A/N This chapter continues the party, in which everyone crosses paths to meet. This chapter is VERY long, but a decent read. Happy reading :)

The party was big, but it couldn't be that big.

While Videl was enjoying herself, she was expecting to see Gohan by now. They already arrived late on account of their pre-gaming back in Sharpner's dorm. Videl was already tipsy by the time they arrived, and Sharpner and Erasa had been blissfully relaxed as their magic mushrooms took full effect. "You think Gohan's here yet? We've already been here an hour."

"I don't expect Gohan to be the fashionably late type, I'm sure got here before us." Sharpener spoke, relaxing against a tree.

"Yeah I'm sure he's here. We haven't walked around a lot." Erasa said as she stargazed on their shared blanket.

"If you want something to do instead of wait around, I can kick both of your asses in cup pong again." Sharpner said with a laugh.

Videl rolled her eyes. "I'm better off playing by myself, I made all the shots."

"It's not my fault! The cups were kinda…floating." Erasa admitted.

"My cups were floating too, and I still kicked your ass."

"Well if I'm not redeeming myself in cup pong with Sharpner, then we should at least walk around to find Gohan and his roommate." Videl pulled herself up, and dusted herself off.

Erasa sat up from her stargazing position. "I'll come with you. If his roommate is as cute as Gohan, we could go on a double date." She said with a giggle.

Videl gave her roommate a cryptic look. "Well, he's a little dorky, but he's kinda sweet too."

Erasa smirked. "Sounds just like Gohan."

Videl gave a wry laugh. "Well you're the judge in the looks department."

Sharpner grabbed his backpack on the blanket, and began shuffling through it. "Bring me back another beer, would you ladies? I'll be here until your return."

Erasa gave a wave as they walked off. "Have fun, we'll be back with some friends."

Videl looked over at her roommate. "Wanna get something to drink before we start looking?"

"Vi, you read my mind."

Videl and Erasa went in search of one of the nearest drink dispensers, finding the first one they ran into empty. They searched the next drink dispenser, empty. Another drink dispenser. Empty. After walking half of the party, they hadn't ran into any dispensers with the premade cocktail drink.

"Geez, we're better off just finding some wine coolers." Videl complained.

"But I was hoping to get another cup of that jungle juice. It was strawberry flavored, and we only got one cup." Erasa whined next.

Videl looked around for any more drink dispensers near them. "I know, but Sharpner has plenty to drink in his bag. We can at least find sodas for that."

"Fine, we have to get Sharpner his beer anyways." Erasa said before she felt herself being dragged by her roommate. "Videl! What are you—"

"It's about time we ran into you two."

Gohan grinned at the girl and gave a small chuckle. "Well hey to you too Videl. You look nice." He leaned over and waved. "Hi Erasa, good to see you."

Erasa waved at her friend. "Hi Gohan. Cute jacket."

"Thanks, it's my Dad's." He said, patting it slightly. "Oh, I don't think you've met my roommate yet. Erasa, this is Sahir. Sahir, this is Erasa, Videl's roommate."

Wavy brown hair, smooth brown skin, and hazel colored eyes magnified by his bottle cap shaped glasses. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Back in West City, most boys looked like Gohan, they didn't look like Sahir. Looking at Sahir was like a breath of fresh air. Maybe it was the magic mushrooms that made her feel this way about him, and she wondered if she'd feel the same way about him tomorrow. But for now, she could have sworn she heard sweet chimes ring through her ears, and hoped he heard them too. Erasa quickly put her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Sahir."

Sahir smiled sweetly at Erasa, and took her hand in his. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Erasa." He spoke and raised her hand to his lips, leaving a gentle kiss on her skin.

Gohan and Videl watched the interaction both with equally surprised looks on their faces. "Man, that was way smoother than your normal line." Gohan commented first.

"Yeah, what gives Sahir? You're usually as quiet as a mouse, and now you're some charming, Persian Prince? And Miss Erasa–?"

"Is how I prefer to be addressed by boys,'" Erasa interrupted, not taking her eyes off Sahir. She leaned in close to him, whispering for only him to hear, "Especially in the bedroom."

Sahir felt a chill run down his spine hearing her soft voice whisper to him. Erasa was too beautiful of a girl to really hit on him like this, he almost couldn't believe it was happening. Her sky blue eyes made his heart melt, and he couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand. Perhaps all of his failed attempts at talking to women led up to this moment. Everything happens for a reason. With new found confidence, Sahir smiled coyly at Erasa. "It seems you're in luck. In my village, Sahir means 'awake,' so I know how to keep a woman up."

Erasa giggled. "Have you been using that line on girls? It's pretty cheesy dude."

"Could you teach me a better one? I'm a fast learner."

"Should we catch up with you guys later? Seems like you need some time to yourself." Gohan asked, still amazed at the interaction unfolding.

Erasa and Sahir looked over at the other couple. "What do you mean? I thought we were all hanging out."

Sahir nodded at her words. "Yes, we were just getting to know each other." He spoke smiling at Erasa.

Videl raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Pretty intense way to get to know someone."

Erasa smiled back at Sahir. "I liked it. Really straight to the point."

"Well if you're done 'getting to know each other,' Sharpner's still waiting for us to bring back his beer, so let's stop standing around and get some drinks." Videl said and leaned down in the open cooler to grab the last few remaining beers. She tossed them to Gohan and Sahir, who had caught the cans with ease.

"Oh, there's also something to drink in this dispenser. I don't think there's a lot left so you should help yourselves before it's gone." Sahir said, gesturing to the drink dispenser on the table.

Erasa grinned as she made her way to the table. "Sahir, you're a lifesaver."

…

As the night pressed on, Dende worried less about seeing Gohan at the party and simply enjoyed his time with his roommate. He was surprised at how many students knew Chiaotzu. They were very nice to them, and offered to have drinks, and play party games with them.

