Next Door Neighbor
Disclaimer: I don't own the show, the manga, or any merchandise. Except for my super-cute Kirara doll!
On to the story!
Chapter One: The Outsider
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Kagome rushed down the stairs, glancing at her house before she got too far to see it. The trees waved and rustled in the wind, dancing around her as she ran to school. This wasn't the first time she had had to run; she'd be damned if it wasn't the last. She was almost to the bottom of the stairs. Just a little more running, she thought. I won't be late if I sprint!
"Whoa!" A girl's voice said. Kagome felt the impact and followed the other girl to the ground. She landed across the girl's lap, facing opposite the way she was trying to go. She looked up, finding herself almost face to face with a small girl. Quickly scrambling up, she apologized profusely.
"I'm so sorry!" Kagome said, holding her hand out to the girl on the ground.
"It's okay." The girl said, accepting the hand and pulling herself up. Then she quickly dusted herself off before holding out her hand. "Lidia Bradford. Freshman in Kaibara High School; I just moved."
Kagome hesitantly took the hand and shook it. The girl looked normal, at the very least. Dark haired, wearing a tee shirt that said something in English, and a pair of blue jeans that were ripped in several places. "Kagome Higurashi, first year in Kaibara High School." She said. She looked at the girl again, deciding that the rips were cosmetic, not signs of abuse, as she had first thought. "Why aren't you wearing a uniform?"
"Oh, I meant first year." She paused to brush her hair out of her face. "I haven't gotten one yet. I have to change before first period. For some reason, they were all out of mediums." Lidia said, shrugging. She didn't notice Kagome's sigh, or her off-into-the-distance look; Kagome was obviously thinking about all the medium-sized uniforms she had ruined. "Come on, Miyuki." Lidia said to the little girl. She held her hand out to the tiny blond girl with corkscrew curls and a tiny, lacy dress.
Kagome stared at the adorable face that was peeking at her through her hair. "Who is she?"
Lidia smiled pleasantly, picking up the small child. "… My little sister." She said. There was an undertone of regret that Kagome picked up on immediately.
"She's very cute." Kagome said, trying to relieve some of the obvious tension. Bending over, she picked up her bag, and what appeared to be two of Lidia's. She handed Lidia the two other bags.
"Thanks. We'd better get going, I still have to drop her off and grab our lunches."
"Oh." Kagome said, remembering school. "Wait a second! I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up!" Kagome said, turning around to say a quick goodbye to Lidia and Miyuki.
"Wait up!" Lidia said, glancing at the ground. "I don't know the way there. When I was going there to be enrolled, I had to keep Miyuki under control. Can you walk with me and show me the way?"
"Oh. Sure, I guess." She said. At least I'll have an excuse for being late, she thought to herself.
They walked in relative silence together, Miyuki pointing some things out along the way. She spoke in English, which confused Kagome even more, between Lidia's English tee shirt and after hearing Lidia speak with an unnoticeable accent.
"Okay, here's the deli. You want to come with me?" Lidia asked Miyuki. The little girl nodded, proving that she understood Japanese. "I'll be right back, okay?" Lidia said to Kagome before going inside.
Kagome waited for a few minutes, staring at her world and deeply inhaling the polluted air, before Lidia came out, carrying a small sack and a plastic bag. Lidia explained their reason for stopping. "Miyuki doesn't like Japanese food; she only eats western-style things." Lidia tickled Miyuki. "Spoiled little brat!" she joked in Japanese. They walked on, slower than before because Miyuki was walking, carrying her lunch in her hands.
"Do you like chicken?" Lidia asked. While the question from nowhere startled Kagome, Miyuki walked on like it was an everyday occurrence.
"Yeah… why?" Kagome asked, adjusting her backpack nervously. The random demon attacks must be getting to you, Kagome, she thought to herself, especially if any outburst will send you into cardiac arrest.
"Good." Lidia sighed. "The lady in the shop saw you and was wondering if you wanted anything. So I bought you a chicken sandwich. Hope you don't mind…" Lidia said, blushing slightly. 'She's forward one moment and shy the next.' Kagome thought to her self. 'Is she bipolar or something?'
"Oh! No, it's okay. I forgot to bring my own lunch. Thank you." Kagome said, smiling.
"Okay. Good, for a minute there I thought I'd imposed." Lidia said, smiling a very white, but slightly crooked smile.
