Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters. However, I DO own this story.
Kagome felt sick to her stomach the time lunch rolled around. By this time Kagome had seen Inuyasha three times in the hallway, and each time he purposefully ignored her. Or on the rare moment when she managed to make eye contact with him, Inuyasha's eyes would narrow and he would swiftly move his head in the other direction. Kagome's heart sunk at each angry encounter.
At the moment Kagome was trying to eat her lunch. The whole time her eyes would stray to the tense back of Inuyasha. As usual, he was sitting with Miroku at a table in the far side of the cafeteria. Kagome knew she had ruined everything between Inuyasha and herself, but she didn't know how to fix it. Sure, she could tell the truth, but let's be realistic here. She couldn't risk everything she had ever known. She wasn't strong enough to take that particular chance, no matter how much she might lose living a lie.
"Kagome, snap out of it!"
"What? Oh sorry Sango, I must have been zoning again." Kagome focused her attention back on her food. She needed to stop obsessing over Inuyasha. She had other things to worry about, like how to keep Koga away from her until the dance.
"Kagome, you know you need to talk to Inuyasha about Koga and the ball." Sango informed Kagome. Kagome was grateful at how supportive and helpful her friend was being after she had filled her in on all the drama during first period. Sango had refrained from too much lecturing and focused more on helping her friend. Sango knew that Kagome did not need more stress in her life at the moment. Not with her mother, father, Koga, and the rest of society breathing down her back, especially with the annual country club ball just around the corner.
Kagome let out a deep sigh before looking away from her food and at Sango. "He won't listen Sango, at least not right now. He's too furious with me at the moment. I need to give him more time to calm down. For now, let's talk about something else." Kagome focused her attention back on her food as she began to prattle some inane information her mother had informed her that morning. "Have you heard that Mr. Yumisha is going to be attending the ball for the first time in years?"
"Who's Mr. Yumisha?"
"He's the owner of the country club, the strip mall, Yumisha Inc., and several other businesses in the area. He's basically like the founder of the commercial market of Riveside Green. He's my father's boss, but mainly gives my father the main power over all the business here in Riverside Green. He checks in from time to time, but spends most of the time overseeing his investments in the other states."
"So he's basically the reason your family is seen as the royal family of Riverside Green?" Sango summed up.
"Pretty much, the power he's given my father has made him the role model for the citizens of our community. Either way, Mr. Yumisha pays for this ball every year as a way of getting the people of Riverside Green to celebrate another prosperous commercial year, but he never shows up himself, until this year."
"Wow, I wonder if he's as uptight about his image as others in this community."
"I have no idea, Sango. All I know is that my parents are more anal about me being on my best behavior. They want to make an amazing impression on Mr. Yumisha during the ball. Therefore, I have to act extremely civil to Koga during the ball; I must be the perfect date and daughter." Kagome groaned out. She was now mercilessly stabbing at her salad, imaging each piece as Koga's head.
Sango placed her hand over Kagome's, ceasing her mindlessly stabbings. "Maybe things would be easier if you told your parents that truth about Koga."
"Sango…"
"Did I hear my name?" Koga plopped into the seat next to Kagome, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and took a hardy swig of her cup of water. He then gave the shocked Kagome a soft kiss on her lips before giving Sango an arrogant smirk.
"Koga, get your arm off of Kagome. You have no right even being within fifty feet of her after what you tried to do to her." Sango hissed at Koga. If there weren't any witnesses around Sango would have already slugged Koga to the ground by now.
"But I believe I do. Apparently, Miss Kagome here has kept her mouth shut and since her parents ADORE me she will continue to keep her mouth shut so as to not make waves. Isn't that right Kagome?" Koga whispered into Kagome's ear. To the observer it looked like an intimate moment between lovers, but the interaction sent shivers down Kagome's spine.
"Koga, I think it's best if you leave." Kagome harshly whispered. She elegantly disengaged herself from under Koga's arms and set him with a look that breathed fire. Her only response was Koga's condescending laughter.
"I'll leave for now Kagome, but mommy dearest will not want me to stay away for too long." Koga remarked with an evil smirk. He knew that he had the control in the situation and he wasn't going to let Kagome forget that, not for one second.
As Sango and Kagome watched Koga leave, Kagome could feel Inuyasha's angry eyes boring into her back. She knew that any progress that Inuyasha had made in calming down from this morning's little scene was completely blown out of the water the minute Koga placed his arm around her. Kagome's situation was getting worse and worse by the minute. By this rate things were going, it would be a week before Inuyasha was calm enough to have a rationale talk about the whole situation.
"Man Kagome, if looks could kill."
"I know Sango, I know. That just means he's going to be more impossible to talk to." Kagome pitifully sighed. "Let's just ignore him for now, please. I just don't have the energy to deal with all of this at the moment." With all that said Kagome, went back to working on her lunch and completely ignored everything around her.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful for Kagome. She luckily had no more encounters with Koga, but she felt completely drained. Completely ignoring Inuyasha and his anger had proved to be a more difficult task than Kagome thought.
