Chapter 1- Introduction

Videl looked down at her watch. Late Again, she thought as she ran down the halls of Orange Star High School. She rounded the corner and saw her classroom. She busted open the door.

"Sorry I am late," she interrupted the teacher the second she entered the classroom.

"It's not a problem Videl," the teacher said understandably although slightly irritated.

Videl walked up to the fourth row where her friends were sitting. Her two best childhood friends Erasa and Sharpner smiled at her arrival.

"Another morning of crime?" Erasa asked in her cherry mood.

"Yeah," was all Videl said happy she could catch a break.

"Let me guess, another guy shooting up a bank?" Erasa asked.

Videl sighed. "You got it. Second time this week."

"Good thing the city has you," Sharpner explained.

"Yeah," she agreed.

The three close friends decided to end their conversation there. They didn't want to get in trouble so early in the year for talking in class. Erasa in particular needed to keep quiet because she was a major chatterbox and has gotten in trouble before. Sharpner also got in trouble sometimes but not just for talking in class. Videl was generally quieter. She attempted to pay attention but her mind quickly drifted.

Videl looked over a few seats and saw a new kid in the classroom. He had just enrolled a few days ago and seemed quiet. He was a tall young man with black hair. He was dressed nicely. She knew everybody in this school since she was very young and it wasn't so often they got new students at Orange Star. She remembered a few days ago when he entered the classroom when Erasa jumped up and invited him to sit by her.

She is always so inviting, Videl thought ever so slightly irritated that there might be the prospect of another friend in their tight-knit trio.

Classes went by quickly and lunch was at hand. Finally the bell rang indicating that it was lunch time.

"Hey Gohan!" Erasa beamed as the students got up for lunch.

I guess she will invite him to lunch. Again. Videl thought to herself as he looked over to the young man.

"Want to join us for lunch?" Erasa asked putting on a friendly face.

Videl looked at him carefully. The new kid seemed a little lonely and had denied Erasa's lunch request a few times now. She wasn't upset about that at all. However, It didn't make sense to Videl why he would deny that request. What was really odd to Videl was surprised that he didn't immediately jump at the opportunity to hang out with her. After all, she was famous and the daughter of Hercule Satan. Erasa didn't invite many to eat lunch with their group.

Perhaps she has a little crush on the new kid, Videl thought. She laughed under her breath at the thought.

"Why not?" Gohan said surprising Videl and Erasa.

Sharpner seemed a tad annoyed at this prospect, but went along with it.

Maybe he is just really shy and he is finally coming out of his shell a little, Videl thought.

"Great!" Erasa said and led the way to where they ate lunch. They walked outside on the lawn of Orange Star High School towards some trees where some other students were sitting.

The four sat down underneath a tree. The weather was pleasant, typical of an early fall day. Gohan took out a capsule, dropped it on the ground, and it opened to reveal a large lunch box.

"Wow, why do you have such a large lunch box Gohan?" Erasa asked.

Gohan looked up to her with a smile. "I eat a lot of food."

"I'll say! We hardly know anything about you Gohan," Erasa mentioned. "Tell us a little about you?"

"Well there's not much more about me than I already said," Gohan mentioned.

"Well, we know you have a horrible commute from way out in the middle of nowhere," Erasa remarked.

"Yeah. I live with my mom and brother in the mountains," Gohan added.

At this point, Gohan was eating a large dish. He ate incredibly fast which was noted by Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl. Videl looked almost in awe at the food he was consuming.

"How do you stay so thin?" Sharpner asked.

"Well, I guess I walk a lot which burns calories," Gohan proclaimed.

"Crazy" was all Sharpner could say. He went on to say, "Well I stay thin by working out all the time."

Videl sighed at Sharpner's cocky remark. Ignoring Sharpner, she thought, that is weird. I don't think I have ever seen anybody eat so much!

"What about you guys?" Gohan muffled with his mouth full.

Gross, Videl thought.

Erasa chuckled at Gohan's manners. "Well, mom is in the beauty industry, if you couldn't tell" Erasa said with pride. One could tell that she put a lot of time into her hair.

Sharpner let out air in a chuckle. "Well, I am a martial artist just like Videl"

Videl huffed.

"What about you Videl? What do you like to do?" Gohan asked.