Kagome suddenly noticed how tall this girl was; she was almost as tall as Sango. Miyuki and Lidia certainly did look alike; the same face shape, the same color eyes. It even seemed as if Miyuki had inherited Lidia's ears, which were pointed slightly, like a demon, or elves' might have been.
Kagome quickly brushed off the topic in her mind. They had reached the day care, where one of the owners was sweeping the sidewalk that led up to the building.
"Here we are, Miyuki. Here's your drink…" Lidia paused to grab something out of the paper sack she had set inside her bag and handed it to Miyuki. "And here's your things. I'll see you this afternoon, okay?" Lidia said, hugging the small girl and patting her on the back.
Kagome understood the response. Slightly. Okay, so all she could understand was 'Bye bye'. The little girl had said more, though, and it irritated her that after four years of English class all she had to show was 'Bye-bye'.
"Kagome! What a pleasure. I haven't seen you in a long time." The day care lady said as they walked by. "You seem so much better than last time. You looked like you had had a run-in with death!" The lady said.
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Motosuwa. My condition has been improving recently." Kagome quickly lied through her teeth. "I'm allowed to go to school now."
"Well, good for you." The polite woman smiled. "Have a good day."
"You too." Lidia called back, before turning to Kagome. "What about being sick?"
"Long story short, I'm sick all the time." Kagome said. She hated to be lying about her condition so soon after meeting her, but… Sometimes, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?
"Me too. You must have a weak immune system. No offense, of course." Lidia said, grinning again.
"None taken." Kagome said. 'Not another Hojo…' She couldn't believe the girl had fallen for it.
"So, where's the school?" Lidia asked, turning to Kagome a few seconds later.
"We turn on Third Street, then we go left on China Street." Kagome said.
"Okay." Lidia said, and she kept on walking. And walking. She hummed a lot, Kagome noticed, but she didn't recognize the song.
"Where did you move from?" Kagome asked. The silence, excepting the humming, was really getting to her.
"America. Southern Michigan." Lidia said.
"Michigan?" Kagome asked.
"Yep. A state in the United States, Northern America, normally cold and wet. Japan is a nice change of pace." Lidia held out a hand in the warm morning sunlight, showing Kagome just how pale she was.
"Where do you live?"
"Just down your street. The blue duplex." Lidia said. "Well, it's a duplex now…" Kagome nodded.
"I know where you're talking about. What are your parents like?" Kagome asked. Lidia fell silent, staring at the ground.
"I'd like to say that I've never met them." Lidia said. "That's the kind of people they are."
"I'm sorry…" Kagome said, not knowing how to react to the change of mood. It was almost as bad as Inuyasha sometimes.
"It's okay." Lidia said, shaking it off. "It's not your fault my parents are unholy bitches." Lidia laughed a bit before falling quiet.
"Turn here." Kagome said a few minutes later.
"Left or right?" Lidia asked, checking for traffic.
"Left." Kagome said, hitting the button. As the 'Walk' sign flashed, they scurried across the intersection.
"So, are you done prying into my life or can I expect more questions?" Lidia said, laughing slightly. She glanced over at Kagome's face. "What? Just because I'm slightly uncomfortable talking about my past doesn't mean that I can't, you know, talk about it." She grinned again.
"Why did your parents move here?" Kagome asked.
"They didn't. They're dead." Lidia said, with a completely straight face.
"I'm sorry." Kagome said, starting to feel slightly uncomfortable talking to this girl.
"It's okay. I moved here with the lady who's going to adopt me and Miyuki." Lidia said, rolling her shoulders and popping her neck. "She's that famous Japanese American Model… Oh, I forgot her name. I think it was Karen."
"She's adopting you and you don't know her name?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah, but she's only adopting me for publicity. She really wants Miyuki."
"Why?" Kagome asked.
"Miyuki is the one she can raise. You know, a little girl, potty trained and everything. I'm a teen with an attitude problem." Lidia said, shrugging her shoulders. "Not that I care. I only have three more years until I'm free." Lidia said. "So, do you live on the shrine?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Kagome said.
"That must be cool. Excuse me, but I'm an unholy, non-religious punk, so if I say anything that offends you, just let me know. I don't really have good manners." Lidia was laughing at herself again, like she always seemed to. It surprised Kagome a lot. "They're there, the manners are, but they weren't raised properly. They only work near adults that I'm trying to impress."
