Me and Ichigo: (eating bits and pieces of the million cakes strewn all over the room) Mmmm...so good....ahhhh...
Rukia: (rolls eyes) i worry about you guys, all the time.
Me: awww Rukia, that's so sweet!
Ichigo: (laughs and then continues to eat the cake)
Me: anyways, enjoy!
Peyton figured it was highly unlikely she'd end up with her hair being eaten by a flamingo again, but she wore waterproof mascara and eyeliner, just in case.
She had just pulled on her shirt when there was pounding on the connecting door. "Peyton, take your phone!" Yuzu begged.
"It's going off every three seconds," Karin added dully.
Peyton sighed, opened the door, took the phone out of Yuzu's hands, and threw it against the farthest wall.
The back popped out of it, and she grinned a little maniacally before shutting the door.
Rukia sweatdropped. "I worry about you sometimes, Peyton."
"Well, it's good to know you care, Rukia."
TWENTY-FOUR MINUTES LATER...
Ichigo poked her shoulder lightly. He held up his phone. "Lindsay's calling me. Should I answer, or should you, since I'm sure she's only calling me because you murdered your own phone."
Peyton crossed her arms moodily. "Stupid phone had it coming. I need to switch to AT&T, anyways. You answer."
Ichigo hesitantly did so. She couldn't say she blamed him; who knows what Lindsay would say..?
"Hello?"
"OHMIGOD OHMIGOD OHMIGOOOOOOODDD!!!!!"
They both winced and covered their ears spastically. "DAMMIT, LINDSAY!" They shouted in perfect unison.
Her airhead of a sister just giggled, unfazed. "Why, good morning, you two. Have you seen the video?"
"Sadly, yes," was Ichigo's reply.
Peyton poked him and gestured for him to switch ears, and once the phone was closer, she put her head on his shoulder so she could listen in.
They noticed that by this time, at least three of the bus passengers near them had moved, and they sweatdropped.
"Ohmigod, everyone at school's talking about it! I mean, they were jealous enough that you guys ditched to go to Disney World, but now..."
"How are the freshman girls?" Peyton asked worriedly, making Ichigo smirk all smug-like.
"Pretty hostile. Well, some of 'em really don't care, they had seen it coming. But about five handfuls had their hopes up, and then you came with your big feet and squashed their hopes like a bug, sis," Lindsay said cheerfully.
Peyton sweatdropped. "I am truly a horrible person..." Then she shrugged. "Oh, well. They didn't stand a chance, anyway. It takes a huge amount of strength to not kill you, Ichigo. I'm afraid I'm the only girl who's mastered that skill."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Well, that, and the fact that you couldn't kill me if you tried."
"I could too!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"How would you kill me?"
"It would depend on how pissed I was and what you did that finally made me snap."
"Okay...hmm...say I broke up with you. How would you kill me?"
"Hmmm...I'd probably break your Xbox, but then THAT would mean I couldn't play it anymore, so I'd probably just beat you over the head with it and take it back to my house."
"Okay, what if I cheated on you?"
"Easy. I'd get my dad to shoot your orange ass."
"Why does everyone assume my ass is orange??...Okay, What if I played the meanest April Fool's ever and put Chappies all over your house?"
"I'd probably either hang you or train the Chappies to kill Ichigo Kurosaki on sight."
"But then you would have to thank me, because if you trained them, you'd finally get over your fear," he pointed out.
"Yes, well, I say that I would train them, but we both know I'd chicken out and have Rukia do it."
"True. But what if Rukia MADE you train them?"
"She'd never miss an opportunity to be the Chappy General."
"What if she caught swine flu, though, and you HAD to train them?"
"Well then, in that case, I would be forever grateful and decide you should live a little longer, but it would be too late because the Chappies had already completed their training."
"...Oh. You're evil sometimes, you know that?"
Peyton shrugged. "It's a gift. Oh, wait, Lindsay's still on. Sorry!"
No answer.
"..Hello?"
They looked at the screen and saw that she had hung up already. Ichigo looked up at the bus' ceiling thoughtfully.
"You know, now that I think about it...I could've sworn I heard her saying she'd just call later when we weren't being idiotic.."
