Disclaimer:: Me no own Inu Yasha. _
Thanks to all of you who reviewed! It means soo much to me when you do!!!!
Sorry it took me so long to update, this is a difficult point in the story (it's the boring part.. _) I hope you wont be able to tell how frustrated I was getting when I wrote this _. Lol anyway, please read and review!
Chapter 9
Kagome's eyelids fluttered open as she felt a sudden movement underneath her head. She felt a warmth around her, and it took her a moment to realize that there was an arm around her shoulders, Inu Yasha's arm.
I must have fallen asleep during the movie. She thought. He had his arm around me... She blushed quite profusely at the thought of her sleeping on him. That definitely was not something very characteristic of their far from peaceful friendship.
"Have nice dreams?" Inu Yasha asked in a soft voice. She could tell without even looking at him that he was smiling.
"As a matter of fact, yes I did!" She said, a grin creeping across her mouth.
"May I ask what about?"
"Now, if I told you that, I'd have to kill you." She said as she chuckled and got to her feet in order to gather her things up.
"Aww c'mon that's not fair Kagome." He complained as he followed her up the dimly lit aisle that lead to the exit of the movie theatre.
She didn't answer him, and just kept on grinning. Guys were so nosy sometimes.
They made their way out into the emptying lobby of the theatre. It was now around ten o'clock, and the only ones remaining were either elderly people gradually making their way to the exit of the mall, or kids sitting around in groups conversing with each other while waiting for their rides to come and collect them. As she watched the children waiting for rides, she suddenly remembered that she too was in dire need of a ride home, being that since her previous plans hadn't worked out, she did not have Kouga to take her home.
She sighed as she reached into her purse to retrieve her cell phone, and began dialing her house number.
"Who're you calling?" Inu Yasha asked from where he stood next to her.
"Mom needs to come and get me." She said, as she placed the silver phone up to her ear.
"You know, I can take you home if you'd like. I don't want to inconvenience your mother when I'm here and perfectly capable of taking you home." He offered.
"Are you sure that's ok with you?" She inquired.
"Of course." He smiled at her.
"Oh...I suppose that would be ok then." She replied, taking the phone away from her ear again, and placing it back into her purse after shutting it off.
They made their way over to the exit, a cold gust of wintry night air blowing into their faces upon opening the door that lead to the deserted parking lot.
As Kagome gazed up at the night sky, she suddenly felt something cool touch upon the tender skin of her cheek. Snow flakes. She thought excitedly. The weather man had been predicting high amounts of snow to fall near the end of the week. They were expecting to have a pretty bad storm actually, with accumulation expected to be possibly as much as one to two feet.
Kagome instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around her shivering body as they hurried over to Inu Yasha's car, eagerly anticipating the warmth the heater would produce for them.
A few minutes later, they were turning out of the mall parking lot, the heat turned up so high that their cheeks had begun to burn as the feeling slowly began to return to their frozen faces.
The car was completely silent, aside from the sounds of the engine purring as Inu Yasha drove in the direction of Kagome's house. Neither Inu Yasha nor Kagome felt the need to say anything, each finding comfort within the others silent presence.
Kagome cast a glance at Inu Yasha, watching as he intently focused his eyes on the road ahead of him, seemingly unaware of her eyes that absorbed his every movement. She began to take in every aspect of his features.
She was fascinated at how his silvery locks seemed to emanate a soft glow as the dim street lamps shone upon them. Her lips curved into a small smile as she wondered for a moment what it would be like to reach out and touch it. It looked so smooth and silky...
Man, what am I thinking? She thought as she caught herself day dreaming about him again. Ever since that dream... and all of this happening, he keeps popping up in my thoughts constantly. So weird...
Inu Yasha had been well aware of her taking quick peeks at him now and then all throughout the entirety of the car ride, yet he tried to give the illusion that he was completely oblivious.
He sighed inwardly, and tried to focus his attention on finding Kagome's street, instead of allowing his eyes to wander over to that sweet face of hers, like they so desperately wanted to. He just wanted to stop the car right then and there, and gather her up in his arms and just be able to hold her there forever...but he knew that would never happen. Even though Kouga had been late calling her, and their evening together had been cancelled, he knew she still cared about Kouga just as much as before, and would never consider him anyway.
Inu Yasha pulled into the drive way of Kagome's home, carefully slowing down so as not to cause gravel to fly up and dent his car. He brought the car to a gentle stop right in front of the front door, so that her exposure to the frigid night air would be minimal.
Kagome undid her seatbelt, and then turned slowly to face Inu Yasha. She lifted her head, and gazed up into his glowing eyes. She felt her cheeks growing hot as the two suddenly became aware of the thick silence that enveloped them.
