Hey guys.^_^ Sorry for the long update wait, but it's been a slightly hectic week and I've been a little sick.~_~; As for the next update, I want the first half of this section to go as quickly as it can, but for the moment I have dead week next week, and then finals and my senior graduation after that. In other words, I'll be REALLY busy for the next two weeks, but I'll work on them when I can.^_^ I should get out at least one a week though. Heh, and I thought I could make this section go a little faster.^_^;
Goku's Daughter- Heh, you're right; it shouldn't have happened that quickly, but we always knew that they liked each other, and so did they. Besides, just because she'd admitted, if just to herself, that she likes him, it doesn't mean that they're officially a couple in anyone's eyes except maybe hers and Kagome's.^_^ Oh well, whatever it comes down to, that's just the way it happened I suppose.^_^ It's not a bad thing though is it? It's not like anything's going to change much between them that we see.^_^ It just helps bring Kag and Inu together a bit more.^_~*
lunabella- Thank you so much!^_^ *giggles* That's sweet, and I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far.^_^
whisperingmoon– Lol, yeah, bets are always a nice way to take care of an embarrassing situation.^_~ Muahahaha!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol
Oh, and as always,
_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech
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Recap:
"The bet?"
"Bite me." Miroku grinned so widely that it could've touched the sky if let loose. No person on the planet, no matter how dense, could've mistaken the look of lechery in his eyes. "Don't even think about it." Slamming the door, Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru drove away, leaving nothing but a couple of laughing kids, and a dust covered, grinning Miroku in their wake.
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Do the Math
Chapter 6: More Scene Setting
A few weeks had passed with nothing out of the ordinary. Kagome went to school, Inu Yasha was still a jerk, and, as always, Miroku was Miroku. The only real difference had been that Sango had been spending a lot of her time with Miroku. Kagome had never realized it before, but Houshi was actually a pretty nice guy, once you got over the whole groping thing. Of course, though it was obvious to everyone, and should've been MORE than obvious to them, those two hadn't even admitted to liking each other. It was almost as if every time Sango got close to Miroku, he'd do something incredibly stupid to drive her that much further away. Anyway, as it happened, a side effect of Sango spending more time with Miroku was that Kagome did as well, and that, because he was Miroku's friend, Inu Yasha was seen around more often too. Granted, he was still a jerk, but he preferred to spend his time around the girls, what little time he *was* around the girls, being silent except for the occasional "Feh", "Keh", or Miroku bashing. Things had actually been pretty peaceful on that front. As far as home life, Kagome's mother had been ecstatic when Kagome had slipped, once mind you, that Inu Yasha might be with Sango and Miroku when they went to hang out. She was so excited that she brought out the red rice and everything! It was so embarrassing. Besides that, everything was just about the same. Unfortunately, there had been one thought which insisted on making its presence known to her consciousness more often than not, and it became more persistent every time it showed up; sure, he had hung out with them, but had Kagome been seeing Inu Yasha more, or had she just been *noticing* him more?
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"Grrr... wimpy wolf..." (yay! Another nick-name.^_^) A scruffed up looking boy stormed his way through the halls, muttering as his beautiful silver hair, tangled as it was, repeatedly slapped him in the face. His gym uniform was torn and dirty, barely holding itself together, and the poor guy was covered with dust and dirt to further aggravate his wounds. Inu Yasha abruptly turned, and stepped into the boys' bathroom. After half of his morning had been ruined with the news that his car wouldn't be ready until tomorrow, Inu Yasha had gone to school, but not just like any other day, no; he had to take bus, and, if that hadn't been bad enough, he had suffered through one of the worst school days of his life. He had had either a project or a test in very class except one, gym. Ahh gym, his favorite class of the day. Of course, the fates wouldn't have been happy if they hadn't made a mess out of that class period too, now would they? Of course Kouga *had* to show up to talk to the coach. He was going to be gone his period and sat in on theirs to make up for it. Now, what Inu had done to piss someone up there off that much, he didn't know, but it mustn't have been pretty. It wasn't just that the wimpy wolf, as Inu liked to call him, had been there that day, bit it was the physical exertion day, and everyone knew that Kouga just had to prove just how much "better" he was. Inu scoffed and turned on the sink faucet in front of him, the cool water spilling forth to spiral in the porcelain tub. After splashing his face a couple of times, careful not to ingest any of the liquid (you never know what's in school water.^_^;), he looked into the mirror above the sink, studying himself intensely for any signs of damage above a scratch, scuff, or welt. Though the mirror was broken, crusty, and filthy, Inu Yasha could still see a small portion of his reflection. All in all, it would've probably been easier if he had just decided to clean the mirror, but if there is one unspoken bathroom rule, it was, and shall always be, "touch nothing"; he didn't know what was on it, and he didn't want to know. In the end, he just moved his head around and altered his angle of sight until he had checked over every scuffed part of his tired body. Stupid Kouga, tying with him.
On the other side of the mirror, Kagome was much in the same position, but not the same frame of mind.
"Can you believe it?"
"That's so sweet!"
"Kagome, how can you resist him? He's had a thing for you for... well, forever!"
