Chapter 2 - Around the Dance Floor
I didn't want to go, but I have two reasons why I should. One is to watch over Rukia, who might get caught in danger at a late night, and two is because all teachers have to go.
I disliked events like these, because it reminded me of when I was young, attending many parties and the like but never enjoying one. Back then I lived a life where it's like I'm imprisoned that it was overbearing and crushing, I didn't want my sister to go through that when she was born.
When I got the chance to flee, though I was still young, I quickly took the opportunity and ran. Caged, your wings bound and harmed brutally for every little offense; that's a cruel life that I didn't want Rukia to live.
Looking at dance or any event similar reminded me of my old life, but it all seemed to slip off my mind in a second when I saw a young orange-haired girl, and I didn't know dancing with her could permanently affect my life.
No one paid attention to the two of them, which was lucky for her. While feeling relieved of that fact, Ichigo is unaware of her heart that started to pound faster, as they circled slowly on the floor while looking at his eyes. The same went for him, and he still had yet to ask for her name, wondering why a part of him tells him to not ask her yet.
"May I know why you didn't want to go?" Was what he said instead.
"What is so fun about a dance? I find dances or proms boring, and it's pointless to go."
"So we have the same thought about it, what a coincidence." He spoke with little emotion in his voice, which is what attracted many of the girl students to him: his nearly stoic personality. Of course, Ichigo isn't one of them. She moved her feet front and back or left and right as she asked him a new question.
"You like dancing?" From how he moved both of them like he is a professional, she got curious.
"No, but I was taken to dance lessons before."
Ichigo slowly noticed the changing pulses in her body, her chest on fire and she couldn't find the reason to explain for her speeding heartbeats. Their eyes couldn't stop gazing, until when the song that they were dancing to ended.
"That passed by quickly. Thanks." Ichigo said in gratitude, her heart slowing down as he let go of her hand. But she couldn't walk away, not knowing why.
Instead, she stayed just where she stood and asked him, "Want me to get you a drink?" He nodded as she grabbed a bottle of wine at the table nearby and filled a glass and gave it to him, and they both sat down next to each other on two empty chairs.
"You danced well, for someone who looks like she doesn't like dancing either." He complimented. "Like you, I was taken to a few lessons when I was a kid." But that was all she said. She didn't want to talk anymore about her childhood.
"Is there anything else that we both like? Aside from being taught how to dance before and not liking proms?"
"Who knows."
As a small moment of silence greeted them after that short reply, she noticed from one of the many balconies of the hotel, the stars all over the sky and how they are arranged, forming a constellation. This immediately got her interest that it made her leave her seat and go out to get a better view at the sky.
Curious, he followed her and saw the deeply-concentrating look on her eyes, and he looked where she is looking at.
That answered his question to why she looked so enthralled to the sky, and she noticed his presence when he rested his arms as well. She felt comfortable at the sight, that nearly took her breath away.
"It's unfortunate, that the others are too busy to have the time to see this." Hearing what he just said she looked at him for a moment, seeing his now mask-less face shine from the moon.
"You're right. The night sky really is a beautiful view, but only few notice that." The rare gentleness in her voice made her wonder why she is she talking and acting so gently to him, though she acts the opposite to almost everybody.
He also turned away from the sky to look at her face, her eyes with the mixed color of yellow and brown. The skin not covered by the mask looked fairer from the light, and her eyes sparkled from the moon beams directed at her. She looked even better than how many described Venus.
Ichigo felt the fire in her heart again when she saw his hair, loose and free yet combed and shiny, the silky hair complimenting his eyes. She only thought how warm and soft his seemingly cold lips are when he cupped her cheek and walked closer, leaning close and kissed her.
Her eyes could only go round wide before closing and her hand finally moving up to cup his cheeks. Her cheeks turned a little pink, her heart racing faster by every second and her face on fire as she let this happen, something she never expected to happen tonight, or ever.
Only when his other hand reached up to take off her mask, she stopped him by gently grabbing his wrist and pulling away, fixing the mask before it revealed any more of her face. She felt very unsteady, and her mind is freaking, like she is mentally... panicking. Her heart refused to slow down as she whispered an honest sorry before leaving in a flash.
Before he could make any move, she disappeared among the large crowd of students dancing wildly to the rock music.
Noticing the same glitter from before, he walked close as the crowd let him pass, as he crouched and picked up the mask that most likely dropped off her face. He didn't ask for her name, and he didn't even get to see her face.
