I haven't been feeling very…oh, I don't know…creative for a while, and then out of nowhere, I got this fun little idea and I figured, hey, why not? So here's your basic background: This is an AU, and the idea is that all the IY tachi are in their senior year of high school together. As it is their senior year, they must do senior projects, and so…oh, I don't want to just give the whole thing away! Just read it!
*****
Center Stage
Part 1
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"Please?" Sango put out her lower lip pitifully, trying to look as sad as possible for the dark-haired girl next to her who was paying absolutely no attention to her efforts.
"Just leave her alone, she's not gonna." A black-haired boy with violet eyes sitting across from them at the lunch table advised Sango. "I don't see why you're so worried anyway."
"Inuyasha! Shut up and let her decide for herself!" Sango flounced her hair angrily, narrowing her maroon eyes at the boy before becoming sweet and pleading again as she turned to the girl who was still paying more attention to her lunch than she was to Sango's request. "Please? You have to try out, Kagome."
"What's going on?" A grey-eyed girl with a bright smile asked as she sat beside Kagome and noticed the scene.
"Sango's getting into panic mode about who's gonna try out for that play you guys are doing." Inuyasha explained, seeming very aloof about it, while still a bit amused. "She wants Kagome for the lead, but I don't see why."
"Oh! That's right! Oh, Kagome, you'd be perfect for it!" The excited young girl took up Sango's cause.
"Yeah, listen to Rin! She's got just as much riding on this as I do!" Sango pleaded. "I mean, I wrote this thing, Kagome! I should know who's perfect for the role of Midoriko, and it's got to be you!"
"I don't know." Kagome spoke for the first time. "The play is good, Sango." Kagome took a bite of her apple, obviously pausing to think over her decision a bit more. "It's just…I don't know if I'm comfortable with the role of Midoriko. I'd try out, but I don't want to play some crazy legendary priestess."
"Why not?" Rin was obviously confused. "Kagome, this is a great play, you said it yourself! And besides that, Midoriko is a great part. Why wouldn't you want to play her?"
"I don't know…I actually think the secondary female character is more intriguing." Kagome set down her finished apple core. "I mean, Rei is very interesting. She seems so mysterious and so dark."
"Yeah, but Kagome…" Sango left a pause here. "You aren't dark and you aren't mysterious. You're Midoriko! You're the hero. Be the hero! Please?"
"I don't know." Kagome sighed again. "The fact of the matter is…I know I'm nothing like Rei, but I wanted something more of a challenge for my senior year. This is going to be one of my last high school plays, Sango! I need to be great, I can't settle for something easy."
"Be Midoriko then! She's only easy because you're so much like her! Come on, Kagome!" Sango was not about to give up. "If you play that character, and you get one of your fancy art college recruiters to come down and see you, I guarantee they'll be begging you to come to their school. And if they don't, I'll send Inuyasha after them, because they obviously need some discipline."
"Don't drag me into your stupid bullshit." Inuyasha grumbled. "I don't see why you're so up on this, anyway. Kagome says she can't play Midoriko, it's cause she can't. Kagome ain't half as great as you all seem to think she is."
"Can it, Mr. Helpful." Sango shot him a vicious glare.
"Yeah, shut up!" Kagome was immediately incensed by Inuyasha's comments. "Where the hell do you get off insulting me like that? You know what? I'll try out for Midoriko, Sango. And I'll be perfect. You just watch me." She glared at Inuyasha before leaving in a huff. Rin and Sango stared after her before giving each other looks of triumph.
"Yes! She'll do it!" Rin was obviously quite excited. "Good thing, too. I already started the Midoriko wardrobe for Kagome."
"Good thing Inuyasha can still piss her off just like in preschool." Sango laughed in relief. "That was pretty quick, Inuyasha. Thanks a lot."
"Whatever." The boy grumbled, going back to his food.
"Sango, I have the feeling that our senior project is going to go over just great." Rin nodded to the other girl, but Sango's attention was now focused on Inuyasha.