Kagome averted her eyes from his, and then swallowed before she finally opened her mouth to speak.
"I-I'd really like to thank you, Inu Yasha." She said shyly, looking up at him again through dark lashes. "Tonight really meant a lot to me."
"It was my pleasure." He said smiling at her warmly, his amber eyes once again shimmering with that same penetrating warmth.
She smiled back at him.
"Well, I suppose you had better go inside before your mother starts to wonder where you are this late at night." Inu Yasha advised, not wanting her to get into trouble because of him.
She nodded. He had a point. The last thing she needed right now was for her mother to be angry with her, and ground her.
With that, she leaned in towards Inu Yasha so that her cheek was next to his.
"Good night, Inu Yasha."
She then lightly pressed her mouth to his cheek, her warm lips lingering on his skin for just a fraction of a second before she pulled away and turned to open the car door. Stepping out into the swirling mass of snow flakes that had begun to fall heavily from the sky, she turned around to give him one last smile before closing the door and running towards the front door.
~*~*~
Kagome sat on the frame of her window, her eyes gazed out upon the back yard, which now lay under a thin blanket of shimmering snow.
What a beautiful night. Kagome thought, taking in the wintry scene before her, watching the bluish shadows on the snow as they seemed to dance, swaying gently to the rhythm of the wind that whispered through the bare trees.
What a beautiful night indeed. She thought, as she recalled the events of the evening. She had really enjoyed being with Inu yasha that night. He had been such a great friend to her, providing her with the company and comfort she so desperately needed.
I guess I really was too hard on him before. She admitted to herself. He really isn't such a horrible person after all.
She smiled, and took one last glance out the window before hopping off the window sill, and hurrying over to slip into her bed.
~*~*~
The next morning, Kagome awoke to the sound of the phone ringing.
Who in their right mind would be calling so early in the morning? She wondered groggily. She contemplated reaching over onto her night stand to answer it, but decided against it, unwilling to remove herself from where she lay underneath her cozy blankets.
Oh well. It's probably for mom anyway. With that, she pulled the covers on top of her head, so as to try and block out the phone's high pitched ringing. Closing her eyes, she sighed happily as she began to drift off to sleep again.
Her comfort was short lived however, as she heard foot steps ascending the stairs, and after a few moments her door creaked open.
"Kagome, dear? Are you awake?" She heard her mother ask from the door way.
Kagome groaned in response.
"You have a phone call. From a boy name Kouga, I think."
Kagome's eyes flew open. What was he doing calling her so early in the morning?
Kagome threw the sheets aside, and hurriedly reached over for her phone, very much awake now.
"Hello??" She asked, her heart racing.
"Good morning, babe. How are you?"
"Um. I'm fine. Heh. How are you?
"Great!" He replied.
"So, what did you call for so early?" She inquired curiously.
"I called for two reasons actually. Well first off, I wanted to apologize to you for not being able to go on our date last night. I was really looking forward to that. I'm so so sorry. So I was thinking of a way I could make it up to you. Well, I came up with a really good idea. Well, my band is playing tonight at the Black Hole Coffee House, and, well, it would mean a great deal to me for you to be my guest to the show. Would you like that?
Kagome was speechless for a moment. She had never been to a real concert before. This would be something completely new to her.
"Of course I'll go!" she cried enthusiastically.
"That's awesome! We can talk more over the details at school today, but now, for the second reason I called. I noticed that it's kind of nasty outside, you know, all the snow and ice on the roads. It might be kind of slippery for you to be walking around in that stuff. You could slip and fall. So I was wondering if I could come pick you up and drive you to school."
"Are you sure you don't mind coming all the way out here to come and get me?" She asked softly.
"Nope. Not at all. I want to make sure you're alright, and that nothing will happen to you." Yeah... other wise I wont get paid. He added mentally.
"That's so sweet of you to worry about me like that, Kouga." She gushed, very impressed with him.
"Think nothing of it." He said smoothly. "However, if we want to get to school on time, we had better get off the phone and get ready. I'll come over as soon as I can!"
"Alright, see you soon then! Bye!"
She hung up the phone and quickly rushed around her room, getting her school things together and placing them into her bag. She then proceeded to open her closet and began to peruse the contents, searching for a suitable outfit to wear that day. Her eyes scanned hastily over many shirts and sweaters, in a vast variety of colours and texture. Pulling out a long sleeved emerald shirt and scarlet turtle neck, she held them out in front of her, and compared the two garments. She finally opted for the green shirt, figuring it would compliment her eyes better. Besides, she had been wearing turtle necks practically all week. She needed a little bit of variety to spice up her wardrobe, especially if she was to try and look nice for Kouga. Bending down, she then started to scrounge around for a pair of pants in the pile that had accumulated on her closet floor over the past few days. She finally decided on a pair of sandblasted low rise jeans.
