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

Chapter 13: Happy Birthday to Me

The next day when I awaken my thoughts instantly go what I learned from Urahara the night before. I ponder his words as I get ready for school, as I walk to school, and all through my morning classes. I surface from my contemplations to say hello to my friends- Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, and the others- and then sink back into my own head again. There is also a brief ruckus when Uryuu shows up several hours late his arm bandaged and claiming that he fell down the stairs. It seems strange to me that our battle with the Menos Grande was only yesterday.

It's strange that my life has changed so much and so little since yesterday. That I've learned so much and yet so little. I know where my power comes from now, but I really don't know what it means. My powers were given to me by a former Soul Reaper, but I don't know her name or her motivations or why she was in the World of the Living in the first place.

I would love to go back to Urahara and demand that he tell me more, but I know it would be pointless. Urahara will only tell me what he thinks I should know and he's already done that. So instead I try to bring the memories up on purpose several times during the morning. It doesn't work. Apparently the memories don't respond when I'm actually trying to view them. When the bell finally rings for lunch I'm frustrated, tired, and just as confused as ever.

"Happy birthday Taylor!" I look up from my desk surprised to see all my female friends, except for Rukia, surrounding me. That's right, I think as my brain slowly catches up. Today is my birthday. I'm 15.

Usually my birthdays aren't a big deal. I honestly don't think that my mom remembers when my birthday is. I used to remind her when I was younger, but I rarely got presents or any other kind of recognition because she always spends our extra money on booze. And I usually don't get to know people well enough at school to tell them when my birthday is. So the fact that all these girls are here to wish me a happy birthday is unusual. It makes me feel very, very warm inside.

But…

"How did you know it was my birthday?" I ask unable to hide my puzzlement.

Orihime giggles. "I work in the office after school sometimes and I was curious so I went and looked at your file."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

"Awww! Don't be that way Taylor!" Orihime pouts. "It's your birthday so you should be happy! We're all going to have a picnic outside to celebrate and I made this awesome dessert especially! It's got chocolate and wasabi and red bean paste and…"

Everyone turns a bit green as Orihime goes on to describe her newest culinary creation. Oh Orihime. She is the sweetest, kindest girl I've ever met even if her taste is horrible. A strong feeling of friendship swells in my chest as I realize that all these people care about me. Moving to Karakura has been the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'm so grateful. Suddenly I find I can't help myself and I begin to laugh.

Orihime stops abruptly and everyone turns to stare at me, their expressions rather shocked. I manage to get my laughter under control, but I can't stop myself from smiling. "That sounds great Orihime."

Orihime beams back at me while everyone else stands there gawking. Tatsuki recovers first. "Well come on then," she says with her own grin. "Let's go celebrate!"

A cheer follows her words and everyone heads outside. I find myself tucked right into the middle of the group. I've finally got friends. Real friends. It's true that there are still a lot of things that I don't understand, but right now isn't the time to worry about them, I decide. Instead I'm going to savor every moment I have with my friends today and tomorrow I can start worrying again. I deserve this one day of peace right?

…

"Hey Rukia!" Tatsuki shouts. "Come eat with us!"

"Yeah! We're going to celebrate Taylor's birthday!" Orihime adds merrily.

Rukia starts and looks down from her perch up in a large tree in the schoolyard with surprise. She seems to hesitate for a moment and then jumps down to join us. I casually peek up at where Rukia had been staring and I catch a glimpse of bright orange hair on the roof. My heart gives a pleasant little leap at the sight and I quickly glance around hoping that no one has noticed.

"It's your birthday?" Rukia asks me, surprise coloring her tone. I nod, a bit embarrassed by all the attention but enjoying it all the same. "Happy birthday," she tells me sincerely, as herself and not her school persona.

"Thanks," I reply, the warm glow inside me growing so large that I'm certain my chest will burst. It makes me so happy that I've found such good friends.

We all take a seat beneath the tree that Rukia was sitting in and begin to eat, talking and laughing together. Our conversation swings about wildly, mainly due to Orihime's rather short attention span, until Mahana turns to Rukia and asks her matter-of-factly as if she was commenting about the weather, "Do you like Ichigo?"*

Rukia is so startled that she spits out her mouth full of juice. I find myself suddenly choking on my bite of plum. Mahana prompts Rukia again, but Michiru protests that Mahana is being tactless. Their argument quickly devolves as Chizuru joins in, declaring her love for Orihime.

I watch Rukia closely, but she just seems utterly confused by what's going. I let out a silent sight. Rukia can be so clueless sometimes.

