1 Month Earlier...
It was an awkward drive home for Ichigo as he glanced out the window of his white Prius. The day started off like any other day, him waking up and preparing for school, culminated with seeing his friends and learning the day's lesson and ended with him tattered in cuts, scrapes and bruises. It was all in the life for him, nothing out of the ordinary, until the word expulsion was handed down.
Karakura high school was all he knew, where his closest allies and his worst enemies resided and now they would be without him permanently. Pulling up along the curb of his house, his anxiety level peaked at the thought of venturing inside. There was no doubt his father was there, waiting for his arrival. Ichigo's ability to find trouble during his six hour stint in school wasn't a secret to anyone who knew him but that didn't mean he liked having to tell his father he had gotten into trouble either. Considering the sentence the principal laid on him, he was confident his father might already know what was going on.
Hearing the front door creak open, Ichigo knew that was his cue. He felt much younger than his current age of 18 while leaving his car as he left his car and stepped onto the grass. At the most he felt like a small boy or a dog that did something wrong and now had to face the wrath of their parent or master. His father wasn't strict, per say, but no father could be susceptible to their eldest child now without a formal high school education.
"Hi Dad," Ichigo stepped across the threshold separating the inside from the outside and shut the door behind him. "Are you going to let me explain?"
Standing a foot away wearing a white button down shirt, black slacks and a white laboratory coat, Isshin monitored his son from the moment he stepped into the house. His eyebrows netted near the center of his forehead and his mouth conjoined into a frown. He gave a stiff nod, silently agreeing to hear his son's side of the story before giving him what's for.
"Five on one. What else was I supposed to do? It was the same ol' shit, my hair color, which started the brawl. I wasn't about the back down." Ichigo removed his shoes and stepped into the hall. "You didn't raise me to be a coward."
"You're right, I didn't." Isshin began. "I also didn't raise a high school drop out."
Rolling his eyes, Ichigo skated past his father into the living room, turning only to look at the elder Kurosaki with disdain in his eyes. "I'm not a drop out, dad."
Isshin scoffed and promptly pressed his forearms against his chest. "Oh no? Well, the school dropped you so what do you want to call it?" His stance was rigid and firm. "You're not going to lay around this house like a lazy ass that much I know."
"I wasn't planning on becoming a lazy ass, okay? I'll figure something out."
Ichigo plopped down on the living room sofa and stared off into the distance. He was sure there was a plan somewhere to fix the mess he was in, he just wasn't sure what that plan was at the moment. His daydreaming left him little time to react to his father who sat beside him on the couch, his eyes still showing anger with just a flash of concern.
"Are you going to get a job? Help us out around here?" Isshin asked rhetorically. "When I was a lad growing up-"
Ichigo threw his hand up. "Dad, save the stories about your past. I'm not in the mood to listen to it right now."
The strong willed teen attempted to rise to his feet and give himself some much needed space but Isshin was right behind him, closing the gap considerably.
"I want what's best for you, Ichigo. Your mother wouldn't want to see you like this. You won't get far without a high school degree."
"You're not telling me anything that I don't know already. Let's just drop it okay? Right now I'm not in the mood to continue this conversation."
"So when will you be in the mood? Tomorrow, when you're supposed to be in class?"
Irritated at the cheap shot his father placed upon him, Ichigo stomped up to his room like an overgrown child. Slamming his bedroom door, he collapsed on his bed with hands firmly tucked beneath his head. His mind was racing with the words his father spoke, the verity that was right in front of him but he refused to see it himself.
Where would he go from here, he wondered. With only three months of a senior level high school education he didn't have many options offered to him him versus someone with a full high school education. He moved his right hand from behind his head and ran it over his face. The actuality was finally setting in. He was royally fucked. No education meant no job which meant a hell of a lot of headaches.
"Now what the fuck am I supposed to do..."
Turning on his right side, Ichigo gazed out the window, staring at the sky as if waiting for the answer to appear before him. His eyes grew heavy the longer he waited and soon he drifted off into a deep sleep with a heavy burden and unanswered questions still weighing profoundly on his shoulders.