Kagome quickly showered, and then dressed herself.
I'll have to hurry up and eat something. Kouga will be here any moment now. She thought as she gathered up all her belongings, and scrambled down the stairs, tripping over one of Souta's stray model cars in the process.
Letting her bag fall to the ground, Kagome walked quickly into the kitchen. She opened the closet, and peered inside, hungrily trying to decide what she should eat. Nothing seemed to appeal to her that morning. She sighed frustrated, as her eyes scanned up and down the shelves, until she found a box of nutri-grain bars. She pulled the box out, and dipped her hand inside and retrieved one of the bars. The small green packet in hand, she backed out of the closet and closed the door. Padding over to the sink, she reached up into the cupboard and took a glass out, and began to fill it with water.
Kagome had barely taken a sip when she heard a car pull up in the driveway.
Man, he's here already? She quickly poured the excess water down the drain, and then placed the glass into the sink. Her eyes fell to the cereal bar she still held in her hand.
Guess I'll have to eat this later. She thought, stuffing the small packet into her pocket as she hastily grabbed her school bag off the floor, and proceeded towards the door.
She fumbled around in her purse for her key, desperately trying to locate it so as not to keep Kouga waiting any longer than necessary. Her hand finally found the little object, and she quickly unlocked and opened the door.
"Good bye mom!" She called back into the house as she stepped out of the door and into the brisk morning air.
Kagome hopped down the front steps and out into the pristine layer of snow that had remained untouched until now, her feet leaving messy imprints as she walked towards Kouga's car.
Kagome flung the car door open and quickly seated herself into the warm car.
She then looked over at the boy sitting next to her, a pleasant expression on her face.
"Hey Kouga."
"Hey beautiful." He said, returning her smile. " Sleep ok?" He asked as he put the car into reverse and began to back out of the drive way.
"Sure did! I dreamt about you." She admitted, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks.
"Heh. That's awesome." He said, a cocky grin appearing on his face, unbeknownst to Kagome. She not only forgave him for being late, and having kept her waiting the night before without lettering her know he couldn't make it, but now she was dreaming of him. Things were starting to look up for Kouga, those three hundred dollars were practically in his pocket already.
~*~*~
The school day was very uneventful in Kagome's opinion. She had struggled to remain awake during the majority of her classes. Nothing interested her, she was too preoccupied thinking of Kouga...her Kouga. She was so excited about the concert she would be attending that night. She had never had the desire or reason to go to something like that before. Things were different now though. Kouga had invited her to be his special guest of the evening. She felt as though she were the luckiest girl in the world. Kouga was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He cared about her, and made her feel so wonderful inside. What had she ever done to deserve someone as sweet and caring as Kouga?
~*~*~
Two o clock finally arrived, and the dismissal bell rang right on time. Glad for the opportunity to stretch her stiff muscles, Kagome hurriedly crammed her text books into her bag, and then scurried out of the class room to her locker. Her eyes scanned the hallways, searching for a certain someone with dark hair and those lovely brown eyes. Standing on her tip toes, she attempted to see over the mass of student bodies running this way and that, as they bumped into her as she stood looking for Kouga. After a moment, she sighed and began walking again, realizing she wouldn't find him in this chaotic mess of bodies.
They had discussed the concert earlier in English class, deciding that he would pick her up around six o clock that evening, being that Kouga had to help set up for the gig beforehand. He had asked if she wanted him to come back for her later, but she didn't think she would mind watching them setting up equipment. As long as she was with Kouga, she didn't care where she was, or what she was doing just as long as he was near.
~*~*~
Inu Yasha and Kagome sat huddled over a particularly confusing algebraic equation, quietly discussing what the best way to solve the problem was. Kagome had rapidly begun to improve in her studies, and was receiving extremely good marks in class. It would only be a matter of days before they would be getting report cards, and Kagome was more than confident her mother would allow her to date, upon seeing the B average she had worked so hard to achieve.
"Inu Yasha, I'm so glad I've got you as my tutor." Kagome said happily as she closed her notebook and turned to look at him. "Pretty soon I'll be able to date, without going behind mom's back, and I'll have a car, and I wont be so pathetic and I-" Her speech came to an abrupt halt as she realized she had been babbling, knowing full well that Inu Yasha probably wouldn't want to hear half of it anyway.
