Bleach Short Story: Summer Vacation

Chapter 3: The Party

"Aya, please open up!" Rangiku pleaded from the other side of Ayas bedroom door. Aya was laying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling with her hands laid on her stomach. It probably wasn't the best thing to do. She had covered her walls in pictures of herself with all of her friends, but only she and Renji covered her ceiling. It defenitely wasn't the best thing to do.

"Aya come on already!"

Aya sighed, shutting her eyes before sitting up and walking over to the door.

"Go away Rangiku," she mumbled, leaning back against the door and staring at the floor.

"I'm not leaving until you come out of there! You've been moping in your room for a week now and Rukia's party is tonight."

"I told you I'm not going," Aya said.

"You promised her you would!"

"Your pep talks aren't any better coming from the other side of a locked door, you know."

Ayas friend growled in frustration and Aya heard the sound of feet on the stairs as someone ascended them.

"Aya, you have five seconds to come out of there or... Or..."

"Or what Rangiku?" she asked. "You gonna bust down my door or something?"

"Aya."

Aya blinked when she heard a familiar voice from the other side of her door.

"Rangiku, could you..."

"Oh, sure." Aya could hear Rangiku turn at their request and head down the stairs. Only when Aya was sure she was gone did she open the door, immediately being pulled into the arms of her best friend.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Starrk asked, more in a worried tone than a pissed one.

Aya shrugged, stepping away and letting him come in the room before she shut her door and re-locked it. Starrk went over to her bed and sat down, staring down at her black phone.

"Is this thing broken or something?" he asked, picking it up and waving it at her. Aya sighed, going to sit next to him and crossing her legs, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"It's been off for a week," she said, rubbing at her arms.

"I see," was all Starrk said, sitting it down, before he turned and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. Aya blinked in surprise and looked up at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've been trying to call you for days now. You wouldn't answer your phone and your dad said you wouldn't come out of your room or talk to anyone on the house phone. When did you last eat?" he asked her, concerned.

"Last night. Why?"

"What did you eat?"

"If you think about it, ice cream is sugar and sugar's part of a food group. It's dairy too, so technically I ate," she said defensively, causing Starrk to sigh.

"I meant when's the last time you really ate anything."

"Oh... Well, we had chips at Rangikus party," she said, trailing off as he frowned at her. "What?"

"Aya, you can't do this yourself."

"I'm not doing anything Starrk. I'm just..." she shrugged while thinking. "I'm just not..."

"Aya, I know you loved him but-"

"Don't," Aya said, cutting him off while standing and walking over to her window to avoid looking at him, her arms still wrapped around her middle. "Don't even try to say that. I can't tell you how many people have tried to feed me the same bullshit from the other side of that door. If I knew you were going to do the same, I would have left you out there like everybody else."