(A/N: As promised, I am back. And so is this story. I went through and changed a lot of things, it may not even seem like the same story. And this chapter is VERY long :) Please review!)
Chapter 1: The News
The crowd roared when the music ended. It was the best they had done this year. In the front row, as usual, Sango was ecstatic. She smiled at her public, they were screaming her name. She glanced across stage to see what was taking the curtain so long. The people backstage were having trouble bringing the curtain down. The Shikon Private School Shimmers Dance Group did as they were taught stayed perfectly still, smiling, until the curtain fell.
Sango could never see who was in the audience during performances. She was constantly in motion on the stage, as well as temporarily blinded by the bright stage lights, but it was the nerves that kept her eyes away from the long rows of chairs in front of her. She had nothing to be nervous about though. She was the best dancer in the Shimmers, and had pretty much grown up on stage. But the nerves always found her. In the dressing room, in the hallway, in her room hours before the performance, sometimes even backstage, seconds before she would run out and please the crowd.
She took this opportunity to glance around the room and see who was out there, so happy that they had done so well. She squinted through the lights and scanned the room. She saw many of the girls parents, including Kagome's mom. Inuyasha was there, for Kikyo no doubt, Sango figured. She knew, way too long ago, that no one would be out there for her.
Suddenly a shadow in the back of the room caught her eye. The shadow was tall, taller than her, standing uncomfortably hunched over with his hands shoved into his pockets. Is that….no, she thought, it can't be. Sango squinted harder, leaning forward slightly, trying to make out a face. Suddenly the curtain finally came down.
"Oh My God!", Sango best friend, Kagome, screamed, "That was the best EVER!! Sango that choreography was incredible! You're so talented!"
Kikyo, standing next to Sango had heard the whole thing. She made a "hmph" noise and stomped off to the dressing room. Sango ignored her.
"Kagome, how did u get up here so fast? You end all the way back there." Sango pointed across the stage.
"I was so excited! I just can't stay still!" Kagome practically yelled.
Sango laughed at her eager friend and started toward the dressing room with Kagome at her heels. The two had been practically inseparable since about the 7th grade. Kagome had introduced Sango to the drama club, which Sango was brilliant at. And Sango introduced Kagome to dancing, which Sango was also brilliant at. Kagome didn't mind following in Sango footsteps, even if it constantly left her one step behind, as long as they were together.
Kagome wasn't bad at the things she did. Just not as good as Sango and she knew it. But Kagome was a good sport. Instead of envying her best friend for excelling in the things she lacked, she used it to her advantage. Sango being good at pretty much everything gave Kagome a personal tutor, dance trainer, acting coach, voice coach, chef, therapist and the best friend she could ever have. Kagome wouldn't trade it for the world.
The two girls walked to the dressing rooms when Kagome's mother came into view, talking with Kikyo's mother.
Sango slowed her pace, "I'd go see your mom but…"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Sango, Kikyo's mom doesn't hate you. I'll see you later." Kagome started off to her mother. Sango made a sharp right and went in the dressing room to stay unseen. If she thought she had escaped the battleground, she was wrong.
Kikyo stood in the mirror, admiring her lipstick. Her eyes narrowed when Sango walked in. Sango stopped in the doorway, considering going outside to be ambushed by Kikyo's mother. Oh well, she thought, I have to pick the lesser of the two evils. She ignored Kikyo's unwelcoming stare and sat in her chair in front of the mirror.
Kikyo cleared her throat, "So Sango, that was a great performance." She had a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Thanks?" Sango replied, unsure of how to take her comment. This was not what she was expecting.
"Of course," she continued, "I would have to wonder how bad it would have looked without me there." She smiled.
Sango rolled her eyes. There's the Kikyo I know. "Whatever, Kikyo. I'm not in the mood for your jealous tantrums."
Kikyo glared at her. "If there is one word to describe how I feel about you, it would not be jealousy. It would be pity."
Sango kept her eyes on the clothes she was changing into, trying to control her emotions. "Kikyo, shut up." She said quietly.
"I mean," Kikyo continued, "I've always wondered what it was like to have your whole family killed because of your selfishness. It's got to be hard." Kikyo smirked at Sango through the mirror.
"Kikyo, shut up. If you know what's good for you, you'll shut the hell up."
"So what was first? Oh yeah, FIRST, you made your mom drive you to this audition, right? Then what Sango? I can't seem to recall the story." Kikyo chuckled under her breathe.
Sango didn't say anything. Just continued getting her stuff together.
"Oh that's right. You made her take you to this audition even though she was sick. Was that when the drunk driver smashed into the drivers side of the car, Sango?" Kikyo continued to smile.
Sango shoved the things into her dance bag, taking deep breaths. She would not cry in front of Kikyo.
"Then what happened to your father and brother Sango? Didn't you beg your dad to give you $100 for a down payment of the dance school you wanted to go too? Then when he was at the bank with your brother, the robbers came in. Isn't that right, Sango?"
