CHAPTER 3: LOVE IS DANGEROUS
Kagome felt pretty sure she had aced that chemistry test, thanks to Naota's help. There were only two or three problems she had to guess on, and even then, she was sure she'd make an "A." She walked through the halls on her way outside for Lunch; she would eat outside with her friends today.
When she arrived outside, her friends were all sitting on the curb outside the school. All three of them looked really depressed.
"What's wrong?" asked Kagome, taking a seat on the curb beside one of her friends.
"Dean…" said one of the girls. All three sighed in unison.
"Oh." Said Kagome, taking a bite out of a red apple. "Still that, huh?" she said nonchalantly.
"I understand how YOU could say that, Kagome…" said the girl on the far right. "You never really got to meet him. You would have liked him, Kagome. I mean, REALLY liked him…"
"He was so dreamy…" piped the one in the middle. "You would have gotten to meet him, but you were usually gone. It's too bad you had The Ebola Virus…" she sighed.
"And Scarlet Fever…" said another. "By the way, how did you get over Ebola? I thought there was no cure…"
Kagome blushed, and took another bite of her apple. "Um… a miracle, I guess…"
"Ooooh! Kagome!" chirped the one in the middle. "I heard you were studying last night with that new kid! Is that true?" The other girls instantly shot up. "Really? What happened, Kagome? Give us the juicy details!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" said another. "Don't leave anything out! Man, first Hojo… now the new kid… you are SO lucky Kagome."
"TOTALLY lucky." Replied the first. "So what happened?"
Kagome rubbed her forehead. She wondered if these girls would EVER grow up. "I needed help with Chemistry for an upcoming test. He does pretty well in school, I asked for his help, so we studied."
"So did you study the back of his throoooooaaaat?" all three girls giggled madly.
Kagome put her face in her hands. "Nothing happened!" she said, rubbing her temples. "We studied chemistry! That's all! Nothing else!"
The three girls stopped laughing after a time, and calmed down.
"But would you?" one of the girls asked.
Kagome was confused, as was evident by the look on her face. "Would I what?"
"If he wanted to… you know…" the girl said. "Would you?"
Kagome groaned. "If he wanted to… what? You mean, make-out?" She asked. All the girls nodded.
"I'd probably say-"
But there was Naota, sitting by himself. Kagome had some things she had to talk with him about. She packed up her lunch, and stood up.
"Hold that thought: I'm gonna go sit with him." She said, pointing to Naota. All the girls giggled.
"We wanna come too!"
"Nuh-uh." Said Kagome. "This is private. I have some things I need to tell him. "
"A private lunch?" one of the girls gasped.
"I thought nothing was happening between you two, Kagome!" one of the girls chided. "Yeah!" said another. "What happened to that?"
"I'M JUST GOING TO TALK TO HIM!" Kagome yelled. Even Naota looked up to see what was going on. "IT DOESNT MEAN WE'RE DATING!" And with that, she stormed off to the bench where Naota was sitting.
The three girls exchanged glances. "She is SO into him." They all nodded in agreement.
****
"Is anyone sitting here?" Kagome asked. Naota shook his head, and patted a hand by an empty space on the bench.
"I guess I'll have a seat, then!" Kagome said, smiling. She took her seat, took out her half-eaten apple, and began munching on it.
"So…" Naota said. "Do you think you did okay on that chemistry test?" He asked.
"I probably got an 'A', thanks to you!" Kagome said, excited. "There were only about two or three answers that I didn't know, and even then I took an educated guess. Thanks a bunch, Naota!" Kagome gave him a soft smile.
"You're welcome." Said Naota, returning her smile. "If there's anything else I can help you with, just let me know, okay?" he said.
"I can't think of anything immediately…" Kagome said. "But I'm sure I'll need help with something of that nature sooner or later. Thanks." She said, and took another bite of her apple.
"Naota… I have to ask you something."
The color flushed from Naota's face. "What is it?" he asked.
"It's about last night…" Kagome said. "I saw… what happened between you and your father."
Naota's heart sank into his stomach. The woman he secretly loved and wanted to be respected by, had seen him at his most pitiful state.
