Campus
Alright, so this chapter is going to be really short, but the plot is moving along. I'm sorry it's taking so long to update, but school and the home situation is limiting when I can update.
Oh, I'm looking for a Beta if anyone is interested!
"Wake-up. You're only going to get in the way if you stay here."
Ichigo blinked slowly, looking up as he stretched. "What?"
"Class is over. Everyone is leaving," Byakuya said coldly.
"Oh. Thanks." Ichigo stood up stiffly, sore from falling asleep against the wall.
"I would have left you, but the professor told me to send you to his office when you woke up. I wasn't about to wait around for you." The raven haired man left abruptly, brushing past Renji roughly as he approached them.
"Have a good nap?" Renji asked, grinning as he pushed Ichigo back into the wall.
"Yeah, I guess." The auburn haired teen scowled and glared at the door to Grimmjow's office. Renji followed his gaze and frowned as well.
"Bit of a dick isn't he?"
"Not as much as you." Ichigo pushed off the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets roughly.
"What do you mean?"
Ichigo whirled around, slamming his hand onto the wall near his friend's face. "You said nothing about nude portraits. You said nothing about the fact that I'd have to pose for long periods of time in close contact to people I didn't know, with a guy that I didn't know. Now that's a bit of a dick move Renji."
Renji Held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Man, how was I supposed to know it would bother you this much? You're a guy, not some shy little virgin girl who's afraid to show her body! I figured you'd be like a normal guy our age, and you know what, I didn't think the modeling with another guy would bother you because you're fucking gay. How was I supposed to know? Ninja powers?" he shot back defensively.
Ichigo growled. "I'll see you later, but this isn't over. You owe me a freakin' pizza or something for this."
"You got it. See ya Ichigo," Renji nodded as his friend brought his hand back to his side. Ichigo walked across the empty classroom to the office door, knocked twice and entered. As the door shut behind him, Renji sighed and shook his head. He picked up his bag and left the room himself, murmuring quietly.
"I'm so fucking screwed."
(Line Break)
"You asked to see me sir?"
Grimmjow looked up, a grim smile spread across his face. He stood up from his desk, looking the glowering teen up and down as he removed his glasses. "Do you know why yer here?"
Ichigo's scowl deepened. "Obviously because you asked to see me after the class ended."
"Smartass. Yer here because ya've got one hell of a body and because I want good subjects for my students. Subjects that will take the time and effort to actually stay awake for the duration of the class. If yer not willing to put in the meager effort required to stay awake, then ya might as well kiss the paycheck that comes with this little gig goodbye," Grimmjow said, smile changing into an almost angry glare as he spoke. "Ya look like yer here because you need the money, but I don't give a shit if ya do. Granted, ya fallin' asleep served well today, but if ya fall asleep without my say-so again and yer done here. Got it?"
Ichigo nodded stiffly. He knew that he deserved the rebuke, but the fact that he had received one still irked him. He turned to leave, brusquely opening the door. "Got it."
"Oh, and Kurosaki? I'd watch that friend of yers if I were you. He had more than extra credit in mind when he asked ya to model for us. Please don't distract him too much."
"Bastard," Ichigo growled. Did he see their argument earlier? What did he mean by that?
"Actually, yes. Unlike ya, I can't say as I ever knew my father. Don't slam the door on your way-"
SLAM!
"out," Grimmjow finished. He smiled and shook his head. Kurosaki had spirit, he had to give him that at least, and it showed in the way he stood and the looks he gave. Even sleeping Grimmjow had been able to see the teen's pride and strict sense of what was right and what was wrong. It was a shame that he'd attracted Ichimaru's attention. Grimmjow leaned over his desk and grabbed the phone, leisurely dialing a number. "Ichimaru. Yeah, of course it's me, who else would want to call you at work? Anyway, the boy just left so he should be late for class. Nah, I didn't do much today. Your turn."
(line break)
"Late again Kurosaki. See me after class."
Ichigo sighed and sat in a desk at the back of the lecture hall. He grumpily pulled out his notebook and a pen, starting his notes on American poetry. He kept his head bent to the paper, not noticing the professor's interested glances. Gin took in the tenseness of Ichigo's shoulders and his tight grip on his pen, smirking as he continued to rub the back of his head in agitation, apparently unaware of the action. He looked away from Ichigo and continued his lecture of free verse, quoting examples of passages of Walt Whitman. Pens scratched furiously without pause until, finally, Gin stopped pacing and, stopping in mid-sentence, dismissed the class. Ichigo stood to leave with the crowd, attempting to blend with the flood of happy and relieved students.
