Music to my Heart (A Bleach/Ulquihime fic)

Chapter 21

This story belongs to Cerice Belle at FanFiction.net. I am only publishing it in order to share it with more people. All credits go to her.
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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.