Chapter 2: Punishments
Just minutes before sunrise. The birds were chirping and boats were getting ready to leave out for a day on the ocean. Izayoi was getting up from the table just finishing her breakfast when Inuyasha limped around the corner. He had a bandage on his forehead from the accident when he had hit his head on the steering wheel. Izayoi turned her back to him as he eased himself into his to to eat and sighed. "You know, mama, my leg really hurts today. Idon't think I can go anyplace," he said playing with his food. She spun around and gave him a concerned look. "Maybe I should call your father," she said, giving him a softer look. Inuyasha looked back at her, sulking. "No," he said, aggitated. She shot him a dissapproving look and spoke. "This has got to stop between you and him. You can't do that you NEED a father." Inuyasha turned back to his food, ignoring her, it wasn't like he had never heard it before.
Izayoi and Inuyasha had went to church and were sitting in their pew. Reverend Higurashi stood behind the podium. "Let us be thankful, that a young life was saved by our Kami. And let us pray for the lives of the others involved who are clearly not on the path of rightousness," he said, finishing his speech. Kikyo shifted in her seat uncomfort- ably and looked over at Inuyasha. She could really tell that he didnt want to be there. She didn't either. Inuyasha scratched his head and the choir rose and opened there booklets to sing.
Let the light, From the lighthouse...
Kikyo observed the choir thoughfully.
Let it shine on me, I wonder...
It was Inuyasha's turn to shift in his seat. He wanted so badly to leave. So to pass the time he looked at the choir members.
I wonder, If the light...
Looking at the choir he met eyes with Kagome, the preacher's daughter. The look on his face seemed to show surprise and curiosity.
From the lighthouse, Would shine, Would shine, Would shine on me...
Kagome looked back at Inuyasha then back to her book and began to sing.
Here is my thought, This is my plea, Lord let your holy light shine on me, I wonder will you...
Inuyasha looked back at her with an upset look on his face.
Hear my prayer, I know I'm not worthy, but I need your help, Lord shine your light, Shine it this way...
Inuyasha moved again his eyes fixated on Kagome. Kikyo looked over and gave Inuyasha and Kagome a bitter look. Kagome looked from her book to Inuyasha again.
Shine it so i can see which way to take, My faith is in you...
Kikyo glared up at Kagome.
To bring me through, I have one question.
I wonder... (choir)
Inuyasha came up and sat with his friends. Kouga sat to the left of him sucking a straw while Kikyo was to the right, helping Inuyasha put his crutches down while he tries to sit. "So, how's the leg man," Miroku asked. "It's uh, it's good," Inuyasha replied. "I can't believe you were in jail," Ayame said, putting on her foundation. He shrugged. "So, what'd you tell 'em," Miroku asked. "Oh, I just said it was a nice night for a drive, ended up hanging out at the cement factory, found Shippo, you know, tried to give him some help, hot a little spooked, then I thought I oughta leave before they thought I had anything to do with it and I split," Inuyasha said, bumping fists with Miroku. "Gotta hand it to ya' man. You're the jedi master of bullshit," Miroku said, pulling his bookbag over his shoulder. Kikyo looked at them, smiling. "Damn, that Kagome Higurashi sure has style," Ayame said, derisivly. Inuyasha and Kikyo looked to see the "style" Ayame was looking at. "Yeah, I wore that dress in the fourth grade," Kikyo said, blocking the sun from her eyes. Kagome was carrying a box full of stuff, minding her business. "Hey, it's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for. I mean, hey man, she might put it on a brother like a pop-tart," Miroku said, laughing. Everyone started cracking up except Kikyo, she looked at him in an insulted way as if he was directing that towards her. "A little maintenance she might not look to bad." Kagome was passing by after he said that. "Nice sweater," Kikyo said. Kagome stopped. "Thank you," she said, sweetly. Inuyasha looked at her and she looked back while Miroku tried to supress his chuckles and snickers. Finally Kagome walked away and everyone through a fit of laughter when she was gone. "Thank you," Miroku said, imatating Kagome. He threw his arm around Inuyasha and they continued to laugh.
Inuyasha sat in the office jangling his keys impatiently. Principal Naraku set two empty beer bottles on his desk. Inuyasha looked from them to him with a calm look on his face, showing no fear or anxiety. Naraku set two more bottles on the desk and leaned back in his chair. "A student claims that you were drinking on school property Saturday night. Lucky for you, Shippo-san isn't talking. The owners of the factory aren't pressing trespassing charges. At least not today. I told them I'd arrange appropriate punishment," Naraku said, crossing his arms and leaning on the table. "What, are you gonna expel me," Inuyasha asked in a bored tone. " Not yet. Besdides attending all your regular classes, you will help our janitorial staff after school." "For pay." "For the inner satisfaction it brings. On Saturday mornings, you will tutor disadvantaged students at our sister school. And finally, you will participate in the drama club's final event." "The spring play?" Inuyasha gave him a dirty look while Naraku nodded at him smugly. "It's time you start experiencing new things. Start spending time with other kinds of people. Don't blow it Inuyasha."
