Mixed Emotions Sixteen

Author's notes: Finally! Story updated, 16th chapter. I never knew it would come this far, honestly. Ah well, that's how things fell into place. Anyhow, thank you for the reviews once again. Please tell me if the stories good or not, so i can improvise each chapter that I write a little more ! Now, onto the story! Still thinking that Inuyasha got engaged to Kikyo, the group becomes angry with Inuyasha, now that Kagome has figured everything out. And so, to try and persuade Inuyasha into coming for Kagome, Miroku and the others device a plan to tick off Inuyasha's jealousy point at the Valentines Day Dance. But will everything turn out as they planned? Or will someone else's feelings change for Kagome? Read on and find out!

P.S. I put the song-chapter on hold once again ;;...

Disclaimer: I said I don't own Inuyasha. Sheesh...

Mixed Emotions Sixteen - Valentines day dance

Change of heart...

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"KAAGGOOMMEE!!!!" a voice echoed...

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"Have you seen her anywhere yesterday?"

"No...not even this morning...Sorry, Inuyasha."

"Damn...I haven't seen the monk and the others too..."

"Me either. Hey, Do you think she's sick?"

"How would I know? I haven't seen her either..." The hanyou slumped on his seat in the classroom. He just asked Eri and Ayumi if they had seen Kagome anywhere today. The girl wasn't on the first and second classes, and he didn't even see her that morning...the morning after Christmas. He doesn't even have a clue that Kagome had already found out about his connection with Kikyo and what was supposed to have happened yesterday. While he was spacing out into his own little world, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. It was Yuka, another one of Kagome's trusted friends.

"I just heard the teachers talk something about Kagome being in the local hospital and all. I think your other friends excused themselves as well. Hojo's going there after his after-school classes.You might want to go and see what happened too."

"I guess so. Thanks, by the way." Waving off, Yuka ran outside to have her lunch. Inuyasha, however, leaned back on his chair instead and thought, puzzled, "Hospital, huh?"

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8:45PM. Hospital lobby.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" asked a lady wearing a white nurse uniform over the counter.

"I'm looking for a patient named Kagome Higurashi. Is there any chance that I can see her right now?"

"Sorry, but visiting hours are over, sir. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

"But can you at least tell her I was here? My name is Inuyasha. And give these to her as proof." Inuyasha placed a rose on the counter, and the lady nodded courteously.

"Of course, sir. Have a good night." And with that, Inuyasha left the hospital premises immediately. Could it be that something really serious had happened to Kagome on Christmas? If so, what happened?!?

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"How is she?"

"Is she alright?" Five people stood anxiously, glancing every minute if Kagome was okay. She was found two days ago, lying unconscious at the secret pathway within Ahakuri. Day and Night, her friends stayed by her side, wondering if she'll ever wake up. Wondering if she was still alive...or brain-dead. For her heart was shattered badly by a two-timing hanyou named Inuyasha. All they know was that Inuyasha did engage to Kikyo that night, therefore, breaking Kagome down. Today was the second day after christmas.

"She's perfectly fine," responded the doctor. "The main cause was exhaustion and fatigue. She is physically okay."

"I see," Sango answered, sighing in great relief. "At least nothing else happened." Kouga, Miroku, Ayame and Shippo stood siletly in the corner of Kagome's hospital room, thinking of what happened two days ago. They found the poor girl unconscious, brought her to the hospital, and let the doctors examine what was wrong with her. They had been worried sick since the day they found her.

"She also had a small cut on her arm, but it's just a minor thing. No other harm done," explained the doctor. "Well, she should wake up any minute now...it takes a while for her energy to come back to normal. She shouldn't do anything rough or exhausting for a while." Indeed, as the doctor checked his watch, the raven-haired girl stirred on the bed, slowly opening her chocolate brown eyes. The room was so bright with the morning rays that she had to squint just to let her eyes adjust. Kagome blinked a few times, and tried to figure out where she was and what was going on. "Well, young lady. I see you're awake. You're well rested, I presume?"

"Yeah...Am I back in my room? How'd I get here?"

"Then you're good to go. You may leave when you're ready," The doctor finally announced, scribbling something on his clipboard.

"Kagome! You're awake, at last!" Miroku and the others jumped for joy at the sight. Kagome was okay!

"Sango? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?"

