Chapter 10: I See Right Through You, Idiot

The morning sun once again rose above the quiet town of Karakura, all of yesterday's horrified events now nothing but a memory. A memory, that Ashley wishes that she could erase away from her mind for forever. She wanted more than anything to help Uryu with him in his upcoming battles; that's the reason why she didn't listen to him when he told her to stay away. She wanted to help him, to be of some use to him, even if it was just a small bit. But, in the end, she couldn't be of no help to him, and it was because of her that he was nearly killed. It was just of pure luck that Orihime had come around, when she and Ichigo and the others did. Ashley thought of nothing but that incident, and she also thought that it would be a good idea if she never came to this world in the first place. She loved meeting everyone, of course, especially Uryu; who ever gets a chance to actually meet their most favorite anime character in person? Ashley never even thought that this would happen to her, of all people. Ashley saw herself as a dull, ordinary person with such a boring life. She didn't wish upon a star for this, like she read in some of the sappy romance stories; but she always did think about it. In the days she's been here, she would wonder if it really was a dream, and not reality. If it was a dream, then she hopes that she will never wake up.

In her room, Ashley was getting ready for school, putting on her school uniform; she was infront of the dresser mirror, tightening the red bow in place. After that was done, Ashley was about to get her shoes out, but all of yesterday's events started to haunt her all over again: Uryu's desperate move to save her, the spear plunging through him so easily, the pools of blood soaking around him and herself, her desperate cries to bring him back. And then the only good part Ashley could remember from it: hers and Uryu's warm and wonderful embrace when he was fully healed. Ashley smiled by that part of it, smally, hoping she could remember to thank Orihime for healing him. Silently, Ashley erased away her recurring thoughts, as she put her shoes on with ease.

"Ashley! Are you ready yet?" Ashley heard Uryu knock on her door, softly. The sound of Uryu's angelic voice always brung butterflies in her stomach, and it always made her lose her train of thought. Just hearing his voice, brought all fear and sadness and loneliness away from her; and today is no exception. Ashley smiled more happily from that, as she said perkily, "Oh, yeah! Come on in, I'm ready!!" Ashley started to pack up the necessary books in her school bag at a quick pace, as she heard the door open and the clicking of Uryu's heels as he entered. Ashley snapped her bag shut, flopped it over her shoulder, and turned around in Uryu's direction.

He looked as beautiful as ever to her; maybe even more beautiful. Ashley started to think of a better word to describe how he looked, but she could only think of one: Gorgeous. Ashley didn't know what it was about Uryu that would make her think that he was absolutely gorgeous: his perfectly combed black bangs that framed his face, the way his eyes shined by the sunlight, the way his mouth moved when he talked, the way he walked so gracefully, or was it just how he looked in his uniform? It was all confusing to Ashley, but she smiled in the end, hoping Uryu wouldn't know or wonder what she was thinking about. "Well, if you're ready," Uryu smiled kindly down at Ashley, which made her blush a light pink-ish color. Maybe it was his smile that made the gods in Heaven cry? Ashley wondered. With not one answer to any of her questions, Ashley just shrugged it off, as she and Uryu began to walk toward school.

The walk toward Karakura High wasn't as silent or awkward as Ashley hoped it wouldn't be. She and Uryu talked and talked, non-stop, just like they normally did; it was as if all of yesterday's events never happened. It was what Ashley wanted more than anything, to forget about that nightmare, and Uryu knew that. He had hoped that he would be able to think of something to get her mind off of that, once and for all. It was his fault that she was hurting and suffering from that, and he would do what ever it took to see her smiling and happy again. "Uhm, Uryu?" Ashley called out, while they were walking, as Uryu looked down at her curiously, "Yes, Ashley? What is it?" Ashley's smile soon disappeared, as she looked down at the concrete ground; she and Uryu stopped right infront of the entrance to the high school. "It's about what happened last night..."

