I know I'm head ass!

Let me have this!

This is the last chapter I'll post tonight!

Please enjoy!


Chapter 3: Different is normal

It feels weird, being in school.

I think it's because I no longer feel I belong amongst the normal people.

Sure, I never really belonged anyway, but I was still one of them.

Now I'm not, and part of me worries someone will notice.

But they don't, they all walk past, laughing at inside jokes while tying tigher knots around their friends. I exist just as little as I did yesterday in their worlds.

I was strolling down the hall with the most content smile on my face, daydreaming. A silly way I combat nervousness. Though it was interrupted when I bumped into someone's back.

"Oh! S...sorry," I retreat within myself, my back curving into a socially submissive posture.

"No... it's ok," I crane my neck to allow my one visible eye to peer up into the dark brown locks of Sado.

Oh dear.

Is his height intimidating, or is it just me?

Oh no! I'm staring!

"A. Alright" I drop my gaze to the floor.

. . .

He's still standing there. Though I guess I can't talk, I'm still standing here too.

"Hey... wasn't your hair black a week ago,"

Oh dear, my body just exploded on the inside, filling me with heat. He was so attentive! Noticing such a detail on someone he didn't know.

Wait...

Did he just say a week?!

I've been gone for a week! That smug hatter made it sound like it had only been one day!Then again I guess I should have known... I was nearly crushed to death, and it definitely takes longer than a day to recover from that...

But shouldn't it take more than a week too?

...

Oh! I haven't answered him!

"...Yeah," I respond meekly, not wanting to lie about how it got this way.

"...Looks good,"

Ah! A genuine compliment!

Ok! Pull yourself together Shiro!

"Thanks," I managed, but it was so squeaky, I'm certain he picked up on my idiotic discomfort.

"Hey! Chad!" that was Ichigo, and Sado hums as he turns to face the shorter boy.

"We were about to... hey, is that the Shiro girl? Careful, she may act nice, but she's really stubborn," Ichigo 'whispers' to Sado, clearly making sure I heard him.

"No... she's cool," Sado defends me, and Ichigo double takes.

"Well, we're about to head to the roof for lunch, wanna come with?" The orange haired male looks me dead in the eyes, and the determined browness is just too much!

Was I really just asked to join lunch?

ok.

ok.

Let's not blow it.

"Yeah, sure," I smile "Fucking nailed it!" I wait till the two turn around and start walking to follow.

. . .

Is hanging with people suppose to be so awkwardly silent?

"So chad..." I look up from their backs as Ichigo starts a conversation with the mentioned male. They begin to bounce the words between themselves, and they hog each others attention. It's like they put up this barrier of glass before me, and I panic when it first appears, but quickly calm down to look for cracks to slip into. No luck. The ones I find would take too much force.

So what do I do?

Do I just break it?

But I can't... It's reinforced by quality time and mutual understanding, two forces I have too little experience with to know their weaknesses. So I'm just left, on the outside, looking in. Just following the two friends in silence.

"Shiro, back me up on this! Tell the big guy that orange hair is fine!" Ichigo smiles, and his very voice cracks the glass just enough for me.

Oh no I'm burning again.

"Well... Orange is great," I start, walking up to the new opening and speaking into it. The red head lights up at my agreement, "On a girl," I add with a Cheshire grin, and he is shocked by the betrayal!

"Nice one" Sado tags on and Ichigo is flung into an outrage.

"What! Don't side with her!" he barks in feigned rage.

"I didn't...She sided with me," Sado turns to me, lifting a beefy fist for me to bump. And bump I do! Making a little 'boop' sound.

"That's not the point! And don't fist bump her!"

I giggle at Ichigo, his orange hair suddenly matching perfectly with his flaming personality.

We reach the roof and the two lead me to a group of friends already in a conversation. The barriers around Ichigo and Sado and the group merge together like a bubble.

"Hey guys," Ichigo greets them first.

"Ichigo!" one of the more enthusiastic males leaps for his buddy, but he's dodged with grace.

"Hey, who's that with you? Oh! Is that Shiro? What happened to your hair?" Tatsuki speaks, addressing me towards the end.

Huh... now I'm wondering if everyone noticed the hair thing, but they just decided not to say anything.

"It's white," I respond vaguely.

Ugh, why did I say that? Of course it's white!

"Welcome to the group Shiro!" I turn to Orohime. Aww, she's just as sweet as her orange hair implies!

"Thank you!" I smile, but I feel a little weird. Was I really accepted into the group that easily, Or was it merely a social experiment.

"Yes! Welcome!" I look to Rukia.

. . .

