DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Inu-Yasha, or McDonald's either, for that matter. Too bad...
A/N: This was a hard chapter for me to write. Not only did almost everything change in some form or another, but I've never written a fight scene before….. so feedback would be greatly appreciated. (hint, hint) Most noticeably the changes are in the fight scene and an extra scene between Kagome and Miroku in the park.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The class was dismissed for lunch sometime later, and Kagome made sure to leave before a certain classmate of hers did. Which was saying something, since Inu-Yasha always tore out of the room as if his uniform was on fire at every chance he got. Hmmmm..... Kagome added that new idea to her list of tortures for the foul-mouthed boy.
So off in her own world was Kagome, that Sango startled her just by tapping her on the shoulder. The older girl grinned. "Thinking about Houjo?" She teased. Thankfully, Sango did not seem to expect an answer, because Kagome's brain was not sending the signals to her mouth in time.
"C'mon," Sango looped her arm through Kagome's. "Today's Monday second year students and upper classmen are allowed out of the gates for lunch. We can go eat at the park!" She steered the dazed girl towards the front door and down the steps. "By the way, your hair looks cute like that."
Miroku intercepted them halfway to the gate with a friendly grin. "Hello ladies, might I inquire about your plans for the hour of freedom?"
Sango (and consequently, Kagome) stopped and turned a tiny shade of pink. Evidently, the Taijin girl hadn't gotten over the weekend party. Still, she looked Miroku straight in the eye as she answered. "WE are going the park for lunch."
Miroku sighed dramatically. "What a shame, I was hoping you'd join Inu-Yasha and I for lunch at McDonald's."
As luck (or perhaps time) would have it, Inu-Yasha caught up with the trio; he stopped for a second when he saw whom Miroku was talking to, but stood next to Miroku as if nothing had happened.
Kagome's false smile seemed to freeze and her eyes didn't seem quite as friendly. "I don't that's such a good idea" Kagome replied coolly, avoiding looking at Inu-Yasha. "Perhaps, another time.....shall we go, Sango?"
Sango managed to throw a confused look at Miroku (of all people) before Kagome drug her off in the direction of the front gate.
Miroku turned to his companion, "I don't suppose YOU would happen to know what that was all about?"
Inu-Yasha said nothing.
"Must be contagious" Miroku muttered. He sighed and fished his keys from his pocket. "You coming or not?"
**********
Miroku glanced over the top of his fish sandwich at his quiet companion. Inu-Yasha's meal sat in the box, untouched. Well, half his fries were gone, but that was it. The younger boy had been silent during the entire ride to the fast-food restaurant. Actually, it had begun before that; he had been pretty sullen after they left the girls. And while he was relieved to see a "calm" Inu-Yasha, that could only last for so long before Miroku would get nervous.
"Don't tell me you miss class already." Inu-Yasha dignified him with the 'salute', but said nothing. 'At least he responded,' the upper classman thought, but decided against taking further action, lest his friend went off in a snit again and become even more sullen than he already was. 'If that's POSSIBLE.'
The door opened and the noonday sun filled the small area. Inu-Yasha looked up and a deep noise akin to a growl rumbled in his chest. Surprised, Miroku turned around to see Kouga and his small crew walk up to the counter. Miroku saw no problem with Kouga; he was a decent kid, okay student, good athlete, but he had and attitude and temper to match everyone's favorite delinquent. And the two of them in the same enclosed space at the same time would not be pretty.
Determined to keep the chaos from unleashing, Miroku stood up and threw away his trash. He returned to Inu-Yasha sitting in the booth. "Come on Inu-Yasha, we're leaving." He mentally prepared himself for the younger boy's stubbornness, but was utterly surprised when said boy stood up and threw his stuff away. 'Yasha must be really out of it today, or hit his head really hard to be listening to me.' However, he said nothing more and led the way to the door, which unfortunately, was just past the counter.
