Not That Social
Chapter Seven: Coin-Operated Boy
AN: O.o how'd you guys like that last one? Things are heating up, eh? Well, sort of, not really…shut up. Well, this one will focus more on Inuyasha's side of things (mainly because my friend Mandy said she wanted to see his home life)…so thank her.
Oh, and also, I made a bit of a mistake. In some of my author's notes I mentioned that I'm basing this somewhere in America, but my first chapter reads Japan. (I'm in the process of re-reading my story). I must've forgotten. But oh well, it's just the a/n's. I'm sure most of you ignore them anyway!
Special Disclaimer: I used the song "Coin-Operated Boy" in this chapter. I don't own it, it was written by Amanda Palmer, and the Dresden Dolls. So don't sue. But seriously, download this song if you're gonna read this story. It's so great!
Reviewer responses:
I got a lot of great reviews for my last chapter; so let's keep up the good work people!
TaintedMunkeyz: Your review made me so happy! I'm so glad. I know the plot is over done, but I thought that maybe I could shed new light on it. I'm VERY glad to hear that I'm doing a good job. I look forward to more of your reviews!
Creature of the Night: You're name wouldn't happen to be a Rocky Horror reference would it? If so, ROCK ON. If not…ok lol. I'm still not sure about the dark past thing, but if I do use it I have my muse. And also, about Inuyasha being a hanyou…you'll just have to read on to find out. (winks)
Kura-chan15: You're becoming a regular, aren't you? I'm glad you're sticking with the story, and your reviews are helping me to continue writing! Thank you!
Kamesha Harichi: Aww, thank you! It means the world to me, you have no idea!
Kagomefan595: I hope this chapter fulfills your hopes…
Ya1ya: I'm glad you like the music! Thank you for the review!
"I can't believe I was so stupid!" Inuyasha shouted as he stormed through his front door, throwing his helmet down and stomping to the kitchen. The house was virtually empty, but Inuyasha knew that his older brother was somewhere upstairs, probably on the phone with business.
Sesshomaru worked downtown in one of the new skyscrapers that they put up on the corner of Fifth and Maple, the head of some company that their dad had left behind when he died. Inuyasha never took too much interest in the company, and hence didn't know too much about it. Hell, he didn't even know the name of the damn thing. All he knew was that Sesshomaru ran it, and that gave him an ego the size of Godzilla.
Inuyasha made his way towards the kitchen, trying to set his mind to food rather than the events that had just occurred. The cupboards were filled with protein supplements and health foods—something Sesshomaru insisted upon. He was known to be a bit controlling, and after their father died, he took over the family matters. That being Inuyasha.
He was about to grab a bag of chips—fat free chips, but chips nonetheless—when he heard someone call his name from upstairs.
"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru's voice came floating down the stairs. "What are you doing home so late?"
Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes. His older brother thought he was doing a good job of replacing their father, but Inuyasha knew that he didn't hold a candle to the man their father was. He popped a chip into his mouth before walking to the base of the stairs.
"What do you care?" He called up, not bothering to take his eyes off of the bag of chips in his hands.
"You have a curfew, you know." Sesshomaru spoke with authority, coming down the stairs at a brisk pace. Everyone always told Inuyasha how much he looked like his brother, but he didn't see the resemblance. "That curfew was two hours ago."
"You gonna' do something about it, Sesshomaru?"
"I have the right to know where you were. I am the parental unit in this family now, Inuyasha." Their eyes met and Inuyasha silently battled his brother, a fierce stare against a cold mask.
"Parental Unit? You're not dad, Sess, and you never will be. Give it a rest already." Inuyasha pushed passed his brother, knowing how much he hated that nickname, and headed for his bedroom. "I'm going to bed, don't bother me."
Sesshomaru stood there for a minute, wondering where he went wrong. He tried to fix the problems that arose when their father had died, but he felt as if he wasn't doing a very good job. Sighing, he climbed the stairs and went back to the papers he was signing in his office.
Kagome made her way into the lunchroom, looking out for her friends. He found Sango and Miroku sitting at a table by themselves, looking oddly crestfallen, and waiting for Kagome to arrive.
"Hey guys, what's wrong?" Kagome asked as she approached the table, setting down her things and pulling out her brown-bagged lunch.
"You mean you haven't noticed?" Miroku asked. "Shit Kagome, everyone's pissed at us, and I think I know why…"
"I don't get it," she commented after a second. "Why is everyone one upset at you guys?"
"Well," he continued, "we've been hanging out with you. And you stood up for Inuyasha that one day in the common. Apparently, now they feel like we're losers for being associated with you."
