Passion.
Passion is as strong a word to me as it is a feeling. Passion was something I only experienced through the books I read or the movies I watched. Passion...
Passion is all extraordinarily empowering emotions a person feels in their life. Hate and love, specifically, are forms of passion- to hate with a passion, to love with a passion. To live life is to live with passion. Life is passion. And passion has the thinnest of lines.
Hate and love, again as examples, are sometimes blurred. They are a balance of each other, and, as such, are both the farthest things from each other and, yet, the closest. You cannot have love without hate. You cannot hate and not love.
Again- example: An enemy- someone you hate. That enemy, that hate, gives you a purpose to live on. Purpose keeps you going in life. Life is precious to everyone- life is love. Even those seeking death love life for without life there would be no death, no purpose, no passion.
Better example: Any significant other- someone you love. Love always causes pain- pain causes hate. Everyone endures pain and, thus, hate.
Love and hate. Strong emotions- uncontrollable feelings. Passion is uncontrollable.
To have no control can cause both love and hate...
Everything is woven together in passion...
To have a passion for something is to have a strong feeling for it. Passions are something one is drawn to, not forced upon by, which I believe is why I have yet to find passion. Nothing in particular has drawn me in so completely.
To be carried away by passion.
That is what I wish for.

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Seventeen
To Have Passion... in Friendship?

-0-00-000-00-0-

It is the second month of school already, time seeming to go by in the blink of an eye, but it could only be expected with the monotony of it all, every day being the same as the last. I am thankful for my friends that give the usual break each time I see them, something new, something interesting, something exciting happening every time we all get together.

And today is no different.

Standing in the lunch line with Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, as anyone that knows me would expect, I grab the most appealing food. Don't get me wrong- I quite enjoy the cafeteria lunches, but today's "steaks" looks suspiciously like yesterday's meatloaf.

"-And Hojo says that I should join the drama club," Eri exclaims, a smile lighting her face. "He says that I have great acting potential!"

Ayumi sighs in a disapproving manner. "You should be worried more about your grades, Eri. Remember what Mikoto-sensei said- 'if your grades don't improve'-"

"Yeah, yeah," says Eri, waving her hands to brush the words away. "I know. I'll start tutoring if I can't get my Chemistry project complete in time."

I pause mid-step. 'Chemistry project?' "Since when did we have a Chemistry project?"

Eri blinks owlishly at me, then smiles brightly. "Yeah, we have a project to do. Tsurashi-sensei passed it out today."

I tilt my head to the side. "What's it about?" I ask, even though I would receive the information from my teacher in 5th hour.

"Researching different acid compounds, comparing them and all that other good stuff," Yuka answers from behind me. I turn to eye her, hoping, though I know it's pointless, that she is joking. I may enjoy science, but I like to think that not everything is explainable by scientific reason. "It's fairly simple."

"Ah, there's Hojo!" Eri shouts, nudging me. "Isn't he dreamy?"

I send her a blank look, paying the lunch lady for my 'meal', and walk toward the usual table. "Honestly, Eri, if you like him so much just ask him out."

My friend sputters, finding it hard to form any coherent words. "M-me? N-no way!"

I shrug and turn to eat slightly burnt pizza sitting in front of me...

"Eek!"

Yuka manages to stumble over her own feet, lunch tray flying in the air to land perfectly next to mine, and fall into Ayumi. Ayumi, in return, loses her plate as she falls to the floor...

I don't think the jocks enjoy having the potatoes and gravy shower them.

A food fight breaks out seconds later.

'Great,' I sigh, running to the restroom to change my food-plastered clothing. 'Another uniform to throw away.'

I spend the next few minutes in front of the mirror, fixing my hair, and decide, as the bell rings for 4th hour to begin, that luck is most definitely not on my side.

I leave the room in a rush, throwing my bag over my shoulder. Kyushi-sensei will not be happy. This would be my third tardy and, after three tardies, my last warning. One more time and I'd be sent to the office. I sigh. 'Why does life have to be so-?'

