Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha! Just kidding! But for real this time ladies and germs I do own Shawn and the plot. I also do not own Evanescence, which shall make an appearance in this chapter. (No not the actual people, just the music.)

Thanks: Thank you to all of the people who reviewed the last chapter. Sorry this new one has taken so long to post! I will try to get the next chapter posted sooner, but with finals coming up next month that may or may not happen. But hey summer's coming around! I'll be going on a writing frenzy by then! (I think)

Anyway I know you are tired of me talking, actually writing, but whatever. On to the chappie!

Cousin's Return

Chapter 7: Tennis Games and Uniforms

"Line up!" the PE coach shouted. The teens quickly scrambled to their assigned spots, "Today we are going to play tennis."

'Yes!' thought Shawn, 'Finally, something I'm good at!'

" When I call your name I want you to get a racket and a ball and go to your assigned court." The coach read off the names of the students and their partners, "Ramiki and Mitchell; court 3. Arimi and Suou; court 4. Shawn and Suki; court 5."

Shawn froze. Suki? Oh no.

"Ready to join the loser's circle?" asked Suki icily as she walked over to pick up her racket.

"Don't worry. I'll try not to beat you too badly," Shawn said equally cold.

"Listen up, Collins," said Suki, losing her cool demeanor, and taking up a menacing one, "You may have been hot stuff back in America, but here I am the top Tennis player in the entire school."

"Man, people must not be trying very hard then," said Shawn lightly, and sounding more confident than she actually was.

Suki put her finger on Shawn's chest, "I am going to whoop your ass so hard your ancestors won't know what them. Take it as a returned favor for yesterday."

Shawn sighed mockingly, "Would you mind taking your finger off of my chest? It looks so perverted," she drawled.

Suki quickly dropped her hand, but brought it right back up again in a fist.

"Girls let's go! We don't have all day!" the PE coach shouted from another court.

The Suki and Shawn took their places on the opposite sides of the court. Shawn served first. As she tossed the ball into the air she thought , 'You're going down Sucky,' and she smashed it across the net. Suki hit it back with an equal amount of power. The ball hit the ground and bounced out of play before Shawn could react.

Suki smiled, " Fifteen – luv."

'This is going to be harder than I thought.'

45 minutes later

Shawn clutched her racket tightly. She was breathing hard and sweating. They were down to the last game. 30 – 40 And Shawn was in the lead, but just barely. One more point and it was over. She would win. But if Suki got the point the game would be Duce and Shawn would have to work to get 2 more points to win.

By now most of the PE class had stopped playing to come over and watch. Even the coach was there. Both players were so good! It was impossible to tell who would win. The crowd waited with bated breath.

Suki served. Shawn watched the ball go up and slowly fall back down. In the next moment Suki had hit the ball and it was flying right towards Shawn. She sidestepped just a little and returned the ball. Then a furious volley ensued! Shawn ran back to return a lob that landed just before the line and then up front to stop it from bouncing twice just over the net! Back and forth, back and forth. Left, right, back, forward! Shawn began to wonder how long this could go on. But just then, Suki just barely hit the ball. It was such a sloppy hit Shawn had to wonder if was a trick. But it wasn't! Shawn smashed the ball! It was the easiest shot to make! She heard the satisfying thwack as the racket and ball connected and the whoosh of Suki swinging her racket through thin air, missing the ball. It bounced on the line and out!

"Game, set, match! To Shawn Collins," cried the coach. The crown of students burst into cheering. Not so much because Shawn had beat Suki, but more because the game had gone on so long and it had been so impressive!

Shawn smiled, as Ramiki ran up and gave her a high five. People began coming up and patting her on the back saying things like, "Good job," and "Way to go!" and even, "All right, Miss USA!" Shawn turned back to get a quick glimpse of Suki.

She was standing alone on her side of the court glaring fiercely. Shawn could practically feel her shooting daggers out of her eyes. Shawn gave a smile and wave and then turned back to the congratulatory crowd. Suki continued to scowl at the back of Shawn's head, her eyes full of hate and spite.

0o0o0o0o

"And then wham! I hit it so hard I wasn't even sure it would stay in play, but it did and I won!" Shawn chattered, replaying the game in her mind for Kagome, "Take that Sucky!" Shawn punched her fist into the air.

"Jeez Shawn. Settle down. It was just a PE game," said Kagome, stepping aside to avoid Shawn's hand.

"It may just be a PE game, but it was against Suki. She hates me! I don't know why; it's not like I meant to give her a bloody nose yesterday," Shawn pointed out.

"You gave her a what?" exclaimed Kagome loudly enough that the passerby looked over.

"I didn't tell you?" asked Shawn, slightly embarrassed by the stares they were receiving.

"NO! What the hell did you do?"

"We were playing soccer for PE yesterday and I accidentally kicked the ball into her face and I didn't mean to! Well, I wanted to kick the ball, but not into her face!" Shawn explained hurriedly, "Well now that I think about it…" she joked.

"Shawn, it's not funny! You really scared me. I thought you had been in a fight," sighed Kagome, with her hand on her chest.

"Oh please," scoffed Shawn, "As if. I had to sign a paper in the midst of all that transfer work that said I couldn't have anything on my permanent record in order to join up with your school."

