Chapter 4: They Meet Again

"So where are we going?" I questioned, trying to keep up with Inuyasha and his fast pace.

He didn't respond, but only grunted as he continued down the steps and walking the concrete path to his car that sat in the driveway. Inuyasha opened the door, taking his place in the driver's seat. I followed suit then buckled my seat-belt. I noticed that he wasn't strapped in.

Talk about safety I thought.

Inuyasha started the car, backing out of the driveway. Just a few blocks down the street I was beginning to get irritated. He didn't seem to want to talk much or even acknowledge the fact that I was in the car, or even living in his house. I wondered if he would be like this for the rest of the summer. He continued on with his silent treatment until we were parked and he shut the car off.

"Get out," was the only thing he said as he stepped out of the car.

I slowly unbuckled my seat-belt, and opened the car door. A cool breeze with a hint of saltwater and sand filled my nostrils. We were at the beach. Shops were set up along the strip with their bright lights being so-ever inviting. I looked toward the shore and saw that the water was calm, but with some waves crashing onto the sand. I noticed kids my age goofing around; guys tossing girls into the air, groups sitting around in one section, or couples trying to secretly make out. I zipped my jacket when another breeze blew. Although it was summer, the nights would get a bit chilly being near the beach.

I searched for Inuyasha with my eyes, but couldn't find him anywhere. Great. He had totally ditched me just to go off and do whatever he wanted. I had my options though; either sit back in the car or go find someone worthy of talking to. I decided that it would be the latter. I walked a little onto the sand and sat on a bench that was a bit moist and covered in sand. I looked off into the far distance to see Inuyasha and a group of other people having a good time.

Ugh! How rude of that jerk to just leave me all by myself. I huffed out a sigh and nudged the sand with the tip of my shoes. I glanced over and saw a tall girl with long black hair struggling to carry loads of beach supplies. She tipped forward and dropped a beach ball that came lightly rolling towards me. I bent over to pick it up.

"Dropped something," I pointed out.

She looked back with a puzzled expression and then realized what I was holding. She made an attempt to grab it while keeping the supplies cradled in her arms. I only grinned at her and said, "I'll help you."

I took some of the foldable chairs, towels...and pack of beer? I didn't bother to question the girl, only to follow her since she was already walking ahead.

"Thanks a lot for helping," she told me.

"Sure, no problem."

"I've never seen you around here," she pointed out.

"Um..yeah I'm staying with my mom's friend for the summer," I simply told her.

At that moment she turned to me and said, "I'm Kagome."

"Rin," I replied back.

We continued to lug all her beach supplies further down the shore until I saw that we were coming upon a group of people that were having a good time laughing like crazy, sitting around a bonfire and just having lots of fun. Kagome quickened her pace towards the group. I stayed behind, unsure of whether to intrude on their good fun, but when Kagome waved me over I figured that it was okay; so I slowly made my way towards them. I noticed immediately upon arrival that Inuyasha was amongst these people.

"Hey squirt!"

I frowned and clenched my fist. He had one more time with the whole squirt thing.

"Hey Kagome, did you bring the beer?" a girl asked. She had fiery red hair that was styled in pigtails and piercing green eyes. She was obviously a wolf demon.

Kagome grinned. "Right here." She retrieved the six pack from my arms, handing them over to the girl. Almost immediately, everyone was scrambling for a can. Kagome laughed. "There's more you know," she said while getting a beer for herself.

I put down the rest of the supplies, just standing there so awkwardly. I didn't know what to say or do as I watched them consume cheap alcohol. I felt a bit nervous standing around with these people, seeing as how I never drank a day in my life; unless it was a special occasion with my mom, but that was a totally different story. I was contemplating a lame excuse to use just to get out of there, when someone mentioned a familiar name.

"Hey, when is Sesshomaru coming?" this question came from a male wolf demon with a high ponytail and cool blue eyes. "He's gonna miss all the fun." He made this last statement while grabbing the red-headed wolf demon around the waist, pulling her towards him.

"Kouga!" she giggled.

