Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything related to him.
Hidden FiresChapter Six: Try-outs and Plans
Evil...evil...evil...EVIL GERBIL! screamed Kagome in her mind. The animal was sitting in a small cage on the corner of the boss's desk. "Are you listening to me, Kagome?" She winced when she heard his silky voice and felt his hot breath puff in her ear.
"Yes, sir," she replied, forcing her voice to be calm and steady. "Good." Kagome glanced back at the furry creature in the cage. Its beady red eyes were locked on her in a hungry fascination. Shuddering in disgust, Kagome looked down, her gaze falling onto her watch.
And almost fell out of her chair in shock. It was 4:40 already! If they rushed, they could make it back to the high school in time, but only if they left right then...
Three binders slapped onto the desk, causing the girls to jump. Ayame and Sango were seated on either side of Kagome. Glancing at both of them, Kagome reached forward, grabbing the binders off the desk, passing Ayame and Sango's theirs.
"These are your assignments. We'll make the next hit when the guards change shift on the night of the next new moon." Kagome glanced up at their boss. "But that's Wednesday! We won't have enough time!" "Then make time," was his reply.
Shaking her head, Kagome stood up, followed by Sango and Ayame. Bowing respectfully, they turned to leave. "Don't disappoint me, girls." Pausing, they said in unison, "We won't."
Hurrying out of the warehouse, their conferred meeting place, the girls hurried to their respective cars and hopped in. When the boss had called, they had had to leave the boys at the hotel. Now, they had to go pick them up, then go back to school, and make it in time for the try-outs. Whew!
From an upstairs window, a figure stood, watching the girls speed away. Reaching, he picked up the phone, then dialed a number. After the first ring, it was picked up. "Next Tuesday, midnight." Hanging up the phone, Naraku turned to his desk. Sitting in his seat, he laced his fingers together and let out a low chuckle, his red eyes flashing in the dark room.
Inuyasha paced back and forth in front of Kouga and Miroku. "Man, what's taking them so long? At this rate, we'll never make it back in time!" Miroku complained. "Shut your trap, monk. They'll be here, don't worry." This order came from Inuyasha, as he continued to pace impatiently.
"Inuyasha!" His head snapped up at the sound of his name being called. Kagome stood in the doorway of the lobby, motioning for the boys to come. "Come on, we gotta move it!" she yelled. The boys quickly joined her at the doors and split up to go to their girlfriend's cars. Climbing inside, they set off for the high school.
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome; she was concentrating on driving. "So, you gonna tell me who called you away and why?" She sent a somewhat startled look in his direction, then went back to focusing on the road. "Oh, that. Don't worry about it, my mom just needed me to go pick something up for her from the store." Inuyasha gave her a disbelieving look. "Something that required all three of you going and leaving us behind?" She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, yeah," she said, lamely.
Sighing, Inuyasha shook his head. "All right. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Glancing down, he noticed a black binder in the floor on the passenger's side. It had flipped open, so he could see that it was a list of some sort, but the only words he was able to make out were 'National Museum of Art', 'midnight', and 'new moon'. Why would Kagome want to go there at midnight, of all times? And on a new moon? Kagome, seeing him looking at something, glanced over to see the black binder lying open.
Quickly, she reached down and picked it up, all the while keeping the car driving straight. "Oh, it's just a list of games, places to go, stuff like that. One of my cousins is having a birthday party soon," she lied. A look of understanding crossed Inuyasha's face. "Ok. Cool," he said. Leaning over, he gave her a peck on the cheek. Kagome looked at him and smiled, but it didn't make the guilty feeling go away.
The couples arrived at the high school at precisely five till five. Scrambling out of their cars, they raced for the gym. With only seconds to spare, they burst through the doors. Gasping for breath, they clutched each other, bent over from their exertions. A minute or two later, the girls stood up, determined looks on their faces. The trio was ready for...anything?
Kikyo was in the middle of her...performance, if you can call it that. Dressed in a bright pink tutu, she hopped around the gym floor, waving streamers like fans. The couples looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Unfortunately, it was loud enough to be heard over the Mozart blasting from the speakers. Abruptly, Kikyo's performance (SSS: snicker) came to a crashing halt.
A tall, willowy woman walked over to the group. Behind her, Kikyo smirked. The woman was obviously the teacher, Miss Souten. And from the looks of the scowl on her face, she didn't appreciate the interruption. "Do you mind! Miss Kikyo is giving her performance, and you're all distracting her genius!" She shrieked. The group glanced at each other, brows raised. Miss "Kikyo" had already reserved her place as teacher's pet, it seemed.
