Hope
Chapter Two
Old Friend
Disclaimer:
Police- Say it!
Me- No.
Police- SAY IT!! (pokes me with a stick)
Me- Fine…I don't own Inuyasha…nor do I profit off of any of my stories…(mumbles under breath about stupid sticks)
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right, forget the ones who don't. Believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
Kagome stirs in her sleep. There it goes again. A low rumbling sound. What is it? Kagome grips her stomach…it's her. She sits up and squints at the small beams of morning sunlight slinking through the crates. Morning all ready? She looks over to her new 'roommate'. He rolls over in his sleep, his mouth agape and snoring. She smiles at his innocence. After a few moment of quiet solitude, she decides to climb out of her new 'home' and get a quick stretch. Her eyes must not have adjusted as much as she had thought, the sun seems to burn deep into her sockets. She notices how many puddles there are and has the strange urge to count them. Six. There are six puddles. The little boy walks out of the crate castle and latches on to Kagome's leg. He sucks the sense out of his poor little thumb.
Kagome just smiles and pats him on the head. How cute is he! He sure doesn't talk much though. Her smile loses most of it's intensity when she hears his little stomach howl in hunger. "When was the last time you ate?"
He looks up in acknowledgement, but otherwise stays mute. Kagome digs into her pocket. She pulls out a couple of wadded bills and a quarter. She does the mental math and the total comes out to be…seventeen dollars and twenty-five cents. She isn't too surprised. Lately, with the set-backs in the economy, food has gone up. I guess one trip to WacDonald's won't kill her.
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The cashier rings up another order and hands them their bag. "Thank-you for visiting. Have a nice day!" She counterfeits a smile and tends to the next customer in line. She shakes her bang from her moist forehead, causing her waist long ponytail to quaver. It gets pretty hot in there. The next customer is a woman with a small girl. "Good afternoon, ma'am. Hello little missy." She greets them, smiling at the small child and woman. She hands them their bags.
Outside of the fast food establishment, Kagome stands and reads a sign plastered on the window.
NO SHOES
NO SHIRT
NO SERVICE!!
She takes note of her dusty ensemble and turns to her new friend. She knew that they both look nasty. I bet they even had a disgusting stench to themselves. The little boy didn't even have on any shoes. Did that sign apply to children too? It probably would for them. Kagome debates on what her action plan should be. She wonders if you can walk through the drive through, but completely dismisses the thought after further debating. With no other ideas, she scoops up the little boy, stuffing his little feet into the oversized pockets of her jogging pants. She looks at her reflection in a nearby puddle before entering WacDonald's.
The cashier services three more customers before getting around to the scraggly young woman and the ragged child. "Err…" She tries to pep up her face and voice after looking at the woman afore her. "Welcome to Wickey D's. How may I help you!" She goes a little overboard on the peppiness in her voice though.
Kagome clears her voice but it still comes out in a scratchy tone. Feeling the holes burning in her back from people dining in and waiting line, she doesn't dare to bring her gaze up from the counter. "Can I please get a chicken nugget kids meal and a Big Wac?" (A/N I think I'm going crazy with the WacDonald's Theme…)
She rings up her ticket. "And to drink?"
"A water for me and apple juice for him…"
The cashier goes to the back of the kitchen. From the counter, Kagome can hear hushed whispering, and loud thank-you's as she bounds back up to the counter with Kagome's order. She hands her the bags, and smiles. This smile seems actually real though. Not forced, but suppressed. "Here you go and thank you…Kagome"
Kagome snaps her eyes up to the cashier and immediately allows a small smile to tug on her lips. It's her! Her best friend! Well, they were before she was homeless. "I-I…" Kagome can't get her words out. What can she say? Sango looks great…her hair has grown quite a bit and now she wears make-up and…and…Kagome has never felt more out of place in her life. Sango looks better than ever and Kagome looks dingy and worn. "Th-thank you. I should go now. I'm holding up the line." Her voice quivers a little and she starts for the exit. A tug on her shoulder stops her from leaving.
"I took off for the day so I'm coming with." Sango clamps her hat to her pants, then walk out the exit. Sango is eager to catch up with her friend.