Kagome shook her head, "I don't know how you live on the edge like that. I mean picking an enemy like Suki? That was probably not the wisest idea."

"Excuse me! I live on the edge? I wasn't the one who's been ditching school to go tramping off into the past where there are numerous demons and uncountable perils."

"Well, at least I keep my social life intact at the same time."

"Social life? How can you have a social life when you're only here every other week, if that much?"

Kagome groaned, "You know what I mean. Can we just drop the subject?"

"Fine," said Shawn, exasperated, "Just don't bug me about that stuff anymore."

"Deal."

0o0o0o0o

(A/N OK that stars didn't work for music. It's gonna be italics now k?)

Shawn was in her room. Her homework was done and she had changed into gray sweats and a burgundy tank top. Her feet were bare and she had her trusty staff in her hands. Shawn had been practicing with it since her last visit to Japan and had become much better than she used to be. And that was saying something.

Shawn looked into her mirror and remembered the other night when she had seen Harashi's reflection staring back at her. Shawn dared her to show herself again. She felt invincible. Harashi stayed hidden. Shawn smiled, 'That's what I thought. Too afraid to show yourself now.'

She pressed the play button on her CD player and went to the center of the room as the sounds of her Evanescence CD filled the air. She closed her eyes.

Now I will tell you what I've done for you

50 thousand tears I've cried

Screaming deceiving and bleeding for you

And still you won't hear me

I'm goin' under!

Shawn's eyes shot open. She began to swing her staff in series of moves that would have really hurt if there had been a real person there. Her stances were low and her movements fast.

Don't' want you hand this time I'll save myself

Maybe I'll wake up for once

Not tormented daily defeated by you

Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom

I'm dying again

Swing, poke, punch, block, swing, block, block, shove, twirl, sweep, swing! Her movements were dizzying to follow.

I'm going under

She was falling into a world where nothing existed but her and the staff.

Drowning in you

I'm falling forever

She was losing herself. She had already hit a book off her desk by accident, but she didn't care.

I've got to break through

She was going deeper and deeper into a world of violence. Her eyes were on fire and her concentration was fierce. It was like her body was being taken over by an angry force.

I'm going under

She was lost. She let out all of her pain, all of her anger, all of her fear.

Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies

So I don't know what's real and what's not

Always confusing the thoughts in my head

So I can't trust myself anymore

I'm dying again

Still spinning, still swinging.

I'm going under

Drowning in you-

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Shawn was startled out of her trance-like state.

"Ahh!" she cried as she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

"Shawn, can I come in?" Kagome's voice was muffled as it called through the door.

Shawn rubbed her head, "Uh yeah. Just a sec." She got up and walked over to her CD player and turned it off, 'Whoa. That was intense,' she thought.

Without waiting for further invitation Kagome walked in carrying a hanger on which hung a school uniform.

"Ta-da!" said Kagome as if there was something exciting and amazing in her hands "It finally came! I can't believe it took so long."

"You have got to be kidding me," groaned Shawn, "You mean I actually have to wear that? In public? I'll be mocked and ridiculed for the rest of my teenage years!"

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen (A/N Hehehehehehe! Like the pun?)," said Kagome rolling her eyes, "All the girls have to wear them. You won't even be noticed."

"Is it to late to get a boy's uniform?"

Kagome snorted, "Come on. It's not that bad. Just try it on."

"All right," Shawn snatched the outfit away from Kagome, "Go outside for a minute please."

Shawn called Kagome back in once she had put on the green and white uniform.

"You look nice!" exclaimed Kagome, "Stop fiddling with the skirt."

"How the hell am I supposed to wear this? Much less avoid fiddling with my skirt," she was yanking it down as far as it could go without being too revealing, " This thing is freakishly short! If I bend over it'll show off my butt!" complained Shawn.

"Just chill, will you?" said Kagome with her hands on her hips, "You look great!"

"Yeah right," mumbled Shawn, "There is no way I can wear this!"

"Well get over it now because you have to!"

Shawn groaned, "FINE! I'll wear the stupid uniform, but when I die of embarrassment, you stay away from my funeral."

"What is so embarrassing about the it?"

"I don't wear skirts Kagome! It's not my nature! I don't know how to walk in a skirt or sit in a skirt. I am skirt-clueless ok? Did you not notice last summer that my wardrobe was nothing but pants?"

Kagome sighed, "Ok, ok. But you still have to wear it. It's part of the school regulations."

"I said 'fine'," said Shawn, starting to get annoyed. She sighed too and put her hand on her head, "Look, it's late. I'm tired. Let's just go to bed. We can argue about this in the morning."

Kagome yawned and stretched, "Good idea. Well, good night then."

"Night," said Shawn in return.

Kagome trudged out the door as Shawn shut it behind her. She quickly took off the uniform and tossed it on her desk chair. Then she switched off the lights and crawled under the covers. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Authors Note: Sorry guys. No Inuyasha in this chapter either. But I promise he will be in the next one. But I can already tell you now that the next chapter is gonna be short. It was gonna be a part of this chapter, but it's Sunday night and I wanted to get this posted. (Since I haven't written in forever). Anyway hope you liked it. Please review!

Gotta roll,

DramaQueenABZ