girl Gohan met in his Martial Arts Club and instead focused on doing his part in the Gardening Club. He enjoyed coming to the greenhouse in the mornings to turn on the irrigation system, and watering the specific plants and flowers that had their own watering routine. Strangely enough, Angela also took the morning watering shift, so he was never alone. Their conversation was minimal, but cordial. A good morning, a few exchanges of pleasantries, and a farewell after the watering was completed.

Gohan found himself getting closer to Videl and her friends. He had biology class with her on Mondays and Wednesdays, and he'd see her Friday in Martial Arts Club. Their friend group felt complete with Gohan, not to mention that their study group was way more efficient with him as well. They always ate lunch after class, and hung out after Martial Arts Club. Gohan enjoyed everyone's company, but enjoyed Videl's company the most.

"Remember dues for the club are due next week! It's 3,000 zeni in total. I know it's a lot for dues, but it's for the entire school year, and includes weighted training clothes, the club shirt, a training bag, and your very own gi! Great job today everyone! See you next Friday, have a safe weekend!"

After Yamcha's announcement, Gohan and Sahir started to collect their things. "Have you paid your club dues yet?" Gohan asked his roommate.

Sahir shook his head. "Not yet, I'm saving up for them. 3,000 zeni is too much to ask my father for at one time, so I've been saving the allowance he sends me."

"Oh, that was pretty smart." Gohan said. "Better than me putting off the phone call to my mom and asking her for it all at once." He said before laughing nervously. He was sure it wouldn't be a problem getting the money, he just knew that his mother would prefer him spending money on education related things like books and other school supplies.

Sahir slung his backpack on his back. "You should call sooner than later, it will only be worse the longer you wait."

"I know," Gohan said, slipping on his backpack as well. "Maybe I should call my Grandpa Ox instead, he wouldn't yell at me."

"Who's yelling at you?"

Gohan turned around to the questioning voice, finding Videl standing behind him with her things in hand, ready to leave for lunch with Erasa and Sharpner. "Hey Videl, we were just talking about dues for the club."

"Oh, the dues? I already paid mine last week with my allowance. You two should really pay them before it's too late." Videl said, giving them an expectant look.

"Man, I really should have thought about saving my allowance for dues." Gohan thought aloud, trying to remember what he even spent his last allowance on. Perhaps on all the snacks he got for their study group.

"Yeah, instead of spending it on snacks for the study group." Videl teased with a smirk. "But, I didn't have to save anything, it was already a part of my allowance."

"Your allowance is 3,000 zeni?" Sahir asked curiously.

"It's a little more than that, but pretty much." She said with a shrug.

Sahir replied with a wry sigh. "Everyday I am reminded of my financial struggles as a desert village boy."

Gohan gave a supportive hand to his roommate's shoulder. "Don't worry Sahir, hard work pays off, and you always work hard. You'll see the fruits of your labor one day."

Sahir looked over at his roommate, his wry smile changing into a smile of relief. "Your words are always so motivating, yet comforting. Maybe you should be a counselor instead of an orthopedist."

Gohan chuckled at his words. "You think so?"

Sahir shrugged. "You seem good at helping people. I'm sure someone would love you as a life coach."

"Hm, a life coach. I never thought of that." Gohan said, pondering the thought.

"Um, I hate to break up your bromance, or whatever, but I've got to meet Erasa and Sharpner at the dining hall." Videl spoke up before they could continue their conversation. "Gohan, were you coming to the dining hall with me?"

Gohan scratched his head nervously. "Well I kinda have to make an important phone call, so I'll have to catch up with you guys later. Maybe we can hang out on Saturday?" He suggested.

"Or you could come to the party that everyone's going to tonight and we can meet up there?" Videl asked, a bit of hopefulness in her voice.

"A party? What kind of party?"

"It's a bonfire tonight, off-campus. It's not far, so everyone's going. You two should go too."

Gohan hummed in thought. "I don't know Videl," He started. Gohan didn't really have a reason to not go, other than he's never been to a party outside of family and friends. Besides, weren't college parties wild and rambunctious? He didn't feel like he had a place in spaces like that. He would probably be better off if he didn't go.

