Chapter 9: Carnival Craze, Part I

Cool! I got reviews...lala...Oh yeah. If you're annoyed that all Kagome thinks about is her mom then I'll stop. But if YOUR mom were going to die, wouldn't you think about her too? (I think the carnival will have two parts.)

-

"What?" Kagome growled into the phone. It was Saturday morning, 7 AM, way too early for a phone call.

"Jeez," Sango's familiar voice said. "A little cranky, are we?"

Kagome scowled. "Whatever. Why are you calling me this early in the morning? You'd better have an excuse. And make it good."

She could practically see Sango's apologetic smile, a smile that she'd seen so many times before.

"Um. Well. There's a carnival today and me and Miroku are inviting you and Inuyasha." Sango begged, "Please think about it before you—"

"No," Kagome interrupted.

"But..." Sango protested, trying to think of something to say.

"No," Kagome repeated.

"But we already bought you tickets!"

Kagome sighed loudly. She couldn't waste the money. She knew how valuable money was.

Would she go and deliberately leave her mom to die? How selfish was she?

Quietly, like a breeze of the wind, she could hear her mom's soft voice chiding her gently.

Kagome could hear her, almost pleading, for her to go.

Fun.

When was the last time she was actually completely happy?

Her mom would want her to be happy. Would want her to have fun.

And that's what she was going to do.

-

Sango waited for Kagome to say something, as she tapped her long nails on the counter. "Kagome?"

"I'm going," Kagome said decisively.

Sango smiled. "Good. I'll pick you up in an hour."

"K, bye," Kagome said, clicking off the phone.

Sango grinned. Their plan was working! Well, okay, the only part of the plan they had started was to get Kagome and Inuyasha to the carnival, but still...

-

"Inuyasha, you stubborn idiot!" Miroku groaned.

They were both at Miroku's house, as usual. Inuyasha scowled and flung Miroku's math book across the room.

"I...will...not...go...to...a...carnival!" he yelled.

Miroku shrugged. "If you think you can get me mad by throwing my textbook around...uh, no. That doesn't work. Or maybe you just have a hard time controlling your temper. Tsk. Such temper tantrums will never get you anywhere..."

Inuyasha glared, his eyes fiery enough to melt steel. "What did you say?"

Miroku backpedaled. No one should mess with Inuyasha. It was a lesson he learned the hard way. "Nothing, nothing."

"Good."

"Why won't you go to the carnival?" Miroku asked him.

"Because—because—" Inuyasha clearly couldn't think of anything to say. "I just don't, okay?"

"Kagome will be there," Miroku said matter-of-factly.

Inuyasha spun on him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Miroku shrugged. "You should know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll go."

Miroku smiled. "I knew the Kagome thing was going to work."

Inuyasha lounged on the sofa. "No, I'm going to you'll shut up."

-

Kagome stood in line, waiting to get into the carnival. She couldn't see Sango or Miroku. But she did see a familiar flash of doggy ears.

Peering backwards, she shouted and waved her arms. "Inuyasha! Over here!"

Seeing her, Inuyasha shoved a bunch of people in his way and walked over to her, ignoring the withering glances he got from the crowd. "Can I cut?" he asked.

Kagome laughed. "Sure." She was lucky; she came early and was in the first half to the long line.

"Oh!" she pointed. "Look!"

Inuyasha followed her finger and saw Hojo. The densest boy he had ever seen.

"Aw, isn't he cute?" Kagome cooed.

Inuyasha saw the old lady behind him look at the old man.

Inuyasha felt a twinge of jealousy but brushed it off, mistakening it for disgust. Hojo was so not.

"And his ears," Kagome cried.

"His ears?!" Inuyasha blew up. "Kagome, what are you talking about?!"

"Duh," Kagome frowned. "Hojo's dog."

Inuyasha looked at Hojo again. Sure enough, he had a dog—a fat, drooling bulldog with a crooked yellow-toothed [teethed?] smile—on a leash. (Kagome thought THAT was cute?)

Ugh.

Inuyasha felt stupid.

-

Miroku and Sango were behind the two, dressed up as an old man and woman. They wanted to the a little kid thing...spying.

Sango was careful not to look too much at Miroku. Every time she saw him, it made her feel like laughing.

He was wearing overalls. He had covered his hair with a horrid orange cap—it was realistic; a grandfather trying to be cool, Miroku insisted—and glasses.

"When do we get out of these stupid things?" Sango hissed at him, tugging her long really tacky skirt, which oddly reminded her of the curtains her family had thrown out years ago.

-

Miroku shrugged. Why was she asking him? He wouldn't know. They had a plan like a moth-bitten cloth—that is, a plan with many holes.

"After the line, I guess," he whispered, smiling as he saw the jealous look in Inuyasha's eyes. Wait, was that jealousy, or was he trying to murder Hojo with a stare?

Oops.

-

Sango frowned. Miroku was staring at Inuyasha sheepishly. What mistake did he make this time?

"Come on," she said, dragging Miroku along. After Inuyasha and Kagome had paid and entered, so did Sango and Miroku.

Sango stopped walking, though, when she realized that Miroku was not coming.

"Miroku?"

She sighed. It figured. He was making his way to a bunch of cheerleader girls with short skirts.

God! Why was he such a pervert? (And he was dressed like an old man, too!)

Sango, simmering with anger, decided she had best go get Miroku before he made a fool of himself...again.

She really felt like whacking him with her cane.

-

"Where are Sango and Miroku?" Inuyasha demanded.

He saw Kagome's face fall a little. She was really sensitive. Did she think that he didn't want to be around her?

He frowned. That wasn't really true.

Being around her too much made him feel a bit nervous. Which annoyed him. He was supposed to be in control of his feelings. And Inuyasha didn't know WHY he was nervous either.

Which made him more annoyed.

"Miroku! Sango!" Kagome yelled, blasting his eardrums and interrupting his mind.

He peered over her shoulder. Yep. That was them. Miroku, grinning, and Sango, steaming mad. [They had changed out of their old dudes outfits.]

"Hi," Kagome greeted them.

Sango's eyes were narrowed and she looked as if she could strangle Miroku, who didn't even notice.

Miroku beamed. "Let the fun begin!"

Fun? Inuyasha thought. He glanced around at the cotton candy, the teddy bears, the arcades, and his friends. His friends, who were smiling like hyper clowns.

Oh God, he thought. This is gonna be one long day...