Chapter 10

The next day the whole senior class was called into the assembly hall again, but for a less important event. Career Talk in other words The Future. Even students couldn't avoid the rigid schedule of lectures that the school had planned for them in the next year or so. Part of everyone's year of graduation was to expose their students for future career opportunities and paths available to them.

Careers included medical surgeon, policemen, chef, teacher, or famous artist. But most students were still undecided of where their future was headed. Despite having the teachers talk to them once a week about how many months was left for the grad class of 2013. And they were next.

Most of the students welcomed the half-n-hour career sessions just for an excuse to be out of history, math, or science classes.

"Hey there," Hitsugaya said smoothly added with a wink.

"Oh hey, Shiro." She greeted him, linking her arm through his. They walked up the back stairs hidden in the administration corridor to the next level. Hitsugaya dropped her off and they sent each other out with a wave.

Matsumoto was already there and grinning from her new piece of art work. She had an apron on around her waist and her hands were covered in clay up to her elbows.

"Don't you just love getting dirty?" she asked.

Hinamori ignored her question slyly and took a seat next to her. Neither of them noticed Mitsuru, Nichika enter heading to the back doors. He was late for class.

In between reshaping her sculpture, Matsumoto happened to look up from her art the moment she saw Nichika at the back door, he was talking to the woodworks teacher. Her art teacher was gesturing effusively over her own piece of art work, but Matsumoto wasn't listening. Her gaze kept drifting across the room, to where Nichika was.

It was so unfair; he hadn't made any indications that he noticed her. Sure, he was perfectly friendly whenever they bumped into each other. And that was the problem- he was just simply friendly. Maybe everything they had been through was just a 'friends with benefits' kind of thing. Maybe nothing happened at all. Maybe he lost interest; her gaze shot her side at Hinamori and then flicked back. The thoughts were a low blow on her ego as well as her psyche.

She was beginning to think about him way too much for just a casual friend who wasn't even into her category. But all she could think about was the way his hair fluttered in the wind and how his sideburns curled around his ear, the way he's look at her like she was the only one. He was the kind of guy who broke the rules and would let anything happen, and she liked that about him. It excited her.

When class was over, she found herself standing next to him by the door. She smiled at him shyly. "Hey."

"Hey to you too." He said gallantly, letting her cut in front of him.

She nodded her thanks, lingering to see if he's follow her or maybe even say something to her; ask her on a date again. But he didn't. She walked out alone while he waited for a petite chocolate eyed girl with a pink bun. She felt defeated.

After lunch, she saw Hinamori changing into her gym clothes in the hallway standing in front of her locker, while other students did the same.

Students were encouraged to change in the provided washrooms, but since they had five minutes, most ignored the rules. The girls had perfected removing a bra in exchange for a sports bra under a t-shirt maneuver. The boys didn't even have time to blink before each of them was heading down the hall.

"Hey can I talk to you for a minute?" Matsumoto asked, walking aside Hinamori as they headed for the gym. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

"You're friends with Nichika right?"

Hinamori was about to give her the are-you-stupid-and-blind look. She shrugged.

"Sure whatever, what about him?" she checked her watch. The second bell was going to ring soon, and students were already hurrying up the stairs to the back gym.

"I just- do you know him well?"

Hinamori shrugged again. She wasn't sure what Matsumoto was asking. Of course she knew him well, they were elementary friends.

"I've heard rumours," Matsumoto said, looking around to see if anyone was eavesdropping.

"Oh yeah, what?" Hinamori was getting uneasy but she raised an eyebrow.

"Well that he was involved in some accident with some girl over the summer-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Rangiku." Hinamori said, cutting her off. "Do you really believe that story?"

Matsumoto looked shocked. "No I don't believe it."

"Look, we should concentrate on gym." Hinamori said brusquely, swinging her tennis racket over her shoulder. She walked away.

Matsumoto trailed behind her anyway. "It's just we've been doing a lot lately and I thought we have something you know, but I don't know, he just hasn't spoken to me about us," she explained. "Do you know if he's like lost interest?"

Hinamori sighed and her eyes narrowed. The second bell had rung. She looked at her friend, taking in her nervous demeanour and hopeful smile.

Reluctantly, Hinamori came to a conclusion that Matsumoto knew absolutely nothing about Nichika. "As far as I know he hasn't lost interest, if you want my advice don't take him too lightly. But I think he really likes you." She said, giving Matsumoto a sympathetic smirk.

"He does? I mean, he talks about me?"

Hinamori rolled her eyes and shrugged. "It really none of my business," she said hesitating. "What?"

"It nothing, it's just there's things me and you both need to talk about, how about after Phys Ed."

Matsumoto smiled. "Thanks"

"No problem," Hinamori said, they both ran to the gym.

"Momo, there's a lot I still need to ask you about him. If you don't mind."

She never responded, but instead she thought quietly to herself. Rangiku you have no idea who or what you're in for.

Matsumoto was shocked at her brazenness. She had never needed to pursue a boy before. But there was always a first for everything.

Later that evening, Matsumoto and Hinamori hung around Rangiku's room, doing nothing as usual-but when Hinamori casually slipped out what happened the day before, Matsumoto pounced on the idea.

"Tell me again what happened?"

Hinamori sat on a white leather couch in Matsumoto's room.

"Yesterday you guys snuck into the community swimming pool?" she prodded.