"Sorry for babbling, I tend to do that a lot." She looked up at him apologetically, expecting to see him roll his eyes at her, or crack some kind of sarcastic joke about her. She was wrong however. His face was contorted into a sorrowful expression that reached all the way to his eyes, taking away their normal sparkle, and replaced it with a dull, vacant look.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her grin falling from her face.
"Nothing. I'm fine." He lied. "Just thinking about something, that's all. I kind of dazed off."
It's not like she'd understand how I feel about her any way. She's too busy worrying about being able to date Kouga, and how she can't wait to go to that damned concert of his and what not to even notice that I'm here, and that I care for her in a way that Kouga most definitely never can and never will. She would never understand how envious I am of him. I won't even bother telling her. It would be a waste of both of our time. He concluded sadly.
"Oh. I see." She said a small smile playing across her lips.
A few moments later, they said good bye to one another and proceeded to exit the library, both heading their separate ways to head on home.
~*~*~
"I totally can't wait to see you on stage!" Kagome said excitedly as Kouga pulled into an empty space in the Black Hole Coffee House's parking lot.
"It's nothing special." He said with a grin. "How interesting can it be to play drums? No one can see me behind the symbol rack." He said with mock sorrow, faking a sniffle.
" Awww you poor thing." Kagome shot back sarcastically, playfully hitting him on the arm. "Now come on, get out of the car you bum!" She giggled as she shoved him out the door.
"All right all right. God she's pushy" Muttered to himself as he shut and locked the car door.
Kagome let herself out of the car, and then ran to catch up to Kouga who had already started walking towards the coffee house.
"Hey! Nice of you to wait!" She said grinning, as she caught up with him.
"Sorry, love." He said smoothly, reaching down to take her small freezing hand in his.
Content, Kagome squeezed his hand as they walked side by side into the coffee house.
Aside from a few band members that were scurrying around with a variety of equipment that Kagome had never seen before, it seemed virtually deserted. Only a few elderly customers were scattered throughout the café, sipping on their beverages, or reading a book, seemingly oblivious of the teenagers running around them.
"Would you like to have a drink while we set up the stage?" Kouga asked from behind her.
"Oh that would be great!" She said, very amenable to the idea of sipping on a large cup of steaming hot chocolate.
"Alright then, you go ahead and sit down somewhere, and I'll go get you something. What would you like?" he inquired.
"A hot chocolate would be nice." She said smiling.
"One hot chocolate coming right up." Kouga said as he walked over to the elderly man who stood at the counter, and placed Kagome's order.
Kagome watched intently from where she sat as the elderly man prepared her drink. She licked her lips in anticipation of the sinfully sweet beverage that was receiving a plentiful dollop of whipped cream, topped with chocolate shavings.
"Here you go, babe." Kouga said as he carefully walked up to her table, so as not to spill any of the precious scalding liquid, and set it down before her.
"Thank you, Kouga!" She said as she happily pulled the porcelain cup towards her.
"Don't mention it." He said with a wink as he turned to help set up the equipment on the stage.
Kagome smiled inwardly, wrapping her fingers around the mug, grateful for the warm it provided for her freezing hands. She sighed contently. This was going to be a wonderful night.
~*~*~
" I can't believe how good you guys were!" Kagome cried enthusiastically as she waited for Kouga to unlock the car doors.
"I'm glad you liked it." He said as he settled himself in the driver's seat, zipping up his jacket before fastening the seat belt around himself. He reached into his jeans pocket, fished the key out, and then proceeded to stick it in the ignition, giving it a quick turn that started the car with a slight jump, as though it had just been awakened from a deep sleep, ready to go at any moment.
Kagome thought back, and recalled watching him up on the stage. He had looked so cute sitting behind his drum set, focusing intently on his music. A few times though, he had managed to look up and find her eyes within the crowd, smiling warmly at her. A multitude of female fans had been screaming his name, begging for him to look in their direction, but his smiles were directed at her, and her only. That alone made Kagome glow with pride. She was special to him, and no other girl could take that away from her.
The rest of the evening was a euphoric blur of emotions to Kagome. She couldn't reallt remember what happened after they left the concert. She only remembered kissing Kouga good night before happily making her way into the house, her face aglow with a smile that seemed radiate a warmth so intense it could have melted the snow that lay around her. This had been the best night of her life. Everything was perfect.
~*~*~
Well there's the end of chappie nine ^_^. Now.. please.. bear with me about the Kouga-ness in this chapter, but, it's crucial to the rest of the story that it be like this. Trust me. I've got the whole thing planned out to the very last detail. This is gonna be good! Heheh. Any way, I should have another chappie up around Saturday or so. ^_^
~ Crazy Jaivy
Thanks to all of you who reviewed! It means soo much to me when you do!!!!
