The two weeks of unpacking and settling inside the new house were finally over, and now it was time for the school year to start.

Not having to deal with my ex-best friend again this year was a plus, at least.

I slipped on my black ripped skinny jeans, white cropped tank top, white Air Force 1s, and my treasured silver necklace, which my aunt had gifted me.

I took one last look at my outfit and walked out of my room and down the stairs. I could hear Naoki shouting from the kitchen.

"Izumi, you better hurry up, or I'm going to eat your breakfast!"

He wasn't joking, so I rushed to the kitchen after he had said that.

I was surprised to see that our mother had actually cooked breakfast. She leaves early for work, leaving us with frozen meals and cereal. Sometimes, she'll cook a meal if something is going on too.

I sat on the bar stool, and she brought me a cup of coffee with cream and sugar on the side.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Nothing, I thought it would be nice to start the new school year with a good breakfast," She replied. "I also don't start at the hospital until tomorrow, so I'll be free all day,"

I quickly finished my food so we wouldn't be late. I grabbed Naoki and I's plates and put them in the sink.

"Ready?" Mom asked as she grabbed her keys.

We both nodded in response, then left the house after that.

I connected my phone to her car's Bluetooth to put music on.

"Are you excited for school?" Mom asked.

Naoki and I both looked at her unamusedly after that question. She asks that every year and the answer has never changed—it's always been a no.

It's senior year, though, so at least I only had one more year left.

Naoki sighed with annoyance as we parked in the loading zone at the middle school.

"Have a good day at school!" Mom called as he shut the door.

Now, it was my turn.

"When you get out, walk to the middle school, and I'll pick you two up from there," Mom said as she drove to the high school. "But starting tomorrow, you two will have to walk since I start work."

I got my earbuds ready as we pulled up to the loading zone.

"Have a great day!" Mom said as I exited the car.

As I walked onto the campus, people stared at me as if they didn't recognize me. Great.

I avoided eye contact and just walked inside to find the office to get my schedule. The woman at the desk seemed nice enough, though. Her name on the desk was Nanao Ise.

"How can I help you?" She asks while adjusting her glasses.

"I'm new," I replied. "I don't have my schedule yet,"

"Name?"

"Izumi Sugawara,"

Miss Ise started typing on the computer and stood up to grab the paper she had printed. She handed me my schedule and told me how many classes we had and my locker number.

I decided to find my locker first.

Luckily, everyone around me was too busy finding and catching up with their friends to realize I was new.

Unfortunately, I was struggling to open my locker now.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself when I could've sworn I put the correct code in.

"Um, excuse me," A high and cheery voice spoke behind me.

I turned and saw a green-haired girl standing behind me. She wore a ribbed sage green crop top, light blue jeans, and white Converse.

"That's actually my locker you're trying to open," She said politely.

I mentally face-palmed in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry," I stepped to the side. "I think I misread the number,"

She just smiled. "It's okay. You're new, aren't you? What grade are you in?"

"Yeah, I just started this year, and I'm a senior,"

"I'm a senior, too," She replied. "My name's Nelliel, but you can just call me Nel. Do you need help finding your locker?"

"Yes, please," I chuckled sheepishly. "And I'm Izumi,"

I handed Nel the paper that Miss Ise gave me, and it turned out my locker was only two doors away from hers. I just misread the numbers. She opened it for me, and I put my backpack there.

Nel asked me where I was from, so I told her the shorter version of how I moved here from Seireitei because my Dad got a different job. Nel told me how she grew up in a city a few hours away, Las Noches. She moved here around the time I left.

Nel took the paper from my hand and started reading through what classes I had.

"Hey, we have two classes together. Zaraki and Tosen," She pointed out. "I'll see you in those classes,"

Just as I was about to ask Nel where my first class was, the bell rang.

"I have to go, but I'll see you later!" she said, walking off quickly to her class.

I just sighed and had to find the class alone, which was a pain.

