Last Time…
"Eww, did you really have to tell me that about my sister?!"
"No..," he laughed a bit, "But it's nice material for when you get her back someday. Good luck with your… err," he leaned up and then relaxed back again, "math homework," and then quicker than she could respond he'd hopped off the bed and left.
"Huh… Something new happens every day, I guess."
---
Pulling the string back hard, Kagome concentrated on the target's bull's eye. Gently releasing her hold, the arrow flew true and hit the center, "Yes! Alright, that's it for practice arrows…" She lowered her bow, watching as her practice arrows were tagged and then removed from the target, "Okay…"
Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax herself. Looking out into the stands from her location in box seven, she found her parents in the stand. They were reading magazines. They always said they came to support her, but she felt like they never actually watched and cheered her on, 'Mom and Dad are the equivalent to statues...'
Turning back to her target, she saw her go flag and pulled one of her seven arrows out of the quiver. She put the feathers against the bow string, and drew it back. Again, she concentrated on the bull's eye, closing her eyes a moment to gather her strength. Opening them again, she stared at the bull's eye and released. Her arrow flew straight and stuck in the center of the bull's eye, "Alright! Way to go Karen! Now, Julie…"
She always thought it was weird that she'd named her arrows, but she found that it allowed her to connect to the concept of archery itself. Smiling as her arrow was tagged for points and removed; she placed Julie against the string and drew it back. Just as she was about to release, she heard someone shout in her direction. Turning and looking behind her, she couldn't find who it was. They were probably yelling for someone else…
Turning back towards her target, Kagome re-gathered her focus.
---
"C'mon, Kagome..!" Inuyasha cupped his hands around his mouth when he saw Karen hit the bull's eye and shouted, "Way to go!"
Receiving a healthy smack on the arm, he looked down to his left to quirk an eyebrow at Kikyo who was glaring at him equally, "What are you doing cheering my sister on? And what's the point, I filed all the tips of her arrows so that they wouldn't stick in the target."
"You WHAT!?"
Inuyasha leapt down from the stands, desperate to reach Kagome before she fired another arrow.
---
Kagome released the string, watching as her arrow made another straight shot for the bull's eye, "Yes! Wait, what happened?!" Watching in complete shock as her arrow bounced off the target and landed in the grass, Kagome received a fault mark on her point card, "What on…"
Pulling another arrow out of her quiver she looked at the tip, it was round and dull. Kagome was tempted to burst into tears; she'd spent three hours the night before sharpening her arrows. They must have dulled during practice… it still didn't make sense, 'Why do all the bad things happen to me?'
"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha rushed up behind her box, with slightly labored breath, "Kikyo… dulled… your arrows, she filed them…"
"What?! She did? Are you serious?"
"Dead… serious, she just told me!"
Putting her two fingers in her mouth, she whistled loudly. Some arrows suddenly flew and hit the ground or bounced off targets, but they didn't count because she'd just called for a time-out; she needed to talk to a referee. Watching as the ref jogged over, he was a slightly heavy man by the name of Jim Joyce. He was from America, but he absolutely loved archery. It was his life passion, he'd come here to study and decided to stay after becoming a referee and archery teacher for Kagome's school.
"Is there a problem, Kagome?"
"Yes… sir, my sister filed all my arrow tips," she held up the arrow, showing him the dome-shaped and dull point.
"Oh Kagome, do you have any proof?"
"Yeah, him," she gestured at Inuyasha, who nodded.
"I was sitting next to Kikyo in the stands when she told me to quit cheering Kagome on because she'd filed the tips of Kagome's arrows…"
Kagome looked over at Inuyasha in moderate surprise, "Wait that was you who was cheering me on?"
The referee nodded then handed her a quiver full of new and unused arrows, Kagome set hers on the ground. Her card would be wiped now that she had new arrows, and she was under the pressure of firing seven all over again.
"Thanks Inu…" looking behind her box, he was gone. Probably back to the bleachers… Turning around then sitting down a minute, she heard the whistle go off to begin again. She had thirty minutes… thirty minutes to relax, meditate, gather her focus, and fire her arrows… Before long, she was standing again preparing herself, "One at a time; one at a time…"
Removing an arrow from the quiver and feeling it in her hands, she gently tried to adjust to it, become one with it, "You shall be christened John," she looked up at her target. She then held up the arrow, "One with the arrow…" She then picked up her bow, and fixed the feathers into the bowstring, "Here goes nothing."
---
"Inuyasha I don't believe you, you are such an idiot!" Kikyo was standing up looking down at him, "You are supposed to do what I tell you to, and love me unconditionally! I am your girlfriend, and you are my boyfriend, therefore we selflessly support each other's decisions!"
Inuyasha stood and brushed himself off, glancing down at Kagome's parents (who were still reading their magazines, completely unaware of everything that was happening), "Indeed. We are supposed to love each other unconditionally and support each other selflessly. What you don't understand is that you talk the talk and don't walk the walk. You are a terrible girlfriend and I'm sick and tired of the way you treat your sister. It's over," he jammed his hands in his pockets, brushed past Kikyo, and headed down the stairs and out of the bleachers.
"Inuyasha, wait! I love you, you can't leave me!" Kikyo had tears in her eyes, but Inuyasha couldn't tell if they were real or fake… not only that, he didn't care.
---
Kagome pulled her fourth arrow from Jim's quiver; she could feel sweat beading at her temples and a cold tightening in her chest. So nervous… her fingers were shaking, and she only had fifteen minutes. She sat down in the dirt again, and closed her eyes, taking some deep breaths, 'Relax… relax,' she could feel her muscles loosen, and she stood again. Still holding the arrow, she lined it up with the target and christened it, "Mizuki."
Pulling the feathers against the bowstring, she blocked everything out. The noise of the crowds, the sounds of other archers… Just her, Mizuki, and the bull's eye. Feeling her energy rush through to the tips of her fingers, she released her third arrow.
"Yes!"
---
Standing on the pedestal, Kagome was beet red. Looking down at her feet again, the big red "1" stared back at her. She couldn't believe it, it was her first archery competition this year and she'd never done so well before. She'd even beaten Ichiro Suzuki, who was standing to her right with a rather defeated look on his face, "Hey Ichiro."
He looked over at her, "You did a wonderful job. Your marks were beautiful as always, and I'm sorry you didn't make first. But you still placed, and that's amazing against such troublesome competition!" She watched as his expression brightened, feeling her heart flutter in satisfaction.
"Thank you, Kagome. Congratulations to you, too."
She was beaming. She felt like a ray of sunshine, and it was the first time in a long time that she felt so good about herself. She looked at the crowd, seeing her parents who were waving and smiling at her, actually acknowledging her success. Maybe they paid more attention then she realized? She saw her sister sitting next to them, looking grumpy… but no Inuyasha? Immediately her spirits dropped… had he left?
Feeling someone tap on her back, she turned around. Silver hair and golden eyes met her gaze; he was still there! He hadn't left! "Inuyasha I'm so happy!"
"Congratulations Kagome! I'm proud of you. Hey… I broke up with Kikyo."
"Did you really? That explains why she looks so grumpy."
"Yeah… hey, would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"
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BC: Dun dun duuuun. Cliffhanger. :P But yup, there's chapter two for y'all. Probably a predictable twist of fate, but whatever, its fun to read… I hope. xD Anyways, chapter three should be out soon. Keep reading and reviewing! 3