Boarding School Blues
Hallways, Holeways and Slantways
Kagome Higurashi stepped into the extravagant foyer of her new boarding school. Studying the expansive architecture, grand chandeliers and red plush carpets, Kagome felt like she was staying in a five star historical hotel or something. Giggling high school girls huddled together in a line waiting for their teachers to assign their dorm rooms. The open ceilings carved with gothic and mythological carvings carried the acoustics of bantering boys lined on the other side of the room, also waiting for their assigned rooms.
Kagome adjusted her light blue plaid skirt and merged into the back of the line. She pulled off her black gloves and shoved them into the pocket of her black double breasted jacket. A cute black beret topped her black hair. For a moment Kagome let the feeling of being a French royalty standing in the middle of her grandiose hotel wash over her. Which would be fitting after all, seeing as this prepatory boarding school she accepted was situated in a quaint French town. However, Kagome was just a plain old high school student only here on scholarship.
It was a very last minute decision to accept the scholarship at this school. Kagome was home schooled most of her life. This was her first time attending a regular school - well if that's what you'd call it. Bordeaux International School for Boys and Girls was a world renowned prepatory school for high school students. Over the centuries that it existed it was known for only producing the most elite of its generation. Everything about this school was detailed and extravagant, from the teachers, architecture, books, food and not to mention people. The cream of the crop attended this school. Only Nobles, lords, royalty, heirs and heiresses and even some corporate royalty entered these doorways. There were the few exceptional students who were accepted by a very competitive scholarship. Kagome was one of them.
Forty five minutes passed before she finally reached the main desk.
"Name please."
"Higurashi Kagome" she handed him her school papers.
Professor Flostre looked up.
"Ah, Ms. Higurashi, do I have a treat for you. You will be very pleased with your rooming arrangements," he winked at her with his thick French accent, "Your cousin Kikyo requested very much this favour. She cares for you a lot Ms. Higurashi."
Kagome's heart sank. Oh crap.
"She told me how you were very homesick and that when you lived in your flat in Estonia, it was at the top floor was it not? So she requested that you get the dorm room on the highest floor, with no roommates. She knows how she likes your privacy. What a loving older cousin you have looking out for you, non?" he gushed.
"Anyways, I spoke to the Don's for your wing, and there is one room up on the 15th floor. It is the only room on that floor. The Don's were hesitant to let a student occupy that room, because of the person who last used the room. But I told them about you and what a fantastic cousin and person your Kikyo was, and that she insisted that you must have that room. So they..agreed! Isn't that wonderful?"
Professor Flostre clapped his hands with delight. His eyes twinkled and mouth grinned. He was a tall broad middle aged man with a vicarious habit to wear all black complimenting his thick auburn hair, auburn eyebrows, and auburn goatee.
"Yes..it is.." Kagome swallowed her cotton dry mouth, "How nice of Kikyou. But you didn't have to go through all the trouble. I'll be fine in any room that Kikyou isn't in…" Kagome trailed.
"Nonsense, Kagome. I want you to feel at home here. So you will have that room. There are only two problems with it, but I'm sure you'll love the place either way. One is that there is no elevator that goes directly to that floor, because it is the only room on the top floor. So you must take the elevator to the 14th floor and then stairs to your room. Secondly, the Don's to your hostel building tell me that the previous tenant left somewhat…err abruptly, and all their things are still there. No one's had the heart to move them out. So that will be your duty. But it's not that big of a deal!
"So here is your room key, your student card, class schedule and campus map. A bell boy will be up to your room shortly with all of your luggage. Bye now Ms. Higurashi. Don't forget to thank Kikyou." Professor Flostre shoo-ed her away.
"Thanks." Kagome grumbled, snatching her papers, and stalked out of the foyer. But not with out catching Kikyou from the corner of her eye who stood with some of her giggling girlfriends. She smirked at Kagome and waved.
Kagome frowned. That bitch!
