Lola: Ha! Another chapter! In ONE DAY! MWAHAHAHA! Although, I'm tired. It's bedtime. I have school tomorrow, so I'll shut up.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't ask. :'(


Chapter 9 – Attempted Amends


Kagome sat in a complete daze at lunch, barely touching her food.

"Kagome? Are you okay? Do want to go home?" Rin said, looking at her with concern.

"Yea," Sango agreed, "You haven't even touched your Oden. There must be something wrong."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just not hungry that's all."

"Not hungry for Oden?" Sango asked skeptically. Kagome shrugged.

In honesty, she wasn't in much of a mood for even her most favorite of meals. She was too confused about her conversation with Inuyasha that morning.

FLASHBACK

"Hey Inuyasha," she asked, "would it be alright with you to meet at the library again this Saturday to do more research?"

She expected him to oblige with a smile, as he had easily done on Saturday. She was most defiantly wrong.

"Why? Didn't we do enough research already?" He scoffed.

"Well, we did quite a bit but it still needs more-" she began, but was interrupted.

"Then do it yourself! Can't you see I'm a bit busy?" Inuyasha snapped, surprising her further.

She quickly covered her confused and hurt emotions with a glare. "Fine. I'll see you in English class, partner," she emphasized the word harshly and walked away crossly.

FLASHBACK

"Jackass," Kagome said, seething.

"What?" Sango said, "I didn't know that you'd be upset that I wasn't able to walk home with you."

Kagome flushed pink and shook her head, "Oh, sorry! Sango, I wasn't talking to you. I was thinking about that jerk Inuyasha. What were you saying?"

"I said that I've got to stay after school and make up a science lab. My lab partner put in .10 too much sodium bicarbonate," Sango said, shaking her head. "The whole thing exploded on us. I got hydrochloric acid all over my hand."

"Alright, I'm fine walking home," Kagome said.

"Why does Inuyasha bother you so much?" Rin asked her.

"Because he's such a cruel person! His idea of a joke is anyone else's idea of complete and utter misery." Kagome put her head in her hands, "and to think, I thought there was just an ounce of good in him!"

"Well, he can't be all that bad," Rin said with a shrug, "I mean, Sesshoumaru isn't."

Immediately after she said it, Rin regretted it. This wasn't something she was at liberty to share.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you and Sesshoumaru Taisho, president of the Junior class, have contact? I'm interested."

"Well, I'm staying at their house," Rin reminded.

"What's it like living under the same roof as Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "If it were me, I'd wish I was out of their as soon as possible."

"Actually, I haven't had the pleasure of running into him yet. The house is real big. He probably doesn't even know I'm staying there yet. He's never around anyway," Rin trailed on, still edgy about the fact that she had nearly blown her cover yet again.

"So what's Sesshoumaru like?" Sango asked.

"As you'd expect. Pretty distant. He's not a people person. But I like staying there," Rin told them.

"I would rather eat the cafeteria food than stay in that house," Kagome said, shaking her head. "I just can't believe that conceded son of a bitch!"

"Kagome, I think you need to chill out," Sango said with a laugh, "you're about to snap one of your chopsticks."

"Still," she said, setting her chopsticks down (safely), "I can't believe I thought there was something else beyond that attitude of his. I must have been delusional on Saturday."

FLASHBACK

Kagome wanted very badly to ask him why he was acting so differently. She knew, of course, that asking would not do her much good. So, instead she sat there in idle conversation.

"So, about the project," Kagome said, changing the subject, "who are we against again?"

"Takahitsu and Midori, I think. Can't say for sure though." He looked up at her from his soup. "Do you think we'll win?"

She nodded. "I'd say we have a pretty good chance. We've got a strong argument. The information you found was especially helpful."

FLASHBACK

"He was such a nice guy," she said, almost in a daze, "almost as if he was a different person."

"Maybe it wasn't Inuyasha. Maybe he's got some sort of alter-ego issues and the good part only comes out on a Saturday," Sango said sarcastically, taking a drink of her milk.

"Why Saturday?" Rin asked.

"No school."


Kagome thought to herself as she walked home alone. It didn't necessarily bother her, but with a lot on her mind right now, it would be good to have Sango around.

"Stupid idiot!" She said suddenly in anger, kicking a soda can on the side walk. It flew quite a distance and landed ahead with a loud noise.

"I'd hate to see you kick a soccer ball," came a wincing voice. Kagome groaned.

"GO AWAY!" She said, knowing who it was without even turning around.

"Why are you so mean?" Inuyasha asked catching up to her, "I was just walking behind you, that's all. There's no need to start yelling at me."

"I'm mean?" She said, not believing what she was hearing, "you are the biggest jerk I know! You get me into a ton of trouble, you embarrass me by putting GLUE on my chair-"

"Hey, you have to admit that it was funny," Inuyasha objected.

"Yea, maybe if it was your ass on the chair!" Kagome said, pointing a finger.

Inuyasha gasped. "I don't think I've ever heard little Kagome Higurashi swear! I can't believe it! Do we need to wash your mouth out with soap?"

She ignored him and continued walking.

"Higurashi, I was kidding," he said, catching up to her again.

She didn't listen to him, only continued on.

He stepped in front of her and blocked her from continuing. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm kidding-"

"Well you know, you're not funny! What you say and do is hurtful! You find horrible ways to embarrass me and make me look stupid in front of a very large group of people! That's not funny," she looked at him seriously and he realized that she was upset.

"Look, I came to apologize. I was rude today-"

"Aren't you always?" She interrupted. He glared at her.

"Are you gonna let me finish?" He asked. She was silent. "As I was saying, it wasn't a good time. Miroku forgot some stuff at home and we had to start all over on our math project." His golden eyes looked at her apologetically. Looking into them made her feel numb. She shook it off.

