Hey Guys! I'm back already with my new chapter. I'm so excited for the things to come in this story, so I've been writing almost non stop. Thank you for all your kind words, it always brings a smile to my face! Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!
Kagome decided to leave early. She was tired, and the food was not settling right in her stomach. Soup probably would have sat in her stomach better, but she wasn't complaining. Kagome walked through the empty halls of her high school. All the students tucked behind desks and closed doors with little windows for Kagome to look through. Kagome walked slowly. She wasn't in any rush. She walked down the front steps of her school and paused. She didn't want to go home. The idea made her stomach turn. Kagome decided to go to the bookstore and kill time. The snow was falling in a light flurry. It was beautiful. Each flake seemed to hold a special glow. Kagome thought back to what Miroku said and the girls in the hall.
Seeing weird things? Pretty sure I just got the sense knocked out of me.
But even Kagome had to admit she had never experienced this before, and she doubted this was the first concussion she's ever had. Kagome left it alone. There was enough shit in her life as it was. She didn't need to add going crazy to the list. Kagome focused her thoughts on what kind of book she wanted, she had remembered to grab her last one out of her locker so she would be able to exchange it. She hoped someone had left a good non fiction book for her to read. If her life was actually turning into some weird science fiction novel she would rather get lost in someone else's life.
By the time she reached the bookstore her boots were soaked through. Her toes were starting to feel a little numb, but at least the bookstore was warm. Hot even. She quickly made it to the back of the store with the book exchange rack and sat down in one of the comfy recliners. She shrugged off Inuyasha's Jacket, before deciding to do take off her thinner one as well. She skimmed the rack before picking a book and replacing it with the one she had been carrying. She felt herself melt into the chair as she cracked open her book. For the first time in days she felt like herself. Or the her she wished she was. Someone strong, fearless, and beautiful. She wished she had the courage to just leave and not look back.
Kagome read for hours, stopping only after she had turned the last page. She returned the book to the shelf and grabbed another title that looked interesting. The food in her stomach had finally settled and she felt like she was actually ready to eat more. Kagome grabbed her things and pulled on her jackets. working them slowly and carefully over her broken arm. She rose slowly, her legs stiff. Tucking her books under her good arm Kagome headed for the exit. As she approached the counter she saw a tall man with silver hair. For a split second she thought it was Inuyasha and her stomach shook nervously. As she got closer she realized he was missing the trademark ears Inuyasha always wore.
That must be Sesshomaru.
She studied him carefully. Her steps slowing as she got closer. It felt like there was a weight being placed on her chest, making it harder to breathe. The feeling was similar to that of her fathers and if she couldn't see the swirling light surrounding Inuyasha's brother she would have feared it was her father looking for her. She stiffened and stopped walking. He turned to look at her. Miroku's words rang in her head.
This definitely counted as something that didn't make sense.
She tried to relax before she started walking again. He continued to stare at her, his face blank but his eyes prying. She didn't spare him another glance as she all but ran past him. Once she was outside she stopped and took a deep breath. She resisted the urge to turn around though she was dying to look. She began to walk home.
She had made it a block away from the bookstore before she felt the familiar weight on her chest and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She walked faster, not caring that it stretched her sore muscles. She listened hard but couldn't hear anyone behind her.
This is crazy. What am I even running from? Against her better judgement Kagome took a deep breath before turning around quickly under a street lamp.
Behind her stood Sesshomaru. He looked deadly and beautiful. The light from the streetlamp illuminating his hair and creating a pure white halo around his head. His features were shadowed as he seemed to loom over her, but his golden eyes pierced through her. Kagome froze. Her heart stopped and she feared she'd faint. She just knew that not only was he almost as powerful as her father but just as violent.
"Who are you, girl?"
His voice was deep and threatening. He didn't have to raise his voice, that question alone startled Kagome into speaking.
"Kagome." She took a step back from him.
"You wear my brother's jacket. Do you know him?"
Kagome stared at him unblinking. She thought it was a weird question, how else would she have gotten his jacket if she didn't know him?
"Yes, we're friends from school. Do you want to take it back to him?" She started to try to take the jacket off.
"No, if he gave it to you, it does not concern me. You seem to be afraid of me. Why? I have done nothing to you."
Kagome did what came naturally to her, she lied.
"You're a man who followed me out of a store, and is questioning me on a dark street. Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of you."
Not technically a lie, even if her gut hadn't been screaming at her to run, she imagine this would have scared her anyway
He seemed to back up a little. The light finally hitting his face. There was a ghost of a smile settled on his lips. His face was similar to that of Inuyasha's. Where Inuyasha's face was angular yet boyish, Sesshomaru's was chiseled and manly. Kagome could only find differences. They felt different. Inuyasha always gave her a feeling of warmth and safety, of an inner strength radiating from him; Sesshomaru froze her to the core.
"I apologize for frightening you. You have a nice evening." With that he was gone, walking away from her.
