How did I get myself into this?

How in the hell did I get here?

Why is this happening to me?

          Those were my thoughts that were trying to distract me from the grim situation at the time, but my body wouldn’t move. Every muscle in my body was paralyzed with fear, and the fact that I was crying a river didn’t help at all. I was the only person at the scene, because I was the only one who knew about it. I was in a complete state of hysteria and I couldn’t regain my composure no matter how many times I tried. But that was then.

Six months have passed, and even now, I break down whenever I think about it. That same flashback is always playing in my mind, never stopping, and constantly reminding me of the pain and agony I endured. I don’t know how he’s doing, but every time I hear his name, I get shivers down my back, but at the same time, my heart flutters. God, I sound so sentimental, don’t I? Well, it can’t be helped. You would feel the same way if you were me. No…wait…that’s not right. Nobody can feel what I felt that night, with those exact same emotions that flowed through me. Fear; shame; passion; humility; all in one. Nobody could understand how I felt because...well…I…I love that man. Well, loved. You might ask ‘What do you mean?’ or ‘Is he still breathing?’ or even ‘Do you love someone else now?’

          To be honest, I haven’t a damned clue, so I really don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t know whether he’s dead or alive or even if he did love me, but I know one thing. Never, in my entire life have I met such an unruly, inconsiderate…caring person like him. Whoa, didn’t mean to darken the mood, folks. It’s just…it’s hard. There’s this saying. It goes: ‘When a lovebird dies, the one left behind…it just gives up living so it can join it’s mate’…but I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. I’m still young. Too young to be saying this kind of stuff. It just feels as if a giant, hollow hole replaced hat used to be my heart. He was a big part of my life these past couple of months, and yet, I still remember that genuine scowl of his, the one he wore the first time I laid my eyes on him.

Okay, that’s enough. I feel like I have aged at least 10 years. To make things simple, I’m gonna start all over, from the very beginning, and explain how I got myself into this mess. But remember: I didn’t regret a single second of this entire experience.

          It all began on September 23rd, a Wednesday. That was the day that would change my life completely.

          In the beginning, it was like any normal day. Wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, straighten my hair and put on my make-up, find my purse (wherever it was), grab my phone and Ipod, grab a jacket and head out. I lived on the 5th floor. I was always at the very top. There was something about high places that attracted me. I always felt that it was my little sanctuary; as if I could escape the traffic and chaos of today’s society. Even if only for a moment or two.

          Anyways, I walk down several flights of the rusty stairs, and I walk to Jushiro’s, a nice, but simple restaurant that a close friend of mine works at. I cross a street or two to get there, but it’s not far from my house. While I’m on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, I dig in my purse from my Ipod and I quickly scroll to the piano song I currently had an obsession for and press my thumb down on the play button and hear the medley of facile notes fill my ears as I quickly jog to the other side and into the bustling restaurant, which was quite packed, surprisingly. I was greeted by several workers and waitresses that knew me from before. I walk over to the small bar they had and knocked on the wood, getting the attention of one of the waiters I knew.

He had short, jet black hair that was somehow always spiky. Despite the ominous trio of scratches on the right side of his face, the ‘69’ tattoo on his cheekbone (which was a very stupid thing to get, in my opinion) and the metal strip that stretched from the side of his face to the bridge of his nose, he was actually very comical in person. As he was approaching, I took out my headphones so I could hear what he was saying clearly.

          “Good morning, Ms. Kuchiki. He should be right out in a couple of minutes.

          “All right then, thank you, Shuhei.”

          And with that, I headed to the courtyard (also the back of the restaurant) and went towards one of the iron tables with an open parasol and plant my behind into the (somewhat) soft cushion of the chair, my fingers tapping rhythmically to the piano piece that was now stuck in my head. I glanced around the space that was filled up with the same iron tables, seeing that there weren’t many people present. Aside from a couple necking in the corner and several elderly folks reading the morning paper, I was the only one there. A jaded sigh escaped from my slightly chapped lips as I glanced at my watch, reading ’12:15’. I groaned, guessing that my friend was going to be late again. So, I dug in my purse for my cellphone, lighter, and box of cigarettes, getting prepared ahead of time for the wait. My index finger lightly flipped open the beige box and snatched the next-to-last cigarette and placed it in between the gap of my lips. Without knowing it, the tip of my tongue accidentally touched the dried tobacco that was rolled up and it retreated back into my mouth, bringing its nasty aftertaste with it, which fueled my urge to quit by just an ounce. Right as I was about to light the end of the cigarette, a thick, but nimble hand stole it right between my fingers. My eyes were covered by a pair of hands, which made me a bit nervous, but then I thought for a moment, knowing for certain it could only be him.

          “Renji, I know it’s you, so just give up.”

          “Nope! You have to listen to my idea!”

