Disclaimer: I don' own Bleach. Ya got a problem wit it; take it up wit me outside the saloon at high noon. (Sorry, I started working on a southern unit in American History).
Author Note: Righto, first off- thank you for all the glorious reviews! At the end of the chapter is my reply to some of the questions that were asked. Other then that, here's the end of Hell Week!
Hell Week Part 2
Day 4
"What the hell are you doing Kurosaki?! Put your whole body into it when you're shooting!" Zaraki shouted as Kira drilled me into the ground after Chad made a spectacular save from my shot.
Gritting my teeth, I stumbled to my feet and caught sight of Toshirou's smirking face. I felt fury ripple through me at the sight of that smug face, which only increased ten-fold when he easily slipped past the defender- some no-name who hadn't been on the summer team- and scored a beautiful goal.
Here's what we were doing, it was a drill for offensive shooting, though technically I would call it a one-on-one.
First a line was formed for the offensive and defensive players (midfielders were considered offense while Chad hit the goal) and then Chad punted in balls while a defender and an offensive player charged after the ball and attempted to either get it out of bounds or score.
I'd been doing quite well until I'd been matched with Kira, one of the best defenders on the summer team despite his timid appearance.
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Kira asked, and I nodded while brushing myself off in as dignified a manner as possible.
"I'm just fine," I muttered, trying hard to look at anyone other then the smug Toshirou. My brother shot a concerned glance and started to make his way over towards me, but Zaraki stopped him in his tracks.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kurosaki?" The man asked in a dangerous voice. "It's your turn." Recognizing the tone immediately, Ichigo prudently decided he enjoyed his balls right where they were and headed back in line.
After several more rounds of that drill (In which I made sure to score several more goals) we got paired into teams of two to do the same thing.
And naturally, I was put with Toshirou.
"Go!" Zaraki barked, and all four players (the defense was Renji and some girl named Hari) streaked out on the field. I realized that I should break off and let Toshirou take the ball, but some stubborn part inside me refused to give in to the little handsome bastard.
"Rarh!" I yelled before neatly stealing the ball from the startled Toshirou and making a run for the goal. Once Renji and Hari had recovered, however, they flocked on me and Renji managed to get the ball and kick it 'out of bounds'.
"Kurosaki!" Both Zaraki and Toshirou roared at the same time. "What the hell was that?! You're supposed to support Toshirou, who obviously had the ball, not take it from him!" Zaraki finished vehemently, and I winced.
"Sorry...sir." I said painfully, and Zaraki took several calming breaths before opening his eye to give me a kill-inducing stare.
"I won't forget that, Kurosaki," He growled. "Now get back in line."
Day 5
"Oh, coach Zaraki is so cruel." Matsumoto simpered as I told her about everything that had transpired the day before.
"I can't help that I dislike the fuckin', enigmatic, way too handsome-for-his-own good, bastard." I snarled angrily, and Matsumoto blinked.
"Zaraki?" She asked in confusion, and I shook my head irritably.
"No! I'm talking about Hitsuguya-freaking-Toshirou-argh! I can't even say his name without getting pissed off!" I said, accentuating my anger with a slam on the condiments table, and Matsumoto stared at me in surprise before giggling.
"Ho, ho, ho, I never thought the day would come!" Matsumoto said with a big grin and a jiggle of her huge breasts (causing the poor boy nearby to spill soy sauce all over himself without realizing it, he was so enraptured).
"What the hell are you Santa Claus or something?" I demanded irritably, and then frowned suspiciously. "And what was that last part supposed to mean?!"
"Did you know they say that people who dislike each other actually harbor feelings for them?" Matsumoto said gleefully, and I gaped at her.
"Hell no," I finally said. "You think I like-?"
"Uh-huh," She said with a broad smile.
"Toshirou?!" I demanded, and then at the sight of her practically bouncing up and down with excitement- "Have you LOST your mind?!" I demanded, and Matsumoto blinked, looking puzzled.
