Thanks for all the reviews and please carry on reviewing. Oh, and I don't own Gaylord Focker.

Croak in the Night

Chapter 3: Long Tongue

It rained and stormed all the rest of the weekend, so Ichigo could not go to the river to think. But on Monday, Ichigo woke to a bright and sunny day.

For Rukia, the day dawned so unlike her mood.

They walked together to school in stony silence and when they arrived, "thankfully," both thought, they were grabbed into different directions. But not before Rukia heard, "Dude! Renée! Nice one-" she shut off to her surroundings.

"News gets around here quick, hey?" she was jumped back into the world by Tatsuki's statement/ question.

"Er, Rukia?" an uncertain voice piped, "Did you know? I mean, I thought you and Ichigo were going out?"

"What, no way! Oh, and I did know."

"Well, why didn't you tell us earlier!"

Rukia laughed, a little too brightly, but it was half genuine. Friends, she thought, friends in this world are great.

---

"So, Rukia's open, now, when did you guys break up?"

"What the hell? We never were going out, and I don't think you have a chance." Ichigo felt himself getting angry, why did he feel like this, protective? He glanced at Rukia, Okay, she was laughing.

How dare anyone else make her laugh?

He shook his head. What the hell is happening to me? Renée is supposed to be on my mind, think: Renée. But all he think of was Rukia's face when she wasn't coming home and he checked the cupboard. It was tearstained and she had left her pedicure or whatever those females call it. Rukia never left anything undone.

---

It was first break and Ichigo had gotten about 13 messages from Renée during classes already and he was getting pissed. When he got another, he couldn't help himself. He called her and when she answered, "LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!" and he hung up. He screamed when his phone vibrated ten seconds later, "I guess that's it, then, GOODBYE FOCKER," it read. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked outside, "Dude, why you take so long?"

"Renée and I broke up," he said with a shrug. Amazed silence followed what he said, "You guys are impossible, she was smsing me like crazy, I was being smothered! They all said, "Hey, Sweetie," he put on a high voice, "will I see you later?" or, "I love you so much….am missing you," I felt like tearing my beautiful orange locks out when I heard that! Aargh!"

All his friends were rolling around on the grass, laughing hysterically. Ichigo walked away, putting on his famous scowl muttering things like, "Impossible idiots," and "losers".

---

Ichigo was strolling around the school grounds, kicking cans out of his way, when he walked right into Rukia's group of friends, fortunately, they were sitting, so he didn't crash into them, "Er, hi," he said sheepishly, taking a hand out of his pocket to wave weakly.

"What's wrong?" everyone looked at Rukia, amazed, how could she tell that something was bothering, him when he looked exactly the same – frowning? Even Ichigo looked surprised for a moment, he would have to work harder on covering his emotions.

But, he thought, no matter what, the love of his life would always be able to see his true feelings. WHAT THE HELL? Where did that come from? He was a master at hiding feelings. He mused over what he just thought, when something else occurred to him. Since when had he referred Rukia as "the love of his life"?

Something was messing with his mind, he would have to fix that. Soon.

"ICHIGO!"

"What?" he saw everyone frantically waving their hands in front of his face.

"Did you even hear her?"

Yes, I did, er, what did she say?"

"Well, after you had spaced out, she asked what you were so angry about, as you didn't answer her the first time and then we realized that you were just gazing off into nowhere, well," Tatsuki looked over her shoulder to where Rukia was sitting before he spaced out, "you were looking at Rukia's boobs."

"What!" Ichigo reddened, "No, I wasn't,"

"Yeah, you were,"

Ichigo held a fist up as was Tatsuki's up, "GUYS!"

"What?" they both turned to face the rest of the group,

"Answer Rukia's question."

"Oh, yeah, Renée and I broke up," Rukia's head snapped up, a warm feeling spread through her.

Ichigo scratched behind his shoulder in embarrassment,

"Hehe, shortest relationship ever!" Tatsuki was holding her sides for laughing, "Ichi – Ichigo, YOU SUCK!"

Ichigo said heatedly, "Why the hell does everyone laugh?" He stamped off.

"Kinda like a girl, that one," their lesbian friend said, her eyes shining.

A/n I put in some humour, even if it was only a little. Tell me if it's o.k. so far please, and if there is anything you think I need to work on.