Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Inhibited Passion ❯ Chapter Sixteen ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter Sixteen:   “If you would like to make a call, please hang up…”   Bulma hung up the phone. She couldn’t believe that she was actually going through with this. It was the final step.   She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss when she left the classroom. The way Headmistress Strauss expressions were led her to believe that she had something else on her mind.   Despite her determination to stay away from Vegeta, she turned around to satisfy her curiosity. And she made it on time to see the Headmistress striding towards Vegeta’s chair and crossing her legs. She could’ve sworn that she saw Vegeta almost roll his eyes. She wished that she could hear what they were saying.   She moved closer to the window. She saw her swaying her hips as she walked towards Vegeta, blocking her view of him. Their exchange of body language suggested more than work relations.   They looked as if they were lovers. As if on cue, Strauss kissed his earlobe. Bulma disappeared before she could see the rest. It was more than enough evidence to convince her that it was finally over.   She should be pleased, but felt an underlying loneliness. She had new determination now. It was up to her to end the game. It was no use playing when it was a one-sided victory and no defeat.   She was going to set home to pack his stuff. She was letting him go finally. He seemed happy where he was. It was time to stop acting like a child and grow up.   It took her a day to get the courage up to call him up and couldn’t say that she wasn’t relived when she got the voice mail.   She also didn’t expect him to call her back tonight either. So when he called she was lost for words, but was reminded when he asked her why.   It was easier than she thought it would be. And he seemed to understand the closure for both of them. Unreal as it may seem, she was calm when she should be outraged.   She returned the phone to the cradle. She walked past the box titled Vegeta that was at the front door. It was still open. She had one more thing to put in it.   She walked over to the fireplace mantle. She smiled as she removed the last picture that she and Vegeta had taken. It was right before school started. When she had the urge to do something wild and crazy and being Vegeta, he defiantly supplied her with it. It was something that she would never forget.   She walked to the box and dropped in. She got out the tape and closed it. She looked at it solemnly as she stood up.   “Goodbye”   The smile this time was a bitter one. She walked to the kitchen to put the tape into a drawer when she spotted the flowers from yesterday. She still had yet to put then in water. She got out a vase and started to trim off the ends to put them into cold water. When she arranged it to the desired position, she decided it would look best on the kitchen table.   Once there, she stepped away and looked at it. Whoever C.S. was, it wouldn’t be the last of him. She knew that she would hear backlash for his sudden appearance into the infamous Ice Bitch’s life. It never failed. Classmates would certainly pry into her life even more.   It occurred to her that during her relationship with Vegeta she learned not to give a damn of what the kids had to say. And she wouldn’t this time. She endured it for three years, what was another one?   Alone.   Again.   “Curiosity is a bitch,” she muttered bitterly.       It was one in the morning when Vegeta finally returned home. He was exhausted. Playing the role of the interested male was energy consuming.   He spent two hours in Strauss’s company, entertaining her with false stories of his childhood while trying to avoid all of her advances. And she certainly tried every chance she got. Laughing gaily at all his not so funny jokes. Batting her lashes. Trying to intoxicate him to do god knows what later.    He finally managed to get out of there declaring that he had an earlier morning. She pouted as he got up and slipped on his jacket.   He vaguely remembered him saying that he needed to visit an ill friend. She bought it and finally led him to the door, but not before asking for another date. This time of her choosing.   He agreed faintly un-amused by it all. She was leaning in for a kiss on the lips when he turned his face all so suddenly. She tried to hide it by smiling and telling him farewell. As soon as he got into the car and watched her go back inside; he wiped off his cheek.   He went to his room to change. He was too tired to take a shower. He glanced at the clock.   1:45 A.M.   He needed to call back Bulma. He yawned. Tomorrow. He would do it first thing tomorrow morning. He put on his boxers and got into bed, turning onto his side. He saw her clothes lying on his dresser. It had been there since sometime last week.   He didn’t have the heart to put it away yet. He wasn’t ready. He always thought that he had time on his side, but he guessed that it was taken away from him.   He would have to collect her thing tomorrow morning also.   