A/N: Hi! Sorry this update took longer than usual. I'm still not completely sure what my update pace is going to be, but it'll almost never be slower than once a week. Plus I've been really busy and stressed out about school and stuff. But I've finished my application for high school, the test, and my midterms, so now I'm free! Yay for me!
Disclaimer: But despite all this, I still don't own Inuyasha.
CHAPTER SEVEN: WHY BOYS ARE TOTALLY FREAKING CRAZY
English was slow. The teacher, Ms. Koharu, was very nice, but she didn't have us do anything in class. I didn't know a single face in the class, and so I spent most of the time doodling, wishing someone was here.
Well, at least Inuyasha hasn't shown his face, I thought. Always stay positive.
After English was Society Mechanics, a class which I had my doubts about. Although I was interested to see what it would be like—we hadn't taken it in Okinawa—I really couldn't see how it could be anything other than a joke. A class designed to educate people on politics, national relationships, and demon-human integration, when those people are teenagers? This would be funny.
And it had to be better than health class, which I would have to endure next semester.
I was one of the first people there. The classroom—normal except that one half of the classroom was dominated by a half circle of podiums—was near empty except for one boy whom I didn't recognize. He was a good-looking guy: tall, tanned, long dark braid falling down his back. His eyes were a strange shade of indigo—bright yet deadly.
Very, very deadly.
Something about this guy made me know that he was someone I probably shouldn't get mixed up with. Maybe it was his eyes, maybe it was the tattoo on his arm, maybe it was the way he looked at me…
It made me want to take a seat at the opposite end of the room.
So, of course, the guy stood up and walked toward me.
I instinctively looked around. No one else was here. It was just us, alone in the room.
Shit.
"Hey," the boy said, waving at me. He smiled. It was a friendly but seductive smile which made me shiver, and not in a good way. His teeth were way too white.
He was just too… too him.
"Hi," I said, smiling back at him, doing my best to maintain composure. He smirked briefly, seeing my effort.
"Chick, you're weird looking," he said flatly, stepping in front of me. We were just a few inches apart, too close.
I raised my eyebrows. What kind of a hello was that?
He grinned. "But you're really, really cute. What's your name?"
What the hell?
"Kagome," I said, trying to be casual and uninterested. "And yours?"
He grinned. "Don't see why you'd care about that."
I rolled my eyes. "I don't see why you'd not want to tell me."
"Touché."
I moved to go to my seat, but he blocked me. "Don't you want to know my name?" he asked innocently, smiling at me with black eyebrows raised.
No, I didn't. Not really, now that I came to think about it.
"Uh, not really," I said nervously. I moved again, but this time he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.
I knew I wasn't going anywhere.
"You did ask," he murmured, pushing me backward.
"Please let go of me," I said flatly.
He grinned. "Come on, you think I'm gonna hurt you?"
I glared at him.
"Do I scare you, Kagome?"
I shuddered as my name rolled of his tongue.
"Look, I told you my name now you tell me yours, and then let go and don't touch me ever again," I ordered, glaring.
He grinned. "Feisty. I like that."
Now I raised my hands and pushed against his chest, but he just reached up and grabbed both my wrists in his hands.
Oh god oh god oh god…
What could I do? Run? Fight? Kick? Scream?
Would he really hurt me?
He leered at me, grinning, leaning closer, backing me against a wall. He pinned my wrists above my head with one hand, pressing closer.
"Get the hell away from me," I hissed.
"Oh come on Kagome," he teased.
"Don't call me Kagome."
"Isn't that your name?"
"Stop it."
"You're interesting looking."
"Stop."
"Shrine keeper, right?"
"What?"
He smiled. Now he had my attention.
"Yeah, you are. You're new. I'd know if I'd seen you before. So, you work at Jewel Shrine, right?"
"Um…"
For some reason, telling him anything about myself made me uncomfortable.
"Kagome Higurashi…" he purred.
"How…?"
"I knew your name before you told me," he whispered in my ear, leaning close again, our faces inches apart.
I just stared at him, transfixed, unable to look away from his eyes.
"Well, how could I not know the name of my next target?" he asked, grinning menacingly at me.
He put a hand on my cheek, leaning in closer.
Somebody… somebody help me before he hurts me… somebody help me before he kills me…
"Kagome Higurashi, tell me you have better taste in boyfriends than this fool," a cool voice said.
The boy and I whipped our heads to the side to realize that somebody was standing just inches away from us.
I gasped, shrinking away from the violet eyes that burned into mine.
"Hakudoshi what are you doing here?" the boy asked, taking his hands off me and turning to glare at Hakudoshi.