          “Your idea for what?”

          I heard a small, but devious chuckle rumble up from the man’s chest, which could only mean that he was plotting something that he would know I wouldn’t like.

          “I’ll let go if you listen.”

          I gave up, letting out a sigh, signaling to the tattooed man that I would give him my attention. He took the seat next to me and put the cigarette that he stole in his mouth as he dug in his pockets for a lighter, but I leaned in lit it with mine, my hand covering it, so that the wind wouldn’t blow out the flame. He gave a nod in thanks as he let out a puff, the grey fog starting to float around us. As he started talking, I took the last cigarette and lit it up, pushing the empty box to the side of the table as I listened to his proposition.

          “So, Rukia, how are you doing, financial-wise?”

          “Since when do you give a shit about people’s money? Are you some kind of financial fairy trying to stop me from maxing out on my credit cards? Ha! Don’t make me laugh!”

          “Not that you could.”

          I flicked him on the forehead, and right as he opened his mouth to let out a complaint, his cigarette fell out and onto ground, but Renji didn’t waste any time in picking it up and putting it back where it was.

          Renji was one of the very few people who I could trust. I have known him since I was about four years old and even now we are still the best of friends. He was always there whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on and vice versa. I preferred to think of him as my ‘brother’ since most of the time, he acted like one. I could tell this guy anything and trust him with any secret, knowing that he wouldn’t speak a word of it to anybody. We’ve been to hell and back and, you know what? We were laughing the whole way. He was one of those people who I would always care for, even if we were mad at each other or in a fight. We always make up and apologize within the next hour or so. It just goes to show you how close we are, but anyways, back to the story.

          I braced myself for the most idiotic and absurd thing to ever come out of his mouth.

          “My point is, you’re struggling with money and you know you can’t keep on depending on your brother-in-law to keep paying for your bills just because he’s rich and you don’t have a job. I don’t mean to sound like a complete jackass, but it’s kinda pathetic. You’re 22, for crying out loud!”

          I closed my eyes as my cigarette burned and I quickly bent it into the ashtray, stomping it repeatedly, causing its embers to fade away gradually.

          “All of the things you have said are true, but what do you expect me to do about it?”

          I saw a mile-wide grin stretch across the red-haired man’s face, making me feel even more cautious than I did before.

          “That’s where I come in. Recently, I took this side job just to make some extra cash, however there are a few catches -- but it’s all worth it in the end. Ask how much I’m getting paid.”

          I gave a shrug and he leaned closer towards me, putting his rough hand on my shoulder, his mouth inches away from my ear.

          “About $150.”

          I shot up out of the iron seat, nearly knocking it over as I glared daggers at the man. I pointed my index finger at his nose, poking it as I enunciated each word I yelled.

          “You liar! You’re just trying to make me feel bad! Why are you lying?! Nobody can make that much money! I-”

          My mouth was covered my Renji’s hand, drawing the attention of the people nearby, staring at us as if we were aliens. The couple that was in the corner broke from their embrace, revealing a bit of their faces.

          The woman had long orangeish brown hair that almost ended at her waist, and she wore a bright yellow sundress with a pleated neckline with orange ruffles at the edges. The parasol above the two covered most of her face, but I was able to see that she was giggling a bit. The man next to her wore a white long-sleeved collared shirt with a loose violet tie that fluttered about in the slight gust. I could see black skinny jeans from beneath the table, and I noticed that he had slender, but limber legs. Like the woman, I was unable to see his face, but it was due to the beige cap he was wearing. His auburn short hair stuck out from the edges of the hat, and his color was very similar to the woman’s but it was much more bold, and lighter. An ominous, but non-threatening scowl was on his mouth, making me want to say something to him, but I knew he wasn’t worth my time.

          “Pardon my friend, ladies and gents. Please, continue on with your morning.”

          ‘Pardon’ my ass. I absolutely hated it when he acted like this, and he knew that damn well.

As I continued to resist him and tried to open my mouth to let out a fury of expletives, we exited through the courtyard gate.  Renji’s gaze was still on the couple, and I got the feeling that he was staring at the man, rather than the woman. That creeped me out a little, but I quickly shrugged it off.

He still had his hand over my mouth, which was starting to bug me since I couldn’t breathe. I stuck my tongue out at the man’s palm and, as planned, he jerked it away making a huge smirk on my face which stayed there for a couple of minutes. But I didn’t see that he wiped all of the saliva on my hair, and I pinched him on the elbow as payback, because I spent a good amount of time fixing my hair, and it’s very difficult to straighten long, thick hair. I tried to smooth out my hair, but I ended up making it frizzier instead, so I just gave up.

          “Ha! That’s what you get for being so digusting! Karma can be a pain in the ass, no?”

