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...Kind of...

Anyway, sorry for keeping everyone waiting lol. I bet you all thought I was gone for good. Nope; I have too many plans for this story to stop writing now.

This chapter may seem really cheesy, but I love cheesy moments sooo... live with it lol.

P.S: Sorry to CrystalMask who voted against AyaKoug. Lol I hope you can stand the lovey-doveyness


"Thanks, Mrs. Kuwashima." Kagome said to Sango's mother as she stepped out of the car. The older woman smiled kindly.

"That's quite all right, Kagome. You know you're welcome any time. Oh; and please don't call me Mrs. Kuwashima. It makes me feel old. Just Houko will be fine."

Kagome smiled back. "Okay, thanks again. I'll just go back and tell Kohaku you're here." Houko nodded.

"Kohaku, your mom's here!" Kagome called out as she stumbled inside, dropping them to the floor with a sigh of relief. While she had been staying at Sango's house, Souta and Kohaku had been having a sleepover of their own at the shrine.

"'Kay, I'm coming!" Kohaku called out. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he was running out the door. "See you at school, Souta!" he yelled before disappearing out of sight.

"See ya, Kohaku!" Souta shouted after him. He walked into the hallway and grinned at his sister. "Hey, Kagome! Did you have fun?"

Kagome chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it was pretty fun. Exhausting, yes; but fun all the same. What did you do?"

Souta pulled a face. "Nothing, really. I hate this stupid cast! I can't do anything, it's boring!" he complained, gesturing to the plaster surrounding his broken arm.

"But you do get to eat all the ice cream you want." Kagome reminded him. Souta's boyish grin returned.

"Yeah, I guess. Oh no! I forgot to pause the game!" he hurried back to the room, hoping against hope that his character had survived.

Kagome sighed and picked up her bags once more. They were much heavier than she remembered. Maybe it was because of all the extra things Sango and Rin had snuck into them…?

On her way through the lounge room, she spotted her mother lying on the couch. Her eyes were closed and her breath was coming slowly and evenly. Kagome watched her for a while. Oh, mom… she thought with another sigh. Dropping off the bags in her room, she grabbed a woollen blanket and wrapped it around her mother's slender body.

"Sweet dreams, mom." She whispered before leaving the woman in peace.

-

-

As always, Kagome rose bright and early at 5:00am. When she was young she had always made a habit of trying to wake as early as possible, just so she could see her dad before he went to work. When she was a little older and learnt how to cook, she made breakfast for him each morning. As time passed they both became more dependant on Kagome's cooking and soon she prepared each meal. If she was busy or didn't have the time – which was rare because she didn't participate in any after-school activities – they would order pizza from the parlour just down the road.

She stepped into the shower and let the hot water pour over her body until her fingers began to wrinkle. Then, wrapping herself in her fluffy blue dressing gown, she went back to her room and began preparing for school. Sango had bought her a straightener on their outing and had spent Sunday morning showing her how to use it, so after blow-drying her hair and pulling on her school uniform, she set to work on the fluffy raven locks. She felt uneasy about applying make-up, so she left it and went down to the kitchen.

She was cracking the first couple of eggs into the frying pan when her mother stumbled through the doorway; yawning and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Kagome…?" she asked sleepily, a little confused.

"Hey, mom." Kagome replied cheerily, flashing Korari a smile.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked, still confused.

"I'm cooking breakfast," Kagome explained, "I hope you like scrambled eggs."

Korari pulled up a dining room chair and sat down. "Well… yes, but you know you don't have to cook breakfast. If you wanted scrambled eggs, I could have made them easily."

Kagome smiled once more; a gentle smile she had inherited from her mother. "But mom; I wanted to cook breakfast. I always cooked at home."

There was a silence as what Kagome had said sank in. Kagome cringed. Oh no; I called America home! Now mom'll think I don't appreciate staying here.

To her surprise, Korari smiled back. "Okay, if it's what you want. But let me show you the Ginzou way of scrambling eggs. It's a lot easier."

-

-

"Wow Yash; you look terrible." Rin stated with a frown.

"Shut up." Inuyasha replied. Rin was right; he did look terrible. He felt terrible, too. Bruise-like rings circled his eyes and his face was pale from lack of sleep. He had been running late in the morning, so his hair was a complete mess and it was easy to tell he hadn't been able to wake up properly in his rush to get ready.

He had had a dream last night, only you couldn't really call it a dream. More of a painful memory. He had relived those last few moments with Kikyo.

He could still see her face; so pale, so serene, so… beautiful. And those intense brown eyes, staring up at him in that way that made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"Why, Kikyo?" he had rasped.

Kikyo had given him a sad look. Only it didn't look sad. It looked more… apologetic…

"My family is moving, Inuyasha. This place; it's not going to get me anywhere. I'm going somewhere where our family can flourish and become something people will remember. I don't want to disappear. When I die, I will be remembered."

Those words; they sounded like a well-rehearsed line. Over and over they played in his head. He had pushed her into a tight, protective hug; his face buried in her jet black hair.

"I would never let you disappear. I love you, Kikyo."

"I love you too, Inuyasha."

