Disclaimer: Nope...He ain't mine. He's Rumiko Takahashi's, the goddess of all anime characters!

"A Hanyou in the Heart" by Inu Faceness

Chapter Three: Another Day, The Same Routine

The shrine steps led down to the street where they were waiting for her, like always. She walked down to them with a smile on her face. They were her friends, all three of them. Miroku, Sango and Rin were all seniors like Kagome. Sango and Kagome had met the other two during the summer break between their fifth and sixth grade years. People called them inseparable, because not one was normally seen without the other three. It had been that way for almost seven years. Today was not any different.

Miroku stood between the two ladies, with a handprint on each side of his face. As Kagome made her way down the steps, he smiled at her. "Hello, Lady Kagome!" She smiled. 'Always so nice until his hands get the best of him.' She thought. He wore a dark blue outfit of a button down long sleeved shirt and pants to match. The top two buttons were undone, showing a white t- shirt. Under one gloved arm, he held a FST math book and a black notepad.

Kagome stood on the last step as Rin and Sango came to hug her good morning. They each wore the same outfit, although they both wore their blouses with the longer sleeves. Rin's hair flew freely in the wind while Sango's was up in a high ponytail. Each had a bag on their back; Sango's pink while Rin's was purple. Kagome smiled as she met her friends with a warm embrace.

"Hey Sango! Rin!" She said.

"Kagome!" they both said. Miroku pouted.

"No hug for me?" he said, holding out his arms. Kagome walked up to him.

"All right, but if I feel any hands, you aren't going to be up for first hour..." He laughed nervously and nodded. They embraced each other in a hug. Then...

"HENTAI!!" all three yelled. Sango and Rin were watching as Miroku's left hand traveled past the pack on Kagome's back and began to go up her skirt. Kagome abruptly turned and hit him with her red bag.

"Lets go guys, I cant be late any more this year," Kagome called as she walked ahead of her friends. They jogged to catch up with her and they all talked about their evenings. Laughter hung over their heads as they approached their destination. They walked onto the school grounds and stayed in their own little group.

Kagome ignored the catcalls and whistles she and the other girls were getting. Just because they looked good they were finally being noticed. It had been like this all year. Ever since she changed between her junior and senior years, men have been practically lined up for her. It was tiring.

"Higurashi!" Kagome turned in time to see him. His dark hair on his head, cut to the latest fashion, his school uniform perfectly clean, hugging his body in all the right places. Kagome felt weak at the knees. She didn't really like him, but oh was he a sight to see. She hadn't seen many Americans in a Japanese school. (A/N: bet you thought it was gonna be Hojo... ^_^)

"Alex," she said, smiling, "hi! How are you?" She gave a quick hug. Alex had become one of her friends over the past few months. He didn't know anything of her past, just that she was a highly intelligent girl with a great personality. The thing Kagome liked most about him was he didn't care about her looks.

"I'm great! Here, I saw this in the store and remembered you and your friends," he smiled at the others, who returned the gesture, "liked stuffed animals. Here, I got these, since I didn't get and Valentines Day gifts for anyone a few months ago, so here." He pulled out a bag and handed each person his or her respected toys.

A small raccoon was presented to Miroku, Sango was handed a little yellow cat with large orange eyes, and Rin was given a soft fox. They all smiled and gawked at the amazing detail given to each small creature. The sequin collars around them, bright jewels for eyes, and soft material made each wonder just how much this junior had paid for them. He handed Kagome a small toy, and she gasped.

There, almost too big for her own two hands, was a white dog with a red collar. The eyes were golden and, even though she knew it was just a toy, reminded her of Inu Yasha. "Than...thank you so much, Alex," she whispered. He nodded and jumped as he glanced at his watch.

"WOW! I got to go guys! Student council's starting early today. Gotta get running!" and, true to his word, he bolted down the path into the building.

The four of them wandered around the school grounds, still going on about the apparently expensive animals.

"I cant believe the detail! These must have cost a fortune!" Sango looked at the other's gifts as she ranted on. Rin was cooing over the small fox she held as she snuggled it against her cheek. Miroku attached his to his notebook with a key chain clip. Kagome, however, was in a completely different world.

She walked, absent mindedly, as she looked down at the dog. His face was set in a smirk, just like she remembered. The smirk and the goofy grin he gave her when they said goodbye for the first, and final time. She sighed sadly at the thought. Yes, he had only said it once, because that was all she had ever seen him. Her musings were cut short when a bell rang through the courtyard. She looked up with a start, clutching the stuffed animal.

"Well, better get to class, ne?" Miroku said, walking into the building. Once inside, Sango and Miroku split from Kagome and Rin down the math hallway. The two girls continued on to their literature class.

~*~END CHAPTER~*~

Yay ^_^ I know I know...this one has chapters coming out fast...well, the last one was already written when I posted the first, then this one was already half done, so I just finished it. Don't expect to have chapters out so often...remember, I type slow and I have two stories out at the moment... -.- '

Inu Face