https://youtu.be/tQ_St-C3HdMSuspended in the air, Peppa thinks hard. At first, this seems to be coming out of left-field, but then she recalls the circumstances surrounding her cousin. She hasn’t been showing up to PE lately and going to the nurse’s, why would she do that unless she had something to hide? And that thing with the flashcards earlier, where she pinched herself for mistakes? And that first aid kit in her bag? There’s a way these all fit together, and Peppa unfortunately found out first hand by bumping into it.
“Well?” Videl asks, her voice brooking no nonsense.
Peppa considers Videl, and her brother Gohan, and Erasa the gossip, and Sharpner whose first resort was literally barring her from helping her cousin. She really wants to tell them what’s going on with Izzy, and then they can all do something to help her with her secret… and it’s the last word in that thought that clenches it for her.
Peppa shakes her head in response.
Sharpner scoffs, and drops Peppa to the floor. Panting a bit, he rants, “Really? It’s super obvious that you hit her too hard!”
Gohan snaps at him, “Let her talk! She hasn’t had a chance to explain herself at all, thanks to you.” He walks over to Peppa, “But for real, what happened?”
“...not now,” is all Peppa says.
Gohan’s expression morphs into disbelief. But then, he considers her words, and glances at the others. He transmits, <span class="mu-i">“Is this fine? Come on, tell me.”</span>
Peppa sighs, and transmits, <span class="mu-i">“I said not now, I have to talk with Izzy first.”</span>
Her brother looks like he's been slapped. Gohan jostles her. “Sis, no. You have to tell us what that was just now.”
She shoves him off, a bit harder than she shoved Izumi, and says, “Not until I talk with Izzy!"
Videl glances over Gohan, and says, “Peppa, we can’t trust you around Izumi right now.”
…
“Why?”
Videl explains, “Something happened, and unless you can tell us what it was to have her, like that,” she grimaces as she recalls, “we can’t let you get a moment alone with her.”
Peppa blinks, and looks up at the girl who’s been like a big sister to her for some time, a true ally against many a threat. “Do you honestly think I’m going to do it again?”
Sharpner goes, “Ah ha! See? She admits it!” and tries to point at her, but his arms are dead from holding her back.
Videl turns her head to her boyfriend. With a dojo voice, she wills, <span class="mu-s">“QUIET.”</span>
Sharpner stands up straight, jaw clicked shut.
Videl explains, with a bit of pain in her voice, “I don’t think you’re going to do it again. I don’t want to think you did anything on purpose. But right now, unless you tell us what happened, it’s going to look like you want to talk with Izzy so you can…” She squirms, but finishes, “So you can get your story straight.”
Peppa laughs at that, and the others don’t.
…
Okay cool. Peppa grits her teeth. “Yeah, I suppose.”