Kagome Higurashi hated bikinis.

At fifteen, she already had too many curves in too many places, and she didn't like people staring at her. Putting on a bikini made her feel like Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl even when she was just standing alone in a Macy's dressing room.

So why was ther a bikini in the box on her bed? The box looked like a present. It had shiny gold foil wrapping paper and a cheerful bright gree bow, as if to trick her into thinking, Hey, there's something fun ! and exciting! in here ! There was even a little card on top that read : FOR KAGOME ! IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT SUMMER! in her mother's perky, exclamation-point-happy handwriting.

But inside the box was this wine-red-monstrosity. Kagome didn't even pull it out all the way before she realized what is was and stuffed the pieces back in, hiding them under the folds of white tissue paper.

Seriously, Mom ? Seriously?

The other box was even more mysterious. She could tell from its large, long, flat shape that it wasn't a book or an Amazon gift certificate, which was disappointing right up front. But she was hoping for a new sundress, perhaps - maybe one she could wera over the bikini. And never take it off.

Instead, it was a tennis racket. Kagome didn't play tennis. She never played tennis in her life. This was very ominous. Kagome was standing next to her bed, examining the tennis racket, when her mother appeared in the doorway.

'' Isn't it great?'' Mrs. Higurashi said happily. '' I made sure your father got the best one. Is it light enough for you ? ''

'' Um, '' Kagome said. Her twin brother, Miroku, followed Mrs. Higurashi into the room and slouched against the door frame. He didn't look any happier than she was. Maybe he'd gotten some sinister inappropriate presents, too.

Kagome's mom sat down on the bed and pulled the bikini out of the box, laying it out flat on the comforter. It wasn't as bad as Kagome had thought - not as skimpy as the little white bikinis Kikyo Hiromi always wore, for instance. And it was her favourite color. But still. There was no way she was wearing that.

'' Miroku, are you confused as I am?'' Kagome asked. '' Does mom think the Holy Spirit of Athletic Daughters Everywhere has finally arrived to possess me?'' Miroku shrugged , and Kagome's mom batted at her with the top of the bikini box.

'' I'm right here, Kagome'' her mom said. '' You can ask me these questions you know.'' Of course she didn't wait for Kagome to ask. '' It's for the Shikon Summerlodge.''

'' The day camp?'' Kagome said. '' I thought Miroku and I were doing the art program at the school. Mom, did you get paintbrushes and tennis rackets mixed up?

'' Turns out the art program was full.'' Kagome's mother said. '' So you're doing Tennis for Teens instead. Won't that be fun? And Shikon Summerlodge is close enough for you to bike to, so that'll make it easier on me and your dad, too.

'' Oh, no.'' Kagome said. '' Mom, I hate tennis.''

'' You don't know that you hate tennis, dear,'' Mrs. Higurashi said. ''You've never tried it. And this is what comes of waiting until too late to make your summer plans.

'' Then what's that for?'' Kagome asked, pointing at the bikini. '' I hope I don't have to play tennis in that .''

'' There's a pool at Shikon Summerlodge,'' Mrs. Higurashi said. ''One of the afternoon activities, after tennis practice, is swimming, which I though you would like. Don't you like swimming?''

I do like swimming, Kagome thought. I'd just prefer to do it fully clothered, thank you very much.

'' Lucky you already know how to play tennis, '' she said to Miroku. Tennis had been one of Miroku's brief obsessions, so he'd taken lessons long enough to be a decent player. '' At lease you'll definitely look cooler than me with one of these.'' She tried to flip the racket in one hand and dropped it on the floor.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. '' Well, that's the bad news. Miroku's not going with you .''

'' WHAT !!! '' Kagome was horrified. The whole point of having a twin was that you never had to go anywhere by yourself. So you never had to stand around awkwardly, feeling like the pigeon in a flock of flamingos, while nobody talked to you. You always had someone to stand awkwardly with you. That was the whole point. Miroku wouldn't meet her eyes. '' But why? We were going to do it together! ''

'' We've decided that the Shikon Summerlodge is not what Miroku needs right now, '' Kagome's mom said.

'' Mom, that's not fair ! Why does he get to stay home and play video games while I have to go out and look like an idiot all by myself?''

'' It'll be good for you,'' Kagome's mom said firmly. '' And look on the bright side : You might actually make some friends besides your brother.'' She stood up in a '' conversation over'' kind of way. Kagome used to have a friend besides Miroku : Ayame Wolfe, her best friend through all of elementary school. But Ayame had moved to China a year before, and Kagome hadn't found anyone else. It was hard to make new friends at her school, where she would always be known as '' Ayame's quiet friend'' or '' quirky Miroku's twin sister.'' And she was sure it wouldn't be easier at summer camp all on her own.