Cup pong had been hard to play against each other when Chiaotzu couldn't see over the table, or reach the ping pong balls. However, playing together with Chiaotzu on Dende's shoulders made them unstoppable. After winning so many games together; people stopped offering to play with them, so they continued their night of drinking and dancing by the warm fire.

Chiaotzu sat with his legs crossed in a lounging chair staring into the blazing fire. "You know, for this to be a bonfire, I would have thought someone would bring something to make in the fire. Like marshmallows for s'mores. What a waste." He said with a shake of his head.

Dende looked over at his roommate. "Well why didn't you bring marshmallows? I'm sure you knew you were going to be hungry later." He said, holding back a giggle.

"That's not a job for me, that's a job for someone else." He hopped out of his lawn chair. "I'm sure there's someone around here with marshmallows. Want to help me find them?"

Dende pouted. "I'd rather we find Gohan instead."

Chiaotzu snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right. I knew there was something we had to do. I think we got distracted with all the drinks and games of cup pong."

Dende pulled himself out of his seat, stumbling slightly. After five games of cup pong and six drinks Dende could honestly say he felt differently. He felt lighter, and things looked different. They looked fuzzy, and almost dream-like. Everything made him giggle, and he felt somewhat euphoric. Overall he liked the feeling, it made him enjoy the party more. "Where should we even start looking for Gohan?"

Chiaotzu beckoned his roommate to follow him, looking around. "Well we walked a lot of the party, so maybe he's sitting down somewhere?"

Dende nodded. "We haven't checked away from the fire. Maybe he's out by some of the trees."

"Good call. Let's check."

Gohan and Sahir continued their night with Videl and her friends. Laying out among the stars and having a lot of beers with a few good friends was something that Gohan could enjoy. Videl seemed nicer when she drank, she laughed more. Sharpner and Erasa seemed more relaxed than usual, Gohan could have guessed why.

After watching his roommate fail at picking up girls for most of the night, it was nice to see him finally hit it off with the roommate of the girl he was interested in. He seemed to enjoy the stargazing and quiet conversations he had with Erasa. Gohan was having fun, more fun than before.

But still, he couldn't help but feel as though something was missing.

"Hey, Earth to Gohan."

Gohan blinked and looked back at Videl, who was tugging on his jacket. "Oh sorry, were you saying something?"

"I was just going to ask if you were having fun, but I guess not." Videl said with a roll of her eyes and turned away from him.

Gohan instinctively grabbed her knee to keep her from turning away from him. "Wait, I'm having a great time! Really, don't be mad at me." He pleaded to her.

Videl turned back to him with a giggle. "Gohan, you're so sensitive. I was just kidding. I know you're having a good time, I can just tell when you get stuck in your head." She moved closer to him, sitting up on her knees as she spoke. "What goes on in that head of yours, anyways? Are you thinking about me?" She asked seductively.

Gohan gripped the half empty beer can in his hand slightly, his eyes widening at how close she was. He could faintly smell her strawberry scented lip gloss, or maybe that was the strawberry flavored cocktail she had been drinking. "Well, um, I-I think about a lot of stuff, but I think about you sometimes." Gohan stuttered. He could tell that the cans of beers he already had were starting to catch up to him. He felt more confident talking to Videl after drinking a few, but now that she was talking to him, words failed him and his mind felt frozen.

Alcohol was a strange thing. Just hours ago, Videl was struggling to believe that dressing like this was worth the effort. Now she felt like the sexiest girl at the party with Gohan's attention. This was what she waited for. This was her opportunity. All she needed to do was have Gohan wrapped around her finger, and with her new found confidence, she believed she could.

Videl would make Son Gohan hers by the end of the night.

With her new goal in mind, Videl placed a hand on his leg. "You only think about me sometimes?" She asked, her hand traveling up his thigh. "Well, what do you think about me?"

Gohan felt his skin tingle as he felt Videl's hands on him. She was getting so close to him, and he needed to be just as close to her. With his free hand, he hesitantly reached up to plant it firmly on her hip. He wanted to answer her question by showing her rather than telling her.

Before he could pull her any closer, Gohan felt her slip away from him instantly.

Videl, who had been pulled away from Gohan suddenly, yelped in surprise. "Sharpner what the hell–!"

"I think I see something, and it's really making me trip."

Videl looked at her fearful friend and then looked back at her confused one. "Can't you see I'm busy Sharpner?" She asked through gritted teeth. "Whatever you're looking at is probably not even real. You're on magic mushrooms, remember?"

"That's exactly why I need to ask someone who's not on magic mushrooms if they see what I see. Please, just keep me from having a bad trip, will you?"

Videl sighed, but looked in the same direction as him. "What do you see?"

Sharpner pointed directly across from them. "Is it just me, or do you see those two figures that look like a tall alien and a little mime too?"

Videl first looked over in disbelief at Sharpner, then looked at the two objects at least fifty yards from them. After focusing her eyesight, she then started to stare at the two figures in disbelief. "Uh Sharpner, I don't think it's the magic mushrooms." She said slowly.

Gohan, confused about the change of situation, turned to look at what Sharpner and Videl were staring at. "What is it? What are you looking at?" He asked curiously.

Videl pointed ahead. "See those two figures standing from afar? Sharpner's scared of them. He thinks it's an alien and mime."

Gohan focused hard on the objects, his vision fuzzy from the number of beers he drank in the last hour. The couple looked familiar, even from afar. He didn't think it was who he thought it was at first, but hearing his name faintly confirmed his thoughts. "I think I know who that is. I'll be right back." With that, Gohan gave Videl his beer, scrambled to get to his feet, and jogged over to the two figures.

Meanwhile, after walking the outskirts of the party, Chiaotzu and Dende managed to find a group of students laying on a blanket under a tree from afar.

"Oh! There he is Chiaotzu. He's over there sitting with the students on the blanket." Dende spoke, pointing from afar. "Should we go over to greet the group?"

