~Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo~

*Mild cursing*

Diversus

Chp 1

Laedere

Sitting in class, I quickly jotted down our history teachers lecture. We had a test next Friday and I could not risk getting anything less than an A. I had goals, plans, for my future. I refused to let anything interfere with said plans. As freshman class president, there was also a lot expected out of me. Even as the bell rang, I continued to take notes until the teacher finally wrapped up her lesson. The class was empty by then and I was still expected to attend my next class. Putting my supplies away in my backpack I began to make my way out of my seat.

"Orihime Inoue," the teacher said my name.

"Yes, Mrs. Oto?" I respond moving towards her desk.

"We still need some volunteers for the tutoring sessions this weekend for students that are failing so early into the school year. It's mandatory otherwise they wouldn't be allowed any credits, there are many students showing up. But we don't have enough tutors, do you mind dropping by?" Mrs. Oto asked adjusting her glasses on her wrinkled face.

"I'll be there," I said smiling, excusing myself I walked to my next class.

My school days went like that; I was either taking notes on a new lesson, doing work, or helping the teacher. My grades were one of my main priorities. Listening to the English teacher repeat yesterdays lesson, I began to daydream. Looking outside the near bye window I felt something poke my rib. Turning my head around I see my best friend Tatsuki scowling.

"Orihime, you're going to get yelled at again for not paying attention!" She whispered.

"Sorry Tatsuki, I'm kind of… bored." I respond.

"What, Orihime bored with school? That's shocking." She faked a surprised face while I had to force myself not to giggle.

"Orihime Inoue, would you like to repeat what I said since you were listening so well in the back?" My name was called once again by a teacher, but this time for an entirely different reason.

Sighing, I put down my pencil and apologized. Looking my teacher dead in the eye, I repeated the same lesson he taught us yesterday. Word bye word, I didn't miss a single fact. I felt the entire class's eyes on me, including my furious teacher. Ignoring me, he went back to the lesson.

Shaking my head, I looked towards Tatsuki who was struggling too hold back her laughter. Identical to a shaking Nel, Rangiku, and Rukia in the back row with there heads in there arms. Turning back around and facing the board, I already knew all of this information. The class period went by extremely slowly, keeping my eyes on the clock I counted down the seconds.

3

2

1

The school bell rang and it was time for lunch. "Finally.." Grabbing my things I walked out of the class ignoring my glaring teacher. Waiting for my friends outside the door, they walked out laughing.

"Way to go Orihime," said a red faced Rukia.

"Yeah Orihime," added Tatsuki.

"You must teach me how you do that," Rangiku said wrapping one of her arms around my shoulder followed by a grinning Nel.

Walking to the tree we normally ate under during lunch, it was me and four of my closest friends. We had known each other since kindergarten and were inseparable. There were numerous different conversations happening all at once, but we managed to be apart of each one. Looking at a boisterous Rangiku who was twirling her strawberry blonde hair with a thin manicured finger, I noticed although she was next to me, her head was in the clouds.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I look up at her; she was a few inches taller than me.

"Its nothing," she said shaking her head. I knew if it was important she would've told us, so I didn't push the issue.

Sitting under the tree, I lied back on the trunk. Freshman year had just started and I was extremely busy with school and my extracurricular activities. With zero period, I was at school from seven am till three pm. Right after that I had club meetings on certain days for an hour, followed by sports. This season its tennis and practice is from five to seven sharp, each minute your late is a lap around the field. I normally finish my homework in class, study and volunteer during the weekends. I was rarely at home, but I was very happy with my routine. I try to make time for my friends usually during weekend nights with sleepovers, which are always fun and unexpected, especially with Rangiku.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow night? I was thinking movies and sleepover at my house, possibly shopping before hand?" Asked Rukia throwing a grape in her mouth.

"Rukia, how long have you known me? I could never say no to you!" Rangiku exclaimed.

"Count me in" added a smiling Nel.

They all looked towards me.

