oxyMORON

This chapter is shorter. Sorry guys. Well I'm sorry for the long wait, but here it is. Read and comment please!

Disclaimer- Umm, Please don't sue me. I don't own Bleach, just Masako and Shinju.

Chapter 2

act Naturally

My eyes burned as I opened them slowing and I could feel the crust on them. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and stretched out my limbs. I looked towards the clock. It was 8:30 in the morning. I must have overslept.

I could here voices outside my door, only two that I recognized, my parent's. They were talking fast and I could barely make out any words they were saying.

"How….is she…..when…..missing…..Shinju" My heart stopped for a few seconds when the happenings of last night hit me. It felt like a load of bricks was placed on my shoulder and weighed down my heart.

I heard the door open and quiet footsteps enter the room. I closed my eyes quickly and tried regain control of my breathing. In through the nose and out through the mouth, like how I usually slept.

I felt my mother's soft hands caress my cheek, trail down to my shoulder and nudge it. I kept my eyes close for a second before slowly opening them and groaning.

"Mom..." I just noticed how weak my voice sounded and it bothered me. It didn't have it usual backbite and was instead very small, barely existent.

"Dear" Her voice was silky and cautioned. "Masako, we need to have a talk. Take a quick shower and meet us downstairs. We'll be waiting so don't keep us long."

I nodded and she left them room, but not before sneaking two quick glances behind her back at me. I heard the click of the door and stiffly got out of bed. My limbs felt watery, needing the daily work from running.

"But not today." I whispered. I grabbed a t-shirt, a pair of capris, and the other essentials, before stepping into the bathroom and locking the door. I slipped out of my clothes and stood in the bathtub with the water turned off.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring at my toes that were cold from the marble floor. I finally snapped out of my daze and turned the hot water on high.

It burned at first, the hot water spraying down my back, like little beads of fire. But it numbed after a while, and I hated that. At least when it hurt, I could focus on that instead of… you know.

I quickly washed and rinsed my hair, and scrubbed my body before getting out. I stood in front of the mirror, like I did after every shower, but it seemed different today. I knew I looked like crap, but I didn't care. At all.

I dried myself and slide my clothes on. I took my time, and I wasn't looking forward to talking to anyone in general. Especially my parents.

I walked slowly down the stairs. I first saw my father; his eyes were bloodshot and tired looking. His posture was slumped and his shirt was on inside-out. I would have laughed if I were in a better mood. He was sitting on the kitchen table, beside my mother, where for the first time in my life, I thought she looked so small and fragile. Like she could break any moment.

I had the urge to run into her arms, cry and tell her everything. From the beginning to the end. I choked back a sob and marched somewhat to my parents.

I then saw a man in a police uniform. He was pretty tall, with sunglasses and a dark blue uniform that seemed a bit too tight.

I gulped nervously and sat beside my mom, hands in my lap and eyes never leaving the tiled floor.

I heard the chair scrape on the tiles and looked up to look right into steel gray eyes.

"Your name is Masako, correct?" His voice was low but surprisingly soft.

"Yeah"

"And your best friend. What was her name?"

I answered without thinking. "Shinju"

He leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table. My parents looked nervous, for what reason, I don't know.

"Do you know where Shinju is?" I almost burst into tears that second. Almost. I bit my lip and shook my head, unable to answer.

His grey eyes narrowed. "You do know that if we find out you're lying, you can be arrested"

His was trying to make me utter false words, which I wasn't going to do.

"I don't know where Shinju is. If I did, I would have told you. Anyway, it's not like her to runaway." My parents seemed to agree because I saw them through the corner of my eye, nodding.

"So what do you suggest happened to her?" I was taken aback, but regained my composure. If he saw the slightest bit of emotion on my face, he would be suspicious and wouldn't leave me alone.

"I don't know" I think the police officer was angry now because his fingers were drumming faster and his face was set in a scowl.

"So what do you know, Masako" I was angry now, and so was my father.

"If you are going to question my daughter, treat her with the respect she deserves" My father's voice was stern and the police officer seemed to get the hint. He got up from the chair and placed a card on the table in front of me.

"That is my business card. Call me if you have any information concerning Miss. Sato." He left the house, closing the door behind him. I heard his car start up and leave.

Daisuke Kondo

Chief Investigator

Telephone- (123)456-7891

"What a loser" I muttered but my mom must have heard because she was glaring at me with her dark brown eyes.

"Masako, we know you're hiding something." My face remained passive. "Tell us"

I stood up and headed out of the room, ignoring my parents shouts. My foot was out of the door before my father grabbed my shoulder. I turned around and felt my façade falter at his expression. He looked so worried. But I merely shrugged off his hand and walked out of my house.

It was particularly humid today, but the winds were cool and blew my hair out of my face.

