Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. So don't sue.
Song Suggestion: What About Your Friends – TLC
The group had only been in the shop a few minutes before everyone burst into conversation, talking over each other all at once. Being the loudest people in the place, they decided it was be best to take their snacks and sit outside – if only to keep the other guests from staring so much.
Seeing as how they were in a part of town unfamiliar to Orihime, she couldn't help but be entranced by her new surroundings. They may not have been as nice as Karakura Town, but the city had a charm all its own. And so did the people sitting around her.
In an effort to make conversation, despite the two or three good natured arguments going on, Orihime ended up asking the million dollar question: "So how did you guys meet?"
Rangiku was the first to respond.
"Well, THAT'S a story waiting to happen. And I'M going to tell it!"
"NO WAY!" Ichigo yelled back. "You'll make us all look stupid!"
"You're doing a pretty good job of that, already dummy!"
"Oh sure you two, dominate the conversation as always." Momo fussed goodnaturedly.
"What do you mean dominate? I happen to be a fantastic story teller." Alleged Rangiku.
"Yeah, when it's about you." Interrupted Nell.
Rangiku frowned, shrugging her shoulders in a full fledged pout, pausing only to say. "Well YOU ALL tell it then, since I'M so self-absorbed."
"I'd love to." Momo agreed, ignoring the busty blonde as she pulled down her eye and stuck out her tongue. "She's such a drama queen." The chipper girl whispered to Orihime before finally getting around to the story.
"So, it all started a few years ago at the sports festival in our freshman year of high school. It was the first (and only) year that girls were allowed to compete against the boys. Together, Rangiku and I trained, even though we both competed in different categories. As it turns out, Rangiku was the only girl to make it into the finals. Since I came in third, I naturally cheered her on as she took on the winner for the boys' team – which, of course, happened to be Ichigo. BOY, did he wipe the floor with her!
"HE most certainly did NOT!" Rangiku groused. "I gave just as good as I got, thank you very much!
"And to this day, she has yet to beat him." Momo teased.
"What can I say? She's the only girl I've sparred with who can actually keep up with me." Ichigo extoled.
"Hey! Who's telling this story anyway?" Rangiku muttered, turning her attention to her spiky-headed sparring partner.
"Sure, they drive each other crazy, but the two of them are inseperable." Momo continued. "They train together and perfect new techniques in secret all the time."
"Why in secret?" Orihime wondered.
"Competitors from different schools aren't allowed to train together." Nell explained. "It's a matter of school pride. You're only supposed to help your own classmates succeed. Doing otherwise is considered going behind the back or helping the enemy.
"To be fair, that's how I met Nell." Momo acknowledged. "She was the only one in the whole school who could easily deflect my kido attacks. And since we went to the same place, it just made sense for us to start training together."
"So you, Momo, and Rangiku all go to Heuco Mundo High?" Orihime inquired, trying to keep up. "I've heard it can be a rough school…"
"That's the case alright, but it's all we can afford." Nell admitted. "Just ask Chad. He can tell you about all the trouble that goes on there."
The tall muscular young man in question nodded. "I guess that means it's my turn." He rumbled in a deep baritone.
"Don't sweat it Chad. I've got this." Ichigo interrupted. "Chad's not much of a talker."
Again, the man in question smiled a half smile and nodded gratefully.
"To start with, Nell is Chad's girlfriend. They've been going out for three years – ever since he saved her from being bullied. She's really more interested in reading than fighting, so I guess that's why she got picked on so much. After training with Chad though, she's definitely learned to hold her own.
The green haired girl rolled her eyes at the idiot who had just implied she was the weakest fighter of the bunch. The truth of the matter was, she simply didn't want to be bothered. Given the opportunity though, she could wipe the floor with all four of them. Simultaneously.
"Chad used to be a bit of a bully himself when he was in middle school." Ichigo disclosed, ignoring the dirty looks he got from the couple being raked over the coals. "Naturally this put him at odds with several gang members once he entered high school. He used to fight them every day - until he moved in with his grandfather. Chad's abuelo taught him about how to fight honorably, and how to channel his aggression through other avenues – like music. To this day he plays a mean bass guitar."
"True." Chad nodded, allowing Ichigo to prattle on.
What's more, his abuelo took a beating for Chad – even though Chad was the one who deserved it. After that, this guy refused to fight anyone. He wouldn't even compete in school sports! As a result, he got beat up a lot. It wasn't until one day after school, that I accidently stumbled on these gang members beating the living shit out of him. Naturally, I started to attack, but Chad actually had to save me from getting my ass beat. From then on, he swore only to fight in defense of other people. And since I admire that kind of self-discipline and loyalty, we became friends."
"Wow! That's incredible!" Orihime exclaimed. "It's so nice to see a group that's as close knit as you guys. I wish I had friends like that."
"You do silly!" Rangiku beamed, hoping to cheer her up before telling her the downside to their arrangement. "Only you can't tell anybody about our little group. If word got out that Ichigo is training against his own classmates, he would be disqualified altogether."
"The sports festival isn't important to me anymore." Ichigo yawned. "I'd rather see you take down Rukia any day. But I guess Rangiku is right. We could get in serious trouble for cross-training. I hate to say it, but it's probably best if we keep things the way they are for right now."
"What do you mean?" Orihime asked cautiously, fearing she already knew the answer.
"We just have to keep to ourselves like we've been doing." Ichigo cautioned. "You can't talk to me, and I can't acknowledge you. I'll try to keep the girls from picking on you so much, but we can't do anything that could be seen as suspicious or out of character."
"Are you really so sure this is going to work?" The would-be fighter still had her doubts.
"I don't know." Ichigo finally acknowledged. "But I sure as hell want to give it a try."
"Then I'll do it!" Orihime promised, almost believing in herself as much as Ichigo did – if only for that moment.
"Good, then it's settled." Momo approved, putting a voice to everyone else's thoughts. "There's only one thing left to do."
"What's that?" Orihime questioned.
"You have to tell us about YOU! We want to know everything! Don't leave anything out!" She cried with a bright smile that lit up her face.
It was just the sort of encouragement Orihme needed to open herself up again – to confide in them the same things she had confessed to Ichigo. And for once in her life, she didn't feel quite so alone.