Hush

Part II

She had been walking for a couple minutes now. Her house was not too far and that was good, because her parents couldn't have picked her up. They never do. She didn't come from money. No, she was not wealthy, by all means, and her father nearly worked himself to death, trying to scrape up money for the family to survive on. She sometimes went without meals, and sometimes lived solely on cereal when things got too bad. And it was all her mother's fault.

Her book bag bounced lightly on her small back. She was small boned and found it difficult to gain weight. Her mother too, was a small person. She supposed that she inherited the fast metabolism from her. She continued to walk. She had already crossed several crosswalks and the such and was tired. She felt hungry. She should have eaten lunch today. She had a dollar in her pocket. Maybe she should go back and buy a candy bar to fill her stomach a little.

A car pulled over near behind her and a boy stepped out. She didn't see him do it, but she knew he was there. She knew it was a boy because he muttered something to a companion or two in the car. His voice sounded deep andyoung. He was no older than seventeen. She stared at the ground, focusing her eyes on it so hard that it wouldn't be surprising if she went blind from the eye strain. The ground could keep her safe. It was her only hope.

She quickened her pace and heard footsteps behind her. It was him. She walked faster still. And then she felt two hands on her back and she hit the pavement. Her books came spilling out of her knapsack and slid all over the pavement. The faceless laughter of the teen behind her and the quickly fading pounding footstep that sounded so much more intense on the ground didn't affect her much. No, because they were only sounds, and the scrape on her knee was only pain.

Inu Yasha stared inquisitively at the girls back and decided to check if she was alright. After all, what else was there to do? Leaving her sitting there would just feel too awkward for some reason.

She sniffled twice before he lightly tapped her shoulder. The lithe frame of the girl shuddered and she pulled her head down. "Um, you okay?" he asked. She didn't speak. He looked over her and saw a book bag with it's contents spilled out onto the ground. "Can I help you pick up your things?" he asked.

"Kay." she said softly. He walked around her and scooped a few books up into his arms and then squatted down to get a better look at the girl. And there was no mistaking it. This girl was from his school. She was a loner, he knew. She didn't eat in the cafeteria. (Or at least he thought she didn't, he never saw her.) and she was very quiet. He remembered watching a few boys bark at her and laugh a while back, but he didn't know her at all.

"You … go to my school right? English Channel High?" he said, quoting the name of his high school.

The girl froze for a moment before her head shook in a slowly drawn nod. "Yeah, I think I saw you before somewhere." he said. He looked over at her knee. The long skirt she wore was bunched up and the flesh on her leg was exposed. There was a scrape on her right knee. Nothing too serious, but it was bleeding fairly enough. "You should clean that up. It's kind of bloody." he said. "Oh, wait a minute." He reached into his back pack and pulled out his water bottle that he had gotten at lunch. He squirted some on her knee and some of the blood fell away with the water. "Can you use your skirt to soak up some of the moisture?" he asked.

She nodded and pressed the bunched up bundle of skirt against the wet and bloody skin of her knee. She pulled the skirt hem away and a small dark blotch was visible.

He pushed her books back into her bag and stood with them. "Can you walk?" he asked. She stood up and dusted off her skirt. "Oh." she continued to look at the ground. He realized he had not made eye contact with her at all since he'd seen her. "Um, I have your bag. I can carry it if you want." he said. Sheturned her headin his direction and could see his shirt only out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you." she muttered softly and ducked her head, almost as if she expected him to slap her right then and there. Something about her made him feel … guilty.

Yes, guilty. He now recognized her better. She was always made fun of. Always teased and if not that, ignored. And he had seen it happen numerous times. People laughing at her, boys making fun of her. And all this time … he did nothing at all. And look at how she turned out. She was different. Stained, almost. Maybe she would never be the same again. And he couldn't shake the feeling that it was all his fault. He never personally hurt her and sure, there were plenty of people that could have helped as well, but he could have done something. And he did nothing.

He found a way to quell the uneasiness in his gut though. "Which way do you live?" he asked. She had already averted her eyes to the sidewalk.

