Previously, On Punk Mikos And Demonic Preps: The two partners danced in the shadows, forgetting reality, moving into a dream world where only the music waited for them, caressing them like a lover.

Of Punk Mikos and Demonic Preps

Chapter Nine

I Dare You To Try

Kagome came back to reality after many songs with her secret partner. She realized strong arms were still around her, and she whipped around to face the unknown guy.

"Inuyasha?" She asked incredulously. He blushed and let go of her like she was on fire.

"Kagome! C'mon, I'm so thirsty, lets get some water! Kag- Oh! Sorry!" Eve had just noticed Inuyasha. She peered at them. They were both red as tomatoes. She grinned slyly. "Well, it seems I've interrupted something. I'll just go get Sango." She started to turn, but Kagome, who was glad of the distraction, grabbed her arm.

"No, I'll come." She walked off with Eve, throwing a little glance over her shoulder at Inuyasha. He stood there, alone on the dance floor, watching her walk off, hands in his pockets. She felt slightly guilty. She hadn't meant to brush him off that way. She resolved to talk to him later. Oi, what was going on? She normally wouldn't care. She felt differently about Inuyasha for some reason. But she didn't want to analyze why. She had a feeling that if she did, she'd have a serious identity crisis.

They met up with Sango at the bar. They ordered some water. Kagome and Eve noticed that Sango looked a bit flushed. Looking around, Kagome caught sight of Inuyasha helping a beaten Miroku off the floor. Hmph. Must've tried something he shouldn't have.

"Um, Sango? Did Miroku grope you?" Eve voiced what Kagome was thinking.

"No." Kagome was confused.

"Then why-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Said Sango, cutting Kagome off, a faint blush staining her cheeks again. They sipped their water in silence.

"Jeez, just can't keep you two apart tonight!" joked Eve, a little later. Kagome choked on her water. Eve and Sango had gone off to the bathroom and Inuyasha had come over to sit near Kagome. Inuyasha smiled a bit, his cheeks faintly pink.

"Eh?" asked Sango.

"Nothing!" said Kagome. Eve rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

"Can we go home?" Sango had plopped down in a chair looking exhausted.

"Aww, c'mon. The night is," Eve looked at her watch, "ok, fairly mature. But there's still fun to be had!"

"Uh, Eve, it's really late. We should go." said Kagome.

"Oh, fine." Eve sulked.

"We can have a sleepover at my house, k?" Eve brightened immediately.

"Ok, but I gotta go get my stuff. I'll be right back. That guy still has my jacketÉ" The gang blinked.

"She's really weird." Inuyasha remarked.

"Yeah, we know." Sango replied. "I have to get my jacket too. Gimme a minute, Kag?"

"Yeah."

"Kagome?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Uh, I'd better leave too."

"Okay. Sorry about brushing you off earlier. You just startled me."

"It's alright.

"Goodnight.

"Goodnight." She watched him and his buff bod walk over to Miroku (who was currently enjoying several females' presence) and then leave. Kagome's friends joined her and they too left, chattering away.

Inuyasha woke the next morning with what could have qualified a hangover had he actually imbibed alcohol. He was tangled in his sheets, a side effect of his usual all night fight with the bedclothes. He wriggled out of them, managing to fall on his face in the process. Cursing, he dressed himself not as carefully as he normally did. So he ended up with a backwards and inside out shirt and a pair of his brother's pants. How they got in his room was anybody's guess. Grumbling, he got dressed again, this time, taking care that he paid attention to what he was putting on. His head throbbing, he went down for some breakfast.

However, on the way to the kitchen, he caught sight of the clock. 'Aw, s!' He raced out the door, hoping against hope that he made it to school on time. This was so unlike him. He was normally early to school. Of course, he didn't usually stay up till 2 in the morning dancing.

Luckily for him, he made it, sliding into his seat just as the bell rang. 'Safe!'

"Inu? Jeez, you look like crap."

"Oh, thanks, you look great too." Inuyasha retorted. Miroku smiled.

"Touchy, are we? Does this have something to do with a certain punk girl?"

"No!"

"Right."

"Just shut up."

Kagome was eating lunch with Sango and Eve again when something strange happened. A guy came over to their table. A popular guy. And it wasn't Inuyasha or Miroku. This guy had long thick hair in a ponytail and the most intense cerulean eyes Kagome had ever seen. He was hot, in a preppy kind of way. Eve brightened up at the sight of him, while Sango sighed. Kagome was confused.

"Hello there, beautiful." He was talking to her! Kagome nearly choked on her food.

"Uh, hi?

"My name is Kouga. I take it you are the new student Higurashi Kagome? I have heard about you. Though nothing about your incredible beauty." Kagome blinked.

"Izzat so?" Kouga nodded. Did this guy not have eyes? He was talking to an outcast! A girl who ripped up her uniform! A rebel!

"I have to return to my class. I hope I will see you again, gorgeous." He turned and walked away, his bushy tail- tail?-wagging. Eve was pouting.

"Why do you guys always get the hot ones? It's so not fair."

"Hot ones?" Asked Sango incredulously.

