I got back from (my SECOND) camp today! And guess what! (not that u care) My family BUILT me a DECK extending from my room! Major wow! I love them! Anyways, here's the next chapter, and I promise, no more camp! (Though I'm supposed to visit some ppl in LA for 2 weeks….)

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She was beautiful.

Even now, when the cheekbones were starting to become a little too sharp, she managed to give off a sort of aura of loveliness. She was thin, an unhealthy thin that would have made other girls look hideous, but it only made her beauty tragic in it's nature, compelling the observer to refrain from tearing his gaze away from her.

It wasn't just her weight that made her tragic, it was the way she carried herself. If Jason wasn't around, she held her head high, proudly refusing to meet the gaze of her peers, holding herself apart. But when in the presence of her boyfriend, she kept her head meekly lowered, and spoke softly, in a musical voice that one had to strain to hear.

The students all watched her. They saw Kagome Higurashi, the beautiful seventeen-year-old, dating Jason, the most wanted boy in high school. They saw a smart girl with a dazzling smile, never mind that such smiles had become rare.

The students all watched her.

But only one saw the loneliness hidden behind her eyes where a soul should have been. Only one person missed the smile that had once flashed constantly. Only he watched her tragic beauty grow with regret.

It had been no secret that Hojo used to have a crush on Kagome. Even she knew it, though she had always kept quiet, allowing them both some space. He knew he could never have her, even back than, before Jason. Whenever anyone mentioned 'love' or anything remotely connected, she had gotten a far away look in her eyes. Hojo might not have been known for being very smart, but he knew what girls looked like in love, and Kagome Higurashi was completely, desperately, and hopelessly in love.

Whoever he was, it must not have worked out, because instead of being with someone who might have truly cared about her, she was now with Jason. Hojo wasn't blind. A lot of people said he was on the slow side, but he was the one who saw Kagome's internal battle, not them. He didn't know what had happened to make her give up everything that made her special, but he cared about her. And even if it wasn't love there was no way he was going to watch the essence of the woman he could have loved die slowly, right before his eyes.

So Hojo did something he never thought he'd do.

He cut fourth period.

He knew the grade schools got out earlier than his school, so he was counting on Souta being home when he reached the Higurashi shrine. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do, but he knew he would find out whom Kagome had loved.

If he had any humanity in him he'd give his soul to save what was left of hers.

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She was beautiful.

She knew it was true. She had seen the envious looks of her classmates, especially in later weeks.

But now, looking at her reflection in the dirty bathroom mirror, she didn't see anything worth admiring. She was so skinny.

Too skinny.

But not skinny enough.

She was so pale.

Too pale.

But not pale enough.

She was so empty.

Too empty.

But not empty enough.

There was still enough left of her too hurt.

She tried to think back. Had it always been so hard to please him? Had Jason always been so demanding? She remembered him helping her with her songs. She didn't write anymore. Whatever her inspiration had been, it was gone.

She raised her long, slender, thin, fingers to her face, letting them rest lightly on her cheek, remember how soft it had once been.

"Go away Inuyasha!!!"

"Not until you tell me why you're crying wench!" Inuyasha's voice was gruff, but there was actually worry in his tone.

"I'm NOT crying! Go away!!"

And suddenly he was in front of her, one clawed finger resting on her cheek, gently brushing a tear. "If you're not crying, than what's this?" His voice was softer than she'd ever heard it. She was trembling. His hand moved up and than down in a gentle stroke.

"Your cheeks are so soft." His voice was almost wondering. It would have sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else, but from Inuyasha, she thought her heart would stop.

"Inuyasha,"

He interrupted her. "Don't cry Kagome." The gruff self was back. "It'll make you all red and splotchy, not to mention you'll smell even worse."

She didn't even see him leave.

She stood there a long while, clutching one hand to her face. She couldn't even remember why she was crying anymore, something to do with Souta being a brat. It wasn't until she could feel her hand had stopped shaking that she allowed herself to return to camp. His words echoed in her mind for days after.

Your cheeks are so soft.

She could feel the bone beneath her fingertips. If she pressed harder, it would actually hurt. She wasn't the same anymore. She had to admit that to herself.

She was still Kagome Higurashi, but the definition of what made up Kagome had changed. She wanted to cry for the self she used to be, but that wasn't part of the new her. She didn't cry. She had no one left to comfort her.

