One Simple Little Wish
by Pan no Ojousan
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I lounged on the couch, alone in my apartment. For once. Usually, my world tended to be swimming with people. I enjoyed sitting in the near-darkness, all by myself. For the first time in my life, I’d actually grown to appreciate the serenity of isolation. The living room was dark, lit only by the soft lamp on my end table. The pale, cream-colored carpeting almost took on a yellowish glow, making it radiate a golden hue. My couch was pure white, stainless-for now. I was sure it wouldn’t last long, though, due to the fact that it was almost brand new. A Christmas gift, if you will, given to me by my parents. They were always buying small housewarming items for me. The couch was by far the most expensive thing they’d bought me. A sliding, glass door framed nicely with silky, white curtains lead out to my balcony; a plus that came with friends who had money. Bra was gracious enough to donate a portion of her paycheck as VP of Capsule Corp. to my balcony, simply because she loved the feel of it. Though she’d never seriously taken up fighting, she did love the rush of being up high. She once requested that I teach her to fly, but I never got around to it. She lost interest shortly afterward, anyway. I fully intended to pay her back, at first. But she was quick to shoot down my offer, saying it wasn’t as horribly expensive as I’d made it out to be. I was shocked to realize that the large apartment was nearly spotless. Granted, it was fairly new, but usually I’d have some junk scattered somewhere. But all the magazines were stacked in a neat pile on the coffee table. The television/stereo combination was completely organized, with no loose CDs or movies. The only thing that seemed out of order was that the small tree in the corner was tilted the wrong way. It suddenly occurred to me what had happened. Rising reluctantly from my comfortable position on the couch, I made my way to the kitchen. This apartment was so huge that I’d probably mistake it for a house if it weren’t five stories off the ground. Just as I expected, there was a note lying on the table. The small, neat handwriting was unmistakably my father’s. The note read: Dear Panny, Mom and I came this afternoon. Sorry we missed you. I cleaned up your sloppy excuse for a living room. :-) Call when you have time. Love, Dad. I smiled, knowing I’d regret giving him a copy of the key. But he did clean nicely...plus, it was a weekend. I knew better to be out when he had time to visit. Whenever Son Gohan has time to visit his daughter, he does. No matter what. Maybe I’d call in the morning...it was getting late, after all. My parents were probably asleep by now. Glancing at the clock only confirmed my thoughts more. No way would they be up at eleven. I settled myself back down on the couch, having no intention of going to bed that night. The coziness of the living room suited me just fine, for now. Loneliness began to creep upon me, something that happened all too often. During the day, I was able to keep myself preoccupied by interacting with people. At night...that was a whole different story. I usually kept myself entertained by reading or calling my mother. She and I had grown close over the years. I silently scoffed at myself, reaching for the blanket I always kept nearby. I frowned upon realizing it wasn’t there. “Oh,” I said slowly, getting up from my couch once again. “Dad must have moved it.” Funny, how a twenty-six-year-old woman still had to worry about finding her own belongings, which her parents still misplace when they clean her “room.” Come to think of it, I was pretty sad. I rummaged through my bedroom, thinking it might be hidden somewhere in there. That was where Dad used to put my blankets when I was little. No such luck. Where could it be? My closet was the next victim, various items of clothing strewn across the room in a matter of seconds. I needed that blanket in order to sleep! If I was sleeping on the couch, anyway... I sighed. Who was I kidding? The bed was about a hundred times more comfortable, anyway. But it was so...big. All that room just for petit little me. I silently gathered my clothes again and tried to organize them back into the closet. One item in particular made me stop. It was a child-sized purple dress, mostly because it was made for a child. The younger version of me. I smiled faintly at the memory of that dress. I think it was the one and only time I’d ever been caught in such clothing, at least at that age. Bra and I were expectedly trying to annoy Vegeta while he baby-sat us... “Those were the days,” I said dreamily, still rubbing the material of the dress between my fingers. I hadn’t seen Bra or Vegeta for years now, ever since I left for college. “If only they could see me now.” The uncharacteristic dresses and skirts had become a part of my everyday wardrobe. Me, the girl who swore she’d never touch a skirt unless it had to do with a wedding. Shopping had become one of my favorite pastimes. I mentally slapped myself for changing so much and so quickly. The excitable, outgoing, slob Pan was still me on the inside. Now that I was in the actual world, though, and trying to make a life for myself, I’d let her slip away to being buried there. Maybe she’d be revived