Chapter One:

Being the New Kid Sucks!

"Isn't that a boy name?"

Alex sighed, every school she went to people always said that same thing and she always replied with: "Well I am a girl, you'll just need to get used to it." But, oddly, no one even asked her what her name was when she arrived at yet another new school. She shrugged and went to find her locker.

The bell rang and she realized she would be late for her first class. Not bothered by this, she took her stuff out from her locker and slowly made her way to her class. Alex never really cared about class; to her, it was just another room with another group of admirers.

"Come in," The teacher said when Alex couldn't decide to either walk in or knock.

She went to the back of the classroom and sat in the empty desk between a petite girl with black hair tied in a bun, and a boy with blonde hair and bangs. As she did this, she was surprised not to see all eyes on her. Growing up her she'd moved to so many schools, she was used to the fact that everyone always looked at her in fascination, you know, her being the new kid.

Here, no one even introduced themselves. The boy sitting beside her didn't smile her way, and the teacher didn't take one glance at her and decide to introduce her to the class. No one even told her what unit they were working on. And worst, for the first time in her life, she felt like she was the new kid, a loser.

She was always being treated as the most popular girl around so it striked her as odd when no one seemed to care. She was never popular for her looks, in fact, she had always thought she was had plain, boring looks. But, being the new kid, everyone wanted to get to know her. Sort of like fresh meat for her school. It really took a hit at her self-esteem so she tried forgetting about it by paying attention to the teacher.

Class was dismissed and Alex took her time gathering her stuff, maybe the teacher was strict and they were afraid of getting detention. But everyone just exited the room, talking amongst themselves without even a glace her way. Alex was immediately furious, how is this possible! No one has ever gone without saying a word to her!

Then realization hit her: maybe it's me?!

She ran to the washroom and began to analyze herself. Hair: brown, the colour of poop(at least that's what she thought),straight with a bit of layers and bangs. Face: light blue eyes, and only a spot of cover-up to cover that one blemish she despised. Clothes: well, everyone here wore the same uniform. Shoes: shiny black flats with a bow on it. She frowned. Alex hated looking at herself in the mirror. She thought they were built to silently laugh at her. She rememberd the girl sitting beside her. Hinamori, was it? The girl had every single strand of her hair in a bun, except for her bangs, and there wasn't one zit on her face.

Maybe that's why no one is talking to me, she thought. They all thinking I'm just another boring student. Nothing compared to everyone else that goes to this school.

You have to understand Alex's past before making any assumptions. She'd been to so many different schools that she expected the same thing to happen each time. The guys would try to flirt with her while the girls envied it. It was just something she so used to, it was like her very own drug; she needed it. Without it, her self-esteem would force her into a whole in which she can never crawl out of. She was so used to being the new student that had visited so many different places and fascinated people- not the new kid that didn't even know where her next class was.

Alex walked back to her locker trying her hardest not to think about the people at this school. When she closed her locker, a tall figure with bright red hair was beside her, collecting his things from his locker. Maybe God had sent this boy here as an apology for His mistake of sending her to this school. Maybe, this was her chance to prove herself.

She smiled at herself, knowing this time, the boy will look. "Excuse me," she said in her sweetest tone, "um, I'm sorta new here, could you please tell me where I can find Ms Yang's English class?"

The boy didn't turn his head, "grade 10?" Alex nodded. "Follow me; I'm headed there now." He closed his locker and began to walk.

Alex was shocked by his unfriendliness, "Why is everyone treating me like this?" She asked to no one in particular.

The boy, overhearing what she said, stopped walking and turned to look at her for the first time. Alex, who was trying to catch up, accidently bumped into him. "No one here cares about new kids," he said. "If you want friends, start talking to people, don't just wait for people to come up to you."

"It's not as easy as you think," Alex said, shocked. "You don't know how many schools I've been to. Everyone always came up to me. Do you actually think it's that easy to just start off at a new school and make friends in the blink of an eye?!" Alex was beginning to get mad, how could he talk to her like that?!

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," he said, apology that so clearly written on his face. "I'm Renji."

Alex smirked. Designer sunglasses and tatoos all of your head? she thought.

"Well, Renji, you shouldn't be making judgments before getting to know a person, that's how you loose friends." And with that, she walked to her class ahead of Renji, already having a clear view where her class was.

~*~

This time, Alex didn't wait for people to come up to her, she just took her stuff and left. Clearly, she was trying to prove a point to Renji- that she no longer cared and can survive this school without having to do any hair-flipping or batting her eyes. But she knew she was only doing it to get his attention. The boy had interested her the moment she caught a look at his appearance.