Mom and Souta and even Grandpa would have tried, but it wouldn't have been the same. Only Souta even noticed that anything was wrong, and he was too mad at her to do anything about it.

Her fingers moved to trace the outlines of her face, gliding over her eyes and lips. Oh yes. She was beautiful. She was becoming everything Jason wanted her to be. She was smart and thin and obedient.

Oh yes. She was beautiful. She was becoming everything Jason wanted her to be.

And she hated herself for it.

But that wasn't entirely true. The old Kagome hated herself. But the person staring back at her was too concerned with making Jason mad to worry about such petty things as self-hate.

Somebody loved her.

The words were sounding more and more hollow to her.

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Souta wasn't allowed to be in her room.

It had been an unwritten rule since their fight a week before.

But he couldn't help himself. Though he couldn't have explained his feelings if he'd been asked, he missed her. He missed laughing with her, playing with her, and even doing her chores for her.

There was a time when Souta would have given anything for his sister to be at home more. But the girl who'd been living with them for the past few weeks straight was so different from his sister it was hard to tell they were the same person. At first it had been little things. She'd lock herself in her room for hours, or ditch their 'game' time to hang out with Jason. But after awhile she'd gotten really moody and depressed. She was angry all the time. It was like she hated everyone.

So here he was.

Standing in the center of her room, unable to understand why he was fighting back tears.

When the doorbell rang, it took him a full minute to escape his thoughts enough to make it down the stairs to answer the door. Neither grandpa nor his mother was at home.

He opened the door, expecting it to be a salesman or something similar. When he recognized the visitor his jaw dropped slightly. "Hojo? Uh, Kagome's not here. She's at school?" The way he said it made it sound like a question. Wasn't Hojo supposed to be in school?

"Actually," The dark haired boy looked a little unsure of himself. "I'm here to see you." Souta moved, allowing the newcomer move to step inside. "You've . . . noticed the changes in your sister, haven't you?"

Souta almost sighed audibly in relief. It hadn't been just him! "Yeah. She has a new boyfriend. I guess that's part of it." He didn't mention the fight with Inuyasha. He knew that was top secret.

"Her new boyfriend's a," He paused to modify his language for the younger boy. "A jerk. He's the reason Kagome's changed. And it hasn't been a good change." He added in a quieter voice.

"Why are you here?" Souta held his breath. He agreed with everything Hojo said, but what was there to do about it?

"Kagome," He paused and took a deep breath before starting again. "Kagome cared for someone a lot, didn't she?" He saw the look in the boy's eyes and pressed on. "Don't bother denying it, I'm not blind. Whoever he was must have hurt her pretty bad."

"Maybe." For a ten-year-old, he could sound awfully ominous.

"Does he love her?" The question came out blunter than he'd intended, but he didn't even attempt to soften them. "Is there any chance he really truly cares about her?"

Souta hung his head. "I don't know." He admitted quietly. "She wouldn't tell me what they fought about. It must have been bad."

There was another guy. Even though Hojo had known it was true from the beginning, it still hurt to know he'd never stood a chance with her.

"Can I talk to him?" He didn't recognize his own voice, but he forced himself to meet Souta's gaze. "I'd like to tell him about what's happened to Kagome." And who's been doing it to her. A voice in his head added.

Souta hesitated. "I'm not sure . . ."

"Please." There was a note of desperation in his voice. Their eyes met and in that instant the younger realized that whether or not Inuyasha loved his sister, someone else did.

Slowly, he nodded his head. "You're not going to like it though."

Confused, Hojo followed him up the stairs into Kagome's room. The younger boy headed straight for her desk and produced a small glass jar containing fragments of a pink jewel.

"You'll need one of these." Dumping one into his hand, he screwed the lid back on before setting it on back on the desk. More confused than ever, Hojo followed him out to a shed containing a well.

"His name is Inuyasha." Souta's eyes were dark as he told someone he barely knew his family's biggest secret. "He lives in ancient Japan." Before Hojo had a chance to react, he pressed the shard into his hand so hard it stung, and pushed him into the well.

He didn't land for a long time.

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I thought that was a relatively long chapter compared to most! C'mon! (Desperately seeking for approval). In any case, here ya go! And I'll try to update all of my stories soon! Be sure to let me know what u like!

Rogue Pryde ;o)