A quiet "Ahem" came from behind the tall woman. "It's quite all right, Miss Marge. New comers are always welcome." That being said, the new speaker stepped forward and identified herself. "I am Miss Souten. Please, come and have a seat. You may perform your set anytime you wish." Miss Souten was not as tall as Miss Marge, but she was beautiful all the same. Her smile radiated kindness, and she was obviously a very sweet woman.
Kagome smiled in relief; thankfully, Miss Souten was an altogether different person than Miss Marge. She stepped forward and introduced herself, as well. "Hello, Miss Souten. I'm Kagome. This is Sango, Ayame, and our boyfriends, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kouga. We've been looking forward to auditioning for the Dance Team ever since we heard about the opportunity this afternoon," she explained.
Miss Souten listened quietly, and nodded her head when Kagome finished. "Of course. We always welcome new potential. If you have a seat, you can perform in a few, if it's ok with you?" She asked politely. The girls nodded in unison. Miss Souten smiled, then pointed to a DJ in the booth above the scoreboard hanging on the wall next to them. "Go tell him what kind of music you dance to, then go change in the girl's locker rooms. Hurry, you'll be up soon!"
The girls immediately dashed into action. Ayame went to their locker on the third floor to retrieve their outfits, Sango told the DJ about the music, and Kagome stayed with the boys to check out the rest of the competition. As they sat down to watch, Kikyo's music began again, and she resumed her hopping around the floor. Kagome and the guys couldn't resist a few well-hidden chuckles; after all, she did resemble a dodo bird trying to learn how to fly...
A few moments later, Sango returned and joined them in the competition research. Most of the auditions were mediocre, at best. But there were a choice few that were well planned and timed. By the time it was their turn, Kagome had picked out about ten that would more than likely make it.
Suddenly, Ayame burst through the gym doors and headed to Kagome at high speed. "Kagome!" she gasped. "Our outfits are missing!" Kagome looked at her in shock for a few seconds, then glanced around wildly.
"B-but we're up next! What do we do!" Just as she was about to go into full-blown panic mode, Inuyasha stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide with distress. "Kagome."
Just that one word calmed her down a bit. "Yes...?" She asked. "What are you wearing?" he asked casually. "Our out-" she stopped. Suddenly, all three girls' faces bloomed bright red. "Oh, yeah," Kagome mumbled. "I knew that..." Ayame trailed off. "Mmmm..." was all Sango said.
Shaking their heads in mock disgust, but grinning all the same, the boys kissed their respective girls for good luck, then pushed them onto the floor. "Knock 'em dead," Inuyasha whispered in Kagome's ear before he went to sit down. As the lights dimmed and the spotlight appeared, Kagome grinned in satisfaction beneath the brim of her hat. Not even Naraku can spoil this for me, she thought. Then it was time to move.
Kikyo stood, mouth agape, at the back of the gym. She watched the girls move in synchronize, flowing like water. A green dragon reared its head, roaring its jealousy. How dare they try to usurp my power here! I am in charge. I'm always in charge. And I'm definitely the prettiest. I mean, what does Inuyasha see in a girl like...like, that slut? Kikyo thought, pure venom leaking into her thoughts.
If she hadn't come along, Inuyasha would have been MINE in just a few more weeks. But no. She had to come and ruin everything. Well, we'll just see about that...
Unbeknownst to Kikyo, Kouga, Miroku, and Inuyasha were keeping a close eye on her. Seeing the evil looks she was sending Kagome, and the calculating look she had in her eyes, they knew she was up to something. She was always up to something, and more often than not, it wasn't pleasant. They knew, from past experiences, that she could utterly destroy a girl when she set her mind to it. And it looked like her next target was Kagome.
Miroku and Kouga turned to glance at Inuyasha; after all, it was his girlfriend that Kikyo was plotting to do evil to. Much to their surprise, however, he just shook his head and smiled. Inuyasha knew that Kagome could take care of herself. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did.
The three boys turned back to the girls when they heard the end of the song. As they stood in their final position, Miss Souten applauded and smiled.
