A/N: I got my first review about 10 minutes after posting the story. :D Yay! Thank you! I'm used to waiting 2 days before someone takes the time to write a review. :'D Anyhow… Onward.
Disclaimer: I don't own the play or the characters. Duh. :'D
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Kagura turned through the numerous pages attached to her clip board, examining each sheet carefully. Sesshomaru was rambling on next to her, explaining to everyone else what the set was going to look like, what all needed to be done, and what they were doing today. She found a note at the bottom of the mini-novel. She raised her eyebrows at the contents, but before she could voice her question, Sesshomaru finished his lengthy explanation and jumped on to the stage, the others from the house following him. She followed soon after them, shrugging the note off for now.
In the scene shop, Sesshomaru was barking orders at upperclassmen to show the freshmen what everything was and to the sophomores to start some work. He then turned to Kagura, a slight smirk upon his lips, "Have you looked through the papers?"
Kagura nodded, "The note at the bottom-"
"Don't worry about it," he said, flipping through his papers to a sheet of notes. "Is there anything in here you don't understand?" He cast his gaze dawn at her, not bothering to move his head to follow his eyes.
Kagura laughed, "Besides most of it, I understand it well enough." She dropped her arm to her side, clipboard in it, "Why did you choose me for this?"
Sesshomaru smirked slightly, "Does it matter?" Like he would actually tell her. If she couldn't see it in herself, she wasn't going to be able to accept someone else telling her. She would have to learn the reason herself… With his aid, of course.
She huffed, "Well then, my Lord and Master, what is it you want me to do?" She wasn't going to give this guy an easy time, and he wasn't going to push her around. She was partially in charge anyway.
Waving his hand, "Oh…. I don't know…. How about you head up to the wood loft and take stock on our flats, and see how many of them have brackets attached to the back."
"It's already crowded up there!" she whined, glancing up to a junior teaching a few freshmen about wood. It wasn't a large loft, either, and even they were having trouble moving about.
Sesshomaru was already walking away, "Deal with it," he said, walking back on stage with a roll of masking tap, his clip board, a measuring tape attached to his back pocket, and a digital camera.
She growled after him, glaring. Someone took her space behind her, looking down at her with a strange, cold glare. "Don't bother with him," he said, rolling his suddenly-soft eyes. "He's a waste of time." It was InuYasha, she realized as he turned his back and went back to the screwdriver case to make sure everything was charging. Blowing a wisp of hair from her face, she climbed the ladder to the loft, slamming the door in the floor closed. The freshmen jumped, and the junior looked over to her with a questioning look.
"There's no more room up here," he stated, briefly motioning to his small following.
"Well then, you'll just have to stay out of my way, won't you?" she glared at him, moving to the stack of flats. He grabbed her shirt collar, forcing her around to face him.
"Look. I don't care if you're co-head. You've got to follow the upperclassmen's orders and rules. You're just a freshman yourself…"
She glared coldly into his eyes, "How about this: You let go of me and continue educating them while I do what I was told by Mr. high-and-mighty down there. Also, you don't try to push me around anymore, or I'll report you to him."
He reluctantly released her, and shoved back through the group of freshmen, leading them to the other side of the loft. Kagura rolled her eyes, turning back to the flats. She counted them easily, writing the number down in the margin of her note sheet, and began tipping them forward, counting how many had brackets on the back.
Sesshomaru looked at his plans and pulled the measuring tape from his back pocket. Looking back at his set plans, he measured various lines on the stage, putting small pieces of tape to mark them, and writing on them with a red sharpie. He then began to lay tape lines between the markers, writing measurements on them. He glanced up to the wood loft to see a junior –Hojo—holding Kagura by the collar. He raised an eyebrow at Kagura's cool disposition at the threat she was being given. However, she handled it well. 'I was right. I have nothing to worry about having her as co-head.'
He had finally gotten the set taped out on the stage when Kagura approached him. "We have thirty flats but only twelve with brackets on them."
He raised his eyebrows, "Really? That's all?" Sighing, he looked past Kagura to the scene shop, "Ask InuYasha if he's seen any lying around, and where. See how many we have." She nodded, and hurried back to the shop.
He pulled out his camera and jumped off of the stage. From the back of the center of the theatre, he took a picture of the empty stage. He replaced the camera in its case and went back to the shop, being stopped by Kagura on her way out. "No, he didn't see any."