"You know, Inuyasha," Sango stretched her arms slowly. "I was thinking about the part of Sakage…"
"Don't even start." He shot her down. "You know I don't wanna be in your bullshit fairy tale play."
"Maybe not." Sango seemed unruffled by his comment. "But I know that you haven't found a senior project yet."
"So what?" Inuyasha asked her, acting as though he didn't care what she had to say. They'd all been friends for a long time, so they knew better. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango had met in preschool, but at the time Inuyasha had thought girls were stupid and refused to spend time with them. However, Sango and Kagome had immediately become friends. In fifth grade, Inuyasha had given up trying not to be seen with them, and in seventh grade, Rin had joined their little group as well as another boy who Inuyasha didn't seem to like very much, named Kouga. They were all very close, though Inuyasha would be the last to admit it.
"So, I was just thinking that as a large role like Sakage, it would be pretty hard to get a senior project organized and all." Sango played idly with the spoon from her yogurt. "So maybe if you got the role, I could see how it would make sense to just take you on as one of our group." Sango elaborated. "Basically, if you do this for me, you can claim this play as your senior project. Rin and I will verify this, and other than acting and learning lines, you'll do zero work."
"Zero work?" Inuyasha had to admit, that sounded appealing. "Really? Can you do that?"
"Sure I can. But only if you play Sakage for me." Sango's voice let a little pleading leak into the tone. "Come on, have you read the play?"
"No, not really. I hear it's your adaptation of an old legend." Inuyasha shrugged. "Sounded kinda stupid to me."
"Well, if that's what you think." Sango smiled broadly. "I suppose I can find another Sakage anyway. And it would be a bit of a hassle for you, what with getting away with no work on your senior project. Too bad…" Sango stood as though leaving. With a barely concealed smile she added the last instigation Inuyasha needed. "I heard that Rin got your brother to agree to help out with the play. Maybe he can be Sakage."
"Wait!" Inuyasha cursed himself for the panic in his voice, but it was too late. At least Sango wasn't leaving. "I mean…um…I heard it's stupid, but I haven't really read it myself, so what do I know, right?"
"Right." Sango smiled slightly. She knew she had him now.
"So…ah, yeah, I'm sure it's good." Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't care, anyway. So long as I don't have to do any work."
"No work." Sango agreed, triumphant from her second victory that day. Now, if she could only make it through her classes…
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Kagome rolled her head to each side, listening to the satisfying cracks as she popped her neck on her way to the auditorium for tryouts that day after school. "I still don't wanna do this." She murmured to herself as she entered through the heavy backstage door. "But I suppose it can't hurt."
"Talking to yourself now?" a familiar voice caused her blue eyes to flash as she whirled around.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" she asked him, giving him a thoroughly bored look. "Sango trick you into being stage manager?"
"No way." He shook his head, rolling his violet eyes in irritation. "I just said I'd do her a favor, that's all."
"Okay…whatever." Kagome sighed. "Wanna help me practice my scenes?" Kagome set her backpack down, opening it up and removing the tryout packet Sango had pressed into her possession.
"I guess so, but you'll sound stupid next to me." Inuyasha smirked at her as he reached into his own bag for a slightly more rumpled version of the packet that Kagome was holding. "It makes no sense, you wanting to be an actress. The only way you can act is if you get lessons."
"That's why I'm going to acting school, stupid." Kagome was familiar with the banter that Inuyasha and her always shared, but sometimes she tired of his rough treatment of her feelings. He never seemed quite so mean to Rin or Sango. It was almost as though he liked her as little as he did Kouga. Kagome still didn't know why those two refused to get along, since they were both guys, but maybe that was the problem. She tried not to worry about it too much.
"Whatever, let's just practice the scene." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You're going for Midoriko, right?"
"Yeah, she's in these two bits right here." Kagome flipped through the packet, indicating two different conversations. "So, who do you want to be first? Rei or Sakage?"
"I don't care." He shrugged in his usual aloof manner.
"Fine, then you can be a girl first." Kagome smiled at the grimace her words led to. "Ready?"
