Chapter 13

Ever since that night, my mind was calmer than ever and I have been writing more poems than ever, expressing my feelings for him. I managed to show him my sketches over the past few days but I hadn't allowed him to look at my recent poems. I simply lied and said that I had lost my touch for writing poems.

I still feel insecure. I am not sure if we really are an item right now because we hadn't done much but I do know that one of my friends has already broken up with her boyfriend. Who else but Roxanne? Amy SMS-ed me that the both of them were over. Brandon couldn't keep up with Roxanne's behaviour of uncertainty of unfaithfulness and their relationship is over. Too bad she left him but any guy in Brandon's place would obviously feel pissed off that his girlfriend hadn't told him that she'd made a new guy friend.

I told Tatsuki that Ulquiorra had expressed his feelings for me and that we wanted to hang out more often. I was also anxious about my first kiss and Tatsuki told me to be patient about it and let him make the move. Tatsuki knows more than me and I should just stick to her advice. My mother didn't question much about me and Ulquiorra but she was glad that I had a great night out with them.

"Should return this book tomorrow," I muttered to myself as I placed the book inside a paper bag.

My cellphone rang and I picked it up. Ulquiorra was on the line.

"Good morning, Orihime," he said.

"Good morning,"

"Do you play squash?"

"I used to. Why?"

"Stark and Nnoitra are coming over to my house for a game of squash. Would you like to join us?"

"I'll ask my mom if she could drop me off at your house,"

"Alright."

I begged my mom to send me to his house on her way to work. When I got to his house, my jaws dropped. It was a white coloured mansion that looked similar to Buckingham Palace but this is a mini version of it. This guy's filthy rich. Filthy rich. I could see the gardener watering the plants and a maid taking out the trash.

"Have fun, sweetie," mom said as I exited the car.

It turns out that I was the first to arrive. Ulquiorra greeted me and we made our way to the indoor squash court. His parents were out and we were the only ones at the squash court.

"Do your friends know that we're….dating?" I asked shyly.

"They…..know, my intention of me asking you out and to be…..my girl," he said and he looked away.

I held his face and he leaned forward to kiss me but we were interrupted by his ringing cellphone. I felt a pang of guilt that the cellphone was in the way.

Nnoitra and Stark arrived and the four of us were practically crowding the wide space in the squash court. I had fun playing with the three guys and I was awfully sweaty and after that, we were off to the basketball court. I felt like a fool there because I was short and that everyone else was a pro player.

Ulquiorra's butler and maid served us lunch and I felt fresh again after showering in the guests' bathroom. It was so clean, so untouched like a hotel that had just been built. The fresh towels prepared for me smelled so clean and the material of the towel is very smooth yet it can absorb a large amount of water from my wet body. I dressed in a mini skirt and a tank top with a denim jacket over my body.

As for lunch, we were being served Italian food. It was like living in a palace and according to Ulquiorra, Stark's house was bigger than this. I felt like I was surrounded by millionaire's kids. So much for having rich parents but I was thankful that I was living in a decent house.

"So, where do you plan to go after this?" Nnoitra asked Stark.

"To my dad's office," Stark replied.

Nnoitra turned to Ulquiorra. "Wanna go biking?"

"I don't do motorbikes, Nnoitra," Ulquiorra replied flatly.

"Tch! You're so boring," Nnoitra teased.

So, I was the only one left at Ulquiorra's house. He showed me his wide range of musical instruments in his music room and then he showed me his bedroom. The walls were white but it was covered with posters of bands, pc games and anime. His bed was a king size and his bed sheets were black in colour- a total contrast to his chalky white skin. Apart from that, the curtains were also white and there was a Macintosh pc set up at his study desk. At the corner of the room was a huge shelf with books.

His house was a good proof that he came from a rich family if one didn't know that he had a recent trip to Venice. Rich parents, rich kids, rich house, rich food.

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"Is the meatball alright?" Ulquiorra asked.

We were having spaghetti in the cinema(strangely) while watching an action movie called Gamers. It was odd to watch an action movie on a date but there weren't any other interesting movies to watch for people on dates.

I replied softly, "It's fine, thanks."

We walked around the park area, holding hands while star gazing and he had to compare my beauty with the moon and the stars. That was romantic but it made me blush. He pulled me closer to his body as we sat a bench. I was beginning to wonder when we will ever kiss.

