Tears in the Silence: Chapter 2
(Inuyasha/Kagome)
Kagome
Kagome Higurashi was sleeping when she felt a firm, none to gentle hand on her head, and nearly choked on her pillow.
"Kagome, you're going to be late," Kikyo said, none too kindly. She made a point in slamming Kagome's door, knocking her favorite posters off the wall. Sitting up quickly, Kagome moved to pick up her posters, and place them back on the wall.
Rushing to grab her uniform, Kagome almost forgot her most prized possession.
She lightly caressed it in her hands, the small pink stone softly glowing. It had been her mothers', and then her sisters'. Kikyo was meant to have it to pass on to her firstborn daughter, but there was an accident. Kagome shook her head, clearing her mind of those hated thoughts.
"Nope. Today I'm not going to be gloomy." Kagome hurried downstairs, said goodbye to her grandfather, mother, and brother, and practically flew out the door. As usual, Kikyo took no notice of her younger sister, mechanically eating from her plate.
Kagome was running down her usual short cut to school, but she had no idea that a moving van would be blocking her path. To get to school on time, Kagome would have to keep going, but the van completely blocked the way.
"Not my first day! Why does this always happen to me!" Kagome sighed, and turned back. There was nothing she could do.
Kagome cringed as she recalled how her mother had been so mad when she had started off the school year late the year before, and shuddered dramatically. Her mother was unfailingly fair, but lateness was not in her mother's vocabulary.
Kagome had started walking in the other direction when she stopped, and took a look around her all the streets were deserted, and she could barely hear the traffic that was becoming increasingly annoying every week.
I can't believe I'm doing this. Kagome said to herself, as she rolled her sailor sleeves up. Taking a running start, she jumped up and grabbed on to the top of a large concrete wall, desperately trying to heave her body up. She finally had managed to get to the top, when she looked down in to a pair of intense amber eyes.
It took her a moment to realize these were the eyes of a boy, a very strange boy. With long white hair, Inuyasha Youka was quite different looking. But not unpleasantly so... Kagome cringed as she thought that, and berated herself for the thought. So intent on what she had been thinking, Kagome's hold on the wall slipped, and she fell face forward in to Inuyasha.
Using reflexes that Kagome had thought impossible, Inuyasha caught her smoothly, but dropped her on to the packed dirt on the courtyard.
"That'll teach you to trespass," Inuyasha yelled back as he walked away.
Kagome watched him for a moment, and then followed behind him, dusting her clothing off.
"Everyone's going to think I've been in a fight, or or... Worse!" Kagome yelled frantically, looking at her torn skirt, and dirt stained shirt.
Inuyasha looked back at her, and really seemed to notice her for the first time. His eyes softened for a moment, but became like ice again.
"Well, what else are they to think when you're related to a bitch like Kikyo,"
Inuyasha kept walking, turning around an impressive building to a front walk.
Kagome had stopped, and looked as if she had been punched physically. Gathering her fleeting courage, Kagome grunted.
"Right. That's how it happened." Kagome was just a cold as Inuyasha, sarcasm dripping from her words.
"My sister is crippled, and psycologically damaged beyond repair, and YOU have the nerve to suggest it was her fault? I've heard some things about you, Youkai, but they were never flattering. What my sister saw in you, I'll never know."
Inuyasha never wavered, but Kagome could see his shoulders tense.
Good. I've finally gotten to him. Kagome didn't understand why, but she felt more mad than ever.
Kagome made a point to distance herself from Inuyasha, but it seemed the gods were not in her favor. Every time she turned corner, or started a new class, he was there. And he looked just as happy to see her there as she was. Finally, by the end of the week, Kagome had managed to keep her sanity, and looked forward to her clubs the next day.
Kagome had her doubts about one of the clubs; one that Kikyo absolutely insisted that Kagome join. Curious to see why Kikyo was getting so worked up over her attending a Martial Arts club, Kagome signed up, and on a whim, took a healing class as well. Miss Kaede was known for her kindness and was a genuinely interesting person.
Kagome soon found out that Miss Kaede had taken ill, and had move to her property on the outskirts of the village, with her young grandson as the only help she had. It made Kagome sad, and she vowed to send Miss Kaede some preserves that her mother made just a few weeks before.
Walking down the hallways with her three friends, Kagome finally noticed a lot of excitement going on.
"Oh, you don't know? The healing class was taken over by Mr. Youka. All the spots were filled at the last minute, and all the rest of the girls are grudgingly congratulating those that made it in. Its so not fair! He's so HOT!" One of Kagome's friends said, falling in to hopeless glee.
Kagome was worried that she wouldn't learn a thing, and came to her first class with a heavy heart. It was soon obvious that Mr. Youka knew what he was talking about, although he looked strangely uncomfortable. Kagome learned many new things in her first class, and was much energized after having answered a question correctly. It was only after class ended, and she moved in to the hallway, that she realised what was next.
