Chapter Eleven

Kagome tip toed out of her door, looking both ways before slinking down the hallways. Her body ached softly with each movement but that came with the rigorous workouts Sesshomaru-sama did with her. She fiddled with the crumpled picture in her pocket, her head down in the early morning, her mind had been tormenting her the past week every time she would look at the two teachers and Sesshomaru-sama. She had almost been tempted to ask her mother, but she couldn't even get three words written in the e-mail home. . .

She tried not to make herself seem like she was up to no good, she wasn't doing anything wrong just going to do some research, but she couldn't help it. It was early on one of their two days off, who would leave their dorm for the library at seven in the morning? Considering that she didn't see anyone on the way, very unlikely.

Once she got to the large library she slid into one of the farthest chairs with a computer. It was one of those really really old ones with the handle on the side, a newspaper or something in it. She wasn't really sure what she was looking for but she just kept turning the knob back, and slowly the dates fell backwards. She quickly calculated the year her mother would have been in school, 1993, thinking she would find one the records from that year. Each year seemed to have files of everyone entered into the competitions . . . but when she got to the year 1993. . . There was nothing because it wasn't there. She slapped her hand on the desk in frustration and scrolled back up a bit, found nothing, so scrolled down again, but still there was nothing. Nada. Zilch. A big fat void of nothingness. She leaned back in her seat and sighed. Where else could those records be? Could she just ask Sesshomaru-sama? She shook her head with a snort.

Yeah she had tried that while meditating, or well she had opened her mouth to ask a question but he had glared at her with such intensity that she shut her mouth with a snap. Sure she could ask him in class, okay scratch that she could never be able to ask him anything in class . . . which left her the option of asking him out of classes. Suicide. That is what that would be. High girly laughter made Kagome turn and go pale, it was that mean girl. With some shame she quickly slid under the desk and pulled the chair in so she could hide. Yeah it wasn't the best response to a bully coming but she just didn't want to deal with it today.

"Ah I can't believe you thought of that!" One of the girls praised the bully, which made her do that ugly fake giggle. It made Kagome want to stuff cotton in her mouth so she couldn't speak a word.

"Yes, yes, it is one of my best things I've done!" She laughs again. "Now all we have to do is wait for her to show." The voices got closer along with the sight of their sneakers.

"But Aima-chan, don't you think Kikyo will-"

"Of course not! She doesn't help anyone."

"Yes, of course Aima-chan. . . But what if she does this time?"

"Then she will be in the lake too." Their voices passed and Kagome held herself tighter, counting her breathing till two hundred before scooting out of her hiding spot. She couldn't help the anxiety at the girls' conversation for whoever was at their cruel prank, but she knew she couldn't do anything. She quickly fled the library before the two for some reason would pass back the way she was, sneaking out of a side door.

She was half way to her dorm before her wondering got to her; did they actually do something with the lake? What are they going to do? Why would they think Kikyo would help? But she didn't get very far before Miroku frantically appeared and grabbed her arm.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She asked at his worried expression, he just shook his head.

"You can't go back to your dorm. . . I'm sorry Kagome." His voice was sad, his eyes crinkled at the corners with worry.

"What do you mean, sorry? What happened to my dorm?" She yanked her arm away and quickly jogged to her dorm, her anxiety heightening as more people were out of their dorms and laughing. . . at her. Miroku caught up but didn't try to grab her arm again and he worked his mouth as if to trying to find the right words. But it was too late, she saw her dorm. Her footsteps came to a slow, horror making her face go white.

"GO HOME WHORE" was written in red marker, pads tapped to her door. Her stomach quivered and her hands shook at the humiliation. Other kids were taking a picture of it as she walked forward slowly and savagely ripped it off her door with shaking hands. She opened the door . . . and all of her clothes were on the floor, but all of her underwear was missing. Her shoulders were shaking now, and she pressed her hands to her red face.

"Come on Kagome, maybe we can get them before anyone sees them?" Miroku suggested, but it fell flat. The lake. Everyone would already know by now. She ran out of her room and down the halls past everyone's laughing and mocking figures. Sure enough at the lake were her underwear bobbing at the surface. She stopped at the edge of the lake before pivoting on her heel. . .

. . . To look straight at the laughing Aima and her stupid friends. Something cracked in her chest, a hot and heavy mixture of embarrassment, humiliation and rage, so so much rage coursing through her. Her steps were slow, her anger mounting as she walked towards them, towards Aima's wide smirk.

"Going to cry period whore?" Her friend's taunted when she came into hearing range.

"Why are you so cruel Aima? Is it because you weren't Kikyo-sama's student? Or is it because you don't get enough love at home?" Kagome snapped through ground out teeth, staring into Aima's taunting hazel colored eyes. Aima's lip twitched and her smirk grew bigger.

"Are you getting this angle Foshi-chan? I think you can actually see some tears at her ducts." Aima stepped forward. "But to answer your question. . . I have everything I need, your humiliation is just my breakfast snack right now."

"You're horrible." Kagome retaliated and then spit on Aima's white shoes. Disgust and shrieks came from the other girls as it flew and plopped onto it, turning it to a darker white as it laid.

"You're very disrespectful." Aima stepped forward so they were almost nose to nose. Kagome pressed her nails into her palms. "You better watch out, period whore." And with that Aima stepped back and started to walk away. Kagome couldn't help the quivering and the desire to rush her, to beat her for this humiliation and challenge. But instead she unclenched her fist and watched as the pale pink and purple light faded from them. But it never went stronger than that light.

She turned back to the lake and with her face scarlet and hot started to get her underwear out of the water. She was only able to get two out before she had to take off her shoes and socks, for the rest was deeper in. With her toes barely in the cold water a gruff voice told her to move. She turned to see that half breed, Sesshomaru-sama's brother, Inuyasha coming towards the water as if to help her. Further back Kikyo-sama stood on her crutches in what would be an awkward pose for anyone else with the bulky cast poking her leg out further than the other one. Kikyo nodded at her, or could really be a dip of the head, and Kagome turned away with shame.

A/N: Yeah it's really mean. Some asked me why I made it that way but just keep in mind this is a high stake school, there's competition and cruelty when it comes to that, and it's all part of the plot.