Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anyone of anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D

Chapter 2: The (Weird) Morning After

…Taylor's Dream…

I am standing in the middle of a dusty street of hard-packed dirt lined with old-fashioned Japanese homes and shops. I look down and see that I am wearing a traditional men's kimono, right down to the socks and sandals on my feet. Odd. I never wear traditional Japanese clothing, let alone men's clothing. It's uncomfortable and I just feel kinda weird about it.

There is also a katana, a traditional Japanese sword, strapped to my waste. Also odd. I am definitely not trained in the martial arts, especially swordsmanship. However, as I rest my hand on the sword's hilt, I feel strangely safe and comfortable having the sword's weight on my hip. Like it's supposed to be there.

While I may be feeling calm, the street around me certainly isn't. There is pandemonium. Terrified screams fill the air. People dressed in abused and ratty clothes, dirt streaked on their faces, are running past me. Almost none of them are wearing shoes. The looks an all their faces are of fear and panic-the nervous, edgy eyes those who are being hunted. They seem to be running from something, a dark shadow, farther up the road.

The shadow is large and bulky, its shape vaguely humanoid, but monstrous. There is a haze rising off the creature's body, like the heat haze that hovers over an asphalt road in high summer. Suddenly, the creature throws back its head and roars, the empty sound reverberating down the street and into my bones.

…

I wake slowly, the creature's roar still echoing inside my skull. I realize quickly that the sound wasn't just in my dream, but as the sound isn't repeated I soon forget about it.

I roll over and glance at the clock that is balanced precariously on top of my chest of drawers. The glowing digital lights read 4:43 am. Damn. Every night for the past week I've been woken up early by my dreams. They aren't nightmares, but I just seem to wake up. There must be something about this town. Maybe it's something in the water.

I've been having dreams like this last one, where I'm in strange places, wearing strange clothes, and surrounded by strange people, for as long as I can remember. When I was younger these images and others came in short, nonsensical fragments, more like brief glimpses of long-forgotten memories than actual dreams. However, after my near-death experience five years ago the fragments became more than just fragments. What were brief glimpses started to join together, becoming longer and more elaborate. They began to resemble short clips of an old movie, fuzzy and grainy and without detail, but still discernible. They still don't make any sense. These images are like memories, but…I know they're not mine.

My dreams weren't the only things that changed after that fateful night. After nearly being killed in a car accident I was able to sense the spirits of the dead. However, I still can't figure why I gained the ability or what I'm supposed to do with it. It's almost like…like something or someone inside me has woken up. However, it doesn't seem that it or they or whatever is fully conscious yet. They've given me their weird clairvoyant powers and their memories, but so far that's it. I know it doesn't make any sense, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. Until I figure out who or what's inside me I've tried to be content with my own explanations.

These are the wandering thoughts that occupy my mind as I dress for my first day at my new high school. There really isn't any point in trying to go back to sleep since I was gonna get up at 5 am anyways. One of my mom's old, white dress shirts. Gray jacket, gray skirt. Black socks, cheap loafers, and that damn red bow. Whoopee. It's 5:07 by the time I'm done.

On my way out I grab my hat and examine it. It's not in as bad a shape as I initially thought, except for a large hole in the front. Damn that Ichigo kid! My bruises still hurt too…Crossly I pull my hair back and put my hat on, keeping my cursed blonde locks as contained as I can. I often think that I should try and dye my hair black again. However, the last time I tried to color my hair it didn't end up so well (have you ever seen blonde roots growing into black hair?). Besides, I don't have enough money to maintain any fake hair color anyways.

Fully dressed and already fussing with the bow, I head out into the main room of the apartment. The apartment is bare, with only the basics of furniture and decoration. It's just my mom and me, so we don't need a lot, and we move around a lot so we don't want a lot. However, we have a simple kitchen, breakfast nook, a ratty, old couch, and an old, old TV.

I make it about halfway to the fridge before a ridiculously loud snore from the couch alerts me to someone else's presence in the room. I head over take a look, cautiously, as my mom isn't unknown to bring random people who are completely trashed back to sleep on our couch. I'm relieved to see that it is actually my mother, passed out on the couch with several empty beer bottles adorning the floor around her. Apparently she made it back last night after all. I'm sooo glad that my mom is such a fantastic roll model.

Sighing heavily I pick my mom up and carry her to her room and her bed. Lately it seems more and more like I'm the one who's the mother in our family. Not that that's anything new. I've been taking care of my mother and myself, for all practical purposes, since I was 4 years old. In addition to the main room of our apartment we also have my mom's bedroom, a tiny little bathroom, and my room. Well actually, my room is a closet, but my bed and chest of drawers fit in it so I think I'm justified in calling it a bedroom.

