Doing The Impossible
By: Senko Tenrou
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Chapter 4: Consulting
Kagome went to school, like every normal teenage girl would. She felt a lot better than she had earlier that morning, as the question flew from Souta's mouth – that awful question. She felt better now that she had that out of her system, out of her mind. She tottered out of the house, lugging her book bag, which was full of make-up assignments and textbooks, behind her.
Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri were waiting at the school for here, hearing from Mrs. Higurashi that Kagome was "well" again. What was the excuse again? Oh, yes. Simple mental breakdown – that's right. Kagome had nearly laughed aloud when she asked 'Jii-chan for the excuse so that she could be forewarned – a mental breakdown felt pretty reasonable with the way she'd been acting lately.
And to think that Inu—No!
"Kagome-chan!" They all called in unison on sight of the said girl and raced over to her.
The girl being swarmed by the three approaching friends grinned weakly at the girls' enthusiasm of seeing her—and she realized that she couldn't help but wish that someone else's excitement would be so enthusiastic over her – not that she would say who, of course. "Hey, Ayumi. Eri. Yuka." She greeted with a short wave.
"Soo." Yuka started, catching up to Kagome first.
"What was it like having a breakdown? I—" Eri stopped when one of the other two girls continued for her.
"I've heard it's awful – worse depression any one could develop." Ayumi interjected before Eri could continue.
"Aw, it wasn't all—" Kagome attempted to answer.
"Really. I heard that, too. Heard that it was so bad that some people actually resulted in suicide. How'd you get through it?" Yuka butted in.
"Got away form the source. I had to le—" Kagome was interrupted for the second time.
"Did that guy that you like so much – Inuyasha – come?" Ayumi asked suddenly, eyes shimmering with hope as she clasped her hands at her chest..
"Oh! I didn't even think of that!" Yuka exclaimed.
"I know! I so want to meet him!" Eri finished for them. She looked around for their answer, but didn't find their supply. "…Kagome?"
Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri searched for Kagome, finding her already stalking off in fury at the sheer name of that mongrel.
Kagome trudged down the halls, not even realizing where she was headed, trying to get that name out of her head. She couldn't think about him. I can't. He's not important enough. He's so low – using me as some stupid… stupid… Argh! I don't even know why he keeps me around!!! Kagome slammed into someone in her haste, launching her out of her thoughts. The collision had her on her back on the floor.
"I'm sorry! I didn't see you there…" The person above her apologized, extending a hand to help her up.
Kagome blinked at the hand, wondering what had happened, and she complied, taking the hand. Once on her feet again, she looked up at the person with instant recognition. "Thank you, Hojou-kun. I'm sorry. I was just in a hurry and…" She smiled meekly, "I just didn't notice you there. Sorry again, but I've got to go…" She waved and wandered off down the halls again. "Bye."
"Hey, wait, Higurashi-san!" Hojou jogged after her. "Can you—? Will you go to the movies with me tomorrow – since it's Saturday and everything? I mean, since you're feeling better now. After a breakdown like your grandfather told me, you must be exhausted. Maybe it'll help you a little…"
Kagome sweat-dropped. Just what did 'Jii-chan tell these people?? She mused. "Um. You know what, Hojou? I think a movie sounds like a fine idea. Thanks for the offer." Maybe it would get her mind off him…
Hojou grinned cheerfully. "Alright. I'll pick you up around seven then, okay?"
Kagome returned the favor, though a little downhearted. "Okay. I'll see you, then. Bye, Hojou." Without waiting for his reply, Kagome continued on her journey around the school. She wasn't surprised when her three friends pummeled into her in their haste to get to her. They must have heard…
"Ah." Yuka concluded slyly. "So you and Mr. Tough Guy had a fight, eh?"
Kagome remained indifferent to Yuka's query. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just thought that a movie sounded fun. Besides, who is Mr. Tough Guy?" She asked with an arched brow.
Yuka opened her mouth to respond but Eri got to it first. "Aw. C'mon. You know! Mr. I Almost Killed A Boy For Flirting With You."
Kagome blinked back. "Mr. who? No one that I know has ever done that for me…" She denied.
