Music to my Heart Chp 21

Just before lunchtime, Loly skipped class. She had been subtly ridiculed by Lilynette and her friend Ggio Vega one too many times to bear and had taken to wandering around the hallways until the bell rang, when she saw her brother ahead of her.
“Ulquiorra?” she called, quickening her pace to catch up with him. He turned and frowned at her but said nothing as she began walking beside him. “What are you doing here?”
“Music rooms,” he explained shortly.
“Oh. Are you practicing for that concert?” she asked.
He sighed exasperatedly, “None of your business.”
“It is if Sosuke finds out!” she exclaimed. Ulquiorra just glared at her and quickened his pace slightly enough to indicate the conversation was finished. But she wasn’t done yet. “Ulquiorra I’m being serious! You know Tosen and Ichimaru have to keep tabs on you. They’ll see you going to the concert. There’s no way he couldn’t find out.”
“Perhaps you should cover for me then,” he suggested darkly, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Loly stopped, “But…I’m no good with lying, you know that.”
Ulquiorra made a noncommittal grunt up ahead, “Then just come along. It’s a town event.”
His sister blinked; “I – Ulquiorra wait for me!” she hurried up to him. “You mean I could really go?”
“There’s nothing stopping you, is there?” he muttered, rolling his eyes at her stupidity. “Bring along Grimmjow’s brother. That would be the closest thing you’ve ever gotten to asking him out on a date.”
“That’s a great idea!” she exclaimed, not even paying attention to the insult. “But…I don’t know if it would stop Sosuke.”
“Just think for yourself for once, Loly.” He snapped, lengthening his stride to reach the door to the music department and slamming it in her face before she could protest.

And that was how Loly found herself sitting under a tree,  feeling thousands of tiny grass blades scratching the bare skin of her legs, and her scalp itching from the rough bark of the tree she leant against. She lifted her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She couldn’t help feeling kind of excited for the prospect of going to the concert. It would be a good way to spend Christmas Eve with singing and dancing. And Ulquiorra would be performing. Now that she would like to see. She supposed there wasn’t any reason not to go. It was technically a school function and it wasn’t like Sosuke knew about Ulquiorra’s piano playing. And why should it worry him anyway, it was just a hobby, not like it was going to be his next career? She smiled to herself, remembering his suggestion to take Luppi with her. He was right; it would be the closest thing she could get to asking him out on a date.
Grinning, she stood up, dusting off her short grey skirt and stretching her arms to revive some feeling in her body. Chucking her phone in her pocket, she made her way to the main eating area for the Year 9’s in the courtyard near their lockers, hoping to find Luppi there. However she was disappointed as she could find neither him nor Menoly. Just as she was about to try the canteen a voice called out to her.
“Lookin’ for someone there, Loly?” Loly sighed and turned to look at the sneering face of Ggio Vega, one of the more good looking boys in the class and the fastest runner in the year, sitting with Lilynette, Tesla and the other members of their group.
“None of your business Ggio!” Loly snapped in the same demeaning tone.
Loly was about to continue her search but was halted by Lilynette, “If you’re looking for Luppi he’s at the trees next to the drama department.”
“Lily,” murmured Tesla in a dark voice.
“What? I’m just looking out for my friend,” Lilynette smirked.
Loly frowned, but muttered her thanks and walked off towards the said area, glancing over her shoulder to see everyone but Tesla laughing loudly. Normally she would have pestered them about it, or just called Luppi to see where he actually was, but she was in such a hurry to ask him that she didn’t dwell on it as much as she should have.
She couldn’t believe this was it! She was actually about to ask Luppi out, the boy she had fancied since…well, since she came to this school. She was already deeply fantasising their first kiss, holding hands as they walked through the park together, texting late into the night, hugging each other tightly every morning at school and laughing at the looks on the faces of those idiots who had turned her down. She could gleefully imagine the look on Lilynette’s face when she found out that Luppi had accepted her and that they were going out together. Menoly would be the bridesmaid of honour at their wedding of course, she supposed Grimmjow would be Luppi’s best man, but even that thought could not drag her feelings down.
She was suddenly pulled out of her fantasies when she heard a pair of voices. She reached the set of steps leading to the drama studio to see a small copse of trees next to the building. Standing next to one of the trees, were Menoly and Luppi.
“Did you see how she was looking at you yesterday? It made me so mad I wanted to punch her hard enough to make her head rattle. I mean who does she think she is? Just because the family’s rich and she’s the sister of the famous Ulquiorra Schiffer does not give her the privilege to look at my boyfriend like that!” Menoly said loudly. Loly felt something in her stomach drop.
Luppi laughed, “Well she doesn’t know about it yet does she? Everyone’s been quiet about it for now, and it’s not like she has Facebook to see our relationship status, just because Daddy won’t allow it.” Menoly made a non-commital noise. “When are you going to tell her anyway?”
