The Dollhouse Life

Chapter 1

"Kagome, get up it's your first day at your new school!" Mrs. Higurashi yelled up the stairs. A teenage girl with silky black hair, and ice blue eyes shifted in bed. I should probably talk about this girl's life. Kagome's mom was a politician. Almost all of her campaign was about how she was a perfect person, and had perfect family. Perfect daughter and perfect son. A strong woman was her image, a strong woman whose husband bailed out on her, leaving her to care for a family. But that was wrong. Kagome wasn't perfect, but everyday she had to get up and act like a doll. And Mrs. Higurashi, despite all her acting, wasn't strong. Every time she came home from work she would have too much, then go and yell at her children. Kagome's father did bail out on them though. Kagome hated him. The thought of him made her cry. "Why? Why father? How? How could you just leave us?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her pillow.

Getting up and she wiping her eyes, "No, I won't cry." With that Kagome put on a lavender dress with a bow on the front. She then put on pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. For shoes she put on white high-heels. Once she was satisfied with her clothes, she put on light pink lip gloss, a bit of blush, eyeshadow, and put her hair into a half-ponytail. She then walked out of her pink room. She didn't want a pink room, she actually wanted it to be green, but have to have that perfect doll image right? "Morning Mother, morning Souta. "Morning Kagome." Her brother said cheerfully. "Morning dear, now I'll be late home tonight, I've got another campaign, so if you could pick up Souta and make dinner please? Thank you honey, you're a perfect daughter." Kagome new that that last one wasn't a statement, but a warning. "Bye dears, I hope you have a great day." With that Mrs. Higurashi walked out the door. Souta sighed. Kagome knew she had to be strong for her brothers, for others in general. Sometimes she wondered who would be strong for her. She pushed that thought aside and hugged her brother. "Come on Souta, if we don't hurry you might be late for your new school." Souta hugged her back, "Ok sis."

As they were driving to school, Kagome remembered the fight she had with her mother a few days ago.

Flashback

"Mother, why do we have to do this?" "Oh dear, it's for the good of all of us. My job is taking us to a new place. Besides, you'll get a new school and new friends." "But mom, I loved my old school! I loved my old friends! You're just doing this for your job! Have you ever thought about your children for a moment?! Have you ever thought about what Souta wanted? Have you ever even given a mother's love? Have you ever been there when he needed you? He wants you! That's all he asks for, and you can't even give him that! Why must you keep taking things from him!" "How dare you!" Mrs. Higurashi slapped Kagome. "Everything I have done has been for you! All I've done! Be grateful! I could have done what your father did! I could have left you too!" With that Mrs. Higurashi stormed out of the room.

Present

Kagome rubbed the spot where her mother slapped her. 'I know what I said was for Souta, but was it also for me? Is it that I want a mother's love too? I guess I'm privileged over Souta. I know what a mother's love is. He was too young at the time to remember it. No, I can't think about myself. I need to be the mother that Souta never had. I can't think about myself.'

Kagome looked down into Souta's face, reflected off the glass on the window. She looked into his chocolate eyes, the same eyes as her father's, looked at her. Those chocolate eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow. Souta had always hidden those eyes with his smiles in public. Kagome wished people would stop acting like Souta and she were dolls. All that they saw was the perfect school boy. Great at sports, great at academics, popular, always smiling, a true role-model. All that they saw in Kagome was a beautiful girl, great body, graceful, eloquent, smart, popular, a good girl, just like a doll. If they would just look deeper, they would see all the pain that they held. Souta always pretending to be happy, always wanting to make his friends happy. Kagome, always pretending to be strong for her brother. No, they couldn't see that, they never did. They probably never will.

"Kagome?" Kagome snapped out of her thoughts to see Souta looking at her. She put on a smile, although she didn't realize that it was a sad smile. "Yes Souta?" "Do you think I will ever be able to keep my school and friends?" Kagome's shoulders dropped ever so slightly, this new move was the sixth. "Yes Souta, I'm sure that one day we'll be able to." He smiled, "ok."

After about a minute she dropped Souta off. "Bye Souta, I love you. Have fun." Kagome told him. Once Souta was in the building, Kagome drove off. That question kept running through her mind, all the way until she got to the school. Kagome sighed, 'doll time' she thought. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She had perfected her smile for years. She looked truly happy; just one speck in her eyes didn't hold any light. "Well, let's see how long I can keep friends this time. If I even make any true friends." She said as she got out of the car.