Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter One: Let's All Be Made of Ice

A warm draft of wind blew through the window, sending a pale pink sakura petal dancing into the room. It was spring, and the sky was turning from the pale grey of winter to a clear blue.

A pale hand reached out and seized the rosy petal, crushing it and dropping it to the hard, cold floor. HItsugaya Toushirou hated spring, and hated flowers.

He had always been able to read peoples' minds, just by touching them. And even though others were not aware of it, it made him different from everyone else. It didn't help either that his hair was a startling white-the color of snow.

He remembered once, when he was younger He had been going to the mall with his mother. It had been Christmas time and there had been a line of children waiting to sit on "Santa's" lap. He remembered waiting in line too, hoping to be able to tell Santa all his secret hopes for Christmas. When he finally reached Santa, and had climbed onto his gigantic velvet covered lap, he had heard a whisper of a voice, "Santa's" thoughts. "What's with this kid's hair? White? What a freak of nature." It had felt good back then, giving Santa the kick in the thigh that he deserved. Hitsugaya hated Santa Claus too.

It wasn't that he hated his abilities-it had its own advantages-but it made it hard for him to fit in. If he tried to make friends, it would just happen that when he did make "friends", he would find out-in some way or another-that his friends thought he was a weird, a freak, or something else that was not especially nice. If he had the choice, he'd rather just have the white hair and no freaky psychic abilities. Then, at least he wouldn't have to listen to everybody's bad thoughts whenever he accidentally brushed against them or touched them. But since he did have "freaky psychic abilities", he stayed away from everyone else at school. People said he was cold, emotionless, but what did they know? They were stupid and he hated all of them too. It occurred to him now that he hated many things...