See, I told you i'd make them longer, and try to update more often, even if that means staying up late on a night i should be resting for volleyball tomorrow, oh well, i've been staying up later than this anyway. hope you enjoy, i tried to catch all my errors, but it's always good to have a second set of eyes, so please review, be it critisism of praise i take both.

and now the moment you've all been waiting for (20th century fox music here) my new chapter!!!!! YAY!.................... sorry, i get alittle crazy when i'm tired

It was Friday; Ichigo thanked the Lord for them as he walked to school. The weekend was almost here, the small break from school everyone relishes. It was a nice late winter day, one of the warmer ones that let you know spring is on its way. Only four months of school left and Ichigo was already planning his summer activities.

As Ichigo was thinking and enjoying the morning Uryu drove up in his convertible. On seeing Ichigo, he slowed down and pulled up next to him. "You know," Uryu said, "we got our licenses so we wouldn't have to walk."

"I know," Ichigo responded, "but it's such a nice day, and some of us actually enjoy the outdoors."

"That's why I have a convertible."

"Oh bull, everyone knows you'd rather be inside se-"

"Just shut up. This talk is going to make you late, why don't you hop in and I'll give you a ride."

"I don't need one."

"Come on."

"I won't be late!"

"Please, I insist."

"Fine whatever." Ichigo opened the passenger door and hopped in. Uryu hit the gas and they drove off to school.

***

Rukia arrived at school earlier than any of her friends, as usual. Byakuya always insisted on driving her and they always arrived ten minutes early. She protested he wouldn't have to drive her if he let her either walk or get her own license, but he wouldn't allow it as he considered both to dangerous for a young lady. Even Orihime's getting her license. She thought sourly. If only her brother wasn't such a paranoid control freak.

She stood outside the classroom waiting for the teacher's to get out of their morning meetings so she could go in, the usual routine. If I could drive I could sleep in ten minutes later. She continued her mental pity party. Honestly, he can't baby me the rest of my life, he's gotta let me do some things.

"Well good mornin' miss Kuchki." She was pulled out of her thoughts by Mr. Kyouraku. She turned to face him.

"Good morning." She returned his greeting as he opened the door.

"Early as usual, that brother of yours still won't let you drive?"

"No, he's just looking out for me."

"Yeah, I know." And with that he went to his desk and began sorting out the lesson plan for the day leaving Rukia to sit and wait for some classmates to come in. she didn't wait long, though, soon Ichigo and Uryu entered the classroom.

"You two are sort of a strange pair to see come in together." Rukia commented.

"And why is that?" Uryu asked.

"It's just that Ichigo's never this early."

"I can be when I want to!" the teen retorted. "I just don't like to be. But Uryu gave me a ride." He then turned his attention to said person. "And I wouldn't have been late had I continued walking."

"Better safe than sorry." Came the nonchalant reply.

Soon more kids were filling the classroom. Orihime and Rangiku came in followed by Chad and Renji. Everyone was talking and hanging out before school officially began at eight.

"Alright class, settle down." Mr. Kyouraku called the students to attention. "Attendance, Abari?"

" Here."

"Inoe?"

"Here."

"Sado?"

"Here."

Attendance continued and Renji leaned over to Ichigo. "Any idea where Toshiro is?" he whispered.

"No clue, maybe he's sick, I –Here!" he answered as his name was called, "Why can't he do this in alphabetical order?"

"Maybe to make sure everyone is paying attention, I don't know."

"Boys, stop talking." Mr. Kyouraku scolded the boys. "Where was I , ah yes, Kuchki?"

"Here."

"Hitsugaya."

"Here." Everyone's eyes went to the door, in that awkward stare people always seem to use when someone walks in a room. And sure enough there stood Toshiro. Most of the students went back to ignoring the teacher and resuming there quiet conversation, but Ichigo watched as Toshiro handed the teacher a tardy slip, then came to sit by him. "Why are you late?" Ichigo asked him.

"I got up to late and got a late start coming to school."

"What time did you get up?" Renji asked.

"Five thirty." He replied with a sigh.

"Jeez! How early do you normally get up?"

"Four thirty, but I got to sleep really late last night with all the homework we had yesterday."