"Not that I know of." She told me as we sat down at our lunch table, and before I could think up a reply, we were distracted by Toshirou, who had gotten into a sneezing fit.
"God bless you, Taicho." Matsumoto said with a mischievous smile, and Toshirou shrugged before casting me a quick glare.
"No problem. Hey Matsumoto, did you know that some people say when you sneeze it means someone's talking about you?" Toshirou said as he dug into his noodles. Matsumoto laughed and shot me a calculating look.
"You shouldn't believe in such silly rumors, Taicho." Matsumoto told him with a huge smile, and Toshirou nodded agreeably.
"You're probably right Matsumoto," He decided. "For once." He added under his breath.
I laughed into the food I was eating, then attempted to turn it into a cough.
"We'll be starting flag football everyone," Sasakibe announced, his amber colored eyes unusually bright and viscous. I fought the urge to groan- just what I needed, the one sport I hated with all my heart.
"Get into groups and we will start several drills that I have planned for the day." Sasakibe told us, but I doubt anyone heard, the popular girls to busy moaning while all the football jocks grinned at each other, though they were slightly put out that it wasn't tackle football.
I felt my face warm as I realized I didn't have a group, and felt a rush of relief when someone called out to me.
"You can join our group." The girl said with a simpering smile, and I was torn between feeling grateful and feeling immense dislike.
The girl was one of those rich, sluty whores who everyone fawned over except the girls on the soccer team. She had long, thick black hair, a tan complexion (she's probably one of those girls who falls asleep in tanning beds), and the most startling blue eyes I'd ever seen.
As for her gym clothes, they weren't exactly school material. She wore a very revealing blue half dress half shirt, and the shortest shorts I'd ever seen in my life (I swear, it takes 'short shorts' to a whole new level).
"I'm Hakari Moneruto." The girl said with a huge, overly friendly smile, and I felt all of my defensive instincts flood through me.
"Kurosaki Karin." I said guardedly, and Hakari gave me another creepy grin.
"Oh really! So are you related, by chance, to that cute senior Kurosaki Ichigo?" She fluttered, and I almost gagged.
My brother, cute? In his dreams, maybe.
"Err, yeah," I said lamely, even though I was beginning to wish I had begged another team to let me join, maybe even Toshirous' (the brat is in my gym, the only class we share. I know, it sucks).
Okay, maybe not that much.
"That's SO cool!" She exclaimed, and everyone collapsed into giggles. I stared at them blankly, uncomfortably aware of my brothers-way-to-big gray t-shirt and my soccer shorts that I was wearing for gym. They stopped laughing almost robotically, and Hakari smiled at me before popping the question I probably should've been expecting.
"So I hear you know Hitsugaya-sama. Isn't he simply a hottie?" She asked, and I bit my tongue to stop myself from gagging, before fixing a fake smile on my face.
"Yeah, he would be cute if he wasn't jackass." I said the last word loudly, and grinned when Toshirou fumbled the football and dropped it. All the girls looked shocked, and immediately began to whisper to each other. I got the feeling that I had lost points with them, but I didn't really care.
"Hey! Why aren't you guys working the passing drill?!" Sasakibe barked, and we all obediently got in a line while Hakari shot me looks when she thought I wasn't looking.
"Get low to the ground Kurosaki! That's right, now shuffle your feet and try to steal the ball from your sister." Zaraki told Ichigo, and the young man grunted before complying. I did a fake to the right, the attempted to play the ball along my right foot, but Ichigo recovered at an insane rate and stole the ball back.
"Very good Kurosaki! And you too, Kurosaki!" Zaraki roared his approval, and we both shot him confused looks. Zaraki rolled his one eye before pointing at Toshirou.
"Kurosaki, your defense, Hitsugaya, play the dumb offender." Zaraki told us, and I felt myself stiffen. Dropping low as Zaraki had demonstrated with Kira and Renji, I glowered at Toshirou, who stared back with his obstinate, beautiful teal colored eyes.
