More Than What She Seems

0.0 A MONTH of not updating! OMG. I'm so sorry!

A/N: Anyways...Man, some of your predications really hit it right on the nail!

And sorry again for taking so long to update!

Chapter 18: Back To Hell

"I haven't been here in a while," Kagome's eyes softened as she looked around in her old room. It still looked the same as before. She set her luggage on the floor and walked over to her slightly narrow bed. She plopped down and let out a small giggle, "Still as bouncy as ever."

Her expression turned more serious, "Is this really a good idea?"

:.:Flashback:.:

"Grandma, why?" she had asked Kaede with a frightened voice when they were alone. "Why are you letting me go back?"

"She showed me papers...and I must follow the law by letting you go back. In order for your step-mother to be arrested, the people who'll do the arresting need proof...and so far, we have none of it," was her reply. "Kagome, listen child, this time, I want ye to live with your step-mother again and if she lays a finger on you, I want you to call the police...or tell or call someone, ye got it?"

"Hai," Kagome answered with a grim look.

"I love you," Kaede gave her granddaughter a hug. "I won't forget you and I know I'll be seeing ye again soon."

"Grandma," Kagome suddenly said. "I've been wondering...where's Shippou?"

"Oh, yes," her grandmother nodded in realization. "I forgot to tell you. Your cousin is at camp this week. You won't be seeing him until next week...but of course...you're not going to be here."

Kagome sadly looked away, "Alright then...I guess I'll be going right now."

"Remember what I told you what to do, Kagome," Kaede hugged her again. "I want you to be safe there."

"I don't think that's going to be possible," Kagome whispered and hugged her grandmother back. "It never will be."

:.:End of Flashback:.:

Kagome jumped at the sound of someone knocking on her door.

"Kagome, it's me," Souta's voice whispered on the other side. "Let me in."

She stood up and walked to the door slowly. As she laid her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated.

"She's not there, is she?" Kagome asked with a quivering voice.

"Nope, just me."

The door creaked open and Souta stepped inside. Kagome slammed the door shut and locked it quickly.

"You know, I've always envied you," her step-brother stared wide-eyed at her. "Only YOU had access to enter this room..and you still do. Mom used to try to break the door down and search inside here during the years when you weren't here, but it was locked..."

His eyes flickered around, "...until now. Wow, everything was how you left it if I remember correctly."

"Yeah," she gave him a warm smile. "I expected it to be this way. Dad changed the lock on the door when he realized that your mom was getting jealous of me and gave me the only key to it."

Kagome dug into a pocket on her jeans and pulled out a slightly rusted key, "See?"

"So this could be considered as a safe haven," Souta looked around again.

"I guess."

"...then can I hangout in here if things get a little..violent?"

Kagome looked up at him, startled, "What?! You really think your mom is going to start abusing again?"

"Absolutely," he nodded and walked over to the bed to take a seat. "You can count on it. She still has that gleam in her eyes."

The two step-siblings jumped as someone knocked on the door.

"Kagome...Souta," Mrs. Higurashi's voice was heard on the other side. "It's time for dinner."

:o:O:o:O:o:

'What if she poisoned the food?' Kagome held her breath and picked up a piece of pickle from a bowl with her chopsticks. She looked around, 'Nah, why would she? If she did, jii-chan and Souta would get poisoned too.'

Kagome stuck the slice of pickle into her mouth and chewed, ready to spit it out if it tasted bizarre in any way. It didn't.

She was sitting right across the table from her step-mother and diagonally from Souta and her step-grandfather who were both to her right. Souta was sitting closest to her and every so often, he'd give her a small smile.

"I'll do the dishes, like always," her step-mother laughed cheerfully. "So don't anyone worry about it."

'Maybe she's changed?' Kagome stared at her.

As if on cue, Mrs. Higurashi's eyes locked with Kagome's and flashed.

Kagome tore her eyes away, 'Or maybe she hasn't...'

:o:O:o:O:o:

Kagome sat on the floor in Souta's room, talking softly with him until bedtime.

"So you're getting all A's?" she asked her step-brother with a smile.

"Yeah, all accept for math," he groaned. "Man, I can NEVER get math!"

Kagome nodded knowingly. That was one thing they had in common.

"I have a great memory too," Souta added.

She drew up her knees and rested her head on them, "That's great."

Kagome yawned, "I'm tired. I'd better go to sleep. It's a school day tomorrow."

"Okay. Good night then."

"Good night," she answered and stood up.

Kagome stopped in the doorway and flicked off the light, "Sweet dreams, Souta."

"Same to you, sis," Souta replied sleepily in his bed.

She smiled and closed the door shut.

"Well, I was going to check up on Souta, but since you already did, I guess I won't have to," a voice said behind her.

Kagome flinched, turned around, and found herself staring into the eyes of her step-mother.

"Stay away from my son," Mrs. Higurashi said icily. "Or else you will pay."