"I love you, Orihime," he whispered into my ear as his hands held mine. Then, he went to my face. Leaning closer, his hand traced my jawline and we leaned even closer and finally our lips touched. It was a different feeling altogether. I had been kissed. It was something so different than being kissed on the top of the head, obviously but this was just not ordinary.

As if it was an automatic human reaction, my hands slid up his neck and locked around it. At the same time, I could also feel his arms wrapped around my waist gently as he deepened the kiss. Finally, his lips slowed down and slowly pulled away from me. I thought I had gone breathless. My legs have gone jelloid again and I felt so alive and new. Could a kiss by someone a person love can affect the lover so much like this?

"Aishiteru, Ulquiorra," I said as I held his face.

"I love you, baby," he said as he buried his face in my shoulder. I patted his back and whispered, "I love you too."

He sat up properly and for the first time in my life, his lips curled a bit into a weak smile. It was something that I had anticipated for a long time. He finally had shown some emotion after all this while of blank face. I must be lucky to see him smile. I had a strong feeling that he never showed his feelings to his friends.

That night was the best night of my life of feeling love. Loved by a guy apart from my relatives, was a foreign element in my life and tonight I've felt a feeling that I've never experienced for 17 years in this place, this town. And he, Ulquiorra was the first boy to dig up that feeling that was buried deep inside of me. He was the first boy I've ever kissed. Maybe this summer wasn't as bad as how I thought it would be.

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No one knew that I have kissed Ulquiorra. Not even Tatsuki but I was certain that my mom knew that I've kissed him because she had also experience the same as me when she was a teenager. She wasn't too excited that I got a boyfriend but she was quite pleased that I have finally grown into a matured woman.

It was a rainy day and I was at Tatsuki's house with Amy and Roxanne. We were watching a horror movie titled The Grudge but none of us really paid attention to it because we were talking about the latest clothes, gossip in town and shopping for new accessories for school. School would reopen in one month's time and I wasn't feeling so excited about it.

Roxanne and I were cool again but today things were ugly. It turned out that someone saw me kissing Ulquiorra a few nights ago. I felt so unpleasant about it and I was rather offended by the rude comments made by Amy, who was of course supported by Roxanne. I felt betrayed when Tatsuki also supported them. I thought she was on my side but turns out that she was on their side. That little traitor!

"You were kissing him, weren't you?" Amy confronted.

Roxanne's jaws dropped. "You didn't tell us that you're going out with someone who looks like a snake?"

Tatsuki was silent.

"Ok, fine I have been keeping this a secret but I was planning to tell you guys one of these days," I defended myself.

"But I thought you wouldn't go out with a freak like him! I mean, you're still not over with what happened a few years ago, right? And besides, I told you to stay away from him! He probably plays with voodoo or any of those creepy stuff that goths play. And emo kids aren't healthy kids," Amy voiced out her opinion.

Did she actually know what she was talking about? How could emo and goth be associated together?

"Amy, he's fine. I've been at the library with him and nothing happened. We just talk and became friends and it just so happens that he really likes me and I like him too," I said honestly.

"Seriously? I mean, there are so many guys who are better than him!" Roxanne said.

I raised my voice. "Why are you so against him? Do you even know him?"

"Well, we don't know him but don't you find it strange that you're going out with someone who could be a drug pusher?" Amy said.

URUSAI NA! I stood up and said, "How could you say such things about people just because you watched some movie on tv? Not everyone is like that! Drug pushers or whatever they are can also dress up as hip hoppers or hippies or casually! Why do you have to be so judgmental about the way people dress up?"

Tatsuki held my shoulder and said, "Calm down, Orihime."

"You're not going to tell them the truth! You saw how rich he is! You've seen the way he treated me!" I said.

"Excuse me, so you're lying all the while? I can't believe you Orihime! How could you lie to us and Tatsuki to defend you? That's selfish of you!" Roxanne retorted.

The afternoon was awful. I felt like going home and crying but the moment the sun was shining, I walked out of the door but Tatsuki offered to drive me home. It turns out that she still supports me but she wanted to see how I could defend myself from those girls. Maybe I shouldn't have lied but at least they could keep those rude comments to themselves.

"Thanks for the lift," I said gratefully to Tatsuki but a part of me was still angry.

"No problem. Hey umm, don't get offended by them, ok? Just leave them as they are. Maybe the four of us aren't meant to be bffs. Just remember this, a true friend is someone who appreciates you for who you are. Please don't cry, Orihime," said Tatsuki.

I was almost close to tears and I hugged her. I was so thankful to have a friend like her.