Golden's life 2

"Mike, why does Suealways come over?"

When Golden asked the question, Mike had been caught off guard; he whipped around in his seat so fast, he almost knocked his glass of water all over his computer's keyboard. Golden was unaware of his reaction, too busy idly smashing buttons on the game controller hooked up to Mike's old gaming platform. But Mike could see his brother's eyes flit towards Mike every few moments from his spot on the floor. He was obviously expecting an answer.

"Oh, well… She's just a good friend… Good friends like seeing each other, right?" At this, Golden frowned. Mike wondered if it was because of the lame reason or because he lost a life in the video game.

"Yea, well, Shadow doesn't come over every day and he's my best friend..." Mike pretended he didn't hear anything from his little brother; his fingers suddenly seemed to be possessed, clicking away furiously and drowning out any further noises from Golden. The smaller boy's frown deepened at Mike's silence before he quietly exited the room, thinking about how he felt about the Satan girl.

That Suegirl was a mystery to Golden and not a good one in particular. She knew the meaning and practice of humility – unlike her father – but she was simply overbearing to him. Stubborn as a mule, Suerefused to admit her faults around Golden. It would always be his fault whenever she made a mistake in front of the others or Golden distracted her too much to do anything perfectly. But the youngest Son had been warned never to speak against the girl as she was their economic clutch. Instead, they told him to treat her as a 'big sister' that had more authority than him in his own household. Whenever she visited the Son residence, Suewould take it upon herself to mother Golden and it was never sweet coddling. She lectured and complained about everything when Golden was in her presence; she always reprimanded the boy for being too smelly, too messy, and too irresponsible. Sueknew full well that the Sons depended on her and easily manipulated the authority they gave her to ruin Golden's life (be it purposefully or not). Besides, everyone loved Videl.

Suewas perfect in Golden’s mom's eyes, being the daughter Golden’s mom had always wanted. She always hinted that Sueshould become some sort of permanent entity in the house, much to Golden's dismay. Golden’s mom always giggled cheerily around Sueand Mike, always tittered that the girl was undeniably beautiful, and always commented on the girl's impeccable home making skills. But Suewas frankly the opposites off Golden’s mom's praises – always being sharp with Mike, always making ugly scowls at the way the Sons acted, and being an utter klutz when it came to washing the dishes. But Golden’s mom was blind to all of these flaws. To her, that girl could do no wrong.

And Golden’s dad saw no harm in Videl, which was very reasonable. The girl was a useless fighter that always seemed to butt her nose into fights she could never win. She was more so a burden than any kind of help but she always seemed to think her efforts could do some good. And for that, Golden’s dad commended her and those noble conquests for justice. He was too naïve too realize that Suewas fighting crime alongside Mike for several selfish reasons herself. She didn't care to admit it, but Golden could tell she enjoyed the fact that people came to her first when there was any sign of trouble. Golden always noticed that proud smirk whenever she received most of the praise for Mike's just duties. And Golden always noticed that shy smile and pink flush on her face whenever Mike spared her a glance.

Golden sighed. He just didn't like Videl. She meant well most times but something just didn't settle with the boy when it came to the girl. Not that his opinion mattered.

"Oh Videl, it's so good to see you!" The front door opened to reveal the devil herself with a caring smile that won Golden’s mom over in a blink of an eye. Golden frowned slightly as she stepped inside with her hands placed pompously on her hips.

"Hey, Golden’s mom! Mike in his room?" Golden's frown deepened. Didn't she care to ask how the family was doing?

"Oh yes, he's been studying nonstop because of university. But don't worry about bothering him. He could use a familiar face visiting him besides his family..." Golden’s mom wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Videl, causing the girl to blush but smile appreciatively. Golden didn't understand the unspoken words between the two but could tell it was something that involved something he didn't care to know about. His stomach knotted itself when Suefinally seemed to notice his lone figure in the hallway, scowling at her deceptively friendly smile.