Sorry it took me so long to update, this is a difficult point in the story (it's the boring part.. _) I hope you wont be able to tell how frustrated I was getting when I wrote this _. Lol anyway, please read and review!
Chapter 9
Kagome's eyelids fluttered open as she felt a sudden movement underneath her head. She felt a warmth around her, and it took her a moment to realize that there was an arm around her shoulders, Inu Yasha's arm.
I must have fallen asleep during the movie. She thought. He had his arm around me... She blushed quite profusely at the thought of her sleeping on him. That definitely was not something very characteristic of their far from peaceful friendship.
"Have nice dreams?" Inu Yasha asked in a soft voice. She could tell without even looking at him that he was smiling.
"As a matter of fact, yes I did!" She said, a grin creeping across her mouth.
"May I ask what about?"
"Now, if I told you that, I'd have to kill you." She said as she chuckled and got to her feet in order to gather her things up.
"Aww c'mon that's not fair Kagome." He complained as he followed her up the dimly lit aisle that lead to the exit of the movie theatre.
She didn't answer him, and just kept on grinning. Guys were so nosy sometimes.
They made their way out into the emptying lobby of the theatre. It was now around ten o'clock, and the only ones remaining were either elderly people gradually making their way to the exit of the mall, or kids sitting around in groups conversing with each other while waiting for their rides to come and collect them. As she watched the children waiting for rides, she suddenly remembered that she too was in dire need of a ride home, being that since her previous plans hadn't worked out, she did not have Kouga to take her home.
She sighed as she reached into her purse to retrieve her cell phone, and began dialing her house number.
"Who're you calling?" Inu Yasha asked from where he stood next to her.
"Mom needs to come and get me." She said, as she placed the silver phone up to her ear.
"You know, I can take you home if you'd like. I don't want to inconvenience your mother when I'm here and perfectly capable of taking you home." He offered.
"Are you sure that's ok with you?" She inquired.
"Of course." He smiled at her.
"Oh...I suppose that would be ok then." She replied, taking the phone away from her ear again, and placing it back into her purse after shutting it off.
They made their way over to the exit, a cold gust of wintry night air blowing into their faces upon opening the door that lead to the deserted parking lot.
As Kagome gazed up at the night sky, she suddenly felt something cool touch upon the tender skin of her cheek. Snow flakes. She thought excitedly. The weather man had been predicting high amounts of snow to fall near the end of the week. They were expecting to have a pretty bad storm actually, with accumulation expected to be possibly as much as one to two feet.
Kagome instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around her shivering body as they hurried over to Inu Yasha's car, eagerly anticipating the warmth the heater would produce for them.
A few minutes later, they were turning out of the mall parking lot, the heat turned up so high that their cheeks had begun to burn as the feeling slowly began to return to their frozen faces.
The car was completely silent, aside from the sounds of the engine purring as Inu Yasha drove in the direction of Kagome's house. Neither Inu Yasha nor Kagome felt the need to say anything, each finding comfort within the others silent presence.
Kagome cast a glance at Inu Yasha, watching as he intently focused his eyes on the road ahead of him, seemingly unaware of her eyes that absorbed his every movement. She began to take in every aspect of his features.
She was fascinated at how his silvery locks seemed to emanate a soft glow as the dim street lamps shone upon them. Her lips curved into a small smile as she wondered for a moment what it would be like to reach out and touch it. It looked so smooth and silky...
Man, what am I thinking? She thought as she caught herself day dreaming about him again. Ever since that dream... and all of this happening, he keeps popping up in my thoughts constantly. So weird...
Inu Yasha had been well aware of her taking quick peeks at him now and then all throughout the entirety of the car ride, yet he tried to give the illusion that he was completely oblivious.
He sighed inwardly, and tried to focus his attention on finding Kagome's street, instead of allowing his eyes to wander over to that sweet face of hers, like they so desperately wanted to. He just wanted to stop the car right then and there, and gather her up in his arms and just be able to hold her there forever...but he knew that would never happen. Even though Kouga had been late calling her, and their evening together had been cancelled, he knew she still cared about Kouga just as much as before, and would never consider him anyway.
Inu Yasha pulled into the drive way of Kagome's home, carefully slowing down so as not to cause gravel to fly up and dent his car. He brought the car to a gentle stop right in front of the front door, so that her exposure to the frigid night air would be minimal.
Kagome undid her seatbelt, and then turned slowly to face Inu Yasha. She lifted her head, and gazed up into his glowing eyes. She felt her cheeks growing hot as the two suddenly became aware of the thick silence that enveloped them.
