Hey guys, sorry for the long wait... :) Just had my exams and stuff... anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 11 – New

A week passed, and things were starting to look just a little better. I refused with all my might that nothing happened when I had to go over to Ishida's place, but Takara, Keiko and Yakumo managed to choke it out of me.

"So, what happened?" Takara asked the first second I sat down at our table.
"Nothing." I replied simply. Composure was the key. They didn't need to know a thing.
"Liar," Keiko said, looking at me.
I shrugged. "Think what you want."
Yakumo laughed. "We all know when you're lying Miyoko."
"I'm not lying," I replied.
Well, the composure was starting to get a little harder.
They all glared at me. "Spit it out," they all said.

I tried to look somewhere else, looking at a shelf that was in the non-fiction section. Ishida and I didn't talk since that night, and if I saw him now, my 'composure' would fail miserably. A few seconds of silence and I felt the glares starting to burn into me.
"I…do not know what you're talking about," I replied, biting my lip.
"Uh huh sure," Yakumo nodded, looking down at her book.

I could go with this. Silence. The comfortable kind.
"Good morning everyone."

Okay, now I was screwed.
"Oh, hey Ishida-kun," Keiko smiled.
Yakumo and Takara continued to read, while I opened my notebook, looking at the list that I wrote, along with the extras that I wrote when Ishida stole my book.

1. He's antisocial
2. Doesn't really like to help others
3. He somehow doesn't mind me (which is confusing because of point 2)
4. He's in Handicrafts club. Why's that? (Gonna find out after school)
5. Really smart. Enough to put the head of Maths to shame
6. Excellent physical shape
7. Freaking annoying. I know that for sure.
8. Violator. I should've screamed 'sexual harassment'
9. He's trying to make me mad.

I crossed out the things in the brackets, and looked at it, wondering if I answered some of the questions that I put down. I smiled at point 6.

"How did you go with the researching thing?" asked Takara, who decided to take a break from her book.
"Quite well actually," Ishida replied coolly.
"Oh, that's good. Anything interesting happen?"
"That depends on what context."
"Well, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about," she winked at me.

"Oookaaayy," I closed my book. "That's enough talking,"
They all laughed at me while I rolled my eyes. The worst case scenario would be that Ishida would actually get what Takara was implying.

I bet he knew anyway.

"Miyoko, I came here to get you." Ishida looked at me, pushing up his glasses.
"Alright," I said, getting my books and standing up.
"Have fun," Yakumo said.

I gritted my teeth. Sure, sure. It was on my wish-list anyway. My impossible wish-list. Ishida led me to another part of the library, and I saw Ichigo's bright orange hair.
"Guys, this is Miyoko," Ishida smiled.
They all smiled back.
"Oh hey," Ichigo waved.
"Hmm. I'm Chad," the tall, buff guy smiled, his brown hair covering his eyes.
"Hello! I'm Inoue Orihime!" a girl with long orange hair waved, and I suddenly felt at ease, like I knew her for a thousand years.
"I'm Rukia. Nice to meet you," she nodded. She was the shortest of the group. Her hair was black with a little bit hanging in-between her eyes, which were a bright but dark purple.

"Hi," I replied. I looked at Ishida. "What am I here for?" I asked quietly.
"Well, I just wanted to introduce you. Rukia is a Shinigami also," Ishida replied.
"Wow. You still haven't told me everything." I said.
"Shh. They're looking at us."
"Oh? Worried are we?"
"…No."

I laughed. And then the library lady appeared out of nowhere and glared at me. I smiled apologetically.
"Uryuu, when are you gonna admit that Miyoko is your girlfriend?" Ichigo asked, pointed at the both of us. I never noticed how close we were standing next to each other until now.
"Wh-what? What are you talking about Kurosaki?" Ishida hastily pushed his glasses up, while my cheeks burned.
"You know…" Ichigo winked. Rukia rolled her eyes, Chad just stood there, and Orihime looked happy.
"Maybe I should go," I said. I needed to tell the others that I had the suspicion that Father was a schizophrenic.

