He felt it all at once.

Gohan straightened in his seat as his senses picked up a strong power heading straight towards his school. The 16-year-old lost any grasp he previously held on his immediate surroundings as his mind jumped to conclusions. Expanding his senses, he quickly located several of his friends; however, he did not feel their energy spiking in response to the new presence. Their life forces seemed calm and unbothered.

The suddenly teen lamented his decision to stop training. Just how long had this powerful being gone unnoticed by him? In the five peaceful years following the Cell Games, the half-Saiyan had not stayed vigilant as the planet's protector. Instead, he had opted to pursue a relatively normal life upon realising his true passion: academics.

But now Earth could be in danger, and he sorely regretted prioritising his own happiness. If he had kept up his training, he would've sensed this stranger much sooner!

He forced himself to calm down, and he tried to examine the facts. A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Despite his initial panic, this being's energy didn't emit any trace of ill intent. That piece of information, combined with a lack of negative reaction from the Z-Fighters, led Gohan to guess that this person might be a friend and not a foe.

However, he couldn't help but ponder this new power; it felt strangely familiar, but Gohan couldn't quite figure out why. The feeling of deja vu only intensified as the energy signature grew closer and closer, hurtling towards his school with incredible speed. He guessed he had only minutes to act, if that.

Some part of him registered the sound of two girls arguing beside him, but he failed to process their words. Gohan racked his brain, trying to make a decision. Should he leave class to investigate? His mother had warned him to keep his abilities a secret, but what if this person came to fight? What if he had to protect his fellow classmates?

He stiffened as the mysterious energy signature slowed suddenly, just under a mile from his classroom.

Gohan's history teacher chose that moment to enter, meaning class would start within the next minute. Surely he would be in trouble if he tried to leave now.

He grimaced. Well, he had little reason to leave now. The newcomer had changed directions to head straight for him.

And then Gohan almost choked as he finally realised to whom the powerful energy belonged.

Clearing his throat, the wiry teacher took his place at the front of the classroom. Several wandering eyes finally settled on him, and the tenured professor gave a rare smile. "Good morning, everyone. We have another transfer student who will join us soon," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "It's a bit unusual, but because of his sudden move, he will be auditing your classes while his enrolment paperwork is processed-"

In the third row of desks, Sharpner leaned back in his chair, rather disappointed by the announcement. "Damn, another dude? No hot chicks transferring to Orange Star?" he muttered, absently tucking a long strand of blonde hair behind his ear. Next to him sat a girl with shorter, darker blonde hair. With a bright smile, Erasa pivoted away from Sharpner to face the student on her other side.

"Told you, Videl," she whispered to the girl. "I told you the new student is a boy! You owe me a soda."

Videl huffed. "Whatever."

Erasa continued, used to her friend's competitive nature and general sour attitude. "We got lucky with Gohan," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Maybe this next guy will be hot, too!"

Rolling her eyes, Videl turned to the student on her other side. Ever since Gohan had started at Orange Star High School last month, she had started to warm up to the new kid. He seemed odd for sure, but she liked the fact that he didn't seem overly interested in her father. Perhaps if he felt more comfortable around her, he would start to share more about himself, and they could become friends. "You want to grab a soda with us at lunch, Gohan?" Videl asked. "It's on me."

After a long pause, Videl scowled, assuming he chose to ignore her. Clearly unengaged by the teacher's monologue, Gohan shifted nervously in his seat. He glanced to the classroom door every few seconds, as if in anticipation.

"Gohan," she called, leaning towards him to make sure he heard her.

He jumped slightly in his seat, hand reaching around his head to rub the nape of his neck. "Oh! Ah, hey, Videl," he gushed, ruffling the edge of his unruly black hair. "Sorry, did you say something? I must've spaced out." Upon seeing her unimpressed glare, he swallowed hard. Before he could come up with a suitable excuse for his anxious behaviour, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of boots scraping against the hallway's linoleum floor.

"He's scored perfect marks on all science and math portions of the entry exam-"

Their teacher halted in his speech when the classroom's thin, metal door swung open.

