Dragonball belongs to Akira Toriyama and a whole lot of other people who
aren't me.  I'm just borrowing some characters temporarily...


Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
By Rhionae

"Ha!  I have a busy day today, Videl!  So many reporters who want to
interview me...  Of course, I'll only talk to the best!"

I sigh as I pour my orange juice.  My father can be *so* egotistical at
times.... Well, actually *all* the time, I guess.  He has sought glory
all his life, as far as I can tell, bluffing his way to the top until
people actually *believed* in him.  No matter that he was not the one to
save them all those years ago, against Cell.  No matter that he lied to
the whole world about both that time, and Buu.

Gohan told me that it didn't matter, that he and his friends were quite
happy for my father to take the credit for *their* achievements.  He
didn't want the attention of the world, which my father so enjoys.  He
prefers a quiet life to that of one in the spotlight.  Having been
brought up in one thanks to my father, I think that I would prefer it
too...

I ignore my father's ramblings throughout breakfast, considering instead
the puzzle that Gohan presents.  I've known him for a little over a
month now.  I can remember when I first saw him, the day he first came
to Orange Star High.  I actually ran into him before school, just after
he had dealt with those bankrobbers in his Super Saiyajin form.  Of
course, I didn't know about that at the time; all I knew was that there
was a powerful new crime fighter in Satan City - one with golden hair,
who went to my own high school.  I was very curious about the identity
of the Golden Haired Warrior, as people were calling him - I even asked
Sharpener about it!  He was a long shot, but also the only blonde guy at
school who had even a hope of being able to accomplish what the Golden
Haired Warrior could.  It wasn't *much* of a hope, but, well...

Gohan was so amazingly shy at first.  I guess it didn't help that Eliza
was after him so much.  I think some of the guys teased him a bit about
being such a 'country bumpkin', but I liked him that way.  It was kind
of refreshing after the attitudes of the guys from around here.  What I
*didn't* like was the feeling I kept getting that he was hiding
something from the rest of us.  So naturally I set out to discover what
it was.  What I found out...

I thought I knew Gohan after that.  But then at the Budokai, and the
rest of that day...

Yesterday.  I can't believe it was only yesterday.  It seems like no
more than a weird dream, a nightmare I somehow twisted myself into after
too much dessert...  And today we both must go back to reality.

I finish my breakfast, pick up my bag, say goodbye to my father.  It's
going to be just another ordinary day.  I head off to school, my journey
taking a detour when I get a call from the police about a robbery taking
place.  I deal with the situation swiftly.  I find it almost
unbelievable that the day after the world is saved from destruction
small minded people can have the temerity to commit such a petty crime.
Weren't only good people wished back to life using the Dragonballs?
Perhaps this is simply another sign of the fickleness of the human
spirit.

I'm running late for class, after that incident.  By the time I get
there the teacher has already started.  I slide into my seat after
giving my excuse.  Most of the class temporarily ignore the teacher in
order to shout congratulations at me, for my father saving the world,
yet again...

I want to curl up and die...  Except I already did that, yesterday...

The noise dies down eventually, thank goodness.  I glance across at
Gohan, only to catch him looking at me!  I look down at my book, trying
desperately *not* to blush, and failing miserably.  He may have said
that he didn't mind what my father did, but I still can't help getting
angry about it - it's wrong!  Plain and simple!  Hearing the praise my
father gets that *they* deserve is beyond embarrassing... It's shaming.
But I guess we humans are too fond of our illusions...  Some of us,
anyway.  The majority, I guess...

I sigh and bury my head in my books, trying to ignore Gohan's presence
so near to me.  I've only known how to sense ki for a short time, but
Gohan's is impossible to miss or mistake.  He was always incredibly
powerful, and from what he told me about his time with the old
Kaiou-Shin he's probably one of the strongest people in the universe.

I risk another sidelong glance in his direction.  He's blushing, too!  I
smile to myself. There are some *definite* possibilities here!  Even if
his family and friends can be a little daunting...  I was never one to
back away from a challenge - I certainly won't start now!  Especially
when Gohan...

