Ichigo stood out the front of the hotel, blowing into her hands to warm up her fingers, she was grappling with the choice on whether she wanted to surprise her boyfriend at work or just drive back to his apartment and wait for him there. Steeling her nerves she decided to just chance it and enter his work place, she hardly did spontaneous things like this. Faltering at the lobby door, she grabbed the hem of her jumper mangling it. 'Deep breath, he'll be happy to see you,' she thought stepping through the revolving door. The hotel was a grand one, lush carpets and first class service, her boyfriend was lucky to work here considering how brash he was. Sitting on the counter of the empty lobby was a small dainty blonde, she had her arms wrapped around his neck and was kissing him, this stranger was kissing her boyfriend. It was like something inside her snapped, the dam that held her anger at bay broke and it was poisoning her faster than she could breathe. Ichigo was a shy girl, she was always diplomatic in any situation but this time she felt the overwhelming urge to hit someone. This was 'her' boyfriend. She was not going to share. Scowling she marched over and grabbed the girl by her hair, throwing her across the lobby, all she could see was red. Tray stood there wide-eyed, never having seen Ichigo like this before.
"What the fuck is this?" She hissed. Tray looked around for the girl but she had fled the building, running off into the night. He scowled, annoyed that she didn't stay to help him out. Then he faced Ichigo, she looked ready to kill, he just stood there not moving the sweating pouring off him. Never in his life had he ever seen Ichigo this mad.
"Ichi baby I can explain all this, she came ont." he never got a chance to finish his sentence, Ichigo punched him in the jaw.
"Don't bother you piece of shit, I don't need to hear your stupid excuses. We're through!" She screeched cradling her hand as she stormed out of the building, it felt like her hand was on fire. The red-head ran after her, still making up excuses but his words fell on deafened ears. Getting into her old car, she stomped her foot on the accelerator, narrowly missing her ex as she sped out of the parking lot. She drove like a mad man before long she had to pull over, it would be on her conscience forever if she accidentally hit someone. Taking out a cigarette she lit it up, smoking had become a crutch for her, a way to handle her emotions when things became too much. It wasn't an addiction but it close to becoming one. With her father hounding her about taking over the clinic, her emotions were out of whack and she was stressed to the Nth degree. Flicking her cigarette butt out of the car window, Ichigo caught sight of the posters on the worn brick wall of the building before her, the entire wall covered in various military posters from all ages. Ichigo continued to stare mesmerised, an idea forming as she continued looking at them. Lurching from the car she grabbed the latest poster tearing it from the wall. A voice startled her; she had completely missed the man lounging in the doorway.
"Hey, ya know teh military ain't gonna hire yer ass. That place is for men only, not weak woman," he slurred, waving round a glass bottle in a paper bag. She scowled, turning her back on him.
"Take the advice girly, you'll just get hurt."
"Why does everyone think I'm just some little girl who doesn't know any better. I don't want your advice. I am not weak. I am not going to just lie down any more and let people walk all over me," she screamed, the man dropped the bottle, nodding in fear and tripping over his own feet as he tried to back away from her. Slamming the door to her car Ichigo kept a tight hold of that poster the entire way home.
Slamming the door to her apartment she looked at her surroundings. It really looked like the home of a house wife, because of that people always thought she was helpless, soft and innocent, someone who would always believe what she was told. Ichigo snatched up the scissors sitting in her sewing basket, her boyfriends, her ex boyfriends, clothing was filling the basket. She would have to burn it all later. Grabbing fistfuls of hair she hacked it off haphazardly, tossing the long orange locks all over the room. She moved to stand in front of the mirror adorning the wall of her living room, with a scowl plastered in her face she looked like her crazy brother. Grabbing the phone she keyed in one of the few numbers he knew by heart. The plan would never work without his help and he was the only one crazy enough to do it. She was going to join the military. As a boy.
"Shiro, get your butt over here I need your help."