The air fills with an oddness that blossoms from a little know fact.

"Thank you," I nod to her.

"Bout time you joined the group," I look back to Tatsuki who has an approving smile on her face.

"Excuse me?" I tilt my head, slightly confused by the phrase's meaning.

"You just seem like the type that Ichigo would befriend, I was just waiting for it to happen," she grins, and it makes my lips match hers.

How nice!

"Thanks for having me!"

"Ms. Bokuso-chi," I perk up at my summoning. Udyuu? I sway my sight to catch him and he's got bandages on his hands. Oh, what happened?

"Hello, Udyuu!" I give him my best. Wow... he looks like he's seen a ghost...

Did he not think I would survive?

Eh, I could understand that, I kinda felt the same way.

After I'm properly introduced, the conversations start back up, and I can't fit into any of them. I suppose that was to be expected.

I let my head bow, I've noticed that doing so helps someone disappear in plan sight. Even though I'm in stealth mode, I'm still listening. I'm finding out that Orohime has really interesting taste in food, and , judging by the ingredient, I don't think I'm woman enough to give them a shot. And neither is Tatsuki.

Speaking of her, Tatsuki, is super bad ass. I don't know, I guess it's just the protective vibe she exudes when Chizuro goes for Orohime's breasts. Though, can you really blame the girl in glasses? Orohime did have some big meat pillows. They're bigger than mine, and I'm not deprived.

I wonder if the busty teen had back issues, cause it's often I hear girls with larger chest complaining, but I don't have that problem. So was it just me or what?

"Shiro, what are you doing over there?" I jump a little at Tatsuki's question...

Why was I standing so far from them?

Maybe because I felt like I didn't belong.

Yeah, that was probably it.

"Well don't just stand there, come over, if we have to deal with Chizuro, so do you," I feel the soccer player take hold of my shoulders from behind before she pushes me closer to the group.

"Oh, I'm fine where I was," I insist when a weird discomfort begins simmering in my gut, but she's not having it. She continues to wear out my shoe soles and I finally notice that She's pushing me directly into the all too eager embrace of Chizuro herself.

What the?

Was she sacrificing me to save Orohime!?

That little popsicle stick!

Now I really am fighting her, "Really, it's ok!" I reinforce, but there's a devilish grin on the dark haired girl's lips. With one more shove, I fall forward, right into an awaiting chest.

Oh my gosh my face is in her breasts!

I rip away to avoid overstaying my welcome, but according to Chizuro, I haven't stayed long enough.

"Oho~! It's nice to meet you too Shiro!" She takes hold of my cheeks and pulls me closer.

And not my face cheeks.

The sudden recall jerks my face back into her chest, and my arms fling past her, going under hers. She locks me there, squeezing my arms between hers and her side, and she's strong.

I whine as she proceeds to pat songs away on my posterior and gives them occasional squeezes like she's checking their ripeness, all while saying something about how she's noticed my legendary booty a couple times in the hall.

Oh dear.

I get so hot and clammy that I've got to break free, but remember how I said she was strong? Well, she's really strong. So much so I'm forced to dive into my newly found prowess to break free.

I curl into myself a couple feet from the girls, hiding my no doubt flush face in my palms. Oh my gosh, why are hormones wired this way! Why does being touched by another girl arouse me when I know I don't swing that way?

UgH! I'm so awkward.

Well, this was certainly a first. I've always noticed Chizuro's antics while walking past in the halls, but I've never really witnessed them, and I've especially never been a part of them!

Maybe if I stand here long enough they wont notice me.

"You went too far Chizuro," Tatsuki playfully chides the other female, and from there, the conversation revs back up.

Gosh, I hope none of the guys saw that...

I'm not upset that it happened, just embarrassed that it happened in public!

...

Where were the guys in all this?

I lift my smothered face and wave my head. Oh, I suppose at some point the males had broken off into their own little group... Lets hope they were too enthralled with each other to notice me failing at human interaction.

At any rate, it seems that all the girls have decided to let me rejoin at my own rate, but I don't see any opening for me to talk through. So I stand on the outside of it all, watching them. I hope I'm not coming off as some creepy shadow...

"Hey are you ok?" I turn to the asker. It's Ichigo.

Is it... normal that he's checking in with me so frequently? Cause it doesn't feel like it. It seems like he's putting in way too much effort for someone he doesn't know at all.

"Yeah," I answer him, turning back to watch the female group. My sweaty hands lock together just below my chest.

"Alright, if you say so," he returns to his group, and mine beckons me as well.

"Come on! You can't join the conversation over there!" Orohime takes hold of one of my clammy hands to reel me back in.