He's absolutely one of a kind.  Kind, thoughtful, considerate, gentle -
but with one hell of a punch when it comes down to it - intelligent and
modest...  He's like a dream, too good to be true - but he is.  I know
he is.  And in some ways that's more frightening than the thought of him
being otherwise.

*Frightening*?  I blink at the direction my thoughts have taken.  What
could possibly be frightening about Gohan?  Aside from the fact that he
could probably blow up the planet in his sleep...  But he wouldn't do
that.  He wouldn't lose control like that.  He has been trained too well
for that to be a significant possibility.  Still a possibility, I guess
- but not one that I'm afraid of.

So what is it about him that scares me?  I turn partially in my seat to
scrutinize him, resting my head on my hand, my elbow on the desk.  He is
totally absorbed in what the teacher is saying, dedicated to his study,
as always.  Although having met Chichi I can kind of understand his
motivation.  She always wants the best for her family, and is determined
to do whatever she can to obtain it - or to get them to.

I have to admire her.  She reminds me in some ways of my own mother, who
died so many years ago.  I sometimes think that if *she* were still
around my father wouldn't be half as bad as he is now.  She was so proud
of him when he earned the title of World Champion, a couple of years
before the Cell Game.  He had won it for *her*, truly *earning* it with
a lot of hard effort, and she had been so happy for him...

She died later that year.  I suppose it was then that father changed.  I
guess he thought he always needed to be the strongest to make her spirit
proud of him still, as she watched over us from heaven. He became so
obsessed with being the best that he challenged Cell.  He must have
realized that Cell was just too powerful, but his misplaced pride
wouldn't let him back out of it.

I suppose that if he'd left it after his first attempt at fighting Cell
he really would have been brave.  I *know* he would have still been a
hero in my eyes.  But he didn't.  He claimed Cell's defeat as his own
victory.  And the entire world believed his lie.  Even me.

I was always suspicious about what actually happened that day.  I had
hoped that one day he would tell me the truth - but no.  I had to find
out the hard way, after meeting Gohan.  Not that I blame Gohan - how
could I when the world owes its very existence to him and his friends
not once, but twice over!  At least, twice that I know of...  Now
*there's* an interesting topic to bring up with him.  But he'd probably
be too modest in his answer.  Perhaps I could try asking Chichi.  She's
bound to be proud of her family's achievements.  As I once was of
mine...

A pile of books are slammed down onto the table in front of me,
startling me.  I clench my fists against the desire to strike out at
whoever it is.

"You know, it's really not fair, Videl!  If *you* decide to go after him
the rest of us don't stand a chance!"

"What do you mean?"  I glare at Eliza crossly, as people packed up and
left the room.  I must have daydreamed the entire class away.

She looks at me in disbelief.  "Oh, *please*!  You were staring at Gohan
for the *entire* morning!"  I blink in surprise.  I couldn't have!  She
leans in closer.  "So are you after him, or what?  There are quite a few
of us interested, you know.  One of us could kind of let him down easy,
if you know what I mean."

"That *won't* be necessary!"  The words are out of my lips before I know
what I'm saying, quite loud enough for everyone in the room to hear
me...  I quickly glance around the room, and confirm my fears.  Everyone
still here *has* heard.  Including Gohan.

I feel my cheeks start to burn, as Eliza laughs at my blunder.  "Oh,
shut up!"  I tell her, grabbing my books and heading past her towards
the door.  I have to pass Gohan, too, on my way out.  I resolutely
stride past him with my eyes fixed directly ahead.  Hopefully he didn't
hear Eliza, and won't know what I was talking about.

"Ah, Videl...?"

So much for *that* prayer.  But then, I suppose he's on better terms
with Kami-sama than I am, given what I found out yesterday...

I ignore him and head out the door, out of the building, out of
school...  No-one bothers to question me.  After all, I am Mr Satan's
crime-fighting daughter.  What wrong could I be doing?

