Integration

Things seemed a bit calmer in his life. His father hadn't had his usual bouts of sickness for a while and could actually walk around the house without help, which was another plus because Inuyasha could finally sleep without worrying about him overmuch. Sesshoumaru seemed distracted of late so had no time to bother him. Over all, life seemed to be looking up.

The whole situation made him think of Kagome. Could he bother to actually talk to her? He knew he had been a jerk, but he couldn't change the past; you just had to get over it.

Yeah, today he'd talk to her.

When he reached school, he got out of his car, locking the doors behind him. He got his backpack out of his trunk and slammed it closed, heading toward the building with his head up for the first time.

As he walked in, he ignored the weird looks he got from passers-by and continued on his way, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. The beginning of his day felt good as he came upon Miroku.

"Hey, perv., where's Sango?"

Miroku's head snapped up from its position, looking away from the chest he had previously been inspecting inconspicuously. He gave Inuyasha a flat look.

"Could you keep it down? I've got merchandise to review."

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at him. "Merchandise?"

The blonde standing next to Miroku looked up at him in confusion. "Merchandise?"

Miroku sweat-dropped before looking down at her. "Uh, yeah..." Clearing his throat, he said with authority, "I review certain styles of clothing, seeing which is best suited for society. I'm hoping to start up my own chain of clothing-stores." It was a lame excuse that anyone would pick up.

Inuyasha nearly laughed at the lameness of the excuse.

The girl just smiled in interest. "Oh? That's so cute!"

Miroku just smiled in his innocent way that came off as not-so-innocent to anyone he knew. "Yes, well, I don't tell many people. Others might think it…unbecoming of a man of my stature. I only tell those I think I can trust."

She looked up at him in full admiration. "Oh, you have my full loyalty. I won't tell a soul."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, grabbing Miroku's arm and dragging him away. "Come on, Miroku, there's more…merchandise," he said with an evil grin, "to review before classes start."

The girl pouted as they walked away, and Miroku sent her his best apologizing look. Pulling his arm out of Inuyasha's grip, he gave him an angry look. "What was that for? I was about to—"

"We all know what you were about to do," came a feminine voice from close by.

Miroku's face had a guilty look of 'you just got caught', but quickly turned charming as he turned toward the voice. "Sango, my love, where have you been?"

Sango gave him a flat look. "Pervert."

"Yes, dear," he said smiling at her. "But I only have eyes for you."

She just rolled her eyes at his attempt to cajole her.

"That's enough crap out of you, Miroku," Inuyasha said with a smirk.

Sango gave Inuyasha a funny look. "You seem to be in a light mood, Inuyasha. What's up?"

He just grinned. "Nothing. Oh, have any of you seen that Kagome girl? I've been meaning to apologize to her."

Sango's flat look told all. "Inuyasha, you've never apologized in your life. What are you after?"

Inuyasha adopted Miroku's innocent look. "I'm not after anything, honest." He held up his hands in mock surrender.

Then he caught sight of her. Kagome walked into the front doors of the school, a polite smile on her face.

Inuyasha was about to walk over when he saw who was trailing behind her.

A tall man, handsome to the onlooker, was talking to her. His dress was casual, a dark brown t-shirt that clung to his chest and loose jeans. His sharp green eyes never wavered from their target even as he pulled a stray hair behind his ear, his high ponytail giving a little to the long brunette thickness it held.

Inuyasha's gaze darkened on Kagome, seeing her smiling face as she talked with Kouga. He didn't catch the agitated movements of her limbs or the flat eyes that regarded Kouga even as she smiled politely at him.

He watched her gaze slip away from Kouga to scan the crowd and then spot his little group. She said something to Kouga then quickly escaped before he could detain her any longer.

"Hey guys." She turned her smile to Inuyasha. "How are you?"

He looked away with a frown. "Feh."

She looked at him in confusion before turning to Sango. "Um, what are you guys up to?"

Sango smiled at her, which Inuyasha caught from beneath his bangs. "We were just hanging out until they let us in. Yourself?"

Kagome grinned back. "Just coming to the pit of extreme mental pain."

Sango laughed with Kagome, her pleasure of Kagome's company apparent. "Oh, I think Inuyasha wanted to tell you something," she said as an afterthought.

"Oh?" Kagome said as she turned to Inuyasha.

He shot Sango a glare before looking at Kagome. "That shirt is ridiculous."

Kagome looked down at her shirt, the tie-dye multi-colors going well with her soft jeans. Lifting her eyes to look back at him, she said, "Well, I'm sorry you think that. I like it."

"Well, I don't."

She frowned at him. "Deal with it."

"Maybe I don't want to," he retorted.

She started to get angry. "Well, that's too bad, Mr. King of Fashion. I don't give a care what you think of my wardrobe, so you can keep your views to yourself."

How dare she talk to Kouga? What was she thinking, talking to that low-down piece of trash? He was only looking for a piece of skirt, and he didn't know how she couldn't see that.

Looking away, all he said was, "Whatever."

Unnoticed to Inuyasha, her shoulders slumped. "What is with you? I come over here to talk, and you nearly bite my head off over a shirt."

He gave her a hard look. "Then has it occurred to you yet that maybe I don't want you over here?"

Her lips thinned. "Fine."

He called himself ten kinds of jerk as he watched her walk away as the bell rang.

Sango gave him a disapproving look. "Nice job, Inu. Great apology."

"Shut up," was all he could say.

They all split off, going to their lockers.

Why did he have to be such a jerk? Mentally, he beat himself up as he went to his locker, attacking the lock with a vengeance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of tie-dye. He turned his head, seeing her on her knees at her own bottom locker.