Kouga smirked. "You know you like it, Ayame."

She giggled again, unable to hide her blush.

I looked away, not sure what to make of this scene. As if she sensed my uneasiness, she took a quick look at me and said, "Oh new girl, let's get some names around here. Who are you?"

"Um, Rin."

She nodded her head. "I'm Ayame, and this is my more-than excited boyfriend, Kouga." she nudged the frisky wolf demon playfully then continued with introductions. She pointed to Inuyasha, but I beat her to the punch.

"We've met," I stated, trying to keep a frown from plaguing my face.

She went on to acquaint the last of the group; a tall guy with long ebony hair and deep red eyes.

"And that guy over there is Naraku."

I gave a friendly wave, but didn't get the gesture in return. I just stood there, feeling even more awkward and out of place.

Kagome leaned over and whispered to me. "Don't worry about him, he's just a bit moody."

The group had then gone back to doing their thing, which included guzzling booze and partying. I decided to stick close to Kagome. If I was going to make it through this night till Inuyasha was ready, might as well spend it with someone interesting. We spread out the foldable chairs; one for each of us. She proceeded to open up a can of beer and offered me one, but I politely shook my head no.

"So is this your first time in Kyoto?" Kagome asked, while shuffling the sand with her feet.

"Um, no. I sometimes come here every summer."

"Then you should totally hang out with me and my friends."

I took a look across the way and saw how rambunctious the group was acting, but it appeared that they were enjoying themselves. Maybe I could try to have some fun, but I wasn't quite sure.

I was going to object, when someone called out, "Hey, Kagome, Sesshomaru isn't gonna make it; he's at some party. He said to just meet him over there."

Kagome smiled brightly. "Awesome." She stood from her chair, folding it up and wedging it underneath her arm. "You should come with us, Rin."

"Oh…uh…I don't know," I said in a haste.

"What's the matter, squirt? Can't hang?" Inuyasha daunted with a smirky grin on his face.

A low growl escaped my lips. I'll show him. "Sure, I'd love to go," I told Kagome with more confidence than I had. I turned to Inuyasha with a grin on my face.

"Awesome, you can ride with me!"

I watched as Inuyasha headed back to his car. Kagome grabbed my hand, leading me to her other friends. "Come on, we'll ride with the others," she told me. Kouga, Naraku and Ayame were already seated in the vehicle. I followed Kagome's lead into the backseat. I only hoped that I was making the right decision.

XX

I hadn't known that I was in the early stages of nodding off until the car came to a complete stop, and everyone was scrambling to get out. I took a moment to take in my surroundings. When I agreed to go to this mysterious party, I didn't know we would be way out in the countryside. How far out of the city did we drive? I was beginning to have doubts, when a tap at the window startled me. I looked over and saw that it was Kagome.

"You coming or what?"

I slowly nodded my head, reaching for the door's handle and popping it open. I stepped onto the crunchy dirt road, shutting the door behind me. I noticed that it was only the two of us surrounded by hordes of vehicles, but no signs of a party.

"Where is everyone?" I cautiously questioned.

Kagome flashed me a warm smile. "The party's on top of the hill," she informed me.

We steadily began to make our way upon the sloping hill ahead of us.

"A kid at our school decided to throw this big blowout party to christen the start of summer while his parents are away," Kagome went on to tell me. "You party much?"

I turned away, feeling a bit embarrassed. Was I the only teen that didn't go out and have a good time? Did attending social events with my mother count? I thought more about the question and simply told her, "A little." What a lie that was.

"Well get ready, cuz theses parties get wild!"

I let out a nervous laugh. We were finally coming upon the peak of the hill, and I just couldn't believe it. The exterior of the house appeared to be four stories high and was in total shambles with most of the first floor windows busted out, toilet paper draping over the trees like Christmas lights, and intoxicated teens lying passed out on the ground. Loud music was emanating from the inside, and I could feel myself gradually going deaf. Did I really have the courage to do this?

Kagome gently nudged me. "Don't be nervous."

