Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

A/N: Early update whoa. Don't get used to it, though. I happened to have some free time this week, so yay! *happy dances* Anyway, here's the fourth chapter. I hope you enjoy. Prepare for a loooong chapter. By the way, the song that Ryoka plays are excerpts from a song my friend Albert wrote. Please don't forget to review/story alert me.

Cupid Needs Better Aim: Open Stage Day

"Good morning, Karakura High School. Today is October 28, 2011. Please rise to sing the national anthem." the principal announced through the recently-updated PA system. All the students and staff stood up and performed the flag salute. They then continued on to sing their nation's anthem with their hands on their hearts. Some students looked half-asleep in doing so, and others looked like they could run a marathon. Twice. After all, it was eight in the morning. High school students were either exhausted or had excessive amounts of caffeine in the morning.

"Please be seated for the announcements. Students from Ochi-sensei's 6th period AP Bio class are to report to her classroom instead of the Bio lab for today..." Rukia was falling asleep as well. Her head bobbed up and down from sleeping and awakening, a very irritating cycle. No one dared to trifle with her, for they would certainly receive a malevolent punishment. At that point, her caffeine rush was gradually coming to an imminent decline, since she had stayed up for almost the whole night cramming for her first English test.

"Last but not the least, open stage participants will report to the auditorium directly after seventh period. Participants and attendees are excused from study hall at 8th and 9th period. Thank you and have a wonderful Friday." Rukia yawned, grateful for the end of the announcements and the blaring PA system. She was about to doze off once more when a certain reminder crossed her mind. Open stages were starting today, the day that she would have to sit through a Ryoka performance instead of relaxing in her study hall. Just what I need. At least I'll only have to sit through their act for twenty minutes.

"Okay, class. I will need your attention. Today, you will be starting your first assignment with your partners. It will be your study guide for your contraceptives test next Thursday. Yes, this will be graded. Before I distribute the papers, kindly move your desks into pairs to make working with your partner convenient. Please do not drag the desks. We're on the second floor, people. Come on," Kagine-sensei commanded.

Rukia picked up her desk and positioned it so that the desks weren't completely touching. This allowed approximately three inches of space between her and Ichigo's desk. It was a good thing that it looked like Ichigo would be running late again that day. The idea of moving his desk closer to hers just seemed downright awkward and potentially dangerous because of the rabid Ryoka groupies. Plus, it was kind of funny watching him get in trouble with Kagine-sensei. Kagine finally visited her row and passed her two sheets of contraceptives charts. He wondered where Ichigo was and just assumed he was late again.

She quickly glanced at the study guide charts and was relieved. It wasn't too hard, and she could probably get it done before having to converse with Ichigo. After two minutes of class time, the orange-headed jerk entered the room. His attempts at being inconspicuous were quite hilarious. It was really hard to miss a head of brilliant orange hair.

"Kurosaki! Be late one more time to my class, and I'm sending you to the principal!" Kagine-sensei called from the front of the room. Ichigo merely shrugged and got into his seat. Rukia noticed that he was sitting up that time.

"What are we doing?" He asked, not bothering to make eye contact.

"Umm, he asked us to work in pairs and move our desks together," Rukia replied, finishing almost a quarter of her study guide. Rukia could have sworn that she heard him chuckle a little bit. Just a little bit.

"No, I meant this paper," he took the paper underneath Rukia's and showed her. She was taken a back slightly.

"That's the contraceptives chart. Just fill in the definitions, effectiveness, and how it works. It's graded,"

"Cool... Hey, Ishida told me you were attending our performance. I thought you hated us." He asked, this time with eye contact.

"Hmm. At least you're more intellectual than I thought. And you must have misheard Ishida-kun's information because I'm not attending," Rukia replied.

"Good. I didn't want you there anyway." Ichigo replied nonchalantly.

"Fine."

"Fine. And erase this, midget! You put my name under the douche method!"

