Wow, time for another exciting, fun-filled chapter! Yeah! Well, anyways, besides the fact that I don't own Inu Yasha….On with the Show, err Story!
To Live Again
Chapter Two: All in a Day's Work?
Kagome sighed and leaned her head on her hand, elbow resting on the counter-top of the front counter. Next to her, Sango again was looking over some of her books, checking her inventory this time (Isn't Sango just so…Managerial?).
Hearing a sight from her friend, she looked up from her book, "What's wrong with you?"
"Hmmm…?" Kagome asked back, glancing at her from the corner of her eyes.
"Well, that's about the fifth time you've sighed since you've gotten up here." Sango said back, putting the book down now to look at her friend, "What's wrong?"
Kagome sighed again and stood up straight, taking her elbow of the counter, "I'm sooo sick of work Sango-chan! Every day: day in, day out. Work work work!" She sat down on the stool and banged her head into her crossed arms on the counter.
Sango patted her on the pack, "Kagome-chan…you really need a day off!"
Kagome sweat-dropped and glared at her friends weak joke, "Geez, very funny Sango-chan!" And again banged her head into her arms.
"Feh, you should stay like that for the rest of the day. It makes the atmosphere a little less ugly in here."
Hearing the new, yet oddly annoying voice, Kagome looked up from her arms to see the jerk, Yasha or whatever his name was, smirking at her from in front of the counter.
Again giving him her now trademarked 'Look that could kill', she stormed off into the backroom.
Looking at Sango, Yasha crossed his arms and asked in a bored voice, "So, what do ya want me to do now?"
Sango, surprised, looked at him, "You're already done stocking the new fiction shelf?"
"Yeah!" Yasha sneered. Books, who needed them anyways?
"In alphabetical order?"
Yasha stopped smirking and froze. 'Crap! She didn't say alphabetically before!'
Sango sighed and picked her book back up again. "Go back and fix it. But first, could you go and ask Kagome-chan to come back out here?"
Yasha "Feh" -ed and started to walk away when Sango called to him quietly, "And, could you just go a little easier on her? She's kind of stressed out right now."
"Why's that?" He asked, trying to sound like he really didn't care why it was.
"Well, this is the…hmm, I think the third week in a row where she hasn't had a day off. People just keep asking her to fill in for them, and she's too nice to say no."
Yasha rolled his eyes and headed for the backroom, where Kagome had gone. Imagine, being too nice to say no! Please, he had to be begged half the time to just say yes!
Opening the backroom door, he called out "Yo, Ugly!" Before ducking as a book flew where his head once was and landing on the floor behind him.
"Sango wants ya, and you can't throw worth shit either!" Another book came, this time connecting with the back of his head as he started walking towards the 'new-fiction' section. "Bitch…" He mumbled as he tried to remember the alphabet song in his head.
After taking a few calming, cleansing breaths, Kagome headed back out towards Sango.
Seeing her approach, Sango called out to her, "Kagome-chan! I have just the thing to cheer you up!"
Kagome half-way groaned, wondering what horrid thing Sango had thought up, "What?"
Sango looked at the clock which now read 1:00. "It's story time!" She smiled cheerfully.
Kagome smiled back. If it was one thing she actually did like about her job, it was story time. She could pick out a good children's book, and head to the back where they always seemed to have a group of children sitting, waiting for a story. It was like a little "activity center" with tables and crayons and all sorts of things for children to occupy their time with while their parents shopped.
Heading back towards that section, she just happened to detour over to the 'new-fiction' section and just happened to bump into a certain new employee; who promptly dropped a whole stack of new, hard-cover, books onto his feet.
As Yasha yelped a few curse words in pain, Kagome quickly made her getaway, feeling overly happy for some reason.
*~*~*
"That little bitch! Like I don't know she did that on purpose!" Yasha growled to himself. Maybe they had started off on the wrong foot, but that didn't mean she had to make him drop books on it! He looked over in the direction she had gone and watched as she sat down in front of group of children and began to talk to them, making them laugh and giggle. She then opened a book, and began reading to them. Of course, he couldn't really hear it from where he was standing, but she obviously was able to keep the kids attention on the story.
So deep in thought was he at watching Kagome read to the children, he didn't notice a presence looming over him from behind.
"So…You're the new guy, huh?" A male voice brought his attention away from the children's section and to a pair of laughing violet eyes.
"Who the hell are you?" Yasha asked, angry at being brought out of his reverie.
"Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself! My name is Tamarin Miroku! Sango-chan up at the register is my girlfriend!" In the background a "I am not!" called out, proving that they were not out of earshot of an ever wary Sango. "Well, friend…" Miroku trailed off, then stuck his hand out, to shake.
