Story so far: Inuyasha's got a girlfriend: and it's not Kagome. Now angry and bent on revenge for all the wrong things he's done to her, Kagome agrees to go on a date with Hojo. She's got a scheme up her sleeve, and our little Inu is in for an unpleasant surprise.

By the way, please excuse the bad language. He just wouldn't be Inuyasha without it

The Date: Part One

"Mom, I'm home!" I shouted as I walked through the front door. I couldn't wait to get upstairs and take a quick nap. I was so relieved to be home.

It had been a tiring day, again. Inuyasha was up to his usual antics, just not when Akemi was around to see. I paid no attention to him, and he had been sorely disappointed from my lack of reaction. That didn't stop him from trying, though.

Yuka, Ayumi and Eri had somehow gotten word that, yes, I was actually going on the date with Hojo, and not making an excuse to get out of it. All lunch period they'd badgered me with small details about the date. They'd asked 'Where are you going?', 'What are you going to wear?' and 'Are you gonna kiss him?' I puked in my mouth a bit at that last one. I realized Hojo thought this was an actual date, and there was a good chance he would try to do something romantic. However sweet it may be, this was Hojo, and kissing him would feel like kissing a brother.

Then there was Sango. She'd pounded me relentlessly on my behavior at the beginning of the day. I told her many times that I was fine, but she knew that I was definitely not fine. Sometimes I wondered if Sango was psychic. Her amazing powers could be useful at times, but in the current situation, they were more annoying than anything.

"Hello Kagome. How was school?" Mom asked from the kitchen.

"Good," I responded, running up the stairs. Good was a safe response. No need to go into detail, and Mom didn't have to worry about me.

"Kagome!" Souta shouted just as I was about to shut the door to my room. I sighed.

"What?" I shouted back, slightly angry. I cringed. It wasn't his fault I was exasperated. I should be a good sister and not get mad at him for nothing.

"I bet you're going to go make out with a picture of Inuyasha now, since the real thing is way out of your league."

I was going to kill him.

"You little brat! You read my diary! You better not be in the living room when I get down there, or I'm going to be an only child!" I heard him scream like a little girl, then the sound of a body hurriedly making its way through the front door. Good. That takes care of that for a few hours.

I shut the door to my room and collapsed on my bed. I should've thought about it more before I decided to put Inuyasha's name in my diary. I know Souta enjoys going through my stuff, even though I threaten to kill him every time he does. I was grateful that in my anger at Inuyasha, I hadn't accidently written anything about Dad. That would've been a disaster.

Staring up at the ceiling, I suddenly felt exhausted. The entire day had been a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs. From crying to scheming to lying and close calls, it had been one heck of a day, and not one I'd want to be repeating any time soon.

Sleep quickly overtook me, and I welcomed it. A few minutes rest would do me some good. I would need all I could get for tonight.

A few minutes turned into a few hours, and before I knew it, it was almost time for Hojo to pick me up. I would've continued to sleep if Souta hadn't crept into my room and screamed in my ear. Luckily, I managed to punch him in the face before he scrambled away. I contemplated going after him, but there were more important things to be done.

I'd planned it all out in my head. I wanted to get back at Inuyasha, but I didn't want to cause him permanent damage. Even I'm not that cruel. Thoughts of dismemberment and drowning in acid were awfully tempting, though.

Since he liked being the centre of attention, I figured the best way to get back at him was humiliation. It would be perfect. He'd never see it coming. That egg-head couldn't see a bulldozer coming at him from five feet away.

"Kagome, there's a car waiting out front. It looks like Hojo's," Mom called. Not two seconds later, I heard a car honk. Damn.

I ran around my room frantically, trying to pull myself together. I ended up wearing a sparkly black dress and high heels. Not exactly my typical style, but if I want the job done right, there can be no cutting corners.

I didn't even bother with make-up. With my beauty skills, the end result would be disastrous. My hair would have looked even worse, so I just left it down.

