Obstacles

Summary : The hardest part of being a teenager, is learning when to grow up. A high school fic. All characters included, ships mainly B/V with some G/CC, K/18.

Chapter 1 : Meet The Group

Several teens stood in groups throughout the school campus, enjoying the abnormally warm February weather. Just the week before there had been snow on the ground, now there was none to be seen anywhere and the teens were taking it as an excuse to break out the mini-skirts and shorts.

As a faint wind blew up, a particularly stunning red convertible drove up into the student parking lot. The driver, an aqua-haired female, cut the engine and grabbed her bag from the passenger seat before jumping out. She wore a pastel purple v-neck t-shirt and a short white skirt, completing the look with wedge heeled sandals and a white headband to keep her long hair from getting into her face. As she looked around, she couldn't help but smile at the looks she was receiving. Bulma Briefs knew she had the kind of legs men drooled over and she couldn't help but flaunt them.

A black two-door sedan drove up to park beside Bulma and she waited for her friends to get out. Two women with large chests and thin waists got out of the car. Both were giggling over some joke shared between them as they hurried over to Bulma's side.

"Isn't this weather amazing, Bulma?" The one with the aqua coloured hair asked in a wispy voice.

"Doesn't it just make you want to lay out in it for, like, ever?" The one with dark hair added in a voice similar to the first.

Bulma spared them a smile. Marron and Launch had been her best friends for years but lately, she had found herself pulled to the more eclectic group of friends she had made earlier that year. "Yeah, it's great. Was so glad to be able to get my legs out of pants this morning." Bulma told them as the trio started walking towards the building, knowing the bell would be ringing in less than five minutes.

"We so have to go shopping tonight!" Marron, the straight haired girl, blurted out excitedly and bounced slightly. "There's no way we can be seen in last years skirts."

Launch lifted a hand to cover her mouth in horror. "I completely forgot about that." She glanced down at her short black skirt before lifting her head again. "I can't believe I put this on this morning. I didn't even think about it. How can I be looked upon as a fashion leader when I make such a faux-pas?"

Bulma pouted slightly. "I'm sure no one will notice, Launch. Anyway, this is where I get off." She motioned to the wall where a line of lockers were, hers among them. She watched as the pair walked off, Marron trying desperately to make Launch feel better.

Bulma shook her head and opened her locker, shoving her bag into it and taking out the rather large chemistry textbook she needed for her first period.

A dark haired girl with big friendly brown eyes came up to lean on the locker beside hers. "Ready for Chem?" She asked.

Bulma turned to her with a smile. "No, but that doesn't make a difference does it, Chichi?" She shut her locker and started walking towards the science wing with Chichi in step beside her.

"It's not that bad, Bulma, we're still doing the bases and acids unit. At least we don't have to do bonds." Chichi told her as they walked into a classroom and took seats towards the back of the class.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that." Bulma groaned. "You're going to have to re-teach me everything from that unit before exams."

"That's alright." Chichi shrugged. "We can have a group lesson. Goku didn't grab onto the concept so well in his fifth period chemistry class either."

As the warning bell rang, the seats started to full up with students. A tall dark haired man with a scarred face walked in and waved at Bulma before grabbing a seat in the middle of the classroom with a couple buddies of his.

Bulma sighed slightly and crossed her arms on her desk and laid her chin on them. "I can't believe he's not sitting with us today. I've barely seen Yamcha since Christmas and he chooses to sit with his 'baseball buddies' again today."

"Why don't you just say something to him?" Chichi asked her. She felt bad for her friend, she was so hung up on Yamcha while the feeling was obviously not returned.

Bulma just shook her head and closed her eyes, signalling that she was done talking.

Three hour long periods later, students were slowly trickling into the school cafeteria. Bulma was one of the first ones in and grabbed her lunch quickly before claiming a table for her friends. First to sit down across from her was a short man with thick black hair. She had first met Krillin through Marron. They were a couple and Bulma had hit it off with the short man, continuing to be friends with him after Marron and his break up. Through him, she met his best friend Goku and Goku's girlfriend, Chichi.