Uryu suddenly flinched back before Ashley could finish. Uryu had high hopes that she wouldn't even mention anything from the events of yesterday. Ashley looked up at him, with remorseful eyes, as she suddenly leaned her front all the way down, in a bowing position, "I'm so very, very, sorry, Uryu!" Uryu stared down at Ashley, in shock and confusion, as she slowly lifted herself back up."Wh...What do you mean? What on Earth do you have to apologize for?" Ashley let out a soft gasp, as if it was the most obvious thing to her. "What should I not apologize for? I mean, I went in your room without your permission; that's just invasion of privacy one-oh-one! That and I snooped through you stuff, and I stole some of your Seele Schneiders that I found. It's very unforgiving, if you ask me."

Of all to be sorry for, and she was apologizing over something so little? Uryu wondered, surpressing a chuckle from behind his hand. Even though there was more she wanted to apologize for, Uryu was just glad it wasn't anything more deeper than what went on last night. "Oh, I...I see," Uryu muttered, as he saw Ashley look up at him with a light blush forming around her cheeks. Why...Why is she blushing? Uryu thought it through in his mind for a while, but he had no answer. Unnoticed by Ashley, Uryu shook away his inner thoughts quickly, "Erm, well..I-It's fine, Ashley. Really. I know you just wanted to help; it's not your fault." Ashley smiled by Uryu comment, as she started to walk toward the school. "Oh, that's good. Thanks for understanding. Now, I think we should go to class; don't wanna be late, now do we?" Uryu smiled smally, as he watched Ashley skip toward the school; he followed behind her, "Yes. You're absolutely right."

"Ashley-chaaaaaannnnnn!!!!!" Orihime squeaked perkily, as she usually does, as she tackled Ashley into a gut-crushing hug from behind. "Ori...Orihime..!!" Ashley gagged, Orihime enormous breasts crushing her back, that she nearly fell over; luckily she caught herself with a nearby desk. While Ashley was trying to free herself from Orihime, Uryu walked over toward his desk, where Ichigo and Chad were starting to chat. Ichigo was the first to notice Uryu; he walked over toward his desk, placing his bag on the tile floor. Before he had time to sat, Ichigo walked toward him, with Chad behind him, as he said, "Hey, Uryu! What's up?" Uryu looked over at Ichigo, giving him an icy death glare, "Kurosaki. What do you want?" Ichigo's eyebrow twitched from Uryu's unpleasant greeting; a growl soon surfaced its way in Ichigo's throat, "I was just about to ask how you were feeling, geez. Damn, what side of the bed did you wake up on?"

"Just leave me alone, okay? I'm not in the mood for this right now." Uryu flopped down in the chair lazily, laying his fist against his cheek; he soon swifted his blue eyes over toward Ashley, who was just talking and laughing along with Orihime and a few of her friends. "I heard what happened last night," Chad inquired. "Are you feeling alright?" Uryu took his fist away from his face, as it dropped down on the desk; he pushed his glasses up to his nose, quietly, "Yeah, I've been fine ever since Inoue-san healed me. There's nothing wrong, don't worry about it." Both Ichigo and Chad watched Uryu, as he pulled out a small book from his bag, and started to read. Ichigo took his chocolate-brown eyes away from Uryu then, now looking up at Chad, who also looked down at him. They knew Uryu was not alright. Uryu may have convinced himself that he's fine, but he surely didn't convince Ichigo or Chad.

Ashley laughed harmonically with Orihime, Tatsuki and everyone else; she was glad that she was starting to feel like her old self again. Orihime was always the one that made her laugh the most, no matter how she was feeling before. "Oh, you're so funny, my Hime!" Chizuru giggled, lustfully staring at Orihime, getting ready to pounce on her once again. "Don't even think about it, Chizuru!" Tatsuki shouted, gripping her fist tightly behind Chizuru's collar, pushing her all the way back against the wall. "Don't touch Orihime, for the last time!!" Both Orihime and Ashley started to laugh at Tatsuki and Chizuru's fighting and bickering, as Ashley actually held her stomach around her arms from laughing too hard. "They're...so funny!!" Ashley barely had managed to choke out; she found that she couldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, I know!" Orihime giggled, wiping away a few tears from also laughing too hard. Orihime looked over at Ashley, who had finally calmed down and breathing heavily from the overall use of laughter, as she asked, "Say, Ashley-chan? Would you mind having Lunch with me, Tatsuki, and everyone else?"

