Before you guys kill me for the lack of updates on AWAHH and AG, just know both have chapters that I am currently in the middle of! I'm having serious writer's block with AG, but as for AWAHH, I misplaced the chapter! Don't worry, I didn't forget about it. (: Please review and enjoy my newest story, Shattered.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters, I'm just borrowing them from Tite Kubo.

- Karakura High School, End of the school day-

Orihime Inoue came running out of the school, sliding to a stop in search of her nakama. Once she spotted them a few feet to her left, she spun around in what appeared to be slow motion, her hair whipping around her like a red halo. She cast one of her infamous smiles toward her friends. Her grin stretched from ear to ear, making her eyes twinkle. She was absolutely stunning, especially when she was smiling – her radiance seemed to shine in a way that was contagious. You couldn't feel anything but peace when she smiled at you like that. Her friends stopped their conversation at the presence of their beautiful auburn haired friend.

"You guys!" she exclaimed, barely catching her breath. "There's a new bakery opening up next week! It's like three blocks from the one I work at now! It's going to be so great! It's twice the size of the old bakery, and it has donuts, cakes, cookies, brownies-,"

"Orihime, breathe!" Tatsuki Arisawa commanded, scolding her best friend. "This is just great! Now I'm going to be spending my days off gazing at chocolate chip cookies dipped in red bean paste!" Tatsuki muttered, slapping her head while wincing. Ichigo Kurosaki smirked slightly, trying to hold back a grin, his usual scowl no where to be seen. The image of Tatsuki trying to weasel her way out of eating one of Orihime's…err.. interesting….concoctions was too funny. Ichigo had amusement in his eyes as he looked at his busty redheaded friend, trying not to laugh. She really did appreciate the small things, and Tatsuki's face was more of an amused one than a disgusted one.

"Tatsuki-chan! You haven't even given it a fair try! It's just like wasabi sauce and lemon cake! It's just so delicious! Every time I ask you to try it you get all flustered and mad, like little blue men are taking over your mind… Oh! That's it, isn't it? The little blue men don't want you to have my delicious deserts! They're jealous they can't taste it for themselves…!"

"Orihime, you're getting carried away again." Tatsuki chided, smirking slightly at her best friend's rant. Orihime Inoue was quite the character, often getting swept up in her fantasies of little blue men. Deep down, Tatsuki was starting to wonder if Orihime really did believe there were little alien men controlled everything and were the reasons for events happening. She probably did.

"Why is no one else excited about this? We've only had one bakery and it'll be nice to go and get a donut from somewhere I don't already work! I wonder if they'll have different flavors! Maybe some crazy, new ultra-delicious desert will be there!"

"You really have a sweet tooth, Inoue-san. I'm sure sometime next week we can all take a visit to the bakery, if you really want to go." Uryu Ishida chimed in, smiling at his redheaded friend. Even as serious as Uryu was, he couldn't deny something as simple as a bakery trip to someone who had been nothing but a great friend to him. Orihime was so easy to please that it almost seemed stupid to crush her excitement. His friends nodded in agreement.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. "This will be awe-oh! Shoot, I've got to go! I'm going to be late getting to my bakery! Bye!"

She ran off, almost stumbling over her own feet as she did, much to her friends' dismay. Ichigo caught her arm before she tumbled completely, and she thanked him bashfully while whipping her head around and running off again, leaving her friends in the dust.

They all had slightly worried looks on their faces. She could be so clumsy.

Like the time she got hit by the car and it was "no big deal." Ichigo shook his head. Only Orihime would brush something off like that...

Tatsuki stood there, shaking her head.

"Idiot." She grumbled.

It had begun to pour outside. The rain was beating against the window so quickly that Orihime was certain by the end of the night Karakura would be a lake. She stared out the window, fascinated by the droplets that slid down. She loved the rain. She always had as a little girl, and she did now, though today it meant more to her than in the past.

I wonder what Kurosaki-kun is doing right now… Orihime wondered to herself, a small smile playing on her lips. He's probably grumpy because there's so much rain outside! I love his little grumpy frowny faces…and I bet his eyebrows are all scrunched up in anger too!

Orihime let out a small giggle at the thought of her beloved Ichigo's signature scowl. It really was amusing to her. He was such a good person with a good heart that it was rather funny that he hid it behind a scowl. She usually pictured some random animal in the place of his head, which always cracked her up. Her imagination was as active as ever, especially when it came to daydreaming about Ichigo.

"Oh, Ichigo…" She whispered to herself. She wondered if she would ever get the guts to tell him how she really felt.

I don't want to ruin what we already have by being selfish…but I wonder what he'd say….maybe he already knows? Maybe he'd be so surprised? Maybe he'd tell me he doesn't feel the same way…or maybe he does….it's such a big risk! A big scary risk….one I should just forget about.

Orihime sat there in the bakery, quietly arguing in her head about her current dilemma.