"You've been asleep for two days straight, you know! You got us all worried!" Ayame exclaimed, crying tears of joy. "But now at least we know you're really okay!"

"Oh, excuse me," said a lady who just came in the room, holding an exceptionally beautiful rose. "But a young man named Inuyasha came here sometime yesterday. But visiting hours were over, so I sent him away. He also asked to give this rose to you, madam." The kind woman handed over the single flower to Kagome, who placed it on a bedside table. She then left as quickly as she came. Kagome's expression darkened.

"I saw them...Inuyasha and Kikyo...engaged..." she muttered, sniffling at the same time...until it broke down into a sob.

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Back at the Higurashi shrine, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kouga and Ayame dropped off Kagome to make sure that she could get home safely. Mrs. Higurashi embraced her daughter tightly and protectively. She asked quite a lot of questions about where she was, and why she didn't come home for so long (three days, including Christmas morning). Souta was also worried sick about his sister just disappearing for that long...and so was Grandpa. Kagome assured them that she was perfectly okay, and that nothing serious happened.

"We just had a little hiking trip and got lost in the woods," Miroku excused. "But luckily, our little friend Shippo here got us out safe and sound."

"I'm relieved," replied Mrs. Higurashi. "Just next time, be more careful of where you go. You had us worried sick! And thank you for looking after Kagome."

"No problem, Mrs. Higurashi. No problem. Well, we have some things to do. See ya Kagome. Take care too." As Sango and the others waved and left, Kagome headed straight to her bedroom and dropped on her bed. She was still quite upset with Inuyasha...and most of all, Kikyo. She couldn't concentrate on her homework that Hojo kindly brought to her at the hospital. She shouldn't have trusted him! She shouldn't have told him anything! She shouldn't have loved him! She shouldn't have...--!!!

"What am I saying...?" The raven haired girl muttered. Just that moment, Kagome heared the phone ring loudly, and Souta's heavy footsteps rushing down the stairs. A few minutes passed and Souta called his big sister down.

"Hey, sis! It's one of your friends on the phone!" Kagome quickly ran down the stairs, thinking it might be Sango. Snatching the phone from Souta and shooing him off, she placed the reciever on her ear.

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"Hello?"

"Hey, Kagome."

"Inuyasha?"

"Did you get the rose I left at the hospital?"

"Yeah..." the girl responded quickly, then she began to snap at him. "What do you want? Why'd you call me?"

"I just wanted to know if you're okay --"

"I'm fine, really! Now leave me alone and have a good life with Kikyo!" And with that, the junior slammed the phone down and hurried back to her room...before her tears began to fall again. The phone ran once again, but Souta didn't bother to answer it, neither did anyone else. The answering machine turned on, and Inuyasha's voice came on.

"Kagome. It's me, Inuyasha again. I don't know how you found out about my planned engagement with Kikyo --I suppose Miroku told you about it...that damn monk...-- But it's all over--" and the phone bleeped unexpectedly and his voice was gone. Just like that. Her heart sank deep in her chest.

"So...it's really over between us, huh?..."

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"It's no wonder she hung up on you, Inuyasha. She's obviously upset because of you...and that odd-looking witch, Kikyo."

"And who are you to talk, little brat?"

"My name's Rin!"

"Whatever. Just go away..." Inuyasha sulked as he took the little girl by the shirt and dropped her outside of his bedroom door. "Why don't you go bug Sesshomaru or something?" Slamming the door behind him, he opened the window curtains and let the sun's rays in his darkened room. He sighed sadly as he watched the snow fall from the winter sky down to the already-snow-covered ground. The trees had no leaves on them, looking as if it was dead. Now Inuyasha's heart was full of emptiness and loneliness.

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Inuyasha's POV

It's been two months since Christmas. The valentines day dance is also coming up. Most likely, Kagome doesn't want me now...just because she thought I was getting engaged to Kikyo two months ago. That's probably what they're all thinking right now. But I refused to at the last minutes and confess my love about Kagome to Kikyo. Since that day, Kikyo never spoke to me ever again. I haven't heard from Kagome either, nor did I hear from Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Ayame, and that ass, Kouga. I guess they hate me now...but for all I know, they don't know all the facts, and the truth about what really happened there. I wish I could've told them right after the cancelled engagement, but I guess I got so caught up about Kagome that I forgot. I understand that they're mad at me because they didn't want me to get engaged with Kikyo. Now that I think about it, I can't bring up the courage to tell them the whole truth...but that's the only way I can talk myself out of this mess...