"It sounds fun, we'll go."

Gohan turned around, surprised by his roommate's answer. Before he could correct or reply, Videl spoke.

"Great! It's past that park by the University Center. Keep walking past the park until you see the bonfire. If you get lost just find a crowd to walk with, they'll be heading the same way."

Sahir nodded at her words. "Seems easy enough, we'll find you when we get there."

"Okay," She said before looking at Gohan and smirking slightly. "I can't wait to see you tonight. See you later." With that, she turned to leave.

Gohan turned back around to his roommate once Videl was gone, a slight blush on his face. "Sahir—"

"You weren't going to say yes, and it seemed like she really wanted you to go. The least you could have done was not disappoint her."

Gohan sighed. "But parties aren't really my thing. We could have just hung out on Saturday in a quieter setting."

"I don't like parties either, but if a girl as pretty as Videl wants you to go to a party, you go to the party, Gohan." Sahir started walking to the door to head back to their dorm room. "Besides, you've been friends with her for over a month now. You spend half the week with her, you eat lunch with her friends, and now she wants to see you at a party. It's an opportunity you shouldn't miss."

Gohan walked alongside his roommate. "I get what you're saying, but I don't want to rush anything. Right now I'm just watching how things play out. I want it to be an opportunity that I feel comfortable taking."

Sahir pushed up his glasses, looking back at his roommate. "Opportunities given, aren't meant to be comfortable." With that he pushed the door open to leave.

Gohan thought about his roommate's words. For the past month he had been figuring out how to get closer to Videl, and while it happened naturally on its own, he had been waiting for an opportunity to make a move. He's never had a girlfriend before, but Videl was strong, confident, and smart. He always found himself stealing glances at her, and wondered if she ever knew about them. He looked forward to biology, and Martial Arts Club just to see her.

If he didn't make a move soon, someone else would.

Dende sat quietly in his dorm room, re-reading the last story in the Book of Kami, the story of the next guardian. He didn't have much else to do, his homework had been done already for the week, and he studied enough material to do well on his upcoming tests, so he'd spend his Friday quietly reading his favorite story from his favorite book.

The next guardian to replace Kami will be a prophet amongst his people. As his origin comes from the green planet with three suns, he will have already proved himself worthy of guardianship.

His story begins as early as Kami's, as he is among the last few children birthed by the elder guardian of the green planet. He shows mental strength and emotional intelligence when he loses his family and village to the hands of Lord Wintry and the Wintry Force. When he is allied by the warriors from Earth One and Bongo, he guides them to the elder guardian of the green planet for his assistance.

As the prophet watches the fate of the green planet rest in the hands of foreign warriors, his concern for the planet reaches the heart of the elder guardian. The elder commends the prophet for his bravery, and rewards him by unlocking his potential.

The elder guardian will unlock the power to heal for the prophet, an ancient and rare power among their people.

It is when the Prophet's potential is unlocked, he feels whole, new, and complete.

As the battle presses on, and the elder guardian fades, he sends the prophet off with one last task: summon the eternal dragon, and aid the Earth warriors on the battlefield by healing their wounds as they fight.

With potential unlocked, and new confidence gained, the prophet flies off, ready to help in support of the Earth warriors, desperate to save his home planet.

Dende was pulled away from his reading when he heard the door open and his roommate come inside. He smiled politely at his roommate. "Hi Chiaotzu, how was class?"

Chiaotzu slid off his backpack, hanging it on the back of his desk chair. "Boring like always. I'm just glad they're over so I can enjoy the weekend."

Dende looked back to his book to continue his reading. "Are you visiting Mifan this weekend?" He asked curiously, wondering why his roommate was so eager to enjoy the weekend.

"No, but I had something in mind for us to do, and you can't say 'no.'"

"...What is it?"

Chiaotzu clasped his hands together excitedly. "Well since you asked, I was hoping you and I could go to this party tonight that's off-campus. It's a bonfire, everyone's going to be there, including me, so you have to come."

