A/N: Please enjoy. I hope I'm doing okay with updates… just remember… I have a life... believe it or not. So please, just work with me, and we'll get along fine. And remember this too. I'm supposed to be doing my Driver's Ed online. But I so kindly took a break… so be joyous.

Disclaimer: so… no one's gotten the hint yet, eh?

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a really cool kid: half-breed389. It's his birthday. So go be all blissful like and leave him props/happy birthdays. Oh and read his story 'Jealousy', just because it's that cool. Happy Birthday!

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Sitsume High

Chapter Five

TaintedMunkeyz

OoOoOoO

This place is a prison, and these people aren't your friends… welcome to Sitsume High…

OoOoOoO

Inuyasha walked down the street silently, just enjoying the day. It was sunny, yet a little chilly. But the day was still nice. At the moment, he was on his way to Kagome's house. She had called him over earlier, and asked him if he wanted to just hang out. They probably wouldn't do anything too dramatic. Maybe watch movies, go to the park, go out to eat or something.

And he was glad. That's just the way his and Kagome's relationship was.

Serious, but not too serious…

Just a platonic relationship. They just wanted to hang out and be with each other. And that was enough for him. To just be around her was good enough for him. But at the same time, he felt a little confused about his feelings for her. On one side, he just wanted her companionship. He didn't want to mess up anything, or any potential relationship there could be. And on the other side, he just wanted to take it a step further.

There was no doubt that he was attracted to her…

But he wanted to take things slow. It was true, that he felt so attracted to her as a whole because of how much she accepted him. Because in all his other relationships, where girls just got with him because they wanted sex, or felt lonely, it went by fast. Everything always did. And now that he had potential with Kagome, he didn't feel like getting rid of her at any time in the near future. Actually at all.

He turned down her street, still thinking about the whole thing. It was obvious that Kagome was girlfriend material. But he didn't know if he should act on it, or just wait for a while. He actually didn't even know if Kagome liked him like that. Of course she accepted him, but that didn't mean that she would want a half-breed as a boyfriend.

And another side to that was that he didn't even want her to love him, or fall in love with him. Have a romantic interest in him… in any way. He didn't want her to fall into his world. He didn't want her to even have to associate herself with him. He was a bad egg; he even knew that. He was a bad influence. Nothing he did would be good for Kagome. He could only bring her heartache, and bad situations…

He didn't even know how to love…

He sighed, and then realized he was standing on her doorstep, right in front of her door. He thought about it. He'd look mighty stupid with his hand poised to knock, still in deep thought. What if someone left the house and opened the door to see him looking like an idiot? Oh, the embarrassment.

And just because someone was looking down on him with an evil thought in mind, the door swung open. 'Shit.' He thought to himself, but threw a homey smile on his face just before it all got too awkward.

"Hi. Can I help you?" the older woman asked, regarding Inuyasha carefully. "If you're from that company selling "vacuums" I already told that other hoodlum, I didn't want any." She raised an eyebrow and looked at him critically, as if trying to decipher him. Inuyasha let the smile slip from his face and clicked on his trademark boyish grin.

"I'm Inuyasha," he said sticking out a hand. She stood there for a moment, the same look on her face, her pose one of doubt. Then suddenly, all recognition seemed to register because her face lit up into a smile he knew he'd seen on both Kagome and Sango before.

"Inuyasha! I've heard so much about you. Come in, come in." she opened the door wider and stepped to the side, waiting until he stepped over the threshold to close the door. "What can I help you with today?" she asked, smiling brightly. Inuyasha glanced around the house.

"Well, Kagome called me over." He said unsurely. He wasn't used to stepping into a house and being greeted so warmly, when usually it was always screaming and yelling and the stench of alcohol. Mrs. Higurashi smiled.

"Oh of course. She just got back from the gym, so she's in the shower. Would you like something to drink while you wait for her?" she looked up at him expectantly, and he couldn't just say no, so he shrugged and walked into the living room to wait for her. After a few moments, she came out with a soda for him and some coffee for her. "So, tell me. You met Kagome at school?" she asked, taking a sip from her 'This mom is awesome!' mug, then tilting her head to the side curiously. Inuyasha took a sip from his soda and swallowed, nodding.

