Deviant Variations

Chapter Three:

"OK, just to remind you, we have a test THIS Friday; chapters eleven through thirteen. It's basically over the notes we took in class and those aforementioned chapters. Make sure to prepare well, I'm not going easy on you." Mr. Katsui, the AP Government teacher, and assistant principal. A grumbled and unison reply sounded dully

"Yes, Mr. Katsui." Sesshoumaru gathered his books and stood slowly, awaiting the sharp and piercing bell. Moments later the loud cry of freedom sounded, and the small, humid classroom was emptied of all the anxious and nearly un-teachable senior class. As usual, Sesshoumaru casually strolled out of the stuffy room. However before he could leave, Mr. Katsui pulled Sesshoumaru aside and asked,

"Should I be expecting you for summer running?" Sesshoumaru grinned under Mr. Katsui's mockingly intense stare.

"It depends on if running is early as it usually is." Sesshoumaru said, joking with Mr. Katsui, then added, "No, I'm kidding. I'll try to make it." Quickly, Sesshoumaru was free of the interrogation and continued his casual stroll down the hallway.

Slamming of many lockers and loitering defines all school hallways, but it read the senior hall like a book. Expertly weaving his way through the equally empty and cluttered spaces, Sesshoumaru arrived at his locker and looked through his well-used planner.

"Physics project, AP Government test, and finish up Religion paper. That seems easy enough." Sesshoumaru said to the heavy, damp air. He then added darkly, "Now to find my partner ..." Dreading the prospect of working with Naraku, Sesshoumaru wondered if he could just do the project and all it's fine tunings. Naraku could drop the complex exoskeleton surrounding the egg, and Sesshoumaru reasoned this idea would not go unconsidered by Naraku.

It wasn't that Kagura hated her school, or that she detested every mundane aspect of her home life; to her it was that life held little meaning. Some students had their friends to confide in, others family, and those like her brother fell into the fast-paced and dangerous ride of adolescence full throttle. The only thing that Kagura could hide behind was her acquired names and forgotten happiness.

However, she tried not to dwell on these dark and unwelcome thoughts, as Kagura walked to the parking lot and her brothers totaled car. Every step towards the machine waiting to explode felt heavy to Kagura, and destroyed lights with a duck tapped hood eased her fears little. The passenger side door opened with a loud screech. Kagura shivered from the high-pitched noise, and threw her book bag contemptuously in the back seat. Waiting for her idiot brother was not an option that she enjoyed, but Kagura knew well it was a long walk to their home in the suburbs.

While Sesshoumaru weaved through the crowded halls his eyes scanned the khaki colored lockers for Naraku. Suddenly, he spotted him loitering by Fujiko Itsumo's locker. Sesshoumaru listened in partially to the conversation between the two.

"Naraku, Kikyo told me you were planning a little party on Friday." Itsumo said as he shoved a disorderly notebook into his locker.

"Kikyo said that, eh? I only told her it was a possibility." Naraku said mildly amused.

"You know her, she's always putting words in your mouth. Anyway, why is it a possibility?" Itsumo inquired, gathering what little books he needed.

"See if my dad is in town then he and mom will go out of town to celebrate his homecoming—"Naraku began but was interrupted by Itsumo, who added,

"However, if your dad isn't in town you'll have to find a way to get your mom out of town. But your mom never cared before. Hell, she's given us booze . Why does she care now?" Naraku shrugged his shoulders and commented,

"She's been odd lately." Itsumo nodded silently and remarked with a smirk,

"It could have been the fact you totaled your car..."

"Very likely my friend. Well I'll be seeing you." Naraku exclaimed and walked away from Itsumo. Sesshoumaru soon joined him, and Naraku mocked him with a knowing smirk,

"So, you game for the party? I knew you were listening in. Granted, I never thought you the type." Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, extremely bemused and commented sarcastically,

"I actually don't care what you do after hours. In fact, I have an offer for you. It's no large secret you could care less about this project, so I figure that all you have to do is drop the egg." Naraku smiled and responded,

"Sound's like a decent offer, but what's the catch?"

"Catch?" Sesshoumaru replied, more than a little confused, "You mistake me, there is no catch. Just show up the day of dropping."

"Okay, I'll buy it. Yet, you never answered my question: are you game for the party?" Naraku asked, as he turned towards Kikyo's locker. Sesshoumaru followed him, and said matter-of-factly,

"No, I'm not to keen on that sort of thing. Sorry." Naraku carelessly shrugged his shoulders, and said,

"Shame, because in some bizarre circumstances I may feel extraordinarily guilty for letting you build and design the entire bridge." Sesshoumaru gaped in shock, and Naraku began to tease, flirt with, and taunt Kikyo.

"Naraku, not tonight. I had a bad day. Sorry." She pleaded, but she would receive no mercy from her attacker.