Students piled into their seats, and I took the only seat left, next to a window.

The teacher stood up from his desk and held a clipboard. His dark brown curly hair was tied back into a ponytail, with a strand hanging down his face. He also wore a pink floral jacket over his black shirt and slacks.

He was taking attendance and said my name, causing most students to turn their heads because they'd never heard my name before. I just wanted to sink lower into the chair so they would stop. I hated being new.

The teacher smiled and started introducing himself to us. His full name was Shunsui Kyoraku, but he preferred that we call him by his first name. He seemed pretty laid-back and nice. Most math teachers I've had in the past were strict and rude.

He told us to get to know the person next to us, so I turned. A raven-haired girl with violet eyes was next to me. She was pretty.

"I'm Rukia," She introduced herself with a polite smile.

"I'm Izumi," I replied. "I'm new, I just moved here,"

"Oh really? Where from?" She asks.

So I told her the same story I told Nel. I didn't feel like getting into the details of everything.

"My brother also goes to the middle school here, too," I added. "I just hope he finds some new friends soon. He was pretty upset about leaving his old friends behind,"

"I have a brother, too," Rukia remarked as she twirled a pencil.

"Really? How old is he? Maybe our brothers will be friends if he goes to middle school,"

"Oh, no," Rukia shook her head. "He graduated here two years ago. He took over our family's company since our grandfather passed it down to him,"

Rukia and I got to know each other better, and it turned out that she was part of the Kuchiki family. That name was popular in the business industry. They're a real estate company, and I knew that name since my parents bought a house under their company back in Seireitei.

Rukia asked to see my schedule, and I handed it to her.

"I have Kurotsuchi and Ochi with you," She noted. "If you want, I can walk you to Kurotsuchi's since that's our next class,"

"Please," I replied. "I'm kind of lost. Karakura High is a lot bigger than Seireitei High,"

The bell rang again, and Shunsui handed us some papers for parents to sign as we exited the class.

Rukia pulled her phone out and then handed it to me.

"Put your number here. That way, we can talk some more, and you can text me whenever you have questions about assignments," she said.

I took her phone to do that and then returned it to her. She texted me right after so I could save her number.

I followed her to our chemistry class, and she scanned the class before sitting.

"Let's sit over here," She said.

We walked over to some desks towards the back and sat down.

She watched the door as if she were expecting someone and a smile spread onto her face. She stood up.

"Renji! Orihime! Over here!"

Orihime?

I widened my eyes when I recognized the auburn-haired girl walking over here. If this is the same Orihime, she was the other girl who used to be one of my best friends when I lived here. I didn't recognize the guy next to her, though.

He had bright red hair tied in a pineapple style. He also had tattoos on his arms, neck, and face.

"Hey, Rukia," He greeted. "Who's this?"

"This is Izumi. She's new here," Rukia replied, turning to me.

The guy nodded his head at me. "I'm Renji,"

The girl studied my face and raised an eyebrow. "Your name is Izumi? What's your last name?"

"It's Sugawara,"

Her eyes widened, and a smile started to form on her face. That was definitely Orihime Inoue.

"I knew it was you! I thought I saw you earlier!"

Renji and Rukia exchanged glances and looked at us, expecting an answer.

Orihime started explaining the story. I didn't go into detail when I talked to Rukia about it.

"Izumi used to live here years ago, and we were close when we were younger," Orihime explained. "We met in kindergarten, but she moved after fifth grade ended,"

Rukia and Renji made an "oh" expression. They seemed surprised.

"I'm surprised that you're back," Orihime said. "Why did you move?"

"My dad found a job in Seireitei that paid him way more than his old one," I replied. "I hated that place, and we constantly moved houses because my parents wanted the most expensive ones. My dad got a job offer here from a friend who owns Hueco Mundo, so we moved back,"

"Will you be staying?" Orihime asked.

