Not Meant For Me

AN: I want to thank you for stumbling across this story, those of you still reading after that intro. I do hope you'll continue to keep up with the story in the long run. :)

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Chapter One - The Beginning

It was just another morning the day my world turned upside down. I never expected the world around me to crumble and fall as it did. A world I had spent many years perfecting and strengthening to just shatter at the mere request of a fellow schoolmate. Me, Ishida Uryuu. The quiet boy with glasses. The boy who had stayed at the top of the class for four straight years. And yet, I had been rendered helpless by the request of tutoring by the head varsity cheerleader.

How could I tell her no? How could I turn down Kuchiki Rukia as she stood there, holding her Pre-College Algebra book to her chest, staring at me with those big, navy blue eyes, waiting for my answer?

I stood there, my mouth open in shock. This couldn’t be real. This had to be a joke. I looked around, waiting for the jocks to come around the corner laughing at the spectacle made of me for the umpteenth time my high school year. But, as I watched her expression as she tugged that bottom lip into her teeth, I knew she was serious.

“Sure,” I answered her finally. “I’ll tutor you.”

“Great! Thank you so much, Ishida,” she smiled at me with those perfect teeth as she lifted a hand to brush back the unruly bang that refused to stay behind her ear, even as it fell right back into her face. “I could meet at your place after practice, is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” I answered, nodding. I was sure a blush was forming across my cheeks. “Do you remember where I live?”

“Of course I do, silly.” She laughed, touching my arm in a gentle caress. “I’ll be over around six, so… be ready for me.” She grinned and turned, walking towards her class.

I stared after her a moment, watching the way her grey school uniform’s skirt swished as she walked. Distracted, I started towards my own class, letting out a yelp as I collided with a very hard wall of a chest. Looking up, I adjusted my glasses as my vision came into focus with Kurosaki Ichigo. I swallowed thickly. This would not turn out good. It never did.

“Looking at my girlfriend again, Ishida?” The rough voice asked. I shook my head, but, apparently that wasn’t enough. I winced as the back of my head collided with a locker, the orange haired jock holding me by my tie and the collar of my shirt. “Don’t lie, geek. I saw you staring at her ass.”

“I… I wasn’t-“

“If I catch you staring at her again, I’m going to kick your ass. Do you understand me?” He had lifted me with one hand a couple inches off the ground. My face red with embarrassment as I noticed a few other students had stopped to watch. “I asked you a question, Ishida.”

“Yes. I understand you,” I ground out. He finally put me back down and let go. I lifted my hands to adjust my shirt and tie, hands shaking ever so slightly. Before Kurosaki turned to go, he shoved me into the lockers again, making me hiss in pain. The orange haired boy laughed, shaking his head before moving to join the other jocks waiting for him.

I leaned to pick up my bag that had fallen from my arm, shuffling a few items that had fallen out back inside. Standing, I didn’t look at the ones still staring as I rushed off to class. This was going to be a long day.


I had been correct on thinking it was going to be a long day come lunch time. While groups of friends gathered together to eat with one another, I had escaped to the roof of the building to eat alone. It was better alone anyway. No one would bother me up there.

Except for today. I heard the soft steps on the stairs that led to the small green house before I could see the petite girl with the raven hair enter what I called my sanctuary for the duration of the lunch period. I sighed as I took a bite of sticky rice and spicy tuna, trying to pretend I didn’t know she was there. That was until I saw those brown shoes and black knee socks beside me.

Glancing up, I saw the girl squat down to look at me. I lifted a thin eyebrow at her, watching as she smirked at me. I flinched when she reached out to touch my cheek, which then trailed to my neck. I brought a hand up, catching her wrist.

“What are you doing?” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Are you trying to get my ass kicked by the end of the day?” I let go of her hand as she tugged it away. “What are you doing here, Rukia?”

“I came to see how you were. I heard what Ichigo did this morning.” She sighed quietly. “I’m sorry he’s such an ass to you, Uryuu.” I scoffed, looking away. “Hey, I’m serious.”

“Yeah… and I’m secretly the Easter bunny.” I rolled my eyes, stirring my chop sticks in my food. “We aren’t kids anymore, Rukia…” I looked up at her again.

“I know. I haven’t forgotten that. I also haven’t forgotten how things used to be.”

“Used to be. Exactly. Things used to be different. We used to be best friends.”

“What happened to us?” She asks, her eyes looking to the ground.

“Karakura High happened. You went your way, I went mine. You became the cheerleader, I remained the geek.” I looked down again, stirring the rice again. “You became popular, I became invisible. You lost time for me.”

“Don’t say it like that…” I didn’t see the pain in her eyes, but, I could hear it in her voice.

“It’s true. When you became head cheerleader, I faded back to the sidelines. Hell, I probably faded further than that. In public, you pretend you don’t know me like you do.”

“That’s not true!”

“Like hell it’s not. You call me ‘Uryuu’ in private. In public, I’m ‘Ishida’ to you.” I stared at her then, saw how her eyes had lowered to the ground. “Don’t act like that’s not the truth.”

“I… I’m sorry, Uryuu…” Her fingers plucked at nothing on her skirt. She bit her lip as well. “I never realized how you felt. I’ve been so… stupid.” She stood again, straightening herself out, composing herself as well. At the angle and closeness she stood, I could catch a glimpse of the white underwear she wore under the skirt. I blushed, looking away.