I head back out into the main room to fix myself some breakfast. 5:12 am. It's going to be a long day.

…

As expected, I am completely and utterly lost. Karakura Town may not be a very big place, but it sure is confusing. So many streets and stairs. Not that I really knew where I was going on the first place. 6:57. School starts at 7 am. Obviously I'm not gonna get there on time. I can't say that I really care about school, but I'm gonna hear it from my mom later.

All in all, this day just sucks. First I wake up early. Again. Then I had to drag my mom's ass to bed because she passed out on the couch. Again. And now I'm lost. Fantastic. Not to mention my "death sense" or whatever has been acting up all morning. It's really weird actually. Kind of disturbing. I've been sensing far more ghosts than normal. They seem to be kind of all over. Not necessarily close to me, but there are definitely a lot of them around. But of course, I still can't see them. Whenever I try, all I see is people going about their early morning business. There are a lot of early risers in this town. They must all be morning people. Weirdos.

I stop, frustrated, in what appears to be an empty business district. There are a lot of plain, uninspired office buildings, but no one around. My death sense has even died away. Sudden shouting breaks the cold, man-made silence and attracts my attention. Looking farther down the street I see a break in the office buildings. Curious, I decide to investigate.

In the space between two of the office buildings stands a little, old-fashioned Japanese shop, guarded by a small yard and fence. A sign perched on the roof reads 'The Urahara Shop'. Two kids in the yard are the cause of the commotion. A boy, redheaded and the younger looking of the two, is a chasing a girl, taller with black floppy hair in pigtails, around the yard with a broom. The boy looks angry and vindictive and appears to be taking some sort of grudge out on the girl…or maybe he's just a bully. The girl looks guilty, apologetic, and just plain terrified.

I look down at my watch. 7:11. "Why the hell not…" I sigh.

…

"No, no, no! How many times do I have to tell you Ururu? When you sweep, you have to sweep from left to right, not right to left!"

"I'm sorry Jinta! Please forgive me. But I don't see how it makes a difference…"

"It's makes a difference because I say it does! Now do it right or-!"

"Um…excuse me?"

Jinta froze mid-swing, giving Ururu a chance to escape. She moved well out of range of Jinta's broom and they both turned to see who had spoken. A girl, dressed in the uniform of the local high school, stood awkwardly outside the gate.

"What do you want?" Jinta asked. "We're not open yet." Jinta scowled at the girl, willing her to go away.

"I don't want to buy anything. I want to directions to Karakura 1st High School."

Jinta smirked nastily. "Why? You lost or somethin'?" he sniggered.

"Yes." the girl glared back. "Are you gonna help me or not brat-face?"

"Brat-face?! Why you-!"

"What's all the racket out here about?" All eyes turned to the man in a striped bucket hat, who stood on the porch of the shop. After stifling an enormous yawn, his attention returned to the scene before him, the question plain in his eyes. "Well?"

Jinta and Ururu became meek under his gaze. Jinta answered first, staring at the ground while scuffing his foot in the dirt. "Well…Ururu and I were sweeping when that girl showed up, but I told her that the shop wasn't open yet. Then she called me a brat-face!"

The man looked back up to observe the girl, eyebrows raised. "I don't want to buy anything!" she said defensively. "I just want directions to the stupid high school!"

The man on the porch looked between Jinta and the girl several times. Hmmmm… he thought as he watched Jinta and the girl shooting angry glares at each other. He then placed a hand on his hat and said, with an enormous grin on his face, "Well, you're in the right place then. My name's Kisuke Urahara and I am the owner of this shop. Come inside and we'll get you everything you need Miss…?"

"Smithson. Taylor Smithson." the girl replied cautiously. Urahara stepped inside his shop, motioning for Taylor to follow. Reluctantly, Taylor entered the yard, returned the nasty look that Jinta shot at her as she passed, and disappeared inside.

…

The Urahara Shop is probably the weirdest store I've ever been in. The area where business is conducted is a short straight hallway, ending in another low porch. The sides of the aisle are lined with shelves filled with an assortment of goods, all of which I have never seen before. I can't begin to guess what most of the stuff is, let alone what it's supposed to be for. Urahara has seated himself, cross-legged, on the porch, pen and paper in hand. I examine him more closely as he writes out the directions to the high school.

