Chapter Seventeen: The Fair Inuyashiya & Ginger Spice

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After opening the door, and greeting her mother cheerfully, Kagome walked over to the three beds that belonged to her family. She noted her grandfather was missing and that her brother was asleep. Her friends followed in after her.

"Kagome! I wasn't expecting you to come today! What a pleasant surprise!" Her mother said happily. "And who are these lovely… people you've brought with you?" She eyed the pretty, young nurse-looking girl, and the two quite ugly women beside her.

Kagome turned to look at her friends. "Well, that's Sango, my friend who's also a nurse here. That is Inuyashiya, the one I told you I'm staying with. And that's…" Uh oh! They hadn't figured out a name for Miroku!

"Ginger Spice," Miroku introduced himself proudly, feigning a girly voice.

"Isn't that a Spice Girl?" Inuyasha asked him quietly.

"Was a Spice Girl. Broke off to go do her own thing. She was always my favourite… always wore such tight clothes."

Kagome's mother nodded her head slowly, unaware of the conversation two of Kagome's girlfriends just had. "It's uh very nice to meet you all." She said with a smile before turned back to her daughter. "So you're staying with… Inuyashiya?"

Kagome nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't believe you honey. But with a name as close to Inuyasha, you'd think I'd get suspicious. After all those nasty comments you tell me about Inuyasha, I was just worried. According to you he's a pompous, arrogant jerk who needs to choke and die on a piece of pineapple. He's selfish, rude, inconsiderate and also incredibly thick headed…"

Kagome listened to her mother cite her own words with a wince. She wasn't about to turn around and see 'Inuyashiya's' expression to the quotes. After awhile Kagome began to drown out the insults and just starred at her mother with mock interest. Eventually, Mrs. Higurashi looked over at Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry I thought you were Inuyasha, Inuyashiya." She smiled seemly unbeknownst to the glare sent her way by the one she was now speaking to. "I've seen Inuyasha once or twice when I've gone to see Kagome at school for certain matters. You too seem to have quite a resemblance. Same features, same hair, are you related?"

Inuyasha cleared his throat in attempt to make his voice sound higher. "Me and that dashingly handsome boy are cousins. I don't know what Kagome's been talking about while telling you all of that rubbish about him. He's really quite charming." He ignored the snort from Miroku beside him. "He's always kind and generous. Never seems to get angry. Why, when I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago, he came over and did nothing but care for me until I was all better and able to walk again." Inuyasha finished his make-believe speech about himself with a nod. Kagome starred at him, mouth open and eyebrows high.

Mrs. Higurashi had a content smile on her face. "Oh, he sounds like such a sweet young boy. Perfect for you Kagome dear. You should really get to know him better before you start attacking him so harshly. I thought I taught you better than that."

All Kagome could do was mutter incomprehensible words as she glanced between her mother and a smug looking Inuyasha. She was believing Inuyasha over her? Her own mother thought she was insulting Inuyasha without proof? Every time she had come home with her uniforms covered in who knows what and her hair distraught, the woman took his side? Was she missing something? The said mentally questioned woman now turned towards Miroku.

"Now, Ginger, tell me about yourself."

"Well madame, I haven't known your beautiful, voluptuous daughter for very long. I just recently meet her when she began staying with Inuyash…iya. But I certainly see where she got her good looks!"

"Oh you!" Mrs. Higurashi said with a tilt of her head and a wave of her hand in a playful matter. It was obvious she had taken a quick liking to 'Ginger'.

"But anyways, I work on the streets for a living. It certainly pays well."

The older woman's smile faltered slightly on her face. "What kind of…work?"

"Oh you know… whore work!"

"Whore…work?" Mrs. Higurashi's previous likings were rapidly dissipating.

"Yes! I work on the corner of Harajuku and Jinan. The police rarely come around there. They only inspect once a week at 11 p.m. Me and my girls are usually off visiting other sluts or gone with some guy giving them what they want."

"How uh interesting."

"Oh yeah! I wouldn't give up my job for the world. Getting paid to have s–"

"Mi – Ginger!" Sango said warningly beside him.

"Such fun is what I've always wanted. You know Mrs. Higurashi, if you ever feel lonely or in need of some comfort don't hesitate to ask Kagome for my number. I'm sure I can hook you up with someone who will suffice your every need. Girl or guy, which ever is your preference." He winked.