"Absolutely not."

"I said you can't say 'no.'"

"I didn't. I said 'absolutely not.'"

Chiaotzu crossed his arms with a frown. "You're not doing anything. There's no reason for you to not go."

"I think my preference of not wanting to go should be enough reason." Dende closed his book and turned to his roommate. "Just because I don't want to go, doesn't mean you shouldn't Chiaotzu. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, you should still go."

Chiaotzu looked at his roommate with disbelief. "So you're gonna let me go by myself?"

"Tien can take you."

"Tien isn't my roommate! I want to go withyou, Dende!"

Dende studied his roommate. It was nice for Chiaotzu to invite him out, but a party seemed overstimulating. The music, the crowd…the very thought of it made him anxious. "Do I really have to go? Parties are something I'm not very fond of."

"Everyone's going Dende, of course you have to come. I'm sure Gohan will be there too."

Dende looked at Chiaotzu doubtfully. "Gohan going to the party sounds too far-fetched."

Chiaotzu shrugged. "It's not if that mystery girl convinced him to go. And if she's going, then you'd have a chance to meet her."

He hadn't even considered that. Seeing Gohan at the party would make him feel less out of place, and meeting the mystery girl would put his insecure thoughts to rest (hopefully). With a small sigh, he finally spoke. "Fine, I'll go to the party with you tonight."

Chiaotzu cheered excitedly. "It's gonna be so much fun, Dende! I have to find something to wear. I was thinking of my corduroys with a silk shirt. Is that too try-hard? Maybe I could wear satin instead." He thought aloud before shaking his head. "Ugh, what am I saying? We should find an outfit for you to wear Dende. The altar robe won't cut it tonight at the party, unless you have an all black satin robe. Then we could match."

Dende scoffed. "I'm not wasting my black satin robe on a party. I have something to wear. You don't have to worry."

Videl tightened the hair bobble in one of her ponytails. "Should I do something else with my hair? The ponytails are a signature look, but I wear them all the time." She said looking in the mirror.

"Well you could always cut it like mine."

"Very funny."

Erasa shrugged as she pulled up her green tube top. "Short hair is manageable, you just brush and go." She turned to her roommate, pushing back the flyaway hairs at the top of her head. "But your ponytails are always cute on you Vi. They go with every outfit." She said observing her red tube top dress.

Videl looked at herself in the mirror again. "This isn't too try-hard is it? I figured wearing a jacket and my canvases would make it look more casual."

"Videl, you look hot, stop worrying."

Videl replied with a sigh. "This is stupid. Why am I even trying this hard? Is it even worth it?" She asked herself in the mirror.

Erasa shuffled through her makeup bag, pulling out a tube of lipgloss. "Of course it's worth it Videl. Gohan is really sweet and nice, I see why you like him." She spoke as she applied the light pink gloss. "Tonight's party is nothing but opportunities. Take all of them if you have to." She passed the lipgloss to Videl.

Videl took the lipgloss and started to apply it to her lips. "I want to take any opportunity possible but…what if his friend is there?"

"What friend? Dende?"

"Yeah, Dende. He's the one he hangs out with every Sunday. Gohan talks about him a lot, so he must be important to him." Videl couldn't admit how jealous it made her whenever he talked about Dende. It was strange. There was no reason to be jealous over another boy, they were obviously just friends. But at the same time, the feeling of a threat and competition loomed over her. She gave her roommate's lip gloss back. "You think he mentions me to Dende?"

Erasa took back her lip gloss, and slipped it in her jacket pocket. "I'm sure he does Videl. Gohan sees you all the time. He had to have mentioned you in conversation with him. Besides, what are really the odds that Dende comes to the party? He may not even show up."

Videl crossed her arms. "Shouldn't you be able to tell me if I have a roadblock or hindrance in my life? What kind of fortune teller are you?"

Erasa laughed at her roommate's frustration. "Actually, I haven't read into this night at all. No cards, horoscope, magic 8 ball, nothing. I want to be surprised by how the night goes."

