"Clear," I said and Kagome and I made a mad rush for the well. Her on her bike and I on foot.

All of a sudden our plans to go home seemed to be discovered by a certain white haired half-demon. "What's your hurry? You two ain't going anywhere until you hand over the shards of the sacred jewel."

"Inuyasha this isn't funny, we have to go to school."

"Yeah!" Kagome agreed.

"We have finals to study for!"

"Yeah!"

"And if Kagome doesn't study she's going to fail!"

"Yea-hey!" Kagome gave me a firm, but not harmful punch in the shoulder.

I rubbed it gently, it didn't hurt by it was still a shock, "Our attendance is so low that you can't afford to fail. I've made up all those hours with the extra community work I did over the summer. You decided to spend your summer at the mall."

Kagome groaned, "Don't remind me."

While we were talking Inuyasha had grabbed a huge bolder and threatened to cover the well with it.

"Inuyasha," I warned, angrily.

"SIT!" Kagome shouted, activating the spell. "Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Siiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Inuyasha, fell the ground at her command; his 'brilliant' bolder plan backfired as the bolder fell on him.

Kagome and I ran to the well, "Stay boy we'll be back in three days," Kagome ordered.

"And don't even think about following us," I added and joined my sister as we fell down the well.

As soon as we got back we didn't seem to have two seconds of peace before we were doused in sake. I sniffed my hair. "Ewww."

Kagome grimaced, "Smells like sake."

"It is sake," I added. "How did-Grandpa!"

"Kagome, Name! It's you! I knew my prayers would be answered," said grandpa oblivious to Kagome's rising temper.

She sneezed just as she was about to say something.

I turned to her, "You ok?"

Kagome nodded.

"Don't want you getting a cold just before finals," I said as I started to climb up.

- At home and after a shower -

We sat at the table eating. Well Kagome and Sota ate while I told Sota about our adventures.

"A toad prince, really?" Sota said between bites of food.

I nodded. "And we met the most adorable little fox demon. Shippo. He's traveling with us now."

Kagome giggled, "And he has the cutest little crush on Name."

Blushing I said, "Kagome…he's just a kid. It'll wear off as he grows older." I said to Sota.

Sota smiled, "Cool. You should write these down; they'd make a great book."

"As if anyone would read it."

- Dream that night-

I wandered through the woods looking. I didn't know what I was looking for, by somehow my dreamself knew. For what seemed like forever I searched. Then I found it.

"Name…"

My body moved on its own.

"Name, come to me."

I knelt by his side.

"You left me."

My head hung in shame. Gently he lifted my chin to look at him. His face blurred. His touch was so gentle, so caring, even if he was mad at me he didn't show it.

"My Name, you'll not leave me again?"

No words.

"Name? Answer this one who loves you."

I couldn't move my head.

"Name," his voice more firm. "You'll stay. That is an command from your-."

- At school the next day -

At school we got bombarded with questions about our 'medical conditions'. I blushed at some of the things grandpa had told the school. "Why couldn't grandpa just tell them we got the flu like a normal person?" I asked myself.

"Kagome, Yuka, Eri, Ayumi, I got to go pick up my painting or it's going to get thrown out. I'll see you later, kay?"

They nodded. "Help me study later, lunch in the library?" Kagome asked.

"Sure." With that I ran off.

In the art room I grabbed my canvas. I smiled at it. It was a family portrait from about ten years ago. I was missing a tooth. Kagome's hair was at her ears. Sota was being held by mom. It was a great memory.

Memory.

Memory.

I still couldn't remember that dream. I bugged me to no end, but I couldn't remember. I turned around and nearly fell as I bumped into a wall of a person. "S-sorry."

"Hey, nice to see you back at school." Daichi. I gulped; I had never been good with boys around my own age. They all seemed to have one thing on their mind. Shoving me around until I got bruised and cried, or until Kagome came over and punched them in the face. "I was wondering when you'd feel better, how's your liver?"

I blushed, "F-fine."

"Good…good…hey I was wondering if you weren't too busy would you like to maybe you'd like to go out later?" He smiled. I had to admit it was charming, but it just didn't hit me the right way it seemed to with the other girls. Didn't feel right.

He seemed so nice, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Umm…a-actually f-finals are coming up and I have to s-study."

That charming smile didn't waver. I swear I was so nervous I was ready to sweat off the makeup mom had applied this morning to cover my blue streaked face. "Ok then, how about a study session then? I can't seem to remember some of the things in history."

"Weeeeelll."

"Come on everyone knows you're a wiz at pretty much every subject."

Now he was trying to butter me up. I barely pass gym and I could hardly understand mathematics. "O-ok. When do you want to meet?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "How about tonight at the coffee shop? I have soccer practice, but after that I have nothing planned."