'' No I won't !'' Kagome cried. '' Oh mom, I'll be the only person I know there! No one will talk to me and it'll be so, so awful ; please don't make me go without Miroku ! ''

'' You'll know someone else,'' Miroku said, finally chiming in. '' Inuyasha is going to the Shikon Summerlodge too.''

Thump-thump. Kagome felt her heart jump up and bang into her rib cage. Okay, that did make a difference. Inuyasha Takahashi was Miroku's best friend although they weren't quite alike. Miroku was a guy who was good would the ladies and was very, very lecherous. Inuyasha was a quiet guy who was also adorable, smart, and funny. Plus he was really, really smart. ( academically anyway). But as far as Kagome could tell, every freshman and sophomore girl at No Tama High wanted to date him.

But Kagome's crush on Inuyasha was different from everyone else's . It was. Those other girls like him the way you like a movie star, but Kagome like the real him. She know why Inuyasha was friends with Miroku. She was there the day they met.

Back then, Inuyasha was the new guy in town. He showed up the first day of eighth grade and practically made girls swoon all the way down the hall. In Pre-Algebra,, second period, Mr, Sone split Miroku and Kagome up and sat Inuyasha right in between them . Kagome kept looking over at Miroku thinking of the things she wanted to tell him, but figuring it was too risky to pass a note through a stranger. The third time she looked over, hoping he'd noticed that Mr. Stone's bald spot was shaped exactly like a pineapple, she saw him watching Inuyasha's hands. Inuyasha was folding a piece of paer, over and over, and twisting it around. The twins both stared at him until suddenly, sitting on Inuyasha's desk, there was a small origami whale that oculd fit in the palm of your hand.

With a studious expression, Inuyasha drew eyes and a smilely face on the way. Then he looked up and caught Kagome smiling at it. She looked away quickly, embarrassed. When she glanced down again, the whale was sitting on the corner of her desk, beaming at her. After class, as she was gathering her books, Miroku leaned over to Inuyasha.

'' Hey, '' he said, '' that was cool. It's origami, right? Can you make other stuff too?'' Kagome knew that Miroku was interested now. Plus she kinda knew that once he was interested in something, it was very, very, hard to make him stop.

'' A few other things.'' Inuyasha replied. '' My dad taught me. I can show you, if you want.''

'' Sure! '' Miroku said. '' How about Saturday? You could come over for lunch.''

'' Don't you want to know my name before inviting me over?'' Inuyasha said with a cute smile.

'' The dork is Miroku,'' Kagome said. '' My brother. I'm Kagome. ''

'' I'm Inuyasha,'' the new kid said, shaking Miroku's haid solemnly. '' Will you be there on Saturday?'' he said to Kagome.

'' Probably.'' she said. Meaning definitely, if there's a chance you'll be there. She knew Ayame would be more than happy to come over and meet the cute new guy.

'' Okay. Saturday would be great. Thanks Miroku. ''

The next day, Kagome saw Inuyasha carrying around a library book about Cleopatra. He was the only guy she knew who would read books for fun. But what he read was random nonfiction about things that caught his interest, like the Salem witchcraft trials or Aztec mythology or the like of Harry Houdini. That was probaby why he got along so well with Miroku. Inuyasha could probably have ditched them for a more popular crowd if he'd joined a sports team or auditioned for theater, but he liked Miroku. Whenever Miroku found a new hobby, Inuyasha read up on it. And then Kagome and Ayame hung out with them while Miroku buil a replica of the HMS Bounty from a model shipbuilding kit and Inuyasha told them strange facts about the famous mutiny.

So she knew the real Inuyasha, just like she knew the real Miroku ( minus the perverted part) when nobody else did. Kagome thought of her front door as an enchanted mirror, like the looking glass Alice climbed throgh in the book. When she and Inuyasha and Mrioku walked through it, they became their real selves. Here Miroku talked as much as he wanted. Here Inuyasha thought she was funny.

Here she could imagine that maybe one day Inuyasha would look at her and see Kagome, girl of his dreams, instead of Kagome, his best friend's sister.

She still had the whale. It was hidden in a shoe box in her room, next to other secret Inuyasha things. And nobody knew how she felt, not even Miroku, who knew every single other detail of her life and every thought that ever crossed her mind.