She pointed down the street. "Oh, I live in that direction too. Walk with me." He said it as a command. If he had spoken it like a question she might have refused and then he would be stuck with this uneasy feeling he had. And, if he commanded her to do it, he knew the girl would. She couldn't say no. She didn't have the strength to.

"Kay." she murmured. She padded over to his side and the two continued walking.

"Um … so, what's your name?" he asked.

She swallowed and then replied quietly. "Kagome Higurashi." And the sad thing was … it almost sounded strained.

After she made no motion to ask for his name, he added, "I'm Inu Yasha." She nodded as if to signal that she had heard him. She rubbed her arms with her hands and shook her head, to shake stray strands of hair out of her face.

"Man, Kagome, your bag is heavy! Do you always carry all your books with you?" he said and shifted the weight of the bag to the other shoulder.

She shook her head and crossed her arms, holding the warmth of her body to herself. "Not always." she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Are you cold?" Inu Yasha asked. She nodded. "You can use my jacket. I don't need it." He stopped and took it off and gently placed it over her shoulders. She grabbed it and pulled it tighter to her.

After ten minutes of silence he asked, "What happened?"

"Hm?" she hummed.

"I mean, why were you on the ground? Did you fall or something?" he asked.

Her head jolted up a little, and under her messy bangs her eyes widened slightly. Then she nodded. "Yeah. I tripped." she lied.

"Oh." And no more words were exchanged.

Kagome stopped suddenly as they were walking and tugged his sleeve slightly. It was hardly enough for him to feel it. "Is your home this way?" he asked. She nodded.

"Oh ... kay." he said. She stood for a moment and then started to walk down the street. He ran after her and tugged her sleeve, softly. He didn't touch her and almost felt badly about making the slightest tug on her shirt. It was almost as if a single touch could break her.

"Um, have … a nice day, okay?" he said, almost as if he wanted to be sure if she intended to have a nice day. She nodded. He handed out her book bag.

"Kay." she muttered, softly as ever. She reached out for the book bag and took it carefully from his outstretched arms. She stood, stupefied,for a moment. He could tell she was embarrased. She had been in such a rush to get away from him thatshe had forgotten her book bag. And then spared a glance at the boy. For a split second, their eyes connected. Hers were an astounding whirlpool of swirls of blue and gray. He was almost shocked when he saw them. He never knew that she had a such beautiful eyes. Then she just as quickly turned her head down towards the ground where she kept it.

He could hear her clear her throat and she clenched her fists. "Th-thank you." she stuttered out in a murmur. Then she turned heel and walked away briskly. He watched her until she turned the corner and then walked away towards his own home.

The girl slipped into her house and took her shoes off as soon as she entered. She could hear the regular sound of her household. The television running, her baby brother crying, her mother's never ending wheezing due to smoking for the twenty three years of her life. It was a whole pit full of sound. Sounds blurring together, sounds fighting against each other. Sound, sound, everywhere was sound. And it made her head spin.

Her house hold reeked heavily of smoke and the occasional smell of substances that her mother brought back to this house. She walked through the small living room and saw her mother sitting on the sofa, sipping a glass of liquid she knew to have alcoholic content. "Hi Mom. Is Dad coming home tonight?"

"Kagome, you're blocking the TV."

"Sorry, mom." she squeaked softly and scurried off to her bedroom.

Author's Notes

Wow, thanks so much for all your reviews! Makes me feel so wanted. :squeezes self:

Holy shiz, I'm really surprised that so many people reviewed! Hugs for everyone! 23 reviews? Wow! I'm so happy! Please review again guys.My goal is to have at least forty before I update Part III.Thanks so much for all your support guys! It means the world. This story holds a special place in my heart. (For some weird reason.) So I am glad you're enjoying it so far.

Thank you allfor faving me! Over half the people that reviewed faved! Sque! I'm so happy! (Almost makes me sad that this story is so short. Its actually more of a ficlet/reflection. Kind of like 'Fingertips'.)

I must say I am quite surprised with your assumptions for this story … Heehee. Lets say it takes a … twist … next chapter. Kukukuku.

(Um, as for the name of the school, my school's name is Spanish River soI called their school English Channel. Hee!)