A strong feeling of guilt suddenly clenched at Kagome's soul. She felt responsible for what was happening to her friends. 'So, they're being teased for hanging out with me?' she thought. 'That's not right.'
"I guess you probably don't want me sitting by you, then." She sighed with her head down. She moved to pick up her things when Sango grabbed her arm.
"That's not what we're saying," she smiled. "We're used to not having many friends, anyway. It's just odd, that's all. We still want you to sit with us."
"But—" Kagome began to object.
"Seriously, Kagome," Miroku spoke up. "We've got each other, right? Who cares what those losers think?" She couldn't help but smile as she sat back down with her friends, but at the same time she still felt terribly guilty. It was her fault that her friends were being shunned, and it wasn't fair.
"I'm still really sorry, you guys." She apologized. "If I knew this would have happened—" She was then interrupted when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Twirling around quickly to find the guilty party, she came face-to-face with none other than Kouga Wolff.
"Hey, Kagome." He smiled from ear to ear, and Kagome had to suppress the urge to gag. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He looked over to Sango and Miroku before adding, "Privately?"
"I don't know, Kagome, he could be planning something." Miroku whispered. She was just about to turn Kouga away when she felt a hand caress her bottom. Looking down, she found that the hand belonged to Miroku.
"Pervert!" She yelled, slapping him across the cheek and getting up to talk to Kouga. "I'll be right back, guys."
As she turned from the table she felt Kouga reach out and grab onto her hand, squeezing it gently. At first Kagome got the urge to pull away, but then figured that there was no harm in it and let it stay. They walked that way for a few minutes until they were in an empty hallway together.
"Listen, Kagome," Kouga began, his voice low and his face near hers. "I'm sorry about the way people have been treating you, it's wrong."
She paused for a moment, taking in his semi-serious face, and had to hold back a laugh. "It's your fault most of them talk about me."
"I know, I know." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again they were locked on hers. "And I want to apologize about that. It's just that such a beautiful girl like yourself shouldn't be sticking up for someone like…him."
"Him? You mean Inuyasha?" She felt herself getting mad at Kouga, and figured it was best to end this conversation quickly. "Listen, Inuyasha's a nice guy. If you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with me." Kouga stood there a moment, mouth agape and wondering what just happened. He had never been turned down by a girl before.
"You don't know what you're saying," he argued. He grabbed a hold of her upper arm and yanked her toward him. "Seriously, you might want to change your mind."
"Fuck you!" she spat, slapping him across the face. The stinging in his cheek distracted him long enough to let her run. Kagome sprinted down the hallway, not stopping until she was back in the lunchroom. Her body was moving faster than her mind, which was still back with Kouga. She couldn't believe that he could be so possessive.
"Kagome, what happened?" Sango asked when she saw her friend's flustered appearance. Kagome sat down, taking a minute to catch her breath and order her thoughts.
"That asshole Kouga," she sighed after a moment. "He was just being a jerk." Understanding that her friend obviously didn't want to talk about it, Sango took the opportunity to change the subject.
"So we still up for that concert tonight?" she asked with a grin, trying to take everyone's minds off the events of the day. Miroku beamed, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. "What's up with you?"
"Oh nothing," he practically sang, giving her his 'innocent' face. "I was just thinking about how lovely it will be to have the company of two beautiful ladies for the evening." Both girls shared a knowing look before slapping Miroku over the back of the head.
"There will be none of that, Houshi." Sango chided, using his last name like a mother would to a misbehaving child. They all laughed and continued on with lunch, talking about the concert and forgetting all about Kouga.
"Wow, this place is packed!" Kagome shouted over the crowd of people. They had reached the small concert hall an hour early, in hopes of pushing their way through the mass of people to the front of the stage, and already the building was packed. People lined up down the street to buy their tickets, many of which were dressed in cabaret-style clothing. "This is going to be great!"
They each paid the teller at the door, receiving a neon green wristband, and made their way into the hall. There were people clustered everywhere, most by the bar in the lobby. Some people were already standing by the stage, taking to their friends and waiting for the opening act. This was the first show Kagome had been to in a long time, and she loved it. The feel of the concert hall seemed to almost rejuvenate her soul. She felt more alive than ever before.
"What should we do now that we're here?" Miroku asked with a semi-bored tone to his voice. They all shrugged and made their way into the main hall, their lungs filling up with the thick cigarette smoke that danced lazily across the ceiling. There were a few recessed lights shinning down in a pale yellow from the ceiling and the stage was completely dark, giving the room and almost spooky feel.
The band of three elbowed their way through the still growing crowd until they were right up against the stage, inches away from the speakers. A feeling of pure enjoyment suddenly enthralled Kagome's soul and she couldn't help but smile. She was in her element—this was where she belonged.