Inuyasha leaned on a crutch for support as he swept the floor. The building was full of students and Kagome was there as an instructor. Inuyasha stood there listening to his music and continued sweeping. Kagome held up some- thing for her small audience to see. "This is a very simple device made of plastic wrap, a coat hanger, and white-out. Does anyone know what it is?" "It's a star frame," Inuyasha said. She looked over at him as he gazed back. It surprised her that he knew that, but she turned back to her students and continued. "This is a star frame and it will help you see stars and planets with your naked eye," Kagome said, continuing to showing them the object. Kouga, Miroku, and Sesshomaru entered the room and Kouga started mocking Inuyasha sweeping the floor. "Mercury and Jupiter can be seen just over the West Southwestern horizon after sunset," Kagome said, continuing her teaching on the stars and planets. Inuyasha spotted his friends and smiled as they passed by Kagome and Kouga leaned over to talk to her. "Bet you can see angels up there flyin' around," he said, still walking pass. Kagome stopped her lecture and looked at him while Miroku was over next to him laughing. All of them walked up to Inuyasha and greeted him with their handshake and a hug. "In fact, there are some things that could be called miraculous," Kagome said. The guys turned around and directed their attention to her. "Einstein said that the more that he studied the universe, the more he believed in a higher power," she continued. "Well if there is a higher power...why is it He can't get you a new sweater," Kouga said, looking at her like she was stupid. Miroku laughed. "He's to busy looking for your brain," Kagome said sweetly. "Ohhh," Miroku said, now laughing at Kouga. Miroku stood there next to him and continued to laugh as Kagome went back to her lecture once again. Kouga shoved Miroku, irratated. "Hey, laugh. It's a joke, man," Inuyasha said to Kouga. "Man, come on. Let's just get outta here," Kouga said, grabbing Inuyasha's other crutch. Inuyasha gave up on sweeping and leaned against the wall. "I can't. Gotta stay." "Come on, man. Principal Naraku is gone. Let's make some moves." "Uh...I..." Kouga leaned on the crutch imatating him. "Ah. C'mon. Come on," Kouga said, hobbling off. Inuyasha scowled at him. "Come on, man," Miroku said, following Kouga. "I don't kow. The custodian thing kinda suits you, you know. It works," Sesshomaru said, going to join the others. "Oh. Well thanks, buddy. Thank you," Inuyasha said sarcastically. He smiled. Kagome looked up and stared at him. Inuyasha turned to look at her. She looked down quickly while he walked away, and she went back to teaching.
Inuyasha pulled up alongside Kikyo's house in his mom's car and stopped. "Ok. So I'll see you at school," Inuyasha said, dropping her off. "Well, my parents aren't home if you wanna come inside," Kikyo replied. Inuyasha sighed. "Come on, Kikyo. Nothin's changed." "I know, I just thought that..." "It's over." "Yeah. Whatever," she said, agreeing. She sighed loudly and got out, slamming the door and crossing her arms as she walked across the yard. "O...kay...," he said to himself quietly. Shaking his head and turning on his radio he drove off.
"Inuyasha," Izayoi said sweetly. "Inuyasha." She shook him a little bit. He squinted but didnt wake up. "Wake up. Come on. Up, up, up, up!" Inuyasha opened his eyes suddenly and groaned. "Up," she said again. "It's Saturday. No school," he mumbled, shutting his eyes. "Tutoring," Izayoi said, smiling. Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes again.
"Okay. Let's try this again," Inuyasha said, annoyed and having absolutely no luck with his student. He looked over and saw that Kagome was doing things like it was cake. He pulled the book closer to him and his student then pointed to the page. "Which of these are similar triangles? This one or that one, huh," Inuyasha asked, trying to get his student to give him an answer with no luck. The kid tapped the desk with his pencil, bored. "What do you think?" He tried again. "Man, I think this is bullshit," the boy griped, standing up and walking away. Kagome and her student looked over at them, surprised. Then Kagome gave Inuyasha a solemn look. "That makes two of us," he mumbled to himself. Kagome finally looked away and Inuyasha shut the book.
Inuyasha closed his CD player letting the music blare into his ears and out of his headphones. Kagome watched him for a few minutes a few rows back. Finally, she got up and went over to him, sitting in his seat, smiling at him. "Hi," she said. He ignored her and continued to look out the window. "Do you want to buy some raffle tickets? We're trying to raise enough money so we can buy Goshinboku some new computers," she asked. Inuyasha turned and looked at her. "No," he stated flatly, then went back to looking out the window. "So I saw you in there with Kohaku. And I know it can be very difficult, but maybe you should try backing into it from somewhere else," Kagome said, trying to get him to talk, but still had no luck. "Are you going to go visit Shippo-san?" He kept looking out the window trying not to say anything. "That would be a 'no'. You do know that they moved him from the hospital to that rehab place on Oak Street?" Inuyasha tore his headphones off and snapped at her angrily. "Is this your idea of small talk or something? Because if it is, your social skills need some work, okay? Nobody 'forced' him to jump." "It's called peer pressure." "And how do you know about that? Read it in your precious book?" He looked down at her bible. She closed her eyes for a second and reopened them. "Please don't act like you know me, okay?" "But I do. I do. We've had all the classes in the same schools since kindergarten. Why you're, Kagome Higurashi." He smiled at her viciously. "You sit at lunch table seven, which isn't exactly the reject table, but is definitely self-exile territory. You have exactly one sweater. You like to look at your feet when you walk. Oh, and yeah, for fun, you like to tutor on the weekends and hang out with the cool kids from the Stars and Planets. Now how's that sound?" Kagome nodded. "Thoroughly predictable." She shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard before." "You don't care what people think about you?" "No." Kagome got up and walked back to her seat while Inuyasha put his head phones back on, once again playing his music.
Well there's chappie 2 for ya! And i did make somewaht shorter chapters so yea...i'll have the 3rd up there in a few days so be patient! Thankies for reading! TTFN!