I grabbed my purse, ran down the stairs and nearly made it out the door before I remembered my cell phone. I backtracked to my room and got it. My plans would go down the toilet if I forgot to bring it.

"Kagome!" Mom shouted, and I rushed down the stairs.

"Bye Mom. I'll explain later," I said quickly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She opened her mouth to say something, but noticing my state of dress, just shook her head with a smile.

"I wonder if Hojo knows about your other boyfriend?" Souta shouted; once again back in the living room.

Throwing a shoe at him from the shoe rack, and hearing a satisfying thwack! as the shoe made its mark, I hurried out the door.

Hojo was standing in front of his Dad's old beat up car, looking as lost as ever. I rolled my eyes before drawing his attention.

"Hojo!" I called.

Hojo woke from his thoughts, and smiled when he saw me.

"Hello Higurashi. How are you this evening?"

"Fine," I said. I just wanted to get going.

Hojo opened the passenger door, and I didn't hesitate to climb in. It was odd to think about, the difference between the two boys taking over my life. Hojo, from a simple upbringing, was a kind soul and the perfect gentleman. He was safe. He was the kind of boy that you would be proud to bring home to your parents. I never had to fear that Hojo would try anything on me.

Then there's Inuyasha. A prince, raised to be well-mannered, was the biggest jerk on the face of the earth. The only reason he would hold the door open for me would be to slam it in my face while I was getting in. I don't think he knows what it means to be a gentleman, but he certainly doesn't care. I wouldn't trust Inuyasha with my worst enemy. And forget about meeting the family. That'll happen on the day I want to be disowned. Grandpa would perform strange rituals on him, and Souta wouldn't shut up. Mom would look at me with sad eyes, and know that when Souta ends up in jail for killing his wife, it'll be all my fault for allowing a demon into the house.

"Ready to go?" Hojo asked. I hadn't noticed him enter the car.

"Yeah," I said, a smirk on my face. I wouldn't let my brother become a murderer, if it was the last thing I did. After tonight, Inuyasha wouldn't be a problem. It was a long shot, but I was willing to try anything to get him out of my hair, and even better yet, out of my life. "Yes, I am."

"What's going on?"

"Move out of the way! I can't see over your big head!"

"Shut up! Some people are trying to hear!"

"Move your head and maybe I'll shut up!"

"Shut up and maybe I'll move my head!"

"Children, please. We don't want to miss anything… exciting."

"You're such a pervert."

"Uh-huh."

"Totally."

"Guys, be quiet! You're distracting me."

"Oh, sorry Ayame."

"You know what we need? A pay raise. Why do we never get a pay raise? Then maybe we could afford some decent equipment."

"What's going on here?"

"My Lady!"

"Um…ah… what are you doing…here?"

"I heard your yelling from my room. What are you all doing?"

"Um, nothing!"

"Yep, uh-huh, nothing of importance. Just servant stuff, you know."

"I'm not a servant."

"Shut up, brat!"

"Who're you tellin'-"

"Enough! I want to know what's going on this- IS THAT INUYASHA?"

"Er… no."

"Don't lie to me! I know my own son!"

"Now please calm down, Lady Izayoi, it's not what it looks-"

"NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? What am I looking at then? Because I see a group of servants, who should be doing their jobs, spying on my son!"

"I'm not a servant!"

"SHUT UP!"

"My Lady, I apologize. It was wrong of us to spy on Lord Inuyasha's date."

"Traitor."

"His… date?"

"Surely you knew where he was this evening, correct?"

"Oh… well, in that case, move over."

"My Lady!"

Smack! "Ow…"

"I'm so glad that he and- who is that?"

"I did some extensive research, My Lady. Her name is Akemi Hamamiya. She currently attends Tokyo High, the school in which your son just enrolled."

"I know where my son goes to school. But why is he with her?"

"We told you, Lady Izayoi. He's on a date."

"What?"

"I knew we should've locked the door."

"That's it! He is not getting his summer home back, ever!"

"Can I have it then?"