Mahana finally turns her attention back to Rukia and demands an answer. I hate to admit it, but I'm just as intensely curious as everyone else as we wait to hear Rukia's answer. It's silly to think that Rukia might have feelings for Ichigo, I try and convince myself. I've seen them together a lot more than anyone at school and I know that their relationship is rather abusive, but friendly. But it's true that Rukia does live in his closet…jealousy suddenly burns in my chest as I think of all the things that could have happened between them and I would never know. I quash the emotion almost immediately, feeling ashamed.

"Ichigo is…just a friend!"** Rukia replies cheerily, but I can see her smile his forced. Everyone around me makes sounds of disappointment and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

Talk resumes again, this time with Orihime taking center stage as she describes some sort of strange love triangle. Things devolve again as Chizuru gets involved. I am still watching Rukia closely. She laughs along with everybody else, but I can tell by her eyes that her mind isn't really present. I feel bad now as I realize that I've been too wrapped up in my own thoughts today to notice that Rukia's been distracted too.

All my thoughts are blasted from my head, however, as Orihime turns to me and points. "You."

I blink at her in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes!" she exclaims clapping her hands together. "You like Ichigo right? So together we can team up and beat him!"

Everyone around me is silent, staring at me intensely. Even Rukia looks interested now. It's impossible for my face to remain blank under their scrutiny and it quickly turns red. My brain kicks into overdrive, trying to think of something to say while the rest of me panics. I am really that obvious? "W-what?" Yea, that was real brilliant.

They continue to watch me, Orihime expectantly, and everyone else thoughtfully. Finally Mahana speaks. "No way. I mean you, like, hate him don't you?"

"From what I've seen Taylor doesn't seem to get along with him very well…" Tatsuki adds, contemplatively. Orihime visibly deflates in disappointment and normal conversation resumes around me.

The sigh I let out this time is not silent. How I managed to dodge that bullet I have no idea. I suppose it's because Ichigo and I don't really hang out in school a lot. We definitely see each other a lot outside of school while working as Soul Reapers, but at school what little interaction we have is generally pretty formal.

I catch Rukia's eye and she gives me a knowing little smirk. It gives me a bit of a jolt, but when I think about it I suppose I don't really mind Rukia knowing the truth. I just don't want everyone else to know because I'm sure they'll tease me about it.

Lunch continues per usual after that and I find myself enjoying every minute of it.

…

Ichigo was about to walk out the gates of the school when he heard Rukia calling him. He turned and watched her run up and stop before him. "What's up?" he asked as she caught her breath.

Rukia stared at her feet for a moment before looking up at Ichigo. She opened her mouth as if to speak and then closed it again, turning her face back to the ground. Ichigo frowned, concerned. Hesitation wasn't like Rukia.

Finally Rukia looked up again, wearing a smile that Ichigo was certain was fake. "It's nothing," she said, something about the casualness of her tone sounding false. "I'll see you later." She walked past him and out the school gates.

Ichigo stared after Rukia, confused. What had that been about?

"Ichigo!" Ichigo felt his heart jump at the sound of his name in her voice. Taylor ran up to him and stopped, catching her breath just as Rukia had done.

"What's up?" Ichigo asked again, but this time it was he who had difficulty keeping his voice causal. It irritated him to no end that he couldn't seem to keep his cool around her and yet when she was around he found that he didn't really mind.

"Have you seen Rukia?"

"Yea, she just left."

"Damn it," Taylor muttered under her breath. She walked around Ichigo and looked down the sidewalk, but Rukia was already out of sight.

"Why were you looking for her?" Ichigo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Taylor's brow furrowed in a way that Ichigo found inexplicably cute. "I'm kinda worried about her actually. She's been acting kind of weird today…"

"Yea…" Ichigo didn't say that Taylor had been acting a bit out it herself. Then Ichigo suddenly started, resisting the urge to slap his forehead. "Happy birthday, by the way."

Taylor turned to him, her cheeks a bit flushed and her eyes surprised. "Thanks," Taylor said softly. "How did you find out?"

"Orihime told me."

"I see."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Ichigo shifted from foot to foot trying to find something to say, while Taylor stood staring at her feet and blushing. "Don't you have training or something?" Ichigo asked suddenly, instantly regretting it. What if she thought that he didn't want to be around her?

"I don't have it today," Taylor said as if she had just remembered. "Urahara gave me the day off because it's my birthday."

"Cool," Ichigo replied. And by unspoken consent they began to walk home together. It wasn't really planned or anything. Actually they could have walked to together everyday, except that Taylor's training took her in the opposite direction. The paths towards their respective homes actually ran together for a while. Ichigo found himself silently cursing Taylor's daily training sessions.