"Ah, there he is," the teacher said, ushering the student into his classroom with a quick gesture. "I actually wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, my boy! What great timing."

Looking up, Gohan saw a boy with short, lilac hair enter. "Hi," the transfer student said, holding himself tall with a natural grace. He shook the professor's outstretched hand. "My name is Trunks Briefs. I'm your-"

"New student, yes!" the teacher said, clearly excited. "Please. Tell us something about yourself, Mr. Briefs," the teacher asked.

Excited murmurs buzzed through the classroom. "Briefs? As in Capsule Corp?" Erasa whispered. "No wonder he got perfect scores!" With that remark, every teen in the classroom sat a little straighter in their chairs, now intrigued.

Turning his back to the attentive students, the teacher took this opportunity to write on the blackboard behind him.

"Well, I live in West City, but chose this school to be closer to an old friend," Trunks started. A warm smile danced across his handsome face as he found a familiar pair of dark eyes. "Long time no see. Right, Gohan?"

Heads spun to get a better look at the dark-haired boy in the third row. "Trunks?" Gohan sputtered, mouth still agape from the revelation.

"Oh, you know Mr. Son?" the teacher asked, obviously perplexed as he finished writing their daily assignment on the board. He returned to his customary place at the front of the room, looking up at the teenager who always scored perfect marks, no matter how difficult the test. To think that both these students had exemplary test scores, and they knew each other, too! He smiled at the coincidence.

"Well, go ahead and find a seat near him," the teacher told Trunks with a nod of approval. He knew Gohan would be a great influence.

Trunks, somewhat disappointed by his friend's lacklustre reaction, complied. While the boy made his way to the back of the room, the teacher took this extra time to divest himself of his large overcoat.

"Gohan!" Erasa squealed, struggling to keep her voice down. She giggled, a hand barely covering her open mouth. "Your friend is pretty cute. Can you introduce me?"

Gohan stared at her like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to say. Before he could muster a weak reply, the girl sitting in between them leaned forward, taking up Gohan's vision with a suspicious scowl.

"Your friends with the son of Bulma Briefs?" Videl asked, with a look of disbelief in her blue eyes.

"Yeah," Gohan stammered, leaning away out of reflex. "You mean… I didn't tell you?"

Trunks pulled an empty chair from the second row, carrying it with him to the third row. With a patient wave of the hand, Trunks motioned for Gohan to make more room. The dark-haired boy furiously scooted away, flustered by their close proximity as Trunks settled next to him.

"Watch it," Videl hissed when Gohan bumped into her. She fought the urge to punch him, remembering her plan of befriending him.

He turned to face her with horror clearly written across his face. "Sorry!" he apologised, shrinking at her look of anger. "I didn't mean to, I swear-"

"Mr. Son."

The teacher's voice startled the entire third row, which had been distracted by the small confrontation between Videl and Gohan.

Both students slowly spun to face the front of the classroom again. "Yes, sir?" Gohan squeaked, afraid to get reprimanded.

Chuckles escaped several students in the room. The mountain boy had always been a little peculiar, but today, he seemed to be acting downright strange.

"Mr. Son," the older man continued with a reluctant sigh. "You already have quite the habit of coming in late. I know you live very far away, but I suggest you don't develop a habit of talking during my class as well."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir!" Gohan gushed, ducking low in his seat. Trunks looked at him, taken aback by his friend's docile behaviour. He supposed that Gohan had changed much since their last meeting; after all, several years had passed in this timeline. He also had a hard time accepting how the different circumstances had sculpted this Gohan compared to the older warrior he had grown up with.

A few students began to snicker at Gohan's bizarre behaviour. "The time for talking is over," the tenured man up front said, smoothing his coat over the back of a chair as he looked to other chattering students. "Let's begin. Now, open your books to where we left off yesterday-"

As their history lecture finally commenced, Gohan couldn't help but steal glances at the boy with lavender hair.

