Kagome's POV

"Ay, mama, I'm home!"

Mother came rushing to the door, her short wavy mass of black curls bouncing about.

"Oh honey, I wasn't expecting you home this early. What happened?"

I explained how my boss called in sick and couldn't help the small smirk that crawled into the corners of my mouth.

"Sweetie, you know you shouldn't do that," then she smiled. "But I'm glad you're home. Would you like me to bake some cookies?"

I nodded my head like the eager little five year old I really was.

She smiled and disappeared into our little kitchen that had barely any cabinet space, but it was still cute, what with the little daisies that sat on the windowsill.

I was about to start on some math homework, but I paused to watch my mother busily shuffle around the small space humming. It always warmed my heart how she always seemed to make the best of things. I remembered how when I was little my mother would take me to our secluded area surrounded by orange and grapefruit trees. She carried me on her back and let me pick some for myself, and we were laughing in the warm glow of the sun. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I learned we were actually going through financial trouble.

My mother was a teacher, but with the amount of money the school paid her you'd think she worked as a sign flipper.

I wrapped my hands around the small of her back, resting my cheek on her shoulder.

"Honey?"

A soft smile spread across my face.

"Mama...I promise. Some day...I'm gonna save up and buy you a house. A real nice house. There's gonna be lights...lights so bright you'll be living in a sun! And plants too."

She laughed.

"Don't forget the puppies!"

It was my turn to laugh.

"How could I ever forget that?"

The cookies in the oven finished baking with a 'ding!'.

"One second sweetie..." She grabbed the two rags...or rather, the two make-shift oven mitts, and slowly pulled the cookies out of the oven.

We ate the warm, gooey cookies in silence, savoring the flavor. The oven blinked 10:00. A yawn sneaked passed my lips.

"Hey mom...I think I'm gonna crash early..."

"Sure thing. Don't forget to set your alarm."

Darn. I forgot about school.

I muttered something that sounded vaguely like "Surethingmom" stretched out between another yawn.

She laughed again.

I somehow found my way to my room despite my eyes being shut. Yet, even though I was very sleepy, something in me wanted to let loose the image of me and my mother down on a canvas.

I began mixing orange and crimson paint to try and match the perfect sun that day. The paintbrush glided easily along the canvas. Then I dashed in some trees, which were always the hard part for me. I always did it well though. My body began to act without my command and before I knew it my eyes started to shut. Somewhere in my hazy state of mind I turned the alarm on.

Which was a bad idea.

There I was, sleeping beauty, peacefully getting the amount of sleep I needed, and the alarm went off.

I growled and hit it off the desk.

In a zombie-like state I dressed myself in my uniform. It was grey and black. The two dullest colors anyone could pick.

I slowly dragged my heavy body into the kitchen. Souta was already sitting there, eating a biscuit, a bright glaze in his eyes. 'At least some people get their sleep', I thought grouchily.

"Are you gonna drive me today sis?"

I nodded.

"Sure. But if you make me stay in the car ten minutes just so you can play video games on your phone I won't drive you ever again. Then you'll have to wake up even earlier to catch the bus."

Souta gulped and started to scarf down his breakfast. I was too tired to feel guilty.

In a blurred state of mind I knew I dropped Souta off. I knew I was driving to school, and I knew I had sat down in my geometry class. Yet it all felt like a dream.

I didn't completely wake up from my dream until 5th hour, when some idiot threw a dodgeball at my head.

It was Sora, the world's most thick-headed girl. She smiled menacingly at me. I smiled sweetly back. 'Two can play this game,' I thought.

I quickly dodged the ball, then grabbed one closest to me. With all my might I flung the ball directly at her feet. Sora, being quite chubby, didn't even have time for a reflex before it hit her. I waved cheerfully at her, watching her clench her fists and glare at me. Victory was sweet.

But the sweetness didn't take long to turn bitter. I still had three more classes to conquer.

For the next three hours I pretended to pay attention to the teachers; pretended to jot down notes, which were actually little portraits of flowers. 'As if this will actually help me succeed with what I wanna do with life,' I thought dryly.

This wasn't going to get me into that big art school a couple blocks down. This wasn't going to help pay for mom's new home. But...I knew I couldn't drop out of highschool. Mother expected better of me.

I screwed my eyes shut.

I couldn't disappoint her.

The last hour of the day I spent my time staring at the clock. 1 hour...40 minutes...30 minutes...15 minutes...10 minutes. My heart sped up when five minutes approached.