'' Inuyasha?'' Kagome said, picking up the tennis racket and trying to flip it again. She hoped the nervous shake in her voice would be hidden by the clatter of the falling racket. '' He's going to tennis camp?''

Miroku nodded. '' He'll be in the advanced class, of course.''

'' Of course,'' Kagome said, losing hope again. Inuyasha was one of the best tennis players in the school. And she was sure to be terrible, which probably wasn't the best way to impress him.

'' Why cant you come with me?'' Kagome said plaintively.

'' Because I said so.'' Mrs. Higurashi interjected. '' Remember me? Still in the room?''

'' Mooooooooom,'' Kagome said, flopping onto her mattress and trying to look as woebegone as possible.

'' It's all decided,'' Mrs. Higurashi said. '' Camp starts tomorrow. '' She smothed the bikini on the comforter again with a pleased expression. Kagome wished she would just take the darn bikini and wear it herself if she was so excited about it. If Kagome had to go swimming in front of Inuyasha, no less- she would be wearing the same simple black one-piece that she'd had for two years.

The doorbell rang. Be booop bee boop ... bee booop beeeeee boooooooop. Kagome liked the wierd chimes it played. Besides, it was the sound that usually meant Inuyasha was there.

'' That's Inuyasha. '' Miroku said. '' He called and said he has some major problem and needs our advice. Although why he'd want to ask a moron like me is the real question.''

'' Oh, Miroku honey, '' Mrs. H. said. '' Don't talk about yourself like that.''

'' It's probably another girl crisis.'' Kagome said. Inuyasha was always having girl crises - it was always some girl that wanted to date him.

'' I'll be down in a minute,'' Kagome called as Miroku thumped down the stairs. She sat up and saw that her mom was still hovering.

'' Don't you want to try it on?'' Mrs. H. said, gesturing at the bathing suit.

'' Um,'' Kagome said. With Inuyasha in the house? I'd rather eat lizards. ''Maybe later.'' Like in my next life, when I come back as a ditzy supermodel.

All right,'' Kagome's mom said with another sigh, and finally leaving the room. Kagome ran over to the mirror and put on the necklace Inuyasha had given her for her birthday the past November. She always wore it around him, for good luck. It was a beautiful silver chain and in the middle was a light blue gem. Simple but she liked it.

She brushed her hair - a beautiful ebony color, past her sholders , and full of life - and then she scrunched her nose at the relection. Well. She looked pretty much the same as she did everyday, so if it hadn't worked yet, it probably wouldn't now.

Kagome found Miroku and Inuyasha as usual, in the basement. Miroku was playing with the zoom on the secondhand video camera he'd borrowed from Dad. Inuyasha was still standing by the door, and when Kagome walked in, he trew open his arms and went, '' Kagome !"' in this big dramatic excited voice.

This was their new joke. The week before, Miroku had asked them to act out a scene for his camera, and when Inuyasha started doing everything all over-the-top and melodramatic, Kagome had followed along. They though this was the most hilarious thing ever, and they couldn't get through three lines without falling over laughing. Miroku didn't think it was quite so funny.

'' Inuyasha !'' she cried now with the same dramatic enthusiasm.

'' Oh, shut up,'' said Miroku.

Inuyasha held up his hand and Kagome high-fived him. As he walked back to the couch, she curled her fingers over her palm, holding in the warm, tingly feeling his had had left behind.

'' So, what's the new crisis, Inuyasha?'' Miroku asked, setting the camera on the coffee table and kneeling to peer through it. He never seemed all that interested in Inuyasha's girl problems, but Kagome thought it make Miroku feel better to hear that even if you could get a girlfriend, it wasn't easy after that. He still hadn't dated anyone, just like her and Inuyasha. Plus, as far as she knew, Miroku never liked anyone, either.

'' It's the end of the world !'' Inuyasha said as Kagome sat down on the other end of the couch from him. '' I'm totally doomed. Oh, hey Kagome, did you know that Ewan Mcgregor, Bradd Pitt and Will Smith, were all offered the role of Neo in the The Matrix before Keanu Reeves got it? They turned it down. Isn't that crazy?''

'' It would have been much funnier with Will Smith,'' she said. Some days Inuyasha's eyes were amber but today he was wearing a bright red T-shirt that made them look more like a melting honey colour.

'' Miroku, you should make a movie like The Matrix, '' Inuyasha said. '' Kagome could play Trinity. ''

'' No prob.'' Miroku replied. '' I was wondering what to do with that two hundred million dollars just laying around in my bank account.''