Ichigo and Taylor made small talk for a bit and then lapsed into comfortable silence. It was a beautiful early summer afternoon. The sun was warm, but the breeze coming of the river was cooling. Ichigo was feeling quite blissful actually with Taylor on one side and the river on the other.

Finally they came to the place where they would have to part ways. Ichigo and Taylor turned to face each other and both shifted awkwardly, neither sure what to say but not wanting to just say goodbye. Finally Taylor turned like she was going to leave and Ichigo blurted out the first thing that came to mind just to get her to stay with him a little longer.

"You know…there's a-a fireworks festival on August 1 and a bunch of us get together and go every year…" Ichigo trailed off unsure of where to go from there. Taylor watched him expectantly and it was impossible to keep the heat from his face. There was not point stopping now was there? Ichigo plunged recklessly on, "And I was wondering…I thought maybe you'd like to go…I mean it's a whole big group and…"

Ichigo nerves reduced him to incoherent mumbling at this point. He didn't feel quite as bad, however, as Taylor was turning a shade of bright red that probably matched his own.

"Yes." Taylor suddenly blurted out effectively silencing Ichigo. "Yes, I'll go to the fireworks festival with you," she added a bit breathlessly.

Ichigo's chest filled with exhilaration and his face spilt into a wide, silly grin, but he didn't care. She had said yes. She had said yes to going to the fireworks festival with him. "Great," Ichigo replied, buoyed by joy. "I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"Yep," Taylor said, apparently too embarrassed to make eye contact. They both turned away and Ichigo headed home in a haze of happiness.

…

As I walk home I have to fight the urge to sing or dance. Today has easily been my best birthday ever and quite possibly the best day of my life. I got to celebrate with friends, real friends, and then Ichigo asked me out. On a date. Well something like a date anyways. He did say that there would be a bunch of other people going to the fireworks festival too, but Ichigo had asked me to go with him.

I'm absolutely certain that nothing can ruin my good mood today, especially since I get the day off from training, until I open the door of the apartment I share with my mother and see boxes everywhere. Alarm hits me like a sledgehammer and it's a fight to not close the door and open it again to make sure I'm not seeing things. No, there really are boxes everywhere and this can only mean one thing. My mom is packing.

My insides twist painfully as I drop my bag by the door, but I'm unable to go inside any further. This can't be happening. I stare dumbfounded at the boxes. Oh please tell me this isn't happening!

My mom comes around a stack of boxes and blinks at me clearly surprised I'm home so early. She recovers quickly and smiles. I don't fail to notice the bottle of beer in one hand as she puts the handful of books that the other holds into a box. If she isn't already drunk she's undoubtedly on her way. "Great, you're home early. Go ahead and start packing your room up ok? We're leaving tomorrow."

I knew this of course. Packing in my house only means one thing- we're moving again- but it still feels like my mother has stabbed a very large knife through my chest. "Why?" I manage to ask, but it's a struggle because it feels like I'm suffocating.

"Why?" my mother asks, amusement in her tone as she gives me a look that clearly says I'm being stupid. "Because I got fired that's why."

Of course. Just like every other time. My mom gets fired or has a falling out with a boyfriend and it's time to move on.

"No."

My mom freezes her face shocked this time. "What did you say?"

"I said no. I don't want to leave." I reply, my voice hard. It's difficult to keep it steady though. I'm so…angry. I've never been so angry with my mother before in my life. Usually when it's time to move I don't protest because I don't have a reason to. Usually I don't make any friends at school and therefore I could care less about leaving everything behind and starting over somewhere new.

But not this time. I actually have a life here. There are my Soul Reaper duties which, while often annoying, have become important to me. There are all my wonderful friends at school. And of course there's Ichigo. My growing feelings for him, the possibility of a real romance after he asked me out this afternoon. My heart twists even more painfully in my chest at the thought of having to leave town and never see him again.

My mother is glaring at me now, her irritation clear on her face. "That's too bad," she snaps at me. "But we're leaving. Now go pack your things. I want to get an early start tomorrow and I'm going to be really pissed if I have to wait for you to finish packing." She takes a swig from the beer bottle.

I'm pretty sure that's what makes my snap, because the next thing I know I'm screaming at her. "No! I'm not going to pack! I like it here and I'm not leaving!"

My mother is screaming back at me. "How dare you say that to me! Stop being so ungrateful! I do everything I can to support you and this how you react! So selfish!"

"Me? Me? I'm the selfish one? You're the one who spends all our money on booze and feels the need to move every time you screw up. The one who's selfish here is you!"

"I've had enough!" my mother screams, her face red with anger. "We're leaving tomorrow and that's that. Go pack! Now! And stop thinking only of yourself!"