          “You’re a pain in the ass.”

          He jumped in front of me and bent down (since I was about a foot shorter than him) and he gave me one of his ‘innocent’ stares that brought back memories from this movie we watched and cherished when we were younger. His bottom lip started quivering as he stuck it out, and his deep, brown eyes were an extra bonus to the whole pouting look.

          “Can you really be that mean to a face like this?”

          “Hmmm…” I said, turning my back and putting my index finger on the side of my head, making it seem as if I was deep in thought, (when in fact, I was acting.)

          “Well?”

          “…Yes.”

          And with that, I pushed him away with my hand in his face, that didn’t work out as I expected as I suddenly remembered that I was half his weight and fell, but he caught me, and he pulled me back up.

          “Kar-mah. Gets ya ev’ry time.”

          “Shut up, you baka. Karma is a superstition that only the weak-minded believe.”

          “Hey, don’t diss karma. It will bite you on the ass and when it does, I’m gonna laugh.”

          “Ha! I highly doubt that happening.”          “Whatever.”

          “But….what would you say if I told you the job was-”

          A shrill ring interrupted him, making him dig in the back pocket of his grey washed-out jeans voicing a couple of grumbles. He fetched out his crimson Sidekick and with a swift turn, the screen flipped, showing the text message that had arrived. I went behind Renji and jumped over his massive back, which made me feel even more of a midget. Once I had a firm grip on his bulky shoulders, I got a look at the text message he got, which puzzled me.

From: Strawberry

Date Received: September 23rd, 2009

Time Received: 12:57

Message:

Zent.

          Right as I was about to ask Renji what the text message was about, he immediately started walking, at a rather quick and brusque pace, so that I fell off and hit my rump on the concrete sidewalk. Renji quickly pulled me up and dragged me behind him. I put up quite the fight, but Renji won in the end. I had no idea what was going on, or why Renji was acting so strange.

          “Renji, what is…”

          He didn’t even pay me any attention, which made my blood pressure rise just a bit. He pulled me to the edge of the sidewalk and used that hand to wave in the air as the other hand he used to whistle with two of his fingers, summoning a cab from a nearby lane. Renji opened the passenger’s door, but I was hesitant to go in. Hell, you would be too if you had no idea where you were going. He gave me a slight push towards the taxi, but I slapped his hand away and got in myself. Renji got in and slid next to me, slamming the door shut after him. I turned my head towards the window and crossed my arms over my chest tightly as I stared off into the busy street of Broadway Avenue, ignoring the red-haired man next to me, since he wasn’t going to tell me anything. The cab driver turned around and put his arm on the back of his seat, his mahogany eyes exchanging a blasé greeting with mine for a short second and then stared down at Renji, who was too busy texting to notice him.  

          “Hey.”

          I turn my head to get a better view of the driver, but I realized he wasn’t talking to me. He wore a leather cap, a little part of his bangs still showing through. His short blonde hair swished as he moved to scratch his neck, waiting impatiently for Renji to notice what was going on. He let out a groan, trying to get the red-haired man’s attention, but it still didn’t work. I nudged Renji in the ribs, but he swatted me away, which made one of the veins on my forehead pop to life.

          “If ya don’t pay me to drive, I’m kicking both of yer asses out.”

          Renji’s head snapped up, locking eyes with the blonde.

          “Just what the hell is your problem?”

          “You not paying me, that’s what. Either you tell me where ta go, or I will kick yer ass outta my car.”

          “Fine…how fast can you get to Bennett Street?”

          The driver’s mouth must have stretched at least a foot to show all of his teeth in a comical, grin. It seemed as if he did that quite often, since it looked very natural for the blonde to show off all of his teeth in one move.

          “Tch, ya kiddin’ me? You seriously think I’m yer average driver, dontcha?”

          “You sure don’t act like it.”

          “Heh, I could say the same for you, Pineapple.”

          “Whatever, just drive.”

          And with that, the blonde slammed his foot on the gas and raced towards the middle lane, successfully passing through the yellow traffic left before it turned crimson. I kinda wished that the two would have argued some more because the atmosphere in the car after that was just dead. Not even an unexpected sneeze or uncomfortable cough came out of the two. I let out a sigh or two during the trip, but that went without avail. I hated awkward silences; it always felt like I had done something to screw it up but I was as confused as a chameleon on a pile of Skittles. Why was Renji acting so strange? Why did he just pull up a cab? Who sent him that text and what the hell is ‘zent’? The more I thought about it, I was only left with more questions than answers.  

          “Good God, y’all are as quite as the dead. What happen? Did you two get in a fight?”

          I had no idea who this guy was, but he had no right to be sticking his nose into my business.

          “That’s not your place to ask,” I said, glaring a bit at the meddlesome driver.

