Hi! sooooo it's been a while.... sorry! I can't really think of anything to say before you read this... except that my editing has gone down so i'm sorry for mistakes.... i've gotten to the point where i'd just rather get this chapter out instead of having it sit in my computer forgotten for another couple of weeks.... anyway there it is...

Chapter 8

Orihime was finishing up stitching a doll for her arts and crafts club when Tatsuki burst in. She was about to say something but then she stood there thinking and eventually just silently sat down in front of Orihime.

"Tatsuki-chan? Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Yeah... I think... I went out with Renji last night..."

"REALLY!? WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"Well... I don't know... I don't think it was really a date, I think we almost kissed, but I don't think so, anyway nothing happened. We spent all night by the lake and fell asleep talking to each other and then I got home really late."

"Tell me about the almost kiss!"

"Uh, he held my hand and we stared at each other for a while. Then I left."

"Tatsuki, why didn't you kiss him?"

"No way! What if I was way off and he doesn't like me? He could still like Rukia."

"Hm... I don't think so. You know what you should do, you should really ask him on a date. An official one!"

"No way. I don't need a boyfriend so why should I risk a friendship for something stupid like that?"

"But you'll be happy Tatsuki-chan!"

"But I'm happy now. I like him, a lot, but I think the reason nothing happened last night was because if it did then we'd lose out friendship and neither of us want that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... no... UGH! I need to think some more..."

"Okay, you can stay here as long as you'd like... when we finish school, we better get going!" Orihime stuffed her sewing stuff in her backpack and left with Tatsuki for school.

Toshiro, and Momo were not in school, which meant Rangiku was alone at lunch, she had Renji, Izuru and Shuuhei, but she still felt lonely. Renji and Izuru went off on some random topic about some manga and whether or not Shinigami existed. Shuuhei had to leave in the middle of lunch for his Kendo club meeting. Rangiku decided to walk with him to the club building.

"Are you free after school?" she asked.

"No, sorry. We have a match that's what this meeting's about."

"Oh, would you mind if I stayed and watched?"

"Not at all, but it's an hour and a half away. Did you want to go visit Momo?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'd go with you, but I can't."

"That's okay, I'll probably go see Hitsugaya-sempai and probably go with him, or I'll meet him there. He's probably going to be there all day, since he doesn't have school." She tried to laugh, but couldn't find anything to laugh about. They had just reached the kendo building.

"I've got to go now, I'll see you in class." He waved and disappeared inside. Leaving Rangiku alone in the courtyard.

"Ran-chan?" The icy voice behind her made her shiver all the way up her spine, tears instantly formed in her eyes, it took everything to keep them back, so she didn't dare move. "We never got ta talk." his voice was gentle afraid she'd run away again.

"Not now please. Not during school."

"Fine, then I'll wait fer ya at the gate. Don't ferget Ran-chan. An don't ditch me fer dat guy!" He had a hard time keeping the venom out of his voice, but Rangiku knew it was only because he was jealous so she didn't say anything.

She nodded and waited a few minutes, when she turned around he was gone. She walked back to Izuru and Renji neither noticed that there was anything wrong.

"We're going to the hospital to visit Momo after school. Want to come with us Rangiku?" Renji asked.

"Sorry, I can't..."

"Yuzu... if you don't snap out of it I'll tell Tou-san that you and Jinta are dating now and that he should start planning your wedding." This was the fifth insane thing Karin had said to Yuzu in the past five minutes, but Yuzu didn't pay any attention, she was staring out the window at the baseball field again. It was lunch and she had to give Jinta her bento, she was also going to confess to him.

"...I'm going to confess...I'm going to..." she said as if in a trance.

"DAMN IT YUZU! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Karin lost her temper and slammed her books on Yuzu's desk, she didn't dare hit Yuzu, she'd never ever hurt Yuzu, but she was getting frustrated. "JUST GO DO IT ALREADY!"

"Karin-chan, would you like me to help?" Ururu asked quietly from next to her.

"Uh... sure..."

Ururu stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it for a second, then she quickly inserted her finger into Yuzu's ear.

"EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Yuzu jumped up instantly, "What was that?! EWWWW! GROSS!"

"Sorry Yuzu-chan, but it's lunch now." Ururu looked at her feet. Karin had fallen to the floor with laughter.

"It's okay Ururu, thank you. I have to go give this to Jinta." She held the bento tightly and walked out of the room quickly so she could have as little time as possible to think about what she was about to do. When she reached the baseball field she stood at the fence and called him over, "Jinta-kun!"

"Hey Yuzu-chan. Thank you." He came running toward her, Yuzu's heartbeat suddenly became very loud, her legs started shaking, her stomach filed with butterflies, and her face flushed. She held out the bento to him.

