What We Once Had


"A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow."

-William Shakespear


Renji honked the car horn for the fifth time that morning. He held the button down, letting it blast for a solid ten seconds. He waited some more, checking the time.

"HEY! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" he shouted. He already had two tardies marked against him. One more and he'll get a detention. Today was the one day that could not happen.

The front door swung open, and out came his best friend. Ichigo ran to the truck and hopped into the bed. He liked it better there. Renji scolded him as he pulled out of the driveway and raced them both to school. They made it, but Renji swore it was far too close.

"Calm down. It isn't the end of the world," Ichigo teased. "Besides, your girlfriend probably expects you to not have anything planned for your anniversary, so relax."

Renji took his seat next to Ichigo. "Relax? And what? Her supposed lack of expectations are supposed to make me feel better?"

"Ah well, if you weren't late to school, you could always try being late to class." Ichigo snickered as Renji hit him with his text book. "Ouch!"

"You deserved that one, ya sour strawberry!"

"How? I only stated the obvious."

"Quiet down, please!" The teacher started class. Renji ignored his friend's quiet chuckles. Honestly, how Ichigo could laugh at him all through class and still get perfect scores, he will probably never know. He was just a smart asshole with his undying friendship. Renji glanced at his friend when he heard a particularly loud snicker. On his desk was a note from a classmate. Renji glanced at it. It was from Orihime, a girl with a major crush on Ichigo. She wrote to him in every class they had together, always about something dumb she did, or what she thought of a youtube video, or something. When asked, she had said she liked making Ichigo laugh. It was cute.

Ichigo replied and passed the note onto Orihime. She read it, then quickly hid her face. Her ears were red, so Renji knew she was blushing. He raised his eyebrows and looked at his friend. He shrugged.

"When are you two going to get together?" Renji whispered. Ichigo frowned.

"What?"

"She obviously has a huge crush on you. It's painful to watch. When are you going to gather the guts to ask her out?"

"Like you did with Rukia?" Ichigo smirked. Victory. Renji scowled.

"Hey! Rukia may have been the one to ask, but that's just the way she is. Orihime isn't like that. If you want her, YOU need to be the one to ask."

"I don't know..."

"Why? You flirt every day, you seem to like her, she obviously likes you, she's hot, so what's the problem?" An impish grin grew on Ichigo's face.

"I'm going to tell Rukia you said that."

"Said what?"

"That Orihime is hot." Renji glared.

"Don't. You. Dare." Ichigo's grin grew.

"Oh, don't I?" Renji's eyes widened.

"Please don't! Ichigo, if our friendship means anything, don't tell her." Ichigo's grin slipped away, leaving a slight frown.

"Our friendship means everything. Fine. I won't tell her."

Renji sighed in relief and turned back the the lesson. Ichigo snickered next to him. Renji watched him get out his sketchbook and a pencil, and promptly start doodling. He rolled his eyes. One day, he'll see his friend actually pay attention in class.

The bell rang and they went their separate ways. Renji had his next class with Rukia in Spanish, while Ichigo was with Orihime in art. Renji met up with Rukia and together they walked to class. They were they school's dream couple. They never fought, never had trouble. They respected each other, and never did anything past holding hands in public. In private was a whole other story, but no one complained. The parents adored them, as they were rather conservative on their views of love, and they were often the example given when the parents wanted to show their kids what a proper relationship looked like. Rukia was the sister of a prestigious business man, so she was brought up knowing what she did affected her brother's reputation. Renji was the son of an embassador, also with the same burden. Together, they knew their own reputations were important, and worked to keep them clean.

In art, Ichigo sat with Orihime, thinking of what Renji had said. He knew what kept him from asking his friend out, but Hell would freeze over and start growing daisies and daffodils before he told the redhead that. For one, it was a carefully guarded secret even his own family didn't know, and for two, he didn't want others to think him...odd. Well, /more/ odd. He had bright orange hair and loved to draw and paint. He was often so immersed in art he lost track of time and ended up late to his next class. Other students thought he was weird enough, he didn't need them to have any more reason to.

Ichigo pulled out his sketchbook. He wanted to finish the landscape drawing he had started during the previous class. He was working on the ripples of the water when a shadow blocked his light. He looked up to see his art teacher.