"Oh, yeah," I yell back, voice taking on a sarcastic edge. "I think only of myself. I bet you don't even remember what day it is today. Well you know what? Screw you! I'm not packing and I'm not leaving tomorrow!" I turn around and put my shoes on.

There is the sound of breaking glass behind me and I know my mom has thrown her beer bottle to the floor. As I wrench the door open her hand closes around my wrist. "You're not going anywhere you ungrateful little bitch!" she screeches trying to yank me back from the door, but the alcohol has messed with her balance.

I tear my wrist from her grasp. "I hate you!" I snarl back at her and then I'm out the door, slamming it in her face.

…

My best day ever has suddenly become my worst. I should've known that things couldn't last. They never do. I spend a long time walking around Karakura, anger fueling me on, wallowing in my misery. Finally the anger dissipates, leaving me with a kind of hollow ache and tears begin to come.

I hate this. Things were finally, finally going well and then my mom has to get all selfish and decide that we need to leave again. She doesn't care about how I feel or what I think. It's so unfair that it makes me want to strangle her. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I sure as hell don't want to leave.

I rise from the park bench I have been sitting on once the tears are finally gone. I have no idea how late it is, but I know I've been out for hours. I begin to walk again. I don't know where I'm going, but it's definitely not home. Not yet anyways. I'm not ready to face my mother.

I flinch as I suddenly I feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure spike, its power easily as high as it was yesterday when he chased the Menos off. That's when I notice Rukia's spiritual pressure with Ichigo's and two others I don't recognize. They feel like Soul Reapers, which can mean nothing good. I feel stupid that I've been so wrapped up in my own unhappiness that I haven't noticed them until now. I begin to run feeling Ichigo's spiritual pressure clash with one of the strangers. Dread slowly seeps into my heart and I'm glad they're relatively close by.

I reach the base of a hill a short time later and am startled to hear someone call my name from the other side of the street. I run over and am horrified to find Uryuu lying on the sidewalk, blood oozing from a wound in his side. "Uryuu! What happened?" Damn it! I didn't notice him either what with all the other spiritual pressures and his being so subtle. Is there anything that isn't going to go wrong today?

"There's two Soul Reapers here," Uryuu replies through tight lips, his face contorted in pain. "They're trying to take Rukia back. You've got to help Ichigo."

"But what about you?" I yell, flustered and frustrated that I've been so out of it up until now and therefore have let all of this happen without doing anything.

"Don't worry about me!" he yells, the pain clearly shortening his patience. "This injury won't kill me but Ichigo's in over his head! If you don't-!"

Uryuu stops as a different spiritual pressure flares. This one is so incredibly strong it's almost unreal. They're so close now, just up the hill. The new spiritual pressure engages with Ichigo's briefly and then swallows his completely. Panic floods every nerve in my body.

"Hurry Taylor!" Uryuu yells, but I'm not going to argue with him anymore. I turn and sprint up the hill both urging my legs to move faster and fearing what I'll see once I reach the top.

Time seems to slow as I reach the crest of the hill and I take in the scene before me. A Soul Reaper with vibrant red hair pulled back into a ponytail holds Rukia against a light pole. She struggles against his grasp, screaming to be allowed to go to Ichigo. Dried blood coats the redhead's face. Another Soul Reaper, with black hair and a haughty air, stands with his back to me his sword drawn and dripping blood. And behind him, closest to me, Ichigo lays completely still in a growing pool of his own blood. I can't feel his spiritual pressure anymore.

The world has stopped. Even as my eyes widen, taking in as much of what I'm seeing as possible, something inside me screams that it must be an illusion, a dream, something. This can't be real…this can't be real!

"ICHIGO!"

Author's Note:

How about that for a cliffhanger huh? Anyways here's Chapter 13. Things are really getting exciting now! And just one more chapter until the Soul Society Arc. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I can't wait to get to the next one!

So I'm taking this semester off from grad school to do another training program (that will hopefully get me a job). It doesn't start until the end of February though so my updates should be pretty regular until then.

Citations

*English language version, Vol. 6, Ch. 52, by Viz

**English language version, Vol 6, Ch. 52, by Viz

So this time around I only got three reviews…I guess it's because the chapter was so awesome that it just blew everyone's mind right? I'm just kidding but in all seriousness it does kind of worry me. I can't be sure whether fewer reviews means that more people liked it or more people didn't like it. I certainly hope that it's the former.

Anyways please review whether you liked it or hated it. Especially if you hated it. We're really getting into the story now and if there's something that isn't working I'd really like to know so I can work on fixing it.

THANK YOU to my three reviewers (who have all reviewed before!) Shannyrox101, Shaybo27, and bored411.

Shortest author's note ever? Potentially.

Thanks for reading!

imagination junkie