Chapter 1

"I'm telling you, Rukia, it's crazy out here! I wish you could be here!" Rukia heard her dear friend, Renji, screaming from the other end.

"Yeah, yeah! If you all wanted me there, you know I would be," she sighed inaudibly, not wanting this conversation to go where it was undoubtedly going.

"Rukia, it wasn't a group decision."

"I know, I know. Listen, enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, tell Shiro I'll text him later, ok?"

"Yeah, alright, shorty. Miss you."

"Miss you too, pineapple head."

Before he could voice a response, Rukia was already slipping her phone into the small back pocket of her black dress pants. As she stepped out of the bright lights of the kitchen and into the vacant, dimly lit cafe, she sighed.

At least they keep in touch.

Rukia knows they all care about her. The boys in the band touring most of Japan. Renji has been her friend since they were children. Toshiro, a few years after that. Shuuhei and Ikkaku she met through Renji at some party. But Shuuhei's was the phone number she went home with that night. He was the one she began talking to regularly. Then two years later, he ended up being the one approached by some big-shot about touring the country with his band. Never mind the fact that Rukia was the band's keyboard player. They didn't need her, she supposed. At least that's what she was told when Shuuhei said that his band had been chosen for this awesome tour across Japan, but he couldn't bring his girlfriend along.

Yeah, just your useless, little girlfriend. Rukia thought to herself. She had no idea why everyone else went along with the things Shuuhei said. Maybe it was because guys just avoided drama like the plague, but somehow she knew that the guys were keeping something bigger from her. Just as she was lowering the remaining lights, her phone started going off. Rukia walked over to the tall, wooden bar and stepped behind it, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She flashed a small smile, realizing who it was. She opened it, eager to see what he had to say.

From: Hitsugaya Toshiro

Hey, Kuchiki. What's all this "later" crap about?

You know I have time to talk.

Rukia giggled to herself. She knew Toshiro wouldn't accept talking to her later as an answer. He cared way too much. Besides, these guys were more just band mates than friends. She brought up the keyboard on her touch screen to quickly type him a reply.

To: Hitsygaya Toshiro

Shiro! I just assumed you'd be enjoying the

post-show groupies! Was that so wrong of me to assume?

Smiling, Rukia went back to preparing to close the little shop. She dusted and cleaned the wooden counter top and restocked all the paper cups and napkins. Just as she was finishing up and placing her black apron in her large purse, her phone started vibrating again. She knew who it was before she even answered it.

"You know I'm not into these girls." she heard Toshiro mumble from the other line.

"Really? No one's caught your eye yet?" Rukia laughed wholeheartedly. She loved picking on the little music prodigy.

"Hush. How have things been?"

"Pretty great actually. Since you guys have been gone, my career has so taken off." Rukia couldn't help but sigh, "Yep, got people asking for my autograph left and right."

"Ok, I know that's a lie, Kuchiki. But Renji told me you were working on a new song. Is it finished?"
"Actually it is. Wanna hear it?" Rukia held her breath, almost hoping her best friend would spare her the embarrassment.

"You know I'd love to."

Rats she thought. Rukia stepped up to the small piano, lifting the protective cover from they white, glistening keys. She put her phone to speaker mode and set it gently against the music stand.

"Don't laugh. It's not perfect." she warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it." So she began. Rukia closed her eyes and set her light, pale fingers against the keys, starting the song.

Your subtleties, they strangle me; I can't explain myself at all.

And all the wants, and all the needs; All I don't want to need at all.

Slowly Rukia took a deep breath, hearing nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. She knew Toshiro was listening intently.

The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving.

Maybe it's best you leave me alone.

A weight is lifted on this evening, I give the final blow.

Rukia placed her fingers against the keys more forcefully this time. She knew she had his attention, and she was certain he wasn't the only one. For all she knew Shuuhei was silently listening. But Toshiro wouldn't put her through that, would he?

When darkness turn to light, it ends tonight.

It ends tonight.

Toshiro held his finger to his lips as Renji walked into the room of the tour bus. He instantly closed his mouth and sat on the bunk across from Toshiro with a smile on his face. They nodded to one another in perfect understanding, waiting for Rukia to continue.

A falling star, at least I fall alone.

I can't explain what you can explain.

You're finding things that you didn't know;

I look at you with such distain.

Renji looked at the white haired boy with a surprised look. He knew Rukia had been busy, but this was amazing. And she was so passionate. He didn't need to ask who this song was about.

The walls start breathing, my mind's unweaving.

