A Forgotten Life

Chapter Thirty One

The sunlight was warm on my face. A gentle wind caused the high grass around me to sway and tickle my legs. Birds sang happily in the sky and from where they perched in trees. I smiled, raising my arms above my head and stretching them. It was a beautiful summer day.

"Mooney!" I turned at the sound of my father's voice. Dad was standing a few yards away, waving and grinning enthusiastically.

I grinned and just as I started to wave back, there was a very loud clap of thunder followed instantly by a flash of lightning that blinded me momentarily. When I could see again, Dad was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

My eyes opened in my dark bedroom. I saw nothing except the lines of moonlight coming through the window, painting my wall with an ethereal glow. Nothing but the faint sounds of my family breathing reached my ears. I blinked slowly, the last images of the dreaming fading.

Sighing, I pulled my hands free of the blanket, running them over my face. I stared up at the ceiling for a moment before rolling over and meeting the bright numbers of my alarm clock. 4:15 a.m. on September 14th. In five days it'd be a year since Dad left.

I sat up, pushing my hair out of my face. I only had two more hours until the clock's alarm went off to wake me up for school, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, you've reached Goku! You know what to do!" As the beep filled my ear, I sighed. No point leaving a message.

I hit one button, then another, the movement so practiced it felt like second nature. I waited. Five rings, like always. Before the sixth one, his voice picked up.

"If you're calling this number I assume you already know who it is. If not, tough luck. Leave a message if you must." Once more, a low beep sounded from the phone. Again, I sighed, pulling the device away and hitting end.

Vegeta's face stared up at me from the phone before a message box popped up, asking if I wanted to make another call. I briefly considered it before sighing again, hitting no and then the home button. The smiling faces of my friends and I in a large group picture greeted me. I looked away, locking the screen and sticking the phone in my pocket.

The noises of the busy school hallway I had blocked out while making the calls slowly came back to me. I heard lockers slamming and other students laughing and talking to one another. The end of the day bell had rung a few minutes ago, and the halls were slowly starting to clear out. I finished grabbing what I needed from my locker, shutting it.

Aki stood where the door had been moments before, leaning against the lockers. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, a few strands escaping from the band. The bowtie that all female students wore hung untied around her neck.

"Hey, Ki," I say lamely, attempting to give her a smile. "How was your day?"

Aki shrugged, pushing off the lockers. "Same as always, I guess." Her gold eyes found my blue ones. "What about you?"

I shrugged as well, starting to walk down the hallway. Aki fell into step beside me, shifting her backpack around so it wouldn't hit me. We walked towards the doors that lead out to the bus circle, but when we got out there, neither of us headed towards a bus. Instead we started to walk down the streets of West City.

The whole time I couldn't stop thinking of my dream this morning. I knew what it meant and why I had it. Dad and Vegeta had both left a year ago for some top secret training on the Kai planet. Momma and Bulma knew why they left, but refused to tell any of us. I don't think even Gohan knows why our father left. I missed Dad so much, which is why I called him - and Vegeta- every day; to try and talk to them, to ask them when they'd be coming home.