The teenager from the future looked as though he hadn't aged a day. Gohan knew this could be misleading; after all, Saiyan genetics would probably keep both half-breeds looking young and vibrant for decades. Gohan's eyes travelled down Trunks's fine strands of purple hair, to his straight nose, and then to the thin lips set into a blank expression.

Hoping he wouldn't be caught staring, Gohan looked away, scratching his forehead to momentarily hide his face. When he looked at the time traveller, he felt a mess of nervous and confused emotions bubble up from within him- feelings he couldn't identify just yet.

However, one thought stood out clearly from the rest. The last time he had seen this old friend, a chilling declaration of evil androids had been made.

"Why is he back?" Gohan thought, over and over again. "Why, after all this time?"

The next class started immediately after the first had ended, meaning the two half-Saiyans didn't have the opportunity to talk. Not that they would dare with such prying eyes and ears nearby.

As soon as the students had been dismissed for lunch several hours later, Gohan drew stares when he practically manhandled the new kid out the door.

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked, unnerved by Gohan's haste. He looked at the boy with worry in his dark blue eyes.

"Me?" Gohan replied, stunned. "I should be asking you what's wrong! Not that I'm not happy to have you back, but… what's wrong, Trunks? Did something happen? How's your timeline?"

At this, Trunks's face fell. "Well-" he started, but found himself cut off by a new voice.

"Hey! What's the rush?" Videl said, skidding to a stop next to Gohan. She paused to catch her breath as Erasa and Sharpner soon caught up as well.

"Are you okay, Gohan?" Erasa asked, wondering why he had practically flown from the room with his hand wrapped around Trunks's elbow.

"Everything's fine," Gohan quickly said, racking his brain for a suitable excuse. "I just, uh, really needed to ask Trunks here something."

"And that would be…?" Videl trailed off, looking at him expectantly. Her gloved hands gestured for him to continue.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your names," Trunks interjected, looking at the teenagers standing across from Gohan and him. Trying to brighten his attitude, he introduced himself. "I'm Trunks. So, you're Gohan's friends?"

"Yes!"

"Sure."

"Eh."

Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner all replied at once, the varying answers making Gohan's cheeks burn with embarrassment.

He snuck a look a Trunks, thinking, "Ugh, he probably thinks I'm so lame…"

Clearing his throat, Gohan's old-fashioned manners kicked in. "As you know, this is Trunks Briefs," he said. "And this is Erasa and Sharpner Paypa- they're twins." He gestured to the blondes, and Erasa gave a friendly wave.

"And this…" Gohan hesitated. "This is Videl."

"Videl Satan," the dark-haired girl corrected, quirking an eyebrow.

"Satan?" Trunks asked, face scrunched up in thought. "Satan... Why does that sound familiar?"

"Oh, wow, look at the time!" Gohan exclaimed, preventing his classmates from responding unkindly. He could see the puzzled looks forming on their faces. He already had a hard time fielding their questions on a daily basis, and he wasn't looking forward to covering Trunks's trail, too. "We're gonna be late for lunch!"

Erasa giggled as the new boy's stomach began to growl. "Lunch sounds great," Trunks said with a polite smile.

"Well, you're more than welcome to join us, hon," Erasa offered, stepping forward.

"Oh, thank you," Trunks replied, looking around at the now-empty hallway. He looked to the other half-Saiyan, who looked ready to drop from stress. "But I don't want to impose. Besides… Ah, I think Gohan and I should catch up for a bit first."

Before Gohan could let out a relieved sigh, Videl surprised them all. "No, please," she said, swallowing a bit of her pride. "I insist. We wouldn't want to leave you out on your first day, Trunks."

Sharpner looked from his sister to his crush, trying to figure out how both girls were actually on the same page for once. "I don't know, our table is already kind of cramped," he complained, crossing his arms. He yelped as Erasa slapped him on the back of the head.

"Don't listen to Sharpie, here. He's kidding. He's a total joker!" She laughed, resisting the urge to send her brother a scathing look. "Of course we have enough room for you! So, what do you say? Pretty please?"

Trunks looked from her big, blue eyes to the wide, black eyes next to him. "Of course," he finally said, not wanting to pass up the chance to make friends. "But Gohan, would you mind showing me the bathroom first? I couldn't find one when I first got here."

