Woohoo!!! Well, I finally sorted through my spiffy word list, adding a bunch of stuff and organizing everything. I've been meaning to do that for a while now!^_^ And, guess what this means... more color words! Yay!!! So much more description... well, okay, only a little, but still, woohoo!^_^
Okay guys, I'm making this chapter longer than usual so that I can fulfill that promise about the big thing coming up next time.^_~ Instead of 5 or 6 pages in size 10, we're looking at about 10. Hope that's okay with you.^_^ Oh, and yeah, I've been picking on Kagome a bit... okay, maybe more than just a bit, but it's needed so that things can get a lot better, you know? I'm a sucker for knight in shining armor moments, hint hint.^_~ Muahahaha!!!
Oh, and just a warning, the first decent sized paragraph is a bit confusing, but only because it is in past-past tense, meaning that he "had done" everything. All of the "had"s hurt my head, but there wasn't much of a way around that without deleting it entirely. Sorry.^_^; Oh, and in this story, the Higurashi family has a portable phone, even though they don't in the anime.^_^
I guess that's it.^_^ Considering all of this writing, it may be a little bit until my next chapter, but it should be up some time next week. I've been slacking on my work assignment because I've been writing so much.^_^; *giggles* I just need to catch up.
Anyway, yeah, so enjoy!^_^
Lunemangelus- Lol oh, where to start? Heh, I think I'll start with the first chapter comment and make my way up, if that's okay with you of course.^-^ Yeah, it does suck that people fear him, but you'll have to wait and see why they don't hang out any more.^_^ *laughs* I'm afraid you'll have to wait on the baby plate thing too.^_~* Kouga is a sweetie. I'm afraid that in the last chapter I made him, shall we say, a bit... hot headed? Ah well, it needed to be done I suppose.^_^ *giggles* Personally, I like Buyo if only for the fact that it's adorable when Inu Yasha plays with him.^-^ And yeah, I LOVE the bet! Heheh, can you *imagine* seeing someone drop down on their knees and do that in the middle of class? It would be so great! Yes, to each their own obsession, and I think I'll stick with Inu Yasha as mine.^_~ Yeah, I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the little oddity that that particular night held.^_~* Chapter 8 if you don't know which comment I'm responding to, but shhhhh, don't tell anyone.^_^ It's a secret.^_~ *giggles* Anyway, so yeah. Thanks soooo much for all of your wonderful comments! It's so sweet that you actually wrote a comment for all of my chapters, up to 8 at least.^_~ I wonder if you'll ever actually read this. Hmmm... oh well, I hope to see you around, and thank you!^-^
Goku's Daughter- Sorry if the paragraphs get a little long sometimes, but I'm just glad that you don't mind it.^_^ Well, that you don't mind it too much anyway.^_~ *hugs*
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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Groggy eyes prepared to open as the little girl returned home, standing in front of her shrine with the sun shining behind her, illuminating the two as if they were gods or angels. She in her orange shirt, pink jelly sandals, and orange shorts, and her best friend in his red shirt and blue jean shorts by her side, her heart swelled with joy and slowly flooded with longing. Why did she ever have to wake up?
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Do the Math
Chapter 12: Cupid's Arrow (2 for the Price of 1)
"Dear Diary,
I just had the weirdest dream..."
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Kagome looked a bit tired; I hope she's okay. Shrugging, Mr. Khioto slid the front door closed and went back to the kitchen to resume making, what some would call, linner (lunch + dinner= linner).
He had just gotten home from work, thankfully early that day, and had headed straight for the kitchen; having forgotten his lunch at home, it was only natural that he would've been hungry. As he had pulled out a few ingredients, there had been a knock on the front door. Opening it, he had found it to be Kagome. Overjoyed as he had been to see the girl whom he thought of as a daughter, he had noticed how serious she was, and decided to see what he could do. As he went to fetch the book she had left behind a few days before, Inutaisho couldn't help but wonder why Kagome had looked so pale, almost gaunt. Maybe she had just had a hard day at school. He certainly didn't want to be back in high school; they had it rough. Well, whatever it was, Kagome was a strong girl and he was sure that it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Returning to his linner, Inutaisho reached into the refrigerator and shuffled through the various bottles, looking for one in particular. Pulling out some sauce, he placed it next to the rice on the counter, making sure that he didn't forget the most important part of his meal, the cookies. He had been smelling that fresh-baked cookie scent since he had gotten home, and only one thought besides "I'm hungry" could get through the barrier now placed in his mind by that delicious aroma; who could resist fresh-baked cookies? Sure, he wasn't supposed to be eating them, but who would know right? A brown chocolate chip cookie emerged from within the clay pot on the counter and immediately dropped back in.
