Inuyasha sighed and slammed his locker shut. It had been nearly a week since the double date at the restaurant. He wondered if Kagome wanted to go on another date. Except this time, it would be just the two of them...would she be up for it? Surprisingly, he actually enjoyed the double date, even with Sango and Miroku sneaking off to make kissy faces to each other. It had given him and Kagome more time to get to know each other. Although, after the date, things between him and Kagome hadn't gone back to normal. Usually, they both found it quite easy to insult each other, but lately- Inuyasha had been flustered at the lack of obscene comments he had been able to throw at her. All he could do when she walk by was stammer. That definitely wasn't like him at all.
"Hey there buddy!" Miroku greeted cheerfully, interrupting his train of thought. Inuyasha leapt back, startled to see Miroku's face centimeters away from his face. "What in blazes?! You could give a guy a heart attack, popping out of nowhere!" Inuyasha snarled at Miroku.
Miroku grinned mischievously. "Still haven't asked her, eh?" he snickered. Miroku then blinked.
"Um. Inuyasha…what are you doing with that book? Easy now, you could hurt someone with that thing…-ow!" His face throbbing wildly, he leaned against the locker for support as Inuyasha stormed off, muttering only a simple, "Hmmph." Miroku groaned in pain. "Guess not…"
Inuyasha snarled in anger. The nerve of that guy! He was still fuming when he entered his classroom. "I'll show him. I'll ask her out today! Yeah, that'll show him!" Inuyasha muttered forcefully under his breath. Now. Where was Kagome, anyhow? She was going to be late for class if she didn't show up soon. He had the "luck" of being placed in every single class with her in it as well. This wouldn't make the task of asking her out any easier. If she rejected him, then he had to spend every day and every single period dealing with the thought of her rejection. He suddenly gulped. Was he sure he knew what he was getting himself into?
"Eh…" he muttered.
The bell rang just as Kagome and Sango entered the classroom. "Made it just in time!" Kagome remarked to her raven-haired companion. Sango chuckled and nodded, but the smile was replaced with an expression of confusion.
"Hey Kagome- who's that sitting in your seat?" Kagome blinked. "Huh?"
Her eyes traveled to her seat- and sure enough, there was a young man occupying the desk. Her desk. Crossing her arms, she marched right up to the guy.
"Excuse me, but that's my seat." There. She asked politely, so if he refused, who was to say that she hadn't tried? Then she would have a good reason to force him out. Grr. The jerk hadn't even been listening! His eyes flickered towards her.
"Did you say something?" Her eyes narrowed in frustration. "Listen up, buddy! That's my seat! So move it, buster!" she snapped.
He tossed a careless glance her way. "It's not a big deal. Why don't you go sit by that fella' over there?" he said- jerking his thumb towards Inuyasha, sitting in the back. Kagome felt a blush rising to her cheeks. Sit…next to Inuyasha? She was still unsure of how to act around him. He said that he liked her, but did that make them a couple now? What if she brought up what he said, and he laughed in her face, claiming it to be a big joke? She grimaced. Suddenly, the person who occupied her thoughts popped in front of her.
"Hey there, you idiot! Are you deaf or something? She asked you to move!" Inuyasha snapped towards the new guy. Kagome blinked, flustered. "Inuyasha…?" she uttered. He turned his attention towards her, and she felt her heart tighten.
"You want me to get rid of this guy for you?" he quipped. Kagome averted her attention back to the occupant of her desk. Hmm. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to sit next to Inuyasha after all. He had come to aid her, hadn't he? So maybe…he really meant what he said! "Um, no, that's okay. I'll sit next to you. It's no big deal." She knew she was blushing as she picked up her books and moved them to the desk next to Inuyasha's.
Inuyasha blinked in bewilderment. One minute Kagome was up here screaming her brains out at this guy, and the next minute she wanted to brush it aside? He blinked again, and shrugged carelessly. Whatever. At least it wasn't him she was mad at. He threw a threatening glance at the new guy.
Finally, the teacher arrived at the classroom, late as usual. "Ahem. Class, it seems that we have a new student!" He chuckled, as if amused. "We seem to be having quite the rush of transfer students!" There came another chuckle, and then a cough, when he realized that the class did not find this amusing. "Anyways, this is Kouga. I expect you all to treat him with respect, and kindness." There were several inaudible mutters from the direction of Inuyasha and Kagome, but the rest of the class nodded silently.
Kouga, was it? Interesting name, Sango mused. He seemed pretty reckless. Her eyes brimmed in laughter. Actually- he seemed like Inuyasha! Both were stubborn, and she definitely recognized the defiance in Kouga's eyes to be that of Inuyasha's as well. No wonder there had been such a tension in the room when the two met. Two people with Inuyasha's persona were bound not to get along. She laughed silently. This would be most interesting.
"Hmm…?" she whispered to herself as she noticed Kouga's attention turning to the back of the room. Was he doing what she thought he was doing? His gaze steadied, intensifying on one person. He was! He was checking out Kagome, for sure! Suddenly, Kouga's head snapped back to the front of the room, pretending as if this had never happened. Sango smirked, and eased down in her chair. She had a feelings that things were suddenly about to get much more interesting.