She rolled her eyes “As if anything would be able to get into that thick head of hers. She would just deny it or run off crying like a baby.”
“She’s such an idiot,” Luppi agreed, smirking. “If she didn’t whore around like some common prostitute all the time and actually focused on her studies, she might get somewhere.”
“As if that would do any good,” Menoly laughed.
Luppi joined in. “But I don’t like how she talks to you either. She acts as if you’re her slave or something.”
“Oh please, we both know that’s just her way of pretending she isn’t incredibly jealous of me.”
“That’s true,” Luppi nodded. “You’re so much prettier than her not to mention much smarter and less socially awkward.”
“Exactly! I mean she constantly goes on about how stupid she is and I try to be the good friend and say she has talents in other areas. But really, we know there is no hope for that girl. And she keeps trying to bring me down. I mean I guess I could dumb myself down to make myself ugly, stupid and socially inept, but we all know that’s just not going to work.” Menoly sighed in exasperation.
Luppi chuckled and wrapped his arms around Menoly’s waist, “You are so hot when you get all angry like that.” Menoly giggled and the two kissed passionately.
Loly had been standing completely still, too stunned and hurt to say anything. But their last action caused something inside of her to snap. She didn’t even know that she was moving until she had run up to them, pulled them apart, slapped them both as hard as she could on their faces, and shoved Menoly into a tree, all the while screaming curses at them both. Menoly’s green eyes were wide with fear as Loly began punching her face with as much power as she could muster. Luppi grabbed her arm, yelling at her to stop it, but she was so blinded by rage she kicked him out of the way and continued her assault. Luppi managed to get a hold of both of her arms and pull her off the Menoly, enough so that she could escape from the rampage.
Loly wriggled free from Luppi’s grip and raced after Menoly, up the stairs and into the courtyard where she managed to grab her arm and punch her squarely in the nose. Menoly gasped, clutching her face where blood began streaming down her fingers and staining her white shirt.
“Loly stop it!” shouted Luppi running into the courtyard and again trying to restrain her. Menoly pushed him away and slapped Loly hard in the face.
Lilynette stood up and began clapping her hands, “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” she called, the rest of the students in the courtyard joining in and forming a circle around the three. The two girls shoved each other until they were on the ground and began rolling around, biting and clawing at whatever they could reach.
Suddenly a pair of hands pulled each girl apart and shook them until they stopped moving. Loly looked up to see Miss Yoruichi holding her by the collar of her uniform and Miss Soi-Fon doing the same to Menoly. Both women looked absolutely livid.
“What is going on here?” Yoruichi asked in a dangerously quiet voice. The two girls stared at the flattened grass and said nothing.
“Miss Yoruichi just asked you a question!” snarled Soi-Fon. Menoly sniffed and bit her lip but stayed silent.
Yoruichi glared at their audience who all had their heads lowered, “Do any of you want to say something about how this happened?” there was silence. Luppi suddenly stepped forward.
“It was Loly, Miss,” He said quietly. “Menoly and I were just talking when she came out of nowhere and hit her. Menoly was just acting in self-defence.” Loly gasped and stared at him.
“I see. Is this true?” Yoruichi asked the students. They all nodded. “Menoly?” she stared unmercifully at the quivering girl who still had a hand on her bleeding nose. She also nodded quietly. She looked down at Loly who was shaking her head in indignation at the girl she had once thought was her best friend. “Soi-Fon, let’s take these three in.” she ordered.
“Wha-why me?” cried Luppi.
“Because you were clearly a part of this, now come on.” She released her grip on Loly as did Soi-Fon to Menoly, and the two teachers marched the three students up to the Principal’s office. Loly could honestly say it was the worst walk of her life. Luppi had his arm around Menoly who was shooting murderous glares at Loly and trying to staunch the blood dripping from her nose. Every single person they passed gawked at them, and being lunch time, they passed the entire student body. They had to walk by the Senior area on the way and she was mortified to see Grimmjow and Nnoitra laugh at them rudely, and relieved that Ulquiorra didn’t seem to be there. Miss Yoruichi sent Menoly off to the school Nurse but forced Luppi to stay with them as they made their way up the stairs and into reception.
Loly was greeted by a blast of cold air that soothed her hot, irritated skin and the swelling bruises all over her body. The two were told to sit in the cream armchairs while the teachers went up and talked to the receptionist who shot them a nasty look over the ridge of her glasses. They had to wait fifteen minutes to be allowed into the Principal’s office, and in that time, Menoly returned with a fluoro pink Band-Aid on her nose. They were eventually called in and made to sit down in uncomfortable leather chairs in front of the foreboding wooden desk.
