Hey guys!
So, the bad news is, my laptop broke, so all of my files were completely lost.
The good news is I still have some saved in other places and I wrote a story to make up for what I lost.
So, without further adieu, please enjoy my new story, Bullied
Isshin sighed as he put the dishes in the sink. He looked at the plate that was still full on the counter next to him, the ice-cold food no longer steaming. Ichigo refused to come down for dinner. Ever since his 14-year-old son started high school he's been experiencing more hardship than ever before. And Isshin didn't understand why.
Ichigo's always had trouble making friends since he started school all because of his hair color. It wasn't that bad because when Ichigo was little, it was simple "picking-on" by the other students. Most ignored him, so Ichigo was always alone. Now everything's changed.
Ichigo came home today littered with cuts and bruises again. The huge purple bruise under his cheek swelled and Isshin could tell it was causing him pain. Isshin gave him all the ice packs he had in the clinic and Ichigo retreated to his room and never came back down. Isshin wrapped up his food in tin foil and placed it in the fridge before drying his hands and heading up stairs.
It's late. The girls are already asleep and Isshin figured Ichigo was aswell. But Isshin also knew that Ichigo stayed up all night when things like this happened and refused to go back to school the next day. Which Isshin didn't mind. But he wanted Ichigo to go back tomorrow.
Isshin reached Ichigo's door and gave a soft knock. "Ichigo?" Isshin called. There was only silence as a response. "Ichigo, are you hungry? I wrapped your food up." he said. No answer again. Figuring Ichigo was asleep, Isshin turned the knob and entered. He wasn't the one to intrude on his son's privacy, especially moments like this. But last time this happened Ichigo jumped out his window and wandered the streets until three in the morning.
When Isshin opened the door he paused when he found Ichigo sitting upright on his bed. He was facing the open window, the window blowing ever so gently against him. He was gently stroking his left arm, which a scrape was bleeding from. He was smearing the blood up and down his skin, his eyes dead and emotionless. To Isshin, it was a rather terrifying thing to see. He approached Ichigo and looked over his shoulder. He was pale and his bruises darkened.
"You okay, Ichigo?" Isshin asked. Ichigo barely nodded a yes. "Mind if I sit down next to you?" he asked. Ichigo didn't nod or shake his head, so Isshin sat down. He looked out the window and looked at the gleaming full moon. It was the brightest of the year. Isshin had never seen it so bright before. "Night's beautiful, isn't it, Ichigo?" Isshin asked. Ichigo remained quiet, still smearing the blood on his arm. "You'll get an infection if you do that. Stop." Isshin said sternly. Ichigo continued to smear the blood in almost a rythmic pattern he was stuck in. Isshin instinctively grabbed his son's arm and pulled it away. Only until then did Ichigo look at his father.
Ichigo's eyes were glazed over and puffy. It was the first Isshin has seen him crying all day. When Ichigo came home, he didn't give his father eye contact. Isshin knew his son felt complete shame in crying and felt weak for it.
"Ichigo..." Isshin whispered. Ichigo looked away and yanked his hand away. He gripped his scrape again, but this time, he squeezed it tightly, as if he was trying to hang on to something. "Ichigo, talk to me." Isshin put a hand on his shoulder. He felt his son shaking. Tears pelted Ichigo's bruised hand as he began to snivel. "Ichigo, please. Talk to me." Isshin frowned and felt his heart break. He's never seen his son so weak before. And it killed him watching his own son crumble before him.
For a while Isshin sat with Ichigo with no response. Just listening to his son's sniffles and watching his tears wash away the blood on his hands. This went on for sometime and Isshin wasn't sure if he should leave his son be or push him to talk. But the one thing he did want was to patch up his son's wounds.
"Can I please take care of your scrapes?" Isshin asked. Ichigo was still and silent. Isshin took it as a yes and left to get some supplies. When he came back, Ichigo was still facing the window. It didn't matter. Isshin's dealt with more difficult patients before. Ichigo wasn't one of them.
