Kagome's mother sighed in exasperation, "Kagome, make sure Souta doesn't forget his lunch, okay?"


Her daughter nodded absent mindedly, seemingly doing some last minute cramming for a test, almost walking into the wall because her nose was so deep in her book. When her mother slammed the door shut as she left for work, Kagome tossed the book aside, and raced to lock the door.


She then set about turning the clocks in the house forward, save the one in her bedroom, so she'd know how to change it back. With a deep breath, she burst into Souta's room, exclaiming about how late it was. The little boy jumped out of bed, and scrambled around the house, and Kagome smiled wickedly as she went back to her room to lay in bed.


"Bye Kagome!" Souta yelled up the stairs as he dashed out of the front door with an untoasted poptart in his hand.


Kagome's shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath. He'd fallen for it, again. Everyday she did that, and everyday her little brother ended up at school anywhere from half an hour to an hour early. 'He must just think he's getting faster,' Kagome thought happily, as she threw her clothes off and got back into her pajamas.


This was her daily ritual. Fooling her family into thinking she'd gone to school, and instead, stay at home contemplating suicide all day. She'd go back to school for a few days between every five days, but she didn't return to the hell hole when she didn't have to.


She settled in front of her computer, and greeted her online friends when she'd logged on. Her computer was her life. Online, people didn't care if you weren't pretty or if you weren't cool. She loved it, and didn't know what she would do without her internet connection. She blew kisses to her DSL router and sighed happily, trying to ignore the pull at the back of her mind, telling her to look over at her backpack against the door.


It was empty, but she could fill it with rocks . . . it was September, and the pool was still open . . .


Shaking her head, she focused on the computer screen, and began chatting.



2:45


Kagome cleared her history, cookies, and temporary internet files, before shutting down the computer. She set the clocks in the house back, and flung her backpack into her room. She made a trail of her clothes from the front door to her room, and snuggled into bed with her "English assignment".


In reality, Kagome was reading the book for fun, but it was a great excuse for why she wasn't doing any work in English.


About twenty minutes later, she heard the school bus pull up outside her house, and knew that the other high school students were out now. In about ten minutes her brother's bus would pull away from the school, and Kagome would have gotten away with another day of skipping.


Or, at least that was the plan. However, at 3:10 her mother stormed into the living room from downstairs. Kagome was surprised her mother was home so early, but Kagome wasn't worried. She'd laid down her plan beautifully, yet again.


Which is why she wasn't prepared for her mother to angrily scream her name as Kagome appeared at the top of the stairs to greet her.


"Kagome Emiko Higurashi! I raised you BETTER THAN THIS!" she screamed into her daughter's face.


Kagome looked around, as if searching for another girl with her face and name who'd done something wrong. "Mama, why are you upset?"


Her mother seemed to be letting steam out through her ears as she responded with a scream, "YOU KNOW WHAT'S WRONG KAGOME. I got a call from your school. Your school that gives you classes. THAT YOU HAVEN'T ATTENDED REGULARLY IN WEEKS!"


Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief. But she'd told the school her mother quit her job! How'd they call her there?


"You've disappointed me Kagome. Why? Just tell me why. Is it me? Am I a failure as a mother? IT'S JUST SO HARD!" her mother broke down in sobs, and Kagome awkwardly pat her on the back.


"You don't know what it's like raising two children alone!" her mother wailed.


What happened next was something Kagome was more than used to. She seemed to step out of her body and watch from a distance as she lost control.


"NEITHER DO YOU!" she saw herself scream at her mother.


"Excuse me?!" her mother yelled back, spinning around to meet her daughter's wild eyes.


"You couldn't possibly know what it's like to raise two children! I practically raised myself, and now I'm raising Souta! Don't you dare take credit for what I had to do! You're never here! You're never ever here! Souta calls me Mama when I tuck him in for bed! He asks ME for help with homework! I'm the one who does everything for him, and YOU! You pack a lunch for him in the morning and think you've done your part!"


Nearly shaking with unexplained fury, Kagome took a breath, but continued before her mother could but in, "You don't know what it's like to not be able to go to school because if you have to listen to their teasing you'll hurt them! You don't know what it's like not being able to go swimming at the pool with the few friends you have because you want SO desperately to kill yourself in it! YOU don't know what it's like to do anything but work and whine Mama!"


Kagome's mother stared at her daughter as she raced up to her room in tears, her nose held high up in the air. She let lose another sob, and started praying to God loudly, causing Kagome to scream more in her room, and throw one of her glass vases on the hardwood floor.


This continued for a while until Kagome's mother knocked on the door. Kagome walked across the glass, not caring as it lodged itself in her feet and caused her blood to flow freely. She opened the door with a jerk, and aw her mother standing in front of her with an empty suitcase.


"Sweetheart, remember when you were twelve, and you want to the Deay Place? That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked her daughter, as she stepped into the room, eyeing the vase damage, but not taking her attention off the girl.


"The...you're not sending me back there are you?" Kagome asked, desperately wishing the answer was no.


"Kagome, no, I'm not taking you there again-" she started but was cut off by Kagome's happy sobs and giant hug.


"But," she continued, feeling the dread coming at was she was about to say, "I'm going to send you somewhere else."


Kagome backed away from her mother, and back towards the glass, the colour drained from her already pale face.


"Where?" she whispered.


"Kimberfield."


Kagome gave a despondent wail, and flung herself onto the bed.


"But they didn't help Souta at all!" Kagome argued, not wanting to be sent to any mental hospital, much less Kimberfield.


"But you don't have the same problems he did Kagome. They can help you with your depression." Her mother said softly.


Kagome glared over her pillow to the woman who had given her life. 'Evil bitch.' she thought darkly.


"Well, I'm not going." she said defiantly, rolling into a ball on the bed. She knew her mother wouldn't be able to force her out, and the woman never had the guts to call the police.


"Oh yes you are. I've already scheduled your appointment. If you don't show up, they'll come here, along with some officers." her mother responded quickly, already knowing she'd won.


Kagome gave a defeated sigh and grabbed her suitcase. She packed t-shirts, jeans, and her fluffy house shoes, already knowing her laces wouldn't be acceptable in the house. She saw her CD player in the corner, and wondered if this place would let her keep them.


The last mental hospital she'd gone to didn't let her, but maybe they were different. Continuing on that hope, she tossed a few books in, along with a stuffed bear, and zipped it up. She knew she was more than likely to get into in patient, and so she didn't bother packing anything she knew wouldn't be allowed.


"Kagome, you know I'm only doing what I think is best for you," she said, as Souta entered the house. She sent a glare to her mother and began screaming down the steps.


"HEY SOUTA! Mom hates both of us, so she's sending me away, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALL ALONE!" she said, nearly on the verge of tears.


"Oh, honestly Kagome. Don't scare him like that. I've taken time off work, he's not going to be alone."


"Come on Kagome, get dressed and then get in the car. And don't forget your hygiene stuff!" she said


Kagome stalked into her bathroom, and threw a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, hair bands, and a hair brush in her larger make up bag. She put on a comfy pair of jogging pants and a hoodie, and slid on some sandals.


Where she was going, style didn't matter too much.





A/N: I think it's worth mentioning, if you couldn't tell, that her mother is also a little nutters.


Also, some character's personalities and certain events are based upon real life. Please know this, and don't tell me if anything's unrealistic or stupid, because pretty much all this happened.


Now, I've got this story fully planned, along with its sequel, Patient Confidentiality. I hope you guys enjoy this, and I'm working on Chapter Two as we speak!