Wish I Were You
Sakura's Note: I'd like to do something I haven't done in a while; respond to my reviews. Since I was rapidly throwing out chapters right and left I haven't had the time to sit down and thank everyone who reviewed. I'll try to do it every few chapters or so.Emerald ash: Love your name! You were the first one to review the first chapter of my story, congrats! ::hands her a cookie:: Thank you for reviewing, enjoy this chapter!
Damson rhee: Yes, this will be Inu/Kag. As it says in my bio, I will never write Inuyasha with anyone else but Kagome and vice versa. There could be love triangles -- or squares, but they will always end up together. Thanks for reviewing!
Yuki kesuma: Thanks, I'm glad to hear you say (or write) so! By the way, what does your name mean? Hope this was soon enough of an update for you!
TaintedInuShemeeko: Have I ever told you how much I love hearing from you? Well, I do. Thank you for reviewing every chapter that comes along, you don't know how happy it makes me.
eX Driver Liz: Thank you for the long review, they're my favorites. I can't wait for those parts, either. Kagome won't find out what her father did for a while, so sit tight. But, you'll love this chapter.
Jamie: In this story Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, along with all other characters, are human. The whole demonic part would make the story a bit more complicated in areas I feel should be left simplistic. For example, the dreaded aging problem. ::shudders:: I was laughing when I heard about your own personal snake experience, as well. Thanks for the review!
And, for your other review, thank you! It was a surprise to see your Happy Birthday review in my email when I got on. Thank so much for remembering!
Unseen Jade Eyed Wolf: I'm trying to keep this from getting cliché, but with so many other stories out there it's going to be a challenge. I'm glad you like my story so much, enjoy this chapter!
Lamenta: Ah, you asked a very good question. I'll answer it soon, so stay tuned. And no, everyone is human in this story. As an answer to your third question, just keep on reading. Thank you so much for your flattering review, it means a lot to me.
Queeney: Yes, I will try really hard to keep up with the updates. This idea has been nagging me forever, and I just couldn't wait to put it up here. But, until Thief of Hearts and Mission Complete end, no other stories (save for a one-shot or two) will be posted.
Okibi Usagi: Well, here's the update. Sorry it was posted so late today, but the uploading systems have been on the fritz since this morning.
Thank you to everyone who also read but didn't review (although I'd love to hear your opinions as well). Enjoy and R&R!
.-..-.
Chapter Two: Brother Dearest
.-..-.
"So what would the displacement be?"
It was 2:09 and Ms. Sullivan knew the question would go unnoticed. She wasn't out of the loop with today's youth, especially since she was only twenty-six. It was Friday, for one, and there was only a minute of class left. But, what made even the most obedient of her students distracted was the fact that at three o'clock that afternoon one lucky girl would win the chance of a lifetime.
With a knowing smile the physics teacher sat down in her seat. "Alright, seeing how everyone is in another world right now, I guess no one would mind if I said that if the winner is in this classroom they don't have to make up any homework…?"
All eyes focused on her.
"Aw, Ms. Sullivan, that's not fair! Us guys didn't enter!"
Yura smirked from her seat in the far back, "Aw, too bad, so sad." A few of the girls giggled. The bell rang, and everyone grabbed up their bags. "See ya, Ms. Sullivan… in December!"
"Yes, Yura, good luck!" Ms. Sullivan waved to her students, watching the crowds disperse much faster than usual.
.-..-.
"So, I told the lady, 'We don't have an employee mom's discount.' But did she listen? No." Inuyasha scoffed, retelling the account of the day before. "She insisted that since her son worked a register at the concession stand that she could get in for half the price. We got into this big argument, and I told her, 'Look lady, you need to pull your head out of your– " Sango dashed by the flock of guys, not bothering to say hello or excuse me to her brother.
"Dude, what's up with Sango?"
Inuyasha waved it off, "Don't worry about my sister, Jinenji. It's just wishful thinking… She has to wait for the bus to leave, anyway."
Sango jumped onto the bus, making sure to claim a window seat for herself. As she pulled out her cell phone, her brother boarded the bus with an annoyed expression.
"Oi! Just because you're obsessed with that contest doesn't mean you can just barge through me and everybody else!"
"You and your friends are not 'everybody else', Smart One." Sango muttered, watching with disinterest as a dark haired boy sauntered onto the bus.