Hakudoshi didn't even spare him a glance. "Just doing what I have to," he said silkily. He smiled icily, and although he was looking at me I wasn't sure which of us this menacing smirk was meant for. "Have you been bothering Miss Higurashi, Bankotsu?"
Bankotsu.
Bankotsu grimaced. "You know you shouldn't interfere."
"I know what I'm doing, idiot," Hakudoshi said softly, still staring into my eyes. "I hope you do too."
Bankotsu scoffed, pulled away, and winked at me. "See you later, Kagome," he said, waving over his shoulder as he walked away.
"Ha-Hakudoshi…" I whispered. "Um… thanks."
He smiled at me. But even as it reached his eyes, those violet orbs remained cold. "No problem, Higurashi. It's the least I can do." His smile darkened. "I couldn't let him hurt you, could I?"
"Oh… um… I…" I didn't want to say that he could have done just that, so instead I sufficed with, "Thank you, Hakudoshi."
How's that for composure?
He gently took one of my hands in his cold grasp. "Don't worry about it, Kagome," he whispered, bringing it to his lips to kiss it. He looked up at me. "May I call you that?"
Because he asked, I just replied, "Sure."
Hakudoshi was a lot shorter than Bankotsu—in fact, he was about my height. Yet something about him intimidated me as much, if not more, than Bankotsu did.
Yet something else held me spellbound.
He smirked at me. And then said, "You're really pretty, Kagome. There are lots of guys out there who would do anything to have you." He pulled back an inch to look at me, eyes deadly serious. "Don't let them."
His hand was on the wall next to my head. His stance seemed casual, but anybody who looked close enough—or who was gifted enough—would know instantly that there was more to it.
I sucked in a breath, wishing desperately that I could tear my gaze away from his eyes but not really wanting to…
"What the hell are you doing to her?" a furious voice hissed.
Hakudoshi's eyes narrowed to deadly slits, and as his gaze left mine I breathed a sigh of relief. After I caught my breath, I turned to look at the person whose interruption had seemed to enrage Hakudoshi so much.
Holy crap.
Oh god what is he doing here?!
Inuyasha Takahashi was now holding Hakudoshi against the wall, feet dangling a foot off the air, shirt collar fisted in Inuyasha's clawed hand. But Hakudoshi was eerily calm. He just stared at Inuyasha in pity, shaking his head, smirking. And then he did something which would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.
He laughed.
I stared at him, my eyes wide, as he laughed in Inuyasha's face. Sango and Miroku, as well as two other students who were entering the class, looked on, stunned and excited.
"Bet you five bucks Hakudoshi kicks Inuyasha's ass," Miroku muttered to Sango, grinning.
To all our surprise, Inuyasha seemed too absorbed to object to this.
"Deal," Sango said after a moment of thought. "Bet you ten Inuyasha can't give us a decent explanation for why the hell he's interfering at all."
"Easy, I'll take that bet," Miroku said calmly.
"What?" Sango asked, seeming confused.
Miroku sighed. "My dear Sango, the girl who is cowering against the wall in terror happens to be Kagome."
Sango gasped, panicked, and then grinned. She said confidently, "Great! Then I'm definitely gonna win!"
The class waited, breathless. Everyone in the room now had their eyes turned to the door.
"Hakudoshi," Inuyasha growled. "You're gonna tell me why you were pressing her to the wall like that and you're gonna tell me right now you fucker."
A collective gasp came from our audience.
Yes, our audience, because I had a distinct feeling that I was sharing the spotlight.
But Hakudoshi just smiled at him. "Inuyasha, no matter how many times you fling feeble words at me, I suppose you just can't learn that it doesn't bother me in the least."
At that moment, Rin stumbled into the room, instantly finding me, Inuyasha, and Hakudoshi. Her eyes shouted: What the heck?
"Yeah? Would it bother you if I flung my fists instead?"
"I don't think I was doing anything wrong," Hakudoshi said softly, no longer smiling. "Actually, if you asked Kagome over there…"
Inuyasha hissed. "Don't call her Kagome, you jackass. Who are you to be so familiar with her?"
"Who are you to care?"
Inuyasha stiffened. "Uh—I—I don't care! Hell, I don't give a damn about that bitch!"
Hakudoshi smirked. "Really? Cause that's not what it seems like to me, half-breed."
Inuyasha's eyes widened with fury. "You're in for it now, freak," he spat, lifting Hakudoshi higher and slamming him into the wall.
What do I do? I didn't particularly like Hakudoshi, but for whatever reason, he had saved me from Bankotsu. I couldn't let Inuyasha hurt him. Besides… it wasn't like Hakudoshi had been going to hurt me… right?
