Hi! I am SO excited to be back. As most of you know I was out of town for awhile and it was really fun! I was born and raised in Illinois until I was 7 or 8 years old but I went back there with my older sister and it was tons of fun! Aside from dead ants and crap in the lake and crowded trains with creepy guys staring at your boobs. Ugh. Anyways finally I'm sitting on my favorite office chair and am ready to type! And lastly I've been having writing blocks lately mostly because when you're writing for an existing story or plot you have to go by the key details, aside from that I can't seem to find any good prompts, sooooo….. All of you are going to send me ideas. Either through PM or in your comments I promise to write them all out and list your name in the chapter so all the credit goes to you. I don't know how long I'll do it for but it helps me out, remember you don't have to do this I really don't mind if you don't, it's just a way to make my writing more interactive and fun for you guys and give you inspiration as well. Anyways, now that my rant is done let's continue on with the story!

Enjoy!

ooXooXooXoo

"Mint? Ichigo?"

I turned to find a woman standing behind us a look of confusion plastered across her face. Green hair and blue eyes. It was Lettuce!

"Lettuce!" I said trying to keep my voice as quiet as possible.

The emerald haired woman smiled and set the stack of books she was holding on a pedestal.

"It's so great to see you two." She said softly, "But this isn't the best place to talk. Let's go out for a bit."

A little while later….

The three women sat nonchalantly on a bench eating ice cream.

Mint got mint chocolate chip. Lettuce got pistachio. And Ichigo got strawberry, of course.

"So…How have things been going for you?" Mint asked looking over at Lettuce.

"Hm? Oh nothing much….I got a part time job at the library and I'm studying literature….But, it's been really lonely lately, what about you guys?"

"Good! I'm at an elite dance academy for the highest ranked dancers," Mint began,

"Ten million yen." Ichigo coughed as she continued to lick at her pink dessert.

"Shut up!" Mint yelled.

Lettuce smiled and giggled happy to have two of her best friends back in her life.

"What about you Ichigo?"

Said woman looked up a bit unsure of what to say.

"Umm….Let's see going to university and studying philosophy, working at a café, I'm probably going to go flip off my bank next week too if they don't stop bugging me about a bill that I've ALREADY paid." Her voice began to raise as she crushed the poor, unsuspecting cone to waffle shards.

Mint rolled her eyes and Lettuce smiled at her friend's 'enthusiasm'.

Eventually the girls continued they're afternoon together at a boardwalk as they looked out at the sunset which spawned warm lines of red, orange, pink, and blue across the endless sky.

"I had so much fun today!" Lettuce enthused.

"Me too…." Mint said although her eyes were a million miles away.

The last of the trio merely nodded a small smile on her lips seemed to amplify the beauty of the evening.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" Mint asked.

Ichigo moved her dark eyes to meet Mint's and smiled melancholically.

"I wish…the others were here too." She said hopefully.

The other two nodded their agreements before a catchy jingle began to play in Lettuce's red leather purse.

"A-ah sorry hang on a sec." She said tucking a strand of her hair back

As she walked off a few paces and checked her brightly lit phone screen she stared at the text she received, her eyes widened then narrowed . Their day of fun would have to end.

"Sorry about that. But, I have to go now, there's an emergency at work I guess." Lettuce said as she walked back to her friends.

"Aww!" Mint began to pout.

Ichigo stared at the woman standing across from her and Mint with a look of curiosity and suspicion and quickly dismissed it.

"No problem. At least the emergency isn't that another pervert purposefully spilt coffee on your co-worker again." She trailed off.

"What exactly do you do again?" Mint asked skeptically.

Lettuce nodded and waved goodbye to the other two girls and walked off into the night.

Her whole world was beginning to move.

ooXooXooXoo

Yay another cliffhanger this next chapter is different so don't mind the sudden change, we'll go back to Lettuce's part soon enough.

ooXooXooXoo

Queen –

I hate that feeling. The feeling where your stomach drops and your hands shake. Suddenly your body is hot and your heartbeat quickens. Some call it love, others call it fear, I call it: Decisions. I had just got off the phone…..

*Flashback*

*Bzzzzz*

I looked down from where I was working on college stuff and picked up the phone sitting on some old scrap papers. I didn't recognize the number on the screen but flipped it open anyways and held it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked awaiting my caller's voice.

"Ichigo?" My heart sank.

"Hi Aoyoma-san…" I said purposefully switching to his last name.

"Hey Ichigo, how are you?" He asked kindly.

"Fine. And you?"