Time flew by quickly and before they knew it the lights blinked out and the sound of amplifier feedback echoed through the hall. The crowd began to scream and push forward, crushing Kagome and her friends against the stage. But she didn't mind it; this was what she came here for.
The opening act came on stage, some nobody band called Alice's Hope. They wound up the crowd like nobody's business, jumping right into a guitar solo at the beginning of their first song. They were a great band, jumping around on stage and very animated. But Kagome was waiting for the Dresden Dolls to make their move. They were, after all, who she came to see in the first place.
Alice's Hope played a decent twenty minute set, ending with a cover of the classic 4-skins song "Clockwork Skinhead." The crowd cheered just as loud as they did when they came on, and the lights once again flicked off. The overhead lights dimmed back on to a smoky yellow, and Kagome could actually feel the energy in the air. Everyone was ready for the show.
"This is fucking sweet!" Sango yelled over the people, hopping onto Miroku's back. Kagome gave her a strange look at first, questioning her friends motives for getting so close to the letch, but then wrote it off to being long time friends. 'There's no way something could be goin on between them,' she thought.
"Sango, I have to go to the bathroom." Kagome whispered, not wanting Miroku to hear her personal matters. "Will you show me where it is?"
"Sure!" Sango jumped down from Miroku's back and they pushed their way to the front lobby, where there was a long line outside of the girl's restroom. It moved surprisingly fast, and once they were inside Kagome grabbed Sango and pulled her into an empty stall. "What's going on, Kagome?"
"We have to talk." Kagome smiled evilly. "I saw the way you were all over Miroku out there."
"I don't know what you're talking about…" she blushed, preferring to stare down at her feet than at Kagome.
"Oh, come on, Sango. I may not know you that well, but I think I can tell when you like someone." She smiled. "So spill."
"I think we should get back, the band's gonna' start playing soon—" she turned to leave but Kagome grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"Please, Sango. Who am I gonna' tell?"
Sango sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you. But I swear to God, if Miroku finds out…" Kagome smiled and stuck out her pinky. Sango looked at it for a moment, before taking it into her own, sealing the deal. "Okay, well, I've kinda' liked him for a while now."
"Well, shit, I could've told you that one!" Sango shot her a dirty look before continuing.
"I get that now, okay? But, I mean, he's Miroku. You know?" A look of utter frustration took over Sango's face for a moment, before she smiled back at her friend. "What would you do if you were in my position? I just…I don't know if I could handle ruining our friendship if he says no…"
Kagome thought for a moment, taking in every detail and considering both of her friend's feelings. "Personally? I think I'd ask him out. But that's just me!"
They shared a quick laugh before Sango smiled—one of those pure smiles that Kagome had only seen twice before. She hooked her arm around Sango's shoulders and they exited the stall together, gaining a few odd glances from a few of the girls in the bathroom.
"Oh, don't mind us," Sango laughed and pointed to Kagome. "My lover here was just having a crises." Both girls laughed, Kagome's face flaming red, and exited the bathroom.
"I think the band's ready to start!" Kagome shouted, grabbing Sango's hand and pulling her to the crowd. They were halfway through the sea of people when a flash of silver somewhere to her right caught her eye. 'Could it be…' she thought for a moment. "Sango, you go find Miroku. I'll catch up, okay?"
Her friend smiled before letting go of her hand and pushing her way through the crowd, searching out Miroku. Kagome turned around, trying to find that which caught her eye a second ago. The crowd seemed to push forward just then, throwing her off balance and causing her to loose her sense of direction. She spun around in circles, trying desperately to find her target. And then she saw him…
Standing a few feet away, eyes trained on the stage ahead of him, Inuyasha stood bobbing his head to a beat that only he could hear. The crowd moved around him, pushing toward the stage in anticipation of the upcoming act. Kagome stood for a moment, just staring, before shaking her head and making her way over to him. She got right up next to him and playfully poked him in his shoulder in an attempt to gain is attention. It worked.
"Oh, hey." He smiled, glancing at her before facing the stage again. He wasn't expecting to see her there, and to have her right by his side after the other night caused a series of conflicting emotions to rush through him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked just to make conversation. 'Stupid question, Kagome,' her conscious scolded.
"Stalking out my next victim," he said without a moment's hesitation. His answer took her by surprise and she once again found herself staring at him, unsure of what to say. "I was just kidding," he said after a second, looking down and smiling at her. "Enjoying the show?"