"I know, but..." Kagome sighed, "I don't know." Kagome, Eri, Ayumi, Yuuka, and Sango were all huddled around the bathroom sink gossiping. Well, actually, Eri, Ayumi, and Yuuka were doing the gossiping while Kagome just stood there and took the brunt of it. Why did they have to pick Kouga of all topics?
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Great, the paper towels were out again. Two golden eyes thinned dangerously, becoming nothing more than small slits as Inu Yasha growled softly at the paper towel dispenser. It just wasn't his day. Taking his torn gym shirt in hand, he tried, rashly and almost desperately, to remove the liquid from his skin with the, now gray, fabric. He was careful to avoid an odd patch of green that had somehow managed to accumulate on his shirt, and in his concentration, droned out everything in the room except what was right in front of him, and therefore unavoidable. He barely heard the flushing in the background or the sounds of people coming in over the dripping of the sink before him, but was surprised when his ears suddenly caught wind of the girls' conversation through the bathroom wall. They should really think about having these things checked...wait, are they talking about Kouga?! Oblivious to the odd looks he was receiving from the other guys, Inu Yasha practically glued his right ear to the wall, getting as close as he physically could to hear their conversation more easily.
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Sango sighed, her delicate fingers weaving in and out of her raven hair. The light reflected from Sango's loose ponytail caused it to have a chestnut colored shine, which flowed downwards, like water in a waterfall, to finally finish at a red hair tie towards the middle of her upper back. A few loose strands were soon caught and added to the others, as she looked to the girls pestering her best friend. "Come on you guys, leave Kagome alone. She doesn't like him."
"But he's so sweet Kagome-chan." Ayumi smiled and hugged Kagome from behind.
"Don't worry about it; you can't be forced to like someone. So, on another topic, how'd you guys do on that math test a few days ago?"
"Ayumi!!!" Two pairs of angry eyes targeted the quiet, wavy-haired girl, effectively keeping her quiet for the time being.
"Anyway Kagome, you really need to find someone. You've never even had a boyfriend and you're already fifteen!" From behind Eri, Yuuka nodded aggressively.
"Do you know how that looks Kagome-chan?" The girl in question just shrugged and slumped against the sink.
"It really isn't all that important to me." She could see her friends' astounded faces in the mirror, but she didn't care. The truth was, she had been a little worried too. Why was it important to everyone but her? All of the guys that wanted to go out with her creeped her out. Hojo was nice, but he was dull, dull as dirt. Sure he had given her lots of things and was always there for her, but he was boring and could easily get on her nerves if she had had a bad day, something that made him a good friend, not someone she'd want to marry someday. As for Kouga, well, he was a bit overbearing, rather roguish, and, well, he was kind of sweet, but way too haughty, and not the way Sesshoumaru was haughty. He wasn't stuck up, just... inattentive, definitely not a good boyfriend thing. Still... Kagome sighed in defeat. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all?
"But... but Kagome-chan..."
"Look..." On the other side of the wall, Inu Yasha let loose a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding.
Good girl Kagome.
"... maybe Kouga isn't so bad after all," Inu Yasha nearly choked, "but I'm not looking to get involved with him okay?"
Slumping to the ground, Inu lifted his ear away from the wall, breathing a sigh of relief. He was glad she wasn't interested in Kouga because he'd never let Kouga have her. Wait, what did he just think? … Because he... didn't... want Kouga to be happy, and having Kagome would make him happy! Yeah, that was it! Stupid wimpy wolf, being... happy. Noticing an increase in the sound level next door, he placed his ear back against the wall.
Kagome squealed. "I know! He's just so soft and cuddly! My little wolf." Sango laughed and picked up her bag.
"Tell me about it, mine's a tiger." Both girls started giggling, and Inu could hear them shuffling around.
"True, true, that I am." Whirling around, Inu stared in shock at the person next to him.
"Miroku, when in the hell did *you* get here?!"
"Ah, Inu Yasha, I would think that you would've noticed if you hadn't been spying on the girls." Inu scowled at his friend. Did he always have to nod so knowingly when he said something?
"Feh, that doesn't answer my question bozu." Miroku simply shrugged.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but lady Sango may be in need of my assistance. Shall I tall lady Kagome that you would wish to..." By then Inu had rushed out of the room and into the hallway, intent on getting away from Miroku and his perverted babble. Could they have been serious? Could Kagome really like that stupid wolf? He growled and shook his head. Why should he care? The girl meant nothing to him, and so, it was none of his business. With that thought, he walked towards the cafeteria to eat what this school liked to call lunch.
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Kagome squealed. "I know! He's just so soft and cuddly! My little wolf." Sango laughed and picked up her bag.
"Tell me about it, mine's a tiger." Both girls started giggling and walked towards the bathroom door. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuuka had left a few minutes ago, but not before bestowing upon Sango and Kagome their newest subject, stuffed animals. Kagome had gotten this really adorable gray wolf plushie from her mom last week. It was so soft! Of course, dogs had always been her favorite, but wolves were in the canine family right? Besides, with her mother, that wolf plushie was the closest thing that she'd ever get to a real dog; Kagome was never allowed to get one after they had gotten Buyo. Still, Kagome wouldn't trade Buyo for the world. She loved her chubby cat way too much.
