Disclaimer: I still don't own InuYasha.
Running at full speed, Sango clenched her eyes closed tightly as an attempt to hold back the tears that she could already feel burning in the back of her eyes. It happened again… A flashback of when her family died… She had told herself that she was fine, and she'd hoped that this wouldn't happen at her new school, but there she was, darting around the school in search for a bathroom or some other place where she could be left alone so no one else would have to witness her tears.
Little did she know, Kagome, InuYasha, and Miroku weren't too far behind her, worried. Once she spotted a willow tree outside the school, where no one would see her, she used the last bit of her energy, breathing hard, to skid under the tree, staying in that helpless position, sprawled onto the dirt with her long hair scattered around her body as she began to weep.
Kagome, trying her best to do what's right, told InuYasha and Miroku to go back to class, that Kagome would work things out with Sango. Reluctantly, they walked back, but once Kagome turned her back, the two boys hid behind a nearby bush to see what would unfold.
"I'm worried…" InuYasha admitted, "… even though we only just met the girl."
"Yeah… I wonder what happened. I hope that she wasn't upset by what I said…" Miroku pondered aloud, then they both focused on the two girls under the willow tree.
"Ah, Sango…" Kagome whispered.
Sango tried not to hear her, but she knew that it would hurt her if she were ignored, so Sango, with her head still pushed against the earth, responded, "Y… Yes?"
"What's wrong…?" Kagome asked gently as she sat down next to her, plucking a leaf from the tree.
'I can't tell her…' Sango told herself, 'If she were to find out why I'm sad, it would just be obligating her… I'd just be burdening a new friend. What if she responds like my old friends? I don't want that to go through that again…'
With that in mind, Sango heaved herself from the ground, wiping the dirt and tears from her face and body.
"It's nothing… I'm fine…" came Sango's delayed response with a weak smile to her new friend.
'I guess she doesn't want to tell me. I understand… I mean, we've only just met… Maybe I shouldn't have come out here…' Kagome thought as she returned Sango's smile.
"Let's go to class!" Kagome proposed cheerfully, and they began walking off.
InuYasha and Miroku, still hidden by the bush, exchanged confused looks, then shrugged and followed the girls back into the school.
Once they returned to the classroom and sat down in their seats, the bell rang. Five minutes into the teacher's lecture, Sango was passed a note from the girl beside her, Kagome. She eyed it curiously; at her old school, this certainly wasn't the common custom of communication. After Kagome nodded her head, signaling her to unfold it, Sango finally (as quietly as she could, as to not draw the attention of the teacher) opened the note and began to read. Upon finishing it, she learned that Kagome was planning to show her around the town with Miroku and InuYasha to have some fun after school on Saturday.
Sango flipped the page over to write her reply: "That sounds like a good idea. I'd love to go!" With a few more times of passing the note between them, the time was planned out as well. Sango sat at her desk patiently waiting for lunch to come so they could talk. The time passed by surprisingly quickly since a lot of the time was spent writing notes and not listening to the teacher's lecturing. When the bell rang, the group of four exited the classroom and headed for the cafeteria.
"Hey, InuYasha, Miroku, what do you guys think about coming with me to show Sango around the town on Saturday?" Kagome prompted as they walked swiftly.
"Sure, why not? I've got nothing better to do." came InuYasha's not-so-enthusiastic reply.
"Sounds like fun. What do you think we'll be doing?" Miroku asked with a grin.
"Umm… Well I'm not quite sure yet. We have all week to figure that out. I was thinking that after school, we could all go out to WacDonald's, then from there maybe go to some of the good places for shopping…? Maybe go see a movie? I'm not really to sure. If you guys get any ideas or have any suggestions, tell me, okay?" Kagome announced as they sat themselves down at a table in the cafeteria, setting their things down, then leaving to go wait in line.
Sango remained alone at the table as she took out the bento that she had made herself the night before; she was the only one, it seemed out of her friends who hadn't left to go in line. While she waited, she took out one of her cat-shaped onigiri and began to eat. Reviewing the events of the day, she felt quite foolish for what happened this morning. It seemed like so long ago already. She was really happy to have made these promising, new friends, though.
Miroku was the first to return from the lunch lines.
"Nice bento. Did your mom make it for you?" Miroku asked, as a smile formed on his lips.
Sango paused in eating her onigiri… 'My mom… No, I can't let it get to me…'
Sango stopped herself from crying again and answered, forcing a smile, "No, I made it myself."
"No way! You're great! These are so pretty! They look like a professional made them or something." Miroku commented as he grabbed an onigiri from her bento, leaving Sango with a bit of a shocked expression as he took a bite out of it, announcing that it also tasted "divine."
Sango warmed up some, finishing her onigiri and moving onto the fried pork sandwiches. Maybe she could learn to get along with this guy after all. Miroku inhaled the rest of the onigiri, and then paused, apologizing, "Oh. I hope that you don't mind that I just ate some of your lunch."
"Ah, no. It's fine. Thanks for the compliments on it." She returned, showing her teeth.
It was then that Kagome and InuYasha, at almost the exact same time, arrived at the table. InuYasha immediately began to dig into his ramen, and Kagome carefully began to eat her oden.
"I think that on Saturday we should go to Shibuya." Kagome added to the list of things to do.
"That sounds like fun…" Sango commented politely, and then ate more of her sandwich.
After lunch, they all went back to class and were lectured to until the bell rang, dismissing them from school. Sango bid adieu to her new friends, then gathered her things and took the bus home.
She finished her homework on the bus ride, so when she arrived home, she unlocked the apartment and tossed her backpack to the ground, telling Kirara that she was home.
"Hey, Kirara. How was your day?" Sango asked with a smile, and then switched on a light, telling her cat the events of her day.
The house seemed eerily empty and lonely even though Sango had turned the light on. Sighing, Sango made her way into her bedroom and plopped down on the bed, Kirara pouncing onto her stomach.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this…" Sango told Kirara as she pet her, Kirara purring wildly.
Well, that's the end of the chapter… Sorry that it was short and perhaps boring. I'm feeling a bit unmotivated and writer's block has a hold of me. Please review and tell me what you thought of the chapter or give me ideas! Thanks! I'll post the next chapter this week, since I have the whole week off of school.