Kagome snorted in disdain. What was Kouga looking back here for? He was probably gloating in the fact that he had "won" the right to sit in her chair. It was her chair, not his! He had better not get too comfy, because she would be taking over her seat again come tomorrow. What a jerk. Sighing, she glanced over quickly at Inuyasha, turning her eyes away quickly so he wouldn't see her. She wondered if he was doing anything this weekend. Maybe…they could hang out again. Before she got too into him, she wanted to be able to hang out with him, and at least become better friends first. She would ask him after school.
Inuyasha noticed the glance that Kagome had given him out of the corner of his eye. He had also noticed the glance that Kouga had given Kagome. He had better not look back here again, Inuyasha growled angrily. Who did he think he was, looking at Kagome like that?
"Jerk-off," Inuyasha snarled.
Kagome looked at him. "I didn't know you hated the teacher that much, Inuyasha," she remarked. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, he's a real jerk." Inuyasha replied calmly.
How could he tell her whom he was really talking about? Girls usually didn't understand these rivalries between two guys. Well, usually. He had the feeling that Kagome would most likely understand, but there was no way that he was telling her that this defensiveness was because of her. The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Kagome got up to leave. It was now or never. "Kagome, whatareyoudoingthisSaturday?
BecauseIwasthinkingthatwecouldhangoutatthemallorsomething." There! He exhaled in relief. Kagome blinked, and his heart sank. Was she rejecting him? He sighed, awaiting the final blow.
"Um. Sorry, you were talking too fast. Could you repeat that?" she asked. He fell off of his seat with a thud. "What?!" She hadn't heard it? Gah! In a much more calmer voice, he restated the question.
"Do you want to hang out at the mall or something? If you're not busy, that is." He finished the statement, turning his head and looking in a different direction. "Sure!" she replied.
Whoa. Had he heard correctly? She had accepted? Well, he wasn't expecting rejection or anything, but he was still in shock when she agreed. "Hello, is anyone home?" Kagome knocked a few times on the side of Inuyasha's head. "Are you still with me?"
Inuyasha regained his senses. "Yeah, sorry. So what time?" Kagome shrugged. "How about I call you tonight?" He turned to take out a sheet of paper to write his phone number on when he noticed that he and Kagome were not alone in the classroom. The jerk Kouga was watching them intently. He seemed to be rather irritated.
Inuyasha's anger flared. "Hey, this ain't no freak show! Hit the road, you jerk!" he shouted. Kouga muttered a simple, "Whatever," and stalked out of the classroom.
Outside, Miroku smiled and approached Sango from behind, wrapping his arms around her. She jerked slightly, but relaxed when she realized who it was. "So where's Kagome?" he asked in sudden curiosity.
"She went to gather her things."
Miroku arched a brow. "It takes her this long to get a few books?" Sango grinned, and pointed in the direction of the classroom. Miroku blinked, startled, and swiveled his attention in the direction of Sango's indication. Kagome and Inuyasha exited the classroom together, talking. Ah. He nodded in final understanding. He remembered something. There was a guy who had exited the classroom moments before Inuyasha and Kagome.
"Sango-" he inquired thoughtfully, "-who was that guy who just left?" Sango blinked in confusion. "Inuyasha?" Miroku laughed slightly. "No, no. The other guy." "Oh. That's Kouga. New student," she replied. Miroku nodded. "All right." Sango turned to face Miroku.
"Why?" she quipped.
"Nothing, just curious. Never seen him around before, that's all."
For some reason, he had the feeling that this new guy would somehow get in the way of Inuyasha and Kagome. He had seen the way "Kouga" had shot a most threatening glare at Inuyasha. If worse came to worse, the competition between the two would probably turn to Kagome.
Kagome held on tightly to the piece of paper containing Inuyasha's phone number. It was all she could think about really. Especially now that school had ended for the day. She walked quickly, unaware that she was being followed.
"I guess I'd better get home soon...," she remarked to herself. However, she was preoccupied with the thought of spending the day with Inuyasha. Not paying attention to where she was walking, she realized several minutes later that she was treading on unfamiliar grounds. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by several dark shadows. Robbers! They snickered, crowding around her.
"Let's have a gander at what we've got here, mates! A little schoolgirl! Where's your mommy, girl?" they taunted. Kagome glared at them. "Stay away from me! I'm warning you!" They only laughed harder, tightening in on her. But she was not one to back away from a fight. She could take care of herself! She picked up a stick on the ground, and sent several members flying as she flailed the stick around wildly.
However, the leader of the group yanked the stick away from her grasp. He tossed it aside, closing in on her. She was backed up against the wall, with nowhere to turn. Kagome figured herself a goner, until…-
"Leave her alone!" a strong voice shouted from behind the leader. It was hard to see who it was, with the leader's bulky body blocking her view. She pushed him away because his attention had been averted, and gasped. "…Kouga?"
(A.N. :I was feeling relieved that I had managed to finally update the new chapters of "Just Another Day" when I suddenly realized how long the paragraphs were! So I've fixed them; hopefully they're a bit easier to read! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Oh! And by the way, I did not intend for Kouga to be the bad guy. Kouga is one of my favorite characters. I received a couple reviews from readers who mentioned that they hated Kouga. I made readers hate him. I'm a horrible person...anyways, please try to remember that Kouga is not the bad guy. Appearances can be deceiving.)