"I know, Mr. Kurotsuchi piled it on yesterday. I think he was pissed off at something." The other boys nodded. "But dude, four thirty! How far away do you live?"

"Only about fifteen minutes away, if you're driving, but I walk to school so it takes me about two hours."

"Can't your parents take you?"

"No, they're both too busy."

"Oh, why didn't you just call one of us?" Renji asked, "We'd come get you."

"No… I wouldn't want to cause you to go out of your way or anything."

"It's no big deal." Ichigo said. "I'll give you my cell number and you call any time you need a ride okay? It's better than walking to school every morning."

"Thanks." He let the matter drop.

"Didn't you walk to school this morning, Ichigo?" Renji asked. "How can you give him a ride if you need one?"

"I have a car, and can drive it, but my house is only a fifteen minute walk away."

"Makes sense I guess."

"Boys," Mr. Kyouraku called again, "it's time to go to your next class." The boys hurriedly rushed out the door and to their lockers for their biology books.

"Time for class with everyone's favorite science teacher." Renji said sarcastically. The boys walked into the classroom as soon as they did, they could tell he was in a bad mood. Mr. Kurotsuchi was on his computer muttering some incoherent words along with a few unmistakable choice ones, no one was sure what he was angry about and no one wanted to find out.

Once he was done checking attendance on the computer, he began the lesson. It was on inherited traits, and punnett squares. He explained the dominate traits and how one letter is one trait, but a few people still didn't get it.

"Miss Kuchki and Mr. Hitsugaya," he sighed, "come be my examples."

Toshiro hesitated, after seeing a few other examples a week ago, and what they had to do, Toshiro wasn't sure he wanted to be up there. He hesitated, enough to sour the teacher's mood further. "Mr. Hitsugaya, that was not a question, please join Miss Kuchki at the front of the class immediately." He did so and Mr. Kurotsuchi proceeded with the lesson.

"Now," he began, "let's say these two are recently married." This provoked some snickers from the class. "And have decided they wish to have children," more snicker's and Toshiro's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Now we need to determine some of the trait's their children will have.

"First we'll start with the eyes, Kuchki, what color are your mom's eyes?"

"They were a deep purplish, like mine." She responded.

"And your father's?"

"They were blue."

"So purple being the dominating trait here, but she would have an allele for blue eyes, meaning her children could possibly get that, now combine her traits with Hitsugaya's, same questions." He turned to the boy.

"Mom's are brown, Dad's are blue."

"So here we have…." He began to explain the lesson in detail, but Toshiro already understood it so he tuned out the teacher and stared out the window to watch a few birds that were flying in the sky, they were starting to come back out after a long winter.

"Is anyone still confused?" the teacher asked after his explanation. Renji raised his hand, no one was surprised, he was always the last to get things. "Fine I'll do one more example, but if you don't get it after this one, then you'll have to learn from someone else.

"Hair color," Toshiro was suddenly alert, he turned to the teacher.

"Are you going to get two new examples?" he asked, hoping he would.

"Of course not." He practically spat. "Why would I do that when I've already got people up here." Toshiro fidgeted, knowing he could always just lie, but there was the slight possibility he'd want to see it.

"Now as you can see Miss Kuchki's hair is black, the darker the color, the more dominating the trait normally is. Now as for your parents?"

"Both had black hair."

"So if Miss Kuchki could reproduce on her own, her children would no doubt have black hair, but she can't so, Mr. Hitsugaya, take off your hood please."

"No I'll just tell you, it's…"

"I don't want to here it, I want to see."

"I can just tell you my-"

"Your hood please."

"Why can't I just-"

"I am not a patient man, I do not do examples based on the spoken word, but by visuals and facts. The hood, now."

"I just, my hair's b-" without waiting for another argument, Mr. Kurotsuchi pulled off Toshiro's hood. The class was immediately silent, Toshiro stood as rigid as a board, his eyes wide. Unruly, white locks of hair came up from his head, they stood up strait, held in place by nothing but the natural way they grew. The few pieces that didn't stick strait up were a few along the back of his neck and a fringe that stubbornly hung over his left eye.

