Everybody Loves Goku!!!

Chapter 11

It had been three days since Goku came back to his home.

Every second he spent alone, he was terrified.

He was always on his toes. Waiting. He got little sleep at night after discovering that tree branches would scratch up against his bedside window. He felt like he was in a horror movie, and that the monster could jump out at any time to end him.

He tried using psychology on himself. Before Goten even mentioned Chi-Chi's ghost, he'd never been 'hurt' by her before. So why worry now? But Vegeta got hurt several times. There seemed to be no method or order to when and where she would appear. He prayed she wouldn't ever appear as she did that one night at the party. Bloody.

All I can do is wait, he thought while making dinner. Night was falling quickly on his house, a time when he would usually go and gaze at the sunset. But he knew that if he went outside, he would make up an excuse to not come back in the house. He could call up Gohan for company, but what with the random visit to Capsule Corp a few days ago, Goku was too ashamed. Gohan called later, all shyness, to explain that he was there to only talk to Goten. Gohan never mentioned what he saw that day. Boy, did he and Trunks get an eyeful.

For the first time in all his life of knowing him, he wished Vegeta was around to give him confidence. He could even take a few insults at this point. The Prince of all Saiyans would never be afraid of ghosts. Goku laughed out loud at the image in his head of Vegeta punching a ghost in the face.

When would he see him again? Goku stirred the rice he was cooking, making zig-zag patterns through it. The sex had overwhelmed him, as well as opened him up to a whole new world of...feelings he didn't think existed. "Being naive sucks," he muttered, lowering the flame eye on his gas stove. Vegeta had given him all of that so fast, and he wished he could think on it constantly in pleasure. Not regret. I screwed up our friendship trying to get something I knew I couldn't have.

Brring!

Goku jumped. His heart began to race. He looked on the kitchen counter and saw that his phone was ringing. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Goku!" It was Taffy.

"Oh. Hi!" He was too enthused. Lonely.

"I was wondering if your schedule isn't too busy this week." She was chipper, a deep contrast to the world around him. Darkness was falling fast.

"Oh. Yeah! You can come over any time, really." He looked down at the stove. "In fact, I'm making dinner right now. Want to share?"

"Oh. Really?"

"Sure. I could use the company."

"That sounds neat. Where do you live?" He gave her directions to his house, hoping they weren't too vague. "That's a way's away, isn't it? But I'll start moving out now. You're too kind."

"No problem!" Their conversation ended.

Thank goodness. At least he could keep paranoia at bay while someone else was around. Bits of fish, string peas, and sauce were added to the rice. He wanted to stay calm and distracted until Taffy showed up.

Goku turned around. He saw that a chair at the kitchen table had been dragged a fraction of an inch across the floor. Maybe? He felt cold all of a sudden, and decided to busy himself with the food again. An hour passed, and the familiar sound of a car pulling up to the front of the house filled his ears. Eagerly, he ran to the front door and opened it.

"Hi!" Taffy waved. The engine to her car died as she climbed out of the driver's seat. She was wearing a light blue sun dress, slightly informal, but too showy for someone just interested in training. She carried a purse with her, huge on her thin arm. Goku thought of her as beautiful and out-of-place in the world around his home.