Chapter II: The Girl Who Could Change the Past
~Monday~
::Orihime's POV::
My eyes flutter open, revealing my bedroom which is slowly filling with warm, golden sunlight. Yes, it's my first day at Karakura High today. To say I'm not nervous would be a lie but I'm excited nonetheless. Change can be good sometimes.
I push myself up, yawning widely. I turn my head to the side, checking the neon pink clock that rests on my bedside. It reads half past eight... Half past eight?! Sugar bunnies! I'm going to be late! I quickly hop to my feet and run to the bathroom. In a rush, I use one hand to brush my teeth and the other to roughly tug at my auburn locks with my hairbrush.
I really need to start remembering to set my alarm clock before I go to bed... I don't want to get into trouble at school for being late, especially since I'm a new student! ...Maybe I should go back and set my alarm last night? I don't really want to... But if it means making a good impression today then I really should...
I grab the blue flower hair clips that rested on the counter next to me, Onii-chan gave me them to me when I was a little girl. I take a deep breath and squeeze my eyes tightly shut. Let's do this.
I check my clock, it's quarter to eleven at night. It worked. Well, I never doubted it wouldn't work. I mean, I've done it enough times to know. Yeah, I have the ability to reverse time. I don't understand it myself either but that's just the way it's always been so I just have to deal with it. Sometimes I wish I was just a normal girl, but maybe there's other people out there just like me! Who knows?
Anyway, the point was to set my alarm clock so that's what I'm going to do! I pick up my clock and fiddle with the switches until I finally manage to set my clock at eight am. Mm, I really am quite sleepy now so I guess I should go to bed... After all, it is the first day of school tomorrow.
I collapse softly down onto my bed, get underneath the covers and soon I'm out like a light.
"Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep..."
I slap my hand down onto my clock, shutting it up. I hate the sound of the alarm, it's awful. I check the time with a sigh. I actually woke at a decent time today, all thanks to the alarm I set last night! I get out of bed a little more slowly this time, I don't have to rush anymore.
I go through to the bathroom and throw off my peppermint green pajamas -they have adorable little penguins on them!- and step into the shower, feeling the hot, steaming liquid run down my back smoothly.
"Aah, so nice..."
After at least ten minutes, I step out and grab a pastel pink towel from the radiator and wrap it around myself. It's so warm... Walking over to the sink, I take out my toothbrush and toothpaste and proceed then to brush my teeth whilst humming a happy little tune.
I soon finish and then walk back to my bedroom with a slight skip in my step.
"And nothing will keep this heart from beating, I'm still breathing~!" I sing chirpily, hopping over to my wardrobe.
Underwear and... yes! My new school uniform! I pluck everything I need out and lay them all on my bed. I get changed into my clothes and afterwards, I look at myself in the mirror and do a twirl, showing off my clothes. My uniform consists of a white shirt tucked into a grey skirt, topped off with a grey jacket and red bow. It's really pretty actually. I think I love it! I grin cheerily and grab my school bag, just a plain old thing with no pretty designs or anything instead, I've attached all sorts of badges onto it though (from band badges to random things like, "I mustache you a question but I'll shave it for later!") and I head to the entrance way where I slip into my brown school shoes. I rush out the door and begin my journey to school.
Such a bright day! But I really wouldn't expect any less, it is August after all! I really can't decide which season is my favourite... but I do love summer! I used to go to the beach with my best friend, Tatsuki-chan, all the time! She lives in Tokyo though so I guess we can't anymore... Before I moved to Karakura Town I lived in Tokyo with Tatsuki-chan and her family. They were all so kind to let me stay with them after I got kicked out of my apartment because I couldn't pay rent... It's all good now though! My auntie (she's really a family friend) returned from the UK a little while ago so now I get to live with her and her nephew and niece.
My auntie, Rangiku-san, is really nice and loves to joke and have loads of fun so it's never dull with her there! She works as a fashion designer and often has to go away on business trips. She left yesterday for New York, I think she was a little bit late but I'm pretty sure she got to the airport just in time. It's a little bit weird when she isn't at home but I guess I shouldn't complain when I have Tōshirō-kun and Momo-chan to keep me company.