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Kagome. "I'll help you in anyway I can. I'll-"
"You'll what?" grunted Naota. "Tell him to 'be nice?' Tell him to leave me alone 'or else?' There's nothing you or anyone else can do!"
Kagome was taken aback. "I just wanted to help you!" she said, hurt. "I'm sorry for intruding, I didn't mean to see that happen! I just wanted to give you your book back, and that's when it happened. I didn't mean to see it!" she repeated. "Honest!"
Now Naota REALLY felt bad. "Don't be sorry." He said, sighing. "It's not your fault. I just…" he stammered. "I just couldn't stand for you to see how pathetic I was before him…"
Kagome grabbed his hand, and clenched it. "Don't talk like that!" she said. "I don't know what I'd do in that situation, either. You are NOT pathetic. You're one of the sweetest people I know; you just have some bad circumstances that prevent you from having a better home-life. Don't talk down to yourself, okay?" she smiled. Naota threw his arms around Kagome's neck.
"Thanks…" he said.
"It's okay." Said Kagome. "I really can't do much to help, of that you are right. But if you need to talk to someone, I'll be willing to listen, okay?" She smiled.
"Okay." Naota said. "Thanks a lot, Kagome… for everything."
"Anytime." Said Kagome. She was about to finish her apple, when the school bell rang. "Lunch is OVER?" said Kagome in disbelief. "I haven't even finished!" she sighed, and packed up her bag. "Oh well. Anyway, I'll see you later, okay Naota?"
Naota nodded. "Yeah, later." He said. "Have a good day."
"You too, Naota." Kagome ran back to her class, but before she could even get inside, her friends converged on her.
"He HUGGED YOU!" gasped one of them, giddy with excitement.
"Kagome, did you ask him out?" said another.
"Are you in looooooove?" said the third.
"NO!" she screamed. "NOTHING happened. Just because we hugged, doesn't mean we're engaged, or something!"
"But you still haven't answered our question!" said one of the girls.
"What question?" Kagome demanded. "What are you talking about?"
"Would you?" repeated the same girl.
"Oh, god." Said Kagome. "You three REALLY need to grow up, you know that?"
"Would you? Wouldyouwouldyouwouldyou? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Arrrghhh…" groaned Kagome. She may as well tell them; at least then it would get them off her back. "I don't think so. I like him as a friend, but I doubt we'd date. I don't consider him to be like a boyfriend or anything. He's just a sweet little kid, that's all."
The girls groaned. "Aw, man. We we're hoping for something juicy."
"I have to go now." Kagome said. "I'm late for class as it is, thanks to you three. Hope you're happy…"
"Bye Kagome!" The girls chirped.
"Yeah, yeah…" said Kagome, as she ran off to her class.
****
Naota did not go to his class. He was too depressed, angry, and sad all at once. He had heard every word Kagome had said. He could handle it if she said something like "I don't think I could date him now, it's too early." Or "I don't know… we'll see." But she gave him no hope. She had already made up her mind that she would never be his.
"He's just a sweet little kid, that's all."
"Is that it?" Naota asked himself. "Is that all she sees me as? Does she really think I'm 'just a little kid?' Am I really so insignificant to her?"
Naota decided then and there that he would change her mind. "She still doesn't know… about my power." He said, clutching the Shikon Shard that hung from his neck. "I don't know exactly what yet, but somehow, I'll prove it to her." He said. "I'll show her that I'm not 'just a little kid.' But…" he said, considering the possibility that there may be someone else in her life.
"If it turns out there is someone else she already loves…" he gave a sadistic, almost unearthly smile. "I'll just have to kill him."
Naota may have been a sweet little kid…
But he is not one to be taken lightly.
****
Kagome had stayed after school that day. She needed to see what she got on her tests in Math and Chemistry, and see if she would have to retake anything. Thanks to Naota's help, she got an 'A' on her chemistry exam. However, she failed math. HARD.
"I FAILED?" she asked.
"It sure looks that way." Said the teacher. "You got a 30%. That's failing, and pretty bad, I must say."
Kagome sighed. "Can I…"
"…retake it?" the teacher finished Kagome's sentence. "Yeah. I'm letting everyone who failed retake it because I gave the news about Dean prior to it, so I figured that may have ruined some peoples concentration."
"Can I take it now?" she asked.