Chiaotzu squinted his eyes. "Are you sure that's Gohan? It's kinda hard to see back here." They had been drawn further away from the bonfire, making the area of the field cooler, and dimly lit. He cupped his hands around his eyes, creating fake binoculars. "I mean, it sort of looks like him. I think that's Sahir with him too, but he's laying next to a pretty blond girl, so it might not be him."

"I can see from here, that's definitely Gohan." Though he couldn't identify who else was with him. He could see two girls along with the two boys that Gohan was with. It made him anxious knowing that the mystery girl was one of those two ladies, but seeing Gohan overshadowed the thoughts.

"I don't know Dende, are you sure–"

"Gohan!"

Upon shouting his name across the field, Dende could see Gohan start to make his way over to the two of them. Dende grinned successfully. "I told you it was Gohan." He said and decided to meet him halfway by running towards him.

Gohan jogged quickly over to the pair, but Dende was faster. He crossed the field, and soon he was diving into Gohan's arms, screaming his name, knocking him backwards, and flat on the ground. "Gohan! I finally found you!" He greeted his friend excitedly.

Gohan, surprised at his friend's forwardness, replied just as excitedly as his friend. "Dende! What are you doing here? I would have never thought you'd come to a party."

Dende sat up on top of Gohan, straddling his lap as he continued to chat excitedly. "Chiaotzu convinced me to come, and I've been enjoying myself all night! We had watermelon flavored malt drinks, and we danced by the fire. We played party games with different people. Chiaotzu and I kept winning so much, they stopped offering to play with us." He giggled at the thought before looking down at Gohan and smiling. "But, I was thinking about you the entire time, hoping I'd find you at the party."

Hearing Dende excitedly talk about his night made Gohan smile. He's never seen him behave so impulsively. If he noticed that he was sitting on top of him Dende would be apologizing for the rest of the night. But now, he was giggly and excited, chatting while sitting on top of him as if they were the only ones here. Dende was taking the time to be lax and enjoy life, and Gohan was doing the same. He was just glad they were able to do it together. "I'm glad you're having fun at the party. I was thinking about you too." That hadn't been what he wanted to say, but it wasn't a lie.

Dende felt his breath hitch slightly. It was no mystery that Dende had been thinking about Gohan, but it was surprising to hear that Gohan was thinking about Dende. He had been surrounded by friends he saw throughout the week, he didn't think he'd be on Gohan's mind. But to hear that Gohan was thinking about him almost made his heart skip a beat. Dende hummed quietly. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one."

Gohan felt his face heat up, more than the beer had already done. He looked away when he replied. "Um, yeah, well, I was hanging out with my friends from biology, but I came with my roommate Sahir. I thought it would be nice if you met them."

"Do they have snacks?"

Dende looked back while Gohan peered around Dende to look at Chiaotzu.

Hearing his roommate's voice made Dende realize he was sitting on top of Gohan. He was sure sitting like this made him uncomfortable, despite Gohan not making any protests. Dende quickly pulled himself off of his friend. "I'm sorry Gohan, I didn't realize—"

"It's okay Dende, you don't have to apologize." Gohan spoke sitting up. He pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off. "You were pretty excited earlier, so I can understand." He said and looked over at Chiaotzu. "And I don't know if they have snacks, Chiaotzu. If you want, you can ask when you meet them."

Back at the blanket, the small group watched the interaction from afar while they spoke amongst themselves.

"So I'm guessing that's Gohan's friend? I didn't think he'd come to the party. I thought he was like some puritan or something." Sharpner said first.

"Yeah, me too." Erasa said as they continued to watch. "Sahir? Have you met Dende? Do you know anything about him?"

Sahir shook his head. "No, I haven't met him, but I have classes with his roommate. I just know that Gohan meets him at the Worship Center on Sundays, and he lives above us in our dorm."

"Well either way, if he's a friend of Gohan's he's probably pretty nice. What do you think, Vi?" Erasa asked, looking back at Videl, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold from afar.

She had gone from nearly climbing on top of Gohan, to holding his beer in a matter of moments, all because he saw what she assumed was his friend. It was surprising to say the least, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious about Dende. What was so special about him? They only met one day out of the week, yet Gohan took every opportunity to talk about him, or bring him up when he could. It was driving her crazy.

Videl continued to watch the interaction, from Gohan running over to him, to Dende tackling him with a hug. He was certainly excited to see Gohan, and made no effort to hide it. It was a bit shameless and embarrassing in her opinion. She could understand the excitement of seeing a friend somewhere outside of their normal meeting place, but they were boys. Boys didn't greet each other like that. And why was he sitting on top of Gohan like that?

Suddenly the feeling of a threat and competition crashed into her at full force.

"Videl?"

Realizing she hadn't replied, Videl looked at Erasa and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure he's nice." Was her simple reply before looking back up and seeing Gohan lead his friends over to the group.

"Hey guys, I wanted you to meet my friend Dende, and his roommate Chiaotzu." Gohan introduced.

Dende waved politely to the group. "Hi, it's nice to meet you all."

"Your roommate is the Emperor of Mifan?" Videl asked, looking between the two.

Dende chuckled. "I was surprised when I first found out as well."

Chiaotzu looked at Videl for a moment before his eyes widened with recognition. "Videl Satan?"

"Oh, you've met already?" Dende asked.

Chiaotzu nodded. "At the last World Tournament, I met her and her father after he won the tournament." He said before pausing for a moment. Everything suddenly clicked in his head. It was Videl. She was the girl Dende was jealous of, the girl that Gohan met in Martial Arts Club. "I'm sure you're pretty strong like your dad. You must be in the Martial Arts Club, right?"

Videl nodded. "Yeah, that's where I met Gohan and Sahir actually." She said looking up at Gohan with a small smile.

