The Pool Boy...
Rukia sat at her counter eating strawberry ice cream and staring down at the note left behind by Renji. She sighed and scooped another spoonful of ice cream.
ZZZ...ZZZ..ZZZ...ZZZ...
Rukia looked over at her buzzing phone. She unlocked her phone and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Honey whats wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong what makes you think something is wrong." Rukia said cheerfully. "Im fine."
"Do you want me to come over? We can eat ice cream, watch some Don Kanonji, and do a few shots. Booze fixes everything."
"No it doesnt. Besides, I dont want you to come all this way Ranguki." Rukia stuck another spoonful of heaven in her mouth. "Mm, im fine by myself. I have ice cream."
"Rukia love, you're going to run out of ice cream and box tissue by the end of the day. At least let me drop by later and bring you something." Rangiku said sincerely.
Rukia was standing infront of her freezer looking at her ice cream stock. She was running low, only two containers left. "I appreciate it Ran...but i'll be okay. I actually have alot of stuff to do. You know.. the house is just a MESS!" Emphasizing the Mess part. " I'll probably be cleaning for the next two weeks!" She chuckled trying to sound normal and not distressed.
"Okay love, well what do you plan on doing while your on vacation? Im going to miss you at work."
Rukia smiled as she imagined her friend wiping fake tears from her eyes. "I dont know, I'll probably just sit around..wishing i was at work. Maybe get some take out."She didnt have any plans. Plans that involved Renji were suddenly canceled.
"You forgot how to be a human being. Your always so busy and caught up with work you never have time for fun. Remember when we used to go out after work and drink?"
"I remember driving to the bar, YOU buying a few drinks, and then me driving you home. And i always have fun."
Rangiku laughed. "Rukia dear, you're the sweetest girl i know, but you're a bit of a buzz kill. You need to experience life, you're a free woman now. Time to find another man who can buy you shoes."
"I am not a buzz kill!"
"Yes huh!"
"Na-uh!"
Rangiku stayed quiet and rukia waited.
"Ran...Im sorry."
"Me too love! Im sorry for what happened, but sweeties..you can just sit around and mope, there's plenty of fish in the sea."
Rukia smiled. "Thank Ran. We'll do something one of these days I promise, Y-"
Dinggggg Dongggg
Rukia turned to her door. "Ran i gotta go, someone is at my door. But dont worry love, you're going to be fine without me at work. Bye Bye." She closed her phone and looked at the clock, it was 9:57.
She threw her spoon in the empty container and put it in the sinking. After washing her hands free of sticky sugar she then looked around at her home.
Dingggg Dongggg
"Im coming!" She called.
Rukia walked over to her front door and pulled it open. Infront of her stood a tall man with shocking orange hair. He looked down at her with amber eyes and smiled. He wore a black shirt with paint splatters, light faded jeans along with some black Nike shoes. He put of his hand.
"Hello Ma'am, Im Ichigo The Pool Boy. Urahara said you had a pool to clean." He smiled again.
Rukia couldnt help but notice how perfect and white his smile was. She shook his hand and smiled back. "Im Rukia."
Ichigo grinned. "Nice to meet you."
Rukia stared up at Ichigo. His smile slowly faded.
"Um...I kinda need to see the pool if you want me to clean it." He joked.
She smiled, "Im sorry, um..gimme a minute." She quickly shut the door and slipped on her high heels that were casually tossed aside. Then she reopened the door. "This way." She walked off toward her backyard and Ichigo followed.
"Would you like me to close your door?"
"Please."
Ichigo shut her door and followed her. His eyes looked around examining his new work area.
GRRRRRR ARRFF ARRF
Komamaru came from around the corner growling, barking, and ready to attack. Her overgrown dog sprung itself onto Ichigo.
"WOA! NO! Down boy!" Ichigo pushed at he dog fearing to go near its snapping jaw.
"Komamaru! No!" Rukia pulled at his collar, and off of Ichigo. "Sit chur ass down!" Her hands flew to her mouth. "Im sorry Ichigo, I didnt think he would do that." She glared down at her dog who sat obediently at her side.
Ichigo nodded. "Its fine."
Rukia scratched Komamaru's ear, "the pool is out there." She walked to her broken sliding door, and out of habit..she slid it open and walked outside with ichigo.
He looked down at the murky water.
"Alright, so what do you want me to do?"
Rukia looked at him like he was crazy. "I want you to clean it." Duhhhhhh!
Ichigo gsmiled at looked down at his feet. "I meant, is there something else wrong with it. Like, do you need to fix anything else?"