She turned her head at him and stared in shock. Is it possible that he doesn't know who I am? Videl thought to herself. She hadn't encountered this before.

Sharpner and Erasa looked at Gohan oddly.

Gohan began to sweat. He knew something was out of place. Was it something I said?

"Wha- what?" Gohan stuttered nervously.

Gohan knew he was a little awkward having grown up around his dad's friends, far away from a large metropolitan area like the West City-Satan City metro. Being from the mountains, he wondered if every move he made was correct.

"You can't possibly not know who she is," Erasa explained bewildered.

Gohan gulped. "Umm, she is Videl?" He said hoping that was the right answer.

Gohan knew that she helped the police with something every now and then but didn't know any specifics.

That's crazy, Videl thought.

"Videl Satan!" Erasa blatantly said.

Gohan was drawing a blank. Was he supposed to know who or what Videl did? He was very nervous because he didn't know where this was going. Perhaps she is popular at this school, Gohan thought.

"Umm," Gohan muttered.

"Videl Satan, the crime fighter? Daughter of the greatest martial arts champion of all time?" Sharpner chimed in.

Gohan looked at the three nervously. He was beginning to regret Erasa's lunch proposition. He really didn't like being in these situations where he was the odd man out.

Videl couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She could tell Gohan was drawing a blank. Was it possible that her father's image didn't make it out there in the mountains? She had never met anybody who didn't know who her father was. What does this mean? Videl thought to herself.

"Hercule Satan?" Sharpner got closer to his face trying to get some sense in Gohan.

Ding. It popped in his head. Gohan was all of a sudden surprised. He remembered. Hercule Satan, the man who stole credit for defeating the epic monster, Cell. The man who discounted anything he or his friends did on this earth. The man that thought he and his friends are tricksters. The man who called his father a trickster. He remembered his father at the Cell Games, the last time he ever saw him.

His face became depressed at the thought. He had just gone from a surprised facial expression to a saddened one within a matter of seconds. Videl took note.

Gohan looks like he just found out his family died or something, Videl thought without having the slightest clue what was going on inside Gohan's head.

Gohan immediately returned to normal realizing what was going on.

"That's incredible!" Gohan said with fake excitement.

While Gohan was surprised at this development, he wasn't really excited. Videl looked at his facial expression and took note at the fakeness. She could tell. She looked at so many faces over the years, both good and bad. She knew when someone was lying or at least hiding some truth.

Gohan couldn't believe what he was hearing. What luck? He thought entering high school would lead him to a life of normalcy but this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He was really happy he was talking to someone his own age and what he thought had normal lives. The only problem is that Videl Satan is anything but normal to him. Now she will remind him of a past, a dark past.

"So did your dad teach you martial arts?" Gohan forced out trying to not think about his dad.

"He has helped me, but I wouldn't call it teaching me," Videl said slightly irritated. "These days, he mostly just sits around laying in the wealth he has accumulated after defeating Cell."

Gohan picked up on the slightly irritation in her voice. This made him smile ever so slightly. Videl also took note on that smile from Gohan. Was that fake or real? Videl thought.

"Oh come on, he needs to take a break every now and then," Sharpner added.

"Whatever," Videl said still irritated.

Back to Gohan, Videl thought. I still cannot believe he didn't know about me. At least he knows something about my dad but how could he not make the connection?

Gohan was also thinking about the whole situation. Wow, I really need to be prepared for this sort of stuff. I made myself look like a fool in front of my new friends. However, Gohan couldn't believe that he was calling the daughter of Hercule her friend but these three are the closest he had as friends.

The four enjoyed the rest of their lunch and went back to their classes. The classes went by with no interruption and the four were about to part ways.

"Thank you for inviting me to lunch today Erasa," Gohan said happily.

"Of course! We are your friends!" Erasa explained.

Whoa slow down there Erasa, Videl thought. We hardly know anything about Gohan.

Sharpner was also having similar thoughts. Why are we calling him a friend? He is kind of nerdy and from the mountains, Sharpner thought.

"How are you getting home Gohan?" Erasa asked?

Gohan was about to say nonchalantly that he was going to fly but quickly stopped himself reminding himself that he is trying to live a normal life.

"Umm, walk?" Gohan blurted out. Crap.

