Changing Sides
Chapter One: Goodbye to Old Friends...
I sighed and placed my head on my desk. My eyes wandered around the classroom, not really focused on anything the teacher was saying. I wonder what Aoyama-kun wants after school today? I thought to myself. He said he had something really important to tell me. My thoughts took me into a daydream. I saw Aoyama-kun kneeling down, holding a ring in his hand and presenting it to me.
"Nya! No no no! It's too early for that!" I squealed, my face flushing bright red.
"Too early for what Miss Ichigo?" came an un-amused voice.
"Huh?" I realized too soon that I had spoken my thoughts out loud and now everyone in the class was staring at me with confused eyes. The teacher stood in front of my desk tapping her foot and holding her lesson book under her arm.
"Next time you decide to daydream I'll make sure you do it in the principal's office!" she said sternly before turning away and resuming her lesson.
"Ah! I'm sorry mam..." Truth was, I wasn't sorry. I'd been dozing off a lot during lessons but somehow my grades weren't slipping. By some miracle I was managing to juggle school, work, and saving the world all while still having time to see Aoyama! My friends were really supportive, but I kept finding myself in this mess. I felt... unhappy. Like something was missing... something I really wanted. I always assumed it meant I wanted to see Aoyama-kun but now I wasn't so sure...
The bell signaling the end of the day broke my trance and I quickly gathered my things. I sprinted down the hall, eagerly awaiting meeting up with Aoyama again. I ran down to the lower levels where we keep our home shoes and slipped into mine, placing my school shoes back into their respective cubby.
"Ichigo."
A familiar voice behind me made me pause. My heart did a little skip as it always did when I heard his voice. I took a small breath before spinning around cheerily.
"Afternoon Aoyama-kun!" I called but my happy mood was cut in half when I noticed his face. He looked unhappy and confused, his eyes not meeting mine. He continued to stare at the floor and it was a long moment before he spoke.
"Ichigo... These past few months... they have been fun." He said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. I placed a hand on my chin and continued to stare at him, waiting for his smile to show. For him to laugh it off and we would walk home together... but it didn't happen.
"I'm sorry Ichigo... I don't love you anymore... I'm so sorry..." With that my heart shattered into a million little pieces. Aoyama-kun, the one person that kept me going and helped me pull through the hard times... had just been ripped from me.
I just stood there, not wanting to believe what I had just heard, but Aoyama-kun turned and started to walk away. The world seemed to slow as he turned his back on me and left. Just like that. Tears filled my eyes and I pressed my hand to my mouth to keep from wailing my sorrow out loud. I couldn't believe it! After everything we're going through with the aliens and Mew Aqua, he just up and abandons me like that!
Frustrated and hurt I sprinted out of the schoolyard and down the sidewalk into the street, not caring if cars almost killed me. My mind was fuzzy and all I could think about was him. My sobs became louder and I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't know where I was going so my feet started to carry me in the direction of the Café. The comfort and support of my friends seemed so inviting at the moment.
I ran on, not concerned with who saw me. Little did I know, a shadow was hovering over me, watching from a distance that wouldn't be suspicious to any normal human. His yellow eyes narrowed like a cat and a grin spread across his face.
"So," he said to himself, "That asshole finally dumped her." He smirked down at me, "About time."
***
"He did WHAT?!" Mint screamed.
Lettuce patted my shoulder as I cried into my hands, "It's okay Ichigo, we're here for you." She said in her soothing manner. I sat in the middle of the café in a chair all hunched over. The other girls crowded around me, all wanting to hear my story.
Mint on the other hand was fuming, "How dare he join up with us like 'Oh hey! I'm the Blue Knight and all! Not to mention I'm a freaking asswipe who only is using you guys!'" She cooed making gestures in the air pretending to be Aoyama-kun... or... Masaya.
Pudding was working over her love match machine, shaking it back and forth and looking it over, "Ah! No way!" she whined, "But this thing said you two were perfect for each other! Must be broken..."
I wiped my eyes and looked at my friends. "Thanks for your support guys... really."
"No problem, we're always here to help out a friend." Zakuro, who had been quiet as usual up until now said.
"That's right!" Pudding said dropping the love calculator on the ground, "Always here for friends!"
I smiled, "Thank you."
Shirogane suddenly popped his head out of the kitchen, "Isn't it time you girls be heading home?" he asked, "It's nearly dark out."
"WAHH!" I screamed, "I'm so late! Mom's gonna kill me!" I ran into the changing rooms and quickly threw on my normal clothes, "See you guys tomorrow!" I called before heading out the door.
***
I sighed and leaned against my balcony, staring out into the world. A small breeze tugged at my hair, lifting it slightly and pulling at it gently. From where I stood, I could just make out the outlines of the trees in the park. It was dark out so the only light came from the moon and a few street lamps. The cool night air felt good and refreshing on my face and for once I was able to stand out and clear my head.
"Ah! I want to go for a walk! But there's no way my mom will go for that at this hour!" I said placing my head in my hands and looking down from my two story house. Suddenly an idea hit me.
"Oh! It's too late for young girls to be out! But not for little black cats!" I grinned and slowly formed into a cat. Recently Shirogane has been working with me on how to freely change from cat to human. Now I have control over when it happens, not just when I'm kissed, which works out much nicer for me.
I sighed and felt myself shrinking down. I got onto my hands and knees, feeling my hands form into paws and my legs shrank until I was firmly planted on all fours. I felt my ears stretch out and my hair disappear to be replaced with fur. My tail was last to pop out, followed by one of the two bells I had. I stretched and the bell on my tail jingled as I arched my back and curled it over. Ah! Feels so nice to be a cat nya! I blinked my pink eyes around and surveyed the area, a cat's perspective is much more different than a humans after all.
With that I leapt down onto a tree branch only about three feet from my balcony and made my way, branch by branch, down to the ground. Once there I started off at a brisk pace towards the park. I was in no hurry but I didn't like hanging around alleyways for stalker cats or dogs to find me.
I ran on until I came to a dead end. "Wha! I could have sworn I took the right way! Crap now I'm lost!" I turned around and ran down the end of the alley when something tripped me. Even with my cat reflexes it was too fast and I fell flat on my face. I skid a couple feet before sliding to a halt.
I slowly sat up and rubbed my throbbing nose with a paw, "Ow!"
"Hey you!" someone's voice brought my attention to the end of the alley.
I saw a leather shoe step out from the shadow
