Chapter 15
Guess what? Guess what? I got into all the high schools I applied to! Beams Going to Presentation! Lala…
Anyway, it's been…like, five months! I AM SO SORRY!
Since you probably have forgotten what happened previously, let's recap.
XXX
From the previous chapter…
Inuyasha trudged to his locker the next dreary Monday morning, still bleary-eyed from waking up so early.
He saw a familiar face waiting for him by his locker. Blinking, he rubbed his eyes, making sure he was seeing properly.
Inuyasha gasped. "Kikyou?"
XXX
The girl turned around. It was indeed Kikyou.
Kikyou, his ex-girlfriend, who had moved out of the country…
"I…what are you doing here?" Inuyasha blurted, mind reeling.
Kikyou shrugged. "Moved back." She seemed to be waiting for him to say something more.
XXX
On Sunday night…
Kagome had been at Sango's house for the past couple of hours, acting, for once, like normal teenagers—after thanking Sango profusely for the bake sale money, they lapsed into talking about boys. Inuyasha and Miroku, to be more specific.
"So anyway," Sango was fuming, "I basically told him that I liked him, and what does he do? He turns around to flirt with other girls while I counted the money!"
Kagome nodded sympathetically.
"So then," Sango continued. She stopped, contemplating. "Oh yeah, did I tell you that when I told him I liked him, he…"
After she had repeated the story, she added, "And remember? I told him I liked him and he turned around to flirt…"
Kagome rolled her eyes. When Sango ranted, she was not the most coherent person. "Yes, Sango," Kagome told her, "I remember. You said that four times already."
Sango blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right. Sorry."
Kagome shrugged.
"Anyway," Sango smiled, her eyes sparkling, "What's happening with you and our little hanyou? Spill!"
"Nothing!" Kagome replied quickly, blushing.
Sango raised her eyebrow. "You're a horrible liar."
Sighing, Kagome relented. "Fine."
"Well?"
Kagome was silent. How did she feel? She allowed herself to bask in her conflicting thoughts and let them battle each other.
The stupid jerk Inuyasha got me into the whole mess…but it was my fault for being so naïve. Inuyasha's shallow, insensitive, and rich…but he's helping me, and it's not his fault that his parents are wealthy…
"You like him, don't you?" Sango asked, breaking the silence.
"I—no!—he's a jerk," Kagome sputtered, racking her brain for any excuse she could possibly make.
Sango shook her head. "Sure."
Kagome sighed and thought honestly about the question. Did she? Her heart pounded faster when she saw him. And she often found herself blushing. And wondering how he would think of her.
"Yes," Kagome whispered silently.
"Eh?" Sango said, her eyes glued to the TV.
"I do! I do like him!" Kagome muttered in a rush, making Sango grin like an idiot for two minutes straight.
"And he likes you too," Sango added. "So go tell him tomorrow. Or else."
Kagome rolled her eyes but agreed.
XXX
Kagome skipped to Inuyasha's locker and opened her mouth to speak to him. But she stopped abruptly.
Someone else was already there next to him. Too close.
Laughing. Talking. Hugging.
"So," the girl was asking Inuyasha, acting the part of "jealous girlfriend" down smack, "who's that girl that you hang out with so often?"
Inuyasha was silent for a moment; Kagome thought he was going to defend her. But then he said, almost mockingly, "She's nobody. At all."
Kagome gasped.
So, she thought, anger overcoming any other emotion, the day she was going to tell Inuyasha she liked him, he was…
After everything they had done together—including breaking the law, for Heaven's sake—, he had just dismissed her as "nobody?"
She shook her head, backing slowly against the wall. Just overreacting…
Then Inuyasha saw her, his eyes filled with horror, while the girl behind him wore a confused expression. "Kagome?"
Inuyasha stared at her. "I—I'm sorry…I didn't mean it…"
Kagome stared at him and felt her eyes watering. She wouldn't let him see her cry. She wouldn't show weakness in front of him. The only solution was to insult him. She would have liked to swear, to curse at him for hurting her. Swear words, however, we not memorable—and she wanted Inuyasha to remember every word—they were, in fact, more grown up ways to call someone an "ugly, boogery, butthead."
She opted for a more colorful insult.
Her voice shaking—not with anger but because she was going to cry; however, it didn't hurt if Inuyasha thought she was angry—, she spat, "Save it, Inuyasha. Go stick your head down the toilet like a good little doggy—and remember to flush."
With that, she spun on her heel and ran.
Only then did the tears start.
XXX
Inuyasha groaned. He was such an idiot! Why did he say those things? He didn't mean them the least bit. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He mentally kicked himself. And then punched himself. And then whacked himself…
Kikyou looked at him. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. She knew him better than he knew himself—although that wasn't exactly a talent, as Inuyasha didn't know himself at all. "You like her, don't you?" Kikyou asked quietly.
Inuyasha's first impulse was to deny it. Deny everything, no questions asked. "No," he said quickly.
Kikyou smiled sadly. She liked Inuyasha, of course, but he had moved on. Part of her wanted to be vindictive, but what would she gain? Nothing, really. She would have to take the mature route no matter how much it hurt her. "Inuyasha," Kikyou said gently. "Go. Run after her."
Inuyasha stared. "What?"
Kikyou shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine without you. She won't."
Inuyasha nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you, Kikyou," he said gruffly.
With one last nod, he was gone.
XXX
Sango was anticipating Kagome's return. Kagome had dashed off to meet Inuyasha, leaving her in homeroom, staring at the clock.
Humming to herself, she watched the second hand click its way around and around, waiting for someone interesting.
"Hi," Miroku said, popping out of nowhere.
"Ack!" Sango yelped, then relaxed. "Oh, it's you."
Miroku grabbed her wrist and dragged her across the hall, ignoring her protests.
"What are you doing?" she hissed at him.
"You'll see," he said, grinning at her. Miroku cleared his throat, handing her a single, red (though slightly limp and wrinkled) rose. "Sango? Will you go to the dance with me?"
Sango, surprised, turned the color of the rose—a very dark red. Finally! It's about time! To hide her embarrassment, she joked, "Hmm…Let me think…"
Miroku whined, hopping around and poking her. "Please? Please? Please?"
Sango rolled her eyes. "I'm just kidding, Miroku—and yes, I will." She grinned stupidly.
Miroku looked back, the expression on his face matching hers, and they walked idiotically back to class.
XXX
And so, one couple began their day with brimming joy; the other with broken-hearted sadness, while another woman lay in a hospital, broken physically and emotionally.