"-omph!" I slam unceremoniously into a solid, unyielding body, an electric shock coursing through me.

'So very cruel?'

Arms circled around me, catching me before I could fall back from the force.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I cry in embarrassment. "I'm gonna be late for my math class!"

The boy, as his voice tells me, yet I doubt any woman could have such a muscular body, sighs. "It's okay. Just be careful next time," he says, his arms falling to his sides.

I look up to face my victim to be met with sparkling golden eyes. 'A youkai?' I brush off the thought. "I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Not at all." I can detect a small amount of arrogance in his voice.

"Good... Well, thanks for catching me."

"No problem," he mumbles, clearly getting impatient.

Getting the point, I smile brightly and jog away. Yet, something stops me as I reach the end of the hall. Something about that boy...

Turning back, I watch as he stands outside of Katsumata-sensei's room. She was my history teacher, and one of my favorite one's at that... He, however, doesn't seem to pleased as he cracks his knuckles, a scowl on his face.

Those eyes... That hair...

Silver and gold...

Sesshomaru...

I cock my head to the side once more, the memory of that helpful man slowly coming to me. He was the only reason I got through school two years ago. He had been my, for lack of a better word, savior.

I have to wonder, now, if this boy was somehow related to the man that I had spent hours with when I had so much trouble cooping with the loss of my father.

Sesshomaru...

What had ever happened to him?

I shrug. It really didn't matter. He was just another one of those people that slowly fade out of your life, but you always remember.

After all, not many would waste their time helping a girl that broke into tears ever five minutes.

I smile again, then shake myself of the thoughts. 'What am I doing? I have a class to get to!'

-------------

"Please!" Eri begs me, her hands clasped in front of her. "For moral support, Kagome!"

I stare down at the friend crouched before me. "You should have gotten your Chemistry project done instead of swooning over Hojo-kun," I say firmly, but I can feel my resolve crumbling.

"Kagome," she whines. "Come on! It'll be fun." I raise an eyebrow at that. Tutoring, fun? "Ayumi and Yuka are gonna be there!"

"You had three weeks to get it done, Eri. It's not my fault," I mumble, then smile. "But, I suppose if Ayumi and Yuka are going..."

"Yay!" The girl jumps up and hugs me. "Thank you so much, Kagome!"

"Yeah, yeah. I have to get to class, now. Hopefully Kyushi-sensei will let me call my mom and let her know."

I wave to my friend and scurry to my math class, calling over my shoulder, "you'll owe me for this, Eri!"

"Of course!"

The rest of school seemed to flash by in a flurry of... nothingness... which gives me the dreaded feeling that the tutoring session will drag on and on... and be nothing but chaos...

I pack my bookbag till it can hold no more, sling it over my shoulder, and pick up my Foreign Language book (I'm taking Spanish) and the multiple rough drafts I had been working on for my Literature paper before making my way through the swarm of students exiting the building.

I briefly entertain the idea of leaving as well, but my chance passes me by.

I stand in front of the media center, shifting from foot to foot to adjust the weight pulling at me. Ducking my head down, feeling oddly ashamed of attending such a thing, I run into the room in hopes that no one sees.

Of course, my actions are no help at all- it only causes a further scene as I, for the second time in a month, run headfirst into another student.

"Ack!" I squeal, my arms flying to the sides and successfully scattering my possessions on the carpeted flooring around me.

"Omph!"

Hands clamp onto my shoulders to stop my graceless dissent to the ground. In shock, I glance up, sputtering an incoherent apology as I attempt to gather my wits.

"That's the second time I've had to catch you, girl," the boy grumbles. "Are you normally so clumsy?"

I can feel the blush spread across my cheeks in embarrassment. "N-no. I've just been in a hurry, lately."

"So it would seem."

"Sorry," I mutter, kneeling to pick up my papers. "And-"

"Here," he cuts in, handing the last of my belongings to me.

"T-thank you. Again."

Snorting, he stands and shrugs. "It's nothing. But, seriously, pay more attention to where you're going."

