Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted/licensed/trademarked materials mentioned in this fanfiction (from InuYasha to my references to Nine Inch Nails or Harry Potter). They are the properties of their respective copyright holders and I in no way am insinuating that I own them. (Consider it free advertising.) I only own the storyline and any new characters that may crop up.
Chapter Five: The New Girl
Kagome walked into her Language Arts class after lunch. She had her cast removed yesterday and was now walking about in a walking cast. She took her seat and pulled her notebook, textbook, and homework from her backpack. Class gathered around her and others took their seats to prepare for class. Their instructor entered the class and picked up a piece of chalk. He began to write on the board as the bell chimed, signaling the start of class. "Good afternoon, students. I hope you enjoyed your lunches. Please open your textbook to page three-hundred-ninety-four." Kagome looked at the pages before her, then to the blackboard.
American Literature
"Today begins our unit on American Literature. We will begin with Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'," and there was a knock on the classroom door. The teacher chuckled, "And there came a rapping, as if someone gently tapping …" The instructor opened the door to reveal an administrator and a female student. There was a murmur of hushed conversation. The administrator left and the teacher ushered the student into class.
The teacher beamed his smile at the classroom, announcing, "It seems that we have a new student joining us. Kodotai Megami is a transfer student from America. Why don't you tell the class a little about yourself, Megami?"
Megami, although transferring from America, looked Asian. She had full, straight, shiny black hair with two violent red stripes that streaked down from her temples. She was quite tall, almost six foot, with a powerful build. She bore a backpack covered with patches of American bands. "Well, I was born in Okinawa," her Japanese was flawless, "but my parents moved to the U.S. for a while. My mother passed away some time ago, so Father thought it best that we return to Japan. While in America I spent my time studying and going to quite a few concerts. That's about it."
"Well Miss Kodotai, there is an empty seat in the fourth row. Today we're starting American Literature. Have you read Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'?" he asked as he handed Megami a text book.
She took her book and sat in the empty seat beside Kagome and plopped her bag down. "I love Poe!" Megami exclaimed while opening her book.
The lesson continued as students took turns reading portions of "The Raven." Kagome listened to those reading and followed along in her book. As the poem progressed, her thoughts turned more and more to InuYasha. She bit back her anguish as nausea swept over her. The waves of nausea intensified and when Hojo finished the final "Nevermore," Kagome bolted out of her seat. She mumbled, "Excuse me, emergency!" as she ran by her instructor. Everyone looked mildly bored at the outburst, but Megami seemed concerned. Finally, Megami stood, "Mr. Kurimoto, may I check on her, please?"
"You are excused, Miss Kodotai."
Megami left the class and walked into the nearest bathroom. She heard Kagome's retching and asked, "Hey, are you all right?"
Kagome managed to blurt out, "I'll be fine," between spasms.
Megami waited patiently until Kagome emerged from her bathroom stall. Kagome jumped slightly to see Megami waiting by the sinks, checking her make up in the mirror.
"Oh! You startled me," Kagome said while patting her chest.
Megami looked at her in the mirror, "Sorry. I just thought that someone should come and check on you. Everyone just seemed so blasé about you turning green as pea soup. I thought it was kind of rude."
Kagome blushed gently, "Well, I get sick a lot. Everyone's kind of used to it."
Megami turned to her, "It's still no excuse to not see if someone is okay."
Kagome smiled, "Thanks for checking on me." She walked to the sink and began to rinse her mouth out. Kagome felt a tap on her shoulder. Megami was holding out a pack of Listerine breath strips.
"Here. Next best thing to having a toothbrush and mouthwash."
Kagome took the breath strips and popped one in her mouth. "Ooh! Goodness! Those are strong! But my mouth feels a lot cleaner. Thanks."
The girls looked at each other and smiled. Kagome reached out her hand, "I'm Higurashi Kagome. But you can just call me Kagome."
Megami took her hand and shook it, "Megami."
"So, you moved back from the U.S. What was it like there?"
"It depends on where you're at. When I was in New York it was crazy and upbeat like downtown Tokyo, but it just didn't have the same soul. It felt so dead there. But Oregon was cool, in its own way."
"How hard are the schools?"
Megami chuckled, "Mostly a joke. That's why Dad brought me back here," she mocked a stern, fatherly voice, "By Kami, child, I won't stand by while you get a second rate education! We're moving to Tokyo!"
Kagome laughed, "We should probably get back to class. Thanks again, for checking on me."
"Don't mention it, Kagome."
