AN: OK, here's part two. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and thanks to those who reviewed!
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ…. Or Christmas. Once again, Santa didn't deliver.
Last Time:
"Mistletoe? You mean that wired kissy thing my aunt always manages to drag me under every year?" He shivered at the memory, which Erasa promptly ignored.
"Yes, stupid. That kissy stuff is the whole point of Operation Mistletoe! Honestly, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work that one out." She rolled her eyes. "Well, let's just forget about that for now. The point is that we have three and a half days left of this week in which to get Videl and Gohan underneath the mistletoe as much as possible. Even they can't refuse when it's practically a Christmas law!"
Operation Mistletoe (II)
A new day dawned, marking the 5th day before Christmas and the last Tuesday before the end of school for Christmas vacation. Snow had started to fall during the night and now a thin blanket of white powder covered the ground where it had yet to be swept away or melt into slush.
As the precession of teenagers headed towards Orange Star High they conversed happily; laughing and joking as the cold weather and the impending day of school was overshadowed by the promise of Christmas that loomed on the horizon.
One youth, however, was most unhappy.
Sharpener was walking alone, dragging his feet as he grumbled disdainfully. Despite the scarf, hat, two pairs of gloves, a pair of mittens, two t-shirts, a jumper, a fleece, six pairs of socks and a hefty set boots he still considered himself to be far too cold. And he was going to put a stop to it by doing the one thing he did best: moaning about it.
"Stupid cold… stupid snow… too bloody cold… freezing… damn winter. Damn it to hell. Maybe then it'll be a bit bloody warm… Oof!" His ramblings were cut short as a weighty snowball rammed into the back of his head with sizeable force, causing him to stumble forwards.
He growled once he regained his balance as two sets of light-headed laughter rang through the air.
"You little punks!" He fumed as two young boys, one with a spiky black mane and one with flowing lavender locks (guess who!), danced past him in hysterics. "Bloody elementary schoolers! You should learn some respect you no good brats!" His cries went unnoticed to the two boys who rushed through the crowds.
Sharpener growled again. "Winter sucks." He grumbled and set off once more towards the snow-coated building that loomed before him.
Just five minutes later, the bitter blond was stood before his locker. By some incredible act of kami, the heating was no longer off.
That didn't mean it was working. Oh no. Now the heating system was stuck of full blast, morphing the school into a veritable Sahara in the middle of the arctic.
This is why Sharpener was hurriedly removing all the many layers of clothing at lightning speed, sweat dripping from his forehead (as well as any other available part of his body) as his moaning started anew.
He stopped suddenly and whirled round, one arm stuck in the air from where he was attempting to escape from his thick woollen sweater. He growled and a vein throbbed on his forehead as Son Gohan walked past looking cool, calm and collected as always (despite the naïve look permanently plastered to his face) and seemingly not effected by the temperature change in the slightest.
Before he could start cursing the demi-saiyan under his breath however, something else caught his eye. He turned to look down the corridor where Gohan had come from and sweat dropped.
Erasa was heading towards him. Well… kind of. She ducked and dodged between the students, hiding behind walls and teenagers and looking around suspiciously. As if that wasn't odd enough she was dressed in a brown trench coat, the collar turned upwards, with her eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.
Finally, after much sneaking and many odd looks from her fellow teens, Erasa pulled up beside Sharpener. She lent against the lockers and looked casually as her shoes. Apparently in an attempt to appear unsuspicious.
"You got the stuff?" It wasn't working.
"Erasa, you are aware you look like a drug dealer, right? … And aren't you hot?" Sharpener asked, as he once again began struggling with his many layers of clothing he remembered the incessant heat.
"Sharpener!" She moaned, taking off the sunglasses as Sharpener put a dampen on her moment. "Get serious! This is a very significant mission we are undergoing and it is important that we give it our all."
Sharpener finally removed his sweater and turned to look her up and down. "And looking like a drugged up Sherlock Homes will help us how?"
Erasa signed in a 'your-a-lost-cause' kind of way. "Never mind. Did you bring the stuff or not?"
"Now you really sound like a drug dealer."
"Sharpener!"