one day, at a reunion or something. I’d have to rummage through my closet again for something baggy to wear so that everyone would recognize me. Laughing, I put the purple dress back into the closet, along with the rest of the items. I lay down on the soft bed, the blankets cool to the touch. I hadn’t slept in them for a while. Burrowing myself under the covers, I slowly let myself nod off to sleep. The last thought that crossed my mind before I dozed off was, Why was Vegeta considered baby-sitting when it was his own child? .:¤:. The alarm rudely awakened me from my peaceful slumber. I silently cursed myself for leaving it on; after all, it was Sunday. No work today. Don’t get your hopes up, I scolded myself when I considered just going back to sleep until my eyes felt ready to open. You have some grocery shopping to do, then you’ve gotta call your dad to apologize for missing him yesterday! “Fine,” I mumbled, rolling out of bed. I decided to leave it in a mess for me (or maybe my father) to clean up later. I quickly showered and dressed, pausing to eat breakfast before flying out the door. Not literally flying, of course, just rushing. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, promptly examining my outfit. Short, black skirt with heels to match. Deep violet tank top, and matching hair accessory. I laughed at myself. Typical Bra outfit. My car, I absolutely loved my car. It was a sleek, black convertible, looking a lot like a sports car. There were blazing orange stripes down the sides, custom-painted by Bulma. I must have thanked her a billion times for that. They entirely matched my old bandana, which I still kept in my nightstand as reassurance. The windshield was tinted blue, just slightly. Leather padded the interior, colored a creamy white. Oh, how I loved that car. It barely made a sound when I started it; it only emitted a low hum that reminded me horribly of the days spent antagonizing Vegeta in the gravity room. It was nice to reminisce. I slowly pulled out of the parking lot, turning on the radio as I did. I loved driving. It was so much fun to just get away and drive, especially with the radio blaring. People looked at me as though I was insane, but rarely did anyone complain. I guess a preppy-looking young adult blasting hardcore rock music was enough to scare them into silence. Luckily for me, the grocery store wasn’t all too far away. I probably could have walked there, if I had felt so inclined. No doubt I could have flown. But like I said, driving was one of my favorite pastimes anymore. I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for anything, except maybe a good spar. I missed those. Out in the fields around home, fighting hand-to-hand combat with Goten...yes, those were the days. I missed them a little, but I kept myself focused on the future. Even Goten had grown up and realized that there was a life beyond fighting. Trunks, Bra...both of them now worked for Capsule Corp. Trunks as the president, Bra as the VP. Not that the latter member of the Briefs family ever intended to fight, anyway. I quickly brought myself back to reality, realizing that I was there. The grocery store really was close to my apartment. Closer than I apprehended, today. The hum of the engine died down, and I removed the keys from the ignition. Ensuring that the car was locked and safe, I left it to do my shopping. Besides, that car had a ki reading of its own. If anything ever did happen to my precious automobile, I’d simply have to murder whoever took or damaged it. Now, something to eat for lunch. My father would surely want me to cook, or at least want Videl to cook. Let’s see...some rice would definitely come in handy. Dad always liked rice. Plus, it was one of the few things that I actually knew how to make. I lifted a bag from the shelf and cradled it in my arms as I went off searching for the next item. Chicken might be nice. I could fry it along with the rice, and maybe add some experimental flavoring to it. Now that my mother wasn’t there to supervise me, I could try whatever I wanted to with the stove. I grinned evilly, thinking of the mass food poisoning I could cause. I made my way to the other side of the store to retrieve the chicken, wondering silently if it would turn out the way I hoped. There were assorted spices displayed in one aisle. They quickly captured my attention and I trailed off of my original goal, heading over to see what unusual seasoning I could come up with. By the time I escaped from the spice aisle, my arms were completely filled with junk, most of which I hadn’t intended to buy. I couldn’t carry much more without risking dropping my items all over the ground. Furthermore, they were all in cylinder containers. Meaning they’d go rolling everywhere. But, being the stubborn woman I’d grown to be, I was determined to get all the stuff I wanted. But first...maybe I could use one of those little baskets. I had to walk all the way back to the front of the store to obtain a basket, wasting no time in dumping my stuff into it. Then I set off to get some more rice. All these spices wouldn’t satisfy simply one bag. When I arrived, I nearly dropped everything I was carrying anyway. My mouth fell open in complete shock. I tried to say something, but all that came out was the soft word, “You...” The two