Chapter 22: Another Point of View

Bloody hell! I had to have the worst luck in the world. Four times this week I've had either my girlfriend (who's backhand is fairly impressive) or a half-demon (who's unusually irritable) very angry with me. Now, for the fifth time this week, they were pissed again, both at the same time. What I didn't understand was why they were angry at me. I didn't even do anything! She kissed me, and now I suffer the consequences? Inuyasha flexed his claws menacingly.

"You and me, outside. Now." Inuyasha demanded.

"Inuyasha, can't it wait? Why don't we just sit and eat?" Kikyo asked rhetorically. "Besides, I hardly think she's worth the effort."

Kagome ignored the snide comment. "Yes Inuyasha. SIT with us." she suggested, Inuyasha performing his famous face plant. Unluckily for me, Sango wasn't so easily pacified. I was roughly seized by the wrist and dragged away from the table. Sango just glared at me.

"I'm waiting for an explanation." she said through gritted teeth.

"An explanation! How am I supposed to explain that! I got kissed by Kagome. Forcibly, no less! And you want me to explain?" I argued.

"Oh, so she forced you huh? Well that was one hell of a fight you were putting up."

"She caught me off guard! Besides, that would've given away the ruse. Kagome would have to cave." I continued to bluster in my defense.

"Then you should've let her! Is her love life more important than us?" Sango yelled.

"Well, no but she is my best friend! I do hold her problems in high regard. Can't you cut me a little slack? It's not like I asked her to kiss me!"

"You know what? You're right." Sango agreed.

"I am?" I had expected one of her ridiculous ultimatums like, 'It's me or her.' or something, even though I didn't even want Kagome. Well, it's not like I'd mind but two girls at once is strictly against my policy.

"Yes, you're absolutely right. This isn't your fault at all. It's hers! That bitch is so dead!" Sango declared, cracking her knuckles.

"Oh, Sango, don't do that!" I groaned. "She couldn't help it! Inuyasha was winning what she started, she had to something drastic!"

(Transfer back to third person)

While Miroku and Sango were quarrelling over whether Kagome's extreme course of action was justified, Kagome and Eri were wondering how Miroku was doing. "Well, he still has all his body parts, and he's still moving. That's a good sign." Eri informed Kagome.

"I hope I didn't get him in too much trouble." Kagome said.

"You kidding? I'm surprised he's lasted this long. She dumped him for some flirting that he wasn't even serious about." Eri reminded her. "I don't think a ten-second Frencher would get less punishment."

"Yeah, but when you two flirted, he flirted back. He didn't kiss me back. Besides the fact that you were trying to steal him made it worse." Kagome countered.

"Oh, don't act like your not." Eri replied in her 'give me a break' tone.

"I'm not! I'm just using him to make Inuyasha jealous enough to apologize. We had a deal." Kagome protested.

"You may think that but that kiss looked pretty real to me." Eri argued back.

"It had to, or Inuyasha wouldn't have been fooled. Besides, I already went out with him once, it didn't work. End of story." Kagome replied.

"Yeah, but I would suspect he's hotter now than he was in the eighth grade, is he not?" Eri asked slyly.

"I don't think of him that way. He's my best friend. And as my best friend he is totally off limits." Kagome declared.

"You know, professionals say more long-lasting relationships start as friendships." Eri continued.

"Damn it Eri, quit trying to make me steal Sango's boyfriend. She'd kill me. Even if I did want to steal him, it probably wouldn't work." Kagome reminded her.

"You wouldn't lose to that tomboy! And Miroku wouldn't let Sango kill you if you were his girlfriend. Inuyasha is a total punk, and he seems interested in that Kikyo girl. He doesn't deserve you, and Miroku is practically yours for the taking! She's probably dumping him right now." Kagome just gave her a look. Eri put up her hands is defense. "But if you insist you don't want him, I wouldn't lose to her a second time." Eri boasted.

"You didn't lose last time. You gave up. You even gave him advice on how to get her back." Kagome said.

"My stupid conscience made me feel sympathetic. I won't let that happen again." Eri huffed.