Ashley soon became her thoughtful self again, looking down at the tile floor. I would like to, but...Uryu is... Ashley thought in her mind, as her eyes looked over toward Uryu, who was sitting in his desk, intent on reading a book. He looked like his calm and collected self on the outside, but Ashley knew in the inside he was still hurting: hurt from not being able to protect Ashley right, and also hurting from hurting Ashley. "Well, Orihime, I..." Ashley began; for what had happened, all she ever wanted now was to be close to Uryu as much as she could, not able to leave his side. She wanted more than anything to show him that he did nothing wrong, and that she's extremely thankful that he would actually give his life to protect her. Ashley could not think of one person in her world that would do such a thing for her; she had heard her parents and her friends tell her that they would give their lives for her safety. But, for some reason, Ashley had a feeling they were over-exaggerating, just to make her feel better. But she knew, with all of her heart, that Uryu meant it; anything Uryu told her, she believed. No matter how disbelieving or idiotic it sounded.

"Dammit! What the hell's wrong with him?!" Ichigo suddenly swore out loudly, as he stomped his way over toward Ashley and Orihime. "What's wrong, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, while looking up at him with her big chocolate-brown eyes; Ashley also looked up at him, curiously. "Why don't cha ask Mr. Emotional over there?" Ichigo sarcastically said, anger rising in his tone, as he flicked his thumb behind his shoulder; Ashley and Orihime looked to where he pointed, to see Uryu continuing to read his book, with his eyebrows furrowed. "Ishida-kun?" Orihime blinked, her arms silently folded behind her back. "He looks..."

"Really, really pissed," Ashley started, finishing what Orihime might went on to, as she looked back up at Ichigo. "What'd you say to him this time to get him all fired up?" Ichigo started to calm himself down at last, as he heaved out a long sigh, "Yeah. That's the thing. I just asked him how he was feeling, then he just suddenly bitched at me for no reason. It's really strange, especially for him." Ashley nodded toward Ichigo's statement, as she wondered if Uryu took it out on Ichigo from what had happened. "It is odd for him to do that, so suddenly. I wonder..."

"Maybe you should talk to him." Ichigo offered toward Ashley suddenly, as Ashley looked up at him skeptically, "...Uh?" Ichigo eyed Ashley as he explained, "Well, you two have been living together for almost two weeks, you know. And you've talked more with him than any of us put together. I mean, why not? I'm sure he'll easily soften up when you're near him." Ashley dunked her head down toward the tile floor, to hide away the blush that was starting to form on her cheeks, as her shoes clacked against each other. "W-Well, I guess I can at least try to," Ashley said, rising her head back up toward Ichigo; she once again glanced over at Uryu, who was still reading his book, his whole figure unmoving. Ashley smiled softly, "Heh. Don't worry, I've got an idea."

Ashley walked her way over toward where Uryu was, leaving Ichigo and Orihime in bewilderment. Uryu was still intent on reading his book, as Ashley approached him and kindly said, "Um, hi, Uryu." Uryu finally looked away from his book, up at Ashley, who gave him one of her innocent smiles. In return, Uryu half-heartedly smiled back, while placing his book, flat down on his desk. "Hey, Ashley. Is there something you need?" Ashley took out a sigh, clapping her hands together; she tried to act more like her happy self, than what she was really feeling. "Well, there's something I want to ask you about. If that's okay..." Uryu didn't need to think what he was about to say, "Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Come. Sit down, and ask away." He gestured his arm toward the desk infront of him; Ashley gladly sat in the chair, her body turned toward Uryu. She rested her arms on his desk, as she began coolly, "Look, Uryu. I've been noticing, and even feeling, that something is troubling you very dearly. All I want to know is what is the cause for all this. Can you please tell me what it is?"