Kagome averted her eyes from his, and then swallowed before she finally opened her mouth to speak.
"I-I'd really like to thank you, Inu Yasha." She said shyly, looking up at him again through dark lashes. "Tonight really meant a lot to me."
"It was my pleasure." He said smiling at her warmly, his amber eyes once again shimmering with that same penetrating warmth.
She smiled back at him.
"Well, I suppose you had better go inside before your mother starts to wonder where you are this late at night." Inu Yasha advised, not wanting her to get into trouble because of him.
She nodded. He had a point. The last thing she needed right now was for her mother to be angry with her, and ground her.
With that, she leaned in towards Inu Yasha so that her cheek was next to his.
"Good night, Inu Yasha."
She then lightly pressed her mouth to his cheek, her warm lips lingering on his skin for just a fraction of a second before she pulled away and turned to open the car door. Stepping out into the swirling mass of snow flakes that had begun to fall heavily from the sky, she turned around to give him one last smile before closing the door and running towards the front door.
~*~*~
Kagome sat on the frame of her window, her eyes gazed out upon the back yard, which now lay under a thin blanket of shimmering snow.
What a beautiful night. Kagome thought, taking in the wintry scene before her, watching the bluish shadows on the snow as they seemed to dance, swaying gently to the rhythm of the wind that whispered through the bare trees.
What a beautiful night indeed. She thought, as she recalled the events of the evening. She had really enjoyed being with Inu yasha that night. He had been such a great friend to her, providing her with the company and comfort she so desperately needed.
I guess I really was too hard on him before. She admitted to herself. He really isn't such a horrible person after all.
She smiled, and took one last glance out the window before hopping off the window sill, and hurrying over to slip into her bed.
~*~*~
The next morning, Kagome awoke to the sound of the phone ringing.
Who in their right mind would be calling so early in the morning? She wondered groggily. She contemplated reaching over onto her night stand to answer it, but decided against it, unwilling to remove herself from where she lay underneath her cozy blankets.
Oh well. It's probably for mom anyway. With that, she pulled the covers on top of her head, so as to try and block out the phone's high pitched ringing. Closing her eyes, she sighed happily as she began to drift off to sleep again.
Her comfort was short lived however, as she heard foot steps ascending the stairs, and after a few moments her door creaked open.
"Kagome, dear? Are you awake?" She heard her mother ask from the door way.
Kagome groaned in response.
"You have a phone call. From a boy name Kouga, I think."
Kagome's eyes flew open. What was he doing calling her so early in the morning?
Kagome threw the sheets aside, and hurriedly reached over for her phone, very much awake now.
"Hello??" She asked, her heart racing.
"Good morning, babe. How are you?"
"Um. I'm fine. Heh. How are you?
"Great!" He replied.
"So, what did you call for so early?" She inquired curiously.
"I called for two reasons actually. Well first off, I wanted to apologize to you for not being able to go on our date last night. I was really looking forward to that. I'm so so sorry. So I was thinking of a way I could make it up to you. Well, I came up with a really good idea. Well, my band is playing tonight at the Black Hole Coffee House, and, well, it would mean a great deal to me for you to be my guest to the show. Would you like that?
Kagome was speechless for a moment. She had never been to a real concert before. This would be something completely new to her.
"Of course I'll go!" she cried enthusiastically.
"That's awesome! We can talk more over the details at school today, but now, for the second reason I called. I noticed that it's kind of nasty outside, you know, all the snow and ice on the roads. It might be kind of slippery for you to be walking around in that stuff. You could slip and fall. So I was wondering if I could come pick you up and drive you to school."
"Are you sure you don't mind coming all the way out here to come and get me?" She asked softly.
"Nope. Not at all. I want to make sure you're alright, and that nothing will happen to you." Yeah... other wise I wont get paid. He added mentally.
"That's so sweet of you to worry about me like that, Kouga." She gushed, very impressed with him.
"Think nothing of it." He said smoothly. "However, if we want to get to school on time, we had better get off the phone and get ready. I'll come over as soon as I can!"
"Alright, see you soon then! Bye!"
She hung up the phone and quickly rushed around her room, getting her school things together and placing them into her bag. She then proceeded to open her closet and began to peruse the contents, searching for a suitable outfit to wear that day. Her eyes scanned hastily over many shirts and sweaters, in a vast variety of colours and texture. Pulling out a long sleeved emerald shirt and scarlet turtle neck, she held them out in front of her, and compared the two garments. She finally opted for the green shirt, figuring it would compliment her eyes better. Besides, she had been wearing turtle necks practically all week. She needed a little bit of variety to spice up her wardrobe, especially if she was to try and look nice for Kouga. Bending down, she then started to scrounge around for a pair of pants in the pile that had accumulated on her closet floor over the past few days. She finally decided on a pair of sandblasted low rise jeans.
