(Sometime later)
Upon handing the crooks responsible for the bank job over to the police and informing the officers of the events that'd transpired, Videl then moved right into getting her affairs in order and heading off to school. Deciding to fly there, the girl easily made it across town to the enormous block that was her school. No matter how many times she passed over that area of the city the raven haired teen couldn't help but marvel at how big the place actually was.
Orange Star High was one of the most well-known education institutes in the state, being best known for its affordability, efficiency, and graduating with classes filled with high achievers. The main building where all of the main classrooms were situated was a large four story complex with a wide entrance and the school's name imprinted on the front. Surrounding it were the estate's lavish grounds and footpaths leading to other areas of the estate. To the right of the building sat a baseball field and to its left stood a massive warehouse that served as the tech center for its woodshop classes. Behind that you had a track and field oval with a soccer pitch in the center, a swimming pool next to that, and the performing arts center to its left.
Needless to say, the state spared no expense in giving the students the ideal environment they needed to receive the best education they could afford. It was the reason why Videl and her friends were attending this school, and it was partly the reason why Gohan had decided to enroll in it as well.
Heart still swelling with excitement, the now off-duty Videl descended to the city streets just outside of her academy and dropped down onto its footpath. As soon as she touched down, she dashed in through the front gates, greeting everyone she passed, and rushing up the steps. Heck, she was so jacked for the day that she nearly forgot to pick up her stuff from her locker before continuing the rest of the way to class.
She also made sure to pull into the girl's bathroom to change her shirt, due to the fact that the one she started the day with was full of bullet holes.
By the time she arrived at her room, about two thirds of the students were already in their seats. With a few minutes left to kill, the girl headed up to her isle, shimmied her way into the middle and planted her posterior against the edge of her desk.
As expected, her childhood friend Erasa and her school friend Sharpener, a tall guy with long blonde hair and the word 'jock' written all over him from his purple vest right down to his jeans, were already there and waiting in their seats. When the raven haired crime fighter inserted herself between them, she set her hands on the desk behind her and waited for their responses.
When her eyes panned over her friend's spotless condition, Erasa immediately noticed the state of her hair and boots and, after processing the image for several seconds, rested her chin against her hand. "Let me guess… bank robbery?"
"Yep," Videl chirped, waving a few locks out of her face before grinning down at the blonde. "Satan City Trust branch in the downtown area. Want to take a shot at the number of crooks involved."
The girl in the green tube top smirked at the challenge. "There were eight robbers in total. Six of them stormed the building while two of them were waiting in the truck outside. You took down the first guys easily, while the 'Gold Fighter' went after the other two and played peppershaker with their getaway car." Taking a moment to check her nails, Erasa answered her friend's amused expression with a reason for her fantastic insight into that morning's events. "News travels fast over Spacebook, Vi. As long as I'm logged on, you can't drop a pen anywhere in the city without me knowing about it."
Videl shook her head at her cheekily grinning classmate, "Sometimes I forget how much of a Class-A sleuth you actually are." When she saw the girl poke out her tongue, the tomboy smiled, "Seriously. You'd make an excellent detective. How about trying out for an internship over at the station?"
"Thanks, but no thanks," Erasa giggled. "I'm not interested in that cloak and dagger stuff. I mean, dealing with all those creeps around town, going down dirty alleyways, and the paperwork? Yuck. I think I'll pass on that." Bringing up both hands to her cheeks and looking ahead of her with a dreamy look falling over her face, the cheerful young girl smiled. "I'm into… other stuff."
"What? You mean the Gold Fighter?" Sharpener asked, slipping his hands behind his head as he glanced across at his fellow blonde. When he saw the girls glance in his direction, the boy chuckled in amusement, "Come on, Erasa; enough with the fantasies already. Can't you think about doing something more constructive with your time rather than just dreaming about some blonde superhero that fights crime with Videl?"
The blue-eyed teen grinned, "I could… but it's all everyone's talking about right now." She then turned her gaze back to her raven haired classmate, "Videl and the Gold Fighter; the top two crime fighters in Satan City."
Videl rolled her eyes at the dazzling gaze Erasa shot at her, "Come on. We're not that popular."
"Are you kidding me? You two are the biggest names to hit the news channels since your old man won the World Martial Arts Tournament for the second time in a row." The teen then raised a fist. "Forget about the singers and the movie stars of our generation. You and super-hunk are on the front cover of every single newspaper and homepage across the world."
Breathing out an exasperated sigh, the tomboy then scratched her head, "As if being the daughter of the 'Champ' wasn't bad enough already." She'd just gotten over being the third wheel to her old man. But now, thanks to her outstanding work as a defender of truth and justice in Satan City's enforcement agency, she was quickly becoming a celebrity all her own.
Heck. And all she was doing was trying to make this town a better place.
"Ugh. It can get so frustrating sometimes."
"Well at least you're making a difference out there." Giggling when she saw the look on her friend's face, Erasa folded her arms in front and leaned back in her seat. "The fact that I know both you and golden locks makes it even better. I mean, between you and-"
Realizing quickly where her friend was going, Videl's hair bristled in alarm, "Hey! Erasa!" Stopping the girl's exclamations dead, the crime fighter then shot her a look and hissed, "Remember what we talked about last week… you know… back at my place?"