Jumping at the opportunity, Gohan laughed nervously. "Oh, of course!" he said. Turning to his three classmates, he said, "You guys save us some seats, okay? We'll catch up with you!"

Dissatisfied by his response, Videl reached for Gohan's arm, intending to hold him in place, but missed her opportunity. Gohan had already taken Trunks's arm again, dragging him around the corner with obvious haste.

"Are your friends always that weird?" Trunks asked once Gohan had slowed to a stop. They stood just outside a bathroom located on the other side of the school, farthest from the cafeteria where most of their grade level continued to gather. The corridors had become increasingly deserted on the way here, and Trunks couldn't feel any energy signals nearby when he reached out with his senses in curiosity.

Without answering, Gohan gently pulled his friend inside the cramped restroom, finally releasing his arm with some reluctance.

"Trunks," he said, voice softening. "Are you okay? What happened?"

He felt a lump form in his own throat as he saw the time traveller's eyes harden.

"Your father happened."

After Gohan's initial surprise and confusion had been pushed aside, he listened carefully as Trunks recapped his defeat of the androids, and how his world had been able to peacefully rebuild for nearly a year.

Then he described the sudden appearance of a man they called Goku Black; a man who somehow bore every resemblance to the deceased Goku Son, in voice, body, and power. The only divergence seemed to be of their mind. In addition to having not recognized Trunks and having no recollection of Goku's life, the man's power seemed tainted.

Instead of Goku's kind soul, Black harboured nothing but anger, revulsion, and hatred for humankind.

Trunks recounted the havoc this one person unleashed on his planet, including the eventual death of his own mother. He detailed how King Kai had contacted him soon after to work on a plan of action, warning Trunks that the entire galaxy could be at risk if Black went unchecked. The northern Kai also confirmed that Goku's original soul rested in Otherworld, which meant this imposter could be far more dangerous than anticipated.

As the strongest fighter left on Earth, Trunks was once again their last hope. When King Kai became desperate, he got the Grand Kai involved. Not long afterwards, the Supreme Kai and his assistant made contact with King Kai and Trunks concerning Black. And with such great powers convening, they all soon caught the attention of-

"A god of destruction?" Gohan practically yelled, his knees growing weak.

Nodding, Trunks continued his fantastical tale with a sombre expression. Instead of just defeating Black as the Supreme Kai suggested, the hot-tempered Destroyer had simply decided that Earth's time had come to an end.

"He gathered this huge amount of energy," Trunks said, voice now breaking with grief. For some reason, I couldn't sense it like regular energy. It was this dark, purple ball of light, and it just radiated this insane pressure in the air. It was suffocating."

While Trunks retold that moment, he blindly reached for Gohan's arm, needing something to anchor himself back in reality. Taking and squeezing the older teen's hand with what he hoped was a reassuring look, Gohan pleaded, "Please don't tell me what I think you're telling me."

At this point, a few angry tears fell from Trunks's eyes. "It's gone," he confirmed, voice no louder than an angry whisper. "I ran as soon as I realised I couldn't sense his energy. It all happened so fast, but we were outside Capsule Corp, so I just flew straight to my mom's old lab where the time machine was still decapsulated. I didn't even have the time to recalibrate the time machine. I was hoping to return to the same day I left here last time, but…but then..."

He shrugged helplessly, arms spreading in a pitiful gesture of defeat.

"I didn't know what else to do," he choked. "I didn't know where else to go. I was so, so scared, Gohan."

He didn't have to tell Gohan what came next. The boy knew Trunks's world had not simply been extinguished. According to Trunks's brief description of Beerus the Destroyer, it had been erased.

It had simply stopped existing.

The younger half-Saiyan pulled his friend into a tight hug, one hand clenching the back of Trunks's soft, purple hair, and the other clasped into the back of his Capsule Corp jacket.

"I'm so sorry," Gohan whispered, trying to keep his own tears at bay as the time traveller's body shook with reserved sobs. His energy signature flickered wildly, like a candle struggling to burn against strong gusts of wind.