“Rukia!” a voice at the steps barked. I glanced up, seeing Ichigo standing there, looking at us with rage burning in those amber hues. I saw his hands clench into fists. When he moved towards us, I was expecting to receive a kick to the side, but when one didn’t come, I looked up, seeing that Rukia had stopped him. “What’s going on?” The ginger haired one asked, looking at his girlfriend and back at me.

“Nothing, Ichigo. I was just talking to him.” She had her hands on his chest, looking up at him with those doe eyes, pleading with him to not start a fight. “It was about an assignment in our math class that I didn’t understand,” she lied. She didn’t even have her books with her. But, I was sure Ichigo wouldn’t have noticed that. “It’s okay, I understand it now. We can go to lunch now.” She hooked her arm with his, turning him away from me, leading him back to the stairs. She glanced at me with an apology in her eyes.

‘Thank you,’ I mouthed to her. She only smiled before disappearing down the steps, dragging Kurosaki behind her. When I was alone again, I sighed, resting my head on the wall behind me, letting my eyes close. “Dammit…” I groaned. “What the hell am I thinking?”

It was a long day indeed.

Gym class was no better. While the girls got to stay inside the air conditioned building, the boys had to go out on the track and field. There, we had two options. We either had to run the track, or help move the football equipment for the team’s practice that afternoon. The jocks, of course, opted to help move the equipment. Apparently that was better than running the track.

I ran the track. I kept a nice, slow jog at first, keeping to myself for the period. I made sure I wasn’t running too fast to over exert myself. On the field, I could hear the others laughing as they played their version of tag in the process of setting up the equipment. Stupid boys… would they ever grow up?

As I continued to run, I focused on the black asphalt, the white lines, and the golden arrows that lined the track. The more I focused on what was ahead of me, the more I continued to run. That was until it was too late to notice that my shoe had come untied. I cursed when I stepped on a string and lost my balance, lurching forward. I had no time to catch my balance as I hit the ground, hard. I slid on the hot ground about half a foot. Enough to tear the skin on my arm and knee, and a small portion on my right cheek in the process of my coming to a stop.

“Shit.” I groaned, sitting up slowly. “Great. Fucking great.” My glasses had fallen off in my fall and had landed a few feet away from me. I reached out to pick them up, noticing they were bent. “Perfect…” I sighed, straightening them out.

“Hey.” I heard a deep grunt next to me. I looked up at the towering figure that blocked out the sun. “You okay?” I knew that voice.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks for asking, Sado.” I groaned as I picked myself up, wincing as my arm and knee stung like hell.

“You should go see the nurse.” By then I was livid. I was pissed with myself. The tall boy beside me wasn’t making things better, suggesting things I already knew.

“Thanks, I’ll do just that,” I forced a smile and nodded to the other boy.

“Hn.” Was the only response I received.

Cursing the entire way, I limped back to the main building, aware of the warm trickle down my leg and arm. Even my face stung. I cursed my rotten luck, turning a corner, and barely missing my collision with one of my main objects of frustration. Rukia.

She gasped as she saw me, quickly moving to me. She reached out, tenderly touching my cheek, navy eyes trailing over my body, looking at the scrapes I had.

“Oh my god, Uryuu, are you okay?” She asks, looking at me worried. My white gym shirt was dirty, grey from the way I had landed.

“I’m fine,” I grumbled. Honestly, did I look okay?

“What happened? Did Ichigo do this to you?” Her eyes instantly flared in anger. “Because if he did, I swear-“

“No, Rukia. He didn’t do this to me,” I sighed, looking off embarrassed. “I tripped over my shoe string,” I muttered.

“What…? I didn’t hear you.” I sighed.

“I said, I tripped over my shoe string,” I said a little louder. I could tell she wanted to laugh. I watched her bite her lip to keep from doing so.

“Oh,” she managed to get out. Before I knew it, she was under my bad arm with her arm around me, supporting my weight.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” I asked, looking down at the petite girl who had no problem in supporting me.

“Helping you to the nurse’s office. What does it look like?” I sighed again.

“You don’t have to help me, you know.”

“I know. I’m doing it because I want to.”

Without much more of an argument, she led me down the hall. Granted I was annoyed that she had caught me, I was glad she was helping. It made the stinging in my leg more bearable. She helped me into the office and set me on the sterile bed and even went to alert the nurse for me before coming back.

“She’ll be in, in a few moments,” Rukia said to me with a smile. She reached out, rubbing dirt from my nose. I flinched, moving from her touch. She certainly had a thing for touching me today. “I’ve got to get back to class. See you tonight?” She looked at me hopeful. I had totally forgotten about that.

“Yeah. I suppose so,” I nodded to her. “Thanks for your help.” She smiled at me then.

“It’s no problem.” With another sweet smile, she turned to leave. “See you tonight.” She nodded and disappeared from the office.

I groaned and lay back onto the bed. Long day it was indeed.

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AN: A little shorter than I'm used to writing. It's also a little different. I usually don't write AU fictions, but this one sort of came to me in a dream. So, I decided to put it into words.

Comments are loved. Really, they are. I do like to know what people think. Who knows? Maybe even suggestions could be added into the story.