'C'mon, you can do it clock!' I mentally cheered.

"-and that is how George Washington REALLY died. Your assignment is to write a two page essay on George Washington's life. It will be due in two days," Ms. Hena concluded in her nasally voice.

I rolled my eyes. Great. Just great.

"Class dismissed."

That was all the encouragement I needed. Backpack already clung over my shoudler, I raced my way to my car in record timing. Within minutes I spotted the bright "DELUXE COFFEE" sign in bold red letters against a black background.

"Finally," I sighed with relief. I could finally get a hot cup of coffee and relax.

"Hey Aya-" the words died mid-air. A man...no. Not even a man. Some creature with long black hair and piercing amber eyes stared at me.

In my cashier spot.

Inuyasha's POV

I itched uncomfortably in the apron. 'What the hell are these things made of? Melted needles?' I thought irritably.

All the customers were boring. There was a goody-two-shoes businessman typing away in a corner. 'Probably watching porn', I mulled, contemptuous. There was also a trio of girls gathered in the center of the damn store, their voices squeakier than a pack of gerbils. To top it off, that chick...what the hell was her name again...Ayame, wouldn't stop bossing me around.

I rolled my eyes. 'Damn little girls trying to boss around men...'

A couple more people came up to me. A man and woman, obviously married for two little girls walked diligently behind them.

"I'd like a cup of decaf coffee. Without cream. Oh and add some sugar. How about you honey?"

The man of the family...well. He was tall and muscular, but somehow came across looking no tougher than earwax. He seemed to think for a couple seconds before settling for a slice of lemon pound cake.

"Lemon pound cake...you know how gross that shit is? Its like eating a box of ammunition. Only ammunition would be tastier."

The whole family looked back and forth at one another.

Finally the big father said, "O-okay...I'll have a blueberry muffin then."

I couldn't help but laugh. That was even worse.

"Whatever you say big guy," I started to walk towards the refrigerator, saying under my breath, "Suckers."

The mother and the father looked back at each other again.

"That'll be five fifty."

The mother of the family whipped out a ten dollar bill and didn't even stick around to get change. I smirked.

The boss lady...Kikyo I believe, came marching past the black door, with a look in her eyes so vehement I actually cringed. What made it worse was the fact that as soon as she got to me she smiled.

"Yash sweetie...I know you're knew here," No. What made it awful was her talking in a baby voice. "but we always treat costumers with the utmost respect. With the highest quality food around." I gulped.

"Sure...whatever you want."

She stared at me for a long moment. There was no expression in her dark, dark eyes.

"Be thankful your cute." Then she turned and walked briskly away.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. What a scary lady.

A few hours later, with that incident safely out of my head, I gave customers their orders throughout the day. It wasn't until around 2:30 I got a phone call that snapped me out of the cycle I was already getting used to...strange seeing as how I hated people.

"What do you want?" I snapped. Myoga again.

I took the call outside.

"Where do you think you're going? We have customers to take care of!" Ayame yelled. I ignored her.

"How are you? Did you change your identity like I suggested?"

I growled. "Yes. I did. Alright? I dyed my hair black and changed my name...I'm still working on how to change my voice though."

"Good," his voice crackled over the phone. "just be sure to be on your best behavior-"

I snapped the phone shut. 'This isn't kindergarden anymore you old fart,' I mentally jabbed.

Pacing back into the coffee shop more customers awaited me. More irritatingly chipper people talking idle chit-chat just for the sake of hearing themselves talk.

Except one girl.

No, this girl was certainly not chipper. She wore a peaceful expression on her face until her eyes met mine. Then she glared fire.

I glared daggars back at her, thinking 'What the hell did I ever do to you bitch?'

The started walking towards me. No, marching. She had long black hair that looked as if it just might turn red with the firey aura surrounding her.

"Who the hell are you? That's my spot!"

'Fiesty one, eh?' I thought, smiling. Finally I could have some fun pissing someone off. My smile only seemed to add more fuel to the fire.

She stopped marching, only to stare at the cashier with a look I could only label as determination. Then her gaze turned cool and icy.

I shivered involuntarily. What was with all these scary women?

I watched as she made her way to the cashier, almost stuck in a trance. Well that is, until she literally started pushing me. Her hands were so small and her body so petite I laughed at her poor attempt at pushing me out of the way.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that...sweetie."

She bit her lip.

"I'll have you fired in an instant...honey."