Tōshirō-kun doesn't like to talk to me very much but he does care for me. I think he's pretty sweet. He's fourteen years old and enjoys playing football. He goes to a private school. I think he has a girlfriend but whenever I ask he get's all defensive. He starts blushing and spluttering, it's really funny and cute. His girlfriend's (or whatever she is to him) came over a few times recently. I like her. She's the perfect match for Tōshirō-kun.
Momo-chan on the other hand is always happy to chat with me and help me when I need it. She's really kind. She often hangs out with her friends: Kuchiki-san, Abarai-kun, Kira-kun and Hisagi-kun. They all seem very close. She also goes to the same private school as Tōshirō-kun. Momo-chan is Tōshirō-kun's older sister by a year but they're not related by blood. Rangiku-san's mother adopted them both as her grandchildren. She passed away a couple years ago, Tōshirō-kun seems to be the most affected in my opinion, something tells me they were extremely close.
Overall, the three of them make an upbeat and cheery family that I'm happy to be a part of! Ah, I can see the school now! It's a little bit smaller than the school I went to in Tokyo but I expected that. To be honest, I'm elated at that fact. My old school was a prestigious academy for girls. I'm a bit anxious to be learning with boys actually. I'm sure it'll be fine though.
I quickly turn around a corner, eager to finally arrive at school when- Eep!
"I am so sorry!" I say rubbing my head painfully. Due to my stupidity, as soon as I went round the corner I collided into another person and sent us tumbling to the ground.
The guy who I bumped into looks at me with wide eyes, "I-Impossible..." I hear him murmur ever so quietly.
I tilt my head in confusion, "What's impossible?"
"Ah..." he turns his head, "It's nothing."
How peculiar... I wonder what he meant...
He coughs awkwardly, breaking my train of thought, "Will you... ehem, please get off of me?"
I look down at the position we're in. I'm sitting on his stomach, straddling him you might say, with my uh... chest pretty close to his face.
"Ack! I'm sorry!" I reply, quickly getting off of the dark haired stranger.
He blushes ever so slightly but then turns away, "Ishida Uryū,"
"Eh?"
He starts walking forward, "Ishida Uryū, Class 2A."
Realizing what he was saying I run to catch up with him, "Oh, I'm Inoue Orihime!"
"You're the new girl, hm? I can walk with you to the office if you wish." Ishida-kun offers, turning towards me and giving me a small, barely existent smile.
I nod thankfully, "That would be really nice."
"Uryū-chan!" a beautiful, teal haired lady in her late twenties squeals upon seeing Ishida-kun and I approach.
Ishida-kun sighs, "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"
The green haired beauty giggles, "You're too cute to be called anything else~"
"Anyway, this is the new student, Inoue Orihime." Ishida-kun tells her, gesturing to me.
"Hello, Hime-chan!" the green haired beauty greets, enthusiastically waving her hands, "Is it alright to call you that?"
I smile, "I don't mind at all."
"I'm Nelliel by the way!" she replies cheerily, holding out a perfectly manicured hand.
I take her hand and shake it, pleased to meet someone as chirpy and excitable as she is, "Nice to meet you, Nelliel-san."
"Oderschvank-san." Ishida-kun corrects.
"It's too complicated! Plus, I'm going to be Jaegerjaquez-san soon anyway so it doesn't matter!" she responded, sticking out her tongue.
Ishida-kun looks at her hands and smiles, "He proposed?"
"Yeah! And about time too!" Nelliel laughs and admires the ring on her finger with a hopelessly romantic look on her face.
"It's gorgeous..." I say. It really is, a shining silver band with a beautiful blue gem, what's not to love? It's simple yet sophisticated.
She nods, "I can't believe Grimm actually has taste!"
"I'm truly pleased for you two but we really need to get going. Can we get Inoue-san's timetable please?" Ishida-kun asks, tapping his fingers on the desk.
"Oh yeah! Here you go, Hime-chan!" Nelliel-san hands me my timetable, the phone rings and she turns away to answer it.
Ishida-kun checks over my timetable silently and swiftly, "You're in the same register class as me." he tells me quietly.
Great! I'm so happy to have someone in my class that I'll actually know! "Can you show me around today?"
"Sure."
"So, why exactly was it you were heading the other direction this morning?" I ask Ishida-kun curiously as we leave register class.