Ichigo's sleep went undisturbed for what seemed like hours but he finally stirred at the light sound of tapping at his bedroom door. At first he wasn't sure of the sound but as his eyes open he realized there was someone trying to get his attention. The clouds outside and the blue sky that greeted him before he slept were now gone, replaced with a yellow and orange glow. The sun was setting as Ichigo raised his arms above his head and stretched before leaving the comfort of his bed and grasping the door handle within his hand.
"Who is it?"
"Karin."
Ichigo sighed. Albeit his younger sister, he was silently thankful that it was Karin vying for access to his room instead of her other half, Yuzu. He loved them both equally but Karin never lectured him over his behavior and never cried when she saw him looking a little worse for wear after a fight. She was strong and displayed that strength whenever the two of them sat down to converse more like best friends instead of siblings.
Opening the door, Ichigo turned and walked back to his bed, not even looking to see if his sister had followed him inside. It wasn't until he was lying on his back that he saw her standing over him and his bedroom door close once again. Sitting up, Ichigo crossed his legs, giving his sister ample room to take a seat at the end of his bed. He wanted her as comfortable as possible. There was no telling how long their conversation was going to last.
"Dad said you were in another fight." Ichigo grunted in reply. "How many this time?"
"Five."
"That's not bad, considering you've been up against a lot more in the past." Karin shifted into a comfortable kneeling position. "You were suspended?"
Ichigo nodded and turned away from his sister's concerned eyes. He hated when she looked at him like that, with a look of pity. He didn't want to be pitied. Those who were pitied were feeble and that just wasn't him.
"I don't feel bad for you, Ichigo." Karin spoke as if reading his mind. "I know why you fought them."
"Tell that to the principal of the school or dad, for that matter." Ichigo exhaled. "I let him down."
"You didn't let dad down. He knows you didn't start the fight so he's not mad at you."
Ichigo's eyes flashed with indifference as he looked at his sister again. "He could have fooled me. He laid one of those fucking guilt trips on me."
Karin sat coolly across from her brother's course language. It didn't bother her to hear explicit words roll out of his mouth. It wasn't uncommon when he was upset. Dare she say, she had grown quite accustomed to it.
"That's just his way of showing you he cares. I don't think he wanted to see you kicked out of high school in your final year."
"I didn't think I'd see myself kicked out of high school in my final year yet here I am, assed out." Closing his eyes, Ichigo gently pressed his head against his white wall.
"Listen," Karin whispered so low she was unsure if had heard her. "Dad's going to get you back in school."
Ichigo scoffed in disbelief. "What's he going to do? Promise free medical care to the principal and his family? That's the only way I'm ever going to set foot into Karakura High."
Karin grimaced and wrestled with her fingers that were perched on her lap. She was sworn to secrecy by her father not to tell her brother the master plan to get him back in school. As much as she respected her father and his wishes she felt her brother deserved a little comfort after the turbulent day he had.
"Ichigo," She continued to fidget. "I've gotta tell you something."
"Hm?" Ichigo opened one eye and then the other. He studied how stiff his sister's body had become and it made his mind and heart race. "What is it?"
"Well, I promised dad I wouldn't say anything so you have to promise the same."
Ichigo now sat up right. His sister was acting suspiciously and it made him worry. They never kept things from one another although there were some things he did keep private. He was sure she had her own enigmas in the closet as well but she appeared compelled to tell him what was on her mind and he was going to give her his undivided attention as she did.
"Tell me."
Karin cleared her throat. "Dad is going to send you back to school. He's been on the phone all afternoon and he made headway just an hour ago."
Ichigo's smile brightened his once gloomy room. "So, I'm going back to Karakura High tomorrow?"
"Not exactly," Karin sighed. "You're going to Seireitei Academy."
The smile on Ichigo's face faded and the reality of his sister's words were slowly manifesting in his head. He fought the urge to scream while his face was riddled with shock. In the heat of the moment he bolted from his bed and made a mad dash for the door, pulling it nearly off its hinges.
"Ichigo, don't!" Karin was on her feet, standing by her brother with her hands tightly wrapped around his forearm. "You can't!"
"That...if he thinks he's sending me to that fucking school he has another thing coming. Let me go! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."
Ichigo arched his body forward but Karin pulled him back with all the strength she could muster. She could feel her grip slipping but she was not about to let him go as Ichigo continued his rant.
"That school is filled with snobbish whores and jackass pretty boys. There is no way I'm going to be one of them."
