"She's on her way down now, Miroku.", Souta informed the older boy, passing him a soda as they waited on the living room couch. No words passed between the two as a heavy silence settled, but it was no where near uncomfortable. Despite the large age difference of Miroku's seventeen years to Souta's twelve, the older teen always had a way of making him feel like an equal. Probably because he always discussed women. The silence was always an appetizer before Miroku launched into the juicy tips on how to make women swoon head over heels. Souta waited with an almost bated breath for the times when he and Miroku could do some "male bonding" and afterwards when he could rush to school showing off the newest look of indifference to the middle school girls of his class. He could always count on the pigtailed cuties to giggle and blush when he sprouted Miroku's lines from his mouth.
"Do you know what women go for more than anything now Souta?", Miroku asked, cutting the silence leaving his oh-so-treasured words to hang in the air. Souta pretended to look unintrested, though he was bursting inside from anticipation. He had a feeling today's lesson would be a good one.
"Guys with sincere hearts and good brains." Souta gritted his teeth. She had interrupted... again.
Kagome frowned through her thick lenses at her best friend, her only friend. She had known him ever since kindergarden where they explored the great depths of the sand box and pondered together at the enigma that was the class goldfish. He was the only one who stuck by her through the transition to adolescence where her once overflowing confidence grew dimmer and dimmer and her study habits grew more and more consuming.
"What kind of thing is that to tell to my little brother? He's only twelve Miroku, don't corrupt his brain with any of your perverted nonsense."
Miroku stood up with his hands held in a surrender position as if he had been caught with his hands in a cookie jar, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was only going to say Hello Kitty dolls. Where was your mind Kagome-chan?"
Before the flushed face teen could respond, Souta jumped up hotly from his seat and glowered at her, "Probably on one of those books again! Kagome, you should mind your own business from now on and stay out of mine!", he finished by running out of the house and slamming the door. Hard.
The Miroku flinched at the loud noise, but Kagome did not move a muscle. Instead her haunting brown eyes were stuck on the place where Souta had last stood before leaving off to school in a pre-adolescent rage. She couldn't have turned away if she wanted to, the angry scene replaying itself again and again in her mind. Probably on one of those books again! Miroku touched her shoulder gently and she shivered a little.
"He's just a kid Kagome. He doesn't know what he's saying, he's your little brother and he looks up to you whether he knows it or not. I'm sure he didn't mean what he said."
Kagome smiled bitterly as she readjusted her glasses higher on her nose, "Yes he does. He can't stand me, he's ashamed of me Miroku. Who could blame him? It's too bad he got stuck with me for a sister."
Miroku frowned deeply, "Kagome you're smart and caring and nice, why wouldn't he-"
"Why are you my friend Miroku? You have the looks, the clothes and attitude to be popular. Why do you throw all that away to be friends with a nobody like me?", the raven haired teen blurted out, her unshed tears magnifed by the glass of her lenses, her unglossed lips trembling slightly as she tried to fight off the tears that threatened to spill down her face.
Miroku shook his head lightly and looked her full in her reddened face as he said simply, "Because, Kagome-chan, I want to be.", and with that he tapped a finger to her nose, making her smile a little.
"You remember what happens if you cry right?"
Kagome nodded, "Sprites will land on your nose and crawl up you face and drink up all your tears."
Miroku smiled, "Good. Now, if you're quite finished reciting nursery tales, I suggest we hop in my car right now and get to school before we're late. Sound good?"
"Sounds good.", Kagome agreed as the pair left her house walking arm in arm to Miroku's car.