Uryu was silent after Ashley had finished, as he looked down at his book, which lay quietly on his desk. Uryu then lifted his back up to Ashley, flashing a glamerous smile at Ashley; a glamerous, fake, smile. "What are you talking about, Ashley? There's absolutely nothing that troubles me. Your mind must be playing tricks on you. I'm perfectly fine, don't worry." You liar. Ashley thought in her mind, unable to say it out loud with so many people around; it was just minutes away from school to start. It was his first time, in all this time she's arrived, that he actually lied to her; either to protect or to keep her out, Ashley didn't care why he did it. A lie was still a lie. Why would he even lie to her? Ashley wondered, still keeping that same innocent smile on her face. Many people had lied to her before, but she had always believed that Uryu would never be one of those people.

"Well, okay!" Ashley smiled cheerfully (At least she tried to), as she stood up, looking down at Uryu. "I'm sure if there was really something wrong, then I'm sure you'd tell me." Uryu bit down his bottom lip, guilt suddenly sinking into him like water in a drain. He had actually lied to her, Uryu thought to himself as if just now realizing it. As of now, he wished he could take it all away. "See you after class, Uryu!!" Before Ashley had walked all the way past him, she swiftly swiped away his book that still layed on his desk. She could feel Uryu's confused face from behind her, but she still walked away from him, her heels clicking on the tile floor. "Ashley, what are you doing?" Uryu finally asked, slowly standing up from his desk. Ashley stopped in her steps then, reading a few pages from his book, as she looked over at Uryu, "I think you can call this...bribery? Tell me what's really going on with you, and I'll give you your book back." Uryu sighed in, stepping toward Ashley, as she took a step back. "Ashley, this isn't funny. Give me the book, please." Ashley gripped the book tightly behind her back, as her cheerful side soon turned into her meloncholy self. "Not until you tell me the truth. Please, Uryu."

So, she already knows. Uryu thought to himself, knowing full well that his lies must still be ringing in Ashley's mind; he cursed his own soul for doing such a horrible thing to her. "Alright," Uryu said, as he walked past Ashley quickly, heading for the door which was beside the teacher's desk. Bewilderment and confusion taking over her instantly, Ashley followed behind him, dropping the book on his desk before she left.

Uryu and Ashley walked a few steps away from their classroom 1-3, as Uryu stopped by the line of lockers; he leaned against one of them, coolly. If Ashley wasn't so upset by Uryu lying to her, she would think how cool and mysterious he looked. Silence over-flooded with them, with no sign of any students anywhere; Ashley knew that there must have been no less than five minutes until class started. Uryu then stuffed his hands into his pockets, leaning his foot against the lockers, his gorgeous blue eyes now full of remorse. "Ashley, I--"

"Why did you lie to me? Why, Uryu?" Ashley looked up at Uryu sadly, tears just edging their way to fall down her rosy-red cheeks. "No matter how terrible the truth might be, I'll always understand, Uryu. Always! Many people have lied to me before, yes, over and over with no ending to it. But, I never knew you'd become one of those people, Uryu."

"I'm not! I-I'm not, Ashley! I just...I just..." Uryu snapped, in a desperate way, quickly pulling his hands out of his pockets and onto Ashley's shoulders; Ashley looked away from Uryu, little tears falling down her face. "I just can't get what happened yesterday out of my head; I know you're the same way, by the way you put up an act for everyone. Showing them that nothing is wrong, but I saw it through you. And you saw it through me as well, right? I'm so very sorry for lying to you, Ashley. It wasn't in my place to ever do that to you; to hurt you as I did. It seems as though that's all I'm actually good at doing..."