people there turned to look at me, both looking equally confused. “Excuse me?” the lavender-haired one said, visibly nervous. “Trunks!” I gasped in shock. The other person chose to ignore me, as he obviously didn’t know or care who I was. Trunks shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah?” he asked. I sputtered a few nonsense syllables, amazed that he didn’t recognize me. However, due to the stupor I was in, I couldn’t clarify my identity to him. “Um, I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he mumbled, trying to push past me. I’d kept enough of my wit to block him there, luckily, until I regained control of my mouth. He obviously hadn’t gotten the picture, since his ki was starting to rise. “Listen, I don’t know who you are or why you won’t move, but if you don’t I’ll be forced to seriously hurt-” “TRUNKS!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. The basket dropped to the ground, but all the stuff stayed inside it. “I can’t believe it! It’s been so long! How are you!?” He was still greatly confused, no longer angry because I seemingly knew him. “Wha...who are you?” I finally pulled myself back, examining his appearance. Nope, he hadn’t changed one bit. He was looking me over, too, and the light had still not gone off. “You haven’t changed at all! Don’t you ever age?” This startled him even more. I’ll admit, I enjoyed toying with him in the few moments that he didn’t recognize me. He probably thought I was some crazy member of his ‘fan club’. “Who are you and how do you know I don’t age?” “You moron!” I laughed teasingly. “If I hadn’t been Panny, you’d have just screwed up a major secret there.” His eyes widened, inspecting me once more. “Pan?” he asked, in complete disbelief. “You’re... I mean, you look so... just... you...” “I’m absolutely stunning and much more woman-like since the last time we met?” I supplied, grinning mischievously. He nodded numbly, eyeing me again. I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, but I did my best not to show it. “How have you been? I should have called you or something.” “Great,” he said, still gawking at me. I frowned, thinking that maybe I should have dressed more normally, as opposed to grabbing the first thing I saw. I crossed my arms over my chest, drawing his attention away from whatever curve he’d been staring at. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, blushing slightly. “I forgive you,” I said instantly, flashing my best Panny-style smile. Little Panny, not the adult Pan that I’d become. I wanted him to remember me as a child so that maybe he’d quit staring at me and start talking. “How have you been?” I repeated for what must have been the fourth time. “Good,” he said, slowly smiling. Finally, he was looking at me as normal little Panny. “You’ve changed a lot, Pan.” “Yeah,” I confirmed. “I think you’ve noticed.” I giggled, earning another blush. “As opposed to you, who hasn’t changed one bit since he was practically twenty-five!” “Well, think of it this way,” he said, relaxing a bit more. “You’re about that age now, right? You should look this way until you’re, say, fifty.” I laughed. “We should go out to lunch or something.” Then a light bulb went on in my head. “No, you should come to my apartment for lunch! I’m already gonna cook for my parents, and you might as well join us.” Disappointment crossed his features. “I’d like to, really, but I already have plans...” I frowned. “That’s too bad. I guess I’ll call you then, soon, maybe?” “Maybe,” he said, smiling faintly. “Okay,” I said, giving a cheerful wave. “See you later, then.” With that, I left the store. Back at my car, I fumbled with the keys. I never did get that chicken...but I wasn’t about to wander through the store while Trunks was still in there! There would be every possibility that I’d see him again, and I didn’t want him looking at me like that. Did I? “Of course you don’t,” I told myself, finally getting the door to unlock. I assembled the groceries neatly in the back, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Starting the engine, I just let it hum for a few moments before I started pulling out. It was nice to see Trunks gaping at me like that. Little old me, Panny, whom he’d sworn that he would never see in a romantic light. It was nice, not to have him recognize me for a moment. Then again, I hadn’t seen him for eight years. I guess my body had developed slightly...but what was there so drastically different that he had to stare like that? I excused the thought from my mind, deciding that I didn’t want to know. Now that I’d seen Trunks, I had a hunger to see everyone else again. Bra; I missed her horribly. Vegeta would be glad to see me, too, although I doubted that he’d show it. Maybe I should go over there tomorrow after work, I contemplated, smiling to myself. “You gonna sit in that car all day, or will you actually move a little?” I glanced up to Trunks’ smiling face. “What?” I asked, not meaning to sound hurtful, but sounding hurtful all the same. He ignored my tone, thankfully. “I decided I’ll cancel my plans and come over to your apartment,” he said carefully. “I mean-if that’s okay with you and your dad.” I choked back some laughter. He said ‘your dad’ as though it were some kind of plague. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” I began, “but I don’t know if I really want you there.” I let myself laugh at the look on his face. “I’m joking! Of course I want you to come. I love ya, remember?” “Good,” he breathed. “I thought...you actually...just...said...” he trailed off, the relieved look turning to one of disbelief. I became concerned and searched his eyes, trying to see what was so unbelievable all of a sudden. I gave up after a few moments of staring. Whatever. If he wanted to keep it secret, that was fine with me. “You know where my apartment is, right?” “Yeah,” he said, eyes cast to the ground. “I would have visited more often...but...you know, work and all...” “I completely understand,” I reassured him. “I work now, too. Anyway, come to my place at around noontime. Okay?” “Yeah,” he repeated, smiling again. “Mind if I bring Bra?” “Mind!?” I screeched. “I’d love it! Thank you so much!” “No problem,” he said smoothly, backing away from the car to allow me to leave the parking lot. Just then, we noticed that people were staring at us strangely. I guess it’s a little uncommon for a girl to sit alone in a parking lot in a running car then later sit there and talk to a rich and handsome guy. I mentally slapped myself for that last part. I didn’t know where that had come from. Giving him a small wave, I drove back toward my apartment to start cooking and experimenting with what little food I had. Hopefully, I wouldn’t ruin too much of it and still be left with a decent-sized meal for a group of part-Saiyans. I smiled to myself. I hadn’t cooked for Saiyans in quite a while. More than just myself, that is. I silently prayed that my cooking had improved, though I felt it had. I didn’t want Trunks and Bra running away gagging the first time I saw them in eight years. No, I was a better cook. I hoped. .:¤:. Not all too much later, I had cooked all the food I could find in my kitchen. Praying to Dende that it was enough. I’d already called my parents, and they were coming. Trunks had promised that he and Bra would be there...and I couldn’t doubt that. Trunks wouldn’t lie to me. Plus, if I called, I’d have to invite Bulma and Vegeta as well. I didn’t want to have an all-out reunion right there at my cozy little home. The doorbell buzzed shortly after I’d finished, and I went to open it. “Hi Mom!” I cried, hugging her. “Hi, Dad!” “Hey, Panny,” they said together. I ushered them in and told them about that morning’s run-in with Trunks. They, too, were delighted to hear that he was coming. I informed them that he was currently ten minutes late. “Well, what do you expect from Trunks?” Dad commented, chuckling softly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked sharply. Both my parents stared at me in shock. “What your father means,” Mom said, through clenched teeth, “is that Trunks has a habit of being—” Buzzzzz... “—late.” I squealed with delight, literally flying to the door. I opened it cautiously, wondering how much Bra had changed. I was met with a swift blur of movement and I suddenly found myself on the ground, pinned by an ecstatic Bra. “PAN!” she shouted, the two of us taking up the entire doorway. Trunks stood over us, laughing. “Look at you! You’re in a skirt!” “Yeah, so are you!” I shouted back, smiling brightly. “You like it? It’s my ‘new’ look.” “Like it!? I love it! You should have started wearing skirts a long time ago!!” “I second that,” Videl called from inside. Bra instantly got up off of me and rushed in to say hello to my parents. Trunks, still laughing, reached down to help me up. “Sorry about that,” he said apologetically. “That was exactly how I told her not to react.” “It’s okay,” I said, taking his hand. I let him pull me to my feet, though we both knew I was perfectly capable of getting there myself. Maybe the skirt makes me look more delicate to him...Whatever. “Inside?” I offered, gesturing for him to go before me. “Thank you,” he smirked, walking past me in his playful, arrogant way. I sighed in relief. Back to his normal self again, no sign of interest in me whatsoever. Though it had been nice while it lasted, I was glad he was treating me like Panny again. I quickly collected myself and shut the door, going back to watch the little reunion. Gasps and compliments were flying between Bra and my mother; Trunks and Gohan just shook hands and said a simple hello. “Hey,” I called, smiling brightly. “Food’s ready, in case anyone wants to eat. I’ll warn you all, though; I was experimenting when I cooked this.” “Great,” Trunks groaned sarcastically. “If you poison me, woman, I’ll blast you to the next dimension!” I laughed at how much he sounded like Vegeta in that moment. “It’s not poison. I assure you, I used only all-natural spices that they legally sell at the grocery store.” “Okay,” he said, still eyeing me with mock suspicion. He started toward the kitchen, eyes fixed on me the entire way. Bra and my parents laughed at what an idiot he was being, then followed. We sat down to eat, normal dinner conversation going on the entire way. Mostly just reminiscing and complimenting each other, especially Bra. She’d risen all the way to VP of Capsule Corp. since the last time we’d seen her. She also looked exactly the same as when I’d seen her last, just more mature. “What really amazes me, though,” Bra said between shoveling forkfuls of food into her