Racing forward the instant Zaraki passed the ball; Toshirou pulled a beautiful pirouette, the ball between his legs, as he shot past me. My face burning, I dropped the stance and slide tackled him neatly (no mistakes this time, thank god).
"Kurosaki! Hitsugaya! What do you not understand about DUMB DEFENDER?!" Zaraki demanded furiously as we got up, and I wiped the mud off my shorts.
"Sorry sir." I muttered mutinously while Toshirou merely crossed his arms and sulked. Gnashing his teeth loudly for all of us to hear, Zaraki stormed forward and pointed at the two of us with thick fingers.
"Hitsugaya, work with Kuchiki. Kurosaki, you're working with your brother." Zaraki ordered, and I walked over to my brother.
"Karin," My brother said with a sigh as he rubbed his temples and got into a defensive crouch.
"What?!" I snapped defensively, even though I knew he was just trying to help.
"Maybe you should be a bit nicer to Toshirou. He's not all that bad once you get to know him." Ichigo told me, and I frowned at him.
"Not only that," Ichigo continued. "But Toshirou is used to getting his way. If you keep antagonizing him, he'll strike back, I guarantee it." I didn't reply as we switched our positions.
I thought of what we were learning in English class, a unit on Jane Austin, a famous romance/comedy writer.
"If I endeavor to undeceive people as to the rest of his conduct, who will believe me? The general prejudice against Mr. Darcy is so violent that it would be the death of half the good people in Meryton, to attempt to place him in an amiable light." I quoted, and my brother had no reply to that.
Day 6
"Right, tomorrow is the last day of Hell Week," Zaraki told us, and I heard a sigh of relief escape the crowd of teenagers. "Today we'll be practicing two on ones, and then twos on threes, which is often how things can work out in soccer games. We'll start in groups of threes, you can choose for today." Zaraki decided, and several kids cheered, as Zaraki had picked partners for us all week.
"Hey Kurosaki! Come be in a group with Rukia and me!" Came a friendly voice, and I turned to see Tatsuki standing next to Rukia. Feeling pleased, I jogged over towards them.
"Girl power!" Rukia and Tatsuki both cheered with a laugh, and I couldn't but join in, it was so infectious. They quickly got serious, and we got down to earth. Rukia and me both played offense, while Tatsuki did defense.
Then we switched to two defenders (Rukia and Tatsuki) and one offender (me). It took me several seconds to realize that Zaraki was studying me, and I turned to give him a curious look.
"Am I doing something wrong?" I asked in consternation, afraid he'd make me do a lap or two or three or a lot. Zaraki just grunted.
"Nah, but that wasn't to bad a move. Kurosaki told me you were on the summer Kyoto Hollows team. Is this true?" He asked, and I wondered whether or not I should lie. I decided that honesty was always better in a situation like this.
Especially when there was laps at stake.
"Yeah, I was. But then I moved here." I said, feeling a pang of resentfulness towards my father and intense homesickness for Kyoto.
"I see." Was all that Zaraki said, before scribbling a note down at the fucked up clipboard.
Once Zaraki was satisfied that everyone was properly tired from the two on ones, he made it three on two.
"Let's see... how about Tatsuki and Kurosaki (younger) against Kira, Renji and Chad." Zaraki decided, and Toshirou rolled his eyes.
"Watch out Tatsuki, she steals the ball from her own teammates." He advised, and I bristled in his direction. As we started, I accidentally-on-purpose kicked the ball in Toshirou's direction, and felt satisfied when it nailed him in the head.
"I'm so sorry," I called out as he struggled to his feet, face flaming red. "You alright?"
If he wasn't a proper gentleman, I'm positive Toshirou would've given me the middle finger.
Day 7
"Finally, the last day of Hell Week." My brother told me as we met outside the locker rooms. I, however, didn't feel relieved, just nervous and high strung.
