Kagome unlocked her door. She entered the studio apartment and set her books down on the island in her kitchen. A sigh escaped pursed lips and she leaned back against the counter top, her back once again ached from sitting in class for hours upon end. Although the soreness didn't hum as harshly that it normally would because she had only had a lab today. Ugh, that class was so difficult. It wasn't just the work or the material that she got. It was her teacher! Why did the woman have to twist all the knowledge into something so confusing that she couldn't understand it anymore? No wonder the class was practically empty and those who did take it must have been like child prodigies.
Normally Kagome would have asked the professor for assistance or extra material to look over. This usually helped her to better comprehend. Most teachers edited their notes to make them shorter and easier to pass on. But for Kagome, the in depth and unabridged version was always best. That way no information was left out. But no- not in this class. Mrs. Tashimi didn't offer tutor sessions or after class discussion. There was no way for Kagome to get additional help besides looking blindly in the library through the many, many book shelves in the biology section. It was so extensive that the subject had its own realm. Kagome could just imagine it torturing students by purposely hiding the books they needed. It was stupid, but it helped to calm her down.
As of right now she was so frustrated. Her breath was fast and labored. Her fists were clenched and her arms were resting across her chest. She groaned. Her adrenaline was pumping and she needed to blow off steam, but her first archery class wasn't until tomorrow. With a roll of her eyes, she went over to start and go through her mail. She might as well do it now when she's already tense. Then the bills wont cause her to act this way again some other time when it wasn't necessary.
"Bill...bill...huh, what's this?"
Kagome's fingertips paused over a pure white envelope. Truly it stuck out like a sore thumb; she wasn't sure why she didn't notice it earlier when she pulled it from her mailbox in the lobby of the dorm. It was just as long as her other bills, but nearly twice as thick. When the girl read the name of the sender on the top left hand corner of the envelope, her breath caught. In that one moment it was like time stopped. Her breath was shallow and her eyes wide with anticipation. Her delicate fingers carefully broke the seal. Kagome easily slipped the contents from their paper container. Cerulean eyes highlighted with a sea green turning their hue a swimming ocean.
Kagome's head fell forward as she brought the letter close to her face. She read and re-read the words over and over at least four times before sprinting out the door. She weaved between the few people on the sidewalk; a large smile split her face. She could feel their curious glances and then she spotted Totousai hobbling up the slightly steeping street. Kagome paused long enough to bear hug the old man squealing 'I made it!' in his ear before peeling off again. Totousai was spun around with the haste of her exit, leaving him watching her back in the direction he had just left. He watched as she entered Chikujitsu, the door swinging open with zeal. He chuckled as she almost tripped on the small step up into the store. The old man turned and continued back up the street towards his too expensive apartment that the old hag Kaede had conned him into renting. Perhaps the only reason or one of, that he actually did it knowing that she would be his neighbor. And this way he could be close to his friend should he ever need her assistance with his health again.
"Sango!! Sango where are you?!"
Kagome had entered through the front door in her rush to see her friend. Normally she would have gone around the corner to employees' entrance, but today she had very good news. Her foot caught on the two inch lift to the door. No one ever tripped on it because she was stepping up into the store anyways, but she was running and that was a slightly different, longer stride. The side door didn't have one and she wasn't expecting it, but she caught herself just in time. The chimes on the door clanked against the glass causing Kagome to turn around a wince putting a hand to her ear. She was standing by the edge of the counter when Sango came into her room. She had a dry look on her face and her hands rested on her hips. Sango had only gotten to the store about an hour ago. Kaede had left right away since she had a doctor's appointment, but Totousai stuck around a little while talking with her to give her some company in the rarely empty store.
It was actually only minutes after that she heard the crack of the chimes on the glass of the door. Sango had come out intending to scold whoever it was that would mistreat her hand crafted doorbell so miserably. To her shock it was Kagome, though she shouldn't have been too surprised. Whenever Kagome had news she would race in that entrance and practically break the chimes of their twine in the process. But was this bad or good news? Sango couldn't be sure for Kagome's face was full of guilt for once again endangering the metal pipes on the glass.
"Eh heh heh...sorry about that."
"So what is so important that once again you almost break my wind chime?"
"Well, I-"
"You know I need that thing, it tells me when there is a customer."
"Yea, I kno-"
"So what is it?"
"Will you shut up and let me tell you already??"
Sango turned and went back into the work room. She laughed as she went, her shoulders shaking mildly with her mirth, one trait that always screamed Sango. She sat down at the clay wheel she was sitting at making a pot. The worker put the towel she was using to wipe her hands across her knees, spread out like a dinner napkin, but slightly more forward towards her inner thighs. Sango then dipped her hands into the water before pressing the pedal with her right foot. Always use the good foot since it tends to have more coordination and control. Kagome watched as Sango delicately held her hands, with the tips of her elbows braced against her ribs, along the wet, quickly spinning clay. This always did amaze her how Sango could so easily create things of the finicky substance. Kagome's creations usually collapsed because they were too thin or exploded from being too thick. And after this occurrence was in the kiln which meant a few hours of scraping and picking the dry pieces off the bottom and sides of the high heat oven.
Sango slowed the pedal, grabbing a sponge and dripped water into the small three inch by two inch wide pot. Then she squeezed the rest of the water on the now halted wheel top. Sango slipped a thin aluminum spatula underneath the bottom of the pot, dragging water with the motion to loosen the stick to the wheel. Sango carefully picked up the wet, moldable figure up and set it down on the piece of canvas she laid out before she started. Placing herself on the stool, she picked up the clay tools and continued to carve out at the bottom. She was making an oil burner and was now creating a space in the bottom for the candle to sit. Then she would carefully carve out holes going up randomly in the sides so light could escape and be seen. The pot was wider at the top to accept the glass that would hold the oil. The last thing would be to carve out a passage for the heat to travel up to widen where the glass plate would sit. The heat would go through the oil, slowly activating its scent as the curling smoke carried its scent wafting through the room.
"I made the internship."
Sango's head turned to look at her friend, her hands pausing in her task. Kagome's voice was so soft, she almost missed it. Kagome was focused on the pot and had obviously been so absorbed she hadn't noticed the words slipping passed her lips.
"What?"
"I made it for the Hamasaki Corporation."
Kagome was now fully focused and her face was beaming happiness. Sango couldn't be prouder. Kagome had wanted ever since...the death of her father. The girl had often spoken of applying for an internship, but Sango never knew she actually did it.
"Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Sango ran and hugged the girl. The two were jumping up and down in a very school girl childish way. If anyone had seen them, they would have laughed, but the pair of dark haired beauties would have been thoroughly embarrassed.
"We have to celebrate!"
"Okay!"
"Want to go to that sushi place you found? We could take Shippou and Kohaku too." "Sounds perfect, but I'll have to go pick him up at the shelter."
Their voices quieted at this. Neither liked the fact that the cheery, lovable boy was living at a boarding orphanage. He was boarding there and he was lucky his parents left him enough finds to be able to have shelter at all. Sango put her in progress oil burner in the stock room after layering it with wet rags and a plastic, enclosed plastic cover. Kagome left ahead of her since Sango could grab Kohaku who was either at the park or at home. And they lived in a small two room apartment built above the shop. So it wouldn't take too long to locate him and meet Kagome at the sushi place. No doubt they'd reach it before her.
A little longer than normal.