mouth, “is how much Pan has changed.” “Me?” I said inconspicuously. “Why?” “You’re just...different,” Trunks supplied, staring at me again. The same way he had been this morning. I inwardly squirmed under his gaze, but outwardly smiled. “You look older than you did when you were eighteen.” “Maybe that’s because I am,” I pointed out. He shrugged, looking back down at his meal. “That might be it.” “So I take it you two are still unmarried?” Dad asked. I shot a glance at Trunks, eager to see his reaction to that. I instantly regretted it, though, because he froze and his eyes darted to me. I practically felt my heart stop when our eyes met. What was that supposed to mean? Did he...no, that was impossible. I had to get myself to stop thinking like that. “Yep,” Bra said, breaking the strained silence. “Both of us are still single. I wasn’t, ‘till yesterday.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” my mother said, disappointed. I was relieved. Neither of my parents had picked up that awkward little moment. Our eyes were still locked together until finally I couldn’t take the stress of it anymore. I stood from the table, nearly knocking it over with my speed. “I...need some air for a second,” I said quietly, excusing myself. I went back through the living room and out onto the balcony. “Aah, my safe haven,” I whispered, leaning on the rail. It wasn’t all too bad of a view, actually. The city skyline was a distance away, surrounded entirely by trees and, on one side, an ocean. I ran my hand along the railing, feeling every crevice. “You won’t make me feel all weird in a skirt, will you? Or give me extremely disturbing-” “Pan?” “YAAH!” I jumped in surprise, nearly falling off the small balcony. My hand instinctively went to my heart when I realized who it was. “Don’t do that! You scared me!” “Sorry,” he apologized, coming out to the balcony with me. I rested my back against the rail now, and he stood to face me. “Are you okay?” My eyes fluttered slightly, surprised. Half of me wanted to close them, and the other half was drawn into the azure gaze he’d created. No, don’t let this happen to you, I told myself, taking a breath. “Yes, I’m fine. I just wanted some air, that’s all.” He laughed, coming to rest next to me and staring out off of the balcony. I was just relieved he wasn’t looking at me anymore. “You chose a good time. Bra’s describing her relationship over the past two months.” “That could take two months to explain,” I put in, knowing it was true. Bra had a habit of being over-dramatic when it came to serious boyfriends and serious breakups. “I missed it, though,” I thought aloud. “I’d like to sit in there and be bored over Bra’s story, just to do it again, you know?” “Nope,” Trunks laughed. “Not at all. I’d rather be out here any day.” I shrugged, dropping the subject. He obviously didn’t understand what I meant. After all, he saw her and probably heard her talk about her boyfriend every day. He probably had no desire to do it again. If I heard it all the time, I wouldn’t want it now, either. I turned to face him again, startled to find him already staring at me. “Trunks, what’s so different about me now?” I asked, not really meaning to. But I wanted to know. May as well ask him when I’m already in an awkward situation. He started to reply, but stopped. He tried again. Then a thoughtful look crossed his face. “I don’t know exactly how to say this without you getting the completely wrong impression of the kind of person I am,” he began. I only laughed. “I already know you,” I reminded him. This edging around the issue only made me want to know more. “Well, still,” he mumbled. “For one thing, your hair’s actually put up with something other than a bandana.” My hands self-consciously flew to my head, patting it down to ensure it didn’t look bad. “You think it’s okay?” Trunks laughed at me again. “Of course, it’s...nice...” My face fell. “Um, what I mean is...uh...” What was wrong with him? My gaze was set to one of concern while he searched for words to say to me. I’d never seen him quite so nervous before in my life. Part of me was nervous because of it, but the other part was laughing at him. He was completely flustered over me. It was a nice feeling, even though it embarrassed him horribly. He finally sighed, giving up his search for perfect dialogue. “Your hair looks great.” “Thank you,” I said happily. “Now, go on. What else?” “Um, your...clothes...They’re definitely different.” He inspected my appearance once more, undoubtedly trying to come up with something intelligent to say. He gave that up quickly, too. “You look more grown-up.” I smiled, satisfied. I’d successfully embarrassed him without embarrassing myself in the process. “I feel better now. Back inside?” “Yeah,” he said, smiling again. The blush on his face quickly faded and we went back inside to listen to Bra’s sad story of tragic love and hatred. .:¤:. Later into the evening, everyone was still there. I guess they all thought that, if they left, we’d never get together again. Which was probably true, given the visiting habits we’d displayed over the past eight years. We spent the entire afternoon eating (we ate slowly for some reason) and the early hours of the evening were spent talking. Bra told us all about her new job. I never expected that she would settle