Sango stopped packing stuff into her bag. She stood silently, concentrating on her breathing. Two things she would not do to Kikyo, two things that would give her satisfaction, cry in front of her and hit her. And Sango was on the verge of both.
"Poor, poor, Sango," Kikyo said, smiling, "How must it have felt, knowing you lost your whole family and it was all your fault?"
Sango slammed her hand down on the table, "SHUT UP KIKYO, SHUT THE HELL UP!" She screamed.
"Sango?" Kagome starred at her through the open door. She looked at Kikyo and narrowed her eyes. Kikyo stood silently, looking at Sango, with a slight smile on her face.
Kagome looked back at Sango, who was starring at the floor, "Come on, Sango," She said with her eyes back on Kikyo. Sango gathered her things and threw the bag over her shoulder. She walked to where Kagome held the door open, waiting for her.
"Nice talking to you!" Kikyo yelled, when Kagome let go of the door. Sango turned around fiercely, ready to march back in the room and punch Kikyo's lights out.
"Sango!" Kagome said, holding her back, "Sango, stop it! Kikyo's a bitch! Everyone knows that. It's not worth it. You know she will run straight to the headmaster and have you shipped out of here!"
Sango pushed off the wall she was leaning on and headed to their dorm room. Kagome followed behind her and talked about everything, it seemed, just to keep Sango's mind occupied. But her thoughts had already drifted away.
Stupid Kikyo. I oughta kill her. I bet the whole world will be happy. She's just mad that I always beat her at everything. She can't be as good as me. Well that's her damn problem. She doesn't need to bring my family into it. It's been this way since Middle School. Why do I let her get to me so bad? Hah, if Miroku had been there- Wait, Miroku? Was he the person I saw at the back of the auditorium? It can't be. He hasn't come to a performance of mine, since …. God, I don't even remember. I can't believe we've stayed in the same school for all this time and never said a word to each-
"Sango? Hellloo?" Kagome waved a hand in front of Sango's face, breaking her thoughts, "Anyone home?"
"What?" Sango asked.
"I asked you, about three times I might add, if you had your key? I left mine inside."
Sango looked around. She couldn't believe they had made it back to the dorm already. She stuck a hand in her pocket and fished around, finally pulling out a rusty bronze key.
Kagome took it from her hand and stuck it in the lock, turned it and pushed open the door, revealing a very mess room. Both girls stood in the doorway, admiring their mess.
"Wow," Kagome starred in shock.
"I didn't realize we let it get this bad," Sango said.
Kagome continued inside, promptly tripping over a shoe and almost falling to a certain death on top of a pile of various things. Sango gripped her arm and steadied her on her feet. Kagome laughed a little and proceeded, more carefully, to the living room.
"Did you hear about the meeting?" Kagome asked, flipping on the TV.
"No," Sango said, "We have a meeting?"
Kagome nodded, "School meeting, tomorrow at 3pm."
Sango sighed, "So that means, school from 8am until 2:45, meeting at 3 until whenever and dance at 4 until 8. Something has got to give."
"Better get to bed," Kagome said.
Sango sighed, "I'll practice a little bit first."
Kagome rolled her eyes at Sango as she sat herself down at the piano in the room.
The next morning, Sango woke up and proceeded to go through the motions of the day. 1st period, 2nd period, and 3rd period seemed to drag. In the middle of 4th period English, Sango starred absent-mindedly out the nearby window.
"Sango?" the teacher called, Sango jumped at the sound of her name.
"Yes?" she replied.
"You are needed up front. Pack your stuff; it says you won't be back." The teacher handed a note out to Sango, who took it and walked the long, lonely walk to the headmaster's office.
"Can I help you, dear?" the secretary said when Sango reached the office. Sango stayed quiet handing her the note. The secretary nodded and picked up the phone, punch a few numbers with her pen, and said, "I have Sango up here with a note …. Yes ….Sure thing."
"Wait just a few minutes, dear." The secretary said pointing at a few chairs in the back of the room. Sango turned to see the chairs almost full with people who may or may not been here for the same reason she was, but they had one thing in common, they had to wait.
As Sango got closer, she noticed there was only one available seat. On one side of said seat, a freshmen who she recognized that had tried out for the Shimmers in the beginning of the year and didn't make it. On the other side, Miroku.
Sango sucked in her breathe but walked at a steady pace to the empty chair and sat down silently next to Miroku. She felt Miroku look up and take a long glance at her. As much as she wanted to meet his gaze, she kept her eyes glued to the floor.
"What are you in here for?" Miroku asked suddenly.
Sango looked up slowly, not sure if he was talking to her, "I-I got a note. In English." She couldn't believe how hard that was to talk to him. It was just Miroku.
Miroku nodded, looking back down. Sango figured that would be the end of the conversation, but she didn't want it to be. She took a flying leap to keep it going.
"What are you here for?" she asked.
Miroku kept his eyes down but a slight smile crept up to his face, "I set a trashcan on fire this morning."
