Inuyasha does not belong to me. He and the rest of the character belong to Rumiko Takahashi and... whoever else has rights to them.

Enjoy!

MAY 17, 2008

"One, two, three... say cheese!"

The young brunette, Sango Takeda, adjusted the hem of her red graduation robes as her father counted down to three. A genuine smile was plastered on her face now that graduation was over and done with. Four years of studying her ass off, four years of dodging the temptation of skipping class - Lord knows most of them barely kept her awake - and four years of the school's über slut and the bane of her existence, Kikyo Tanaka.

"Cheese!" yelled her best friend, Kagome Higurashi. Her wavy dark brown hair was pinned in a neat bun, she could tell the copious amounts of gel Kagome had used just to tame the unruly curls. She struck a ridiculous semi-gang sign pose as her other arm tightened around Sango's shoulders.

The girls barely flinched at the close proximity of the flash that appeared before them.

"Thanks dad!"

"No... thank you," he put his arm around Sango's shoulders. "For keeping up those grades."

"Yeah," her younger brother Kohaku rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, scoffing in regular teenage fashion. "Now he's going to expect the same from me... thanks a lot."

She just smirked and ruffled his hair. An act that he always hated, but of course she didn't care.

"So kiddo... what are your plans now?" asked her father.

"Well," Sango glanced at her watch, "We're going to eat at 7:30 right? We have seven hours until then..." she trailed off and nodded towards Kagome, who was now conversing with her boyfriend.

"Hanging out with your friends... acceptable," he gave her one last hug before turning to leave. "Have fun, and remember, don't do what I wouldn't do."

She assured him she would be on her best behavior, kissed her brother on his cheek - which he also hated - and ran toward her one friend and occasional acquaintance.

"Greetings again!" exclaimed Sango, giving Kagome's boyfriend one disapproving stare before turning away. She never liked him, with his brash personality and often snide remarks made at her expense. Sure he was handsome, but rude, and rudeness was something she didn't like. How he was with Kagome, she would never know. "Inuyasha."

"Hey, she-hulk. So you passed?" he smiled arrogantly.

"Surprised?" she scoffed. "You shouldn't be. But thank you for coming out to support me."

"Please, I'm here for Miroku."

"You guys..." Kagome knew they hated each other, but couldn't find it in her to choose between them. They were both precious to her in their own way. Besides, they were like anti-friends. Didn't completely hate each other, but didn't completely like each other either.

Sango refocused her attention on Kagome, completely ignoring Inuyasha for the time being. "Sorry... this should be a happy day. Speaking of happy day... have you seen Miroku?" Sango looked around the gym for any sign of her boyfriend.

"Oh, he's in the bathroom, he'll be out in a sec," Kagome said, pointing the men's bathroom where indeed her boyfriend was approaching them as he adjusted his robes. He looked ridiculous in red and white. She had only ever seen him in dark clothes and to see him dressed in their school's colors was a little odd.

"Hey babe," he kissed Sango on the cheek. "You looked hot up there!"

"Miroku!" she tried swatting away his hands as they shamelessly travelled across her hips... and did she mention he was a pervert?

"Yes, please stop. There are innocent eyes here," Inuyasha yelled.

"So..." Kagome started. "You're both off to college in America. I'll miss you both."

"We still have summer Kags, don't worry," Sango gave her a melancholy smile.

"I-I know, but it's not long eno-" the rest was garbled as Kagome had started to cry. Inuyasha awkwardly comforted her by pulling her to his side and patting her back.

"Stop Kagome... you're gonna make me cr-" again her sentence was cut off by a fit of sobs and they hugged each other. The boys were left uttering the occasional 'there, there' and rolling their eyes.

May 18, Sango wrote in her diary, Yesterday at approximately 11:00 am was my graduation ceremony. It was amazing... I wish you were there. she immediately scribbled out the last thought she had written.Of course you couldn't be there... you're just a diary. Sorry if I've offended you. You know who was offensive though. Inuyasha. I seriously don't know why he's still in our circle of friends. He's uncouth, dirty, loud, and most of all a dumbass. *Sigh* I can't be mad at Kagome for falling into his trap though. He is charming.

Enough about him... Miroku was as dreamy as ever. Helping me to my car and comforting me after I cried - which is so totally a one time deal thank you very much - and I only caught him staring at some random chick once. My little punkin's growing up! I think he's the one ;) Seriously.

"Sango... mail!" yelled Kohaku from downstairs.

Sango immediately closed her diary, locked it, and swiftly placed it in a box under her bed. She couldn't be too careful with her stuff around her brother. "Coming!"

With one last look at her high school diploma, sitting on her night table, she shut the door and practically ran down the stairs.