What if I didn't make the team? How would I ever put up with Toshirou or my brother or my father? I grimaced at the thought of the last one, and then took comfort in what Yuzu had told me that morning.
"Even if you don't make it," She had said. "You'll still be my older twin sister."
All the same, I really wanted to make the team.
"SCEERIMAGE!" Zaraki shouted as we walked out onto the field, and I was surprised to him practically bouncing off the balls of his huge feet. "15 ON 15, NO SUBS! LOSER RUNS FIVE LAPS OR MORE, DEPENDING ON MY MOOD!"
Zaraki yelled, and I shot my brother a glance. Was it technically a scrimmage if there were more player playing then in a normal game. Ichigo, however, merely shrugged.
"That's just the way he rolls." Ryu whispered to me from my other side, and I grinned at him.
Our teams were divided and then we got under way, with Ryu, myself, and Tatsuki as forward, some no-names and Ichigo as midfielders and wings (basically far out mids) and then a bunch of defenders and Kira.
I glared into the eyes of my nemesis, who stared back with two sharp, flinty blue0green eyes.
"You ready Toshirou-Taicho." I said the prefix in with mocking and derision heavy in my tone, and Toshirou flushed an angry red.
"I was born ready, Kurosaki." He replied, and I gritted my teeth at the arrogance in his voice. Then Ryu tapped me the ball and I exploded forward.
That scrimmage I played like I never had before. I passed, dribbled, guarded and more with a grace and ease only matched (as much as I hated to admit it) by Toshirou. I scored three out of our five goals, and stopped Toshirou from making four in the nick of time.
However, despite all my valiant efforts, the game still ended in a tie- five to five.
Zaraki was so torn and sad that he didn't get to have a loser to run that he made both teams run five miles.
"What a frickin' way to the end the week." Renji gasped as we skidded to a halt at the 'finish line'. I nodded my agreement while Ryu tossed me a water bottle.
"Thirsty?" He asked, and I nodded, touched, before slopping down the water. Then I handed him the remains and grinned, my stomach cramping slightly from draining so much water so quickly.
"Thirsty?" I asked jokingly, and everyone in the vicinity laughed as we walked back to take a shower and changed, glad we had made it through the week.
The next day I was too nervous to eat, and sat in Ichigo's car for a half hour while impatiently waiting for him to finish eating. Once again I was going through all my doubts, feeling my whole body shake with anticipation.
Rukia and Ichigo, much to my disgust, had obviously had sex the night before, and were sending each other secret smiles and touches and moving at the pace of a hundred year old tortoise.
"Will you hurry up?!" I finally shouted, and they both gave me startled looks as if they were surprised to see me, and I had to roll my eyes at them.
"Err, yeah, we're coming." Ichigo said once he recovered from my outburst, and they both got in the car and we drove off to school. Finally.
I literally flew down the halls of Karakura High, with poor Yuzu, Ichigo, and Rukia at my heels, until I came to a crashing stop in front of the office were the players had been posted, as Zaraki had told us the day before.
High School Shinigami Team
Hitsugaya Toshirou
Karin Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki
Rukia Kuchiki
Tatsuki Arisawa
Sado Yatsora
Ryu Kochiku
Kira Izuru
Renji Abarai
Madarame Ikkaku
Akira Akiyama
Dai Fujita
Kiyoshi Fudu
Shimo Taru
Toyo Shigekazu
Masa Kin
Jiro Amida
Kano Taro
I was so happy I ran to the bathroom and promptly puked.
Author Note: Finished! It's alot shorter then my other chapters, but whatever. Again, thank you for all the glorious reviews! I won't put down everyone who reviewed, because there was quite a few, but I will answer some of the questions asked.
A Pupeteer is someone who can control puppets.
Also, this story is about how Karin and Toshirou dislike each other but slowly grow to like one another and then possibly fall in love... if schemeing girls, jealous brothers, and pycho dance teachers/soccer coaches don't get in the way.
-Firefox