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No Escape
Chapter 7
Ichigo had just finished making dinner reservations when Kon got home from school.
He came in through the kitchen door and slammed his backpack down so hard it rattled the windows.
"Bad day?" asked Ichigo.
Kon jumped, clearly not expecting anyone to be home, and a bright flush of embarrassment stained his cheeks. "I'm fine."
"Your backpack would beg to differ."
Kon ignored the comment and headed straight for the refrigerator.
"I ordered a pizza earlier. Feel free to eat the leftovers."
Kon's voice perked up a notch. "Pizza?"
"With the works."
"Thanks, man." Kon loaded a plate and slid it into the microwave.
Silence reigned, but it wasn't that comfortable guy silence where there's just nothing that needs to be said. It was that awkward silence where Ichigo wanted to ask a teenage boy he barely knew to tell him what made him throw his stuff around in anger and frustration.
It was possible that Kon had another run-in with his father, and if that was the case, Ichigo wanted to know about it and deal with it before Rukia got home.
He found a pair of sodas in the fridge and set them on the table. "Would you mind keeping me company for a few minutes? It's been too quiet around here today. I almost invited the pizza guy in to share lunch with me."
"I was just going to go study, but I guess I can hang for a minute."
"That'd be great."
Kon sat down with his steaming pizza and started shoving the slices down, one after another. Ichigo was careful not to stare and sipped his soda slowly. "You look a little tired. Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Enough."
More thick silence filled the kitchen, making Ichigo squirm. He was no good at this tiptoe-around-the-teenager stuff. "Did something happen today?"
Kon lifted his eyes from his pizza and gave Ichigo a look that told him to back the hell off. "No."
"Because if Yammy came around again bothering you, I'd really like to know about it."
"He didn't."
"Would you tell me if he did?" asked Ichigo, deciding that being blunt might be a better approach.
"Why should I? I don't even know you, man. Just back the hell out of my business."
"I wish I could, Kon, but I know Rukia worries about you, and she's a friend of mine, so-"
"You're only here because you want to fuck her," accused Kon.
Shock rocked Ichigo back in his chair. "Whoa. Hold on a minute. First, that's not the reason I'm here. Second, if I were, we're both adults and it's none of your business."
"But it's your business whether or not I talk to Yammy?"
"I'm only trying to help keep you safe."
Kon's lip lifted in a sneer. "I don't need or want your help."
"So you want Yammy to keep coming around until something happens? Maybe even to Rukia?"
"Of course not."
"Then tell me what's going on. You saw him again today, didn't you? That's why you're angry."
"No. I told you that it has nothing to do with him."
"Then what's got you so upset?"
"I failed a test!"
Ichigo fell into stunned silence. He'd expected some bigger problem and was totally unprepared for such mundane news. He knew that it was of monumental importance to Kon, but at least it wasn't life-or-death important. Ichigo stumbled to shift gears. "What class?"
"It wasn't for a class, moron. It was a practice test for the SAT's. I've taken it twice now and fucked it up both times."
Ichigo ignored Kon's foul language and focused on the problem. "You can take the SAT's more than once, right?"
"Yeah."
"Is there still time?"
"Yeah. Some."
"So take it again. I'll even help you study." Ichigo wasn't sure how much help he'd be, but he was willing to try. Now that he believed the deaths weren't suicides, he was going to be here for a few days until he could make sure the problem was dealt with.
"Why bother to take it again. I'll just fail again."
"You don't know that. If you study harder this time-"
"I study every free second I have, and it doesn't help. I know all the stuff on the test, but it just doesn't come out right when I'm sitting there. I get all nervous and know I'm going to suck, then that makes me more nervous, and pretty soon, they call time and I haven't even answered ten questions."
Ichigo had no idea how to help the kid, though he wished he could. He'd never been very good in school himself, so he wasn't going to be able to give him any pointers on testing. "Is there someone at school who can help?"
"I'm already working with a study group three nights a week and Saturday mornings. If I do any more than that, my grades will start to slip. I can't let that happen. I need to get into college." The desperation in Kon's voice was hauntingly familiar to Ichigo. He'd chosen to join the military as his escape route. Kon must have chosen college.
"You'll make it. You want it bad enough to do what it takes. I can tell."
Kon shoved away from the table, put his plate in the sink, and grabbed his backpack. On his way out of the kitchen, he said, "Sometimes it doesn't matter how bad you want something. You still don't get it."
There wasn't a doubt in Ichigo's mind that he was speaking with the voice of experience. Poor kid. He had a lot to deal with. Ichigo knew it would make him tougher in the end, but getting there was hard as hell.
He wanted to figure out some way to help Kon get through this, but he had no idea how. He didn't have any good fatherly advice for him, or any tricks on how to ace his test. He didn't even know what to say to make Kon feel better, which made him about half a step away from being useless.
Just like his old man.
It was best if Ichigo just didn't get involved. Kon wasn't his kid, so as long as he kept his mouth shut, he couldn't screw up the boy's life. He wasn't going to be here long, anyway, and when he left, he didn't want Kon to even think twice about it. Ichigo wasn't important to him, and it was going to stay that way. He wasn't going to get close to some kid, then walk away and leave them hanging, hoping he'd come back.
Ichigo would not repeat his father's mistakes.
AN
Okay so, borring chapter, I know. In apology, and since I'm shocked that Rukes hasn't been in two chapters, I've decided to keep going. So click on the next chapter! Yay! New record! Don't forget to review, though!