into the family business of running Capsule Corporation. I was absolutely thrilled at her accomplishments. I told everyone about my new job, working at the Z TV station. I told them it was only temporary, but Bra was still pestering me about making an appearance. My parents, even, suggested that I give Capsule a discount on commercial costs. I explained that I couldn’t do that because I didn’t work in the commercial department. Even though I didn’t think there was a such thing. Trunks seemed to catch that, laughing quietly when the others looked disappointed. I mean, sure, there was a department that dealt with commercials, but it wasn’t called the commercial department. I guess it wasn’t a boldfaced lie. “Well,” my mother said, standing up from her comfortable position on the sofa, “I guess it’s time for Gohan and I to get home.” Dad looked confused for a second, but he complied. I guess they wanted to give me time to catch up with my friends by myself. I hugged them both and they were out the door. Bra’s eyes instantly glossed over. “Pan...! Look at your apartment! It’s so cute and clean and more adorable than I remember it!” “Thanks,” I said uneasily. She’d been there a total of once, when I first bought it. She helped me pick out some of the furniture and even paid in full for the balcony. “I wanna see your clothes,” she said, brushing past me and into the bedroom. “You don’t have anything that looks like it belongs to you, huh?” I laughed and followed her. “Nope. It’s all dressy and nice.” “Unheard of,” Trunks interjected, still in the living room and watching something stupid on TV. “Pan, why do you work at a TV station when you never watch any of it?” “I don’t know,” I yelled to him, rummaging through my closet. I pulled out my gi, displaying it proudly to Bra. “See? This is something I’d have worn back then.” Bra’s smile glowed brighter. “Go put it on! I wanna see you look like normal Panny again.” “Bra,” I scolded. “I thought you, of all people, would never go back to calling me Panny.” She just laughed and left my room, pulling the door shut behind her. I changed into the orange gi quickly, but I didn’t venture out of the room. Instead, I chose to lie down on the bed. True, my peace wouldn’t last long, but I wanted just a second to myself before I left and was viewed as little Panny once more. The hint of makeup on my face should probably be washed off, I thought. If I wanted to be seen as Panny. But did I? I liked the awkward attention I was getting from Trunks. Even though it made me nervous and afraid, at times, it also made me feel important. Like he saw me as a woman instead of a child. Maybe it was just my imagination, trying to trick myself into thinking he liked me. Eight years ago, after all, I did have it pretty bad for him. A crush, an infatuation, whatever you want to call it. In college, I distanced myself from that feeling, and I never really revived it. It was impossible, anyway. He would never see me as anything but a friend. But then, at the market...then this afternoon...I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head. Bra was probably wondering if I was okay by now. I forced myself to get up and go back out to the living room. Both of them were totally absorbed by the television now, showing some stupid documentary about businesses. Working at Capsule Corp. had seriously affected their interests, I realized. They looked back when I cleared my throat to model my old training gi. “Wow!” Bra exclaimed, rolling off the couch. She smacked into the ground, then scampered to her feet to inspect my clothes. “How does it look? Does it fit okay?” I wondered, trying to adjust it to look better. “It looks great! You should wear this all the time! You look a lot more normal now.” I smiled wryly, trying to keep the hurt out of my eyes. “Thanks.” It would do no good to pout now. Bra was so happy that she recognized me, and Trunks...My mouth fell open when I saw him. He was staring at me like someone he’d never seen before in his life. His eyes kept traveling up and down my figure. I instantly grew self-conscious and stiffened. Bra looked confused. I nodded my head slightly in Trunks’ direction. She turned and gaped when she saw him, too. She shot him a nasty look and pushed me back into my room, closing the door behind us. We stood there in silence for a few minutes. Not a sound was heard from the other side of the door. Bra finally turned to me, a guilty look in her eyes. “Sorry about that,” she mumbled. “He just got dumped by Marron, only like two days ago.” “Oh,” I said shakily, as if that explained something. Maybe he wouldn’t be so...so...the way he was if she’d have stayed with him. Then maybe she’d be here, too. “Why did she dump him?” “For your uncle.” My mind immediately screamed several profanities. Goten, how could you!? “And I assume he knows this?” “Yep. It’s probably just a simple plot of revenge,” Bra explained calmly. “He’s trying to make you fall for him so that he can show you off around Goten because he knows that Goten would get defensive about it.” “You really think?” “I don’t think, Honey, I know.” My heart sank. And there I was, honestly believing he was thinking of me differently. The thing that killed me, though, was that I could completely see him doing it. Depression quickly turned to anger as