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Author's POV

"Okay, this is what we do...Kouga, I'm giving you permission to take Kagome to the dance."

"Are you sure, babe? You don't want me to take you, instead?"

"What kind of a friend are you?!? I'm doing this for her, Kouga. And that doesn't mean I don't want to go with you." Kouga sighed, as he fell on the grass, sitting. Miroku had a very delighted grin plastered on his face. The gang was on their way to the to school, wearing their complete uniform and all. Shippo had already gone back to the orphanage right after Christmas, but was still in contact with them through the phone.

"So does that mean I get to take these pretty ladies to the dance?" he muttered excitedly, his hands wandering around the usual places. Instantly, he got the usual punishment. "Ah...I miss the pain..."

"So that's the plan? Kouga'll take Kagome to the dance to spark Inuyasha's jealousy?" Sango asked once more, turning around to see if Inuyasha was anywhere near them. Luckily, he was nowhere in sight. "Are you sure it'll work? What if Inuyasha doesn't even show up?"

"Why wouldn't he? He'll be there with Kikyo, I bet," assured the red-head.

"I trust that you have this all worked out, Ayame." Some minutes later, a melancholy Kagome strolled past them, holding her book as usual. No matter how much she wanted to study, they knew that her mind was off to somewhere else...off to Inuyasha, who two-timed and broke her heart. Whenever they see him, they did nothing but give him a glare.

"Kouga, why don't you ask her now? I mean, it is tomorrow night." Letting off a thumbs up, the boy stood up, placed his hands in his pocket, and caught up beside Kagome. He began to walk her pace, then put his free hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Kagome," Kouga began smoothly, almost startling the girl a bit. "What's up?"

"Hi, Kouga," she replied gloomily. "Nothing much is going on...just the usual stuff..."

"So...uh...wanna come to the dance tomorrow night with me?" Kagome sighed deeply.

"It's okay. Hojo already asked me and you're going with Ayame, right?" The boy had no choice but to nod honestly. "But thanks for making me feel that my friends care for me a lot." Waving off, Kagome strutted to the school's backdoor and disappeared inside. Kouga rubbed the back of his neck nervously and headed back towards Miroku and the others...

"What'd she say?" Sango asked eagerly.

"Hojo asked her and it seems like the gal accepted," Kouga answered. "It's too bad she has to go with that annoying idiot, Hojo. He's such a teacher's pet, too."

"Well, that didn't work. But at least we know that Kagome's going to the dance with someone rather than Inuyasha. I doubted that they'd go together since the incident at Ahakuri two months ago," Miroku explained. Everyone went silent. "But at least our plan will partly work..."

"I don't know if it's such a good idea now," Ayame honestly said. "It seems like, everything we want to do just ends up hurting someone. Specifically, Kagome, or Inuyasha. All we've done set them apart...and really far apart. Only if we just told her sooner, then Inuyasha would just apologize to Kagome about Kikyo, then the two of them would still be friends or something like that. I just wish that this didn't happen. All of this!"

"You're not the only one wishing that, Ayame. We're all wishing for it," Sango mumbled. "If only I could do something to make things right...like go back to that time when Inuyasha told us his secret about Kikyo..."

"If only we told him to tell Kagome the whole truth then..." Kouga grumbled.

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6:30PM. The night was young and the sun had set. Streetlights began to flicker on as cars made their way to their rightful homes just in time for the holiday. It was February 14, the day that most people have been waiting for; but there was one individual who dreaded the day: Kagome Higurashi. She still wasn't over Inuyasha, although they never officially broke up. But deep in the girl's heart, a love was shattered into a million pieces, and it seemed like no one could ever repair it to the way it was before she met the demon, Inuyasha.