Rukia looked at her pool and shamefully shrugged. "I dont know."
Ichigo nodded. "Right." He looked down at the spray painted FUCK YOU on the floor. "Riightttt...Okay, How many gallons?"
Rukia looked at him blankly. "I dont know."
Ichigo looked at her in disbelief. "I see. Um..do you at least know where the motor is?"
Rukia nodded. "Its over here." She pointed to a box that resembled a transformer but instead it was painted blue.
Ichigo nodded then pulled out his measuring tape. The began measuring and rukia stood silently and watched. He stood upright. "Sixteen feet by ten feet."
Rukia nodded trying to pretend she knew that. "Yup."
Ichigo nodded. "Alright, so what ima do is drain the pool with a pump i have, now looking over there in the corner, "He pointed." Im assuming thats were your filter is, im also assuming the ripples in the water and tiny bubbles with that residue means your filter is broken. If it wasnt, then your pool would be filtering the water right?" He didnt wait for her answer. "Right. So im going to pump the water out, and with a pool this size, im assuming it will take about 24 hours or more. After that, im going to repair your filter and install it, then im going to actually clean out the pool and then fill it up again. It will filter on its own and ill drain it one more time so it can wash away any chemicals and substances left behind, ill fill it up one last time." He smiled and turned back to her.
"Oh. So...how long will this take?"
Ichigo looked up at the sky. "Hmm maybe five days at max."
Rukia smiled. "Oh, well how much is this going to cost?"
Ichigo shrugged. "It depends on the labor, sometimes people change their mind on what they want so i prefer to charge after."
Rukia nodded. "Okay."
Ichigo pulled out a pen and some papers from his back pocket. "Um, you gotta fill out this, it's just standard procedure."
Rukia took the pen and began signing, when she finished she handed the papers back.
"Okay, so...when do you want me to get started?"
"Um... i dont know."
"Well, i can start tomarrow, or right now. What ever is convinent for you, i dont know your work schedule."
"You can start now."
"Yes ma'am, i'll go get my pump. I'll hook it up and let it do its thing." He walked back inside and out the front door.
Rukia flipped over one of her lawn chairs and sat down until Ichigo came back with his pump. She pulled out her phone and started a text.
To: Renji
Renji please dont do this. Im sorry...
She stared at her text. Then deleted everything and shut her phone. When she looked up ichigo had already hooked up the pump and it was draining.
"Alright. Well everything is set. I'll be back tomarrow to check on it and hopefully we can start some real work."
"Thank you so much. I really apreciate it."
Ichigo smiled as they both walked inside. "No problem. Oh!" He pulled out a sticky note pad and began writing. "This is my number, the top one is my home, but i dont really answer that one. Sooooo...the second one is my cell and i have that on me twenty-four seven." He handed her the paper. "If anything happens or you have some questions, gimme a call and i'll come right over."
Rukia held the paper in her hands. "Thank you Ichigo."
He smiled and walked over to the front door. "No problem. I'll see you tomorrow." He pulled open the door and walked out letting Rukia close it.
Later that night...
Rukia sat in her tub popping the big bubbles with her finger.
"Im just taking a bath Ran!"
"Are you sure? Why are you getting so fiesty!"
Rukia just laughed. "Im not! Gosh! Go to bed you have work tomorrow!"
"Ugh, dont remind me."
"Goodnight Ran." She hung up and closed her eyes.
BUZZZZZZZ...CLACK CLACK..CLACK CLACK
Rukia sat up and listened. "What the hell is that?" She stood up and wrapped a towel around herself then walked down the hallway into the kitchen.
CLACK CLACK ..CLACK CLACK
She opened her sliding door and looked down at the pump that was on its side and vibrating. As she reached down to put it back the right way it began sparking and the smell of burning rubber filled the air.
"Oh no."
The medium size pump was starting to send smoke signals.
"Shit! Oh fuck, oh my god. Oh crap!" She ran inside and pulled out her phone beginning to dial.
"Mm, Hello?"
"Ichigo! I know its late but your thing isnt working!"
"Huh? Who is this?"
Rukia rolled her eyes. "Its rukia! Remember, my dog attacked you."
"Oh! My bad, whats going on you say?"
"Your pump this is smoking and um like, it's on its side. And um..um I swear! I didnt touch it!"
"Okay, please...calm down, take a deep breath, I'll come over and have a look. Just relax and gimme about fifteen minutes."
"Okay." Rukia sat down. Then she realized she was still in her towel. She had to change into something.
