Disclaimer: ok I'm really, really tired of these disclaimers, so here's one for the ENTIRE STORY.

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA, KAGOME OR ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH 'EM. ALL RIGHT? GOOD...

Now that that's out of my system... thanks to all that reviewed! And don't worry, I'll explain how Kagome ruined Inuyasha's life. Don't forget, they never met before the last chapter...

Opposites Attract

Chapter 2: Reflection and Realization

Trudging home, Inuyasha grimaced. Memories of his past life flooded in and the pain they carried overwhelmed him.

He hadn't been popular then... not liked by all and most certainly not perfect. But he'd had friends. He'd had people who respected him. And most of all, he'd had his mother.

His father had died before Inuyasha was born, and his mother had raised the boy alone. Inuyasha had loved his mother dearly; she was the only one he could come to when other kids at school brought him down, or when he felt angry, or when he needed help... She would help him. She was his sanctuary, his only way of surviving, his only reason to live.

But cancer had taken hold of her, and Inuyasha was helpless to watch as she slowly succumbed to the disease, wasting away before him. He was an empty shell after her death; an empty shell with no further reason to live, no reason to go on.

And then he had seen her. Kagome Higurashi, perfection. He saw her, watched her, hated her. Every step she took, every motion she made brought him down further. As long as she balanced the difference between them, he would be below, drowning without anyone to hear his screams.

She was perfect; he was dirt. She was accepted with honor; he was cast out in disgust. She was everyone's friend; he was everyone's enemy. And as long as Kagome remained on the top of the pyramid, Inuyasha would always be the lowest of the low.

But topple that stable structure of her popularity... and he would be accepted again. Having found that their idol of perfection was flawed, the people of the town would believe anything; even that the infamous Inuyasha Morimotou wasn't half-bad.

Then again, it was probably his fault he was rejected. After his mother's death, Inuyasha had gone wild. He had skipped high school at random, stopped paying attention in classes, cast off all his friends, turned to aggressiveness as his solution. And where was he now? Here, blaming everyone for his misfortunes.

His apartment building came into view. Inuyasha smirked. He had an idea.

"Mom! I'm home!"

Kagome came into the kitchen and laid out all the groceries. Placing each item in the refrigerator or into the cupboard, wherever necessary, Kagome stood and stretched. Glancing at her watch, she yawned. 6:30pm. Well, she wasn't going anywhere... might as well go home and relax awhile.

Scribbling down a note to her mother, Kagome grabbed her umbrella and went outside, locking the door after her. She always had the keys to her mother's house, just in case.

Her apartment wasn't far; only about three blocks down from her mother's house. Kagome reached it in a matter of minutes.

Putting her umbrella on the hook, Kagome took off her shoes. She placed them in the closet neatly, and hung her coat there as well. Then she checked her phone for messages. There was one – from Kouga.

Her boyfriend since high school, Kouga Umetsaki wasn't perfection, like her. He was, however, popular. And rich. And kind... at times.

His deep voice was casual, and Kagome could just imagine him leaning on his kitchen counter, left hand half in his jeans pocket, holding the phone in his right as he spoke.

"Hey, Kag," he began, "You busy tomorrow night? I know a good place just down the road. Don't call me; I'm not gonna be home 'til late tonight. I'll call you in the morning."

Typical Kouga. Kagome sighed and erased the message. Opening her fridge, she took out a two-liter coke bottle and poured some of the drink into a perfectly clean glass she retrieved from a cupboard. Placing the coke back in the fridge, Kagome placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Setting it to two minutes and forty-five seconds, she took her coke and placed it on the table just beside her couch. She turned on the TV, and the DVD player followed. What to watch, what to watch...?

Glancing at the tremendous wall of movies to her right, Kagome smiled. Standing and approaching the shelves, she closed her eyes. Kagome reached out and grabbed a movie, taking it from the shelf. She opened her eyes. A Midsummer Night's Dream... based on William Shakespeare's famous work.

She shrugged. Good enough.

She placed it into the DVD player and went to retrieve her popcorn from the microwave. Kagome poured it into a popcorn bowl and threw out the bag. As she sat on the couch, Kagome turned on the movie.

It was beautiful... set in Athens at the turn of the century despite the fact that it was written for the sixteen-seventeen hundreds, the movie escalated from the pain of two lovers to a hilarious tangle of love in a magical forest. Having read the book several times, Kagome knew what was going to happen and when. And, of course, she had watched this movie before. It was among her favorites.

All through the movie, Kagome held the same sinking feeling she had had since the first time she'd watched it. True love. It was the only flaw she had... or rather, didn't have. She had never been in love. Kouga? She liked him, certainly... but it wasn't love she felt at every glance at him. He was a friend. A friend. No more.

Her friends had been in love. Sango, for instance. Her friend since childhood, Kagome had grown up with her, had watched her fall in love with the reckless Miroku, had helped her through their arguments and the like, had been her maid of honor at their wedding. Now, Sango and Miroku were happily married, true love in their easy grasp.

And her? Here she was, perfection, sitting on her couch and watching A Midsummer Night's Dream, all the while herself dreaming for the very thing that would collapse her perfection.

Love.

There. Another chapter. Short, I know... but I was really, really busy today. As always, review!