"I was hungry?" Mrs. Khioto stood before her nervous husband, hands on hips and head shaking from side to side. In one hand she held a spatula, which was just about as crimson as her husband's hand now was, and in the other she had a pair of pearl white oven mitts, decorated lightly with a pattern of ornate roses and brown scorch marks; she had *just* taken those cookies out of the oven. Standing there, practically towering over her husband, Mrs. Khioto couldn't help but smirk at his nervousness. Walking over to the cookie jar, she pulled out a chocolate treat and held it in front of him, taunting and testing his will power. He sat there for a minute or so, completely still, but as soon as he tried to snatch the cookie, it was in his wife's mouth and down her throat. Licking her fingers, she shooed her husband out of the kitchen where he dejectedly sat upon the sofa in the living room. It was so unfair.
When the front door opened and closed a few minutes later, Mr. Khioto didn't even bother turning around, as he was still pouting over his "tragic" loss. Instead, he simply called behind him, letting his words float to their receiver as he stormed up the stairs.
"Inu Yasha, Kagome was here; you just missed her." The footfalls on the steps immediately stopped, the silence breaking only for the slight sounds of shuffling feet and a fleeting voice; "She was looking for a book she had left here, so I gave it to her and she went home. I'm sure you could catch her if you wa..." A slamming door could be heard from upstairs and, as Mrs. Khioto walked out of the kitchen to ask what was wrong, Inutaisho, not bothering to face her, merely waved his hand over the sofa top, dismissing any need for worry. "It's just one of those days." Nodding, Mrs. Khioto went back to baking her cookies, and Inutaisho to pouting.
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"Keh." Back in his room, Inu Yasha flopped down backwards upon his bed and sprawled out across its surface, eyes glued to the ceiling. He raised his arms to cross behind his head, and, with a pout, lifted one leg over the other. Closing his eyes, he rolled his head to the side and "feh"ed, opening one, then the other, only minutes later, to scan his room for nothing in particular. From his position, Inu Yasha could easily see every corner of his room, save the area beneath his bed of course. The door was to his right, covered in random drawings and posters, and standing tall and proud compared to the dresser next to it, which was probably less than half of its height. To the left of that door were two bookcases, both painted black. One bookcase, as tall as the door itself, was filled to the brim, so to speak, with dozens upon dozens of multicolored bindings, while the other was only partially full and perhaps as tall as the other's fourth shelf was high. To the left of that, on the wall next to Inu Yasha, a single window illuminated the room, or would have if the blinds had ever been pulled up. Its domain mainly catered the minute amount of light that did get through the blinds to the foot of Inu Yasha's bed, or in that instant, right next to where his head then lay. The only wall left unaccounted for was covered from the bottom to middle by Inu's desk, complete with a computer, massive stereo system, and a shelf full of text books. There were band posters scattered about his walls, and one who would expect the typical "teenage boy" mess on Inu Yasha's floor would be greatly mistaken. Sure, the room was rather unorganized, but it was by no means unkempt, and, though his room was somewhat bleak, even a bit dismal perhaps, there was one thing in the room with a color bright enough to lead the eye astray and light up the room, with or without the window, his red comforter. It didn't have an extremely detailed design, or any designs at all really, but it did stand out, and that was what mattered.
Compared to the warmth of the house, Inu's room was relatively cool, and his comforter even more so. Oh how he had missed lying in bed, relaxing and enjoying the coolness of his sheets. There was no guilt there, no nagging, no worries, nothing but quiet. He could just lie down and relax. Closing his eyes once again, Inu Yasha stretched out, then, curling up atop his bed, prepared himself for a nice, hopefully long, well deserved nap. He lay like that for but a few minutes, simply listening to the quiet upstairs and the soft mumbling that was carried through the floor boards from the people talking below. It was peaceful, serene, and, in short, it was boring. Sitting up once again, Inu Yasha gazed around his room aimlessly, hoping that inspiration would come to him. He was too bored to sleep, if that made any sense, and almost desperately needed something to do. His golden eyes scanned the room and, realizing that they had missed a corner, went back. His gaze was attracted by a slight glimmer, and two molten pools trailed across the perfect thing to both slay the boredom and the buzzing within his head. Standing up, Inu Yasha strolled out his bedroom door, and down the stairs. Grabbing a towel from the towel closet, he went outside, hands full and heart ready.
