Chapter 8 The Soul Reaper
The school bell rang soon after Ichigo and Jaden got there. The two of them walked to class together in awkward silence.
"Now, remind me why you wanted to walk to school with me, when you obviously know where to go?" Ichigo asked.
"What? Can't handle having company after building up your 'bad boy' rep?" Jaden said with smirk.
A vein quickly appeared on Ichigo's forehead and he was about to say something back to her when he pumped into something, more like someone. Jaden and Ichigo both stopped walking to a familiar orange haired girl, Orihime, on the floor.
"Oh, it's you. Hey Orihime." Ichigo said. A vain now appeared on Jaden's forehead as she slapped him in the back of the head, ignoring the glare he was giving her.
"Oh no. I'm sorry." Orihime said.
"Ichigo, you knock her down and that's all you can say!? What the hecks a matter with you?!" Tatsuki shouted at him.
"Oh, sorry about that. Uh, you gonna be alright?" Ichigo said. Jaden let out a small snicker before she suddenly remembered what happens when Ichigo tries to help her up.
"Mm-hm." Orihime nodded. Before Ichigo could get try and help her up, Jaden beat him to and pulled her back onto her feet by grabbing her shoulders.
"There you go. Good as new." Jaden said with a laugh, dusting some invisible dust off her shoulder.
"Jaden! Thanks for helping me up." Orihime said.
"Jaden? You're that new girl, right? Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Tatsuki." Tatsuki said.
"Hey. Sorry about Ichigo. I should've watched him better." Jaden said.
"'Watched me'?" Ichigo said, sounding annoyed.
"Anyway, why are you guys so late? I mean, it's time for lunch already." Tatsuki asked the two of them.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll tell ya later." Ichigo said as he walked off.
"Hey, Ichigo, wait up! Later Tatsuki! Later Orihime!" Jaden said, running after Ichigo. Tatsuki and Orihime just stood there confused as the two of them walked off.
"Hey, Ichigo. I heard a truck crashed into your house last night, dude!" Keigo said. Once Ichigo and Jaden got to glass, they both took their seats as Ichigo's friends crowded around him.
"Pretty much." Ichigo answered.
"Heh. If they knew the truth, they'd freak." Jaden thought with small smirk, listening in on them.
"So, did you clean it all up yet?" Mizuiro asked.
"What, are you kidding? It's gonna take forever." Ichigo answered.
"Need any help?" Chad asked.
"That's ok." Ichigo answered nervously.
"Yeah Chad, I mean, you could end up bringing the house down you know?" Keigo said.
Jaden knew that was just when Rukia would show, so she decided to get Ichigo's attention and get involved with meeting Rukia. Jaden leaned over her desk and wrapped one of her arms around his neck and rested her chin on right his shoulder.
"Besides, he's got his favorite neighbor helping him out!" Jaden said.
"Gah! What the hell!?" Ichigo said. Jaden just snickered at his reaction. Keigo was obviously about to say something, but he was beat to it by a certain girl coming up behind the group.
"Hello. You're Ichigo, aren't you?" the girl said. Ichigo, Jaden, and everyone else looked at the girl who spoke to him. Ichigo immediately gained a confused expression.
"I'll be sitting next to your from now on. My name is Rukia." she said. Ichigo jumped out of seat after seeing her, also causing Jaden to let him go.
"It's-it's you!" Ichigo exclaimed, pointing at Rukia.
"Hey Ichigo, what's wrong with you?" Keigo asked.
"You two know each other?" Chad asked.
"Of course not. We've never met before, isn't that right Ichigo?" Rukia said.
"Rukia's a new transfer student." Mizuiro said.
"Nice to meet ya'!" Keigo said.
"It's a pleasure." Rukia said as she held out her hand. Ichigo saw writing on her hand that read 'make a scene and you are so dead'. Ichigo looked partially panicked after seeing it while Rukia just smiled.
"Well isn't this great? Not only do we both sit near little Ichigo here, but Rukia and I both just happen to be transfer students." Jaden said, jumping up from her seat and wrapping her arms around Ichigo's and Rukia's shoulders.
"Oh, hello there. You must be Jaden, right?" Rukia asked.