"Maybe it would be best to forget about it….I could move on…I could wait for him…I could do nothing…but I don't think I could bare telling him the truth…"

She sighed aloud, tired of mulling it over in her head for the tenth time that night. She went back to watching the drops of water race down the glass window. It really was pouring outside. She could barely make out anything, it all was a blur of colors through the water.

"Inoue-chan," A voice called. She turned, startled to be jolted from her daydreaming.

"Yes, Katsu-san?" She replied, trying to not look guilty for daydreaming on the clock.

"I think you should head home. It's getting pretty nasty outside."

"Oh, are you sure, Katsu-san? We have another hour before close! And there's still some dishes to be done…"

"Yeah, definitely. I think the shop will be fine if we close up an hour early – I'd rather have you home safe. Is there anyone here to pick you up or walk you home?"

"No, Katsu-san. I usually walk here from my apartment, but I'll be just fine to walk home!"

"Absolutely not, Inoue-chan! It's raining like crazy out there! You'll catch a cold. I'll have my son drive you home – that way you won't get sick from the freezing rain."

"Well, if you're sure, Katsu-san…,"

"I am. Get your coat, I'll fetch my son."

Orihime zipped up her coat and slid on her gloves, making sure there was no way the cold air could get in. She flipped her hood up, hoping that the couple seconds she was outside she wouldn't get soaked.

It really is freezing out there! She thought, feeling the gust of wind from the open door. The rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon, and a full on storm had begun. Lightening streaked the sky, and the booming thunder rang in Orihime's ears.

"Are you ready to go?" The man asked, looking at her. Orihime nodded, bashful. Katsu-san's son was a bit older than her, in his early twenties, and rough around the edges. He was a mechanic, and had only been in at the bakery to do some errands for his mother. Many people talked and whispered about him in the bakery, and it was said that he was a major jerk and preferred to be alone because no one liked him, but Orihime thought that deep down, he probably had a good heart.

"Yes, sir." She replied, walking in front of him and walking out into the cold night. The rain hit her hard, and she could feel herself shiver beneath her coat.

They walked to his car and Orihime got inside, setting her bag on the floor next to her feet. She had more bread to share with her friends the next day, and she wanted to make sure they got to her house safely.

The ignition turned, and the car flickered to life.

Orihime wrapped her arms around herself in attempt to warm herself from the cold.

"Sorry there's no heat. I'm still fixing 'er up." He muttered, adjusting his review mirror.

"Oh that's ok! It would have been way colder if I had to have walked home anyway." Orihime said to him, smiling. He shrugged, obviously not one for pleasantries and began to pull out of the driveway.

"Um…," Orihime said to herself, not sure how to begin.

"Is there somethin' wrong?" Katsu-kun asked the girl.

"Um, you know you should probably wear your seatbelt! I mean, it's really bad outside and you never know what could happen!"

"Tch. Worry about yourself," was his reply, ignoring her advice. Inoue bit her lip apprehensively.

"How do I get to your place anyway?"

"Oh! Okay, you're just gonna go straight for awhile and then when we pass the grocery store you'll take a left. Then after that there will be a stop sign and you'll take the first right all the way to the end. That's where my apartment building will be!"

"Alright, got it." The man replied quietly, turning his radio on. Rock music came flowing through his speakers at a high volume, hurting Orihime's ears.

"You know, you really should have the radio off when it's so bad out-," Orihime started again, only to be cut off.

"Keep to yourself, alright? I'm doing you a favor, so just leave the driving to me."

"Hai…,"

"I've been driving a long time, ya know. Rain, snow, it doesn't affect me."

Orihime took to staring out the window for the next few minutes. The man next to her began to hum along with the blaring rock music, letting out a few "yeahs" and howls along the way. Orihime saw a stop light approach and felt the car ease to a stop. She thought Katsu-kun was kind of funny with the way he was singing along to the radio. She felt a small smile graze her lips.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing! I…I just thought it was kind of funny how you were singing along…" Orihime said, a blush on her cheeks. She hoped she didn't make him mad.

"Ah… yeah. I'm not much of a singer, but I do love this song." The man said in a friendly voice. Orihime beamed at him.

He isn't so scary after all…just a little quiet, but that's not a bad thing. The girls in the bakery probably didn't even try talking to him because he looked like he was mean…but so does Kurosaki-kun, and I know that he has the kindest heart there is! I'm glad Katsu-kun gave me a ride today. Maybe we'll be friends!

They waited a few more minutes for the light to turn green, just listening to the music play. Katsu-kun had finally turned it down a bit so that it wasn't ringing in Orihime's ears anymore.

Finally the light did turn, and the car pulled forward slowly. Katsu-kun looked to be lost in thought for a brief moment, only to be jolted to attention by the sound of a blaring horn the sudden force that hit the car, stopping it in its tracks.

The glass shattered around them, the rock music becoming background noise to the screams of the two passengers. Katsu-kun went flying to his right, knocking Orihime's head against the passenger window.

Then everything went black.