The Common Thread: Part 21

"Why can't you watch where you're going?"

"Hey! I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me?"

"Don't say sorry to me, you idiot! I'm not the one you knocked over and probably gave brain damage too!"

"What'd you do this time, Idino?"

"None of your business, Kio!"

"Hey! What happened to Orihime?"

"Idino plowed her over."

"I did not! It was an accident!"

Orihime's head was already spinning from the knock against the floor mere seconds earlier and as Idino quickly made his way through the halls, unfortunately, the movement was doing nothing to help Orihime's muddled senses right themselves. Unconsciously, Orihime raised her left hand to cover her forehead to try and somehow brush the dizziness away. The movement of Orihime's hand caught Idino's attention and he suddenly stopped charging down the hallway.

Ignoring the group of people staring at him, Idino asked Orihime softly, "Hey, are you all right?"

Orihime rubbed her forehead and said faintly, "I think I'll be all right in a moment now that you've stopped moving."

Opening her eyes slightly, Orihime's gaze met the familiar concerned look from Idino's warm brown eyes and she gave him a small smile as she said, "You don't have to worry about me. If there's a chair or something nearby, I'll just sit for a moment and I should be ready to go in no time at all."

"Are you sure?" asked Idino before he said, "We aren't that far from the nurse's station…"

His voice trailed off and Orihime's smile widened as she said, "Oh, it's just a little bump on the head. Don't worry about it."

At Idino's skeptical look, Orihime went on hesitantly, "I'm probably more lightheaded than I should be since I didn't eat anything all morning, but I'll be-"

Before she got any further, Idino walked swiftly into an empty classroom, deposited Orihime gently in a desk and said, "Don't move," before he walked away.

Tyzuki sat down next to Orihime and said, "Idino may look and act like the world's biggest jerk, but every once in a while the makings of a knight in shining armor peeps through the cracks in his personality."

Orihime's response was to bury her face in her arms and groan, "Why didn't I look where I was going? This whole mess is my fault and poor Idino is having to bend over backwards just to make sure that I'm ok."

Tyzuki punched Orihime lightly on the arm saying, "C'mon, cut yourself some slack. He wasn't paying attention either and you're the one who actually got hurt, so he's just doing the right thing. Don't worry about it."

Kio and Mio had been watching the whole scene unfold with widening grins and suddenly Kio spoke up, "I don't think I've ever seen Idino go to such lengths before with any girl. You must have really caught his eye, Orihime."

Orihime looked up at them startled, but before she could reply, Idino came back into the room carrying a juice box and a bag of crackers.

Placing them in front of Orihime, Idino said, "Sorry, this was the best I could find. I hope it's enough."

Orihime blushed and smiled as she said, "This is perfect, thank you. I'm really sorry that you had to go to so much trouble on my account."

Idino ran a hand through his hair as he said, "Don't worry about it. It was partially my fault too. Anyway, you'd better eat fast so we can get to our next class."

Orihime stood up and said, "I'll eat as we go."

For the next few hours, Orihime did her best to focus on the lectures and not on a certain head of bright orange hair sitting in front of her in every class. It would be just her luck that Idino would now have the same class schedule as her so that every two minutes, Orihime's thoughts drifted to just how kind, gentle and attentive Idino had been. When she compared Idino with Mr. Karci and Irodonio, she had to admit that the young man sitting within her sight reminded her the most of Ichigo in terms of personality and comportment, and her heart flip-flopped in her chest as she desperately wished that she could have made a better impression during their first meeting. True, he had probably known her before then a little, but it had been her first time meeting Idino and he had been forced to take care of her. How embarrassing…and yet…

At long last, the time came for lunch and Orihime could barely wait to see what kind of food they had in this space colony (she had gathered from the lectures that they were living in outer space somewhere near Neptune at this point and that the colony was named Genesis). As she walked down the halls chatting easily with Tyzuki, Orihime felt a sudden tap on the shoulder and turned to face a person who looked remarkably like Menoly.

The girl who looked like Menoly said cheerfully, "Hello Tyzuki and Orihime! How are you two today?"

Tyzuki replied, "We're fine, Milly. What's up?"

Milly replied, "Well, I was sent to tell you, Tyzuki, that your team meeting was moved so that you could meet during lunch period."

Tyzuki quickly said to Orihime, "I'm sorry, Orihime, I have to run. See you in class!"

Orihime waved to her friend as she all but sprinted down the hallway, then turned and said to Milly, "Well, do you have any plans for lunch today?"

Milly had been looking at Tyzuki's retreating figure and then seemed to hear what Orihime had asked and replied, "Actually, I do. However, there was something I wanted to talk to you about in private before I left."

Orihime asked, "You do?"

Milly said, "Yes. It looks like this classroom is open. Would you mind?"

Orihime shook her head and walked inside before she turned to meet Milly's gaze. Fortunately, the girl came right to the point.

"Are you the one who ran into Idino just after first period and who he carried around?"

Orihime blinked before she said, "Um…yes…Idino and I had a little accident and I knocked my head on the floor."

Milly closed her eyes before she continued, "Figures. Of course someone like you would force someone like Idino to carry them around while they played damsel in distress trying to catch his eye. I just thought I'd let you know right now that Idino doesn't fall for tricks like that, so you might as well give up now."

Orihime stood stunned for a moment before she said, "You should get your facts straight before you go around accusing people. It was an accident, plain and simple, and I would never do something so juvenile in order to catch a boy's eye. Personally, I think theatrics of that nature are stupid and pointless as well as worthless. Besides, I really don't understand how it's any of your business of Idino did carry me around. It was his decision to be nice, I never asked him to and it certainly doesn't affect or concern you."

Milly stepped forward as she said in a low voice, "Oh yes it does, because Idino is my boyfriend."