"Yup," I nodded. "Since I'll be graduated by the time they want to move, I'm staying here,"

"So you lived in Seireitei, huh?" Renji asked. "That's pretty far away. Isn't that six hours away?"

"Yeah, the plane ride really sucked,"

"I can imagine," Renji snorted in response. "I hate plane rides,"

"Well, I'm glad you're staying, Izumi. I really missed you, you know," Orihime smiled. "Why didn't you keep in touch?"

I was about to reply, but the bell rang, signaling that class was starting. A blue-haired man walked in. I assumed he was our teacher.

He took attendance and then introduced himself. His speech gave off an unsettling and intimidating aura. He seemed like the type of teacher who wouldn't tolerate any sort of misbehavior.

He also mentioned that this was his last year teaching and that he would be getting a job as a scientist.

"And yes, I will give you homework today," He added.

Half the class groaned in response to that.

He narrowed his sharp, deep blue eyes at that. "I can add more if that's what you want,"

No one made a noise after that. Not even a cough.

"That's what I thought,"

He handed us some papers. One was for parents to sign, and the other was our homework. I hated that we already had homework, but I wouldn't complain since he seemed like the type of teacher I didn't want to be on the wrong side of.

That class felt like it went on for hours. When the bell rang, I could tell everyone wanted to leave immediately.

"Don't forget, I won't accept any late assignments, so you better turn them in tomorrow!" Mr. Kurotsuchi called as we left the class.

The four of us walked out, and I sighed with relief.

"I can tell I'm going to hate that class," I sighed.

"Tell me about it," Renji agreed. "I heard from Rukia's brother that he's insufferable,"

Orihime and Renji wanted to look at my schedule to see if we had more classes together. Renji didn't have any other classes with me, but Orihime also had Ochi.

I also exchanged numbers with them and told Orihime I would text her later about our conversation.

"How's Sora?" I asked her as we walked to our next class.

Well, that was a bad idea for me to ask. Renji and Rukia both looked worried, and she averted her eyes away from mine. They looked glassy, but she didn't cry.

"He...passed away in a car accident..."

Damnit. Now I feel guilty.

"I'm so sorry, Orihime," I immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to make you sad, I-"

"It's okay," She smiled at me. "You didn't know. It happened back in middle school after you moved,"

That's disappointing to hear. Not only was it awful for her to go through that, but Sora also took us to get ice cream, and he would drive her to my house whenever she wanted to spend the night or hang out. He was nice. He also used to make the best food whenever I came over.

"Good luck with Zaraki, by the way," Renji added.

"What do you mean?"

"I had him last year for PE. He doesn't tolerate any crap," Renji answered. "And he used to be a soldier on top of that. He won't let you sit out of any activities, and he will make you work harder if you try,"

I widened my eyes in slight fear.

Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Stop trying to scare her," Rukia scolded. "And he's not that bad, Izumi. I had him last year, and he doesn't have a tolerance for people who misbehave or someone who complains,"

She looked at Renji when she said the complaining part. Renji looked offended.

"Hey!"

She ignored him. "The gym is downstairs, and you can't miss it. It's right next to the cafeteria."

I nervously walked to my next class. I was not ready for Zaraki.

I walked through the doors and chose a spot at the bottom of the bleachers. Nel had said she had this class, too, so I watched the entrance like a hawk, waiting for her.

And to my relief, she just walked in and smiled when she saw me.

"Hey, Izumi!"

Nel jogged over to me. A few guys were already drooling over her, and she ignored them as she passed by them.

She sat beside me and talked about how she hated her last class. Her troublesome ex wouldn't stop picking fights with her, and he happened to have that class.

"Sounds like an ass," I said.

She nodded in agreement with me.

Her cheery expression dropped immediately, and her face turned serious.

"And speak of the devil," She whispered to me.

I looked to where she was looking, and there was a tall, skinny guy with long hair. One side of his bangs covered his left eye. His eyes landed on Nel, and he smirked, walking over to us. There was also a blonde-haired guy with him, but the third one caught my attention.