Videl was surprised by her reply. "Really? I thought you liked being the 'all-knowing' with your third eye and stuff."

Erasa smoothed out her long brown bohemian patterned skirt. "I do. But since I'm going in blind, I won't be going sober. I'm tripping with Sharpner tonight." She spoke with a grin.

"Tripping? Tripping on what?"

"Magic mushrooms. You want some?" She asked excitedly.

"No."

Erasa rolled her eyes. "Don't be so lame Vi."

Videl smirked. "I'm just passing on the mushrooms, I'm not passing on any drinks though."

Erasa grinned. "Well we're wasting our pre-gaming time standing here. Come on, Sharpner's waiting for us."

Sahir ran his hands through his short wavy hair, watching it fall back into place exactly the way it was before. So much for doing something different with his hair. Then again, he couldn't complain too much. At least his hair was manageable, and he wasn't bald like his father. He turned to his roommate in the room. "I'm ready whenever you are, Gohan."

Gohan slipped on his jacket before replying. "Alright, I'm ready to go."

Sahir smiled slightly at Gohan's outfit. "The jacket is a nice touch. I've never seen you in a letterman, you kinda look like a jock." He said with a laugh.

"Really? You like it?" He asked, modeling in the orange and black letterman jacket. "It's my dad's jacket. I've probably only seen him wear it once, so he thought I'd make some use out of it." Perhaps he could give it to Videl if she got cold. He's seen boys do that in movies. "You look nice too Sahir. You clean up well." He said observing his gold colored kurta.

Sahir smiled more at his compliment. "Thank you. Unfortunately my father isn't this stylish. He wouldn't step foot outside the house without his tunic and turban." He said with a chuckle.

Gohan shook his head. "That sounds like my dad. He only wears his gi, and training clothes. Even when he's not training he's wearing them. The only time he doesn't wear them is Sundays." He pulled open the door to their dorm.

Sahir followed behind to turn off the lights in the room and close the door. "I may not like parties, but I'm looking forward to tonight. I'm sure we'll enjoy it." He spoke as they began their journey to their destination.

"I hope so too." Gohan spoke. Though some of his nerves subsided he was still worried about how the night would go.

"You shouldn't worry too much, brother. You look nice, I'm sure Videl won't be the only girl that wants to talk to you tonight."

Gohan put his hands in his jacket pocket. "I barely know how to talk to Videl. The thought of more girls talking to me makes me even more nervous."

"You spend hours talking to Dende on Sundays, it shouldn't be too different. Besides, a couple of pickup lines can go a long way."

"Pickup lines?"

"You know, ice breakers. They help relieve the tension and awkwardness in conversation." Sahir explained. "Since I have a foreign name it's common for people to ask what it means."

"Really? What does your name mean?"

"It means 'awake' so I know how to keep a woman up." Sahir spoke with a smirk, and a slight tilt in his glasses.

Gohan gave a nod of approval, impressed that his roommate could come up with such a seductive line. "That's pretty smooth. Has it worked before?"

"Well, I, ah- I haven't tried it on a girl before," he stammered nervously. "I've just practiced in the mirror, but surely it has to work once, right?"

Dende hadn't been sure where they were going, but Chiaotzu claimed he knew the way. Then again, the small groups of students heading in the same direction as them answered his questions. Dende still hadn't been thrilled about attending tonight's party, (as the dark sky above him was already starting to make him anxious) but Chiaotzu wanted him to at least have the experience, which seemed reasonable. Not to mention the possibility of Gohan coming to the party as well, which had been his main motivation in attending. As they began to pass the dimly lit park, his roommate spoke.

"Okay, so let's review. If I hand you a drink, what do you do?"

"I drink it."

"You drink it without question, Dende. The 'without question' is important. Now, if someone you don't know hands you a drink, what do you do?"

"I don't drink it."

"Why?"

"Because they're trying to drug and kidnap me." Dende replied before thinking for a moment. "Isn't that a little extreme though? What if they're just being nice?"

