"I'd love to come back over for dinner,
Trunks!" Marron told Trunks over the phone. "Oh Goten? Goten's here. I'm
sure he'd
love to, too."
Goten shook his head rapidly.
"What's he gonna cook?" he whispered.
"What's that, Trunks? I like it a
lot! Sure. I'd love to have your chicken again tomorrow night. Yeah. Hold
on a sec." Marron
paused and went back on the phone.
"Goten says he'd love to! Okay. Okay. Well... All right. Bye!" Marron hung
up the phone.
"WHAT?!?!?!" Goten exclaimed, looking
shocked...very, VERY shocked.
"I told Trunks that both of us would
love to go to his place tomorrow night to have dinner. He's going to be
cooking." Marron
said.
"But you said that you HATED that
new recipe of his." Goten said.
"I do but...y'know...I wouldn't want
to hurt his feelings or anything like that." Marron said.
"Why?!" Goten asked.
"Because I...well..." Marron sighed.
She looked at Goten. That probably wasn't the best time to tell him what
she really thought of Trunks but she could just hint a little.
"Well...because I...I like him."
Marron spit out. Her hand flew to her mouth. The words came out just wrong.
Completely wrong. She was just going to say that he was her friend, not
that she LIKED him, liked him. Goten looked at Marron in a confused way
and then shrugged.
"Y'know, if you'd confessed your
feelings sooner then none of this would've happened." Goten said. Marron
was blushing furiously. She was so stunned at what she said that she didn't
completely understand what Goten was talking about.
"Who's side are you on, anyway?!"
she asked.
"Hey! I ain't taking sides, 'kay!
I'm just saying..." Marron cut him off.
"That if I revealed my deepest, darkest
secrets to the one I have those deepest, darkest secrets for then I wouldn't
be in this dumb mess!" she said. Goten had a bewildered look on his face.
"Well...yeah." he said.
"I can't even tell it to Bra and
you say this!" Marron said.
"Calm down! Geez. Don't need to get
so touchy 'bout it." Goten said, still very confused at what the girl was
saying.
"'Touchy'?! It's breaking my heart!"
Marron exclaimed.
"Wait..." Goten said. "what are we
talking about?"
"How much I love Trunks but I can't
tell him!" Marron blurted out.
"We were?" Goten asked. Marron stared
at him.
"Why are you saying that?" Marron
asked.
"I thought we were talking about
how you really felt about the cooking..." Goten said in a mouse-like voice.
"YOU WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Marron
yelled.
"I thought you didn't like Trunks'
new recipe for chicken. I told you to tell him that we didn't like it but
you didn't. Then
he said to us that he'd make some
the next time we came over." Goten squeaked.
"YOU WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Marron
yelled.
"So you like Trunks, eh?" Goten asked
with a big grin. Marron turned blood red.
"I hate that baka!!!" she screamed.
"You LOVE him!" Goten said with an
even bigger grin.
"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"
Marron said.
"C'mon! Just confess. You thought
I already knew and you seemed pretty comfortable, ne?" Goten pointed out.
"I was...uh...talking about Ubuu!"
Marron said, saying the first name that popped into her head.
"YOU WHAT?!" Goten said in disbelief.
"I've been having a secret relationship
with Ubuu and I love him!" Marron said.
"Ubuu?! Say that again, will ya?"
Goten said.
"I..." Marron began. Then the door
opened and Trunks came in.
"I love Ubuu!!!" Marron said.
"You...LOVE...Ubuu?" Trunks asked
with wide eyes. Marron turned scarlet and covered her mouth.
"Oh Kami-sama..." she whispered to
herself.
"You, Marron, love THE Ubuu?" Trunks
asked.
"I..." Marron started but was unable
to finish. Trunks burst out laughing.
"I can't believe it... Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Ubuu?! I thought I'd never see the day!" Marron bit her lip and
gave Goten a death glare.
(Marron) I can't believe it. He laughs
at me when I think of love. I know it's impossible that me and Ubuu-san
get together but what if I was saying that I loved Trunks. Would he laugh
at me, too? Trunks-kun, if you only knew...
"So...how are ya?" Goten asked.
"I'm fine." Marron replied. "Why?"
"Wasn't it embarrassing that you
had to say you loved Ubuu?" Goten asked. Marron looked at him in a strange
way.
"I do!" she said.
"You said 'How much I love Trunks
but I can't tell him'!" Goten pointed out. Marron blushed.
"I meant...I meant that I love Ubuu's
trunks but I can't tell him!" Marron said.
"Ewww!" Goten said after imagining
a scene. "That's G-R-O-S..." he stopped and thought for a while. "Does
gross have 2 's's?"
Marron smacked Goten.
"Baka!" she said.