"Almost there," he murmured, looking back over his shoulder for the location of his professor.
"But not quite." Ichigo jumped and looked ahead of him only to see Gin standing about a foot from him. He flinched at the cold hand Gin placed on his shoulder as he steered him back into the classroom and looked longingly to the door and the babble of chatter and laughter outside. He sighed and turned to follow Gin. Ichigo unslung his bag and left it on the empty desk in front of the English professor's generally unused lectern.
"It appears that you've had a bad day Ich- Kurosaki, and unfortunately, what I have to say will make it that much worse. You've been regularly tardy to this class and as you're aware, even if you get here eventually, if you aren't physically in the room when I take roll, I have to mark you absent," Gin said, smiling gently, almost seeming to take glee at the growing look of horror on Ichigo's face. "After so many 'absences,' I felt obligated to inform you that you won't be getting the credit for this class."
Ichigo's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock, frustration, and anger. "But Professor! I have the top grade out of all your students in this course! Please, there must be something you can do to change this," he pleaded, hands balled tight by his sides.
Gin kept his customary grin, even as he shook his head. "There's nothing I can do to make this go away Ichigo Kurosaki."
Ichigo gestured frantically, panic entering his voice. " Then who? Should I go to the department head and explain the situation? Could Professor Aizen help me?"
"No. But you could do something to make all this go away."
Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Me? How could I do anything? No, forget that, what do I need to do?"
"It'll take some thought on your part though. It's not a situation you could take lightly Kurosaki," Gin warned, self-satisfied smirk growing imperceptibly on his face.
"Does it look like I'm taking this lightly? Please sir, I need this class. I'm only able to attend this university because I'm on scholarship. The rules for receiving it are very clear, and it doesn't even cover dorm fees or the money for books. I need to take class full time or I'll lose it. That's why I've been late; I've been doing whatever work I could. I get here as soon as I can!" The auburn haired teen dropped his head into his hands dejectedly as he thought about how much getting the scholarship had helped his family. Gin took advantage of Ichigo's inattention and moved closer, pinning Ichigo to the desk behind him. Brown eyes filled with confusion and distrust as he lifted the boy's chin with long fingers.
"We could both serve each other in this situation," Gin said, grinning and pressing his forehead into Ichigo's, staring straight into eyes now watching apprehensively. "Give me what I want by the end of the Semester and you keep the class."
He grinned his snake-like smile at the shock written all over the teen's face. Gin backed away slowly and walked away, leaving Ichigo frozen where he was with deep satisfaction. "Think about it Kurosaki. Oh, and be a good boy and close the door on your way out will ya?"
Gin walked (though to be honest it was more a strutting glide) out of the lecture hall. Ichigo stared woodenly at the air in front of him. The only sound was his startled shallow breathing and the steady tick of the clock.
'What the fuck was that? Why did Professor- God, what will I tell my family?'
I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf
While jacking off listening to Mozart
You bitch and moan about LA
Wishing you were in the rain reading Hemingway
You don't eat meat
And drive electrical cars
You're so indie rock it's almost an art
You need SPF 45 just to stay alive
You're so gay and you don't even like boys-
When the ringing of his phone finally registered with his shell shocked mind, Ichigo pulled the device out of his pocket and flipped it open without any real thought.
"Hello," he said absently, brain still reeling from Gin's proposal to the solution of the orange haired teen's problem.
"Ichigo, where are you? W've been waiting outside for… how long Chad? For about 15 minutes. We saw your professor leave already. Did you forget that you were supposed to meet us?" Uryu's voice rang disapprovingly into his ear. Ichigo glanced at the clock and frowned, closing his eyes and pinching his nose.
"Ichigo? You better not have hung up on me you asshole," Uryu growled.
"What? No, I'm here. I'll be right out."
"Good. See you in a minu- Right out? You're still in the classroom? Ichigo, what's going on?"
"Bye Ishida."
"Ichi-"
Click.
Again, I'm so sorry that this is so short. *is depressed* I've been so dead lately, I can't seem to get anything done. Anyway, forgive this poor author and review, even if it is to rebuke her for her tardiness and inability to write.