BEEP BEEP BEEP! Kagome reached over and hit her clock. And fell back asleep. When she woke up twenty minutes later, "Oh my gosh! 6:50?!" She realized she had fallen back asleep and silently cursed the long plane ride! Kagome jumped out of bed and quickly dressed in her school uniform consisting of a green skirt and a white collared t-shirt. She left her hair down and ran out the door putting her shoes on at the same time. But not before grabbing a worn out looking book that was on her bed side table. She bounded down the stairs where she saw the other three getting ready to leave.
"Where have you been?" Blair asks. Kagome just glared at her.
"Well, let's go! We don't want to be late!" complained Monica, "If we are late we can't talk to our friends!" so they all rushed out the door. It wasn't that far to school. Sota's school was about half way between the house and their school. But right before they arrived at his school they passed a huge creepy looking forest.
"Wow, look at that!" Sota acknowledged.
"Oh, that's the creepy old forest; no one ever goes in there." Blair explained annoyed.
"Why not?" Sota asked.
"Because it's dark and creepy! Need I say more?" she replied. Kagome didn't know why but as they passed the forest she felt like there was more in there then just trees. And she felt a part of her was longing to find out what it was.
"Well this is your school pipsqueak!" Sota glared at Monica.
"Wow, I can see the forest from the school! Awesome!" he cheered forgetting about Monica's comment.
"Later Sota," Kagome said as she ruffled his hair. Then they kept walking.
"Look! Monica look!" Blair pointed behind them. Kagome turned around to see what they were pointing at. Walking behind them was a tall, handsome, boy with long brown hair up in a ponytail, and a beautiful smile.
"Oh my! It's Koga! He is so hot!" Koga began walking towards them casually, until he spotted Kagome. Then one eyebrow shot up and he rushed to her.
"Well who might you be?" he ask her.
"Kagome," she replied tonelessly.
"Kagome, I like that name. You're new aren't you?" Kagome nodded. "You know what I think, I think I just might let you accompany me to the club tonight, see what status you are," Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes. She could already tell he was a jerk. But she did enjoy the horrific looks on her cousin's faces.
"Umm…I think I'll pass," just then her cousins gasp and Koga looked as if he'd been punched.
"I don't think you understand me. I am asking you out, when I ask girls out, they go."
"Well," Kagome replied getting agitated, "Obviously not all girls!" this continued all the way to school. Eventually she decided to read and block him out. When she read her book, the whole world disappeared. It was The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. She loved that book. Though she couldn't stand the fact that he was doomed to loneliness, she loved how it showed the real face of the world, and also that there was someone who did care for the phantom, even if she didn't love him. But no sooner had she opened the book then she had it snatched it out of her hand.
"What's this?" Koga asked.
"That would be my book, may I have it back?" she asks none too nicely.
"Why do you have a book?"
"Why else? To read!" she replied sarcastically.
"But reading is so boring!"
"Yes, people with small minds don't find reading very interesting," she mumbled to herself. She then reached for her book, but Koga moved before she could get it.
"This doesn't even have pictures! How boring!"
"I know isn't she weird Koga?" Monica blurted in hanging on Koga's arm.
"Yeah she's a real freak!" Kagome rolled her eyes and turned her back to the three and kept walking.
"Hey, she may like books and weird stuff like that, but she's still very pretty," he replied.
"Oh my gosh! You are so…so… I don't even know what you are!" and as Kagome said that she marched over, grabbed her book, and stomped off towards the school, which she was very thankful was in sight.
"I love it when they play hard to get!" Koga said to the twins on his arms.
Kagome thought it was over but every time they met in the hallway it was the same thing. He would be self centered and ask her out, and she would decline, usually with a sarcastic remark. He was driving Kagome crazy! And yet everyone in that school thought she was crazy for not agreeing. Was everyone here that shallow? She had only been there one day and she knew she was not going to fit in…ever. Of course she never really expected to. She never fit in anywhere she went. It's not like she was expecting this place to be any different. Yet she couldn't understand why the pointing and whispers still bothered her. You think she would be used to it by now.