He stays silent before asking me, "Can I see what you have now?"
I hand Ishida-kun my schedule, knowing I probably won't get an answer from him.
"Modern Languages..." he mutters, "I have Science at the opposite end of the school but I'm sure Kurotsuchi-sensei will understand... Or not."
"If you're going to get into trouble for showing me to my next class I don't mind trying to find it myself!" I reply. I really don't want to be the reason for Ishida-kun to get into trouble...
He shakes his head, "No, it's fine."
"If you say so..." I respond, skeptically.
Ishida-kun begins walking forward, "Come on then, we better get going."
I fall into step next to him, "Yep!"
It's lunch time now, Ishida-kun's kindly offered to walk with me to the cafeteria but just one thing bothers me...
"Don't you have friends you need to have lunch with too, Ishida-kun?"
"I wouldn't really call them friends, more like idiots who need to get a life and stop following me around everywhere." he answers cooly.
I chuckle, "How mean."
"It's true. And here they come..." Ishida-kun replies with a roll of his dark blue eyes.
"Ishida!" a tall ginger haired boy calls, "How long were you planning to hide from us?"
"How long are you planning to irritate me?"
Another boy falls to the ground and grabs onto Ishida-kun's leg, "Stop being so cruel, Four Eyes!"
Ishida-kun looks like he's away to shout something at the boy clutching at his leg but then stops, his eyes flash a lighter shade of blue and he looks like his mind's disappeared somewhere.
"Ishida-kun?" I question worriedly, "Are you okay?"
He doesn't respond, instead he just continues to stare out into space.
An extremely tall Mexican boy, taller than the one with ginger hair, steps in and drags away the boy who was previously hung on Ishida-kun's leg, "Ishida does this whenever anyone touches him, we still don't know why and he refuses to tell us."
My thoughts flash back to earlier today when I landed on Ishida-kun and he said "Impossible..." Maybe that has something to do with all of this? Although he didn't seem to blank out that time.
"Ugh..." Ishida-kun says, panting a little bit.
"Do you want to... go to the nurse's office or something?" I ask him, resting a hand on his shoulder unconsciously.
Ishida-kun shakes his head, "I'm fine, I assure you."
"I don't believe you." I counter. He's clearly not fine! I mean, he looks like he'll pass out!
One of his other friends, the one with dark hair, piques up, "How come you can touch Ishida?"
"Maybe he only reacts to guys because he's gay!" the leg clutching boy suggests but the tall ginger haired boy quickly silences him by punching him in the face.
"I don't know..." I say, retreating my hand.
"Anyway, can we just go eat lunch?" the tall ginger haired boy butts in.
Ishida-kun nods his head, "Agreed."
"The rest of the day was pretty uneventful from then onwards. I learnt of all Ishida-kun's friends names though! Kurosaki-kun is the tall ginger haired one, Yasutora-kun is the Mexican boy who is taller than Kurosaki-kun, Kojima-kun is the dark haired one and Asano-kun is the one who was clutching onto Ishida-kun's leg! Boys are so funny, don't you think, Onii-chan?"
The photograph of Onii-chan says nothing, just smiles, like he always does.
"I miss you Onii-chan..."
The photograph still remains quiet, I don't know why I always have hope that Onii-chan will suddenly come back like nothing ever happened...
I feel salty tears stream down my face and I laugh and wipe them away, "I'm so happy I'm crying!"
I don't want Onii-chan to see me cry.
"Hime-chan?" Momo-chan calls tiredly from our shared bedroom, "You should get some sleep..."
"Y-yeah. I will"
I'll call Tatsuki-chan tomorrow. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
A.N: Thank you for continuing! I really enjoyed writing in Orihime's POV. She's such a lovable character! I would really love it if you could leave a review but if you don't want to I really don't mind. Just you reading it is enough to make me extremely happy. I feel that these chapters are also way too short, at least this one's slightly longer... Oh well~
So, in my school Modern Languages is a class that you have with your set class, Science is a class you have with your register class. That's why the scene with Uryū and Orihime having different classes probably wouldn't normally happen but I really wanted to mention Captain Mayuri :3 I'm sorry if this note doesn't make sense to you, if it doesn't make sense just ignore this paragraph altogether.
~Sammy-chan17