Summary: A High School AU with a twist! Romance, drama, coffee, tests grading dates! For now it's kids-friendly, but it might change later

A/N: Some of my readers can recognize the first chapters of this story, since they all were posted long ago (still, I went through them and did some editing, so don't shy away from giving them love and a review) But I decided to make this a separate AU with new chapters appearing at random. First 3 chapters will be posted together.

Coffee Break

Kagome sighed and grabbed her bag closer to her chest. She was just glad her first day in school was finally over. She had been prepared for it to be a hard one - after all she was joining the school in middle of a semester. Everyone knew everyone already, there were intricate webs of friendship and hate formed, she had to figure out her way around. She had no one to rely on... It was particularly hard for her, because she was very shy and making new friends was always hard. And there was still the matter of lessons, finding classes, staying focused and sharp. And not getting lost in the maze of corridors.

She entered the room where everyone was supposed to retreat for a coffee break during the recesses and after school day was over. It was to strengthen the bonds between peers and Kagome thought it was a really nice idea.

When she entered only Kikyou and Sango were there - Kikyou busy cutting her home-baked pie in slices while Sango was brewing strong, back coffee. Kagome sighed and inhaled deeply the mixed scents of sweet treat and strong coffee. It was like heaven after all the stress and anxiety of the day. Both females smiled at her, but it was Sango who waved at her to come over.

"Can you fetch the cups?" she asked and pointed to a big cabinet, where a host of misfit mugs, cups and glasses waited.

"Um... Which ones belong to whom?" she asked, opening the cabinet. She suspected some people had their favorites.

"Miroku, the biology teacher, has this slim cup with handwritten "Coffee-bearer" written on it," Sango pointed. "Kikyou's that delicate looking tea cup with a bell flower." As Kagome reached carefully for each vessel Kikyou came over and picked up a few plates for the cake slices.

"It just looks fragile," she assured Kagome when she saw the care with which the new one picked her cup. Kagome gave her a small nod and a smile which the other female returned.

"Okay..." she turned around and put the cups on the counter in front of Sango, who filled them with the dark liquid.

"Mine's that green with red swirls," the PE teacher continued. "Kaede will want to get her coffee in that black one..."

"And this monster?" Kagome picked up a big white cup with two handles shaped like pointed ears. She was pretty sure it could hold almost a liter of liquid. A hand reached over her shoulder and grabbed one of the ears. Surprised, Kagome looked after the mug and the hand holding it. It had claws.

"This' mine," said the history teacher Inuyasha and threw at least five sugar cubes in his cup before letting Sango fill it. Kagome looked around and saw that he was not the only one who came in after her - Miroku was already holding his cup and looking at the plates with Kikyou's cake hungrily. The two new teachers were like day and night, one with bright eyes and practically white hair, the other with dark, mysterious eyes and black hair. Yet they had some similarities - for example both were handsome and their hair was longer than other guys'.

"So, how was your day?" Sango put the pot on its place and picked up her cup. She leaned against the counter, looking at the rest gathered around the table where Kikyou was distributing the cake. Inuyasha grabbed a plate and sat down under a window, Miroku joining him. A few other teachers came in to enjoy their coffee, even the principal Kaede made it in the room. Everyone was talking and Kagome smiled softly at the whole group, hoping they'd become good friends with her.

"It was okay, I guess," Kagome held in her hands a plain glass - she had no personal cup. She gave Inuyasha's mug a longing stare, it looked like it could contain enough coffee to keep her hydrated for a whole day. Sango giggled when she saw her gaze and Kagome blushed.

"He's single," the PE teacher whispered in her ear. "But beware, Kikyou's trying to woo him since the semester started. She's new here, just like you, and so far she had no luck."

Kagome didn't dare to look up from the contains of her cup. The historian was... Well, she understood why Kikyou had wanted to date him. But right now Kagome wanted to get used to the school and her students, romance wasn't on her mind... Well, not most of the time.

"Um... I... I just looked at his mug. I'd like to have so much coffee," she stuttered. The historian was pretty handsome, especially with his exotic white hair and dog ears of a dog hanyou, but she really had his cup on her mind right now... Sango grinned, but then scowled when she saw Miroku had noticed her looking in his general direction and was grinning at her.

"Good advice, be careful around Miroku. He's a bit of a pervert."

"I noticed," Kagome sighed. "He tried to accidentally grab my butt when we met earlier this day," she confessed.

"Ugh, he's going to get in trouble one day or another," Sango raised her eyes to the ceiling. "He's harmless, beside his wandering hand and some teasing. The best way to keep him away is to tell him you're taken. Or you can ask Inuyasha to break his nose for you." Sango wiggled her brows at her. For some reason Kagome felt her cheeks warming up.

"Would he really do that?" Kagome stared at the chatting historian and biology teacher. Inuyasha sure looked like he could land a few punches, with his muscular body, but at the same time he looked pretty innocent with his cute ears twitching atop his head.

"Most definitely. He did it for Ayame the previous year," Sango shrugged. "Give it all a few weeks and you'll see we're as crazy as the students. Whatever happens you can come to me," she added with a honest smile. Kagome couldn't help but smile back at her new friend.

"Thanks, Sango." She was going to like the coffee time and her new work, she was sure of it. And it seemed she already had a friend. She glanced to Inuyasha's mug again. She was going to borrow it one day.

The chance to borrow Inuyasha's cup came the next day because the historian didn't come to the school. The students who had history this day were elated, as was Kagome. The big white mug was keeping her awake and sharp all day. Or rather the coffee the cup contained.

When she returned the cup to the cabinet later that day, ignoring Rin, the math teacher, giggling and warning her Inuyasha would know about her antics anyway, no matter what, Kagome thought that she was safe unless someone told him.

The next day during the coffee meeting Inuyasha didn't say a word, just hugged his bucket of a cup and seemed to be more focused on teasing Sango than investigating if his mug had been busy the previous day. Kagome gave Rin a wide grin, but the petite teacher just lifted a brow.

A few days later Kagome entered the common room to find a scowling Kikyou glaring her way, Rin and Sango giggling and preparing coffee, Miroku putting cookies on a big plate and a big pale green mug similar in shape to Inuyasha's, just with her name written on its side. When she picked it up and looked inside she saw a square of folded paper.

"Go on!" Sango encouraged her when she hesitated and Kagome noticed everyone, even Kikyou, were looking at her with curiosity. She bit her lip and unfolded the paper.

"I know what ya did, wench."