"Ok, ok! Cool it." He removed the first of three shirts. "I brought it alright? But… why do we need so much?"
"It's always better to be well prepared." She chimed; reminding Sharpener of is mother.
"Well, whatever. When do we start this stupid thing anyway? We only have until Friday lunch time." Another shirt.
"All in due time my friend, all in due time. Now… let's see it."
"Why?"
"Sharpener just show me the damn mistletoe."
Sharpener sighed and pulled a brown paper bag from his locker. "Here, see." He opened the bag and showed Erasa. "All safe and sound." Erasa took out one piece of mistletoe and examined it reflectively.
"It'll do." She said off-handily, placing it back in the bag. "Now listen closely…" She drew herself closer to Sharpener, pulling his head downward at the same time to get maximum privacy. She looked around edgily before continuing. "We'll launch our first attack at break since we don't have any classes all together until then. Don't worry about getting them together, I can take care of that. Just meet me at my locker the moment break starts. We won't have much time." As if on cue, the bell sounded for first period. "Now, go!"
Before Sharpener could say anything, Erasa had placed the sunglasses back over her eyes and was rushing down the corridor in the same fashion in which she arrived. Sharpener stared after her.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?"
Two hours passed quickly and it wasn't long before Sharpener was heading back towards Erasa's locker. The heating had yet to let up and he (along with the rest of the OSH population) had taken to wiping the sweat from his forehead on a two-minute basis. He had, however, decided that it was far too warm and grumbling only made him hotter so he simply scowled permanently as he silently fumed.
When he arrived by the faded green lockers Erasa was already stood there and was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Where the hell were you! I said the moment break starts! Not when you feel like it!" She raged at him.
"Erasa, we've only been out of class 30 seconds so just cool-"
"Forget it!" She cut across him. "We don't have time for this now! Come on." With that she pulled open her locker door, looked up and down the corridor to make sure no one was watching before grabbing hold of Sharpener by the arm. The male gave a yelp of surprise before Erasa pulled him, along with herself, inside the locker, slamming the door closed behind them.
"Erasa! What the hell!" Sharpener cried as he tried to move inside the tiny space. He and Erasa were pressed against each other tightly inside the metal container. The only light was that coming through the three thin gaps on the door.
"Shush." Was all she said as she tried to peer through the gaps.
"Erasa?" He whispered angrily "Why are we in your locker?"
"Shush."
"I mean it Erasa! What are we doing in here?"
"Shush!"
"I can't breath!"
"Shush will you? They're coming."
"What are you-" He was silenced by Erasa's hand clamping down firmly over his mouth.
"They're coming." She emphasised with a frown before she turned back to the door. Sharpener scowled at her, but curiosity got the better of him and he turned to see just what his fellow blond was up to.
Outside of the locker came the muffled sounds of idle hallway banter, mixed with the excited Yuletide chatter that came with the holiday season. Everything seemed exactly the same as when they had climbed in.
"Ehasha-" Sharpener started, his voice muffled by the hand that that was still pressed firmly over his mouth
"Shush. Just watch." She insisted as she moved her head to get a better view. "Ha! Here we go."
Sharpener turned his gaze back to the hall to watch the promised show unfold.
Videl came to a halt in front of Erasa's locker. Her friend had asked to meet her there during first period. She wouldn't say why she needed to meet her, only that it was urgent. It was odd though and Videl frowned as her exact word rang through her mind. Videl-chan I really need to talk with you. Not here though. Meet me beside my locker at the start of break. More privacy you know? And it's mega important so don't try and duck out of it! Oh but uh…take your time getting there. I…um…have to get there from the opposite side of school so I might take a while.
Bizarre. Videl though to herself as she looked up and down the corridor for any sign of the blonde. I wonder what she wants me for?
"Videl?" She turned her head to see Gohan stood beside her, looking even more abashed and naïve than usual.
"Hey, Gohan-kun!" She greeted happily "What're you doing here?"
"Erasa told me she needed to meet me here in second period but she ran off as soon as the bell went." He frowned in confusion, looking around for the aforementioned girl.
"That's weird. She said she wanted to talk to me too." Videl said, utterly bemused by the whole situation.
