Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. The characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi!

Author Note: Cleaning, that's no fun! Chapter 4
The Cafeteria Cleanup

"I can't believe it's Wednesday already!" Sango complained, tying her long raven hair into a ponytail. She scrutinized herself through a mirror attached to the wall of her locker door. Unlike Kagome, Sango seemed to still remember their getting into trouble…even more so because it always seemed to be her that the teachers picked on and not Kagome.

"Wednesday?" Kagome asked curiously. "What's so bad about Wednesdays?" She carelessly flipped through a magazine, back leaned casually against a wall. It just happened to have the same cover as the one our favorite Hanyo read before the start of class yesterday.

"Kagome! Don't you remember?" Sango hissed. She gave Kagome the evil eye before finally giving up, seeing how her efforts were futile. Kagome obviously didn't remember these things. "Mr. Tanaka…gave us detention." Kagome's eyes widened slightly before she gave a curt little nod.

"Earth to Kagome! We've got detention!" Sango repeated, waving her hands dramatically. Never before had Sango gotten detention for not paying attention in class. That always happened to people like…like…Inuyasha and Miroku! Those were the first two names that popped into her head.

"Sango," Kagome piped up suddenly. Sango paused in her haranguing and watched Kagome with peculiarity. Kagome had not once taken her eyes off the magazine and now finally showed some signs of intelligence. "Wanna take the stupidity test?"

"NANI!" Sango cried out. Was Kagome even listening? She grabbed the nearest object from the crevices of her locker--a literature workbook and gave Kagome a good whacking.

"Ouch! Sango stop!" Kagome protested. "What was--ouch!" Sango continued to slap lightly until she was certain Kagome would pay attention. Kagome shielded herself with the only possession she carried: the magazine.

"Okay," Sango said, laughing a little. "Now that I've knocked some sense into you… "

"Yeah, you have" Kagome agreed lightly. She rolled up the crumpled magazine and folded her arms. "So what's so important about Wednesday?" Sango glared at Kagome before answering. So she really hadn't been listening…

"We've got detention today," Sango said with a groan. "For not paying attention in Mr. Tanaka's class" she added.

"Oh! I completely forgot!" Kagome admitted, almost dropping the magazine out of pure horror. "And I haven't told mama either!" Kagome gulped. She was unfamiliar with the process of going to detention. Did they call your parents? Or was there a conference of some sort?

"Yura knows," Sango said meditatively. "And she says that it's not too bad."

"Humph." Kagome shook her head in disbelief. Leave it to Yura to decide what was bad or not and they'd be in much more trouble.

"And you believe her?"

"Nah," Sango admitted. "But she's been to detention a lot more often than we have so there's no point in arguing."

"Guess you're right," Kagome concluded. She watched Sango slam the door to her locker before motioning Kagome leading the way. Kagome tightened her grip on the magazine and strolled after her.

"Do you even know where detention is?" Kagome asked hesitantly. "I've got no idea."

"To be honest. No." Sango replied. "But I guess a stop at the Main Office wouldn't do us any harm."

"Hum" Kagome approved while stealthily unrolling her magazine. Just seconds later, she was intently glued to a page called 'Top Ten Ramen Flavors'. Sango just rolled her eyes and continued to walk; every now and then having to redirect Kagome. When they'd finally reached the office, Sango nudged Kagome to show some respect.

"Hello, excuse me" Sango called. A wizened lady wearing a bandage over one eye stuck her head out from a pile of paperwork and craned her neck to see who the inquirer was.

"Yes?" she asked. Her nametag read 'Ms. Kaede' and she looked unusually grumpy. Who could blame her? It was a Wednesday afternoon and she was stuck with mounds of paperwork. Definitely not the time for visitors...

"Could you please tell us where detention is usually held?" Sango asked, locking her gaze on a picture frame hanging on the wall. She tried to ignore the dirty look the old lady was giving her and cursed silently for getting detention in the first place.

"Detention, eh?" Ms. Kaede asked. She shuffled through a pile of papers and picked up a blue schedule sheet. As she ran an index finger through the page, she muttered something under her breath about misbehaving children which only Sango caught. Kagome was much too busy reading her magazine to care.