"We all now you'd just turn it some night club so you could sleep with women. Remember that time in Fiji?"

"Why, I never!"

"Oh, yeah. There were so many ladies there. We had to tell them a record producer wanted to make them all famous, just to get them to leave."

"I still can't believe they fell-"

"Would you idiots shut up? Sorry, Lady Izayoi."

"Apology accepted."

"Now, are you going to keep yapping, or do you want to know what's going on?"

"…"

"Good. Now listen to this. You'll never believe who's here."

"Who?"

"It's… Kagome."

"Kagome?"

"Yep."

"Are you certain?"

"Positive."

"Sweet, this is exactly what I've been waiting for."

"Hey, did anyone remember to bring popcorn?"

We arrived at Les Veaux in no time. Hojo could be a real speed demon when he wanted to be. I didn't think he had it in him. Judging by the sweat running down his forehead and shaking hands, I'd put it down as nervousness.

The parking lot was filled with brand-new, high end cars. I couldn't tell you what they were to save my life. Cars were not my thing. Though, even an idiot could tell that they didn't belong to anyone making minimum wage. Cocooned by the cars, in the middle of the parking lot was a beautiful fountain in the shape of a globe, spewing jets of sparkling water.

We parked in the employee lot, where the cars looked a lot more like the one we were in. There were some waiters standing by the back door, smoking cigarettes. When they saw Hojo and I pull in, they quickly put them out. I guess I'm not the only one painfully aware of Hojo's health consciousness.

"Katsuro, Jake-eh! How are you this evening?" Hojo called.

Jake-eh? But now that I looked closer, I could see that one of the boys had dirty-blonde hair, and oddly pinkish skin. Looking at him in the small light the doorway had to offer, it was obvious he wasn't Japanese.

"Jake-eh," Hojo said to me as he helped me out of the car. It was like he could read my mind, "Is from America. He's come to live in Japan for a year on a foreign exchange. He tells some amazing stories about the West. You should get him to tell you them sometime. You'd be amazed."

I doubted that after unconventionally discovering the existence of demons, an American could say anything that would impress me.

"It's Jake! Jake! Not Jeh-keh! How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your thick skull?"

"Ha, always the joker, Jake-eh," Hojo said obliviously.

"Ugh, why do I even bother?" Jake shouted at the top of his lungs. He stormed away. The other waiter, Katsuro, fell to the ground clutching his stomach in laughter. Oh boy.

"He's speaks surprisingly good Japanese for an American," I observed.

Hojo laughed as he took my arm in his own. "Of course he does. You can't be just anyone to get chosen for an exchange. You have to be smart. Now come on, our dinner awaits." He was nervous all over again.

"Katsuro," Hojo called. He stopped laughing immediately and stood at attention.

"Yes, Mr. Akitoki?"

"Would you please e-escort me and my lovely companion to our table?" For the most part, he held it together. But that short stutter showed how terrified he really was. What was so terrifying about me anyway? Hojo's not the one that I'm going to ruin. He doesn't have a need to be scared.

"Right away, sir."

Katsuro led us through the back door. Hojo was careful to walk between me and the kitchen, but I did catch a quick glimpse. A team of cooks were running around the kitchen, desperately trying to get the orders out on time. A man in a suit, with sandy hair, was giving the chef a lecture about how to properly wash his hands before cooking. Uncle Akitoki, most likely. The resemblance between him and his nephew was amazing.

We made our way into the dining hall. I couldn't help but stare in wonder. I'd never been in a fancy restaurant before, and it was one heck of an experience. The walls were a light peach colour. In carefully positioned places were all manners of plant life from every country in the world. Each table had its own theme, based on different countries. A stunning glass chandelier hung in the middle of the room, over the band playing different dignified yet cultural tunes. I would've thought the restaurant would have a strict design. But this subtle chaos had a charm that no other place could compare to.

"This way, sir, miss." Katsuro said, as he led us to a table that looked like France.

