Temporary Home

Summary: Kagome would be the first to tell you that life wasn't easy. She would also tell you that she didn't want it to be. If not for the hard life she had, she wouldn't have the life she did...all thanks to them...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Kagome (None)

Rated: T

-x-x-x-

"Kagome-Chan!" Eiji yelled at her door before knocking repetitively. Walking back to the bathroom, he pulled his toothbrush from the cupboard. Grabbing his toothpaste, he turned the faucet on and smiled at the sound of a door opening. He leaned out of the bathroom and grinned, "Kagome-Chan, get ready! It's your first day of school, nyan!"

"...today..." she watched Eiji brush his teeth for a moment before smiling a bit and laughing at the manner of his silliness. "I'll get ready then!"

He stopped brushing his teeth as she ran back inside her room. Mouth agape, his toothbrush fell limply in his mouth before he shook his head and blinked rapidly. A blush ran across his cheeks and he sighed. 'She attacks you with that smile, nyan! I was caught completely off guard. I was sure of it; she'd still be upset from yesterday. Ah...no, maybe she is. Waah! I really can't tell!'

-x-x-x-

Kagome looked back at Eiji as she waved goodbye to him. He'd walked with her to school today, smiling as she thought of how fidgety he'd been. She blamed herself. She knew she must have made him feel a bit uncertain around her. He was trying so hard. That was more than the other families could say. Looking at the paper in her hands, she sighed. 'Yesterday was a mess. I'm glad I got to meet his friends, but the impression I made on them couldn't have been a good one. Ah...and Fujiko-San. I said a lot yesterday to him. He must have a strong opinion of me too...nothing good, I imagine.' Her eyes burned as she took a deep breath and fought to calm her nerves. It would do her little good to think about that right now.

"You lost?"

She jumped and turned to see a boy her age staring at her curiously. He had wild cat like eyes and a serious look on his face. "Oh, I'm new to this school. I was about to decode my schedule and attempt finding my first class."

He laughed. "I can make it easier for you," he held his hand out and smiled when she handed him the paper. "Oh, you have a pretty close schedule to me,"

"...you are?"

"Kaidou, Hazue..." he handed her the paper and walked past her a bit, "come on, I'll show you to your classes today. What's your name?"

"Kikumaru, Kagome..."

"...Kikumaru..." He looked thoughtfully before frowning, "I feel like I've heard that name before." Shaking his head, he continued on his way with Kagome by his side.

-x-x-x-

Daichi looked up at the orphanage. He'd probably get an earful later for it, but he was skipping his classes right now. "That guy...he's really..." he frowned, "tch."

"Hey, hey Ouji-san!"

'...Ouji...' his eyes widened, and he looked down at a little girl with solid white hair, he hand clasped around a boy with the same white hair. "I'm no Ouji-San, Hime." He chuckled, crouching down in front of her as he said this. "What's your name?"

"Kanna, and this Haku."

"...Hakudoshi..." The boy said after a moment.

"It's nice to meet the two of you."

"Haku, Kanna! What are you two doing out here?"

Daichi looked up to see a stunning woman walking out towards him. She had long white hair past her hips, held in a ponytail over her shoulder, her gold eyes narrowed on him and he felt his breath completely abandon him. 'What was I doing here again!?' He cleared his throat and stood up, smiling as he bowed politely to the woman before straightening, "I'm Kikumaru, Daichi, I―"

"Oh! Kouta-San's brother! He came by asking some questions about Kagome's past families. Normally we don't give such information out, but I understand that Kagome can be difficult, and I really hope this works out for her."

He shook his head in disbelief. The cold look that had moments ago been in her eyes had completely vanished from her golden embers. "I would like to talk more about her. I heard about the families, but could I hear about the Kagome that lived at the orphanage."

She smiled, "of course, but maybe I could interest you in the girl that came to the orphanage, before I tell you about the girl that lived here."

"Gome-Chan is coming back?"

"Again?"

The woman looked sadly at the twins before her eyes searched Daichi's. "I don't think so, not this time. It seems like this is a good family,"

Kanna smiled, "she'll stay!" She ran off with her brother being pulled behind her.