"Wednesday detentions are held in the cafeteria," she read briskly. "Services include disposing of trash, cleaning tables, scrubbing floors-"

"Disposing of trash?" Sango felt dismayed. "Trash as in…garbage?" Ms. Kaede nodded and then returned to her work. Sango blinked several times before curling her lips in disgust. So this was detention...like paying services to the school. The thought of cleaning who knows what sort of gave her the creeps but it couldn't be all that bad—right?

"Kagome" Sango said to her oblivious friend. "Did you hear anything Ms. Kaede said?" This question had bugged Sango the entire time they spent in that dreaded office. Had Kagome paid the least bit of attention?

"Hn?" Kagome asked, once Sango's loud voice had become too annoying a distraction. "You mean the woman at the desk?"

"Haaai," Sango answered patiently. She snatched the magazine away from Kagome, who objected the instant her flimsy piece of entertainment was torn away. After a few minutes of pointlessly groping air, Kagome realized they were standing in front of the cafeteria.

"Oh no," Kagome whispered. Sango wore a doleful expression and nodded gravely. She was about to explain the details when…

"There isn't one female who's willing to bear my child," a familiar voice proclaimed. That comment was met with a scoffed 'Keh!' and "Maybe that's because you wanted to have them right away…literally right away."

"Well, can you blame me, I-" the speaker stopped abruptly.

"Hello Sango!" Sango suppressed a moan and smiled limply at the happy-go-lucky monk standing before her. Miroku, as usual, sported that cheerful aura everywhere he went.

"Miroku," Sango said, straining a smile. She furtively half-dragged Kagome away from the two but the resolute girl had other plans in mind. Kagome was still determined as ever to "transform" Inuyasha, who, by the way, still hadn't acknowledged her presence. He had his arms crossed and was watching Sango curiously.

"H-hey Inuyasha!" Kagome hadn't meant for it to come out stuttered, but it did. She gave him her best smile and even waved a hand shyly.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, finally gracing her with a pair of piercing golden eyes. His stare made her legs go limp and insides turn to jelly. Kagome cursed herself for being so vulnerable.

"Did you get your eye fixed?" Kagome scowled inwardly but kept her cool as cucumber composure. Sango giggled quietly and Miroku raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"There was nothing wrong to begin with," Kagome replied sweetly. Her tone of voice was caustic and burned with patience.

"Baka." she exhaled the word quietly.

"So where are you two lovely ladies headed?" Miroku asked flirtatiously. It was a sad attempt at changing the subject. He didn't like the look Kagome was giving Inuyasha. Sparks were flying between the two and they sure as hell weren't sparks of love!

"Detention!" Kagome answered nonchalantly. When the word was issued from her mouth, Kagome lowered her head in shame. Sango patted her back reassuringly and smirked. Finally Kagome! But it just had to be Miroku, didn't it? Sango sighed in defeat. Of all people, it just had to be him...

"Hey! So are we!" Miroku clapped Inuyasha on the back and grinned. "We'll go together!" Sango wrinkled her nose in disapproval but agreed quickly nodded in agreement once Kagome gave her a warning kick in the ankle: all of which went unnoticed by their companions.

"Sure Miroku!" Kagome replied merrily. She turned her attention to Inuyasha who just stared at her like she was possessed.

"Are you kidding me?" he sneered. "You guys got detention? What for?" Kagome grimaced. This was not going to be pretty…he'd tease her for the rest of her life and call her a student failure!

"Not paying attention in class" Sango answered icily. She looked at Kagome accusingly. "All Kagome's fault for not warning me in advance when the teacher was coming"

This is it Kagome thought. Brace yourself for total humiliation! Inuyasha chuckled and gave Kagome a sidelong glance...he grinned. Kagome caught it and flushed in embarrassment and surprise.

"Sango. It wasn't all my fault" Kagome whispered meekly. She truly felt like an idiot and blushed madly at the accusation. But hadn't Inuyasha just smile at this so-called idiot? He'd finally paid some attention to her! At a price: she didn't want to start acting like a total moron just to get his attention.

"Well, let's go!" Miroku announced while pushing the cafeteria doors open. He politely held it opened for both girls, much to their delight. Inuyasha looked apathetically at Miroku who grinned wildly and wondered why girls got all giddy over such small ministrations. He would never understand them.