Leaving Kagome with a chill down her spine.
Kagome arrived home to find a strange car in her driveway. She squinted to see the car though she was down the block. A new 2013 Camaro. Inuyasha. Kagome panicked as she skirted around her house to the back door. She stopped short. Inuyasha was leaned against the side of her house.
"Miroku told me you didn't really want to see us."
Kagome struggled to find words any words.
"I'm sorry."
Lame. That was terribly lame.
He eyed her, his face pulled into a small frown. The moonlight wasn't helping. His features were shadowed and she found herself wondering what he was thinking, and what she could say to make it better. If there was anything she could say.
He stood in front of her in a light jacket, his hand shoved into his pocket. A thick mist replacing his breath.
How long had he waited?
"Sango came everyday for the past two weeks, Miroku saw you earlier, the least I could do was stand here and wait for you."
Kagome set her books down and pulled off his jacket and handed it to him. He took it and set it back on her shoulders.
"You hold on to it. I'll get it when I need it." He said sitting on the step to her back door with a sigh.
Kagome sat next to him, and they stared out into the white field that separated her house from the next.
"I really am sorry. I just didn't want you guys to see me like this."
Kagome imagined the light did her no justice only helping to make her cheeks hollowed, her eyes more sunken.
"You look the same to me," He said not sparing her a glance.
Liar.
Kagome feared she would never look the same. Even she saw a different person in the mirror.
"Kagome, we're friends right?"
"Yeah," she agreed quietly.
"Then you have to stop lying to me, to all of us. We don't know anything about you. How can we help if we don't know anything?"
She trusted them in her own way. She trusted them not to ask too many questions and make it hard for her. She trusted them to giver her space. But as she studied Inuyasha's profile she realized he needed something to hold on to. This wasn't for the others, it was for him. She had to say something.
"My birthday is in two weeks. Everywhere I've lived before here I've never told anyone. But I'm turning 18 on Tuesday, two weeks from now."
Inuyasha smiled," Finally becoming an adult, huh?"
Kagome elbowed him lightly and laughed. They sat close to each other, she could practically feel his body heat rolling off him in waves. He leaned back against the door.
She looked back at him.
"I told you something, now it's your turn."
"Okay, ask me anything."
"Why do you wear those ears? I swear they look real."
She saw panic cross his eyes.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Kagome couldn't lie though, she was kinda disappointed. Inuyasha remained quiet, a breeze passed between them. She heard Inuyasha shift before dropping a warm arm around her shoulders. She wanted to move away, afraid he could feel how skinny she had become under all the layers she wore. But, he held her loosely and Kagome found herself leaning into his embrace.
"I've just always had them, maybe one of these days I'll let you hold'em." He winked at her and she smiled in response.
"I saw your brother today."
"Oh?" Inuyasha didn't sound particularly interested but she kept talking anyway.
"He's really scary, you know. He practically cornered me tonight and asked if I knew you. It was weird."
Inuyasha stiffened beside her.
"That's all he said?"
"Yeah basically, he asked me why I was afraid of him. I.." Kagome trailed off, not wanting to sound too crazy,"I just gotten a bad vibe from him earlier. So, he really scared me when he followed me."
"Huh, I'll have to ask him about it later," Inuyasha tried to laugh it off, but Kagome could feel the tension in the air.
Inuyasha sighed and stood up. His breath hanging in the air.
"It's getting late. I should go."
Kagome scrambled to her feet as well.
"Okay, I'm glad you stopped by." Inuyasha stepped down, leaving them at eye level. He put his hand on her head and smiled before ruffling her bangs briefly. She shook them out of her eyes quickly before smiling back at him. He handed her books to her and waited for her to go inside.
Kagome locked the door behind her, a smile still on her face. Looking at the clock above the stove she hadn't realized how late it was. She climbed the stairs to her room, and quickly crossed to the window, just in time to watch Inuyasha peel out down the street. Kagome felt exhausted.
She kicked her boots off and fell into bed. Not caring that she was sleeping in her clothes. They were comfy and Kagome didn't think she could keep her eyes open a second longer.
Kagome woke early to something hitting her window. She groggily pulled herself out of bed, and walked to her window. She peeked out of the blinds. Sango stood under her window, arm reared back equipped with another snowball. She let it fly before pulling out her cell phone. Kagome stood there an extra second before hearing her own cell phone buzz softly. She frantically searched her room, before pulling it out of her jacket pocket.
She answered.
"Sango, it's so early. Why are you here?"
"You and I are going to get some breakfast before school." Kagome yawned.
"Give me a few minutes I'll be right down."
Kagome stretched, both her arms extended above her head. Kagome dropped her arms quickly, eyes locked on her injured arm. She experimentally straightened it, there was no more than a dull pain. She flexed her arm. She barely felt anything. Kagome continued to flex and stare at her arm.
She heard a thud at her window and her phone vibrated in her hand. Kagome looked at her phone.