"What?! The only ways you could see
Ubuu's trunks are by peeking in his underwear drawer or by...y'know." Goten
said.
"Y'know...what?" Marron asked.
"Y'know, y'know?" Goten said.
"No, I don't." replied Marron.
"When you...do...something..." Goten
said. He started sweating a bit.
"What are you..." Marron said. Then
she stopped and thought.
"Oh! That's what!" she said, finally
realizing what Goten was talking about. "Oh...oh, ewww!!! NO!"
"Hehe..." Goten chuckled. Marron
smacked Goten again.
"Baka!" she said.
"All right! All right!" Goten said.
"Gawsh, you're sensitive."
"I just don't like people knowing
about my love life!" Marron said.
"What love life?" Goten asked.
"Y'know, the one with Trunks!" Marron
said absently.
"Bingo!" Goten exclaimed.
"Bingo what?" Marron asked, not realizing
what she just said.
"In love with Trunks!" Goten said.
"What are you..." Marron said. Then
she stopped and covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh! I should never talk to
anyone ever!"
"You DO love Trunks!" Goten accused.
Marron looked up at Goten then stared down at the ground.
"If-if you really must know, Goten-kun..."
Marron started. "I-I... love...love you!"
"You...oh, yeah right! You're just
saying that!" Goten said.
"I love you, Goten! I love you! I
love you, I love you, I love you! That's all I want to say all over again!
I love you!" Marron said.
"Oh, c'mon! Like I'm gonna believe
that." Goten said.
"Well..." said Marron. She clenched
her fists and then tiptoed to kiss Goten.
"Eh... OhlookatawaterfountainwhydontchagetadrinkwhileIgobackhomeasfastasIcan!"
Goten said nervously after the kiss ended. Marron was blushing.
"Eh...gomen nasai, Goten-kun." Marron
said with a bow.
"Sure...thing..." Goten replied.
"You kissed Marron?!" Trunks exclaimed.
"She started it!" Goten replied.
"You and Marron kissed?!" Trunks
asked. Goten nodded.
"Yeah..." he said quietly.
"So she's really in love with you?"
Trunks asked.
"Eh..." Goten said, not knowing what
to say.
"That's the most unbelievable thing
I've ever heard!" Trunks said.
"But y'know," said Goten. "I thought
she was kidding. But then... I think I like her."
"Well..." Trunks said. "all I gotta
say is good luck!"
"Yeah but...I think she likes you."
Goten said.
"But she kissed YOU." Trunks replied.
"She did that 'cause she didn't wanna
say that she liked you." Goten said. Trunks looked at his friend.
"You and Ubuu may be unbelievable
but ME and HER? That's impossible!" Trunks said.
"You're perfect for each other! You're
both pretty smart, you have tons of things in common! You both are made
for each other! You're 28, she's 23, five years apart, ne? Not much in
the way. I mean, she gets jealous when you're with another girl and you
get jealous when she's with another guy!" Goten said.
"No I don't" Trunks said.
"Okay, so I made that part up but
the rest is true, ne?" Goten said.
"I should definitely stop hanging
around you." Trunks said.
"Hey! You know I'm right. You're
perfect for each other!" said Goten.
Trunks started to blush.
"Don't you know I have a girlfriend
now?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah! My niece. If you're gonna
go out with my niece then I might as well get hitched with your sister!"
Goten said.
"Does age really matter?" Trunks
asked.
"No, but it's good to know that you're
not old enough to be your girlfriend's father!" Goten said.
"I am NOT old enough to be Pan's
father! Gohan's way older than me. Besides, we're only 14 years apart!"
Trunks said.
"Dende! You're old enough to be her
grandpa!" Goten joked.
"Isn't love enough?" Trunks asked.
"It would be better if you wouldn't
be dead by the time she gets to college." Goten said.
"At least I'm not dating a wacko."
Trunks said under his breath.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Goten asked.
"Feh." Trunks said.
"Well, I still think you're in love
with Marron." Goten said.
"I am not!" replied Trunks.
"Then why are you blushing?" Goten
pointed out.
"'Cause I'm mad!" Trunks said.
"Mad in love!" Goten teased.
"I'd kill ya if you weren't so pitiful."
Trunks mumbled.
"You're in love!" Goten continued.
"With Pan!" Trunks added.
"'Oh Marron-chan, I LOVE you!'" Goten
said in a weird voice.
"I do not!" Trunks said.
"Denial..." Goten said.
"No way!" Trunks said.
"Denying denial..." Goten said. Trunks
smacked Goten.
"Baka!" Trunks said.
"Hey...that's what she did!" Goten
said as he rubbed his head.
Trunks smacked him again.