"I suppose." Said the teacher. "I won't be outta here for a few hours, got some paperwork to do. As long as you're quiet, I guess you can take it now."
Kagome grabbed the test, some scrap paper, and a pencil, took the nearest desk and sat down. Several Tangents, variables, secants, and cosines later, she had finished her test.
"Here you go." Said Kagome, as she handed in her paper to the teacher. "When do you think you'll have my test score?"
"Probably not until tomorrow afternoon." Said the teacher. "Just come and see me after school, it won't take that long. But bear in mind, Miss Higurashi, if you fail this time, there will be no retakes."
"I understand, sir."
****
Kagome had nothing better to do for the rest of the day than to watch Naota run at track team. There was no doubt about it: he was really good. He could run even faster than the captain, something that the captain was probably none too pleased about.
After practice, Kagome decided she would wait for Naota, and walk him home, since they lived so close together. His father probably wouldn't like it, but she didn't care. He was a good friend to her.
After everyone had gone home, she was still waiting for Naota. He had not come out yet, and everyone else had gone home… or so she thought.
The captain of the track team approached her.
"Oh." She said. "It's you. You're that guy that was being a jerk to Naota yesterday!" She said in disgust. "What do YOU want?"
The captain of the track team grabbed Kagome by her shoulders, and looked her straight in the eye.
"Listen to me." He said. "Stay away from that kid. He's trouble."
"Trouble?" said Kagome. "Do you STILL think he killed Dean?"
"HE DID!" yelled the captain of the track team. "He killed him! Has he told you anything about it? Anything at all? Please tell me! I need to know!"
"L-Let go of me!" Kagome screamed.
At that point, Naota had emerged from the locker room. All he saw was Kagome, being pinned to the lockers by the track team captain and screaming for help.
"Perfect." Said Naota to himself. "I'll save her, and then she'll see! She'll see that I'm not just a little kid anymore!"
He strode over to where Kagome was being pinned. "You'd better let her go." He said flatly.
The captain of the track team looked at him and scoffed. "I got no beef with you. Now buzz off!"
"Don't worry, Naota!" said Kagome. "He'll let go soon, or I'll kick him."
"Did he tell you anything?" screamed the track team captain again. "Did he…"
He looked over at Naota, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.
Naota's eyes were solid red, and were glowing eerily. His hair seemed to blow back and forth in this energy, whatever it was.
"N-Naota?" asked Kagome. "W-what are-"
"I SAID LET HER GO!" he screamed, and pushed his arm forward. The captain flew about fifty feet, and hit the lockers all the way down the hall. His head was bleeding; it formed a pool of blood at his feet. He was unconscious.
"Naota…you…" Kagome stuttered. "Oh my god! I'll go call an ambulance! He needs…"
Naota's eyes flashed red again.
"Naota! Don't do it! He-"
"It's too late, Kagome." Naota said. The lockers the captain had been slammed into began teetering; soon it would topple over on the unconscious captain's body.
"Stop!" Kagome begged. "Naota, please-"
"He's seen my power, Kagome. I can't let him live."
And with that, the lockers fell on the captain's body. He was killed instantaneously.
Kagome slumped to her knees. "You…" she began sobbing silently. "You killed Dean too, didn't you?!"
"Ha!" said Naota. "Dean was a pretty face, nothing more. Who cares about him?"
Kagome stood up. She wanted to run, but Naota grabbed her arm.
"S-Stay back!" Kagome said. She was in tears. The boy she once considered a good friend now terrified her.
The look in Naota's eyes was sympathetic. "Please." He said. "Please don't be afraid of me…" he was clearly very hurt. "I would NEVER do anything to hurt you, Kagome. NEVER."
He took Kagome's hand, and walked outside with her. Kagome was too scared to break free of his grasp and run. All she could do was follow him, and trust him when he said he would not harm her.
Once outside, Naota's eyes flashed red again. When it happened, He began to float in midair.
"Take my hand, Kagome." Said Naota gently. "I won't let you fall." Reluctantly, Kagome took his hand. And they rose into the air, until they were both on top of the school building.
Naota set Kagome down, let go of her hand, and sat down beside her. Kagome still wouldn't dare run away.