He listened with earnest sympathy as Trunks whimpered into the crook of his neck, Gohan's pale skin growing damp with stale tears.

His resolve tightening, Gohan held Trunks for as long as the young man needed him. And as Trunks's energy eventually calmed and the cries had subsided, Gohan gently pulled away to look his friend in the eye. "You're safe here, Trunks," Gohan said, voice deep with unbridled emotion. "I won't let anything happen to you. That's a promise."

Embarrassed to have broken down so easily, Trunks shrugged Gohan's hands from his arms. The other boy retracted, as if stung.

"Sorry," Trunks said, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his denim Capsule Corp jacket. "I just… you may not be the Gohan from my timeline, but you're just as comforting as I remember him being. That's all. Sorry for, you know… crying all over you."

Looking down at his shoes, Gohan fought to keep the flush from his face. He briefly wondered if he had been too forward with his old comrade.

"Do you..." he said, apprehensive about his own curiosity. "Do you miss him? The other Gohan, I mean."

Trunks smiled. "Yeah, I do," he replied. "But I'm happy to see you again, Gohan. I've missed you, too."

Head snapping up, Gohan secretly felt relieved that Trunks didn't see him as the same Gohan from the future timeline. While he enjoyed how others sometimes compared him to his father, Gohan found himself at an age where he wanted to carve his own path. And to have Trunks acknowledge that without hesitation meant a lot.

"I've missed you, too," Gohan whispered.

The pair stood silent for a moment before Trunks turned towards the row of urinals. "I really did need to pee, though," he quipped, attempting to lighten the mood.

Hearing the sound of a zipper opening, Gohan spun on his heels to give his friend some privacy. "Oh, yeah, of course," he fumbled.

Trunks briefly wondered how Gohan knew the location of such a vacant bathroom. Having no shame, he called to his friend, "Hey, Gohan. Why's this part of the school so empty, anyway?"

Though caught off-guard by the continued conversation, Gohan tried to answer. "This whole area was supposed to be a new wing of classrooms, but they had a hiring freeze and couldn't afford more teachers in the payroll. No one really has a reason to come here, so…"

"So why do you come here?" Trunks inquired.

The toilet flushed, and both boys convened to wash their hands at the counter.

"I like the peace and quiet," Gohan admitted. "It's a nice break in the school day." Before Trunks could reply, he tried to change the subject. "Also, how long have you been here?" Gohan asked, drying his hands on a thin paper towel.

"A few days," Trunks replied, opting to wipe his hands on baggy, black cargo pants. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. It just… well, it took a bit for me to adjust and come to terms with everything. But then Mom-" he faltered for a second, as if realising he had just called this timeline's Bulma his mother. Moving on from the painful slip-up, he said, "Bulma, uh, told me you were in school. She forged me some documents and took the entrance exam for me, so we could go together. I didn't actually go to school in my timeline, so she figured we could be in the same grade for all this school knows. So, Even though I'm technically 19, my papers say 16 like yours."

"Actually, my papers say 15," Gohan revealed with a small chuckle. "Hyperbolic Time Chamber and all."

With a slight grin, Trunks replied, "Hyperbolic Time Chamber and time travel. Think I got you beat there."

They shared a small laugh before Trunks's mouth formed an uneasy frown.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, apologetic. "I thought it'd be fun to surprise you, but I guess I should've told you beforehand. I shouldn't have blindsided you like that in front of everyone. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine," Gohan said, waving his hands in an attempt to placate his friend's worries. "I really am happy to have you here. But did Bulma tell you about hiding your powers?"

Nodding, Trunks said, "Yeah, don't worry. She told me how you want to fit in. I promise I won't mess that up."

Gohan opened the squeaky restroom door, allowing Trunks to leave first. "Thanks," he said. "I really appreciate that."

"But what was that girl's name about?" Trunks asked as the pair started walking. "Mom told me something about it this morning, but I think I've forgotten since then." After reminding Trunks about the aftermath of the Cell Games, as well as warning him about Videl's temper, Gohan led them to the cafeteria.

