I feel so proud for how quickly I've been updating things. I've never been this quick in anything before! Such rapid updates! I'm such an awesome dude :)

I was kind of disappointed that last chapter got so little reviews compared to my other chapters, but I ain't discouraged! I'm really enjoying this story and I won't stop until it's done, no matter how long it takes! I'm trying not to dally, but also trying to keep it paced ya know? I don't want this story to be 30 chapters- not because I don't want to, but because I feel this kind of story shouldn't be dragged along for that long- but I also don't want to be like "POOF! SHIT IS HAPPENING!" without giving the premise behind said "Shit."

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters associated with the Anime/Manga. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump Magazine. Please support the official release.

-Parental Guidance-

The rest of the weekend was spent with the three of them at Rukia's house playing around with their new ability. After a few tests they found telekinesis was all they had obtained. There was no laser vision, no ice breath or intangibility. They could lift and throw things with their minds, and they were enjoying it.

School on Monday was a very unwelcome thing for any of them, because they were enjoying just lounging around Rukia's house lifting and tossing things around between themselves. They spent the night in Rukia's living room, planning on going to school together in Ichigo's car, and once they woke and showered they were off.

"Alright, I think we need to lay down a few rules." Rukia said from the back seat as Ichigo started up the engine.

"Rules? Why do we need rules?" Renji complained.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ichigo said, pulling away from the curb. He would need to stop by his and Renji's places to get their uniforms, so he started towards his own house first since it was the closest. "We don't want to be caught and brought to some government facility to be tested on."

"Exactly," Rukia agreed. "So we need to set these ground rules for our powers. Rule one: no using it at school."

Renji frowned, glancing back at her. "Even if I drop my pencil and don't want to bend all the way down to get it?"

"What's the matter Renji?" Ichigo teased. "I thought you'd be a pro at bending down by now." He snickered, to which Renji glared at him.

"Like I said, no using it at school." Rukia continued. "And rule two: we can't tell anyone what happened or about our powers. If anyone asks about the party, we were there the whole time and if they didn't see us then it was because they just weren't where we were."

"Easy enough," Renji said.

Rukia nodded. "Anything else we should set as a rule you guys?" She inquired.

"I think that really covers it," Ichigo said, glancing at her in the rear-view-mirror. "No using our powers or telling anyone about them. What else could we do?"

After that was settled, Ichigo parked outside of his house and quickly ran inside, leaving Rukia and Renji in the car to wait for him to get dressed. He walked up to the front door and pulled out his keys to unlock it, but before he could slide the key into the knob he heard a strange noise coming from above. He glanced up, his eyes widening as a pair of feet came crashing down towards him.

"Holy jeez!" Ichigo quickly jumped back just as his father, Isshin, crashed onto the ground in a heap. Ichigo stared at his father, flabbergasted as the dark haired man groaned and looked up at his son.

"Good reflexes my boy!" Isshin said. "But you chose the flight response rather than the fight, so you gain and lose a point!"

"Idiot!" Ichigo kicked his father in the side, which made the goatee wearing man clutch at his stomach and roll around moaning and crying. "You are a fucking psychopath, ya know that?"

"Language!" Isshin scolded, but Ichigo ignored him as he opened his front door and stepped over his father into the house.

In the kitchen Ichigo could hear his sisters talking. He popped his head in to say hi to them before heading up the stairs to his room. His window was open, which explained where his father had come from, and his bed was still a mess from when he woke up the other day covered with blood stains and feeling like shit. He was surprised by how much better he felt now, and how much different he was from the Kurosaki Ichigo who had woken up that morning.

So much can happen in such a short time, He thought.

He quickly dressed in his school uniform and grabbed his bag from his desk and raced outside to find his father limping back into the house. He was going to brush by him and go back to his car where Rukia and Renji were waiting, but Isshin put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder and gave him a serious look.

"Where have you been? You've been gone all weekend. Yuzu was slightly worried."

Ichigo looked at his father's expression and shrugged. "I spent the weekend at Rukia's." He said.

Isshin's face quickly slipped into one of joy. "Have you and her finally gotten together? Oooh I knew this would happen someday! I shall soon have my third dau-"

Ichigo punched his father in the face and shook his head with a grumble and a scowl as he exited the house, walking towards his car where he spotted Rukia and Renji laughing at something.