"You coming Orihime?" asked Rukia.

"Sorry Rukia, I'm busy tomorrow," I apologized. It was mostly true, I was busy tomorrow. I would tutor at school during the morning, but I was also broke at the moment. I wasn't legally aloud to work for another two years and our financial situation at home left me struggling. But my friends don't know that, which I am very thankful for.

"Aww, next time then?" Rukia asked.

"Sure," I respond with a small smile.

Eating our lunch, I began to bite my apple while my friends were talking. Rukia made a joke causing us all to laugh. I was happy, school always made me happy. My friends always brought a smile to my face. I was able to be me, able to breathe freely while at school.

"You okay Orihime?" Nell asked me worried.

My eyes were watering and I didn't even notice. "Y-Yeah, allergies you know?" I know, I'm a terrible liar, but I didn't know what else to say. Nell understood, even though I didn't tell her what happened, she didn't push me. Smiling to let her know I was fine, we all went back to talking and laughing like we normally do.

The bell ringing signified the end of lunch, saying goodbye, we all made our way to class. The day seemed to drag on, one of the longest Fridays since the school year started a few weeks ago. Each period went by slower than usual but once school was 'over', I still had many other activities to get to. I went to a few club meetings then to the locker room. Changing into shorts and a T-shirt, I grabbed my racket and went out to practice.

Coach had us do many drills and run laps, but towards the end of practice we played one on one. Running and physical activity always helped me calm down and forget about all the struggles I go throughout the day. Bending down, my hands on my knees, I attempted to catch my breathe. As coach blew his whistle, all the girls made there way to the lockers rooms to change and head home. It was already dark outside, but the sky adorned with many bright small stars was really pretty. I was used to walking in the dark, although it was dangerous it was kind of nice. And Tatsuki had taught me self defense.

I unknowingly took the long way home, my subconscious controlling my body. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to go the opposite way; I wanted to run far far away from it.

Sighing, I reached the front steps of my beaten down house. I had never in my life invited someone over to my home, nobody knew where I lived and I made sure of that. Taking the keys out, I put my ear next to the door to hear what's going on in the inside. Normally there would be yelling or glass breaking, curses freely flying about. But there wasn't any of that, there was no noise. This could mean one of two things, everyone's sleeping or something really bad happened. I was hoping for the former, but with my luck, it's probably the latter.

Slowly shaking the jacked up door knob and opening the door, walking in the aroma of cheap alcohol filled my nostrils. There was glass broken, frames scattered over the floor, the room looked like a mess. Walking further, I wanted to run upstairs and lock myself in my room. My heart beat increased with every step I took and my hands became sweaty. I try to ignore my family at all costs, we don't exactly get along.

Planing to run up the stairs, I first had to pass by the living room where the smell of smoke mingling with alcohol was the strongest. My father was lying on the couch, beer bottles scattered all over the ground, drugs on the table, holding a cigarette with his left hand, and feet plopped on the same table. He was wearing an old T-shirt adorned with stains and holes, his boxers the only other thing on. Thinking he was asleep, I attempted to tiptoe my way up the stairs to prevent him from waking up.

"Where the hell were you," fathers gruffy slurred voice roared throughout the small living room, echoing off the walls and into my ear.

"S-School," I said unable to look him in the eye. I was afraid of him and try to ignore him most of the week. He's usually never home so that wasn't very hard.

Getting up he made his way towards me, I noticed his knuckles were bruised with dried up blood on it. There was also some blood on his shirt. I was frozen in place; he stopped right in front of me. I smelled the alcohol even before I walked into the door and at the moment I was suffocating.

"Is that how you greet your father you ungrateful little shit?" He began to yell at me. I didn't respond, I didn't know what to say. He was drunk and from the looks of it seemed pissed, no matter what I did it would end with him yelling at me or doing something worse. He's unpredictable when he's in this state.