"Wonderful, girls, just wonderful! That was excellent! I can tell that you've put a lot of hard work into your routine, and that you've practiced frequently. As for the style, it's definitely modern, but you have hints of other cultures as well. I'm impressed!" she said with another beautiful smile. The girls grinned modestly, shaking their heads at her praise. Then Kikyo interjected.
"Now wait just a minute! You didn't praise my performance! And my set definitely had more class than theirs did!" She said loudly. Miss Souten frowned slightly at Kikyo. "I don't judge performances on class, Miss Kikyo. I judge them on overall presentation, synchronization, and how well you play to the audience. Granted, your audition was...different, but that doesn't mean it was better. The girls worked hard on their moves, and practiced. That was what earned their praise," Miss Souten explained in a very polite voice.
Kikyo, an abashed expression on her face, retreated back to her place against the wall, but not before she sent Kagome a 'This isn't over!' look. Kagome just ignored her and turned back to Miss Souten.
"If you don't mind me asking, do you know when you'll be able to post the list for those who made the team?" She asked in an anxious voice. Miss Souten smiled gracefully at the girls, then asked, "Is the day after tomorrow soon enough?" Kagome smiled in gratitude, then ran to Inuyasha and jumped into his arms.
He caught her with a grin, then asked, "Ready to go home?" She nodded, snuggling her head into his shoulder. Digging into her back pocket, she dangled her car keys in his face. "Wanna drive?" she asked. Snatching them out of her hand, he walked to the gym door, still carrying her. Miroku and Kouga, on an unspoken signal, swept up their own girls, and, ignoring their short squeals of surprise, followed Inuyasha.
After the girls were settled in their respective cars, the boys drove back to the hotel. Escorting them to their rooms, the boys were invited inside, but each declined. Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms for a goodnight kiss, which lasted a good five minutes. When he came up for air, she wore a dazed expression and her lips were slightly swollen. Grinning cockily, he pushed her inside her apartment with a soft "Goodnight."
At Ayame's door, Kouga was also giving Ayame a "goodnight kiss." Except they got a little carried away. When Ayame realized they were still in the hallway, she tried to tug Kouga into her apartment, but he resisted. Instead, he hugged her tight, kissed her lightly on the mouth again, and said, "Sleep tight." Then he walked away.
Miroku, on the other hand, had decided on a "goodnight grope." As evidenced by the red handprint on his cheek, it hadn't exactly worked. He sighed, kissed Sango briefly on the mouth, and ran a hand down her hair. With a "Don't let the bed bugs bite," he joined Inuyasha and Kouga at the elevator. With a last wave as the elevator doors closed, the guys left the building.
The girls sighed in unison, then stared at each other. Suddenly, they all squealed in unison again, and hopped around, ecstatic looks and dreamy sighs breaking the silences between squeals. After all, in one day, they had landed extremely sexy boyfriends, Kagome had joined the Archery club, they had performed at Burn, had been assigned another hit by Naraku, and tried out for the Dance Team. All in a little under nine hours... Talk about your busy day!
Finally, Kagome calmed down and turned serious. Ayame and Sango, seeing the look, calmed down as well. When Kagome got that look on her face, it could only mean one thing. Time to get to work.
Walking to the elevator, they activated the hidden key and descended to the hidden Burn. When the doors opened, the first thing they saw was a man waiting against the wall. His eyes lit up when he saw the girls and rushed to give Kagome a quick hug. She just laughed and shook her head. "Hey, Shippo."
The man, Shippo, grinned, then gave Ayame and Sango a quick hug as well. "Hey, you guys. How's it going? Boss man's big on this assignment. He doesn't want any screwups," Shippo fired off in quick succession. The girls laughed again, then Kagome replied, "I know, Shippo. Some news, though. Got guys now."
Shippo's eyes widened slightly. "Do they know, you know, about your work?" He asked. Kagome glanced at Ayame and Sango, then shook her head. "Nah. So far, he only knows about Burn..." She trailed off when she noticed another person heading in her direction.
It was the same man from earlier, the one Ayame had dragged off in the lobby. Only now, Kagome didn't have an excuse to get rid of him again. Panicking, she glanced at Ayame again, but Ayame just shook her head, grinning. Kagome shot her a glare, but it was too late to do anything. The man had already made it to the group.
"Kagome!" Turning, Kagome put on a fake smile. "Hojo! How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while..." She trailed off weakly. Hojo had gotten down on one knee and was kissing her hand.