"Huh?" Blinking a couple of times in confusion, Erasa then gasped when she realized where she was going and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh. Right. S-Sorry, Vi." Her flustered response earned a puzzled glance from Sharpener.
Looking between the serious teen and the nervous one a couple of times prompted the blonde man to raise an eyebrow. "Am I missing something here? What are you two hiding?"
"Nothing to get your jockstrap in a twist, Sharp," the voice of a newcomer cut in from the side, drawing everyone's attention to the stairs. The group turned just in time to see the brown haired, glasses wearing form of Touya stop alongside them, where he then proceeded to grin in his classmate's direction. "The thing you got to learn about girls it not to pry into their personal affairs. Believe me, I know."
"Touya. Last minute, as usual," Sharpener chuckled, while taking note of the fact the guy still had his books under his arm. "This is the hundredth time you made it by the skin of your teeth."
Videl shot the boy an amused look, "What was the holdup this time?" She then pointed at him warningly, "And don't skimp out on the excuses."
The athletic man waved away the poster girl's sly tone and responded with a sheepish smile, "I stopped by Yukie's place so that we could walk to school together and ended up making a couple of stops along the way to grab some lunch. Once we got to her clubroom, I got caught up in a conversation with her volleyball team and spent about twenty minutes chatting with them about last night's game. I gotta say; those girls really love their sports."
"Uh-huh," Videl nodded, before then sparing a glance in Erasa's direction to see the blonde stifling a laugh. "And… how many times has he said that in the last two weeks?"
"This will make it the third time he's said that," the blonde chirped back, looking up momentarily to take stock of her count.
"Third time? Wow," the tomboy replied sarcastically while throwing a shit-eating grin at her other friend from middle-school. "You always tell such compelling stories, Touya. How on earth do you do it?"
"First of all, it's not that easy, okay," the teenager replied playfully, adjusting his glasses while shooting the Champ's daughter a look, which earned a flippant wave in return. "You girls always make it so damn difficult to please, even on good days."
"You know it," Erasa answered in a sing-song voice.
"Cut me some slack already. You don't see me harassing you about your tardiness every morning."
"That's because you're the only one who shows up late, Touya-kun," the blonde spoke up again, offering the boy a grin while he shifted the books under his arm. "And because you're an easy target, which gives us a reason to be mean. Who else are we going to pick on if not you?"
Taking note of his fellow sportsman's appearance, an intently listening Sharpener then grinned smugly, "Speaking of which, what's going on with your outfit?" When everyone's eyes panned over the brown haired male, they saw he was not only wearing a pair of white beach shorts, but also a green fluorescent top with the words 'Same Same' on the front. The group was willing to bet it said 'But Different' on the back. The fact that he was also wearing blue Converses was also quite noticeable. "Who are you supposed to be? Top or bottoms? Stern yet sensual skipper of the S.S Clean-Shaven?"
"Ha ha ha," Touya forcibly laughed at Sharpener's quip while at the same time casually ignoring the sniggers from Videl, Erasa and a large amount of his fellow classmates. The boy then pointed two fingers at his eyes before jabbing them towards the blonde, before slowly walking back down the steps. "Watch your back, buddy. If karma's taught us anything is that sooner or later you're going to get yours."
Sharpener saluted in return, "I'll see you on the pitch tomorrow during second period then!"
"It's a date!"
When she was done laughing, Videl shook her head, "I certainly hope not. Yukie would be very upset if it is."
As soon as Touya ambled to his seat, the bell for the start of class went, signaling all students in the complex to move to their desks. By the time the class's math teacher, a man in a blue suit with thin spectacles and silver hair, marched in through the doorway, every single teenager in the room was at their desks and ready to start the first lesson. Videl was among the last to slip into her chair, where she set her hands in front of her and proceeded to wait with an eager smile in play. As soon as she'd gotten comfortable, her lecturer had stopped beside the speaker's plinth and sat his notepad on the counter next to him.
Clearing his throat and listening to the silence perforating the room, the director began his scheduled announcements. "Good morning, class. I'm glad to see that all of you've managed to get out of bed to attend this morning's lectures. That's exactly the kind of commitment this school is expecting of you." Adjusting his thin-rimmed classes, the old professor then panned over the sea of still weary faces. "As you all probably know from last week, we have a new student joining us today that is actually serious about his education. I hope you'll all use this opportunity to welcome him into the folds of our community." He then turned his attention towards the entrance. "That's your cue, my boy."
When the class's focus shifted over to the door, most of those in attendance were expecting some ordinary bloke or gal to come slinking in following the professor's spirited introduction. Due to his exposition of how this new student was passionate about learning, the majority of the class pictured some kid in some long sleeved white shirt, black vest or red pants to ease his way in; someone of the nerdy variety. All across the board, the excitement at receiving a new student and the general vigor in the room was considerably lacking.