"Yeah, I met her on her first day actually. She's in a lot of my classes." He explained, becoming more at ease.

"Oh, that's wonderful. I was worried that she wouldn't be happy, along with Sango. They didn't want to change schools of course. I didn't want to do it, but it wasn't really a choice." She said with a thoughtful smile. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows.

"It wasn't a choice?" She frowned, but still had that smile on her face.

"Oh, no, honey. They were moved from their old school for fighting, so they transferred them to your school." Inuyasha let a thoughtful smirk slip onto his face. 'That's so hot.' He thought to himself. "Do you like school?" she asked him, setting down her mug. Inuyasha frowned.

"No… not really. I mean, what teenager wants to get up so early in the morning and go to school?" he asked with a shrug. Mrs. Higurashi laughed.

"Well, I absolutely loved school when I was your age!" Inuyasha stared at her, like she'd grown a second head, and then tentacles… with suction cups.

"Are-are you joking?" he asked apprehensively. How could you like school? Waking up at odd hours in the morning, having to learn right off the bat about mathematical equations, or about the causes and effects of war, and having to see people you don't even want to see on the weekends. It was basically hell. No child should have to live through it.

"Well, yeah. I mean I loved learning. I had a knack for it. Unfortunately I couldn't go to college because I had Kagome and Sango. But other than that…" Inuyasha tried. He really did. He was trying to engage in conversation and be nice and gentlemanly, but he just couldn't focus his attention. Especially when he heard a door click open upstairs and looked up to see Kagome walking down the hall in just a skimpy towel, her long black hair plastered to her shoulders, face, and back. He sucked in a breath as he watched her long muscular legs carry her to a room down the hall, before slipping inside and shutting the door.

He could not lose control in front of her mother.

No way in hell. He pleasantly turned around and smiled at Mrs. Higurashi as she finished her nice little story about her favorite subjects in school and all the sports she played. He nodded, looking curious at the right moments, and smiling the next. She didn't have a clue.

"And that's why I like school." she said taking another sip of her coffee breezily. Inuyasha nodded.

"Well, you gave me a whole new perspective." He grinned. She smiled.

"I'm glad. School should be enjoyable." Inuyasha didn't take the smile off his face, but if you knew him well enough, you'd see he was scoffing on the inside. 'Yeah… when Hell freezes over.'

"That's true." They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment and Inuyasha drew designs in the dew on the outside of his soda can. What was taking Kagome so long?

"So, are you and Kagome dating?" she asked in one beat. Inuyasha almost choked, but saved his composure at the last minute.

"Oh, no. We're just, uh… friends." he felt something stir in the bottom of his stomach as he said that, but he ignored it.

"Oh, I see. Well keep her out of trouble. She hasn't really made the best choices in her past boyfriends." She said with a puckered brow, shaking her head thoughtfully. Inuyasha perked up at that.

"Really?" she smiled crookedly.

"Yeah… her last boyfriend… I don't know what happened. I just don't think they worked out. Some people just aren't supposed to be together romantically, but they can be friends. You know?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded idly, his mind swirling with different thoughts. He suddenly remembered his conversation with Kagome on the first day of school. How he looked at her notebook, and how he asked her who Hojo was, and what her response was.

"No one. Bad relationship. Not one I wish to remember."

He frowned. "It was a bad relationship?" he asked, raising his eyes to look at the woman before him. She chuckled.

"Oh, no, silly. It wasn't bad at all. In fact they still talk. He's over here from time to time, and they hang out with each other. I don't know what's going on with that, but I'm sure they're just good friends." she said softly. Inuyasha didn't know what it was exactly that he felt, but he wasn't very happy. He realized that they had just met when she told him that, but the fact of the matter was that she still lied.

"Are you sure, there's nothing romantic going on with them?" he asked curiously. Kagome's mother shrugged.

"I'm not sure, actually. Why don't you ask her?" she finished her coffee up and got up to walk back into the kitchen. "Are you done with your soda, dear?" Inuyasha nodded and passed it to her before settling back down on the couch. Should he ask her? He turned around suddenly when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and saw Kagome putting her hair into a high ponytail. She was wearing blue jeans, a long sleeved black shirt and black flip-flops.