"You can't forbid me to stay away from him!" Kagome exclaimed. "I mean, his room is right across from mine! What do you want?! For me to be alone and ignored in this house?!"

Mrs. Higurashi held out a hand and gave her a harsh slap across the face.

Kagome dropped to her knees with a dazed look.

:.:Flashback:.:

"Kagome, listen child, this time, I want ye to live with your step-mother again and if she lays a finger on you, I want you to call the police...or tell or call someone, ye got it?" Kaede said firmly.

"Hai," Kagome answered.

:.:End of Flashback:.:

Kagome snapped out of her trance when she felt a hand strongly gripping one of her wrists. Her step-mother pulled her up and hissed sharply, "Don't you ever DARE speak in that tone with me again, do you understand?!"

Kagome whimpered in pain.

"Daughter?" Grandpa's voice was heard from downstairs. "Could you come down for a second? I need your help."

Mrs. Higurashi glanced at the stairs for a brief second and then turned her full attention back to her step-daughter.

"You were lucky this time," she narrowed her eyes. "Next time, if you act the same way as you did just now, you'll be getting more than just a slap."

With that, she turned her back to Kagome and walked back down the stairs.

:o:O:o:O:o:

The next day, Kagome climbed onto her bike and decided to ride to school early...just to make sure that she didn't end up tardy (you know: testing out new routes to school) and so that she could escape her step-mother as quickly as possible.

"See ya later, Kagome-chan!" Souta waved as he rode on his own bike to school in the opposite direction.

"Ja!" she smiled.

Kagome began pedaling at a steady pace and talked to herself mentally.

'I'll give her another chance,' she told herself. 'If she touches me again, I'll tell on her.'

"I have to," she whispered. "I swore to Grandma Kaede."

:o:O:o:O:o:

It was almost the same distance from Higurashi Shrine to the school as Kaede's house to the school. Kagome just arrived 8 minutes earlier to the school than she usually did.

Since Miroku and Sango lived closer to school than she did, they usually arrived before she did, but today, they were nowhere to be found because she had ridden to school so early.

Kagome sighed as she rode to the bike rack.

"Oi! Is that you, Kagome?" a voice called out as she reached it.

She shot her head up, "Hm? Oh. Ohayo, Kouga."

"What's with the long face?" Kouga asked with a frown.

"It's nothing," she answered and locked up her bike. "Well, see you in class."

:o:O:o:O:o:

"Oi, mutt," Kouga stepped in front of Inu Yasha blocking entrance way through the gate.

"Move your wimpy self out of my way," Inu Yasha stepped to the side, only making Kouga step in the same direction, blocking his way again.

"Just one minute of your time," Kouga narrowed his eyes. "Please. You know I wouldn't talk to you unless it was to insult you or to tell you something important."

"That's true.." Inu Yasha gave him a nod. "Spill."

"I think something's wrong with Kagome," Kouga said seriously.

"How so?" Inu Yasha replied with a bored tone.

'This better not be a prank or anything,' he thought to himself.

Kouga continued, "Usually, I come to school really early and I usually don't see Kagome until 10 minutes before the bell...but today, she arrived to school just after me and she looked really depressed...troubled."

"Look who's talking," Inu Yasha smirked.

Kouga rolled his eyes, "I'm serious here, Inu Yasha. I've never seen her look that way before."

"Maybe it's because you were the first person she saw at school today," the hanyou answered with a sly grin. "I'd feel depressed too if I saw you in the beginning of a school day."

Kouga let it slide by with a grunt, "Listen, half-breed..."

Inu Yasha held out a clawed hand and cracked his knuckles, "Say that again? Wolf-turd?"

The two teenagers glared at each other.

"Forget it," Kouga growled. "I should of known you would be to stupid to understand what I was getting to. I guess I'll have to look after her and make sure she doesn't get hurt, but that job would more likely be for you since you're her boyfriend, but YOU won't even listen to me-"

"Okay, I get the freakin' point!" Inu Yasha snapped. "Now move out of my way! You already wasted 5 minutes of my time while I could have been hanging out with my friends!"

He brushed past the wolf demon and began to stride away.

"Think about what I said, Inu Yasha!" Kouga said loudly before walking off in the opposite direction.

Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes at the ground as he continued to walk silently.

"What if he's right?" he murmured. "What if something's wrong with Kagome?"

:o:O:o:O:o:

"Inu Yasha!" Miroku called out under a tree on the school's campus. He, Sango, and Kagome stood at their meeting place for every morning.

"Hey," Inu Yasha greeted.

"You're a bit later than usual today..." Miroku eyed him suspiciously.

The bell rang. The four teenagers began walking to class.

"I was just talking to someone," Inu Yasha answered simply.

'More specifically: I was talking to Kouga,' he thought to himself. His eyes flew over to Kagome. She was talking quietly to Sango.

Inu Yasha's eyes softened, '...and I'm going to take his advice and keep an eye on Kagome.'

A/N: It's just beginning people. It's just beginning. -laughs evilly- (more like insanely...) Ahem. Well, please review!!