"What is it..."

"Hell if I know," Kohaku handed her the envelope which she hesitantly accepted. Upon further inspection, she could clearly make out the UCLA logo on the envelope.

"This-This is from college... I wonder what they want," she said more to herself than to Kohaku, who was already sitting on the couch with a bowl of Frosted Flakes and watching a rerun of PowerPuff Girls Z.

Sango hastily tore the envelope apart and scanned the contents of the letter inside. Her eyes widened and her throat clenched as the first words were read, "We regret to inform you..." But this didn't make sense. She had already gotten an approval letter and unless her grades had slipped then she shouldn't have gotten this one.

Wait, she thought as she scanned her brain for anything she might have done wrong. Intro to Physics class... I failed. She absolutely bombed that class. No wonder she tried to forget. While she knew that she was imperfectly capable of failing just like anyone else, it was NOT an option for her so she merely swept it under the rug so to speak. Luckily that was an advanced elective and she didn't need that class to graduate.

"What's up kiddo?" her father had taken this time to make himself some breakfast and glanced at the denial letter in her hands. "What's that?"

Sango just shook her head and slammed the letter on the counter before running up to her room to sulk.

"They just retracted their acceptance letter?" Kagome gasped, almost choking on the french fries in her mouth. "They can't do that!"

"Well, apparently they did, but that's not the best part," Sango gulped down the last of her milkshake, steeling herself for what she'd say next. She just knew Inuyasha would have a field day. "Turns out they sent that acceptance letter in mistake."

As she had deduced, Inuyasha laughed in derision, garnering him a glare from his girlfriend and Sango.

"But I was on the waiting list..." she picked up her hamburger, eyeing it suspiciously before taking a small bite. "This shit is nasty."

"Well does being on the waiting list make you feel better?" Miroku asked, "I say forget them and find somewhere else to take classes. Say, weren't you accepted to Tokyo U?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't the plan. The plan was to go to college in America with you and then..." have you ask me to marry you, was what she was thinking, but decided against saying it aloud.

"I know... I'm sorry things happened as they did, but you can't put your life on hold just because something doesn't go as planned," Miroku shrugged. "Besides, we would have been on opposite coasts. I'm going to New York in case you forgot."

"But at least we would have been on the same continent," she played with the rim of her now empty milkshake glass.

"Oh for crying out loud..." Inuyasha interrupted the silence that had befallen them. "This 'ain't the end of the world. Damn!"

"He's right," Kagome nodded. "Miroku doesn't leave until mid-August, and you can still call each other. A long distance relationship is hard to do, but you guys can make it work."

"Yeah... and I'll come back to Japan after four years," Miroku smiled. "We can even meet up at that little restaurant you like so much in Shibuya like the Japanese "Sleepless in Seattle"!" he joked.

Kagome gasped and her eyes widened, "Exactly!

"That was just a joke."

"It worked for Irene Dunn and Charles Boyer. Cary Grant and Diane Kerr. Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. Meg Griffin and Tom Hanks! Why not you two?" she finished animatedly.

"Um... one, it did not work for Irene, Diane, or Annette. They were hit by a car and those movies - although the basis of "Sleepless in Seattle" - were not "Sleepless in Seattle"... and second, I hate "Sleepless in Seattle"," Sango touched the fork to her chin in thought, "But you do have a point..."

"Seriously?" asked Inuyasha, unamused.

"Great, four years from now, or whenever Miroku finishes classes, you two will meet up at 'Takei's' for dinner!" Kagome, being the romantic she was, clapped her hands together and suppressed a fake tear.

Sango leaned against Miroku, who was still trying to process what just happened. She brought up her hand, curling her fingers into her palm except for her pinky. "We'll meet up again in 2012, at 'Takei's'... okay? Pinkie swear?"

Miroku sighed. He thought the idea was utterly ridiculous, besides, it was a matter of months in the movies, which was doable... not four years. However, looking in her big brown eyes rendered him incapable of saying no. He offered her his pinkie and smiled crookedly. "Pinkie swear."

August 13, 2008

"I wish you weren't leaving," Sango placed a kiss on his hand, trying to keep the tears from escaping.

"I know. I wish I were staying too," Miroku's thumb drew little circles on the back of her hand as his other hand wiped away the lone tear that had betrayed her and fallen down her cheek. "Four years will come and go before you know it... I promise."

"I wish that were true... that you could make it go faster... or turn back time. And if you say something Cher related, I'll kill you."

Miroku laughed, "My, my, my. Violent much?"

Sango was now crying freely at the gate, not caring that the people waiting to board their flight, were watching the display.

