CHAPTER THREE
*
The first thing Kagome saw when she opened her eyes was another pair of eyes. Wide golden ones, just an inch or so above her face, staring intently at her.
She shouted the first word that came to mind. "SIT BOY!"
A look of pure horror crossed Inuyasha's face, just before the necklace dragged him down. Kagome's shriek was cut short when his face and body slammed into hers, as heavily as if a golf cart were on his back. After a second the weight lifted, and Inuyasha quickly rolled off the bed.
Coughing, Kagome sat up and massaged her sore nose. "I didn't think that one through."
"I was just trying to tell you that your mother has food ready!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Inuyasha, are you blushing?"
"NO!" Inuyasha snarled, hiding his face.
Rubbing her sore chest, Kagome said, "Well, there's one benefit of sharing a room with you."
"What's that?"
"You're not Miroku."
Inuyasha muttered, "Feh," in agreement. He sulked all through breakfast, and kept rubbing his face absently. Once the food had vanished, so did he. But as Kagome loaded her textbooks and notes into her backpack, she heard the front door open.
"SIT BOY!" she shouted.
There was a thunderous crash and an outraged cry from Inuyasha. She found him sprawled half-in, half-out of the door, still clutching the doorknob. "Would you stop that!" he shouted. "I just wanted to go for a walk."
"You can't go out when I'm not here!" Kagome said, pulling her sagging bookbag onto her back. "The neighbors already think I'm strange and sickly, but if they find out you're here with me, I cross the line into freaky."
"So you want me to stay inside all day? What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know what you're supposed to do! Help Mom with anything that requires heavy lifting, or something like that. Just don't go outside, even if I tell you to go play in traffic!"
Inuyasha was still seething when Kagome left. She tried to drive his angry glare from her mind, and focus on the test she'd be having in about three hours.
*
Kagome was in high spirits that afternoon. Writing had always been one of her strong points, and grammar was something she had never struggled with. Even though she hadn't had time to study completely, she was sure she had triumphed. Well, pretty sure.
The first thing she saw when she came in was Inuyasha with his face in the coffee maker. He seemed to be breathing deeply.
"Having fun in there?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha emerged long enough to announce, "Your mother wants to talk with you," and then started sniffing the inside of the coffee maker again.
Him and his nose, Kagome thought, smiling. The smell of cookies lingered in the air. Judging from the empty plate on the counter, and since Sota wasn't home yet, Kagome suspected that she knew what Inuyasha had been doing all day.
"Mom?" Kagome called.
Mrs. Higurashi was sitting in the living room, dabbing at her eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Kagome said, sitting next to her mother. "Has something happened?"
"Well, it's no too terrible. Your great-aunt... you remember her, don't you?"
Kagome winced. "The one who always pinches my cheek?"
"Yes, her. Well, unfortunately she's had a small stroke and fell down a flight of stairs. She's stable, but your grandfather and I have to be there tomorrow morning to take care of her at her home until she's well enough."
"Mom, I can't leave now! I'm in the middle of finals!"
"I know that, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Well, if you can handle the house, I could leave you and Sota here. And your friend too."
Kagome barely heard her mother. Stuck at home? During finals? With Sota and Inuyasha, perhaps the most unpredictable and noticeable guy she had ever met? Who got hyperactive when confined, and was presently huffing the coffeemaker? A guy with dog ears and silver hair? Keeping Inuyasha hidden would be a job in itself, never mind finals.
But what choice do I have? she thought miserably. "Okay, Mom."
"All right then. I'm going to tell Sota when he gets home Ñ Inuyasha? Would you come in?"
Inuyasha appeared, smelling like coffee beans. "Yeah?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled brightly. "Inuyasha, there's been a little family problem, so I and Kagome's grandfather are going to be leaving for several days."
Inuyasha shot a look at Kagome. As plainly as if he had said it out loud, she knew what he was thinking: "You're going to want me to leave." She shook her head wildly.
"But you're welcome to stay for as long as you need to," Mrs. Higurashi continued. "Is that all right with you? Do you have any questions?"
Inuyasha contemplated the idea for a moment. Then he pointed at Kagome and announced, "But she can't cook."
Kagome was too outraged to say anything but "Sit!"