As soon as the bell rang letting them out of school Kagome rushed out as fast as she could rushing her cousins out. She did not want to run into…
"Hey, babe, wait up!" Koga yelled.
…him!
"What? Did you think you could get away? Look I know your playing hard to get and I like girls with spunk. So I have decided to give you the honor of being my girlfriend,"
"What?!" Blair and Monica said simultaneously.
"Yes, it's true; you get to be the girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. So, what do you say?" when he asked this he grabbed Kagome's hands and turned her towards him. They were standing on a bridge with a creek rippling under them. It would be a perfect setting, if not for the guy. Suddenly he began leaning towards her, suddenly it clicked, he was trying to kiss her! He was going to kiss her! He couldn't! That was so gross!
"Well…umm…you see…" she said trying to back away, but when she reached the end of the bridge she knew she had to get another plan. Suddenly a smile spread across her face.
"Well…I…I just don't deserve you," and as she said this she sneakily placed her foot in the way and gently shoved him forward so he tripped and went straight into the water. "But thanks for asking!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away, leaving her two cousins in shock.
'Please! Who does he think I am? Like I would ever be the girlfriend to that low life, conceded, brainless, idiot!' but it wasn't just Koga, everyone in this place was like that. They were all brainless idiots. She was the only one who had any sense! But she stood out. She was the weird one. It was definitely a lonely feeling. She just wished that there was some one to talk to. She couldn't talk to her cousins; they were probably the biggest idiots here! She couldn't talk to Koga, he was too full of himself she didn't even want to talk to him. And she couldn't talk to her brother, though he was the closest thing she had, but he was just too young. Here she was walking home alone, wishing she could be anywhere but here!
She reached Sota's school but didn't see him anywhere. Then a group of kids caught her attention. They were standing away from the school right in front of that dark creepy forest.
"Can you believe he did it?" one of the kids asked worriedly.
"He sure wanted to fit in didn't he?" another concluded.
"What if he doesn't come back?" Kagome heard some kids talking before she walked up to them.
"Excuse me, do you all know where a little boy named Sota might be?" she asked. A little boy walked up to her and cried
"He went in there! Some boys dared him too! And he hasn't come back!" suddenly a wave of fear hit Kagome and before the kid registered what happened Kagome was running into the forest.
'How could he have been so stupid? To go into a forest by himself!' at least she could see his footprints, but that didn't ease the growing fear.
"Sota!" she yelled, "Where are you?" but her yelling was useless. Then she heard the sound of thunder and felt water on her forehead. 'Oh no, not now!' she thought. And before she knew it, it was pouring down rain and she was soaked. And she lost sight of Sota's footprints, but she kept running. She didn't notice that a root from one of the trees was sticking up and her foot got caught and she fell on her face. "Crap!" she yelled, getting more and more frantic. She stood up and froze. Right in front of her was a huge castle. "What the heck?" then she saw something that made her stomach lurch. Sota's backpack was on the other side of the gate. She ran and threw open the gate and began banging on the door. "Sota!" she yelled. "Damn it!" suddenly the door opened and standing in front of her was a little boy with a worried look on his face. The boy had shaggy red hair put up in a tiny pony tail and looked around seven. But what was really peculiar was his outfit. It looked many centuries out of date.
"Who…who are you?" he stuttered. Not wanting to scare the boy she calmed herself down and forced a smile.
"Hi, I'm Kagome and I was looking for my little brother, I'm sorry if I scared you, but do you know where he is?" The boy seemed to calm down and a big grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, yeah I know who you mean!"
"Can you take me to him?" Kagome ask hopeful.
"Sure!" he took off through the castle and Kagome hurried after him, leaving a trail of water behind her. As they were walking they turned a corner and almost ran smack dab into a young woman. She had shoulder length black hair, and she looked about her age. She looked really nice, but also was dressed out of date.
"Oh sorry Shippo I didn't mean too…" but the girl trailed off when she spotted Kagome. She looked shocked then suddenly her face turned to one of excitement. "Oh my! Hello! My name is Ayumi! How on earth did you get here?"
"I'm Kagome. I was looking for my little brother, and it started raining, have you seen him?" then her excitement dimmed a little.