Mr Yamamoto was an old man with a long white beard who paid strict attention to the rules. He stared them all down while Miss Yoruichi told him that she and Miss Soi-Fon had been doing their lunchtime duty together when they heard the shouts and had run over to see Loly and Menoly attacking each other with Luppi watching. He then questioned Luppi and Menoly who recounted their altered version of the events where Loly had attacked them without warning. And then Loly who said that she had heard them saying bad things about her and had become so angry she had attacked Menoly who she had thought was her best friend. All the while he shook his old head at her despairingly.
“Miss Schiffer,” he lectured gravely when she had finished. “It was most irresponsible for you to have attacked your year mates. I am sure they could not have been saying anything that would warrant such an attack. I ask you to recall the old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never touch me”. You could have caused your friend irreparable damage here but anything she may have said will only hurt for a short amount of time.” Menoly and Luppi had the grace to blush at his words but continued to stare at the ground. He then gave Menoly one day of after school detention, and Loly a week of suspension, and ordered the receptionist to call both their families and get them to come and pick them up, as Menoly may need to see the hospital and Loly’s suspension began immediately.
Luppi was sent back to lunch after kissing Menoly goodbye and assuring her he would come and see her that afternoon with flowers and chocolates. But the two girls had to sit in the reception chairs for half an hour while waiting for their families to come and collect them. Every few minutes Menoly would open her mouth as if to say something, then close it again and look out the window. Loly ignored her and stared out her own window, doing her best to hold in the hot tears that kept threatening to spill over.
“Miss Schiffer,” called the receptionist. “A Mr Ichimaru will be coming to pick you up in 10 minutes.” Loly groaned. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Tosen would lecture her, but Gin would laugh at her. Five minutes later, Menoly’s mother came to pick her up.
“Oh thank you so much for taking care of my daughter,” she gushed to Yoruichi who nodded and smiled at her. “I am horrified to know that there are such people in the world that would attack their best friend on a mere whim. What is this world coming to?” At this she shot a glare at Loly who quickly turned her head back to the window where a happy couple were standing at a tree down near one of the quieter lunch areas. “Don’t you worry my darling,” she wrapped her arm around Menoly’s shoulder and squeezed her tightly. “I stopped off at the bakery on the way down to buy you one of those cupcakes you like, and when we get home you can sit yourself up on the couch and watch whatever you want on TV and I’ll even make you a milkshake.” Menoly gave a half-hearted smile and hugged her mother back, glancing at Loly’s stoic face before being led out of the building.
Loly released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding and unclenched her fingers that had cut red crescent-moons into her pale skin.
“Loly,” called Miss Yoruichi. The younger girl looked up at the teacher darkly. “Look, I don’t know exactly what happened, but judging from your side of the story, it seems Menoly and Luppi said some pretty horrible things about you.” Loly just nodded, for once not feeling the need to say anything. “I’m sorry about what Mr Yamamoto said. He means well, but I don’t think he has experienced first-hand how, in my opinion, words can hurt more than physical pain. It must have been bad for you to attack her like that. So I just want to make the offer, when you return from your suspension next week, if you need someone to talk to and get some advice from, my office is always open, alright?” Loly nodded, feeling strangely touched at the unusually kind words from the teacher she had only met once during a PE dance lesson. Yoruichi put her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder warmly, and left the reception office.
Loly sighed and turned her attentions back to the window. While Miss Yoruichi’s offer was strangely considerate, she knew she did not need it. Sosuke would listen and comfort her, she knew it. Perhaps he would even help her get revenge on them. He was good at that after all. Her eyes focused on the view outside the window, and she suddenly realised that the couple she had been staring at without really looking, was Ulquiorra and Orihime. They were both holding ice-creams and the girl was laughing and swinging his hand while he stared at her with a more relaxed expression than the one he normally wore. They both seemed so happy. Even Ulquiorra though he still showed little emotion. She glared at them as Orihime danced around, pulling him with her. Why was Ulquiorra so happy? He should be as distraught as she was. It just wasn’t fair for him, the normally depressed one, to be actually enjoying something for once, when she was feeling as lonely and betrayed as she was now.  
The door opened, letting a rush of hot air through the room and she heard the familiar summons of Gin Ichimaru.
“Hiya Miss Loly, got yaself in trouble again have ya?” he greeted with a cocky grin. She wrenched her gaze away from her brother and shot him a poisonous glare. He smirked at the receptionist who eyed him suspiciously while Loly picked up her bag that Miss Soi-Fon had retrieved for her, and marched out of the room and into the claustrophobic heat of the outdoors.
“Ichimaru?” she asked him, shooting another look through the trees where she could just see Ulquiorra and Orihime embracing each other. “The moment we get back, organise a meeting with Sosuke for me. There’s something I want to tell him.”
He raised an eyebrow but nodded, “Done.”