It looked as if she couldn't get her lock to work. She had her lip caught between her teeth in an oh-so-cute look of concentration as she worked the combination. He watched her start over and over, never getting the door to pop open.

He shut the door of his own locker, forgetting to grab his textbooks, and walked over to her.

"Want some help?" he asked, feeling bad about the way he had treated her.

She looked up at him then frowned. "Not if you're going to insult me again."

He bit back a retort, knowing he deserved what she dealt him. Silently, he crouched down beside her.

"Locker number?"

"13-34-29-27."

He turned the lock twice in the left direction then turned it right to thirteen. He twisted it to the left again, all the way around once before he went to thirty-four. His fingers worked deftly as he spun it right again to twenty-nine then left to twenty-seven. Reaching under the lock, he lifted the latch, opening the door.

"You're a genius," she said with gratitude.

"Keh. I won't do this again, so you better learn how to open it yourself." He stood up, waiting for her silently.

She shrugged off his rudeness, putting away some of her books. "I'll try." As she stood back up, she smiled at him. "Thanks."

She sure was nice to the guy who couldn't stop insulting her.

"I might as well walk you to class since we both have the same one," he said nonchalantly.

"Whatever you say," she replied, still smiling.

Without another word, he began leading her, walking by her side to their class.

He walked beside her, silent as the grave. He still couldn't believe he had offered her a ride. His eyes kept glancing at her beneath his bangs.

He heard her sigh before she said, "What? Do I have something on my face or something?"

He looked fully at her then. "What?"

"You look at me like I've got some horrible mole on my face or something."

He huffed, turning his eyes away once more. "Feh. Whatever."

She gave another sigh before they reached his car. She went to the passenger side, holding her books patiently.

He stepped to the driver side, unlocking his door. Sitting down in the seat, he leaned over and unlocked her door, not bothering to open it for her.

Her barely whispered, "Figures," was picked up from his sharp ears as she got into the car with him.

"Hey, if you don't want to ride with me, you can always take the bus."

She just rolled her eyes at him, shutting her door. She pulled on her seatbelt as he shut his own door and put the key in the ignition.

He caught her look from the corner of his eye. "What?"

"Aren't you going to put on your seatbelt?"

"Keh. What for?"

That's when he hit the gas.

He caught her hands gripping his door for dear life and couldn't help the smirk that came to his face. Reaching down, he turned on the radio.

Then it became very quiet in the car.

…Has no one told you she's not breathing?

Hello, I'm your mind…

Giving you someone to talk to…

Hello…

His hands gripped the wheel tightly.

If I smile and don't…belie—

He turned off the radio quickly. He gave her a glance, wondering what she was doing.

Her head was bent forward, eyes closed. Both hands rested on her books in her lap. Tears were trailing down her cheeks.

He nearly flipped the car over as he pulled onto the shoulder, ramming onto the break. Then he turned off the engine.

She gasped in surprise, grasping the door once more.

He turned to her, his gaze intent. "What?! What's wrong?! Why are you crying?!"

"Wha…? Is that why you nearly killed us?! Because I'm CRYING?!"

"Hey, you're the one who started it! Why the hell are you crying?!"

She wiped her cheeks off quickly, looking out the window. "Nothing! It's nothing…"

"Tell me!"

She turned to look at him. "Forget it!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

He hated it when girls cried. It was like their defense mechanism. They don't get what they want and they turn on the water-works.

She turned her eyes back to the window again. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me!"

With an unladylike huff, she turned back to him. "I just like the song, okay?! It makes me cry."

He looked at her in confusion. "You cried because of a SONG?"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" She gave him a defiant glare.

He shook his head, huffing. "You've got issues, girl."

"See? I knew you wouldn't understand."

Turning back to the wheel, he turned the ignition back on. "Stupid girl…"

"Oh, shut up," was her pouty reply.

"Don't ever do that again," he said as he pulled back onto the road.

"Excuse me? Are you forbidding me from crying?" His side view of her didn't block the disbelieving look she shot his way. "You're crazy!"

He gave her a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "Hey, you're the one who got into the car with me."

"Whatever."

She turned back to the window, her hands gripping her seat tightly.

He glanced at her a few more times, heading back to the shrine.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked, keeping her eyes toward the scenery.

"Sit like that. It's like you think you're going to fly out the window any minute."

"Well, you ARE the one driving here."

"Keh!"

Angrily, he trained his eyes on the road, increasing his speed just to spite her. This was one heck of a ride.

As he pulled into her driveway, she unbuckled her seatbelt.

He gave the car a little gas, moving it forward, and she gasped, grappling for the door.

He smirked at her as she glared at him, opening her door. "Thanks for the ride, dog-boy."

"My pleasure, princess."

She got out in a huff, and he got a very nice view of her derriere.

"Hmmm…." The view wasn't bad, he decided.

He was a little disappointed that she didn't wear the low-cut shirts most other girls did as she bent inside to pick up the rest of her books.

Once her books were in her arms, she looked over at him. "See you tomorrow, dog-breath."

"Always a pleasure, princess."

She rolled her eyes at him and got out of his car, closing the door with her hip. He watched her go, liking the sway of her hips as she walked to her door.

No matter how angry she made him, he wasn't going to give up. He would break her from that little shell. Oh, yes…he would.

It took me AGES to get this sucker together. I hope you like it. I know it's not the best and it wasn't really informative, but it'll get deeper in the next chapter, I promise. Thanks for your patience, and please, review. Ta-ta!