Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ High School Desires ❯ Falling Apart In Half Time (Part 1) ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

High School Desires

By: Nova Starlight

Chapter 4: Falling Apart In Half-Time Part 1

It had been only two weeks since Goten had ripped up his last secret admirer letter to Trunks and tossed it away. Though he would like to say he had not once thought back on the event and wondered if he had done the right thing, he could at least say that he had no trace of guilt or regret creeping into those thoughts. He and Trunks were spending more and more time together between the movies, the malls, dinners, study groups, and their classes together in school; Goten could not recall a time he had seen more of his best friend. The one thing that had seemed to change between them, without either one saying a word, was that they did not stay overnight with each other anymore. Well, Trunks had not slept over in months anyway, but it just seemed a little odd with how much time he was spending there.

The one thought that plagued him above all else was wondering when this little fairy tale was going to end. In the matter of a few more weeks, a couple of months tops, Trunks will have found himself another girlfriend and once again things will change, but he forced himself not to think about it. He would simply enjoy the attention and time he was getting from Trunks for at long as it lasted. Besides, Trunks would be graduating from high school the next summer; there was no way a relationship between them would work, even if Trunks were interested.

He sighed deeply with that last thought and closed his eyes. “Goten, is there something wrong?” he heard Trunks' voice ask.

“No,” he replied quickly. “My mind was just in another place for a moment.” Damn, he was going to have to be more careful, he had not even heard Trunks come back to the table. Trunks shrugged his shoulders and set a latte down in front of Goten. “Thanks,” Goten mumbled.

“No, problem,” Trunks responded as he took a sip of his own drink. Then he decided to break the silence that had fallen between them and said, “So, do you think I will ever find out who is my secret admirer?” Goten looked a little stricken at the remark.

Trunks noticed that he covered it by taking a drink.

Then a moment later he said, “Well, I guess you will just have to wait for your twenty year reunion, maybe she will come forward then.”

“But who knows what she would look like then?” Trunks joked.

“Or how many kids she would have!” Goten countered with a laugh; suddenly feeling much more at ease than he had just moments before. They spent their time drinking coffee and chatting about various things. Goten could not help his heart from lurching into the pit of his stomach every time a girl approached and attempted to strike up a conversation with Trunks, but it would float back into his chest, when Trunks brushed them off. In his mind there was little to no chance that Trunks loved him, or thought anything special about him, but for now just having him all to himself like this was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Hours later when the manager came over and asked them to leave, they were both surprised. Trunks looked at his watch and was floored to see that the time read 9:56 p.m. “Wow, Goten. I guess we had better get out of here and let these guys clean up.”

Goten nodded then remarked, “I can't believe we just sat and talked that long.” Trunks laughed in response and threw his arms around his shoulders. Goten would have sworn that his heart began to beat ten times faster in his chest, but he forced his pulse to stop fluttering and his breathing to calm. They walked the few blocks back to Capsule Corp. with Trunks' arm still wrapped around his shoulders and when he removed Goten shivered at the cold feeling. “Good Night,” he called out, as he turned to fly off towards home.

“Good Night,” Trunks rejoined. Then he turned around himself and walked into Capsule Corp.

“Good evening, Trunks,” Bulma called from where she was sitting at the kitchen table. “You know when you decide not to come home for dinner it is polite to call, even if you just plan to be over at the Son's. Though I am not quite sure where you were tonight because I took the liberty of calling and Chi Chi told me you were not there.”

“I know, Mom,” Trunks commented. “Goten and I were sitting at the coffee shop on Tomoeda Drive and just got kicked out by the manger a few minutes ago because he wanted to close up for the night.”

“Yeah, Yeah, you know every time I think I have something to punish you with you always have an excuse,” she replied with a grin. “Just try not to let it happen again, okay?” Trunks nodded and headed up the stairs to his room. Bulma however remained sitting there and thinking over everything that had been happening over the past few months. She had always worried about Trunks, his distant nature, his seeming inability to maintain a relationship for more than a few weeks, and his suave way of seeming to get by with anything made him a handful from the time he had learned to smile. However, now she was more concerned about what Trunks was doing when he was not at home. She had never seen him so happy to get out the door to school every day, or to leave every afternoon after tossing his books into the corner. He always told her he was meeting Goten when he would head off, but now she was not so sure. He had not spent this much time with Goten since they were small children and he would surely not be spending that much time with him now at his age. She had tried to call and talk to Goten once before about Trunks and he had seemed hesitant; most likely wanting to help his friend by not ratting him out, but whatever was going on with Trunks, she felt she had a right to know.

She picked up the phone and dialed the Son house again. “Moshi, Moshi,” responded Goku's cheerful voice.

“Why hello, Goku, it's me Bulma.”

“Well hey Bulma, how have you been?”

“I have been doing fine, you?”

“Can't complain, except for the ringing in my ears from when Chi Chi hurled the television set at me earlier,” he said with a laugh, letting her know he was only joking; well maybe he was joking.

“Well, then you should probably be getting some rest, but I was wondering would you mind if I spoke to Goten for a few minutes.”

“Sure Thing!” Goku replied and then she heard some muffled talking before Goten's voice came on the line.

“Hello, Bulma?” Goten asked.

“Yes, it's Bulma. Listen I was wondering if you and I could have a talk.”

“About what?” he asked suspiciously.

“Well you see I know that Trunks has been sneaking around to see this new girl, even though he is trying to keep the whole thing from me, and well I guess you could say I am just worried about him.”

“New Girl?” Goten exclaimed. “What new girl?”