Had either of them bothered to look at the locker behind them, they would have seen two pairs of eyes looking out at them between the gaps, the blue (unmistakably Erasa's) having gained as mischievous gleam that rivalled that of the demon duo themselves.
"Heh heh. It's all coming together." Erasa whispered impishly.
"Did you hear something, Videl-san?" Gohan asked, looking around for the source of the odd sound that reached his sensitive Saiyan ears.
"Huh? No. What was it?" Videl blinked wide blue eyes at him. The blink was one of purely confusion but Gohan blushed at the gesture none the less.
"Uh… n-nothing. I-It was nothing." He said, flustered.
"Phew, that was close." Erasa said in a whisper so low that Sharpener had to lean a little closer to hear her.
"Erasa what are you up to? We can't just leave them there." Sharpener more mouthed than whispered.
"Well dur. Welcome to phase one of Operation Mistletoe!" She grinned. "Now, watch and learn."
Outside, Videl and Gohan had taken to watching the hallways for any sign of their mysterious friend, their backs toward each other.
"Where the heck is she?" Videl complained, placing her hands on her hips impatiently.
"I dunno." Gohan replied calmly, his patience far more durable than the female fighter's.
At the same time, unbeknownst to either of them, an object was slid through the top gap of Erasa's locker door. The object was, in fact, a thin pole with a piece of mistletoe stuck to the end with a glob of sellotape. The effort of Erasa's previous night's hardships.
Slowly, the pole made it's shaky way out of the locker. After a slight incident where the plant got wedged in the gap, the pole managed to slip easily through the air. But, due to the top-heavy weight of the mistletoe and the fact that the thin pole was bending threateningly under its weight, it was rather hard to manoeuvre, as Erasa was discovering.
The stick finally got between the pair and hovered at the perfect position for them both to see it as soon as they turned around. Erasa grinned in expectation.
Almost a minute passed and neither teenager turned around.
"Grrr, I don't have time for this. Better speed up the process." She grumbled under her breath.
With that, she moved the mistletoe to the left towards the back of Gohan's head. Slowly the pole moved towards him and, swinging it back slightly, she tapped the back of his head with the stick before moving it swiftly back to it's original positioning.
The only reaction she got, however, was Gohan scratching the spot she had tapped him on, as he didn't take his eyes off the hallway for a second.
The pair inside the locker sweat dropped. Typical they thought in unison.
"Here, give it to me." Sharpener whispered, trying to take the end of the stick.
"No way! You'll mess it up!"
"No I won't! Give it here!"
"Dream on, pal! You ain't touching it!"
"Erasa, give it!"
"No way!"
As the pair struggled with the stick, the mistletoe-coated end swayed too and fro, threateningly close to the two stood outside the locker.
"Give it to me!" Sharpener finally got the stick from Erasa's hand. Only to have it go flying into the back of Videl's head, causing her head to lurch forward at the sudden connection.
"Shit!" Erasa shrieked quietly. "Real it in before they see it!"
Quickly, the pole was whizzed back in towards, only for it to get stuck between the gap. The bothersome mistletoe was pulled inside the locker just as Videl turned round to glare at the back of Gohan's head.
"What the heck'd you do that for?" Videl asked irritably.
"Huh?" Gohan turned around. "What do you mean, Videl-san?"
"Don't play the innocent card with me Son Gohan." Her patience was well and truly warn out. "You whacked the back of my head. Why?"
"What? No I didn't." Gohan blinked, his confusion clear all over his face.
"Humph. Real mature Gohan. Tell Erasa I had to go early. See you later." And with that she flounced off down the corridor, brushing angrily past Gohan.
"Videl…" Gohan tried, reaching out a hand to apparently try and garb her. But, seemingly thinking better of it, he let it drop back to his side with a sigh and watched her go with a forlorn gaze.
He stood there for a good three minutes. For Erasa or Videl the two blondes couldn't tell. But at last the bell rang and with one last look around he was gone.
The pair inside the locker remained silent until the corridor was empty and everyone was inside their respective classrooms. Finally, Erasa spoke.
"Nice going dumb ass!" She moaned no longer making any attempt to lower her voice with no one around to hear.
"Me? It was your stupid fault!"
