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That Wednesday, it was the day of the state swimming competition, and parents and students from schools all across the region had turned out to Orange Star High to view the festivities in person. With the bleachers and stands packed to the brim with excited spectators, every single man and woman was hyped up for the events to come. They'd already had the pleasure of watching the first two rounds of students for free style and were now waiting for the next group of kids to move up to their respective platforms. The students from the home team who'd turned out to support their side applauded as the next row of swimmers moved up to the block, with one particular group being the most vocal in their exclamations.
"Hey. Heads up, guys. It's Gohan's turn now," Touya said loudly, elbowing Sharpener in the side as he gestured towards the end of the fifty meter pool to their right.
The long haired sportsman, dressed in his usual material of singlet and jeans, grinned widely and clenched his fist in excitement, "Awesome. Our boy's totally going to roast those other pinheads standing alongside him. Their schools don't stand a chance." He then looked to his left and towards the rest of their group. "Alright, girls. The bases are lining up. It's time to show them what you've got."
While Erasa, Lime, Yukie and Sena were all more than willing to participate in the little scheme they'd cooked up, the only one out of their entourage who expressed a tiny bit of concern was Videl, and there was a good reason why. In the spur of the moment, all five of the girls had borrowed a set of cheerleading clothes from the club so that they could better support their friend during the main events of his competition. The outfits consisted of elasticized leotards with teasingly short skirts, and an orange and white color design to optimize the entire look. The school's logo was also clearly emblazoned on the front of the outfit, with the name Shooting Stars written in bold across the breast. It certainly was an eye catching ensemble, there was no doubt about that, but it was one that the most hardcore member of the group wasn't overly thrilled of being seen in.
This was made obvious by the nervous look on Videl's face and the shade of red radiating off of her cheeks. Shifting apprehensively in her seat, the raven haired girl murmured, "I… I'm not really sure about this."
"Oh, Vi. Stop being such a chicken," Erasa exclaimed in encouragement, grabbing the girl by the arm and, with the help of her friend Lime, hoisted their uneasy companion to her feet. "You're the one who said we should do something special for Gohan's big day."
"Y-Yeah. But… this isn't exactly what I had in mind," the crime fighter mumbled, at the same time gripping the front of her skirt and pulling it down. She could feel an uncomfortable draft up her legs due to the flimsy consistency of the dress, which had her shuffle about uncomfortably on the spot. "Look at me. I look like a friggin' idiot."
"No you don't," the blonde replied, waving her had dismissively at her friend's comment before patting the normally hardnosed teen on the back. "Trust me. You look great." She further encouraged her with a smile, which was as enchanting as it was heartwarming.
Her comment causing an even deeper shade of scarlet to spread over the fighter's face, Videl then looked up at her childhood friend with a blink, "Y-You think so?" She asked this while tucking some stray hair behind her ear.
"Of course," Erasa reaffirmed, at the same time picking up the four pompoms lying behind them. Handing two of them over to the shy Z-fighter, the incredibly cheerful teenager then giggled and waved them in front of her, "Besides… even if you did look funny in that skirt, then both the cheerleading squad and the rest of us would look pretty ridiculous as well, wouldn't you agree? That's the main rule when it comes to consistency." Erasa then took up the two glittering cheering tools and held them out with both hands. As soon as she did, she struck a very sailor-moon-like pose. "And even if you don't like them, you have to admit that these outfits are pretty damn comfortable."
Balking at her friend's remark, Videl then looked to her left to see Lime nod in agreement, "You can say that again. Though the skirt is a tad bit short for my liking, the waistlines on these leotards are really snug and stretchy." She added to this by placing her hands on her sides and moving her hips left and right. "The tailors they hired to design these really know how to make our school's extracurricular uniforms really well. I feel like a completely different person in these tights."
"Hmm… now that you mention it, I do feel pretty important and self-empowered," Yukie remarked, her doe's tail wagging behind her as the anthropomorphic girl beamed at the other teenagers sharing her row. "You know… metaphorically."
"And hey, as long as the five of us are dressed up like this, we may as well go out there and have some fun," Sena concurred, giving Lime a wide grin and earning one from her in kind. She then tugged on her skirt in a showy and playful manner, "If those featherbrains from Central City's Next Top Model can pull an exciting chant off the top of their heads, then the five of us should be able to do it too."
"Damn straight," Lime replied, at the same time bumping fists with the red haired girl.
Taking up their borrowed pompoms, the group of girls all stood side by side and prepared themselves for the whistle. Since a couple of them were completely new to the concept of cheering while dressed in the appropriate uniforms, they had to count on Erasa to lead them in the opening chorus. Though the boys planned on giving a holler for their local demi-Saiyan, they were more or less enjoying the sight of their gang's girls all dressed up and ready to dance. The pair of sportsmen even took a couple of moments to snap a few quick photos, much to the embarrassment of Videl and Sena respectively.