They both sweatdropped, then shrugged. "Oh well."
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...
When they arrived, they moved to get off the bus, but then a few cheerleaders stopped her and Ichigo.
"We saw the video on Youtube," one announced.
"....Great.." They said slowly.
A brunette with way too much blush on held out her arm. "Ichigo, do you think you could write on my arm? Maybe wish me and my team good luck?"
Three other girls held out their arms for him and Peyton, who just sweatdropped. Peyton finally pulled out her lime-green Sharpie, and they all started bouncing in place with squeals.
The brunette held out a sky blue Sharpie to Ichigo, who took it out of her grip with another sweatdrop.
THREE MINUTES LATER...
"Even his handwriting feels gentle!" One whispered giddily as they left the bus.
"What I'd give to be that paper," another replied.
"What I'd give to be Peyton," another said with a laugh, making the others giggle. In total unison, they all turned around, giggled, and waved bye to them.
"THANK YOU!!"
And just like that, they were gone.
The bus driver sighed impatiently. "You two plan on getting off BEFORE my shift's over?"
Peyton and Ichigo, still dumbfounded, slowly trudged off the bus.
Their group (now including Matsumoto and Toshiro) were waiting anxiously at the gates to Animal Kingdom.
"Damn, it took you two long enough! What the hell were you doing in there?" Rukia asked impatiently.
"Are you sure you want to know the answer to that?" Toshiro whispered. The two sweatdropped again. "We were signing cheerleaders' arms," Peyton stated.
Everyone's jaws dropped, and they sweatdropped. "WHY?!"
"They asked us to," Ichigo said in a "duh" tone. "Doesn't everybody sign random people's arms?"
They exchanged a smirk at the confused looks on everyone else's faces, and lead the way into the park.
They spent at least half the day doing a few things they missed the first time, like the safari.
Toshiro's expression when a hippo ran right for their part of the convoy, in the row he was sitting in? Priceless.
They were walking around when Peyton saw it.
Matsumoto and Toshiro had been going back and forth over the stupid hippo and how "hostile" it was, Rukia was fiddling with her souvenir cup and trying to figure out how the bendy straw worked, Karin and Yuzu were teasing Peyton and Ichigo, and the latter were ignoring the two sisters, sharing some popcorn, which they would throw over their shoulder at Karin and Yuzu every once in a while.
"They act like we haven't heard them tease us for the past...what, eight months?" Ichigo commented.
Peyton laughed. "I know, right?" Then she squinted at Expedition Everest, whose peak could clearly be seen from where they were, on the othe side of the massive park.
"Hey, do you see that?"
"See what, the huge-ass mountain? Nope."
Peyton rolled her eyes and pointed at the moving object. "No, I'm serious. It looks like a-"
"Is that the Yeti?" Karin asked, pointing where Peyton was pointing.
Yuzu squinted. "What're you talking about? I don't see anything, Karin."
"It's right there! It's huge, white, shaggy-haired....The Yeti!"
Peyton and Ichigo abruptly stopped walking, exchanging a look.
She knew just as much as he did that Yuzu couldn't see spirits. But Karin could. So if Karin could see it, and Yuzu couldn't...
"Could there really be a Hollow in Animal Kingdom?" Peyton asked quietly.
"It'd fit right in, when you think about it," he replied under his breath.
"How ironic.."
Rukia huffed moodily. "What the hell are you two stopping for? Kali River Water Rapids is calling, and it's all the way on the other side, right by Expe-....wait a minute...is that the Yeti up there?!"
Toshiro stood on the other side of Rukia, squinting, then grunted. "That's no Yeti."
"Nope, it's one big-ass Hollow," Peyton replied.
All the Soul Reapers groaned, and Isshin and the girls turned around. "What?" Karin asked dully, obviously avoiding even glancing in the mountain's direction. Karin was constantly in denial about seeing spirits, according to Ichigo.
"Uhh...You know, I'm really hungry, aren't you Matsumoto?"
"Oh, uhhh, starving!"
"Why don't you three go ahead, and I'll make sure they don't break any laws while they're eating?" Peyton said smoothly.