"You come back in one piece," Kagome gave him a hug, careful to make it brief. The first time she hugged him, he had pawed at her ass. The knowledge that he was practically engaged to her friend didn't help her relax, though. She knew Miroku was Miroku and he was still working hard to be monogamous.

Inuyasha was next to bid him adieu. With his hands in his red jacket pockets, he strode over to Miroku and nodded. "You're lucky... you don't have two years to go of high school."

"Lucky?" he shook his head. "Do me a favor," he put his hand on Inuyasha's back, leading him away from the girls. They weren't aware. Kagome was too busy trying to calm Sango down anyway.

"Take care of the girls," he nodded towards Kagome and Sango.

"Jesus, Miroku. You talk like you've gotten a death sentence or something."

"I know it's just, keep this between you and me, but I don't know if I still-"

"Now boarding flight 3256, flying to La Guardia airport in New York. Now boarding flight 3256, flying to La Guardia airport in New York."

"That's me," he waved goodbye to Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome at the gate, straying a little longer than he had hoped. He hated goodbyes, but it was inevitable.

"Don't worry Sango, we'll see him again," said Inuyasha. Oddly enough, he put his arm around her as well as Kagome. "Come on."

September 12, 2009

"Thanks for taking time out to come have dinner with me," Kagome leaned in to sip her milkshake through a white and red striped straw.

"No problem, I don't go to my last lecture anyway. There are millions of students and he has no idea if we skip or not. All I have to do is go to discussion and I'm fine," Sango shrugged. True, she never would have dreamed of skipping class in high school. Maybe it was just easier to do and get away with in college, but she had succumed to the temptation.

She busted her ass trying to be a good student in high school, and look where that got her. She had a ludicrous vendetta against a school whose only crime was to take back her acceptance, lived millions of miles away from her boyfriend - whom she had yet to speak to - and an F on her high school transcript. While Tokyo U was a wonderful school, it wasn't in her plan. If she had learned anything, it was that life laughs and spits in the face of plans.

"That's not the Sango I knew..."

"Well, the Sango you knew was a nerd who didn't know how to have fun. So what did you want to talk about."

"I-I think I'm in love..." Kagome fidgeted with her straw.

Sango smiled, trying to conceal her jealously. In her logical mind, she had no right to feel envious, but she couldn't help it. Here she was, not having heard from her boyfriend since he went off to college a year ago, and now her best friend was proclaiming her love to her boyfriend of two years.

"T-that's great. Have you told Inuyasha?"

At the mention of her boyfriend's name, her gaze fixed on the table, and her smile turned to a frown. "It's not Inuyasha."

"Kagome?"

"Inuyasha and I are... no longer together."

"What'd the dipshit do? Did he cheat?" Sango felt her previous jealously dissipate and be replaced with anger at the thought of her friend crying over a cheater.

"No... not that. It was mutual," she sighed. "We just... we just weren't compatible anymore."

Well, damn, she could have told them that a long time ago. "Were you ever compatible?"

"I don't know..." she grabbed one of Sango's french fries, "I thought he was handsome and apparently he thought I was pretty. Maybe we decided we'd be a cute couple... I don't remember why we started to date."

"So, who's the guy now?"

"Remember his brother?"

Sango gasped. In her opinion those two were even less alike. "Sesshoumaru? Seriously? I thought you hated him!"

"Well, turns out there's a very thin line between love and hate."

"But... but you called him a poopy head and he threw you into the mud."

"When we were kids, yeah," Kagome shrugged. "I don't know what it is about him, but he's so... open when he's around me. So sweet. It's like he puts on a mask for others but when it's just us, he throws it away."

"Well, I'm glad for you," Sango said, placing money on the table to pay for her meal.

"Thanks Sango, I really appreciate it." Kagome followed suit and reached over to hug her.

"No problem."

Sango had entered the apartment she shared with her promiscuous roommate Kagura. Actually, that was saying it nicely. The only reason she still put up with Kagura was because she was always on time with her half of the rent and was almost never at home... though looking at the blue almost eerie light of the TV, this was not one of those nights.

"What happened to Bankotsu?" she asked, not really caring what had transpired between her roommate and a goth-ish man who had graduated from Tokyo U, but she figured that was an adequate conversation starter.

"Oh, dinner was great, but it turns out the twisted little bastard is married. Too bad, he's a hottie," she said, never taking her eyes off of the TV.

"I thought he was..." she took off her jacket and lay it on the back of a chair in the kitchen. "Nice to know you have enough of a conscience not to sleep with him."

"Hmm?" Kagura shut off the TV. "Oh yeah no, I slept with him, but I couldn't deal with his weird fetishes. That shit is just freaky."

