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A Cool Kind Of Punishment

- Chapter Four : Principles

Rin made her way out the library after checking a book out. Looking up, she saw Greg, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"I need you to do this for me"

Rin sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't do it. I won't be able to do any of that stuff for a while" starting down the stairs, Greg grasped her upper forearm tightly.

"You don't understand. I need it done… I have money!" Desperately, he pulled out a bundle of notes from his pockets with his free hand and threw them at Rin. In return, she gave him an icy look, before it dissipated into mere impatience.

"I don't do it for the money, Greg. I do it for another reason, but quite frankly, I have more important things to do with my time now. Why don't you try earning your own pass for now?" Tugging free her arm, she made her way down the stairs out into the open. Greg followed her.

"How can you do this?"

Rin stopped but didn't turn around. "Excuse me?"

"How can you make us dependant on you? Then just stop?"

Rin turned around, pure regret in her eyes. "I did it because I thought that I could buy you all some time to study. To actually do something with the education your parents are paying for. Hearing you say that I made you dependant… Greg, have you ever stopped to think that it was your fault for depending on me in the first place? I'm sorry… but perhaps I was naïve in thinking that by wasting my time, I could help you make do with yours" Pausing, Rin bit her lip. "Do you understand me?" Greg shook his head.

"You've been going about this the wrong way, Rinz. The reason why we're all such idiots is because we don't understand. We need someone to explain it to us. While you've been wasting your time, we've been doing nothing because we can't do anything. We need help, not time," he said, before walking in the opposite direction.

Blinking in surprise, Rin walked away slowly.

Though she thought over the conversation over and over again, she couldn't figure out what Greg had truly meant.

Hi Diary,

I can't help but think over what Greg meant by needing help. There's something in the back of my mind, but I can't figure out what it means. I know that it should be obvious, but like most important things, it's not. Perhaps I won't be able to figure it out until something totally unrelated to the subject happens, which ends up clarifying everything. Do you know what I mean?

Well, that's the end of that. I don't think I'll be able to do the homework job anymore. The guilt is overwhelming me. Just yesterday I had only been considering that I put it on hold, but knowing that I'm not helping them at all… and taking their money too… I don't know what to do anymore.

My other job. I don't think that one overly consumes me with guilt because I never reveal anything too private. Like bra sizes or something. Just general things like favorite flowers and stuff. And I never do it if I have a feeling that they have bad intentions.

Well, unless you count Kagura. I reckon she has bad intentions for Sesshoumaru… but not evil ones, just… naughty ones, if you get what I mean. Hehe. I've never even had my first kiss. A lot of the popular girls would probably laugh their heads off at that. Not that I care. After all, I enjoy my being with my friends much more than potentially contracting Meningeal Coccal Disease or whatever it's called. I love being in the Candy Kitchen, the sweetness of Sundaes and Shakes on our tongues as we have girly moments. And I love the little nights in my dad and I enjoy so often.

Some things are just more important than teenage hormones!

"You're going to what!"

It was Wednesday afternoon after school and we were at the Candy Kitchen (1). We being Pristine, Theresa and myself.

"I'm quitting," I said calmly, my fingers playing with the torn, red leather upholstery on our usual booth at the window.

"You mean you're not gonna stalk people anymore?" Pristine asked.

"Why? Did you want to find something out about some lover boy?" Theresa teased. Both she and I giggled as Pristine blushed heavily. Though practical, she really was a true romantic at heart, waiting for her Prince Charming. Theresa however, was a shameless admirer of the opposite sex. I was content with just my friends and family.

"No, the homework thing" I said, still grinning at Pris' expense.

"Are you serious?" Pristine asked, amazed. I've said before that Theresa does not judge, believing ones life was ones own, but Pristine… well let's just say that she didn't exactly approve of me 'helping' those "stupid, moronic idiots!"

"Yep. Get this," I said, quickly changing the subject "Kagura wants me to spy on my dear old Ice Prince!" Though Theresa gasped, Pristine simply raised an eyebrow.

"Your dear old Ice Prince?" she smirked. Theresa ooh-ed.

"Do mine ears deceive me?" she asked playfully "That my darling Rinz has found her Prince? An Ice Prince, but a prince no less…" The other two quickly fell into laughter. Argh, why must I blush? I'm not crushing on him, after all.

"Ooh she's blushing!" Theresa said cheekily. Both of them laughed once again. Oh please, let this blush be gone!

"You two shame me!" I said, mock-offended "Have you given in to your hormones?"

"At least they have, unlike you, Ms. Frigid" came a very, very unwelcome voice.

