Ch. 1

She stood in the rain watching as they pulled his lifeless body out of the wreckage. She had no idea what was going on or why the crowd of people couldn't hear her. She continued to scream at them anyway. Then she saw it, the bright light and she started to step toward it when suddenly she heard his voice.

She woke sweating from the intensity of the dream that haunted her. She got up and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. She was growing tired of all the dreams and screams that kept her awake at night. She looked at the clock it was just after three in the morning and the second time she woke that night.

"Ugh this sucks," she thought. She wanted to go back to sleep but she knew the dream would just return. She got out her dairy and wrote about the things she could remember about the dream. It got fuzzier and fuzzier as the years pasted.

She had been looking forward to work the coming night but this one was keeping her from getting the rest she desperately needed. Maybe her boss would let her perform tonight. She always felt better after singing and playing her guitar at the club/bar she worked at. The man who owned it found her after her arrival and let her stay if she would help out at night in the club. She accepted after thinking about it for a while. When she had enough money saved she went out a bought a new guitar since she could find hers. She absolutely loved that guitar, it had saved her from being depressed and committing suicide so many times she lost count. It was her release, her way of expressing her deepest desires and hurts.

10:30 pm

He looked at Izuru Kira as the first of their drinks were sat in front of them. "what's wrong now, Kira," he asked.

"Why did you bring me here, Hisagi? I thought you and Matsumoto were on a date."

"Me? Date her? Are you kidding? We just come here together for drinks. Plus she's into some guy that's in the house band."

"You should play sometime. I'm sure they'd love it."

He took a sip and said, "I don't play in front of people."

The lights dimmed and a song began to play and when the spotlight lit the stage a lone girl stood strumming an awesome guitar with flames painted on it. She started singing and Hisagi, Shuuhei was stunned. Her voice was beautiful, clear, sweet and yet sad as she sang about love. When she finished the entire place became loud with whistles and cheers. She was good and as the light went back to normal he was that the girl was also beautiful as beautiful as her voice had been.

That performance had rejuvenated her; made her feel alive and well. The place was loud with chatter and several of the customers commented about her song. She smiled and headed back toward the bar. She had a job to do after all. The lead guitar of the house band came up to her.

"Hey, Hotaru that was awesome. We should get together sometime and play a little something."

"Maybe one of these days I'll take you up on that offer but not anytime soon," Hotaru said to the man she had despised from the moment she met him. He was a total playboy and was looking for fame and money. He only asked her because he knew that she was way better a playing guitar than he was. She walked over to a group at the bar and asked if they needed anything. One was a blonde male who looked just miserable, the other male beside him had dark hair and tattoos on his face, the girl on the other side of him had ginger colored hair and boobs about to fall out of her shirt. The dark haired man had a smirk on his face and she wondered what the heck was so amusing.

"There a problem sir," she asked him.

"Nope, no problem. Why?"

"You are smirking."

"Really," he asked embarrassed with a light blush coming to his face.

"Yeah. Anyway would you like something else or a refill?"

"No, I'm good, thanks. That was a nice song by the way."

"Thanks. I don't get to do that as much as I'd like but I'm happy anyway."

"You actually enjoy playing in front of others?"

"Yes, I do. I don't really think of it as playing for them though. I play because playing makes me happy and it helps take away the pain," Hotaru said with a look of complete and utter happiness tinged with a tad of sadness on her face. Shuuhei wondered what had happened to put it there, but was too afraid to ask. He had just met her. "But anyways I have work to do but if you all need something just ask."

"Thanks we will."

After Matsumoto was totally wasted and Kira was slightly tipsy, Shuuhei helped them get home safely. He wasn't as drunk as the other two were. He had been watching the girl the whole time. That's until Matsumoto started to get too loud. In the barracks and in his own bed Shuuhei thought and dreamed of the girl who rocked his socks.