Once everyone was done ogling each other, they quickly turned their eyes back to the blocks, where they saw the next swimmers relinquish themselves of their towels and ready themselves for the event. As the line of eight swimmers flexed, stretched and warmed up for the hundred meter dash, Videl, Erasa and Lime couldn't help but do some gaping of their own when they saw Gohan step up to the front.
Though they'd seen the teen topless before on a number of occasions, including that time back at Capsule Corp, they'd never really seen him clad in a pair of swimming shorts while dripping with pre-competition perspiration. Standing there, under the light of the sun with a pair of goggles pulled over his forehead, the demi-Saiyan put on one hell of a presentation for the girls in the stands as he stood before the crowds, stretching his arms and back, and flexing his shoulders. While performing a basic arm stretch, with his right in the air and his left curled behind his neck, he gave everyone a wonderful view of his chiseled abs, chest and back, a sight that practically had Erasa's mouth watering with delight.
"Oh… wow," the blonde gasped, her unblinking gaze fixated squarely on the demi-Saiyan. She licked her lips for extra measure as they moved up and down the teen's ripped form.
"Is it just me… or does Gohan seem really, really hot today? More so than usual?" Lime asked, at the same time swallowing the saliva she had collected in her mouth. "Kami. Look at those deltoids."
"I sure can't wait to sink my teeth into that meat some day," Videl commented, earning a couple of odd glances from Sharpener and Touya at the tone the crime fighter used to say it. It was only a few seconds after her statement that the Z-fighter quickly realized what she'd just uttered on her own accord and, after blushing under the stares of her classmates, cleared her throat and nudged Erasa in the side. "Alright. Enough standing around and looking like idiots. It's time to rock this joint."
Down by the pool, Gohan had just finished limbering up with his opponents and was now taking position behind the block. Carefully slipping his goggles over his eyes, even though he didn't really need them on account of his experience, the attractive young male prepared for the call of the referee to move to the final starting point. However, just before he was getting ready for the instruction, a series of loud cheers and calls suddenly pulled his attention away from the swimming pool and his glistening reflection underneath. When he looked towards the stadium's stands moments later, the boy not only saw Sharpener and Touya cheering for him from their seats, but he saw all the girls of his group waving at him in the most bizarre display he'd ever seen.
"All together, now!" Erasa shouted, before leading the gang through a hilariously unsynchronized, unrehearsed chant that had the people in the audience closest to their row looking up at them in confusion, "Gohan, Gohan, he's our man! If he can't do it, no one can! Gee! Ooh! Haitch! An! He's the greatest of our band! GOOooo, Gohan!" When the group did a really clumsy jump at the end with their pompoms held out to the sides, the girls then gave a collective laugh as they tried to form letters with their arms to spell their friend's name.
When that failed, the girls simply waved.
"You've got this, man!" Sharpener called loudly above the clamor of the crowd. "Whatever you do, don't drown!"
"You can do it, Gohan!" Videl added at the end, being sure to stick her arm high into the air to signal her best wishes to her boyfriend. "The school's counting on you!"
Though the demi-Saiyan was initially stunned by the sight of Videl in a cheerleading uniform, considering it was the last thing he expected the tomboy to wear, he quickly shook his head, grinned back at the group, and waved back timidly. When he heard them all call out his name a second time, a comical sweat drop appeared on his forehead. "Thanks a lot guys. But… don't you think the outfits are a little bit much?" Granted, it did make the girls appear more alluring, he wasn't exactly sure whether this was the most appropriate setting to have them. Oh well. At least he knew they were out there supporting him.
A loud whistle then rang out, signaling all of the swimmers to step up to the block. Doing as instructed, Gohan and the rest of the row moved onto the diving platforms and stood straight up, readying themselves for the off. Upon assuming the positions, the referee then made the final call.
"Take your marks…!" Almost all at once, every single swimmer on the diving blocks bent over and took their stances. Then, a split second later, a loud, electronic 'beep' rang out, and all eight of them jumped.
The race was on!
A loud cheer rang out across the school the moment Videl and the others saw Gohan take the leap, performing a perfect dive into the water. After performing the standard dolphin kick in a hope of putting themselves ahead of the competition, every single one of the swimmers then surfaced at once and began to free style through the water to the other side. Hands chopping into the pool like knives as they raced towards the wall, the group of teenagers began picking up speed the further and further they went. The sprays they kicked up were tremendous and the amount of ground they covered was amazing, even for high school students. But while all the swimmers currently in motion demonstrated perfect form and superb technique, it was the demi-Saiyan of the bunch that stole the entire show.
Videl's group cried out in full support of their classmate as he shot down the swimming pool and pulled ahead of the pack, determined to finish in a leading position. Though they all knew that the boy was purposefully cutting down on speed to make the competition more entertaining, even with the minutest amount of effort, he was really tearing it up. The boy was like a torpedo; a man in his natural element that could make Poseidon himself blush with jealousy. It was only when he reached the other side seconds later that he really decided to cut loose and, after performing a spectacular flip and turn, he kicked off the wall like an arrow launched from a bow.
