I DO NOT OWN BLEACH! IF I DID, I WOULD BE RICH!
Chapter 1
I am a loser. Really. I am 16 years old and don't have 1 friend.
Its not like I never had friends, I had plenty back in America, well, before my Father made me move to Japan with him.
I can't blame him for moving us though, our old house was so full of memories of Mom......But all the way to Japan? What was he thinking?
Our new apartment is old, it must be full of memories, thankfully none of ours....
Anyways, its not like I haven't tried to make friends. But its like theres a barrier around me, like The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, but even he had a girlfriend.
I pass a girl on my way to class, I see her often in Japanese History. I wave, she passes without even glancing at me.
I get to class just before the bell rings. After writing down a few questions on the board, the teacher calls on me to answer a question, I hate him.
I can barely speak Japanese, and just barely able to write it.
"Um....ah....." I stutter.
The teacher frowns, he is not happy.
"Answer it."
"Um....Buddha?"
He gives me a odd look, then turns to ask a more smart student to answer.
I sigh, at least the questions are over.....for now at least. Until next class when that teacher will ask me something I know nothing about. Out of boredom, I glance around the room. Most students are paying attention, but a few are passing notes, reading manga, or drawing. The Norm really.
And what am I doing? Besides looking around and wishing I am anywhere but here? Nothing. I have my text book open in front of me like the good little student I am.
After 30 minutes of this, the bell finally rings, its time for lunch. Lunch for me is well, lets see.....I first walk down to the ground floor, then wait in line for 5 minutes, finally get my lunch and head outside to eat on one of the benches. The bench I usually sit on is behind the school surrounded by beautiful blooming cherrie trees.
So, I sit, alone, about to eat when I see him.
Its a boy, running toward me and then past me. After a few paces ahead he stops and turns as just realizing with dread that I saw him. It takes me a moment to realize who it was, it was the only boy in class with orange hair, Ichigo.
"Ichigo? Whats the matter? Whats with the robe?" I ask. He's wearing a black robe during school when we're only support to wear uniforms.
"You can see me?" He gasps, shocked for some reason.
"Yeah, I'm not blind."
He shakes his head as if he can't believe what I just said. A girl rushes up to him from the lunchroom, also wearing a black robe, Its Rukia a student and suspected of being Ichigo's girlfriend.
Her face is a mask of fury as she says,
"ICHIGO! Lets go! The Hollow isn't going to wait for us!"
"Hey Rukia!" I wave. She looks at me, looking just as shocked as Ichigo.
"W-what? She can see us?" Rukia asks Ichigo, he nods.
"Yes, but strange, shouldn't you have felt her spiritual pressure Rukia?"
"I didn't feel anything."
Now its starting to get weird, Spiritual Pressure? What is that? Why are they acting so weird?
"Um....did I do something?" I ask.
They turn, Rukia sighs and Ichigo just stares at me blankly.
"Its nothing, really, just that-LOOK OUT!" Rukia screams.
I turn around, nothing there.
"Whats-?"
The two rush past me, pulling out swords from they're robes. They start attacking thin air....no not thin air, its SOMETHING. I can HEAR it.
Then, what ever it is sends me flying across the bench, into a tree, causing me to become winded.
"Dammit! Ichigo! Finish it off now!" Rukia screams as she just barely avoids a blow from the invisible thing.
"Alright!"
Ichigo jumps into the air, wielding his massive sword effortlessly and brings it down with a CLANG on the invisible thing. The thing gives a cry of defeat and falls to the ground, or I suspect it did due to the dust raising in the air.
"You okay?" Rukia rushes toward me.
"Yeah, fine." I reply raising to my feet.
"Rukia! What the hell? Why didn't you warn me earlier that Hollow was so close to school?" Ichigo spits out, coming toward me and Rukia. Rukia turns to glare at the approaching Ichigo.
"Its not my fault! The Hollow Finder must be broken! It said the Hollow was on the other side of town!"
"Then go see Mr. Hat 'n Clogs and ask him to get you a new one!"
My head spins, Hollows? Hollow Finder? Mr. Hat 'n Clogs? Whats going on?
"Um....whats a Hollow?" I ask.
The two turn to me, Rukia sighs and replies,
"Hollows are spirits that, after they die, stay on Earth to be connected to one person or place. After so long, their Chain of Fate brakes. They lose their mind and become violent."
"I see." I nod, not really seeing at all.
"And thats why me and Ichigo wear these robes, so we can help vanish them."
I peer closely at the dark robes.
"So, these robes, make you able to see and kill these Hollow things?"
Clearly that was the wrong answer, for Ichigo rolls his eyes and replies.
"No that's not it, stop confusing her Rukia! Its because we're Soul Reapers?"
"Soul Reapers?"
"Yeah, people with strong Spiritual Pressure can train to become Soul Reapers, if you become one you get a sword and get to go to Soul Society."
Ichigo says, Rukia rolls her eyes and grumbles.
"You think I'm confusing? Anyways, we have to go now." Rukia turns and starts to walk back to the lunch room.
"Where are you guys going?" I ask as Ichigo turns to leave, shouldering his sword.
"Oh, Rukia has to go back to her body and I have to get someone out of mine."
"What?" I say, thinking I've heard wrong.
"I'm just confusing you.......Listen come meet me and Rukia after school in front of the school. We'll try and explain everything then. Until then, don't mention this to anyone, they'll think you're crazy."
"Alright." I nod. At that moment the bell rings, time for class.
"Shit. See you later!" Ichigo says running toward the lunch room.
I walk slowly back to class, my mind mulling over what just happened. In fact, the rest of the day I sit spacing out, the teachers having to repeat the same thing over and over until I would get that they were talking to me.
Finally, the bell rings, school is over. After grabbing my stuff, I head out to meet Ichigo and Rukia.