"Ah… thank God it's Friday!" Miroku tossed his bag at his best friend; ignoring the yell of indignity Inuyasha let out, and made himself comfy. "You know what day is the busiest day at the Majestic, don't you Inuyasha?"
His friend made a grumbled remark.
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you."
"…Friday…"
A massive grin formed on Miroku's face. "That's right! And… there's a new movie opening tonight… isn't there?"
"Shut up, Miroku."
"Yes! There is! What's its name again…?"
"The Revenge of A Pissed Off Movie Attendant?" Inuyasha suggested, perking up instantly.
Miroku went unfazed. "No, I think it's a kiddie flick. Oh, yeah! A Shark's Tale!" Miroku sighed dreamily, "Hundreds of little children toddling off to see the heroic story of a fish named Oscar… Oh, I've got to be there! What better way to start off October than watch you die of frustration."
Inuyasha glared, dragging his earphones up to his ears to drown out his best friend with a mix CD. He didn't need to hear about his misfortune right now, not when he would be serving food to annoying little brats that cried at almost everything that even looked at them funny. Of course, the job paid well, but the fact that kiddie flicks could open on Friday nights – he felt – should be outlawed.
His best friend since they were in diapers watched him be harassed by children the same way most people looked at a car crash on their way to school – it was fascinating to him. What a great friend he was.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Sango muttered her new mantra urgently, drumming her fingers on her denim covered knee. She flipped open her cell phone, checking the time. "Two-fifteen… crap." Their bus, 4993, never left until two-twenty.
"Oh, cheer up, Sango." Miroku, always Mr. Sunshine, advised. "You'll get home before three."
Outside, farther up the parking lot, buses rumbled to life. Stragglers quickly found their way to their bus and jumped onFrom open windows, friends screamed their weekend plans to one another.
A ball of old history notes flew into Sango's open window, and she immediately recognized Jeremy's rough handwriting. Inuyasha's co-worker at the Majestic had been trying to get her attention ever since her brother had introduced them to each other. With an annoyed huff Sango glared out her window, earning only a sly smirk from the boy.
Sango didn't need to un-wad the paper to know that he would fail his next history test and that he was asking her to the movies 'and stuff'.
Forty more minutes, Sango, forty more minutes and you just might be free.
.-..-.
The bus pulled up across from the elementary school they'd all gone to as toddlers and the doors flew open, letting the five or so teens getting off tread out into the early afternoon. The happy chirps of birds went unnoticed by Sango, who power walked down the hill to cross the street.
She could have just run across, jaywalking, but for some odd reason 'Death by Running Across the Street for a Contest' sounded stupid on a gravestone.
.-..-.
"You're on in ten." A red head in a headset informed from the control room. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Kagome breathed, shooting annoyed daggers at the dozen people surrounding her. The hair dresser had been ok, but the clothing coordinator, the manicurist and pedicurist, the make-up girl, water girl, and the Tiffany's representative had been a bit much.
The Tiffany's rep looked up nervously. "Is that in ten hours or ten minutes?"
Red-head-in-a-headset shared a look of amazement with the rest of Kagome's temporary entourage. "Um… Ten seconds."
Kagome jumped off the table, "Have them stall a few more seconds." Her 'people' looked a bit more relieved, even though the water girl looked a bit flustered. Why, Kagome did not know.
"Alright, stall people, stall!" A thin, crisp man in his mid-thirties clapped his hands eagerly, demanding attention. "The girl needs time!"
A cameraman checked his watch. "We're on in five, four, three, two– "
The lucky woman who had gotten the job as host whirled around anxiously. "What should I– Welcome back to the contest of the century! Swap Lives with Hotel Heiress Higurashi! One lucky school girl will win three months of bliss! One out of a whopping three point five million entries!" Shock was evident in the hostess' voice as she read the stats from the teleprompter.
The stage where Kagome was to announce the winner darkened, allowing the hostess to disappear onto the sidelines as the girl of the hour made her entrance.
Kagome hopped on one foot anxiously, slipping her other one into a new pair of Pradas. Then, with anxious grace, the heiress slid to the center of the floor. The audience – actually an artificial audience soundtrack (as high tech as they come) – applauded loudly as the array of colored lights zeroed in on the podium in the middle of the stage.