He was quickly growing frustrated by her constant appearances, "Then… Go find some!" he growled, immediately moving his hands to his temples.
Kagura dropped her clipboard to the floor, shoving a finger at Sesshomaru, only inches from his chest, "Look, bucko. You got me into this. Don't go yelling at me because I'm doing what you asked."
Sesshomaru pushed her out of the way, "I'll find them myself. Join a group and become educated," he growled, fingertips still to his temples.
Kagura bent down and picked her clipboard up, throwing a look of daggers at his back. 'What a jerk…' she thought, still glaring. 'I only did what he asked.'
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The next day rolled around, and Kagura and Sesshomaru met eyes in the halls. However, their eyes both held hatred and fire. Sesshomaru knocked in to Kagura's arm, causing her to drop her pile of books. As she bent down to pick them up, fuming, Sesshomaru turned and noticed her clipboard was among the books and notebooks. He looked down at her, smirking, "Why on earth do you have that with you?"
She stood up suddenly, face close to his. "I'm trying to figure out what everything is," she growled. A small group was around them now, staring at Kagura, stunned at the manner in which she was talking to Sesshomaru.
Not wanting his pride hurt or his reputation tarnished, Sesshomaru quickly made a come-back, "I don't think that's possible for you. Put the toys away and let the big kids do the thinking." The group burst in to laughter, and Sesshomaru laughed with them, turning and continuing in the opposite direction to his class.
Kagura stomped one of her feet heavily, letting out a sharp sigh before turning and going back to her own class. 'Stupid… egotistical… Augh!" She stopped in the middle of the crowded hallway, letting out a groan in frustration. As people made their way to move around her, some shouting obscenities, they laughed and stared at her. Shaking her head, she turned and entered her classroom, sinking in to the chair at her desk.
Kagome looked across the table at her, raising her eyebrows, "What's with you?"
"People go out of their way to torture me… People are rude…." She set her head heavily on the desk, closing her eyes, "Hooray for high school," she added sarcastically, twirling a finger in the air.
"I'll agree with you on the second one…" she said, laughing, "But I doubt the first.
"Never mind," Kagura said, pulling her head up. "So what does InuYasha think of the make-out scene at the beginning of the play?"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "I'm not sure he ever really thinks as all. But he's not too happy about it, to say the least."
Kagura sighed, "You're lucky to have that part…" Immediately she placed her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. 'Did I just say that? I hate that guy! Why would she be lucky? She's cursed! I feel sorry for her! Why would I want to be in her place?'
Kagome's mouth turned to a smile, "Aww…. Someone has a crush!" she teased, giggling.
"No! Not at all! I hate the guy!" she said, jumping up, hands slamming firmly on her desk. "You're lucky because… Because it's a lead role!"
Kagome chuckled, "Whatever you say, Kagura. Just don't let yourself believe that too firmly."
Another fifteen minutes passed, and still no teacher. "I think he's gone M.I.A…." Kagome said in wonderment.
"Don't sound so disappointed," Kagura teased, nudging her with her toe in the shin.
"Oh whatever!" Kagome screeched, blushing. "I don't have a crush on him! I have a boyfriend! And besides, he's waaaaaaaay too old!" She laughed nervously at the end, waving a hand dismissively at Kagura.
Kagura sighed, shaking her hung head, "Whatever…."
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Some people were patting Sesshomaru on the back, "Good job for telling that wench off!" They were saying, as though he had done the greatest thing in the world. However, he didn't feel that way. After their spat yesterday, he was sure this didn't help his standing with her one bit.
He shrugged, "It's… not a big deal."
They laughed, "Whatever you say! Telling those freshmen off one at a time will keep them in line!"
'It's like adding salt to the wound… She was just trying to be helpful. And she didn't even do anything wrong this time.' He sighed. They continued to congratulate him until he couldn't stand it anymore. "Bug off!" He yelled, turning back at everyone. "If you haven't noticed, I didn't accomplish anything! Mind your own business! I don't even know half of you!"
The group stopped, looking after the retreating Sesshomaru with wide eyes. They had never talked to any of them that way. They all turned to each other, not knowing what to say or do. Shrugging, they scattered and went to their own classes, some making it just before the bell rang.