Even with all that said, she was gone the next day. There was no goodbye. The family had simply picked up and left. And there was no emails, no phone calls, no letters. He didn't know how to reach her and she obviously felt no need to contact him.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha!" he blinked. Sango was waving her hand in front of his face, looking for a response.

"What?" he asked. Rin frowned.

"As I just said; maybe you should go and rest up in the sick bay. You look sick enough to be convincing."

The hanyou shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine."

Rin was about to retort, but at that moment Korari pulled up and Kagome stepped out of the car. Just seeing her face cleared his mind for a brief moment and for that blessed moment Kikyo completely drifted from his thoughts. She had straightened her hair, he noted; just like that Friday at the restaurant. It looked pretty… no; more than pretty. She looked hot.

"Hey, Kagz!" Rin greeted with her usual cheer and brilliant grin. Kagome smiled back shyly.

"Hi." She replied. Her eyes turned to Inuyasha, stopped and widened. "Inuyasha, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

It was then that Inuyasha's headache returned.

He winced, but managed a reassuring smile at his friend. "Yeah; I'm fine. Just didn't get enough sleep last night, that's all."

"Well, okay… if you say so…" Kagome mumbled doubtfully. The bell rang shrilly above them; making them all jump and making Inuyasha cringe and cover his ears.

"Ooooow…" he said, while muttering every cuss word he knew under his breath.

"Oh no! We're going to be late!" Rin exclaimed. She grabbed Sango's arm and dragged her off down the hall, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to blink at one another for a moment, then scuttle off to SOSE.

Luckily the teacher was running late, giving the pair plenty of time to seat themselves and sort out their books. Well; Kagome sorted through her books. As soon as Inuyasha sat down he groaned softly and rested his head on the table. Kagome looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then she reached over and touched his shoulder, ever-so lightly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly.

Inuyasha turned his head to look at her. He gave her a small smile, knowing all too well that it wasn't very convincing. "I'm fine, really. Your hair looks really nice, by the way."

Kagome blushed. "Thanks. I'm glad you like it."

The teacher walked in and both Inuyasha and Kagome turned their attention to the front, although it wasn't long before Inuyasha fell asleep at his desk.

-

-

"Look at it, Kagura! It's all straight and shiny! Ooh, I think I'm in love!"

"What? You mean to tell me you're gay?"

"No, idiot! I'm not talking about Kagome. Look at her hair. It's gorgeous. Wish I had hair like that…"

"You're the one who wanted to cut it short."

"That's not the point! It makes me wonder, though… what on earth was she doing wearing it all frizzy and wild like before? It did nothing for her complexion."

"Beats me."

Kagome gritted her teeth and tried desperately to concentrate on what Mr. Myoga was saying. Such a task was made difficult though, what with Kagura and Yura's extremely loud whispering. She tapped her pencil against the blank page in front of her, trying desperately to remember the song that had been playing on the radio on the way to school.

I don't mind...
I don't care...
As long as you're here
Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same…

All the Same by the Sick Puppies. That was what it was called.

She was concentrating so hard on not listening to Kagura and Yura that she jumped when a small piece of crumpled paper landed on her desk.

Excited about your date with Yash this weekend? –Rin

Kagome sighed. Trust Rin to bring up her 'date' in the middle of Algebra.

For the last time Rin, it's not a date. We're just friends going to see a movie together, she replied, tossing back the note when Mr. Myoga's back was turned.

It didn't take long before the note was returned to her. Seriously Kagz, it read, I can't believe you're so naive! He obviously likes you. And I have pretty good reason to believe that you like him. This is the perfect opportunity for you two to admit your feelings for each other!

Anyway, what's the answer for question 5b? –Rin

Kagome turned bright red as she read the little message. Is it really that obvious? She thought, biting her lip.

Rin watched her friend turn bright red with a smirk. The slip of paper landed on her desk once more.

57.39. That's the answer to 5b.

-

-

At recess Kagome's heart was beating hard and fast as she approached the cafeteria. She knew that Ayame would be there. Kouga would probably be there, too. She didn't want to face their wrath.

She kept her eyes fixed on the ground as she sat down, not daring to look up in case she met Ayame's penetrating glare. She felt Inuyasha shift beside her and gentle fingers brushed her hand. She looked up at him, he stared back at her. A small burst of confidence burst inside her and she willed herself to smile. Nothing, not even Ayame and Kouga was going to bring her down.

That was when she turned around and saw Ayame's furious face. Her heart instantly plummeted. How could she even think that they wouldn't affect her? Ayame was her friend. Her hatred was drilling a hole in Kagome's heart.

-

-

"I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay Kagz?" Rin said cheerily as she waved goodbye. Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, see ya Rin."

She watched her friend leave, then heard a painfully familiar voice call her name.

"Kagome! Wait!"

It was Kouga. In an instant he was beside her, holding her arm to keep her from leaving and holding a pleading note in his eyes. Kagome could see that his actions were through desperation.