Yasha looked at the hand like it had snake's crawling over it. So, he turned back towards the books he was alphabetizing, "I'm Yasha. Now go away."
Pulling back his hand he smiled, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to your work. Nice meeting you, Yasha!" After receiving another glare, he headed back up front towards his 'lovely Sango' as he put it.
"I see your new employee is quite…the friendly and talkative one."
Sango sighed. "Yeah, he's a jerk alright. But he's the boss's nephew, so I can't tell him off or anything."
"Well, I'm sure he'll warm up soon enough."
"Not likely, you should have heard him and Kagome-chan going rounds though. It was all I could do not to laugh!" Sango giggled at the memory.
Miroku watched as she giggled, "Obviously…So, Dear Sango, have you thought anymore about this weekend?" He tried to give her a melting smile, but all that came out was a lecherous one.
Sango abruptly stopped giggling and raised an eyebrow at him, "And why would I do that?"
"Cause…" Miroku drew it out, gaining more or her attention, "You know you love me?"
He was rewarded with a bop on the head.
Sango rolled her eyes and looked up as she saw Kagome making her way back up to the front. "Hey, Kagome-chan! It's time for my lunch break! Can you take over the register?"
"Sure, Sango-chan!" Kagome called back and headed behind the counter as Sango began to exit from behind it. She was used to filling in for Sango during her breaks.
"Sango! Then, would you like-" Miroku started, getting his hopes up…
"And, could ya keep Miroku-san here busy?" She continued on her way out of the store.
.…only to have his hopes come crushing down. 'Ah well, there's always time later!'
Kagome looked at the crushed monk-in-training before her and giggled, "So Miroku-san, no luck today?"
"No…but, I think I'm beginning to get through!" He smiled brightly.
"Feh, yeah right, like you stand a chance!" Yasha said sarcastically as he headed behind the counter as well. "Where'd did she go anyways?" he directed towards Kagome.
Kagome glared at him and raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh, were you talking to me? I didn't hear a 'wench' or a 'bitch' so it couldn't possibly be me, could it?"
Yasha rolled his eyes at her, "Whatever wench, where did Sango go?"
Kagome felt the anger building inside her, but counted to 10 quickly before answering, "She went to lunch, leaving me in charge."
"Oh great, the worlds gonna end." Yasha said sarcastically, leaning against the counter. He glanced down at Miroku. "Hey, why didn't you go with her, I thought you said she was your girlfriend?"
Kagome laughed and Miroku sighed, "She is in denial right now. But soon, she will realize, we were meant to be." As he finished that line, he leaned back to look at a woman that had just passed him by.
Kagome frowned and leaned forward, flicking him in the forehead, "Yeah, etchi, if you don't knock that off, you'll never get Sango-chan!"
Yasha laughed at Miroku's actions, "No wonder she's in 'denial', I would be too."
Kagome turned and looked coldly at him, "Don't you have something to do?"
Yasha stood up and crossed his arms, "Nope" he said defiantly.
Frowning, Kagome crossed her arms as well, "Why don't you go put another box out or something."
"No."
"What?"
"You heard me, you ain't my boss, so you can't tell me what to do!" Yasha stuck his nose up in the air.
"You…are…such a JERK!" She yelled at him, almost forgetting that they were at work and at a bookstore no less. She quickly quieted down and, tapping her foot angrily, she counted to ten again…slowly.
"Would you knock that off, wench, it's annoying!"
"Sure!" She smiled sweetly at him. He pulled back out of his haughty posture, shocked, when she then slammed her heel onto his already injured foot. As Yasha hopped around in pain, Miroku laughed. Kagome simply ignored them both and went to ring up a customer.
Miroku looked out the glass windows in the front of the store and saw something suspicious…something that looked like…balloons? Squinting to get a better look, he recognized the person carrying the balloons as a guy…someone familiar, but who?
Then it dawned on him, as the boy turned to walk into the bookstore. "Oh geez…don't look now Kagome-chan, but guess who's coming into the store?"
Yasha stopped hopping around and looked at the balloon-laden guy. 'Hmph, just some wimpy looking guy!'
Kagome immediately paled and froze. Inside, her inner voice was saying 'OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP!' (you get the picture, right?)
The boy stopped right in front of the register and smiled brightly at Kagome, who was able to squeak out "Hojo-kun?" before her voice was completely taken from her. 'Great, could her day get possibly any better!' her brain shouted with so much sarcasm, it actually hurt.