The two friends head out for the park. They find a bench in a nice, sunny location and decide to eat there. Kagome sets the little boy in the grass and hands him the nuggets and juice box. Kagome slowly opens up her sandwich and takes a small bite in her sandwich. She chews it slowly to savor each morsel. It seems like days since she has last eaten. You can tell by the way her clothes hang loosely off of her body that she hasn't eaten in while. She wants to just shove down her throat, but she knows better.
Sango watches her friend eat for a minute before deciding to stir up conversation. "So…how's the burger?"
Kagome looks down at her half eaten sandwich. "Fine."
Sango elects to stop trying to beat around the bush. "Okay, what's up? You've lost weight, and you're a mess. So don't lie."
Kagome sets her burger down in her lap. She allows her gaze to wander to the little boy scoffing down nuggets. "Well…I sort of fell."
Sango gives Kagome the look. The look she always gave people when she knew they were lying, but especially Kagome. "Uh-huh…" Her voice is drowned in disbelief.
"Okay…I just broke up with Kouga…" Sango looks alarmed. Kagome continues. "We just weren't working out like we should…it was a good break-up though." Kagome struggles not to cry. She forces the tears back.
Sango rubs her back in a soothing and comforting manner. "I'm so sorry…" Determining not to press the matter any further, she changes the subject. "Whose child is that?"
Kagome perks up at the idea of the child. "He's my…" What should she say? "He was wandering the streets alone so I decided to take care of him until I can find his parents. I just know the feeling of being alone can be so overwhelming for an adult…I just couldn't bare to know a child could have to go through that…" Kagome sighs in defeat. They both are alone in the world…but now they have each other.
"What's his name?"
"I don't know. He doesn't talk. I think something traumatic must have happened." Kagome takes a sip of her water. The little boy slurps his apple juice loudly. Sango smiles at his childish purity. Sango studies their attire and her presumptions are correct. She now knows, without a doubt, that their homeless. What she doesn't know, is how and why.
"Hey…to catch up some more why don't you come over my place? I promise Miroku won't be there." Kagome smiles at Sango's offer but politely declines. Kagome was never one to accept hand-outs. Sango's knows better than to give up. The least she can do is provide a hot shower and maybe a nicer outfit. "Well, let's just spend the day together."
Kagome hesitates, but agrees. Sango relishes in her small victory. Now all she has to do is find a way to get Kagome in her house. She overdramatically digs in her purse. "Shit. Kagome, I left err…something very important at my place. Mind coming with, so I can get it?"
Kagome looks her friend over once, but complies. She scoops up the little boy. "Let's go."
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When they pull up in a single parking place. Kagome makes no attempt to get out of her friend's convertible. Sango doesn't notice until she's halfway up the steps to her apartment. "Come on!"
Kagome slowly gathers up the young boy in her arms, and proceeds up the steps. Kagome steps into the lavish apartment in awe. For her former best friend to work where she does, she makes a lot of money. Her house is brightly coordinated. Green and yellow is everywhere. It's like spring-time threw up in there. Kagome sets the toddler down on the hardwood tile and wanders around, the child following close behind. Sango notices her friend's amazement, and remembers that it's probably been awhile since she's been in a house. Or used a toilet. "I'm sure you have to pee or change the baby or what ever toddlers do! Feel free to use the bathroom."
Kagome nods and continues down the hall to the bathroom. She almost trips on a stuffed animal on her way. She scoops the boy up in her arms, and locks the door behind them. She notices a face towel and a robe and can't resist the urge.
Sango peers from around the corner and silently squeals in victory when she hears the shower cut on. After a few minutes relishing in conquest, she slowly inches the bathroom door open and peeks in. She slinks her arm through the door and drags Kagome and her companion's tattered clothing out in the hall. Thank goodness she spent extra on those thick shower curtains.
She throws the clothes in the washer and the doorbell sounds. Sango sighs when she sees her visitor. "Yash, where's your key?"
The tall adult saunters in through the door and grabs them off of the counter. He adorns a red and blue hat atop his head, matching his outfit and long silver tresses. "Right here. I forgot 'em and don't call me that."
"Again…you always say that…Yash."
"Stop calling me that!" He grunts, his golden eyes narrowing at the woman.
