*Calm down, everything`s fine. I just wish you would`ve waited for me.*

*Well the damage is already done. So what am I supposed to do now Rin?*

*Miroku has a car, just call Sango.*

*They`re not really at the top of my list of people I want to see*

*I`m not telling you to share your life story with them Kagome, just get them to drive you home.*

*Just forget it, I`ll figure something out. Bye Rin.*

I hung up my cell and looked around. I literally had no idea where I was. I'd never been this far out in the city. Was I still in Tokyo even? How come there weren't any people around? I wandered about for 15 more minutes but all I found was a park. I walked through it and saw a few kids that I didn't bother asking for directions. How'd I even get this far out? I saw a vacant bench and decided to take a seat. I sighed as I replayed the day's events in my mind.

"What?! It has nothing to do with reputations. It has to do with the fact that no matter what I say or do you'll always hate me so why even bother, right?"

"Can't we just start over?"... "Can't we just start over?"... "Can't we just start over?"

"No."

I could have just said yes?.. No, I couldn't have. He'd just be the same. Nothing would even change. I reached into my pocket to check the time on my phone. 6:25. Mmm.. Fine. I dialed Sango's number and asked her to come pick me up. I explained what happened with minimal details and she assured me she'd be at my side ASAP. I was just about to hang up when she asked where I was... Right, I should probably find out. I asked her to hold as I got up to find one of the kids from before. I didn't spot any of the four kids though. Oh no, now what? There had to be a street sign somewhere around here. I took a few steps then spotted something. Eye catching red hair. That was one of the kids from before!

"Excuse me!" I yelled as chased after him. I quickly stopped and reminded myself I was in a park in the evening running straight at a kid. Walk. I should just calmly walk towards him. He was staring straight at me, waiting. Good, I didn't scare him off.

"What is it?" The boy who couldn't be any older than 8 asked.

"Do you know the name of this park?"

"Uhh..." Oh great. Street sign it was.

"Thanks anyway." I went to side step him but I stopped at the sound of his voice.

"Kitsune gardens!" he enthusiastically shared. I put the phone back to my ear and told her where I was. Apparently Miroku knew the place so he assured me they'd be there in twenty minutes. I quickly hung up.

"Thanks kid."

"Anything for a damsel in distress!" ha, what a charmer. Maybe I should just get him to take me to homecoming. He sat and waited for my ride with me. He proved to be pretty good company. I told him that I had gotten lost and apologized if I put him on the spot. He shared that the kids he was with earlier were picking on him.

"It's because I'm a demon." he shared. That's the first I've ever heard of human kids picking on a demon child.

"They never let me play with them. I don't really have any friends my own age. The only people who really talk to me are grownups. I like them a lot better anyway! They're not mean to me." That explained why he didn't freak out when some random girl was running at him with no one else around. Awh, this kid was so cute why would anyone pick on him? If I ever saw those kids again..

"Don't let them get to you." I patted him on the head.

"Don't worry, I don't. You know what my babysitter tells me? That some people will just look for the person who stands out the most and exclude them just because they're different. When you think about it though, everyone is different so no one really ever fits in. He tells me to never hide who I am to fit in, to look for people who accept me the way I am. So that's what I plan on doing."

"Your babysitter is really smart then." I smiled. I felt my phone start vibrating. I took it out and sure enough it was Sango texting me that she was here. I put my phone down beside me.

"Hey it's getting pretty late, you should probably head home." I told him. He nodded and jumped to embrace me practically knocking me off my seat before he went on his way. What a cute kid, I hope those bullies lay off him. I saw Sango and was about to get up when I the strange feeling that I was forgetting something overtook me. I clicked my tongue along the inside of my cheeks thinking about it but came up short and ultimately decided to drop it. She led me to the car where Miroku was waiting. We greeted each other and I buckled my seat belt before he drove off. His car wasn't as nice as Inuyasha's. It looked.. And smelled used. It also had a very old-fashioned, ugly mustard paint job.

