thanks for the reviews! ^.^ next chapter should be a long one - i hope. o.o

"It's him!"

Orihime jumped as her phone vibrated, buzzing around on the glass coffee table.

"It's who?" replied Rukia, somewhat muffled. She stepped out from the bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth.

"Well, remember how I said I got into a little accident today? It was with this cute guy," said Orihime, fiddling with her phone, "He asked me on a date. I gave him my number."

"That date better be so you can talk about insurance policies," said Rukia, finishing up her night routine. "You didn't tell me his name."

"Oh! It was something different…" Orihime thought aloud, frustrated she couldn't remember his name. "Er… ah. Yes! Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. I'm pretty sure he goes to school here, too."

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez?"

"Yeah, I thought it was a pretty weird name, too."

"No, Orihime – that's the Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. As in the star state football quarterback?"

"We have a football team?"

Rukia huffed before flopping down on the sofa beside her friend.

"Are you texting him back?"

"Well, of course!" replied Orihime, before replying to Grimmjow's text with a simple "Hi!"

She waited, barely even a minute before she got a "What's up?" in response. Just then, the screen of her iPhone flipped to an unknown caller ID.

"Hello?" she said, answering the phone.

"Hello." said the voice from the other line. "It's Ulquiorra. You gave me your phone number."

Orihime's eyes almost popped out of her skull. Rukia stared at her enquiringly, motioning for her to put the phone on speaker mode.

"Oh, yeah," Orihime chuckled nervously, "How are you?"

"Fine," he replied simply. "And you?"

"Good!"

"Good. Was there a particular reason you gave me your phone number?"

Rukia slapped her forehead in exasperation.

Orihime laughed agitatedly once more. "Well, I thought since you, uh, come in so much," she began, "We could get to know each other better."

"Sure." he replied, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Do you attend school at Las Noches U?"

Just before Orihime could manage a response, the text-tone played again in reminder that she had not answered Grimmjow's text. She opened up the text-messaging screen and sent 'Just hanging out at home. You?'

"Um, yeah I do. It's my second year here, I really enjoy it! I'm taking my prerequisites to Nursing and I'm in the culinary arts club. What about you?"

Just then, Orihime's phone vibrated again. Grimmjow had described his 'night with the guys' and had asked when she wanted to meet up that week, suggesting tomorrow night. Rukia surveyed the scene before her unfold like an intense sports game in the final quarter.

"Yes, I'm registered in my second year of Philosophy."

Suddenly, the door to their shared apartment space opened up. Tatsuki walked through the door, about to announce her arrival when Rukia curtly turned to her and motioned for her to keep it quiet. Tatsuki looked confused, but complied nonetheless.

Orihime, who was at a loss on how to reply to Ulquiorra's somehow alluring monotony, stuttered. She flipped tabs on her phone to reply to Grimmjow's text. "Sure, tomorrow works fine. :)"

"Hm?" he said.

"ASK HIM TO GO OUT!" Rukia mouthed wordlessly, with great exaggeration.

"Er, speaking of school," said Orihime, who was having trouble juggling conversations, "I have to finish a paper. But we should go out sometime this week and talk. When is good for you?"

"I have no allotted study time on Saturday afternoons. Does that work?"

"You mean tomorrow?" Orihime stuttered. Rukia's hands were covering her eyes.

"Tomorrow is Saturday, yes," he said, sounding bored.

"Uh, okay! Yeah! Saturday works fine, see you then!" she said, sounding a little too excited before hanging up. Orihime flopped on her back over the side of the couch.

"Orihime, what have you gotten yourself into?" asked Rukia, jolted. "Did you get into two car accidents today?"

Tatsuki was beyond lost.

"Guys, what's going on?"

"Where do I even begin?" Orihime moaned.