"How was it my fault! You're the one who grabbed the pole!"
"Well if you hadn't been so pathetic in your attempts to get Gohan's attention I wouldn't have had to grab it now would I!"
"Well if you weren't so stupid you wouldn't have been dumb enough to think you could do any better than me!"
"Oh just shut up, Erasa!"
"Gladly!"
They both gave a huff and turned away from each other. (Or in this case they did the equivalent when stuck inside a cramped locker which consisted of turning their heads in opposite directions.)
Sharpener, who had turned his head towards the door, looked calmly at the locker's handle… or at least where the handle should be.
"Erasa." His voice was calm and even.
"What now?" Erasa turned to scowl at him.
"Tell me: How are we supposed to get out of here?" Erasa blinked and looked at the door. She blinked again before sighing resolutely.
"Oh, crap." She moaned, hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand.
"My feelings exactly." The pair looked at each other for a moment before they began their incessant pounding on the metal door.
"HELP!"
"LET US OUT!"
"SOMEBODY GET US OUT OF HERE!"
Their desperate pleas rang through the empty hallways. Completely unnoticed.
4 Hours Later…
"Woah!"
"Eee!"
The faded green metal door of the locker flew open and two blonde teenagers came tumbling out, landing in a heap on the polished floor.
"Freedom!" Erasa squealed, jumping up from the floor and dancing around in circles giddily. Sharpener on the other hand remained on the floor, panting heavily. After 4 hours trapped inside the enclosed space, the two bodies, along with the relentless heating, had created a veritable sauna inside Erasa's locker. The effects of which could be easily seen on Sharpener's sweat soaked body.
"I never thought I'd hate anything more than cold." He moaned between pants. "But it's true. Heat is my new worst enemy."
"Oh you moan too much!" Erasa giggled as she continued to skip around in circles. "We're out now, aren't we?"
"Yes! But we could have been out a hell of a lot sooner if you hadn't stopped me from getting help all day long!" Sharpener cried, jumping to his feet.
"Oh don't be silly. What would it look like if anyone found us shut up together in my locker, hum?" She stopped twirling and smiled contentedly at him.
"Probably the same as us both disappearing after second period!" Steam was now practically pouring from his ears he was so mad.
"Hmm. Oh yes. I forgot about that. Tee hee. We will be in a lot of trouble for skipping class, won't we?" Sharpener just stared at her.
"How can you be so calm about this? We skipped three periods, not to mention lunch, and for what? Your stupid Operation whatever was a bust!"
"Silly, Sharpener. Operation Mistletoe isn't over, not by a long shot. I have plenty more ideas and two and a half more days to put them into motion." Sharpener's jaw dropped.
"Tell me your joking." He moaned.
"About Operation Mistletoe? Never."
"Ack! There is no stopping you!" He cried, flouncing off towards the exit, grumbling as he went. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved but nooo! I had to get curious about the stupid thing!" He flung open the door and stormed out. Erasa watched as the door closed. After several seconds a cry filtered in from outside "SHIT! BLOODY SNOW!"
The next day dawned all too quickly for Sharpener. Begrudgingly he plodded through the fresh snow towards school, not even bothering to grumble incoherently. He was quite happy to never hear another sound as long as he lived.
As soon as he arrived home his angry mother had cornered him. Apparently she had gotten a phone call from the vice principal at the end of school telling her that her son had not been seen since second period and did she know where he was? Her initial worry that her son had been kidnapped or was injured or had died (she hadn't thought of how he could have been hurt or killed. She was far too distressed.) soon evaporated when Sharpener had walked through the door. At which point she decided he had skipped school on purpose and spent a good 6 hours yelling at him furiously.
He was grounded for the rest of the year. Along with the next if "he didn't buck his ideas up".
Sharpener sighed, his breath coming out as a plume of white smoke in the frosty air. Winter sucked.
He climbed the snow-dusted steps and entered the large building of OSH. He screwed his eyes shut and waited for the tormenting heat to hit. It didn't.
Opening his eyes he realised that he wasn't dreaming. The fact was that it was no longer freezing but it wasn't boiling hot either was real. In fact, the temperature was just right. He grinned. The heating's fixed! Today's looking better already.