Ever since day one, Kikyou – older cousin by three months - had been Kagome's main rival. For the past couple of months, however, the immature gags that made her life miserable were getting increasingly pettier and painful. Kikyou and Kagome looked very much alike. Physically it was almost impossible to tell them apart, except that Kikyou's face contained a much haughtier quality than Kagome's pleasant face. Even at that moment Kikyou wore the same double breasted jacket and beret except in blood red. Just by looking at them any one could tell they shared the same family. However, personality wise they were from two different worlds.
"Goddamn shit on a stick evil woman!" Kagome muttered incoherently. She glared at the stupid campus map in her hand in the middle of a maze of random plush hallways.
"According to this so called sketch of an 18 acre campus, my wing is over…here?" Kagome pointed down a hall way.
Shrugging her shoulders Kagome set off leisurely to look for Dante Wing. She admired the complex architecture with all its historical, religious and mythological symbols carved into the wood. It hinted at all the years the building must have seen. Kagome bet apart from her, only the teachers and locals knew how historical and rare, access to building like this was. What a privilege it was to study at such an old school that had seen so much. It was one of the deciding factors that went into accepting. A sort of fresh beginning.
Eventually Kagome found Dante's Wing. But she wasn't the first one to. Loads of male and female students milled about chatting, exploring and standing in front of the elevators. The elevators were packed with students dicking around, stopping at every floor. Kagome groaned. She wouldn't get to the top floor using the elevator until dinner time. With a roll of her eyes, she reluctantly began to climb the stairs at the end of the hall.
14 floors later…
"Oh…dear….lord." Kagome gasped. She crawled to the top of the flight of stairs. Her shaking muscles gave way so she sat back against the railing. She wiped the sweat off her face and tried to level her breathing. "Guess I'm more out of shape than I thought," she panted to herself.
"Or maybe in general 14 flights of old stairs is just a bitch to climb for anyone," another voice startled the young girl.
Kagome looked up to see a boy leaning against the frame of the door smiling down at her. Kagome smiled back and forced herself up.
"I prefer your reason over mine," and extended her hand, "I'm Kagome."
"You may call me Miroku." he twinkled at her and kissed her hand.
"Oh um Hi," Kagome said awkwardly withdrawing her clammy hand and wiped it down her skirt.
"I live in the room across the stairs, "he said jerking his head behind to the open door to a three person dorm room, "You on this floor too? What room?"
"Oh I got the floor above."
Miroku's eyes widened, "There's a another floor. I thought we had the top floor."
"Nope." Kagome shrugged, "apparently there only one more room upstairs, and no elevator goes to it. Only the next flight of stairs does."
Miroku whistled, "talk about secluded."
"I know." Kagome groaned. But fewer nosy people at least.
"Well Kagome, since you're all way up there. You'll have to let me visit sometimes, and maybe even give me the privilege to have you bear my child." He asked casually and simultaneously leant on one knee. "Whaddya say Kagome?"
"WHAAAT!" Kagome shrieked.
A second later another boy appeared at the door. This one had long silver hair and triangular dog ears perched up on top his head. He carried a heavy card board box.
"What's going on here?" he scowled. Then he saw Miroku's unconscious strewn body on the ground, and large red lump growing out of his temporal lobe. Then he looked at the red faced girl with long black raven hair. "He asked you to conceive his child didn't he?" the boy asked deadpanned.
"Oh..uh..well..er" Kagome stuttered.
"Don't worry about it. He does that to all the girl's he first meets. Most of the time that's the answer he gets. But he still does it none the less. 'Just in case' is his logic." The boy recited practicedly, "Anyways, don't worry he won't ask you again. My name's Inuyasha, Miroku's roommate." He finished.
"I'm Kagome." Kagome smiled back. She walked into the hallway with him. Putting the box on the floor in front of his room Inuyasha asked, "You on this floor."
"She got the lone room on the 15th floor." moaned Miroku who crawled into the hallway cradling his head, "Man Kags, you throw a real mean punch."