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The golden light faded and the world turned baby pink as chestnut eyes slowly opened, adjusting to their surroundings. "What a weird dream." Yawning, Kagome rubbed gently at her eyes and sat up, holding her head as a small wave of dizziness flooded through her. Shaking her mind clear of both the dizziness and the fog that usually accompanied sleep, she looked around, seeking to search out the thing that had woken her. "That kid was so nice; he looked kind of like Inu Yasha though..." Eyes falling upon the CDs next to her back pack, Kagome's mood immediately soured. She glared at those disks for all she was worth and, when she realized how futile it was, gave up, taking her head in her hand once again. "Right, like Inu Yasha would EVER be nice..." Sitting up, Kagome reached for her blankets and began to make her bed. She groaned again when she had to move the CDs to get to her backpack, and pulled out a few text books. Homework may have been the last thing she wanted to do right then, but what else did she have left? Not two seconds later the phone rang, causing Kagome to jump and all of her books to plummet downward onto the carpet in one boisterous, messy heap. "Ugh, why me?" That train of thought followed her as she bolted downstairs and ran to the living room phone, and, if it had been any one else on the line, I would've felt very sorry for them.
"Come on Kagome, you need a break from reality for a while."
"I think we both do." Laughing, the person on the other end nodded and pulled out their wallet.
"Come on, why not have a relaxing girls' night out? I'll pick you up in a few minutes." Kagome paced back and forth a bit.
"I'm not so sure Sango..."
"Kagome-chan, after today, you more than deserve it." After a slight pause, Sango smiled, "I'm not taking no for an answer." Kagome laughed.
"Well, I guess I have no choice then, ne?" Laughter filled the line as both girls began to relax. A night on the town? Well, Kagome would be up late doing homework, but it was worth it. Besides, she had just had a nap, so she would be able to stay up later anyway. A girl has to indulge sometimes right, and Sango really needed this. What kind of a friend would she be to refuse? With both her step and spirit slightly uplifted, Kagome headed upstairs to change into something more normal, and await her best friend's arrival.
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Droplets flew, glistening balls of fiery energy dieing on their decent towards the warm, warn soil. The few who made that journey soaked into the ground, providing nourishment and salt for those who needed it; those who didn't make it were absorbed into a towel, trapped like prisoners and helpless to do anything but wait until the faithful day that they would be washed, swept away within the swirling suds of white and foam, or even worse, down a dirty, hair-clogged shower drain. They were born of toil and sentenced to almost certain boredom. Such things were sweat's worst nightmare, and the droplets lived with it every day.
A slicing of the wind was the only sound to accompany his heavy breathing as the sweat, within its natural course of life, shimmied down his face and outlined the luscious curves of his chest. It traveled over the bare expanse of his stomach, finally coming to rest upon the rolled top of a pair of baggy sweatpants, held up only by the thickness of the roll and the jutting of his hip bones. Taking a short break, he shivered as droplets of water fell from a water bottle above to merge with the sweat and quench the fire within his body. An already soaked towel rose to lie across his shoulders as he wiped his forehead, doing what little it could to help, before falling back to its standard position on the ground next to the water bottle. That was what life was about, serenity, health, and purity, all mixed into one blissful moment. As Inu Yasha raised his blade once again, all thoughts fled from his mind and his body took over; practice for him was a ritual, not a mundane task. It was to be taken delicately and to be led by the heart, not the mind nor the physical form. Snow white hair flew about as the rusted blade swooped downward once again, as if a hawk towards its prey, and came up to meet concentrated, focused pools of honey, sweetened even more by the salty droplets framing them.
Within his blind reverie, not even his breathing could be heard. It was silent, pure, and strangely empty. With a blast of warmth, that hole became filled, the emptiness vanquished, and there was no longer quiet to lead him on. Instead, the soft sound of singing warmed his heart and bade him even further into his own mind, caressing his thoughts with hands of invisible love and leading them to peace of mind. As his body relaxed within the serenade, his ritual slowly came to a halt, eventually leaving him to stand in the middle of his back yard, sword in hand, yet golden eyes closed as his soul became rejuvenated and white warmth seeped into his system, soaking into every inch of his being. When that song stopped, Inu Yasha opened clouded eyes and found himself by the front fence, watching as a happy Kagome giggled at a pair of squirrels running about, playing their cute little games and wiggling their fluffy tails together, as one.