"Yeah, it's great," she answered, relieved that he was just messing around with her. "I can't wait for the Dresden Dolls to take the stage!" She found herself yelling over the crowd of people, not knowing if he could hear her or not.
"It shouldn't be long now," he answered. "They should be almost done setting up."
As if on queue, the lights went out and the crowd screamed. The stage was still completely black as the opening notes to "Coin Operated Boy" began playing from the speakers. The crowd pushed forward, harder than before, and Kagome felt herself loosing her footing. She was about to trip when she felt Inuyasha's arms wrap around her, holding her upright.
"Be careful," he smiled. "They might start a pit, and you don't want to get trampled." He winked at her before turning back to the stage, his arms still around her waste. Kagome was now standing in front of him, pressed between him and a girl in front of her, and she never felt closer to him. She could feel his breathe on her neck, hot and quick, and a smile graced her lips as he began slightly jumping up and down with the motion of the crowd.
"Listen, about last night—" she began, but was quickly cut off by the screaming of the crowd and the blaring music.
Amanda Palmer took the stage, quickly followed by Brian Viglione, who took his place behind his custom drum set. She opened her mouth and began singing in that off key, yet amazingly enthralling, style she had.
Coin operated boy
Sitting on the shelf, he is just a toy
But I turn him on and he comes to life
Automatic joy
That is why I want a coin-operated boy
The music drifted to Kagome's ears, and she felt caught up in the energy of the crowd. Jumping up and down, mindful of Inuyasha's arms, which were still securely around her waist, she began to loose herself to the music.
Made of plastic and elastic
He is rugged and long lasting
Who could ever, ever ask for more?
Love without complications galore
Many shapes and weights to choose from
I will never leave my bedroom
I will never cry at night again
Wrap my arms around him and pretend…
She didn't know if she had imagined it or not, but Kagome could have sworn that Inuyasha's grip on her tightened at that last line. The music continued to play, and she found herself blocking out the hundreds of people around her. It felt like it was just her and Inuyasha standing there, enjoying a private show. She didn't have to be in the front of the crowd for it to be magical.
Coin operated boy
All the other real ones that I destroy
Cannot hold a candle to my new boy and I'll
Never let him go and I'll never be alone
Not with my coin operated boy…
The music suddenly changed to that of something upbeat and happy, drifting across the room and giving the room a whole new feel. It was miraculous. The crowd stilled as Amanda Palmer burst out into the bridge that gave the song its power.
This bridge was written to make you feel smittener
With my sad picture of a girl bitterer
Can you extract me from my plastic fantasy?
I didn't think so but I'm still convincible
Will you persist even after I bet you
A billion dollars that I'll never love you?
Will you persist even after I kiss you
Good-bye for the last time?
Will you keep on trying to prove it?
I'm dying to lose it…
I want it
I want you
I want a coin-operated boy.
The crowd went wild as the bridge ended and Palmer broke into an amazing piano solo, playing and eerie melodica that was unique only to this band. The room was going wild once again and the performers loved it. The solo lasted a whole minute longer than in the recorded version of the song and then came to an abrupt halt, driving straight back into the style of the rest of the song.
And if I had a star to wish on
For my life I can't imagine
Any flesh and blood could be his match
I can even take him in the bath
Kagome looked over her should at Inuyasha, who had the biggest grin on his face she had ever seen. The words seemed to take on a whole new meaning in that moment. She stood there, listening to the words, and thought, 'maybe he could be my coin-operated boy…"
Coin operated boy
He may not be real experienced with girls
But I know he feels like a boy should feel
Isn't that the point?
That is why I want a
Coin operated boy
With his pretty coin operated voice
Saying that he loves me and that he's thinking of me
Straight and to the point
That is why I want
A coin operated boy.
The song came to an end and Kagome heard Inuyasha cheering with the rest of the crowd. She could feel his happiness, and it was contagious. She found herself screaming along, coaxing the band on to their next song. They exploded into 'Girl Anachronism' and the crowd was electric. Everyone was cheering, but all Kagome could focus on was the feeling of being this close to Inuyasha.
She wanted to stay this way forever, nestled in his arms and surrounded by great music. She felt more at home here than anywhere else. The night was on fire, and she wanted it to never stop.
AN: Uhm, I don't speak Japanese. So even though this is supposed to be Japan, those street names aren't really Japanese. I just didn't want to have to look up some words and do all that work…so bear with me. :-P I tried to capture how I feel when I go see a great concert with Kagome. It's like my life. I just hope I did a good job.
You cannot use the name Alice's Hope. It's a local band, and the names taken. I got permission, but you probably don't have it. Sorry.
Also, I start school tomorrow, so updates might slow down. But I'll try my best. But you guys need to review!