"Well are you going to answer? Cat got your tongue? Is this the shit you learn at school?" He screamed, "ANSWER ME!" He threw the beer bottle at the wall behind me. As it crashed into the wall and shattered, I flinched. My left arm stung, but I ignored it. I tried to say something back, but my mouth wasn't cooperating. "I SAID ANSWER ME," and he hit me. The force of the hit caused me to slam into the wall behind me that the previous glass's fate was met by.

The right side of my face was numb and I felt a metallic taste in my mouth. With shaky fingers, I touched the area in pain. I flinched and my eyes began to tear up.

"She left me, that bitch left me. After all that I've done for her. That fucking slut walked out on me with another man, a dealer." Father said pulling his hair and kicking the couch hard enough to leave a dent in it, "She left me with her fucking kid. Ha, who the fuck does she think she is?" He began to yell louder. Oh no, not again. While he ventured into the kitchen to get another beer, I saw my chance. I tried to get up, but I felt a sting in my left arm. Sprinting upstairs I locked the door behind me and began to cry. I was only fourteen, this has been going on since I could remember. Mom tried to get away numerous times when brother and I were little. But she would always come back, she said he changed. We would always believe her. But it would get worse each time. Sora was a few years older then me and he was the one supporting the family. Mother couldn't find a job and Sora was still too young to legally work. I could barely walk and all my father cared about was beer. So Sora ended up dropping out of school his freshman year and joined a gang. He made money and fast, paying off the bills and fathers alcohol. I was only three at the time, but Sora was financially keeping us stable, helping us. Father was still abusive, but Sora would try his best to prevent him from hurting us. Sora carried a gun on him, I remember touching it once. He wold always lock me in my room with mom during the day and go to 'work', while all father did was drink beer downstairs and watch TV. Sometimes mom would spend the day with him and they would do stuff, but I didn't know what it was at the time. Around the time I was six, Sora was still a part of the gang. He spent more time with them then with me but he had no choice. I was okay with it, because he kept me safe and away from father.

Sora had threatened father saying if he ever touched me, Sora would kill him. I asked Sora once when I was younger why he wouldn't take me with him; I was at the verge of tears. He told me it was to protect me, saying he would never forgive himself if I were to get into gang related business because of him. That day he made me promise to always try my hardest at school, get good grades and a scholarship to a nice school. He made me promise to get away from this house and build a nice future away from violence. I asked Sora if he would come with me so we could start our new futures together. That was the first time I saw him openly sad. He always smiled when around me; put an effort in not showing his own discomfort and doubt to protect me. But this time was different.

"Sora, will you move away with me?" I asked my older brother gripping on to the teddy bear he gave me.

"I-I'm sorry hime, its late. You have to sleep and I need to get to… work," he kissed me on my forehead and tucked me in. He looked so broken. I fell asleep holding his hand with a death grip, he didn't leave until my breathing became even.

Later that year, mom got hooked on a few expensive drugs. She began going out more and the fights with my father grew. Sometimes Sora would interfere and stop them but not without getting a few scrapes himself. Sora would then walk into my room and pull me out from under my bed and put me to sleep. I felt so safe with him, I would always hold on to him tightly and cry until I fell asleep. But, when I woke up in the morning he would be gone. Sora tried to find time to visit me, but he was always doing things he couldn't back out of. As school picked up, I was home less and less. Father hadn't touched me physically for years but he would still hit mother. I tried to interfere once when I was ten, but then father raised his hand to hit me. Mother blocked it with her body. I cried myself to sleep that night under my bed.

Mother slowly began to change until she became a shell of what she once was. Sora tried his best to take her to rehab, but she refused. And now she's gone.

