Chapter 6

Orihime woke up on Monday morning feeling very anxious. After yelling at Ulquiorra, the rest of their study session had gone by awkwardly and silently. She was still angry at Ulquiorra but she was also confused. Why was he smiling at her after she had yelled at him? Was it to show her that he didn't care if he had upset her? Or was it because he was actually happy that she was angry at him because he felt as if she would leave him alone after? Either way, Orihime decided that from now on their encounters would be exclusively focused on their project and nothing more. After their project is over, she will go back to never talking to him. The girl started replaying what had happened in her head. She felt as if he was playing with her and it angered her. "Oh well, I only have to deal with it for one more week and it's all over."

After making a deadly concoction for breakfast, the amber haired girl headed out the door to go to school. During her walk to school, she met up with Tatsuki and decided to tell her best friend her problems with Ulquiorra. She told her all about how confusing Ulquiorra is and how at times it seems like he can at least put up with her, but then all of the sudden seem so hateful towards her. She also told her about how unfair everything is when it comes to him.

"Wow," Tatsuki started, "I'm surprised I'm talking to you about boy problems that aren't involving Ichigo! But Ulquiorra is such a douche, I'll kill him for talking to you like that!"

"It's okay, Tatsuki!" Orihime replied. "I've already decided on what I was going to do!"

"And what is that?"

"Well, I only have to talk to him about our project together! I've been trying to talk to him about other things and attempting to get him to be my friend but now I don't think I even want to be friends with him! So from now on, I'm done with him unless it's about the project! I'm not going to let a grouch like him kill my mood!"

Stepping into the classroom, something she saw did happen to kill her mood, and it wasn't Ulquiorra. It was a very quick exchange between Ichigo and Rukia. A short kiss. Orihime stood in the door frame fazed by what she saw, her eyes wide. She knew that the two had something special, but the kiss was so sudden. Tatsuki whipped her head towards her best friend, worried.

"…I was going to tell you, Hime… They made it official on Saturday…" she said.

Orihime simply stared at the couple, then looked at Tatsuki with a sad smile and teary eyes. "It's okay, Tatsuki. They are very cute together… I guess I just wish I could be the one to make him that happy…" Just like that, a tear silently rolled down the girl's cheek.

Ulquiorra watched from the back of the classroom as Orihime quickly excused herself and ran out of the classroom. He supposed she had gone to the bathroom to wipe away her tears. The boy glanced over at the new couple. He would have been blind and stupid if he did not notice Orihime's feelings towards Ichigo. Almost everybody in school saw it. All except Ichigo and Rukia. "Such foolishness executed by such trash." He continued to stare in disgust. "Why would the onna hold such feelings for an idiot like that?" Looking back towards the door, he waited for Orihime to return.

Back in the bathroom, Orihime and Tatsuki stood in one of the stalls while the karate lover hugged her best friend dearly and smoothed out her hair. "I'm going to kill Ichigo!" she exclaimed.

"No, Tatsuki, it's okay." Orihime said backing out of the hug and rubbing her eyes. "Sure, it is sad to see them together, but their happiness is more important than my sadness. They really are cute together!"

Tatsuki gave her best friend a pitiful smile and said, "Their happiness is not more important than your happiness, Orihime. Don't ever think that your feelings aren't important or valid, because they are!"

The two girls hugged once more and started to laugh as they exited the bathroom. Entering the classroom, they took their seats and waited for the lecture to begin. Orihime tried to pay attention but she couldn't help but stare sadly at Ichigo. She was happy that her dear friends were happy, but that doesn't erase the fact that Orihime loved Ichigo. Ulquiorra stared at the orange haired girl with something that felt like sympathy. "Foolish, I do not care for her feelings. It is her own fault for holding such feelings towards trash like that."

Finally, the bell for lunch rang, however, Orihime wasn't up to sitting with her friends on the roof today. Although she was going to accept her friends' relationship, she wasn't able to face it head on yet. She needed time. So, she told her friends that she needed to catch up on her studying and was going to eat lunch in the library. Arriving at the library, she sat at one of the tables and pulled out one of the newer romance novels she was starting to get into. She read all about how the popular jock starting to fall in love with the nerdy girl after some tutoring lessons. After about 34 pages, she felt herself falling asleep. It was futile for her to try and stay awake considering she only got about four hours of sleep last night due to her thinking about a certain black haired classmate of hers. Thus, she fell asleep with her head resting on one of the tables.

Across the room at one of the other tables, Ulquiorra watched Orihime drift into slumber. "How foolish. Does she not know that class is about to begin?" Sitting up from the table, he walked over to where she was sitting. He was about to wake her up, but after staring at her sleeping face, he couldn't pull himself to do it. So instead, he sat down across from her and grabbed the book she was reading. Looking at the cover, he deemed it as a terrible book, but if she liked it, he decided he would give it a try.

Orihime woke up, yawned, stretched, and then rubbed her eyes. "Ahh, that was such a great nap! I really needed it!"

"So you are finally awake?"

The girl jumped in her seat, startled by the familiar voice. "U-Ulquiorra? What are you doing in my room?"

The boy sighed, thinking that this was just like the time they were both locked in the library. Once again, he decided to let her figure it out.

"Wait a second!" she cried out. "This is the library!"

"Obviously," he replied, deadpanned as ever.

"I fell asleep during lunch! What time is it!? We have to get to class!"

"Onna, school is over. It has been over for almost an hour. Unless you want to be stuck here overnight again, come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"My house."