"So…what'd you guys do?" Sango inquired as an attempt to break the already forming ice. To be honest, she didn't understand how Miroku, who was often times well behaved, could get detention. He was fairly smart and got along great with almost anyone.

Oh dear god! Was it the groping hands? Sango hoped not!

"Miroku's just volunteering" Inuyasha explained after witnessing the blank look on Sango's face. Her mouth formed a small 'o' and she smiled hesitantly at Miroku. He had a determined sort of look etched on his face.

"Volunteering?" Kagome echoed. "You can volunteer for detention?"

"Sure," Inuyasha answered shrewdly. "Detention's like service only it's mandatory." Sango nodded. It was just as she'd suspected! Sango watched Kagome from the corner of her eye.

"Inu-" Kagome began softly. She stopped and flinched. No way.

They'd just entered the large cafeteria room and it was a mess. Food splattered here and there, chairs and tables disheveled, and mounds of napkins littered all over the place. Her heart went out to all the janitors who worked at Shikon High.

"Damn," Inuyasha grumbled. He'd been hoping for an easier job. Maybe wipe a couple tables or something. But this…this looked like some kind of war zone. "Guess we'd better get started."

"Here's a list of what's expected" Miroku said while waving a bright yellow paper. On it were the words: Wednesday Detention Form. The group all crowded around the sheet and began skimming through the contents. In essence, there were six different tasks that needed to be done before the six o'clock bell.

"Hmm, okay, I'll get working on the tables" Miroku suggested. He began making his way to the rows of tables when a hand timidly clutched his shoulder.

"Sango?" Miroku looked at her, startled. He was shocked by her reticent approach and gentleness.

"Houshi-sama," Sango stuttered, addressing him as she usually did. She immediately let go of his shoulder the instant he turned and tried to keep her voice steady. "Let me help."

A Few Minutes later…

Laughter could be heard from where Sango and Miroku stood scrubbing tables. It came as no bombshell to Inuyasha who knew that it didn't take long for Miroku to make someone feel comfortable. The two table workers had barely gotten any work accomplished when Miroku had started a game of war.

"You still haven't gotten me!" Miroku said victoriously. He stood on the other end of the table bracing the edge so hard that his knuckles turned white. Sango crushed a sponge between her hands until bubbles starting forming on the absorbent surface and flung the object towards Miroku, who had been too busy acting macho to notice. The sponge landed with a splat on his torso.

"Gotcha!" Sango declared, laughing imperiously. Miroku stood drenched in bubble solution from neck down. Though, Sango didn't have much time to celebrate because just moments later, she was being chased by a soaked and "angry" Miroku. He ran waving a dripping sponge above his head and shouting promises of revenge.

"You'll never win!" he pledged while wiping the sweat from his forehead with a free hand. Sango laughed until she almost cried. The pains in her belly were making it more and more difficult to run fast, let alone breathe. Sango weaved her way through clusters of chairs and tables with Miroku hot on her heel. He had the upper hand...his sponge was soaked to the brim. Sango took a quick peak behind to check how far she had gotten.

To her astonishment, the monk had completely disappeared...

:-:-:

"Alright Kagome," Inuyasha said, arms folded. "Ten bowls of Ramen says I can pick up all this trash in less then 30!" Kagome laughed at his pretentious claim and seated herself on a chair. Practically the whole lunchroom was littered with napkins: the trash, which he claimed he could pick up in less than a minute.

"You're on!" Kagome exclaimed cheerfully. Prepare to buy me some ramen! she thought. Kagome knew exactly which flavor she wanted, after reading that magazine. It was the one with the beef, chicken and pork all blended in to make the perfect broth and it was piled high with noodles and veggies of all sorts! YUM!

"Prepare to buy me some ramen" Inuyasha voiced out loud. He took a deep breath and Kagome watched in anticipation. No way could he could pick up all that Kagome convinced herself. There's way too much! A minute passed and Inuyasha hadn't moved a muscle.

"Tell me when to go," the hanyo said impatiently. Kagome hurriedly apologized for her mistake and looked at her watch. She waited for the seconds hand to pass 12 before setting the timer for 30 seconds.

"Go."