Kagome's night did not get any better; it progressively got worse with each passing hour. The torture started the minute she walked through the door after returning home from school. The moment she shut the front door her mother swooped upon her and whisked her away for several dress fittings. Kagome was forced to try dress after dress until her mother settled upon a stunning black number that Kagome would be unable to breathe in the entire night of the ball. Next her mother forced Kagome to wedge her defenseless feet into stiletto heels with pointy ends. She pranced around in the heels with a book on her head as her mother critiqued her walk and posture every minute, while Kagome's feet cried in pain. Two hours later Kagome sat in a cushioned chair while a stylist tugged and fussed with her hair. Her stylist tried desperately to follow Mrs. Higurashi's details but was obviously close to the breaking point himself. Finally at ten o'clock at night, six hours after first returning home from school, Kagome was allowed to go to bed. However, her mother's parting words did not fill her with ease.
"Don't forget about your dancing lessons tomorrow Kagome! Koga will be her at five, so the two of you can practice your waltz for the ball."
Kagome quickly prepared for bed and could not wait for sleep to take over. She wanted to forget about all the horrors of her day, even for only a few hours. Kagome's eyes began to grow heavy with the tick of the clock and she happily welcomed the darkness. However, her dreams were cut short from the tingling of her cell phone. In her foggy haze Kagome answered her cell phone without bothering to see who could possibly be calling her this late, on a school night none the less.
"Hello" Kagome yawned, desperately fighting to keep her eyelids open.
"Koga, Kagome? Are you insane? Have you no respect for yourself? What were you thinking?"
"Inuyasha!?!" Kagome was no longer under sleeps control. Her mind was alert and racing from the sound of Inuyasha's voice on the other line.
"Dammit Kagome, what are you doing?"
"Inuyasha, you don't understand. This is an important event for my family, especially my father. Mr. Yumisha will be at the ball for the first time and my father wants to make the best impression possible. I don't want to stress him out."
"So you are willing to give up your safety and maybe even your innocence to please your family? Kagome do you know how twisted that sounds?"
"Inuyasha, I'll be fine. Koga isn't that stupid to try something like that again." Kagome tried to reassure Inuyasha, but in all honesty she was trying to make herself believe her own words.
"Like hell he will Kagome. Guys like Koga will stop at nothing to get what they want. I can't protect you all the time Kagome. You have to start being strong for yourself. I will not pretend anymore for you Kagome, not when you can't even take the steps to protect yourself."
"What are you saying Inuyasha?" Kagome asked meekly. Kagome's heart was in her stomach as she prepared herself for the words that would surely sting her soul.
"We're through Kagome. I care for you, but I am not going to be your little secret."
"Inuyasha no! Please be reasonable. We can.." Kagome was not even able to finish her sentence when the sound of the dial tone interrupted her thoughts. He hung up on her. It was over. She and Inuyasha's relationship hadn't even lasted longer than a month and now it was over. She wasn't given the chance to see where the relationship could have led. He wasn't patient. If he truly cared he would have waited for her, given her more time. Did Inuyasha honestly believe that only a month of being together could make her turn her back on everything she was taught; everything she was raised to believe?
Would Kagome be happy going back to her normal life? A life of fake smiles, superficial greetings, and Koga's arms? A day without secret smiles, secret signals, sweet kisses, comforting embraces, and nightly conversations that filled her night with peaceful dreams. Somehow Kagome's perfect life didn't seem so perfect.
Life didn't seem any better in the morning. As a matter of fact, Kagome felt a terrible headache developing the moment she opened her eyes to the first light of the morning. Kagome begrudgingly got out of bed, looked at herself in the mirror, and for the first time in years felt no desire to make herself "presentable". She wanted her outside to match the way she felt on the inside. A sign to those around her that today was not a good day.
Within fifteen minutes Kagome was ready for school. She then proceeded downstairs to have breakfast with her parents. As she entered the dining room, her parents did not even look up to greet her. Her father was too busy reading the morning paper and her mother was too absorbed in checking her schedule for the week. Kagome took her seat at the table and placed a muffin on her plate. She slowly nibbled on her muffin and let her thoughts wander.
"Kagome, what on earth are you wearing?!?" Haru Higurashi shrilled.
Kagome looked up a bit surprised. She wasn't expecting such a loud noise this early in the morning. "It's just a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans mother."
"I know what those ridiculous articles of clothing are. What I want to know is why you are wearing them? You are not about to go to bed. You are about to go to school and you must dress to impress."
"I know mother, but I just don't feel up to being so superficial today." The moment those words left her mouth Kagome knew she was headed into trouble.