He went back to the balcony, his eyes half-concentrated on the sky as he thought about the girl who he just kissed for a strange reason. Somehow, when she said sorry and disappeared, a part of him felt confused and hurt, which he never felt before; the feeling of being nearly heartbroken.
Ichigo ran to the parking lot, the heels hurting her feet without her knowing it. Using the keys hidden in the pocket of her dress she unlocked the back door and went inside, changing into her normal clothes and putting the borrowed dress, gloves and sandals in the bag.
She stayed calm for only a moment when she found out she didn't have the mask, unaware of it from her getting too caught up in running away. "Where did it go?" She searched the whole parking lot, but she saw nothing. Going back in the car, she rested her back on the seat and sighed deeply, gently touching her lips which still had his warmth.
"They'll regret dragging me here." She had to be thankful for a few things, Byakuya didn't get her name, he didn't see her face, no one saw them, and she was quick enough to get away.
She's still worried where is the mask, and worried about something else, she just got kissed by her teacher. Ichigo could only think about the kiss for the remaining time before the ones who forced her to go were done and went to the car.
They drove her home first, and seeing the door locked, she just climbed up a pipe to her window which was half-closed without disturbing anybody. She doesn't want anyone to know about it, but she isn't sure if she can keep it from Rukia forever, who is Byakuya' s sister and her friend. What if he told her?
For slight comfort, she was glad she didn't tell the people in the car.
"Ichigo, you're already in the car? And you're changed too." Tatsuki asked, just as Ichigo woke up from sleeping. "We're going home already? How long has it been?" Her question was answered when she saw time time at the stereo. "Thirty minutes... that felt like hours."
"Who will go home first?" Ichigo raised her hand, ignoring Inoue's stare to how she sat, her legs wide and apart from each other, like how a boy would sit. "I told you the prom was boring." She snorted, and they looked disappointed.
"I'll repeat myself, this is the last time you'll do something like this. Get that?" She said in a clearly angry but not loud or rude voice. They agreed, finding it completely hopeless to socialize with her. They gave up now, as seen from her reaction about the prom.
She omitted the fact about the dance, if they knew the school would know and only she could imagine the horror. But at the moment, she was glad at seeing the I-give-up look on their faces. That meant they won't bother her again and that made her feel better for the whole ride.
She's lucky, he didn't tell Rukia about it, who is already out like a light the minute they changed after parking at their house.
He couldn't forget what happened with the girl he danced with. He does know she has orange hair, which is something no one almost sees in Karakura Town. She is easy to find, only if there aren't so many people in a small town.
Checking the answering machine, he saw no message, not even from his family who are still trying to get him back. That was a relief to him, because he didn't want to talk to the family that he stayed away from for 15 years.
"I just hope they don't come to talk to me in person." He thought, worried for how Rukia would react.
She doesn't know about their true family history or about his childhood and he hoped she would never know. He isn't afraid of her getting mad at him, but rather he is afraid to how his family will treat her and what will happen to her. He left her room before going to his, stacked with boxes and bags full of stuff that belonged either to him or Rukia.
He saw a newspaper ad two weeks ago about a house for sale and interested he came to take a look. That was when he decided to take it. It would be better to live there as permanent owners rather than tenants, as they're only living in a rented house.
But he forgot one thing, it's not checking the house twice, but it's who his neighbors will be. He only heard that they're 'a decent family' but little did he know who one of the family is.
He went to sleep, remembering the mask he picked up that belonged to the girl which he kept. He didn't know what was taking over him to do what he did to her, and most of all he didn't know why he was acting very out of the ordinary.
Ichigo also didn't know who her new neighbors will be. Only if she knew she would have taken action on what to do about it. The next day, out of caution she went to the hair salon and had her hair dyed to black; and also had her hair cut until it was long enough to reach her shoulders.
As if in a rush she left her money at the counter and left quickly, so quickly that she didn't notice that she passed by Byakuya, who paid no attention to her as he walked to the bank.
"With this, he won't know that it's me."
She looked at her face in the mirror. The reflection showed a different her, and she was glad about that fact. She is very well aware that her hair stands out a lot, that is why she had her hair changed in the first place. She took another look at herself after washing her face, and asked herself with confusion, "What the hell am I doing?"
A/N: Wow, it's way longer, and Byakuya is a little more in character now. And Ichigo is less drama-queen-like about the situation, well obviously she's still shaken up but it's handled in a different way. There will be a LOT of changes from the original.