Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Ch.6 is now up!! Rukia learns to salsa dance (OoOoOohh!!) Will she catch on pretty fast? Or will Ichigo want to strangle her by the end of the first day. Read and find out!
Enjoy
DIRTY DANCING: RUKONGAI MISTAKES
CH.6
"Ok Rukia, first thing's first. We each have what's called a dance frame." He stepped just a few inches from her. "A dance frame is the limited amount of space you have. You see how I am this far away from you?" Rukia nodded, trying to follow along.
"You have to stay that far away from me the entire time. Your body must stay at the distance it is now."
"Look at my feet Rukia." She looked down to see him stand on the balls of his feet. "Now you do it." Rukia copied, not standing quite as high as he was. "This is called releve. The entire time you are dancing you're feet will be in releve. You wear heels when you dance or perform to salsa music."
"So try to dance in releve position so your feet can get use to the stance."
Rukia was really impressed, Ichigo was good at teaching. She was surprised that she understood everything he meant.
He began teaching her the steps, slowly at first. "Now when my left leg goes back, your right leg steps forward." Ichigo slowly put his foot back and Rukia moved her right.
After adding more steps and doing the movements more, Rukia was getting the hang of it.
"Now, remember to keep your shoulders relaxed and straight. Stay in your dance frame and stay in releve." Ichigo added some music and they did the steps a few more times.
"I slowed the song down for now, but the tempo is going to get much faster when we perform." "When do we perform Ichigo?" Rukia asked.
"Not this Friday, but the next. So really we have a little less than two weeks." Rukia wanted to faint.
"Your doing good Rukia, your catching on really fast. But we still have a lot of work to do." Ichigo said, looking worried.
"Alright, let's get back to dancing. I'm going to start teaching you how to turn."
When they did the steps Rukia had learned so far, Ichigo stopped. "Ok, when we get to this point, I want you to pull in towards me, with your left arm curved in like it that; I am going to release you."
Rukia pulled in like Ichigo told her and she felt rather awkward. Her left arm was hovering over her chest, it was quite uncomfortable. "Now," Ichigo began. "You will always turn out with the arm that is furthest away from your body; in this case it's your left. "
"Start moving outward, slowly turn." Rukia did as he said. But she soon got confused and entangled in his arms.
"Sorry." Rukia said. "No, its fine." Ichigo didn't sound frustrated and Rukia was grateful for that.
Just like before, they practiced turning and added steps to it. Then when Ichigo felt she was good enough, he would add music.
Ichigo taught her more turns. Everything became a little more complicated.
By the end of the day, Rukia was exhausted. "Ok, I've taught you about 1/4th of the dance. Good job. That's it for today." Rukia felt like Ichigo was a serious dance instructor, sending her home.
They sat in the dance room for a little while and talked. "Am I really doing ok Ichigo? Do you think I will learn in time?"
Ichigo smiled confidently at her. "I've never seen someone learn so fast. I think you can do it. You just have to have the confidence."
"You really do sound like a dance instructor." Rukia said. They both laughed. "That's my job." Ichigo's expression changed.
"I forgot to tell you. We can only practice in the morning and night on Monday and Thursday, I teach dance lessons during those days. I thought my schedule was going to be pretty relaxed, but some people signed up unexpectedly." He said the last part slowly.
"Oh, well that's ok, than I can still go to the reservation a little bit during the week."
"Yah I guess you can. Well it's pretty late, so why don't I walk you home." Ichigo said softly.
"Ok sure." Rukia said, excited that Ichigo was walking her to her room. "Oh and Rukia, here is a copy of the music. Inoue said she could help you out some time during the week while I'm gone. Here is her number, give her a call."
Rukia tried not to look worried; she and Inoue weren't exactly on good terms.
They walked back to Rukia's room. "Do you want to come in?" Rukia asked.
"I can't, I have to get up early tomorrow." Ichigo could tell Rukia was disappointed. "Maybe tomorrow night, I don't have anything on Tuesday." Rukia smiled, finally satisfied.
"Well I guess I'll see you then." Rukia said, feeling suddenly fatigued. Ichigo put his hand on the door, so Rukia wouldn't close it.
"What are you—" Rukia was cut off as Ichigo's lips touched hers. He wasn't as soft as the first time.
Rukia only gasped as he moved in deeper. His lips were hard on hers now. She could feel his body heat. Ichigo released his lips, but stayed close to her.
"I really surprise you don't I?" he whispered. Rukia could only nod, she was once again out of breath. He kissed her cheek and backed away.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning at six." He yelled as he walked away. "Ok." Was all Rukia could manage to spit out.