He walked down the crowded hallways happily, an oddly placed, dopey smile on his lips.
It died as soon as he saw Erasa waving at him wildly to come and join her by their lockers.
"What?" He growled, stomping over to stand beside her. Erasa just smiled.
"Good morning, grumps! Guess what?"
"Santa died a slow and agonising death and Christmas had been cancelled?" He ground out sarcastically, throwing open his locker at the same time.
"No silly! I have the stuff for phase two!"
"Phase two…?"
"Of Operation Mistletoe." She smiled her dazzling smile.
"You mean you haven't given up on that thing yet?"
"Like I said yesterday: Not by a long shot."
"… Bugger."
Break time saw Sharpener and Erasa poised in wait for the second part of Operation Mistletoe to begin.
Well… Erasa was poised. Sharpener was leaning against the wall wishing he were somewhere else.
"Are they there yet?" He grumbled, looking down at Erasa who was leaning round the corner, watching the place in front of Videl's locker. After a tip of from Angela and a bit of ear-wigging in second period, she had discovered that Videl and Gohan were to be meeting by Videl's locker at break so he could talk to her about something. Videl was already there, but Gohan was running late.
"Not yet… aha! Here he is now!" Sharpener turned to look over her shoulder and, like she said, Gohan came to stand next to Videl. He couldn't tell what they were talking about but by the looks of it, Gohan was apologising for something.
Probably for being a tit yesterday. He thought with a smile, disregarding the fact that Videl's getting angry with Gohan was his fault.
He watched as Gohan rubbed the back of his neck in his usual fashion, laughing self consciously as something Videl said. Sharpener rolled his eyes.
"What does she see in him?" He grumbled under his breath.
"Shush, Sharpie. Now is no time for your belly aching." Erasa whispered beneath him. "Now hold this." She handed him the end of a metal pole, on the end of which was taped a new piece of mistletoe.
"What is this thing anyway?" He asked, looking the rod up and down.
"It's my dad's car ariel, but don't tell him I borrowed it. He doesn't know yet." She said as she looked around the hallway. "Now, hold it stead while I feed it through."
Sharpener watched as Erasa began extending the silver rod, the mistletoe moving closer and closer towards the black-haired couple by the lockers in front of them.
"Make sure to hold in above their heads. We don't want a repeat of yesterday." She said as she moved the stick further out.
"Unless you pull us into your locker again, I don't think we will." She paid no heed to his sarcastic comment.
"Almost there." The rod was inches from being poised directly above the pair and had just reached the top of Gohan's head when suddenly something slammed into Sharpener's side.
Erasa gasped as the car ariel flew from Sharpener's hands, sending it flying through the air. They both gawked as the rod hit the ground, rolling across the undisturbed expanse of floor and barely missed being trod on by some passing students before it rolled smoothly under the gap beneath the lockers on the opposite wall.
The pair barely acknowledged the "Sorry" that came from the boy who bumped into Sharpener as they looked over at Videl and Gohan just in time to see them wave goodbye and head off their separate ways.
The pair ducked back slightly as Gohan walked past they popped back out to look between his retreating back and that of Videl's.
When both were out of sight they turned back round the corner and sank to the floor in unison.
"Noooooo!" Erasa moaned tearfully. "I can't believe it didn't work! That plan was fool proof!"
"Tell that to your father's car ariel." Sharpener replied dully.
"Oh man! He's going to kill me!" She moaned, placing her head in her hands.
"And thus, Operation Mistletoe comes to an end." Sharpener said dramatically. "Oh well." He moved to get up but Erasa pulled him back, her face inches from his own.
"Oh no it's not." She hissed. "I told you I have more ideas. And more ideas you're going to get!"
"Erasa give it up!" He moaned. "You're not going to get them to kiss."
"Oh yeah? Watch me." She pushed him away and stood up. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked up and down the corridor. Sharpener sighed.
"Fine. What's you plan this time?" Erasa tuned round and looked down at him, that knowing smirk back on her face.
"Not now. I don't have the resources and I need to do a bit of planning if I'm going to get phase three to work. And I will get it to work! It will take some doing but it'll work. I'll email you tonight with the details." And with that, she was gone. Marching purposely down the hallway.