"Inuyasha put him down," I whispered, ashamed of the weakness of my voice.
"Stay out of this, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered.
Kagome.
He said my name. And my heart swelled at it.
And I hated it.
"Inuyasha, he didn't do anything to me," I said, voice a little stronger.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at me, voice scathing. "So, what are you guys? An item? Cause far as I can tell, he was practically kissing you there. Didn't know you were that kind of slut, you bitch."
"I thought you thought I couldn't be more of one!" I retorted furiously, straightening up.
Inuyasha dropped Hakudoshi, taking a step toward me. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.
He didn't even remember.
"Never mind," I muttered. "Look, nothing happened between me and Hakudoshi. Nothing was gonna happen. So just… let's let all this drop, okay?"
Inuyasha glared at me. I straightened, glaring back.
Why did he protect me in the first place?
"Could someone explain to me what this is?" a cool voice asked.
I stared in complete paralysis at the tall person behind Inuyasha—seeing the two half brothers together had an odd, surreal quality, because it really drew out the similarities between them—and the differences.
With Inuyasha and Sesshomaru standing together, it was like night and day. Now there's something I thought I'd never compare Inuyasha to. But I couldn't help it; with his icy, formidable, frightening brother towering over him, Inuyasha looked almost tame.
That is until flying out of his mouth came, "You fucker, what the hell are you doing here?"
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows. "I am keeping you out of trouble, worthless half-breed," he said, voice layered with disdain. "It is your first day in tenth grade and already you are fighting with…" he glanced at me, and then at Hakudoshi. "A human girl and a Darkchild."
I shivered under his disdainful glance. But I shivered even more when he turned it to his younger brother—it was a glare of utter loathing.
What would it be like, every time I looked at Sota, for him to glare at me and tell me I was worthless, I was filthy? What would it be like for him, if every time he tried to talk to me, I told him he wasn't worth my time?
That's really sad, I realized, surprised that I was beginning to feel sorry for Inuyasha.
I hadn't noticed how quiet the room had gotten at the mention of one particular word Sesshomaru had uttered just then. I hadn't even noticed the word—because if I had, I would not be dwelling on Inuyasha's tragic relationship with his older brother.
Even I knew something about that word.
"Bastard, mind your own business," Inuyasha snapped, and then turned his chin upward to spit in Sesshomaru's face.
Sesshomaru glared at him, before suddenly hurling Inuyasha to the side. Inuyasha slammed into the wall, crumpling to the floor, before leaping to his feet.
"You wanna fight?" he hissed.
Sesshomaru snorted. "Of course not, mongrel. Do you have no control over your emotions?"
"I'll show you control you jackass!" Inuyasha shouted, crouching.
Sesshomaru was nonplussed. He didn't even look at him. In fact, he turned his back on Inuyasha and walked calmly toward his desk.
"Look at me, Sesshomaru, you coward!"
"Inuyasha, I believe it is you who is the coward," Sesshomaru said coolly, not even sparing him a glance.
Inuyasha began to charge.
"Leave him alone!" A small voice screamed from the crowd. "He's just looking out for you!"
All eyes turned to the small, petrified girl who was now standing between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I realized with horror that this girl was Rin.
Rin? What the hell?
I glanced at Sango and Miroku in panic. They just shrugged, as surprised as I was.
I cringed, seeing Rin's expression of terror. Rin has an intense fear of attention. She can't handle it. She can't be in plays, she can barely present projects in front of the class… and by now, every student in the class had arrived—and they were all staring at her.
Poor Rin.
Sesshomaru stopped walking. Slowly, very slowly, agonizingly slowly he turned around. "Rin, step aside."
The entire class gawked at Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru? Talking to… Rin?
I saw a light rosy tint appear on Rin's cheeks.
"Get the hell out of the way, kid," Inuyasha hissed.
"Kid? I'm Kagome's sister!"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I know that, idiot! Now get out of the way before I tear you out of the way!"
"Don't you dare hurt her!" I screeched, stepping forward.
Inuyasha glared at me. "What is your problem? Can't you stay out of trouble for one freaking second?"
"Inuyasha, if you either physically or emotionally harm the girl I will personally see to your demise," Sesshomaru threatened very quietly, still sounding casual.
Inuyasha grinned. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," Sesshomaru said simply, and turned to sit down.
"What's going on here?" an old voice asked.
Everyone turned to see our teacher—Hakushin-sama, who I had heard was a retired monk—coming in through the door.