"Kagome, you will now speak to your mother in such a way! I don't know what has gotten into you lately, but this rude behavior of yours will stop immediately!" Akio Higurashi yelled at his daughter. His eyes were shooting daggers at her and his fists were clutched on top of the table. The morning newspaper was left forgotten on the floor and now all his attention was on his insolent daughter.
"Father, I don't know what you mean? In what ways have I been rude in the past?"
"Kagome, you will not be smart with me. You know perfectly well how your new behavior has been taxing on your mother and me. First you start wanting to skip important social functions because you see them as above you, then you start making disturbing noises at the table, then your mother finds out that you broke up with Koga weeks ago and failed to inform either of us. Apparently, you crushed his heart without any reason or apology."
Kagome could not formulate a single response to all of her father's accusations. They knew about Koga? Worse, they didn't know the truth. Kagome could not even defend herself. All she could do was sit and stare with her mouth hanging slightly open.
"Kagome, close your mouth! You look like a gapping fish!"
The harsh tone in her father's voice snapped Kagome back into motion. She quickly closed her mouth and sat up straight in her chair. Her mind started racing to form a retort to all of her father's complaints. She had to set the record straight, mainly dealing with the Koga issue.
"Father, who told you that I broke Koga?" Kagome asked calmly, trying to prove to herself and her parents that she was a mature adult.
"Koga, of course!"
"Haru, this is between me and Kagome!" Akio scolded his wife before turning his attention back to his daughter.
"Koga, informed us Kagome. Now what do you have to say to that? Where in the world did you learn to completely disregard the affections of one of our community's most upstanding young men? Have you forgotten that you are not only representing yourself, but me and your mother?!?"
"Father, Koga tried to take my innocence! That's why I broke up with him because he tried to force himself on me. Then when I stood up for myself he deserted me in the middle of nowhere. And do you know who came to my rescue….Inuyasha!" Kagome's heart was beating a million times per minute. She had never talked to her father in such a way before. If she thought her father was mad at her now, Kagome was in for a very big surprise
"Inuyahsa?!? Inuyasha came to your rescue and Koga tried to rape you?!?!?! Do you honestly expect me and your mother to believe these lies of yours Kagome? I don't know what has happened to you these past several weeks, but this behavior will stop immediately! From this moment on you will just go to school and attend your social functions. As well as spending time with Koga, for as far as I am concerned you two will be getting back together this very minute! Now go upstairs, change into appropriate clothes, and pray that I have forgotten all of your outrageous actions by the time you get back down."
Tears fell from Kagome's eyes as she rushed around her room getting suitable for her parents and school. She finally told them the truth and what did she get in return? Disappointment and punishment. Who was she kidding? Her parents would never believe her unless they saw the proof with their own eyes. True, they might have believed her more if she hadn't come downstairs looking like a "frump", in their opinion at least. Now she was permanently together with Koga again and there was no one to protect her, no one but herself.
Now dressed in black dress pants, a red button down shirt, and an argil sweater vest, Kagome made her way back downstairs to face the lions. She focused on her feet as she returned to the dining room. Just as Kagome expected, her mother and father were still sitting in their seats waiting to see her hopefully improved self. "Much better Kagome, now I know you think I am being hard on you but I am doing this for your own good. You know that I love you dear."
"Yes, father." Kagome responded still focusing her eyes on her well black pumps. She walked to her father, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, did the same to her mother, and then headed to the front door. Sango was already waiting in her driveway and by the look on Sango's face; Kagome knew that she had been waiting there for a few minutes.
"I told them the truth about Koga." Those were the first words Kagome spoke to Sango the minute she got into Sango's car.
"What did they say Kagome?" Sango knew the news wasn't good. Her friend looked like she was about to throw up. Sango just hoped she had a trash bag in her car in case Kagome really did end up regurgitating her breakfast.
"My parents believed Koga's lies. He told them that I broke his heart and when I told them what he actually tried to do to me they told me I was lying. That it was just another one of my defiant actions. That's when they informed me that I will continue to be Koga's girlfriend, and I grounded me. I have never been grounded before, and I hate this feeling of being "myself". Look at what all this going against the mold nonsense you, Miroku and Inuyasha keep talking about has gotten me. I lost Inuyasa, my parents hate me, and I am stuck with Koga." Kagome released all the tears that she had held back in front of her parents. She felt nauseous. Everything was crumbling around Kagome's feet, and she didn't know how to stop everything from falling apart.
Kagome felt the car slow to a stop. She then felt her best friend pull her into a reassuring hug. "You were not wrong for sticking up for yourself Kagome. Never be ashamed for being yourself. Don't worry it will all work out and Miroku and I won't let anything happen to you. Inuyasha as well." At hearing Inuyasha's names a fresh batch of tears broke from Kagome's eyes. No matter what Sango said, Kagome felt like there was no hope left in her life.
AN: Another chapter done. Please let me know what you thought by REVIEWING. Just click that little button at the bottom of your screen to tell me your thoughts. It will take less than a minute, so get going!