A few people started snickering, then laughing, others were still too shocked to say anything, and another few were making failed attempts at trying to talk about it quietly with each other. Toshiro didn't care if they were still in class, he ran out the door and down the locker hallway, bringing his hood back up over his head. He stopped running and pounded his fist into a locker. He heard footsteps coming toward him, he expected it to be the teacher coming toward him, demanding he return to class immediately. But when he turned around, he saw, not Mr. Kurotsuchi, but Ichigo coming toward him.

"Why aren't you in class, Ichigo?" he asked him.

"Why aren't you?" the older boy retorted.

"Please, like you don't know. Go ahead and laugh, call me a freak."

"Why would I do that?"

"Don't give me that! you know why, and I know you're just holding it in for whatever reason, either out of pity or just plain pride, but no one's around to see you, so taunt away." His voice was dripping with bitterness and anger.

"I didn't come out here to taunt you, Toshiro." The younger boy huffed but said nothing so Ichigo continued. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." Toshiro looked up at him. "You know, kids at this school can be cruel, when I first came here, they would tease me because my hair's orange, but after I showed them I didn't care, and beat the snot out of a few of them, they left me alone."

Toshiro smiled, "Thanks Ichigo."

"For what?"

"Just, for being…. You." He finished quite lamely, but for lack of a better word, he figured it was as good a thanks as any. Apparently so did Ichigo, he gave the boy a pat on the back and they headed back to the classroom just as class was letting out. They grabbed their books and made their way to the English room.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful; Ichigo would "guard" Toshiro from anyone daring to come and tease him more acting quite like a big brother, but because Ichigo was there, none of the teasing lasted very long, and by the end of the day had stopped altogether. Once school had let out, the group met outside the building.

"Where should we go today?" Orihime asked.

"It's Rukia's turn to choose." Rangiku reminded them.

"Actually, my brother needs me home today, apparently we're going out tonight with one of his old colleagues."

"Sounds boring." Renji commented.

"Yeah, but you gotta do what you gotta do." She said, "so I'll catch ya'll later."

"'Course." Orihime said and Rukia left.

"Well that just leaves the rest of us." Chad said.

"No, I have to go as well." Toshiro stated.

"You always have to go." Renji said.

"Well, my dad needs me to come home after school."

"How about I give you a ride." Ichigo suggested. "That way if you ever need me to come pick you up, I know where you're house is."

"How can you?" Uryu asked. "You didn't drive."

"No, but we can walk to my house then I can drive him to his house."

"I don't think-"

"Then you can be earlier arriving home, and have more time to do whatever your dad needs you to do, then you can have more time for home work and relaxing."

"You're serious?" it was more a statement than a question.

"Of course." Toshiro thought about it, if he only brought Ichigo so close to his house, there couldn't really be any harm in it.

"Fine, why not." The boy gave in. they said there goodbye's and headed over to Ichigo's house. After they got in the car Toshiro directed him to where he wanted, and stopped him when he thought they had come far enough. Ichigo looked around, but couldn't see a house in front of him; there were a few behind, but none that he could see. "Are you sure?" he asked, "I was kind of planning to-"

"I know, but this will be fine thank you." The boy exited the car and started down a small made path. Ichigo had the urge to follow, but knew it wasn't his place so he did a three point turn and headed home.

***

Upon entering his house he was met by his dad. "How did you get here so fast?" he asked coldly.

"I got a ride."

"Really, from who?" his voice was stern, very stern. Toshiro could tell he was in a bad mood.

"A friend." Toshiro was hoping to get off easy.

"Really, why haven't I heard about him." His voice was full of fake curiosity. Toshiro didn't know how to respond to that. he looked down at his toes and hoped his dad's "interrogation" was over so he could head up to his room. "Did he drive you all the way up to the house?" it wasn't.

"no."

"What's his name?"

"Ichigo."

"Ichigo…?"

"Kurosaki."

"I see… any homework?'

"a little."

"get it done… also, get cleaned up and put on some nice clothes, we're going out tonight, and you're coming with us. I just found out an old college friend of mine lives around here and we are going out to dinner with him and his sister-in-law, so you'd better behave."

"Yes sir." As he went upstairs to his room, Toshiro wondered where they were going and who'd they be going with. He wished he didn't have to go. His brother's always found a way to make him look bad, and looking bad in public was one of the many things that got his dad angry. He decided not to worry about it and do his homework. Let the night bring what it would, he'd be ready.