EDIT: 30-Dec-2011. Fixed spelling and grammar errors. Might have overlooked some. You can call me lazy, but I'd say I'm unmotivated.

Note to new readers: This story has an alternate KaiRuki ending (Chapter 14) which you absolutely should not feel forced to read.

All The Right Moves

Chapter 11

The Price To Pay

RUKIA was tongue-tied. Did he just…? Oh, hell no. Could it really be happening?

Tōshirō was looking expectantly at the raven-haired woman, waiting for a response—any kind of response—to interrupt the rather uncomfortable silence that was eating his insides. What if she said no? What if she was so shocked that she'd refuse? What if—

"O-okay…" Rukia's voice was barely above a whisper. But it was enough to break the white-haired lad out of his musings and let an uncharacteristic relieved grin show on his face.

"Th-that's great! I better get going now. I'll see you in school on Monday." Despite what he said, Tōshirō made no move to leave.

"Uh y-yeah, I guess. I'll see you. G-goodnight." Rukia took a reluctant step back.

"Yeah, goodnight." Tōshirō offered her one last smile before finally leaving.

At school, the news had spread like wildfire. Two weeks after Tōshirō's dinner with Rukia's family, the rumors had reached everyone's ears. All of a sudden, junior girls who never once gave the raven-haired student a second look started checking her out. Some would even chat her up, making small talk while assessing the way she looked and spoke. And of course, there was one particular junior who got catty, snickering to her friends whenever Rukia walked past. Makoto Yumi.

"The price of popularity and stardom, dear, but I'll kick her ass the next time she does that to you again," Rangiku once said after an incident.

This catty junior girl only strengthened Rukia's determination to go to the school ball with Tōshirō. Even Momo and Rangiku made it their personal mission to make sure she looked smashing that night—the two girls pledged to help Rukia raise funds for hair and make-up expenses. And of course, her dreamy dress would be paid for by Kaien.

Yumi was pretty, loud, funny and popular—and she had the guts to possibly make Tōshirō look her way. Although the white-haired lad didn't seem to be particularly interested in her, Rukia was still somehow worried that all of Yumi's flirting schemes might just work. She was always present in soccer practices, games and parties. The raven-haired girl knew she couldn't even compete with that, and decided she wouldn't even try even if it was getting really annoying.

Momo had even relayed the story to Kaien—that this Yumi chick seemed to be hell-bent on snagging Tōshirō even if everybody knew that he already asked Rukia out.

Kaien had shrugged nonchalantly at the issue, and responded with, "She's just like that. Don't mind her."

But still, the bitch stared Rukia down from head to foot, flipping her long blonde hair before making little snickering noises when the petite girl passed by. Rukia was so tempted to ask Tōshirō about Yumi, but restrained herself. Will asking about Yumi make it sound like she thought she and Tōshirō were a couple? Yikes! He might freak out! On the other hand, Rukia couldn't confront her—that would be stooping down to her level.

But…what if Tōshirō already liked Yumi but felt stuck with her because he already asked her two weeks back? Rukia continued to contemplate. Should she hold him to his word just so she could go to the school ball with him and save face, even if he might be already gearing up to ask someone else? What if he changed his mind? Rukia was seriously on the verge of paranoia.

a. Should I ask Tōshirō if he likes Yumi and would like to take her, a junior like himself, to the prom instead?

or

b. Should I jump the gun before I fall flat on my face? Maybe I should just tell him that he should take a junior girl with him to the school ball to save him—and me—the awkward situation of having to call everything off.

Taking a huge breath, Rukia mustered up enough courage to go look for Tōshirō to finally settle the matter with Yumi. She had decided that before she could possibly tell her off (she couldn't pretend to be meek forever, and why take it from this girl who wasn't even Tōshirō's girlfriend?), she wanted to make sure he didn't secretly like Yumi. Although Rukia knew it was kind of a "couple thing" to try and settle such business, she just wanted to get things in order.

When she found Tōshirō, he was sitting on one of the school benches doing what seemed like important school work; however, when he noticed her presence, he stopped what he was writing and closed his books, pushing them aside.

"Hey, how have you been?" he inquired.

Rukia would see him once in a while in the hallway, and sometimes at dismissal. They talked regularly on the phone (or whenever her dad wasn't around) about school and soccer, or else they would reminisce about the outreach. On the whole, Rukia could say with confidence that they were really good friends; but with Yumi in the picture, who knew if they talked about deeper things, for longer periods of time?

Trying to stop the green-eyed monster from consuming her, Rukia coughed a little and greeted, "Hey." Her heartbeat started to accelerate. "Uh…can I ask you something?"

He smiled his signature smile at her. "Sure. Anything."

"Well, there's this…girl," she began. "Her name's Yumi, and she seems to…I don't know, not like me, although I don't know her personally. I have a feeling it's about—"

"Is she bothering you?" He interrupted; his face was serious and his smile was gone.

"Just…just a little bit," Rukia said. Her boldness surprised even herself, but she was so worked up after enduring days of Yumi's snickering and snobbery that her voice cracked. "She—"

"She's just so bitchy," Tōshirō growled, looking pissed himself. "It's not that I'm cocky or anything, but I kind of know why she's acting funky towards you. Just…" His emerald orbs softened as he stared at her amethyst pools. "Just don't mind her, please. You…haven't changed your mind about the ball, have you?" He looked genuinely concerned.

Rukia's heart fluttered, and she knew that this guy sincerely liked her, and now, more than ever, she was determined to show up at the school ball with her arm around his. With her one true love by her side. She was so happy and mushy and she sooo loved it!

Rukia was so excited that during dinner, she had burst into the dining area, announcing that she, a mere sophomore, was asked to the ball by Hitsugaya Tōshirō, a junior, AND star of the soccer team.

Now, it could be told that there was but one thing that stood in Rukia's way—her parents' consent.

Byakuya flat out declared that she wasn't going anywhere, much less on a date.

And there was no arguing with Kuchiki Byakuya.

Byakuya said "No" so firmly that Rukia felt she had run up against a sturdy wall. There was just no arguing with him or the ground rules he had set up the minute she stepped into high school.

Unfortunately, among them was "No dating unless you're 18."

Believe it or not, the next chapter is the end. The chapter after that is the alternate (KaiRuki) ending. Will have that posted tomorrow (the 31st), that's a promise!