"Inuyasha, are you bothering this girl?"

That voice...

I hurriedly stood from my place on the floor, whipping around in disbelief. "... Sesshomaru?"

"Kagome?"

It was him! A cheerful smile crawled to my lips. "Hey. It's good to see you again."

He grunted. "You aren't having trouble concentrating again, are you?"

I laugh at this, shaking my head. "No. I'm here to give a friend some 'moral support'."

"Good." He walks past me and stops next to the boy he called Inuyasha. "I see you've already met my brother, Inuyasha."

"More like 'ran into' twice... literally," Inuyasha grumbles.

Sesshomaru glares at him, which catches me of guard slightly. "I hope you haven't caused Kagome any problems, little brother."

"N-not at all," I rushed to say. "I ran into him on accident- he was helping me."

Sesshomaru glances at me, disbelief clearly showing in his eyes, but shrugs it off. "The sessions about to start."

I nod and follow as he moves to a corner of the library. I am shocked to see so many students in the small area. There has to be at least a hundred- humans and demons alike (which is a bigger shocker, seeing as how demons are supposedly more intelligent- or have stronger memories). Yet, it didn't take long to find my friends... Sitting at a table next to...

"Souta? What are you doing here?" I ask, ignoring my friends as I sit beside my brother.

He blushes, mumbling, "I'm here with Rin. She wanted 'moral support'."

"That seems to be a common excuse," Inuyasha snorts, taking a seat across from me. This draws my attention to the other occupants of the table.

"Hey, Higurashi," the man drawls, a grin playing on his lips.

"Naraku, I've told you before to call me by my given name," I grumble, leaning back in my chair.

He shrugs, "it's a habit. Habits are hard to break."

I sigh in exasperation, focusing on Rin to rid my mind of the man who had, for years, chased after me. "So, Rin, what are you here for?"

"I was supposed to meet Kanna here so we could work on our Algebra, but she couldn't make it. She told me her sister is one of the tutors here, though," the girl states, brimming with excitement. "This is going to be so much fun! I'll get to meet Kagura, and I'll get to see Sesshomaru-san again, and Souta's here!"

My brother's blush deepens.

"Aw," I giggle, pinching his cheeks. "Does someone have a crush?"

"No!"

"I think you do..."

"I do not!"

"Will you hush?" Inuyasha grumbles, pulling his books from his backpack. "Some people actual come here to work."

"Speaking of work," Naraku says, smirking at me, "I'm trying out for the basketball team. You going up for cheerleading this year, Higurashi?"

I growl. "It's Kagome. And, yes, but like I said before- the moment you start stalking me again, I'm getting a restraining order."

"That's a little harsh, calling me a stalker."

"Coming to my practices, waiting for me at my locker, following me home: that's a stalker, Gumo."

The boy winces, "ouch."

"Giving you a taste of your own medicine," I chirp. "Now, should I even bother with cheerleading or not?"

"Of course! I'll leave you alone," he adds, a little too cheery for my liking. "Promise."

"Basketball, you say...?" Inuyasha cuts in. I can't help but stare.

That was one hell of a delayed reaction.

My friends call to me and I happily join them, finding Naraku's looks more disturbing than normal.

Yeah, I knew coming to tutoring would be bad...

Eri was going to owe me big time.

-0-00-000-00-0-

A/N: Sorry for the extreme pause in updates. I sincerely apologize to you all, but it could not be helped. The next chapter will be out within the next two months, but I'm afraid my inspiration has been jumping around from story to story and I never know what story will be next to kick in.

Also, I'm afraid the jumpiness of my inspiration has also brought about old and new story ideas and I am working with them on top of all my other unfinished stories, so... yeah, I have a lot of stuff to work on. Please, feel free to read some of my other works. If you want me to read a story of yours, or you have a good story in mind that you think would pique my interest, tell me. I'm desperately seeking something to read- reading gives me inspiration to write!- and I am having trouble finding a story I can get into.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Love,

Sakura-chan88