Sango rolled her eyes, "Of course you did."

"Don't be like that... you'll get yourself some sooner or later," Kagura stood up from the sofa and started to stretch, not caring when a crack could be heard in her back. "That halfling who hangs around your ditzy friend is a cutie," she then proceeded to growl in what she thought was a sexy way.

"Halfling's a little... contemptible isn't it?"

"No... halfling's true... that's what he is isn't he. Half human, half youkai? I meant no disrespect. Sorry to diss your boyfriend," Kagura faked sincerity.

"He's not my boyfriend."

Kagura let out a seductive laugh, "I know... speaking of boyfriends... yours called before I got in."

Sango rushed to the caller ID, scrolling down to see if he indeed had called. There was his name and number, called at 8:35. "What did he say?"

"I only caught the end of the message, sounds like he wants to talk... urgently," Kagura smiled wickedly and sauntered to her bedroom, leaving Sango to contemplate what Miroku might have wanted to say.

Should I call him now? Sango glanced at the time on her microwave; 12:00am. She could call him tomorrow.

September 13, 2009

It was Saturday afternoon and Sango had just returned from her only class of the day. She immediately sat at the kitchen counter in her apartment and stared at the phone for a long minute before reaching out and taking the object in her hands. She nervously dialed the number on the caller ID and waited for the rings to end.

"Hello?" came his groggy voice.

Sango wanted to yell at him for not calling her in a year, but at the sound of his voice, she couldn't help but smile like a school girl. "Hi."

"Sango!" there was a pause on the other line and what sounded like a 'hush'. He must have been having a party. After all, that's what college students did. She just hoped he took it easy on the booze.

"Miroku, I've missed hearing your voice."

"Me too, how have you been?" he cleared his throat.

"Swamped. I've been taking five classes and my roommate is an absolute mess..." she looked around, hoping she wouldn't see Kagura anywhere. "How are you?"

"Everything's fine here," he said.

Sango nodded, not noticing that he hadn't really answered her question. "That's great! Um... you sounded pretty urgent in your message last night?"

"Oh, yeah..." another pause. "I got a photography job out here... well not really. I'm an assistant to a photographer."

"Oh, Miroku. That's exciting!"

"You remember that promise... we made? Selena offered me a job after graduation, I'd be a fool not to take it."

"That's great!"

"So, I don't think I'll be able to make it right after I'm done with school."

"Oh..." Sango fidgeted with the notepad on the kitchen counter.

"Can we - and I know this sounds stupid - extend it to five years? I'll call you when I make it down there."

"Um..." Sango nodded, she figured that was okay. "Sure."

"Great, I got to go to class today so I'll talk to you later."

"Okay... love you."

There was a pause on the other end, "Love you too."

They both hung up at the same time and Sango was left with her thoughts. It was a rather odd conversation, and his tone of voice was... off. It was nothing like the conversations they had before he left. She just shrugged and chalked it up to the stress of his course work. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was up... like him having to stay in New York a little while longer was a sign of some sort. But of what, she wasn't sure.

Later on in the day, Sango found herself relaxing on the couch. The TV was turned on to a video game left on pause and a glass of wine sat on a coaster atop the coffee table. She was still underage, but Kagura - a senior - was well overage and had even given her her first taste of wine. Kagura was a bad influence, but maybe that's what she needed... in moderation of course.

There was a sudden knock at the door, rousing her from her nap. Grumbling, she stood up and smoothed her pale pink tanktop, making herself presentable before opening the door. She hadn't even the time to say hello when a white blur entered the apartment.

"Hello to you too," she let out sarcastically.

"My fucking brother?" Inuyasha sat on the couch with his legs on the coffee table. He swiftly picked up the wine glass and gulped it down.

"Inuyasha, you're in high school!"

"I'm still a youkai remember. I'm well over 20."

Sango shook her head in disbelief at his rudeness and let out an exasperated sigh before joining him on the couch. "What about your brother?"

"Kagome's with him... I know we broke up and decided to be friends, but my brother?" he crossed his arms and pouted, making him look like a child; a tall, handsome, five-hundred plus year old child.

"Come on... it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" he stood up, towering over her still-seated frame. "He's my hated half-brother. The guy always has a stick up his ass. I just don't see how she could fall in love with him and not me!"

"Do you want her to love you? Do you love her?"

"No and no... it's just... it's Sesshoumaru, ya know."

"I know... I was shocked too," Sango still couldn't believe that her bubbly friend would love such a stuck up person like Sesshoumaru, but who was she to judge?

"I'm more than shocked-" he opened his mouth to voice even more of his opinion, but stopped when he took a closer look at her. "Why are you so happy?"