          “It’s not like we did have a fight,” Renji said in a matter-of-factly tone, which, somehow, was so irritating to me at the time, that I just exploded.

          “Excuse me? Do you need me to spell it out for you? Out of the fucking blue, you drag me to this cab without saying a goddamned word and you expect me to just, to just sit here like a little innocent shit and say nothing? Oh hell no.”

          “Rukia, chill out.”

          I froze and gave him the evil eye, which I could see that he soon regretted saying those three words.

          “You’re telling me to chill out? Renji, don’t make me flip a shit right here and now.”

          “Toolate.” The blonde said in a sing-song tone with his eyes peeled to the road as he pulled a sharp turn.

          “You, shut up,” I growled, trying so hard to resist myself from strangling that stupid blonde. “And you,” I said to Renji. “Either you tell me what the hell is going on with you or I leave.”

          “Rukia, please calm down. I-”

          “Blondie, stop the car.”

          The car skidded to a stop, halting right at the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 163rd. Its motor was still rumbling as I got out of the car and snatched my purse as I got out of the car and swiftly shut the door behind me with my back towards the yellow car as I started to walk away. I heard a door open and slam shut, followed by the angry demand of money from the blonde, but it was only answered by the footsteps that quickly followed me. A cold, rough hand clamped down on my shoulder, which made me freeze in my tracks.

          “Rukia, tell me what’s wrong.”

          “You know I don’t like secrets.”

          “I’ll explain everything later, I-”

          I brushed his hand off my shoulder as I shook my head, strands of hair that was tucked behind my ears now flying about.

          “No. Tell me now. Tell me why you were acting so strange. Tell me what that text message was about. Tell me why you’re hiding stuff from me, your best friend! Please…just tell me.”

          To tell you the truth, I think I overstepped the boundary for being overdramatic, but I just had to calm down, like Renji said. But fellas, here’s a piece of advice: if you see a lady stressed out, whether it be your girlfriend, your boss, or even your mother, never, and mark my words when I say never, ever, ever, tell a woman to calm down. That is about the worst thing you can do. Well, that or telling them that they put on a few. But my point is, just give us some time, and we will calm down…eventually. But I’m getting side-tracked.

          Anyways, I was just so confused at the time. I had no idea what the hell was going on, and there I was, confronting my best friend, who I have known for 18 years, about a secret he was hiding. I just hate that feeling; you know, the one you get when you’re left out.

          I snapped back to reality as I felt a sudden pain tugging at my hair, only to see that it was the red-haired man with his two fingers holding a strand of my bangs with a bored, uninterested look on his face.

          “Quit that!” I said through clenched teeth, the pain of my hair being pulled started to pulsate on my scalp.

          “I had to get your attention somehow. You were off staring into the distance and you wouldn’t answer my question.”

          “What question?”

          “If you wanted to find out what the secret was about.”    

          I froze and my eyes were wide open, staring in disbelief at the tattooed man before me. Here I was, finally given the opportunity to find out what my best friend had been hiding from me for God knows how long, and I was just standing there, gawking at him. I couldn’t believe my ears.

          “W-What did you just say?”

          “Let me say it slowly for you since this will be the third time I said this. Do you…or do you not…want to know?”     

          I was still at a loss for words so I just nodded. He bent down and his mouth was close to my left ear, which in my opinion, was a bit too close. He opened his mouth and said,

“I stole five bucks from your purse.”

          I slowly backed up and slapped him on his the cheek in my rage. No words could explain how angry I was. I saw a hand imprint on the right side of his face and stared at it in skepticism, remembering that it had been ages since I hit Renji like that; and that was only when I was really pissed. Like, crazy-PMS-lady pissed. But what really surprised me was that he wasn’t mad. His face, (aside from the reddened part) had an expression that somehow seemed as if he understood me. Like, he didn’t blame me for slapping him (but I could see him occasionally wincing at the pain). I can’t really describe it. He was in agony (emotionally), but smiling. Disappointed, yet calm. It was something that you would have to see to fully understand the nonsense that it sputtering out of my mouth. I looked at Renji for a moment, and felt an immediate pang of guilt, regretting for making such a rash move.

          “I’m sorry,” I muttered,

          “No, I should be apologizing. I have been hiding the truth from you for a long ass time and I feel really bad about it. Tell you what, we’ll meet up for coffee at my place around six-ish and I’ll tell you everything, kay?”