Urahara seems to be like his shop- more than a bit out of place in the modern world. He's definitely not an ordinary guy. His hair is a sandy blonde, his chin stubbly, like he tends to forget to shave. I can't see his eyes. He is wearing a happi coat, traditional geta sandals, and the bucket hat. Yes, Mr. Urahara is indeed a strange man and he seems to know a lot more then he lets on. I can't figure out what his motivation is for helping me. There is a vague buzzing in the back of my head, similar to the feeling I get when I sense ghosts. It kinda feels like someone's probing my brain with an invisible force. It's making me kind of dizzy…

"So, are you new in town?" Urahara is watching me carefully as he writes.

"Yea. My mom and I moved here about a week ago." I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot under his scrutiny.

"Ah…" He has finished. Smiling ever so slightly, he hands me the paper he has scribbled the directions on.

I smile warily in return. "Thanks you," is my murmured reply.

I turn to leave, eager to get away Urahara's strange little shop before something really weird happens. It's not that I'm afraid of Urahara or that I think he's gonna do something to me. It just seems like he knows way too much about me to be gathered in such a short meeting. That knowing little smile of his…It's like he can see inside my soul or something. I shiver slightly at the thought and walk a little faster, passing through the shop's gate and heading back the way I came.

…

Urhara stared after Tyalor, the knowing smile still tugging at his lips. Tessai, who had arrived just in time to witness Taylor's departure, turned to look questioningly at Urahara.

"Who was that?"

Urahara's smile tuned into a grin as he stood. "Someone we're going to be seeing a lot more if I'm not mistaken."

Karakura 1st High School…Just before 3rd period…10:02am

"All these Hollows we've had to fight recently are driving me crazy" Ichigo yawned, rubbing the back of his head. The dark circles under his eyes attested to a week of too little sleep.

"I'm afraid there isn't much we can do other than follow orders," Rukia replied, intent on the device that detected the presence of Hollows and received her orders from the Soul Society. Despite the firmness of her words Rukia was having doubts of her own. The recent rise in the number of Hallows worried her greatly. However, she couldn't figure out why there would suddenly be more Hollows than normal…

Ichigo continued grumbling under his breath as he watched more of their classmates file in for third period. Rukia ignored him. Both of them were standing on the far side of the classroom by the windows so he had a good view. Unfortunately, nothing interesting was happening so he turned to look out the window, intent on zoning out as he watched the birds pecking at the dirt in the schoolyard. A sudden increase in the noise level of the class brought both his and Rukia's attention back to the center of the room.

A girl, dressed in the school uniform with a ragged hat pulled low over her face, had appeared in the doorway. She was quite tall, her build was athletic, but curvy, and set the cogs of more than one boy's imagination into motion. No one seemed to know who she was.

"It's really odd to have a new student come this late in the term," Ichigo heard Mizuiro whisper.

"So? I'm not complaining!" Keigo whispered back.

Ichigo turned back to watch as the girl walked to the teacher's desk and handed him a note. The teacher looked at it carefully before nodding in acceptance. However, as the girl turned away he spoke up. "I'm sorry Miss Smithson but hats are against the school dress code. You'll have to take it off."

The girl paused. She stood rigid and tense, her body language clearly indicating her displeasure. Then, slowly, reluctantly she pulled the hat off her head. The level of whispering nearly broke the sound barrier and Ichigo's eyes opened wide. Bright, golden blonde hair spilled down to the girl's shoulders and bright, blue eyes gave the room a quick scan. She then shot a glare at every kid in the class that quite clearly said "Leave me or alone or die" and made her way to a desk in the back corner.

Ichigo was still for a moment, too shocked to move. Not only was the girl striking and gorgeous, but he could feel spiritual pressure rolling off her in waves. The feel of her energy was almost oppressive. Of course it didn't help that the girl was conspicuously inhospitable towards the class. He also couldn't help but feel that he had seen her somewhere before. But where? Who is she? he thought, his brain working furiously. Who? Surely I would remember someone with that much spirit energy!

"Ichigo…do you feel that?" Ichigo jumped a little, startled, and refocused his attention on Rukia. Her eyes were focused on the girl and her voice was calculating.

"Yea…And I feel like I've seen her somewhere before…" And that's when it hit him. Or rather he had hit her. "Aw, hell…" Ichigo muttered slapping his hand against his forehead.

…

I sit, arms crossed, scowling resolutely at my chosen desk. I can the whispers all around me. Maybe if I ignore them they'll all shut up. Yea right. That never works.