"Hey out there to everyone watching, I'm Kagome Higurashi." Kagome skimmed through what else the teleprompter had in store for her and resisted the urge to frown. Who wrote this? "And I'm here to name the one lucky winner who will be living my life for three entire months. Thank you to everyone who entered my contest!"
I sound so artificial right now… keep smiling, keep smiling!
"And now, to announce the winner of the 'Swap Lives with Hotel Heiress Higurashi' sweepstakes!"
.-..-.
Sango was already rooted to the couch when the two boys got inside, the remote's batteries lying on the floor uselessly. She wasn't about to let someone accidentally stepping on the remote cause her to miss the announcement.
"Don't you think you shouldn't have such high hopes for this? I mean, when you lose you're just going to be that much more disappointed."
"Shut up, Inuyasha."
"Shouldn't you have your ticket or entry form or whatever with you?" Miroku asked; Sango glared. "Hey, you told him to shut up, not me."
"I don't need it."
"Then how do you know if you– "
"Seven-eight-four-six-one-one-seven." Sango recited with a tone of certainty. "Now shh!"
"Your sister's scaring me, 'Yash." Miroku whispered loudly.
Inuyasha nodded. "And that's saying a lot."
"And now, to announce the winner of the "Swap Lives with Hotel Heiress Higurashi!" Kagome smiled on screen, the applause was wild, and the lights dimmed so you could barely make out her figure.
A catchy little tune, which had been newly associated with the contest, played as the flashy digital words 'And the winner is…' rotated in the center of the screen.
When the lights resumed lighting the stage, a glass dome was positioned next to the excited heiress, full to the brim with pieces of paper.
"This is it! This is it!" Sango squealed uncharacteristically. The excited sophomore tugged on Miroku's shirt happily. "Wish me luck!"
Miroku smiled, "Good luck, Sango." He felt Inuyasha elbow him in the ribs. "Hey, what was that for?!"
"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha asked gruffly. "She's not gonna win."
On the screen, Kagome opened the dome and reached her hand in to grab up a slip of paper.
"It's time to announce the winner!" She unlatched the top of the dome and reached her hand in, making a show of closing her eyes. Kagome pulled out the piece of paper, winked, and unfolded it. "Seven."
Sango leaned in closer towards the television, eyes wide. How could one number make the blood rush to her ears and her heart pound with excitement?
.-..-.
"Excuse me sir, but the Higurashi contest is being televised on thirty channels." The young woman left the room immediately after her announcement, having done what she was paid for.
"What do they think this little contest will give them?" Onigumo asked bitterly. "When will they learn that publicity is not always the answer to defeating the competition?" With a snap of his fingers a wild-looking man entered the room. He was a genius, and rumors went around that he was also a mind reader, because he seemed to have the same ideas as the other company right before their competition came out with it.
Maybe he was just Onigumo's personal spy.
No one ever really asked. They were too busy talking about him over coffee in the lounge.
"Goshinki, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Sir, you are the boss."
Onigumo narrowed his eyes; he was not a happy bunny. Instead of hauling off and hitting the man, he settled for a much more calm approach. "Is there a reason why you did not pick up on the Higurashi's doings before they went off an did it?"
Goshinki was floored. "Well, um...Actually, I didn't really, uh, think of it. Higurashi hates when his daughter buys anything under two hundred dollars, I never thought he would give his daughter a normal life for three months."
"You've always caught onto business ploy's before! I think you're slipping."
"It was a spur of the moment thing. It had to be! I didn't have time to act upon it, so it wouldn't have done any good! Please, Sir, give me another chance." Goshinki's wild white hair (due to so much stress from his boss) seemed to just get crazier when he panicked.
"Oh, give the man a break." Kikyo, dressed to the nines, spoke up from her place on a leather sofa. "Father, obviously they are desperate to get ahead of us before we are able to buy their company. Luckily, their stock holders are loyal." She shrugged, "Like you said, publicity isn't everything."
Onigumo softened at his daughters words. "You're lucky my daughter is a compassionate person."
Goshinki nodded wordlessly, bowing his head in thanks to the young heiress.
"Turn on the television." Onigumo ordered, reclining in his chair. "I want to see what has so many teenage girls going insane."
.-..-.