Kagome quickly showered, and then dressed herself.
I'll have to hurry up and eat something. Kouga will be here any moment now. She thought as she gathered up all her belongings, and scrambled down the stairs, tripping over one of Souta's stray model cars in the process.
Letting her bag fall to the ground, Kagome walked quickly into the kitchen. She opened the closet, and peered inside, hungrily trying to decide what she should eat. Nothing seemed to appeal to her that morning. She sighed frustrated, as her eyes scanned up and down the shelves, until she found a box of nutri-grain bars. She pulled the box out, and dipped her hand inside and retrieved one of the bars. The small green packet in hand, she backed out of the closet and closed the door. Padding over to the sink, she reached up into the cupboard and took a glass out, and began to fill it with water.
Kagome had barely taken a sip when she heard a car pull up in the driveway.
Man, he's here already? She quickly poured the excess water down the drain, and then placed the glass into the sink. Her eyes fell to the cereal bar she still held in her hand.
Guess I'll have to eat this later. She thought, stuffing the small packet into her pocket as she hastily grabbed her school bag off the floor, and proceeded towards the door.
She fumbled around in her purse for her key, desperately trying to locate it so as not to keep Kouga waiting any longer than necessary. Her hand finally found the little object, and she quickly unlocked and opened the door.
"Good bye mom!" She called back into the house as she stepped out of the door and into the brisk morning air.
Kagome hopped down the front steps and out into the pristine layer of snow that had remained untouched until now, her feet leaving messy imprints as she walked towards Kouga's car.
Kagome flung the car door open and quickly seated herself into the warm car.
She then looked over at the boy sitting next to her, a pleasant expression on her face.
"Hey Kouga."
"Hey beautiful." He said, returning her smile. " Sleep ok?" He asked as he put the car into reverse and began to back out of the drive way.
"Sure did! I dreamt about you." She admitted, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks.
"Heh. That's awesome." He said, a cocky grin appearing on his face, unbeknownst to Kagome. She not only forgave him for being late, and having kept her waiting the night before without lettering her know he couldn't make it, but now she was dreaming of him. Things were starting to look up for Kouga, those three hundred dollars were practically in his pocket already.
~*~*~
The school day was very uneventful in Kagome's opinion. She had struggled to remain awake during the majority of her classes. Nothing interested her, she was too preoccupied thinking of Kouga...her Kouga. She was so excited about the concert she would be attending that night. She had never had the desire or reason to go to something like that before. Things were different now though. Kouga had invited her to be his special guest of the evening. She felt as though she were the luckiest girl in the world. Kouga was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He cared about her, and made her feel so wonderful inside. What had she ever done to deserve someone as sweet and caring as Kouga?
~*~*~
Two o clock finally arrived, and the dismissal bell rang right on time. Glad for the opportunity to stretch her stiff muscles, Kagome hurriedly crammed her text books into her bag, and then scurried out of the class room to her locker. Her eyes scanned the hallways, searching for a certain someone with dark hair and those lovely brown eyes. Standing on her tip toes, she attempted to see over the mass of student bodies running this way and that, as they bumped into her as she stood looking for Kouga. After a moment, she sighed and began walking again, realizing she wouldn't find him in this chaotic mess of bodies.
They had discussed the concert earlier in English class, deciding that he would pick her up around six o clock that evening, being that Kouga had to help set up for the gig beforehand. He had asked if she wanted him to come back for her later, but she didn't think she would mind watching them setting up equipment. As long as she was with Kouga, she didn't care where she was, or what she was doing just as long as he was near.
~*~*~
Inu Yasha and Kagome sat huddled over a particularly confusing algebraic equation, quietly discussing what the best way to solve the problem was. Kagome had rapidly begun to improve in her studies, and was receiving extremely good marks in class. It would only be a matter of days before they would be getting report cards, and Kagome was more than confident her mother would allow her to date, upon seeing the B average she had worked so hard to achieve.
"Inu Yasha, I'm so glad I've got you as my tutor." Kagome said happily as she closed her notebook and turned to look at him. "Pretty soon I'll be able to date, without going behind mom's back, and I'll have a car, and I wont be so pathetic and I-" Her speech came to an abrupt halt as she realized she had been babbling, knowing full well that Inu Yasha probably wouldn't want to hear half of it anyway.