"Are you girls hungry?" Miroku asked after a couple of minutes passed. I was running late this morning and didn't have time for breakfast then I was feeling sort of nauseous at lunch and only had some soup. Yes, I think it was fair to say I was starved.

"I could eat a horse!" Sango chimed. I guess there was no use in lying.

"I could eat the whole barn." I echoed her. Sango and I had been hanging out a lot this past week and I've come to find we shared a lot of similarities. We both had little brothers, were already failing math this semester, were addicted to reality shows, and best of all had the appetite of big lazy truckers. Miroku went through a WacDonalds drive thru and ordered us all burgers. We started our meals in silence but unfortunately Sango decided to break it.

"Kagome?" she whispered to me, although her sitting right beside Miroku didn't assist her sneaky attempt.

"about what you texted me-" I quickly stuffed her half eaten burger into her mouth. I saw Miroku's confusion through the rear view mirror. Sango pulled out the burger clearly annoyed and also clearly missing the message.

"Do you mind? I was just wondering-"

"Sango!" I interrupted her.

"What?!" she countered. Miroku stopped at a red light and was switching his gaze between us.

"Is this a conversation I'm not supposed to hear, perhaps?" he asked, clearly getting what Sango wasn't. She began biting into her bottom lip, sighed, then moved on from the ordeal. When Miroku started driving again something seemed to be gnawing at him.

"It's fine, I get it. I am best friends with your apparent mortal enemy after all. If you don't mind me asking though, why did you and Inuyasha end up fighting? I know if I ask him what happened I'll get a distorted side of it."

"It's not about why we're fighting this time it's about why we fight at all. The reason we can't seem to stop." Kagome started. Miroku seemed to immediately understand. It was silent for about half of a second.

"That was a real long time ago.." Miroku attempted to defend him.

"So the apology is really long overdue then, isn't it?"

"Wait! You know why she hates him?!" Sango exploded.

"I mean.. I guess. I didn't know it was still over that though." Sango seemed so genuinely curious and I don't think it was for nosy purposes either. She really looked like she wanted to help. It's just the reason she wants to help that's making me hesitant. She wants me and Inuyasha to stop fighting because she thinks it'll mean we'll date. She thinks we'll become these 2 set of best friends, double dating every weekend, picture perfect image. It's just not that simple though. If what happened in the past had ended the way I was hoping things would maybe it would have.. but it didn't, and that's just it. Something inside was just nagging me that Sango was someone I could trust. I had just worked up the courage to share the story when Miroku dropped her off. She lived closer so it made sense that he'd drop her off first. Miroku began pulling out of the drive as she was going inside. As soon as she shut the door he turned to me.

"Kagome, if you're referring to the thing that happened that last day of school it's not what it seemed like." he instantly began.

"I heard what he said Miroku." he sighed.

"I know but it wasn't his fault that everyone saw. I went to his desk to steal a piece of gum and I found it." he confessed. I felt a sudden sense of relief.. but then something struck me.

"It doesn't matter who saw it first, I heard what he had to say. No one was forcing him to say anything!" I coldly rejected him.

"I'm sure he would've reacted way differently if he wasn't put under so much pressure. He was probably just emb-" he didn't finish his sentence.

"What? Embarrassed? God forbid someone like me be caught dead with someone like him."

"People were making fun of him before he even saw it."

"He never saw it?" I asked surprised.

"I'm not really sure actually. After you left he snatched it from me and I don't know what he did with it after that. It was grade 8 you know how the kids are. We were all stupid. All I know is that he did like you." he was still trying so hard and I didn't understand why.

"It doesn't matter Miroku! Even if I could forgive what happened that day it doesn't change the fact that he never fixed it. He obviously didn't feel guilty enough to apologize or to even explain. In fact ever since that day he's been nothing but horrible to me. I wish this changed things but it doesn't." The next red light that we approached I took my cue to escape out of the car for the second time. Luckily, I didn't live too far from Sango and I knew how to get to my house from here.

"Kagome wait!" he yelled after me. This was a really bad day and I was afraid anymore Miroku wouldn't be much help.