I start to run as soon as I am out of sight of the school, my bookbag
pounding against my back in rhythm with my feet.  I have no idea where
I'm going, except that I need to be alone.  I need time to think things
through.  Everything happened so *fast* yesterday; now that we've slowed
right down and gone back to everyday living I feel almost dizzy.
Yesterday seems to be a whirlpool in my mind, sucking me down and
throwing me around every time I pause to consider what happened, and the
implications...

The implications...

I slow down to a walk as I mull over yesterday, and what bothers me most
about it.  My wanderings have led me to a small park.  I drop my bag to
the ground and sink down beneath one of the trees.  I lean back against
it's rough bark, closing my eyes and running my hands through my hair.
My short hair.

I smile wistfully as I remember the day he had suggested I cut it.  I
had thought he wanted to see me with short hair because -

But he just suggested it  because of the budokai.  He didn't care what I
looked like.  He doesn't care now.  Why should he?  I'm just the girl
who forced him into the budokai because she wanted a decent opponent.  I
never dreamed he would be so much more powerful than me.  I'm surprised
he let me blackmail him like that.  I shouldn't have done it.  If it
weren't for me he would never have been there to get his energy sucked
out by those two awful guys, and it would have taken that much longer
for Buu to be unleashed, and he wouldn't have come so close to dying, at
least at first...

He died anyway.  We all did.  But when Goku told us that Buu had killed
him...  I honestly can't remember a worse moment in my life.  The only
memory I have that can match it is when my mother died.  She meant so
much to me; he means so much to me...

*That* is what I'm afraid of.  I have to admit it.  It seem so silly
now, especially when I have firsthand experience of the resurrection
capabilities of the Dragonballs - but I was so afraid that he would be
gone for good and I hadn't told him -

I hadn't told him that I had begun to care for him.  I hadn't asked what
he felt towards me.  I didn't dare; we'd known each other for such a
short time...  But I don't think time will ever change what I have come
to feel for him.  He just seems so *right* to be with.

I knew he wasn't dead.  I could *feel* he wasn't dead, somehow.  I
couldn't explain to the others how I knew, but I was right:  there is a
bond between the two of us that I cannot deny...

But does he feel it too?  Does he care for me as I do for him?  Was that
blush at school embarrassment from being caught looking at me, or about
my father's claim?

As Eliza pointed out, there are quite a number of girls after him,
anyone of whom is nicer and prettier than me, who doesn't come with Mr
Satan as baggage...

I bite my lip, willing myself not to cry, but a tear escapes, despite my
best efforts.

Gentle fingers brush my cheek, wiping away the tear.  I open my eyes to
see Gohan kneeling before me, concerned.  He pulls his hand back, away
from me.

"What's wrong?" he asks, and I start to lose myself in his dark eyes.  I
blink away my tears swiftly.

"Just thinking about what happened," I tell him.  And what *didn't*
happen, I continue silently.  "Why are you here?  You're supposed to be
in class."

"So are you." He smiles at me, and I feel my throat tighten.  I shrug it
off, lightly.

"So many things happened yesterday, I still haven't had time to sort it
all out."

He looks at me steadily.  I can tell he's worried, anxious even.
Anxious?

"I can go, if you want..."  He trails of uncertainly.  I stare at him,
unsure whether I want him here or not.  After a moment he sighs, and
starts to get to his feet.

"Wait!"  I reach up and catch his hand, pulling him back down beside me.

He looks down at out clasped hands, blushing slightly.

"Sorry."  I start to free my hand from his - but he grasps it tightly,
holding our hands up between us.

"Videl?"  He calls my name - and I find myself looking deep into his
eyes once more.  Is that hope I see in their depths?  Perhaps love?  For
me?

"We have a lot to talk about, Gohan," I tell him, ignoring the hot flush
that suffuses my cheeks.  I *have* to tell him - before I lose my chance
again.

I have today.  But will there be tomorrow?

I can only hope, and pray...

***************

Rhionae
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3226/fanfics.htm