"Dad already made the arrangement. He cashed out his savings account to send you there. He wants you to finish high school."
The honesty behind Karin's words brought Ichigo's temper down a notch. He no longer fought her to leave and instead glanced in her direction.
"He used up his savings account? That was all he had to retire with."
"I know," Karin nodded. "Yuzu and I swore not to tell you. You're the first one out of the three of us with a chance to graduate from high school. Dad made his mark in the world and went as far as getting his medical license. He wanted this for you. Yuzu and I want this for you. Why can't you want this for you too?"
His anger now completely gone, Ichigo became limp and slumped against his bedroom door. The truth was making his head spin and he didn't know how to make it stop.
"Please," Karin pleaded. "You can't tell dad or Yuzu I told you."
Ichigo seemed dazed as the sound of footsteps reached both of their ears and Yuzu soon appeared before them with a ladle in her right hand and a wooden spoon in the other.
"Ichigo, what's going on? I heard yelling."
Karin's grip on his arm in conjunction with Yuzu's concerning voice snapped Ichigo from his trace. He nodded of his own volition and lowered his head in defeat.
Satisfied that her brother would no longer betray her trust, Karin released his arm and walk cautiously toward her sister.
"Karin, what's wrong with Ichigo?"
"Nothing," Karin took her sister's arm and pulled her down the hall. "C'mon, I'll go help you set the table for dinner."
The two disappeared down the hall leaving the echo of their steps on the stairs Ichigo's only proof that he was now alone. His legs shaking, he slumped to the floor without the will to stand again. In one day his world was ripped apart then put together in a way he never would have imagined. His father's retirement fund was gone and it was all thanks to him and his fighting. His head tapped gently against the wood frame door. He had no choice in the matter. He had to do this now for his father and for his family and most importantly, for himself.
"I want this..."His head began to tap a little harder while he closed his eyes and screamed as loudly as he could. "I want this for me!"
Shutting her locker door, Rukia Kuchiki tried hopelessly to avoid the antics of two of her friends engaging in an act more suitable for a porno film instead of a private high school hallway. Her will was weak and before she could force her eyes to look away she watched the sexual embrace happening two lockers down.
"Don't those two ever care about others?" A dark haired girl with glasses spoke as she clutched her textbook against her petite chest. "I mean honestly."
Rukia smiled but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She, like others in the senior hall, were witnesses to Renji Abarai and Rangiku Matsumoto ravaging each other's body and leaving very little to the imagination. Rangiku's white button blouse was missing four buttons at the top, exposing her cream colored breasts but that was normal. Normal was also seeing her arms pinned above her head as Renji sucked and bit on her lips, leaving them rosy red. Rangiku's thighs were exposed beneath her seemingly short gray uniform skirt as she was pressed against the locker and Renji's girth. Their pelvises were pressed so close to one another it was hard to tell which one belonged to who. If it wasn't for the clothes on their body, Rukia would have easily have assumed they were engaging in intercourse.
"All right, break it up," the young female who once stood by Rukia's side announced while stepping away and approaching her two racy friends. "Must you two do this every morning? Have you no shame?"
Reluctantly, Renji pulled his lips away from Rangiku making the latter pout like a baby. Her face clearly flushed, the busty teen glared menacingly at the disruption to her romantic rendezvous.
"You're a real bitch, you know that, Nanao?" she spoke snidely. "Renji and I were just saying hello. I haven't seen him in so long."
Nanao raised an eyebrow as Rangiku playfully adjusted the collar to Renji's shirt. "You saw him less than twenty-four hours ago."
"I know," Rangiku whined as she lightly touched Renji's lips. "And I've been missing him ever since."
"Oh please," Nanao rolled her eyes as Rangiku outlined her lover's lips with her index finger. "You're making a spectacle of yourself. What if a teacher walked by."
"Teacher's barely come by the senior area. They trust us a lot more than the lower level students." replied Renji as he tightened his hold on Rangiku's waist.
"They'd trust us a hell of a lot less if they saw your antics."
"Nanao, we do this every morning," Rangiku pressed her breasts close to Renji's chest and smirked. "Are you jealous?"
Nanao was aghast at Rangiku's comment and opened her mouth considerably. "For your information I have a boyfriend."