“Oh come on,” Bulma said in a sweet voice that she hoped was convincing. “You don't have to play games with me Goten. I already know what is going on I am just worried because I see so little of him now, between school, you and this girl, he is barely home. Now, I know that he was using his time with you as an excuse; spending some of it with you and some it with her but really, you don't need to cover for him anymore.”

Goten felt like he was going to be sick. “I don't know anything about it, Bulma. I have to go.” Then he abruptly hung up the phone and ran into his bathroom. He had never felt so weak and vulnerable in his life. His emotions were on overload and his nerves were raw, and still he was sitting there making himself sick over Trunks. This had to stop or he would go insane. He could already feel it starting, in his head he was already wondering if Trunks was telling his mother he was staying overnight with him and then sneaking off with some bimbo. Bulma had seemed so confident about what was going on, she had to know something he did not. He wiped his mouth and flushed the toilet quickly. Then he walked slowly up the stairs to his room and once again debated his options.

He cried for hours looking over pictures, reliving every fantasy, and putting the nail in his own coffin. His hand found a pen and piece of paper, the pen was the sword that would end it all, he and Trunks would most likely never be friends again after this, and when the words were finished he set the paper aside and continued crying until he fell asleep.

The next day at school, he walked into school with eyes as red as blood and burning with the dryness of desert. He had no more tears left to cry and though his mother had questioned him as he left that morning she had let it go when he had not been able to respond. He looked at his watch and saw that the time was 6:58, there would only be a few students and faculty members in the school, so he found Trunks locker and pushed in the letter that he had been careful to not stain with his tears.

He spent the next hour before school in the bathroom washing and rewashing his face hoping the cool water would calm his eyes so that you could not tell he had spent hours crying. He assumed that his plan must have worked when he met up with Trunks that morning and he did not make a comment, the truth was that he was simply being silent. He had definitely noticed and wondered why Goten would have been crying, what could be going on that he did not know about? He had been trying to get closer to Goten since coming to terms with his attraction but it always seemed as if there was a wall there. They spent hours upon hours talking but nothing that was said seemed to provide any insight into Goten's true feelings. If he told him that he loved him, would Goten's response be bad or good? Was there any real reason he should believe that his newfound feelings would be reciprocated, Trunks did not know; and he was too scared to find out.

He went to his locker and retrieved his books for his first class, surprisingly Goten did not stand there and wait for him; he had simply turned and walked away. As he reached for the books he saw a folded piece of paper and as he examined it further he saw that it was another secret admirer letter. He was a little bit surprised after the one with the yearbook clue, he had believed the whole thing to be a joke that was over and done with, but now he held yet another letter in his hands. He opened it up and quickly began to read.

The Letter

Dear Trunks,

I am writing you this letter because my feelings have changed. I loved you without truly knowing you and I just want you to know that I think you are selfish, cold, and manipulative. I am tired of witnessing it and wondering how I was blind to it for so long. If you still want to see who I am just skip your first class and meet me on the roof. I'm sure you will be surprised.

-Your Secret Admirer

End Letter

Trunks was surprised to say the least. Every letter he had received so far had been flattering and full of love, but this one was vastly different. It sounded like the ranting of a jilted lover. He folded the note and shoved it into his pocket as he headed for the stairwell. This was the moment of truth; he would be face to face with someone who had once professed to love him but now seemed to have changed her mind. What would the outcome be?

On the rooftop, Goten stood nervously watching the door. He had left the choice in Trunks' hands. He could have simply gone to class no longer interested in a secret admirer that was upset with him, or he could be on his way. Every second seemed longer than the last and Goten once again was overcome with the feeling that he was going to be sick. He didn't really hate Trunks, but if he had been the excuse for Trunks to have sex with some other girl, the transition from his current emotion, love, to hate would not be all that difficult. He was pacing and when he heard the creaking of the roof door he stopped as still as death. He turned to face the doorway and his eyes met Trunks'

“Goten?” He asked softly. “Oh, I see,” he continued with a half-hearted laugh. “This was all a big joke right, just something to get me going.” Then he realized that Goten was not laughing, not even smiling. “You were my secret admirer?”

“Yes,” Goten replied. “So, I guess you are pretty pissed.”

Trunks could not seem to gather his thoughts there were a million questions he wanted to ask and things he needed to say. All that came out was, “I'm not but I guess you are, judging by that note. You don't love me anymore?”

Goten was stunned. “I-Well you see-I was just upset. You were using me as an excuse to sneak off and spend the nights with some stupid girl, and what do you mean you are not pissed?”

“Some girl?” Trunks asked. “I have not seen anyone since my horrible date with Julie and where would you get such an idea?”

“Your mother called me last night, said she was worried about you and wanted you to come clean, but that still does not explain why you are not mad.”

“I am mad at my mother for saying such a thing, because it is not the least bit true, and I am not mad at you because on that horrible date with Julie I realized that the only one I want to be with is you!”

Goten's eyes became as big as dinner plates, and within a second Trunks had crossed the distance between them and kissed him roughly. The shock and pleasure coursed through Goten in an instant and as exhilarating as it was he found himself unable to reciprocate. A few seconds later when Trunks broke the kiss, he asked, “Do you still love me?”

“Of course I do,” Goten replied. Then he closed his eyes and allowed Trunks to kiss him again.

To Be Continued. . .

Author's Notes: Now I know that a few of you would love for that to be the end, but that would be too easy. Stay tuned for the continuing Truten saga known as High School Desires.

& BTW If anyone wonders where I got the chaptertitle it is a line in "Dance, Dance" from Fall Out Boy