"I am NOT in love with Marron!" Trunks
said. As he finished, there was a gasping sound by the door and footsteps
could be heard of someone running away. Goten opened the door and peeked
outside.
"What was that?" Goten wondered.
Then he heard a crying sound.
"Hey, Trunks, I'm just gonna see
what that was." he said. Then he stopped to think a bit.
"Don't follow me, 'kay?" he said.
"All right..." Trunks replied. Goten
followed the sound and found Marron sobbing, crouched on the floor.
"Marron-chan?" Goten asked. Marron
looked up with tear-filled eyes.
"Oh, Goten-kun. How nice to see you."
she said, trying to force a smile.
"Daijobu?" Goten asked.
"Hai." Marron replied.
"Honto ni?" Goten asked.
"Hai." Marron replied.
"Why are you crying?" Goten asked.
"Don't worry, Goten-kun, just finished
peeling onions." Marron said.
Goten sat next to Marron.
"Gomen nasai, Marron-chan." Goten
said.
"What for?" Marron asked, looking
quite confused.
"But I know that you'll end up together
somehow." Goten said.
"Wakarimasen, Goten-kun." Marron
said.
"You know very well what I'm talking
about." Goten said.
"I-Iie..." Marron said.
"Trunks." Goten said.
"Wakarimasen." Marron said.
"Don't do that! Marron-chan, I know
how much you love Trunks.
Everything you said that day...when
we kissed was all true except for my name!" said Goten. Marron looked away.
"Marron! I'm your friend, okay? Why
don't you tell me why you can't admit you love Trunks?" Goten asked.
"Because I don't love him!" Marron
retorted.
"It's about Pan, isn't it?" Goten
said.
"H-hai..." Marron said softly.
"Do you DO love Trunks?" Goten asked.
"I don't wanna talk about it!" Marron
said.
"Yes, you do." Goten said. Marron
stood up.
"I have to go." she said. Goten stood
up and grabbed Marron's hand.
"No! Tell me you love Trunks!" Goten
said.
"No, I don't!" Marron said with tears
streaming down her face.
"Tell me you love Trunks!" Goten
said.
"I...no, I don't!" Marron said.
"Then look me in the eye and tell
me you hate Trunks." Goten said.
Marron looked into Goten's eyes.
"I hate T-Trun..." Marron started
then she broke down. "I love Trunks! I love Trunks!"
"Marron-chan..." Goten whispered.
"I love him, okay?! Oh Dende, why
do I have to love him so much!"
Marron cried out. Goten looked at
Marron and hugged her.
"Gomen nasai, Marron-chan." he said.
"Arigato, Goten-kun..." Marron whispered.
"Is there something you wanted to
tell me, Marron-chan?" Trunks asked.
"H-hai, Trunks-kun." Marron said
softly.
"Well?" Trunks asked.
"I've had this kept to me for a very
long time and I feel that I should open up to you." Marron said.
"All right." said Trunks.
"I l-love y-y-you..." Marron stammered.
Then she added "...r chicken!"
"Well, thanks...I guess. But why
did it take so long to say just that? I mean, it's not that important,
isn't it?" Trunks asked.
"Well, not really..." Marron replied.
"Well, I gotta go to my date with
Pan." Trunks said. "See ya!" Trunks walked toward his car. Marron hesitated
a little but then gathered her courage.
"Wait!" she called out. Trunks turned
around.
"Yes, Marron-chan?" Trunks asked.
"That wasn't what I wanted to tell
you." Marron said.
"What is it then?" Trunks asked.
Marron covered her face.
"Ai shiteru, Trunks-kun." she said.
"Nani?" Trunks asked for he could
not understand her mumbling.
"Ai shiteru!" Marron said, still
with her face buried in her hands.
"I still don't understand." Trunks
said. Marron uncovered her face but her eyes were shut tight.
"Ai shiteru, Trunks! I love you!"
she blurted out.
"You...love...me?" Trunks asked in
disbelief.
"H-hai..." Marron whispered.
"well, Marron, is that all you wanted
to tell me?" Trunks asked after recovering from the shock Marron gave him.
"Hai." Marron said, staring at the
ground.
"Well...I'd better go, Marron-chan."
Trunks said as he slowly walked back to his car.
"Uh...Trunks-kun..." Marron softly
called out. Trunks turned around.
"Just don't...just don't do what
I would do..." Marron said.
"What would you do?" Trunks asked.
"I don't want to talk about it..."
Marron replied.
"Okay..." Trunks said and he drove
away.
"Don't fall in love with someone
who won't love you back." Marron whispered as some tears formed in her
eyes. She wiped them away and went back home.
(Marron) There. I told him. Unbelievable. But I still feel guilty. Almost like the kind of guilt I felt when I kept all my feelings to myself. But this guilt is different. Like I stole something...