"What's so funny?" He asked once he was seated in the driver's side. He tossed his bag into the back next to Rukia and started the engine, pulling away from the curb and turning it around to head towards Renji's house.

"Your father," Rukia giggled from the back seat. "He's always amusing."

"Yeah, a real riot." Ichigo said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"How're Yuzu and Karin? Haven't seen them in a while." Renji asked, leaning back into his seat.

"They're good," Ichigo said, keeping his eyes on the road. Renji's apartment was a bit further downtown, where most of the less fortunate lived, so it would take them a few minutes to get there. Thank God they got up extra early to make this trip before going to school. "Yuzu has top grades again this year, and Karin just got onto the school's soccer team if I remember correctly."

"That's good," Rukia said. "Someone in the Kurosaki household has to be going somewhere." She teased, which made Ichigo glare at her in the rear-view-mirror.

The drive to Renji's lasted a total of seven minutes, the three of them listening to the radio as they sat in silence. The traffic wasn't too bad, since it was pretty early, but there were still a few cars to contend with on the road as Ichigo drove.

When they arrived Ichigo pulled into the parking lot behind Renji's apartment building. It was a three story building with a desolate pool and balconies, a scant number of cars parked in the lot as many of the inhabitants of the building were at work this early to pay their strenuous amount of debts and bills.

Renji's apartment was on the second floor, room number 16. He quickly got out and ran up the stairs and to the door, taking out his keys and entering the dark apartment.

"You think his father's awake?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo shook his head. "At this hour? He's probably still out drinking from last night."

Rukia sighed and leaned back into the back seat. "We really should say something to someone." She said.

He shook his head. "No, he wouldn't forgive us."

"But he's being tortured by his own father!" She argued.

"Just leave it, Rukia." He said sternly. "This is Renji's issue, not ours. All we can do is be there for him when he needs us. He needs to stand up to his father himself, not us. I see it all the time in my Dad's clinic. An abused person needs to come to the conclusion themselves that they need to end it. If someone forces them out of their environment, they could get screwed up."

Rukia was silent for a moment, frowning indignantly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine..."

"Good," Ichigo said. "You should listen to me more. I'm right more than you think."

She laughed at him. "Sure, I'll make sure to remember that, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot, midget." Ichigo said. Rukia glared at him heatedly, but then smirked as suddenly Ichigo's head jerked back and slammed into the head cushion. "Hey! No telekinesis you said!" He yelled.

Rukia giggled, smirking evilly at him. "I said no using it at school. We aren't at school, now are we strawberry?" She taunted.

Ichigo growled, about to make a retort, when he spotted someone walking into the parking lot. He frowned, looking over at the person only to have his eyes widen in shock. "Rukia...look." He said, pointing to the person stumbling into the parking lot.

Rukia blinked and turned, his mouth hanging slightly agape as she saw the person as well. "Oh shit...it's Renji's dad."

–

Renji was quick to crawl through his messy room to find his uniform and slip it on. He was happy his father wasn't in the living room when he arrived like he thought he might be, and was enjoying the quiet that reigned over the usually noisy apartment. He frowned softly as he looked around his room, trying to find his school bag. He tried to think of where he threw it after arriving home on Friday. He had walked into his room and grabbed up a few articles of clothing and left as quickly as possible to go to Ichigo's to prepare for Rukia's party before his father could ask him where he was going, and had in the process dropped his school bag...somewhere.

As he threw around the trash around his room, he faintly heard a door opening and closing. He figured it was one of the neighbors, and didn't make any movement to check on it as he kept looking through his room for his black bag.

"Hey, punk."

Renji froze, his eyes widening at the voice. He snapped his head around to his door, where his father leaned against the frame, his face a rosy red.

Renji's father, Zabimaru Abarai, was a tall man with a wide frame and lean muscles. He had long, greasy russet colored hair that fell down his back in messy tangles. He glared at Renji was hazy, green eyes and stumbled slightly as he pushed off the frame.

"Where have...you been?" Zabimaru asked snidely, his words slightly slurred.