"My lovely lady Kagome! How I've missed you so! If possible, could we have dinner tonight?" Kagome squirmed, trying to take back her hand. But he held on to it tightly, determined. She shot evil glares at Ayame, Sango, and Shippo, who had been overcome by a fit of silent laughter at the sight. Turning back to Hojo, Kagome felt relieved at being able to reject his offer with a legitimate excuse.
"I'm sorry, Hojo, I'm busy tonight. Maybe some other time?" After asking this as politely as possible, she jerked her hand from his grasp and started to inch backwards. "How about tomorrow? Or the day after that?" He asked in a desperate voice.
"Um... No, I don't think so. My schedule's kinda busy at the moment... I'll have to take a rain check!" Blurting this out, she grabbed a hold of the other three and dragged them to the bar, away from the pleading Hojo.
"Jesus... That guy never gives up, I swear! He's like a frickin' puppy, always following me around..." Muttering to herself, Kagome plopped down on a stool. "And stop laughing!" She yelled at the three.
They burst out laughing a few seconds later, unable to hold back. "B-b-but that was h-h-hilarious!" Ayame gasped. "Totally!" Adopting a puppy dog look, Sango pleaded in a high-pitched voice, "'Will you go out with me, Kagome? How about tomorrow? The next day? Please?'" The group burst into a fresh bout of laughter at this. Kagome just rolled her eyes in disgust.
"You three are such children, I swear..." she muttered. "They bugging ya, honey?" A voice asked. Looking up, Kagome saw that Kagura had come over to talk. She was presently leaning on the bar next to Kagome, polishing a glass that was already clean. Kagome sighed. "Kagura, how the hell am I going to get rid of him?" she asked. Kagura pretended to think about it for a second.
"The way I see it, ya got three options: You tell him flat out you don't like him, you beat some sense into him, or you let your new man take care of him. Take your pick," she said casually. "Inuyasha? Are you crazy? He'd beat poor Hojo into a pulp and ship him off to an orange juice company for processing," Kagome complained.
"Then take care of Hojo yourself," Kagura suggested. Kagome sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to. I just don't want to hurt his feelings, is all," she murmured. Kagura snorted, and started to walk off.
"Wait. I still wanna talk, but could you get me a Bloody Mary first?" Kagura's eyebrows rose. "You sure?" She asked. Kagome nodded. "With extra tobasco sauce." Shrugging, Kagura started mixing the drink. "So..." Kagome said. Kagura glanced at her.
"What's 'Miss Kikyo' been up to lately?" Kagura grinned. Unknown to Kikyo, Kagura was a close friend of Kagome's, and reported all of Kikyo's evil plots to Kagome. It came in handy, especially in some of the more humiliating experiences.
Plopping the drink in front of Kagome, Kagura ducked under the bar to sit next to Kagome on a stool and talk. "Well, she's definitely got it out for you, especially since you stole Inuyasha from her. Not that he ever was hers to begin with, you understand. She just wanted the popularity he came with. And, somehow, she thinks you've 'usurped' her position as school 'Queen.' She basically pissed at you, and you've just made number one on her death list," Kagura said casually.
Kagome nodded, sipping her drink. Spicy, just the way she liked it. "Well, if she tries anything, I'll be ready. Besides, I've got bigger fish to fry. Naraku's got us on another hit, and I don't think we'll be able to hide our 'occupation' from our guys for very long..." Kagome said slowly. She looked over at Ayame and Sango; they had taken up to playing Phase10 with Shippo. From the looks of it, Shippo was winning. But then, what do you expect from a mathematical genius?
Sighing and shaking her head, Kagome downed the last of her drink in a gulp and stood up. "Thanks for the drink and the info, Kagura. Don't know what I'd do without you!" Kagura just grinned. "No problem, boss lady." With that remark, she started to get ready for the night crowd. Kagome walked over to the trio's table, and waited for them to look up and notice her. When they did, she motioned for them to follow her.
Leading them to the bar, they ducked underneath and went into the room behind it. A table with four chairs sat in the center of the room, while dozens of filing cabinets cluttered up the room. On the center of the table was a set of blueprints.
With closer inspection, they were revealed to be those of the National Museum of Art. Kagome had to hand it to Naraku; he sure knew how to be prepared. Turning to Ayame, Sango, and Shippo, she rolled up her sleeves.
"Time to start planning, guys."
A/N: Chapter six, revamped. That's better. The guys will, unfortunately, have to cool their heels for a bit.
-S.S.S.