"I talked to Miroku today... he's got a job in New York."

"Oh," Inuyasha sat down on the couch again. "Speaking of Miroku I talked to him a while ago and-"

"You did?" Sango's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you tell me you jerk?" she threw a throw pillow at him which he dodged expertly.

He shouldn't have opened his big fat mouth. The initial reason he hadn't told her was because Miroku had called to tell him about the woman he met in New York, Selena something or other. Inuyasha remembered asking him about Sango and Miroku gave him this crap about her needing someone better than him. All that was bullshit. He suspected that Miroku was trying to tell him he didn't love Sango anymore before he boarded the plane.

He contemplated whether he should tell her, but Sango looked so happy earlier - and angry at him now - that he couldn't do it. They weren't buddy buddy just yet, but had gotten closer and he found it oddly pleasant. He didn't want to throw that away.

"I'm... sorry?"

Sango froze in her assault. Had Inuyasha just apologized? He never apologized.

"He wanted to surprise you," he finished lamely.

"Oh, well, it was a surprise when he called last night. Unfortunately I missed it," she shrugged. "Sorry I got angry at you. But next time, tell me he called you okay."

"Sure," he stood up from the couch again and made his way to the door. "I should probably go... goodnight Sango."

"Goodnight."

October 31, 2010

Kagome made her way through the wayward crowd with Sango holding her hand. She was dressed in a simple strapless black dress with fishnet tights and black pumps. On her face was a green and purple peacock feather mask covering her eyes. "This is a great party, who knew your roommate was so cool?"

"Cool... right..." Sango, dressed as a vampire school girl, complete with blood splatters on her uniform - which was her old school uniform, thank God it fit - let Kagome drag her into the kitchen to feast on more of those creepy spider-looking hors-d'oeuvres and nacho chips with orange cheese dip and black bean salsa.

On the way to the kitchen, they were intercepted by a neatly dressed Kagura in a kimono. Sango was shocked to say the least, she thought her sexually open friend would dress in something less... proper... but here she was in a red and white kimono and her hair done up as usual, except neater, and dangling bead earrings on her ears.

"Vampire school girl... nice!" slurred Kagura, clearly drunk.

"Hey," Sango greeted. "You remember my friend Kagome."

"Hi... generic... person."

"What?"

"You... you put no imagination into your costume..." Kagura shook her head. "Kids."

Sango nodded. Now that Kagura had graduated, she no longer thought of herself as a child. Rightfully so, she was an adult out in the real world now.

"Why are you so dressed up?" Sango asked.

"Oh," Kagura ran her hands over the kimono and smiled creepily. "I just decided to dress up all formal like. 'Sides, my new beau's a daimyou."

"Seriously?" Kagome whispered.

"I think she means for Halloween... what are you drinking?" Sango grabbed the red cup Kagome had seemed to pick up from nowhere. Now she was not supposed to drink.

Kagome just giggled along with Kagura and let herself be whisked away toward the hallway where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were waiting.

"Hey, you're not mingling," said Sango once they reached the kitchen.

"I do not mingle..." answered Sesshoumaru, crossing his arms. He was dressed in some odd getup that looked like something out of feudal japan.

"Well what about you Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was bent over the fridge, searching its depths for a beer. He straightened up, took one look at the party, and returned to his foraging. "Too many people, plus some girl drunkenly grabbed my ears and yelled into them. Who fucking does that?" he finally found what he was looking for.

"Yeah, a lot of people are drunk... in retrospect, I should have made a rule about that." Sango sighed.

"How come he gets to drink and I don't?" Kagome whined.

"Because he's older than you..." Sesshoumaru answered. He then grabbed her arm and headed toward the door, "I believe we should call it a night."

"Aw, Sesshy-pooo…" Kagome pursed her lips. "Can't we stay just a widdle bi' wonger?"

"For crying out loud," Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he leaned against the kitchen counter, downing his beer. "You're not gonna fall for the baby speak, huh? How can you find that sexy?"

"I suppose we can stay for a bit," Sesshoumaru grasped her hand, taking her into the throng of people in the living room.

"My, how the mighty have fallen," Sango reached into the fridge, grabbing herself a beer. "Pitiful."

This was written in 2008, but I just never posted it.

Props to anyone who can guess those movie references, aside from the obvious "Sleepless In Seattle" one. Which, like Sango, I'm not a fan of.

Also, as for the retraction letter at the beginning. If I remember correctly, I was inspired by reading an article about UCLA having sent hundreds of acceptance letters to the would be students on their waiting list due to a glitch or something. Of course, they also had to send retraction letters.