I shook myself awake. Inuyasha was here, and he wasn't sitting at France. I did a scan of the room, but found nothing. The restaurant was surprisingly busy for a place so expensive. Few tables were empty, and the room was alive with the buzz of conversation. I looked around again, but found nothing.

I started to panic. If I couldn't find Inuyasha, then my plan was ruined.

"Here you are, sir, miss. This will be your table for this evening. The waiter should be out shortly. Enjoy your meal." When he finished his small speech, Katsuro hurried away quickly, very quickly.

"Come, sit Kagome. My uncle has prepared this table exclusively for us. It took a lot of strings to pull. I'll have to work at the restaurant for a month, but you're worth it."

"Mm-hmm," I muttered, not paying attention. Russia, nadda. Egypt, nothing. Brazil, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Germany, Thailand, Canada, nowhere. The dog-demon was nowhere to be found.

Hojo pulled out the chair for me to sit; I remained standing. If I sat down, I would lose most of my sight range, and I would be forced to sit in that seat for the rest of the night.

"Kagome? Are you alright? Are you still feeling unwell?" Hojo asked.

No, I was most definitely not alright. How hard could it be to find a guy with silver hair? A lot harder than you might think, apparently.

My remaining vertical state attracted the eyes of several diners sitting nearby. None of those eyes were golden. This was getting increasingly frustrating; that guy was now humiliating me without even knowing it.

I let out a frustrated growl. Hojo tensed, looking slightly frightened. I looked around again, holding my purse tightly, my hands itching for my camera phone. If Inuyasha didn't show up soon, Hojo was going to be the one suffering my wrath.

Through the evil haze clouding my thoughts, I saw him. A waitor walked past with a giant lava cake and mountains of whipped cream. As I was drawn by the tasty delight, I spotted Inuyasha's table.

He was in the very back of the restaurant. There was a screen painted with dolphins partially blocking him from view. His table was on a raised platform. The semi-private dining room had two sides. On Inuyasha's side, there were a variety of ice sculptures instead of plants, and small crystal snowflakes scattered across the floor. The table was made of glass. On top of the table rested a sculpture of a baby penguin holding a blue rose. It was very romantic.

The other side of the dining area was the complete opposite. Instead of snow, bits of sand lay around the table. The table itself was made of driftwood, and resting on top was the figurine of a hula dancer. Artificial palm trees stood against the back wall. A sign in front of the entrance way read: 'Two worlds, one dining experience.' The layout was much like a geographical Yin Yang. The combination of climates didn't match, but they fit together in a way that seemed as if it was only natural for them to be together. Even if Inuyasha hadn't been seated there, I would've requested the private 'room' for my own meal.

"Hojo," I said sweetly, "Can we sit over there?" I motioned toward the private dining area.

He started sweating profusely. "Uh… well, I'm, ah, not… sure my uncle would appreciate that. It costs an awful lot of money to sit-"

"Great!" I shouted enthusiastically, grabbing his wrist and pulling him toward Hawaii. Diners stared unashamedly as I dragged the boor boy across the plush blood red carpet. Hojo muttered pleas unheard by anyone who was meant to hear them. At this point, Hojo didn't exist. The diners, the restaurant, the soft Spanish beat: none of it existed. Inuyasha took up complete residence of my personal universe. Those deep eyes, bored and tired; that silky hair flowing gracefully past his shoulders; those full lips quirked up in his trademark smirk. I could imagine those eyes filled with humiliation, his hair coated in something dark and sickly, and that smirk replaced by a dropped jaw and quavering lips.

Darker, more brutal images came to mind as I walked the path towards the only destination I knew. Akemi was with him, her hair done up in a stylish braid, her make-up flawless. She looked absolutely gorgeous tonight. She was telling Inuyasha a story that was intended to be amusing, but Inuyasha was clearly not paying attention. I was disgusted at how he blatantly ignored his date. All the bad things about Inuyasha kept piling up, with nothing good to act as a counter-weight.