"Alright, here I come," I smile.

The rest of the lunch period is filled with so much smiling and laughter that it makes my cheeks ache.

It was the best pain I've ever felt.

Afterwards we had a few more classes and I was sitting in one right now.

"You bonded with them pretty well," I looked down from my daydreaming to see Ichigo standing before my desk. A quick glance around and I saw that school was over and I somehow missed the rest of it.

Huh, this happens way too often...

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah, thank you for introducing me!"

He doesn't acknowledge my gratitude, instead, he asks me a question, "Do you want to walk home with Rukia and me?" I jerk back at the offer.

Whoa, this friendship thing was moving fast.

"Yeah, sure," I stand, gathering my things.

I follow him till we meet up with Rukia at the classroom door.

"Salutations classmate! Will you be joining us on our venture home?" She exclaims and I nod.

Passing through the halls, I pick up on conversation, it's fine that I'm not paying attention, Rukia and Ichigo are having a pretty good conversation already. I heard some interesting stuff, like a good recipe for tomato sauce I might try tonight, and the fact that some people believe silver and gold should never be together.

raaaAH!

My ears perk. We were outside now and it was quiet, till I heard that. It was clearly a hollows cry, but it wasn't anywhere near us!

"Hey... did you guys hear that?" I look behind me.

"Hear what?" Ichigo stops and turns to me, a serious expression dawned on his features.

"It... it sounded like a-"

BEEP BEEP!

"A hollow!" Rukia finishes for me. "Ichigo!" she slaps on a glove that has the same bad ass skull with blue fire as Urahara's cane and she slaps ichigo forehead, effectively ripping his friggin' soul out his body.

. . .

"Rukia!" Ichigo doesn't seem to happy about having his soul ripped out.

"No time, " she turns to me words in her eyes. But I'm not good at reading looks, so I just guess.

"Take care of his body?" I assume, and when she turns around to continue on with their soul reaper business, I take that as a yes.

I wrap my arms around the lifeless Ichigo, and pick him up. Good thing I got a little strength, cause this would have killed regular me. I pull the body to a tree, and prop it up so it looks like he's resting, then I pull out a book for myself and go to town.

. . .

I'm chilling with a dead body.

. . .

I can see ghosts now

. . .

It's a little hard to concentrate when this is the perfect time for my mind to remind me that this is my life now. I know about these creatures and the secret war. It's just a bit much, you know?

I don't know, maybe I'm tripping.

"Shiro!" I turn to see the two running back to me, I get up to greet them.

"Yo," I nod, smiling.

"Thanks," Ichigo takes hold of his fleshy vessel and phases into it.

"I'll see you guys around," I smile, and Rukia nods in confirmation, but Ichigo narrows his eyes at me.

"Rukia, you go ahead, I'll continue on with Shiro" Ichigo states.

"Ok, Ichigo, but you'd better not try anything!" Rukia takes hold of the male's collar, giving him threat that's probably unnecessary.

"What kind of sadistic pervert to you take me for, of course I wont do anything," now they're holding each others collers with the same outraged expression that makes their eyes look like the fake googly type are pasted on their face.

I can't help it, I giggle.

Well, it started off as a giggle, and I hid it behind my hand, but then these veins pop out the side of their heads and I just lose it!

The two turn to my doubled over form, but I barely noticed in all of my euphoria.

Ok.

ok. hehe. it wasn't that funny.

I straighten my posture before heading off, Ichigo catching up quickly.

I'm still giggling occasionally, the image of the faces still fresh in my mind. How did they even manage that!

Oh gosh!

"You were gone for a week, do you think they'll notice?" Ichigo breaks the semi-silence between us.

Geeze dude, way to make it somber.

"No." I state, but I don't go into detail. No one likes a cry baby after all, right? And if he really wants to know something about me, he'll ask directly instead of beating around the bush...

Right?

"Really? They must not be paying attention," he keeps his gaze hard and straightforward.

"It's hard for someone to pay attention when there's no one there," I reply.

"What happened?"

I shrug, "I have no idea," I answer, "Here I am," I smile at the light colored home.

"Alright, are you sure you don't need anything?" he looks down at me.

Man, I'm so small...

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smile, walking up to the door while pulling out my key. I locked the door behind me and head straight for my bed so I can flop onto it.

. . .

I should really wash these sheets...

Though, today was so... nice!

There was so much laughter! And it wasn't me laughing at my own jokes! I smiled so much that it hurt, and I talked to people, actually talked, for the first time in a while. Is this what being abnormal gets you?

Cause I'll take it every day.


Thanks for reading please comment your brain thoughts!~