"Um, Jinta-kun. Before you take this, I want you to know... that... I... I made this with a different kind of ri- I mean! ... Jinta-kun, I... I... lik-"

"Wait!" He stopped her. She looked into his eyes, a million thoughts flashed in her mind, He knows! He doesn't like me! He doesn't want to hurt my feelings! He's trying to stop me before I get hurt! She was suddenly very scared. Without giving it a second thought she ran, dropping the bento on the ground. She ran blindly crying, desperately trying to find somewhere where she could be alone.

Jinta started to run after her, but the fence between them had slowed him down and once he was in the school he couldn't find her. He had lost her.

Ikkaku was pissed off, he was at the kendo match, one of the biggest matches the team would have all year and she was there. Shouting his name and cheering for him louder than any other person in the stands. This also meant he had to be dressed up and in character so he'd scare her off. When his team had arrived where the match was he saw her instantly, and had to run to call Yumichika and Keigo so they could come and bring his stuff, they were not happy, especially because the match was an hour and a half away from Karakura Town. They were going to be late, luckily this is a kendo match and all he had to do was wear his uniform with the helmet on the entire time, but the gym was hot and it was stupid to wear a helmet when you weren't fighting.

"Jezz Ikkaku, you're full of spirit today." one of his team mates teased.

"Oh, shut up!" He said, "Mizuho's here, I'm hiding."

His team laughed and teased him, but they understood his trouble. They all knew his situation with Mizuho, she was everywhere he was and it was impossible to get away from her. Since he spent about 25% of his time with the team, so did she.

Once the match started Ikkaku felt better, he cheered on his team mates, they were doing very well, he tuned out Mizuho's cheers and the matches went on. He noticed Yumichika and Keigo enter with a huge bag of stuff, Keigo hid behind Yumichika so his sister wouldn't see him. When he was fighting his match, the match that would decide which team would win, he struck his opponent's head earning a point, his team cheered, and so did Mizuho.

"Yay darling!" She cheered loudest of all.

Ikkaku's temper flared up and he delivered a hard datotsu to his opponent's stomach. Earning another point and winning the match for himself and his team. The poor guy rolled in pain while the Karakura High team celebrated and shouted. Mizuho started running down the bleacher's to her "darling", but Yumichika and Keigo got to him first and dragged him to the locker room to get him changed.

"Ugh, Ikkaku, this uniform stinks!" Yumichika complained, holding Ikkaku's helmet as far away from him as possible, he tossed it aside and started searching through the bag for something.

"IT'S THE SMELL OF A CHAMPION!" He shouted, excited about his victory.

"It's the smell of uglyness." He pulled out some clothes and a makeup kit from the bag. "Take a shower, quickly. Here's your clothes."

"Fine." He grabbed the clothes and walked toward the showers. The rest of the team nosily came in, cheering.

"KARAKURA HIGH!" "WE WON!" "DISTRICT CHAMPS HERE WE COME!"

Yumichika rolled his eyes at them and started touching up his face with his makeup kit. Keigo sat there nervously, the kendo club was full of the tough guys in school and he was a weak guy, he prayed they wouldn't start making fun of him.

"ALRIGHT!" Ikkaku stepped out with the clothes Yumichika had picked out for him, he was wearing a bright green shirt with a red orange sweater over it, and really tight jeans. He waddled over to Yumichika to get his makeup and nails done.

His team mates started laughing at him. "WHAT IS THAT!?"

Ikkaku turned and glared at them, "HEY! THIS IS THE ONLY PLAN I'VE GOT TO GET RID OF MIZUHO!"

Yumichika made a face, "Sit still, or forget about the makeup and your plan." he stared applying a full coat of some cream that was the color of his skin, when he asked what it was for Yumichika had told him it was to hide his zits and imperfections in his skin, like cuts and bruises. Then Yumichika started brushing his face with a pink powder, when he asked what that was, Yumichika said it was blush, it gave his face color. Then he started doing stuff to his eyes, when he asked Yumichika smacked him on the head for moving and causing him to reapply the eyeliner and eye shadow. While Yumichika was doing the makeup Keigo was painting his nails a shiny light pink, it looked almost normal except for the extra shine.

"Don't forget the toenails Keigo." Yumichika said hovering over Ikkaku's face.

"I have to touch his feet?!"

"HEY! THEY AREN'T THAT STINKY! AND YUMICHIKA HAD ME CUT THEM AND DO OTHER WIERD THINGS YESTERDAY!"

"DON'T MOVE!" Yumichika smacked him again.

The whole kendo team had finished getting ready long ago, but they couldn't resist watching, Ikkaku looked so funny.

