MEANINGLESS STORIES, MY FAVOURITE!
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Rukia
Yep, If Renji was here he would be laughing his ass off, all right. That is until I gave him this wretched thing, and then I'd be the one laughing.
I almost smirk at the thought but then I remember the reason I'm here anyway.
Yes, these juice boxes truly are infernal things.
I remember Ichigo showing me how to open the damn things but I'd forgotten. Stupid, stupid, IDIOT, Rukia! Sure, slicing hordes of vicious and dangerous hollows to bits is no problem, I'll run off to take care of that like taking the garbage out, but opening a stupid, human, portable, fruit liquid box thing made of cardboard and plastic, that even toddlers can infiltrate, forget it, I have to recruit a tall, orange haired boy to accomplish that one.
No. I refuse to get help from Ichigo this time! Ok! You can do this, Rukia! Just think! First things first, how do I breach the plastic barrier around the tube thing?
"Oi, need some help?"
I nearly choke on my heart when I realize Ichigo is standing there, but I keep my composer as best I can. How long has he been there? I look up at the sky and notice it's a deep orange. How long have I been here? What time was it? I wonder what's for din-
"Rukia!" Ichigo's voice snaps me back to reality.
"What do you want, idiot?" I retort, annoyed.
"I asked you a question and you didn't answer. Who's the idiot now, eh?" He says. His scowl is still in place but his eyes are mocking.
I feel my cheeks flush slightly and I look away from him.
"So, what did you ask?"
"I wanted to know if you needed help."
With what?
"You know, the juice box?" the confusion on my face must have been really obvious. Or, maybe, He could just be good at reading me. I feel the warmth back on my cheeks and hide my face from him.
"No! I can do it myself!" I yell.
He comes over to face my direction.
"Alright, whatever." He says.
I try to free the tube again. I fail. Again. Nodda. Again. Zip.
With each failure I feel my face burn more and more. From the corner of my eye I can see him smirking at me, his own eyes laughing now.
He puts his hand out.
"Give it here." He says.
"I can do it!" I shout.
He brings his hand back and puts both against his chest, defensibly.
"Try not to bite my head off."
"I'll keep that in mind." I say to the tall boy.
I resort to biting at the plastic and he grabs the tube out of my mouth and the box out of my hand.
"Moron, if you bite it, you'll just hurt your teeth." He puts the box on the ground and points to the sharper end of the tube, still encased in the wrapper "Look, you see the tip of the straw?"
I nod.
"Well, you hold the straw near the tip and use your other hand to hold it near the top, get it?"
He demonstrates and I nod again.
"Stop talking to me like I'm a child." I say.
"It's easier this way." Damn strawberry.
"Now, see how I'm pushing my fingers together without letting go of the wrapper?"
"Yeah."
And suddenly the tu...oh wait...straw is out of its prison. My eyes widen in shock.
"The sharp end of the straw broke through the wrapper." Ichigo says, answering my unvoiced question.
He switches the straw into his right hand and picks up the juice box.
"This parts' easy. There's a tin circle on the top of the box. Stick the pointy part of the straw through it."
The example made it easy to understand. Once he was done I swiped back the box and sucked on the straw.
"I can't get over how good juice in the human world is." I say
"Ah." He replies.
The atmosphere becomes awkward.
I feel the need to fill the silence.
"And Ichigo."
"What?"
"Th-thanks."
He smiles, one of his rare genuine smiles, the kind that isn't mocking or laughing, but happy, gentle and maybe even sweet. Every time I see that smile my breath catches and my heart speeds up. My cheeks begin to burn. I'm embarrassed by my stupid schoolgirl tendencies. It's all his fault. I pray that the sunset covers the red splattered foolishly on my face. I turn away and slurp on my juice box. I want strawberry juice next time.
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This isn't over yet. I'm gonna do it in Ichigo's POV too.
-Tobi.