"Oh. I know some people like that. They don't even act kind around adults, though." Kagome laughed at the image of a red-clothed, white haired dog demon.
"Wow. They must be pretty cool." Lidia said. Kagome looked at her, and Lidia turned to look at her, too, noticing the glance. "I mean, well, they must not be afraid to be themselves. I'm not like that around a lot of people." Lidia said. "There's always someone to impress!" She said, loudly and dramatically.
Kagome looked away. "What makes me the exception?" She asked. "If I am one, that is."
"I don't know. You just seem so cool with the world… I used to know someone just like you. Attitude wise, you guys are identical." Lidia looked up. Kagome recognized the prayer the girl was mouthing before she continued. "Outwardly, though, you aren't. He's a he, a ghost, and, well, he had pink hair." She shrugged. Kagome picked up on the ghost part, but she didn't feel like asking.
"Pink hair? I thought you were from America." Kagome asked.
"Yeah. We have otakus and freaks over there, too. His sister dyed her hair pink, so she did his, too. And the little sister's hair." She paused. "I miss them. They were my first foster home." She said.
"Really?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah." Lidia said simply, and they continued walking in silence.
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"So, this is the school?" Lidia asked. They had completely missed first period now, and they were sitting in the office, waiting for the principal to show up from some meeting. Lidia was sitting in her seat, looking around like a curious kitten.
"Yeah. Just a normal school." Kagome said, glancing around. She held onto her pass with white knuckles, her stress level rising to almost new levels. Demon battles? No problem. Dealing with the principal for the millionth time? Big problem.
"Oh my gosh, Kagome, what are you doing in here?" Eri asked from the doorway. She looked at the girl next to her and looked a little miffed. "Who's she?"
Kagome immediately released the death grip she had on her pass. She knew it would happen eventually, but she really wished it hadn't happened now, in the principals' office, of all places!
"Hey, Eri." Kagome said. She looked between Lidia, who was slightly irritated for some reason or other. Kagome was preparing to introduce them when two things happened.
First, Lidia loudly stated that she was Lidia, and that she didn't tolerate rudeness, especially when it was directed at her.
Secondly, the principal was walking down the hallway, talking to someone.
The principal looked up from a clipboard to see Lidia scowling at Eri, who was still agitated from Lidia's loud introduction. He smiled, marching forward, and clapping Eri on the shoulder.
"Miss Nozue, how are you today?" he asked loudly. His smile was almost too bright, and he was definitely happy about something. "We just received a message from Miss Higurashi's mother that she will be attending the entire week!" He beamed at the both of them before introducing himself to Lidia, and taking her to be fitted by the school nurse.
"Why was she so angry?" Eri asked as Kagome and herself walked towards their class. She flipped her hair over her shoulder in a nonchalant manner, which only served to worsen Kagome's mood. She didn't know why; she had been a friend of Eri's since elementary school!
"Lidia's a new friend of mine. She probably doesn't like being treated like an outsider." Kagome said stiffly.
"So?" Eri had always been one of the more… snobby friends of Kagome's. She was continually trying to be more and more popular. When had they started drifting away from each other? Had it really been a year since she had fallen down the well?
"Hey Kagome!" Ayumi and Yuka called in unison from the water fountains outside of the door. They ran over and hugged the girl in a violently loving manner, causing Kagome to gasp for breath.
"Kagome!" The teacher called from the doorway. Kagome looked over Ayumi's shoulder.
"The principal wants you down at the office." The teacher finished, turning to return to the class. Kagome looked at her friends questioningly, and Eri stated her thoughts. "You were just down there. Did you forget something?" Kagome shook her head.
"Well, here; I'll take your bag." Ayumi said, taking the school-approved bag. "I'll hang it on your desk, okay?"
Kagome nodded, and began trudging back to the office. What in the world did they want her for?
"Miss Higurashi, you left before I could talk to you." The principal said. He was rather… happy. Standing in the office was Lidia, but what really surprised her was Inuyasha, wearing a baseball cap and… actual modern day clothes! It was enough to make her faint.
"Kagome?" Lidia asked. Kagome was certain her face was completely red.
