Into the Rain
Chapter 2: You're Wrong
It was a Sunday morning when she had first awoken in his room. It was a Sunday afternoon when he had told her she'd be staying there until her feeble immune system got back on track and her cold subsided. And it was a Sunday night that she had slept through until Monday morning.
She awoke at the rustling sound of paper and books. Her eyes fluttered open, and a sudden burning sensation filled them. She, however, waved it off as a part of the cold. Her body felt weak, and for the first time in her life, it felt as if she had no will to move. No strength to even sit up. Her body was begging her to just stay still and rest. She spotted Ichigo packing things up into his backpack.
Ichigo's eyes glanced over and caught her awoken form. "Well, I'm off. See ya." he said and shouldered his backpack, heading toward the bedroom door. His hand squeezed the knob and turned it, swinging open the port. He walked through and closed it with a slight 'thud' and 'click'.
Ichigo Kurosaki, 15, orange hair, and a lot of spunk. He walked down the stairs and avoided a surprise attack by his father, whom crashed into a china cabinet instead of his son. Ichigo's eyes rolled and he walked out the door. He had left early this morning for a reason. His face did well to restrict a smirk from appearing. He walked down the sidewalk, making sure to walk past his bedroom window.
Rukia peered through the blinds of his window and watched as the form headed in the direction of school. She stood up and looked down at herself, dressed in one of Ichigo's pajama pants and shirt. Her wet clothes currently tumbled in the drier Yuzu had started. She could always get them later. She opened the door quietly and closed it in the same manner. She tiptoed down the stairs, her eyes hopping around the room to see if anyone was present. She was in the clear.
Ichigo finally allowed his slight grin to surface as he circled his house and walked back up to the door he had just come from. Not to his surprise, it opened and a sick face poked out.
Her eyes widened. She was speechless. And her body felt like Hell.
Ichigo's arms folded across his chest as a stern look crossed his countenance. "Going somewhere?" he asked, his inquiry hanging in the air like a command. A command to get her ass back up to the room.
Rukia's eyebrows furrowed and she swung the door wide open now. She kicked Ichigo in the shin, and, in contrast to every other time, it didn't hurt him. When she didn't see him doubling over like a baby, her eyes softened and she stared up to his face. The face with the smirk. The face whose lips gave her very detailed instructions.
"Rukia, if you think you're going to leave anytime soon, you're wrong. If you think you're going to get better by leaving here, you're wrong. If you think I will let you leave here sick, you're wrong." he spoke, his smile faded and his words terse.
Rukia let out the cough she had been holding in into her balled up hand, closing her eyes in the process. She sniffed and looked to him again. If it weren't for her being so tired, she'd kick his ass. But, seeing as how 'what ifs' didn't matter, she complied and shut the door with a grumble and stomped her feet back up the stairs. She gladly welcomed the bed that awaited her, and almost instantly upon setting her head down on the pillow, sleep claimed her.
xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxox oxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo xoxo
"Kuchiki," rang a teacher's voice. "Kuchiki, Rukia."
"She's not here." Ichigo's annoyed voice replied.
He had gone through this with every teacher, and each one gave the same shocked response.
"She's not? Is she ill?"
And he would always give them the same answer. "Yeah." Then, they would give a sympathetic look and continue on down the roll. He went to all of her teachers and got the week's work in advance. His last stop was Mr. Hiromi.
"Uh, I'm here to pick up Rukia's work for the week." he stated, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, it's nice of you to do that for her. Do you need her address?" the teacher asked.
"No, she's at my house."
This caused an eyebrow to raise, then a slight chuckle to ensue. "I always knew you two were close friends, but…"
Ichigo snatched the papers held in the teacher's hands and grumbled while walking away. "Tell Miss Kuchiki that I wish her well." he hollered to the retracting student, earning a waving of a hand as recognition.
As Ichigo walked down the path he walked every weekday, he hoisted his bag on his shoulder with his, including Rukia's, work safely tucked away.
"Hey, get a load of carrot top." said a gruff voice followed by the laughing of other seniors as they walked closely behind Ichigo.
He simply blew them off. If they wanted to fight him, he'd fight them. Otherwise, he didn't give a damn what they had to say.
"Hey, carrot top. C'mere." said the same voice.
Ichigo could heard the footsteps closing in behind him and he stopped his walking. "Aw, did we make carrot top mad?" one of the other seniors of the group asked. Ichigo remained with his back facing the group of older kids, earning a frown from all of them. His body ducked down, avoiding a punch from the back. He dropped his bag on the ground and turned to face them, his expression not faltering as no emotion made an entrance.
"Tough guy, eh?" commented the one who had first called Ichigo out. "Get 'im!" he bellowed.
Ichigo swung his leg back and up, causing the chins of two seniors to buck upward and then their bodies to fall back. As the remaining two came at him with weapons, one a bat and one a knife, he saw both get knocked down by the powerful arm of Chad.
As all four of the guys got back up from their laying position, they charged at Chad and Ichigo.
After about twenty seconds, three of the men had retreated and one lay unconscious on the cement, blood trickling from his nose.
"Thanks." Ichigo said and once again picked up his backpack.
"Hmm. You said Rukia is sick." remarked the deep tone of Sado.
"Yeah." Ichigo replied and dusted off his pants with his fingers spanned outward, cleaning any visible dust from the school uniform.
Ichigo went straight to his room after entering the house and muttering a short "Hey" to his family. Once in, he set his bag on his desk and looked over to the sleeping Rukia. He pulled out her papers and set them at the foot of the bed for when she awoke. He then began reading through his assignments and started with the easiest.
After it was well in to the night, Rukia's eyes slowly opened. Grogginess reigned over her mind as her senses started coming to her. Her eyes shifted to the side, seeing Ichigo asleep at his desk. The light in the room was still on, and as a migraine approached her head, she craved the dark. She slipped out of the covers and went over to the light switch, flipping it downward thus executing the brightness. She slumped back to the bed and returned to her dreams. Dreams that haunted her. Dreams that would never let her forget the horrible memories the rain brought to her. Dreams that always showered the Earth with droplets, allowing her lingering past to unfold every time even though she tried to push it away. Dreams that would never let her be. She had accepted her never-ending nightmares, but what she didn't expect was that she would soon be facing them again.
- - - - - - - - - -
Author's Note: THANKS A BAGILLION to my beta Tracy AKA intoxication!
I hoped you all liked this chapter, and I look forward to hearing your feedback :D -Ami