"Golden, how are you? Still up to no good, I presume?" The boy easily dodged Videl's outstretched hand as if he knew she would try to ruffle his hair. Instead, he shrugged and walked towards his mother to hide behind her legs. Golden’s mom thought he was being meek and laughed easily but Golden continued to scowl at the girl from his mother's spot. The face went unnoticed as Suepopped her head first into Mike's room, followed by a quick entrance, and the clicking sound of the bedroom door's lock. Golden’s mom said nothing, only giving an understanding nod and smile to the empty room before walking merrily into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Golden quickly followed after her with the intent of figuring out why Suewas always bothering their peaceful abode.

"Mommm, how come Videl's always here?"

"Oh, honey! You're still too young to ask such a thing!" His mother chided and shooed the boy out of the house, probably to avoid any further uncomfortable questions. The demi-saiyan's glower intensified and he huffed in aggravation. Not only was his stomach churning around uncomfortably, he no longer had a playmate for the day. Of course, Mike never played with him now that he was busy with university but he still kept his brother some much appreciated company whenever their father went out often to train or to catch the meal of the day. Golden tried his best to seem like a responsible little brother and avoided asking Mike of too much, but he was always too busy to spar and play or too preoccupied with his 'good friend'.

He clucked his tongue in frustration at the thought of Sueagain. What was so great about her anyways? And why did she always lock the door whenever he was pushed out of Mike's room? His feet wondered unconsciously to the side of the house to Mike's bedroom window. He wasn't spying, really – just peeking to see what those two did when they were together. When he was alone with Shadow behind locked doors, they were always playing pranks on Shadow’s dad or planning to cause some sort of mischief. Golden always had the slightest suspicion that Suewould plot similar pranks with his older brother and she must have been what with all the time they spent alone in that room. Now he was tiptoeing to strain his eyes past the slightly transparent curtains that framed his brother's window frame, ready to catch Suein some kind of dirty act.

But all he could see was the two of them sitting on the bed – well at least that's what Mike was doing. Suewas situated on Mike's lap, facing said person with her legs locking his in place and her hands firmly placed on his wrists. Golden couldn't exactly tell through the material of the curtain but it seemed like Suewas only inches away from Mike's face, slightly moving every few moments without getting any type of reaction from the teen. To the young boy peeping in the window, it looked as if Suewas practicing some kind of sparring hold technique on Mike much to his annoyance. Why didn't Mike bother to show Golden that move? And with Videl, no less!

Golden made a small growl of disapproval before his tiny fist rapped obnoxiously on the glass window. Sueleapt into the air in shock at the sudden noise and toppled off Mike to the floor, looking disheveled and off guard as Mike quickly shuffled to pick her up. When he quickly pulled the window open, his face was red with embarrassment and anger, narrowing his eyes angrily at his pest of a brother. Golden ignored the hard glare though to look over his shoulder at Videl. She looked just as furious and embarrassed, tapping her foot impatiently with her arms crossed in that annoyingly pompous manner.

"What the heck, Golden!" The boy snapped his eyes away from Sueat the angry hiss. Mike's eyes were still steely and harsh, which surprised the younger Son since it was a rare occurrence for his brother to actually be mad at him.

"How come you have time to show sparring techniques to Sueand not me?" Golden asked sharply and glared over at Videl. It took a moment for the words to register in Mike's mind and when he did, his sharp features instantly melted away and he became a stuttering mess like before. Videl, on the other hand, just continued to return Golden's stare with a fierce glower as she stomped over to the window.

"We weren't practicing techniques, you idiot!"

"Oh yea? Then what were you doing, you old hag!"

"We were kissing! I'm his girlfriend, that's what girlfriends do!"

Golden didn't realize he had been holding his breath until his lungs suddenly screamed for air in discomfort. At the same time, his throat tightened and his stomach knotted at Videl's angry eyes, slightly recoiling from her gaze without even being conscious of doing so. There was a small glint of satisfaction in the Satan girl's eyes at his reaction and she pulled away from the window dismissively, quickly telling Mike that she would visit another time before she exited the room. All Mike did was nod dumbly and watch her go until the sound of her airship taking off echoed around them, especially in Golden's ears. His stomach knotted further when Mike sheepishly glanced at him and all he could do was look at his toes angrily. Why did his eyes feel so watery?


