Author's notes: Okay, after seeing what happened with my beta's story (Paper Wings), I decided to give you all a little heads up. I'm predicting a multitude of USA bashing in this fic. But, don't misunderstand. I live in the U.S., and I wuvs it so, but this country does have its quirks (to put it lightly). There's a quote: "Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall forever be entertained." So, there you go.

Here Without You

===

Chapter Two

"I'm here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time."

-Three Doors Down

Brown eyes roamed over their surroundings, drinking in every aspect of the city. Wide with curiosity, they watched as a woman in a short black skirt ran through the mass of people; a Styrofoam cup in one hand, and a briefcase in the other. The brown eyes continued to watch as the said woman tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, spilling brown liquid all over herself and a few bystanders.

Kagome ran a delicate hand through her raven hair, finally giving into the nervousness that had been eating away at her for the past day. Well, she wasn't sure if what she was feeling was regular anxiety, or disappointment in the supposed 'Land of the Free.' Her first wave of dissatisfaction with the country had come at the airport.

"Oh, are you Chinese?" some bimbo had asked as they stood at baggage claim, flashing a wide grin. "My boyfriend has a friend from China; maybe you know him?"

"Actually, I'm Japanese," Kagome had replied with raised eyebrows, thinking 'you've got to be kidding me.'

But, the woman's idiocy had proved to be too much for even Kagome to handle. "Aren't they the same?" she had asked, still showing that loopy grin. Luckily, Kagome's bags had arrived before she could give her response.

Kagome sighed, combing her hair with pale fingers once again. The woman's behavior at the airport had put a serious dent in Kagome's opinion of the country. After all, first impressions were pretty much everything.

But, not everyone in the United States of America could be a moron. Kagome was going to New York University, and that was supposedly a very good school. Plus, the United States was the most powerful nation in the country; how could such a powerful country be run by an idiot?

"Here's your place."

Kagome's attention jerked away from the open window and turned towards the cabdriver in front of her. His bushy eyebrows were raised as he held out his hand, and Kagome realized that she was supposed to pay him.

"Oh!" she cried, shoving a hand into the pocket of her jeans. She pulled out a crumpled twenty and handed it to the cabdriver, smiling sweetly in gratitude. "Thank you," she murmured, opening the door and stepping out. She pulled the strap of her backpack tighter on her shoulder as she began to close the door.

"Yep," she heard the driver reply. "Need help with your bags?"

Kagome smiled again, shaking her head gently. After almost three years of trekking through feudal Japan, Kagome didn't think pulling around a bag on wheels would provide much trouble. "No thank you," she said. "I can handle it."

The girl walked around to the back of the yellow taxicab and opened the trunk; reaching her hand into the carpeted interior and bringing it back out with a black bag. She grunted slightly as she pulled it out, dropping it onto the ground next to her.

Kagome closed the trunk, and with another smile, waved off the cabdriver. The driver drove off, the wheels of his yellow car screeching slightly as he pulled into Manhattan traffic. Kagome cast one last glance at the busy road before turning around and making her way towards the building before her. An innumerable amount of people walked around, heading for the same building, and chatting excitedly as they did so.

Kagome walked up to the large, worn-looking doors and inhaled deeply. This is it… Kagome pushed the doors and stepped inside, a chill of excitement creeping up her spine.

Once inside of the building, Kagome's brown eyes began to swallow every feature of it. There was a couch by the stairs, facing a television set on the opposite wall. Several other pieces of furniture decorated the common room, but Kagome's eyes honed in on a desk, just a few meters away. The letters 'G - L' decorated a banner above it, and Kagome made a beeline for it, trotting quickly across the carpeted floor.

Kagome strode to the desk, her bag trailing slightly behind. The woman that sat there had long brown hair that cascaded over her broad shoulders, and a bright, but slightly forced smile. She aimed her grin at Kagome.

"Name?" she asked in a cheerful tone.

"Higurashi, Kagome," Kagome stated clearly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

The woman nodded and began shuffling through a small box with little dividers in it. Finally, she pulled out a small silver key and handed it to Kagome. "That's a Japanese name isn't it?" she asked as Kagome took the key from her fingers.

Kagome smiled. Finally, someone who's not an idiot. She nodded, still smiling softly.

"Oh, well then, ar-ee-gah-toe!" The woman beamed, obviously very proud of herself.

Kagome gave her a deadpan stare, literally at a loss for words. She mumbled a quick thank you to the woman before jetting off in the direction of her dorm room, wondering if she would be able to get through the school year with her patience still intact.

Kagome trotted up the staircase, casting a quick glance at the numbers on her key. Two-twenty-four, two-twenty-four, she repeated in her head, looking at the numbers on the surrounding doors as she walked down the hall.

Near the middle of the hall, Kagome finally came to her room. She slipped the key into the door and turned the knob, taking cautious steps into the room.

The room wasn't very big; probably around twice the size of Kagome's room at home. It contained two twin beds, parted with a small bedside table, and an easy chair in the far corner. Kagome's brown eyes wandered to the walls, noticing a door which most likely held a bathroom, and two small closets.

Kagome sighed deeply and dropped her backpack next to the door. She walked to the bed on the far side of the room, collapsing face-down into the soft sheets. She sighed again, a small smile on her lips as she relaxed into the blankets, her muscles loosening.

But, just as soon as Kagome had begun to relax, the sound of quick footsteps and a door flying open brought her attention back. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as a girl with short blonde hair and playful green eyes ambled into the room, a brown backpack on her shoulders.

The girl grinned at Kagome and gave her a small wave, just with a flick of the wrist. "Yo."

Kagome returned the smile. "Hi."