Finally, after a month of hearing about her, Dende had finally met her. Videl Satan was the mystery girl. For Gohan to talk about her so much, he never said her name, which Dende thought was strange, but never questioned. He simply thought that he would know her name when they met in person, and it wasquitean interesting name to learn in person. Nevertheless, Dende still wanted to befriend her, even more so now that the anxiety of not knowing her was gone.

After introductions were done, the three joined the others on the blanket, the group now engaging in conversation amongst each other.

"Oh Gohan, I forgot to say you look nice tonight. Your jacket suits you well." Dende complimented his friend next to him.

"Oh, thanks. It's—"

"It's his dad's." Videl interrupted from the other side of Gohan. "He's been telling people all night, he was probably going to tell you too."

Gohan chuckled slightly. "Huh, I guess I have mentioned it a couple times tonight."

Dende shrugged. "That's okay. I'm wearing my uncle's clothes." He said looking down at his yellow and purple 'Post Boy' t-shirt, and blue jeans. "He never wears them, so he won't miss them either."

"Well I've never seen you outside of your altar robes, you look great."

Great? Gohan said Dende looked great? From what she recalled, Gohan only said she looked nice, but Dende looked great? Her dress had been riding up her ass the entire night just for her to look nice? What the hell kind of competition was she in, and why was she losing?

Without warning, Videl crushed the half empty beer can in her hand, startling nearly everyone on the blanket.

Gohan looked over at Videl, who was flattening a can with her hands. "Um, isn't that my beer?" He asked, pointing at it.

Videl looked at the pulverized can in her hand. "Uh, yeah." She said before shoving the dismembered can back in his hand. "Sorry."

Erasa, whose ears had been ringing since she heard the crushed can, sat up. "So Dende, how did you meet Gohan?" She asked, handing Sahir her half empty cup of cocktail.

Dende hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it's a bit of a strange story—"

"He ran us off the sidewalk on his stupid bike and ruined my favorite pants. That's not strange at all."

Dende looked over at his roommate with a frown. "I thought we got over the pants, Chiaotzu. You're wearing them tonight."

"Well yeah, but imagine if they still had grass stains in them."

"Anyways, during move-in weekend, we met Gohan when he was still learning to ride his Nimbus bike. He accidentally ran us off the sidewalk, and he ran into a tree." Dende continued.

"I hope you learned how to ride that thing. I'd hate to see anyone else fall victim to your 'accidents.'" Chiaotzu spitefully.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that anymore, Pigero taught me how to ride it. I'm a pro now." Gohan proclaimed proudly.

"Pigero?" Dende questioned.

"Our Hallway Assistant." Sahir answered. "Gohan rides the Nimbus all the time."

"What do you mean 'all the time?' I see you three days a week, I didn't even know you had a bike." Videl said next.

"Oh, I really just ride it on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you probably wouldn't see me ride it unless you see me on campus." Gohan answered.

"He lets me ride on the back when we have classes together. Luckily he doesn't ask for a tip." Sahir said with a small laugh.

Erasa crossed her legs and put her hand under her chin. "I didn't think I'd be learning so much Gohan lore tonight. Can you finish the story Dende?"

"Certainly…Well, there wasn't much after that. I went to see if he was alright, and he had a few bleeding scrapes on his arm, so I, ah…" Dende trailed off. He wasn't sure how to phrase his next words.

"He gave me his handkerchief to stop the bleeding on my arm until I could find some bandages." Gohan finished for him.

"Right. I gave him my handkerchief, and allowed him to keep it. He thanked me before he left, and I thought I wouldn't see him again after that. That is, until I saw him in the Worship Center the next day, and found out we stay in the same dorm." Dende said before giggling slightly.

"So that's where the handkerchief came from? I thought it was like your mom's or something." Sharpner said with surprise.

"It's kinda sweet, especially giving away your handkerchief. Gohan carries that thing around all the time." Erasa remarked next.

Videl listened to the story intently, trying to find out any more about their friendship. Even the way they met had been more intimate than how the two of them met. Caring for someone's wound was way more romantic than kicking them in the groin during a martial arts match. Videl paused her thoughts.

Romantically? Surely she wasn't in a competition of romance with Dende was she? Videl was interested in Gohan romantically, sure, but Dende? From what she could tell, Dende seemed to be interested in him, but romantically, she had to see for herself. "So I'm guessing you don't go to parties Dende, since you're always like, praying and stuff. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Dende and Chiaotzu looked at Videl simultaneously. Chiaotzu opened his mouth to speak but Dende was already replying with a smile. "Yes, I'm having a great time, thank you for asking. I was worried about attending, but everyone has been so nice to Chiaotzu and I. I've enjoyed everyone's company tonight."

Videl held back a smirk. "Well it must be nice having an Emperor as a roommate. Everyone's nice to him, so they have no choice but to be nice to you, right?"

Dende's smile faltered slightly. He hadn't thought about that. Everyone greeted Chiaotzu before him, maybe people were only being nice to him because his roommate was someone with high status. It was definitely a possibility. "Well, I suppose that could be a reason why. I hadn't really thought of it."

"But of course, everyone was nice to Dende because Dende's a nice person." Chiaotzu finally spoke. "I was just happy I could help him meet so many nice people tonight. They liked Dende for him, not me." He looked past Dende and Gohan to look at Videl, a thin smile on his face. "Besides, I'm sure people were only nice to you when you first started school because of your status, right? It must have been hard finding genuine friends, and not people that just wanted something from you." It was only okay for him to use microaggressions on Dende, no one else. Especially not Videl.

Before Videl could retort, her roommate spoke. "Well Vi got lucky meeting us. We don't want anything from her. We're her friend, and she's our friend."

"Not to mention Videl hates making friends, she always keeps to herself anyways." Sharpner added next.

"Well either way, Dende is very sweet, and loves to make friends. He wouldn't hurt a fly, so I would hate for him to be hurt by anyone." Chiaotzu glanced at Videl once more as he spoke.