          “Sure, but-”

          “See ya then!” He yelled as he ran back into the cab, leaving me standing there on the sidewalk like an abandoned child. The yellow car zoomed off and I could see Renji waving to me from the back window. I waved without much movement in response, plastering on a fake smile so he wouldn’t see my loneliness. It’s funny; I hated being alone but I also hated being crowded. I highly dislike people, so it’s only natural I don’t have much of a fondness for them. Where the distaste originated from, I haven’t a clue. It just popped up out of the blue. I let out a sigh as a swarm of cars zoomed by me, and I was so grateful that I didn’t wear a skirt or dress that day. I started walking the other way back home, staring up at the skyscrapers towering above me and being careful of the busy traffic that was zooming by. I found it a bit ironic that although I had a strong aversion for people, I lived in a city that was just packed. I was broken free of my trance by a loud, buzzing horn blaring from a car that was a foot away from running me over. An angry, elderly man waved his fist in the air as several expletives escaped from his mouth, but I just ignored him. Oh, how I loathe ignorant people like him. I started at the sidewalk ahead of me, and it seemed to stretch on for miles. Several unfamiliar buildings caught my eye as I walked until I suddenly realized—I was lost. I started laughing in disbelief, not believing that I had lost myself, in New York City of all places. I groaned and dug in my purse for my phone, but I couldn’t find it. I opened it wider, thinking that it must have been hiding deep down in the bag, but it wasn’t there.

          Oh my fucking god, you have got to be shitting me.

         Yes, you would have thought the same thing too if you couldn’t find your phone but the only reason why I flipped out was because I needed to ask Renji for directions.

          Wait, I can take a cab! Yes, that’s it!

         “Hahaha, yes, that’s it! Now, where’s my…wallet?”        

          I was just a complete mess that day. I was trying to figure out a secret, I was lost in a maze, my phone was missing, and I didn’t have money for a cab since I left it at home. Isn’t that just lovely? I saw a street performer across the street and stood at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn green and when it did, I quickly walked over to the dark-skinned man in dreadlocks who was pounding on the congas, who received an occasional tip or two when people walked by. I stood by, waiting for him to finish, but it didn’t look like he was going to be done any time soon.

          “Uhm, excuse me? Sir?”

          He raised both of his hairy eyebrows at me, holding up his index finger and got his golden tinted glasses that were hanging from the round neckline of his loose purple shirt and put them on, opening his eyes a bit as he saw me.

          “Hey there, miss. Can I help ya?”

          “Yes. Do you know how to get back to Sullivan Street?”

            I heard a stifled laugh from the old man who tried to cover it up with his tattooed hand, but it was still very noticeable. Regardless, I still had on my fake smile and pretended as if I hadn’t seen nor heard a thing.

          “Child, you lost.”

          “Yes, I know, but I need to know how to get back.”

          “You plan on walkin’?”

          I looked down at the ground as I messed with my braids, trying to avoid his puzzled and unnerving stare.

          “Yer soles are gonna be as sore as a bum. Do you know where the hell ya are now?”

          “Uh,” I looked to the green sign behind me. “Amsterdam Avenue.”

          “Hmph, it seems not. Child, it’s gonna take you at least two hours of walking to get where ya need to be.”

          My jaw dropped.

          “Are you kidding me?”

          “Nope. I suggest ya git walkin’.”

          “But how the heck do I get there?”

          “Ya go straight ‘til ya see-”

          “Can you just write it down? I’ll forget it.”

          “Well, why didn’t cha say so before I started talking? Ya could have started walking already.”

          “Sir, I’m not in the mood to argue,” I said in a low tone as I fetched a small notepad and a pen, handing it to the man. He took it and set the pad on his knee, holding the blue pen in his right hand and he wrote down the directions, his hand staggering, probably due to old age. I waited for about five minutes or so until he handed it back. I looked in my purse for something that I could give him in thanks, but he waved his index finger, which appeared broken, in my face.

          “Ya needn’t be thanking me, child. Just a simple word is ‘nuff.”

          “All right then. Thank you sir!” I said as I waved back with the notepad in hand, smiling back. After I had crossed the street, I looked down at the writing, which was a bit smeared, but still legible.

1.     Stay on Amsterdam ‘til ya see a fork ‘n the road.

“Dang it, I can barely read his handwriting,” I muttered as I shuffled in between the swarm of people.  I seemed to walk forever on the sidewalk that never ended, which start to make me a bit irate. At times like this, I get my Ipod out and switch to one of my favorites to help pass the time. I quickly scroll down the list of songs and tap on it, feeling the vibrations of the song buzz through my ears. It made the situation a bit lighter. I could always count on music to lift my spirits. It was an odd relationship, if you asked me to define it.

2. Go left to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

I swiftly ran across the street when the light shone green, and the horde behind me crowded the entire crossing. If I hadn’t been holding my purse tightly, someone for sure would have stolen something when I wasn’t looking.

“I stole five bucks from your purse.”

         “Damn you, Renji. I could have taken a damn cab if I had five dollars. Well, I could have gotten somewhere.”