"Whatever." Inuyasha huffed. They both glanced over the correct scene before Kagome began.
"Sister, why are you here? The master did not say that you would be assisting us in this mission." Kagome sounded concerned and confused.
"Gods, have you read this play yet?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not reading the lines, but instead commenting on hers. "Do you know what scene this is?"
"Of course, it's the scene where Midoriko discovers that Rei has followed them to the place with all the youkai she has to kill and she gets all upset. Why?" Kagome asked.
"She shouldn't sound so worried. It's her sister, yeah, but Midoriko and Rei aren't exactly on close terms. You gotta remember the relationships when you do this, Kagome." Inuyasha advised her.
"Since when are you the expert?" Kagome asked, angry.
"Let's just do this damn scene, okay?" he prompted her.
"Fine." She cleared her throat before beginning again. "Sister, why are you here? The master did not say that you would be assisting us in this mission." Kagome sounded interested, but not overly concerned. Inuyasha nodded in approval.
"What concern is it of yours? I am a priestess just as you are. I am here because I live to destroy those youkai who would kill humans." Inuyasha sounded a bit moody and irritated.
"That may be true, but perhaps this mission is…not right for you." Kagome suggested.
"Not right? Don't you mean that it's too much for me? You underestimate me, Midoriko. You know nothing of how powerful I have become." Inuyasha jutted his chin out in challenge.
"Rei, I do not wish to fight with you on this, but I would at least like to know if this was the master's decision." Kagome asked, making her voice tired with a small bit of demand in the tone.
"No, it was not. I followed on my own." Inuyasha spoke after a pause.
"I see. Rest now. We shall speak of this in the morning." Kagome finished. She smiled at Inuyasha, letting the character go as she returned to herself. "Hey, you make a pretty good Rei. Thinking of trying out for her role?"
"Can it, smartass. Let's just do your other scene, okay?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her.
"Okay, fine." Kagome cleared her throat as she switched pages, glancing to see if her friend was ready to continue. Just then, Sango arrived, clapping her hands and calling out to get everyone's attention.
"Hey! Everyone who's here, I'd like to thank you in advance for coming out! This play…I'm very proud of my baby, as some of you may know, and I'm also very serious about all the work that it's going to need. Now, I want you to know that Rin and I are going to be as fair as possible with the casting, but if you have any questions about this, you can talk to her or to myself…" Here Sango paused, her face becoming suddenly angry as a familiar looking boy arrived. He was smiling brightly at Sango, and Kagome wondered what he had done to anger her, as she didn't seem to want him there. However, after a moment, her expression went back to normal and she continued. "So, then. I want you to come out in pairs. Feel free to read the part you're hoping for as well as any other part I might ask you to read. Also, just because I ask you to read a certain character doesn't mean that you will be cast as that person." Sango finished as she began to walk onto the stage so she could sit in the stands and watch the auditions, beckoning for Rin to join her. Kagome noticed that the boy followed as well, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was all about
"Inuyasha…do you know who that guy is?" she asked him as the first pair went to the stage.
"Yeah, he just transferred here last year. His name's Miroku Houshi. He's in history with me." Inuyasha shrugged. "Wonder why he's sitting with Rin and Sango out there."
"Well Sango looked like she was ready to kill him on sight." Kagome shook her head. "Did you see her face when he got here?"
"I don't know…he's got a pretty bad reputation, if you know what I mean." Inuyasha suggested. "I hear he's dated most of the girls in our class already."
"And when did he get here? Last year?" Kagome shook her head. "So…you don't think…if Sango and him…wouldn't she have said something?"
"I don't think he'd get in here alive if he fucked with her." Inuyasha assured her.
"I suppose we can just ask her about it afterwards." Kagome told him. She watched as the first pair finished their tryout and then left the stage, with Sango calling out for the next pair. "Are we going next?"
"I guess so." Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly. Both of them went out onstage and looked down at Rin and Sango and Miroku who were sitting right next to each other in the second row.