The next day Kagome walked down the hall for her third period Gym class. She entered the foreign language hall that lead to the gym and she felt something flash by her. Kagome looked about and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She shrugged it off and trod on to the ladies' locker room. Although Kagome thought she'd be early, she entered the locker room and saw Megami lacing up a pair of sneakers. She wore a pair of white crew cut socks, black shorts, and a gray sport cut tank top with a sports bra. Her hair was tied up high and she looked up to see Kagome. "Well, hello again! Feeling better, Kagome?"
"Much better, thank you. It seems like we'll have gym together, too."
"Yep. Ms. Katoh says we'll be playing field hockey today." Megami smiled, "It's one of my favorite sports. Forgive me in advance if you're not on my team. I get rough. I played every year I was in the States."
"Field hockey or ice hockey?"
Megami smiled mischievously, "Both. But," Megami looked to her walking cast, "I'll steer clear of you. I didn't notice your cast yesterday. What happened, if you don't mind my asking."
"Oh, I fell down the well at my family's shrine."
"Shrine, huh?" Megami thought a moment then her face lit up, "Oh! I should have known! Higurashi! The Higurashi Shrine!"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"My father told us all about it. He said that it's one of the only authentic shrines left in Japan."
"Grandpa works hard to keep the shrine clean and well kept," Kagome opened her locker and pulled out her gym clothes.
Other girls began to usher in to the locker room. Their instructor came out of her office, "Kodotai, would you like to help with the equipment since you're dressed?"
Megami stood after tying her shoe, "Yes, I'll help." She ran off to the equipment room.
Out on the field, Kagome was assigned to be a goalie with a classmate on hand in case her leg began to ache. Luckily, she was goalie for the team Megami was on. Megami wasn't blowing smoke about her hockey skills. She was intense and played a hard core game. After about twenty minutes, if Megami possessed the ball they gave her a wide berth.
Back in the locker room Kagome looked around for Megami to compliment her on her game, but she couldn't find her. How can you miss someone that tall with two, bright red streaks in her hair? She soon saw Megami come out of one of the curtained showers in the back. Megami had her tank top back on.
"Megami! Great game! You really can play."
Megami laughed, "Thanks, Kagome." She started to towel dry her hair.
"I'll be right back," Kagome went to a shower and wet down a towel. (With her cast, she couldn't take a normal shower.) She washed herself with the towel quickly. She came back to her locker and grabbed her deodorant. A brilliant idea came to her. "Megami, what are you doing for lunch?"
Megami had already changed back into her uniform and was putting her socks back on when she answered Kagome, "Well, I really don't know what's near here. I was going to wander around until I found something that sounded good."
"There's a little place near here with great sushi. I'm sure that you haven't had real sushi for a while. Would you care to join me?"
Megami grinned, "You read my mind."
Kagome learned another thing about Megami when they grabbed lunch: She had a bigger appetite than Shippo!
"Man! Hockey really gets my adrenaline rushing! I'm starving!" she groaned as they walked to the sushi restaurant. Kagome ordered a simple bento box to go with two hand rolls and tempura shrimp while Megami ordered tempura shrimp rolls, California rolls, a rolled omelet, and rice balls. When they handed Megami her order, she was glowing, "Thank Kami! Real food!" The clerk then handed the girls their cups of iced green tea.
They ate in silence (because Megami ate at top speed just like Shippo), but then the girls began to talk and get to know each other.
"So, how many concerts have you been to?" Kagome asked.
"It's hard to keep track. I've seen Metallica before they became a joke. A Perfect Circle three times. Static-X, and I got to meet them after the show. System of a Down, Rob Zombie, Ozzfest every year since I turned sixteen. And I saw Nine Inch Nails for the second time right before we moved. That was the best stage show I have ever seen!"
"Wow. That's a lot of concerts."
"Yup. But, there isn't much else to do in Eastern Oregon except get tickets to a great show and take a road trip to Portland with your brothers," she smiled, "I have three of them. We had thought of moving to Portland, but most big cities are too emotionally dead for our tastes."
"Tokyo's big."
"Yeah, but we were all really homesick. Dad, my three brothers, and I. We'd been in the states for a while. It was time to come home. So, Kagome, enough about me, what do you like to do?"
Kagome thought a moment before answering, "I've been sick a lot. I haven't been out much."
"Do you like Nine Inch Nails?"
"Only my favorite American band!"
Megami smiled, "Well, they're starting their Asia/Europe tour next month. It starts right here in Tokyo. I have an extra ticket if you'd like to go."
"Megami, aren't those tickets over 5,000 yen a piece?"
"Yeah, but one of my brothers can't go now. He told me to find someone else to take. C'mon, Kagome, you said yourself that you haven't been out in ages," Megami put on a playful, pouty face, "Don't make me beg now."