"Just remember, if he is getting dumped, you can't go after him until I'm through with my plan."

"Plan?" Eri asked confusedly.

"To make Inuyasha jealous." Kagome replied.

"I still think deep down you want Miroku." Eri mumbled.

"Oh, shut up. Who are you to make fun of me anyway? You want him too." Kagome grumbled.

"You are aware you just said I want him too aren't you?" Eri asked triumphantly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't." Eri laughed rolling her eyes.

Eri and Miroku had their next class together and Eri decided to see what Miroku thought of her theory. "You know Miroku I think Kagome has the hots for you." Eri told him with a wink.

Miroku grinned. "Eri, you know that kiss was just to make Inuyasha jealous."

"Don't you think it was bit extreme though? It's not like Inuyasha was sucking face with that other girl. And she should've known that would make Sango break up with you, but she did it without hesitation." Eri said.

"Sango didn't dump me. The problem is though, now she's all angry at Kagome, so now I have to be able to protect Kagome without making Sango think I'm actually attracted to her. I hate it when I'm stuck being the middleman." Miroku explained.

"You don't think Kagome is attractive?" Eri asked.

"Come on now, I'd have to be blind to think that." Miroku laughed. "Just because I'm not attracted to her doesn't mean I don't think she's hot."

"Hotter than Sango?" Eri continued.

"Uhh…" Miroku stalled.

"Don't worry. I won't tell her you said so." Eri promised.

"She'd probably kill me if she knew I thought that." Miroku said ruefully.

"Sango is awfully jealous. I don't see why you don't just dump her. She barely let's you help out your best friend, and she jumps to conclusions all the time!" Eri exclaimed.

"She does get jealous easily, but I can stand it." Miroku responded.

"Then you're my hero." Eri joked. "You know, if I was your girlfriend, I wouldn't get jealous so easily. I'm not the jealous type, but I couldn't help but get a little jealous over you. That would only be if you left me though. If you were doing something like you are for Kagome now, I'd trust you."

Miroku laughed. "That's why you're my favorite." he joked back.

"And Kagome, she's so patient! I have no idea how she can still like Inuyasha even after what he said about her! And now he's hitting on that other girl, and she still stands for it!"

"The worst part is that she doesn't even know the whole of it." Miroku added.

"What do you mean? Was he fooling around that girl before Kagome got angry at him?" Eri asked.

"I've said too much already."

"Miroku, whatever it is you know you have to tell Kagome! Inuyasha is so not worth it, yet she still wants him! If you were really best friends you wouldn't keep things from her!" Eri cried.

"Look, I've already screwed up my own relationship once, and I'm on the verge of doing it again. Besides, I can't trick on Inuyasha. Guys just don't do that." Miroku said lamely in his defense.

"If she finds out that you knew something and you didn't tell her she'll never want to speak to you again. Do you really think Inuyasha is right for Kagome?" Eri asked sternly.

"I don't know." Miroku admitted.

"If you don't tell her whatever it is you know, I let her know you have a secret." Eri threatened.

"Eri, please don't. I already have one problem on my hands, and you're putting me in a lose-lose situation!" Miroku pleaded.

"I'm doing this for your own good! Can't you see that it's you that should be with Kagome, and not that punk of a half-breed! Kagome is so right for you and Sango is so…not." Eri finished with in lack of a better word. "If you don't tell her today or tomorrow, I will."

"But if I do tell her, not only will I have broken my code, but it'll be enough to convince Sango I really do want Kagome!" Miroku begged.

"That's the way it should be. Then you and Kagome will both be freed from your mismatched relationships." Eri said curtly.

"What if you're wrong? What if Kagome doesn't have the hots for me? What if Kagome just likes Inuyasha too much? Then Kagome will just be angry at me for keeping it from her!

"And what if I'm right? What if Kagome is the one you're meant to be with? What if she does finally realize Inuyasha is not good? You two say you're friends but you let each other be abused like this! You've got until the end of this week to tell her." Eri said, leaving Miroku crestfallen.

A/N: Okay I lied in seventeen. Eri is definitely a total bitch.