"That's not nice at all..." Naraku said with a smug grin, "Well, I guess I'll be heading out then. So...Sesshoumaru, sure you don't want to take me up on my offer."

"I didn't know there was one standing, I just sensed blackmail." Sesshoumaru retorted, as he saw Kikyo's retreating eyes smile deviously.

"My naïve friend, offers come in many forms, but for your sake I'll repeat. You come to the party this Friday, even for a minute, and I will assist you in the creation of our—"Naraku connived that stopped and pondered what exactly the project was.

"—Egg drop." Kikyo finished, and greeted Sesshoumaru," Hey! If you come I'll see you there."

"No thanks." Sesshoumaru politely refused and began to walk ahead. Sadly, ignoring Naraku would be less simply done.

"Pal, why are you walking away? You haven't even answered my question." Naraku inquired, catching up with Sesshoumaru's normally fast pace.

"Why would I let myself be blackmailed into attending a party for the promise of your assistance when you don't even know what the project is?!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed aggravated at Naraku's rude insistence.

"Sesshoumaru, at least consider it?" Naraku said, turning on his charm.

"You mistake me. I already have." Sesshoumaru responded coldly and saw the destroyed lights on his car; his hatred for Naraku increased. This feeling was not helped when Naraku persisted. Sesshoumaru turned on his heel, and demanded,

"I've given my say. Can you just leave?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't like your say." Naraku retorted, and stalked away. Sesshoumaru sighed in happiness, finally being rid of Naraku's annoying offer.

"What was that?" Inuyasha asked his brother who was just stepping into the car.

"Just what it looked like, suffice?" Sesshoumaru said dully, and Inuyasha reared in confusion,

"I have three months before I take the SAT, and I don't need to know those words yet." Ignoring him, Sesshoumaru revved up the ignition and sped out of the parking lot.

Kikyo fingered the woven duck tape on the hood of Naraku's car and awaited its owner impatiently.

"What did he say? Is he coming?" She asked while Naraku approached the junky car.

"He refused, regardless of my offer to lighten his workload." Naraku commented, and looked at Kikyo apologetically. Kikyo was not overly happy when she heard Sesshoumaru's response, and demanded,

"But why? I know help offered by you is rare and when it is accepted you are little to no—"Kikyo started to explain, but Naraku cut her off,

"I get the idea...anyway, don't worry. Give the gentleman a few days and mounting projects will convince him otherwise." Half-smiling, Kikyo turned and walked away hollering,

"See you tomorrow then, and I'm taking your word for it." Naraku shook his head and got into the car.

"Hey Peach," he greeted smugly. Kagura internally growled while her facials remained perfectly impassive and found the possibility of her father's sword collection being used just that more comforting.

The strain of two weeks remaining fell like deadweight on Sesshoumaru's shoulders, and regardless of boys track being disbanded for failure to make it past the regional championships he still had a very full palette. Almost feeling the sweat as it formed in the pores on his forehead, Sesshoumaru, in his ordinary neutral toned bedroom sat engrossed in his remaining studies. In the upper left corner of the simple desk, he had a laptop opened to a second draft of his ten-page religion paper on the true story of St. George, and next to that an organized binder of research regarding that subject. The upper right corner housed a reading lamp that also lit his blue prints of the dreaded egg drop, and in the middle Sesshoumaru labored over small print text for his Friday AP Government test.

"Sesshoumaru, you got a hell of a workload there." Inuyasha stated dubiously while invading the proximity of his half-brothers room.

"Get out before I have you quarantined." Sesshoumaru threatened crossly, and returned to his work.

"You could use a break Sesshoumaru. You seem stressed..." Inuyasha advised while completely ignoring his brother's opinion.

"Though well-advised, I would prefer you leave." Sesshoumaru uttered dully, but with a growl simmering underneath. Inuyasha again became deaf to his brother and sat on the end of Sesshoumaru's bed. Though he was silent the mere scent of his slacking little brother sent Sesshoumaru's over- stressed mind into tremors.

"I know you refuse to do homework for religious reasons, but some of us need to study!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed glaring coldly at his idle half- brother.

"I wasn't sayin' anything!" Inuyasha retorted angrily, and stalked out of Sesshoumaru's room muttering loud nothings to the heavy air.

"Stressed?" Sesshoumaru wondered aloud, then responded in his thoughts,' the workload isn't really that much. All I have to do is build an exoskeleton for my egg drop, edit my second draft of a ten-page religion paper and study for an AP Government test. All in all, its not that much.' Applying himself back to his studies, Sesshoumaru retreated into his subconscious.

Several hours later, Inuyasha's full mother; also Sesshoumaru's stepmother intruded upon Sesshoumaru's brain draining solitude.

