Me: Well, we're back!
Rukia: Yup. Y'know, that cake really IS pretty effin good. No wonder you and Ichigo pigged out on it!
Me: (beams) well, at least you FINALLY believe us! So, anyway, enjoy.
They were laughing about something stupid (as per usual) when the nurse came in. She checked Ichigo's vitals, wrote something on his chart, then put it back on the end of his bed.
She looked expectantly at Peyton. "Kid, visiting hours are over."
"Oh, I'm staying."
"Excuse me?"
Peyton, dense as usual, cleared her throat and said a little louder, "I SAID, I'm staying!"
Ichigo and the nurse sweatdropped. "Uh, Peyton, I'm pretty sure she heard you the first time." The nurse nodded. "Yes, thank you. I did. Only blood relatives or spouses can stay after hours."
Peyton then got a horribly wonderful idea. "Oh, we're engaged. Does that count?"
She nudged Ichigo with her elbow so he wouldn't spazz out, and he grinned innocently at the nurse. She continued to look at them.
"Hmm...You don't LOOK old enough to be engaged..."
"We're 19, thank you very much," Ichigo replied, and Peyton nodded quickly.
"Where's your ring?" She asked Peyton.
"Well, I was going to propose to her today, but I was mugged. Hence the broken wrist." The nurse made a sympathetic noise, her eyes watering.
"You're still gonna marry him, though, right?"
"Of course, with or without a ring!"
"That....is sooo romantic...!" The nurse wailed. She had emotional tears brimming her eyes and EVERYTHING.
Ichigo wrapped an arm around Peyton. "Yeah, we're just overflowing with love," he said dramatically.
She tried her best not to laugh; the nurse totally bought it. "I'll leave you two alone, then," she said, still sniffling, before leaving without another word.
They both sweatdropped, then laughed for about five minutes straight. "That was...pure genious!"
"Dude, we should star in movies," Peyton agreed.
Ichigo smirked. "You lied to medical staff to stay with me? You're so in love with me, just admit it."
Peyton's temple throbbed. "NO. I did it because my dad's whole side of the family's staying for a day or two, and there's no way I'm putting myself through that kind of torture."
He sweatdropped. "Peeeytoon, I'm INJURED here!"
She sweatdropped. "And? You want me to..what, kiss it and make it better or something?"
"Well...You don't have to kiss my WRIST..."
"..."
"..."
"...Ahhhhh, I see. Aren't you clever!"
MEANWHILE...
They listened to Kate Cullen's story in amazement. "So...She actually did it? She pressed charges against him?"
She nodded. "If he's found guilty..."
She didn't need to finish her sentence. Lindsay and Seth exchanged a look, knowing how Peyton would react when she heard about it. The two had always been so close..
Miya cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to intrude on family matters, but who exactly is Cameron?"
Kate, the Cullen children's aunt, looked at Miya wearily. "Cameron is Peyton's godfather."
The next morning, Peyton was proud to be the first to sign Ichigo's cast. Renji visited Ichigo before he got released that day, to rub in the fact that he had gotten the crap beaten out of him by his own girlfriend.
Renji apparently thought it'd be funny to add to Peyton's signature.
It now read, "Peyton owns Ichigo. From here on out, he's officially WHHHIIPPPPEEEDDD!"
To which Ichigo simply said, "When the time comes that you get a cast or sling, we'll see what MY signature says, Pineapple Head."
So then Rukia walked in right in the middle of Ichigo and Renji's battle, which consisted of them throwing random objects at each other.
They barely got out with their lives after Renji got a hold of the disposed needles container.
Peyton made sure Ichigo got home in one piece, "like the good girlfriend she is," Rukia informed everyone.
Eager to spend as much time away from her house as possible, she stayed for a short amount of time.
And by short amount, we mean about five hours.
But in her defense, those five hours were spent doing constructive things!
Peyton's Schedule:
-Cook with Yuzu;
-Help Karin with her history homework (Peyton had always loved history);
-Make out with Ichigo;
-Help spray-paint Karin's room;
-Run away from Rukia, who was begging her to make Chappy items with her for Christmas presents;
-Make out with Ichigo;
-Watch the football game with Isshin and his friends (oh, and Ichigo.);
-Make out with Ichigo;
-Finally give in and help make one and a half Chappies before Karin, Yuzu, and Ichigo scared the crap out of her with one;
-Scold Ichigo/Hit Ichigo a few times on his non-injured body parts, blaming him for the whole Chappy scare;
-Make out with Ichigo so he couldn't win the argument;
-Eat;
-Nap until getting scared crapless by Rukia;
-Chase Rukia, in which Karin and Ichigo joined in by using Rukia's own Chappies against her;
-Say goodbye;
-And, finally, make out with Ichigo.
See? CONSTRUCTIVE things.
But as soon as Peyton's house was within sight, she sort of wished she had found more things to do.
There was this weird feeling that suddenly hit her; like something bad was happening.
She ran for the front door, but when she flung it open, everyone was eating ice cream and watching TV.
Seth was the only one not looking somber. "Oh, look, you're still alive. How's your boyfriend?"
"On pain meds."
"Ha! Whimp."
"Seth, he broke his wrist."
"So? How bad could it be?"
Her temple throbbed, and she held up a fist ominously. "You want me to demonstrate?"
"Both of you, enough!" Dad finally exclaimed. Miya patted his back comfortingly, and Peyton's face fell.
"Something's going on...What's wrong?"
Seth turned back to the TV and refused to look in her direction. Her heart picked up speed, and her Aunt Kate was the first to break the tense silence.
"Peyton...It's your Uncle Cameron. Now, before I tell you, I want you to know that if you need to, you can get on the flight home with us and we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"Just...Please, tell me what's wrong," she begged. When she told Ichigo she sometimes literally worried herself sick, she wasn't exaggerating. Already, she felt the need to throw up.
Kate stood up, and her face looked really tired. "You remember Cameron's ex-wife, Lydia?"
She nodded.
"She pressed charges for unpaid child support. He was picked up in Texas about three months ago. He's going on trial Monday, and with all the money he's never paid...if he's convicted...he could face up to 24 years without parole.."
Peyton's nausea came back tenfold. "....And you're just now telling us this?"
"We didn't have any other opportunity-"
"We all own cell phones and home phones!"
"Do you honestly want to find this kind of news out via telephone?" Uncle Rob snapped. Kate shot a look at her husband, then smiled sadly at Peyton.
"If you wanna be there...Your dad and Miya totally understand."
"But...Ms. Ochi's gonna kill me.."
Seth scoffed. "P, after that video, I think she'd let you and Ichigo hide a body in her backyard."
Dad looked at them questioningly. "WHAT video?"
"Um, nothing dad. Anyway...Um, if it's not too much to ask-"
"It's not at all, P. I'll call the school," Dad told her with a firm pat on her shoulder. She felt like crying.
Twenty-four years? She'd be thirty-nine by the time he could even CONSIDER getting out of prison.
Peyton sighed and went upstairs to pack and call Rukia.
Me: (Sniffles) Poor Peyton!
Rukia: Yeah....Tragic...
Me: (looks at Rukia)
Rukia: (looks at me)
Me: Shall we drown our woes in cake and chocolate syrup?
Rukia: we shall!
Me: Dont worry, we're gonna share it with Ichigo, too, since he's got an itchy cast and all...REVIEW!