"Hey!" she said happily and walked up giving him a hug. He stiffly returned the embrace, but she didn't seem to notice. "What do you want to do today?" she asked, stepping back from him. He frowned.

"Uh, I don't mind."

"Actually, Kagome!" her mother called from the kitchen. Kagome raised an eyebrow and beckoned Inuyasha towards the kitchen to see her mother wiping down the counter with a dishtowel.

"Hmm?" she asked curiously. Her mother smiled brightly.

"Do you and Inuyasha mind going to the grocery store and going shopping. I'd do it, but I have some things to do. I've already made a list." She handed over the indicated piece of paper. Kagome scanned it quickly before looking over at Inuyasha.

"Okay with you?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. Inuyasha mirrored the action.

"I'm cool." She nodded and held her hand out to her mother to get some cash.

"Kagome, I'm giving you a little extra. Don't spend it on stuff you don't need. If you want lunch, that's fine, but don't get stuff you don't need." she repeated. "Understood?" Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I'm not deaf, mother." She said with a grin. She eyed her warily and handed over a wad of bills before grabbing her purse.

"I'll be home later. Do you know where Sango is?" she asked looking up the stairs as if that'd magically make her appear.

"Uh, I think she's out with a friend." Kagome shrugged. It was true. She was out to meet Miroku.

"Okay. Well then I'll talk to you both later. It was nice meeting you Inuyasha. I hope to see you again." She smiled and walked out of the room, heading towards the front door, then slipped out, leaving. Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"Ready to go?" he nodded. How was he going to bring up his little "question"?

(Sitsume High)

Sango sighed as she waited in the park for Miroku. It had been a day and a half, and she was a mixture of confused, angry and disappointed. Her last encounter with the boy had been everything but happy. Not that she regretted kissing him. She just regretted the aftermath. She doubted that he'd even want to see her after that. And to top it off how she stormed out like two-year-old having a tantrum, didn't help at all. Maybe he just thought she was better off gone. 'But that can't be right…' Sango thought to herself. He wouldn't have called her to meet him at the park if he never wanted to see her again.

'Besides.' She reflected to herself. 'He probably wanted to get this settled so that he didn't have to deal with it at school, since we have all the same classes together.' That thought really didn't settle her jittery nerves but she settled back into the wooden park bench and tried to relax. It really couldn't be that bad.

She sighed, looking around her surroundings. The park was filled with fields of green grass. And trees… a lot of them… tall and lush, and even small and newly planted. They had benches set up around a bike/hiking path where people could take rests or meet other people. If she concentrated hard enough, or looked enough to even care, she could see a playground in the distance with a sandbox, jungle gym and swing set. There were kids playing in the afternoon sun in long-sleeved shirts and shorts – warm enough to play, but not quite hot enough to wear a limited amount of clothing. Dogs played loyally with their companions, playing fetch with sticks, Frisbees and tennis balls. There were even people lying down in the grass, just reading or napping.

"When are you going to get here, Miroku…" she strained, and put on a tight smile as she saw little kids run by. But then again, she couldn't exactly blame him. He wasn't late or anything. Actually, he wasn't even close to being late. Sango had arrived early, so she could get her bearings straight, but she regretted it a little now, as she bundled up into her hooded sweatshirt. She had on blue jeans, and flip-flops, just like Kagome (not that that happened on purpose). She wore her hair down, unconsciously, because she knew that Miroku liked it better when her hair was down. And she almost regretted that too, because her hair was whipping around her face, blowing with the slightly chilly breeze in the air. She pushed her dark brown locks away from her face and behind her ears and licked her lips, letting her eyes scan the area for any sign of Miroku.

Hopefully he hadn't stood her up.

(Sitsume High)

"Okay… so what's wrong with you?" Kagome asked bluntly as she turned into the grocery store parking lot and pulled her keys from the ignition, after finding a parking space. Inuyasha sat there dumbly for a minute before turning to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Kagome narrowed her eyes and opened the truck's door before hopping out, her flip-flops making a smack! sound on the pavement.

"I mean," she drawled out, slamming the door shut and coming around to the front to look at him. "Why are you all poker faced." She gestured to his face as she stuffed her keys in her pocket. He shrugged and they headed towards the automatic sliding doors. They stepped in and were immediately greeted with the sight of shoppers going to and fro and employees annoyingly asking if there was anything they could do – even though they just stepped inside.