"Seven." Kagome was reading the numbers one at a time, just as her father had told her. But what the millions of viewers didn't know was that with every number her stomach clenched up a little tighter. "Eight."
Sango held in her excitement and clenched her fists tighter.
"Four." The three teens could hear the applause in the background getting louder, almost to where you couldn't hear the girl. "Six."
Inuyasha was on the edge of the sofa, shocked that he was actually excited. She's rubbing off on me... In a house full of guys, the girl has to make me go crazy.
"One. One." Kagome stopped with a beaming grin. "This is the final number!"
"Oh my..." Sango blocked her gasp with a trembling hand.
"One."
The forgotten hostess reappeared on stage with the heiress. "Congratulations to the winner! Once again; seven-eight-four-six-one-one-one. We will be calling you within the next ten minutes to make the arrangements for you to trade places with Kagome Higurashi!"
Sango stood silently and cut off the TV. "Well, what are you waiting for?" She turned around to face her brother with an emotionless expression. "I don't have all day."
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha looked confused and furrowed his eyebrows.
"To say 'I told you so'," Sango snapped. "It's what you've been sayin' all week, and you were right! I didn't win! My number is seven-eight-four-six-one-one-seven. One digit off. So say it."
When neither boy said a word, she just turned and left the room. After all, it was only a contest, nothing to cry over.
"Man... I thought she was gonna win." Miroku muttered, "She was so close."
"Well, she didn't. I told her she wouldn't, and she didn't." Inuyasha crossed his arms huffily and laid back into the pillows that Sango had insisted they get to 'liven up' the living room. "She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up so high..."
"Go talk to her." Miroku nudged his best friend's side. "She's pretty pissed if she didn't scream her head off."
"I know."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because I value my manhood." Inuyasha said seriously. "And my life."
Miroku nodded in understanding. "Well, wait a while then. Maybe until your brother gets home."
"Sesshoumaru would put my death on Pay-Per-View and hand out popcorn." Inuyasha looked up at his ceiling just in time to hear a scream coming from upstairs. "What the hell?" He leapt off the couch, Miroku right behind him, and dashed up the stairs.
Just as Inuyasha reached the top a blur of brown and green flew into him. They collided, falling down the stairs and knocking into Miroku, all three of them tumbling down the stairs to hit the wall. "Sango, what is it?"
"It's a one!" Sango untangled herself from her brother and neighbor's body parts and dashed into the kitchen. "It's a one!"
Miroku looked up from his spot on the floor curiously. "What's gotten into her?"
"Insanity." Inuyasha muttered, brushing himself off angrily.
Miroku looked down at his black t-shirt in disgust. "When's the last time you swept the floor?"
"Oh shut up!" The two boys followed Sango into the kitchen where she was literally vibrating with excitement.
When she noticed them come in, she began to laugh. "I won. I won!" She waved the small piece of paper with her entry number printed on it in their faces. The phone didn't have a chance to ring fully once before Sango had picked it up. "Hello?"
Inuyasha and Miroku looked at one another, then the ticket she was still waving. "It's a one." Miroku muttered stupidly, "She must have gotten it mixed up."
"Hello, I'm Margaret Sanders from the Swap Lives with Hotel Heiress Higurashi sweepstakes. Are you Sango Dawson?"
"That's me!" Sango said proudly into the phone. She began conversing with the person on the other line excitedly, ignoring the two bumbling sixteen year olds next to her.
"That's not possible!" Inuyasha snatched the ticket out of his sister's hand and put it two inches away from his face.
"Out of three point five million teenage girls..." Miroku smirked. "Inuyasha, your sister is something else. Actually, I'm happy for her."
"Are you crazy?" Inuyasha hissed. "She can't leave!"
"Oh, yes I can." Sango smirked, hanging up the phone. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
"No you're not!"
"And who's gonna stop me?" Sango asked heatedly.
Inuyasha was temporarily stalled until he looked over at the mail lying haphazardly on the breakfast table. "Sesshoumaru."
Suddenly winning the contest wasn't the biggest obstacle for Sango, and she knew that she'd regret what she was about to do for the rest of her life.
"Inuyasha..."
"Oh no. You are not getting my help with this!" Inuyasha waved his hands defiantly. "There's no way!"