He didn't know what to say. He had no back up plan. He didn't think this through. I should have figured out what I was going to say before I came here, Gohan thought.

Walk? Doesn't he live far away from here? Videl thought.

"Walk? I thought you lived far out in the 439 district," Videl reminded him. She took careful note of his facial expression.

"Umm, well what I meant to say is walk towards the center of town where my mom will pick me up. She is running errands," Gohan lied.

Videl eyed him which made Gohan nervous.

"Oh! That makes sense," Erasa said while Sharpner nodded his head.

No it doesn't,Videl said still eyeing Gohan. No, no no. None of this makes any sense. Why would his mom come out all the way from the 439 district to pick him up? That has to be a few hours even with a capsule jet, Videl thought. She decided to let it go for now.

Videl nodded her head. Gohan waved goodbye sweating from his nervousness.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Gohan said cheerfully trying to hide the fact that he had just lied.

Gohan walked in the other direction than Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner were headed.

"Can you believe that?" Videl said frustrated.

"What?" Sharpner asked as the three walked along the sidewalk.

"That pathetic excuse that Gohan made up just now," Videl groaned.

"Oh come on Videl! He is from the mountains and probably doesn't have many friends. He was just really nervous and it came out wrong, that's all," Erasa explained trying to talk some sense in Videl.

Videl decided to let it go. Truthfully, she wasn't excited at Erasa inviting him into the group. She wasn't about to say that just yet. She was curious of the new kid and wanted to learn more before ultimately judging him but she knew he was lying and she hated that. After all, she makes it her work to take out the bad guys who lie all the time. What good is Gohan if he lies? The three continued to walk towards their homes however Videl needed to fly home. She was just keeping her closest friends company.

Gohan was high above the clouds flying home at this point. He was pondering a few things from school. This has been the first real social contact he had after entering this school earlier this week. Well, I guess it could have been worse, Gohan thought.

He still couldn't believe that Videl was the daughter of Hercule. How could that lying cheat have a daughter? He learned to forgive him even if he was never to meet him in person again after the Cell games. His dad always taught forgiveness. To him, the world champion was his dad, not some fraud. He was sad that the world didn't know this but this also allowed his life to be calm and out of the lime light unlike Hercule or Videl. He didn't blame anything Hercule did on Videl. It just so happens one of his friends is the daughter of that man.

Gohan began to descend into the quaint picturesque valley where he lived. Mountains surrounded him with a small stream nearby his house. He landed on the soft grass outside his house.

"Big bro!" Goten yelled out running over to him jumping up to give Gohan a hug.

"Hey there squirt, what have you been up to?" Gohan asked.

"I have been training!" Goten chirped.

"Training?" Gohan asked surprised.

"Yeah! Mom is teaching me!" Goten said happily.

Wow, mom sure has changed, Gohan thought as he entered his house.

"How was your day Gohan?" Chi Chi asked.

"It was good," Gohan replied. Or interesting, Gohan thought.

Back at the Satan household, Videl punched one of the many punching bags in his father's gym. His father's students frequented that gym though there was nobody in it but herself right now. She hit the bag once again, pounding her frustration out. She was a little upset that her best friend, Erasa, was inviting Gohan into their group so easily. What they had was special or so she thought.

What was even more upsetting is that Erasa was inviting Gohan into their group without realizing he was lying. She had no idea why Gohan would lie about something so trivial like his transportation method to get home, but the lying just asked more questions. Did he really live in the 439 district? Did he really not know who she was? How did he really get home? What is he hiding?

She was also frustrated that this had enveloped her thoughts for the past few hours. He is just some lying skinny boy, Videl thought. Despite this thinking, she thought that Gohan was sincerely happy and a caring person albeit shy. He just has a positive vibe when you were around him. She wasn't sure why though. He was sort of an enigma and she wanted to learn more. Although she partially made up her mind about Gohan, she was going to let him continue to be in the group so she could understand more about him. Something about him she found interesting. She picked him out of so many people to find interesting which was disconcerting to her, but she had to fill a void. Yes, Gohan was not entirely to be trusted, but there was much to learn.

A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I will try to update often. I expect this this fanfic to be roughly 30-40k words when completed. This is the story of Gohan and Videl ultimately falling in love. I have lots of ideas for this story.