There wasn't much room up front for people to get in and out with the Wolfsbane Gang crowding around. Miroku was a kind of small in the frame, so he maneuvered around fine. Inu-Yasha, however was just a bit bigger than Miroku, and that made all the difference in the world at this point in time.
"Hey, watch where you're going, retard!"
With his hand on the door, Miroku turned around to see Inu-Yasha standing nose to nose in a glaring contest with one of Kouga's gang. 'Kami-sama, for just this once, keep your mouth shut, Inu-Yasha,' Miroku silently pleaded. However, it seemed that Inu-Yasha didn't receive the mental message (or he just ignored it, as per the norm).
"If your sorry ass weren't in the middle of the damn way, it wouldn't've happened!"
Miroku held his breath, waiting to see who would throw the first punch.
The other boy did, aiming for blanc haired student's face. Inu-Yasha ducked and acquainted his elbow with his opponent's midsection. The kid staggered for a second; then lunged at Inu-Yasha the moment he got his second wind. But whatever attack he had in mind, it didn't happen.
Kouga yanked his lackey back by the back of his collar and now stood in said lackey's place, staring Inu-Yasha down. "What the hell are you trying to start, you piece of dog shit?"
Trying to loom over someone while in a defensive stance wasn't easy, but Inu-Yasha managed to pull it off. And looked rather intimidating as well. He glared at Kouga. "I didn't start anything, asshole, but I will finish it." Inu-Yasha spoke so low, Miroku strained to hear what was being said. Kouga glared, so did Inu-Yasha. Everyone else waited.
It happened so fast, Miroku wasn't even sure he saw it. Kouga threw a double punch, one fist aimed at Inu-Yasha's face, the other went for his gut. But Inu-Yasha shifted all his weight on his front foot and leaned to his right. As Kouga's fist struck the space where his rival's head had been mere seconds before, Inu-Yasha batted it away, successfully distracting Kouga for a split second. Using time as an advantage, the older boy shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and twisted left. The tile floor was productive and carried him through his burst of momentum. Bending his right leg at the knee, Inu-Yasha came closer to the floor and kicked out his left leg. The end produced the desired result. Inu-Yasha had swept Kouga's legs out from under him, causing the boy to fall on his ass.
Kouga was back up in a heartbeat. Miroku was in between the fighters in the next.
"That's enough from both of you!" Everyone was startled to see the upper classman with a dark expression. He sighed, "Not here, not now." Miroku spoke softly now, to only the students. "We are still representing the school. Don't do anything stupid, Kouga, please. We may not get out for lunch in the future if this is reported. Think about it, is this REALLY worth it?"
By this time the manager had appeared on the scene, but had yet to do anything. Kouga took in his surroundings and the circumstance before taking a small step back. Not out his hitting range, but the difference was enough to suggest that Kouga had backed down.
"This ain't over yet, you piece of dog shit," he hissed at Inu-Yasha.
Turning back to his gang, Kouga announced, "We're leaving." Quietly, the Wolfsbane Gang filed out of the restaurant, each member glaring or making some rude gesture at the second year student.
The manager turned to the remaining school kids. Miroku bowed and apologized profusely. Inu-Yasha, meanwhile, had stormed outside, refusing to speak. He was waiting by the car by the time Miroku came outside. In the sunlight, Miroku could make out a discoloured spot over Inu-Yasha's left cheekbone. He was fast, but obviously had not been fast enough to entirely avoid Kouga's punch.
"You going back?" Miroku asked as he unlocked the car.
His companion said nothing as he got in the car and leaned the seat back.
Miroku shrugged. "If you don't talk, you don't vote…I say we get the girls."
**********
They found the girls at a stone picnic table in the shade, various remains of lunch spread between them. Sango had just finished telling Kagome a story that had sent the other girl into a fit of giggles.
Miroku took a seat next to Sango and slid an arm around her shoulder. "Looks like you had a good time," he observed.