"Yes, Miss Higurashi, I'd like to say welcome back. That must have been quite a trip to England, all for the treatment for… what was it this time?" The principal seemed to ignore Inuyasha, focusing on Kagome for the moment. "Well, it doesn't matter; you're finally allowed to attend the school for weeks at a time. There are a few things your teachers wanted me to discuss with you… Your grades have been slipping, even with the make-up tests and extensions. Your math and science teachers say that you can test for the semester, meaning you take one large test that covers everything taught, but several others… the majority, sadly enough, require you to make up every test and assignment, but two are allowing extra credit…"
Though his demeanor had suddenly gone from happy-go-lucky to gleefully serious, Kagome decided to cut in. "Sir, why are they still here? Shouldn't my grades be between myself and my teachers?"
Lidia had the gall to fake an injured expression, which made Kagome's mouth twitch, but Inuyasha's ears shifted under the baseball cap.
"Well, Miss Bradford, after reading the syllabus, informs me that she has already completed this semesters' worth of work at her previous school, excepting the English portion… which she has proven to be fluent in. As for mister… Inuyasha, your mother sent him along with several things you seem to have forgotten." The dog demon smirked at Kagome, who glared at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Ah-hem!" The principal cleared his throat loudly. "The classes that require you to make up everything have given you a month-long extension, and ask that you turn things in as you make them up, in order to put everything in order. Since Lidia has assured me, and everything has been verified against her transcript, you two may go to the library and begin sorting out your work. Mister Inuyasha will leave as soon as you retrieve your work from him. You are dismissed."
He waved gleefully as they walked out of the office. "He is so odd." Lidia whispered.
Kagome laughed.
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Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Will you stop that?" Kagome asked. She looked up from her book and glared at the drowsy girl across from her.
"What is the point of being allowed to spend the entire day in the library if I'm not allowed to use the computer?" Lidia grumbled for the umpteenth time. She stared at the physics book that was open beside her. "Not to mention, you're so far behind in your English and Literature classes that you won't focus on anything else." Lidia glanced out the window, over Kagome's shoulder. "At least the scenery is good. I love cityscapes. I guess it's from growing up a country girl."
"You talk too much." Kagome whispered. It didn't really matter, though; it was almost the end of the day, and despite the lack of computers, she had gotten a lot done. She was almost entirely caught up in her Composition class, and Lidia had said she could come over to study for Geometry and Physics.
"So who was calculator boy?" Lidia asked. Kagome's face took on a slightly red tint. This girl! Lidia had continually asked about Inuyasha's appearance; commenting on his 'awesome' eyes and that he had the 'coolest' hair she had ever seen. However, no matter how many times she asked, Kagome couldn't get angry at her, unlike the other three girls that continually questioned Kagome.
"Why aren't you wearing a uniform?" Kagome fired back. The other girl was reclining in her chair, playing with her hair like she didn't have a care in the world; she seemed to freeze, but Kagome thought she must have imagined it. Certainly, the other girls' smirk didn't falter.
"I'll tell you if you tell me." Lidia said. Kagome was slightly surprised; Lidia hadn't shown signs of telling the last time they had had this conversation.
"He's a friend." Kagome said. Lidia's smirk got bigger and Kagome's blush came back with a vengeance. "What kind of friend?" Lidia asked suggestively. She glanced up at Kagome with a perverted grin on her face.
"He's my best friend, okay? We're not friends with benefits, okay?" Kagome tried valiantly to get her blush under control. "Why aren't you wearing a uniform?"
"Scars." Lidia straightened up, looking Kagome in the eyes before glancing away. "I have scars all over my legs. I'd need a much longer skirt than the ones they have right now if I were to attend school here." She looked at her pants for a moment before continuing her smirk, glancing over her shoulder at the clock above the librarians' desk. "Foster homes can be hell."
Kagome didn't know what to say to that. Lidia laughed at her pained expression, like she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Really, don't worry about it. I don't like to spread the information, so if you could keep it a secret? I'd appreciate it. I think you're the coolest person I know, right now, other than Miyuki and Drake." She smiled again. It was a wide, encompassing, trusting smile.
Kagome smiled back.
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I know, right? How many times am I going to go back and re-do something that is just as mediocre as it was the first time? Well, I'm proud to say that this is much better, and that I thoroughly enjoy you reading it. Thank you very much! And now, if you wouldn't mind, please review; I love getting feedback, and if something just ticks you off about my story, why don't you tell me about it? Thank you in advance for the review. ^-^