"Ready?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah, why don't you two just read the Sakage and Midoriko scene?" Sango smiled at them before shooting a quick glare at the young man next to her and then easily returning her attention to the stage.
"Sure." Kagome flipped through her packet, looking to Inuyasha for a nod of readiness before he read his first line.
"Well…uh, hey, Rei said you'd get in some shit for bringing me here." He spoke sheepishly, but his voice was rough. "If you did…"
"Do not trouble yourself over that." Kagome waved her hand lightly in dismissal. "The master trusts my judgment. It was no inconvenience to him or myself that you followed me here. After all, you still await my decision."
"That's right, I guess." Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck as though he felt a bit foolish. "So, what'd he wanna talk to ya about before?"
"Many things. It is none of your concern, boy." Kagome told him indifferently.
"Would you stop that shit?" Inuyasha bristled with anger at her words.
"Have I in some way offended you?" Kagome managed to keep most concern out of her voice, as she imagined Midoriko would have tried to do.
"Damn right you did!" Inuyasha was furious, and Kagome felt a surreal sense of being in the scene, being Midoriko, and of Inuyasha being the quick-mouthed Sakage. "Don't fucking talk down to me like that! I know I ain't all fucking smart soundin like you or anything, but I ain't a little boy, and I ain't gonna sit here and let you shit all over me like I ain't worth shit! That ain't why I came here with ya!"
"Sakage…" Kagome couldn't keep the guilt out of her voice. "I did not mean…"
"Stuff it lady!" Inuyasha threw his script down for emphasis, but he had memorized the scene, and so he didn't need it anyway. "Ya know, I thought Rei was wrong bout you. I thought she was makin up that shit bout everyone always givin ya everything so ya don't damn well know whatcha got! I thought…I felt bad for you, okay? I saw how they didn't want ya, just like how they always been to me. But you don't care bout that, cause you'll never be low as me, will ya? Fuckin spoiled little pride a the temple, ain't ya? Well fuck this! I don't need your shit, so don't think I'll keep following you like some fuckin lapdog! Tomorrow, I'm on my own, lady. You missed your chance to join the rest of us normal people cause you're such an uptight bitch!" Inuyasha whirled and stomped off the stage, leaving Kagome and his audience stunned into momentary silence.
"That…that was great." Sango finally spoke up. It snapped Kagome back to reality. It was a good thing, too. She'd been so into the scene, she could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes. Inuyasha was an awesome actor, and she wondered why he'd never been in plays before. It wasn't really his scene, she knew, but he was so talented. "You two…wow. Okay, well, that's enough for today. The cast list should be up by tomorrow morning. See you later!"
"Ah…yeah, later." Kagome picked up Inuyasha's packet and went backstage where he was waiting for her impatiently.
"What's with that look?" he asked, as she was still a bit awed by his earlier performance.
"Inuyasha…you were great." She told him.
"Nah, it's just an easy part to play. Get angry, yell a lot, all that good stuff." He shrugged. "So hey, you need a ride home?"
"Oh…um, well I was going to get a ride from Kouga, but I think his mom needed him to run errands, so yeah. That'd be great." Kagome nodded happily. She noticed the displeased look on Inuyasha's face when she mentioned Kouga.
"Kouga, huh?" he asked irritably as they left the school and walked to the parking lot. "You still like that guy?"
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked him, exasperated. "We're friends, remember?"
"It wasn't always that way." Inuyasha reminded her.
"Um…we dated for a week. In seventh grade. That hardly counts as anything more than friendship." Kagome explained.
"More friendship than you have with me…" Inuyasha grumbled as he unlocked her door and moved to his side of the car.
"What?" Kagome froze before opening the door and getting into Inuyasha's junky nondescript car. "Are you saying you're jealous or something? You already can say that you've known me for eight more years than he has, do you really need more than that? I swear, you guys and your ridiculous rivalry."
"That's not…I didn't…Feh!" Inuyasha started his car, an angry scowl on his face as he pulled out to drive Kagome home.
*****
The End (Of Part 1, That Is)