Sango laughs at his short temper. "You always say that too." She walks back to the wash room and sets the settings. "These should be done washing in fifteen minutes. Toss them in the dryer when the timer goes off."
"Why can't you do it?" He snatches a soda out of refrigerator.
"Because I'm leaving, and I know you're a wimp and will do what I say, Yash…I mean Inuyasha." Sango smiles, expecting his fuse to blow.
"Don't fuck with me, Taijira." (A/N: Sango's last name. I just made that up, but it looks so familiar.) But it's too late, Sango is already gone, leaving him to tend to the clothes. "Fuck."
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Kagome scrubs the small boy's face raw. She doesn't know when their next shower would be. Kagome knows the boy has been traumatized already once, she didn't need to be a second cause. Keeping that in mind, she kept on her bra and panty set. After giving him one last scrub on the buttocks, she sit's the unclothed boy on the ground. Kagome closes the shower and strips off her panty and bra. She first allows herself to succumb to the relaxing pleasure off a hot shower. She lets her hair drip to her back, as the scalding water dissolves her troubles away. After a few moments of self luxury, she decides to continue with her 'brief' shower.
The little boy busies himself with an abandoned hair roller. He throws it, hits and rolls it on the ground. He rolls it over to the door. The little boy follows the roller and studies the small gap between the door and the frame. The small boy giggles and pulls on the corner, leaving the door agape. Out curiosity, he crawls out of the bathroom and into the hall. He shrieks in delight when he finds a small bear in the middle of the hall.
From the small living room, Inuyasha's sensitive ears pick up a baby's cry if joy. (A/N: under hat) He walks down into the hall, only to find a toddler, in his naked glory, playing with a bear. Inuyasha hesitates, but decides on bringing the boy up front with him. Inuyasha sets him own on the carpet in his peripheral and commences to watching the game. The boy giggles again when the bear he threw lands on Inuyasha's lap. Inuyasha throws it back, only for it to land there again. The two repeat the process for a while longer before Inuyasha gives up.
"Obviously you're not going to give me any leeway." Inuyasha plops down beside the child. "You don't seem to talk much. You look about three…how old are you?"
The small boy stares up at him with shimmering pools of silver and smiles. "Souta."
Inuyasha sighs. "So your name's Souta, huh? How old are you?" He asks again.
"Souta. Souta! SOUTA!" Souta squeals earning him a smile from Inuyasha.
"Great…" Inuyasha replies, his voice laced with sarcasm.
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Kagome turns off the hot water and steps out of the shower. She treads the ground carefully, too afraid to step on the child. She reaches down for her clothes and comes up empty handed. She double checks herself, and her clothes are no where to be found. And when she looks again, she can't seem to spot her new friend. With no other options, she slinks the robe around her frail body and heads to the hall ajar door. Steam pillows out behind her as she makes her way through the entire apartment. The last place she looks is the living room. The sight afore her shocks and dismays her. "Get the freak away from him!"
Kagome's loud voice hurts Inuyasha's sensitive ears so he cries out in pain. Kagome uses this as her opportunity and runs for the baby. She snatches him up, and tries to pass by the man unnoticed. His voice stops her. "What the fuck is your problem?"
"Language!"
Inuyasha looks startled by her comment. "Is that your baby?"
"You could say that…"
"Well is it?"
"Yes?" What should she say? What is he's the father?
"What's his name? Age?"
"Umm…" Kagome heart jumps when she hears the boy speak for the first time.
"Souta!" Souta answers for her. Kagome mouth drops, but she quickly embraces the boy.
Inuyasha just watches dumbfounded. "Wow…who are you?"
"K-kagome…" Kagome eyes him suspiciously. She can never trust a man again after…
"Mm-hm. Why are you here?"
"Sango…my best friend…"
Inuyasha shrugs it off and plops back down on the couch. Who gives a damn? It isn't his house. "She never mentioned a word about you to me…weird."
Kagome almost says something, but the dryer goes off. "Are those my clothes?" She doesn't wait for an answer and checks for herself. After fifteen minutes of waiting by the dryer, she changes back into her clothes and dresses Souta. She slowly walks back in to where Inuyasha is and sits as far away from him as she can. There's something weird about him…she knows it. But what?