Maybe it's best you leave me alone.

A weight is lifted on this evening, I give the final blow.

Renji stares at the phone, mesmerized. He had known Rukia's separation from Shuuhei was painful for her, but he had no idea she could be hurting this badly.

When darkness turns to light, this ends tonight.

It ends tonight.

Just a little insight won't make this right;

It's too late to fight, it ends tonight. It ends tonight.

Toshiro offered a sad smile to the red headed man. He knew exactly what Rukia was going through. They talked and texted about it every night. He would never tell Shuuhei, though. There were some things your friends just didn't need to know.

It's my fault when you're blind;

It's better that I see it through your eyes.

All these thoughts locked inside;

Now you're the first to know.

As Rukia made her way into the closing chorus, she felt silent tears slip from her eyes. She knew this was the only way she would ever cry. No one would see the pain she held back as she slammed her small, porcelain fingers into the piano keys. She knew this wasn't her goodbye forever, but by God if it wasn't an escape from the pain she held in her heart from their departure. At the final few lines, she began to whisper the lyrics, knowing Toshiro was probably so engrossed in her song, he would definitely hear every word.

Tonight, inside.

When darkness turns to light;

It ends tonight.

With that, Rukia slowly lifted her fingers from the keys. She mumbled a small "Goodbye, Shiro" before she hung up the phone. Soon after she regained her composure, Rukia stepped off the small stage and headed for the wooden bar, retrieving her purse and keys and headed out to her small white Hyundai Accent.

As Rukia reached her apartment, she sighed. She shut off the ignition and grabbed her purse, half-heartedly climbing out of her small car. She knew after a display like that, it was definitely going to be a long night. As she approached the elevator, an older woman smiled and nodded her head in a silent greeting. Rukia smiled back to the best of her ability and stepped into the elevator, pressing the number 2. As she stepped out of the small elevator and headed down the hallway, she noticed someone standing by her door. The closer she got, a genuine smile started to broaden across her cheeks, seeing a tuft of bright orange hair. She let out a small laugh as he noticed she was there.

"Hey, um. Yuzu sent me," Ichigo laughed nervously, holding up a bag of what she suspected were left-overs from dinner. "She knows you don't get to eat when you work late. And well, the old man worries about you. So, I'm here."

"Thanks, Ichigo," she said. And she meant it. "Why don't you come in. We can eat together."

"Actually, I'd love to, but I was supposed to be back by now. I just felt guilty leaving this outside your door and not waiting to talk to you. Sorry." Rukia's smile dropped.

"Oh. No, it's ok. Don't make Yuzu worry. Go home." She smiled tightly. Rukia gently took the small bag from Ichigo's hand and he excused himself. Rukia watched him walk away, sighing silently to herself. Somehow she knew she wasn't meant to have a good night this evening.

Rukia entered her apartment and placed the bag on her kitchen counter. She kicked off her little black shoes and dropped her keys into the bowl by the door. She tossed her purse to the couch, clicking on the television as she headed back to the kitchen. Some lousy news channel began blaring from the living room as she reheated her dinner from Ichigo and placed a kettle on the stove for tea. She smiled softly to herself, thinking of Yuzu. Always taking care of everyone else. Once her food was reheated and her tea had finished, she sat down on her large white couch and began flipping through television channels.

Stopping on a rerun of Chappy cartoons she'd already seen, she began to dig into her food. She smiled at how delicious the fried rice was, while pinching the juicy teriyaki chicken with her chopsticks. She knew some home cooked food was just what would make this night better. And somehow Yuzu knew it too.

Once Rukia had eaten her fill, she placed her chopsticks and tea cup in the sink, vowing to wash them in the morning before work, and stumbled to her room as she shut off the remaining lights. Once she got to her room, she turned on her beside lamp to pull off her work clothes. As the dress pants and white button up hit the floor, she reached down, pulling on her black short shorts and a purple tank top with Chappy's face on it. She climbed through the see-through canopy and into her thick black comforter, taking solace in the black silk sheets.

Before she could fall asleep, however, her phone vibrated, sending smaller vibrations through her pillow to her head. She pulled the small phone out from under her pillow, unlocking the screen. What she saw made her night better than she imagined it could possibly be.

From: Hitsugaya Toshiro

I'm not into groupies, by the way.

You know you're the only girl for me. :)

Rukia knew he didn't mean it in the way most girls would have taken it, but the message still made her smile. With her smile remaining, she slipped her eyes closed, letting her dreams take her away.