Dende looked over at his roommate. He seemed to have gotten annoyed by something, and rather suddenly as well. Was it something he said? Was it something Videl said? The consistent glaring at the girl seemed to answer the question. Dende hadn't known what Videl said to make Chiaotzu so upset, but regardless, he was still determined to befriend the girl. "So Videl, what do you like to do for fun?" He felt like he was getting a lot of questions, so he didn't want to be rude by not returning the favor.

"What do I like to do for fun?" She repeated, sitting up and tapping her chin. "Hmm let's see, when I'm done harvesting the organs of children, I like to suck the blood out of virgin men, and then call up Satan to see if he has any errands for me to run. Other than that, pretty normal stuff."

Gohan winced slightly. "Videl–"

"Those sound like…interesting activities to enjoy," Dende spoke, poorly hiding his nerves. "How do you find time to study with such…time consuming hobbies?" Granted they were hobbies he would never indulge in, but he was taught not to judge anyone…no matter how terrifying the hobbies seemed.

Videl looked at Dende a moment longer before breaking out in laughter. "You didn't actually believe me, did you? I was kidding."

Dende shook his head quickly. "No, I knew it was a joke. I wasn't afraid in the least bit. Honest." He spoke, still trying to hide the nerves in his voice. Dende believed it to be a joke when she first said it, but confirming it was a joke made him feel better.

"You took it pretty well, too. I was just testing you. See if you're as religiously tolerant as Gohan says you are." Videl spoke with a shrug.

"Dende's pretty chill. I figured he wouldn't be as bad as that one girl that used to harass you." Sharpner said.

Videl's face twisted with annoyance. "Just when I thought I got her out of my system." She spoke directly to Dende again. "So there's this one girl on campus, and she's a real religious freak. She used to tell me that my name 'harbors sin,' and that I need to be 'purified if I want to reach salvation.' One day, she asked me what makes me happy, and I told her 'willing sacrifices', and she seemed to take offense to that. She doesn't talk to me anymore, she just looks at me like she wants to burn me at the stake." Videl shivered at the thought. "But, I guess you're not like that Dende."

"You guess?" Chiaotzu interjected offensively.

Before Chiaotzu could reply further, Dende placed a hand on his roommate's shoulder before replying to Videl with a smile. "You don't have to be religious to be religiously tolerant. I respect everyone's walk of life." He said and crossed his arms to keep warm. The girl Videl mentioned seemed to stick out in his mind. Fellow colleagues constantly chatted passionately about their fellow beliefs and faiths. It was always so stimulating to discuss in class to Dende, but he noticed that some students were more passionate than others. Perhaps he knew the student she talked about.

"Gohan said something similar when I first met him. You two are more alike than I thought. Seems lucky that you met." Videl said. Maybe that was just it. Maybe they were just similar with similar interests. That was nothing to be upset about, and no reason to compete. Gohan and Dende were just friends, and from what she could tell, possibly best friends. It almost made her more embarrassed than relived.

Dende rubbed his hands against his arms gently. After being so close to the bonfire for most of the night, being so far away from its light and warmth was starting to make him cold. "I'm sure it's more than just luck involved. Thinking I'd never see Gohan again, to seeing him the next day in the Worship Center of all places, has to be more than luck."

"You believe we met for a reason?" Gohan asked his friend curiously.

"I believe everyone meets someone for a reason."

Erasa gasped. "Me too! I think that too, Dende." She piped up. "I think if you've met someone for a reason, then you've met in a past life, but no one wants to believe me. Like, hello? The proof is in the palm of your hands, people." She said, waving her hand around. "When there's an instant connection between one another, it's possible that you've been in each other's lives before." She sighed quietly, looking up at the stars that literally danced before her. "Isn't it beautiful? To know that a friend or a soulmate will find you in every lifetime, every universe, to be with you?"

"It's a very beautiful belief." Dende agreed, still rubbing his arms. A past life sounded interesting. He wondered what he did in his past life, and if Gohan was there. He had to be, it was the only reason his eyes looked so familiar and his smile so comforting. Then again, there didn't seem to be a way of knowing if someone had been in your life before; unless it was presented visually or written down. He had to find out more. "I know you mentioned the palms of our hands giving us insight to our past life, I'm assuming you practice palm reading?"

Erasa nodded. "Yeah, I read everyone's palm when I first met them. I can read yours if you'd like."

Dende shook his head. "That won't be necessary, I was born without lines in the palm of my hands. Is there another way to revive clues from your past life?"

Erasa pouted. "No palm lines? Bummer, I was looking forward to reading your palm Dende." She tapped her chin in thought. "If palm lines won't help, the next best thing is dreams. If you know how to interpret them, they can give you a look into your past life as well. Especially recurring dreams. Those were big events your mind won't let you forget, so it replays the memory for you to keep it in your subconscious."

Dende stopped rubbing his arms to concentrate his thoughts. If dreams were visuals of the past life, then that meant his dreams of the green plant with three suns was once actually a part of his life. Those were the only recurring dreams he had. The slaughter, and murder he witnessed in those dreams…was that real? He didn't want to believe it. Had he truly survived a genocide to become a martyr to those people? To his people? The thought left him shivering.

Gohan glanced over at Dende, feeling his trembling body next to his. "Are you okay Dende? Are you cold?" He asked.

Dende looked back at his friend, still shivering. "It is a bit brisk, but I'll be fine." He said, but the cold had already seeped into his skin, which would leave him trembling for the rest of the night. Even his long sleeves were not effective on the dark, cool night.

"Well we're pretty far from the fire, so I don't think you'll be getting warmer any time soon." Gohan took off his jacket to offer it to Dende. "Here, this should keep you warm."

Dende frowned. "Gohan, I can't take your jacket. I don't want—"

"I won't be cold." Gohan cut off as he draped the jacket around Dende's shoulders. "It's not a problem, don't worry about it, okay?" He reassured with a smile.