"Uryu, no..." Ashley whimpered, shakily placing her slim hands on Uryu's strong ones, that still gripped her shoulders. "It's me...It's my fault this actually happened. If I had listened to you in the first place, then that wouldn't have had to happen. And I'm sorry for getting all upset over something like this. It just...shocked me alot when you lied to me like that, I guess. I shouldn't have thought that you wouldn't lie to me; it was just one lie, after all. We're not always perfect."

"Ashley," Uryu sighed in, annoyingly or playfully, Ashley couldn't tell, as Uryu leaned his forehead against Ashley's. He smiled beautifully, "You think things through way too seriously; all of us needs to let loose once in a while, I hope you know." Ashley laughed cheerfully, this time for real, as she looked into Uryu's magnificent, magical blue eyes; she felt hypnotized from such beauty that was within those eyes. "Y-Yeah, you're right, Uryu. Thanks for that. I'll be sure to remember that." A smirk soon played upon Uryu's lips, as he nuzzled his nose over the side of Ashley's nose; it tickled her greatly. "U-Uryu," Ashley giggled softly, a pink blush forming on her cheeks, "What a-are you doing?" Uryu chuckled along with Ashley's constant giggles, as his hands roamed up to her face, his thumbs rubbing against her pink-ish cheeks. "Shh, don't ruin the moment."

Uryu's sweet, hot breath bathed over Ashley's face, his slim cool fingers rubbing over her face so tenderly, that it felt very hard for Ashley to stay concious; Ashley could feel her knees weaken under her. "U-Uryu," Ashley managed to choke out. "I...I think we sh-should go b-back n-now..." Uryu continued to nuzzle his nose against hers, as he suddenly started to lower his lips toward hers, "Wait...Just alittle bit longer, please..." Uryu's lips were just inches away from Ashley's as Ashley finally found enough strength left in her to push Uryu away from her. "Please, stop it!" Uryu's back hit against the lockers, with a loud, crunching sound (from the lockers, not Uryu's spine), as he looked down at Ashley with wide, frozen blue eyes; Ashley, herself, was surprised she had that much strength left. "Ashley..."

"I don't feel...comfortable about this at all, Uryu." Ashley said, as she dropped her head down, staring at the tile floor, not wanting to see the confused look that was on Uryu's face. Ashley had no idea what had suddenly over come her. She always did dream of Uryu kissing her very romantically, but she never even thought that it would become reality; but when it was about to come true for her, she backed down, cowardly. She's never, in her life, kissed a guy before; even though it would be with Uryu, she felt frightened. Uryu's eyes soon softened for Ashley then, as he slowly walked past her; Ashley lifted her head up, to see Uryu walking in the opposite direction of her, "I'm so sorry, Ashley..." He said very quietly, but Ashley could hear him clearly, as if he was speaking in full volume. Now, all Ashley feared was that she might have hurt his feelings. Ashley immediately strode by Uryu's side, "Oh, I'm sorry, Uryu! I didn't mean it like that! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything! I--"

"It's fine. I'm alright, don't worry." Uryu said, in such a meloncholy tone, as he slid the door open to their class; it was just one minute away from school to begin. The school bell soon rang, right after she shut the door behind her, as the students soon rushed their way to their seats like hordes of mice scurrying away from their predator. Ashley silently sat in her seat, behind Uryu who also seemed very silent, right when the teacher entered. "Alright, kids!" The teacher, Ms. Ochi, announced. "Take out your books and turn to page one twenty-two!" All the students obeyed her, as they all took the right books out from their desks, with a few sheets of paper, ready to take some notes. Ashley also did the same thing, but more slower than the other students.

