Casey's mother looked at her folding her arms as she considered what the girl had said, "You're only Casey's age, right? So you're what, fifteen, sixteen?" she asked before going on, "I don't suppose we can just let you out there on your own at that age. And the school year isn't over until June, so that's another seven months. Plus, there'll be the rest of high school. What are you planning to do for them?" she asked, curiously.

Casey knew what was coming- this was most definitely a yes, but his mother was looking to take in Ichigo a bit longer than Ichigo had planned, obviously. Though, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that yet... He just looked on at the conversation between the two females, while he and his father just stayed out of it, until needed.

Ichigo knew it was obvious that Casey's mother was going to see if she would stay longer, but for now she would pretend she didn't know that. "Well, I would just live it out, it would teach me how to get through life for when I go to college." she said nodding.

"I guess we'll see what happens then." Alicia said, giving the girl a knowing look, as though Alicia knew much more from experience than Ichigo did. Of course, Alicia did have more experience, so the look was justified. Kyle looked to Ichigo, "As for the stipulations, you are going to have to help out around here once and awhile. And take care of the dog, of course, that'll be your responsibility too." he said, though he was speaking in a content tone. Casey's father had wanted a dog for a long time, but his wife always told the boys no, and it was too much work. She wouldn't have a choice that way.

"Casey, she can have the guestroom with the roses. Seems appropriate for a girl." his mother told him. Nodding, he left the room once his mother and father had settle back into a discussion on the couch. Something about what would be for dinner the next night. No doubt the father had gone through nearly all the ingredients to make anything already with his failed attempts at cooking. At least he liked it.

He waited in the hall for Ichigo to follow and join him, a smile on his face.

A smile grew on Ichigo's face and she resisted the urge to hug them both right then and there. She ran and followed Casey to the guest room. After she set her stuff on the bed, she let Macy out, who immediately ran downstairs, then turned around and hugged Casey. "Damn do I owe you one." she whispered.

Casey hugged her back, smiling, "I knew they wouldn't say no. It wasn't like I could just let you run off to god knows where and let your life go to hell." he laughed. He looked around the room a minute, and was going to offer to help her unpack, but then decided it might be more something she'd want to do alone. Especially after how awkward to help her pack it all. When he finally looked back to her, he smiled: "So, uh, welcome home."

Ichigo kissed Casey's cheek, blushing a little bit. "I'll think of a way to pay you back, don't worry. I have my ways." she said as she sat on the bed and pet Macy. She carefully put Macy's bag under the night stand.

Casey began to laugh, a bit harder than he had anticipated, "You sound like you're threatening me!" he laughed and mimicked a voice from a horror movie, "I will pay you baaaccckkk..." he said, though it wasn't what she had sounded like in the beginning. Casey was just looking for a laugh, as usual. He didn't feel like he was worth anything if he couldn't make people laugh.

Ichigo laughed as well and sat on the bed. "I guess so, freak." she said with a small smile. She was happy to be with a friend instead of her mother, who was gone all the time, leaving her to pay for herself.

Casey laughed again, "Hey, I may be a freak, but I'm a freak you're living with. So get used to it!" he responded, sticking his tongue out. He wondered how it would go over after a couple of days. Would it get weird having her in the house, or would it turn out more like they were siblings. Mentally, Casey shrugged. Whatever happened, he decided he would deal with it when it did. Until then, they seemed to be having fun.

Ichigo unpacked her things and put them into designated drawers, then unpacked her secret video games that she never told anyone about. "Wanna play?" she asked as she tossed him the controller for her PS2.

Holding the controller, he shrugged, "What is it?" he asked, unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to play. Video games were never something he did with friends... not that he had many of those to begin with. It was just something he preferred to do alone, either way.

Ichigo stared at the screen then looked up at him with a smile. "It's Kingdom Hearts II, c'mon, one world?" she asked, honestly hopeful.

Casey could hear the hopefulness in her voice and nodded, "okay, one world. I've never played though, so can you help me out?" he laughed, "You have a tendancy for picking games I've never played." he laughed again.

((You really do keep picking games I've never played! XD ))

Ichigo laughed a little and pointed out all the buttons he needed to use. She set it for two-player and went to the first world. After they beat that one, she looked over at him. "Now what do you wanna do?"

((Really? What have you played?))

Casey always had a bit of trouble keeping buttons straight on a controller, but he tried keeping up with Ichigo the best he could. When the game was over, or at least when they were done, he put the controller down and looked at her. "I don't know. What do you want to do?" he asked, unsure of what they could do.

((I dunno, I've played too many to list, but I've never had a PS2 or PS3 or anything. I have a few games for my Xbox, but mostly what I play is my Gameboy Advance, Gameboy SP and my DS. Cx I've played a few gamecube games over a friend's house before, but I'm not into multiplayer games. I tend to turn into a jerk when playing. xD Lol. ))

Ichigo turned off the TV and shrugged. "We could just talk, I'm not sure of what else we could do," she offered. She traced the square edges on the quilt that was on the bed as she waited for his response.

"Yeah, alright." he said, mildly enthusiastic. Casey couldn't honestly see anything else to do at that moment either anyway. He also had a question he wanted to ask, "So, what happens at school now? Do we tell people, or pretend nothing's changed? You go back to your twenty-seven popular friends and I slink back in the shadows?" he asked, standing at the foot of the bed with his arms folded casually across his chest.

Ichigo played with her fingernails while he spoke then looked up at him with a sort of hopeful look in her eyes. "Casey, you let me live with you, do you honestly think that I'm just going to let that slide and ignore you?" she asked. "Plus, I'll be coming to school with you and leaving school with you, others are going to start getting suspicious."

Casey nodded- he hadn't thought about that much. He had just assumed things would go back to the way they were the first day, and it wouldn't matter that she was living with him. 'Of course people will get suspicious,' he thought, 'I just wonder what she'll tell them...' he looked at the floor, then back up to her. She was still popular, he reasoned, and he was still... Well, he was still nothing. He shrugged, finally, in response, "Well, we're from two different worlds, you and I, so it's not totally inconceivable..." he trailed off, looking at the floor. To compose himself, he took a deep breath, "So, you're not going to ignore me?" he asked, letting the insecurity surface. It was rare enough for Casey to find someone who was willing to talk to him, but for that person to be a girl, and living with him. It was simply bewildering.

Ichigo shook her head and laughed, "No, Casey!" She liked that she could see that he trusted her with these kinds of things. "Casey...are we...okay? I know I've been kind of rude towards you these last few days and I just wanted to make sure you don't feel intimidated, uncomfortable or pressured in any way around me." she asked, hoping they were fine with eachother.