Dende sighed quietly at the instant warmth and comfort the jacket gave him. It smelled just like Gohan, he didn't want to take it off. Dende tried his best not to smile too widely when he spoke again. "Thank you Son Gohan, you're very sweet."

Videl's moment of relief was replaced with a moment of confoundment after watching the scene unfold in front of her. After thinking they were just best friends with similar mannerisms and characteristics, she had found herself mulling over her original theory again. Gohan giving Dende his jacket was sweet, but maybe too sweet. Boys giving up their jacket was an intimate gesture to do, not a friendly one. She couldn't go back to the friend theory, she had too much evidence. The greeting, the more-than-sweet compliments, and their oddly intimate meeting should have been enough, but Gohan giving Dende his jacket was the last piece of evidence she needed. She just needed to confirm her theory, but privately. Being in a crowded space made it just a little bit hard for a moment of privacy, so how was she to get him alone?

Dende's hands fiddled with the bottom of the jacket, wondering if anyone knew how giddy it made him feel wearing Gohan's jacket. Usually, Dende found himself giving things to others to help them, while expecting nothing in return. It was in his nature, and it was fulfilling to do, so he couldn't complain. However, it was just as fulfilling to receive as it is to give. Gohan giving Dende his jacket was such a sweet gesture, and unexpected. He'd be thinking about it for the rest of the night.

Dende was pulled away from his thoughts when he glanced at his roommate. In a circle of people, he was frowning and crossing his arms, it made Dende giggle. "What are you so upset about?" He whispered to his roommate.

Chiaotzu blinked and looked up at Dende. "I'm not upset, I'm enjoying myself."

"You're frowning with your arms crossed. You look upset." Dende said with a teasing smile.

Chiaotzu rolled his eyes. "I'm just thinking about something, now leave me alone."

His teasing smile was replaced with a look of concern. "What are you thinking about?"

Chiaotzu quickly glanced at Videl and then back at his roommate. "We can talk about it later, when we're both sober, and I'm not hungry."

"Oh that's right, I forgot you were hungry. No wonder you're so cranky." Dende thought aloud.

"Dende—"

"Um, excuse me? Does anyone have any snacks for my roommate? He gets a little cranky if he doesn't eat." Dende asked the group.

"Oh! I'm glad you reminded me." Sharpner said before shuffling around in his backpack. "I was surprised no one brought anything to roast to a bonfire, so I made sure I did." He pulled out a bag of marshmallows and skewers to offer to Chiaotzu. "No graham crackers and chocolate though, sorry."

Chiaotzu's eyes widened. "This is more than enough. Thank you." He said taking the marshmallows and skewers. "Are you coming with me to roast marshmallows, Dende?"

Dende shook his head. "No, I'm okay. I'll be here when you come back. Enjoy your snack."

Chiaotzu hadn't expected Dende's choice, but he wasn't surprised. He was sure he wanted to stay close to Gohan, so he wouldn't complain. However, leaving him alone with Videl made him uneasy. She had been making snide remarks that Dende was too innocent to pick up on, what would she say or do if he wasn't near him? He didn't want to find out. "Are you sure? I didn't want to go alone."

"Then I'll come with you." He didn't want to leave his roommate alone. Even if he wouldn't be roasting marshmallows with Chiaotzu, the least he could do was keep him company.

"Don't worry, I'll go. I wanted some marshmallows anyways." Sharpner said standing.

Chiaotzu stood as well, still hesitant about leaving his roommate. "I won't be gone long. I'll be right back, okay?"

Dende smiled at his roommate. "Are you worried about me? I'll be fine Chiaotzu." He reassured. He was safe with Gohan, he was sure he wouldn't let anything happen to him.

"A few marshmallows won't take long. Come on little man, let's get to roasting." Sharpner said as he beckoned Chiaotzu to follow him.

Chiaotzu frowned. "I'm the Emperor of an entire city, I have a name and a title. I expect you to use one or the other."

"Oh, sorry. Let's get to roasting, Emperor Little Man."

Chiaotzu held back a laugh. "That's better." With that, the two dismissed themselves from the group.

Videl watched as the two left. Strange she got her wishes so easily, she almost thought someone was listening to her thoughts. No matter, Dende's watchful roommate was gone for the time being, so she had to use the time she had wisely. "Hey Erasa, I kinda have to pee." She informed her roommate.

"Sure thing." Erasa replied, "I think we passed some bathrooms looking for Gohan and Sahir earlier."

"Well before you go to the restroom, are you going to finish this drink that you've been making me hold for the past hour?"

Erasa looked back at Sahir, who was holding the red cup of strawberry cocktail she had gotten earlier. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Um, I kinda forgot you were holding it. Sorry." She said taking the cup back from him. "You want the rest of this Vi?"

Videl shook her head. "No, I'd rather have another beer."

"Oh, well, what about you Dende? Do you want the rest of this? There's not much in it." Erasa offered.

Dende shook his head. "No thank you. Chiaotzu said anyone that offers me a drink is trying to drug or kidnap me."

Erasa and Videl laughed at his words. "We're not trying to drug or kidnap you dude, have a little faith in us." Erasa said as she laughed.

"Yeah, you're safe with us. Besides, you think Gohan would let you be drugged or kidnapped around him?" Videl asked.

"I suppose you're right." Dende thought aloud. Friends of Gohan seemed trustworthy enough. Surely their intentions for him weren't bad. Erasa and Videl were both nice, and he liked them both. "Is it watermelon flavored?" He asked curiously.

"No, it's strawberry flavored."

Dende smiled. "I've had strawberries before, they're a very sweet fruit. I'll finish your drink for you." He said, offering his hand to take the drink.

Gohan shifted slightly next to Dende. He was already so protective of Dende already, but as his friend, the least he could do was consider his answer a little more seriously. "Um, Dende? That drink is a little different from the malt drinks you've been drinking all night. It's a lot stronger, are you sure you want to drink it?"

