"Or say with princes if it shall go well, By oft predict that I in heaven find;" - William Shakespeare
The Darling Buds of May

Chapter Twelve:

Kagome still wasn't sure when she'd ever blushed more in her life. She, Sango, Miroku (who was sporting a few rather large lumps in various places on his head), and Inu-yasha walked down the sidewalk to the shrine. She replayed the events of the day in her head. The day began when Inu-yasha arrived to walk Kagome to school.

"What's TAKING so long, girl?!" Inu-yasha called from the bottom of the shrine steps. "I've been waiting here forever, now hurry up!"

"I'm hurrying, okay?! Just give me a minute!" Kagome rushed down the steps, stumbling at the last as Inu-yasha caught her to break her fall. Kagome looked up and blushed, holding up folded napkin. "Toast?" she asked.

"Feh. . ." he stuffed the toast into his mouth and they walked on to meet Sango.

The breeze shook the trees as the sun rose, warming the pavement. Kagome snuggled into her sweater as she turned off the sidewalk. Kagome turned off the sidewalk, tugging on Inu-yasha's coat to prevent him from passing by the home of her friend.

"Do we HAVE to wait on her?" He complained as Kagome knocked on the door.

"Why so impatient, Inu-yasha?" Kagome smiled as her friend opened the door, ready to leave.

"Good morning Kagome." Sango waved at Inu-yasha. "Good morning to you too, Inu-yasha. Kagome told me last night that you'd be going to our school from now on."

"Feh. . . well, SOMEBODY needs ME just to keep her feet on the ground. . ." Kagome harrumphed, poking her elbow into his side just enough to be noticed.

The threesome continued their morning walk, soon arriving to the school grounds. Inu-yasha looked around, clearly interested in the different sites and students he saw.

The morning continued. . . Kagome helped Inu-yasha find his classes, some of which, they shared together. Inu-yasha walked down the hall with Kagome on their way to meet Sango outside for lunch.

'Is it my imagination, or are their less guys in the hallway?' Kagome wondered. Indeed, it seemed that in Inu-yasha's company, there WERE less boys in the hallway. . .

They met Sango outside, and proceeded to have lunch, each producing their own meal. Kagome turned to speak to Inu-yasha, who preferred to sit under the nearby tree rather than on the bench with the two girls.

"So, what do you think so far, Inu-yasha?" she smiled as she voiced her question.

"Feh. . . it's fine." He muttered. The three ate, for the most part, in silence. Suddenly, Kagome and Sango paled. Kagome turned to see a familiar hand rest on her backside (as well as Sango's) before it was abruptly removed by Inu-yasha.

"What in the HELL do you think you are doing. . ." Inu-yasha seethed, holding on to a rather alarmed Miroku. Inu-yasha brought Miroku's face closer to his. "Answer me, boy. . .what do you think you were doing?" He opened his mouth to speak, but before Miroku had a chance a large bag came crashing down on his head.

"How, how - DARE you?!?!?" Sango, who had been turning increasingly red in the corner, had taken up Kagome's new book bag and brought it down on the poor boy's head. Inu-yasha put Miroku down and backed away quickly to where Kagome stood, not wanting to catch her impending

"I apologize. . ." he breathed, making a face even Sango couldn't stay angry at for too long.

Inu-yasha turned Kagome around to face him.

"Kagome, are you all right? Did he hurt you?" he asked. Much to Inu-yasha's surprise, Kagome giggled.

"I'm okay Inu-yasha. . . Miroku didn't hurt me. In fact, he always does that to girls, especially Sango. In fact, I think I'm going to go and stop Sango before she does something permanent. . ." Kagome walked over, waving to get her enraged friends attention. Inu-yasha was thoroughly confused, and needless to say, Miroku was not having a very good day.

History was the last class of the day. And of course, Kagome sat a row apart from Sango, both girls at the front of their rows. Inu-yasha took up the seat behind Kagome, and Miroku sat two seats away from Sango, nursing the wounds she had so mercilessly inflicted on his head.

The teacher, being somewhat young, and considered by many members of the older faculty to be rather odd in his methods, made an announcement.

"Good afternoon, class! Today, we're going to start a new chapter, and a NEW PROJECT! Doesn't that sound exciting?" he looked around at the class as some of the students groaned in the back of the room.

"Great! I can see you're all ready to dig in!" the young teacher beamed at the class, and continued. "Now, as I'm sure you all know, the next chapter is about the Warring States Period in Japanese history. Now, I know some teachers would have you read out of the book and take a test, but this time we're going to do things DIFFERENTLY. . ." 'And PROVE to my colleges that my methods DO work. . .' "No, instead YOU will be the teachers, and now I'd like you all to get into groups of four, so that we can continue."

So it followed that the students arranged themselves into groups. Inu- yasha, of course, would be satisfied with nothing less than being in a group with her, as well as Sango. Miroku was invited to join the group, conditioning that if he were to lay a hand on either Kagome OR Sango, he would suffer a very painful ending from Inu-yasha and many lumps from Sango. Before the end of class, the foursome made arrangements to complete their project at the shrine where Kagome lived. And they proceeded to walk there. . .

Kagome giggled as she walked down the street with Inu-yasha. 'Today's been a good day. . .' she decided. 'Strange, I think, but a good day. . .'

They turned the corner and stopped, staring at the scene before them. An ambulance was parked across the street from the shrine. A pair of paramedics quickly loaded someone onto it. As they crossed the street, Kagome saw Inu-yasha grip the handle ever more tightly on his cane, his hand paling. Mrs. Higurashi stood at the shrine steps, speaking to an officer.

"Mom!" called Kagome, as the rushed over. "Mom, what happened? Is grandpa hurt? Sota?" Mrs. Higurashi shook her head.

"Kagome, you and your friends go inside. . . I'll speak with you all in the kitchen. Don't worry about Grandpa or Sota, they're both fine. Now, go, and I'll be follow in a moment. . ."

Together, the group climbed the stone steps and walked on to Kagome's home. Soon after they had all seated themselves in the kitchen, Mrs. Higurashi walked in, her face pale.

"Good afternoon, dears. . . I think I'm going to make everyone some nice hot tea, will that be alright?" each nodded silently. A moment more, and Kagome looked up.

"Mom? What happened?" her mother sighed.

"Well, one of our patrons found a young woman lying to the side of the street. Her clothes were torn and she had been beaten badly. The paramedics say that whoever attacked her tried to choke the life out of her. The poor dear. There were lesions around her neck as if someone had pulled a string too tightly around it. . . The police suspect it was the same person who tried to hurt you Kagome.

Author's Note: I'm so, so, SO sorry I haven't posted until now. *Shame on me!!!* I've had tests to take all week and other things at home that I've needed to take care of, and well, you know how it can be, I'm sure. Will everybody out there PLEASE do me a BIG, BIG, BIG favor and read Insou no Meian? It's a series of one-shots I've decided to do. Right now there's only one, but I want some reviews before I continue it, and nobody has reviewed it yet!!!! I hope this chapter is long enough to make up for it, though. *Grins evilly* Strange crazy person attacks again?! I love cliff hangers, don't you? La! Well, until I post again! -Starmoon