"Listen, I really am sorry about what I said earlier, it's just you have to know that no one here is going to pay any attention to you, and it is best if you don't pay any attention to us." Renji said when he arrived at his locker beside Alex. He had made a mistake the last time he talked to her and thought he should make things clear.

"Excuse me?" She said surprised at where the conversation has gotten.

"Just promise me you'll mind your own business." He said.

Alex turned her back on him and headed to the cafeteria. What he was saying made no sense and this school was getting odder and odder. She was in line for a muffin, her thoughts on how the pineapple on display looked like someone's head, when a familiar voice boomed over the cafeteria.

"Oh, come on, Alex! Don't be like that, listen to me!"

Alex froze and turned around, only to see everyone's eyes on her. She has never been so embarrassed in all her life, never had she have a room go quiet just because someone had said something to her a bit too loud. She felt the warmth of her blood rush to her face and knew that everyone would noticed the change in her pale skin.

The time felt frozen in her eyes, like it was all moving in slow-motion. She would of laughed about it, made some wise crack about how Renji should learn to use his indoor voice, but something took control of her and she thought about the chances of all of this being a dream.

Think, Alex! Don't just stand there!

But.. There's nothing I can do. Let me just hide in a corner...

Don't be a loser! Put your tray away, and take the closest exit. Slowly. slowly, act normal, regular. Don't let them see how you really feel.

How I really feel? she thought, I feel like I'm going to scream if I don't get out of here fast enough!

Alex made her way to the door she entered from. Trying to imagine no one was in the cafeteria, she walked past all the scary eyes until she reached the door and was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. It was Renji.

"Alex, I-" He began, aware of his mistake.

"Don't, Renji." She said, in that scary-calm voice she always heard her dad use when he was mad. "Just, don't."

Alex brushed by Renji and mentally sighed when she was out of sight of the people in the cafeteria. She was about to make it to her locker when that same voice that ruined her lunch, spoke right beside her.

"Please, I didn't mean to, I was just-"

Just what...?

"Leave me alone!"

It was loud. Probably louder then she thought was possible. But, once again, all eyes were on her and she realized what she had done.

She was that loud voice.

Her eyes went wide and her hands went up to cover her mouth. She slammed her locker and ran for it, headed to the first doors she saw.

Renji was frozen in his spot too. He never knew Alex was capable of being so loud. Of letting her anger out and speaking like, well, like a shinigami would. But it was the fact that he had compared her to a Death god that worried him. Many humans around the world have been experiencing their own meetings with spirits, and depending on their spiritual energy, they'd become substitute shinigami. Not that it wasn't a bad thing for Soul Society, but Renji just thought humans should live as humans for as long as they can.

~*~

Alex stopped running when she was far into the fearsome forest near the school. This was the wrong place to come, the spooky shadows, the tall dark trees; it didn't help her come to a normal understanding of what just happened.

She couldn't help but hear reruns of Renji's warning: Don't pay any attention to us. No one here is going to notice you. Just mind your own business. What does he even mean? Why would he tell me that? What the hell was it even about?! What he said to her after class was the complete opposite of what he told her before. What ever conclusion she came to about Renji and the students at her new school, it would always seem abnormal.

Alex thought about how stupid she was for being embarrassed like that in the cafeteria. It's not like she wasn't used to people looking at her. And so what if no one knew anything about her and their first impression was that she was a freak, a loser? The New kid. She sighed, understanding her own words.

She hated her father for doing this to her. Why did they always move? Couldn't her father see that they were doing just fine, that he could tell his boss he doesn't need to move here or there for more money when they're doing just fine? And why doesn't her mom ever do anything about it. She's a woman, she can take charge once in a while, too! She was so tired of putting on a pretty face and pretending she didn't care. All she wanted was group of trustworthy friends, she didn't even care about being popular!

She came to a point where she thought it was all stupid and gave up. I'm going to forget that it ever happened and start all over! she decided, proud she came up with a good idea. Who knows, maybe her father might stay in this city and she can stay with the friends she makes.

Alex had been walking in the forest for some time when she realized she had absolutely no clue on how to get out of it. She was about to give up when she heard a chuckle coming deep from the woods. Alex turned around, startled, and then laughed at herself. "I never did like forests," she told herself. And then she heard something else.

"Mmm, another gorgeous female to eat!"

New story!! :) Let me know if it's good (or bad), please! Comment!!