Isshin hesitated, glancing at Expedition Everest suspiciously. He must've noticed everyone pointing at it.
As if on cue, they heard a monstrous roar, making the Soul Reapers tense immediately.
People passing by gasped and laughed. "Wow, the ambiance machines are so realistic today!" One guy said as he passed Peyton, who paled at the thought of the poor ghost the Hollow must be currently after.
Having no time to waste, the Soul Reapers started bouncing on the balls of their feet. If it weren't because of a Hollow, which to be honest, was so huge that even Ichigo looked a little worried, Peyton would've found their bouncing funny.
Isshin seemed worried by the roar as well, almost as if he knew what it really was. "..Well then, I guess we'll meet you at the Rapids," he said cheerfully.
As soon as they were a good distance away, the Reapers sprinted for the mountain. Ichigo hesitated.
"Hey, Peyton."
"Yo."
"Watch my body, will ya? I don't wanna end up in the back end of an ambulance again. I almost gave that guy a heart attack."
She nodded. "Not like I have anywhere to be." He grinned and ruffled her hair before going all Soul Reaper and running after the others.
Peyton simply caught his body by the sleeve of its shirt, setting it down a little easier. Didn't want to have to hear Ichigo get all pissy over a huge throbbing bump on his head.
She sighed and pulled Ichigo a little ways to the side before plopping down beside him.
A passersby looked at him, then patted her shoulder sympathetically. "I'm so sorry your boyfriend died out of the blue like that."
Peyton sweatdropped as they walked away. "...This is gonna be a long day."
AN HOUR LATER...
She knew how good of a Soul Reaper he was, as were the others, but she couldn't help but get all worried.
It was taking way too long. Usually him and Rukia were done in five minutes tops. Now they had Toshiro and Matsumoto, yet they had been gone at least an hour so far.
Sure, it had been the hugest Hollow she had seen so far. Did that mean it was harder to kill?
Apparently so.
Either that, or the majority of people that passed were right, and her boyfriend DID die out of the blue.
Awesome.
"I'm so sorry about your boyfriend. It's all over the park."
Peyton just looked up tiredly. "Thanks."
"So...Does this mean you're single and looking, or are you still in the grieving process?"
Peyton sweatdropped. "Please go away now."
He left quietly, shoulders slumped in defeat. She rolled her eyes; guys were such idiots sometimes.
She closed her eyes, leaning back against the wall. She heard yet another roar, and couldn't help but flinch.
"Is it true that your boyfriend died out of the blue?" Asked a familiar female voice.
Peyton opened one eye, but then both eyes turned huge, her jaw dropping. Of all people, it was the woman from Splash Mountain she had encountered that first day.
"...Uh..Yeah, I guess it is," was her careful reply.
The woman made a tsk noise, and her son pulled on her hand. "Can we go now?"
"Hold on Michael!" She scolded, then flashed an apologetic smile. "I remember you. You sat in front of us on Splash Mountain about a week ago. You know, I could've sworn I heard you and your boyfriend later that night, shouting about something stupid, but I couldn't see you."
"Yeah, we left early that night, so that couldn't have been us," Peyton lied smoothly with a short laugh.
The woman made the tsk noise again, patting her arm awkwardly. "I'm sorry. He really seemed like he loved you."
Peyton was momentarily rendered speechless. "Um...thank you."
"Do you need me to call someone to get his body or something? Maybe try and revive him?"
"No, thank you. I already have," she lied. Again.
The woman nodded sympathetically and gave her a half-wave goodbye before getting tugged along by her son.
"Michael, that lady just lost her boyfriend! Be nice and patient when mommy talks to people!" She scolded as they left.
Michael looked back at her. Peyton waved with a smile. "Sorry about the Orange Boy, lady," he called out with an innocent smile.
Peyton bit back a laugh. "Thank you!"
Then they turned a corner.
Peyton sat there for a minute, amazed that out of all people, she encountered HER. Then she replayed the conversation in her mind, and couldn't help but blush.
Sure, Ichigo liked her. Obviously. But love? No way. Right? Right?!