Sharpener shook his head and stood up, staring after her.
At least I don't have to do anything else today. I suppose I should be glad I'm not stuck in a locker again.
He turned to walk round the corner in the opposite direction but froze before he could even round the corner.
"Wait a second. What does she mean 'it'll take some doing'? Oh kami. I'm doing to die, aren't I?"
To: 22nd December
Subject: Operation Mistletoe: Phase 3…
Sharpener,
Meet under oak tree (1 wid Luv notes) 1030 hours.
Don't b l8 or I'll kill u personally!
Phase 3 rocks :)
Trust me!
Kisses! Erasa xXx
P.S. U may b missing 3rd Period!
"I take it back. I'm not going to die. I'm going to be expelled."
Sharpener shivered and clutched his thick coat closer round his body.
I can't believe I'm stood here in the freezing cold when I could be inside having a warm hot chocolate in the cafeteria! I'm going to kill Erasa!
He grumbled incoherently, his breath white plumes in the freezing air.
"Beautiful day, don't you think?" He twisted his head slowly to glare at the smiling girl who was walking towards him.
"No. Not really." He ground out icily. Erasa ignored him.
"Give me a hand with this will you?" Indicating the large overloaded bag she was dragging along beside her.
"What the hell is this stuff?" He questioned, grabbing the bag in glove covered hands and plonking it down at the base of the grand oak tree they were stood under.
"Just bits and bobs. You know." She said offhandedly, looking around. The tree covered a vast amount of space and was situated to the east of the main school building. The tree was more than a hundred years old and was rumoured to have brought together as many couples. Although it could be seen from the school, it was impossible to make out any details, making it the perfect place for Erasa's plan.
Happy that everyone was indoors and couldn't see what they were up to, Erasa knelt down beside the bag in a patch of snow-less grass (it was sheltered by the thick branches) and began pulling out items.
Sharpener watched with a raised eyebrow as Erasa set about her business. She retrieved a thick tartan blanket from the bag and lay it out beneath the tree. She then went on to pull out an assortment of foodstuffs that were wrapped in cloths or inside boxes and placed them on the blanket.
A picture perfect picnic.
"Ta da!" Erasa stood beside her masterpiece and grinned. "Wha'da you think?"
"I think it's bloody cold and no time for a snack you weirdo." He said monotonously. Erasa just rolled her eyes.
"It's not for us, dumb ass! It's for Videl and Gohan."
"Because I'm sure they want to sit out here in the freezing cold eating random food." He replied in the same fashion.
"Sharpener would you please try to see the bigger picture here?" She sighed. "Think about it: A picnic in the snow underneath the most romantic tree in the whole city." She sighed again, but this time it was from the romantic image rather than Sharpener's stupidity. "Perfect." Sharpener wasn't convinced.
"Still sounds stupid to me. And what does a picnic have to do with Operation Mistletoe?"
"You'll see." She said in a sing-song voice. "Now, follow me." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the opposite side of the tree, a sense of foreboding descending over Sharpener as the bell sounded in the background for the end of break.
Sharpener leaned back against the oak's thick trunk.
"Is it time yet?" He asked, agitated as ever.
"Nearly." Erasa replied.
He sighed. For an hour (though it felt like longer) the two of them had been sat up in the massive tree, waiting. They were perched on the thickest branch (which just happened to be directly over the blanket Erasa set out) with him lent against the trunk and Erasa lying across the branch itself, watching the main building like a hawk.
They had now missed all of third period, Sharpener realised, as the end of which was now signalled by the faint ringing of a bell from the school.
"This is it. Get ready." When Sharpener didn't answer Erasa turned to look at him. "For kami's sake, get down. They'll see you." She hissed. Sharpener rolled his eyes but moved to lie next to the girl nevertheless. The thick limb managed to conceal them both brilliantly while they could still everything that was going on.
"Psst."
"What Sharpener?"
"I can't feel my toes."
"Sharpener. Shut up."
They watched the school for any sign of movement. At last, after three minutes of no movement whatsoever, two figures came through the side door, heading towards the tree.
