-1Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Julie Weinberg

I sighed in contentment as I took yet another bite of my double fudge cake fallowed by another sip of hot chocolate. My friend Julie Weinberg had taken me to a Starbucks in Times Square . She said I needed to get out more. I was a little offended. I do get out, mostly I just go to work, but it's still going out!

Fuck that's lame…

It wasn't my fault being a med student was so time consuming. Anyways. We sat by the heavily decorated window. It was 1 week before Christmas and large crowds of people were running about finishing their Christmas shopping. I of course, had finished all that weeks ago. That was just me, always thinking ahead and always prepared. How boring can you get? My life lacked the excitement it so desperately needed. My days were now spent studying , interning at the hospital , and well…studying.

I had no time for guys at all. Yeah, fucking boring is what my life is.

I was a pretty good girl. I always put my family and friends first, I hardly ever drank, I never once did any kind of drugs, and I was hardly a sex symbol .The only guy that had ever gotten in my pants was a mama's boy named Houjou I had dated in high school. Groan, six years ago. The experience I had with him was not exactly pleasurable since I was drunk as hell. See, I hardly ever drank but when I did, watch out.

So yeah that was me, Kagome Higurashi basically a 23 year old saint. Saint. Well I guess, apart from my swearing habit…

Julie and I talked for a good 2 hours before heading home. I was very careful to omit talking about boyfriends. I didn't need Julie probing me with questions about my non-existent love life.

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When I checked in the small rusty mail box outside my apartment's door, I was surprised to see a card from my father and my step-mother Missy.

Missy, what kind of name is that?

She and my father had gotten married when I was 12. I hated her with every fibre of my being. I thought she was a loathsome gold digger that married my father to get to his 10 million and she thought I was a loathsome little snot. I guess we had a mutual thing going on. I stayed away from her and she stayed away from me.

Of course I knew this wasn't just a friendly little Christmas card. It was an invitation to my father's Christmas party. Joy, oh extreme joy.

That was exactly how I wanted to spend my Christmas Eve. I had been dragged to many events throughout my life. I hated them, but felt as if I owed it to my father to go. I had no idea why I would ever feel that way, the invitation was far from warm :

Dear Kagome,

Your presence shall be required at my annual Christmas Eve party.

I shall be entertaining many high society members as well as a couple of good friends, and I believe it would send a good message if you came. It shall be held December 24th . Cocktails start at 5. Please try not to be late.

Missy and I await your reply.

Tomasu Higurashi.

Wow, doesn't that just make you warm and fuzzy all over? Whatever. I had gotten over my father's lack of affection years ago.

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The next morning I woke up near 11 a.m.. I was on Christmas vacation and it was a relief not having my pager beeping me into the hospital every six seconds.

I wandered lazily into the kitchen and made myself coffee, the main staple of my diet. It wasn't everyday I had time to actually have a meal, and even when I did have time I still seemed to live off coffee.

I would have to go shopping for a dress to wear to the Christmas party today since I only had about 5 days to find one. I didn't think I would get anything special. Just the usual little black dress everyone had come to expect me to wear. They were just practical, like shudder me.

I went into my room and put on a pair of jeans and a red sweater. I gave myself a once-over in my full length mirror. My raven coloured hair lay just below my shoulders, and the red sweater had quite a slimming effect. My eyes shone in the same grey way they always had.

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Barney's was packed with the usual Christmas crowd, and it was getting on my nerves. I couldn't go two feet without someone stepping on me and it was starting to fucking piss me off. I had been looking around for at least an hour and still hadn't found anything. I was getting ready to give up and go to another store when a saleswoman walked up to me.

"Hi there, looking for something particular?", she was so perky it made me want to puke, but I still needed the help.

"Actually yes, I need a dress to wear to a Christmas party", I replied sounding too miserable even to my own ears.

"Oh! I have the perfect thing! Fallow me miss", she led me to the back of the department and away from the crowds.

I fallowed without asking any questions.

And that day. In Barney's New York. I fell in love. With a dress.

It was a red silk ankle length strapless dress with black crystals across the bodice. It was perfect. I just stood there in awe. It was such a far cry from "the little black dress" I was planning on getting but who cared? It was fabulous. Reading my expression perfectly the saleswoman handed me the dress so I could try it on.

When I came out of the dressing room I was ecstatic. I fit me like a dream. It accentuated all my best features and hid my flaws. Standing there in the dress with my hair messy and no make-up on in the middle of a huge dressing room was the best I had ever looked.

"Should I have it wrapped up?", the saleswoman asked knowing even I wasn't so stupid I would let this dress get away.

All I could do was grin and nod like a giddy 15 year old meeting her favourite actor.

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When I got into a cab , I couldn't help but telling the driver all about my fabulous new dress.

"Did I mention I matched theses great silver kitten healed Manolo Blahniks to it?", I added sounding way too hyper for a 23 year old.

"Yes, about four times actually", the driver replied sounding slightly irritated.

I didn't care. If he wasn't as exited as I was then to hell with him!

I got out of the car in front of my apartment building and shot through the lobby and into the elevator.

I had to invite Julie over. No way was I missing a chance to make her jealous. I picked up the phone and dialled her number so hard I almost broke my index finger.

"Julie!Ass!Over!Here!NOW!", I yelled into the phone.

"Holy fuck girl, I'm coming, I'm coming!", she said as she hung up the phone.

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About 20 minutes later Julie came crashing through my door.

"What is it? Did someone die? Souta? Your cat? Missy? Spit it out woman!", she yelled clearly exasperated.

"No, no, no, and I wish"

"Kagome! Don't honestly tell me you'd wish death on Missy"

"Whatever.."

"Oh my god, so what is it?"

"A dress"

"WHAT? You called me over for a dress? For heaven's sake Kag I thought som-"( I pulled out the dress) "Mary mother of Jesus that is gorgeous!", she exclaimed.

I grinned at my awestruck friend. This year's party was going to be so much better then last year's. I could feel it.

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The day of my father's Christmas party came quickly enough. I had decided to go all out, I made several appointments for the day. Hair, Facial, mani-pedi, make-up, etc.. For once in my life I wanted to feel like my father's daughter. I wanted to feel as if I still lived in the family mansion, and spent thousands of dollars on making myself look good like everyone else in my father's social circle. I wanted to feel glamorous. I didn't want to feel like Kagome Higurashi.

The day went by in kind of a blur. I very fun blur. I was finally ready. Even I had to admit I looked great.

I stepped out of my apartment building , and then proceeded to cross the street to step into my cab. Only, I never got into the cab. The cab sort of came to me. Crashing into me that is.

That was the night I died.

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Hey! No this isn't a tragedy, and no that isn't the end of the story! The rest of the characters should all be appearing in the next chapter, and I know Kagome seems very out of character sry about that!

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Love babyinu