"Listen Kagome, I'm really sorry. What I did… I didn't mean to, okay? I shouldn't have done it, I understand that now. It's just… your scent… and the way you looked… guh! Look, it's not that your not pretty or anything, I just… Ayame…"

"It's okay, Kouga." Kagome interrupted quietly.

Kouga stared at her for a moment. "No Kagome, it's not okay. Because of me, Ayame is taking out her anger on you. It's not fair on you."

"You love her, don't you?"

Kouga blinked, startled by the unexpected question. "I what?"

"You do, I can tell. Why don't you just go and say it? Go and tell the truth. Then she'll be happy. You can't let someone like her go. Otherwise, in a few years you'll look back and think about everything you missed over the years, all because you never showed her how much you cared. She won't wait forever, you know."

Kouga opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. He swallowed hard and eventually managed a, "Thank you." Before letting go of her arm and walking off.

Little did Kagome know, but a certain hanyou was listening in on their conversation. You can't let someone like her go… She won't wait forever, you know. The words echoed inside his head.

He had let go of Kikyo. Was he going to let go of Kagome, too?

-

-

The next day, Ayame watched Kagome walk off to Gym with Sango and Rin. They were giggling about something. Oh; how she hated that girl. She hated Sango and Rin too, for not hating her. She hated Kouga for liking her more than herself. She hated everything about Kagome.

"Don't worry about her, Ayame." Yura cooed, twiddling with a strand of her fiery red hair.

"Yeah; we're your new friends now." Abi added with a grin.

Ayame just nodded at them. She didn't know why she was even hanging around with them. She didn't like them any more than she liked Rin and Sango at that moment, but… she was just so angry at Kagome…

At Gym, she stood throwing a basketball into the much higher ring, practicing her technique, trying not to think of the girl standing not too far away from her. It didn't work. Then she saw a football bounce toward her. Without thought, she picked it up and turned around to return it to its user…

…Only to find Kouga, grinning uncomfortably and scratching his head sheepishly.

"Thanks, Ayame." He murmured.

Ayame didn't answer. She went back to shooting hoops, expecting Kouga to walk off. He didn't.

"Ayame, can we talk? There's something I really need to tell you." He pleaded.

"We're done talking, Kouga."

"No, we're not!" he ripped the ball from Ayame's arms and turned her to face him. She stared at the ground. "Look at me, Ayame."

She couldn't.

"Look at me."

She could feel the hot tears welling in her eyes. She tried desperately to push them away, knowing all too well that Kouga could smell them.

"Ayame, look at me!"

Slowly she raised her head to meet his ice-blue gaze. The eyes were soft, loving, pleading. They begged for forgiveness.

But she was not that easy to forgive.

"You think that you can just go around kissing random girls, and then say you're sorry? How do I know you're serious? How do I know you're not secretly going out with her, or any of the other girls in this school? How do I know? Why do I even care? It's not like we're dating or anything. You don't need to apologise and I don't need to forgive. Now, go away."

Kouga didn't go away. He gripped Ayame's shoulders even tighter than before and leant close to her face, letting his sweet breath play on her cheek. She couldn't help it. The proximity made her heart flutter and her face flushed pink. She was frozen. Why? Why does he have this affect on me? He broke my heart! I hate him, she thought, the tears coming back hard and fast. Still, deep down, she knew she didn't hate him.

She loved him.

"Ayame, please try and understand," Kouga whispered too quietly for any of the other demons to hear what they were saying, "I hurt you. I didn't mean to, but I did. I… I lost control. But you know, when I saw you standing there, crying, all I wanted to do was hug you. I wanted to wipe your tears, Ayame, are you listening to me? I love you. Please don't hate me. I couldn't bear it if you hated me."

That was it. The floodgates opened. Large, salty tears fell from Ayame's eyes and in moments she was sobbing into Kouga's Gym uniform as he hugged her and whispered things in her ear. She was so happy. This was everything that she had ever dreamed of.

"I-I love you, too." She croaked when the subbing and crying had ceased. She felt a tad embarrassed and knew that lots of people had turned to look at her, but she didn't want to leave the comfort of Kouga's arms. Still, when they finally pulled away and Kouga took her by the hand, she knew that she didn't have to be in his arms for forever to be happy. She would always be in his heart, no matter what.


HOORAY FOR CHEESINESS! Lol.

Reviews

Inu/Kaglover101Lol: Oh don't you worry. I have big plans for Inu and Kags's date... but you'll have to wait 'til the next chappie to find out what...

Inuyasha-Girl01: Yeah I ended up putting them together, but I think they'll only be a minor couple so they won't really have that many relationship issues.

lost-in-the-mist-courtney: OH NOES! I UPDATED SO LATE. DOES THAT MEAN I HAVE TO DIE??!?!!

inuyashaloves kagome4ever: lol you ask for more, I gives you more...

krazygirl140: Yeah I agree lol. Unfortunately Kagz is a little dense so she doesn't quite understand the signs. xD

iluvSokka46: Thanks I'm glad you like it. I hate the way that Rin and Sesshy got together, though... I will change it... when I can be bothered... xD;

kittyb78: Thank you!

CrystalMask: Oh noes! Please do not harm me, oh mavelont one!

Yours truly, Wolfii