*
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The first thing Kagome saw when she opened her eyes was another pair of eyes. Wide golden ones, just an inch or so above her face, staring intently at her.
She shouted the first word that came to mind. "SIT BOY!"
A look of pure horror crossed Inuyasha's face, just before the necklace dragged him down. Kagome's shriek was cut short when his face and body slammed into hers, as heavily as if a golf cart were on his back. After a second the weight lifted, and Inuyasha quickly rolled off the bed.
Coughing, Kagome sat up and massaged her sore nose. "I didn't think that one through."
"I was just trying to tell you that your mother has food ready!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Inuyasha, are you blushing?"
"NO!" Inuyasha snarled, hiding his face.
Rubbing her sore chest, Kagome said, "Well, there's one benefit of sharing a room with you."
"What's that?"
"You're not Miroku."
Inuyasha muttered, "Feh," in agreement. He sulked all through breakfast, and kept rubbing his face absently. Once the food had vanished, so did he. But as Kagome loaded her textbooks and notes into her backpack, she heard the front door open.
"SIT BOY!" she shouted.
There was a thunderous crash and an outraged cry from Inuyasha. She found him sprawled half-in, half-out of the door, still clutching the doorknob. "Would you stop that!" he shouted. "I just wanted to go for a walk."
"You can't go out when I'm not here!" Kagome said, pulling her sagging bookbag onto her back. "The neighbors already think I'm strange and sickly, but if they find out you're here with me, I cross the line into freaky."
"So you want me to stay inside all day? What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know what you're supposed to do! Help Mom with anything that requires heavy lifting, or something like that. Just don't go outside, even if I tell you to go play in traffic!"
Inuyasha was still seething when Kagome left. She tried to drive his angry glare from her mind, and focus on the test she'd be having in about three hours.
*
Kagome was in high spirits that afternoon. Writing had always been one of her strong points, and grammar was something she had never struggled with. Even though she hadn't had time to study completely, she was sure she had triumphed. Well, pretty sure.
The first thing she saw when she came in was Inuyasha with his face in the coffee maker. He seemed to be breathing deeply.
"Having fun in there?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha emerged long enough to announce, "Your mother wants to talk with you," and then started sniffing the inside of the coffee maker again.
Him and his nose, Kagome thought, smiling. The smell of cookies lingered in the air. Judging from the empty plate on the counter, and since Sota wasn't home yet, Kagome suspected that she knew what Inuyasha had been doing all day.
"Mom?" Kagome called.
Mrs. Higurashi was sitting in the living room, dabbing at her eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Kagome said, sitting next to her mother. "Has something happened?"
"Well, it's no too terrible. Your great-aunt... you remember her, don't you?"
Kagome winced. "The one who always pinches my cheek?"
"Yes, her. Well, unfortunately she's had a small stroke and fell down a flight of stairs. She's stable, but your grandfather and I have to be there tomorrow morning to take care of her at her home until she's well enough."
"Mom, I can't leave now! I'm in the middle of finals!"
"I know that, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Well, if you can handle the house, I could leave you and Sota here. And your friend too."
Kagome barely heard her mother. Stuck at home? During finals? With Sota and Inuyasha, perhaps the most unpredictable and noticeable guy she had ever met? Who got hyperactive when confined, and was presently huffing the coffeemaker? A guy with dog ears and silver hair? Keeping Inuyasha hidden would be a job in itself, never mind finals.
But what choice do I have? she thought miserably. "Okay, Mom."
"All right then. I'm going to tell Sota when he gets home Ñ Inuyasha? Would you come in?"
Inuyasha appeared, smelling like coffee beans. "Yeah?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled brightly. "Inuyasha, there's been a little family problem, so I and Kagome's grandfather are going to be leaving for several days."
Inuyasha shot a look at Kagome. As plainly as if he had said it out loud, she knew what he was thinking: "You're going to want me to leave." She shook her head wildly.
"But you're welcome to stay for as long as you need to," Mrs. Higurashi continued. "Is that all right with you? Do you have any questions?"
Inuyasha contemplated the idea for a moment. Then he pointed at Kagome and announced, "But she can't cook."
Kagome was too outraged to say anything but "Sit!"
*
TO BE CONTINUED