Peyton shook her head so quickly she could've sworn she saw the back of her head. "No, just stop thinking about it!"
So of course she did nothing but think about it, until she finally dozed off in the hot midday sun.
MEANWHILE...
Toshiro and Ichigo sliced off yet another piece of the hulking Hollow, both of them panting. This one just refused to give up on the ghost, who was currently cowering behind Rukia.
Rukia was guarding the soul, while the other three were taking on the Hollow. They had assumed four Soul Reapers - all of them kick-ass - would be enough.
Matsumoto managed to run up the length of the Hollow's arm, slicing it off at the shoulder. It let out yet another monstrous roar, making them all wince.
Its roaring was worse than when Matsumoto squealed in close range, which was most definitely saying something. Eventually, they managed to slice off the other arm and one leg, and Toshiro and Ichigo got the final strike on it, slicing it in half all the way through.
It fell to the ground, which shook in response and jostled the Reapers, then disappeared completely. Rukia was about to perform Soul Burial, but the ghost looked up at them all with pleading, electric-blue eyes.
"Please let me stay here," the little boy pleaded. "It's the happiest place I could ever be. My big sister comes here every year, to put flowers by where I died, so I get to see her again. Please let me stay.."
Ichigo looked at them all. Toshiro was struggling to keep a neutral face, Matsumoto had tears in her eyes, and Rukia's grip on her zanpakuto was faltering.
Ichigo sighed rather loudly and took Rukia's weapon out of her grip, dropping it on the ground. "Drop that thing, before you poke someone's eyes out."
He gave the ghost a 'sup nod. "Go ride some rides. You're safe for now."
The ghost gasped happily and hugged Ichigo around his waist. He patted the ghost's back a bit awkwardly, not quite used to being hugged by ghost kids yet.
He noticed that it was happening more and more lately, though.
The ghost had happy tears in his eyes as he gave Ichigo an appreciative nod and ran off, his bare feet kicking up dust as he went.
The Soul Reapers watched him go, and Toshiro sighed. "The Soul Society won't like that."
"The Soul Society doesn't have to know," was Ichigo's reply.
They split up after that, going to ride rides and such after hunting down their bodies. Apparently Ichigo was the only one who didn't think about bringing Kon, and everybody else had their Soul Candy with them.
Ichigo grinned after seeing Peyton fast asleep in the same exact spot he had left her in, then sweatdropped after noticing there was a mini-shrine set up.
People had placed a few random-ass flowers and such, and there was even a candle lit dangerously close to his hand.
He slipped back in his body, only to realize how totally wiped out he was. He scooted the candle away to a safe distance, then grinned as an idea hit him.
HOURS LATER...
When Peyton started stirring, she realized she didn't hear many people milling around, and there were no more roars.
She slowly binked her eyes a few times, and as her sight adjusted, she realized the sun was setting already.
Where the hell was Ichigo?!
Unless..
Peyton scrutinized the body carefully. His chest wasn't moving up and down. Crap, he wasn't back yet.
Her knees were stiff from being drawn up so long, and she stretched them out. It was then she noticed a ton of stuff laid out in front of Ichigo.
She sweatdropped, trying to process what she was seeing.
"Boo!"
"AHHHH!!!!"
Ichigo busted out laughing, and she glared at him. "Not funny. I've been waiting here for hours! When did you get back?"
"About three...four? Maybe five hours ago."
"And you just laid there?!"
"I was exhausted!"
Peyton huffed. Now that she thought about it, she HAD woken up with her head on his shoulder, which meant he had somehow moved into an upright position, like she had.
Now that he was in his body, it made more sense.
Ichigo just rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous because I have all this stuff to take home with me."
Peyton stood up slowly, stretching towards the sky. "Oh yes, that's exactly it."
Something caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was a piece of paper that read, in glitter gel pen, "FEEL BETTER EE-CHEE-GOO!!"
She sweatdropped about three times. "...Ichigo?"
"What?"
She busted out laughing, holding out the paper to him. He stood up with a yawn and read it over, then his temple started throbbing.
"'Ee-Chee-Goo'? Who are these people?!"
TWO HOURS LATER...