          “People’re gonna think yer crazy if yer mutterin’ t’ yerself.” A voice said behind me. God, that voice still brings me back. It could make me angry, and soothe me at the same time. It’s been ages since I last heard that tone, which made a flood of emotions to rumble in my heart every time I heard it.

          “And who the hell are you?” I asked, turning around, recognizing the man before me. It was the same guy I saw at Jushiro’s that Renji was staring at but he seemed a bit intimidating since he was like, two feet taller than me. But I didn’t see his lady anywhere.

“That don’t matter but I have a feeling yer lookin’ fer this piece a’ junk,” The orange-haired giant said as he got my phone out of the pocket of his jeans. I snatched it from his hand, and flipped it open to call Renji, but it was dead.

 Lovely.

          “How did you find my phone?”

          “Yer stupid self left it on the table at the restaurant and my friend kept naggin’ at me to return it, so, here ya go, my job’s done. Ciao.”

          “Whoa, hold up a second there, buddy,” I tugged on his sleeve, holding him back, which made him scowl back at me.

          “What the hell’s yer problem?”

          “You mind answering a few questions?”

          “What are ya, a cop?”

          “Does it really matter?”

          “Guess not. We’ll walk ‘n’ talk.”

          “Okay, uhm, how on Earth did you find me?”

          “It was easy. Yer the only one that’s less than five feet.”

          “I’m not that short.” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. “What’s with the way you talk?”

          “What about it?”

          “It’s weird.”

          “So is a 4 ft Japanese-lookin’ girl wanderin’ in the middle of the heart ‘a New York, but you don’t see me complainin’ ”

          “You’re judgmental, you know that?”

          “I ain’t a judge.”

          I gave up. It was like trying to communicate with someone who spoke a different tongue.

          “What’s your name?”

          “Where the hell did that come from?” The man asked with his hands intertwined behind his head.

          “Since I’m asking you all of these questions, don’t you think I should at least have your name?”

          “Mr. K. And you are…?” He asked, bending over a bit and holding out his hand, which I noticed had three tattooed dots in the shape of a triangle on the webbed part between his thumb and index finger.

          “Ms. K.”

          “Ya mockin’ me?” He asked, his auburn eyes glaring daggers downwards at me, but I glared back, which made him look the other way.

          “No, my last name begins with K as well.”

          “Let’s hear it.”

          “Eh?”

          “Yer last name.”

          “Why?”

          “’Cause.”

          “Kuchiki.”

          “So, ya are Japanese.”

          “I thought you said you already knew. Besides, you can’t tell just by a last name.”

          “I said ya looked Japanese. That, plus ya can kinda tell a person’s roots by their last name.”

          “Stop trying to act like a smart ass.”

          “I’ll prove it. Oi, lady in the red! Git over hur!” The man hollered, waving his hand. I jumped on him to put his hand down, trying not to make a scene, but it wasn’t working every well.

          “Put your hand down, you retard! You can’t just call to strangers! You don’t even know her! What if she is a sex-offender or something?!”

          “She’s hot as fuck, so if she did do something, it wouldn’t be ‘sidered ‘rape’ because-”

          “Okay, you horn dog, I get the picture!” I muttered, getting off the man’s back.

          “Heh, ya know what yer problem is?” He chuckled.

          “I didn’t even ask nor do I want to know.”

          “Yer too uptight. Yer like a violin whose strings are tuned too tight. What is it? Work? Yer boytoy broke up wit’ cha? Yer phone?” The man asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

          “None of the above.” I said in a jaded tone.

          “Then what?”

          “You?”

          “Me?”

          “Yes, you.”

          “What’d I do?”

          “Sticking yur, er, your big pointy nose in my business.”

          “Numba one, ya said it wrong. Numba two, just my nose is fine as is, so shut yer trap, ya midget and numba three, what happen’ t’ the questionin’?”

          “Whatever, like I care about your bad grammar. Oh, I just remembered.”

          “What?”

          “Do you have any relation to the man I was sitting beside this morning?” I asked, scanning his face for any flinches that he might make, but his face was as solid as a rock.

          “Who, Pineapple? Yeah.”

          “What?” I asked eagerly, accidentally tripping on my shoelace and falling into the street, seeing a vehicle heading in my direction. I was yelling in my mind to move, but my legs wouldn’t move. My eyes got big as the truck came closer and I closed them so I wouldn’t see the mess, but I felt a rough hand get my wrist and pull to the sidewalk and I landed against something sturdy, yet moving, but I still had my eyes closed so I had no idea what was going on. I fell over something and opened my eyes, seeing that I was on top of the man. My cheeks flushed a deep red in embarrassment, not believing that situation I was in. The bang that was in the middle of my face brushed over his lips, but it didn’t seem to bother him. I felt my heart beat a hundred miles an hour, wondering to myself if he could feel it. One of his legs was in between mine, but when I moved, I accidentally kneed him in the groin, which made him wince in pain.

