Hey! I'm back, after a whole month of being a total jerk and not updating! I am so sorry!
What can I say? That school was a total bugger? That I went away to England? That I had a social life for once?
And I also had a huge case of writer's block?
So, I apologize profusely. I am a worm.
On the other hand, this is a chapter where something happens!!! (woo)
I fall back onto the sand of the beach, careful to keep my head above the sand despite the fact that I don't have the implant. Habit, I guess. I feel Kagome flop beside me and I smile… she's so cute!
I feel like I'm being watched again. There's a strange smell on the air, not Kouga, not someone I know, a human smell, but unlike anything I've ever smelt before. I peer around. The sand has blustered itself into dunes, the sunlight glints off the rather large waves on the lake. The water sparkles rather flirtatiously, begging me to jump. I can't sense that presence again. I suppose I might have just made it up.
"Hey Kagome, do you want to go back?" I ask her.
"Sure, why?" she replies, dragging herself out of the sand.
"I don't think we have enough food for lunch. I should buy some food."
Kagome raises an eyebrow, "I think I should go with you," she signs, "You would probably destroy it before we even got to cook it."
"Hey! You said you liked my cooking."
"I lied. It sucks."
The remark stung, slightly, despite its truthfulness. I give her a look of puppy-dog sadness and she visibly melts.
"Aww… I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Kagome!" I sign, a chipper smile on my face. "Come on, Let's go to a cafe!"
"A cafe?"
"I have a craving, and I know this really good place on the shores of this lake."
I take her by her pretty wrist and lead her towards the dock and the boat. She protests and runs off to tell her mother about it, dashing to the house, leaving me in my silence.
I look at the implant I hold in my hand, and resist the urge to fling it into the lake. It's such an odd desire. I'm not used to all these sounds, but they're good, right? I look down at it in my hand. It seems so small and insignificant, yet it's changed my life...
Kagome touches my arm to alert me to her presence. Hah! As if I didn't feel her footsteps! I suppose she got permission, then. I look over at the lake, then turn to her.
"Yo. Are you ready?"
She nods, her black hair falling into her eyes.
We walk together on the dock, heading towards The Tesusaiga the speedboat my father gave me. She strokes the still shiny paint. "It's really nice!" she tells me.
I bring my hand down from my lips, signing thanks. "My brother really wants it… I still fight him over it sometimes."
She laughs lightly, then tries to get into the boat.
"No, let me help." I sign, jumping into the Tesusaiga, and offering her my hand. She takes it, and for a moment we are connected. I feel a shiver of pleasure crawl up my spine. Her hand is soft, compared to mine. So soft… I wonder if her mouth…. No! Bad thoughts! STAY PURE!!!
I let go of her hand hastily, and I feel my cheeks redden. Goddam it! Why do I have to blush NOW?! I undo my long hair from its ponytail, shaking it into a curtain to cover my face. I brusquely turn to the controls and start the engine. Thank the gods I'm not wearing the implant. Such noises give me such a headache, and I don't want one of those accursed things just as I'm alone with Kagome.
She wanders to the front of the boat just as the engine's revving itself up, her hair whipped back by the wind, her knee length sundress dancing about her legs. God, she's hot. She sits down on one of the white cushions and leans over the edge of the bow, her slender fingers trailing in the water. I shake my head, trying to concentrate on the task at hand: Navigation.
Soon my hair is whipping about as much as Kagome's is. The trees flash past us, and our little speedboat merrily jumps over the small waves. I glance at her, and I notice her face is plastered with that radiant smile that is her trademark.
Kagome. I could think about her name forever and never get bored with it.
Kagome
Kagome
Kagome
Kagome
I've never heard it. I've never heard her name… well, I'm sure I've heard her name when I'm with her family, but the sounds have never registered, so I guess it doesn't count.
Kagome. I bet it's prettier than any other words I know.
I smell gasoline, which means we're near the dock by the town where the bagels are.I back the boat alongside it and shut off the engine. We're here. I jump out of the Tesusaiga, leaving her inside.
"Can you toss me that rope?" I ask her, pointing to a red plastic rope on the floor next to her.
She nods and throws it up to me. I tie it to a post standing on the dock. Kagome stands on the cushiony seat and attempts to get out of the boat.
Suddenly, she's in the water, spluttering and wet. Shit! I let go of the red rope and jump in after her. The water is moderately cold, but not too unpleasant. I swim over to her and grasp her hand again. This time it's not so romantic, it's more like, lets-get-you-out-of-this-dirty-dock-water-before-you-drown.