"Have your band set up the equipment on the stage and have a quick mic check afterwards. Hurry, you have five minutes until the current act is done." The janitor told Ishida as he was helping Renji move the drum set behind the closed curtain, ready to play as soon as the curtains would open. Ishida picked up his amplifier and positioned it to the right of the drums, where he always plays. Chad turned up with his bass all ready and put his amp to the left of the drums.

Ichigo finally showed up and attached his personal microphone on the stand. He put the strap of his brand new guitar around his shoulder and plugged the cord into the guitar, a 1970's Telecaster. The Ryoka was ready for the fans, and the fans were ready for the Ryoka. All that they needed was the curtain to open and the guy playing the clarinet to finish.

"Is it too late for me to go back on our promise? I don't want to be here, Orihime," Rukia complained. Rukia wasn't one to complain, but this was a true exception.

"No, Rukia-chan. Uryu already reserved three seats at the front row, and I can't lie to him for you. Just sit through it and wait. I promise it's worthwhile. Please?" Orihime asked.

"Okay, okay! I'm doing this for both of you. You owe me." Rukia said under her breath.

The three friends walked briskly to the front row of the auditorium and found the three reserved signs. Rukia sat in the middle with biblical reluctance. Before she could say anything else, the curtain opened up and the auditorium went wild. Rukia recalled the time she thought that 95 percent of the female student population would attend. She was wrong. Judging from the noise, she could conclude that 98 percent of the female students and staff were present. At that exact moment, she finally heard a certain jerk's voice. A very attractive voice, might she add.

"Hello, Karakura High. I am Ichigo, and we are the Ryoka. This one is called Favorite Lies, a brand new song we wrote. Please enjoy." Ichigo said smoothly through the microphone. Rukia wondered his annoying off-stage voice could be the same one she was hearing at open stage... Her mind was blown, and when she thought she had enough, the drums kicked in, the bass thumped inside of her stomach, the guitars harmonized, and he started to sing the beginning of a wonderful rock ballad.

"I kept the words on the tip of my tougue

I wonder if anything would be better

If I had said things I thought were better left unsaid

Look me in the eye and tell me the truth

Would we be better off if we just forgot

All the things we said in our youth?"

The rumors about Ichigo's voice and the rest of the band's skills were true, oh so true. Rukia never realized how skilled a drummer her best friend Renji was. She didn't know Chad's bass playing was so artistic. In most bands she listened to, she couldn't even hear the bass player. Rukia had no idea that Ishida could even play electric guitar as well as he did. And most importantly, she never realized how smooth yet husky Ichigo's voice could ever be. His voice filled the hearts of the audience with emotion. Rukia was instantaneously captivated by Ichigo. She never imagined herself to be put in that kind of position.

Meanwhile, Ichigo stared out to the audience and found the faces of some of his teachers, his devoted fans, his ex-girlfriends, and more faces. But one face completely intrigued him. It was Rukia's face. Huh? I thought she wasn't going. She's even on the first row! I guess I'm a little glad she's here, then. Ichigo finished singing the bridge of the tragically beautiful song and improvised an impressive solo.

Rukia felt Ichigo's eyes on her and he proceeded to play with more energy than before. Her eyes never left his You never cease to amaze me, Ichigo. I'll give you that.

"My favorite lie and my own worst truth were always the same line.

'I love you, and I need you.'

I always hated when you said that to me.

Because I could never tell myself the difference."

Rukia was still in awe, even moments after the song ended. First of all, how could he have written song that beautiful? Second, does his voice have a sexy/annoying switch? Last, who taught him how to play like that? Rukia could have had at least a million questions circling in her head, but she soon had to clear them so she had enough room for thoughts to fill her head for the next song.

Voila! There's chapter four. Next update is next Saturday or Sunday. What did you think? I spent a lot of time on thinking how I was going to write this, so I hope you all think this is at least half-decent. Thanks for reviewing/story-alerting. I'm always content :)