Upon confirming that Trunks had brought a packed lunch, the two half-Saiyans found their three classmates sitting at their usual table.

"Took you long enough," Sharpner scoffed. "Thought for sure you'd fallen in or something."

"Hey, Gohan's still pretty new, too," Erasa said, sipping her almost-empty soda. "They both probably got lost!"

"So, how do you two know each other?" Videl asked, cutting to the chase as usual. While Gohan visibly faltered, Trunks had handled far worse on a regular basis in his own timeline.

"My mom and his dad were best friends," Trunks told her. "So, I pretty much grew up with Gohan."

"Huh, I guess that's technically true," Gohan thought.

"Wait, so you know the Briefs, like, personally?" Erasa said, in awe. "That's super cool! No wonder you're so smart, Gohan."

The boy in question grinned, a little pleased by the compliment. "Thanks," he said, graciously. "But that's actually my mom's doing. She's always pushed me when it came to my studies."

"Does she still make you study non-stop?" Trunks said, quirking an eyebrow as he dug around in his backpack.

"Not nearly as much as she used to," he admitted. "She's changed a lot since Dad."

Nodding, Trunks pulled out a small lunch capsule. Before he could press the plunger, however, Videl looked thoughtful.

"Who's your father, Gohan?" she asked. "Is he a scientist, too?"

"Hey, Gohan," Trunks interrupted, much to Videl's annoyance. "You should come by after school today."

Before he could happily respond, Videl leaned forward. "Why are you changing the subject?" she demanded of Trunks. "I asked him a question."

Much to everyone's surprise, Trunks returned her glare, not giving an inch.

"It's okay, really," Gohan said, grateful for Trunks's protectiveness. "Thanks, Trunks, but I don't mind if they know."

Videl gave a triumphant grin as Trunks nodded in understanding. Erasa and Sharpner looked at each other, confused.

"Know what?" Sharpner spoke up.

"My father is dead," Gohan said matter-of-factly.

Blinking in surprise, Videl recoiled.

"I'm sorry!" Erasa gushed. "We won't make you talk about it if you don't want to."

Videl watched as Trunks patted Gohan's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. She sighed, knowing she couldn't wrestle any more information out of him after a declaration like that. Well, she could, but it probably wouldn't be nice of her.

"He's been gone for a while, actually," Gohan said, his voice oddly calm. "I accepted it a long time ago."

"How about we talk about something else?" Erasa suggested. She turned to the boy with purple hair. "So, Trunks? What was Gohan like as a kid? I bet he was super cute, right?"

"Erasa!" Gohan exclaimed, face reddening. "Why would you ask that?"

"Oh, he was a cute kid, alright," Trunks said with a smirk. He fondly remembered the Gohan of his timeline talking about him in much the same way. He knew Gohan might not appreciate it now, but the boy would someday. "He had really long hair. At one point, it was almost down to his knees-"

Lunch passed by rather slowly, much to Gohan's chagrin. And while the human teenagers were astounded to find out that Trunks shared Gohan's nearly-insatiable appetite, no one commented on it. Overall, they made pleasant conversation, welcoming the newcomer with ease.

Upon entering the locker room to change for their gym class, Gohan gave Trunks a playful shove. Stumbling to the side, Trunks merely laughed, letting Gohan vent his discontent.

"Did you really have to tell them all that?" the half-Saiyan grumbled.

"Well, they seemed really interested," Trunks laughed. "I didn't want to seem rude."

"You're so embarrassing," the dark-haired boy groaned, settling in the far corner to change his clothes.

"I think you're always embarrassed," Trunks laughed, seeing Gohan shyly turn around to remove his shirt. "You didn't have a problem changing into that Saiyan armour in front of everyone before going into the time chamber. But right now, you look like you're trying to hide."

Hurriedly changing clothes, Gohan heard the rustling of fabric behind him as Trunks took his time undressing. "Well, I like my privacy. I'm not a little kid anymore, you know," Gohan complained. "I'm grown up now." He dropped his pants, nearly falling backwards in his haste to remove his legs.