Eve nodded. "You may not like him," Eve coughed something that sounded suspiciously like Ôbull', then kept talking. "But Miroku definitely counts as hot. And now Kagome's got the two hottest rivals in school after her. They're really not my type, but still! Have you seen those tushes?" She asked raising her eyebrows. Yum. Why can't I have a guy with an as like that after me?" Eve asked the sky.

"If I'm not interrupting your communion with God, can I ask who that was?" said Kagome.

"He's Inuyasha's rival in the popular world. Has almost as many girls after him as Inuyasha. Though I can't see why. His ego is the size of China. Stupid ookami." Sango spoke with an unimpressed look on her face. "I have no idea why he is going after you. Did you say something to him?"

"Me? No, I've never seen him before in my life. What in the world did I do- waitaminute. Did you say ookami? "

"Uh huh. Full youkai." Kagome blinked a few times.

"Wolf demon."

"Uh huh." Eve looked at her like she belonged in a mental institution.

"So that's why they hate each other right?" Kagome looked like she had just discovered why the sky was blue. Sango and Eve looked confused.

"Why Inuyasha and Kouga hate each other. One's a dog and the other's a wolf. Natural enemies."

"Actually, no. They're related. Should be friendly, but nooo. They are enemies. No one's really sure why."

"Hmm. Weird." Kagome took a big bite of her sashimi. Eve went to throw away her milk carton and tripped on her shoelace, falling down rather hard.

"Ok, ow. This is so not fair." Eve ignored the laughter and got back up, bowing once in each direction.

"Bye guys!" Kagome yelled to her friends after school. She walked behind the school where she had parked her bike, shrugging her backpack onto the back seat.

"Damn heavy thing, belongs in hell" It started to rain. "Goddammit!"

Kagome was so busy grumbling to herself she didn't notice the 3 guys creeping up behind her. Just as she was picking up her helmet, one of them grabbed her arms while another covered her mouth. Kagome bit down hard, drawing blood, and then started cursing like there was no tomorrow.

"What the fuck?!?" She struggled as the men attempted to subdue her. "What is seven hells in going on?!"

"Little girl, didn't anyone ever to tell you not to talk while your being

kidnapped?" the man who had spoken sounded a bit exasperated.

"Yeah, probably by the same person who told you you were able to hold me down!" In an inhuman maneuver, she wriggled out of their grasp. She took out one guy with a flying roundhouse kick. The next guy rushed her from behind; at the same time, the last tried to kick her feet out from under her. She jumped over his foot and brought her elbow up to jab the one behind her in the stomach. Turning, she landed a blow on the pressure point on his neck, knocking him out. Hearing the last guy behind her, she kicked out her foot. It hit him in the groin. She didn't stick around to wait for more guys. She jumped on her bike and high-tailed it out of there.

Kagome went to the only person who she knew she would be safe with. She braked hard right in front of his house, tires screeching. She ran up to the door and banged on the wood loudly. The door opened under her fist, revealing a very perplexed Inuyasha.

"Kagome! What are you doing here?" She was panting, leaning against the door, eyes wide in fear. "God, what the hell happened?!?" Before he could say anything, Kagome shoved past him and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it for support.

"Good god, girl, what's wrong?! Why are you here?!?

"I need a place to crash for a while.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked intelligently.

"I need a place to stay for a while. I would've gone to Sango's, or Eve's, but they probably know where they live too. I figured that this was the last place they'd expect me to go."

"Hold it! Who are they and why are they after you?"

Kagome paused before answering. "I don't know. They just attacked me as I left school. I fought them off, but one was still conscious when I left. I hope to god he didn't follow me.

"Fought them off? You had to fight them?"

"Well, yeah, they were trying to kidnap me!"

"How do you know that?"

"Cause one of the guys just plain said it!

"Oh.

"So, can I crash?

"Uh, sure. I guess so. But tomorrow you gotta at least check in with your mother.

"Thanks.

Inuyasha seemed to notice that Kagome was dripping wet. He almost chuckled, reminded of the last time he had seen her wet.

"Let's get you some dry clothes. You can borrow some of my mom's."

"Thanks. Where are your parents by the way?"

"Dead. I live with my brother." Kagome stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." One hand reached up to scratch behind her head.

"It's ok." Inuyasha said with a small smile. "They've been gone a long time." Kagome nodded. Inuyasha directed her to him room and told her to wait while he got some of his mother's old clothes.

While she waited, she looked around him room. It was a typical guy's room, only without as much mess. Not much on his floor, though his desk was so full of stuff you couldn't see it anymore.

He had a nice sound system in one corner and a Playstation 2 in the other. She sat down cautiously on his bed. The bedspread was red, and his sheets were an off-white. Why the hell was she noticing these things? She realized her senses were still on high alert. She urged herself to calm down. Inuyasha had demon senses, everything would be ok. He could sense these things a mile away. She lay down on his bed, her head on one side, her legs dangling off the other.

When Inuyasha returned, he found an already sleeping Kagome curled up in a fetal position on his bed. He grinned at her. Even wet and bedraggled, she was still a beautiful creature. He draped a blanket over her, reminding himself to change his sheets later if he didn't want to get soaked, and went downstairs to call Miroku.