Miroku and Kouga met up at Mushin's temple, preparing to pick up their girlfriends. Kagome, however, was still at home, dressed in her normal clothes. Her crystal blue semi-formal dress sparkled on her bed at the moon rose and shone on it. Hojo was going to arrive in half an hour, and yet, she still didn't get ready. Souta played his usual games downstairs in the living room; Grandpa did his usual rituals at the Higurashi temple; and Mrs. Higurashi cooked dinner. Everyone else had something to do...except for her. She had to wait for Hojo. At least she was going with someone other than the heart-breaking Inuyasha. Gracefully, she picked up her dress and gazed at the sparkling, silky fabric. It glimmered beautifully as the moon reflected its light on the beads placed across the dress. Zipping the zipper down, Kagome put it on and fixed her hair by putting a sparkling butterfly hairpin that matched the elegant dress. Taking one last look at herself at the full-lenght mirror inside the bathroom, she left the room and sped downstairs to put on her shoes.

Almost half-an hour later, the doorbell rang cheerfully as Hojo appeared at the doorway, holding a bouquet of roses for, of course, his "special girl," Kagome. The girl sighed as she came to the doorway, looking as excited as she can.

"Hey, Kagome. Here, roses and chocolates for you," he said sweetly, handing her the bundle of roses. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go," Kagome replied, putting the roses on the couch and left.

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"I'm so glad you're here! How're you guys working out?"

"Oh my god, you two are officially, like, boyfriend and girlfriend??? Isn't that just, like, awesome?!?"

The gymnasium was buzzing with conversations here and there, followed by a loud blast of music. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves; eating and drinking non-alcoholic drinks, of course. Kouga and Ayame popped up in the crowd, along with Miroku and Sango. Both pairs looked extremely matched perfectly. They waved to each other and smiled proudly. The stage was set for their plan to take place.

"Hey you guys. I'm so glad you made it!" Ayame exclaimed, wearing a flowing green dress that was up to her knees. "I thought you were gonna chicken out or something."

"Why would we?" Miroku asked innocently. "I mean, who would want to miss this event?"

"Well...I know of one person." Right at that moment, Hojo and Kagome arrived, hand in hand, inside the gymnasium. Hojo was beaming at everybody, while Kagome didn't look too good. She rested her head on her partner's shoulder. Miroku gave her a glance as she and Hojo passed by. Ayame, Sango, and Kouga sighed in stress. This was going to be a hell of a night.

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The DJ played different songs from rock to pop, saving the slow songs in between. Already over 4 hours have passed. Now it was 10:45, and yet, a lot of people are still partying. Sango and Miroku had a few spats about Miroku's hand "having a mind of its own." Ayame and Kouga were pretty much enjoying the whole dance. Kagome wasn't having the best time, though. Everytime a slow song would come on, she would excuse herself to the bathroom or pretend to get a drink. Everytime Hojo asked her what was wrong she wouldn't tell. Everytime his name was mentioned, she would go outside of the building and gaze up at the moonlit sky, reminding her of the time of the first kiss. Hers...and Inuyasha's. It seems like her feelings wouldn't go away, no matter what. Why? Why couldn't she just get over him like a snap of a finger? Obviously...he has already chosen.

"Kagome...Kagome...?" someone asked, with the hint of concern in its voice. Kagome was outside in the grassy area of the school, sobbing to herself. Her tears flowed freely like a stream, and her hands wiped them away immediately. "Are you alright?" He held her shoulders for comfort, and she felt long hair brush by her skin. Could it be? Why would he be there if it was him? He was supposed to be with Kikyo today...

"Leave me alone, Inuyasha!" she snapped, slapping the hand on her shoulder. "I said I didn't want to see you anymore!"

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What do you think of it? I meant to put Kouga as the one who'll take Kagome to the dance, but I replaced it with Hojo for some reason. At least Kouga-kun will be taking Ayame-chan to the dance! DAnyways, thanks so much for the reviews and I just keep on writing whenever I read 'em! So, again, thanks to all the reviewers!

On the next chapter...

"Kagome! Hang on for a second! Why don't you at least hear me out?!?"

"I don't want to hear anything you want to say, you jerk! Leave me alone!" Kagome shouted as she ascended the stairwell to the rooftop of the school. And yet it was no use. He was catching up with her way too quickly, which was because -of course- he had his ability to use to his advantage. But a little too soon, the raven haired girl reached the rooftop door, pushing it open and ran to the railings. Just as she expected, he caught up with her...and gazed deep in her brown eyes...

Heh, I'll leave you hanging there. evil grin I can't help it. With too much Science homework, I'll never get this story done --;;. Ah well. I'll manage to get this done...I hope .

P.S. Reviews, 'kay? D Oh and I guess I'll answer the reviews next time.

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