"Stop making excuses, because I'm not gonna buy it," Kagome told him, trying to shove past him.

"Kagome."

She stopped and looked it him. He didn't usually call her by her first name.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. Really."

She sighed. "Alright. I forgive you. But next time, good time or not, I'm gonna call you on it."


In the meantime, Sango was not having such a fun time with her science lab.

"Why, of ALL people, of ALL science labs, do you have to be here when I am?" Sango asked herself, shooting a glance at Miroku. He shrugged.

"Sango, I didn't MEAN to screw up a chemistry lab! It just happens!" Miroku insisted.

"Well don't do it again. I can't afford another screw up or my grade is toast," She put on a pair of safety goggles, along with a plastic apron. Miroku followed suit.

"Sango, I want you to know that you can trust me. I won't screw up, I promise," he insisted, trailing behind her.

She laughed. "You want me to trust you? Right. Like that'd work. I turn my back and your hand is on my ass."

"That's not true! I've only done so a few times, and I must admit, you have a gorgeous ass-" She cleared her throat and he stopped.

"My point is, you can trust me in this lab. I promise."

"Good, now go get me the hydrochloric acid and the potassium nitrate," she said, not exactly listening to him.

"What are we doing again?" He asked.

"Observing Chemical bonds."

"Oh." He was silent for a moment. "We should bond."

"What was that?" She asked, looking at him quizzically.

Now's the time, ask her out, a voice inside his head told him. But his nerve failed him.

"I said we should bond, meaning let's get started. We don't want to be here all night, do we?"

She shrugged and began to add chemicals. He put his hand to his head and thought to himself Miroku, you idiot!


It isn't sneaking, Rin told herself, it's more or less exploring.

Rin had always had a curious bit in her, and now it was about to get her into trouble.

She had put on a maid uniform Tadako had lent her (for cases like this) in order to avoid suspicion. Her bruises were fully gone and she had her hair up in a full ponytail for the first time in a long while.

"Hey you, maid!" A voice called.

Rin stiffened and turned around.

"Yes?" She kept her head bent low.

"I have a bunch of laundry that needs to be run. Could you start a load?" Inuyasha dictated, not really looking at who he was talking to. He made a list of a few other things needed and then added "Got all that?"

Rin nodded.

"Good."

She made her way down the hallway and got nearly out of his site before he said, "Wait a minute. Come back here."

Flinching, she did so.

"You're the new maid, but you look really familiar. What's your name?"

She didn't answer for a moment.

He frowned and looked at her more closely. Suddenly, it clicked.

Rin Makino.

A girl from his high school.

One of Kagome's friends.

"What in gods name are YOU doing in my house dressed like a maid?" He asked suspiciously.

"I..uh, well."

"Inuyasha, let me explain," a calm voice came. Sesshoumaru floated in casually and looked at Rin.

"It's a long story. Can I make it short?"

"No. I want the entire thing," Inuyasha said, glaring at his half brother.

"She's staying here as a guest. That's all you NEED to know." He stopped and turned to Rin. "Rin, go back to your room and just ignore this idiot. It's alright."

"No, it's not!" Inuyasha said, "Now I want to know the story behind this right now or I'll-"

Irritated, Sesshoumaru grabbed Inuyasha and dragged him to a separate room. "She was from a broken family, Inuyasha. She used to live a few houses away, remember? Then her parents died and she moved in with her uncle, who treated her negligently and beat her. Would you want anyone to suffer through that?" He calmed down a bit. "Inuyasha, the only thing I told my father and," he stopped, "her, is that I hired a new maid. Now father's away on business and your mother is leaving as well. So there isn't much you can to about it anyway. I'm asking you to please keep it between us."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. Then he looked at Sesshoumaru with a smirk. "Man, you must really have the hots for this girl."

"Thank you, Inuyasha, you can go now." Sesshoumaru said, ignoring him.

As he left, he said, "She's not even all that good looking anyway."

Sesshoumaru knocked on Rin's door. She opened it and let him come in, grateful.

"I hope you don't mind, but I had to tell Inuyasha."

"And?"

"He's promised not to tell."

Rin let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. But so much for him not finding out." She shrugged. "That's alright. As long as he keeps it a secret."

"Oh yes, and he's planning a Christmas party. Now that our parents are out of town, he's completely set on it. Feel free to invite your friends, since they know you're staying here."

"Alright." She smiled. "Thank you for saving me. You do it way to often."

He just shook his head.

"You know one day I'm going to pay you back," she said as he left.

He turned and looked at her. "Just knowing that I changed somebody's life is payment enough."


"A Christmas Party?" Kagome asked skeptically. It was a few days later.

Rin nodded. "Yup. And both of you are invited. Sesshoumaru told me to invite friends, and there's no one else I'd rather invite."

"Well that's very kind," Sango said.

"And flattering," Kagome added.

"Will you come?" Rin asked hopefully.

"I think I'll be able to stand Inuyasha for one night, so long as it makes you happy," Kagome said thoughtfully. Rin hugged them both.

"Thank you! You're the greatest friends I've ever had!" Rin said happily.

"Say, how are things between you and Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Any better?"

"Off an on. One moment he'll be pleasant, the next he's throwing insults at me. I don't know what to expect anymore." She sighed. "And with the debates on Friday, I don't even know how we're going to make it through."

"Don't worry about it," Sango said, assuring her. "You make it through everything. It's called making amends with life."


I'm done. Not much more to say, other than I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. It's by far my favorite (can you have favorite chapters? Oo)Anyway, good night!I love you guys anddon't forget to review!

Lola