"Here we go." Erasa whispered excitedly
Slowly the figures got closer, heading up the hill that lead to the oak, until they could be identified as Gohan and Videl. The pair was silent as they walked through the snow and neither seemed entirely sure what to expect from the up coming situation. At last they reached the top of the hill and they stopped before the picnic.
"What the-?" Videl questioned, gazing down at the food covered blanket.
"I… I really don't know." Gohan blinked in confusion.
"Ok, what is Erasa's deal?" Videl placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "She's been acting weird all week but this really takes the biscuit."
"So that's what those are." Videl looked at Gohan for a moment then burst into laughter, Gohan following soon after.
"Well, no sense letting this go to waste." Videl said once she had stopped laughing. Gohan's stomach growled its approval and the pair sat down on the blanket, their backs to the trunk as they looked out at the view of the school and the city beyond. As they set about eating the various pieces of food, they were completely oblivious to everything that was going on above them.
"Yes!" Erasa whispered giddily. "This is going perfectly! Now, where's that mistletoe?"
"I thought it was still in the bag." Sharpener suggested, his eyes watching as Gohan made light work of the box of particularly tasty looking egg rolls enviously.
"Crud! Sharpener, could you grab it for me? I'm kinda stuck here." Sharpener resisted the urge to sigh on the context that they would be caught by the pair below and carefully stood up on the branch.
Cautiously, he turned around and padded along the branch, making sure not to disturb any of the snow along the way.
He reached the trunk and hugged it tightly as he made his way around to the other side of the tree where they'd left Erasa's cumbersome backpack.
When he had reach the opposite side, he let go of the trunk in order to move to the next branch. It was just as he stepped onto the new branch that he felt his feet slip out from beneath him on a particularly icy piece of bark.
He didn't even have a chance to cry out at he felt himself falling backwards towards the ground. He swung his arms out wildly in an attempt to grab hold of something to steady himself. The back of his left had hit something solid that fell away because of the hit but that was all. He fell from the tree and landed with a muted thump on his butt in the snow.
"Ow! Shit, that hurt." He moaned quietly, rubbing his rear and he stood up. He got to his feet and it was then that he heard it.
It was a kind of buzzing sound, like that of a bee but multiplied. He frowned in confusion as he attempted to identify the sound…
…Before he realised that he already had.
He turned calmly to where the sound was coming from and took in the sight of the bee's nest he had knocked down as he fell. He nodded.
"Of course." He said.
Then screamed.
"Aaaahhhh!" Erasa nearly fell from the tree as the shrill howl pierced the landscape. She twisted her head to look questioningly at the tree trunk as, below her, Videl and Gohan looked around wildly for the source of the noise.
Their unvoiced question was soon answered as Sharpener sped past the picnic, flailing his arms about wildly, a mass of angry bees hot on his tail.
"Aaaaahh! Shit! GetumoffGetumoffGetumoffGetumoff! Aaaaaah!" He wailed as he ran, helter-skelter, down the hill.
Videl and Gohan stared after him, question marks practically floating above their heads.
"Erm… was that Sharpener being chased by bees?" Videl asked, bemused.
"I believe so." Gohan answered as the pair continued to watch Sharpener run back and forth wildly in an attempt to flee the enraged insects.
Erasa hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. That idiot.
"NO!" Erasa looked up from her locker to see Sharpener stood next to her.
"What are you talking about, Sharpie?" She questioned.
"No! No more! No more plans, no more plots, no more phases and no more Operation Mistletoe! I refuse to take part in this stupid thing any longer! I was in hospital for 3 hours yesterday AND I'm grounded until NEXT Christmas! So don't even think about it!" He fumed, now red in the face from yelling.
Erasa blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Pwahahahaha! S-Sharpie! Haha! Y-your - hee hee - face! Hahahaha!" She pointed at him as she fell about laughing and clutching her stomach.
Sharpener growled. "Shut up! It's not funny!"
That problem was, it was funny. He knew it was funny. He had begged not to come to school today but no. His mother seemed to get some sick, twisted enjoyment out of seeing him suffer the humiliation of coming to school covered in monstrous red boils. A result of what had to have been hundreds of bee stings.