Sango's eyes widened, "Did you really?"
Miroku nodded again, "With Inuyasha. He's getting chewed out in there right now?" he nodded his head towards the headmasters office, "And I'm next."
Just then, Inuyasha stepped out of the headmaster's office, shaking his head and smiling at Miroku. Miroku started getting his things together.
"Sango?" the headmaster called.
"Actually," Sango said to Miroku, "I think I'm next."
Miroku held his hands up to defend himself, "Don't let me stop you."
"So what did the office want?" Kagome asked as her and Sango were on the way to the meeting.
"They just asked questions about my parents, I don't know. They asked if I had any living relatives." Sango replied.
"That's weird."
Sango and Kagome stepped into the auditorium and grabbed two seats near the middle. Sango starred at the stage. She's never seen it from this point of view before. She wondered how she looked up there from where she was sitting. Suddenly, she heard a burst of laughter two rows ahead of her. She looked over to see Miroku and Inuyasha, laughing at something. Kikyo was next to Inuyasha, trying to follow along with their joke.
Sango sighed. If this had been middle school, she knew her and Kagome would be over there with them. Involved in the joke and laughing along, instead of watching from a distance. Sango glanced sideways at Kagome; she was starring at them with the same expression she got every time Inuyasha came into her line of sight. Sango's thought drifted back, way back to 8th grade.
"Sango, I can't fix everything!" Miroku yelled. In front of him Sango was red with fury.
"I'm not asking you to fix everything, Miroku! I'm asking you to be a good friend. I just lost my dad and brother, goddamnit! You claim to care so much about me, but when I need you, you have something better to do. What kind of boyfr-" Sango stopped in mid-sentence, "What kind of friend is that?"
Kagome and Inuyasha sat in the other room, listening to the fight. "Poor Sango," Kagome said.
"Feh! Sango? Poor Miroku is more like it!" Inuyasha chuckled.
Kagome looked up at him, "What do you mean poor Miroku? Sango just lost her whole family in a 2 year period. Miroku acts like he doesn't even care."
"It's not Miroku's job to care about her! She's the one who constantly turns down his attempts to take her on a date! She's getting what she deserves!" Inuyasha yelled.
Kagome's eyes narrowed. She could still hear Miroku and Sango's argument getting louder and louder. She considered letting Inuyasha's comment go, there was only room for one fight in that house tonight. She couldn't help herself. She took a deep breath and defended her best friend.
"Quiet students! Settle down!" the headmaster called, pulling Sango from her thoughts. She blinked a few forming tears away and listened.
The students got quiet as everyone was eager to hear the big announcement. A few rumors have been floating around since word of the meeting got out. Some said the school was shutting down after a budget cut, others said the girls were being kicked out and the school would go back to being an all boys private school.
"Okay, pay attention everyone. Up until this point, it has been a tradition in this school for two people of the same sex to share a dorm room. And that tradition also let you choose your roommate, within reason. The district has decided to try something new, starting with this school. Now, there will be two members of the opposite sex assigned to each room."
The auditorium erupted in chatter. Students talking and laughing and bitching. Some guys high-fived each other. Kagome was complaining loudly to a girl next to her that they had known from a former play they were in.
"Students, students, settle down!" the headmaster struggled to regain control, "This may seem very out there, but if it doesn't work we will go back to the old way. Now please go into the gym and find the table that begins with the first letter of your last name. There you will find an envelope with your name on it, followed by your roommates name and the room number. Please come back to the gym later tonight to get your key, when you pick up your new key you MUST turn in your old one! Thank you, that is all."
The headmaster walked off stage shaking his head. Obviously he was not crazy about the idea. Students stood up, filing into the gym to find out who their new roommate would be.
"Come on, Sango!" Kagome yelled dragging her into the gym and standing at one table.
"Name?" A women sitting at the table asked Sango impatiently.
Sango didn't even know if she was a the right table, "Sango." She said.
The women dug through a stack of papers, "Here we go," she said, handing Sango an envelope.
Sango grabbed the paper and stepped aside. Her stomach was full of butterflies as she ripped it open and pulled out a slip. Her eyes widened as she read it.
Sango, Miroku, room 213
Sango bit her lip and looked up. Scanning the room she found Miroku. He was just opening the envelope. He took out the paper and read it. He looked up, meeting Sango's gaze. They starred at each other for what seemed like forever.
"Who'd you get Sango?" Kagome appeared next to her, breaking their intense gaze.
Sango gave Kagome the paper. Kagome sucked in her breathe, "This will be interesting," she said, giving Sango her paper.
Kagome, Inuyasha, Room 220
Sango shook her head. Someone was out to get them.
"This is just perfect," Sango muttered.
"At least were right down the hall from each other," Kagome tried to sound positive.
"Come on, Kag, we have dance practice." Sango said. She looked at Miroku, who seemed to be in a deep conversation with Inuyasha. Sango bit her lip again and walked off the dance practice.