Chiaotzu gave an exasperated sigh. "Dende, your 'nice' and everyone else's 'nice' is different. Very different. You are nice because you have one of the purest souls I know, everyone else is nice because they're trying to get ahead or have an advantage over someone. Not everyone's intentions are pure, you know."

"I suppose you're right. Luckily the people I've met so far have pure intentions." He said as they continued to walk. "Is there anything else we have to review?"

Chiaotzu thought for a moment. "Tell me if you're going somewhere, don't go anywhere alone, and if someone is kidnapping you, scream really loud so I know to come and save you."

"Why are you so convinced I'll be kidnapped? Is it because of Ran-Ran?"

"No, it is not because of Ran-Ran," Chiaotzu snapped. "I just have concerns about loved ones being kidnapped, okay?"

Dende smiled slightly. "I didn't know you cared about me so much."

"It's really not a big deal, so please don't make it a big deal."

Before he could reply, Dende had been distracted by a faint glow and soft music in the distance. "Is that where we're going? I'm sure the music is coming from that direction."

"You can hear music already? Man, those ears are not for show."

…

The bonfire party was held in a large clearing surrounded by trees. Music rang out across the clearing for all contenders to hear, and a large, controlled fire burned brightly in the center of the field. University students walked around, conversing with one another. Others sat near the fire, drinking the beverages available in coolers, or the mixed cocktail drink in drink dispensers. Some students sat off aways from the fire, laying out on blankets or relaxing in lounge chairs. Party games such as corn hole and cup pong sat off to the side along the trees for students to play.

Gohan and Sahir stood next to one of the dozen coolers. While Gohan had been looking out for Videl and her friends, Sahir had been observing a girl who was grabbing a drink.

She nervously shook her hand, trying to prepare herself for the cold plunge she had to take to grab another drink.

"Here, let me grab it for you. I know it's pretty cold." Sahir said, and reached down in the cold, icy cooler to grab a wine cooler for the waiting lady.

The girl took the drink with a small smile. "Thanks. My hand was freezing just thinking about going in that cooler." She spoke with a small laugh.

"It's not a problem. Do you need another one? Maybe a beer for your boyfriend?" He asked curiously.

The girl shook her head. "No, just one is fine. No boyfriend, so no beer." She said with a shrug. "But thanks again…ah, sorry I didn't get your name."

"It's Sahir, and this is my roommate Gohan." He said pointing over to Gohan, who still hadn't been paying attention to their conversation.

"Oh, Sahir? I've never heard a name like that before. Do you know what it means?"

"Well, in my village it means 'awake,' so I know how to keep a woman up."

The girl let out a giggle. "How cute. Have a good night Sahir, thanks for the drink." With that she dismissed herself from the cooler.

Sahir sighed in defeat after watching her walk away. "It's never going to work."

Gohan glanced over at his roommate, hearing his lament. "It didn't work again, huh?"

"That was the third girl. I don't get it. Is it me? Am I the problem?" He asked his roommate.

"No way, it couldn't be you. You're a great catch Sahir, you just have to find the right girl to use the line on." Gohan spoke, patting his roommate's back in support.

Sahir shook his head. "We have to test the theory. The next girl that comes over, you be my wingman and use the line. Then we shall see."

Gohan shook his head with a laugh. "I'm sure using your line won't change anything, but if you want to see, I'll be your wingman for the next girl."

As if on cue, another girl came up to the cooler about to reach for another drink before stopping when she noticed the roommates. "Oh sorry, were you guys grabbing a drink first? You can go before me."

"Ladies first, of course." Gohan said to her with a smile.

With a nod and a smile of her own, the girl grabbed two wine coolers out the icy cooler. "Thanks. Are you guys enjoying the party?"

"Yeah, it's alright." Gohan said, nodding. "How about you? Are you enjoying yourself as well?"

She nodded as well. "Yeah, this is the biggest party I've been to so far."

"Oh, us too." Gohan agreed. "Well, we don't want to keep you from your friends, so we hope you have a safe night." With that, Gohan gave her another smile and polite wave.

