Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 2 – Heartbroken

Kagome woke up shortly after sunrise the next morning. She had cried herself to sleep the night before. She looked down to realize she was still wearing the clothes from the previous day. She slowly sat up and rolled out of bed, taking a quick glance in the mirror. I look like hell, she thought, looking at her messed up hair, smeared make-up, and wrinkled attire. But why shouldn't I?

Kagome took a long hot shower and threw on the most casual clothes she could find—an old t-shirt and some sweat pants. She grumpily made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother, grandfather, and little brother sat eating breakfast.

"Hey sis!" cried her little brother, Souta. "You're still here!"

"Well duh," replied Kagome. She was in no mood for being polite this morning. Her mother gave her a fierce look as Kagome took her seat at the table.

"Kagome, do you have anything planned for today?" asked her mother, who had noted her bad mood.

"No" Kagome sternly responded.

"Well…I thought maybe you would like to go to the marketplace with me today. We haven't been in so long. It might be nice just to spend the day there."

"I don't feel like it," replied Kagome, not bothering to even look up at her mother. "Matter of fact, I think I'll just go back up to bed. I'm too tired. Please excuse me." She walked back upstairs to her room. Kagome just didn't feel like answering people's questions today. She just wanted to lie in bed and stare at the wall. However, the activities she had planned for the day were interrupted by Souta who poked his head in her room curiously.

"Hey sis?"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Kagome didn't feel like answering him—she felt like yelling at him, but then she looked into his sad little eyes…

"Nothing Sota. I'm just tired. Can you just let me rest for awhile?"

"Sis, you've been in bed since 7 o'clock last night!"

"I'm not feeling well Souta. I think I'm sick," she replied. Lovesick.

"Oh." The small boy left her room and quietly shut the door.

Kagome rolled over and looked at the wall of her bedroom. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

*-*-*

Inuyasha sat in the branches of the sacred tree. He didn't sleep that night. He couldn't sleep that night. How could he fix this? He knew he had hurt Kagome deeply, but he also knew she would probably never understand his reasons for doing so. Kagome…

Miroku appeared below the branch in which Inuyasha had perched himself on. "Alright puppy, I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to go back there and apologize to Kagome. We're running out of time the way it is." Miroku pointed towards his rosary-wrapped hand.

"Whatever monk. You can't make me do anything. Besides, that's your problem, not mine." Inuyasha looked away, staring thoughtfully into the depths of nothingness…

I wish I could just go there and get her myself, Miroku thought to himself. A slight grin spread across his face as he thought of Kagome's reaction of him appearing at her bedroom window while she was changing out of her robes…

"What's so damn funny?" demanded Inuyasha.

"Nothing," replied the monk as he walked away smirking.

*-*-*

Kagome rolled over in her bed. The clock on her nightstand read 9:37 p.m. She had lay in bed for two days—rarely leaving her room. She looked across the room to eye her school books which she had not bothered to open the entire weekend. She just couldn't deal with them right now. It was hard enough trying to avoid her family and their questions. Especially Souta, who was especially worried about his older sister. "Where's Inuyasha? Why are you here? Did you two break up?" She didn't feel like explaining things. At times Kagome wished the ground would just open up and swallow her whole…

Then there were her friends in the feudal world. Although they were not there with her, she could not take her mind off them. Kagome had thought long and hard about it all day. As much as she knew it would hurt her, she also knew she couldn't leave her friends. They needed her help in their quest to complete the Shikon jewel and to defeat Naraku. Kagome thought sadly about Sango's family and what Naraku had put them through, especially her poor brother, Kohaku. She thought about Miroku and the air void in his hand that would eventually suck him into it if Naraku wasn't defeated, as it had his father and grandfather. Then she thought about Inuyasha…

True he didn't love her, but she knew that he was still her good friend. He needed her help, too. Kagome wasn't sure if she could live with the thought of them only being friends. She wanted to be with him so badly it hurt. And the thought of having to face him again… Would he be mad at her? Would he embarrass her over what was said at the well the other day? Kagome wasn't sure, and it made her nervous to think about it. However, she still knew what she needed to do. She needed to go back to help her friends.

Kagome grabbed her backpack, flung it over her shoulder and made her way out to the well. It was already dark, but she didn't feel like spending another day at home listening to Souta ask question after question about Inuyasha and what had happened between them. She entered the well house and flung her legs over the side of the well, and without a second thought, jumped inside.

*-*-*

Kagome emerged from the well to come face to face with Miroku.

The monk grinned at her. "Lady Kagome, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Kagome returned a smile. "Hello, Miroku."

"We were afraid you wouldn't be back for awhile." Miroku gazed at her. Kagome's heart sank. Had Inuyasha told him? Would he really embarrass her like that? Kagome was beginning to regret coming back. "Umm…did Inuyasha...did he say anything to you?" she asked the monk nervously.

"Inuyasha? No. We probably couldn't have even beaten it out of him," he said with a mischievous smile. "Though I would have liked to try…"

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, let's get back to the village. I have more supplies for Kaede." Kagome heaved her heavy backpack, which she had set on the ledge of the well, back onto her shoulder with a loud grunt. She turned back around to see Miroku had laid his hand on her shoulder. "Allow me," said Miroku, taking the heavy load off of Kagome's shoulder and heaving it onto his own. Kagome smiled, "Thanks." "No problem, Lady Kagome," replied the monk who reached out his hand and subtly ran it over Kagome's backside.

SLAP. "Miroku!" She glared at the monk who now had a bright red handprint appearing his face.

"So sorry," replied the monk impishly, rubbing the side of his face.

The two turned and walked back towards the village, Miroku grinning ear to ear.