Disclaimer: I don't own any Bleach characters, just any OC's that might appear. I'm not sure yet. ;)
Author Note: Finally, some excitement has come! Read and review and I promise more! More reviews and it'll turn into fluff. Seriously, reviews are like my chocolate. Iz killz for them.
----------------------------
Throughout the morning, Toshiro walked with me from class to class, showing me the grounds. It was convenient that he was my guide, because he was in seven of my eight classes. He explained how the school's guiding system worked, and left me thoroughly confused. There were so many floors and sub-sections I could barely keep track of where the bathrooms were.
When it came time for lunch, Toshiro led me over to the table where he, Karin, Ichigo, and several other people I'd yet to meet sat.
As we approached, Karin began the introductions. I met her boyfriend, Shushei, who had an interesting array of tattoos on his face and arm and neck. A guy named Renji also had tattoos, but his were more along the tribal style. There was also Orihime, who was eating the strangest lunch I'd ever seen in my life, and Uryu, who was somehow managing to share it with her. A tall Mexican named Chad grunted in greeting, and two girls named Tatsuki and Rukia and two guys named Keigo and Mizuiro smiled at me as Karin said their names. They seemed like a nice enough, albeit large, crowd and I felt comfortable eating with them, even if I wouldn't be able to remember all their names for a while.
Toshiro soon rejoined us with his lunch, sitting by me as he greeted the group. They were all strangely quiet as they watched him take out his lunch, switching their gazes between him and me. It made me feel a little uneasy, for the majority of the girls in the courtyard had started to stare as well. I began to wonder if I'd done something wrong.
I was grateful when Karin broke the tension by clearing her throat. "So, Momo, how've you liked the school so far?"
I grinned. "It's huge, but I like it so far. Toshiro's been my guide for the day, so I don't really have to worry about getting lost. A lot of people've been looking at me funny however…" I trailed off.
Everyone seemed to become eerily still as I said that Toshiro was my guide, except for Toshiro, who remained eating silently, and Tatsuki, who snorted.
"Ignore them. They see every new girl as a bundle of…possibilities."
We ate for the rest of lunch, laughing and joking, but I still couldn't get over the feeling that I'd done something wrong. Plus, I felt like I was being watched all the time.
When I got up to bust my dishes myself, several people gave me wary glances. Tatsuki looked back at them and just nodded. The people in this school sure are strange…
It took me a while to find the rack where students put their trays, but I eventually found it near one of the oh-so-rare bathrooms. I was quite pleased as I neatly stacked my tray on the freakishly tall pile.
Just then, several pairs of hands grabbed various parts of me and dragged me into the bathroom. I couldn't see their faces until they placed me promptly in front of the sink, where only two light bulbs. It reminded me of those cop movies where they interrogated suspects.
But, as this unnaturally blond girl began to speak, I knew it was an interrogation and far more.
"You. What's your name?" she hissed.
At first my answer wavered. "M..Momo Hinamori. Why'd you take me here?" I demanded, my voice growing stronger.
The blonde ignored my question. "Are you the girl Toshiro-kun's been guiding?" her voice remained icy.
"Yes." I answered defiantly. "What's it to you? Who are you?"
This time, one of the other girls spoke. Still ignoring my questions, she merely stated, "Stay away from Toshiro-kun. You can't have him. We claimed him as ours long ago."
Claimed? Is he like a toy to them? I thought, bewildered.
"No. Toshiro's my friend." I replied after a moment. The majority of the group, which I estimated to be of about seven girls, seemed surprised by my defiant answer.
The blonde seemed merely annoyed. "Ex..cuse…me?" she asked very slowly, adding to my fear.
I decided to stick with my answer. "No. Toshiro's my friend. " I repeated, though this time my voice trembled just a bit.
The blonde smiled, a slow, evil smile. "Well, then. I guess we'll just have to leave a little reminder of what'll happen to you if you ignore our warning." At these words, the other girls also smiled and the group slowly advanced.