"I'd love to go. But, to make everything just a little more even, lunch tomorrow is on me."
Megami raised her glass of tea and Kagome matched her action. "Deal," Megami said, "To Nine Inch Nails." And they toasted to a blossoming friendship.
The next month flew by in a haze of studying, searching, and lunches with Megami. A week before the concert, Megami called Kagome at home.
Sesshomaru answered the phone, "Higurashi residence."
"Hi! Is Kagome available?"
"May I ask who is calling?"
"It's Megami."
"One moment," he set the receiver down, "Kagome, Megami is on the phone."
Kagome, now free of her cast, jogged over to the phone and picked it up, "Hey, Megami."
"Kagome, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the mall and grab some gear for the concert."
"Sure. I can meet you after dinner. How about seven o'clock?"
"Sounds great. I'll meet you by the bathrooms in the food court."
"See you then."
"Bye," they both said in unison and Kagome hung up the phone.
Shippo looked to Kagome, "Where are you going?"
"I'm just going to the mall to shop with Megami for stuff for the concert."
"What's a mall again?"
"It's a place with a lot of different stores."
"Are they safe?"
"Yes, Shippo. Very safe. I won't be gone long, though. I'll just buy a shirt, maybe a pair of jeans, and grab something to eat with Megami."
Shippo grumbled, "You'll be eating? See you around midnight."
Sango chuckled.
"Okay, I admit, she eats a lot," Kagome said.
Sesshomaru was thumbing through a book Grandpa had found for him when he piped up, "From what you've told us about this girl, she's a bottomless pit."
"She may be, but she's the only friend I have at school. After being gone for so long Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi ditched me."
"We're just kidding, Kagome." Sango said gently, "Well, teasing actually. I've never met Megami but I'm glad you've met her. She's good for you."
"Would you like to go with me, Sango? You haven't been to the mall yet."
Sango blushed, "If I won't be in the way."
"Not at all. Besides, you're cooped up in the house all the time. You need to get out."
After dinner the girls changed and hopped the train to the mall. Megami was standing by the bathrooms wearing a Johnny the Homicidal Maniac t-shirt, black jeans, and a pair of black platform boots.
"Hi, Kagome!" Megami waved when she spotted her and ran to meet her. "Hi," she looked to Sango, "Who is your friend?"
"Megami, this is my cousin Sango. She's up to visit for the summer holidays."
Megami shook Sango's hand, "It's nice to meet you, Sango. Are you enjoying Tokyo?"
Sango smiled, "Yes. It's great."
"So, shall we shop or eat first?" Megami asked.
Kagome said, "We just had dinner."
"Right. Shopping it is then."
Sango covered a giggle behind her hand and the girls headed into the mall. They hit up a few shops, yet didn't purchase anything. Sango asked Megami a lot about America. "Oregon is really pretty, Sango. I think you'd like it. It's so quiet and peaceful up in the mountains. My grandparents still live there. They moved into the house we left. It's perfect for them."
"Did you guys leave them there alone?"
"No, one of my brothers stayed with them. That's why I had the extra ticket. Kintotsuke decided to stay and make sure my grandparents would be all right."
"That was very considerate of him," Sango said.
"Well, he's the family suck up."
"What's a suck up?" Sango asked.
Megami giggled, "It's an American slang term. He's always bowing and curtsying to whomever is more important to him."
"Oh, I see. So he's manipulative?"
Megami slightly shook her head, "Not really. He just likes to play off that he's more thoughtful than he really is. He plays the considerate one rather than being the considerate one."
"I understand. What's this store?" Sango commented as they passed a store with a lot of wild t-shirts.
"Oh, we have to stop here! They have awesome shirts! And they're the only place I've found so far that carry cool pants."
The girls entered the store and actually made their first purchases. Kagome bought a provocative black skirt, and a Nine Inch Nails baby-tee. Sango found a neat Harry Potter shirt and a pair of Tripp pants ("I love all the pockets and zippers!"). Megami also bought a pair of Tripp pants (commenting to Sango "My last pair were thrashed in a mosh pit.") a shirt that matched Kagome's, and a wallet with Family Guy's Stewie Griffin on it.
Their next stop was a shoe store. Megami was trying on some new sneakers when Kagome let out a squeal of delight. Megami and Sango looked up. Kagome held up a pair of knee-high leather, platform boots with buckles and zippers on them.
"Oh," Megami gasped, "Those scream 'Nine Inch Nails Concert'!"
Kagome found a pair in her size and tried them on. "Oh, I love them." She looked at the price tag and her face fell. "Oh my God. 6,000 yen." She sat down and removed the boots. She put them back on the shelf with a sigh.