My heart sped up in anticipation as we finally stepped onto the platform. Inuyasha was yet to notice me. His cold glass of… water? Yes, water, was being gripped near to shattering point. It gave the impression that he was uncomfortable. If he thought his date with Akemi was bad, he didn't know discomfort.

"… my mother thought I said ride, not slide. She actually bought me a merry-go-round for my birthday that year!"

"Hahaha!" I laughed loudly, drawing attention to myself, "That was so funny, Akemi! Haha!" Ok, tone it down Kagome.

Akemi's head shot up. She gasped in shock at the sight of me. "Kagome, what a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here!"

The glass in Inuyasha's hands shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Water dripped down his arm and onto his pants, creating the illusion he'd just wet himself. And I might have believed he had, if I didn't know better.

Inuyasha's head didn't shoot up in surprise like I'd hoped, and his jaw did not drop. Instead, his eyes rose purposely slowly, like a cobra about to strike its unlucky prey. His gold eyes met mine in defiance, his gaze sending many unflattering promises my way. I could hear him saying in his mind don't you dare.

I grinned again, without a hint of sympathy in the curve of my lips. He recognized that look, one he'd undoubtedly given many times but never received, and flames shot from his eye sockets. He would have gleefully sliced me to pieces with his butter knife at that moment. Too bad for him, it was my turn to be the tormentor. It felt amazing. And the next words out of my mouth sent me into a joy I'd never experienced before.

"Hello Inuyasha. Mind if we sit here?"

Before Inuyasha could respond, I'd grabbed the driftwood table and pushed it together with the crystal table. I grabbed one of the chairs and quickly sat down next to Akemi, kitty corner from Inuyasha. Hojo stood where I left him, completely lost. His brain finally connected to his feet, and he grabbed the other chair clumsily, falling more than sitting next to Inuyasha.

"Thanks!" I said enthusiastically.

"I di-" he protested

"You're such a darling, Inuyasha. Isn't he a darling, Akemi?" I asked, with all the fake innocence of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Uh… yes?"

"I'm a darling," Hojo muttered pathetically.

"Shut up, Hobo," Inuyasha spat, directing his fury at the poor defenseless boy cowering in his seat.

"Now Inuyasha," I chided, "That wasn't very nice. Apologize to Hojo."

"Apologize! Are you f-"

"Inu dear, I believe the waiter wants to take our order," Akemi cut in at the nick of time.

As it turns out, there was a waiter standing behind me, waiting to take our order. Though, waiting might not have been the right word. Jake stood there with his pencil half way to the notepad, eyebrows raised and all manner of minding customer privacy forgotten.

"Should I come back later?" he asked, looking as if he'd love nothing more than to stay there and watch his boss' nephew get ridiculed.

"No, no it's fine," Akemi said, "I'll have the Greek salad and an iced tea. What would you like Inuyasha?" she asked, clearly ignoring the other two occupants at the table.

"Chocolate, strawberry cheesecake," he muttered. I shot him a curious glance. He scowled at me, like he dared me to say something about his unhealthy appetite.

"And for you miss?" Jake asked me, barely concealing the amusement in his voice.

"What's the most expensive item on the menu?" I asked.

"That would be the Kobe beefsteak, served with a baked La Bonnotte potato, and sprinkled with a dash of saffron."

"That sounds delicious," I told him, "put it on his bill," I added, pointing at Inuyasha.

I was so glad Inuyasha was sipping water at that moment. You see people do spit takes on T.V. all the time, but this was the first time I've seen it happen in real life.

Jake laughed outright. I decided then and there that I liked Jake. We could be great friends.

Finally, he turned to Hojo. The sadistic expression on his face must have mirrored the one that had been on mine when I spotted Inuyasha.

"And for you, Mister Akitoki?"

If Hojo didn't have the decency to not wet his pants, he would have done so. I didn't know what the problem between these two was. It was none of my business, anyway. Hojo was allowed to go around making enemies just as much as I was.

"I-I…uh,um, ribs… no, ah…fi-fish fill…et?" he stuttered.