"No." Inuyasha growled out and got a shopping cart, dragging Kagome away. He stopped when they got to the produce section, standing on the back with the handle as Kagome regarded the shopping list.

"Okay. We need like, everything in this section." She scratched her head with a bemused expression on her face. Her mother was such a health nut. She glanced up at Inuyasha, and frowned, seeing him picking at the handle bar. "Inuyasha?" he glanced up and nodded.

"Yeah, okay." she put her hands up in defense and turned around walking over to the bags of salad, and other vegetables next to it. She took a plastic bag from over head and stuffed good-looking green peppers in it. She did so with cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, bananas, oranges, nectarines, grapes, tomatoes, a cantaloupe, artichokes, apples, and peaches.

"I think we're good here." She said eyeing the amount of fruit and vegetables in her cart. And they still had about a million other things to buy. Kagome shook her head and pulled the cart – with Inuyasha still on the back – to the dairy section. "You're a little heavy." She joked. Inuyasha let his grin slip through, but hid it quickly as she turned around to try and pull easier. They stopped in front of the refrigerated area and looked at the selection of milks, yogurts, eggs, cottage cheeses and more. She picked up a gallon of two-percent milk and a carton of eggs. After lifting the lid to check if the eggs were okay, she closed it back and pulled the cart along to get a selection of yogurts.

"Do you guys do this much hardcore shopping all the time?" he asked, looking into the cart and eyeing the amount of food in general. And she said they still had a ways to go. He pursed his lips.

"No… it usually lasts us up to about a month. So we go shopping once a month. That's not really a lot, right?" She shrugged and checked off some items on the list. Inuyasha pushed the cart along, leaning on the bar and glancing at all the different selections of food.

About an hour later, they'd come to the last isle, and were picking up a few items. Inuyasha sighed, a little bored.

"Isn't this going to cost a lot?" he asked to Kagome's back. She was standing on her tippy-toes, trying to reach for an item on a high shelf and he came around the shopping cart and grabbed it for her with ease.

"Curse you." She said with a pout and grabbed it from it hand, throwing it into their cart. "Going to tell me what's wrong now?" she stood with her hands on her hips, a pout on her face, waiting for him to respond, and Inuyasha didn't think he'd seen anything cuter.

"Nothing's wrong." He lied. Kagome scoffed and turned on her heel, picking up snacks along the way. He could tell she was upset, just with the way she walked.

"I wish you wouldn't lie to me," she said softly. Inuyasha stared at her incredulously, and just had to laugh bitterly because of how hypocritical it sounded.

"Oh, well don't act as if you're a saint!" he said loudly, and threw his hands up in the air. Kagome swung around and glared at him.

"Excuse me?" she was marching back towards him, her jaw jutted out. He could tell she'd been gritting her teeth.

"Don't act as if you haven't lied to me before." He said crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the stacks of bread across from him. Kagome raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth. Once. Twice.

"I've been truthful with you this whole time!" she finally got out. Inuyasha turned and glared. He really didn't know why he was so worked up about this. It wasn't as if Kagome was his girlfriend, but then why was he so jealous of this 'Hojo' kid.

"Right. Like when you said you weren't with Hojo and that you didn't talk to him anymore?" he yelled. Their little rendezvous was attracting a little bit more attention than they would have liked, but people just passed and tried to ignore them.

Kagome stood there looking at Inuyasha, her head tilted to the side, and a look on her face as if she'd just had an epiphany. He didn't like that look. "What?" he asked annoyed.

"I never said that I don't talk to him anymore." She tried to defend herself, but the look was still there.

"Well that's usually assumed when you get out of a bad relationship." He drawled out sarcastically. She opened her mouth to speak again, but she'd calmed down considerably.

"I'm sorry. But just because I'm not with him, doesn't mean we don't talk." She explained. Inuyasha was still huffing and puffing. "Inuyasha?" she said in a tone that would capture his attention.

"What?"

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she came closer and he shoved his hands stubbornly in his pockets.

"No." he grumbled.

"Oh, but you are, my friend. I've seen that look many a time." She said, as if she were actually wise. Inuyasha scoffed.