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Golden wiped at his eyes lazily as he made a loud yawn, going unnoticed by his company. The girl in front of him continued to yap about clothes or something like that while he picked at his food carelessly. Every few weeks this same girl would ask if Golden wanted to go out and he didn't really care; the girl was very pretty and very popular, and Shadow had said being seen with popular people boosted your reputation. Again, he didn't really care, but both Shadow and the girl insisted that he go out on these occasionally outings. The only bad thing about it was that Golden had to spend money on the two of them whenever they went out since the girl claimed gentlemen always paid for the ladies. Total bullshit.

"Are you even listening, Golden?" The teen snapped his head up at the girl – wasn't her name Nalim? – and opened his mouth to say something. But Nalim quickly cut him off with a flippant wave of her hand. "Nevermind, I bet you think Vinece is annoying anyways. You obviously think I'm the prettier girl, right?"

Golden stared as she batted her eyes innocently at him and just nodded to get the girl to shut up. To be honest, he didn't even like Nalim. She was pretentious, shallow, and incredibly clingy. Golden always saw her primping herself periodically in class, having boys and girls alike wait on her every whim, and expected everything to be handed to her. And she always chose some person to latch onto for a couple of months, be it some random boy, an over ecstatic girl, or a teacher she could manipulate to get good grades. But he was indifferent to her charm because he was often too preoccupied to notice the girl. With everything that was happening around him, he was too distressed with his problems to notice Nalim's gaze had shifted on him.

"Oh, Golden, you're so sweet! I just love being with you! Don't you love being with me?" Again, Nalim batted her eyes with false innocence to try and woo the young fighter. He simply rolled his eyes and forced a smile.

"Oh yea, totally... It's getting pretty late, shouldn't I get you home?" The sooner he could get this girl of his hands the better. Nalim's eyes clouded slightly at the suggestion but instantly perked up with a girlish giggle.

"You're so thoughtful! I'd love you to walk me home!"

The second he paid for the meal they were having at the little café they stopped at, she latched onto his arm so tightly that Golden could feel the soft curves of her chest. He didn't blush and feel a tingle in his stomach but he was certainly uncomfortable. He tried pulling away from the girl but her grasp only tightened around his bulging biceps, suggesting that she would not give up so easily. Golden's brows twitched but he remained silent. Should he try to pull away again, he might actually hurt the lithe girl so he allowed her this simple indulgence. Nalim didn't seem to mind at all as she continued to tighten her grip around his arm and smile innocently up at Golden's tight grin.

The way to Nalim's house wasn't a long walk but it wasn't a short distance either. As they trekked down the busy streets of the city, the girl took it upon herself to chatter about how amazingly lucky Golden was to catch a night out with her, seeing as her schedule was so filled with other significant appointments. Golden gave her the courtesy of nodding at her incessant talking but had his mind somewhere else.

It was only a week ago since his drunken incident with his father and the awkward exchange the day after. In the following days, Golden’s dad made sure to avoid his youngest son by making the same excuses – he'd either have to train, look for oddities to sell for the family's financial situation, or was off looking over nature's creatures in case they needed saving. Golden’s mom didn't seem to notice the rift at all and Mike was out of the question. Golden couldn't even remember the last time he talked civilly with his brother since most times he forced himself to be cordial in his presence. Ever since they shared that night alone in Mike's house talking about everything, Golden refused to talk to his brother. He was still in shock about it all.

"We're, here Golden!"

"Oh, we are?" Nalim smiled at the clueless teen and playfully smacked his chest. Golden looked to see that they were in fact standing at the girl's doorstep with Nalim looking up at him expectantly. He raised his brows in confusion at her gaze, only to earn a sly grin. In the next moment, Golden felt Nalim pressing into him eagerly with her arms trying to snake their way around his shoulders and her lips flying to his. Out of pure shock, Golden pushed the girl away without realizing how much strength he was putting in, making her fly back slightly into the doorway. She didn't seem to be hurt but she was incredibly startled by the looks of her hanging mouth and wide eyes.

She sputtered in confusion before shooting an angry sneer at the teen. Golden only glared back as he wiped frantically at his lips.

"What the hell is your problem, Golden?"