There sat a text from Sango.
'Hurry up!'
Kagome tossed her phone on the bed and pushed her thought of her arm out of her head.
It probably wasn't that badly injured in the first place.
Kagome quickly began changing her clothes. She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans that used to fit her tightly, but now hung a little loose. Her boots had dried over night so she pulled those on as well. Fishing through the boxes in her closet she found a long sleeved shirt that she put on, excitedly putting both her arms through. She pulled her hair into a messy bun, grabbed her essentials, Inuyasha's jacket, and left.
Kagome pulled the door closed behind her. Sango was already in the car and Kagome hurried down the steps to join her, the cold morning air stinging her face.
Kagome shivered in her seat but was happy as the warm air hit her. Sango looked at her smiling, but as their eyes connected Kagome watched her smile falter. Sango recovered quickly.
"Good Morning! Let's get some food." Sango chirped out turning her attention to the road and leaving it there.
Kagome gave her a small smile. She hadn't felt this weird in Sango's presence since they first met. Sango must have felt weird too,she talked the entire drive to the coffee shop. And barely stopped chattering long enough to order a feast to go. Kagome stood idly by. Nodding occasionally and muttering "yeah" at the appropriate times. Sango paid for their 30 dollar bill and Kagome helped gather up all of their many bags. Sango led Kagome back to the car.
"Where are we going?" Kagome was curious, the coffee shop was practically empty.
"I thought we could just head on to school, so we have more time to talk."
Kagome snorted. As if this girl needs anymore time to talk.
Sango looked at her, annoyance written plainly on her face, "What, Kagome?"
Kagome stared right back at her, "Is something wrong with you? You're acting weird."
"No everything's fine, Kagome." Sango said effectively ending the conversation by starting the car.
"Right."
They rode in silence to school. Kagome didn't know how she felt, or why she wanted to pick a fight with Sango, and honestly, she didn't care.
"Seriously Sango, what the fuck is your deal?"
Sango threw the car into park, the car slammed to a stop in the middle of the empty school parking lot. Sango stared straight ahead.
"And why won't you look at me?"
Kagome figured it out. Why she was so mad. Out of all the talking Sango did she never said anything of importance, didn't ask her if she was okay, didn't get angry with her, didn't demand an explanation. It was irrational. Kagome knew it was, but as she stared at her best friend she wanted to hit her.
"Kagome look at you. I don't even know what to say. I want to ask you what happened, but I know you won't tell me. I wanted to ask if you were okay but I knew you would just say you're fine. I've been worried sick about you, I came to check on you every single day! And you get back and you don't even try to find me, or apologize, or anything! So what the fuck do you want me to say? Because all you've been doing is lying to me anyway."
Kagome sat stunned.
"I came to buy you breakfast this morning because Miroku told me you looked like you hadn't eaten in weeks. I mean I knew your home situation was rough. I already knew that, but Kagome I had no idea it was that bad," Sango's voice wavered as she covered her face with her hands. She began to cry, her shoulders shaking.
Kagome felt her eyes water too. She didn't know what to say, Sango's words caused her mind to blank. She watched her friend cry. Sango looked at Kagome before pulling her into a hug, a bag of food between them. Sango held her carefully as if she were afraid she would break.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you upset. It's just you're my best friend. And I just watched it happen and there was nothing I could do."
Kagome hugged Sango back, wiping away her own tears as they wet her cheeks. They pulled apart and looked at each other. It was Kagome's turn to talk.
Kagome had always heard that in situations like these it's best to speak from your heart, and be completely honest and transparent. So that the person you're talking to can understand how you feel. Kagome had no idea how to do that. She didn't know how to verbalize her feelings and make it sentimental and touching. She only knew how to lie and to tell the truth.
"I wish I knew what to say. You're my best friend, too, Sango. And I'm so sorry about everything. About what happened and what you saw. Would telling you make it better?"
Sango wiped her face, her make up long gone. For the first time Kagome saw Sango as she was. Perfectly imperfect.
"I want you to do what makes you feel better if you want to talk about it we can, if not, we don't have to."
Kagome nodded. It wasn't a matter of wanting to talk or not. She couldn't.
Sango, smiled to herself before handing Kagome a bag of food.
"Eat up, you look like you lost a good 15 pounds." Sango took the car out park and navigated her car into her parking spot before she herself tore into a bag of food.
Cars started to fill the parking lot. Kagome and Sango were stuffed. They ate every last bit of food. Kagome and Sango laughed as they poked and prodded at their full bellies. They watched as Inuyasha's car pulled in a few spaces down. And grinned happily at Inuyasha and Miroku as they got in the car.
"Did you leave us any?" Miroku asked.
"We thought about it, but decided you probably weren't hungry," Sango said, turning in her seat to face him.
"That's so mean. I'm really hungry, Inuyasha was early."
"No I wasn't, you just overslept."
"I don't recall."
Kagome and Sango laughed.
She was blessed.