"Done. Finally! Now you are mostly beautiful." Yumichika stood back and admired his work, Ikkaku didn't look that bad, his clothes weren't that extreme and neither was the makeup or nails, but he did still look a whole lot different. They had decided they couldn't really do anything as extreme as what they did last night at Yumichika's, because too much of a change wouldn't be very believable. They'd have to work up to it.

"Now go scare the hell out of my sister!"

"Hopefully, this will be the only time we have to do this Ikkaku." Yumichika said, packing up the makeup kit.

His team mates giggled and told him how beautiful he looked, and with Ikkaku in the front they all walked out of the dressing room.

"DARLING!" Mizuho pounced as soon as he was in sight. The team snickered from behind. "What took you so-" She was right on top of him, looking directly at his makeup covered face. "Darling, are you wearing eyeshadow?"

"Yes." He said confidently, "Do I look beautiful?"

She just stared at him, "Darling... YOU DO! You know what we should do?!" She stood up pulling him up with her. "WE SHOULD HAVE A MAKEOVER! AT MY HOUSE! IT'LL BE SO MUCH FUN! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU LIKED THIS KIND OF STUFF DARLING! LET'S GO NOW!"

Excited, she dragged him away, to her house, for another makeover.

Rangiku took her time leaving the school, she stopped to talk to teachers and friends, she forgot a book on her desk and walked slowly, but eventually she ended up walking toward the gate, toward him.

"Ran-chan, why ya walkin ta me wit dat frown? Ya used ta run ter me when I waited fer ya."

When was that? It seemed like so long ago... Was it really only a few months ago? Rangiku didn't say anything, she walked past him and he joined her.

"So where are we going?" She finally asked, realizing she wasn't walking anywhere in particular, just away from her apartment.

"It doesn't matter. We'r jus gonna talk." Gin looked at her hand clutched tightly to her bag strap. It used ta be clutched ter my hand... "Ran-chan, we need ta talk, really."

"Yeah," she stared down at the sidewalk and sighed, she was going to have to start the conversation, how else were things going to get fixed? "Gin, where have you been? There have been weeks where I don't see you at all, you skip school a lot. Why? You can't honestly be sick all the time. What are you doing? Why did you just abandon me? You can't just ignore your girlfriend for weeks at a time. And when we do see each other you don't talk to me then either, lately sure, but how do I know you aren't going to drop me and leave again? Gin-chan, if you want to be with me then be with me all the time, not just when you feel like it!" Finally! It's out!

Gin stared silently at the ground. "Don worry Ran-chan, I don wanna do dat anymore, it won't happen ever again. I've missed ya. Ran, I love ya. An I don want dis ta end, ever."

"GIn, do you really think that that's good enough? Telling me it won't happen again, when you've done this so many times now!"

"I never promised ya then. When ave I broken a promise ta ya?"

"When this started, you promised you'd meet me in the park after you finished something and I ended up waiting for hours!"

Gin flinched, that seemed to really hurt him some how. "Ran-chan, please give me a chance. I'm askin ya."

She thought for a while, "How about this, we go get dinner and visit Momo?"

He grinned as they walked hand in hand to their favorite restaurant.

Yuzu spent all afternoon in her room, when she ran away at lunch she hid in the girls' bathroom until she could pull herself together for class and as soon as class was over she darted away before she could run into him leaving. Once she got home she let herself breakdown and cry again. She locked the door and wouldn't let anyone in, they all knew what had happened.

"Yuzu, I made dinner... I'm leaving it here." Karin's voice came through the door.

Oh! Dinner! Chores! Homework! I can't believe I didn't do anything! I've just been in here the entire time! Oh no! I'm so selfish! She got up slowly and walked to the door, stopping to rub her eyes dry before unlocking the door. Karin was sitting there waiting across the hall.

"I made it, so it won't taste too good... but it's better than having dad or Ichigo make it... I think." She gave Yuzu a small smile. Yuzu knew that as long as she was in pain so was Karin, it was always like that with them.

"I'm sorry Karin!" Yuzu stepped over the tray of burnt food and hugged her sister and started to cry again.

"It's okay Yuzu." I'm gonna hurt that jerk! He better run when I see him!

Kendo word of the day!

Datotsu- strike

haha looks like Ikkaku is in for another... "makeover makeover makeover makeover MAKEOVER!"

so yep that's this latest chapter.... i wanted to put a Kenny and Yachiru bit at the end but honestly.... i can't think of anymore for them... but i'll find a way to get them back in there, they are just going to fade away for a bit since well there part of the story is really done, they are together and happy! yay! anyway... my summer is still pretty busy, not so much as before, but still.... i'm taking an SAT prep class.... kind of annoying, but it'll pay off.... hopefully.... haha well i'll "see" you guys when the next chapter is posted... will write soon!