Renji quickly turned away, continuing his search for his bag. If he just answered the questions and didn't look the man directly in the eye he would be fine.

"I spent the weekend at a friends," Renji answered tersely. Where was that damn bag...?

"What friend? You don't have any...friends." Zabimaru coughed, leaning back against the door frame as he couldn't sustain his balance any longer.

"I do too have friends," Renji said, laying flat on his stomach and sighing in relief when he found his school bag under his bed. He reached for it and pulled it out, standing and brushing himself off. "I have to go to school." He said, walking towards his father and waiting for him to move.

Zabimaru narrowed his eyes at his son. "You talking back to me, boy?" He snarled.

Renji cursed his luck. "No, I'm not." He said. "Excuse me, I really need to be-"

Renji's sentence was cut short as Zabimaru suddenly lunged and smacked him on the side of the head. The force of the blow, combined with Renji's shock and unprepared stance, sent him to the ground. He groaned, holding his head as he looked up at his scowling father.

"You need to learn to respect me!" Zabimaru hollered. "I am your father and I pay the bills around here! So don't you dare talk back to me you little shit!"

Renji felt his frustration building, but he didn't do anything. He just quietly pulled himself from the ground and grabbed his bag and pushed past his father, making a beeline for the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zabimaru called, following his son. "I'm not done with you!"

"I have to go to school," Renji said again through gritted teeth. "I have friends outside waiting for me."

"What did I say about back-talk?"

Renji could feel his heart hammering in anger. He would most likely develop a small bruise on his temple, and he didn't want to explain it away to everyone at school, so he didn't need any more of them. He tried to ignore his father and go straight out the door, but Zabimaru slipped in front of him and shoved him back, a sneer on his face.

"I'm not back-talking you!" Renji couldn't contain himself and shouted, which he regretted instantly.

"You insignificant little-" Zabimaru reared back to smack his son, but Renji saw it coming and acted quickly and without rational thought. He focused his eyes on his father's legs, and watched as they swung out and Zabimaru yelped as he went tumbling to the ground, banging his head. "Ooooh..." He moaned.

Renji didn't stay to watch his father get his wits about him, and quickly slammed the door behind him and ran to Ichigo's car.

–

The drive to school was an awkwardly quiet one after Renji slipped into his seat and buckled. Ichigo and Rukia both knew that something happened from the way Renji remained sullen and glaring out the window, but neither dared to say anything or ask about the red welt on the side of his face.

Ichigo drove them to school half an hour early and they went inside to converse lightly while they waited for class to start. When their teacher, Ms. Ochi, arrived and announced it was time to sit and be quiet, everyone sat in their seats and prepared for the day of learning.

Though, as Ichigo had expected, no one really paid attention to the lesson. Most of the class was submerged in hurried whispers about Rukia's party on Friday. Ichigo could hear the whispers when Ms. Ochi had her back turned, and gave a frown as he worried they might ask him about the party. He had been seen at the party, so people knew he had been there, and really it could be easy enough to lie and say he had fun and went home early, but he still didn't want to be asked. He had no quarrels with lying, he just preferred to be left alone.

Every so while Ichigo would glance back at Rukia or Renji, seeing Rukia writing in her notebook- being the good straight A student that she was and paying attention in class- and Renji glowering at his desk, barely even looking up from his tapping finger.

Ichigo frowned, worried for his friend.

Before too long, the lunch bell rang and the students stood from their desk to prepare for their meals. Ichigo packed up his things, checking his pocket to make sure he had his keys. Ever since he got his license he drove Rukia and Renji out to pick up something for lunch, and he figured today he would buy everyone's meal. It would be nice, especially for Renji.

He stood, seeing Rukia and Renji still packing their things, but before they could meet and head out, Rukia was approached by the whirlwind of lunacy that was known as Asano Keigo.

"Kuchiki-san! What an unbelievably amazing party you had this weekend! As always of course," Keigo gushed, smiling with all of his pearly white teeth at Rukia.

"Yes, it was an excellent party." Keigo's companion, Kojima Mizuiro, said as he strolled up texting on his phone. "I got quite a few numbers there." He said, indicating his phone.

Keigo sighed dramatically. "Sadly I couldn't find Kuchiki-san anywhere that night! Where were you?" He asked Rukia, still smiling.

