Back to School
The next morning, Yusuke stomped down the road to meet the others. He glared at anyone who had the nerve to look at him. He was still recovering form the previous weekend of towing Koenma around behind him and Keiko.
It had been the most horrible day of his life...or death. He grimaced, remembering the torture of making the child ruler of hell pass for a normal teenager while Keiko dragged him shopping. Koenma had enjoyed himself immensely and even Keiko had fun. Yusuke was determined to never repeat that experience.
No matter where they had gone, they had run into people they knew, and had to stop and talk. Koenma was introduced as Yusuke's cousin. The brat had done everything imaginable to ruin Yusuke's carefully maintained reputation, from karaoke, to having demanded Yusuke get one of those pictures in the mall booths on a sign labeled "wanted: good friends" with a picture of the three of them squeezed into the narrow square.
He had chanced going to school last Monday and was dealing with the repercussions of that day out.
"Yusuke, where's your cute cousin?"
"Yusuke, I didn't know you could sing!"
"Yusuke, Keiko showed me your picture!"
He had skipped the rest of the week.
He didn't feel particularly like going today either, but Keiko had called and chewed his ear off the night before. Though he'd never admit it, he'd do anything to make her happy. Even face his own lack of self-respect since that day.
He spotted the others standing on the corner and marched over. "I'm here," he said rather uselessly. They kept standing there. "What are we waiting for?" he grumbled.
"Yusuke, are you in a hurry to go to school?" Kurama teased.
Yusuke rolled his eyes and leaned on the light pole.
"We're waiting for Kagome." Boton cheerfully informed him.
"Oh, I didn't realize she was back." he shrugged.
"I hope she hurries or we'll be late," Keiko worried.
"Don't worry," Boton waved aside her friends fear. "Hiei said he'd bring her. He told me this morning that Kurama had forgotten to tell Kagome where we meet."
"I did, didn't I?" he realized. "I hadn't noticed that Hiei was there to over hear our conversation. He's gotten better at hiding himself."
"He said you were distracted." Boton's voice had gone mockingly sweet.
Kurama didn't reply. She smiled behind her hand. She thought it was cute. And she relished the new experience of being able to watch the development of a new relationship from its very beginning.
She knew her own chances of finding a guy to be in a serious relationship with were slim to nil, considering that all the guys she met were, well, dead...or ogre's and they weren't really her type. Except for her friends on the team and Inuyasha, she didn't see many others. She pictured the curious golden eyes and soft white hair in her mind. She sighed. "What am I thinking?" she berated herself.
"Yes, what are you thinking, Boton? You've been standing there sighing and tying your necktie in knots for the past five minutes. Are you okay?" Yusuke asked her.
"Yes, I'm fine!" she ignored the first question. "My, where could those two be?"
"You're the one who said not to worry," Keiko reminded her.
"Yes, well, uuhhh..."Keiko, did you finish your literature assignment?"
"Boton, all we have to do is bring in our favorite poem or song to share with the class."
"I know. Did you remember?"
"Don't I always?" Keiko smiled.
"Did anyone tell Kagome?"
"Huh? No, I didn't think...Well, the teacher thinks that she's been ill, so maybe he'll let her not do the assignment."
Kurama listened to every word they said. "I take it Yusuke filled you in on Kagome's story."
"Yes. He told me last weekend."
"Perhaps we should help her," he suggested.
"What do you mean? Isn't that what we are doing now?" Yusuke asked.
"I mean with school. We all have classes with her. We can make sure we get the assignments to her and take notes for when she must be absent."
"You're right, Kurama. It must be hard on her not being in class all the time."
"I don't go to class and I'm still passing." Yusuke said from the light pole.
"Barely," Keiko rolled her eyes.
Kurama chuckled. "They are on their way. I can feel Hiei's energy from here."
"'Bout time," Yusuke complained.
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Kagome hopped on one foot, trying to pull the mostly dry shoe over her clean socks and smoothing her new pale blue uniform skirt. "Mama! I'm going!" She tapped her toe on the floor to slide her foot all the way in and grabbed her school bag.
"Bye, dear!" Mrs. Higurashi called from the kitchen.
Kagome ran past the God Tree and the silent well shed, thinking for once about her future and not the past. She skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs. A familiar prickle told her to look up.
"Good morning, Hiei!" she smiled up at him. He dropped down beside her from the shrine roof and mumbled something in the way of a greeting.
"I take it you know where we are going?"
"Yes."
"So, how have you been?" she asked brightly.
"Fine."
"Did you do anything interesting? Solve a new case?"
"No."
"Visit with your friends or family?"
"No."
"Eat, drink of sleep in the last week?"
"N–" he looked at her.
She winked at him. They walked in silence a short time. She didn't like the quiet. "You know, you don't have to be so lonely. You have good friends there for you."
"I never said I was lonely."
"You didn't have to. It's in your eyes. You remind me of Sango when she first joined us."
He glowered darkly at her.
"I'd like to be your friend, Hiei," she said, "if you'll let me."
He swallowed the lunp in his throat. First Kurama, now this girl. Am I letting people get to close? No, I haven't changed. These two are just unusually stubborn. He looked at her. Her innocent eyes, like Yukina's were direct and happy. He couldn't out right deny her. "Hn," he said.
She smiled at him wickedly. "Maybe some day you'll be my friend too."
He blinked at her. "Isn't it the same thing?"
"Of course not. Oh, look! There they are!" she waved a hello and quickened her pace to meet them.
He hung back, pondering her words. She slowed and reached back to grab his hand and pull him along behind her. "Let's go, Hiei! Our friends look impatient."
He was too surprised to protest.
She let go of his hand as soon as they caught up with the others. While she talked and laughed with the other girls, Hiei held back to walk behind and watch over them all. He wasn't surprised when Kurama moved to walk with him. It seemed companionable to be walking next to the other demon. He saw the green eyes regarding him curiously. Hiei gave him a look, daring him to ask. Then he grinned.
"So, have you found a new love interest yet, Kurama?" Hiei asked loudly.
"New love? I didn't know you had an old one," Yusuke said, dropping in on the conversation.
"I don't," Kurama answered.
"No, he's too wrapped up in himself!" Hiei snickered.
Kurama glared at him, promicing revenge.
"Kurama?" Kagome's quiet voice echoed. "I've heard them call you that before. I thought your name was Shuuichi."
"It is," he said, ignoring the others. "It's part of that long story I promised to tell you later."
"Oh. So which do I call you?"
"When around other humans, call me Shuuichi," he smiled gently at her.
"Okay."
They arrived at the school in plenty of time for the first class to start.
Hiei disappeared abruptly. Kagome waved at the tree line across the street, knowing he was over there some where. Hiei almost waved back, even though he knew she couldn't see him. He looked at the betraying hand in disgust. He leapt away with a sigh, to go check on Yukina and the temple, like he did every day.