"Yes ma'am." Jaden answered. Ichigo began to look annoyed, so before anyone could say anything about it, he practically dragged Rukia and Jaden out of class.
"Alright you freaky little nut judge, just what do you think you're doing!?" Ichigo shouted.
"How scary, you big brute. Jeepers, you're not gonna hurt me, are you?" Rukia asked innocently. Jaden watched them as she leaned on the wall with a massive smile on her face.
"First of all, you can nock it off with that goody two shoe act, ok?!" Ichigo said, pointing a finger at her.
"Well I think it was pretty good considering I learned it over night." Rukia said.
"Yeah. I saw her like you did, Ichigo, and I even started to believe that little act of her's." Jaden said, walking up beside Ichigo with her arms crossed over her chest. Once again, Ichigo just glared at her as she smirked at him.
"Alright, forget it. So tell me just what you're doing here anyway. weren't you supposed to be heading back to your Soul Society, or whatever it was?" Ichigo said, looking away from Rukia with his eyes closed.
"I can't. Only Soul Reapers can go back to the Soul Society. I haven't the power to return anymore." Rukia explained.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked. Jaden wanted to say something to shorten the explanation, but then they would know she knew something they neither of them didn't.
"Last night, I lost almost all of my powers as a Soul Reaper. I'm afraid they were all absorbed into you, Ichigo." Rukia said.
"Huh? I wouldn't know anything about that." said Ichigo. Jaden looked at him with an annoyed expression.
"He really isn't good at playing dumb." thought Jaden.
"Thanks to you, for the time being, I'm stuck in this ridiculous gigai form." said Rukia.
"What do you mean by gigai?" asked Ichigo. Jaden really had to focus on not saying anything.
"It's a temporary body that serves as a vessel in an emergency. If a Soul Reaper is drastically weakened, they reside inside of gigai until their powers come back." Rukia explained.
"Oh, now I get it. So that's why the others were able to see you before, right?" Ichigo said.
"Precisely. And so, until all of my powers comeback, it's up to you, Ichigo, to perform the duties of a Soul Reaper." Rukia said.
"Huh?" Ichigo said with a stupid expression. Jaden couldn't help but giggle at his expression.
"It's only natural. You now possess the strength of a Soul Reaper. You do not have the right to refuse your calling." Rukia said. She seemed like she was about to say more, but Ichigo stopped her by crossing his arms over his chest.
"No way!" said Ichigo. Jaden knew that would be his answer, but she still looked at him with wide eyes.
"What!?" said Rukia.
"Ichigo, are you stupid or something!?" said Jaden. She never really did like that he almost turn down the opportunity of a lifetime. If Jaden was offered to be a Soul Reaper, she would take it with no hesitation.
"My monster fighting days are over. That was a one time deal." Ichigo said.
"Don't be ridiculous Ichigo. You did just fine yesterday." said Rukia.
"That was only because my family was in danger. But it's not like I'm ready to fight for complete strangers or anything. Sorry to disappoint you." Ichigo said. Jaden slightly grit her teeth and stomped on his foot just before Ichigo could get a chance to turn and leave.
"Ow! What the hell was that for!?" Ichigo shouted, holding his foot.
"I was there too! What am I, chopped liver!?" Jaden shouted back. The two of them just glared at each other after that. Rukia acted like that wasn't going on and just focused on Ichigo's refusal.
"I see. Guess there's no other choice then." Rukia said as she pulled her glove. Jaden saw this and got ready step back when Rukia dashes towards Ichigo
"Hey!" Rukia called out.
Ichigo looked her way and, as Jaden moved back, Rukia rushed towards Ichigo and slammed her hand against his chin. Lucky for Ichigo, Jaden was nice enough to catch his lifeless body before it hit the ground, letting his head hang over her shoulder. Jaden looked at him now in his Soul Reaper outfit.
"Ah crap! What happened to my body!? What in the world did you do to me!?" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Follow me." Rukia said. Before Ichigo did, he looked at Jaden holding his body.
"Hey, watch my body, alright!?" Ichigo said.
"Sure." Jaden simply said. After that, Ichigo and Rukia took off. Jaden looked at Ichigo's body in her arms and simply sighed.
"For once, he actually looks kinda cute." Jaden mumbled.