          “I am so sorry!”

          I was only answered by more groans of pain, which drew some attention and dirty glares directed at us.

          “Get a room!” One of the people yelled.

          The orange-haired man chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

          “Ya mind gettin’ off anytime soon?”

          “Right,” I said with my hair covering my face so he couldn’t see my embarrassment. He offered both hands (as if I really weigh that much) and I took them both, nearly falling over, but he had a firm grip around my waist so I wouldn’t fall…again. My cheeks were as red as tomatoes and they stayed that way for a long time, which irritated me. I mean, yeah, he was attractive, but I just met him. We proceeded to walk without saying a word, and there was an awkward silence between us. I had no clue what to say.

          “Did you bleach your hair?”

Rukia, face it. You’re a hopeless romantic.

          “Eh?”

          “Your hair color. Is it bleached?”

          “Nah, it’s my natural hair color.”

          “Are you Irish?”

          “Nah.”

          “Scottish?”

          “Nah.”

          “Then what the heck are you?”

          “I’m half ‘n’ half.”

          “Of Irish and Scottish?”

          “Baka, I just said no to those two.”

          “Ah, so you’re Japanese then.”

          “Si.”

          “And Spanish?”

          “Nah, I just felt like saying that word.”

          “Then what?”

          “Why do ya need to know?”

          “Because I’m bored.”

          “Well, I ain’t tellin’”

          “You’re no fun,” I whined, pushing out my bottom lip a bit so he would see me ‘pouting’.

          “Hmm, ya prob’ly never heard of the country before.”

          “Where is it?” I asked with curiosity.

          “Near the Adriatic.”

          “The what?”

          “It’s a sea in South Western Europe. Go look it up.”

          “But what country specifically?”

          “Eh, I dun feel like tellin’ a complete stranger all about me. It’d be kinda odd, ne?”

          “I suppose,” I said with a shrug. “But so is a Japanese man with orange hair.”

          “Half-Japanese, hun.” He corrected me.

          “Whatever, you still don’t look Japanese.”

          “Which makes it even harder for people to look for me. When they look for the Strawberry, they expect an average-sized Japanese man with rectangular glasses on the bridge of his nose wit’ squinty eyes and short, combed black hair. Well I-”

          “Hold up a minute. You referred to yourself as ‘Strawberry’. So, you do know Renji.”

          The man was silent, not saying a word as he turned the corner. I had no idea where he was going or even where I was, so I had no choice but to follow him.

          “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

          Silence.

          “Well?”

          Silence.

          “Answer my-”

          He grabbed my shoulders, pulling me closer towards him. He moved one arm over my shoulders while the other was bent in front of me, as if to show me something. The man rested on the edge of my shoulder blade, his mouth hovering right next to my ear lobe.

          “You listen t’ me and you listen t’ me good ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once,” He said, pointing his index finger from the hand that was hanging limply over my left shoulder to the three tattooed dots on the hand web between his pointer finger and thumb on his right hand.

          “I don’t see anything; I don’t hear anything and, listen caref’lly to this one, hun,” He whispered, his warm breath tingling on the insides of my ear.

“I don’t say shit.”

          I could have sworn it was déjà vu all over again. I shook off the man’s grip and turned my back towards him, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. If I looked at him for one more second, I would have probably have strangled him. My mind instantly replayed my freak-out moment at Renji, making me experience the exact emotions I felt before, but at a stronger degree this time. I don’t know what was the cause of my sudden irritability; whether it was the flashback or the orange-haired man’s cocky response, but either way, I was pissed.

          “Is it really that secret that you can’t say a thing?” I asked.

          He stopped in his tracks, as I walked ahead but I soon stopped as well. I turned back and saw that he had his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he looked straight up at the sky, letting out a deep sigh. He changed his sights to the concrete ground below his feet, scratching the back of his spiky mane with one hand as the other fetched something in his pocket. Cigarettes.

          My sudden nicotine urge kicked in and I instantly felt an ache in my gut, being painfully reminded that my morning smoke only consisted of one cigarette instead of the usual five. It’s a wonder that I didn’t have some kind of cancer or health problem, but that’s irrelevant right now.

My eyes were locked onto the light blue carton and as much as I wanted to gain control over my addiction, I couldn’t look away. It was controlling me like a puppet.

          The man caught sight of me and put the cigarette in his mouth and lit up its end, his auburn eyes watching me with a slightly interested expression. He closed his eyes as the end of the cigarette illuminated a bright, amber light, and there was something rather innocent about his face then, that slightly eased my current irritability. But the serene moment was broken as he opened his mouth and held the burning cigarette with his right hand, letting the grey fog that was inside his mouth be quickly swept away by the wind. I stared off into the sky, trying to catch whatever trace of the smoke might be left, but I was unsuccessful in my attempt, seeing that the gust had already blew it away but my trance was broken by a constant tapping on my shoulder.