I was waiting for my life to flash before my eyes when suddenly, the door was slammed open. It wasn't until much later that I realized that the door had been locked.
A figure stood at the threshold, but I couldn't make out her face. "You lot. Out." The statement was short and simple, but had no affect on the girls until the girl stepped into the light, which revealed her to be Tatsuki.
When my would-be assaulters saw who it was, they blanched as a group. It would've been comical had I not thought that I was about to die.
Tatsuki stepped to the side, giving the group an escape route. They all gratefully took it, moving so fast that I could barely see the blur. However, the blonde stayed behind.
"You won't always have her to save you, Hinamori. And when you don't, we'll be back." She hissed into my ear, and dashed off into the cafeteria.
I exhaled in relief when she was finally gone. "Thanks, Tatsuki-chan. I'm pretty sure you would've found my remains somewhere at the bottom of the lake a few weeks from now if you hadn't come in."
Tatsuki smiled. "No problem. I'm sorry for letting you go off on your own though. I should've known they'd attack at their first chance."
I raised my eyebrows. "I have a few questions though…who are they? Why do they want to hurt me? And why, my god, are they so afraid of you?" I asked the last question with awe in my voice.
Tatsuki laughed. "They're Toshiro's informal fan club. Just about every girl in school likes him to some extent, but they're completely obsessed. Even girls with boyfriends like him. Even Rukia, Orihime, and Karin liked him at one point. Even I did. But he just ignored anyone and everyone. And it only makes them try harder. To answer your second question, I think they feel like you're a…threat."
Tatsuki's explanation had only made me ridiculously confused. Shaking my head, I merely said, "You still didn't answer my last question. Why're they so afraid of you?"
She laughed again. "I'm the second best high school girl fighter in Japan, and they know it. Leiko Sato especially. I beat her up in the seventh grade for stepping over the line just a bit too much with Toshiro."
I cocked my head to the side. "Which one was Leiko?" I asked.
Tatsuki grimaced. "The blonde one. She's basically the leader of their little fan club."
I winced. "She's really a piece of work, isn't she?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but she probably thinks she's the most beautiful thing to walk the Earth. C'mon, the others are probably worried. We should head back."
I was grateful that I had Tatsuki at my side as we made our way through the cafeteria. For some reason, I had a feeling that I wouldn't have made it in one piece if she hadn't been there.
As we approached the group, I could hear that they were arguing, and I could see that Toshiro was gone. However, when Tatsuki and I sat down and they noticed our return, they fell silent.
Tatsuki gave them all a look and spoke. "She's fine. They didn't get to hurt her before I got there."
Everyone seemed to breathe in relief, but I was still confused as to why they wanted to hurt me.
Rukia was the only one to reply. "I told you we shouldn't have let her go by herself. They're like rabid dogs waiting for a chance to pounce on their prey."
Tatsuki sighed. "Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, Momo."
Orihime, on the other hand, seemed enthralled by my misfortune. "This means something, though. How's it feel to be the girl every other girl would kill to be, Momo?" She wiggled her eyebrows as she said this.
I was even more confused. "Inoue, I don't think that I understand-"
Karin cut me off with a laugh. "Say whatever you like, Hinamori. It still won't convince the some three thousand girls who think otherwise."
I was starting to get a little annoyed that no one seemed willing to explain anything to me. I didn't have much time to ponder, however, for the bell rang. I waved goodbye to everyone except Karin, who walked with me to my last class of the day, my only class without Toshiro. At least Karin can be my guide since she's in it. I thought. I was pretty sure that I'd get hopelessly lost in this monstrous school again if I didn't have a guide.
Karin continued to give frustratingly obscure comments as we walked, but I eventually started to drown them out, blanking out into my own little world, where the air smelled of peach blossoms and there was nothing but blissful silence to calm me.
------------------
Whelp, that's chappie number four! Awww Momo's all confused from all the annoying subliminal hinting people've been doing. She's so innocent. ;]
PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews are likez gas to me. Not enough, and oh so very hard to get nowadays xP
