Chapter 2
I pulled up to my house Sunday afternoon depressed and I was not looking forward to trying to act happy to hide where I'd been for the weekend. I tugged off my leather riding jacket as I walked inside; silently thinking that maybe I should've just told my parents the truth, so I wouldn't even need the pretenses.
"I'm home!" I called. There was no answer; nobody was there.
Thank God. I thought to myself walking into my room, plopping, face first, onto my bed, and allowing the tears to flow once more. I'd cried all weekend at Sesshoumaru's bed-side. He was in a coma and wouldn't wake up. The doctors informed us that the last word he said before he drifted into unconsciousness was 'Gome.' My name… They thought that the easiest way to wake him up would be for me to talk to him, so that's what I'd been doing. I told him how my dad was driving me crazy, but not really in a bad way anymore, wondering out loud how my cousin Jaken was going to react to his being comatose, reading books and my texts out loud to him, my friend Ayame had been texting me along with my bestestest Kanna.
Aya's worried about me; I know it, because I called her, completely hysterical, after I saw Sesshou. She's also like my sister, I tell her everything. Sango had to take the phone from me and give it to Kikyo so she could calm me down. Inuyasha had to carry me to the car; they wouldn't let me drive the bike, so Kiki rode it home. I'm sure Aya told Kagura and Kanna, so they're probably worried about me too… And I'm positive that Aya and Sango have been talking about it… So basically, all my close friends are worried about me.
Anyways, I spoke to Sesshou about the most random things from the time I got to the hospital to the time I left, unless I was sleeping or going to the bathroom, neither of which I did very often; and he still wasn't awake. I didn't know what else to do…
I heard the door open, Jaken sigh and mutter something to himself. Jaken is tall, about six feet, and lanky with light skin and dark eyes. I pushed myself out of bed and ran up to him, throwing my arms around him, crying once more. I felt so weak at the moment; I didn't know what to do with myself, because I'm not normally so emotional. But then again, Sesshou did things like that to me… I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was…
"What's wrong 'Gome?" He asked running his fingertips through my hair, trying to calm me. It wasn't working as he'd hoped, I was still near hysterics. I could tell he was surprised too. I never get this emotional around anybody.
"Sess… Sess…" That's all I could get to escape my lips.
"What? What about Sess?" He asked, suddenly urgent. I couldn't blame him; Sess was his best friend after all. Tears filled my eyes and blinded me once more, running down my face as I spoke,
"Sesshou's in a coma. He got jumped Friday on his way home from work, right outside the apartment complex him, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kikyo and Sango live in by a group of crips that have been hastlin him for the last few weeks tryina get to Roku. The doctors don't know why he won't wake up and I've been up there all weekend talking to him because—"
"Kagome calm down." Jaken demanded as I was starting to ramble out of control. I was silent immediately. "How did you know 'bout this?"
"On Friday I got a call from Sango telling what'd happened. I've been up there with her, Kikyo, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sesshou all weekend…"
"What'd ur mom and dad say to that?" He asked, leading me to the couch and plopping on it. He pulled me down next to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"They don't know. I told them I just went to Kagura's house all weekend because she thought her boyfriend Naraku gave her something and she wanted someone to go with her to get tested."
Jaken chuckled. "Nice."
I nodded and leaned against him. "This week is gonna be hell… Why can't it be the Friday again so I can go back? It's the last week of school, can't I just skip it?"
He laughed and rubbed my shoulder. "You already know the answer to that; I don't even know why you asked. It's just five days 'Leah. You'll survive."
I hesitated a while before whispering back to him, "But will he…?"
Jaken stayed silent, just as unsure as I was.
We fell asleep like that, him sleepy from work, and me from my stress filled weekend. I kept to myself that Inuyasha, Miroku and I were to invade the crips' safe house because I knew it would cause him to worry unnecessarily. He'd probably try to stop me, too, and that would just turn into an argument that would be pointless as well as irritating. I would be just fine, why bother worrying him?
I woke up in my bed to the sound of my fully charged cell phone ringing Monday morning and smiled. My brother Souta must've put me in my bed the night before. I got up, took a shower, threw on the first matching clothes I found, threw my hair up and walked out to my bike, ready to start the first day in the week of hell at Mission Middle College, a program in which I work on getting my associates degree while getting my high school diploma. Thank goodness I had a lot of stuff to concentrate on. It would most likely keep my mind off Sesshou.