Isshin delicately took Ichigo's arm into his hands and wiped his arm with alcohol. Ichigo didn't flinch when the burn set in. The burn did not match the pain he suffered whenever he went to school. Isshin wiped the rest of the blood clean before he added ointment and wrapped up his arm with some clean bandages and taped it off. After it was done, Ichigo dropped his arm and sighed. Isshin stared worriedly at him. It was like the person before him was some strange patient that wandered into his clinic that needed treatment. It wasn't Ichigo. It wasn't his son.
"Ichigo, I want to talk to you." Isshin said sternly. Ichigo looked at him. He knew that tone of voice would work. Isshin never used this tone of voice with any of his children unless they were in serious trouble. "I'm worried about you. I really am." Isshin's voice softened as he continued. "You've been acting so different since you started high school. You're coming home every day with so many different bruises on you that you're starting to look like a dalmatian. Your personality had changed so dramatically I feel like I'm housing a stranger. Everything has changed and I want to know why." Isshin said. Ichigo held his stare for a minute more before he looked away. "Ichigo, talk to me." Isshin begged. Ichigo still remained silent. "Ichigo,"
"Dad, just leave me alone." Ichigo snapped.
"No," Isshin said, his voice deepening once more. Ichigo gritted his teeth. "I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what's wrong. And if you don't then I'm going to-"
"I'm sick of being bullied, all right!" Ichigo yelled. Tears streaming down his cheeks. Isshin jumped at his sudden shout. "Ever since I started high school the bullying has gotten worse and I can't take it!" Ichigo whipped to looked at Isshin. "I'm being jumped by gangs, ridiculed by strangers, and being frowned at by my own damn teachers! I'm sick of being treated like an outcast because of the color of my hair!" Ichigo gripped his head and tugged at his hair. His nails dug into his scalp as his whole body began to shudder and he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "I can't take it anymore! It's not fair I have to be afraid to go to school. I have to worry about all the injuries I suffer. I have to hope to God that my teachers don't fail me simply because they don't like me! Or have gang members after me because they want to kill me because they think I'm from a rival gang. They rope me into the group of thugs all because they come after me and think my hair has something to do with gang colors. I'm only 14! I didn't want any of this!" Isshin reached out and grabbed Ichigo's arms and forced them to his sides. "No! Let go of me, Dad!" Ichigo screamed, his fists clenching his bright locks he pulled from his scalp. Tears soaking his face and his frame hyperventilating.
"Ichigo, please calm down." Isshin quietly pleaded. "Relax and breathe. You're going to get sick if you keep choking the way you're doing now." Isshin whispered. Ichigo couldn't control his emotions. He's been keeping them bottled up for so long and now that they've been released he can't calm down. "Relax, buddy. Everything is going to be okay." Isshin said. Ichigo shook his head.
"No it's not... everything is going to shit. I'm not going back to school tomorrow!" Ichigo wailed. He slumped over and whimpered, "I've failed... I've failed mom."
"What?" Isshin furrowed his eyebrows.
"Mom... she would be so ashamed of me right now... getting into fights and causing trouble at school... she wouldn't want a delinquent as a son." Ichigo looked away. That's when Isshin shook him violently.
"You say anything like that ever again and I will beat the living pulp out of you, Ichigo." Isshin narrowed his eyes. "Your mother was very proud of you and still is." Isshin said. Ichigo only stared at him. "Your mother would never blame you for what's happening."
"But... I'm the one that-"
"Is doing your damned best in school, Ichigo." Isshin cut him off. "Ichigo, let me ask you something. Do you walk down the streets flashing gang signs and walking into alleys picking fights with every person you see wearing leather?" Isshin asked. Ichigo continued to stare at his father. "Well?!" Isshin shouted.
"N-no..." Ichigo stuttered an answer.
"And do you spend your nights wandering the town, doing drugs, drinking, and paying for prostitutes?" Isshin asked. again.
"No."
"Are you skipping school and failing all of your classes and being held back?"
"No."
"Are you abusing your family? Bullying your sisters?"
