What a Character!
Chapter 1:
Homeroom Blues
I sigh as my Converse make dry patches in the dew-ridden grass as I trudge across the soccer field to yet another year in school. The moistness was soaking into my shoes and made my feet feel uncomfortable, but taking the shortcut through the field cut off about three minutes of walking around it. I sigh again as I step on to school property, dreading another year of school, but also glad that it will be my last. I tromp up the stairs to my homeroom, the one I've had for three years, so it was no challenge finding it. My locker, on the other hand, was nowhere near it and I let a slight groan pass my lips as I looked at the slip my homeroom teacher gave me informing me my locker was on the third floor. So much for using my locker this year, I am so not going all the way upstairs every morning. I think to myself. I let loose another audible sigh and slouch my shoulders as I take a seat in my homeroom desk, crossing my arms and lowering my head in despair.
"Is everything all right?" A soothing voice comes from behind my desk, momentarily startling me, for it was a voice I had never heard before, but one that seemed quite familiar. I whip around and am face to face with a tall, slender teen. But it was not his body that first caught my eyes, it was his hair. The shock of orange was one that no one could miss, even if only at a glance in the hall way.
Never seeing the teen here before in my life, and after three years in the same homeroom you'd think I would have seen him before, I suddenly notice I am just staring at him, mouth agape. Quickly coming to my senses, I reply, "Ah, yeah I guess so. Umm… I mean, it is school, and well, who likes that?"
"I totally and completely agree," Was his short answer, accompanied by a slight nod, making his hair ruffle a bit. I was still quite sure I had seen him before, but couldn't quite place the where.
"I haven't seen you here before, new I'm guessing?" I tentatively ask the orange-haired teen.
"Yeah, transferred here from Japan, and how rude I am, my name is Ichigo." He replied with a wide grin, which soon morphed into one of confusion as my jaw nearly dropped to the ground. I had to hold on to the sides of my desk to prevent myself from falling to the floor. He gave me another quizzical look as it dawned on me who this orange-haired adolescent was.
"I, you… Strawberry?" I managed to spit out after a few gulping breaths in an attempt to reign myself in.
"Ah, what? How did you know that? Only my friends call me that…" He trailed off and gave me another quizzical look. Finally regaining sense, I ask, "Okay, you came from Japan, right?" He nods, "And you are new here…" He nods again, "And your last name is Kurosaki." At this, Ichigo's eyes went wide in surprise, and for once I was grateful almost no one went to homeroom or paid any attention, including the teacher. I didn't know what he was going to do; I had taken a chance and had been straight forward with him.
It was now his turn to have his jaw drop almost to the floor, and all he could sputter was, "But how would you… How do you… Where would you… What?" His eyes opened even further as I watched his pupils dilate to the sudden increase in light. I quickly look to the floor, a slight flush on my cheeks for I knew exactly who it was, a person I was so familiar with, as was millions of other people, and to have him sit behind me in a desk in my school in real life was almost too much to muster. As my head started spinning, I noticed his probably was too and stood to make a hasty getaway. But he was having no such thoughts. Grabbing my arm, he plopped me right down again, his touch sending strange feelings up my spine.
"Okay, give it to me straight, how do you know who I am?" His chocolate brown orbs glared into mine with such a fierce concentration I was lost for words, and god his eyes were just like how I thought they'd be. This sent a fresh flush up on my cheeks and he instantly took notice, for it stood out against my pale skin. His eyes softened a bit, probably thinking he was scaring me a bit, which was a total understatement since he was completely freaking me out. I take another breath, sigh and close my eyes, hoping that when I open them he will have magically disappeared. No such luck. So I did the only thing I could think of.
"What classes do you have?" I asked totally off topic, meaning to find a time to break the news to him. He was slightly startled at my change of topic but nodded and pulled out his schedule.
It was the exact same as mine.
"Well then, seems like we're going tah have an interesting year, huh?" He grinned and tilted his head to the side in amusement. Another flush came to my cheeks, forcing me to put my head down once again, covering my face with my long bangs.
