~Falling Hard~

~Hey again guys! I'm shocked that I'm updating again so soon! But I had a three day weekend so I spent yesterday and today writing almost nonstop! Haha! Now, in this chapter there is one part that happened almost completely the same to me. If you guess what that is, I'll let you name the next chapter and pick its theme and what you want to happen in the overall chapter! So here we go! (Oh also, the first part of this chapter is in the past. If you didn't understand that, just please, for the love of Seireitei, dont say anything.)

Song for This Chapter: Every Part of Me by Miley Cyrus

Chapter 3: Back To The Beginning

Middle school and being the new kid just didn't make the most delightful pair. Momo had gone to a very secluded, private elementary school for the arts. So she was technically a genius. However when her mother died her father decided it was time she went to public school and lead a normal childhood.

So here she stood, in her new uniform, with her father standing beside her in front of the school gates. In one hand she had her violin case, and in the other… her father's hand.

"It'll be okay Momo. It's a chance to be normal and smart at the same time." Her father said for what Momo thought to be the hundredth time that morning. It was almost as if he were trying to convince himself and Momo at the same time.

"Yes daddy." She said, she was nervous and had butterflies in her tummy. Her father led her to the principle's office to sign a few last minute papers.

"Hello Miss Hinamori! I am the principle, Jushiro Ukitake. You may call me Ukitake Senesei." He smiled down at the little girl. "You'll be in class 1A. I do believe you know Miss Matsumoto. She will show you where your classes are." He nodded towards the door where Rangiku was now standing.

"Momo!" Rangiku squealed happily running over to the other girl and grabbing her hand. The two had been neighbors since they could remember so they were already really good friends. Rangiku being the peppy, talkative one and Momo being the shy, quiet one.

"Hey Ran-chan." Momo said quietly, smiled.

"Alright then you two, off to class. Now Mr. Hinamori, if you'll sign these papers…" The principle's voice trailed off as Rangiku drug Momo through the hallways and around a corner. She stopped in front of a door labeled "1A". The noise behind it was almost deafening. Rangiku smiled reassuringly at Momo and slid open the doors. Kids were everywhere, and the teacher was standing at the head of the class trying not to cry as her students ignored her completely.

"Hey! Shut yer mouths!" Rangiku yelled loudly. Almost immediately the noise stopped and kids flew back to their respective seats. The teacher looked at Rangiku gratefully. "This is my best friend Momo Hinamori, and if I find out that any of you are being mean you'll be hearing from me." Even as a child it was clear Rangiku had a lot of pull.

"Hey! Soccer girl!" A voice yelled from towards the back of the class. Momo looked up to see the orange-haired kid from yesterday.

"Take a seat by the kid who just yelled at you please." The teacher said, bored and ready to go home already, though pleased that she had control again.

Momo nodded and walked hurriedly towards her new seat. She kept her eyes on the floor and blushed as she felt the class's eyes on her. Right before she got to her seat, her toe got caught on a lone backpack in the way and she toppled forward only to be caught from behind.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" A voice said smartly. The arms around Momo straightened her up and Momo turned to see Toshiro standing there.

"H-hai." Momo stammered blushing bright red, she looked down at the ground.

"Then be careful." He said letting her go and walking to his seat, which was directly behind hers.

The day passed by too fast for Momo. She met all of Rangiku's friends. Ichigo Kurosaki, the orange-haired kid who hit her in the face with the soccer ball. His twin sister Karin, she was a bit of a tomboy and was the girl who had been yelling at Toshiro. Renji Abarai, a red-haired boy who resembled a pineapple with red leaves. Rukia Kuchiki, a noble who lived with her brother, Momo liked her instantly, but she had a strange obsession with bunnies. Izuru Kira, a boy with blonde hair that covered his eyes, he was just as shy as Momo was. Orihime Inoue, whom was Rangiku's cousin and was just as ditsy and funny. Last but certainly not least in Momo's book was Toshiro Hitsugaya. Apparently Rangiku's parents used to baby-sit Toshiro, so he and Rangiku were good friends, even if they didn't admit it to anyone else.

After that first day, Momo was always with that group of people, even when Rukia moved away their second year of middle school, the little group always made time to go visit her. The boys (and Karin), taught her how to play soccer, and while she wasn't as good as Karin was, she was competent. She was still shy, but more willing to talk and joke around with her friends. The person she grew closest to however was Toshiro.