'' Oh, but,'' Kagome said, snapping her fingers, '' I'm afraid that my leather catsuit is in the laundry. Too bad.''

'' That is too bad,'' Inuyasha said earnestly. '' I had this whole series of you-in-black-leather movies planned. X- Men, Catwoman, King Kong ... I'd be Naomi Watts and you'd be Kong, of course.''

'' Shut up,'' Kagome said, fliging a through pillow at him.

'' What, he said with a grin. '' It's the grandest love story ever told.''

Luckily Miroku interupted before Kagome had to respond to that.

'' Hello?'' said her brother. '' Crises? Aren't we here for a reason? You don't sound all that doomed. ''

'' I am, '' Inuyasha said. '' I'm totally doomed.''

'' Why?'' Kagome asked. As far as she knew Jake had fallen of the most wanted guy list for a couple of months.

'' Kikyo Hiromi.'' said Inuyasha with an utter distaste in his voice.

Kagome's heart sank. Kikyo was the classic popular girl - long black hair, beautiful, tall and blissfully mean. Once she got her hooks into someone, they stayed hooked, even after she dumped them. If Inuyasha had falled for someone like her, Kagome didn't stand a chance. In fact, if Inuyasha had fallen for someone like her, maybe Kagome didn't know him that well after all.

'' Kikyo Hiromi? '' Miroku asked. '' She's ... isn't she kind of out of your league?'' She's like really really popular.''

'' Sadly , apparently not,'' Inuyasha said. '' She wants to go out with me. Maybe she sees some untapped popularity potential in me. If so, I vote for not tapping it. It can stay right where it is thank you very much.

'' Kikyo wants to go out with you?'' Miroku said.

Kagome was relieved, but she did not appreciate Miroku's shocked tone of voice. Why wouldn't anybody want to go out with Inuyasha?

'' Yup,'' Inuyasha said. '' She informed me of this in an e-mail.''

'' No way,'' Kagome said.

'' See for yourself.'' Inuyasha pulled a piece of paper out of his back jeans pocket unfolded it and slid it over to her.

Yashie !

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to date the hottest girl in school? I bet you have. I could tell you were thinking about it when I got lemonaid from you at my sister's graduation ceremony. You were thinking '' If only Kikyo would ever date me.'' Well, it's your lucky summer. I have decided that I need a boyfriend and here are the reasons we would be the perfect couple

( 1 ) our heights would match perfectly.

( 2 ) we'll both be at Shikon Summerlodge this summer,

( 3 ) we're both cute and popular,

( 4 ) and so we'd be like the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt of Shikon, only without the smelly orpahns.

I imagine this feels like winning the lottery, doesn't it? Not that i'd notice if I did, since I'm already so rich, but I'm guessing you would, and it would be like just as way exciting as this. I'll meet you tomorrow at the front gate of Shikon so we can make our entrance together . Then I'll also debrief you on the Rules of Dating Kikyo. How awesome will this be?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Kisses.

Kikyo

'' Oh Yashie,'' Kagome said, passing it on to Miroku. '' How can you resist?''

'' I know,'' Inuyasha said, '' It's better than winning the lottery. It's like winning the lottery and falling down a well and being vomited on by a llama all at the same time.

Kagome laughed '' So she's going to be at Shikon Summerlodge too? Does she play tennis?'' Lord please don't let her be in the Beginners class with me. Please find some other horrible way of torturing me instead.

'' Nope, she's working at the pool - training to be a lifeguargd. So hopefully we won't have to see her too much. '' Miroku flattened out the printed e-mail on the table and videotaped it. '' This is crazy,'' he said.'' I didn't know girls ever did this kind of thing.''

'' Kikyo Hiromi does anything she wants,'' Inuyasha said. '' Which is why you guys have to save me. I can't date her! First, it'll be painful and agonizing. She'll make me carry her things and bring her sodas and buy her stuff, and then she'll yell at me when I do anything wrong, and then she'll make fun of me to all her friends behind my back, and then she'll dump me and tell everyone what a dork I am and I'll never get date in this town ever again !!!! I may not be the world's most popular guy, but this will ruin me for the rest of high school. Remember what she did to Kevin or Alvaro? No, you don't because once she was through with them they disappeared from everyone's minds . FOREVER.''

'' However, Miroku started. '' She is really hot. Like Angelina Jolie -type hot.''

'' EW! Miroku! '' Kagome said, smacking his shoulder.