"I've always had mild psychic ability." Naota began. "I got it from my mother, she had it too. She told me never to show anybody. She said they wouldn't understand." He sighed. "It was just parlor tricks anyway, I could never do much beyond floating things in midair."
His hand clenched the Shikon Shard that hung around his neck. "But ever since my mother gave me this… It's been so much stronger." He said. "And one day, something occurred to me: throughout my life, I have taken crap from absolutely everybody. School Bullies, Class Clowns, the 'cool' people, my father…" He cringed at the mention of his father. "But I realized that with this power, I don't have to. I don't have to do it anymore. I can get whatever I want, and stop anyone who thinks I'm not good enough to get it." He clenched his fist.
"Kagome, steal away with me!" said Naota with a smile. "Don't you see? I can do the same for you! I can get you whatever you want! Anything in the whole world! We can get whatever we need to survive with no problems, and live happily together." He smiled, and extended Kagome his hand.
"All you need to do is take my hand. And then we can spend the rest of our lives together. Will you take it, Kagome?"
Kagome's heart was pounding like a drum. She liked Naota, even though he was less pure than he originally seemed. But spend the rest of her LIFE with him? No way.
"Please take my hand, Kagome… Don't you see? I can have anything I want, but... All I need is you." Naota was near tears. He said it again, slower, gentler.
"Please…take…my hand…"
"I-I…" Kagome stuttered. She stood up and did the only thing she could do: Run. She whirled around and headed for the stairs.
"Kagome! Wait!" Naota's eyes flashed and he took to the air; he was hot on her heels.
Kagome ran down the stairs, level after level, until she was at the bottom floor. She bolted out the door and was about to run home, but then she realized…
"He knows where I live…"
"Kagome!" said Naota, with tears in his eyes. "Please! Come back!" His whole body was emanating red light as he flew through the schoolyard. It was nighttime, and everyone had gone home. Nobody was here to help her.
Kagome ran for her life. Love had never been so scary for her until now.
"Kagome! Please!" Naota pleaded through tears. "Don't you see? Don't you see how much I care about you?!" Kagome hid behind some bleachers near the track. Naota couldn't see her.
"Kagome… come back!" He screamed.
Naota was heaving like a dog. He flew around, looking for her, calling her name all the while. Eventually he grounded in the center of the track, fell to his knees…
…and emitted the worst scream Kagome had ever heard. It lasted almost 10 seconds, purely primal, composed solely of rage and frustration.
"WHY?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "WHY DON'T YOU SEE? WHAT'S WRONG? WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH?!" He began sobbing uncontrollably. "AREN'T I GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? PLEASE TELL ME! TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME!"
He stood up, flew over to a nearby set of bleachers, and blasted it with his psychic powers. The metal twisted and contorted, and then flew about 100 feet into a parked car. The car exploded on impact.
"If I don't at least come out of hiding…" Kagome told herself. "He could end up killing someone!"
Kagome ran out from behind the bleachers where she was stationed, and knocked on them a couple times so Naota would know where she was. She didn't need to join him, all she needed to do was lure him out of here. Naota heard the banging near the bleachers, saw Kagome run out from behind them, and continued his pursuit.
"Wait! Please, Kagome!" he said, chasing after her in the air once more. "Please don't be afraid of me! I won't hurt you! KAGOME! PLEASE COME BACK!"
"Help me, Inu-Yasha!" Her mind screamed.
"With all this pent up rage and frustration… combined with his new powers…" Kagome said. "He could end up KILLING me! Even if he doesn't mean to!"
Her only hope was to make it back to the bone-eaters-well, and call Inu-Yasha.
She hoped to god that Inu-Yasha would answer her call for help.
Authors Notes: I apologize for referring to Kagome's friends as "Three Girls," but I really have no idea what their names are. I have manga Vol. 1-6 and have seen the first 23 episodes of the anime, and I don't THINK they've ever been mentioned. "Where's Inu-Yasha?" you are no doubt asking. He'll be in the next chapter, you can bet on it. This story should be wrapped up within two or three more chapters. Sorry for not uploading anything lately, but with horrible things happening in America lately, I haven't felt much like writing until now. Thanks for reading, and be sure to drop a review. Like it? Hate it? Think I've seen "AKIRA" one too many times? Let me know!