He looked around. "Why is nobody in their seat? Is everyone okay? What happened? Nobody is hurt, I presume?"
"Course not, what do you think we are, convicts?" Inuyasha scoffed.
"No. But you do happen to be teenagers," Hakushin said, to the amusement of the class.
"Teenagers, as you all know, have a habit of being emotional, hormonal, violent, reckless barbarians," Hakushin said—but he was smiling. "Which is why we have to work to teach you how to create a harmonious society while you are young. That is the purpose of Society Mechanics. Now please, the first lesson of the day: listening and organization. If everyone would please take their seats."
He glanced pointedly at the rows of desks, and slowly, the class wandered to their seats.
Rin and I immediately found our way to each other. We joined Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha (I still had yet to see what Sango saw in Inuyasha as a friend, because as far as I could tell he was a jerky, arrogant idiot), and the five of us found seats in the middle of the array of desks. Bankotsu and Hakudoshi, to my relief, took seats a good distance away from me. Bankotsu was in the back—a place in which I intuited he spent a good deal of time during school. Hakudoshi, to my surprise, sat next to him. In fact, the more I watched, the more I felt that they were connected somehow—maybe even friends? No, I didn't really sense that kind of relationship. It was more like… acquaintances? Family friends? Allies? Coworkers? Accomplices?
The more I thought about it, the stranger it became.
Suddenly I realized that Rin, sitting silently next to me, seemed a little sad.
"What's wrong?"
She smiled at me. "Oh, nothing. I'm just being stupid."
But I saw where she looked.
Sesshomaru couldn't be good for her. I wasn't sure what she saw in him, but… but… from all I'd seen, he seemed cold and dangerous and incapable of having the slightest idea of compassion.
Not right for Rin at all.
"Rin…" I said slowly.
"I know what you're gonna say," Rin muttered. "That I was dumb, I shouldn't have meddled, it's none of my business."
I was a little taken aback at how upset she was.
"No, that's not what I was gonna say," I said kindly. "I think what you did was really brave." I took her hand in one of mine to console her.
"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. "Whether it was brave or not, it was dumb. Why would you get involved with stuff that's got nothing to do with you?"
Rin didn't meet his eyes.
"Shut up, Inuyasha," Sango said. She smiled hesitantly at Rin. "What Kagome is trying to say, Rin, is that… we're looking out for you. And we really don't think that Sesshomaru is the right guy for you."
Rin's face went tomato red. "Wh-what? No! I don't—I mean I wasn't—I—I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru! It's not like—it's just—I don't like seeing people fight!"
We really don't think Sesshomaru is the right guy for you. Rin heard their words echoing in her head. We're looking out for you.
Almost as painful was hearing her own words resonating in her head, pitiful and transparent.
They're right, Rin thought sadly. They must be right, right? How could a guy like Sesshomaru ever care for a girl like me?
I have to stop caring for him. Otherwise it'll just hurt me later.
But stopping caring now was hurting her more.
"Rin, it's okay that you like him," I said compassionately. "But Sesshomaru isn't… I don't know what you think he is, but he isn't that kind of guy."
Rin looked mortified.
"Rin, even if Sesshomaru did for some twisted freaky reason start liking you, he could never really like you. He might like you for how you look or the way you smell or the way you talk or the way you make him feel, but Sesshomaru is just too much of a jackass to really care for someone," Inuyasha said bluntly.
Rin looked at the desk, hands balled into fists.
"Cheer up, Rinny," Miroku said, playfully punching Rin on the shoulder. "There are lots of other nicer, cooler, smarter, sexier guys out there for you."
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.
Unfortunately for him, I caught this. And even more unfortunately, Sango caught it.
"You perv!" Sango hissed, punching him in the head. "You flirt with Kagome's sister and grope my ass at the same time?"
"Not cool, 'Roku," Inuyasha said, shaking his head in disgust.
"I am so sorry, Sango!" Miroku pleaded. "I just couldn't resist. Your flesh calls to me…"
"I thought your hand was cursed," Sango growled.
"That too," Miroku said meekly.
I laughed, relieved that his attentions were still primarily directed towards Sango.
Sango had went bright red, and I did feel bad for her. She looked furious—I didn't blame her. I would've hit Miroku, too.
Sometimes I wonder why it's mainly her that Miroku likes to grope the most. Sometimes I also wonder why she doesn't beat him up worse.
And sometimes I wonder why I always manage to make friends with the psychos, but oh well. Some questions are not meant to be answered.
Even though he found a seat a distance away from her, still Sesshomaru couldn't help but listen. With his demon hearing, it was all too easy.