"Ok, that's it!" Sango said as she grabbed the collar of Miroku's dress. "It was really nice meeting you Mrs. Higurashi. I hope we can do it again sometime!" She began pulling Miroku out the door. "Come on Ginger!"

"Sango… you're… choking me!" Miroku's straggled calls drifted off into the hallway as they departed.

Everyone starred after them with the same expressions, tight-lipped and wide-eyed.

"Well, Kagome, you certainly have a very interesting choice in friends," her mother said with an awkward smile. "More so than what I would have expected with that last one…"

Kagome gave a nervous laugh and pretended to scratch the back of her neck. "Yeah, about that… Ginger is different from us."

"You got that right. None of us are whores, now are we?" Mrs. Higurashi glanced over at Inuyasha. "You're not one are you Inuyashiya?"

He shook his head. "Oh good!"

"Mom!"

"I don't have anything against the profession, but I just don't want my sweet innocent daughter picking up any new, unusual traits."

"Mom!"

"You seem very shy Inuyashiya. Are you hiding something from me?"

"Mom! Will you let me explain what I meant by why he – I mean she! Is different?" That seemed to effectively drive her mother's attention away from the now agitated Inuyasha and back to her.

"Thank you. Well, she…uh…well she…" To be able to explain why her friend was different, it would help if she had a story to tell. 'Think fast Kagome!'

"You see mom, Ginger is different." 'A good start! Just have to elaborate.'

"Yes dear, I think we've established the girl is different. Now, go on…" her mother said, moving her hands in a rolling gesture, encouraging her to continue her tale.

"Yeah. She came from a small-unknown island just off the coast of Hungary – "

"Hungary isn't by a coast honey…" Mrs. Higurashi stated.

"Did I say Hungary? I meant Russia – "

"Wow, those two are hard to confuse…" a voice piped up from over by the door.

"Inuyasha you're not helping…"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's mother said confused.

'Crap.' "Inuyasha? Mom what are you talking about?" 'Good cover-up! Make her think she's delusional!'

"You said Inuyasha."

"No I said Inuyashiya."

"No you said Inuyasha."

"Did not."

"Did s – Never mind… just go on…" Mrs. Higurashi was beginning to sound weary. Maybe after all the rest she had been getting, arguing was an easy knock down.

"Ok, where was I? Oh yeah, he moved from Russia to Japan – "

"Kagome, why do you keep making the mistake in calling her a him?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she rubbed her eyes. This was becoming too much for her to handle.

Kagome just starred at her for a few seconds, her mind racing to find an answer. "Oh…well… she's just so darn masculine looking! I get confused… An-y-ways, she moved when she was about six. Her parents were wanted fugitives, accused of feeding millions of mice cotton candy and pixie sticks. That of course made the mice go on a sugar-hyped running spree and they invaded many local homes. It was on the news, didn't you hear about it mom? No? Well you must have been out gardening at the time…

"The couple abandoned poor little Mir – Ginger in a forest. She survived in the midst of the wildlife by eating berries she found on bushes, until she was adopted by a pack of sloth. With the sloth she learned eating bugs and leaves could be nutritious and she that hanging from trees helps you sleep better – although I bet it was all the blood that rushed to her head that made her sleep, more like go unconscious at night.

"One day when she was out hunting bugs for her pack since they don't really move much – did you know sloth are about the slowest creatures on the planet? – Well an orphanage scout found her and took her back to, well, an orphanage."

"Oh that's good then. Poor dear finally got some he…help." Mrs. Higurashi's attempt to stifle her yawn failed. She was getting really tired. All this talking was putting a toll on her. She subtly tried to end her daughter's obvious made-up rambling by saying it was good the 'young woman' had gotten some help. Oh yes, her mother wasn't that thick. She knew this 'Ginger' was really a man in disguise. She also knew 'Inuyashiya' was actually Inuyasha. Her daughter was trying to play her so she'd just have to play back. In the end, it wasn't Mrs. Higurashi who was going to look like the fool. Although the idea of her daughter rooming with a male still got to her nonetheless, she was just a bit more used to the situation now that she had had time to think about it and relax a bit. She knew Kagome was a good kid. It wasn't like she'd just go and get drunk or anything like that… right?