Rukia glanced at Ichigo as he walked up. "I was just roaming around, hanging out with Ichigo. Right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo blinked, frowning as Keigo turned his suddenly frantic gaze on him. "Um...yeah. We were just around, talking and stuff." He said, slightly flustered at the attention Keigo and Mizuiro and Rukia were giving him. He hated being on the spot.

Keigo suddenly began to shed big, fat tears. "Oh no! I knew this day would come! Someone has come around and stolen my dear Kuchiki-san!" He wailed.

"Keigo, would you shut up?" Renji said as he neared. "What are you blathering about now?"

Keigo turned to Renji, his eyes wide and still full of tears. "Our dear Kuchiki-san has found herself a boyfriend!" He cried.

Renji's eyes widened. "W-What?" His head snapped to Rukia instantly, and really only Ichigo understood the slightly crestfallen look in his friend's eyes. "You...found someone?" He asked hesitantly.

Rukia was about to answered him, but Keigo butted in. "It is our own Ichigo!" He said loudly, gaining a few stares. "Their love has finally flourished and we are left with nothing more than the memory of a time when Kuchiki-san could have been ours!" He said dramatically.

Renji's brows furrowed, looking up at Ichigo. Ichigo shook his head. This was just a normal occurrence: Keigo being an idiot.

"Keigo, would you shut up?" Ichigo growled. "Rukia and I aren't together, moron. We just hung out at the party. Renji was there also."

Renji suddenly looked very relieved, and Keigo blinked in confusion. "So it's a devil's threesome now?"

Both Ichigo and Renji punched Keigo in the face, sending him to the floor in a crying heap.

"Sorry guys, he got into his sister's caffeine this morning." Mizuiro said, closing his phone and placing it in his pocket. "He's been extra jumpy."

"Is that possible?" Rukia asked.

"Apparently so," Mizuiro sighed. "I'll take him outside to breathe. He should calm down now with those bruises."

Mizuiro dragged a weeping Keigo out of the classroom, leaving Ichigo and Rukia and Renji alone.

"He's an idiot," Renji shook his head, still slightly in a dark mood from this morning.

Rukia nodded. "Whatever. Let's go get some lunch." She said, placing her school bag under her desk and straightening her skirt. "I'm starving. We left in such a hurry this morning we didn't get breakfast."

"You guys go ahead," Renji said. "I'm going to hang back and chill for a bit. I've got some homework to finish. Bring me back a rice ball."

Ichigo frowned at Renji. "You sure man?" He asked.

Renji nodded. "Yeah. I figure now is a better time than any, right?"

Ichigo was about to retort again, not wanting to leave his friend alone in his current dark state, but Rukia waved her hand in the air, cutting him off.

"Alright," She said. "We'll hurry." She said, forcing Ichigo out of the door. Ichigo glanced back at Renji, noticing how he turned back to his desk and sat down, staring out the window.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked Rukia once they were a good few steps down the hallway. "I don't know if he should be alone like this."

Rukia shook her head. "It's like you said this morning," She said. "We can't butt into his business. If he wants to be alone, let's leave him alone for a bit. Let him clear his head."

Ichigo frowned, looking one time down the hall towards the classroom. "I guess you're right..." He said. "I just hope when we get back he'll feel a little better."

–

Renji sat at his desk for awhile, having pulled out his homework and trying to solve the equations that stared him in the face with their taunting numbers and exponents that he didn't fully understand. Math was his worst subject, and it was hard enough to deal with it without the slight sting of his newly acquired bruise.

After a while he gave up and decided to pester Ichigo later on about it, knowing math was more of Ichigo's thing. Renji was more of a gym guy. Schoolwork just gave him a headache.

He waited for his friends' return patiently, gingerly touching the welt on his temple every few seconds. He thought of the confrontation with his father, and how he had used his new ability to knock him down. Was that wrong of him to do that to his father? No, it wasn't wrong at all. That bastard deserved everything that came to him. If Renji could he'd knock the man over a ledge fifty-thousand feet into the air.

