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Cooking Session 3 - Dog Treat Crime?

The next terrible day was, well…terrible. I guess Kagome's life was just miserable while she was in Home Ec class, since I seem to begin every single chapter with that sort of heading.

Anyway, as soon as Kagome walked through the door, she almost collapsed in shock. There, in the flesh, was…well, actually she wasn't sure who it was. But there he was, sitting at the teacher's desk with a firm smirk. Kagome could only assume that he was the new teacher to replace the enraged Ms. Katreen. Kagome gulped guiltily as she remembered Ms. Katreen, and then shetied her sky blue apron around her waist.

She studied the new teacher carefully. His hair was long and dark, and his eyes were pretty frightening. He looked very unusual, and he didn't seem like the teacher-type at all. Especially not a Home Ec teacher type. Kagome didn't like him much from the very beginning.

After everyone got his or her apron on (including 'pink apron boy'), the new teacher cleared his throat and introduced himself.

His voice was sharp and dark. "I am Naroku, your new Home Ec teacher. Today we will make chocolate chip cookies."

Then, satisfied, he sat back down at the teacher's desk.

Kagome was a bit surprised. The new teacher, Naroku, didn't say very much. After he was done speaking, the astonished students grabbed their cooking supplies and recipes and hurried to their cooking spaces. They wondered why he hadn't said much too.

Distracted as she observed Naroku, Kagome said, "Inu-Yasha, can you grab the chocolate chips, please?"

"Feh," Inu-Yasha grumbled, but he left to get them anyway.

Kagome noticed out of the corner of her eye that Inu-Yasha wasn't taking his eyes off of Naroku either. For some reason, she didn't much like the new teacher. Not much at all. She could tell that Inu-Yasha felt the same way. She took a deep breath and dared to approach him.

Naroku saw her standing next to his desk and raised his eyebrow. "Yes?"

Kagome immediately felt foolish. She realized that she didn't even have the faintest reason to be at the teacher's—Naroku's—desk. She quickly thought of something to say, but was interrupted by a black-haired girl about her age—maybe older—that looked just like her practically.

"Good morning, Mr. Naroku," she said sweetly. "I am Kikyo, one of your students. I am curious: may I add a 'twist' to my chocolate chip cookie recipe—you know, add to it a bit? Right now it seems so…well, plain."

Kagome was disgusted. The new teacher, Naroku, all ready had a teacher's pet.

"Yes, you may," Naroku said. "But please…don't call me Mr. Naroku."

"Yes, sir," Kikyo said kindly, disgusting Kagome even further.

Kagome watched as Kikyo walked away. Her walk was so elegant and fine that it made Kagome's nose crinkle. She wished Kikyo didn't look so much like her. She didn't much like teacher's pets, especially the ones that kissed up to a brand new, strange teacher.

"Kagome," Naroku turned to her suddenly, startling her. "You are Inu-Yasha's partner, yes?"

Kagome was puzzled by Naroku all ready knowing her by name. "U-uh, yes."

"Hm. Very well, then."

Kagome went to her cooking space, where Inu-Yasha was waiting impatiently for her. She sighed and paid him no mind. Naroku weighed heavily on her mind. She had had her share of strange, weird teachers, but this one topped them all. He was just so odd, and she couldn't explain why.

"C'mon, Kagome! Hurry up! We've got to get started, y'know!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

Kagome turned to Inu-Yasha. "Oh…yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about the new teacher."

Inu-Yasha snorted in reply. He handed Kagome the bag of chocolate chips and a large mixing bowl. The two of them proceeded to make the chocolate chip cookies. As they were doing it, Kagome constantly wondered what 'twist' Kikyo was adding to her cookies. Inu-Yasha was being more quiet than usual. Kagome figured that he was thinking about Naroku. Or maybe he just didn't want to get on Naroku's bad side.

In about ten minutes, the cookies were ready to bake. Kagome was relieved as well as shocked that nothing horribly messy or disastrous had happened yet. She found it almost boring, to her surprise.

"Inu-Yasha, I'm going to go get an oven mitt. Please put the cookies in the oven for me," Kagome said, trying to sound a little kind.

There's no way he can screw that up, she thought to herself as she walked away.

