Hey, so I decided to do the second chapter...don't know if it will turn out so well...Don't know many names, or a lot about Bleach, because I've read 1-4 and watched like, 18-22…

Hey, girls! Get your guts up and ask TODAY!

This was one of the various posters I saw at school that Tuesday, advertising the upcoming "Sadie Hawkins" dance. Apparently, it was an American thing that the girls on our student council decided to adopt for a "fun" thing to do. The girls had to ask the guys to the dance, instead of the other way around.

"Which of us would be the girl?" I wondered, thinking of Ichigo and me. Of course, there was no us, except in my imagination. I gave a little laugh and ambled on, leaving the brightly colored pink and yellow poster behind.

At lunch, I sat down at my usual table. I wondered if Ichigo would join Orihme and me today, or if he'd hang out with the thousands of others who salivated for his attention. He seemed to be getting more and more popular. I watched as he gracefully advanced across the cafeteria, his dancer-like agility offset by the furious scowl that was on his face. A blonde girl, a new student, was talking animatedly at him. His scowl faded until he was outright laughing. I looked at her in envy, but I'm sure my carefully trained face gave off no emotion. He nodded at her and she bounced off to her gaggle of friends.

Orihme sucked at her drink and looked at Ichigo as he sat down. "Who's she, Ichi?" Another thing I was jealous of - because she was a girl, she could call him adorable nicknames and get away with it. I could not. If Ichigo ever heard the word "Ichi" fall through my lips, I don't think he'd find it endearing.

He gave Orihme a slow smile. "My date to the Sadie Hawkins dance," he grinned. Orihme squealed.

"Omigod, yay, Ichigo!" Orihme was as bouncy as ever, though I knew that she'd wanted to ask Ichigo almost as much as I did.

Must've been hell for her to act like that. I had a hard enough time not exploding with the wrong emotion all the time, how could she bring up such a convincing fake one?

"Thanks, Orihme," Ichigo smiled, eating from his school-bought lunch. I wondered if he really liked this girl, and the thousands of questions I was not brave enough to ask. What was her name? Did he like her? Was she the only one who'd asked? How'd she get him to laugh, so easily? But if I asked…

I sighed and went back to my sandwich. I wasn't very hungry. And Ichigo was sitting right across from me…our feet were a millimeter from touching, I could sense, without seeing. It made my breath come harder, and I fought for control over myself.

I was somewhere between relief and regret when some jock claimed Ichigo, asking him to come over and settle an argument. He went with a roll of his eyes, but they were lighted up. Was he enjoying his popularity?

There's so much I wanted to know about him…I wanted to get inside his head, inside him.

But at least he was gone. I let out one tiny sigh.

Orihme looked up. "You okay, Chad?"

I looked at her quizzically.

She colored very slightly, but went on, "Well, you're kind of…quiet? today?"

I let one of my eyebrows arch the tiniest bit. I don't know if she saw or not, my hair was in my face, as usual, but she continued, saying, "I'm serious, Chad, I mean, I know you're always quiet, but this is a different kind of quiet, like a sad quiet."

For a ditz, she was very perceptive sometimes. But I wasn't ready to share with her. I just shook my head, stirring my hair.

Orihme shrugged, her orange cascade swaying. "All right…but do you have a date to the Sadie Hawkins dance?" She was suddenly grinning.

I shook my head again.

"Well? C'mon, talk more, Chad! We know Ichigo's date. Has anyone asked?"

Another shake.

"Anyone you want to ask?" Her tone was so wheedling; I couldn't help but smile a little. And I wasn't going to lie to her; after all we'd been through together. She deserved more than that. So I didn't shake my head, I just sat there, taking another bite of my sandwich.

She squealed again and clapped her hands. "Ooh, I knew it, who is she?"

Who is ' she ' , she asks? I just stared at the sandwich. My last few weeks of silence all bubbled up inside me, I wanted to let it out…

Orihme suddenly stuck her head into my line of vision, pushed my hair out of the way, and stared straight into my eyes. Her eyes were a very interesting shade…

She nodded and retreated. "Well it's not me," she stated matter-of-factly. "And I'm pretty sure it's not a girl."

I started up and stared at her, my mouth slightly open, my face blazing. "How..?"

"Oh,yay, you talked!" she giggled. "Lucky guess."

I glared at her. This was NOT a laughing matter. She couldn't just play lightly around with me like this, it wasn't fair. I started getting up to go.

She was instantly at my side, with a hand on my arm, pushing me back down. Her eyes looked at me pleadingly. "Oh, please don't leave me here alone, Tatsuke isn't here today, I'm really sorry, I couldn't help giggling, and it's not my fault I guessed." I reluctantly sat down. She went on, more quietly. "He must really mean a lot to you, huh?"

I nodded curtly and had the last bite of my sandwich. She leaned on the table lazily, glancing up at me with a small kind of smile. "So…who is he?"

Was I ready to tell her…?

She sat up straighter, putting a finger to her lips as she thought. "Hmm…let me guess. Well, someone you know pretty well, you don't look like the type who'd fall in love at first sight. So…that narrows it down, to like, four, right? Ichigo, Uriyu, and those other two…and I don't think those other two are really your type, they're not the silent-ish type, like you are; you wouldn't…erm…mesh? And Uriyu? No, I can't see that happening. So, (drumroll, please), that leaves Ichi!" For a moment, she looked proud of her immense powers of deduction, but then she seemed troubled as she realized that I wanted the same guy she did.

I sighed and looked at her angrily. "You guessed it, alright, Orihme? Yeah, I'm in love with Ichigo. Are you happy now? Are you satisfied? Can you stop playing guessing games now?" It all burst out.

Orihme looked at me regretfully, tears in her eyes. "I – I'm sorry, Chad! Really, I am! I don't think sometimes, I don't realize…," the tears were coming down now, as she looked at me, begging forgiveness. I couldn't stay mad for long. She was one of the sweetest persons I knew. I hugged her, like a friend, and said,

"All right, Orihme, I shouldn't have gotten angry, you didn't mean it…"

She snuffled into my shirt, a purple and lavender paisley printed button down tee. "I'm sorry Chad," she hiccupped, clasping her arms around me. "Hey…would you…(hic) maybe be my Sadie Hawkins date? (hic)? That way, we could both pine for him together…in the corner." Her smile was watery and quivering.

I relaxed. It was a good solution, actually. I nodded.