Inuyasha took a deep breath, causing Kagome to lean forward in her seat excitedly. Maybe he had some skill that she didn't know about? Maybe he would actually be able to clean it all up? Kagome had heard some pretty wild stories about Inuyasha; stories which evolved around his being an excellent star soccer player.

Instead of zooming around with the speed of light, the star soccer player casually walked from napkin to napkin and began stuffing them in a black garbage bag. Kagome stared at him, confounded. What was he doing? She looked at her watch. Fifteen valuable seconds had come and gone and Inuyasha continued to pace around placidly.

"At that rate, you'll lose" Kagome commented in a singsong voice. "Fifteen seconds." Inuyasha looked up from his work. Kagome smiled playfully...until she noticed his smirk.

"Huh? You mean like 29 hours 59 minutes and 45 seconds" Inuyasha watched her face twist into bewilderment and couldn't hold it in any longer. He busted into a fit of laughter as Kagome stared down at her watch.

"W-What? I-I only gave you thirty…" Kagome began to recall little by little.

"Oh." Kagome was hit with the staggering realization that she'd just been duped by Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had tricked her into believing that he could pick up all this trash in 30 seconds when in reality, he'd given himself 30 hours. Her jaw dropped noticeably.

Smart. Too damn smart…

"I'm NOT buying you ten bowls of ramen" Kagome publicized, pointing a finger at the hanyo. "You tricked me!" She then crossed her arms and scowled at the still laughing hanyo.

"So?" Inuyasha retorted. "You fell for it!"

"But--but" Kagome whimpered, sounding like a broken recorder. Damn! He was so stubborn! Kagome had to come up with a way to recant her offer...but no. Inuyasha would never jeopardize ramen! There was absolutely no way of getting out of this mess. Kagome sighed pitifully--

But wait! Wouldn't this give her a chance to hang out with him for one whole afternoon! Sort of like a date? Kagome smiled at her brilliant idea. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. "Okay Inuyasha, you win."

"Good," Inuyasha said happily. He gave her one of his rare grins and she felt her heart flutter. Heck, she'd buy him ramen everyday if it meant seeing him this way.

"Now help me pick this stuff up." Once again, Inuyasha had proven himself to be a moment spoiler.

"Hey!" Kagome protested, her blissfulness slowly dissipating. "You're the one who said-"

"Yeah, I know what I said." Inuyasha interrupt callously. "Anyone could clean this place in 30 hours."

"Good point" Kagome admitted reluctantly. She got up from her seat and began picking up napkins. It was tedious work, but not for long.

"Bet I can pick up more than you" Inuyasha challenged. Kagome shook her head in amusement and automatically began gathering faster. Inuyasha caught on and soon they were rushing around the cafeteria in a frenzy. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the way things turned out. There were barely any napkins left and if ever one was found, the two fought over whom got it first.

"There!" Kagome shouted while pointing to a white speck hidden underneath a chair leg. She regretted ever raising her voice because in less than a second, Inuyasha was at it shouting, "Mine!"

By the end of the day, Inuyasha had won…again. Now, Kagome owed him exactly 15 bowls of ramen. If she kept this up, Kagome was sure she'd be broke. Oh well, at least the floors were clean.

"Hey Kagome-" Inuyasha spoke candidly, worthy of catching attention.

"Don't wanna hear it!" Kagome said while covering her ears. She was almost certain he had another bet in mind. He was using that tone of voice. Inuyasha folded his puppy ears, feigning a hurt expression. The desired affect was imminent.

"Okay, what?" Kagome asked. She could ignore him all she wanted; jut not when he used the ears! Kagome felt so stupid for ever getting caught up in Yura's dare. He was supposed to fall with her and not the other way around!

"What're you doing this Friday?" Inuyasha asked, resting his head against a wall. Kagome studied the look on his face. He was grinning. What was this Friday?

And then it hit her. Like a load of bricks had fallen from the sky. The Fall Festival!

"Um, nothing" Kagome answered. She crossed her fingers and waited for his reply. Inuyasha averted his gaze and looked a bit embarrassed. Kagome watched his actions with high expectations. Could it be? Would he...?

"Because I was wondering if…" Inuyasha began.

A/N: A Cliffhanger! Wow, my first one in this story!