I realized it was probably true. I pursed my lips. Two can play this little game. Bra stared at me. “You’re not thinking what I hope you’re not thinking...” “Yes I am,” I said confidently. “I’m gonna play straight into it. He can show me off as his little prize if he wants. He just won’t be so happy anymore when I’m done with him.” She cocked her head slightly. “What are you gonna do?” “I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “Right now, though, I have to call Goten.” Bra nodded, a devilish smile crossing her face. I guess she, too, wouldn’t mind the idea of her brother being put back in his place. “He probably knows I used to like him as more than just a friend,” I thought aloud while reaching for the phone, “and he’s probably using that to his advantage. All I have to do is pretend to still feel that way.” “I’ll go yell at him for looking at you,” Bra offered, opening the door. She immediately switched to her protective friend voice. “And that jerk of a brother of mine will never set foot in your house again!” She slammed the door shut, leaving me to call my uncle. I dialed quickly, anxious to get my plan underway. Part of me still didn’t want to believe that Trunks would do such a thing, especially after not seeing me for so long, but most of me couldn’t put it past him. I was hurt and angry, so I was doing what any normal hurt and angry girl would. No, most would probably just dump him. But I couldn’t do that yet because I wasn’t his girlfriend yet. But we’ll fix that, I though evilly. “Hello?” “Goten!” I gasped. “Tell me the truth, okay? Don’t lie.” “...Okay,” he mumbled. “What’s the problem, Panny?” “Did Marron recently dump Trunks for you?” There was a short silence on the other side. “Yeah,” he admitted meekly. I guess my evil cackling caught him off guard. “What? What’s the big deal?” “Bra thinks Trunks is trying to use me to get you mad and possibly jealous of him,” I explained. “See, she said that he’s probably planning to show me off as a little trophy girl to you and then have you launch into angry-overprotective-uncle mode.” “Aah,” was Goten’s reply. “I wouldn’t put it past him.” “That’s exactly what I thought.” Bra’s head poked in through the doorway, a strange grin on her face. “He said he’s sorry, but you just looked, and I quote, ‘so damn hot in that gi.’” She giggled a bit as my face flushed. “You know he’s planning something. You warning Goten?” “Yeah,” I said to her. “All right. I’m getting my brother out of here now. If my theory is correct, he should contact you tomorrow.” “Thanks, Bra. Bye.” I watched her close the door, then turned back to my phone conversation. “Anyway, she said he’s trying to get me to fall for him, although he already knows I liked him when I was younger, so that he can get you mad enough to possibly break up with Marron.” “Why would Trunks going out with you make me hate Marron?” he asked, genuinely confused. Not to say that I knew, either, because all I could do was shrug. “Not a clue. All I can figure is that, in the end, both you and I will be miserable.” “Okay. Call me when he’s bringing you over.” I could picture the uncharacteristically evil smirk that probably crossed his face. “I’ll make sure to have Marron with me.” I laughed at the wicked tone he’d exhibited. “You’re cruel. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” “Sure,” he replied. “See you soon, niece.” “Bye, uncle.” I hung up the phone and went back to my living room, smiling to myself. This was the mess I was used to. The TV was still on, various cans of soda strewn across the room. The kitchen, too, was a mess. I had a lot of work to do tonight. I worked my way to the sink and turned the warm water on, letting it heat as I gathered the dishes from the kitchen. No wonder I don’t invite them over much, I thought. Saiyans truly do eat a lot. I’d always known that, but now I was way too sure. My apartment was trashed. Not the whole thing; just the kitchen. It was enough of a mess to make it seem like the whole thing, though. I cursed myself for not getting a dishwasher when I should have. But I never ate too much at home, since I couldn’t cook all too well. I always went out. So I didn’t have any real need to buy a dishwasher. But right then, I regretted it. My thoughts dwelt on my current predicament as I cleaned. The larger part of me wanted to think it untrue, Bra’s theory about Trunks. Wanted to, but couldn’t. It was too painfully obvious. Of course Trunks was capable of using me...but so soon? After he so honestly portrayed himself as looking at me so differently? He didn’t come right out and say anything, though, so I couldn’t accurately place blame on him just yet. But Marron had broken up with him. Goten had confirmed it. And I knew the way Trunks was when he got dumped; I’d seen enough of it. Maybe it was true. He was only using me. I hoped it wasn’t. I didn’t want to have to hurt him, in the end. The whole plan would have been so perfect. It would have taken me a matter of days to fall for him, depend on him for absolutely everything and want to be near him every second of every day. That’s the kind of love he would have had to make me fall into. It probably would have been too much for him, if he wanted only to use me. But I knew Trunks, and I knew that he wouldn’t do something like that to me. Which