"Whatever." He pulled away from her and walked over to the cart, pushing it down the isle. Kagome ran with difficulty in her flip-flops to catch up with him.

"Hey!" she tugged on his arm, sending a jolt through the shopping cart, but it didn't quite tip over. She turned him around but drew back hesitantly at the look in his eyes. He shifted his gaze lower, and tried to ignore what she wanted to say. "Inuyasha." Kagome sighed and grabbed his chin, not harshly, and turned his face to look at her. "You don't have to be jealous. We're just friends." Inuyasha swallowed.

Whether she was talking about him and her, or her relationship with Hojo, he'd never know.

"Okay." he said finally. Kagome tried to suppress her smile.

"Okay?"

"Okay." he repeated. She wrapped an arm around his middle and kissed his cheek, getting the corner of his lips accidentally. She smiled up at him.

Things were, as they said, 'okay'.

(Sitsume High)

Sango looked at her watch and saw that Miroku had one minute to get there. Maybe it was a little stupid of her to be timing him, but she was worried that he wouldn't show up. She bit her lip and scanned the area for the umpteenth time. Finally, she saw him coming towards her from the entrance of the park and she smiled, before the realness of the situation hit her full force with a newly opened jar of butterflies.

Her smile dropped.

"Hey." He breathed and rubbed his hands together, noticing how his breath came out in white wisps of air. "Have you been waiting long?" she bit her lip and shook her head and Miroku regarded her thoughtfully. "Okay," he looked around the park, and then let his gaze fall over her again. "You look great."

"Thanks." She cleared her throat and looked down at her freezing toes. Maybe she should have worn shoes. Miroku looked around again, and then looked back at her.

"Let's take a walk." He suggested and at Sango's nod they took a stroll down the paved pathway. Miroku stuffed his hands in his pockets nervously. Sango felt at least a little better. If he was nervous, that had to be a positive thing right? Usually you're only nervous when you're about to make a life changing decision.

"Why'd you call me, Miroku?" Sango asked looking away from him and to a huge tree they were passing that had lover's initials carved into the peeled away bark. The tree was covered in them: big hearts, small hearts, full out names and then initials, and even dates. Miroku glanced in the same direction and noticed the tree.

That's what he wanted.

"I called you because, we really need to talk." He said swallowing. Sango stopped and looked at him, and he went a step or two before he noticed. He turned back around.

"About what?" she asked softly. Miroku tucked his lips into his mouth.

"About what happened." He rubbed his hands together again, only this time slower. "I want you to know, that when I stopped that, it wasn't because I thought we were making a mistake," he looked her in the eye, and she could tell that he was being genuine.

"Okay. Then what was it?" she asked curiously. There wasn't anything scathing about her tone, though.

"It was… me, making a decision." Sango titled her head, crossing her arms to keep warm.

"Okay…" she drawled out. She didn't know if she liked that he was making a decision. But she'd just have to find out.

"Yeah…" he looked like he was having a hard time getting this out.

"And what's this decision about?" He stepped closer to her, and took her cold hands in his.

"It was a mistake… in the sense that I felt we were going too fast." Sango had to suppress a giggle. Miroku? Going too fast?

"You're joking, right?"

"Sango, I've never been more serious about anything in my life." He told her, and she realized, in a split second, that he actually was serious.

"Oh…"

"Every girl I've ever been with, I was only with so that I could get laid. That's all I thought I'd get from life, to tell you the truth." He paused, letting it sink in as Sango's eyes widened. "And to be truthful again, when I met you, that's what was on my mind, but now it's different." he said quickly at the look on her face.

"How different?" she asked doubtfully. Miroku sucked in a breath.

"Sango, I had to stop whatever was going to happen at my house, because I want to take things slow with you." Sango gasped, her eyes widening.

"What?"

"I want to have a relationship with you, and experience all those sentimental things. As unmanly as that may sound." He said scratching his head with a big smile on his face. Sango laughed and threw her arms around his neck.

"It's not unmanly. I think it's awesome." She kissed his cheek and pulled back looking him in the eyes. Miroku smirked and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers to hers, and pulled her closer.

It was all the warmth she needed.

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A/N: Alrighty. Well that was dandy. I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I can't promise when the next will be out, but stay tuned! Read and Review loves!

TaintedMunkeyz