The girls left and started running down the hall towards the cafeteria. If they didn't get in there soon, they wouldn't have a table to eat lunch at that day. About ten sprints down the hall, Kagome realized that her shoulders felt rather light. Wondering if she was just getting stronger, or at least more used to her bag, she stopped with a sudden realization; she didn't even have her bag on her shoulders. Shouting a quick apology to Sango, Kagome ran back to the bathroom while the other girl went to save them a table. Upon reaching the familiar gray-blue door, Kagome shot inside only to burst forth a minute later, running into one of the two last people she had wanted to see right then.
"Umph, watch it!"
"Oh, Sooorry." Dismissing the collision with a nervous giggle and a wave of her hand, Kagome opened her eyes to find Inu Yasha staring down at her. It was odd; for a second, he seemed upset about something, almost...
"Keh, sorry isn't good enough, but I'll let you off with that this time. I have lunch to eat." As he attempted to raise his nose to look down upon her, not entirely a hard thing to do considering that she was one the floor, Inu Yasha went on his way. The floor itself seemed to melt before him as if flames rose from beneath to lead him towards the cafeteria, his anger in tow. Yeah, something was definitely upsetting him. It was obvious that he was lashing out more than usual. Oh well, lunchtime! ^_^
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The rest of the school day had been pretty peaceful for Kagome, as was just about everything else that day. Neither walking home nor to her house had posed any problems as Kagome came home from school, but, as she entered her living room, Kagome immediately noticed that there was something was a little off. What could that be? Her mother was on the phone. Sure, to the rest of us it didn't sound like much right? Well, she wasn't the rest of us, and Mrs. Higurashi not cooking when Kagome came home was a once in a lifetime thing, and this was that once. Upon noticing that her daughter was home, Mrs. Higurashi turned and mentioned that dinner should be ready in a little bit. Kagome, having nothing better to do, relented and started up the stairs. At least she could get some homework done while she waited. Downstairs, Mrs. Higurashi was finishing up her phone call.
"Sorry about that Inutaisho, but Kagome's right, I should get started on dinner. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" She giggled happily, "Okay, bye."
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Such a beautiful day... Golden sunlight bathed the trees, creating small bits of dancing shadows along the walkways beneath. Kagome danced along with those shadows, hopping from one place to another as each bit slowly disappeared and rearranged itself into another cluster. As the shadows created patches on the ground, the light so did on Kagome as it shone from the heavens. Her vibrant, ebony locks swayed joyously as she hopped about, her little pink jelly sandals clacking against the pavement. Soon the wind picked up, scattering leaves everywhere. They rained down, reminding her of bubbles as they slowly fluttered and fell in the mid-morning breeze. The wind died down and all returned to normal but for one leaf. That single sliver of grass green drifted, slowly mind you, away from Kagome, causing her to follow it. Her head was in the clouds, so to speak, and she barely noticed the top of he shrine steps as she came to them. Stopping in time, she watched as the single leaf floated towards the bottom, landing on her mother's shoulder. Her small, knee-high, baby blue dress shifted as another breeze picked up, seemingly there only to pluck the leaf from her mother's shoulders before it died down again. The air that day held mystery and play, something Kagome took more notice of as she came to sit and watch her mother.
"Thank you Kaede, this really means a lot to us."
"Nonsense child, ye be family and I be far from my youth. I be too old for this now, and so gladly pass it to thee. Take good care of it for me." Mrs. Higurashi and Mrs. Miko stood on the steps to the shrine as Kagome watched from a distance. Her mother seemed a little younger, but Kaede was, well, Kaede. Mrs. Miko offered her hand, and Kagome's mother took if gratefully.
"I will Kaede, thank you." With a nod, Kaede smiled at the younger woman, and made her way slowly down the steps.
"Well, I must be off. If thou ever needs me, you know where to look. Good day to thee."
"You too. Bye nii-chan. Have a safe trip." As her mother came forward, Kagome ran into her arms, the world around her running, like wet makeup, away from her vision. There was no more sunlight, no more tress, no more wind; there was only her mother and her, walking up the steps together.
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Kagome shot out of bed and clasped her hands around her head tightly. What a headache! After a few moments, the throbbing in her head died down slightly and she attempted to slowly pull both hands off of her face, rubbing her eyes and she went. Her vision clearing, she stole a glance at the clock before closing her eyes and flopping back on her bed once more.
"Two thirty in the morning? Me, related to Mrs. Miko? Weird dream. Ugh, it must've been Inu Yasha getting me in trouble with Mrs. Miko today. Giving me all of those weird looks... stupid Inu Yasha. At least I..." she yawned, "sat him..." she yawned again, stretching her arms above her head before wrapping them around her pillow, snuggling happily into its soft, cushiony depths, "goo...ood" And with that, Kagome once again fell into a light slumber. She slept well for the rest of that night, dreaming of Oden, and saving her strength for a new task tomorrow. Whether she realized it or not, she was going to need it.