Friends, Forever

SUMMARY: When the teenage Goten almost loses someone very close to him, he is unsure of how to handle it. Can he admit the extent of his friendship? Admit that he'd die for his friend?

NO YAOI, NO GAY STUFF... THIS IS ALL ABOUT FRIENDSHIP. If you want Yaoi you'll have to request it. ;)

ITALICS = flashback

- = paragraph break

~= POV change

Goten remembered the accident all too well. It had been a normal day at school, turned into a nightmare....

Goten sighed as he sat at his desk, looking around the classroom as if anything the teacher was babbling on about would make a difference in his life. The bored teen ran his hands through his long mane of hair, sighing again. He looked out the window and yawned, but soon smiled as he saw a family of birds sitting comfortably in a nest not far from the classroom. The parents were feeding the younglings, that chirped away happily as their parents watched over, protected and fed them. Goten's smile grew wider - despite being seventeen now, he had never lost his love for life, and the awe he felt whenever he tried to contemplate how perfect and complicated any kind of life was - and he rested his head on is hand, his elbow propping him up on the desk. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the teacher began yelling his name louder than he already had been.

"Goten! Goten! GOTEN!!" 

"Oh, yes, sir?" Goten answered awkwardly, turning back to the front of the classroom and swallowing hard as the class turned to face him.

"Is there a problem, Goten? Do you find my class boring? Do you wish you were elsewhere? Would you like me to make things easier for you? Would you like me to give you a leave of absence so you can go and chase lizards in the forest?" the teacher taunted the boy, who felt his face heat as he took it. 

"N-no, sir... I-I'm sorry..." Goten stuttered, shifting his gaze downwards as the teacher sighed and went back to his lecture. 

Soon enough, the class ended, and Goten picked up his books to pack into his bag. As he did, a boy walked past and slapped him over the head as he walked by, and another knocked Goten's things to the ground. Sighing, and holding back his frustration and urge to punch them both, Goten picked up his things again and stuffed them into his bag. He felt tears burning at his eyes, but he fought them back. He had never been the most popular kid at school, but Trunks had. That was what had separated the two best friends once they got to high school. Trunks was busy with the popular crowd while Goten was left behind in the dirt. Wiping his forearm over his eyes, he turned to leave the already empty classroom, but as he went to go through the door, he was stopped in his tracks.

"Goten, can I speak with you for a moment?" the teacher called out softly, beckoning the boy closer. 

Goten sighed and nodded, walking over to the teacher's desk where he sat. The teacher motioned for him to move closer, and Goten shuffled forward a little as the teacher looked up at him, inspecting him over the rim of his glasses before he started talking.

"Are you alright?" 

Goten was shocked by the question. It was a known fact that he certainly WASN'T alright, but nobody even seemed to care enough to ask. Goten opened his mouth, but he stuttered and couldn't manage to answer, so the teacher eased the awkwardness by continuing. 

"I know you've been having a hard time with some of the other kids, but you can't let that get to you. Don't you still talk to Trunks? You two were the closest friends I've ever seen around here, what happened?"