He had icy blue hair and light blue eyes. He wore black jeans with two white belts, a black t-shirt that was partially unzipped, boots, and a white jacket that was pushed up to his elbow. I gazed at him curiously as he followed Nel's ex, who was walking toward us.

He looked annoyed, but it seemed like he also had a case of RBF. He glanced at me but said nothing because Nel's ex was talking.

"Surprised to see you here, Nelliel," The black-haired guy smirked.

I could feel her tensing next to me, and I glanced at her worriedly.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Nnoitra?" Nel spat, her voice laced with an unexpected icy edge.

Unbothered, Nnoitra's harsh stare lingered on Nel before shifting to me. Ease unwashed over me as he almost had a predatory glint in his eyes.

He ignored her comment and looked me up and down. I felt uncomfortable now and looked to the side.

"And you have a friend, too," He drawled. "What's your name?"

My lips parted, but no words emerged. I could feel the disdain radiating from Nnoitra; his mocking smirk confirmed that.

"Mika?" He suggested with false sweetness. "Or perhaps, Amaya?

Before Nel could say something, my patience ran thin. "It's Izumi," I snapped, my voice sounding like how I usually talk. "And you're being a colossal asshole,"

Nnoitra's eyes narrowed in amusement. "Oh, is the little mouse getting lippy?" He taunted. "I see you've managed to latch onto the broken trash that is Nel,"

I was never the type to take shit from anyone. Not after what that demon spawn of an ex-best friend did to me.

I could feel the anger rising inside. "Nel is not trash! She's worth more than you'll ever be!"

Nnoitra glared at me angrily and lunged towards me, but the two guys behind him intervened. The blonde one reached to grab Nnoitra's arm and pulled him back.

"Nnoitra, stop!" He exclaimed.

Nnoitra whipped his head around to face him. "Don't fucking touch me, Tesra," He growled. "What did I tell you about getting in the way?"

Nnoitra was going to grab Tesra, but the blue-haired one got in between them.

"Back off, jackass," He snapped. "You already caused a scene earlier,"

Nnoitra glanced at Nel, who was staring at him with a mix of anger and sorrow, looked at me, and then back at his friend.

"Fine."

The blue-haired one turned to face Nel and I, "Sorry about him."

They walked away, and the tension died down. I sat back down with Nel, and her eyes softened when she looked at me. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about him Izumi,"

"I'm fine, Nel," I said. "You don't need to apologize. I'm more worried about you, though. Are you okay?"

She sighed, "Yeah, he's just a jerk. We weren't working out, so I had to break up with him. He's been acting like this ever since,"

She looked over at him with a mixture of emotions.

"Thank you for sticking up for me, Izumi. I really appreciate it," She said, smiling sadly.

"I'm not scared of him, you know. So just let me know if he gives you problems again," I insisted.

"I'll think about it," She replied.

Nnoitra was still staring me and Nel down, so I narrowed my eyes when I looked back at him defiantly.

The blue-haired one gazed at me curiously but turned his attention back to the guy named Tesra.

As more students piled inside the stuffy gym, Nel and I exchanged numbers and social media. I followed her on Instagram and saw that she had a bunch of guys commenting on her photos with heart eyes. She didn't reply to any of them, though.

A tall and extremely muscular man walked inside the gym. He had shoulder-length spiky hair, wore an eyepatch over his right eye, and had a bunch of scars on his face and arms. I assumed that was our gym teacher.

He was scary-looking.

He started his introduction and told us we had to have our gym uniforms by today because he would make us do work tomorrow.

I just hoped that I wouldn't get killed in this class. I'm not against sports, but I draw the line at intense workouts. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know they usually wear uniforms when they're in school, but I'm changing this up a bit since it's modern AU. Also made this chapter longer since I'm working on making my stories shorter. Also, RBF is short for "resting bitch face" if you didn't know. I'm also simping once again over Grimmjow (aka my husband) as I wrote him lmao.