As the teacher wrote a few words in Japanese on the board, Ashley began to doodle small chibi Uryus of all kind over her sheets of paper. As Ashley was finishing off an Uryu chibi waving his sewing kit with joyous pride, she suddenly found a small piece of folded paper laying on her desk; she looked at it curiously, before she unfolded it and read:

Dearest Ashley,

I beg of you, please, please forgive my incompetent actions that I've previously did. I should not have taken advantage of you like that, and I would curse my own soul into damnation if I were to ever to even think of doing something like that again. I have no idea what came over me so suddenly; I wish I could give you a reason why, but I have none. I wish for you to accept my dear apologies, and that maybe you and I can have lunch together? Just you and I. It's the least I can do for all the many troubles I've suddenly caused you. I very much wish for you to accept this offer. Again, I am deeply, desperately sorry for what I've done.

I hope to see you at lunch. Or maybe, sooner than that.

Love,

Uryu

P.S. I wish not to mention nothing depressing, or anything that would bring us down. Let us live life together in happiness and prosperity. It's all I've ever wanted since you moved in with me. I never feel so alone anymore since you've come. I thank you for that. Thank you.

Ashley could feel hot tears edging their way from her eyes, but she fought hard to suppress them. Once again. Once again she made Uryu hurt very much from her idiotic mistakes: mistakes that could have been easily prevented. But, if that was so, why didn't Ashley do anything to prevent them? Ashley wondered in her mind, continuously; but she already knew the answer. It was her immaturity, refusing herself to ever grow up. She was too much into the limelight of being in the same world, the same place as Uryu, that she never saw--no, it was more of that she refused to see the consequences of living there. Ashley always saw the good in things, and would ignore, or not pay any attention to the bad things; that was her most gravest mistake of all.

But, Ashley felt more happier inside that Uryu also wished he could forget that yesterday never happened. Lunching with Uryu would definitely make her more happier, and it would most certainly take her mind off of those events. Ashley quickly copied down all the notes that the teacher had scribbled on the board, and then she wrote back to Uryu's note, on the back of the same paper: about accepting Uryu's kind invitation to lunch, telling him not to apologize and beg forgiveness for something that was obviously her fault, and also that she would be able to stay with him, in his world, for as long as he wished for her to stay.

Unfortunately, before she finished writing her note, the bell rang, as all the students soon raced out of the classroom toward their next class; except for her and Uryu. Ashley saw Orihime, walking with Ichigo and Rukia, wave a kind good-bye to her; Ashley smiled sweetly at her, in return. Ashley saw Uryu stand up gracefully, hanging his bag over his shoulder. He didn't walk away, though, but he looked down at Ashley with such kindness in his marvelous blue eyes. Ashley as well stood up, less graceful than Uryu, her knees shaking underneath her. She held the piece of paper with the notes scribbled on it, clutching it tightly. "I, um..." Ashley muttered, as she looked over at the side wall, a blush starting to form. "Sorry, but I didn't get to finish my reply, but..."

Ashley soon flashed a glamerous smile Uryu's way, while cherrily saying, "I would so love it if we had lunch together! Just you and me!" Uryu also smiled happily from Ashley's acceptance, sighing out, "Oh, really?! I'm so glad, Ashley! That's wonderful!!" Ashley giggled hysterically, by Uryu's relief, as she started to place her book and pencils back in her bag. "Here, I'll help you," Uryu offered, taking a few sheets of paper and a few pencils from her desk, carefully placing them in the right place in her bag. "Thank you!" Ashley wistfully smiled, zipping her bag closed, and strapping it over her shoulders.

"You're welcome," Uryu pushed his glasses back up with his index and middle finger, as he started to walk off. "Let's go. We can walk together." Ashley skipped merrily by his side, locking her arms tight around his one arm, "Okay!! Sounds good to me!!" Uryu smiled softly, a deep pink blush forming around his cheeks, once again pushing his glasses up to his nose with his free hand. Ashley seemed abit too hyper than she usually is, Uryu began to wonder, as she and him started to walk toward their next class. But, surprisingly to himself, he liked that about her. The qualities about herself that people would find utterly annoying, Uryu found them utterly amazing. Not only that, but he soon found that he was growing to be quite interested in her. Could it be...?