"You know, that new girl seems awfully quiet. Maybe she's a mute."
"What the hell, Renji? You heard her introduce herself at the beginning of the class."
"Lest you two forget, it's Inoue-san's first day and our class size is larger than the rest. You two don't' seem to understand the concept of being nervous."
"Regardless…" Arisawa Tatsuki broke into the conversation between the three. Letting her dark eyes glance through the fence and onto the school grounds, she rose an eyebrow as the watched the new girl, Inoue Orihime, under one of the many cherry blossom trees planted. She was alone, as to be expected, but she still wore an obvious smile as she ate her lunch in solitude. "Something about her seems familiar… What do you think, Ichigo?"
All the talking stopped and all eyes were now on the bright-haired boy, who ate his own lunch with a common scowl and furrowed brows.
"I think she's crazy."
Kuchiki Rukia gasped in horror and punched the teen in the arm. "You've never even talked to the girl, and yet you have the nerve to call her crazy? You're such an idiot!" Swatting away the small hand and hiding the pain she actually managed to inflict on him, Ichigo glared and growled to the smaller girl.
"She thought she was fucking alone in the classroom, and started talking to herself. Normally when people talk to themselves, it's considered insane," he explained angrily before taking another bite from his sandwich.
"Oh? What did she say?"
"She was whining about how she won't get any friends."
And he earned another punch.
"What the hell was that for?" He demanded in an irritated tone, throwing his food onto his lap and placed his hands on the wheels of his chair, ready to ram the so-called annoying girl into the fence if needed.
"Because knowing you, you probably responded with something awful," Tatsuki cut in, finding his words offensive as well. "Clearly you don't know how sensitive girls can be!" Rolling his eyes, he locked his wheels back into place before picking up the almost forgotten sandwich.
"Because you two are totally sensitive, despite one being a black-belt in karate, and the other taking fencing."
Punch.
"I'm not going to lie, Kurosaki. You deserve all those punches," Ishida Uryuu calmly spoke out, bringing his stare temporarily from his book. Ichigo sorely rubbed at the area being repeatedly punched, only now deciding it was best not to make any more crude comments. He certainly didn't want to go home with a black eye or something.
"Screw you, Ishida…" Ichigo mumbled, now indefinitely giving up on his lunch. Shoving the remains of his food back into the paper bag, he ignored the curious glances from the rest of his friends. He unlocked his wheels and slowly made his way to the fence, a dark look etched onto his face. "She seems superficial, with her looks. Plus she's a Tokyo girl." Whipping his head back to the rest of the group, he continued to scowl. "I bet she's a naïve idiot who only thinks of herself."
A collective sigh was heard on the rooftop, and Tatsuki stood up from her place. "I bet you're the idiot. Seriously, Ichigo, why must you make judgements like that?"
He shifted his head again, scoffing. "She freaked out when she saw my chair," he growled, still giving the girl on the school ground an unknowingly fierce gaze. "And I don't want her fucking pity."
He crossed his arms as soon as the lunch bell rang throughout the entire grounds. The group of teens glanced once more at the new student, watching her pack up her own lunch, a goofy smile still plastered on her face. The orangette rolled himself back, muttering angry nonsense to himself.
"She looks nice, to be honest," Rukia commented, gripping the chain-link fence. "I think I'll ask if she wants to walk home with us after school." A small sneer threatened to grow on her face as she imagined the boy's upset reaction. She saw his shoulders tense up and he turned around slowly.
"Oh, hell no. No way in hell are you asking that stupid girl to walk with us…"
Rukia only smiled, turning her head towards the crippled boy.
"Too bad, because I'm planning on it!" And she skipped past him, only infuriating him further. Ichigo could only inwardly swear and glare, as he followed her slowly from behind.
Small knees where planted on the floor, a small body accompanying the position. Orihime sat before her table with a picture of a man placed on the tabletop. A small smile graced her face as she looked at the frame longingly.
"It was my first day at school, Onii-chan…" She spoke quietly and to herself, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "It was… interesting to say in the least." Silence only greeted her back. Her ashen gray eyes glanced towards the window, looking into the setting sun.
"I met a very funny boy too, Onii-chan! Er, rather, I saw him again…" Gray eyes flashed with some sadness. "I didn't expect him to remember me anyways… But it was definitely a shock to seem him in a wheelchair."
A small tear managed to escape and fell down her pale cheek. "I wonder what happened…" Orihime wondered, a soft sob escaping her. Though, as if a change dawned onto her, she snapped her head up and smiled back to the picture, despite still crying a bit. "I walked home with Kurosaki-kun and one of his friends though! She seems really nice and loves bunnies. Kurosaki-kun, on the other hand though… He just seemed angry. Though it's sort of funny, I guess."
She took another heaving breath and looked at her brother's photo. "Maybe I'll get on his good side again. Maybe someday… We'll see, Onii-chan," Orihime smiled as she silently spoke her temporary goodbye. And all of a sudden, as if in a frenzy, she bunched her fists together and smiled, throwing them lightly into the air. "Good bye, Onii-chan! Please say hi to mom and dad for me!"
And with a quick movement, Orihime stood up and left her apartment to shop for groceries. She didn't have long until the sun set, and she'd want to get home before it was dark. Even without family around her, she still respected their 'rules' they had created before their passing, and one of them was to be home before it was dark.
Orihime inhaled deeply the chilly night air and outstretched her hands. It was both a relief and a worry to be back in Karakura, though she was glad no one remembered what happened to her and or knew why she had moved away in the first place. Shuddering from the cold, she shook the nonsensical thoughts from her head and began to walk to the convenience store.