The eyes of the class were on Ichigo and Ishida. Hushed conversations had started early that morning and continued on into the first period, so that Rukia had found it easier to keep her head down and her eyes on the English text in front of her. Ichigo had a large plaster around his head to cover the gash on his brow. Ishida had bandaged his arms from his wrists to his elbows to hide the burns left by the blue fire. Neither had spoken to the other.
"You have no reason to feel guilty," Rukia said over the side of her textbook when she noticed Ichigo's eyes wandering to Ishida again. They were sitting next to each other in class. They always sat next to each other and had done since the day she'd arrived. Ichigo scowled at her:
"Guilty? Why the hell would I feel guilty? For him? I don't feel guilty."
"I never said you did. I said you shouldn't." She smiled and was pleased when he glared at her. He was so damn easy to tease sometimes.