They could see the Port Orleans bus driver's sweatdrops all the way from by the gate. Then again, who WOULDN'T sweatdrop at the sight of two teens with arms full of papers, souvenirs, and candles, waddling like penguins for the bus, the gates closing behind them?
The security guards were laughing their asses off. Very professional.
"This...crap..is heavy as...well, CRAP!" Peyton commented between pants, to which Ichigo just laughed.
"Thanks for helping me carry it."
"I'm just that awesome."
"I know."
"Ha! Me too! Never knew we had so much in common."
"I knew I asked you out for a reason."
"That makes one of us."
They finally made it to the bus, and the driver just watched with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as Peyton climbed the bus, then plopped all the crap onto a three-seat row before taking some of the stuff Ichigo was carrying and plopping it down as well.
"...We seem to be very popular around here," Ichigo informed the driver, who just speedily shifted the bus into gear.
The bus lurched forward, and Ichigo simply held out an arm as Peyton practically flew forward.
He lightly pushed her back into her seat, and she sighed tiredly. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
She let out a half-laugh. "Trust me, there's a lot about today that I'm never mentioning to anyone else."
"Such as?"
"Well, the Hollow, obviously. And, uh...stuff."
Crap, now Ichigo was all interested. "Stuff? What kind of stuff? What'd I miss??"
"N-Nothing!" She said quickly.
He smirked. "Oh, wait. You must be too nervous to tell me," he said casually.
"...I'm not nervous! Tch," she said, waving the notion off.
"Uh-huh. Suuuure you're not."
"I'm not!"
"It's totally understandable if you are. My awesomeness can be quite intimidating."
"Fine, I'll tell you!! But you won't like it," she warned.
So, Peyton quickly explained what had happened between her and the Splash Mountain Lady.
When she finished, he blinked. Then he laughed. "That's it? I was expecting you two to get in a fight or something."
Peyton sweatdropped. "Nooo..."
Ichigo then smirked. "Ohhhh. I get why you flipped out. It's because she said I looooooved you!!"
Peyton crossed her arms with a moody huff, temple trobbing. "No. Why would that affect me in any way?"
"Tch, whatever, Peyton. I see you blushing."
"I'm not blushing!"
"Yes you are."
"No I'm not!"
"Then how come your voice is all high and weird? You only do that when you're embarassed. Which always makes you blush."
"I'm NOT embarassed, and I sure as hell am NOT blushing!!"
"Uh-huh."
"I'M NOT!!"
"Jeez, I agreed with you! SOMEONE has a guilty conscience," he said in a sing-song voice.
Peyton's temple throbbed again, and the bus driver sweatdropped. "They just HAD to sit in the front row..." He muttered to himself.
"Hey, just drive, dude," Peyton commented moodily.
Ichigo laughed again, and she turned her glare on him. "Hey, you just ride, Kurosaki."
He jumped into the seat next to her and put his face real close to hers. She felt her face heat up, and he laughed again.
"Ha, told you. You're blushing," he said before kissing her cheek.
He jumped back into his other seat right before she aimed for his huge orange head, and he laughed the rest of the way.
Peyton would have laughed too, but that would be a win for Ichigo, and she could NOT let that happen.
(Me and Ichigo are currently sprawled out on the floor, cake all over our mouth, our stomachs huge)
Me: Ugh...I'm so stuffed, i don't even have the energy to comment on how totally cute that moment just was.
Ichigo: Yeah? Well, I'M so stuffed, i don't even have the energy to tell you to shut the hell up.
Me: that's like...like...umm...ummmm...
Ichigo: monumental?
Me: YEAH! That's the one!
Ichigo: this cake...is really...affecting our thinking..
Me: (sighs like a stoner) yeah, but...but it was totally....totally....uhhhhh.....ummmm...uhhhh..
Ichigo: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....worth it?
Me: YES, ichigo, YES!! im, uh....uh...p-proud! yeah, im proud of...of you.
Rukia: (sweatdropping, standing up in the corner, shakes head at our pathetic-ness) ...Review, while i go deflate these two dumbasses.
(Rukia then rolls us on our fat bellies towards a room, and we just groan)