"As one", those words held little meaning to Inu Yasha, but in that moment, in that place between dreams and reality, where one's emotions are bared to them and open them to the truth in the world around them, those words held a slightly deeper meaning. He longed to be as one, with both himself and another, but who would accept him? A small twang of pain sounded in his heart, a string that had been worn with over use, but now, whereas it wouldn't have hurt much before, it almost overwhelmed his senses. His mind once again resurfacing, he forced the pain to subside, keeping it at bay until one day, somehow, he would have someone to share it with. Until then, he had to bear that burden alone, but still, even as he returned to the real world, full of pain and suffering, he couldn't help but think that there had to be some good, if something so beautiful as that song could make even one as stubborn and torn as he see the light, a thought quickly erased by stubborn pride, his horrid wake up call.
Remembering the things he had thought only moments before, Inu Yasha scoffed and shook his head. What an idiot he was; like any of that could be real. Trying to knock some sense into himself, Inu Yasha hit his forehead, accidentally using Tetsussaiga's sheath, and made, not so much pain, as a really loud noise. Seeing Kagome turn, he dove, head first and rather unceremoniously, into the nearest bush he could find, pulling his sword and its sheath along side him into the thorny underbrush.
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I do hope that Lady Kagome won't be too mad at me... Fiddling with the prayer beads adorning his right hand, Miroku walked nervously towards the Higurashi shrine. Judging Kagome's mood by Inu Yasha's reaction hadn't even begun to prepare him for the description Sango had given him of his friend's pain, and how could he not feel guilty? Although he hadn't realized that this would happen, he had still played some part in it and as such, should apologize. Judging by the looks of it, he'd be lucky if she forgave him after an hour of pleading at her feet, even with her overly-developed sense of compassion, but, degrading as it might become, he had to do it. Kagome was his friend, and this would be nothing compared to what she had suffered through, partially on his account.
Rounding the corner, Miroku caught sight of Kagome, but imagine his shock at seeing a smile upon her face! He had thought for sure that she was devastated, and here she was, smiling. Maybe he didn't need to face her wrath... er, apologize after all. No, apologizing would be the honorable thing to do, and so it must be done. Stopping to gather courage, Miroku watched Kagome, noticing that she seemed to be looking at something, but by the look on her face, it seemed to have passed. As he looked further, he noticed another standing there, but by no means with Kagome; the person was much too far away. Instead, they seemed to be watching her. Going closer, Houshi watched with a mix of amusement and smugness, as he realized that the person in question was Inu Yasha, and practically burst out laughing when Inu Yasha hit himself. Miroku could hear it all of the way to where he was standing!
He probably caught himself watching her again.With a start, Kagome turned to where Inu Yasha had been standing only moments before, alerted by the noise no doubt. Being at an inconvenient angle, she hadn't seen him dive into the bushes, a sight that Miroku wasn't likely to ever let him forget, but she had caught a glimpse of something shiny, glinting even in the severe lack of sunlight they had been having as of late. Seeing nothing else amiss, Kagome shrugged and turned away, catching sight of a bemused Miroku in the process. She smiled and waved to him; now he had to go over. With that silly grin on his face and a sweat drop on his head, Miroku steadied himself and walked across the street to greet her, all the while preparing himself for the task at hand.
As it turned out, Miroku never got a chance to apologize. As soon as he had greeted Kagome, she had asked about Sango and the two began a conversation based on that. By the time Miroku had gotten a chance, Sango herself pulled up to pick up Kagome. Giving him a hug in thanks for his consultation earlier, Sango got back in the car, followed shortly by Kagome, and, though pouting about not being able to go with them due to it being a "girls' night out", Miroku bid them a wonderful day and stood there, watching placidly as they left.
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As the girls situated themselves, Kagome pulled on her seatbelt and sighed happily; it was nice to get away, especially after the day she'd had. All things considered, she was in an incredibly good mood, something neither Sango nor Miroku had failed to notice. Whereas Miroku hadn't mentioned it, Sango wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. Besides, being both Kagome's best friend and a girl, she'd probably get more information than he ever would have.
"Kagome-chan, are you sure that you're feeling okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine! A good nap and a day out was all I needed. It's just...," Kagome paused and Sango readied herself for the most important part of being a best friend, comforting, "I thought I heard something before you came, but I couldn't find it." Kagome turned to the window leaving a dumbfounded Sango at the wheel, "I wonder what it was... oh well." Blinking a few times, Sango simply shook her head and smiled.