Momo was a pretty girl, and that meant a lot of unwanted attention on her part. Boys were always messing with her and trying to get her to go out with them, and when things got to be enough, Toshiro was always there to chase them away.

On one such day, Momo was alone in the music room practicing her solo that the teacher was requiring her to play, when a boy with black hair that resembled Ichigo from a distance walked in carrying a guitar case. When he saw Momo alone he grinned evilly.

"Hey Hinamori-chan, will you teach me how to play violin?" He called out. Momo, being the nice person she was nodded and handed her violin over to him.

"You hold it like this." Momo said quietly, adjusting his arms until he was holding it right.

"Hey, Hinamori-chan, how fast can you run?" The boy asked. Momo opened her mouth to ask how that was relevant when the boy took off with her violin.

"Hey wait! Come back!" Momo called giving chase. She turned a corner to see the boy disappear in the boy's bathroom with her violin. When he came back out he was empty handed.

"Haha! See you later Hinamori-chan!" The boy waved and laughed, as he walked away. Momo leaned against the wall and blinked back tears. What was she going to do now? She couldn't just go in there and get it, she could get in big trouble.

"Momo?" Toshiro's voice asked as the boy walked around the corner. "I checked the music room and you weren't there so I assumed you were… hey are you okay?" The white-haired boy asked leaning over her.

"This boy, uh… Shiba I think. He took my violin and left it in the boy's bathroom." Momo said tearfully. She looked at him and sniffed.

"Hold on." Toshiro said. He walked over to the bathroom and slammed the door open, as it swung shut, Momo heard a muffled voice pleading and what sounded like someone getting hit. Then Toshiro was back holding her violin.

"Oh Shiro-chan! Thank you so much!" Momo said happily taking her violin.

"Don't call me Shiro-chan." He said rolling her eyes. "And don't be so trusting. He had a friend waiting in there to take pictures of you when you went in to get your violin."

"Oh… but you were here so it was okay." Momo said smiling up at him.

Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Momo! That's not the point. I won't always be there to help you. You need to learn how to stand up for yourself. We'll be high shcoolers next year."

"I know." Momo said softly looking down, a faint blush on her cheeks. Toshiro's face softened.

"Come on, we're playing a quick game of soccer before the storm hits." He said holding a hand out to her.

"Oh, no thanks Toshiro. I have to put my violin away and get home." Momo said shaking her head and declining his hand, however badly she just wanted to take it.

"Suit yourself." Toshiro said putting his hands in his pockets and walking away. Momo watched him leave and then went to put her violin away. When she walked out of the building, dark clouds were already gathering.

"Please hold off for a little while." Momo begged quietly. Thunder rumbled in the distance and she shivered.

Present day:

Momo woke up to see weak sunlight streaming through her windows. She sat up and looked around. She could hear Rangiku banging things around in the kitchen and decided to go tell her friend of the decision she came up with before she fell asleep. When she walked into the kitchen, her friend had her head stuck in the fridge looking around.

"Good morning." Momo said quickly. Rangiku jumped and hit her head.

"Itaii!" Rangiku whined rubbing her head. "I didn't hear you come in." Rangiku smiled and noted how tired Momo looked even though she'd just waken up.

"Ran-chan, I want to go home." Momo said looking down at her feet. "I don't want to stay here in America anymore."

"Thank god!" Rangiku squealed as she rushed over to Momo and pulled her friend into a tight hug.

"Uh…" Momo said, her arms hung loose by her side and her face showed her confusion. "What about your classes?" she asked

"Pshhh, honestly, did you think I could get into a school in L.A. with my budget?" Rangiku asked laughing. "I came here undercover to try and convince you to go home. When that didn't work I figured you'd get homesick enough eventually to want to go home on your own terms."

"Aw, Rangiku! You're the best friend I could ever have!" Momo said finally hugging her back. She started crying.

'What would you say Momo, if you found out it wasn't my idea?' Rangiku thought.

~ So what did you guys think? Who could have been the person who sent Rangiku? And no it wasn't Toshiro! Keep guessing though! Anyway you know the drill! R&R…

P.S.: Don't forget about the challnge!

~Shimmerz~