Yearnings of the Heart
Nova-chan
"Kagome! Time to greet the new day!" Mrs. Higurashi called from the kitchen. Kagome groaned as she pulled her feet out from under the covers, and softly placed them on the icy floor.
"Here we go again," she muttered bitterly. She gingerly rubbed her puffy eyes – she had been sobbing all night again. She slowly lifted herself out of bed, and lumbered into the bathroom. Slipping her nightgown off, she hurried into the shower, and turned the hot water on. I hate my life, she thought to herself; I just want to be home again. Those thoughts ran through her head countless times each day.
Ever since her father had died, nothing was ever the same. Her grandfather decided they needed a change, and announced they would be moving to a new place. Kagome thought it was unfortunate to have to leave all of her friends, but she was young at the time, and it hadn't hurt as much. She made many new friends and even got a boyfriend whom she cared for very much. But then, on a cold day in December, her grandfather stated that they were to move again. They had lived there for only a year, and Kagome was devastated at losing all of her friendships.
Then it became a yearly routine. They would move, Kagome would pray to the Gods that maybe this time it was for good, she'd make new friends, sometimes fall in love with a guy, and then December would roll around again, and her grandfather would make the same statement every time –
"We're going to explore a new place now. Pack your things; we're leaving in ten days."
No one knew how he sold the houses and bought a new one somewhere else in just ten days. He would disappear for long periods of time toward the beginning of November, but return before Thanksgiving, and act as though nothing had happened. She hated him for making them move constantly, and she hated her mother for agreeing with him every time. She had tried to run away many times, but seemed to always find her way back to the front steps of their current dwelling.
It was another new day in a new place. This time it was an old shrine with a giant Goshinboku tree in front. The heating insulation wasn't the greatest, and the shrine was so cold you could always see your breath in front of you. It was Kagome's junior year of high school and she couldn't wait for the year to be over. The sooner she finished eleventh grade, the better. For now she would be spending her junior year at Shikon Senior High School.
"Kagome!" Her little brother knocked on the bathroom door, "Your new school uniform is on the bed!" He shouted.
"All right, scram, brat." She replied as she stepped out from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her dripping body. As he scurried out from the room, she glanced at the new uniform lying in a plastic bag on her bed.
It contained a green sash with double white strips, and a short green skirt to match. There were two white shirts – one with short sleeves, and the other with long ones for the winter. A red piece of cloth was tied at the center of the sash, and there was a pair of ankle-high white socks, and brown dress shoes next to the bag.
"Not too unfortunate-looking,"she sighed inwardly before getting dressed. As she walked out into the hallway, Souta was skipping about at the top of the stairs. She cocked an eyebrow, "What are you so excited for?"
"It's a new school day!" He sang, "We get to meet more new people!" He stumbled down the stairs, his excitement rising with each step. Kagome stared at him silently, remembering when she used to have his carefree energy. She knew that his attitude would soon change as he matured just as hers had. Sighing again, Kagome made her way down to the kitchen.
"Good morning my dear Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi said sweetly as she laid a plate of pancakes on the table. "Don't you look beautiful in that dashing new uniform!" Kagome gave a small smile before sitting down beside her grandfather, his nose buried in another newspaper. She glanced at him before forking a pile of pancakes, and placing them in front of her. Pancakes were Kagome's favorite food, and her mother always made them when it was the first morning in their newest house. Kagome appreciated the effort to cheer her up, and ate gratefully.
"Good morning Kagome," Grandfather said from behind his newspaper, "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine." She replied bluntly. She rose from her seat, and heaved her giant yellow bag onto her back. She always carried more books than she needed to. She had given up on trying to fit in, so she always had her mind absorbed in a book. The other people at school were always kind to her, and tried to befriend her, but she had become coldhearted.
She seemed to want nothing to do with them, but in reality she yearned to be able to gossip, and share her feelings with someone else. She didn't want to break her own heart anymore let alone others. She was determined that being quiet and collective was the best way to ward off friendly people.
"Bring home some nice friends today, okay Kagome?" Her mother said with a smile as Kagome stepped outside. Kagome shouted a curt goodbye as she ran down the shrine steps. She slowed down to a walking pace as she placed her gloved hands into the pockets of her coat. Her legs were freezing and she cursed the school for making her wear the shortest skirt known to mankind. She tensed as she heard a vehicle pull up beside her, and her gaze remained locked on the road rolling out before her. Just ignore them, she thought to herself.
"Hey there lovely lady, would you like a ride?" She stopped and turned to see a guy her age wearing a boy's school uniform matching hers. He had short black hair with a small mouse-tail sticking out in the back, and shining violet eyes to match his shining black Lexus. He smiled smugly, "You must be awfully cold with that short skirt and all." There was an eerie glint in his eyes as they moved further down Kagome's body.
"Miroku, you idiot!" His head was impaled into the steering wheel, and there was a loud honk as a fuming girl hovered over him. "You were just supposed to ask her for a ride! You weren't supposed to try and look her up!" She had the same uniform that Kagome was wearing, and her long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She wore a nice shade of pink eye shadow above her auburn-colored eyes. She sank back into the passenger seat, and crossed her arms. "God, you're such a perv." Miroku slowly lifted his head back up, and rubbed it carefully. He turned to see Kagome still standing there, staring blankly at them.