The day had hardly started and already these people were trying my patience. Kagura was complaining about her boyfriend Naraku, who'd cheated on her and Ayame was bragging about the four guys jockin' her, obviously unable to think of anything to talk about besides that and my "Kayden Situation." Kanna was the only one who wasn't bothering me, but she wasn't saying anything, as usual. She wasn't trying to make me feel better, she wasn't chatting unnecessarily, she was just sitting there handing me paper to rip into little pieces, which I took gladly. I'd decided not to tell any of them about me going with Inuyasha and Miroku. I knew what they'd all say.
Aya, who is eighteen already (lucky wench), is about five nine and a half with pale skin, deep, green eyes, long wavy dark red hair, and the perfect body, would say, her voice full of joking sarcasm, "If that's what you want to do go ahead, but don't call me crying when you get arrested." Then she would force a laugh and say, trying not to be too serious, "I'm kidding. If that's what you want, go for it. You know I always got your back."
Kagura, who is about five four, seventeen and mixed like me, skinny, light skinned with dark hair, dark, cherry eyes, and more than a little top heavy might I add, would say, rolling her eyes, "Girl you're crazy. Don't make me chain you to your house."
And Kanna, who is seventeen too, thick with smooth skin like melted white chocolate, about five seven with long, white hair and dark eyes would say her famous phrase, "Oh Lord, 'Gome…"
So I kept that information to myself. I knew Aya would kill me and Sango when she finds out, WHEN not IF, but I wasn't ready to tell her. I was afraid she'd try and stop me and I didn't feel like arguing over something I'd already committed to. Besides, the less people who knew the truth, the less chance we would get caught.
When the bell rang all the girls gave me a look that said clearly, "We'd love to stay and try to help you but we got a class to get to." I smiled at them and took the initiative, saying that I was meeting someone at Ihop before class; which was a complete lie. I basically had an hour and a half of free time, which was definitely not something that I needed right now. But as the three of them smiled at me, I knew that I'd done the right thing.
So I went and ate at Ihop, listening to my ipod, trying not to think, until eight forty five, when I walked up to Mission College and headed to my first class of the day.
The entire week was just as I thought it'd be. Completely useless. We didn't learn anything new, but we did, however, take finals. I was glad I didn't miss them. I wouldn't have been able to make them up and my perfect grades would've been ruined. I couldn't wait until Friday, which came slowly, moving like a snail through sand. Everyday after school, I went to a nearby shooting range and started shooting with Sango and Kikyo before I had to go to my job as a waitress. My aim was as close to perfect as can be. I was ready, but nervous, and I thanked God that both girls were going to Sac City and taking medical classes, because things could quite possibly go very, very wrong.
I got home Friday and immediately began packing for the weekend, throwing in anything that I thought I'd need. I then began searching for red clothes. If I was to act like a member of a blood gang then I needed to dress like one. To my dismay, I found nothing suitable. Every red clothing article I found was either too small or too faded. I shook my head at my lack of wardrobe and headed out to Eastridge Mall in downtown San Jose after throwing it all out.
I called Ayame as I entered a store and started to look around.
"What's up Kitty?" She asked as soon as she answered. Kitty… I almost laughed at the sound of my ridiculous nickname. Her and Sango had started calling me that when I told them about how I fell out of a tree and landed on all fours like cat woman.
"At the mall. I'm about to send you a picture and I need a, yes or no, k?"
"Ok." She said. I then heard a click and closed my phone, sliding it into my back pocket as I started to look at the clothes. I pulled off the hanger a pair of baggy red Bermuda shorts with about seven pockets all placed randomly on them. They were cute. I went into the dressing room and put them on, my white half shirt showing the dangling red heart shaped ruby; my birth stone. Sesshou had bought it for me for Valentines Day along with a matching necklace and bracelet, both of which I wore now. I liked how the pants looked with the half shirt and decided that I would buy two pairs and dispose of these when the task was finished. I knew I wouldn't want these same pants afterwards. I sent the picture and received quick reply of 'Yes.' Before I could leave the mall, however, I spotted a pair of red and white Jordan's in a display mirror and paused, staring. They were nice, and I wanted them.
I left the mall a few minutes later with the pants and the shoes, putting on my leather jacket, hopping on my bike and heading home to get my stuff.