Ichigo had kissed her twice now. Were they dating? They always held hands when no one else was around. What were they?
The next morning Rukia woke up, got ready, and went to the cabin.
Ichigo went over the steps from the day before. He told her some tips about standing properly. "Now that you know the steps, you need to put some feeling into it. Move your hips more." Rukia started to move them, but she couldn't keep in tempo.
Ichigo placed his hands on her hips and kept them in line with the beat.
After a few hours of practicing, Ichigo had to leave. "Ok, well meet me here at 6 o'clock. I'll call if something changes." Rukia waved goodbye to him. He dashed out of the cabin.
"Well he's in a hurry." Rukia thought, giggling.
"All set Rukia?" Hanatarou asked. "Yep let's go." She said enthusiastically.
"So, you can't go on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of this and next week?" Hanatarou asked. Ichigo had told her that no one could know at the hotel (besides Matsumoto and everyone) about her dancing for Inoue.
"Why not?" Hanatarou asked. "Well, I've realized that I don't know enough about Rukongai to just go straight into studying, so I need some more time during the week to research."
"Oh, ok." Hanatarou said, still sounding suspicious.
Rukia couldn't even concentrate at the reservation. All she thought about were the dance steps. "What is wrong with me? I'm not even paying attention."
Realizing she would probably never focus, she asked Hanatarou if they could leave. He seemed confused, but obeyed.
Rukia waved goodbye to him and she pulled her cell phone out. The phone began to ring.
"Oh hi Inoue. Yah, Ichigo said you would help me with the dance steps so I was just wondering if you were busy right now. Ok, yah, I have until six. Ok, I'll meet you at the cabin in half an hour, ok bye."
Rukia hung up the phone. "Was that Inoue I just talked to? It sounded like her voice but she was actually nice." Rukia shrugged her shoulders and went to change.
When she reached the cabin, Inoue wasn't there yet. Ichigo had told her where the spare key was incase she ever needed to get in. After lifting a vase and spotting the key, she unlocked the door.
"I guess I'll practice in here before Inoue gets here. At least I can see myself in the mirrors." She checked the stereo to make sure the music was still in and hit play.
Rukia was really surprised; she remembered the steps pretty well. She shook her hips more and started to present herself better.
"Watch your dance frame." Rukia immediately stopped to see who was there.
In the doorway stood Inoue, crutches underneath each arm. Rukia paused the music and waited for Inoue to get closer.
Inoue pointed at a chair and Rukia pulled it to where she wanted it. "Thanks." Inoue said, a little out of breath. "Using these crutches is a real work out." She added sarcastically. Rukia giggled.
"I know it probably seems hard for me to help since I can't really move and actually show you, but I can still tell you what you are doing wrong and right. You have the beginning steps down pretty well, now you need to shape up your body and balance yourself. Now stretch really well so you don't pull any muscles."
As Rukia stretched Inoue talked.
"This dance isn't really that hard. You've learned the hardest part, which was getting use to the steps. After the beginning part, the steps repeat a lot in the dance. The only part left that's hard is the lifts, but you have a while until you learn those."
Rukia nodded, not really sure of what a lift was. "Start at the beginning and do the steps."
While Inoue counted for her, Rukia started dancing. "Make sure you spot when you turn, we don't want you falling because you get dizzy."
"Keep your back straight and stay in your dance frame. Lift your feet, releve!" Inoue called out.
Once Rukia had gone through it, Inoue stood up, making sure to balance herself.
She arched her back straight. "Look at my back Rukia, now you copy." Rukia arched her back, trying to make it look like Inoue's.
"This is how your back should be the whole time. Your back is very important when dancing. It helps keep your shoulders and arms more stable, and it keeps you in your dance frame."
Through the rest of practice, Rukia went through step by step, arching her back and keeping her feet in releve.
"Always practice like that Rukia, so when you dance it will come natural to you to keep your back straight." Inoue instructed.
When Ichigo arrived, he began teaching her more steps.
The week passed slowly. Each day, Ichigo would teach Rukia as much as he could, and on some days Rukia would go to the reservation while Ichigo instructed other people to dance.
"Well, I have another unexpected dance lesson to teach, but we can practice later." Ichigo said, a little tired "Why don't you go rest, you've been practicing all week nonstop. You are definitely going to have this down by next Friday."
Rukia was thrilled. "That's just a week from today! I'm so nervous!" Rukia exclaimed. Ichigo chuckled and told her not to worry about it.
He once again didn't kiss her goodbye as he left. He hadn't kissed her or anything all week.