"Oh that's right," Rangiku touched the tip of her chin and appeared lost in thought. "What was his name again? Sunny?"
"It's Shunsui!" Nanao exploded but composed herself and adjusted her frames on her face. "He's nothing like the little boys here in high school."
"Hey, watch it," Renji went on the offense. "Don't put us high school guys down because you're dating an old man."
"He's not old! He's in college and he's more mature then you are."
"Of course he is," replied Rangiku. "All old men are more mature."
As the cat fight ensued, Rukia fell back against the lockers, the crowd of seniors long gone. It was times like the one she was in that made her wonder how she ended up knowing the group standing in front of her. She knew Renji for most of her life, since kindergarten. Nanao came into the picture in the beginning of her late elementary years and Rangiku showed up in her freshman year. By the start of their sophomore year, the group seemed inseparable but Rukia always felt like the odd person out.
The introduction of two others to the group their junior year only added to the strain Rukia felt regarding their friendship. The addition of Shuuhei and Toshiro brought a different balance to everyone's adverse personality but they too were similar to her other cohorts. Each one of them had something in common, something Rukia could never relate to even if she tried.
"Hey Rukia," Turning around, Rukia smiled at the missing pieces to her otherwise scrambled set of friends as both Shuuhei and Toshiro approached her and Shuuhei addressed her again. "Are they really doing this again?"
Nodding, Rukia glanced over her shoulder as Rangiku and Nanao were face to face with Renji failing miserable to separate the two.
"We were waiting for you two," Rukia immediately took control of the conversation. "What took you both so long?"
"My older brother was slow in his attempt to drop me off this morning," Toshiro's face showed frustration while he relived his morning.
"Yeah, now he's walking around with a book bag full of candy." Shuuhei playfully shoved Toshiro who barely moved an inch. "What is with your brother Jushiro giving you so much candy anyway?"
Toshiro grumbled explicit words in Shuuhei's direction but did not speak them aloud. "Shut up, you idiot. Let's just get to class."
"Why? So you can see your secret admirer? What was her name again? Momo? As in More-More Toshiro?"
"That's it." Toshiro immediately lunged toward Shuuhei and the two were just another addition to the madness surrounding Rukia.
Caught in the middle, Rukia clutched the handle of her book bag against her shoulder and prepared to leave the masses behind her when an announcement was made across the loud speaker.
"Rukia Kuchiki, please report to the main office."
Hearing her name, the conversation stopped and all eyes fell on the diminutive girl standing frozen in the hall.
"Rukia, you're in trouble?" Rangiku teased but surprise was laced with each word. "What did little miss goody-goody do to get called to the office?"
Renji removed himself from between Rangiku and Nanao and wrapped his arm back around his girlfriend's waist. "She didn't do anything. Don't jump to conclusions."
"They may just want to talk to her." Nanao added to Rukia's defense, appearing more composed then when she and Rangiku were in their heated debate.
"Calm down," Toshiro's soothing voice cut through the combative air. "We saw a new kid with orange hair pull into the parking lot. Rukia, being the ambassador for the school's leadership club, would be called upon to show him the campus and his classes."
"Damn, well, have fun Rukia. I guess we'll see you later." said Rangiku as she pulled Renji along, followed by Nanao and the others.
Watching her friend's go, Rukia shifted her book bag and walked in the opposite direction. So far her day was more hectic then it normally was and as she trudged down the hall she could barely comprehend how things could ever turn itself around.
AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the prologue. I was glad to see the supportive flock of readers who appreciate this style of story telling.
I want to explain a few things in this chapter, moreso, the character's I've chosen:
Renji: I wanted to keep their friendship, his and Rukia's, as close to the series as possible.
Rangiku: She adds spice to the story and with her attached to Renji's hip (and I mean that literally ;)) there will be a lot in store in the future. She isn't loose by any means...but that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate passionate interactions.
Nanao: She's level headed and despite her disagreements with Rangiku they are friends just like in the series.
Shuuhei: He and Renji was close friends in the series so it makes sense to add him.
Toshiro: I just like his demenor and it helped to add Jushiro as his brother. I mean the white hair, the play on their names, why not go for it, right?
All right, if you like what you've read let me know by submitting a review below. I will try to update as soon as possible. I can't always promise to update every day but I'll try to come close.