"My name is Taisho, InuKimi...shall we?" She held her hand to the orphanage before walking off with Daichi following after her in a daze.

'Focus, I came here to learn about Kagome-Chan. I want...to be there for her. Like, like a big brother should be.'

-x-x-x-

Kagome blushed, bowing to the class after the teacher introduced her as a new student.

"Kikumaru-Chan, why are you transferring in so late in the school year?"

"Kikumaru-Chan, do you have siblings?"

"Kikumaru-Chan, how old are you?"

"Kawaii, Kikumaru-Chan looks like a doll~!"

She tried to tame her features but was failing horribly. Clearing her throat before straightening with a stilted look on her face, "I recently moved," her answer wasn't a lie, it just avoided the topic of adoption. She really didn't want anyone to know. She felt self-conscious...she knew it, recognized it. "I have five siblings, three older brothers and two older sisters, and I'm ten."

"Five siblings!?"

"Wah, sugoi!"

"You're the youngest?"

"Do-"

"Everyone, please take your seats and calm down. There is plenty of time to get better acquainted with Kikumaru-San,"

Kagome mentally thanked the teacher, even though she knew he had no idea of her gratitude. She settled into the seat he pointed at. It was a couple seats away from her tour guide. She noticed he was completely focused on the book on his desk. 'Studious...' she smiled a bit. Turning her own eyes to the book that was placed on her desk, she read the cover. To Kill a Mockingbird, she'd never read it. She had only read whatever was brought into the orphanage, no choice in the material, not really. She flipped it over and read the back silently, 'Compassionate, dramatic and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior― to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em. But remember, it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.' She frowned, "not much of a synopsis."

"No, it's not." The teacher laughed a bit, "we will start with the first chapter and you will read the second chapter tonight for homework. Let's start with―"

Classes went by easily enough, and she found herself enjoying her new friends' company as she was walked through most of the school. He showed her around to the clubs during lunch and even showed her where to get applications for club activities. He wasn't a huge conversationalist, but he was nice.

Really nice.

He didn't ask her questions about her family.

He didn't comment about her looks or inquire about anything else that one might deem private.

He talked about school, clubs and vaguely he breached the topic of Tennis. Only to mention his brother who played in the Seigaku Junior High's Tennis Club as a Regular. She had considered mentioning that her brother was also a regular but decided against it after a moment. Her mind had instead, wandered back to the boys she'd met. She recalled an older boy who looked similar to him and was pretty certain that his name had been Kaidou too.

"Kikumaru-San, after school, would you like to go to the library with me?"

"The library?"

He smirked, "when I was showing you around, you kept looking back at it when we'd pass it up. You don't have a library card yet, do you?"

"Ah...iie, not yet."

"Then let's get you one."

She smiled and nodded, "thanks!"

The two wandered off to their next class, unaware of the small group of kids standing off behind them. Watching them walk off and talking amongst themselves.

"I don't like her,"

"What? But why not? She looks nice..."

"Geeze, Sango, you really don't know better, do you?"

Sango frowned, "I just don't see what's so bad about her. Kaidou-Kun likes her, and he's a good judge of character, I think."

"It's her first day, even Kaidou-Kun doesn't know better."

"Ayame-Chan gets pretty mean when someone goes after Kaidou-San." A boy grinned as he looked the girl beside him over.

"Shush, Jakotsu! I'll tell him that you like him too!"

Jakotsu's cheeks flushed and he glared before shutting his mouth and looking away. "Who the heck said I like him? I just think he's cool!"

Sango sighed, her friends could be a bit much, at times. However, they weren't always so bad. She looked off in the direction that Kaidou and the new girl had walked off in. She had her in a few classes and couldn't see any fault in her. She seemed a bit closed off from the others, aside from Kaidou who'd been showing her around all day, but that wasn't really a fault, was it? 'I think...I want to be her friend too...'

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter 10! So, Kagome's first day of school, she's made a friend, and she's kind of figured out who it is. Trying to stay under the radar, she's managed to gather the eyes of three students, but each for different reasons. Let's see how it goes? Review, and have a Merry Christmas!