Kagome watched as many young men walked through the door, but not a woman. Kagome sighed to herself, and entered the mkeshift dojo, hoping upon hope that her teacher wouldn't be too hard on her.
End of Kagome
Inuyasha
Seeing Kagome Higurashi climbing over his backwall had let in a flood of memories that Inuyasha wanted to avoid at all costs, but she left him feeling disoriented, and very angry.
And slightly turned on. Inuyasha cursed his inner voice, but it was true. Kagome closely resembled her older sister, though was not as refined as Kikyo was.
After dropping her on the ground, Inuyasha quickly turned away, hoping that Higurashi wouldn't see his discomfort. She of course knew the story that Kikyo had fabricated, and was sure to hate him for it.
Higurashi sure is chatty. Inuyasha thought to himself, and felt his anger growing as she regarded him with a light air, and an easy smile. Shaken by this, Inuyasha spoke the first thing that came to mind as Higurashi whined about her ruined skirt.
"Well, what else are they to think when you're related to a bitch like Kikyo,"
Inuyasha expected Higurashi to burst in to tears, but she was oddly silent. When she did speak, it was what Inuyasha had thought, but it still pained him to hear it. Especially from her.
"Right. That's how it happened. My sister is crippled, and psychologically damaged beyond repair, and YOU have the nerve to suggest it was her fault? I've heard some things about you, Youkai, but they were never flattering. What my sister saw in you, I'll never know."
Inuyasha tensed at Youkai, the name perilously close to the truth. Seething with anger, Inuyasha finished his walk to school, and left a blessedly silent Higurashi behind.
Inuyasha glared at his class sheet, ignoring Miroku's jibes about the girls around them. Miroku was the class lecher, but always hung around at the temples, for practice to be a priest, which is what Miroku told all the girls.
Inuyasha heard it straight from Miroku that the truth was that Miroku just couldn't get enough of young Mikos.
"Lecher," Inuyasha growled at Miroku, who took the insult with stride, flashing a ready smile.
"The saying goes, I believe, that you do not buy trousers before trying them on. None of them seem to fit perfectly, alas." Miroku sighed dramatically, draping an arm over Inuyasha's shoulders. Inuyasha immediately tensed, and Miroku withdrew his hand immediately, and laughed in the uncomfortable silence.
"So, Inuyasha, what seems to be the problem? We of course know about the Fluffy thing, but what else? You seem unusually pissed off this morning." Miroku said, sitting on the bench beside Inuyasha, and added as an afterthought,
"And for you, that means a lot."
Inuyasha was silent, tugging at a shirtsleeve that had become scuffed during the "Higurash Incident".
"Ah, Kikyo. Why can't you just get over her, and find a new woman?" Inuysha grunted, but didn't reply. He didn't have to.
The week went by slowly, the increasing tension in his half-brother's classes causing all of the students to become very uncomfortable, especially when Inuyasha stood on a table, and demanded that his brother take a shot at him.
Sesshomaru managed to shove a stick of chalk up Inuyasha's nose.
Inuyasha was rubbing his nose as Miroku joined him in the hallway, his books under one arm, and a new girl under the other.
"How was class?"
The girl asked, peering up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha couldn't remember the girl's name, but felt it not important. She as just the flavor of the day.
"Terrible. I don't think I'll ever be able to smell right again."
Inuyasha said, and hesitantly sniffed. He coughed once, and then sneezed, showering the students backs with fine chalk dust.
Miroku couldn't speak for a while, as he tried to get his laughter under control. Inuyasha was getting more pissed off by the moment, and just gave the staring students the evil eye.
Inuyasha had perfected this technique to an art, and could reduce even the toughest girl to tears. It seemed to have no effect on Higurashi, or she was just too dense for it to work.
Inuyasha decided she was dense, and spent a blissful afternoon bashing Kagome in his head. It wasn't until Saturday that he had to think of Kagome in terms of a living, breathing woman.
She was standing outside the Martial Arts club, looking lost and forlorn. Inuyasha was almost moved to speak, but he couldn't quite accomplish it.
"Feh," Inuyasha said, and walked right past her.
After changing in to his customary red robes, (so as not to get any bloodstains on them, heh.) he was surprised to see two women kneeling on the mats, chatting quietly to one another. There were never any girls in the club; it was an unspoken tradition. Inuyasha steered clear from the women, and knelt as far away as possible. He recognized most of the men there, having grown up with most of them. He was pleased to see Kouga sitting close to Higurashi, trying to chat her up.
He'll get a nasty surprise. Inuyasha though maliciously, but was surprised when Higurashi laughed easily with him. It bothered him to no end, and mentally added another punch to the list that he had made of what Kouga deserved to get his year. The worst thing was that Kouga was just as strong, and had probably made just as long a list as Inuyasha.
As their teacher walked in, Inuyasha sighed.
This is going to be the longest two hours of my life.
End of Inuyasha