The girl waved them off. "It's fine, they can wait." She said with a small laugh. "What are you and your friend's names?"

"Oh, well this is my roommate Sahir." Gohan introduced as Sahir gave a smile and nod to his introduction.

"Sahir? That's different." The girl said, turning her attention to his roommate for a moment.

"Sure is. In his village, it means 'awake,' so he knows how to keep a woman up." Gohan said with a wink.

"Oh really?" She asked before turning her attention back to Gohan. "And what about you? I didn't get your name yet." She asked, taking a step closer to him.

"Me?" He asked, pointing to himself innocently. "My name is Gohan, nice to meet you." He said holding his hand out for her to shake.

"Gohan? That's a cute name—"

"Yes, but unfortunately, he's already accounted for. Have a good night." With that Sahir took his roommate by the arm and started dragging him away. Gohan gave an innocent wave goodbye before walking off with his roommate.

"See? I told you it wasn't the line." Gohan spoke as they walked.

"Which just confirms that it's me. I'm the problem." Sahir admitted to himself before shaking his head. "And of course, making you my wingman made it worse."

Gohan frowned. "What? How?"

Sahir looked back at his roommate with slight disdain before sighing. "I can't be mad at you. Your natural charm and charisma is astounding. It must be nice to be God's favorite."

…

Dende turned his head away from his roommate to release a soft sneeze. "Ah, excuse me." He spoke, shivering slightly at the action before pulling his handkerchief out of his pants pocket.

"Bless you. You're not catching a cold are you?" Chiaotzu asked.

"I'm fine, I just got a chill is all." He spoke, wiping his nose. He tucked the handkerchief away and turned back to his roommate. "If I get too cold I can stand by the fire."

"Well I'm glad you're not feeling sick, you still have more drinks to try." Chiaotzu offered Dende a wine cooler.

Dende frowned. "I didn't like the first drink you offered, how can I be so sure that I'll like this one?"

"The first drink was a beer, and honestly, I don't know why I made you try it. I'm sorry. The reaction was kind of funny though." He said before twisting off the top of his own wine cooler. "But these drinks are made from fruit so they taste better."

Dende hesitantly took the glass bottle from his roommate, looking at the image on the beverage. "Hmm, it's watermelon flavored. My favorite fruit." He said with a small smile.

"Really?"

Dende nodded as he twisted off the top of his own drink. "On the rare occasion I actually eat something, I usually eat things high in water content. Diced watermelon and cucumbers are my favorite snack." He spoke before taking a drink of the wine cooler.

"You eat watermelon and cucumbers together? You're so weird Dende." Chiaotzu said with a laugh. "But it kinda fits you I guess. I could see you eating that." He spoke before taking a drink of his own wine cooler.

The fruity flavor of the malt drink was enough for Dende to enjoy. He nodded in approval. "This is way better than the first drink. We should just drink these."

Chiaotzu smirked. "I agree Dende."

Dende took another sip of his drink. "Do you usually have parties in Mifan?"

Chiaotzu shrugged. "Occasionally. They're big like this, but they're normally in giant ballrooms, and people are dressed super nice, and waiters serve you drinks and hors d'oeuvres on platters."

"Sounds classy."

Chiaotzu took a sip of his drink. "Very, but they're pretty boring. I'm already having more fun here than I ever have at one of those parties."

Dende smiled at that. "It's not too bad so far. The music isn't as loud as I thought it would be, and it's calmer than I thought." Even the bright glow of the bonfire brought Dende comfort in the dark evening. He had to admit, he would think that even Gohan would come to a party like this. The thought further excited him to find his said friend. He could almost feel that he was here.

"The night is young, there's plenty of time before it gets wild." Chiaotzu looked up at his roommate. "But in the meantime, let's toast to a good night." He said and raised his glass bottle up.

Dende nodded. "To a good night, may we have fun, and not get kidnapped." With that, he leaned his bottle down, softly clinked it to his roommate's bottle, and together, they drank to a good night.