Yuka and Eri muttered choice words under their breath about a certain "denial syndrome", whatever that was, but Ayumi finally sighed and looked Kagome straight in the eye. "Inuyasha, Kagome. You know him. The only you told us all about, and how you feel about him."
Kagome fought the prick of tears at her eyes with the unexplainable anger that took over. "I don't know him any more…" She growled softly, features hardening.
Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka blinked back.
"You saw him with his ex, right?" Yuka encouraged. "What'd he do?"
Kagome spun on her heels and stalked off. Or she would have, if Ayumi hadn't caught her shoulder and stopped her from leaving. "Answer us, Kagome. Please? We only want to help…"
Kagome took a long time to respond, shrugging like it was no big deal. She trusted her friends; really, she did, but... "He kissed her, that's all…" She finally answered softly. "Nothing big. But, I was right there… He knew it, too." Her hard shell evaporated and she turned to her friends again, a grim smile on her lips. "I guess he didn't think I'd mind. He's done it so much… But, I'm over it now. I won't put up with it… anymore."
Inuyasha felt a soft rub behind his ear and his golden orbs snapped open. Kagome? He looked around him. It wasn't Kagome crouched in front of him, but her incarnate.
"Now, now. There's no reason to be afraid of me, my love." Kikyou advised as Inuyasha backed up to the trunk of the tree that he was sitting under.
What—why was she here? "Kikyou." He greeted her rather coldly, sitting up against the tree to watch her carefully. Why was he so edgy around her?
"What's the matter, Inuyasha? You're sad that your little wench left you? I know. You're angry because you can't do shard hunting now. Right?" Kikyou inquired frigidly.
Inuyasha didn't know how to answer that. Was it really only that—or was it because of Kagome's behavior as well?
"Well, Inuyasha? Is that really all she is to you? If you're going to choose between the two – reincarnation and incarnate, you have to know these things. Who will you choose, Inuyasha – which one of us will your decision be?" Kikyou continued evenly.
Inuyasha scowled. "This really isn't the nicest time, Kikyou. Go away. I was sleeping…"
"I know."
"Then leave! I'm very ticked off at the moment!" Inuyasha blurted out, on his feet.
Kikyou didn't make any effort to move. "Angry over her, Inuyasha? If so, what good is she to you if she only gets you irritated? Don't you take this out on me, either…"
Inuyasha clenched his fists at his sides, calming his nerves. "What happened there, Kikyou? What happened to make Kagome so upset like that? What'd we do? I can't remember, Kikyou; why can't I remember? What did you do to me?" Inuyasha asked quietly.
"Asking me won't do you any good, Inuyasha. If you want to remember so badly, why don't you ask her for yourself?" Kikyou remained apathetic, oblivious to Inuyasha's wavering sentiments for her.
His anger was getting out of hand; he knew it. If she continued with her unfeeling answers he wasn't going to be responsible for damage. "I can't. She won't even look at me…" He whispered. "What have you done, Kikyou? Why are you so hell-bent on ruining my life – everyone's lives?" He corrected when an image of Kagome crying at the well fluttered across his mind.
When he didn't get an answer from Kikyou quickly enough, Inuyasha sighed and leapt into the tree above him, intent on making his way to the Bone Eaters Well as quickly as possible.
Inuyasha swung down from a branch on the Sacred Goshinboku Tree minutes later and raced to the Bone Eaters Well. He leapt into the well and hoped he didn't his the hard, bone-filled bottom. The hanyou sighed with relief when he didn't and clenched his eyes shut at the intense blue glow that engulfed him.
Inuyasha poked his head out of the well, finding the well house doors open. Well, at least he didn't have to knock them down… He pulled himself out of the well and padded out into the open courtyard. He looked to the house, finding that Kagome wasn't there with a sniff of the air. He was about to follow her scent before he realized that this was the era were demons no longer existed. Right. Clothes and a hat… Kagome told me that before. He looked around. Mrs. Higurashi would help…
Inuyasha wandered inside the Higurashi residence. He found Kagome's mother in the kitchen, cleaning up breakfast – Kagome mustn't have left too long ago. "Wom—Mrs. Higurashi." Inuyasha barely corrected himself. It wouldn't go over well if he called Kagome's mother "woman".