He yawned a second time and closed his eyes. It was no more that moments later that he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.         “Damn sun,” he muttered bitterly. The sun was showing on him brightly. He groaned as he turned over to look at the clock.   10:48 A.M.   He got nine hours of sleep and he still felt like a truck hit him. He got up as slowly as possible trying to move as little as possible.   “I hate mornings,” he muttered as he walked to the bathroom. He started the shower; he could still smell Strauss’s perfume upon him. Actually, he reeked of it. He stripped off the boxers from last night and stepped into the shower.   It felt relaxing as the hot water sprayed him forcefully. It reminded him of the few days before school started. He gradually started to wake up fully when he realized that the water was getting cold. He must have drifted off.   He stepped out the shower not bothering to grab a towel as he went into his room. He slipped on the cleanest boxers that he could find and an old shirt. He spotted Bulma’s clothes. He had to call her and while he had the drive to do so.   He grabbed the cordless of the cradle and noticed that there was a message waiting. He pressed the playback button to hear the last voice he wanted to hear at the moment.   Strauss’s sultry voice moved thorough the message. “Good Morning Vegeta. I know it’s early, but I was trying to catch you before you met up with your ill friend. I guess I missed you. Oh well, I’ll try calling you later and by the way, I had a great time last night. Can’t wait till next Friday! Bye.”   Vegeta was thankful that he missed the call. He walked to the kitchen as he dialed Bulma’s number. He was opening the fridge when he got the answer machine, “Hey Bulma, Vegeta. Would it be all right if we met at your place at two? Call me if you need to change.”   He hung up. He didn’t know why he wanted to meet at her house. It just slipped out. It wasn’t like he could call her back and change it. He made himself chocolate milk as went off to start packing up her stuff.       Bulma ran to the door looking at the clock as she past it. Two o’ clock precisely.   “Sorry, I was in the kitchen. I would have called to confirm, but I was next door,” she said as she let him in.   He smiled briefly as she closed the door behind him. “It’s alright. I figured that it would be fine just to head over when you didn’t call back.”   She nodded her head as she laughed, “It worked out,” she said forcefully. This was awkward.   They stood at the door in silence for a moment or two. Vegeta switched the box to his left arm when she spoke again, “So did you want something to eat or drink? I just finished cooking.”   He looked at the kitchen before shaking his head, “I don’t think that would be wise.”   She nodded her head solemnly, “I didn’t think so either.”   Vegeta noticed that this was going to lead into another pause in conversation. “Listen, I don’t want us to be uncomfortable with each other more than we have to be. It’s bad enough with our current situation. We don’t need to add anymore drama to it,” he said lightly.   “Yeah, I know. I apologize for my behavior lately,” she replied as she looking away, “mainly the flower incident. I was still angry, you know?”   “Yeah, no need to apologize. I’m just as guilty.”   “What?”   “I know we can’t be friends, but can we call a truce?”   “A truce?” she asked, “I would like that.”   “All right then,” he said as he put the box on the floor. When he got back up he held out his hand, “truce.”   She grabbed it, “truce.”   They held hands a moment too long. He let go first, “so if I could get my stuff, I’ll be on my way.”   “Yeah…umm…it’s right there,” she said pointing at the box.   He smiled, “Thanks,” he said turning around.   He then did the most unexpected thing as he turned around. He walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. It only took a moment to respond. They stood there for sometime when he finally eased up his embrace and pulled away; before he was complete out of it he kissed the top of her forehead.   “Take care Bulma,” he said as he picked up the box and opened the door to let himself out.   Only when he closed it, did Bulma let her composure fall. It took all of her strength to keep acting collected. She used all of her resolve to keep herself from letting go in the hug.   “Damn him.”     Author’s Note:   Well, I hope that you enjoyed it. Well, school started for me as well as some other reviewers and authors around here, so there will be a slowing down of the chapters. Don’t worry, I will update weekly, at the most bi-weekly, but that’s if things go chaotic beyond control. I hope I still have everyone’s interest. I am now getting into the core storyline. I’m hoping to end this at twenty-five; chapter sixteen is kind of a long ways from the beginning, eh? Well, be on the look out for more deceptions, seductions, and spying with our lovely couple. It will all end in a let’s hope, exciting way. Thank you for all of the reviews so far. I really appreciate the ones that have stuck through with the story. Till Next Time: (MidnightPassion)