He folded his arms and looked away, pouting angrily.
It took a good two minutes for Erasa to stop laughing and even then, she still let out the odd snigger whenever she looked at Sharpener.
"Hee hee, sorry to disappoint you chuckles, but Operation Mistletoe is over." Sharpener blinked at this, his anger forgotten.
"What?"
"Yep." She shrugged. "It was a dud. It failed miserably and I'm out of ideas so I guess you win. I couldn't get them to kiss." Sharpener gawked at her.
"Y-your giving up? Your seriously not going to try any more of your crack pt schemes on the last day?"
"'Fraid so." She sighed mournfully.
"… There is a god!" He cried and skipped happily down the corridor, singing a poor (but heart-felt) rendition of 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah'.
"Hey! I resent that!" Erasa cried after him.
"Would you quit smirking like that?" Erasa growled, her arms folded as she and Sharpener walked down the street. It was lunchtime and, due to the fact that it had been a half-day, school was now finished.
"I'm sorry, E-chan." Sharpener chirped (quite a roll reversal). "But I can't help it. I'm not stuck in a locker, I haven't wasted my break and I'm not in hospital. In fact… I haven't had to do anything stressful all day. Not to mention… I told you so!"
"Shut up! And stop saying that! It's very un-gentleman like." The blonde female huffed.
"Ah but you see, I'm not a gentleman. Therefore, I can say it all I like. On that note… I told you so, I told you so, I told you so!"
"Grrr, oh bite me!" Sharpener just laughed and continued to grin like a Cheshire cat.
They rounded the corner and Erasa froze, grabbed hold of Sharpener and pulled him back round the building.
Videl turned around.
"Gohan? What's wrong? Why'd you stop?" She questioned, looking at the demi-saiyan who was currently blushing and staring at him shoes.
"Erm… I… erm… I w-wanted to… um… give you this." He stumbled, rustling inside his messenger bag and pulling forth a small box wrapped in gold paper and tied with a silver bow. "I-it's your Christmas present."
"G-Gohan." She breathed, looking down at the box perched in Gohan's large hands. "But… I didn't get you anything." She looked up at him with big blue eyes that made his heart flutter.
"That's ok, really Videl-chan. It's not much." He smiled warmly. A smile of her own lifted the corners of Videl's lips and she took the box from his hand and clutched it to her chest with a blush.
"Thank you, Gohan." She whispered before she leaned on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over Gohan's daintily.
Gohan's eyes went wide and Videl pulled away. Still smiling she turned on her heel and began to rush away through the snow.
"Bye, Gohan! See you at Bulma-san's for the Boxing Day party!" She called over her shoulder with a wave before she was gone round the corner of the building.
Gohan blinked and lifted his fingers to brush over his lips where Videl kissed him. A light-headed smile crept into his features as he gazed lovingly at the spot Videl had disappeared.
Meanwhile, Erasa and Sharpener pulled back from where they had been leaning round the corner watching the scene unfold.
"I told you so." Erasa chirped. Sharpener growled. The roles where returned.
"Shut up!" He grumbled, storming off through the snow in the opposite direction from Gohan.
"Tee hee. I can't believe he called her Videl-chan. Isn't that sweet?"
"Shut up!"
"I wonder what he gave her?"
"I don't care."
"Ooooh! I bet it was an engagement ring!"
"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself!"
"Just because got them to kiss like I said I would!" She sang, skipping after the fuming male.
"But you didn't get them to kiss! They did that by themselves."
"Yes, but I like to feel I had some part in it."
"What part!"
In reply, Erasa simply winked at him knowingly as she skipped past him. Sharpener stopped walking and watched the contented blond skip off down the street. Something cold hit his nose and he looked upwards as fresh snow began it's decent from the heavens.
"Winter sucks." He grumbled.
Fin
AN: Wow! I so loved writing that! You can tell from the fact that this chapter is almost 7000 words long (my personal best!). It was seriously amusing and it seems my muses have come back from their Christmas holidays fresh and ready to work! And see, I said I'' get this up by the end of the year! Ok so the year has only, like, an hour left of it but its up! I'm so proud!
Happy New Year! Bring on 2006!