The girl walked into the room, slamming the door shut behind her and dropping her backpack -and herself- onto her bed. "I'm Piper," the girl said, sitting back on her bed and crossing her legs. "I guess we're roommates."

Kagome smiled. "Kagome." She held out a hand which Piper took in a gentle squeeze, both girls still smiling brightly. "I guess we are."

"I do not miss her." Inuyasha pulled his Tessaiga out of the dead youkai, thrusting it back into its sheath as he gave Miroku an irritated glare. "She's only been gone for a couple of days."

"Yes, but you can't deny that there's a sort of…" The monk paused, searching for the correct term. "…emptiness without her here."

Sango nodded, seconding Miroku's reasoning. "He's right. It definitely feels weird without Kagome here," the demon exterminator said, slinging her enormous boomerang onto her back.

A small sniff was heard from the kitsune at Sango's feet. "I miss her," Shippou said, rubbing his green eyes. "Without Kagome here, who's supposed to protect me from Inuyasha?"

The boy's cheekiness was met by a swift hit to the top of his head. A small yelp of surprise escaped Shippou's mouth as he rubbed his head and scurried up to Sango's shoulder.

Inuyasha glared at the boy and snorted, turning and walking calmly in the direction of the village. "I don't miss Kagome," Inuyasha repeated, still refusing to face his companions. As soon as he convinced himself of that small fact, then he could tell the others to their faces.

Piper pivoted on her bed and brought her feet up, laying back onto the soft comforter. She placed her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, smiling gently at the ceiling.

"So, where're you from?" she asked, her eyes remaining shut as she spoke.

"Oh, uh, Japan," Kagome replied, sitting on the edge of her bed with her hands placed gently in her lap.

Piper turned and looked at Kagome, eyebrows raised. "Wow, that's pretty far to go just to go to NYU."

Kagome nodded. "Mhm, but I've always wanted to go to the United States, and going to school here always seemed so… neat."

Piper snorted. "Well, enjoy your stay in the U.S."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Thank you." The girl's eyes wandered absentmindedly to the backpack at Piper's feet. "Um, did you pack enough?" she asked, "That's an awfully small bag."

Piper propped herself up on her elbows and glanced down at her backpack. "Eh, it's no big deal. My parents live about thirty minutes from here; I can go get more of my junk if I ever need to."

"Then, why not live off campus with your parents if it's so close?"

"The same reason any normal eighteen-year-old wouldn't." Upon seeing the blank stare on Kagome's face, Piper continued. "My parents drive me insane."

"Oh." Kagome nodded knowingly, a small smile creeping across her face as she remembered some of the things her family had done just for the sake of her embarrassment.

"So, what are you doing tonight?" Piper inquired, quickly changing the subject.

"Nothing," Kagome replied. "I'll probably just get my stuff settled in." She tilted her head curiously. "Why?"

"Well, I don't really have anything planned." A smile appeared on Piper's face. "Want to go out?"

"Out?" Kagome repeated inquiringly. "Out where?"

Piper's eyebrows lifted. "Are you serious? We're in New York City. You just came here from Japan; isn't there something you want to see?"

Kagome blinked, her eyes wandering aimlessly as she considered the question. What was it that she had always wanted to see in Manhattan? What was it that made it stand out among all of the other cities of the world? Kagome's lips curved into a smile. "I've always wanted to go to Central Park," she admitted. "And the Statue of Liberty."

Piper grinned. "Then, there you have it. Onward to the statue!" The girl jumped to her feet, plucking a small backpack from her bigger one and jogging towards the door.

Kagome followed suit, grabbing her purse and striding through the doorway. She closed the door behind her, and turned to see Piper talking calmly with a few people. The girl turned and motioned to Kagome, a smile upon her face.

"Kagome," she called, "Come on."

Kagome nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly as she padded up to Piper and the others.

"Everyone." She made a motion to the three people in front of her. "This is Kagome. Kagome, this is Willow." She motioned to a girl with short, wavy brown hair. The girl smiled warmly and waved, while Kagome nodded her hello. "This is Alex." A boy with messy blonde hair grinned and gave a small wave. "And, this is Ricky." The boy deemed Ricky stepped forward. He was tall, towering over Kagome, and had short, brown hair. His hazel eyes shimmered as he took Kagome's hand in his and brought his lips to it.

Kagome blushed furiously, her mouth slightly agape.

"Nice to meet you," Ricky murmured, glancing up into Kagome's shy, brown eyes.

Kagome blushed even more, but was able to smile. "You, too."

And then the group ambled on, chatting happily as they headed for the Statue of Liberty. Walking on the streets of Manhattan with these people, the sun setting in the distance, Kagome smiled to herself.

I think I'm going to like New York.

On the other side of the world, almost seven-thousand miles and five-hundred years away, a hanyou with silver hair sat in an ancient tree, staring at the rising sun. The golden orb appeared just above the distant hills, its yellow rays reaching across the land.

Rays of golden sunshine hit Inuyasha's eyes, the amber irises sparkling in the light. The hanyou winced slightly, but continued to stare out at the landscape, his thoughts wandering to those of a girl.

Kagome… She had been gone for less than three days, but Miroku was right. There was a sort of emptiness there without her. Even before, when she had gone home, Inuyasha had known that she would be coming back within the next week.

But, with this, Inuyasha knew that she wasn't coming back. He didn't have the next day, or even the next week, to look forward to. He couldn't stay patient with the knowledge that Kagome was coming back soon; because, she wasn't.

Inuyasha sighed, his chest heaving as he let out the breath. How long would it be before he saw Kagome again? A month? A year? Another sigh slipped through the hanyou's lips. For some reason, he wasn't sure if he could wait that long.

Author's notes: 5 reviews… God, that's sad. --;