Kagome's mother looked over and smiled at Inuyasha. "Hello there, Inuyasha! Kagome's at school right now, but—"
"I know. I want to go find her. Can I borrow some clothes?" He asked, looking down at his own.
Mrs. Higurashi blinked back at the question before she smiled. "Oh, sure. You can borrow some of Kagome's father's clothes. I'm sure they'll fit you." She smiled again and ushered Inuyasha to the master bedroom. She pulled out a matching outfit for Inuyasha from a small chest in the corner of the room, sitting Inuyasha on the bed that occupied the room. "They're a little out-of-style – understandable, of course – but I don't think anyone will complain, especially Kagome."
Inuyasha ambled off for the washroom to change when Mrs. Higurashi shooed him off the bed. When he came out of the bathroom, he was surprised to find a hat wedged over his ears. The hanyou grimaced at Mrs. Higurashi – who merely grinned back – for the shock and adjusted the hat somewhat to make his ears more comfortable.
"Thanks." Inuyasha murmured when Mrs. Higurashi showed him out and pointed him into the right direction of the school. "I'll return these." With that, he leapt of into the sky. Or he would have, if Mrs. Higurashi hadn't called him back.
"You know, people these days don't jump like you do, Inuyasha…" She advised good-naturedly.
"Right." With that, Inuyasha sauntered off for Kagome's school.
"You saw him with his ex, right?" Which friend was that? He'd heard Kagome mention these three before. "What'd he do?"
Kagome turned away, trying to stalk off like she had to himself so many times. They must get it a lot, because on of her other friends caught her shoulder, obviously prediction the action. "Answer us, Kagome. Please? We only want to help…"
"He kissed her, that's all…" About time she answered them. "Nothing big. But, I was right there… He knew it, too." Eck! Why was she smiling like that – so sadly? "I guess he didn't think I'd mind. He's done it so much… But, I'm over it now. I won't put up with it… anymore."
Inuyasha blinked from his perch in a tree outside the second-story window. We're they talking about him? What the hell was an "ex"?
"Aw, Kagome. Don't worry about that punk Inuyasha."
They were talking about him!
"Don't pity me, Eri." Eri; that was the girl's name? Good. She was on his bad list now…
"Yeah! Let her have to two-timing bastard and hope he cheats on her, too…"
"Ayumi! That's awful of you!" Ayumi. Her too.
"I know." Damn Ayumi girl - she was grinning.
Kagome was sweat-dropping now. "Yuka, don't you have anything to say?"
Yuka. The girl who'd been so quiet during this whole ordeal… She was still on his good list – along with Kagome.
That Yuka girl shook her head. "I don't know what to say. Both you two," she pointed to the two girls who made the rude comments, "took my only ideas…"
That's it! She went with the other two of Kagome's friends.
Kagome buried her head in her hands and walked away.
Inuyasha scowled as the three prying girls followed her. So that's what happened, eh? Kikyou had kissed him. How would he allow that without even knowing? What had Kikyou done?
Maybe it was one of her spells…
The hanyou sighed and jumped down from the tree. How the hell was he going to figure this out if Kikyou wouldn't give him a straight answer and spying on Kagome was his best answer? Spying was a dangerous task with Kagome around. All she had to do was accidentally utter that one S word and then he would get thrown to the ground.
Well, he'd take the chance of spying…
"Kagome! I'm glad you're home! Did Inuyasha ever come and see you?" Mrs. Higurashi greeted her daughter and her friends when Kagome came home that day. "Ayumi, Eri, Yuka… It's nice to see you three."
"Hello, Mama." Kagome greeted, overlooking Mrs. Higurashi's query.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Higurashi!" Her friends chorused, leading Kagome to the couch in the next room.
"Hey, hey, hey! I can sit down by myself, thank—!" Kagome protested and jumped when a loud thump was heard. "Mama! What was that?" She called into the kitchen.
Mrs. Higurashi sweat-dropped, looking out the kitchen window at the imprint of Inuyasha in the ground nearby. "Nothing, dear! I think a tree just fell down in the forest! There have been a lot of them lately…" she lied to her daughter, watching as Inuyasha wave feverently that Kagome wasn't to know he was there as he peeled his face off the ground and spit out some dirt. "I take it you haven't talked to her yet, then?" She asked him, voice low.
