Scroll Two
Confrontation
*******************************************************************************************
Kagome walked through the halls of the school, which looked as normal as ever. Students stood around in the halls, since there were large dark clouds threatening to join together and ruin everyone's day, the occasional teacher scurrying down the hall.
" --looking for you Kagome."
" What?" Kagome asked, snapped out of her stupor. She'd been thinking…
" I said Hojo's been looking for you! He wanted to bring you get well presents but whenever he visited the shrine your grandpa said you were to sick, but Sota said you were off somewhere…"
Kagome groaned inwardly and let her forehead fall into her hand. This was beginning to be a typical day for her. Questions about her illness, questions about where she went when she was sick, questions about---
" When ARE you going to go on a date with Hojo anyway?"
--her love life.
She sweat-dropped. Couldn't they ever find ANYTHING else to talk about? And talk about feeding the fire if it wasn't 'ol lover boy himself. She winced inwardly; she was beginning to sound like Sango but with Inu-Yasha 'language'.
" Higurashi-san!" Hojo came up to her with a smile and a large bundle. " I'm pleased that you were well enough to come to school today. How was your spleen surgery?"
" S-Spleen surgery?" Kagome asked, dazed by her grandfather's genius.
" Oh! You must still be on your painkillers. Anyway, here, take this as a get well present."
Kagome slowly opened the parcel.
I don't think I could stand another pair of shoes…
It turned out to be a delicately carved tea set. The teapot was tiny, but exquisite, the cups beautifully carved with tiny bamboo groves etched in the sides.
Her friends made approving noises in the background as she struggled to grasp the question proposed to her with the gift.
" H-Hojo-san! I cannot accept this, it's too beautiful!"
" Please, it's nothing compared to your beauty Higurashi-san."
Feh! He's such a sweet talker, probably not good for anything else. He couldn't protect you like I could… Kagome could practically hear Inu-Yasha's voice in her head.
" Hojo-san, I really cannot accept this, it's too much!" She tried to force it back towards him, but he backed away, shaking his head.
" No, no, Higurashi-san. It's a thank you for the date you went out with me on, even if you had to cut if short because of illness, and to insure others." He blushed slightly, as did she, but it only firmed her will against keeping it.
" I'm sorry, but I can't keep it. There won't be any others."
Her friends gasped. She was turning down Hojo! Cute, funny, sweet, kind, from Class B!
He frowned a little. This wasn't what he was expecting. Higurashi was always sweet and demure; she wouldn't turn him down unless---
" Are you already promised to someone else?" He asked quietly, his eyes sad.
She looked down, her bangs shadowing her eyes.
" Yes. I've been promised for a long time."
Hojo's face took on a sad look.
" Why didn't you tell me earlier? It would have been better, at least for me."
" I didn't know myself until yesterday," Kagome muttered, " and if it makes you feel better he's a big foul mouth who doesn't know when to shut up half the time and then doesn't talk enough the other half. He's got the attitude of a kicked dog with a new owner, has severe emotional problems, could never compare to you in manners and courtesy, has enough testosterone to drown a fish and I'm madly in love with him."
If that loud mouth was around to hear me he'd probably either die of embarrassment or kill me
Her friends immediately went into a flurry about WHO it could be, after all, she'd never told them so she must have found out only recently, which implied that she'd met him recently which means he's not from the high school…
" OH COME ON!" Kagome yelled, blushing. Her friends turned to find her alone in the hallway, Hojo having taken off, subdued. This was NOT what he'd been expecting.
Kagome was blushing furiously, partially with anger but mostly with embarrassment. " Let's just get to class!" She turned in a huff and walked down the hallway, her friends scurrying after her. Suddenly, a bolt of lightening shot across the sky, showing how cloudy it had gotten outside. Almost immediately afterwards a large amount of rain started coming down.
Kagome glanced out worriedly into the rain.
Don't fight without me Inu-Yasha. I know you're strong…but I want to be with you, I want to fight by your side. Please, Inu-Yasha, don't fight alone, I couldn't lose you again…
*******************************************************************************************
Scroll Three
Retrieval