I didn't run, I couldn't. It just didn't feel right. And every time I felt my pace quicken, I would stop and walk slowly again, being careful. Running was something I did with Shinju and Shinju only.

I walked all over Karakura, unconsciously avoiding the park. I had no money on me, so my growling stomach would have to wait till later.

I stopped at a hill and sat down, watching the sunset. It was so weird how fast the day passed by. I bet my parents are angry, oh well.

"I remember you" I turned around to face that woman I met two days ago. The lady with crystal blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair whose chest seemed a bit oversized and made me feel puny. She was in a mini skirt that was too mini and I skin tight blue shirt that made her eyes pop out.

She sat beside me with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes were on my face, like her baby blue's were reading my every emotion, like she could see what was not there, and I was suddenly very alert.

"So… you go to middle school?"

"Yeah"

"What grade?"

"Eighth"

"You like it?"

"Sure"

"Can you speak more than one word?"

I was ticked off by this. I wasn't the one who came up to a stranger and started asking questions when she should mind her own business. And that's what I told her.

She looked taken aback for a second before getting up and leaving, but then I got this strange thought.

"Why didn't you ask me about Shinju?"

"Who?" I grimaced.

"Don't play games with me, the girl that was with me the other day"

She only frowned and kept on walking, not looking back even once.

I thought about that encounter the whole way home. Why didn't she answer me? Did she know? No, Masako that's ridiculous, no one knows.

It was dark out and I could see my house not too far away. It was the only one that still had the lights on, which seemed strange. It was only eight o'clock, how early do people sleep these days?

I opened the door quietly, keeping my head low, and hurried up the stairs, feeling my parents glare at my back. I closed the door in my room and dropped into bed with sticky clothes on.

My head hurt, it was all too much. I curled into myself and sighed, trying to clear what was left of my mind.

I think that by the time I remembered those turquoise eyes that stared at me that eventful day, it was 1 am in the morning. I couldn't sleep and I was afraid that if I took sleeping pills again, I would become addicted.

What is it a guy's eyes, or girls? No definitely guy's eyes. They were slanted and more almond shaped. And the color? It was simply the most gorgeous color of eyes I have ever seen. I don't even think "turquoise" really tells how beautiful they were.

I got up from bed and sat at my desk. I shuffled through my papers before finding a clean sheet and a pencil. My hand moved around the sheet looking for a place to start, and choosing the far right.

I lightly drew lines, randomly doodling. It was a half an hour later, I felt my heart beating faster and my skin was sweaty. I looked at my paper and saw it was a picture of a swing. Just like the one at the playground.

Breathe in, breathe out Masako. I had to concentrate on breathing, or I might have fainted and that wouldn't be pretty. I ripped the paper and threw it in the trash, my heart feeling lighter. It was like I had just had a panic attack. I think I did.

I opened the window and almost choked on my own spit at what I saw. Right in front of me, in the house next to ours, was a kid in some kind of robe-thingy, standing on the roof. What the hell is he, crazy?

"Hey" I yelled. I know it was stupid. It was 1:30 in the morning and people needed their sleep. But come on, this was an emergency. The kid didn't turn though.

"Hey you, the kid standing on the roof!" He must have heard because the person turned and looked at me. I couldn't see much of the person's face, it was dark and the only source of light was the moon. But I could see the white hair he had. Spiky and in a disarray.

"You should get down from there, you might—"My voice trailed off as the kid disappeared. Just like that.

Was I hallucinating? I must really need some sleep; I'm starting to see things.

I just didn't feel sleepy, but my body was tired, and I was angry about that. Stupid person.

Okay, there are many things a person could do to fall asleep. Counting sheep.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep…hehe sheep are cute. They're all fluffy and white. Oh God, what the hell is wrong with me. Crap.

Listening to music. I pressed the play button on my iPod, which was on shuffle.

I walked across an empty land,
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand.
I felt the earth beneath my feet,
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when you're gonna let me in,
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.

I felt tears well up in the corners of my eyes. No wonder I don't listen to Keane that much. It's depressing.

Warm milk. I tippy-toed down the staircase and went into the kitchen and turned on the light. The sudden brightness hurt my eyes and for a second, I kept them closed. I walked over to the fridge and took out the milk. I looked through the cabinets and found a kettle and a cup. I poured some of it into the kettle and out it on the burner. I sat on the counter waiting, and was relieved that I hadn't warmed the milk too much. I drank it in one gulp, but felt no effects.

I closed the lights and went back upstairs, so freaking tired of everything. I sat on my bed and lowered myself into the blankets, plopping my head on the cold side of the pillow. And then I thought of the turquoise eyes. And before you know it, I was asleep.

That's the end of chapter 2. Review Please!

Ishhhyness is out