I'm just so sick of. Why can't they all just shut the hell up and leave me alone? I get this every damn time I move somewhere new. What ever happened to 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'? Of course coming in late didn't help either. Great, they're starting to point now too. My frown has reached cosmic proportions.

My furious thoughts are interrupted by a high, cheery voice that makes me want to tear my own ears off. "Hello! My name is Rukia Kuchiki! I'm new here too. Why don't we be friends?" I turn my scowl upward to see my newest source of irritation.

I am met with the sight of a short, black haired girl. A smile that is fat too large and joyful to be natural is plastered across her face. And she's…curtsying? I look up at her again, exasperated. She does look kind of familiar though…

As I am considering where I could have possibly seen this insane chick before, I notice another person standing behind her. He is tall with impossibly orange hair and he seems to be very interested in something on the ceiling. Clearly he doesn't want to be over here talking to me anymore than I want him or his friend to be. He looks really familiar too…

However, before I am able to think anymore the girl takes notice of where I'm looking. "Oh! And this is my friend Ichigo!"

Ichigo! It's him! The guy from yesterday! I could have ignored him before? His hair is like a great, blinking sign shouting 'Hey! Ichigo is here!'

"You!" I shout and stand, my finger inches from Ichigo's nose.

He looks completely confused and…embarrassed? "Huh?"

"You! You're the dumbass who ran into me yesterday!"

"So?" He has now tuned his attention to something out the window, a slight blush staining his cheeks a delicate pink.

"So?! You knocked me down yesterday and you don't even care!" Apparently this Ichigo kid remembers me. Good. I am going to make him pay for yesterday. He may be embarrassed about it, but that doesn't mean he feels any remorse for what he did. "And you owe me a new hat!" I continue, brandishing the offending item in his face.

Ichigo turns to look at my hat briefly before closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "No way in hell."

"What?! You bastard!"

"Now, now both of you. Please calm down!" Rukia is obviously still pretending to be sweet and innocent as she attempts to resolve our argument, which has managed to attract the attention of our entire class, as well as several classes farther down the hall. "Ichigo I think you should apologize to this girl."

"What?!" Heh. Now that seemed to surprise him.

"Ichigo…" Rukia growled threateningly. Her entire demeanor has changed in the blink of an eye. She is no longer a fake happy girl, but is someone who demands respect and obedience. Her eyes have taken on the hard gleam of those who have seen more than their fair share of the ugly side of the world.

Ichigo doesn't get another chance to protest, however, as the bell signals for the start of class. Everyone's attention returns to the front of the room as the teacher attempts to restore order. Ichigo and Rukia both turn to go back to their seats, but not before giving me their last looks. Ichigo's is indignant. Clearly he doesn't like me. Well, that's too damn bad, because I don't care! Bastard… Rukia's expression is more reserved. She seems to be examining me, like I'm some kind of puzzle and she has yet to figure out where all the pieces go. I can't say I like it anymore than Ichigo's look.

Sighing heavily I sit back down, resting my head in my hands. I'm glad I've made such a good impression on my first day. At least the whispering has abated.

Author's Note:

Well that's the second chapter of "The Natural Blonde". I hope you enjoyed it!! As you can see it's quite a lot longer than the first. I hope to continue to make my chapters longer. They probably will be longer too because there's more that I want to put in each chapter.

Also I would like to give a special shout out to Chinabear62092 who is, so far, my one and only reviewer. Thank you Chinabear62092 for reviewing this story and encouraging me to continue it!

Ok so a couple notes…

I got the names for the coat and sandals that Urahara wears off a website that's about traditional Japanese clothing ( If either of the names I used are incorrect I apologize! And please tell me if they are so I can correct them.

Most of the details, like the names of places, I have and will be getting out of the manga. It's not that those kinds of things aren't mentioned in the anime, it's just that I don't notice them...' I'm just letting everyone know because there may be some minor detail differences that people who have only seen the anime will notice.

And there is something that I would like some feedback on from the people who have decided to follow this story…pairings. Eventually, there will be pairings in this story so I would like to decide who is paired with whom early on, so I can begin to set up the pairings early on. Chinabear62092 has expressed the desire for this story to be an Ichigo X OC story. I don't know if I want to do this or some other pairings yet so I would like to know what everyone else thinks! I have several different pairings in mind (actually I know what I want it to be if it isn't IchigoxOC), and feedback would really help me decide which one to actually write!

Anyways, once I again I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think about the pairings( IchigoxOC or OCx?)! And I hope you look forward to the currently untitled third chapter!

Kudos to you if you actually read the whole Author's Note!

imagination junkie