 I returned to reality, seeing that towering man staring down at me, offering a cigarette. I swiped it and held it between my lips as I dug in my purse for a lighter, but when I finally found it, I saw that the end was already lit up.

          “Yer welcome,” The man grumbled, shaking off a bit of the ash that was clinging onto his cigarette. I scowled away, not wanting to look at him.

          “Oh, so now yer pissed?”

          “No.”

          “Then what’s buggin’ ya?”

          “I just don’t like secrets; especially when it involves my best friend.”

          “Oh, that changes things then. I’ll tell ya what’s up with Pineapple.”

          My eyes grew wide and my heart was pumping rapidly.

          “Really?”

          “…Nope,” He said with a fox-like grin as he stuck out his tongue, revealing a tattooed ‘15’. Jeez, could this guy be any creepier? And once again, I returned to my foul mood with only a burning cigarette and a man who acted half his age to comfort me. Fun. But I gathered up my strength and calmed myself down, reminding myself that I needn’t be worked up over the tiniest of things. Even if my blood boiled, I needed to keep my composure.

          “Mr.K, please hear me out.”

          “Ah, bein’ formal, are we? Sure, I’ll lend ya an ear. Maybe even two, depending on my mood.”

          I took a deep breath in and exhaled, trying to loosen up a bit. It was awkward enough that he was staring down at me. I felt as if a thousand eyes were on me and if I made a single mistake, I’d be utterly humiliated.

          “That guy with the red hair, Renji, is my best friend. We have been friends since we were little. He’s like a brother to me, but when I find out that he has been hiding a secret from me, I was shocked. But when I questioned you about him, you refused to answer. True, I haven’t a clue who you are nor do I care…but I do know you know something about it and somehow, someway, you have a connection with Renji. All that I ask is that you tell me what he is hiding. Please.”

          The man was silent then, avoiding my gaze as we walked down the never-ending, cement plastered path. Several moments had passed and he still hadn’t said a word in response. He bent down and folded his cigarette onto the curb and smushed its embers with his eyes locked onto it as if it might try to run away.

          “This Renji…you really care for ‘im a lot, dontcha?”

          I nodded in reply since I had no idea what to say but what really was on my mind was where he was leading the conversation.

          “You said he was like yer brother. How long have ya known him?”

          “Over 18 years.”

          “Well, damn. I guess he is like yer brother then.”

          “Didn’t I just say that?”

          “Yes, but ya seem to be gettin’ worked up ‘gain. I’ll just get straight to it, then. How much do you care for him?”

          “What are you getting at? Of course I care for him. I would give my own life for him!”

          The auburn-haired man got up from his crouching position and walked towards me, placing his huge hands on my shoulders as he bent down a little, moving his face closer to the left side of my face until I felt something moist, but warm. I was confused because I was trying to figure out what he was doing but my eyes were focused on the zooming airplane above me, but then it just hit me. He kissed me. It was longer than a peck, but shorter than a smooch. My entire face was flushed and as soon as he pulled away, I looked down at the ground and my hair fell in front of me, silhouetting my rosy cheeks.

          “Then that’s need to know.”

          That voice brought me back to reality, and before I knew it, I heard the screech of worn-out tires near the sidewalk and I saw the man heading for the bright yellow car. He got in and closed the door and through the window, I saw him mouth move as his eyes were directed at the driver, his face now seeming a tad depressed. He glanced at me, his eyes penetrating my very soul that it made my knees buckle a bit. The window nearest to him slid down, and he stuck out his grinning face, as I stood there like a dummy, my hand on the cheek that the man kissed me on.

          “’Til next time, Lutko.”

          The car sped off, and left me as clueless as ever. I didn’t know what to think. My mind was in the midst of ecstasy and reality. I mean, how would you feel if one minute, you’re mad at your best friend and then the next, you get kissed by an attractive person? Like, what the fuck? I felt as lost as Alice in Wonderland. And what the hell does ‘Lutko’ mean? I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn’t care to find out. I shook off the mental image of the mysterious man and turned on a corner, recognizing a familiar street that was near my neighborhood. The smell of roasting chicken filled my nostrils, getting a growl from my gut in response. I immediately started to salivate, but then the wet taste of tobacco came in contact with my taste buds, making my mouth instinctively drop open in disgust and in turn, wasted a perfectly good cigarette. I didn’t bother to pick it up because I was starving.

          My legs sped up, bringing me closer and closer to the all too familiar streets. I couldn’t help but smile. My longing for home was now stronger than ever. Although I had been gone for an hour or two, it felt like weeks, even months since I had