"What do you have against this whole thing anyway?" Sango countered, "You get to spend three months with a famous, beautiful girl!"
Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't have anything against it. I'm not going to help you convince our brother. That's what I have a problem with."
Miroku watched the two continue to bicker like a tennis match, secretly agreeing with both of them on different levels. It was amazing that his best friend's house was more entertaining than his own. The most interesting stuff that happened at his house was Mushin bringing over one of his drinking buddies for a game of poker followed by a lively conversation about aliens.
Sango sighed. "What do you want?"
Her brother grinned cheekily. "Now you're speaking my language."
.-..-.
Sesshoumaru pulled into the driveway of the house where he knew three hungry teenagers were waiting for him. Sango would be working on her honors homework for at least another hour so she would have a free weekend, Kohaku would be sleeping, and Inuyasha would be playing Playstation 2 games or booming music that he, Sesshoumaru, would have to apologize to the neighbors for in another hour or so.
That left him to cook.
So, when he entered his house he did not expect there to be a heaping plate full of lasagna in the middle of the dining room table and his three siblings bustling around the kitchen preparing what he hoped was salad. Actually, Inuyasha was lifelessly -- but impressively -- cutting up carrots which caused Kohaku to stop and stare in awe.
It was Sango who was bustling around hyperactively, making sure everything was perfect. Ergo, she was the one that wanted something.
"Hi."
Inuyasha didn't look up from his carrots, instead just began to show off a bit more skill at his vegetable cutting -- a rare trade in today's youth.
Kohaku jumped, then rushed to the table with steaming Pillsbury buns piled on a tray. "Hey Sess. We made dinner." He gestured to the table.
"I can see that."
Sango, the one who wanted something, smiled. "Oh, hey bro. Wow, that shirt looks good on you!"
Sesshoumaru looked down at his zipped up jacket and frowned. "What do you want?"
Automatically Sango deflated and collapsed into her chair. Inuyasha snickered from his place at the counter where he was obviously cutting more carrots than a family of four could eat.
"You know that contest with that Higurashi girl?" Sango asked, sparing her older brother a quick look.
"Yes..." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "What about it?"
"I won." She tried to gauge his reaction, but since he didn't seem to be having one she was finding it quite hard.
Even Inuyasha had stopped cutting carrots to watch their eldest brother.
After what seemed like hours to Sango, Sesshoumaru answered. "And?"
Sango blinked. "And so I'm leaving tomorrow for three months."
Sesshoumaru looked over where Kohaku and Inuyasha stood watching. Neither seemed all that surprised. "What about--"
"I'll be tutored and I'll they'll give me the tests I need to take." Sango answered hopefully. "The building has tons of bodyguards so nothing can happen... Please, Sesshoumaru, it's the chance of a lifetime!"
With a sigh Sesshoumaru tossed his jacket onto the living room sofa, then looked over at Inuyasha. "You knew about this, didn't you?"
"Uh huh." Inuyasha dumped his part of the salad into the bowl and brought it into the dining room.
He turned back to Sango. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Sango shook her head. "I knew I'd have to, but I thought that if I didn't win that you didn't need to know."
Sesshoumaru studied his brother's face a moment and then turned to Sango. "Go pack."
"You mean it?" Sango breathed, tugging on his arm. "I can go? You're letting me go?!"
"You're letting her go?!" Inuyasha looked at his brother in amazement. "You're letting a complete stranger live here for three months?"
"If you don't want her going then obviously letting her go is the right thing to do." Sesshoumaru said flippantly. Of course, he never really relied on the idiocy of his younger brother to determine anything, but it riled up Inuyasha -- and that was always fun.
Inuyasha keh'ed and stormed out of the room. "I don't have to take this! I've got to be at work in half an hour anyway." Minutes later Inuyasha stormed out of the house with a slam of the front door.
"He's just angry that you won something and he didn't." Kohaku explained, trying to make an excuse up for his brother's confusing behavior.
Sango nodded before a bright smile lit up her face and she raced off to her room. Both brothers listened as her door closed.
"I think she's too excited for words, Sesshoumaru." Kohaku took a drink of lemonade.
"I WON!"
"Somehow I don't think so." The two brothers looked at one another before sitting down at the dinner table, left to eat the lasagna and mountain of carrots alone. "Dig in."