Megami decided on a pair of sneakers and said, "Why don't you guys go on to the music store. I'll catch up."
Kagome and Sango left the store and went to the music store across the way. Kagome let out another mournful sigh. Sango put her hand on her shoulder and giggled. "You know what I thought when I saw you in those boots?"
"What?"
"How Miroku would have reacted to them."
They both laughed. Megami came walking in soon after. She approached them and said, "Kagome, close your eyes and hold out your hand." Kagome did so and felt the handle of a bag being hooked onto her hand. "Open them." Kagome did so and saw a bag containing the boots she had just tried on.
"Megami! You shouldn't have!"
"I know, but you didn't see your face when you had to put them back. I wanted to buy them for you, Kagome. Just promise me that you'll wear them at least once a week."
Kagome smiled, "Of course I will. Thank you, Megami."
The girls wandered the music store for a little while longer. Megami picked up a Nine Inch Nails CD called "The Fragile." "Hey Sango, have you heard Nine Inch Nails before?"
"No. I haven't heard much American music yet."
"Oh, you have to hear 'The Fragile.' Most Nine Inch Nails fans say that 'The Downward Spiral' is the definitive album, but I feel that 'The Fragile' goes where 'Spiral' feared to tread. It's not just an album; it's an experience!" She headed to the counter with the CD. "I'll translate the lyrics and have Kagome give them to you."
"Oh, Megami, you don't have to."
"As a music fan it is my duty. Think nothing of it."
After being rung up, the girls left the music store. Megami stretched, "I'm spent. Who's up for ice cream?"
The trio went to the food court and got ice cream. Due to Megami's generosity, Kagome insisted on paying. The girls sat down to gossip while eating their ice cream. Halfway through their cones, Megami spotted a girl who she and Kagome mutually disliked. "Dear Kami, there's Yuna. I can't stand that hooker. She shouldn't be wearing an outfit like that with an ass like hers."
A voice came from behind Megami, "Gee, sis, you sure can be catty. Are you done shopping yet?"
Megami turned slowly, as if she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, "Hey Senkotsuke. Is it curfew already?"
"Yeah," Senkotsuke said. Sango's jaw dropped slightly as her eyes fell on Senkotsuke. He bore a strong resemblance to Miroku despite the violent red streaks in his thigh-length black hair. He was dressed similarly to Megami, except he wore a black shirt with a Poison Mushroom on it bearing the phrase "Game Over."
"Senkotsuke, these are my friends, Kagome and Sango. Ladies, this is the youngest of my elder brothers, Senkotsuke."
"Nice to meet you both," he bowed politely, "If you guys hurry, I'll give you a ride home. I couldn't bear to think of two lovely ladies riding the trains alone this late," he gave Sango a flirtatious wink and then stalked off to the ice cream stand. He bought himself a cone and sat down with the girls. He exhibited the same appetite as Megami. Halfway through his cone he turned to his sister and said, "We should pick up a pizza on the way home. That sounds good!"
"Ooh! I'm all for it!" she agreed heartily.
Senkotsuke soon finished his cone and stood up. "Well, girls. It's time to go." They all followed Megami's brother to the exit.
Once outside, Megami looked around until her gaze fell halfway down the block to the right. "Ah. I see Dad left us the Tank." Kagome and Sango looked in the same direction and saw the monstrous black Chevy Suburban parked by the curb.
"Yeah," Senkotsuke grumbled, "He took the Prius to his business trip, and left us with this beast." He looked at Sango and Kagome, "Plenty of room for passengers, but harder than Hell to park in downtown Tokyo." He unlocked the doors and they all climbed in "the tank." Senkotsuke arranged himself and checked his mirrors, "So ladies. What's our destination?"
"We live at the Higurashi Shrine," Kagome said.
"Really!" Senkotsuke reacted much like his sister did, "When Father comes home, we'll have to come by and get the tour. Buckle up, ladies."
After a twenty minute drive, Senkotsuke pulled up to the curb outside the Higurashi residence. He turned off the car and jumped out to open the door for Sango. "Here, let me carry your bags."
Sango blushed and handed Senkotsuke her bags. He took them in one hand and offered his other hand to Sango with a sly wink. She took his hand and he helped her out of the Suburban. "Such a gentleman," Sango giggled. He went to Kagome and took her bags without a wink.
He walked the girls to the door and handed them their bags. "It's been a pleasure. Kagome, I'll see you next week. I'll be escorting you and Megami to the concert. And so," he turned to Sango and bowed, "I really do hope to see you again, Miss Sango." He winked at her yet again. "Goodnight."
The girls went into the house; one gabbing about how excited she was for a concert, and the other blushing over a handsome young man.