Inuyasha scowled, nodding reluctantly.
"You're hopeless. Just go talk to her!" She chided as the hanyou ripped the cap off his head and shook the dirt from his hair and ears.
"No!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
Kagome's vision snapped up from the television, which completely captivated her three friends, at the cry. She got up from the couch, saying she'd be right back, and wandered into the kitchen. "Mama. Why is your head out the window?"
Mrs. Higurashi snapped back inside the window, smacking the back of her head on the sill in the process, a hand at her heart. "Huh? Oh. Kagome, you frightened me… I was just trying to pinpoint which tree fell, Kagome dear."
"Alright; but, who were you talking to, Mama?"
Mrs. Higurashi blinked. "What? Oh. You must have heard me yell." She forced a sweat-drop. "I nearly fell out the window. Nothing to worry about, though…" Inuyasha had made it clear that he didn't want his presence known.
Kagome watched her mother charily. "Okay, Mama." She said finally. "Just be more careful, please…" Why had that voice sounded so familiar? She knew it wasn't her mother's – too masculine for her pitch. It almost reminded her of I—Nope. I'm not going there… I just won't worry about it…
Mrs. Higurashi nodded at Kagome's back as her daughter made her way back to her friends. She sighed in relief when Kagome was out of sight. "Be more quiet, please, Inuyasha… I'm not sure she fully believed me. Let me get your things for you; I think it's best that you leave before she accidentally says that again." Kagome's mother left the room and came back with Inuyasha's Tetsusagia – Mrs. Higurashi insisted that it would be safe here – and his red haori and hakama. She tossed the fang back to Inuyasha and…
"Mrs. Higurashi?" a girl asked, surprising the older woman.
Kagome's mother spun around, every muscle in her body taut with alarm. She clutched the haori to her chest to calm her racing heart. "Yes, Yuka?"
"Mrs. Higurashi, why do you have men's clothes with you?"
The older woman looked down in her arms. Ah. Inuyasha's… She smiled at Kagome's friend. "I was going to do the laundry and I found this lying around. I don't know who's it is… If you'll excuse me, Yuka." Mrs. Higurashi bowed quickly and scurried out of the room, leaving Inuyasha outside the window and leaving Yuka in the kitchen. Kagome's mother made her way out the back door and jogged around the perimeter of the house to Inuyasha and thrust the clothes his way in haste. "Return those clothes then next time you come, Inuyasha. Just go, now. I trust you with them, you hear?"
Inuyasha nodded quickly and raced for the well house, ducking under windowsills so that he wouldn't be discovered. He made it to the well house with ease and leapt into the well without hesitation. I'll be back soon…
-
Inuyasha threw the modern age clothes down in front of Kaede and the old woman looked up at him in surprise. "Watch them for me, Kaede-babaa…" He said simply.
"Well, well. Inuyasha, what are these?" She asked calmly, having never seen such strange clothes. She unfolded the pair of faded jeans and held out the red cotton t-shirt.
"They're clothes. What the hell do they look like?" Inuyasha countered heatedly at the old woman's ease.
"Ah. You went to Kagome's time, didn't you?" She asked evenly. "I knew you wouldn't be able to hold out long, Inuyasha. It's noble of you. Have you and Kagome made-up yet?" She eyed him up and down at the scowl she received. "Ah. I have a feeling you were spying…"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And if I was?"
Kaede chuckled at the hanyou. "There's nothing wrong with that, Inuyasha – except for the fact that it is spying."
Inuyasha nodded curtly. "That's what I thought. Now you had better watch those, Babaa; I'll be coming back for them soon…" With that said, Inuyasha pushed back the bamboo curtain and leapt out of the house.
Kaede shook her head slowly, still chuckling softly. "I'll be waiting, Inuyasha."
A/n: -rubs eye- Ah. So tired. I hope you guys like this chapter. Especially since I wrote it in my sleeping hours T-T… Thanks for ya'll time. Please review!
Tired as hell,
Senko Tenrou