"Yeah, but that's not the end!" Mrs. Higurashi sighed mentally as her daughter continued. You get Kagome started and she never shuts up. "The orphanage was like a… a… child beater house! They beat poor Miroku so hard he could barely force herself to keep going. In fact just the control drove her to insanity!"

'Ah, so his name is Miroku.' Mrs. Higurashi's lip twitched knowingly.

"She was put in an asylum where she was forced to room with a reformed street worker. But well, you see, this woman wasn't exactly as reformed as the asylum liked to think. She taught Ginger everything she knew about her former career. Since Ginger was away from the orphanage she slowly regained her sanity back and was released, by this time old enough to care for herself. That's when she began to put what she had previously learned, into action. Thus beginning Miroku's career as a whore."

"Ginger's career." Mrs. Higurashi corrected.

"Yeah… Ginger's career… that's what I said."

Rather than get into an argument, Mrs. Higurashi just nodded her head in understanding.

"So you see now mom why we can't judge Ginger Spice? She's allowed to think independently. If that means breaking off into a new type of style, then that's her choice. Although she did convince her four sisters to join the business… the five are infamously known as the Spice Girls around town now."

Her mother quickly nodded again in mock realisation. "I'm sorry I ever belittled her and her abilities at all."

"Good!" Kagome said smiling before frowning slightly. "Now mom, I'm sorry to cut our visit short but you look totally wiped out! You should get some sleep. I'll come visit you again soon!" She headed towards the door.

"Oh honey! Just one question…" Time to stump Kagome in her own game. "How is it you know all this so quickly? You've been staying with Inuyashiya for no less than what three or four days? Ginger mustn't be so secure that she actually tells complete strangers this information…?"

Kagome starred at her mother. "Well…er… you see mom…"

"I told her." Both women's heads turned to look at Inuyasha.

"You told Kagome your best friends secrets?"

"Well you see… I had just had a fight with my boyfriend Yankee Doodle, and I was so vulnerable that I sought anyone to soothe the ache I was feeling."

"Oh dear god! You didn't – "

"Ew mom! 15! 16!" Kagome pointed to herself and then to Inuyasha. "Women! Straight!"

"Thank goodness."

"Ahem… I told her all the secrets I had sealed inside of me. Ones that belonged to me, and some that belonged to others."

"Ah I see…"

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha with a look of thanks. She turned back to her mother. "Now, like I said mom, you look exhausted! We'll just be on our way now!" 'Got to leave before she asks more questions! I'm on the brink of cracking!'

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Alright dear."

The two began departing out the door. Inuyasha didn't fail to notice the farewell she called after them.

"Bye Kagome dear! Bye Inuyasha!"

TT

Sorry for the delay. My sister has found out about ff.net… leading to her being on our computer reading stories and not letting anyone else on… I also found out she's been going into my files and reading this story… I don't know about any of you, but would you want a family member reading a story like this?

Anyways, I'll try my hardest to get updates going faster but unfortunately I have exams coming up starting tomorrow. I'll be done them all by June 22nd though, then I'm free for the summer!

Also, I started a new fic. It's called Play the Game. Check it out! Although it's got a hockey-oriented background, the storyline is a little off of that in a lot of areas… you'll see in later chapters.

Anyone see the new Harry Potter movie? I did! It's amazing!

Ok, instead of rambling on and on about unrelated topics, I'll say my thanks!

You guys seriously amaze me! You make me smile, laugh and downright fall off my chair reading some of your reviews! Thanks a whole ton! Thanks: kagome1312, Inu-Babe-24/7, Kate, YugiLuv, She-Devil18, youigy-hunter, vasava, Call Me Shiggy, Angel-Ashley87, Mikono-Aries, Snoochie, strawberrie bunny, MeGz, Pessimist99, S A K U R A22, FirePrincess911, Star-Fire-Phoenix-Ruby, crazy-kitsune, animemistress419, eddie4, pinksakurablossom04, Radhika14024, laku, Pinayazngrl, Foxfire902, sweet little country girl, Sheryu, Kaitie, freaky-cartoonist, lil-missa, IceSugarHigh, allin656, Gopher2806

Thanks again! Please Review! Buh bye!!!