"You sure?" Kagome nodded and Sango turned back to the road. "So, have you met the new girl, Ayame? Word around says that she's known Kouga for quite some time." At the mention of Kouga's name, Kagome's interest picked up.
"Really? I've never heard of her before." Sango shrugged.
"It's no big deal. They were childhood friends or something. He probably never mentioned her because they've been apart for so long, or so I've been told; I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. More importantly," Sango turned to her best friend, mischievous grin in place, "did you hear about the mall incident?"
"Mall incident?" As soon as the question left Kagome's mouth, Sango shook her head and hightailed it into the nearest parking lot, where she then proceeded to inform Kagome about just what *was* going on in her love life.
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Back on the sidewalk in front of Inu Yasha's house, Miroku sighed and lowered his head before shaking it sympathetically, allowing his small ponytail to bob slightly behind him; "Inu Yasha, are you trying to make "idiot" part of your job description?"
After the girls had left, Inu Yasha, seeing Miroku and knowing that, if caught, he would hear no end of this, had made a really bad escape attempt and ran for it. What was even more pathetic wasn't his attempt, but that it had almost worked. He had two steps left to go before freedom, but that was when Miroku decided to strike.
"Keh! Like you're doing any better bozu!" Gathering up the water bottle and towel from the back yard, Inu Yasha stormed into the house, grumbling about stupid friends and crazy women, only to find Miroku sitting on the living room couch. "Invited yourself in?"
"Always." With that quirky grin of his, Miroku chuckled, getting ready to teach Inu Yasha the biggest lesson of his life.
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Not six days went by and many things changed, though perhaps only a little. Ever since Miroku had left him, Inu Yasha had made as much attempt as possible to avoid Kagome at all costs. He hadn't picked on her, fought with her, taunted her, or even talked to her the entire week, not that Kagome had noticed; she had been too busy hanging out with Kouga. Over that week the two had become much closer than anyone had imagined. Though they weren't going out, most people considered it as if they were and let them be, giving random bouts of privacy as the situation saw fit. They had even been invited to couples only parties which, of course, they had declined. Not only were they not a couple, but Kagome didn't really see sitting around and watching people make out as being very fun, and Kouga knew enough not to ask it of her. She had never had a boyfriend after all, and he didn't want to push her. Instead, they spent their time together talking in between classes and hanging out with Miroku and Sango at lunch, where Inu Yasha had yet to show since Monday. Things had been altogether peaceful once more, but you know how that works, peaceful now means trouble later. For now, all parties just wanted to enjoy their time off while they could get it; of course, that didn't account for nosy friends, but then again, what can?
"Kagome!" Two teenage girls dashed toward their friend's booth and sat down, soon joined by another.
"Eri, Ayumi, Yuuka, it's been a while." Kagome sweat dropped at the look Eri and Yuuka were giving her, but still managed to smoothly nibble on a fry as not to arouse suspicion. She didn't know what she'd done, but she was more than positive that they'd tell her, and that it wouldn't be pretty.
"Kagome-chan, how could you not tell us?!" Eri begged, Yuuka looking pitifully from behind her, "I thought we were your friends!" Kagome sat up, subconsciously attempting to look more trustworthy, and took a sip of her soda.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Sighing, Eri and Yuuka jumped up, towering over the nervous girl, and moved to surround her, blocking the only escape. All three girls were much too busy to notice the shop door swing open, but Ayumi, doing nothing but munching on fries and feeling sorry for Kagome, noticed it immediately. At the same time, the other two pounded down towards Kagome and, pointing a finger at her, Eri charged her with one of the worst crimes a friend can commit, lying.
"Why didn't you tell us that you were going out with Kouga?" Kagome immediately spit out her drink while Inu Yasha, now standing in line, took a sharp intake of breath. She was WHAT?! Squelching the rekindled flame of jealousy within him, Inu Yasha forced himself to look back to the menu and further away from the group of babbling girls. He was avoiding Kagome, so why should he care? She wasn't his problem. So then... why did he care?