But that all changed the moment the new guy stepped in through the archway and the backs of every single student in the room noticeably straightened at the sight of him. The freshman, as it turned out, was a complete opposite to the person that they were expecting. Instead of a skinny kid with glasses and an outfit that was stereotypical of his background, they saw a dashing, fit young man with an athletic build and short, spiky black hair, black pants, maroon vest, and a yellow Capsule Corp jacket and boots, the former of which was unzipped, amble into their midst with a smile on his face. Reflecting the air of someone who was both physically imposing and benevolent in the same package, as soon as the teen stepped into view, he immediately began sizing up his environment.
All in all, the boys in the class were surprised while the girls scattered across the hall were swooned.
Raising a hand, the young Saiyan waved, "Hello. I'm Gohan. It's nice to meet you."
Just as Videl was about to wave back, she then cringed when she heard a squeal from her left and looked over to see Erasa clenching her hands tightly. As soon as she stopped making noises, the ditzy blonde then looked down at the boy with stars in her eyes. "Ooh… he looks so much cooler than when I last saw him." Without even a shred of hesitation, the girl rose from her seat and waved to him. "Hey, Gohaaan! Up here!"
While the hybrid warrior grinned, the elderly teacher scowled. "Miss Erasa, please! Control yourself!" The man raised his hand in a safely manner, "In this school, we don't jump out of our seats and call out across the room. It is highly disrespectful."
"R-Right. Sorry, sir," the blonde stammered, quickly sitting back down with a shade of pink flashing across her cheeks. Her little outburst earned an amused look from her companions.
Upon administering swift discipline and regaining control of the room, the teacher then waited for the newcomer to stand beside him before speaking up once again. "Gohan here achieved top marks in all areas of his entrance exam; math, literacy, chemistry and physics. I'm sure many of you can learn from his example." When a couple of jeers and whistles rang out across the hall, the director's hair bristled. "Pipe down! While you're at it, I recommend that you all take the time to learn a little more about common decency and good character." As soon as the room settled down, the professor sighed and turned his attention back to the demi-Saiyan, gesturing up to the stands at the same time. "Mr. Son, you can sit wherever you like."
The spiky haired hero smiled pleasantly, "Thank you, sir."
When the teacher moved over to his desk, Gohan headed straight for the stairs to his right. As soon as he started his ascent, he immediately noticed the amount of interested stares he was receiving from the young adults scattered throughout the classroom. A quiet murmuring started up amongst the groups as they checked out the new kid, with the girls paying special attention to his backside when he came in close.
On the way up, Gohan was greeted by the familiar face of Touya sitting at the end of the second row. The demi-Saiyan was sure to give his friend a high five as soon as he passed, the two sharing a typical salutation with one another before the demi-Saiyan directed his attention to the row where Videl and Erasa were sitting. Arriving at the second to last row, Gohan quickly found himself in front of his blonde haired friend, who stood up to face him.
Brushing some strands behind her ear, the girl in the green tube top beamed up at the strapping young male in front of her. "Hi, Gohan. How are you doing?"
The demi-Saiyan smiled, "I'm okay, Erasa."
"Are you sure? Lime said that you got really hurt last week and had to miss out on your first day of school," Erasa murmured, looking the teen over to assess his condition for herself. When she saw nothing, she looked up at him with a hint of worry in her eyes. "You're not hurting anywhere, are you?"
Touched by the girl's concern, Gohan shook his head, "No, I'm not in any pain. I'm actually feeling way better than before, which is awesome." He then grinned and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I've always had a fast recovery time. I guess it's just one of the benefits of being such a nice guy, huh?"
Eyes and cheeks glowing in response, Erasa quickly ducked down and, reaching into her handbag, pulled out a little box wrapped up with a bow. When she stood up to face him again, she nervously held it out, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come and visit earlier. Here." When Gohan gently took it from her, the girl slipped her hands behind her back and beamed. "A little get well present. I hope you like it."
Gohan's expression flickered with delight, "Awesome. Thanks a bunch, Erasa."
After sharing a warm smile with one another, the blonde then shuffled over so that Gohan could squeeze through. The blonde purposefully made sure there was barely enough room between them so that the handsome young teen could slide passed her, giving him a good-natured bump that prompted the half-Saiyan to nudge her back in a teasing fashion. When the blonde slipped back into her seat, the new kid on the block then turned his attention to the empty seat next to Videl.
As soon as he set his books on the table, the spiky haired warrior glanced across at his girlfriend and smiled.
When she returned it, the crime fighter then leant over and whispered in his ear. "That was an exciting start to the morning, wasn't it, Gohan?"
The Saiyan responded to her question with a smile. "You can say that again."
After elbowing him playfully in the side, the tomboy then turned her attention back to the front of the class where the elderly professor moved on with his lesson. In the trio's brief exchange of pleasantries, Sharpener looked across at them in confusion.
Baffled by the multiple personalities and relations he was witnessing, as well as the strangely chipper moods both Videl and Erasa were in, the blonde haired jock arched an eyebrow and turned away apprehensively. "Am I missing something here?"
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