I saw Sora last week, but he said he was going out of the country until next month. So here I was now, sitting behind my locked door in tears, hurting all over. It had been years since father hit me, and now he did. I didn't have anyone, I would never risk any of my friend's safety and Sora was too far away to call. Calming down, my trebling finally stopped. Looking up at the clock, I saw it was nine. I had to get up early for school tomorrow…

Finally building the energy to get up, I opened up my closet and brought down a safety kit. Going into the bathroom I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

My hair was in a messy bun, fly aways here and there. The lower right side of my face was slightly swollen and a pinkish color. I had bit my tongue when father hit me, so the inside of my mouth was bleeding. Great. My left arm had a few shards of glass stuck in it. As I began to remove the shards with tweezers, I flinched each time. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Finally finishing up and cleaning my wounds, I took a long shower.

The water that hit my injuries stung, but I had no choice. An hour later I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. Drying myself, I wrapped my left arm and slipped on a T-shirt. I moved my heavy dresser to block my bedroom door and grabbed the teddy bear Sora gave me when I was very little. Touching the snowflake hair pins on my head, I slowly fell into a deep sleep.

I was woken up to the sunlight seeping through my bedroom window. Getting ready for school, I stepped into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror as I did last night. My face was less swollen, but it hurt even worse that last night. The bottom right side of my face was a dark almost blue color. Changing the bandages on my arm, I prepared myself for school. Wearing some concealer on my face to cover up the bruise, I flinched each time I passed the brush over that area. Finally approving of my looks, I moved the dresser away from my door. The thundering snores of my father were heard all the way upstairs. Quickly, yet silently making my way downstairs, I held my breath until I reached the outside of the door.

On my walk to school, I couldn't prevent from trembling. It could have been so much worse. The minute I passed by the gates of Karakura high, the smile was back on my face and the trembling was gone. I was at my home, my haven, my safe place.

Making my way towards the library where the tutoring would take place, I spoke with Mrs. Oto about what she wanted me to do.

"Oh, Orihime! Thank you so much for coming!" She hugged me, slightly brushing against the right side of my face, I prevented myself from flinching.

"No problem, where would you like me to go?" I asked.

"It's actually one of my students, failing all there classes. I personally assigned him to you because I knew you were one of the only students who might be able to handle him. And I'm sure you might be able to make a difference with that pretty face of yours!" she winked at me causing me to blush. I wondered if people were able to see me blushing with the amount of concealer I had to wear to cover the bruise. "He should be sitting at a table in the backside of the library."

Nodding, I began to make my way to the back of the library. The windows were opened and it was so quiet, it brought peace to me. Looking around the library my eyes finally fell upon a boy in a desk in the far corner of the room. With a head full of bright orange hair, he was scowling and seemed unapproachable. I haven't seen him around the school before? Making eye contact, it was like something inside of me flickered awake. It was like a jolt of electricity, his gaze was drilling holes into me and I felt uncomfortable under his gaze. His scowl seemed to harden and he looked so… silly.

I began to laugh, hard. My face hurt so badly but I couldn't stop.

"Who the hell are you?" He barked at me.

"O-Orihime Inoue," I finally calmed down. Wow, that really hurt my face... "I'll be your tutor."

His scowl deepened and I forced myself to not laugh. I think I offended him and at the moment my cheek still hurt. "What's your name?" I questioned politely.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." He responded.

"It's nice to meet you Ichigo, I hope I can help," I reached out my hand and had a small smile on my face.

He seemed surprised for a moment and stared at my hand in the air.

"It's okay Ichigo, I don't bite." I giggled. He scowled making eye contact with me once more. Reaching out he shook my hand. His larger, rougher hands against my smaller softer hands felt… weird.

"So what assignments do you have to make up?" I moved to sit in front of him.

"…All of them, I haven't exactly done any work for the past few weeks." Sighing, he ran his hands through his orange locks.

"Let's start, shall we?" I smiled at him while pulling out my notes.

He glared at me, his face adorned with his silly scowl.

Thank you so much for reading this story! Comments and Reviews are always appreciated! I'll try to update as soon as I find time! If you were curious about what my titles mean, I'm a huge dork when it comes to greek and latin root words... Diversus actually means different, while laedere means hurt. If you have any advice or questions feel free to message me/comment :)

until next time,

loverofliterature_111