"I know what you're gonna say," Rin muttered. "That I was dumb, I shouldn't have meddled, it's none of my business."
The pain, hurt, and anger in her voice surprised him.
Why does she make me feel as if I have done something wrong? Sesshomaru thought angrily.
"No, that's not what I was gonna say," Kagome said. "I think what you did was really brave."
The girl is lucky she has a sister like that to take care of her, Sesshomaru thought.
He glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye. The girl was looking at Rin with a kind expression, holding her sister's hand in comfort. Now she rubbed circles into Rin's palm.
He wondered what it would feel like to be in Kagome's place, tracing her sister's soft skin in delicate circles. What would her fragile hand feel like under his claws? What would it feel like to put his arm around her shoulder, to comfort her, to have her lean her head against his neck… to inhale the delicate perfume aroma which wafted off of her hair, that unforgettable scent which had first taken his breath away as she collided with him while he was leaving history class.
You fool, Sesshomaru hissed coldly to himself. Such thoughts cannot and will not be.
"Keh," Inuyasha muttered. "Whether it was brave or not, it was dumb. Why would you get involved with stuff that's got nothing to do with you?"
Just like his idiot of a half-breed brother, to callously insult someone without even realizing how he hurt them.
Sesshomaru wanted to hurt Inuyasha for that comment. Well, he wanted to hurt Inuyasha a great deal of the time. But this feeling was different.
"Shut up, Inuyasha," Sango said. He saw her, also, smile at Rin. She was another good friend, another lucky girl who Rin was lucky to have—another person who Sesshomaru could never be. "What Kagome is trying to say, Rin, is that… we're looking out for you. And we really don't think that Sesshomaru is the right guy for you."
We're looking out for you. Sesshomaru's not the right guy for you.
These words enraged him, and it surprised him, because, of course, they were true to the core.
Never could Sesshomaru, a heartless, full-blooded demon, be with a warm, fragile, loving human girl like Rin.
He watched as Rin's face became bright red, and wondered vaguely whether she was in pain and what he could do to help her. "Wh-what? No! I don't—I mean I wasn't—I—I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru! It's not like—it's just—I don't like seeing people fight!"
Yes, that sounded like something she wouldn't like.
I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru.
Those six words echoed in his head.
I don't have feelings for Sesshomaru.
Taunting him.
I don't have...
Fuck it, he thought, surprised at his swearing. He hardly ever swore—not because he thought it was impolite, but because he didn't see the point. It does not matter anyway. Why should it matter? I do not have feelings for Rin, she does not have feelings for me. This Sesshomaru does not care for humans.
But still, he found himself watching her.
"Rin, it's okay that you like him," Kagome assured her. "But Sesshomaru isn't… I don't know what you think he is, but he isn't that kind of guy."
What did Rin think he was?
It horrified him to realize she might have been formulating some outrageous conclusions such as that he was… kind.
He shuddered.
But he was shocked, because Rin's expression at what Kagome said spoke utter heartbreak.
"Rin, even if Sesshomaru did for some twisted freaky reason start liking you, he could never really like you. He might like you for how you look or the way you smell or the way you talk or the way you make him feel, but Sesshomaru is just too much of a jackass to really care for someone," Inuyasha said crudely.
Bastard, Sesshomaru thought. That half-breed gets stupider and stupider with every passing year. It is shameful that I am in any way related to him.
"Cheer up, Rinny," Miroku said, punching Rin on the shoulder. Rinny? "There are lots of other nicer, cooler, smarter, sexier guys out there for you."
Sesshomaru almost hissed in disgust as the lecherous boy waggled his eyebrows at her.
How DARE you flirt with my Rin?!
My Rin?
His Rin?
Where had that come from?
It came from nowhere, Sesshomaru assured himself, calming down. There is nothing. There never will be anything. That disgusting human could KISS Rin, and I could not care less.
But still, it did not explain why Sesshomaru wanted to rip the teenage lecher from limb to limb.
As Sesshomaru watched the chaos between the immature Sango and the perverted Miroku ensue, however, he noticed that Rin began to brighten a little—just a little, but as her pain seemed to lift the slightest bit, as she smiled just a little, it felt like the sun was rising in Sesshomaru's mind for the very first time.
Perhaps the dismemberment could wait.
A/N: HIII! Thanks to keiko-kun, KiwiClover, and Lia for the reviews! Keep reviewing, guys! And anybody else, feel free! Well… not totally free, he he… not that I'll stalk you or anything if you DON'T review… I mean, it's not like I have a friend who knows how to stalk people over the internet and find out where they live…
But anyway, read and review!