"…..Look Ichigo, you and I both know I didn't call you just to catch up on things."

I clenched my jaw. He was right, since he already had 'little Miss New Boobs' to deal with he wouldn't talk to me unless it was important.

"Then what do want?" I asked,

"I've been thinking about you a lot lately." No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

"Really now?" I felt the bitterness in tone but not in my heart.

"Yes. And I'm willing to leave my girlfriend for you! I'll do everything right this time. I swear."

I spun my chair around slowly debating what I should believe.

"Ichigo?"

"I'm here…."

"Can we meet up at my place to talk about it?"

"I-I don't know….maybe." I replied trying not to panic. Or drop my phone.

"I'll give you the address, if you don't show up today I'll know your answer. " Masaya said in his usual honey sweet voice.

"Okay…" I managed to say.

*End of Flashback*

I clasped my hands over my face and let out the aggravated groan that was building up in my throat.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked from right next to my ear.

I jumped and spun around to look at my idiot roommate.

"Stop doing that!" I yelled punching his arm.

Kish grinned and then sat across from me.

"So why the long face?"

"None of your business." I mumbled as I looked down to see if my hands were still shaking.

"Liar." He replied leaning towards me and taking one of hands in his.

I blushed slightly and looked away not wanting to have any more of these love complications.

"Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?" He continued to question me.

"It's nothing!" I raised my voice and withdrew my hand a little more forcefully than I had meant.

The look of hurt on his face made me regret it.

"I'm sorry Kish…" I said softly.

He looked at me for a moment. "I hate seeing you like this." He said in a worried tone.

I smiled reassuringly and stood, "I have to run some errands…I'll be home soon."

I left before he could reply..

ooXooXooXoo

After an awkward drive I had made it to Masaya's apartment.

And sure enough, it was a nice ass apartment.

I took a shaky breathe before walking inside the glass doors and walked over to the callbox.

I stared at the call button for what seemed like forever and reluctantly pressed it. A few seconds of silence went by and I was tempted to run but before I could a buzzing sound rang out through the vestibule signaling my entrance.

I walked to the elevator and pressed the up button and watched the doors close on my last chance to exit. I sighed and leaned back against the elegant railings trying to take deep breaths.

Then came the moment of truth a soft ring played as the doors opened letting me out. I walked down the hallways until I found the apartment number I was looking for.

I gently knocked.

And waited.

And waited some more.

The door swung open as I found myself face to face with Masaya.

"You came!" He smiled happily and took my hand leading me into his lavish apartment. It was a loft with high ceilings and huge windows. The kind of place you would see in a movie.

My ex sat down on an elegant white couch gesturing for me to do the same. I sat next to him as he poured some water in some fancy cups.

"You look amazing." He said sweetly as he examined my appearance.

"Thanks. You don't look bad yourself." I replied politely as the heat ran to my face.

"I'm really glad you decided to come." Masaya said placing his larger hand on mine for like, the THIRD time.

"So…um…About…this." I tried to get to the point of the visit.

He seemed to move closer to me.

"What about it?" Masaya practically purred.

"I- I don't know….." I whispered trying to move farther from him.

"I love you. And I don't want you to fall in love with anyone else."

My resolve was beginning to fade; my mind was beginning to cloud as my eyes locked onto his. I desperately wanted to lean in and let him embrace me and protect me. But as his lips drew closer to mine the image of a smiling, idiotic and overly flirtatious alien popped into my head.

I pulled back and looked at Masaya who looked confused.

"I'm sorry Masaya but….I may have loved you before but now…..I don't."

His face seemed unable to comprehend my words.

"I really did love you. But, I think we should stay as we are now." I patted his hand and stood up ready to leave.

"I meant what I said, I love you. I won't give up just yet." He called from behind me. Oh great, another one!

I looked over my shoulder and smiled and then I left.

The weight of the world had finally fell off my shoulders as I drove home feeling relieved of the burden that is my life.

I don't want to be somebody's princess anymore. I want to be my own queen.

I parked the car and took a breath, I didn't want to be someone's but to have someone. I smiled as I dashed up to my apartment and burst through the door just as Kish opened it.

"Thank god I was just about to-"

I ran into his arms and hugged him tight.

"I'm home!" I said happily.

He didn't move and then he placed a hand in my hair and another on my back.

Usually I would have hit him but today, right now, I just wanted to enjoy this moment with him.

"Welcome home Ichigo…"

ooXooXooXoo

Finished thanks guys! I'm going to try and upload every Monday night if possible now but it might get changed later.

Well happy 4th of July guys see you soon love you all!