The day after the whole fiasco took place, things got a little worse. Inu Yasha had just gotten out of math and was heading to history when Kagome walked out of the classroom, happy as could be. She met Kouga outside the door, something that she had taken a liking to doing that week, much to Inu Yasha's dismay, and, catching sight of Inu Yasha, her face immediately fell. Considering the circumstances, it probably wasn't too irrational of a conclusion when Kouga thought Inu Yasha had done something to upset her again, and a fight broke out between the two. In the end, they were broken up by a "sit" command after the first bell had rung. Kouga walked off in one direction with Kagome, a smug look gracing his otherwise gruff features, and Inu Yasha stalked off in the other direction feeling oddly betrayed, alone, and late for class. If he hadn't known better, he might've sworn that Kagome had tossed him a worried look before being dragged off by that wimpy wolf, but he knew better; who, in her shoes, would bother caring? He certainly wouldn't have.
He just didn't want that idiot wolf to be happy, that's all. (dejavu anyone?) After picking up his order, Inu Yasha sat across the room from the table where he could hear Kagome struggling to put up a decent defense against her friends. Man, women were crazy. Just then, Miroku decided to stroll in, taking a seat beside Inu Yasha and smiling with that stupid, smug grin of his. Friend or not, Miroku was really getting on his nerves, and Inu Yasha wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. It wasn't until Miroku started talking about hooking him up that he forgot about not wanting to cause a scene and not getting noticed by Kagome, and realized that, for once, he needed help.
At Kagome's table, she was having thoughts very similar to Inu Yasha's. Her friends were forcing a barrage of questions about a relationship she didn't have down her throat with her side of fries and, though trying, quiet, sensible Ayumi was no match, and in other words, no help. Seeking desperately to flee from the interrogation session her snack had become, Kagome scanned the restaurant for anyone, anyone at all who could help her; it could've been Naraku for all she cared as long as she got out of there! Spotting Inu Yasha on the other side of the room, Kagome sighed, but obliged to her instincts and decided that it would be well worth it, even if she was going to give him the cold shoulder afterwards. Besides, by the glint in his eye, it seemed as if he needed an escape as well. They could call a truce long enough to escape right?
Catching Inu Yasha's eye hadn't been hard and, with a nod, the two excused themselves from their friends and met in the middle of the room, shocking both tables in the process. Linking arms to make it look realistic, they exited the building and, once outside, headed, unsteadily, in opposite directions, each dead-set on ignoring the other, but neither capable of resisting the urge to look back, just one last time, at the first place they had ever happily worked together.
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"Hi Sango-chan!" Kagome beamed, flashing her best smile for her best friend as Sango came warily forward.
"Hi Kagome. You certainly seem to be in a good mood." She walked to her cubby and exchanged her regular shoes for her gym ones before walking back over to Kagome. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you walking out of Wac Donalds with Inu Yasha yesterday now would it?" Kagome, who was tying her shoes, stopped immediately and pounced on Sango, covering her mouth with both hands and looking around secretively.
"Where'd you *hear* that?!" she whispered, tone as hushed as she could get it. Sango simply smiled and, once her mouth was free, grinned.
"Miroku told me." Kagome's eyes narrowed; she would SO kill him.
"It's not what you think Sango, I..."
"Don't worry Kagome; I know that you must've been pretty desperate to do anything with Inu Yasha." Honestly, Sango didn't believe that for a second, but by the relieved look on Kagome's face, it seemed to be true of that instant at least. Suddenly, Sango's tone became serious. "But Kagome-chan, you might want to go talk to Kouga. Apparently he heard about it and was pretty upset." Kagome nodded.
"I'm not surprised; I did walk out of a restaurant with his rival after all." She sighed, "I haven't even gotten a chance to see him today to explain. I got here late and had to stay after in most of my classes. He probably thinks I'm avoiding him." Sitting on the bench in front of them, Kagome held her head in her hand sullenly.
"Don't worry about it Kagome; just explain what happened and I'm sure he'll understand. He cares about you." Nodding vigorously, Kagome's face brightened, expressing as much thanks as she felt. Sango could always make her feel better. Not soon afterward, the gym teacher walked in sporting not-so top of the line sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and telling all of the girls that it was time to head out. Their activity for the day: archery.
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Keh, stupid bathroom, making me walk all of the way across campus to get to the other one. My teacher's going to freak! Well, if history that day hadn't been bad enough, this would've made up for it. Inu Yasha had ditched class with the excuse of a potty break. Actually, he hadn't had to go to the bathroom until he had been gone about ten minutes, and by that time, he had to go back or get in trouble. Of course, there was a bathroom along the way, but it was out of order, and this couldn't wait. He had grudgingly walked to the other bathroom, across campus, and he was sure that when he got back he'd get hell from his teacher for being gone so long. It was the price he had to pay for skipping he supposed, but that didn't make the situation look any better. Mocking his teacher and an overly exaggerated high pitch voice, Inu Yasha strode down the halls, glaring at anyone coming anywhere near asking him for a hall pass.
