"I'm an Arancarr. I exist between worlds. Only humans with high spirit energy can see me" and on this basis, when Orihime's school returned from Autumn break, I decided to attend with her. Aizen could strike at anytime, and it would be typical if she were at school away from me when it happened. Apart from Orihime, Ichigo and his friends and the Shinigami (who Orihime had told me had enrolled for surveillance pruposes) I should be fine.

No problems walking to school, we didn't see anyone I knew. However, in one of the corridors of the school a problem arose. Orihime turned a corner, with me following her "Tatsuki-chan!" she grinned and waved, "did you enjoy your break?"

A black haired girl turned her head, smiled and came over. However on her way towards Orihime, that smile turned to a scowl, pointing at me she shouted... "Hey Freakshow what are you doing here?"

I said nothing, Orihime looked shocked. "Tatsuki-chan why are you calling me a freak?"

"Oh not you, Orihime, 'Clown-features' stood behind you!"

Just then two lads walked passed. "Hey Tatsuki - you been hitting the bottle? You're talking to invisible people!" They laughed at her and walked on. She turned to Orihime "You don't see him?"

Orihime nervously laughed and shook her head "Maybe I have a guardian angel" and started walking towards class.
"He's a freakish looking one" Tatsuki mumbled but followed her and I tagged along behind them all.

At Class, we walked in. I took an empty desk at the back of the room, Orihime's desk was a way infront of me. Tatsuki sat near Orihime, but kept a close eye on me. We were there early so not many students had arrived. I saw Ichigo's friend - the tall one who doesn't say much, walk in. He saw me and stared for a bit whilst walking in, he sat down and said nothing.

Five minutes later Ichigo rushed in. I stood up, for the expected confrontation and walked over to Orihime, standing behind her with my hands on her shoulders. Ichigo's face was like thunder. He dropped his bag onto his desk then strode purposefully towards us.

"Hi Ichigo," Orihime smiled nervously.

"What's he doing here?" Ichigo whispered angrily.

"I'm keeping an eye on my girlfriend, to make sure she's safe." I responded.

Tatsuki got up and said angrily to Ichigo... "You can see him too?" Ichigo almost jumped out of his skin, "Woah Tatsuki, didn't realise you were there... See who?"

"Come off it Ichigo, I can see Freakshow stood behind Orhime. Orihime tell me you can see him?"

Orihime put her head in her desk and pretended to be busy looking for something, things were getting out of hand.

"HIME!!!!!!!!"

I was suddenly aware of a human body taking up the same space as I was, and hugging/squeezing Orhime's breasts. Rage built up inside me. I took a couple of paces backwards, held out my hand close to the back of this annoying girl's head "You will not touch her like that again. Ce..." but that was as far as I got, as Ichigo grabbed me and pulled me out of the classroom, and pushed me harshly into the corridor wall.

"Look Arancarr. You do NOT Cero my classmates!"

"It was unacceptable behaviour."

"I DON'T CARE!! You have to ignore her, Chizuru is like this 24/7, she has a thing for Orihime, and however much you tell her to leave her alone she still does it."

I wrestled myself out of Ichigo's grasp and smoothed down the creases in my clothes. "My way would have worked. She wouldn't've bothered Orihime ever again."

Ichigo threw his hands up in rage "Are you even listening to me? A class full of students... you let a Cero off. Someone; if not all; die. There's gonna be hysteria."

I pushed past him, "I don't want to talk to you anymore - it was a controlled Cero - the blast would have only been big enough to hit this Chizuru person. No-one else would have been injured."

I walked back into the classroom, there were more people in there now. One kid sat on a table, fell off as I walked passed him, he pointed at me "Woah a monster!" The tall kid - Ichigo's friend - picked him up "Sit down Keigo, we'll tell you later." Keigo did as he was told.

Ichigo came back in and sat a desk near the window, he too watching me. I sat at an empty desk at the back of the room. The teacher arrived and class began.

Half way through the lesson, the door opened and a scruffily dressed student, carrying his bag slung over his shoulder wandered in "Sorry I'm late, Miss, slept in" He walked towards an empty desk next to Ichigo, he said in a low voice directed at me. "I can see you. What are you doing here?"

I got up and sat on his desk "I'm with Orihime. Have you got a problem with that?"

The blond haired kid quietly said, "the problem I have is that you're here in the school."

"Shinji, we'll tell you about it at break" Ichigo whispered across the desk. Shinji scowled at me and I returned to my position at the back of the class.

Break time arrived and I followed Orihime and Ichigo and the rest of the crowd to roof. Keigo was the first to speak, "Ichigo, who's the little kid?"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked round, "Nell... what are you doing here?"

"nell was bored, nell wath mithing Ithigo." She clung to him.

Ichigo sighed. "Okay everyone, sit down, its going to be a long story."

TBC