"Right, the one next to the park." Hinamori agreed.

"And then?"

Hinamori blushed. "I think I blacked out. The next thing I knew we were um…making out in the pool, and then I was outside by the beach…"

"Wait you were what? Momo, there's no beach by the community centre."

"But the funny thing was I was back in the pool still kissing him."

"Then it's called a flashback."

"Eh?"

Matsumoto sighed. "It was only for a brief moment right? You were kissing him, and then suddenly you're somewhere else but in reality you're not. It's a flashback moment."

Hinamori just nodded slightly. "Okay…" she was still blushing.

"Something more?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's written all over you're face Momo, something you're not telling me." Matsumoto pressed. "Tell me now."

Hinamori's explanation went completely over board, completely off-topic well half of it from what they were discussing. It was like déjà vu. It made her dizzy. But Matsumoto burst out laughing. "What you're experiencing is perfectly normal."

"It is?" Hinamori asked.

"Yes."

"You mean…" Matsumoto nodded. "Yup, hormones." She said the word so naturally it was like an everyday word for her.

"So there's nothing wrong with me?"

"What for wanting to sex with him right then and there?"

Hinamori just sat there, baffled, unspeaking and embarrassed.

"Nothing at all, well wait let me just make it clear. You guys didn't did you?"

Hinamori turned tomato red and began frantically shaking her head, making her world spin. "Then yup, there's nothing wrong absolutely nothing at all."

Her parents were on their way out. Hinamori stood in her bedroom listening to the sounds of her mother's heels on the marble floor, followed by her father's heavier footsteps. "Hi sweetie," Hinamori, Yui called, knocking on her daughter's door. "Daddy and I are leaving."

"There's mail for you down stairs." Yui said. Hinamori nodded her thanks.

"I'll be right there; I just need to write an email to a friend."

No need because Hinamori, Fujutaka came up with two envelopes; one white the other one yellow. Hinamori spun on her chair and rolled herself to the door. "Thanks dad." She looked at the first white envelope and flipped it over and excitement and joy wept engulfed her. "Onee-san wrote to me?!" She squealed. Her parents laughed and waved their good-byes.

Hinamori tossed the envelope onto her bed and hastily grabbed the other one, confusion overwhelming her now. She ran down the stair and caught sight of her parents pulling out of the driveway. They stopped and her father poked his head out the window.

"Are you alright, is something wrong?" he asked. Hinamori ran to his window.

"My mail…"

"I am sorry honey we've got to jet we can't be late. We'll talk later."

She watched her parents pull out and disappear in the distance. She slowly walked up to her room and picked up the envelope again on the from tag it read

It wasn't possible, right? She turned to pick up her sister's letter and quickly ripped it open.

Hinamori fell onto her computer chair after she read her sister's letter, traumatized. She heard the 'ding' of Matsumoto's online messenger she wrote: Momo, you were going to tell me something, about Nichika? Are you still there?

Hinamori quickly replied back to her saying she was sending an email. She went to work rapidly typing, not caring about her spelling and then she clicked send. She looked at her computer date, December. 14, 2011.

Matsumoto gasped as she finished reading Hinamori's email. She couldn't believe her eyes. Without thinking she yelled for Hitsugaya. He came up in a panic. "What, what's wrong Matsumoto?!"

She sat there shocked in Hitsugaya's computer chair and then she pointed to the screen. "Just scroll down to the bottom, don't read the first half please."

He quickly plopped himself in his second computer chair, and rolled over to his flat screen. His eyes flashed over the sentences, paragraphs, and message. His eyes went from panic, confusion, worry then sorrow. "What does this mean Matsumoto, I don't get it."

"What don't you get Toushirou; Momo's sister just sent her a letter."

"So?"

"Toushirou, her sister doesn't live here."

"Yeah I know that."

Matsumoto groaned. "Oh-my-god, Hinamori Tomoe is asking Momo to come home; her home is in Honshu Town!"

"In other words, she won't be here!"

Hitsugaya just scoffed. "I think you're over exaggerating Matsumoto, it's just a letter."

Matsumoto almost flipped as she grasped her hair. "Toushirou, you don't understand! The letter is telling her to come home, so in other words she's moving back to Honshu Town!" Hitsugaya was speechless, almost scared.

Matsumoto was angry at herself for not knowing what to do, she was irritated at Hinamori and annoyed by her email, not only that she quickly scrolled up to the top and read the sentence her friend had written; Mitsuru isn't who he seems to be… she was angry at Hitsugaya for being such a clueless moron at this very moment.

Hinamori was aggravated by everything, not knowing what to do, and what Matsumoto was thinking. She didn't even know how to break the news to Hitsugaya! But what bothered the most was what her sister had written at the very end. I know this is all sudden, but we'll explain this to you very soon. Kai and I will come pick you up…

Hinamori looked at her calendar and realized how clueless she was about the time she had left and went back to the letter. Tomorrow afternoon. Hinamori only had one day left and in that period she probably only had time to say good-bye to one person, and she knew exactly who it was.

Authors Note: Well there's Chapter Ten as promised! Another twist! Anywho I hope you all enjoyed it! I was typing like a maniac trying to write this in like four hours because I just realized my previous chapter just hit it's review limit, gosh school is a killer. Anywho I'll update when I hit 75+ reviews sorry but school is really pushing my buttons. Review please! Thanks! Love you guys! And I hope you'll keep supporting!