"Oh, I'm sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves," He said quickly, "My name is Miroku, and this ravishing young lady sitting beside me is Sango." Kagome could see the girl blush heavily as she gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You're my one and only," He swooned jokingly and they both laughed. Kagome could tell right away that they were a couple, and a very solid one at that. She sighed and started walking again. "Hey, wait!" Miroku shouted as he kept his car in check beside Kagome. "Why don't you hop in? Shikon High is a long walk from here."
"I'm fine." Kagome replied tartly.
"But-,"
"I'm fine! Leave me alone!" She yelled as she quickened her pace. The car halted at her outburst, and she felt their prying eyes digging into her backside. She hated being crude to people like that, but she had to do what she had to do. She sprinted around the corner of the street, and ran the rest of the way to the high school. Making her way to the main office, she could feel more eyes looking in her direction as she walked past. A group of girls glanced at Kagome, and began to whisper so loud that Kagome began to think they were doing it on purpose.
"Is she the one?"
"Yeah, she totally blew Miroku off!"
"He was being so nice too!"
"What a jerk!"
"Sango was there and told me the whole thing. She thinks that this new girl is a total snob!"
"Yeah, Sango warned me not to talk to her." Kagome couldn't take it anymore as she closed her eyes tightly and ran, trying hard to hold back tears. Forgetting that she was inside a building with people flocking everywhere, she soon ran straight into a stranger's chest.
"Whoa, hey! You better take it easy or you'll get hurt," She lifted her head to stare into a pair of glimmering golden eyes. The boy gripped her shoulders firmly, and pushed her back a bit. "Are you all right?" She quickly pulled away from his grip, and brushed herself off.
"I'm fine." She readjusted her bag, and bowed hurriedly, "Sorry." With that, she maneuvered around him, and ran toward the office again. She glanced over her shoulder to get one last look. He seemed puzzled at her departure, but soon shook it off as he continued to walk in the opposite direction. He had long white hair, and she could tell he was a demon by his long claws and small cat-like ears protruding out from the top of his head. She hadn't run into a demon for a very long time because they weren't very common, but he seemed to be different from the other demons she had seen.
The bell's ring sounded throughout the school and the halls cleared as she arrived at the office. She gathered her new books and schedule, and the principal escorted her to her first class. They entered a quiet classroom, and the teacher glanced their way from the blackboard, and immediately stopped his lecture.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt, Mr. Motosuwa, but I have here your new student, Kagome Higurashi." That said, the principal left, and Mr. Motosuwa motioned for Kagome to come to the front of the classroom.
"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Ms. Higurashi?" He suggested as he leaned back against his desk. Kagome sighed. She had been asked this question so many times; she had memorized her response.
"My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live with my mother, grandfather, and younger brother in a shrine not far from here." She said in an almost robot-like tone.
The teacher smiled, "Kagome, what do you like to do in your free time?" Kagome wasn't ready for this question. She turned toward the teacher, giving him a questioning look before turning back to the class. A small blush crossed her features.
"I…I like to paint…" She replied shyly. The other students seemed to be interested.
"Well, Kagome, I'm sorry this isn't art, but welcome to my English class anyway!" He said cheerfully as he straightened his posture. "Why don't you take a seat next to Sango? Sango, please raise your hand," The girl Kagome had met earlier hesitantly rose her hand, and Kagome hastily threw herself into the seat beside her. "Thank you both." Mr. Motosuwa smiled, "Now, back to the lecture!" The class let out a loud groan, and Kagome shifted uncomfortably as she saw Sango glance at her from the corner of her eye. This was going to be a long day.
As the dismissal bell rang for first period, Kagome quickly exited the room. She was startled when someone grasped her arm tightly, and pulled her back halfway down the hall.
"Kagome, please stop." She turned to see that it was Sango.
"What do you want? Haven't you spread enough rumors about me?" Kagome muttered.
Sango sighed, "I was afraid this would happen," Kagome was getting restless; she didn't want to hear what Sango had to say. "Kagome, listen to me, please." Sango pleaded as Kagome tried to escape again. "Please don't run off, just hear me out. Whatever you hear in this school, don't believe it, all right? There are a lot of liars in this school that love to hurt people for their own enjoyment. They'll take what you say and twist it all around." Kagome turned to see that Sango had a sincere smile on her face, "I haven't said anything bad about you, Kagome. I actually think you'd be a really cool friend if we got to know each other better." Kagome smiled subconsciously.
"So," Sango continued as she gently released Kagome's arm. "Would you like to start over, and maybe grab some hot chocolate with me after school?" She asked. Kagome immediately opened her mouth and said yes before she had a chance to retaliate with her crudeness. Sango smiled and told Kagome to meet her by the front doors after school, and Kagome nodded blankly. Sango waved goodbye before rushing off to her second period class, and Kagome stared off in her direction. What have I gotten myself into? She thought desperately. Looks like I'm going to be crueler than I thought…She sighed as the tardy bell rang, and took off for her next class, her heart fluttering with a sense of self-pity. Why me?