Sango kept and eye on the hand that kept sneaking closer and closer to her breast. "Try anything Houshi and I swear you will be wearing a lapful of iced water. I can guarantee that you will be most uncomfortable."
That seemed to stop the hand and it lay on her shoulder again.
"So, umm, Miroku." Kagome watched as the older boy reached for a leftover rice ball. "Did you enjoy lunch?"
"Well," he said, munching on the rice ball, "it could have gone worse, but it definitely could have gone better."
"I wouldn't expect things to GET a whole lot better," Kagome insisted, wrinkling her nose in a fashion that could only be described as cute. "I mean you went to McDonald's, didn't you?"
"What is so wrong with McDonald's, may I ask?" Miroku asked in a miffed tone.
"Nothing, if you like to clog your arteries with enough dripping grease and fat to cause major cardiac arrest."
"Don't tell me YOU'RE a vegetarian," Miroku groaned.
"Hey, I like meat just as much as the next person, thank you," Kagome answered with an elegant snort. "But those are not cows you're eating on your quarter pounder."
"Which is why I had the fish," the upper classmen returned evenly.
"Yanno," said Sango in a thoughtful tone. "I seem to recall the disappearance of the cat that used to hang around out in the back of that place."
Kagome looked disgusted. "GROSS!!!" she cried in outrage. "Sango, you are just SICK!"
Miroku, however, was unfazed and finished the rice ball before looking at Sango. "Quite tasty, Sango. You used your special sauce with the rice, I presume?"
Sango nodded and began putting lids on containers and whatnot. "'Yasha, are you gonna sit down or what?"
Inu-Yasha had been standing not a foot away from the table with his arms crossed over his chest. He would've stayed in the car, but Miroku had told him that he needed the car to get back to school, whether Inu-Yasha went with him or not. And he didn't feel like having 'Yasha take off with it.
Inu-Yasha snorted and remained silent, but did not sit down.
Miroku rolled his eyes. "He's been like that most of the hour," he explained. Out of the blue, Miroku snapped his fingers and looked up at Kagome. "Oh hey, you were asking about Kikyou the other day, right?"
Kagome nodded and Sango watched her best friend from the corner of her eye. Inu-Yasha noticeably stiffened.
Oblivious, Miroku continued, "Well, I was thinking about it and you look a lot like her wearing your hair back like that. It's looks cute though."
Kagome smiled and fingered her ribbon. "Thank-you. Sango thought so too." She said it loudly enough for Inu-Yasha to hear her, and she hoped he got the hint. Of course, it really wasn't any of his business how she wore her hair. She put her containers back in her sack and threw away the trash that they had. On her way to the garbage can and noticed in passing the bruise on Inu-Yasha's face. He turned his face away when he caught her looking at him, so she didn't get to confirm what she thought she saw.
Miroku and Sango were ready to go; were already standing by Miroku's ride.
"You coming, 'Yasha?" Sango asked.
Kagome stopped her descent to the car and turned to see her classmate who DID have a bruise on his face.
Inu-Yasha just stared at Miroku who nodded.
"Suit your self, man. Don't forget the kiddies."
"Keh."
Sango rode shotgun on the way back to school, leaving Kagome in the back seat, alone with her thoughts and wondering about the strange bruise on her classmate's face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
See? I told you it was short, but I've always seen this part as a whole chapter.
That fight scene was really bad, and I realized that the whole scuffle was just about damn near humanly impossible, but you can't blame me for trying. The only way I can figure it, is that Inu-Yasha (and just about anyone associated with him) can not be described as a normal human.
And while I'm on the subject, no, Inu-Yasha is NOT I repeat, NOT hanyou or anything of the sort. He's just extra special with extra good senses. It happens. Somebody asked me if he was and I never thought about it.
I told you I had to turn my laptop back in for winter holiday, didn't I? That's really slowed down production. Sorry.
Just a reminder about the list. Email me at Leina_chan245@hotmail.com or leave a review if you're interested.