AN: I apologize, in advance for the shortness of chapters in this fanfic. I'm not very good at writing long chapters, so I'll just try to update often. I hope that's alright! It is summer, after all, and I'll be able to write a lot (I hope).

Friday, September 17th

Honda Residence- 6:23 PM

Sesshoumaru sat at the edge of his bed, thinking over what had happened earlier that day at school. His thoughts were blurred together, making it difficult to decide what was real and what was his imagination toying with him. When his uncooperative mind finally made sense of his thoughts, the same scene played over and over, like a movie against his closed eyelids.

-Flashback-

He had been leaning against a wall of the main entrance of the school in the morning, waiting for Kagura to arrive, though he hadn't been paying attention much, and had allowed his mind to wander. Soon enough, of course, a voice caught his attention.

"Sesshoumaru...?"

He turned his head to the left to see her standing there, looking at him. "Yes, Kagura?"

She smiled and shook her head, acting like the Kagura he had begun to see blossom by the end of the first week, the happier Kagura. He looked her over once. She was wearing a green and white striped shirt with dark red pants, along with some shimmering red-tinted lip gloss and black eye makeup. She grinned.

"I just wanted to make sure that you weren't a statue. That's all."

He felt a grin start to tug up at the side of his mouth as well and pushed it down back into his emotionless mask. He could feel that something was not right, despite her attempts to fool him. Something in her voice was off. "Kagura, what's wrong?" He looked at her for a moment, seeing her eyes widen slightly.

"N-nothing!" she stuttered. "I'm just trying to be friendly!"

"Kagura," he started. "Answer truthfully. You know I can see right through you."

Kagura took a deep breath, her eyes moving to rest away from Sesshoumaru's piercing gaze. She looked at him, then, as if she were unsure.

"Alright... just promise me that you won't tell anyone," she said hesitantly. "Or be angry," she added quickly.

He looked at her for a moment, wondering what surprise she was about to throw his way. Finally, he gave in. "I promise you."

She didn't want to show him. She really, really didn't. But he could tell something was wrong; she had no choice. She sighed, carefully lifting the sleeve of her red and green striped shirt to her shoulder, revealing several bruises. She did the same on her other arm. The bruises were fresh.

He could feel his eyes narrow slightly, and he could also tell that he was very, very angry.

"Who did this to you?"

"M-my father... he was drunk last night. I promise, it doesn't happen too often..."

Sesshoumaru took her right hand and held it lightly held it in his left, running his other hand lightly across her arm. He saw her eyes close in pain and her arm stiffen. He withdrew his hand.

"Roll down your sleeves. We do not want rumors to spread about this, or keeping your secret will be impossible."

The rest of the day after that had been hell for Sesshoumaru, and probably Kagura as well. He couldn't get the image of her bruised arms out of his mind. For the rest of the day, he didn't leave her side unless necessary. He was by her side in between classes, and he sat by her in all of the classes that they had together. The only time he had finally left her on her own was after the final bell had rung, and even then he watched as she walked down the street. It wasn't until she was out of view that he set off for his own home in the opposite direction.

-End Flashback-

Sesshoumaru thought about all of the things he had wanted to shout at her at the time she had shown him. He thought of all of the cruel words he had wanted to say about her father. All of the things that he didn't say for the sake of her being the happiest she could be at the time. He was becoming softer.

Little did he know that she was lying on her bed at this very moment, thinking about the same thing. She was thinking about how bad she felt about having to make Sesshoumaru carry the burden of being her friend. How he probably despised her now, like everyone else had without reason. Only he had a reason to hate her now.

He was so confused! Why was she having so much affect on him! Why couldn't he get his mind to stop replaying that scene in his head! A whole week had passed, but the damned image would haunt him nearly every waking minute... why?

The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Umm... hello... this is Kagura. Is Sesshoumaru there?"

"Hello Kagura. It's me."

"Oh. Hello Sesshoumaru."

"What did you want?"

"I... don't know. But... could you meet me by the back entrance of the school on Monday, instead of the main entrance?"

"Alright, I'll see you there."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Sesshoumaru sighed quietly. He wondered what Kagura needed to tell or show him that was so important not to be heard or seen. 'I'll just have to wait until Monday,' he thought.

AN: Once again, I'm sorry for such a short chapter. But please, review for me! Even flames are welcome.