Full Circle
by LadyRin23
Disclaimer: Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi
Chapter 1 - Avoidance
Have you ever wondered why one thing leads to another and then suddenly you find your life spiraling out of control? We were the family that everyone wanted to be, at least on the outside. My mother was a housewife married to a CEO and I of course was the privileged only child. It all looked so easy. But it never was. What everyone thought they saw, was a lie and I knew it all too well. My parents fought like cats and dogs and I listened to it every night. The only peace I ever got was when my father wouldn't return on some evenings but even that came with the sobs of my mother. It seemed like the fighting this summer reached its pinnacle and from there, it never turned back.
I prayed that my parents would miraculously stop arguing and that I would make it through my junior year without any problems. But I knew that that wasn't going to be the case. The summer long argument had taken an ugly turn. What was the start of all their pettier arguments would ultimately bring their true argument to an end.
The start of all the arguments was my father's inability to remain faithful. Some years ago, he slept around with a woman and ended up getting her pregnant and having my half-brother. My mother was devastated, but they went to counseling and worked through it, or so I thought. For thirteen years, my mother kept it a secret from family, friends and neighbors. But with my father's recent increasing disappearances it wasn't a surprise that my mother's fear of an affair resurfaced. I watched her torture herself. A wine glass and cigarette in one hand with the wedding album in the other. It never failed that a few hours later she was passed out on the couch waiting up for my father.
I guess she herself finally realized the truth. My father wasn't going to change. She demanded a divorce and walked out of the door leaving my father and me behind. I guess all of the counseling that my father paid for really didn't work after all. He insisted that she didn't matter anymore. I wanted to prove him wrong but even I could never get back in touch with my mother. My father openly started taking care of his mistress and their child. He does all that he can for them and I suppose that's fair for everyone!
The buzzer sounded and I stared at the clock. 6:15 am. Sitting up, I felt the fatigue slowly dissipate, a yawn helping to shake the last of the drowsiness off. The warmth of the shower was refreshing as I mentally prepared myself for another day. I let the water run down my face as I contemplated my after school destination. Detention may have been worth the trouble so long as it meant I didn't have to come straight home. Baseball season wouldn't start back up for quite some time and my friend was always tutoring people after school so hanging out with her wasn't much of an option. Dressing, I grabbed my keys and book bag and left out of the house. My father's car was gone. He had already left for work or either he hadn't come back last night. Typical.
The clock ticked against the white wall. The minutes drug and groans filled the air as pencils tapped against the wood. A blank sheet of paper lay in front of me, anticipating a meeting with lead that had nothing to say. It had become a consistent meeting between the two for the last two weeks after school. A failure to adhere to the dress code, speaking out, and a disinterest in what was being taught had landed me in this position over and over again. Quite frankly a tucked shirt wasn't so bad, I would have rather have been quiet. Ms. Kagawa's science lecture had been interesting but I needed an excuse.
The plan to stay away from destination home worked for a while. Things had been quiet which was the way I wanted it to be. I managed to stay out of my father's way and he stayed out of mine. It was merely by chance that we saw each other and even so, we never really spoke. My father didn't care where I was or what I did so long as I didn't cause him any trouble. So when I walked in that evening, I hadn't been expecting a confrontation. But there my father was, sitting in the living room, still in his business attire as if waiting on a meeting of some sort. Everything about the man spoke intimidation to those beneath him. It was how he became known as the CEO of Tokyo. Inutaisho Takahashi struck fear in all who heard the name.
"Sesshoumaru." The gesture of the two fingers was enough to make the skin crawl.
I took my seat across from my father, hoping to read something hopeful against his sinister scrutiny.
"I'm not happy." was all he spoke as he placed the letter on the coffee table.
I realized that it was a letter from the school concerning the severity of my violations.
"So this is where you've been?" His eyes kept their gaze on me as he downed the rest of the scotch.
"…"
"Don't think I haven't been paying attention. You're coming home at all hours of the night. It's a wonder you keep up with homework."
"How would you know? You're never here."
"That smart mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot more trouble than you're bargaining for. You come straight to my office from now on. I'll have something for you to do after school."
"What about practice…my friends?"
"Baseball is a few months off yet. Friends? What friends? You've never had any."
"Maybe I would if everyone didn't hate you."
"Is that so? Blame the old man for giving you a life that all of your little classmates can't stand. Tell me Sesshoumaru, do you hate me? Do you hate your old man?
"…no."
"Hn…you hesitated. But we both know life here can't be so bad. I've placed a roof over your head, provided you with any and everything you've always wanted, even bought the car that you so graciously use. You don't have the right to want anything more from me because then you would be the spoiled selfish brat that everyone else thinks you are. I wouldn't want that. My office. Tomorrow."
Let me know what you think about this! I must warn you that Sesshoumaru's situation is probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better!
LadyRin23