Ishida grabbed my hand, his small embrace warm. "Don't…leave. Just five more minutes. Please."
I swallowed. "Alright."
"Kuchiki-san, Miyoko has some definite Reiryoku. Is there any record of 'Hanashiba' in Soul Society?" Ishida asked.
"Not that I know of. I'll go check with Nii-sama." Rukia got out her phone, and dialled a number.
"Explain please," I managed to say.
"Reiryoku is the amount of energy within a person's soul. Reiatsu is the spiritual pressure that a person's Reiryoku exerts. And like I told you before, Spirit Particles or Reishi are fundamental particles which make up all spiritual difference between Reiryoku and Reiatsu is much like energy and power. Power being the amount of energy exerted per unit of time. Reiryoku is potential while Reiatsu is energy in use. Those with high levels of Reiryoku will often have the highest levels of Reiatsu also. A skilled warrior can overcome a person possessing greater Spirit Energy by possessing greater Spiritual Pressure. For example, Kurosaki has immense Reiatsu, you'll notice it soon." Ishida replied.
"Wha—?" I cut myself off, and I could feel the air get heavy. Somehow, I could see light blue around Ichigo.
"See?" Ishida said.
I nodded. "Why is it blue?"
"Its colour is based on the personality." Ishida replied.
"Hey! Why use me as an example?" Ichigo asked.
"Because you hardly control your Reiatsu Kurosaki." Ishida countered.
Ichigo 'tsk'ed, and Rukia put her phone away. "Nii-sama said there aren't any records. He asked why though…"
"What did you say?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing. He'll get it out of me when I go back to Soul Society." Rukia replied.
"Soul Society?" I asked.
"The place where all the souls saved by Shinigami live." Ishida said.
"Don't forget Seireitei. That's where all the Shinigami live within Soul Society." Rukia finished.

The bell rang, and everyone started to scatter. The group decided to leave.
"We'll see you later Ishida," Ichigo said, waving goodbye.
"Hmph." Ishida replied.
"Why do you always do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" he asked back.
"Act all cool and heartless and when you're around with me you're always…kind…" I replied.
"Well…I have another secret," he pushed up his glasses.
"And that is?" I asked.
"I'm not a very good social person."
"Tell me something I don't know," I replied bluntly.
"And…" he trailed off.
"What?"
"Never mind. Go to class, I'll see you later." He slung his bag over his shoulder, and started to walk away.
"Oh, ok then, just leave after you told me to stay? You make no sense!" I replied, grabbing my books.
He turned around. "That's not true," he said.
"So, are you gonna say goodbye or not? We have Maths next, and it's obvious that you're in a smarter class." I replied.
He looked at me.
"What?" I asked back.
Ishida walked to me, and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I won't see you until after school. Wait for me beside the gates okay?"
"What? Why?" I asked.
"Don't worry about that. Just meet me at the gates." He let go, and walked away.

I sighed, and started to walk out of the library, going towards my 'normal' maths class.

I stood by the gates, watching all the students flood out of the school. Takara and Yakumo passed by.
"Oh hey, what are you doing here?" they asked.
"Ishida told me to wait for him. He was acting all weird at the library." I replied, crossing my arms.
"Really?" Yakumo looked at me.
"Oh yeah, I was supposed to tell you that I think Father is a schizophrenic."
They raised their eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"
"After I came home from Ishida's place after the research thing, Father was all…kind and caring. Freaked me out if ask me." I said.
"Huh. You think he's been checked out?" asked Takara.
"Or maybe he got laid." Yakumo said.
"I thought that already. And Yakumo? That would be impossible. It's too gross to think about. He was in his study the whole time I think."
Yakumo shuddering. "True. Forget my suggestion."

We all started to laugh as two figures walked towards us. One was a guy that looked about 20, with long brown hair that was tied in a messy ponytail, green eyes and a little goatee. The other was a girl with hair that looked almost white, but gave off a metallic shine, ice blue eyes and an overall figure that every other girl would envy.

At the same time, Ishida walked up to us. Takara and Yakumo quickly said goodbye, and left, leaving me in the middle.
"Oh hey Uryuu!" the guy said, waving. Ishida pushed up his glasses, and nodded. The girl looked at me, then at Ishida.
"Nice to see you again Uryuu-chan," she said.

For a moment, I thought I saw Ishida blush. He nodded again.
"Who's this?" the guy pointed to me.
"Who? Me? I…uh, I'm Hanashiba Miyoko." I said nervously.

"Hanashiba? Isn't that the—"
"Stop," the girl glared at him.
The air became tense.

The guy scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, I'm Tatsua, and this is—"
"Matsue. Nice to meet you." She looked at me, but in my head it felt like she was glaring holes into me.

"Why are you here?" Ishida asked.
"Well, we have a new assignment." Tatsua said.
"And what's that?" Ishida asked.

"Her." Matsue pointed at me.