As Szayel deftly maneuvered his way around the crowds, he desperately tried to put as much distance between himself and the Neanderthals pursuing him. Once or twice, he swore that he could have heard their vopices arguing over which way he could have gone, but in those instances he simply proceeded to melt into the throng of students and permitted his essenceto get carried away with the tide.

At last, after what felt like an eternity of being tossed around a stormy sea of deodorant, Szayel found himself in front of his first period classroom with five minutes before the bell rang. He barely had time to revel in the sweetness that was his victory when-

"Szayel! It's you"

Szayel looked up to see a petit Japanese girl with a slender build and a heart shaped face wearing a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Tomo!" He yelped as he nearly fell off his bench.

"S-sorry I didn't see you there. My bad"

Tomo smiled

"It's ok. Are you nervous about your first day of high school? I know I sure am"

"Of course, I'm not nervous. Why should I be? We are simply moving from one grade of our education to the next. It isn't like we're any closer to graduation. I for one, refuse to buy into this euphoric hype that surrounds the ninth grade which Western media has been stuffing down our throats from the time we learned how to -"

"Oh Szayel. I can tell that you're the same as ever" Laughed the jet-black haired girl.

"I for one, am excited to begin this new chapter of our teenage lives"

"Well, it's not like it will be any different from middle school. Aside from the work load. I have no idea how I will have time to do my science experiments now" Bemoaned Szayel

"I'll be happy to continue as your assistant" Offered Tomo.

"Even a thousand assistants won't be able to open up enough time to perform my experiments to the extent I could in MIddle School"

"Well, take what you have or sulk and be gloomy, It's your choice. We aren't in Middle school anymore and yes, we are getting more homework. That's just the way things are. So you can either adapt, or sulk and lose everything" Chided Tomo kindly but firmly.

"Anyways, I was thinking that we could join the school science club. Won't that be fun?" She suggested enthusiastically.

"Sitting around with a gaggle of overachieving students with no appreciation of science and no motivation other than build up their college resume, building mediocre projects whose quota of brain power required to complete leaves a genius of my caliber with a dangerous excess of unused potential"

"I'm going to take that as a no, Mr. High and Mighty" Joked Tomo as she prodded his arm in jest.

"Well, that's ok. I don't think I would want to be anybody's assistant other than your's"

Szayel smiled. Tomo was one of the few people who not only understood his love of science, but shared it with him and encouraged his gift. And unlike Yylfordt or his parents, she never once made him feel ashamed of his talents. The truth was that Tomo was the only one who didn't make him feel like he had anything to be sorry for. That said, Tomo wasn't one to mollycoddle him when he was acting like an immature, irrational child. When she caught him pushing the envelope she would unsheath her tongue; keen as a razorblade and twice as painful, it could render it's victims to shreds in minutes.

"Tomo, I can't think of anybody in the world who would be more qualified to claim the title as my assistant. I would not have been able to produce succedful results of half my experiments had you not been their to aid me"

Tomo's face turned a rosy red color.

"Just doing what I love"

Szayel's face matched his hair when he said

"You really love being my assistant?"

Tomo giggled

"Does a remarkable scientist like you really need me to put it into simpler language? Of course I do!"

At this point, Szayel was beyond comprehension .

"I-I Tomo-You-Really-I mean you honestly- oh god look at me, I can't seem to-to-gather-my thoughts-I-I...-"

"Well well well, I see that you're still alive Szayel Aporro" Drawled a voice akin to nails being dragged across a chalkboard.

"Damn. I was really praying to my lucky stars that you wouldn't be here when school started. I can't stand weaklings like you"

Szayel and Tomo made no effort whatsoever to mask their groans as they turned around to see a freakishly slender youth with shoulder-length greasy black hair.

"Nnoitra" Said Szayel curtly.

"So random of you to join us. I didn't even see you coming until your disgusting breath spontaneously triggered my gag reflex"

"Don't be f^&*(g rude" Snapped the youth.

"I didn't come here to engage in banter with you. I'm here for the chick"

"1: The chick has a name. 2: It's Tomo. 3: She would prefer if you would use it and not refer to her as if she wasn't here" Snapped Tomo.

Nnoitra pushed Szayel off the bench and quite literally sprawled himself across Tomo. Had a teacher been present he would have been suspended for sexual harassment on the spot

"I don't understand why a mighty fine piece of !# like yourself is lowering her standards to the point at which they're scrapping the ground to that pink haired loser. Is it because you can easily pretend that he's a girl and feel like you're experimenting? Well if that's the case, how about you try a man for a while?" he drawled.

"Why don't you take a ride on my disco stick, Princess? I'll show you what it's like to be with a real man. I'll show you real good"

Tomo cringed.

"Szayel is a very good friend of mine and we have nothing going on other than a platonic relationship. I am not interested in pursuing a sexual relationship with you or anybody else. Now, if you don't mind, you are seriously violating my personal space as well as verging on sexual harassment and therefore I shall ask you nicely to get off of me and to stop your attempt to (what I can only presume to be as) dry humping. Please stop that"

"You're asking me to get my hands off a sexy %&#!$ like you?" Replied Nnoitra cooly.

"You might as well ask me to pull out just before I make my big release. Which is coming up in thirty seconds"

With mounting horror, Tomo suddenly became aware of something poking her skirt.

"OH MY GOD. THAT'S DISGUSTING! YOU PERVERT GET THE FRICK OFF OF ME! YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TWISTED FOR GOD'S SAKE IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL THAT THING, THEN SEE A THERAPIST OR TAKE PILLS JUST PLEASE GET OFF OF ME THAT'S SO GROSS! OH MY GOD DO NOT GIVE YOUR GRAND FINALE ON MY OUTFIT I CAN'T GO AROUND SCHOOL WITH YOUR ESSENCE ON MY CLOTHING PLEASE GET OFF ME. SZAYEL! HELP ME!" She shrieked, quickly flying into a frenzied hysteria. What girl wouldn't when she found a strange guy about to do his business on her clothing.

Szayel tried to yank the demented wierdo off his friend but Nnoitra was heavier than his toothpick frame would have you to believe and he found himself seriously struggling.

Just when all hope was lost, a pair of olive hands tore out of nowhere and yanked Nnoitra off of Tomo and sent him sprawling on the floor.