"O-ok."

"Great," his smile brightened, "I'll pick you up at your house around five thirty then?"

I nodded.

As he left I gulped. Was this going to be considered a date?

- At the library during lunch -

"Kagome, you know about guys right?"

Kagome looked up from her book. "Yeah they're the ones with no chest and tend to have shorter hair right?"

I blushed, "V-very funny."

Kagome smiled wider than the cat who ate the canary, "Ooooo, are you in looooooooooove?"

I blushed harder.

"Oooo! It is a boy, tell me all about him."

"Well, I'm not sure. If a boy asks you to study with him and he seems to be really excited for it, is that considered a date?"

"I guess so," Kagome smiled wider, if that was possible, "why?"

I quickly rushed out the story to her.

Her eyes widened, "Wow, Name, you turned him down?"

"Y-you know how I am with guys," I said fiddling with my fingers. "When I'm back in the feudal era I'm fine because I know they're trying to kill me. But boys here are either so mean or so…"

"Oversexed?"

"I was going to say lewd, but yeah let's go with that."

Kagome nodded, "I see. So you got a study date tonight."

I nodded, "I guess I do."

She smiled, "With Daichi, the school's athletic star who seems to have the hots for you."

I nodded again, this time blushing, "I guess I do." We went back to the books and then I remembered a bit of information that I had picked up, being a wallflower has its perks, "So what's this I hear about you and Hojo?"

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but was but off by a speaker that said, "Higurashi Kagome and Name, please report to the front desk. Higurashi Kagome and Name, please report to the front desk."

- At home -

"Mom! Mom!" Kagome and I shouted as we ran home.

"Is grandpa, ok?" Kagome asked.

Mom nodded, "He just fainted and inhaled a bit of smoke, but other than that he's fine."

We both sighed in relief. I had thought the worst when I heard about the fire, it really didn't look as bad as it sounded over the phone.

"I think I should stay home. It seems kind of silly in light of all that's happened."

"I know that look, you are not canceling your date," Kagome said.

"Name, has a date?"

"It's not a date!" I protested with a slight hint of pink in my cheeks, "It's a study session."

Mom hugged me tightly, "Oh, my little girl has a date. When can I start expecting grandchildren?"

"MOM! Thanks a lot Kagome," I said in semi real semi fake anger.

Kagome just laughed.

- Five thirty that night -

"Just hold still," Mom said as she applied the makeup to my cheeks.

"So embarrassing," I thought as mom pinched my cheek affectionately.

Finally she finished and appraised me, "Ah, perfect." I looked at myself in the mirror. A pair of very blue eyes stared back at me. My poker straight hair had been pulled back into a pony tail. Mom had trimmed my bangs and put on the makeup to cover up my blue marks. All in all I didn't look too bad.

However my moment was ruined by a loud, "NAME, YOUR BOYFRIEND IS HERE!" From Sota.

"Go get him."

"Mom, we're just studying," I groaned and walked downstairs to the door. "Hi, Daichi."

He smiled, "Ready to go?"

I nodded and followed him to the coffee shop. Our walk was that of silence. I felt so awkward until we got to the coffee shop and started studying.

He seemed to be really smart. Honestly he didn't need me to help him at all.

As the session when on Daichi would move his chair closer to mine, I didn't notice until we were barely touching. I blushed and leaned back and away from him. "I-I think w-we've covered everything," I smiled.

He nodded and said, "I'll walk you home."

When we finally got back he walked me up to the door, "Name, I'm going to be perfectly honest. I've been trying to get your attention for a while now and you've always managed to slip away before I work up the courage to talk to you."

I blushed harder, "Umm…s-sorry?"

"Do you mind if I give you a kiss goodnight?"

My brain froze. How was I supposed to respond? I shook my head and realized too late that that meant that I wanted him to kiss me goodnight. My eyes closed tightly as he leaned in slowly to my face. However, contrary to what I thought he was going to do, instead of kissing me on my mouth and thus stealing my first kiss, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

For some reason the kiss didn't feel good. It wasn't even like a kiss from Sota or grandpa. In fact after his lips left my cheek, the spot burned an emotional pain.

"G-goodnight," I said.

"Goodnight," he said and left with a smile on his face.

As soon as he was out of sight I touched the place where he had kissed me. The skin was untouched. But there was still the pain. I rubbed it gently, then wiped at it and the pain left.

"Well that's odd…"

- That morning -

"What do you mean you got another jewel shard?" I asked as Kagome finished telling me what I missed last night. "And all I did was study history with Daichi."

Kagome snickered, "You didn't say it right, you got to study history with Daichi." She said his name like a lovesick teenager and batted her eyelashes.

I ran ahead of her screaming, "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" However I could hear Kagome laughing as she ran to catch up with me.