"Sorry for babbling, I tend to do that a lot." She looked up at him apologetically, expecting to see him roll his eyes at her, or crack some kind of sarcastic joke about her. She was wrong however. His face was contorted into a sorrowful expression that reached all the way to his eyes, taking away their normal sparkle, and replaced it with a dull, vacant look.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her grin falling from her face.
"Nothing. I'm fine." He lied. "Just thinking about something, that's all. I kind of dazed off."
It's not like she'd understand how I feel about her any way. She's too busy worrying about being able to date Kouga, and how she can't wait to go to that damned concert of his and what not to even notice that I'm here, and that I care for her in a way that Kouga most definitely never can and never will. She would never understand how envious I am of him. I won't even bother telling her. It would be a waste of both of our time. He concluded sadly.
"Oh. I see." She said a small smile playing across her lips.
A few moments later, they said good bye to one another and proceeded to exit the library, both heading their separate ways to head on home.
~*~*~
"I totally can't wait to see you on stage!" Kagome said excitedly as Kouga pulled into an empty space in the Black Hole Coffee House's parking lot.
"It's nothing special." He said with a grin. "How interesting can it be to play drums? No one can see me behind the symbol rack." He said with mock sorrow, faking a sniffle.
" Awww you poor thing." Kagome shot back sarcastically, playfully hitting him on the arm. "Now come on, get out of the car you bum!" She giggled as she shoved him out the door.
"All right all right. God she's pushy" Muttered to himself as he shut and locked the car door.
Kagome let herself out of the car, and then ran to catch up to Kouga who had already started walking towards the coffee house.
"Hey! Nice of you to wait!" She said grinning, as she caught up with him.
"Sorry, love." He said smoothly, reaching down to take her small freezing hand in his.
Content, Kagome squeezed his hand as they walked side by side into the coffee house.
Aside from a few band members that were scurrying around with a variety of equipment that Kagome had never seen before, it seemed virtually deserted. Only a few elderly customers were scattered throughout the café, sipping on their beverages, or reading a book, seemingly oblivious of the teenagers running around them.
"Would you like to have a drink while we set up the stage?" Kouga asked from behind her.
"Oh that would be great!" She said, very amenable to the idea of sipping on a large cup of steaming hot chocolate.
"Alright then, you go ahead and sit down somewhere, and I'll go get you something. What would you like?" he inquired.
"A hot chocolate would be nice." She said smiling.
"One hot chocolate coming right up." Kouga said as he walked over to the elderly man who stood at the counter, and placed Kagome's order.
Kagome watched intently from where she sat as the elderly man prepared her drink. She licked her lips in anticipation of the sinfully sweet beverage that was receiving a plentiful dollop of whipped cream, topped with chocolate shavings.
"Here you go, babe." Kouga said as he carefully walked up to her table, so as not to spill any of the precious scalding liquid, and set it down before her.
"Thank you, Kouga!" She said as she happily pulled the porcelain cup towards her.
"Don't mention it." He said with a wink as he turned to help set up the equipment on the stage.
Kagome smiled inwardly, wrapping her fingers around the mug, grateful for the warm it provided for her freezing hands. She sighed contently. This was going to be a wonderful night.
~*~*~
" I can't believe how good you guys were!" Kagome cried enthusiastically as she waited for Kouga to unlock the car doors.
"I'm glad you liked it." He said as he settled himself in the driver's seat, zipping up his jacket before fastening the seat belt around himself. He reached into his jeans pocket, fished the key out, and then proceeded to stick it in the ignition, giving it a quick turn that started the car with a slight jump, as though it had just been awakened from a deep sleep, ready to go at any moment.
Kagome thought back, and recalled watching him up on the stage. He had looked so cute sitting behind his drum set, focusing intently on his music. A few times though, he had managed to look up and find her eyes within the crowd, smiling warmly at her. A multitude of female fans had been screaming his name, begging for him to look in their direction, but his smiles were directed at her, and her only. That alone made Kagome glow with pride. She was special to him, and no other girl could take that away from her.
The rest of the evening was a euphoric blur of emotions to Kagome. She couldn't reallt remember what happened after they left the concert. She only remembered kissing Kouga good night before happily making her way into the house, her face aglow with a smile that seemed radiate a warmth so intense it could have melted the snow that lay around her. This had been the best night of her life. Everything was perfect.
~*~*~
Well there's the end of chappie nine ^_^. Now.. please.. bear with me about the Kouga-ness in this chapter, but, it's crucial to the rest of the story that it be like this. Trust me. I've got the whole thing planned out to the very last detail. This is gonna be good! Heheh. Any way, I should have another chappie up around Saturday or so. ^_^
~ Crazy Jaivy