"Hey Ms. Yoruichi," he greeted politely. The woman grinned down at him.

"Good morning, Ichigo. Are you going to enter this one in the art show?" The art show was big in Ms. Yoruichi's world. To the rest of the town, it might as well be a mosquito in the car. They just wanted it to be gone.

"Nah. I don't think so."

"Why not? You have quite a talent, here, you know?" Ichigo shook his head. He hated compliments.

"Thanks...I guess. I don't know. The art show is just...everyone laughs at it, and I don't want to be laughed at." His teacher sighed and shook her head.

"Pity. You would be able to win big easily, and then be off to the national art show. Who knows? You might even be good enough to go further if you put more effort and care into it." Then she was gone. Ichigo chewed his lip as he stared at his landscape. All he saw were the flaws: the branch he had drawn a little too long, the rock that looked a little too rough. He couldn't see it going anywhere past where it was: in his sketchbook.

"That really does look good, you know? Ms. Yoruichi isn't lying when she says you have talent." Ichigo started. He hadn't heard anyone come up behind him.

"May I look through the rest of your sketchbook?" Ichigo warily turned to the man and handed it over without a word. "I'm Shinji, by the way. I don't think we've met."

"Ichigo. I don't think we have either." Shinji grinned. He finished looking through the several landscapes, objects, people, animals, and architecture Ichigo had drawn, and held the book up to one page.

"Can I have this?" Ichigo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Shinji had it turned to a drawing of a knight he had done a week ago. He wasn't too proud of it, with it's too small feet, and it's lack of a good background, so he took the book and tore it out carefully.

Shinji grinned some more and sat down next to him. "You know, I have friends who would love to meet someone who is actually good at art in this town. They seem to think that since everyone they date is a complete dildo with a pencil, all folks here are the same. I'm using this drawing to prove them wrong."

Ichigo shrugged and went back to his landscape. Shinji kept on talking next to him, even after the bell rang. Ms. Yoruichi allowed both of them to remain, explaining she wanted them to help clean up to the teacher of their next classes. He ended up spending all day until lunch in art. He had finally finished his landscape, adding the final touches to the foliage, when the lunch bell rang.

Shinji helped him clean up, then invited him to eat with him and his friends. Ichigo politely refused, and went to eat with Renji and the others.

"You skipped our class!" Renji accused when he caught sight of Ichigo approaching. Beside him, Chad and Ishida continued their quiet game of checkers, while Rukia and Orihime talked about anything and everything. Ichigo took his seat next to Chad and Renji.

"Yeah, I was still in art class." Ichigo said. He offered no further explanation, even as Orihime suddenly exclaimed how Ms. Yoruichi had told Ichigo he should enter the art show. To that, a few scoffs were heard and Ichigo was again reminded how little these people thought of artists. This was the land of the rich, where the only acceptable professions involved what these people classified as "real work."

"Hey, Ichigo. Rukia and I were planning on hosting a pool party this weekend. Wanna come?" Ichigo looked at Renji, then Rukia, eyebrow cocked. The goody-two-shoes were hosting a party? He shrugged.

"Why not?" Rukia grinned and winked oh-so-subtly at Orihime.

The rest of the lunch was rather uneventful. They moved on to their next class. Renji and Ichigo arrived at Chemistry with mere seconds to spare, causing the redhead to curse the orangette for all he was worth and then some, once again emphasizing the importance of being ON TIME today. Ichigo just laughed it off.

The chemistry teacher started the lesson, discussing the chapter and explaining the lab they were starting next week. Renji paid close attention, trying to ignore his friend as he doodled away, /not/ even listening.

Renji mentally sighed. One day, he will make the other pay attention in class. How, he did not know. He just knew that the day will come when Ichigo will have no choice. Renji smiled at the thought. His friend will finally be back among the humans, rather than the art geeks, or the ridiculously smart. He will be happy to see his friend become one with the rest of the students, where he clearly belongs.

Review? Anyone, anyone? Maybe yes, maybe no? OK...

Just so you know, the chances of me updating again this week are slim at best. Sorry...

OH! And one more thing, THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING/FAVORITING THIS STORY!

Again...Review? Yes? No? OK...