"Sesshoumaru?" She inquired cautiously, fully aware of Sesshoumaru's anger when he is interrupted, and while treading lightly into the singly lit room she asked, "Are you coming to dinner?"

"Not now, I'll make something for myself later. OK?" Sesshoumaru replied, bent over his research notebook and paper.

"All right. Just clean the mess after you're done." Sesshoumaru's stepmother said encouragingly, and left her untouchable stepson to his books.

An undeterminable amount of hours passed and Sesshoumaru felt his stomach grumble in extreme discontent. The only way to appease this anger, Sesshoumaru reasoned, was to feed it nourishment. Besides, there was also the need to test the durability of Toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, and Ka Bob sticks. Sesshoumaru also saw it imperative to test the soft capability of Large sized and small sized bubble wrap, Styrofoam, and cotton balls. All of the preceding items he knew were not found upstairs in his room, and thus Sesshoumaru had a reason to traverse downstairs.

The clock on the microwave read 12:10 am, and Sesshoumaru held the cup of instant Ramen Noodles savoring the smell of complex carbohydrates in a pre- heated package. While eating the noodles, Sesshoumaru found various ways to test the diverse items, many materials later he felt accomplished enough to sleep and be ready for the following day.

Kagura dreamt of many things, but she always dreamt alone. In this lonely world of dreams she escaped into the oblivion of ease and ecstasy. Kagura, this dull and rainy Wednesday, stayed in that comfortable world too long and realized all but too late that she had been forgotten. Lazily, Kagura opened her eyes and looked to her black alarm clock that read 9:45 AM. Nothing seemed to register as her dull brown eyes flickered over the numbers, and Kagura surrendered her eyes to sleep again.

Only after several phone calls rang loudly throughout the house did Kagura's absence from school even register as she rose from her bed and looked again on the black clock that now read, 12:10 PM. As if affected by some delayed reaction, Kagura again did not react to the numbers on the digital clock and simply walked out of bed. Kagura fumbled over to her dresser and pulled on a random T-Shirt over her simple panties and tank top.

All in Kagura's room was dark and cloudy, giving the illusion of early morning and due to the dreary conditions outside she saw no difference in regard to the time. Kagura tread awkwardly down the warm maple stairs, and found the strange silence comforting. No one was awake, not even her over- achieving sister Kanna.

'Odd,' Kagura thought as she stumbled to the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice. While Kagura poured herself a glassful of orangey goodness, the phone rang loudly. Kagura flinched, and after recovering from the initial ring she picked white phone. Before answering it Kagura read the caller ID,

"Bishop Alvito High School. Phone number: 255-360-8540. Why would they be calling?" Shrugging her shoulders, Kagura pressed the talk button, and pressed her ear to the receiver.

"Hello?" Kagura said groggily.

"Hello, is Mr. or Mrs. Kagewaki available?" Responded a masculine voice sound vaguely like Mr. Katsui.

"No, would you like me to leave a message for them?" Kagura replied in between yawns.

"Oh, no thank you. Is this Kagewaki Kagura?"

"Yeah."

"Do your parents know that you're at home during school hours?" Kagura paled and her eyes feverishly sought the microwave clock.

'12:18...Shit! A thousand times Shit!' Kagura thought angrily; the period of delayed reaction over and said sarcastically to Mr. Katsui,

"Since they never woke me up I would assume they have some idea..." Kagura could envision Mr. Katsui's frown.

"I'll see you in ISS tomorrow Miss Kagewaki." Mr. Katsui exclaimed promptly and hung up.

"Shit!" Kagura screamed to the suddenly dense air, "Those bastards forgot I even existed!" She added in pure rage, slamming the phone down on the charging base.

End Chapter 3

Rissi's ramblings: How ya'll doin! Did you know it's only a month and a half into summer and I'm already getting into the dog days of summer! Egads! It's been raining about every other day, and not just a twinkle here and there. It's been pouring, pouring I tell you. Trust me, rain does not make proper writing conditions (pouts). Anyway, this lowly author, as always appreciates your commentary, and she can't wait for more of you to like this story. Now for my responses to your previous commentary.

Kagome Goddess of Light: Who wouldn't hate that nickname! I hate it and I gave it to her. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing!

HSSU: You are really too kind, don't your fingers ever get tired? And if you hang on long enough, well you just may see it get really fun. Now is just a teaser the climbing action if you will.

Migele: That it does, it's hard to believe some people actually live like that...and, the Naraku/Kikyo is more of an undertone that adds stew mix to the stew.

Zero27: Thankfully, you'll be helping me with that part so I don't screw it up ;; I hope this updates lives to the previous standards that has been set for me.

Iyazoi: Yep, same birthday. I'll make sure to send an E-card. Please enjoy this awaited update

Ciao!