Come on, everyone. You have to review faster! I'm nearly done with the story, but I have to update slowly. You know why? Because I want 100 reviews for each story I write. 100 or more, and I'll be happy. So, I'm forcing the review rule on you all. If you review more, I will grant more chapters.

Figure, once you get chapter ten, then you'll have five reviews between chapters... So, can you review faster? Only being able to add one chapter a day (or every other day), is driving me CRAZY!

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 Five: Stranger to Me

The only thing that's running through my mind is Kagome. Why is it that no one knows where she is this year? All her best friends last year are clueless, but they think she'll be coming back to school soon. I want to know why the emo kid was answering for her name. Kagome couldn't be the emo kid, since she's the opposite. She's always happy and kind, not dark and depressing. So... Where did Kagome go?

- - -

I look around the mall as we walk aimlessly around it. I know that if Kagome couldn't make it to school all this week, then there will be almost no chance of her being here. Still, I can't help but feel like I may have a chance of seeing her, even if it is a slim one.

The mall is quiet. It's only ten in the morning and most teenagers don't wake up this early. That means that they won't be aready to leave until two hours after they wake up. So, Sango, Miroku, and I are the only people in our high school that are wandering around the mall.

I look around a few stores, taking note that a lot of those emo and goth kids are in front of some of the stores - the happy ones, like Claires. They must be scaring the customers away, or trying to at least.

"You're not going to find Hot Topic anytime soon, Sango." I tell her. She glares at me then her attention turns to the map in front of us.

"Might not even be in this mall. Could be in the other one across town." Miroku suggests. Sango glares at him too then returns to her search for the only store she enjoys shopping at. After a few more minutes of searching, she gives up and we walk to the fountain in the center of the mall.

"It's quiet today." Sango comments. Miroku nods and I shake my head.

"It's quiet if you can't hear every little thing." I tell them. It is quiet to me, but I like to pretend that I can hear things they can't. Half the time they believe me. The other half of the time, they don't. Right now, I don't think anyone really cares.

"So, Inuyasha... Who are you looking for?" Miroku asks me. I look at him, just now realizing that I have been looking around for Kagome.

"No one." I tell him as I sit down. He'll tease me if he finds out that I was looking for Kagome. If he doesn't tease me, he'll comment by saying what porn star she looks like. I don't know how Sango can stand to date him.

"You're looking for Kagome, huh?" Sango asks. I mentally yell at her for knowing, but I don't move. She reads my mind then places a hand on my shoulder.

"Relax, Inuyasha. I'm sure that Kagome still goes to our high school... She's probably just been sick is all." Sango says to me. I shrug my shoulders and look at the ground. I don't want to tell her that Kagome was there and that I heard her name over and over. She'll get upset that I'm shooting down her comforting words...

Still, why haven't I been able to see Kagome? I've been trying to sniff her out and find her, but I haven't come up with anything. Maybe I really am going insane and my world is just upside down. Maybe the teacher said someone's name and it just sounded like Kagome's name. That makes more sense than my previous thoughts on why she hasn't been at school recently.

I shake the thughts from my head then sip on my soda. This place is a lot mor eboring when the teenagers aren't out. They're fun to look at, mainly the weird ones.

"Hey, are we gonna wait around for the rest of the high school to wake up?" I ask them.

"Sure, why not? I don't want to go home and do chores. Miroku's trying to avoid his cousin, and you're stuck with us." Sango replies. I smile then look back at them.

"Glad to be stuck with you two than my brother and dad." I reply. Miroku gives me a questioning gaze. I told Sango about the rought relationships in my family. Miroku... I'd rather him not know about it at all than try to understand and fail.

A few hours pass before the high school wakes up. I point to some people, smiling at Sango.

"Look. I recognize them from school." I say. Sango smiles then starts laughing. The girl has bright pink hair that can blind anyone, neon green shirt, and a bright orange skirt. She wears things like that a lot at school.

"She reminds me of the crossing guards that help the elementary kids." Miroku says. I pause, imagining her wearing that outfit and holding a stop sign.

"She wouldn't need a stop sign, that's for sure." I add. Sango giggles then I hear her stop short. I look back at them, not able to see Miroku's hand.

"Pervert!" Sango shouts. She slaps Miroku's face then sits down on one side of me.

"Sango, don't hide from me!" Miroku begs. Sango grasps my arm, trying to use me as protection.

"Miroku, stop grabbing her for two hours." I demand. Sango smiles then Miroku sits down on the other side of me. I feel like I'm their parent and they're the bickering children.

"Inuyasha, did you hear the rumor about Kagome that's floating around? Sango told me about one when we were waiting for you." Miroku says. I look at Sango, surprised.

"You said you didn't know anything about her." I say.

"No. I said that I heard some rumors and I didn't know what was true and what wasn't." She corrects me. I glare at her, telling her to stop proving me wrong.

"Tell me what you know. Even if it might not be right." I demand. She takes in a deep breath then lets it out slowly.

"Well... The only thing I heard about Kagome was... upsetting... You see... Inuyasha, she..." She pauses, as if she's trying to put it into words. Miroku has his eyes narrowed and is looking at the ground. Is the rumor so bad that they can't tell me?

"Kagome had... Rumor has it that Kagome got in a car accident. She had such bad scars on her face that she nearly vanished from radar at school. She keeps herself hidden and won't look anyone in the eye." Sango says. I pause, my heart stopping for a moment as I digest this information.

That would explain a lot of things, wouldn't it?

Next time on Heart of Pain...
Inuyasha realizes what Sango was talking about when she mentioned rumors. He walks around school, questioning everyone about what happened to Kagome Higurashi over the summer. There are an aweful lot of strange stories floating around, which ones are true?

I'm glad that I got 40 reviews. I was afraid that my chapters would never get posted!

lady KCassandra: I'm sorry! I'm trying to hurry, and I'm on chapter 10 out of 16. That means I'm way ahead of all these lazy reviewers. You just have to wait on them if you want to know where she went and what happened to her...

Poll Time!

Question: Which of the following do you think happened to Kagome? (Don't give me numbers, please restate what the answer was so I don't have to look it up)
1. She got in a car accident and is hiding her scars
2. She died
3. She's gone invisible
4. Other (if it's this, then please state what you think)

I need 50 reviews before anyone can get the next chapter...

- Lonely Bird