"Yo, Renji!" Renji was pulled out from his fantasy to find the door to the classroom opening to reveal an old friend of his: Madarame Ikkaku, and Ikkaku's best friend Ayasegawa Yumichika. The two boys entered the room after spotting Renji, grinning and waving at him as they walked up to his desk.

"Yo, Ikkaku, Yumichika." Renji greeted. "What're you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be in your own class?"

Ikkaku shrugged. "It's lunch man, we can roam as we please." He said, his bald head shining brightly under the light. "The real question is: what are you doing here? Usually yer attached to that Kurosaki kid and that Kuchiki babe."

Renji felt a slight pang of annoyance at Ikkaku's way of addressing Rukia, but he let it slide. Ikkaku was just like that, one of the reasons Renji didn't hang out with him full-time. "I stayed behind to finish some homework. But it looks like it'll go unfinished another day." He said, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.

"Renji, you never were the scholar type." Yumichika said in his usual haughty tone. Renji scowled at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ignore him," Ikkaku said, waving his hand. "He's a little huffy 'cause his mother stole his favorite hair product this morning."

Yumichika bloated at this. "She didn't just steal it! She used it all up!"

Renji shook his head. "Why is it so important to do your hair man?" He asked.

Yumichika was about to open his mouth and answer, but Ikkaku cut him off. "Don't start. We'll be here for hours." He shook his head. "Anyway, Renji, I was going to call you later on but I figure now was a good time to ask you a question." He said, ignoring Yumichika's glare.

Renji shrugged. "Shoot man,"

"That Kuchiki chick," Ikkaku began, again illiciting that annoying little pang in Renji. "What's her deal? I haven't seen her with anyone, and I'm curious about her."

Renji frowned, feeling apprehensive to answer. "Well...she's not really seeing anyone." He said hesitantly.

Ikkaku's face flipped into a full blown grin. "Awesome. I might ask her out next time I see her." He said. "I've been curious how flexible that little body can be." He said, chuckling.

Renji felt his annoyance turn into full blown anger, but he said nothing as Ikkaku and Yumichika chuckled together.

"We'll see ya around," Ikkaku said, waving as he and Yumichika began to walk out of the classroom.

Renji felt his anger festering inside of him. He told himself to just let it go, that he didn't need to worry because Rukia would never go out with a pig like Ikkaku, but something within him wouldn't quiet down and he glared at the back of Ikkaku's bald head. He clenched his fists, feeling the welt on his temple throb as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. The image of his father berating and undermining him this morning came to mind, and he couldn't stop himself.

As Ikkaku and Yumichika were about to exit the classroom, one of the desks suddenly jerked and slid into Ikkaku's path, shocking him as he slammed into it and fell over the top to the ground face first.

Renji's anger dissipated and he was left with the shock of what he had just done. Yumichika gasped and ran to his friend's side, helping him up as blood poured from Ikkaku's nose.

"Oh shnit! I broke my nhose!" Ikkaku groaned as he held his bent nose. He had landed directly on it, breaking it perfectly, blood dripping from his nostrils down his lips and chin.

"We need to hurry to the nurse!" Yumichika said urgently, trying not to get the blood on him but still helping his friend up.

"D-Do you need help?" Renji asked, standing from his desk, feeling guilty.

"I've got him," Yumichika said, waving his hand at Renji. "Just...stay here." He said, helping Ikkaku out of the room.

Renji watched them go, feeling his heart beating furiously from the adrenaline of what he had just done. He looked at the desk and its slanted position, wondering what the hell had made him do that.

BOOM! Renji starts acting out, but he isn't as dark as we may think...at first!

I started this chapter out thinking to myself: "Okay...Renji is going to get angry and throw erasers at Keigo for being an idiot!" and it leading into an argument, but I felt that was too...zany. I don't want this story to fall into the cliché Bleach story with all the loony character dialogues- i.e. Isshin and Keigo- but I added them in anyway this chapter for the sake of of the classics. But it won't continue on frequently. Maybe every so while you may see Keigo being dramatic or Isshin attacking Ichigo, but it won't be much. This story is serious, and I don't want it getting TOO zany. The whole Ikkaku and Yumichika thing was a split-second decision I made on the spot because I was trying to think of a way to showcase Renji's potential for dark actions. Don't forget, he is the eventual antagonist.

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