I gazed upon what was deemed fun, and gulped. Kagome grabbed my hand, and led us toward the front door that was already partially opened. Pushing it open, I was even more astounded at what was going on inside. There were a variety of couples spread about, heavily making out. Two couples shared a couch; the girls half-naked. Drunken jocks were taking their turns jumping off the side of the staircase banister, others were dry humping on the dance floor, and two random chicks ran by topless, giggling as they were being chased by shirtless guys. I stared after them wide-eyed. I was going to protest to Kagome that maybe this wasn't the place for me, but when I looked to my side, she was gone. Kagome ditched me and I was on my own. I decided to play it neutral and not get too involved. Maybe there was somewhere less frenzied for me to hang around until my new friend was ready.

My throat was becoming dry from breathing in the stale air that possessed a mixture of pot, perspiration, and another foreign smell. Maybe there was something I could find to drink in the kitchen. I maneuvered through the raunchy teens having their way and into an area that was the kitchen. Bad idea. A throng of people were gathered, and from what I could see, a blonde-haired girl was suspended upside down while guzzling booze from a keg. The crowd proceeded to chant, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Guys and girls took turns licking whipped cream off each other.

Okay, so maybe going to the kitchen was a bad idea. I ventured back into the living room where the madness ensued. Over in the corner was a lone snack table. I made my way towards it, spotting a cooler on the ground with cans of soda inside. It wasn't healthy green tea, but it would have to do. I reached for one, popping the tab open. I figured that I would distance myself from the nut-jobs, and the backyard seemed to be an excellent place to retreat to since not that many people were out there. Just as I opened the sliding glass door, someone else collided right into me.

"Shit!" the voice was male and definitely angry. "You spilled soda all over me!"

"I'm so sorry," I apologized while dabbing at his wet shirt with a napkin I retrieved from the table. "I'm sure it'll come out," I told him as my voice trailed off and peered into the face of the guy I assaulted with a soda can.

Was that? It was…Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru!"

He was still dabbing at his shirt when he said, "Yeah, who wants to know," he said as he looked up from his stained shirt and at me. "Rin?"

I gave him a sheepish smile. "Hi."

XX

"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru asked me once we were outside and somewhat alone. A few partygoers still hung around in the backyard, but other than that it felt like just the two of us. I took a moment to register his appearance. Sesshomaru was very tall; towering an extra foot above me. His long silver hair had grown even longer and his body was lean and well built. His golden eyes sparkled even under the light of the moon. Sesshomaru had developed from the scrawny kid he once was into a good-looking teenager. He was two years older than me, so I was assuming he was eighteen now.

I snapped to attention at his question, fiddling with my hair. "I came here…with a friend."

He snorted. "Well you shouldn't be here."

He was right about that, and I knew that I shouldn't be at this party either. But I was going to be living here for the next two months and it appeared as if I were making friends. I figured that I had all the right to be here.

"Well then why are you here?" I asked in a joking manner.

Sesshomaru crossed his arms and scoffed. "None of your fucking business."

I was instantly taken aback. What did he just say? What was going on here? Did he really just curse at me? I was utterly shocked. Sure, Sesshomaru wasn't the nicest of all people, but I would have thought he knew better. And I will admit that I don't know what kind of person he became in the four years our families weren't in contact, but he had no right to speak to me that way.

"Sesshomaru!" I exclaimed.

"Inuyasha told me you're staying with us. Great, just another fucking mouth to feed," he spat out.

I began to shrink back, my heart pounding. And then it donned on me; the smell of his breath. Sesshomaru was clearly drunk, and I took this as a justifiable reason as to why he was being so down-right cruel to me.

"Sesshomaru, you're drunk," I told him.

He took a step towards me, overshadowing me with his height. "No, I'm not," he defended, but his breath said otherwise. He moved even closer to me. I flinched back as he pushed aside a lock of hair from my ear and leaned toward it, whispering, "Remember when we were kids and bathed together; how about we rekindle some of those old memories."