"... no..."
"Exactly..." Isshin finally released Ichigo's arms and smiled at him. Ichigo sniffled, another tear running down his face. This time Isshin wiped it away from the huge bruise under his eye. "Ichigo, you are a son every father and mother wishes they had. Imagine all the parents who have taught their kids right and now have them running the streets shooting at people all for a blunt. Instead, you come home, study, and spend time with your family. And that's everything I could ever ask for in a son." Isshin said. Ichigo looked away and sniffled. "Ichigo, what was your lowest grade in school this year?" Isshin asked. Ichigo thought for a moment.
"It was a B..." he answered.
"A B..." Isshin dragged on.
"... a B+" Ichigo answered quietly.
"And all your other grades were?"
"... all A's..." Ichigo looked back at Isshin.
"Exactly!" Isshin smiled. "And what awards did you get last year in school?"
"Dad... I don't see how this is-"
"Just answer." Isshin cut him off again.
Ichigo groaned. "Perfect Attendance... Best Student..."
"And?" Isshin asked.
Ichigo sighed, "... Academic Performance..."
"And what did you get on your report card?" Isshin smirked at him. Ichigo blushed.
"I got... honor roll..." Ichigo mumbled.
"No you didn't." Isshin glared at him.
"Ugh, fine! I got high honor roll three semesters in a row and one plain honor roll..." Ichigo grumbled. "I would've gotten high honor roll that time if I wouldn't have gotten sick..."
"And what did you do for Yuzu's birthday last year? That one thing she wanted so badly." Isshin leaned closer to his son's face. "And what did you do for Karin when she got sick and I was out of town? Or when the neighbor's cat got stuck in the tree?"
"I used my allowance to get Yuzu the sewing kit she wanted. I ran out to the pharmacy in the freezing, pouring rain to get the medicine we didn't have in the clinic for Karin. And I climbed that damn tree to get her stupid cat even though it sliced by skin like butter. I get it, Dad. I'm a good little egg. What's your point?" Ichigo asked impatiently.
"My point is your mother couldn't be prouder." Isshin said, making Ichigo's eyes got wide. "If you ever think your mother is ashamed of you, I want you to think of all the good things you've done so selflessly for others. If it weren't for your mother watching over you, I probably wouldn't have you here right now. Don't worry about the kids that tease you, or the teachers that look down on you, or the accusations people make. You are you. You know who you are and live up to an astounding reputation despite everyone's assumptions. You know it, I know it, and your mother most definitely knows it." Isshin smiled proudly at him. Ichigo frowned momentarily before he smiled ever so slightly. "That's my boy!" Isshin lunged for Ichigo and hugged him tightly. Ichigo hugged him back and buried his face in his father's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ichigo. I know everything seems like it's going down hill for you but it will get better. It's only the hardest part now. I promise everything will fall together in place just the way you want it. And if you ever need to talk to me about anything don't hesitate. That's what fathers are for, ya know." Isshin pulled away and locked Ichigo's head in his arm, ruffling his hair.
"Dad, stop!" Ichigo chuckled and pulled away. His eyes were still red and puffy, and the bruise was still a deep purple, but the tears had finally stopped. "Do I have to go back to school tomorrow, though?" Ichigo asked, frowning once more.
"No... but you have to promise me not to wander the streets again." Isshin pointed at him.
"I promise." Ichigo nodded.
"Good. I still have your dinner in the fridge. You hungry?" Isshin asked as he stood up. Ichigo nodded. "Good. Come on down then." Isshin began to walk out as Ichigo followed. They got halfway down the steps when Ichigo smiled a bit.
"Hey, Dad." Ichigo mumbled.
"Yeah?" Isshin looked back.
"... Thanks..." Ichigo shuffled his shoulders. Isshin chuckled.
"You're welcome, Ichigo."
I got bullied REALLY bad in school. How many of you guys were bullied? And how did you cope with it? Did this story inspire you or make you feel all kinds of feels inside? If so, leave a review and let me know! Hope you enjoyed!