Author's Note :: Hello, readers! I'm sort of in a rut with my other stories Stokholm: My Love Lenore, and Desert Rose. So I'm starting another to keep the creative juices flowing. =) So, here goes! ::

A Little Fall of Rain

Chapter One: Enter Yuki

It was raining. Oh good, and me without my umbrella. I groaned deeply, climbing my way up to the Higurashi shrine. I cursed the many unnecessary steps and picked up my pace.

Finally making it to the main house, I hurried to the door and knocked. "Kagome!" I called, knocking harder, "Kagome! Let me in! It's freezing out here!"

But it wasn't Kagome who answered the door. Mrs. Higurashi was there, looking down at me with eyes full of worry, "Oh, Yuki!" she grabbed my hand and dragged me inside, "You're soaked to the bone! Here," she wrapped a towel around my shoulders, "Come in, you must be cold."

I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering, "T-Thanks, Mrs. Higurashi." I huddled into the towel and let her lead me into the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry you came all the way here in the rain," she said, putting a warm pot of tea on the stove, "Kagome should have been home by now." She looked away distractedly, her eyes drifting out the window to the enchanted well just outside.

I didn't notice her side glance, however. I was far too consumed by the warm tea, which was whistling to let us know that it was hot and ready to be poured. Mrs. Higurashi took the kettle and poured us both a tiny cup. I inhaled the scent of the tea deeply, glad to wrap my fingers around the warmth of the porcelain cup.

"Kagome mentioned you coming over today," she started, making polite conversation, "I'm so glad you agreed to help her with her math homework."

I smiled and shrugged, "It's not a problem. Besides, I owe Kagome at least this. She's done so much for me."

It was true. Kagome Higurashi was my first true friend upon arriving in Tokyo. She wasn't full of fake interest and sincerity like many of the other students at school, it was almost as if she could see me for who I was just on our first meeting. Ever since then, I've felt indebted to her. She was the only one to like me for me, not because I was the intriguing new-girl.

"Well, she shouldn't be much longer." She said, shooting a meaningful glare towards the outdoor well which was hidden in its own little hut.

I took a careful sip of the scalding hot tea and instantly began feeling warmer, "I don't mind waiting."

Suddenly the back door slid open and a wet Kagome Higurashi ducked inside, "I'm home!" she called into the house.

"Oh, good!" Mrs. Higurashi stood and got her daughter a towel matching mine, "Hurry inside, dear. Your friend Yuki is here." She said, guiding Kagome into the kitchen.

I waved sheepishly, clutching my tea tighter, "Sorry if I'm early."

Kagome's eyes widened, as if she completely forgot about our tutoring session. "Oh! Yuki, um…" she shook her head and smiled, gathering her scattered thoughts, "Yeah! No, you're on time. I'm the one that's late," she glanced at her mom, "Right?" she asked her quietly.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, "Quite. Anyway, I'll leave you two girls alone."

"C'mon Yuki, let's go up to my room. I gotta get out of these clothes." She said, gesturing for me to follow her. I chugged the rest of my tea, burning my throat, but hurried after her anyway.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late," she said sincerely as she sorted through her closet for some clean, dry clothes, "I just get so distracted and it's hard to get away sometimes."

I pretended like I understood that remark and nodded, "Yeah, yeah. No problem, here."

She quickly changed and sat beside me on her bed, "Alrighty, now about this algebra…"

I smiled at her, "Yeah, okay. So, since you've been sick you've missed chapters five and six which are mostly about functions."

Kagome groaned, "Oh good…"

I laughed, "It's not that hard. Here, just replace x with any of these numbers here, and whichever one comes out a true equation, then that one is a function." I explained, pointing to the problems in the book.

She followed as best she could, concentrating like her life depended on it. I guess in a way, it did. She had missed a lot of classes lately and was falling badly behind. Whenever I called, or any of her other friends called, her Grandpa always answered and gave us some excuse of a new disease or something.

"You're so smart, Yuki." Kagome sighed, shutting her copy of the math book and threw it on her desk, "I'm hopeless at this. I used to get such good grades, too!"

I shut my own book and pulled my knees up to my chest, "It's not you're fault. You've been sick, Kagome." I watched her carefully, not too sure of her Grandpa's many allegations. She didn't look like she had a rheumatism or even a cold, for that matter. She looked healthier than I did!

"Yeah…sick." She mumbled, sitting at her desk and swiveling around in the chair.

She gave nothing else away, so I instantly changed the subject, "So!" my voice startled her a moment, "I hear Hojo asking for you all the time. It's always, Kagome this or Kagome that or What? Kagome is sick again? Is she okay? Do you think we should pull the class money to try and find a cure for her imminent illness?" I laughed at my own mimicry, unaware of Kagome's paling face.

She sighed sadly, "People think I'm that sick?"

I stopped chuckling and looked up at her with inquiry, "Aren't you?"

Kagome glanced at me, her brown eyes giving nothing away yet at the same time screamed at me. She blinked and immediately the emotions swirling in her eyes were gone. Instead, she just shrugged.

"I don't feel so bad, I guess. I'm pretty sure Gramps makes it sound much worse than it really is." She waved it off.

I pouted. Again, she revealed nothing and my suspicions of her so-called illnesses went left unheeded. So I sighed deeply and looked out the window. The rain pounded down on the glass, daring me to speak up and say I had to go home.

"It's a downpour out there," Kagome said, "Would you like to spend the night?"

I smiled happily, "Omigod, yes! I can't walk home in that! I'll be swept away!"

Kagome giggled, "I'll get a pillow and blanket for you."

"Thanks, Kagome." I said sincerely.

She stopped on her way out of her room and turned back at me, "You're welcome." The surprise and warmth in her eyes told me she didn't expect my sincerity.

She came back and I made a make-shift bed on the floor while she cuddled into her blankets above me. Deciding to stop dancing around the subject, I opened my big mouth.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?" I heard her hum above me.

I chewed on my lip a moment before saying, "Well, I guess what I want to ask you is, are you really okay?"

I heard her shift in the bed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. Well, yes, I do actually…" I stumbled over my words, "Okay, it's just whenever I see you at school or even here you always seem like your head is in another world. I mean, I guess being as sick as you are would cause some of that but it always seems like you are thinking about something else."

Kagome remained silent for a few minutes. I began to wonder if she fell asleep, but her soft voice finally said, "Can you keep a secret?"

I looked up and saw that she had rolled over onto her stomach and was peering over the edge of the bed at me. She looked straight into my eyes, and even in the darkness of the room I could see the seriousness in them.

I sat up, "Yeah, duh."

Kagome glanced out her window and back to the door, as if to make sure no one was listening. When she opened her mouth again, her words changed my entire world.