Dende looked over at Gohan. "I appreciate your concern Gohan, but I'll be fine." He said taking the cup from Erasa. The drink smelled sweet, but it had an underlying scent that was different from the malt drinks he drank earlier. But, there was no going back now. Dende finished the rest of the cocktail in one swallow, gagging after it went down. It was definitely stronger than the malt drinks, but just as sweet. The underlying scent he smelled now left an aftertaste in his mouth. Dende shuddered slightly at the feeling of the cocktail coursing through his body before giving a forced smile. "See? Just fine." He replied hoarsely.

"Wow, I didn't think he'd actually do it." Videl commented.

"Me either, but he took it like a champ. I'm impressed, Dende." Erasa said next.

The drink was still swirling in his body, warming him up in the process. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, though he did prefer the malt drinks he had been drinking all night.

"Can we find the bathroom now? I still have to pee." Videl reminded her roommate.

"Oh right. C'mon let's find a bathroom." Erasa said standing up while Videl followed suit.

"Are you coming to find a bathroom with us, Dende?" Videl asked.

Dende blinked in confusion at the offer. "No, I don't have to use the restroom."

Erasa smiled, "Well we figured that, but we thought you'd want to come with us at least."

Gohan took Dende's silence for further confusion. "Girls go to the bathroom together in groups." he explained, "I'm sure that's why they want you to go."

"But I'm not a–"

"Just come on." Videl said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up in a single motion. Erasa looped her arm around his, and they dragged him off to find a bathroom, leaving no room for Dende to protest.

The trip to find the bathroom had been a short and silent one. Being pulled up from the ground so quickly made Dende dizzy, but walking with Erasa's arm around him made him a little more stable in walking. Dende had felt strange; anxious, or nervous perhaps. Whatever the feeling, he could physically feel it in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling he couldn't explain.

There were small, disorganized lines in front of four portable bathrooms, and the three of them stood in one of the shorter lines.

"Thanks for coming to the bathroom with us Dende." Erasa said, releasing her arm from his once they were in line.

"It's no problem at all." He spoke, "But, if I can ask, why was I needed for this trip if it's for girls?"

"Um, no reason in particular," Videl started, "I just wanted to ask you something. Like, a personal question."

The feeling in the pit of his stomach started to churn. "Personal?" Dende questioned.

"Yeah, I was just wondering, you seem really close to Gohan, and your friendship seems really personal with him. I just wanted to know if you maybe…liked him?"

Dende could feel his mouth dry out, and he swallowed thickly to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. "Well he's our friend, we should all like Gohan." He answered, a small quiver in his voice.

Videl shook her head. "No, I mean like, like. As in, intimately or romantically…Do you have a crush on Gohan, Dende?"

Dende was silent for a moment, thinking about his answer while he fought for the churning feeling in his stomach to stay down. Gohan was his friend, but there was something about him that he was still trying to understand himself. He always thought about him. He always showed him so much patience, interest, and care. He was extremely chivalrous, and sweet.

There was a reason why he blushed every time their eyes met.

"I…" Dende started, but he stopped and suddenly paled. The churning feeling in his stomach was forcing its way up quickly. He covered his mouth and gagged.

"Are you gonna—?"

Before Videl could finish her question, Dende doubled over and retched violently, expelling all liquid from his body.

The two girls made noises of surprise as Dende began to vomit. He collapsed to his knees, and hurdled over again to continue to retch pure liquid.

Videl kneeled down to rub his back as he continued to vomit. "Erasa, can you go get Gohan please?"

Erasa nodded quickly. "Of course, I'll be right back." With that, she ran off to find Gohan.

Videl turned back to Dende, still rubbing his back. His wave of nausea seemed to be over. She watched him as he released slow, shallow breaths. "I'm sure you're ready to go home, huh?"

He wordlessly nodded.

She hummed in agreement. "Okay, we'll get you back to your dorm soon."

Dende looked over at her slowly. "You never had to use the bathroom, did you?" He asked.

Videl met his eyes. "..No. I'm sorry." She spoke quietly.

He shook his head, looking away from her. "You don't have to apologize. Nothing is your fault."

Before Videl could reply, she noticed Chiaotzu running over to the both of them. "Dende! What happened?" He asked, kneeling down to check on his roommate.

"He drank the rest of Erasa's cocktail. She went to get Gohan, she should be back soon." Videl explained.

Chiaotzu sighed. "Cocktails are really strong Dende, and they make you sick after drinking malt drinks all night." He felt awful for leaving his roommate alone, but he didn't feel as guilty as Videl looked. He was sure something happened, but his concern was Dende right now.

Gohan came over with Sahir and Erasa in tow. Chiaotzu and Videl stood to give him space, and Gohan kneeled down to Dende. He rubbed his back gently. "I guess now wouldn't be good time to say 'I told you so?'" He asked in a teasing tone.

Dende managed a small smile as he looked up at Gohan. "I'd appreciate it if you spared me your gloating for now."

"Fine, I'll wait until Sunday." He said, matching his small smile. "C'mon, let's get you back to your dorm." With that Dende wrapped his arms around Gohan's neck, and he scooped him up in his arms.

"Where's Sharpner?" Erasa asked.

"He was talking to a girl by the fire. I think he was going to walk her home." Chiaotzu explained.

Erasa rolled her eyes. "Of course he'd leave us to walk back to the dorm alone." She looked over at Sahir with a small smile. "You're walking me and Vi home, right?"

Sahir nodded. "Of course. I was hoping you'd ask." He spoke, smiling back.

"Um, actually, I wanted to walk with Gohan, to make sure Dende's okay." Videl said.

"That's not—"

"That's nice of you Videl, I appreciate your concern." Dende spoke over his roommate.

"I don't mind. I'll walk you back after we take Dende back." Gohan spoke next.

