Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. All I own is my own little universe… mostly imaginary, but hey, it's mine.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Wishing Well

September 14

"Make a wish, Kikyo!"

Smiling at her friend/Kikyo's friend, Eri, Kagome looked at the well. She had been making wishes for months now on every star, yellow traffic light, fallen eyelash, and well that she came across. Figuring one more wouldn't hurt, she tossed in a coin, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and made her silent wish.

"Did you wish for a new job?" the pink haired woman 'joked'.

The smile became a little more forced, but still remained on her face. Eri had been making several not so subtle comments that it was time for her to move out of her friend's home.

"Or a hot new boyfriend?"

Ah yes, there was that too. The ever so inconspicuous reminders to stay away from her friend's husband. Couldn't have an hour go by without one of those. She wasn't sure if she should think well of her for being so loyal to her friend, or insulted that she would even insinuate that she would make a move on someone else's husband. Now why had she agreed to go out with these people? Oh yes, her mother's threat that she would steal all the mirrors in the house in the middle of the night and hide them until she got some actual sunshine and held actual conversations that didn't revolve around when the next time Kikyo's reflection would appear.

Hojo hadn't escaped either. He was being forced to take his mother-in-law (sort of) window shopping. Kaede was spending the day with Souta playing video games. Why hadn't SHE been forced to go outside and be social? Of course, the only way she and Hojo had been persuaded to go was because the little girl had smiled and said that they wouldn't be seeing them today.

"I already have someone."

"Hmm…" she said with a disbelieving voice. "Sure isn't the clingy type, is he?"

Kagome wondered if it was too late to change her wish to Eri falling down the well. When were the others showing up? At least they were a buffer.

"We talk when we can."

The other woman crossed her arms and leaned against the well with her hip. "Why hasn't he come down here to see you?" She made a sound of sudden understanding. "Ohhhh… is it another woman?"

Okay.

That was it.

The girl must die.

Just as Kagome was getting ready to push her over the lip of the well, she heard the cheery voice of Yuka. She was a little surprised at the new short haircut she was sporting.

"Couldn't get rid of the purple," she explained as she touched the edge of her hair. "What are we doing? Making wishes?" She dug out a coin and tossed it in. "Please let the new boy in Chem class notice me."

Kagome laughed, she couldn't help it. "You aren't supposed to tell people what you wished."

Yuka shrugged. "Eh, no big deal. He wasn't that cute."

"Yet you spent money on wishing for him?"

"It was a coin from the arcade that I found, so it's not like I have a whole lot invested in it." She yawned and stretched then pointed out the ice scream shop. "You take this wishing stuff too seriously, Kikyo." She pushed her in that direction. "The others are going to meet us later."

"Where?"

Yuka laughed. "It'll be fun!"

The outing was a nightmare, especially after they tricked her into going to a club. The two women seemed determined to set Kagome up with someone. Anyone! There were some men who were interested, and some who were far tooooo interested (and had no concept of 'personal space'). But none of them was Inuyasha. And each new guy that they introduced her to made her angrier and angrier.

"I want to go home," Kagome yelled at Eri when she got close enough to her to be heard over the pounding music.

"No way!"

"I want to go!"

Eri shook her head as she continued to dance. "I drove. We're staying. Hey! I want you to meet someone. Sai, this is Kikyo. Kikyo, Sai. Dance!" She shoved Sai into Kagome and disappeared into the crowd.

"Hi," he said awkwardly.

"Uh. Hi. I'm involved with someone."

"Married?"

"No. Not yet."

He gave her a grin that was probably supposed to be charming and started dancing in such a way that it looked like he wanted to make babies with her right on the dance floor.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "But I've really got to go."

Sai grabbed her wrist and drew her closer, pushing his body against hers. "Eri says you guys are staying 'till closing."

Kagome tried to tug her wrist out of his hand, but had no luck. She debated on whether or not she should use some of the self-defense techniques Sango showed her. But she wasn't sure if she really wanted to cause a scene with him writhing on the floor in agony. Inuyasha's tips wouldn't be helpful either since the establishment probably frowned on bloodshed. So it looked like she had one option left to her.

"I meant that I have to go to the bathroom." Lie and run.

It worked though. Sai dropped her wrist. But before she could bolt, he grabbed it again. She formed a fist with her other hand and prepared to punch him in the windpipe.

"I'll walk you there, it's dangerous with all these creeps around."

Kagome relaxed her fist and allowed herself to be led to the back. With a wave of her fingers she disappeared into the women's room. She did her business. Touched up her make up. Bushed her hair. Wiped down the sinks. When another woman came in she noticed that Sai was still waiting for her to come out. So she went into one of the stalls, pulled out her cell phone, and began playing one of the games she had downloaded on it. Of course, that was only good for half an hour since she had neglected to charge the batteries. So she went back out and messed with her hair some more, this time giving herself braids. Another woman came in and she noticed Sai still waiting, though looking a little disgruntled.

"I give up," Kagome muttered to herself.

"Hey," called a woman from one of the stalls. "Could you shut that window? Someone must be smoking underneath it and I'm allergic."

Window?

Sure enough, there was a small window. How cliché can you get, she laughed at herself. And why the heck didn't I notice it before?

Thankful she wore the purse with the long strap, she put it over her head so that it hung across her body. She was also grateful that she wore a skirt that allowed movement instead of a tight one. She wished that she had worn tennis shoes instead of heels though. It didn't matter. Slipping her shoes off, she tossed them out the open window. Taking a deep breath, she began to climb up on the sink.

"Date going bad?" asked a woman who came out and was washing her hands.

"Kinda."

"Been there. There's a ledge outside the window. Don't try going straight down, it goes to the alley. It's dark and too dangerous. So walk carefully along the ledge to the right if you are facing outward. Go about four or five yards and there will be a slope. Scoot down on your bottom and when you get to the edge you'll only have a few feet drop."

"Oh. I guess you really have done this before."

The woman laughed. "You wouldn't believe the horrific blind dates I've been on. Good luck, kid!"

Kagome followed the woman's instructions to the letter. When she landed safely on the pavement she wished she hadn't been so quick to toss her shoes out the window. Going down a dark alley wasn't worth a pair of shoes, so she headed for home in her bare feet. She also wished she hadn't used up her cell phone battery playing games when she could be calling her mother for a ride home.

Three bus changes and an empty pocketbook later, Kagome finally stood in front of her mother's house. She would have gone to Hojo's, but it was even further. Bypassing the front door, Kagome walked to the old well house, certain that she still had an old pair of shoes stashed in the corner from when she was working in the garden.

Sure enough, there they were. With a sigh she slipped them on her bruised and tired feet.

"What a day. I wish…"

Her wish to start the day over again died as her eyes fell on the old boarded up well. Her grandfather had boarded it up when she was a child after she had fallen down it, for the third time. It wasn't a very deep well. In fact, as far as she knew, it had never once held water. Her grandfather said it was hundreds of years old, and had built the well house to protect it. She always loved the smelly old thing, it was comforting knowing that she was touching a piece of the past. So she walked to the well and sat on the edge. She was tired. She was tired of not being where she belonged. She was tired of the awful loneliness that being away caused.

"I wish I was with Inuyasha."

Wiping the tear that fell down her cheek, she pushed herself off of the well and headed outside. Now that she had shoes on her feet she could make it all the way to Hojo's.

If she had stayed only two minutes longer.

If she had only turned around.

Then she would have seen the well glow blue.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note:

I hope y'all are enjoying the story. I appreciate your reviews and I love reading them. Though I have a very very rough draft of the next chapter, it is still a long way off from being close to completed. So it may take a little longer to get that one out.