But when she returned…horror music loudly plays in backround …Inu-Yasha had put the cookies in the oven, but something smelled badly. Kagome feared finding out what it was. The cookies couldn't have been burning; she hadn't been gone that long… Then she sighed miserably. With Inu-Yasha, anything was possible. She opened the oven door to see what the cookies looked like and gasped as she quickly pulled them out of the oven.

"Inu-Yasha, what did you do!" she cried more as an exclamation than a question.

Inu-Yasha sniffed the cookies and practically gagged. "I spiced them up a little."

The chocolate chip cookies, which looked like giant gooey dust balls more than cookies, were so black and deformed that Kagome couldn't figure out what he had done to them.

"I guess I went a little overboard with the chocolate chips," Inu-Yasha admitted sheepishly.

Kagome felt her temper rise. "A little!"

Then she calmed herself down and tried to think of a solution for the situation. But it was too late.

"Class, bring your cookies here to the front table, please. You should be done by now," Naroku called.

Kagome moaned. She knew this would turn out horrific. Inu-Yasha didn't look too happy either. Kagome wondered if maybe he was a little guilty for once. It was getting harder and harder for her to read his thoughts.

As Kagome brought her cookie mess to the table where others had all ready placed their wonderfully-scented cookie masterpieces, she knew she was attracting stares. She tried to ignore them, but she was extremely embarrassed. She couldn't believe she had to go through with this.

Kagome saw as Kikyo showed her admiring classmates her wonderful, perfectly-shaped cookies. She enviously wished that could have been her. Naroku closed in on her as she placed the "cookies" on the table. Inu-Yasha stood behind her, not removing his eyes from Naroku.

"Well, I see yours didn't go so well," Naroku said coldly. "No matter…you'll simply receive an F for the day. Better luck next time. And"—he turned to face Inu-Yasha—"I expected this much from you. I think you need some practice, 'pink apron boy.'"

The class let out a few snickers when they heard Naroku teasing Inu-Yasha so cruelly. Kagome wasn't exactly sure why, but she felt pity for Inu-Yasha and seeked to defend him. She felt helpless, though, against the mysterious new teacher, Naroku.

"Sir," Kikyo cut in evilly, "why did you expect this much from Inu-Yasha? Did you know him before he joined this class?"

Naroku smiled, a crooked, toothless half-smile. "Oh, yes. Quite well, actually. He had to take these cooking classes because of a crime. I was the one who caught him committing this terrible deed."

The class waited anticipantly for him to continue and explain the crime Inu-Yasha had done. Even Kagome found herself waiting for him to go on. Her curiosity forced her to wonder what sort of terrible thing Inu-Yasha had done in the past.

"You see," Naroku said after a long hesitation, "he got caught stealing four whole bags of dog treats."

The class let out a ring of laughter. Kagome held in a little giggle. She saw Inu-Yasha's positively embarrassed face and stopped giggling immediately. She felt bad for him. For the first time after she met him, she really actually wanted to help him. It was a new feeling for her, and it made her feel a little embarrassed for some reason.

Just then, she heard a loud burp. The entire class stopped laughing for a moment to see young Shippo laying on the ground and groaning with three empty plates covered in cookie crumbs next to him.

"Oh…the stomach ache…ugh…" he mumbled.

"Serves him right for eating my delicious, wonderful cookies!" Kikyo yelled. "He deserves it, the little brat!"

Kagome smirked when she saw Kikyo's angry reaction. When she turned around to face Inu-Yasha, he was gone. He had all ready left, and his pink, lacey apron was thrown onto the floor.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Boo-hoo! I feel bad about embarrassing Inu-Yasha, but it had to be done. -glares at Naroku- I guarantee, though, that Inu-Yasha will get his revenge. Maybe not with his claws or sword, but he still will defeat Naroku! I intend to make Kikyo suffer, too!

Anyway, in the next chapter, it is a day off. There is no home ec class that day, so Kagome takes Inu-Yasha apron shopping! They get to know each other a little better, and there is a little "ice cream surprise" for Kikyo. Find out exactly what I mean in the next chapter, which I have no idea when I'll be able to create. I'll try to update asap, though! Really, I will!