With that, the group said their goodbyes, and parted ways, leaving the party to their respective destinations.

The walk back to campus had been filled with conversation between Videl and Gohan. Dende slept quietly in Gohan's arms, and Chiaotzu walked quietly beside Gohan as they talked.

Once reaching the dorm building, Gohan looked over towards the bike rack outside. "There's my Nimbus bike Videl."

Videl looked over at the only yellow bike on the bike rack, smiling slightly. "Huh, I guess I can believe you, but not until you take me for a ride on it."

"We can ride it back to your dorm tonight."

Chiaotzu unlocked the dorm building with his campus card, rolling his eyes slightly. What a grueling fifteen minute walk. All night Videl had been snarky towards his roommate, yet pleasant to Gohan. Her intentions towards the both of them were obviously impure and manipulative, but apparently the both of them were too naive to notice.

"Wow, I've never been in the all boys dorm before. It's quieter than I thought. There's always something happening at our dorm." Videl commented as they passed the common room of their dorm.

"It's usually this quiet too. Which is good considering we stay on the first floor." Gohan spoke quietly as he continued to walk.

Chiaotzu led them up the stairs to the second floor, stopping them in front of his room. He unlocked the door, and Gohan walked in first with Dende. Videl followed them all in but Chiaotzu stopped her. "Sorry, boys only."

"Oh, well have a good—" Videl started before having the door shut in her face. "Night." She muttered before resting against the wall outside the door, waiting for Gohan.

Gohan carefully stood in the desk chair in order to lay Dende in his lofted bed. Dende curled up to the covers and pillows before opening his eyes, looking up at Gohan. "Thank you for bringing me home." He spoke quietly.

Gohan nodded. "No problem, I'm just glad you're safe. Good night Dende, sleep well."

"Good night Gohan, sleep well. I'll give you your jacket back tomorrow." Dende muttered, turning over.

Gohan chuckled slightly. "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he stepped down from the chair and bided Chiaotzu a good night before dismissing himself from the room.

"Is Dende going to be alright?" Videl asked as they headed back down stairs.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure he's just going to sleep." Gohan replied.

Once they were back downstairs, Gohan stopped in front of his door. "I just wanted to check and see if Sahir made it back, then we can go." He said fishing out his key and opening up the door. He pushed the door open and poked his head inside. It was dark in the room. Gohan quietly called his roommate's name, but received no reply. He pulled the door closed. "Sahir's not back yet, so we'll probably run into him on the way." Gohan looked back at Videl. "Ready to go?"

Videl nervously fiddled with her hands. "Yeah, but can I tell you something first?" She asked, looking up at him.

Gohan nodded. "Sure, what is it?"

She looked away for a moment, feeling her face start to heat up. God this was stupid. Feeling like this made her feel stupid. She'd definitely feel stupid if what she said wasn't taken seriously. Videl huffed at the thought. "I'm not good at this type of stuff, so I'm just gonna say it." She said before taking a deep breath.

Gohan observed her nervousness. Whatever she had to say must be serious if she was having a hard time saying it. "Take your time." He spoke with a small smile.

Videl snapped her head back to him. Was he mocking her? "Don't rush me." She spoke, punching his arm.

Gohan laughed after she punched him. "I wasn't, you just seemed like you were having a hard time." He put a hand on her arm. "You don't have to be nervous Videl, you can tell me anything."

His laugh seemed to bring Videl relief, and his hand brought her comfort. Gohan was annoyingly nice, obnoxiously predictable, and overly cautious about everything…But at the same time, Gohan was charming, observant, and inspiring to everyone around him. It was what she liked most about him. Videl met his eyes. "I like you Gohan." She admitted quietly.

Before Gohan could reply, Videl pulled away from him, continuing her speech. "And I don't mean as a friend, I mean I like you like you." She said, feeling like she had to clarify with him since she had to with Dende earlier.

Gohan wasn't sure what Videl was going to say, but he wasn't expecting that. "Why were you so nervous telling me?"

Videl folded her arms, looking away. "Because I thought you liked someone else, and I didn't want to feel stupid about sharing my stupid feelings with you."

"Videl," Gohan grabbed both of her arms firmly enough to get her attention, but gently enough to keep her comforted, "I don't like anyone else, I like you, too."

His firm and comforting grip sent chills up her spine. "Are you sure? There's no one else you like?" She asked, moving closer to him.

Gohan shook his head. "I'm sure." His hands moved from her arms to gently grab her hands. "I'm sorry if I made you think I liked someone else, but there's no one else Videl, I promise."

Videl was never the type to show too much emotion, but hearing Gohan liked her too made her want to jump in his arms. To control her excitement, she squeezed his hands and gave a teasing smile. "Well, you still have to ask me out, Gohan. I'm not going to assume anything, and you should make it official."

"Oh right," Gohan spoke nervously. This was it, the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to have his first girlfriend was right here, all he had to do was ask. He briefly thought about how he should phrase it before realizing that he was overthinking it. "Videl, will you go out with me?" He asked with a slight hint of hope in his voice.

Videl's teasing smile softened. It took a lot to get here, but she made it. Finally, Son Gohan was hers. She didn't feel like the sexiest girl alive with Gohan's attention anymore, now she felt like the luckiest. She nodded in response. "Yes Gohan, I'll go out with you."

Gohan grinned in response. His first girlfriend, he almost couldn't believe it. He expected to date someone that attended King's Castle just like him and his family, but Videl was different, and he liked that. Though now he wasn't sure what to do. "You know, this was a lot easier than I thought—"

Videl stopped his words by grabbing his shirt and pulling him down for a heated kiss.

Gohan felt his mind go blank in the moment.

Then, he could almost feel something snap in his head.

Gohan wrapped an arm around Videl, and pulled her closer as they continued to kiss. With his other hand, he reached back for the door handle of his dorm room, pushed the door open, and pulled Videl inside.