A calloused hand supported his lower back, keeping him from tumbling over, and Gohan yelped in surprise.

Amused, Trunks teased, "You sure about that?"

After stuttering incoherently for a few moments, Gohan slammed his jaw shut. Trunks said something, but Gohan didn't quite catch the comment.

His mind could only replay the sensation of Trunks's warm hand on his bare skin, right where his tail used to be. The action had sent a shiver through his spine, and the sensitive nerve endings in that spot tingled with a small amount of pleasure.

Shaking the strange thought from his head, Gohan focused on redressing himself, eyes burning through the concrete wall in front of him.

Gym class passed by rather uneventfully. The class had a free day, which the two half-Saiyans spent walking around the track and catching the other up on their lives.

Back in their regular attire, the students returned to their main classroom for one last lesson.

Despite Trunks's audit status, which allowed him to not complete assignments until his official enrolment, the 19-year-old still wanted to learn. When it came to partner work, Videl reluctantly allowed Trunks to join Gohan and her due to an odd number of students. Trunks's presence immediately made Videl feel excluded.

Growing up in a post-apocalyptic world, Trunks had received very little in terms of formal education. His mother had, of course, taught him basic arithmetic along with a few concepts fundamental to the natural sciences. The future Gohan had also contributed by teaching Trunks to read and write. But it soon became increasingly obvious to Trunks just how much the androids had changed his life. No wonder Bulma had insisted on taking the entrance exam for him! Trunks sighed, trying to decipher the mess of unknown equations in front of him. He wouldn't have made it into Orange Star without the help of his younger mother.

At least he had his own personal tutor, which had probably been part of Bulma's plan as well.

Gohan gestured to his own notebook, where the algebra problem had already been completed in neat handwriting. "You have to show your work, like this," he said. "Not only do the teachers want to see your process, but it'll help you, too. That way if you get the answer wrong, it's easier to go back and see where you made a mistake."

Videl scowled as she watched them work, experiencing something she had never quite felt before: jealousy. Gohan had moved into teacher mode now, and with Trunks asking so many questions, she had no choice but to actually work on her own problem set alone. After a few frustrating minutes, she eventually came up with an idea.

"Gohan?" she called suddenly.

The boy paused in his explanation to look at Videl. "What's up, Videl? Did you have a question?"

She faked a big sigh, internally jumping for joy. She had many questions, really, and she hoped to have answers soon. "I'm having a hard time with all of this, actually," she exaggerated, setting down her pencil. "Since you're helping Trunks now, could I come over to your house after school for some tutoring? I don't want to fall behind."

Eyebrows shooting up into his hairline, Gohan grasped for words. Finally, he said, "Sorry, Videl. I'm actually going to Trunks's house after school," he said timidly, knowing his answer wouldn't bode well. While Videl's temper had mysteriously died down as of late, he still wanted to tread lightly. Just in case.

Trunks eyed the girl with suspicion. After seeing the way Videl interacted with others throughout the day, Trunks couldn't understand why Videl would act so friendly to Gohan in comparison. Videl had obviously known Erasa for much longer, so that made sense. He worried she was trying to take advantage of him in some way.

"Then would it be alright if I come over, too, Trunks?" Videl asked, blinking her big eyes in hopes of looking innocent.

A devious plan coming to mind, Trunks played along. With a big smile plastered on his face, he said, "Oh, of course, I don't mind, Videl. You're welcome to come study with us."

Jaw dropping to the floor, Gohan discreetly, but frantically, tried to catch Trunks's attention. When Trunks seemingly ignored him, Gohan buried his hands in his face, thinking himself screwed.

"Thank you," she said, trying to be polite. "I really appreciate it. Let's meet on the roof after school, shall we? We can take my copter."

"We'll be there," Trunks said.

As Videl turned to glance at Erasa, Trunks sent a wink to Gohan.

"Trust me," he breathed, so low that only another half-Saiyan would be able to pick up the sound.

Feeling a tight pressure in his lower stomach, Gohan squirmed in his seat, dreading the end of the school day.