Kagome stifled a giggle.
"You mean you got the haunted room. They haven't given that room to anyone in three years!" Inuyahsa's golden orbed eyes widened. "I wonder why now?"
Startled, "Haunted? What do you mean haunted?" Kagome asked.
"Oh I'm not sure the history to that room. All I know that it hasn't been used for three years now, since the last tenant. So everyone just goes around calling it haunted for lack of anything better. At least that's what my older brother said when he went here. What year are you in anyways?" Inuyasha asked.
"I'm in fourth. You guys? That's really creepy that no ones been up there to remove the last tenant's things." Kagome shivered.
"We're fourth as well. But I'm assuming this your first year attending this school," Miroku inserted.
"Yeah, it's my first year. What about you guys?"
"I've been here all of my high school career." Inuyasha scowled, "My older brothers went here, my dad went here, my uncles went here, even my grandparents. It's a family tradition I guess."
Miroku added, "This is my second year here. My parents and I moved to France last year."
Kagome nodded. "This is my first time in France. I just flew in last night."
"Don't worry Kagome," Miroku put his arm around her and looked at her charmingly, "Me and Inuyasha will take care of you. If you need any help moving out that old stuff or fight any bad ghosties, just give us a call. Your room is directly above ours."
"Yeah. I wanna see what's been left in that old room," Inuyasha added.
"Um sure. If you guys want." Kagome replied uncomfortably, "I better go finish off my trek now."
"Bye Kags." Miroku waved from the floor.
Inuyasha kicked Miroku, "Would you stop eyeing her already and help me move this stuff, you lazy ass."
"Oww. Inuyasha! What the hell. That hurt. Now I don't think I can walk and help you. Thanks for asking about my head anyways. It hurts a lot!" Miroku pouted.
"Oh don't even give me that crap." Inuyasha said rolling his eyes and dragged Miroku back in to their dorm, "What kinda weakling are you. Now come help me and Van move the boxes in. I don't wanna get stuck with the nasty second helpings for dinner."
"Do you mean that nasty second helpings of food, or nasty second helpings of women because all the other tables are full?" Miroku asked wisely.
"Roku.." Inuaysha warned.
"Ah..both," he supplied helpfully.
Their snipes and disagreements carried Kagome down the rest of the hallway with a sad smile on her face.
Kagome reached the door that lead to the 15th floor. Taking a deep breath she opened the creaky door and stepped into a tiny hallway with thin carpeting. A cobweb or two decorated the so called "hallway." It was approximately 7 feet long and 5 feet wide. The kind you would find in a cozy house. Straight ahead of her stood a door with faded gold numbering.
1514.
Looking around, Kagome saw that the bell boy had already dumped her things hurriedly beside the door. She slipped the pass key into the door. Green light flashed. Kagome pushed open the door with bated breath. She watched the creaky door swing open to reveal a small dusty room. A small single bed lay at one corner and wooden desk at the other. The bed was made, but littered with boxes, and miscellaneous dorm items. The desk was the same way. Dusty papers, notes, books, pictures and items littered the entire room. It looked very gloomy.
Kagome shivered slightly and switched on the bright electric light, dissipating some of the menacing shadows. Kagome stepped into the room. Behind the door was a lumpy couch and a door leading the bathroom. Apart from its mess, Kagome didn't find much wrong with it. Shaking silly fears off her, she dragged her three piece luggage set into the room. Not much was left of her home that she could actually bring with her to school. The darkened sky reminded her she didn't have much time until dinner.
"Well, there's no way I can get all of this cleaned tonight, so I guess I'll just have to rummage instead," Kagome mused aloud.
Noticing the desk light, she switched it on, and left the door open so that the bleak hallway light also shone into the room. Kagome decided to start with the bed. Upon closer inspection Kagome concluded that she was going to have to find fresh linen on account of that strong moldy stench. Wrinkling her nose Kagome began to gingerly sort through the mess on the bed. Then she noticed something very peculiar.