She still hadn't asked if they were dating or not. "Maybe he thinks everything is going too fast again." Rukia thought.
She decided not to worry about it. Rukia walked to her room and went to sleep; it was only 10 o'clock in the morning.
When Rukia woke up later that day, she was shocked. "It's 5 o'clock in afternoon?"
She quickly rose and decided to wonder around the hotel, she had been so busy that she never really had time.
Rukia was amazed at how many things there were to do. "Horse back riding, sailing, carnivals, and dancing!" Rukia exclaimed.
Dancing really caught her eye. "Maybe I'll go find Ichigo and watch him teach."
Rukia knew there was a dance room inside the hotel; she assumed that was where Ichigo would be.
She arrived just as people walked out, she didn't see Ichigo anywhere in sight. She saw Inoue waving goodbye to all the dancers.
"Where's Ichigo?" Rukia asked Inoue. "Um, I don't know where he went; he was here just a second ago."
Rukia walked passed Inoue and into the dance room. She saw a door on the opposite side that said "Instructor Office" so she went up to the door.
Instead of knocking like she should have, she just opened it, assuming Ichigo was in there.
Tears welded up inside her eyes. She couldn't say a word. Ichigo tried to say something but she ignored and started walking away. "Rukia!" he called out.
She ran out of the dance room, leaving Inoue utterly confused.
Rukia bumped into people as she ran. "How could I be so stupid? I knew that he was too good to be true."
The image of the young woman's body completely touching Ichigo's came into her head. The woman's lips caressed his neck and they were both shoved up against a desk. She didn't even look at Ichigo's face.
Rukia reached outside and fell onto the ground. Toshirou saw and went to help her. He pulled her up and she started to run again.
A few minutes later Ichigo was outside the hotel. "Did you see Rukia, Toshirou?" Ichigo asked.
"She went straight." Toshirou responded, hoping it was ok that he told Ichigo that.
"Thanks." And Ichigo was off, running faster.
Rukia reached the park just outside the entrance of the hotel and sat down on a nearby bench. "Dang it, I scraped my knee pretty bad when I fell."
Tears still strolled down her cheek, but she didn't care. "Why does it bother me so much?" Rukia thought. "I barely know him anyways."
She started crying more, letting the tears fall and soak her shirt. She soon heard a familiar voice.
"Rukia? Rukia where are you!" Ichigo yelled. He looked all around and then spotted her.
She was sitting on a bench with her knees up to her chest. Her face was hidden in her legs. He didn't know what to say or how to explain the situation.
He moved closer. "Rukia, look, what you saw—" he was interrupted by Rukia.
"There is no way you can convince me to believe you. I know what I saw." Her eyes stung with anger. Ichigo felt extremely guilty. "Just here me out Rukia."
All of the moments Ichigo had been sweet to her passed through her mind, she realized it was all an act. She turned and began to shout at him.
"Everything you've done up to this point has been fake. You even kissed me! I told you personal stuff!"
Rukia paused and chuckled bitterly. "But I guess I am just another playmate to you, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Ichigo's guilt turned to anger.
"What?" he asked angrily. Rukia stared out at the road.
"Well, from the stories you've told me, it doesn't seem like you make good choices anyways, I should have seen it coming." Ichigo cast his eyes down.
He stood up, his eyes shifted to look at Rukia's harshly. "That's what you would say, huh." Ichigo turned around and started walking.
Rukia didn't even glance at him, she didn't see him turn around and feel a pain he's never felt sting his eyes. She cried for another hour on the bench.
"I guess its better this way." She whispered to herself. She couldn't dance with him anymore either.
Rukia walked back to the hotel slowly. "Why do things have to be like this? If he's not important than why do I hurt so much?" She tried not to cry any longer. Rukia didn't want someone at the hotel to see her and get suspicious.
She reached her room and took a long bubble bath. Rukia tried not to think about seeing Ichigo with that other woman. "And right after he had dance rehearsal with a bunch of people, someone else could have easily seen them! Who was she anyways?"
After getting ready for bed, she watched a sappy love movie, Pride and Prejudice.
"Well, at least they have a happy ending." Rukia whispered while she ate more ice cream.
Authors note: Drama Drama Drama! What's going to happen? Should Rukia trust Ichigo after what she just saw? What's going to happen with the two of them performing and their relationship? Find out next chapter! I'm really curious as to how you guys feel about this story so far. Is it going by too fast? Too slow? It's always good to get advice from people that aren't writing the story and actually reading it, so tell me what you guys think please!
R&R