"Higurashi-san! How are you? I hope you're feeling better?" Ever since she had gotten pneumonia in the 12th grade, he had asked her every time he saw her if she was feeling well. It was almost like he thought she was terminally ill!
"Ah, yes, Hojo-kun…what brings you here?" She was slowly gaining the feeling back in her toes, telling her if she started now, she could probably make it out the door before they would follow her. No, he'd know she'd go to her apartment, and follow her there. But maybe, if she made a dash for the…
As part of her brain was thinking about escape routes, the other one was praying to whatever god there was that those balloons were not for her. Oh please, don't let that big bunch of stupid looking balloons be for her.
She looked around her quickly. Miroku, laughing silently as always, gave her an apologetic look. A quick side glance told her at least Yasha wasn't laughing; he was just staring at Hojo as if he was some sort of new side show freak attraction. Oh, where was Sango when she needed her??
"…So, I know that we've been going steady for awhile now…" Hojo's voice cut in to her thoughts. Wait a second, they were going steady? When was he planning on telling her that? "So I thought it was time to take a bigger plunge!" He handed her the balloons, which she took somewhat brainlessly. Hojo then reached into a pocket and presented in front of her a diamond ring. "Will you marry me, Higurashi?"
Kagome's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. Her eye twitching, her stressed out, over worked mind seemed to stop working. As she opened her mouth, only one thing suitable for the kind of day she was having was able to make it's way to her mouth, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And with that Kagome, balloons and all, went running at top speed into backroom, praying he wouldn't follow her there.
Hojo still had that smile on his face, though it was dropping a little. Yasha looked at Miroku, who was trying to keep from laughing, and then said to Hojo, "Ah, I think that means 'No'."
Hojo frowned a little, then his smile perked up again, "Oh, she must be having a bad day! Maybe she's getting sick again? I should go bring her some tea! That'll make her feel better!" He said more to himself than them.
Miroku was trying as hard as he could not to laugh. After all, Hojo was a nice guy and all….just a little dense.
Yasha stared and Hojo again like he was a freak show, "Is this guy delusional or just crazy? Even I would have picked up on that sign!'
But no, Hojo the ever cheerful, just went along his way, mumbling about tea, and that he'd be back in a couple of hours.
As he was walking out, Sango was walking in. Seeing that it was Hojo who had exited, she picked up her pace. "Where's Kagome-chan?" She asked Miroku.
Miroku finally burst out laughing and pointed to the backroom where Kagome had fled. She quickly headed that direction as well, to try and help her after another "Hojo-incident".
Yasha looked at Miroku, who had finally calmed himself down. "What is with that Hobo guy?"
Miroku sighed and held his hands up in a 'I don't know' pose, "He has liked Kagome-chan since High School, but he doesn't get it that she's not interested. They have gone out on, I think, three or four dates, but he thinks they're going steady!" He had to fight another wave of giggles.
Yasha sighed. These new people he was meeting were all a bunch of nut-bars.
*~*~*
"Kagome-chan, why don't you go home for the day? We'll be alright!"
Kagome was popping the balloons one by one as she yelled more at them then Sango, "Home? *pop* He'll know that *pop* Sango-chan! *pop* He'll just follow me there, *pop* and propose to me again *pop* or something! Or *pop* maybe he took me screaming and running away as a 'yes' *pop* and he'll show up there with a priest or something!" *pop**pop**pop* Now all the balloons were popped.
"Kagome-chan, why don't you go to your mother's then? Go visit with your family? I'll send Miroku to keep Hojo away, ok?"
Kagome silently nodded, and the two left the backroom, now covered in popped balloons.
Reaching the front first, Sango called to Miroku, "Hey, will you walk Kagome-chan to the bus so she can go to her mothers?"
Miroku nodded and smiled, walking next to Kagome, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe from Hojo, Kagome-chan" and with that, reached over and grabbed her butt.
As she leapt away with a cry, Sango bopped Miroku on the head. "On second thought, Yasha, you walk her there."
Yasha looked up from his amusement. They were better than watching TV! "Hey, wait, who said I'd do anything?" He asked angrily.
Sango sighed and rubbed her temples, "Consider it off time, with pay, alright?"
Yasha thought about it for a second, then shrugged, "Works for me, lets go wench." He grabbed Kagome's purse, and hopped over the counter. Throwing it into her hands, he grabbed an arm and pulled her towards the door.
"Bye Kagome-chan! Get some rest!" Sango waved at her friend as she exited the store. Just then she felt a creeping hand going up her backside and sighed. 'Some things never change' she thought as she knocked the perpetrator down to the floor, unconscious.
End of Chapter 2! Yeah! *Waves flag*
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