That was it! I'd had enough. Pulling back my hand, and with as much force as I could muster, I landed a hard slap across his cheek, leaving Sesshomaru with a stunned face and holding his bruising cheek. I quickly departed from his company, my heart racing and pounding like wild. I made my way back into the chaos of the house, determined to get out of there. Even as a kid, he seemed to get a kick out of tormenting me alongside his brother. Why did I ever think that in the four years we were out of contact that he would grow up and change? What on Earth was I expecting from someone like Sesshomaru Taisho? I quickly located Kagome, who was in the middle of snuggling with Inuyasha.

"Hey, Rin, what's up?"

I took in a deep breath, made sure I was loud enough to be heard over the music and said, "Could you please take me home? I'd really like to go home now."

Kagome had a look of disappointment on her face. "What's wrong, you not having fun?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Told ya she was a lightweight."

I frowned and clenched my fists. I wasn't in the mood for this. "I just really want to leave," I went on to tell Kagome.

She didn't hesitate to get up while saying, "Okay, yeah sure, just let me find the keys."

"You're okay to drive, right?" I questioned. After witnessing all the alcohol being passed around, and encountering Sesshomaru in his drunken state, I wanted to be careful.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm always the designated driver at these things."

I watched as she told Inuyasha she would return shortly, grabbed my hand and led me away.

XX

I was silently lying in bed beneath the warm softness of the blankets with the light of the moon seeping through the window, casting a heavenly glow into the room. Crickets chirped in the background and an owl could be heard in the distance. When Kagome had dropped me off, it was already a little after 1AM. It was a good thing Izayoi had given me a spare key to the house to go and come as I pleased. I thought back to the party and Sesshomaru. I just couldn't believe that after all these years he was still a jerk. It was obvious that he didn't know the meaning of respect. It was plan and clear that his nasty behavior stemmed from his childhood, and there just wasn't any changing that. Although it felt easy that I was quickly accepted into a social group that was much different than my own back home, I was missing Sango and Shippo terribly.

I was beginning to second guess myself. Could I really handle living here when two other people didn't seem okay with it? I was wondering if it were too late to ask my mom for a plane ticket to South Korea. I sighed heavily, running my fingers through my hair and turning over onto my side. I decided that I would just get some sleep and worry about it later.

I was only a couple minutes into sleeping when the sudden knock of something startled me. I listened quietly, and figured that it was just the house; no big deal, until I heard another knock accompanied by bumping and voices. My body became stiff and I clenched the blankets, afraid that burglars had gotten into the house. I tuned into the noises and could hear the commotion traveling up the stairs. I jumped to my feet to lock my door, but stopped when a familiar voice caught my attention. It was Sesshomaru's. I cracked the door open slightly to see him stumbling into the hallway, obviously still drunk as he struggled to keep a girl with dark hair on her feet as well, probably just as wasted as he was. I had no idea what she looked like, because it was too dim.

Sesshomaru was knocked into a small table in the hallway as the girl pressed her body against him, her lips coming in contact with his. Sesshomaru wasted no time in hiking up the girl's short skirt and grabbing a handful of her round ass. She squealed in delight.

"Shh! Not so loud," he whispered.

The girl only giggled as she stepped back, faltering in her high heels and undoing her shirt as she pressed herself against Sesshomaru's door. He crashed his mouth against hers and palmed her breasts that triggered a moan in response. They swiftly disappeared into the confines of his room. I wondered if things like this always happened around here, and how often. I didn't want to be awakened one night to the sounds of the walls taking a heavy pounding, and items falling onto the floor.

I crawled back into bed, snuggling into my pillow, wishing I could inhale the familiar scent of my old room, and awake to sights of my old house. I took in one last soothing breath before drifting to sleep. I would just have to make the best of this.

A/N: Wow, so this is longer than I originally intended it to be, but that's fine with me. I was trying pretty hard to make Sess a real jerk and hopefully I succeeded. I always make Sess a badass before he becomes a good guy haha. Don't worry, he and Rin are gonna get together later in the story! Stay tuned for the next chapter.