Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, nor do I claim to own it.

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Italic thought

An Artist's Heart

Chapter 3: Paint the Picture of Love

Kagome buried her head in her hands. "Oh no!" She moaned. She slowly slid her hands away, hoping it would disappear, but it was still there. The big, red "F" on her math test. Mom's gonna kill me! She's gonna blame it all on my art. She'll never let me go to the studio! Kagome could feel the tears building up. In truth, it wasn't because of her art. It was because she couldn't concentrate. Ever since the day she'd met InuYasha, she couldn't keep her mind off him. That had been two weeks ago, and her grades had been steadily going down hill from then on. Kagome stood up and walked to the front of the room. "Mr. Shimotomi?"

The stout, balding man seated at the desk looked up. "Yes?"

Kagome looked at her paper and asked, "It there any way I can bring this grade up? I'm afraid I just wasn't feeling well when we took this test."

Mr. Shimotomi leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin as he thought. Finally, he leaned forward again. "Since you're a good student, I'll give you a second chance. Come in after school Friday and retake the test. If the grade is better than what you got the first time, I'll use that one instead of the F, okay?"

Kagome nodded feverishly. "Oh thank you, Mr. Shimotomi! Thank you!" She bowed several times before the bell rang. "Oh! See you Friday, Mr. Shimotomi!" She then ran out the classroom. Mr. Shimotomi was her last class so she'd be heading home now.

Out in the hall, Sang spotted Kagome slamming her locker shut. "Bad day?" Sango asked as she neared. Kagome frowned and handed Sango the test. "Ooh! What happened?" Sango asked as she looked at the paper.

"InuYasha Takahashi happened," Kagome snarled and picked her books up off the floor. "Ever since I met him, my concentration's been out the window. Damn it! Why'd ever did I have to meet that stupid InuYasha!" The two girls were walking out the doors. "I mean, why can't I get him out of my head?" The two females were so deep in their conversation that they didn't notice Miroku just around the corner.

"InuYasha should find this interesting," Miroku said with a smile and disappeared.

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InuYasha shoved aside the pile of Miroku's magazines and opened his closet. "Shit," He swore as he looked through the empty storage space. "I forgot to do laundry this weekend." He looked over at Miroku's side of the room and walked over to it. He threw open the closet and examined Miroku's extensive wardrobe. With a smile, he chose an outfit for the day. "Thanks, Miroku!" He laughed and slipped into the bathroom.

Miroku opened the door and looked around. His eye fell on his open closet door. "You know, you really should ask before you borrow my clothes," he called through the bathroom door.

"Whatever," InuYasha's voice called back. After a few minutes, he emerged from the bathroom, dressed in Miroku's black shirt and blue jeans. "You're home early," InuYasha commented, "Sango get tired of you that quickly?"

"For your information," Miroku said and sat on InuYasha's bed, "I left before I even talked to Lady Sango. I heard some very interesting news you might want to know."

"Like what?" InuYasha asked as he put his clothes in the washer. He didn't want to borrow Miroku's clothes more than once. They were a tight fit and uncomfortable to walk in. Besides, who knew where these pants had been? InuYasha shuddered and quickly banished the thought that quickly followed this question.

"Like the fact that Miss Kagome Higurashi has been thinking about you almost non-stop."

InuYasha froze for a moment, but then shrugged it off. "So?"

"Thinking about you so much she can't concentrate on school."

This made InuYasha turn around and smile. "Eavesdropping or making it up?"

"It was by pure chance I heard it." Miroku held his right hand up in a Boy Scout salute. "Honest."

"So," InuYasha said and sat down in a chair, "What do you think about it?"

"I think the high-scholar has fallen for the college man." Miroku joking put his hand on InuYasha's shoulder and smiled deviously.

InuYasha waved Miroku's words away. "Can't be," he said, "We're completely opposite."

"She likes art."

"So?"

"You like art. So you guys aren't completely opposite."

InuYasha sighed and leaned back. She can't like me. It's just not…Nah. She may like me as a friend. Yeah, that's it. He smiled at Miroku, "Hey, what do you say we invite those girls to dinner this weekend?"

Miroku pulled out two tickets. "Way ahead of you. Four tickets to the concert at the Hot Spot this Saturday."

InuYasha nodded. "That'll work."