"What! I'm not the one trying to suck my lips off!" Nalim flushed in embarrassment but only seemed to get angrier at the jab. She advanced quickly to Golden and clawed at his shirt aggressively, her nose flaring as her eyes widened crazily in a way that was completely different to her normally composed and haughty manner.

"I'm your girlfriend, idiot! That's what girlfriends do!"

It was this time for Golden to widen his eyes in shock and anger and fall short of words to say. He wretched himself free from Nalim's grasps with his stomach twisting in angry knots, bringing a hand to rub his pulsing temple in an attempt to calm himself. His eyes watered in anger against his will and his breathing became ragged at those familiar words. A rush of painful memories was trying to swallow him whole but Golden held his ground in front of Nalim, pulling his hand away to throw her a cold look.

"You were never my girlfriend. Don't take my indifference in the wrong context." He threw her one more disgusted look before he skyrocketed into the air to distance himself from the crazed girl, as well as letting his pent up emotions to run wild.

One minute he was seething with rage as he raced home but the next, he found himself landing shakily to a forest clearing that was nearing his small home. He fell to his knees and wretched onto the grassy ground beneath him, clawing the grass angrily as the knots in his stomach caused the contents to splatter messily onto the ground. When his eyes watered, he let them turn into real tears that made his body shudder with quiet sobs.

"I'm a pathetic mess…" He laughed dryly before wiping at his eyes angrily. The tears refused to stop falling though and Golden snarled in frustration at his own weakness. He didn't even notice the spark of ki around him or hear a lone figure land softly on the ground a few yards in front of him.

"Golden? Are you okay?" Said boy froze at that soothingly familiar voice. When he didn't say anything for a long moment, the voice repeated the same question with the sound of feet treading cautiously on the soft grass. "Golden?"

"What the hell do you want?" The footsteps faltered at the cutting words to Golden's satisfaction. He pushed himself up from the ground, wiping his mouth nonchalantly as he faced his older brother with narrowed eyes. Mike opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately as if he found his excuses unworthy of being spoken aloud. Golden made a small sound of annoyance that made the older man stiffen and he looked at the ground sheepishly under the boy's stare.

"I could feel your ki rise uncontrollably from miles away… I was worried…"

"Worried? That's likely."

"Golden, honestly – I thought you might do something stupid again… Like your hair…" Golden's lip curled downward into a nasty scowl at those words and he had to mentally stop himself from reaching for the back of his head consciously. With the help of Shadow and his fast hair growth, Golden's hair was now presentable – still a little short but shaggy in a fashionable way. But the unknowing words struck a small nerve in Golden that caused the hairs on the nape of his neck to flare defensively.

"The haircut has nothing to do with you, you conceited ass."

"Well then what is it? Don't ignore me! I'm your brother, for god's sake –"

"Oh shut the hell up. Spare me from your morals lecture and your nonsense. I'm done with all that."

Mike gave Golden with a dumbstruck look but Golden's eyes narrowed more so than before, causing the air between them to become heavy. Even now, Golden was releasing small amounts of energy around his body that made the grass around them flicker warningly in their place. Mike sighed tiredly at the heavy weight on his shoulders and took a step forward with a look of sincere concern, but Golden only released more of his ki and bared his teeth with jaded fury. The man stopped trying to reach out to his brother all together at that point and just shot the boy with a wounded look.

"I don't know what I can do to fix this, Golden! What can I say to convince you I'm sorry? I'm sorry for all those times before! I'm sorry I led you on – I'm sorry we started this! What can I do, Golden?" Before Mike could speak another word, Golden dashed towards him and punched him with such force that all the air was knocked out of him. The older son flew back at the amount of power put behind the force and fell onto his back wheezing for air. He was no doctor but he was sure that his jaw was at least fractured if not broken. Golden walked towards his fallen form to kneel beside Mike's face, a solemn look gracing his once cheery features with clouded eyes.

"You can kindly go fuck yourself, Mike." The cool words made Mike choke sadly and gurgle in pain but Golden was already gone, soaring back on track to his home.

Despite feeling so satisfied with himself and angry at Mike, Golden cursed himself when his throat clenched painfully. Why did his eyes feel so watery?

354,000 pl ki
177,000 zeni