was the argument the other side of myself was making. True, he might not love me the way I hoped all my life, but he did love me to a certain degree. He’d never lead Bra into a trap like this, and I’d always thought myself to be closer to him than Bra was. So what logical reason was there to rip out my heart like that? Goten. There’s the simple answer. He wanted to make Goten miserable by appearing to take advantage of me. But if he did that, my father would surely slaughter him within seconds. He’d probably slaughter him if he had any romantic interest in me, anyway. Any guy older than me had that sort of reaction with my father. Fourteen years was a little much. “Pan,” I scolded myself aloud while scrubbing a plate over and over, “you have to stop thinking that way. We’re exacting revenge here, not planning the rest of our lives together. Because there will be no life together. Get it through your head.” When I was younger, my mind had done all it could to convince myself that Trunks would love me someday. I’d always had a thing for him, but I never expected him to return it. This ‘revenge’ thing could be a lot of fun, if I chose to let it. Like everyone had noticed, I was a very different person than I’d been at eighteen. I could probably manage to... “No!” I yelled sharply. I didn’t want to think that way. This was strictly being done to save Goten’s and Marron’s relationship, not for my own amusement. There was no decent excuse to do anything horribly wrong. The dishes weren’t anywhere near done. I’d been absent-mindedly scrubbing the same one for nearly ten minutes now. The clock still only read seven twenty-one. It was way too early to go to sleep now. Even though I was sure I’d throw up if I looked at another plate. Deciding that my father would be back soon, I left my mess for him to clean. He was half the cause of it, anyway. I left my sloppy kitchen and plopped down in front of the TV on my favorite white couch. Yes, the screen was still black. I didn’t want to watch anything, really. Nothing good started until eight. I’d just let my mind wander for a half hour... Wander to what? The answer was plainly obvious. Even though this subject was starting to annoy me already. Maybe I should think about work instead...but then again, work didn’t involve toying with anyone’s emotions and plotting to overthrow someone else’s plot of revenge. It was much more fun to think about my ‘situation’ with Trunks. Bra better have been wrong. If she was wrong, then I could actually spend some time with Trunks and have him think of me as a woman worth his time. Then again, if she was wrong, he might not be after me at all. However, it would be a lot of fun to play with his mind. I’d only do it, though, if I was sure that he didn’t have any feelings for me. A smile subconsciously spread on my face. Trunks might like me. He might see me in a new light, now that I’d distanced myself from him for eight years. Not intentionally, of course. Things happened, though, that made it impossible for me to visit. College, then my internship at work. The internship would be up soon, I realized. Then I’d have to find a new job, or maybe apply to stay at Z TV. Weird as it seems, I wasn’t considering working anywhere else up until that moment. If all else failed, though, I could always run home and beg to work at Capsule. Trunks would let me, if I didn’t mess with his heart at all. And even if I did, Bra would let me work there. She was the VP, after all, and she had tremendous power over Trunks. And even if he still said no, she could turn to Vegeta. Vegeta had even more power over Trunks. The shrill ringing of the phone drew me out of my thoughts. Annoyed, I reached over to the end table and picked it up. “Yeah?” “Pan?” “What?” “This is Trunks.” I froze, shocked. But Bra said you’d call tomorrow... “Hi, Trunks. What’s up?” “I don’t know, just seeing if your phone number worked. My mom dug it up for me.” I laughed softly. “I’m glad you’re so independent. You can even find old friends’ phone numbers all by yourself.” “Thanks,” he said dryly. His tone changed to a more serious one. “You want to maybe get together for lunch tomorrow? I’d really like to talk to you a little more.” My mind raced. What was I supposed to say, no? Hell no! I wouldn’t pass this up for my life! “Of course!” I mentally scolded myself for answering so quickly. That’d really make me seem unreachable. “I mean, I’d love to. Hopefully you have the same lunch break as I do.” “I’ll have whatever lunch break I want,” he said, and by his voice I could tell he was smiling. “It’s my company. What are they gonna do, fire me?” I laughed again. “But you won’t let your poor employees go to lunch whenever they want. Nice of you.” “I thought so.” “So I’ll see you around one, then? That’s my break.” “Then it’s settled. I’ll be at the Z TV station by then.” “Okay. See you then.” “Bye.” I hung up the phone, my head spinning. Trunks and I were going out for lunch tomorrow, and he was coming to pick me up at my job. I didn’t think he’d ever been there before. This was going a little too quickly for my liking. I didn’t even come up with a plan of action yet! Oh well. I’d just have to try to enjoy myself. Smiling, I switched on the TV. Trying to enjoy myself would be an understatement. I’d have an all-out great time. |