"Oh, so that's the only reason you're here?"
"Well, yes."
"OK, well I'll take you right to him." Her perkiness was back as she bounced off. Kagome wasn't so sure she wanted to follow this girl, but she had no choice. The two lead her down a hallway lined with doors. Just then Shippo spoke up,
"Don't worry, we've been talking good care of him," he assured. "He's kind of like the big brother I never had!" Kagome thought this was really cute. Then they stopped in front of one of the doors. "He's in there."
"Sota? You in there?" Kagome called
"Kagome? KAGOME!!!! Please get me out of here!" Kagome was worried when she heard his tone.
"What's wrong with him?" Kagome yelled at Ayumi.
"Nothing, he's fine, just a little shaken up poor thing," she assured.
"Well open the door!"
"We can't," Ayumi said softly, "It's locked."
"Then get the key!" Kagome was saying a little more aggravated.
"Well, you see, we don't have the key,"
"Then who does?" but as soon as the words were out of her mouth Kagome got her answer.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" a voice boomed behind her. Kagome spun around so fast she almost fell over. Standing behind her was a man who looked just a little older then her. He was taller then her and had long black hair that reached below his waste and deep violet eyes. He wore a red long sleeved shirt and red pants which, like everyone else, looked out of date. She also noticed Shippo run behind Ayumi. Kagome was shaken but quickly regained her composure.
"I came to get my brother, if you could please let him out, then we would gladly get the heck out of here."
"He was trespassing! He can't just walk away! He's my prisoner!" Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing! Prisoner? What the heck was wrong with these people?
"Look if you don't let him out right now I swear I'll call the cops!"
"Oh yeah, you think they'll believe you?" he snapped crossing his arms. Now that she thought about it she barely believed herself and she was living it. What was she going to do?
"Please let him go he's only eleven!" she begged. Yes as pathetic as it was she resorted to begging. But nothing was working.
"If I let him go then everyone will think that they can wander in my forest when ever they want! So I can't let him go!"
"Well what are you planning to do with him?"
"He will live here forever, as my prisoner! Did you not get that the first time? Ayumi, get her out of here!" Ayumi nodded and started walking back towards the exit, and the man stormed off the other way. Kagome was becoming frantic again. What was she going to do? Sota couldn't live here! If only it was her, she at least could get by…just then she got an idea.
"Wait!" she yelled after the man, "What if I stayed instead of my brother?" the man stopped, but didn't turn around, unlike Ayumi and Shippo who both took in sharp breaths. There was a moment of pure silence. It seemed as if everyone was waiting eagerly for his answer. Finally he mumbled,
"Whatever," and continued walking. He threw the keys behind him and Ayumi ran to pick them up with an extra bounce in her step Kagome saw. She also noticed Shippo was smiling really big as well. Ayumi unlocked the door and Sota flew out of the room into Kagome's arms.
"You can't stay! You can't!" he cried.
"It's ok, I'll be alright," she assured him, "You need to be strong, and you can be strong right? For me?" he looked up tears in his eyes,
"Yes I will be strong!" he said.
"Here, I'll take you home," Ayumi said as she held out her hand. He bravely took it taking one last look at Kagome.
"This will be your room now!" Shippo said excitedly. Kagome glanced inside it looked like a medieval bedroom. It had a fireplace on one wall and a big canopy bed. "And don't worry," Shippo said "You have your own bathroom," Kagome noticed the door on the far side of the fire place. "Well I'll leave you to get comfortable, but I'll come get you at super time, kay?" she just smiled at the little boy as he hopped away. Kagome walked into the room, the room that would be hers for the rest of her life. She walked over to the window which was on the wall opposite her. It was big and she could see the rain pouring down outside. She had felt numb up until then, but all of a sudden reality hit her like a ton of bricks and she collapsed to her knees in front of the window sobbing. What had she just done? She thought of all the things she could have done. All the things she could of become. She hadn't had a set future, but she did now! Now she knew she was going to be locked up in this damn castle for the rest of her awful life! It seemed as if the sky was crying with her. Even the havens were saddened by this predicament she had gotten herself into.