"One junior cheeseburger with a Batman action figure coming right up," Jake announced. He walked away, none too quietly, shaking with small bouts of laughter. Our table would be the centre of gossip tonight.

As if Jake had taken the atmosphere with him when he walked away, the four of us were left in a highly uncomfortable silence. I struggled to find something to say: something that would make Inuyasha look like the total ass he was. Luckily, Hojo seemed able to read my mind.

"Well… that was fast."

"What was fast?" Akemi questioned.

"Your date. It took me the better part of four years to get Kagome to go on a date with me. You're here after only two days. Inuyasha must be quite persuasive."

The question was meant to be innocent enough, but the way it came out was anything but. Akemi's ears burned, and she found a fascination with our darling little penguin centre piece. Inuyasha raged internally, putting forth his best effort to not kill the human sitting beside him. I myself found a new appreciation for Hojo.

Hojo seemed to notice his mistake. The boy was speechless with horror. He couldn't even muster up the ability to stutter.

I silently thanked Hojo, then took over the conversation in my own, blood-thirsty way.

"Of course, Inuyasha would know all about being persuasive. He's practically an expert."

I expected a fit of rage from Inuyasha, but instead received a blank look. Hojo and Akemi were horrified I would say such a thing, but Inuyasha caught on fast. The only problem was now that he knew I was attacking; he was able to fight back.

"You would know," he said, "You've begged me to persuade you enough times."

Oh no he did not.

"Cut the stupid innuendos," I said hotly.

"You started it," he replied.

Okay, breathe Kagome, breathe. Don't let him anger you. You're in control. You. Are. In. Control!

"Technically, Hojo started it," I said, quickly pushing the blame away from myself.

"Technically, Hojo's a pathetic idiot who can go fuck himself with his tiny dick."

Hojo squeaked. Akemi spluttered, trying to jump to the poor boy's defense.

"Don't you say that!" I half-yelled, "Hojo is a wonderful, kind person. He's sweet and caring and always puts my feelings above his own. Unlike someone, he tries his best to be the best he can be, and doesn't treat humans like the dirt under his feat. Unlike someone, he actually has a heart!" So much for control…

"You calling me a heartless bastard?" he asked defiantly.

"Yes!" I shouted, standing up, "Finally, he gets it! Somewhere in that fat empty head, he learned something! It's a miracle!"

Inuyasha stood up now to, meeting me nose to nose. I refused to back down from the fire burning in his eye sockets. He couldn't scare me. I was in control. I was the master, and he was the disobedient dog. And there's only one thing to do to a dog that won't listen to its master.

"Give me one reason: one fucking reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand."

"Excuse me," came Jake's voice from behind me. He tapped my shoulder. I turned slightly to see him holding out the chocolate, strawberry cheesecake, and a large smile gracing his features. He winked at me, extending the soft delicious cheesecake towards my still hands. I took it gingerly, considering what I should do with Inuyasha's dinner/dessert. I looked up to his face, then back down to the cheesecake. Hmm.

"One reason, you say?" I muttered. "I have a reason."

"Oh, and what is that?" he asked hoarsely. His anger was slowly seeping into every pore of his being, radiating a mountain of danger and destruction.

Looking deep into the golden eyes of the wild animal before me, I replied, "Because without me, you wouldn't get any dinner."

In that moment, I dumped the contents of the plate in my hands onto his no-longer-shiny silver hair.

There! Gosh, I hate writer's block… it's so annoying… mumble, mumble… I'm not sure how good this chapter is. If truth be told, I find these chapters (a.k.a 3,4,5…) the hardest to write because my creative energy needs a little boost, which if you knew the people I talk to daily, would know it's hard to come by. This chapter is mostly a means to an end. I think I went too fast, but I'm not sure. Also, I've never been on a date… so, this stuff does in no way, shape, or form come from personal experience. Anyway, you don't want to hear about my life. So, review, do whatever you want to do, watch Scooby Doo, catch the flu, take pity on poets worse than you.