Gohan's kick through the water after the maneuver caused a noticeably small wave across the pool that nearly knocked a couple of the swimmers off course. However, it was still too small to be of any real notice to the officials, as the crowds watched the teenager leave every other swimmer in his mist. Under the cheers of his friends and the cries of his school mates, he barreled down the lane like an Olympic Champion. Several seconds later, his hands slammed into the wall, and the boy's head leapt out of the water with a gasp.
Flinging water over his body as he threw his head back and ripped off his goggles, the hybrid then turned his attention to the clock to get his time and place. When Gohan saw the rest of his competitors finish several seconds later, it was all the proof he needed that he'd won the leg, hands down. Turning to the stands, the victorious teenager grinned and raised his fist towards the sky, before then giving a spirited and well-earned, "Yatta!"
Sharpener, Touya, Videl and the rest of the misfits cheered loudly when they heard Gohan give his triumphant shout. This signaled for the rest of the crowd to follow, with all those who'd turned out to support Orange Star High's team giving a collective roar of congratulations, showcasing their elation at the young man's victory. Under the applause of the people and his companions, and at the instructions of the referee, the demi-Saiyan then clambered out of the pool with the rest of the swimmers. As soon as he was back on land, he then waved to the people and turned to where his friends were seated.
When the boy raised his fist towards them, Sharpener turned to Touya and banged his knuckles against his shoulder, "Did you see that? I told you he could do it."
The boy in glasses grinned, "You're saying that like I doubted him."
"Well, it certainly sounded like you did," the blonde replied, having a laugh when his friend took a playful swing at his head, which he ducked. "Hey, man. Chill. I'm just kidding. No need to go throwing punches at me just because I was right."
"Pft. Sure you were. Now stand still, you bum," the man laughed as he grabbed the man by the forearm and drilled several good punches into the one spot in his shoulder for good measure. "How do you like that? Huh? Huh?" This ended in Sharpener nursing a painful yet good-natured bruise, a few seconds before he returned the boy's punishment with a jab of his own.
The sight of them scuffling had the nearby Yukie and Lime shake their heads and thing to themselves, "Men."
As the boys scuffled and the rest of the girls continued to cheer heartily for their friend, Videl, sharing a grin with Lime, then faced the edge of the pool where she could see Gohan standing. When his gaze fell upon her, she smiled warmly at him and he threw one right back.
It was funny. Seeing him positioned directly underneath the limelight, bathed in the adulation of his fans… the girl couldn't help but think to herself how much it suited him. Had he taken the credit for Cell's defeat and the many times he did save the world from an enemy's wrath, she didn't think anyone would've been able to doubt his strength. However, that was neither here nor there, and even receiving credit for small victories such as this was good enough for her. As long as it made him happy.
And hey, he certainly looked good doing it. Hell, dressed the way he was, dripping with freshly drawn pool water, he looked even better than good. The sight practically had her eyes sparkle with desire.
The same could be said for Erasa, who couldn't help but blush as she admired every inch of the boy from a distance, standing there with his muscular arm raised in victory above the rest of his toned figure. Her hands came together excitedly as the blonde savored the sight, being sure to burn it into her retinas.
A sigh left the crime fighter's lips when she saw the boy return to the waiting area to dry himself off. "He looks really cool out there, doesn't he?"
Erasa swooned, "Mmm… yeah…"
"Once this is all over, we should definitely go out and celebrate. What do you think?"
"Yeah…"
"How about a restaurant? Do you have any suggestions?"
"Yeah…"
Hearing the breathy, unfocused responses coming back at her, Videl looked across at her best friend to see what was going on. When she saw the blonde was still gazing down at the Saiyan with a dreamy look in her eyes, a shade of red on her cheeks, a lustful grin in play, and her nostrils flared, the raven haired teen visibly balked and frowned. She was then about to give her distracted friend a good tongue lashing. However, when the blonde inhaled and licked the corner of her lips in a rather lewd manner, it was all the crime fighter could take before she decided to administer swift justice upon the situation.
Without a moment's hesitation, Videl reached over her friend's shoulders, hooked her fingers inside Erasa's nostrils, and pulled. The blonde was quickly snapped out of her trance when the raven haired girl buried her foot into her spine and, treating her nose like a set of reigns, began yanking back on them as if she was a horse. This had Erasa's body bending backwards like a bow, a sight that had everyone, including their rest of their group, cringe at how painful it appeared.
"What the hell is wrong with this nose, huh?" Videl growled, ignoring her friend's cries and flailing arms as she pulled back even further in a highly comical way. "Listen to what I'm saying, damn it!"
"AAAH! VIDEL! IT'S GOING TO RIP OFF!" Erasa practically screamed, her words all muffled due to the fingers in her face.
While the commotion pretty much went on unnoticed by Gohan and a majority of the stadium, it certainly didn't go on unacknowledged by the people in the immediate vicinity.
Nevertheless, it was all in good fun, and once Lime was able to break the two girls apart from their own squabble, things quickly returned to normal.
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