Chichi and Goku wandered over to the table hand in hand before taking seats on the same side of the table as Bulma. The four exchanged greetings as the last two members of their group took seats. One was a tall blonde woman with striking blue eyes who kissed Krillin in greeting. The other was a well-built male with tall dark hair and intimidating black eyes. Bulma had met Juu, the woman, through Launches ex-boyfriend, Jay, who happened to be Juu's twin brother. Bulma then introduced Juu to Krillin. The man, Vegeta, had dated Juu off and on for about a year before she met Krillin. The two remained close friends, much to the dismay of Krillin.

"Yamcha joining us today?" Goku asked Bulma as he was rather fond of the other man.

Bulma shook her head sadly. "Nope, he's going off campus with Tien today for lunch."

"Wow, that's been almost every day for the last two weeks." Krillin piped up. "We hardly get to see him anymore."

"It could be worse." Juu stated in her monotone way as she examined the noodles on her plate.

"He could be here." Vegeta added.

"Come on, guys, lighten up." Goku told them. "Yamcha's not a bad guy."

"He's the type of man who preys on convenience." Juu told him. "We were convenient for him, now we're not."

"That's not true." Chichi defended him for Bulma's sake, who was quietly focusing on her well manicured nails.

"How can you say it's not true?" Juu replied. "The end of last semester he needed help in his classes to get his grades up around exam time. Coincidently, that was around the same time he started hanging out with us every day and attending our group studying sessions. Now that it's closing in on baseball season, he's back to hanging out with the other players."

"He's allowed to hang out with his other friends." Chichi replied. "Bulma still hangs out with Marron and Launch, but do you say anything about that?"

"Bulma isn't ditching us every day for them, is she?" Juu asked back.

"Guys, could you not use me as an example when I'm right here?" Bulma finally piped up.

"Sorry, Bulma." Chichi told the girl beside her.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to apologise for."

Chichi turned narrowed eyes on Vegeta. "Don't get me started." She seethed. Chichi wasn't fond of either Juu or Vegeta but she put up with them for Krillin's sake.

"I'm hardly effected by your meagre threat." Vegeta stuck his nose in the air.

Bulma placed a calm hand on Chichi's forearm as the vein on her friends forehead popped out. Chichi was known for her short, vicious temper. "So, what's the plans for tonight?" Bulma asked, trying to change the subject.

"Krillin, Chi and me are going to the starting rounds of a karate tournament." Goku told her. The three of them rarely missed a local match.

"Oh." Bulma managed a smile. She was hoping Chichi wouldn't be busy so they could do something. She was looking for an excuse not to go shopping with Marron and Launch. "What about you?" She looked towards Juu.

"Vegeta and I are watching movies all night." Juu told her. "Some Friday night, huh?" She gave Bulma one of her rare small smiles.

"What about you?" Krillin asked Bulma, trying to hide the irritation in his voice over Juu and Vegeta spending time together.

"Me?" Bulma asked. "Marron and Launch wanted to go shopping tonight, but I'm not really in the mood to…" She trailed off.

"You can join us." Juu offered, ignoring the glare from Vegeta.

"Really?" Bulma asked, smiling. "You sure I wouldn't be intruding?"

Juu shook her head and got to her feet, pulling Vegeta up with her. "Of course not. You know where I live, show up any time after seven." She glanced at Vegeta. "Come on, I need a smoke." She walked off towards the door with Vegeta in step with her.

"Why did you have to invite her?" Vegeta asked Juu as the pair walked down a hall towards one of the main entrances to the building.

Juu shrugged. "I just felt bad for her. Her boyfriend's an idiot and she doesn't really fit in with the rest of us."

"That's because she's a spoiled, selfish brat." Vegeta stated as they stepped out into the sun and stopped under a tree.

Juu pulled out a cigarette and a match. She lit it and took a drag before replying to him. "Think of it this way then, if she's there, Krillin won't be so paranoid."

"What do I care whether he's worried or not?" Vegeta asked, trying not to breath in the smoke from her cigarette.

"You're such a caring person." Juu stated sarcastically. "Look, it's one night, you can deal with it, your highness." She ended on a mocking tone.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "I told you to stop calling me that ridiculous pet name."