"Awe, don't be shy, it must mean something if we have the same classes and you know my name already, by the way, I didn't catch yours." He gave another grin and leaned forward in his desk towards mine.
"Oh, sorry. My name is Amelia Norrell. Not as fun and exciting as yours." I manage a weak grin back.
"And don't forget, you are American as well, me, I'm Japanese so yeah, I'd have a different name to you, but to me, my name is just embarrassing, mostly to the meaning of it…" He trailed off again and looked slightly to the side.
"Yeah your dad does have a strange sense of humor." I add with a light chuckle, completely forgetting that the teen knew nothing about how much I already knew about him, and suddenly gasp and clasp my hand over my mouth at my slip.
He gave me another quizzical look and decided to shrug it off, for now. Finally the bell signaling the end of homeroom went off, and a small sigh escaped my lips.
"Well then, new-buddy-who-seems-to-know-everything-about-me, let's go to class, shall we?" He studied me with a measured grin and made way for the door. Getting there he stopped and turned around, "Uh, which way?"
I laugh slightly and turn left down the hallway, turning around to wait for him to follow. We move through the crowd, me expertly ducking and weaving through the throng of people, while he kept getting caught up in the most congested parts of the hallway. I sigh and grab onto his elbow, leading him through the students crowding our path.
"Yeesh! You Americans have such crowded hallways! You seem tah know what you're doing." He winked and I just rolled my eyes and blushed slightly as I towed him to our first class, economics.
We get to the room and look at the seating chart projected onto the wall via the overhead projector. I could feel some of the color drain from my face as I saw where I sat, namely who I was sitting next to, for it was none other than the tall orange-haired teen next to me.
We had already gotten stares walking down the hallway, and now even more as my fellow classmates I had known forever saw me walk in with him, the new, strange and tantalizing character, and I could see almost everyone eyeing his ginger mane, and his obviously toned body as his lean form stood next to mine.
"Would yah lookit that? We sit next to each other!" He exclaimed and to my astonishment threw his arm over my shoulder and led me to our seats, making almost everyone stare at him, some in shock, others in envy. He sat me down before plopping himself down next to me.
The whole period I tried to control my breathing, and since it was the first day of school, I didn't need to really pay attention, for it was all instruction and introduction to the class. I could tell he took notice of my carefully measured breathing and eyes that stared straight ahead, along with my white-knuckle death grip on the desk top table. People were still staring whenever the teacher's back turned, making me even more hyper aware of the being next to me.
"Hey, calm down, are you okay?" He asked quietly, breath slightly brushing my ear, making my grip tighten on the desk. I impatiently looked at the clock, only ten more minutes. I grab a piece of loose leaf and write one simple word, "No." He grabs the paper from me and scrawls next to it in a nearly illegible script, "Why?" I snatch it back and print, "You know why, I'm surprised you're not freaking out about it right now." His eyebrow shoots up in surprise and he takes the paper back and scratches, "I feel like we've known each other for forever. I'm okay with it." At this, I let a small hiss escape through my teeth as I hold back an urge to gulp air.
The bell rings and I'm momentarily distracted from the topic, and person, at hand. Grabbing my books, I make my way to the doorway, or at least try to, for there he is, grabbing my arm once again.
"Whoa there, where do you think you're going? Yah gotta help me get to my next class, don't cha?" He asked me with an amused smile plastered all over his face. His hand feels like it is burning through my skin, and I try and suppress a small shudder. I stare at him a few seconds, still dumb founded at the shock of my current predicament, then sigh again as I pushed the thought out of my head.
"Yah, I wouldn't forget, Ichi, I'm still a bit shocked at the whole thing… We have art next, yes?" I didn't even notice when I called him 'Ichi', a nick-name usually given by ones of intimate relations. He stared at me a bit then replied, "Didn't know we were going this far this soon," He eyed me as I quickly clasped my hand over my mouth again at the slight slip.
"Ah, my apologies, Kurosaki-san. I just… well, I'll tell you after school," I decided after seeing all the bizarre looks from my classmates as we trudged down the hall towards the art wing. He leaned over my shoulder and gently whispered in my ear so no one could hear, "I don't mind."