Here's chapter two. You all must like it so far, if you're returning for more. Either that or you didn't know how to get rid of that annoying email in your inbox that said I put up a new chapter... Oh, I read my first three reviews for this story, and I have one thing to say... You guys are so nice! I'm really happy right now (before I read them, I was depressed), so thanks to those three who reviewed and said nice things to me...

Summary: Kagome used to be the popular and happy girl in school. Everyone loved her, until summer break. Now, returning to high school, no one regognizes her. Will someone be able to find out why she's vanished? Inuyasha's POV.

Rated M for the following: Cutting, mention of suicide, adult situations (Miroku's fault this had to be put in), and foul language... If these bother you, then suck it up and read, or leave.

Heart of Pain
Chapter Two: Passing Thoughts

Sango knows that I plan on asking Kagome out before summer vacation. It's coming up in two days, and I'm hoping she'll say yes. I know she turns a lot of men down, but I have a feeling she won't do that to me. If she does say yes, that gives us the entire vacation to strengthen the bond between us... Even if we stay as just friends...

- - -

I hate school. There's no point to it, in my opinion. The only purpose I had for it last year, was to hang out with my friends. That doesn't look like ti'll be happening right now...

Sango has one of my classes, and Miroku doesn't have any. So, we get an hour for lunch together, and that's about it. Last time, we had a lot of classes together. I guess that luck doesn't like me.

"Higurashi, Kagome." The teacher calls. My ears twitch as I look around. Kagome is here, in my class! I'm so happy, but there's one thing that's bothering me. I can't see her.

"Here." I hear a quiet voice say. I look around, taking notice of a few new students, but no Kagome. What happened? She answered to her name, but she's not in the class. I can't smell her (not like I could if she were here, anyway). The teacher begins to name some other people, but I'm still searching for Kagome. She's nowhere in this class.

Had I imagined her answering to her name? Maybe I imagined her name being called too.

"Taisho, Inuyasha." The teacher says. I jerk out of my thoughts and stare at the teacher.

"Here..." I manage to say. I don't feel right, since I can't find Kagome. I'm beginning to think that I did imagine her voice and her name. A few more minutes pass before our teacher begins to put everyone in their assigned seats.

"Kagome, you can come see me before we decide on where to seat you." She says. I look to the teacher, then see one of those emo kids walking up to her. That's not Kagome, so where is she? When the teacher and the emo kid leave, I stand up and look around. Kagome's not here, and that emo kid is definitely not her. So, why does the teacher keep acting like she does exist?

"Mr. Taisho," I hate being called by my last name. Reminds me of something you might call my brother. "I did not give you permission to stand up. You may sit down!" The teacher snaps. I let myself fall into the seat then shake my head. What's the point of sitting down if I'm only going to get up and move seats again?

"Wench." I mutter under my breath. A few of the demons in the room hear me, and they all mutter their agreement. The teacher can't hear us, since she's a human. I wonder why humans think they can teach demons. We can hurt them horribly, yet they insist on doing this anyway.

Reminds me of some of the school rules I get in the beginning of class. Since I'm a half demon, I get both hand books. Anyway, the demons are told that if they fight, they will be refused for a diploma until they take anger management courses. Humans are told that if a demon assaults them, they have to tell someone when the demon isn't around.

They make us sound like bullies.

Well, I guess we kind of are. Due to that, a lot of store managers are strong demons so they can control anyone who's acting unruly. A lot of police are humans, don't ask why, and they have to wear a lot of vests to protect them from a demon's claws. There are a lot of things done so demons aren't entirely better than humans.

If it's so much of a hassle, they should do something else about it. Like having a country of just demons. Half demons can choose, since we're weak demons and strong humans. Sounds fair to me, but I doubt anyone will want to get an entire country's population of demons onto one island. The demons will pitch a fit.

"Mr. Taisho!" The teacher snaps at me. I look up at her, wondering how she got to my desk. She was at the front of the room, calling out seat assignments, and she just appeared here. Is she a demon teacher or have I missed something?

"Uhh... What?" I ask, trying to get away from her angry face. Not due to the fact that I'm scared, but all the demons can smell her breath. It isn't pretty. Let's say it this way... If she exhaled on a train, the acidic smell in her breath would melt through the train's layers. That help describe it?

"I told you, this seat has been assigned. You are sitting in the second row to the door, fifth seat back." She snarls. I assume she's said this before, since she's seething with rage. I haven't smelled someone that angry since... This morning. Damn, I forgot that I pissed my brother off today. Heh. That was fun, though.

I grab my backpack and walk to my seat, even though I was hoping to walk out the door. I sit down in my chair and look around. One of my half-friends is here. You know what I mean by that, right? You're friends whenever you're in a class together. You won't spend lunch together or hang after school, but you joke around in your classes you share.

"Hey, where's Kagome?" I ask my friend in front of me. I'm hardly even leaning forward, but he's a demon. He'll catch my words without a problem.

"Don't ask me. This is the third class of the day, and no one has seen her. I talked to Kouga, and he can smell her. But that's it. She just vanished. Perhaps she's a ghost." He suggests. I nearly growl, before I remember that I'm in class.

"Don't say that. Did you hear the teacher calling her name?" I ask him. Maybe I'm not going insane like I thought.

"Yah, I did. The teacher talked to some emo kid outside, and she said she wanted to talk to Kagome. Makes me wonder if Kagome's sending henchmen in her place or something. I can't see her..." He says. I lean back, sighing.

"I can't either, and it's starting to bother me. I was going to ask her out before summer break, but I never got the courage to... Hey, do you think she moved and another girl came instead?" I suddenly ask.

"What?"

"Do you think Kagome moved and someone else named Kagome moved to the school?" I repeat.

"No, I doubt it. They have the same last names..." He says. I sigh then slouch in my seat. If I'm hearing her name, but not seeing her, does that make me insane? My friend can't see her either, and neither can Kouga. Maybe she's found some way to fly under the radar of men this year. I wouldn't be surprised since she's smart enough to figure it out.

Thinking about her won't help me out, either. It was a tiring summer since I thought of her constantly. I should try to get Sango to help me. Since Sango's a girl - even though Miroku and I have had our doubts - she should be able to help me understand what's going on. That'll be better than hearing names but not seeing faces.

Damn. Class is boring as hell today... Funny, this is math. That's the subject that she mastered last year. She had over the 100-percent, since she aced everything and the extra credit. I guess you can say I miss her, but I don't like to put it that way. It makes it sound as if we were friends, and we weren't. I wouldn't mind being her friend, though...

Next time on Heart of Pain...
Inuyasha has just bumped into someone. She feels, looks, and smells familiar to him. But he does'nt know why. She's just one of those emo kids that leaves class to cut themselves, right?

To those that take offense in me saying "emo," read this. I know that people who hurt themselves can't stand to be labelled. I hurt myself (and I'm trying to stop), and being labelled like emo or whatever was upsetting to me. So, I apologize to those who take offense in this type of thing. I don't like calling people that, but I'm trying to sound like the people in the school don't know or care how much it hurts her feelings.

black dragon of destruction- I hope my plot isn't flimsy... I mean, I think it's strong, but the first chapter isn't the main one. That just introduces you to how Inuyasha is feeling and all. I think that it gives the story a lot more flavor, but I know what's going on. You don't. So, perhaps it's flimsy to those who don't have the chapter index on 'em. (That tells me what to put in what chapters)

I need 20 reviews before anyone can get the next chapter...

- Lonely Bird