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Ah, why couldn't we be lucky enough to get the broken bathroom? In his seat, Miroku squirmed anxiously as he pretended to listen to his language teacher drone on and on. Was he so doomed as to be sitting in such a boring class with nothing to do? Even the bathrooms were against him! Why couldn't he just have some... looking out of the window, Miroku smirked, his trademark perversity fighting its way back to the surface.
"My, my..." It seemed that the girls' gym class was outside today and, what luck, it seemed that Lady Sango happened to be in that class, with Lady Kagome no less. Oh, what those short, short shorts could do to a man, so much leg, bared, smooth, supple, just waiting to be...
"Miroku!" Uh oh. "Why don't you come up here and show us how this works?" Groaning inwardly, Miroku rose from his seat and put on his best kiss-up smile. Sadly, it looked like his ogling was going to have to wait until later. Taking a quick glance at both the board and the teacher, waiting for him at the front of the class, Miroku gulped and chuckled nervously.
"My pleasure." Oh yeah, he was screwed.
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"Alright girls, fire!" The twang of string and whiz of flying arrows could be heard throughout the field as Inu Yasha walked by. He figured that he'd take the scenic route back to class; if he was going to get in trouble anyway, why not? Besides, it looked as if it would pay off. If he had heard right, there were a bunch of girls doing something athletic outside, and with pointy things no less. This should be good. (no offense to girls, hell, I AM a girl!^_^;) Walking towards the field, Inu Yasha could hear the teacher encouraging her students one by one, stopping to pull aside one with a significant interest to him, though he'd deny it at any mention, even to himself.
"Kagome, could you come here a minute?" Setting her bow and arrows on the ground, Kagome jogged over to her teacher as she walked slowly towards the outside fencing. "Kagome, I have noticed on more than one occasion that you are becoming quite skilled as an archer. In fact, when I first saw you, I never thought that you'd ever be able to do anything of the sort," seeing Kagome's flat face, the teacher hastily continued, "but you've proven me wrong, and I'm so impressed that I want you to teach the class for about fifteen minutes toward the end of the period while I'm away on an important task."
"So... you want me to cover for you?" Her teacher, failing in an attempt to look honorable, sighed and slumped her shoulders. Hanging her head, she replied.
"Yes." After some careful thought, about three seconds worth, Kagome agreed, but with one stipulation; the teacher owed her one. That done, Kagome was allowed to go back to the shooting range and spent a good portion of the period there, practicing while others in her class got tired and sat down, all the while unknowingly being watched by a certain white haired boy leaning against a tree on the other side of the field.
As much as he hated to admit it, she was good, very good.
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The period passed by quickly and Inu Yasha was still leaning on the same tree when it was near its end. He had been watching Kagome, much preferring that to going to class and being yelled at, though by how much, he couldn't tell. It was odd; he seemed to have a strange fascination with this girl, one that just wouldn't go away. No matter how much he ignored her or pestered her, he couldn't get rid of it, and, in some odd way, he felt a pang of pride as he watched her shoot arrows into the bull's-eye, one after another, after another. He was mesmerized, completely content to just sit there and watch from the distance, but of course, all good things must come to an end, and this did so as well, about fifteen minutes before class ended.
"Everyone, I need to run an errand, so if you need any help, feel free to ask Kagome. I'm putting her in charge until I get back; got that?" A chorus of "yes"s rang throughout the class, each student hoping that the teacher would be gone for a while; it gave them the perfect opportunity to goof off. Once gone, as expected, most of the students gathered into groups and sat on the grass talking, or, as some chose, to watch Kagome. Being the only one still shooting, Sango decided to give Kagome some company, and walked over to join her, not realizing the danger she was putting herself into.
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It all happened so fast. Miroku had just come back from the board when he saw it; Naraku was talking to some girl down on the field. Of course, having Naraku around at all made everything worse, but him being there in particular, so close to Sango, that troubled Miroku greatly. When the girl walked away from him and sat down with a group of friends, Miroku was slightly nervous, watching the window, seemingly unnoticed in his class as he did so, but as time passed, his level of nervousness fell, and he calmed down a bit. If she was working with Naraku, she would've done something by then. The guy creeped everyone out anyway, so she had probably just left as soon as possible. Just in case... looking around, he spotted Sango heading towards Kagome. Good, she was safe.