The last bell of the day rang, and Kagome quickly ran out of the back doors before anyone could spot her. Running blindly lost in her own thoughts, she let out a small gasp as she plummeted into the same chest she had run into earlier that day.
"Whoa, jeez, it's you again!" The boy said as she pulled away from him. "Watch where you're going, would ya?" She looked at him and he was taken aback as her eyes were glazed with a pleading gaze.
"Sorry." She said quietly as she dove under his arm, and ran out of the doors.
"Oh no, you're not getting away from me this time!" He growled as he followed her in hot pursuit. Kagome's breath was raspy as she puffed against the harsh cold winds. Her legs had already gone numb, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep running. A black blur suddenly darted in front of her, and she screamed and fell back. Her butt landed onto the rigid ice, and she forgot her quiet and collective motive as she whispered many incoherent words under her breath before slowly standing up, and rubbing her sore butt. She looked up to see the demon boy grinning at her.
"What's the big idea?" She yelled, "You scared me half to death you jerk!"
"Let's just say that's payback for using me as a tackle post." She grunted as she went to run off again, but he stepped in her path. "Why are you always running, girl?"
"My name is Kagome!"
"Ka-go-me?" He scratched his head, "Hey, aren't you the girl that's supposed to be meeting with Sango right now?" Kagome stepped back.
"How do you know?"
"Well, Kagome, Sango asked me to come meet you because she thought I would like you." He snorted, "I don't know what she sees in you 'cause right now I don't like you very much."
"Well, at least we have something in common." Kagome retorted, sticking her tongue out childishly, "Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving." Striding past him, she held her head high in the air.
"Wait." He snatched her arm, and she whipped her head back. "She's already been waiting for you for a long time," he said, "aren't you going to go meet with her like you promised?"
Kagome's heart stopped as she simply said, "No." She tried to pull her arm away, but his grip tightened. She looked back at him. His eyes were flaming with anger.
"You're just going to stand her up?" He began to growl. Kagome couldn't figure out if she had started shivering from the cold, or from his intimidating glare. She could tell he was trying to hold back from blowing up at her. "Sango just wants to be your friend." I know, Kagome thought as he began to pile up the guilt, "She just wants to be able to help you." He continued. I know! Kagome shut her eyes tightly, hoping that he and everything in her life would disappear. "She doesn't want you to get hurt, she just-,"
"I know!!" Kagome screamed as she tore her arm away, and sprinted around the corner of the street. An unforeseen pebble sat calmly in her path, and tripped her. She landed on her knees, and with her head hung low, her frame started shaking with sobs. I don't want to be here anymore, she thought, I just want to disappear!
"Oh no," she heard the boy come up from behind, and kneel down beside her, "please don't cry, I hate it when girls cry…"
"Leave hic me alone…"
"I…I just don't want Sango to get hurt…" he said slowly, "She's a very kind person, and she doesn't deserve what you're doing to her."
"You don't hic understand…" Kagome sat back on her bottom, and wiped her eyes, "You could hic never understand…"
"Try me." Taken aback by his reply, she glanced into his golden orbs to find a look of sincerity.
"I…I can't…"
"Why not?"
"If I do, you might want to become my friend."
He looked puzzled, "Is it against your religion to have friends? Is it some kind of omen?"
"No, it's just…look, I'd really like it if you would just leave me alone." There was a minute of silence before he helped her back onto her feet, and took her hand into his own. She glanced back into his eyes with a questioning look.
"Can I at least take you home?" He smiled. She could feel herself melt under his touch and smile, and slowly nodded her head. She tensed, her breath shortening as she thought that maybe his smile was just an act to drag her back to the school, but he gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It okay," he said, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Why are you being so kind?" Kagome asked suspiciously, "I thought you hated me."
"Something in your eyes told me that I shouldn't be angry with you, but that maybe instead I should be comforting you." He said softly, "I can tell you've been through a lot of pain,"
"Wow," Kagome whispered in amazement and smiled to herself. "I've never met anyone like you before."
He coughed, "Yeah, well, don't get used to it, girl." She frowned and tore her hand away from his, crossing her arms roughly.
"My name is Kagome." She reminded him, although she knew very well that he was doing it on purpose just to spite her. "Ka-go-me!" He simply grunted, and folded his arms into the loose sleeves of his jacket. "You still haven't told me your name." She added quietly.
"Well, you never asked." He replied with a smug smile. She brought her arms down to her side with her fists clenched tightly.
"Do tell then, boy, what is your name?"
"It's InuYasha." He mumbled. She stared at him for a moment before a smile crept across her face, and she forgot everything that she had been striving for since that morning.
"Well, InuYasha," she smiled up at him, and grasped his hand as the sun shone through the dark winter clouds, and a gentle breeze blew their hair from their faces. "It's nice to meet you."
Author's notes: I wrote this a few years ago, and I don't think I ever posted it on here. I don't know if I'll continue with it, but if I get enough of you reader's out there to encourage me to go on, I will do my best to cooperate! ()
I hope you enjoyed and please leave only constructive feedback.
I'd love to hear from you :)