'' She is! "' Miroku said. '' Right Inuyasha?''

Inuyasha just shrugged. '' She's not really my type.''

'' Not your- seriously ? ''

'' Personally, I would've stayed with Jennifer Aniston,'' Inuyasha said. '' And did you miss the part about the Rules of Dating Kikyo ? Does that sound like fun to you? Man, I knew I shouldn't have met her eyes when she came up to get lemonade. I shouldn't have agreed to work the concessions stand at graduation in the first place. Now it's going to be the worst summer ever.'' He slid onto the floor, lay down, and crossed his arms over his face.

'' Can't you just say no?'' Miroku asked.

'' Even I know the answer to that.'' Kagome understood exactly what Inuyasha was worried about. She;d been avoiding Kikyo since elementary school. If you stayed far under her radar, you could slip by unnoticed and unharmed, but if you popped into her line of sight in any way, she would rip you to shreds with one flick of her Frech-tipped nails.

'' Doomed,'' Inuyasha muttered. '' Dooooooooomed.''

'' All right,'' Miroku said. '' Tell her that you already have a girlfriend.''

Inuyasha thought for a minute '' Like, long-distance? I don't think she'll buy that. Plus it's only been a week since school ended. Where would I have picked up a girlfried in a week?''

'' I dunno.'' Miroku shrugged. '' You could tell her you're dating Kagome.

Kagome was so, so, so glad that Miroku had his eyes glued to the camera controls and didn't see her expression. Inuyasha kept his arms over his face, so he didn't notice either. She felt like she might have fainted. There was a really awkward pause, and Kagome wondered if she was supposed to make a joke here. She started to say , '' As if -'' at the same time as Inuyasha said '' Well I - '' and they both stopped.

'' What were you going to say?'' he asked. He put his arms down and cocked his head till he resembled a puppy dog.

'' Um, just ... as if she'll believe that.''

'' Why?'' Miroku said. Kagome wished Inuyasha would say something, but he just kep looking at her.

'' Well, if you think Kikyo is out of his league, then I'm in another solar system aren't I?'' she tried to joke.

''Actually it might work.'' Inuyasha said. Kagome bit her tongue, she was so surprised.

'' Sure it will,'' Miroku said. '' Kagome will be at the Shikon Summerlodge too, so Kikyo can see you're together. And it's only for a little while, until Kikyo gets over you. And it's not like there's anyone Kagome wants to date, so you're hardly putting a dent in her love life. Right Kagome?'' That's nice. Thanks Miroku.

'' What do you say Kagome?'' Inuyasha asked, rolling over onto his stmach and porpping his elbows onto the floor and his chin in his hands adorably. '' Want to be my pretend girlfriend?'' His eyes were like swirling pools of honey, big and irresistible.

Kagome, this is what you've been dreaming about. Correction : This is a strange parody of what you've been dreaming about. Is this really what you want? Being Inuyasha's pretend girlfriend?

Yeah , sure, okay, Close enough !

'' Okay,'' she said, feeling dizzy. '' I mean, it'll be tough pretending to be like you, but I guess I can take one for the team. Right?''

'' You're my knight in shining armor, '' Inuyasha said, getting up and kneeling on the couch next to her. Right next to her. '' My hero, my warrior princess,'' he said, taking her hand. ''My King Kong.'' He presser her hand to his heart. She could actually feel it beating through the soft fabric of his shirt. It was going really fast. Nearly as fast as hers, but he was an athlete, so it probably went that fast all the time.

'' Okay, here are the Rules of Pretend Dating Kagome, '' she said. '' You need to stop comparing me to a giant gorilla.''

'' What are the other rules?'' he asked, He was still holding her hand against his chest

'' That's the only one, '' she said. Was her voice shaking? Could he tell? '' So far. I'll keep you posted as others come up.''

He grinned. '' I'll look forward to it.''

'' Okay.'' Miroku said standing up. '' I think I've figured out how to change it to night recording . Let's go test it in the shed.'' He picked up a flashlight and headed for the staires. Kagome couldn't believe her own twin hadn't noticed how much she was blushing. She wanted to stay where she wasy forever, but she pulled her hand free and scrambled off the couch.

'' Great, okay,'' she said. '' Sounds like fun.'' She looked back from the doorway. '' Coming Inuyasha?''

'' You bet.'' he said, standing up and stretching. ''Where my girlfriend goes, I go.''

Kagome shivered.

I always thought my first boyfirend would be Inuyasha. But I never though it would only be pretend.