I turned around sharply, glaring at Sesshoumaru. In the background I could hear Theresa ooh-ing again and then giggle heavily behind her hand along with Pristine. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as my blush resurfaced. Turning slightly, I whispered harshly "Shut up!"

Looking back at Sesshoumaru I said as equally harshly "And what are you doing here?"

Behind me I could hear Pristine gasping for breathe as she said in a stage whisper "I think it's a love/hate thing"

"They say those are the most delicious relationships!" Theresa replied.

I swiveled around in my seat and banged my head on the table. Trust my best friends to make a mess of me in front of a- the most popular guy from school and b- the guy that I was currently hating, who both just coincidentally happen to be the same guy. I heard Sesshoumaru slip into the empty space next to Pristine.

"It's OK, Rinzzzz" he said, drawing out the last letter of my nickname "I get that a lot. You know, girls throwing themselves at me"

My mouth dropped open. Why the arrogant -!

"I can't believe you'd imply that I would go for – argh!" I cried in exasperation. As though ignoring my sentence and focusing on my animalistic cry, he continued.

"I'm sorry to let you down but I don't go for the rough, barbaric ones such as yourself" he said, a small smirk gracing his lips.

I grabbed the spoon from my sundae shake and was about to lean over the table to grab the warthogs collar and gouge out his eyes but Theresa held me back. Stepping out from her seat beside the warthog, Pristine tossed a $20 note onto the table and helped Theresa pull me out of the Candy Kitchen.

As soon as we were in the open I shrugged free of my human restraints.

"I can't believe he said that!"

"Well you did have a pretty good battle cry there" Pristine remarked.

I glared at my two best friends.

"I still can't believe he said that!"

"We know, Rinz, we know" Theresa said, smiling conspiratorially at Pristine. I narrowed my eye suspiciously.

"What's going on? What are you two thinking?"

Theresa looked back at Pristine one last time before smiling genially at me.

"It would be obvious to everyone but you, Rinzy dear" she said, before walking towards the river and sitting on the grassy slope. I sighed - I trusted Theresa's senses. Besides, it sounded like as if I wouldn't have liked the idea anyway, considering how she walked away from me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and laughing away. Just as the sun was setting, and the air began to cool, we got up and split at the next junction.

That night, while my dad and I ate dinner I told him about the Candy Kitchen. He seemed to smile down at his plate the same way Theresa smiled at Pristine.

"… dad?" my tone mirroring the tone of that two nights ago.

"It's nothing, really" All I did was glare at him, fork clenched in hand. He raised his hands in surrender. "Look, as Theresa said, it would be obvious to anyone but you and you're intuition is right in saying that you would not like it"

I sighed and finished dinner. I made my way up the stairs to my room to finish homework, leaving my dad to do the dishes.

That night as I closed my eyes, I realized that Theresa, Pristine and my father knew something about me that even I did not know.

A/N: I know nothing truly exciting happened, but I'm still trying to introduce Rin as a character. Well, at least that's my excuse. At least there was some sess/rin action, was there not? Anyways, next chapter actually has something happen other than Rin's blood vessels going into overdrive but it might not come for a bit because school has just restarted (I mentioned that 2nd term started at the end of April… made the connection yet?). Thank you for all the reviews! Muchly appreciated!

Andromedablack: Thank you! I didn't really think it was funny, and I was anxious about it but hearing you say that really makes my smile a lot bigger! OK, let's see… you sent it at 3:41pm and I received it at 5:42am, 26th of April. Now if I remember correctly, America is behind Australia by one day… so you're 14 hours behind me? Argh, so much calculating…

IceSugarHigh: Yea, I try to 'review the reviewers' as you say. I didn't get much chance to thank you all because my mum was doing a mum kind of thing. Lol, is my storyline that predictable? I'm already in the middle of typing up a very future chapter where Rin is spying but the reason has nothing to do with her job! wink wink, nudge nudge And yes, you are quite lovely, in a very EVIL kind of way

IYWriterGirl: Thanks a lot for pointing that out! It's pretty frustrating how the two words are almost exactly the same huh?

Nekurahime: Don't worry, I'm not making her out to look like a bitch or a ditz. Just a popular girl with a crush )

Much thanks, hugs and smiles to all else!
AnimeFan
Swimchick1614
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Blurry
San San as Herself
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Kendra Kontaki

Tell me what you think of this chapter PLEASE!

(1) I got the name from the book "The Misfits" by John Howe. NOT the movie with Marilyn Munroe. If you've ever read the book, you may find that there are some similarities in the future scenes in the Candy Kitchen…