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The girl Inu Yasha had seen talking with Naraku earlier was on the move again, and that could mean nothing but trouble. Unlike Miroku, Inu never let his guard down when Naraku was involved; he'd had too much experience with the creep and knew better than that. It was only when the girl started moving toward Kagome that he felt the undeniable clenching in his gut and decided to check it out. Instead of stopping at the archery range as expected, the girl passed by it, stopping at the drinking fountain on the side of the school. Something wasn't right; Inu could feel it in his gut. His heart raced a mile a minute as he watched the scene unfold. What was this girl going to do? Was she really innocent after all? He couldn't take that chance; if it had any connection to Naraku, he couldn't risk it. Everything after that thought happened in rapid succession, each part of a chain reaction that would affect more than just one person that day.
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"SANGO!" Miroku sprung from his seat and dashed to the window, the entire class following him, first with their eyes, and then with their bodies as he pressed himself against the glass.
That strange girl had just gotten a drink of water and then everything blew out of proportion, changing from the incredible speed of reality into the slow motion of his mind's eye. He watched tiny spheres of water fall from her lips as she left the fountain, and could see each strand of hair as it blew behind her, following along her seemingly predetermined path as she walked off, passing the archery range. For some reason her actions reminded Miroku of a prison march, lonely, cold, dreary. She was stiff, much more so than anyone else, even on a bad day, and he immediately knew something was wrong. She got too close to the range and "bumped" into Kagome, turning her slightly in the opposite direction and causing her fingers to slip from her bow. The twang of a released string sounded, mixed with the slight "oomph" and a muffled thud, though Miroku could only imagine these in his mind, and Kagome's bow dropped to the ground with a soft clatter. Her eyes widened, chocolate pools filled with surprise, sorrow, and mostly regret. She reached out, but it was too late to stop it now; the wheels were turning and there was no wrench in sight. Wind rushed past the arrow, set off course by the collision, as it sailed in a direct path towards Sango's approaching skull. Further and further it flew, the fake, plastic feathers shuffling in the breeze; you could see a single tear drop from Kagome's eye and then it all stopped. There was no scream, no cry, no blood. It was quiet, too quiet. As if a bubble had burst the noise returned; people in the classroom who had seen what had happened were hushed while, like those outside, most didn't even know that something unusual had happened. Ignoring the teacher's calls as he callously shoved students out of his way, Miroku scrambled down to the field, stopping only to jump the fence until the moment he held Sango within the safety and security of his arms.
At that point, Inu Yasha still stood in front of Sango, arrow in hand, as he looked to Kagome. Her shocked, tear-streaked face shattered something deep inside of him, and he knew that she must've blamed herself. Running as quickly as her body would allow, she bolted towards her best friend and collapsed in her arms, begging softly for her to be okay. The teacher, oblivious to what had just taken place, walked in a few minutes later. She asked who the boy holding the arrow was, and told him to get back to class before the bell rang. He, of course, ignored her, and nodded to Miroku instead who, in turn, sent every ounce of thankfulness he could muster through one haggard, yet relieved look.
As Inu Yasha turned to leave, he was stopped by a soft, pleading voice behind him, and his heartbeat instantly quickened. Kagome stood behind him, head down, so that when he turned, he couldn't see the tears, the weakness he knew was there. Whereas Miroku sent his thanks through his eyes, Kagome's every word showered him in her emotions, leaving her more open than a flyer during a parade, and looking just about as trampled on. With one final, fleeting look towards her teacher, Kagome fled from the field with Miroku carrying Sango behind her, telling her that she'd use that favor now and go home early.
Everything was quiet after that, especially for the ones involved in the incident. Sango was brought to the nurse before going home and Miroku went with her, leaving Inu Yasha to search high and low for Naraku, although he never actually found him. Kagome had stayed around long enough to make sure that Sango was alright before heading home, both to give them some privacy and to avoid confronting what had happened until she had had a chance to think it over. It seems that, of the four, Inu Yasha was the least phased by the whole episode. Whether the reason was that his aloof attitude finally paid off or that no one he cared for was ever in any immediate danger, he didn't know. But one thing was for certain, everyone was more than ready for the weekend to come, each needing time with their own problems. Miroku and Inu Yasha were both worried about Naraku, the girls were worried about each other, and everyone but Inu Yasha wondered just how he had managed to catch that arrow.
No one had even thought about Kouga.