Sesshomaru tapped his pencil on his desk as his AP A/N: Advanced Placement; it's a freshman (or sophomore, depending on the class, etc.) college class English teacher entered. She looked down at him, raising an eyebrow, "Why so nervous?" She had picked up on his habits, because he had had her as a teacher His freshman, junior, and now his senior year as well.
He sighed, "It's nothing. Just… normal high school stuff."
She laughed, "I know it's more than that. I know you too well. But we have to start class." She took her seat on a stool in the front of the classroom, "Write your assignment down, then we'll get started."
Sesshomaru scrawled it down in his notebook, but he wasn't aware of anything she was saying. He was too caught up in his own thoughts and actions to even care right now.
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Kagura casually sat in the café, looking out the window. 'He's late…' she sipped her cappuccino, getting a bit of whipped cream on her nose without realizing it. Finally, he towered over her.
"Sorry I'm late," Sesshomaru said, sitting down across from her. He motioned to her nose, "You've got a little something…" She crossed her eyes down toward her nose, and wiped the whipped cream off with a napkin. Sesshomaru continued, stifling his laugher, "Sorry about earlier today. It was uncalled for."
She set her cup down, glaring, "You're right. It was. It was also mean and rude."
Beckoning a waiter over, he continued, "True. But I want to turn over a new leaf and start over. I haven't been that nice to you…" He ordered a plain coffee, and the waiter hurried off.
Laughing slightly, Kagura, picked her cup up, took a sip, and set it back down, "Well, as true as this is, I suppose I'll cooperate. And I'll try to be less irritating."
His coffee came, and they sat and drank in silence for a few minutes. However, Kagura couldn't stand it anymore, "Why did you invite me here? I know it wasn't just to apologize. That was unplanned."
Sesshomaru set his cup down, and stared out the window a moment. He groped for the response he could give her that wouldn't make her stand up and leave right away. He hesitated. Words weren't coming easily to him at the moment. He had been reamed out by Naraku for having nothing done on the set. He shook his head, and just spoke, not really knowing or caring what would come out. "You have a lot of potential, Kagura. More than you know of."
Kagura laughed harshly, setting her cup down hard on the table. "Yeah, right. I have as much potential as an elephant."
He smiled slightly, "I figured you would say that. So, to prove it to both yourself and Naraku, you're in charge of painting."
Kagura gagged on a mouthful of cool coffee, almost spitting it out. "What?" she finally managed. "Are you insane? The amount of painting that has to be done on this set is insane for just one person to do!"
"Why would one person be doing it? Grab some people you trust to do a good job and get to work painting all of those flats." He rested his chin on a fisted hand. "Naraku is less than satisfied with our progress. We're going to have to start doing some serious work if we want to get this set done. The pressure is going to get pretty heavy, though. Just don't cave in. You know who to come to if you're having trouble."
Kagura smiled softly at him, and, for once, didn't have a snide remark to throw back. The only response she gave was to pick up her cup and finish off her cappuccino.
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InuYasha rang the doorbell at Kagome's house and waited patiently for her hung over father to answer the door. Finally, he dragged himself over to the door and pulled it open. InuYasha shoved past the man, who didn't seem to mind. He hurried up to Kagome's room, and found her lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "What's up?" he said, straddling a chair backwards and tipping slightly forward in it.
She rolled on to her side, "Nothing. Bored. Without rehearsal today, I have nothing to do."
InuYasha nodded, "Same." He paused a moment, "Hey, where's your mom?"
Kagome was silent for a long while as she cast her eyes away from InuYasha. "She left last night," she spoke softly, closing her eyes to hide the pain and loneliness and abandonment she felt.
InuYasha sank the chair to the floor, directing his eyes downward, "Your dad doesn't care?" He closed his eyes as well, wishing he could get inside Kagome's mind.
"Has he ever?" she whispered through tears. Her mother couldn't take the beating from Kagome's father anymore. Verbal beatings though, not physical. Kagome knew that if he touched her and meant harm just once, they both would have been out of that house before he woke up.
"Why didn't she take you with?"
Kagome sat up, wiping the tears form her eyes, "Let's go get some coffee," she said. "I need something to calm my nerves."
InuYasha opened his eyes, smiling softly. 'She can't take the pain as it is. I don't need to push it any.'
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A/N: Ah-heh… Nothing play-related in this chapter, I guess. Oops! But this seems like a pretty decent place to stop. Thanks to my reviewers! I love you all! TT