We swim through the water over to the Tesusaiga, and, grasping the ladder that goes off the back of the boat, she and I manage to escape the nasty, gasoline-smelling water.
Only now, the boat has drifted a little too far away from the dock to jump. I have the worst luck in the world.
I lean out over the water, being careful not to get wet, attempting to grasp the side of the wooden planks. With my other hand, I point Kagome over to a pile of towels. I grab the dock. The wood is slimy to the touch, slightly repulsing me. Nonetheless, I pull hard, and as soon as I can, I mount the dock, finish tying, and help Kagome out of the Tesusaiga.
She brings two towels with her, wrapping one around her and giving me one. We sit side by side for a moment, both wet and mortally embarrassed.
Suddenly she bursts out laughing, and though I can't hear it, I see her rocking back and forth with mirth, feel her beside me, and I can remember the sounds of it.
"What?"
"It's just awkward!"
I give her a little sarcastic smile. Her hair is wet, and damp tendrils fall into her face as she laughs. Ohhhh… She's reeeeeallly reaaaallly attractive.
"Come on," she signs, still laughing, "Let's just go to that café place and get out of here."
I toss my towel into the boat, and she copies me, then she follows me into the crush of people surrounding the dock. We walk quickly through the crowd and towards a little corner place.
When we get in there we have to wait ten minutes just to look at the different foods.
A pale woman with dark hair and red contact lenses opens her mouth to ask us something. She wears a reddish uniform and a nametag that says, "HI! My name is Kagura! Welcome to Kanna's Café!"
"Do you sign?" I ask.
Kagura gives me the 'Ohmygod-it's-a-handicapped-freak-who-doesn't-understand-anything' look.
I take out the wet notebook Kagome gave me when I was recovering from my implant and write with a pen I find somewhere in my pockets:
I think for a moment, then look down through the display case. "Two chocolate chip cookies, please."
Kagura looks at my chicken scratch handwriting then takes the pen and writes "That will be 720 yen, please" Her handwriting is very precise and small. She takes out the bread and the cookies and puts them in a paper bag.
I dig through my pockets and realize I don't have my wallet with me. I pick up the pen and write, "My name is Inuyasha Taisho, and I have not got money with me. Charge my father. Here is his address." I write his address down on the paper.
She looks up at me, eyes bulging. My father's fame does have some uses.
Kagura looks at me swiftly, as if trying to memorize my features. She hands over the bag, then takes the paper and puts it into the register.
Kagome and I find a small table next to a window, where we sit down to eat our cookies. They're still warm, and they are delicious.
Kagome stands, after finishing her cookie. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back," she signs.
She walks over to the counter, where she takes a napkin and writes something down, presumably to Kagura. Kagura points off somewhere that I can't see.
She walks out of the room, leaving me with my cookie and the streets to look at. I see cars drive by, a couple walk by the window, holding hands and laughing. I suppose this could count as a date between me and Kagome.
Nah. If it were a date, it would be severely less awkward.
I finish the cookie, and then realize how thirsty I am. Walking up to the counter, and notice that Kagura is no longer there. Strange… but I guess she just had the end of her shift. I see a young preteen boy manning the counters.
"Do you have something to drink?" I ask, forgetting that the kid won't understand sign language.
The kid lights up, then very clumsily and slowly signs, "I… learn…sign!" He is small, with his hair in a tiny ponytail. An overabundance of freckles dot his cheeks and nose. His nametag tells me his name is Kohaku.
I smile at him, encouragingly. I make the simple sign for "Drink."
He looks confused for a moment, then understanding makes him light up as he runs to the sink to bring me a plastic glass of tap water. He the signs "Thank you!" and continues his work.
I turn to the table where Kagome and I sat. She's still not there. I sit back down, and after taking a sip of the water, I dip my finger into it and begin to doodle in water on the black counter of the table. First it's just random lines that I'm doodling, then the lines evolve into a tree. The tree has almost taken up the entire table when I happen to glance up at the clock. It's been twenty minutes since she left.
That's a long time, but sometimes bad things happen in the bathroom.
I wait another few minutes, examining the other customers. Finally I get the nerves to get up and knock on the bathroom door. The door is strangely unmarked, unlike most bathrooms, but it's the only door near where Kagome pointed off. I wait another moment awkwardly by the door, then knock again, and again a few seconds later. I feel no vibrations coming from inside the place.
Finally I just grasp the doorknob and push.
It doesn't lead to a bathroom. It leads outside. I look around, confused.
And that's when something very hard connects with my head. I crumple to the ground, noticing a pair of black boots before I lose complete consciousness.