Kagome was at school for the first time in weeks. She was irritated that her attendance record was so bad, but what could she do? She had bigger fish to fry, back in feudal Japan. Still, she wasn't happy about having to lie to her friends here in the present.

"Kagome!" Her small but close group of friends ran over to see her. "How are you feeling? I heard that you were getting tested for multiple sclerosis! Get the results yet?"

"How's your spine? Are you able to walk okay?"

"Have your knees stopped swelling?"

"That was sure a close call, falling into a coma like that!"

Kagome sighed at her grandfather's pathetic cover-ups for her going back in time. "Um, yeah, I'm fine!" She replied hastily. Attempting to change the subject off her nonexistent bad heath, she looked around and saw a group of unfamiliar faces. "Who're they?" She asked.

"Oh! Those are the exchange students from America!" Explained one of her friends. "They went to this school originally, but they went and studied in California for five years! How cool is that?"

"Five years!" Gasped Kagome. "How could they stay away from home that long?"

"And in a foreign country, too! But I suppose they're excellent at speaking English now. My mom says that's the only real way to learn."

Kagome scanned the small group of students scanning them and everyone else as well. They had the look of a bunch of animals reintroduced into the wild. They weren't wearing their uniforms- they had no doubt grown out of them in those five years they were gone- and were wearing the latest American fashions; baggy jeans, huge shirts, and baseball caps all around.

One of the exchange students caught Kagome's eye particularly. A girl, looking no older than Kagome herself, was slouching against the wall of the main building, looking more than a little unhappy. She wore dark jeans at least three sizes too big for her that was fastened with a gleaming iron chain, a black tank top, and a black beanie with the Chinese character for "evil" on the front. Her hair covered her eyes and most of her pale face.

'Why is that girl so sad?' Kagome wondered. 'Isn't she happy to be back?'

The bell rang, interrupting her train of thought. As she dashed for her first period class, she remembered with a jolt that she had left her math book on her desk. The strange girl driven completely from her mind, she was consumed with the sickly feeling of retuning to school after an unnaturally long absence. 'Oh, no! Math is my first class!'

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Inu-Yasha slouched moodily, his back against a tree. 'Why did she have to go back to her time today?' He thought angrily. 'Stupid girl. Stupid, selfish little.'

"I hope Kagome will be back soon," Said Shippo, voicing what everyone else was thinking. "She said she hadn't been back in ages, but we can't look for jewel shards without her!"

"What can we do in her absence?" Pondered Miroku aloud. "Search for those in need of aid?"

"Not likely!" Snapped Inu-Yasha. "There's no way I'm 'playing the hero' without a Shard of the Shikon Jewel to motivate me!"

"But why not?" Asked Sango. "Whether you admit to it or not, you have helped a lot of people, Inu-Yasha."

"What's your point?" Glared Inu-Yasha. He didn't see what the point was of just saving people without anything in it for him, anyway.

"The point is," Replied Miroku, "We all know that you are interested in fighting. Why not battle demons for simply a good cause?"

"There's no chance in hell I'm gonna go around rescuing people!" Growled Inu-Yasha. "The only reason I'll help anyone is if I get a jewel shard! Ya got that? I'm not a good guy!"

"Really?" Shippo asked, believing the unlikely. "ALL the people you saved were just for the jewel?"

"Don't you protect Kagome, though? What do you get in return for saving her life time and time again?" Inquired Sango, knowing perfectly well what his answer would be.

"I-she-SHUT UP!" Yelled Inu-Yasha. "S-she's my Jewel Detector! If she died, I couldn't find all the shards! That's all!"

"Is that the only reason you protect Kagome?" Asked Miroku, also foreseeing Inu-Yasha's answer.

"No. YES!" He covered his slip of the tongue clumsily. "That's all! That's the only reason!"

Sango and Miroku exchanged disbelieving looks.

"IT'S TRUE!" Inu-Yasha yelled. "IT IS!"

"Of course it is, Inu-Yasha," consoled Miroku, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"GAH!" Inu-Yasha stormed off. "IT'S NOTHING-DOING WITH YOU PEOPLE!"

After a few moments pause, the remainder of the gang conversed quite naturally, all knowing that he'd be back soon enough.

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The exchange students lined up in the office lobby, waiting for their parents to pick them up. They were all anxious to get back home after such a long trip. They were reminiscing about all the things they'd do, know that they're back home in Japan.

"Ooh, I can't WAIT to eat some decent homemade sushi!" Squealed one girl. "Did you eat at one of those American places? Horrible!"

"DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION, HERE I COME!" Yelled a blissfully happy boy being picked up by his parents.

"I can't wait to see my little sister!" Said a widely smiling girl to her best friend. "I'm so happy to be home at last!"

The pale girl who Kagome had seen slouched even farther down in her chair, wishing profusely that she were anywhere BUT back in Japan. Five years wasn't nearly long enough. She had friends back there, in America; she missed her short-lived worthwhile existence profusely. She turned up her CD player even louder, blasting No Doubt's hottest singles; she didn't dig that repetitive techno crap, the 80's in America were more her style.

One by one, all the kids got picked up, but the girl just stayed there. Whenever someone left, receiving loving hugs and kisses from their family, she would turn up her CD player and scrunch her eyes tighter, wishing herself anywhere but there, anywhere but then.

.She could hardly stomach seeing her stepmother again.

After a full hour passed and she was the only one left, she was obviously holding back tears; not that she would have ever admitted it to anyone, ever. The guidance counselor went over and asked her a few questions.

"Are you sure your parents got the notice about the return date?" He asked. She nodded. "Okay. do you want to give them a call?" She shook her head no. "Alright, then, we'll just wait a little longer.

Thirty more minutes passed. Her batteries had died. Her eyes were as closed as she could make them. The counselor asked her if she was absolutely positive she didn't want to give them a quick call, just to make sure they had remembered. She shook her head once more.

After a few more minutes, a car pulled up outside the school and honked loudly, obviously not bothering to get out of the car. The girl grabbed her small, black duffel bag and hurried to the small car, hoping against hope her stepmother wouldn't get out of the vehicle.

"Wait!" Said the counselor, a few sheets of paperwork in hand, "your guardian needs to fill these out." He handed her the papers. Of course. There's always something.

She opened the car door and the smell of alcohol greeted her. She handed the papers to the driver, who slurred, "Wha's this? More damned paperwork? The hell you need these for?" The driver leaned out the door, revealing a face covered with a sloppy makeup job.

"We need these for insurance reasons, Ma'am, just to make sure that you are indeed her guardian." He looked away from the obviously drunk driver to the black-haired girl. 'No wonder she's so screwed up,' he thought. 'Poor kid.'

"Not by choice, I'm not!" Yelled the woman. "The little freak's not worth it! Cantcha jus' keep her somewhere else?"

"Ma'am, it is illegal to drink and drive," He said calmly, attempting to persuade the woman. "If you'll just step outside the car."

"ME?" She screamed. "DRUNK? Here's you're damned forms!" She threw the blank papers at him. "GET IN THE CAR, USAGI!" She bellowed.

The girl obeyed, slipping into the back seat, barely daring to hope that the poor counselor wouldn't tell the principal about her alcoholic stepmother. Slamming the door of the car shut, she closed her eyes again, dreaming that she was on the plane back to America.

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Like it? ^_^ Review and I'll continue!

FOR THOSE WHO CARE: "Usagi" means "moon" in Japanese. I thought it was cool.

HINT: Usagi's stepmother called her a FREAK. Why d'you suppose that is? *Shifty eyes* BUAHA!! If you can't figure it out. BOO-HOO! *Sticks out tongue* Review with you're guesses! ^_^