A/N: I see… three or four chapters left of Second Base. And then Third Base. (YESYESYES.)

What the hell is taking you so long?

Final exams and projects, followed by Asia hopping. But now that I'm back for the rest of summer, I see college essays and applications, senior year, and AP homework for the future. :D Oh, and my original story, of course. But I'm trying, of course.

Disclaimer: I am a senior, so therefore I have seniority now. But does Takahashi care? I don't think so. :(


Chapter Nineteen: Second Base

Nghi


Tuesday came and went, and before she knew it, Kagome was lying on her bed Wednesday evening. She blinked up at the ceiling and sighed. There were still two, undeveloped cracks up there, and she doubted they would change any time soon. Was her house always this boring? Had she always felt this bored out of her skull? Baseball practice had been cancelled because of another dispute between the history and physical education departments, and she had been forced to go home early. Luckily, there weren't any horrible surprises waiting for her; Ayumi was still at work doing God-knows-what, and Souta was playing soccer with the rest of his classmates after school. That meant she had a few free hours to herself, to enjoy and do whatever the hell she wanted.

The problem was, what else was there to do?

"I didn't know my life was this monotonous," Kagome groaned, and she buried her head into her pillow with a yawn. Baseball, family problems, baseball, family problems, etc. It just went on and on like that. And for once in her life, when she needed Hojo to entertain her, he had to attend to some family dinner. So he was a no go to—and what was up with the whole one or the other thing? It was either train yourself, or get into trouble, and Kagome didn't think she liked either of her choices. Truth be told, baseball was starting to wear her down, and she didn't like that. She wanted the sport to be—well, a hobby, not a form of work like school. If there wasn't some crisis or drama going on, then she would be hitting the field and practicing.

Well, Kagome was sick of it today; she wanted to do something different, something spontaneous, for a change, something that wouldn't involve getting her hands dirty. "Let's see," she mumbled, rolling onto her side and picking up the phone from the floor. Her hand automatically hand-dialed Eri's number, and she waited the full ten rings before the answering machine kicked in.

"Eri here, but she's not home. She's somewhere doing fun stuff without—"

Kagome shut off the phone and tried Yuka instead.

"Yuka is off with Kagome and Eri doing fun stuff—"

Kagome shut her off, too. So her two closest friends were busy. What an inconvenience.

"I am so bored!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, dropping the telephone onto the floor. So this was what she was reduced to: talking to herself in her room. How pathetic and slightly insane. "Should I travel over to the old baseball field and—" She didn't finish that sentence, because really, when had hanging out with Inuyasha ever been a fun thing to do? Sure, he actually listened to her a while back, and he helped her with some things, but it wasn't like they were actually friends or anything. Kagome didn't think he even thought of her along those lines at all. Well, why would he? It wasn't like she did anything for him that would make her a friend in his eyes… except feed him and give him a bed whenever he came over. But didn't that make her more of a-a—landlord or something? Or like a benefactress of some sort?

The thought was slightly depressing because let's face it—it's been seven years, and they're about to leave for college now. Kagome hadn't had the chance to talk to Kaoru in a while, so she didn't know what college Inuyasha would be going to. He had been her neighbor for so long, and it would be such a pity to leave on bad terms. Not that there were terms to begin with, anyways, but wouldn't it be a much better idea to leave home with a friend instead of a formal acquaintance?

It's not like she wanted them to marry or anything, but… he had grown on her. Even though they had just recently started talking and everything, Inuyasha had been a part of the rest of her childhood, whether she wanted it or not, and it would have been a shame if he didn't see their unique relationship as something more.

Like friends, of course. God, that sounded so-so wrong. It's not like I like him or anything. Duh, that was a given. She was going out with Hojo, wasn't she? For crying out loud, they hadn't even progressed to the friend level, which was what she was internally whining about. They needed to be friends or something before they parted ways, not because friends liked-liked each other, but just a plain, normal liked that's most common among other people. After all, don't you need to like a person before you become friends with him? Did Kagome like him? Well enough. But the question was, did he like her?

…In a friends sort of way, of course.

….

Now that the thought was put out into the open (inside her mind?), Kagome couldn't help but think: what if she liked Inuyasha more than just as acquaintances? Possibly more as—maybe—?

….

….

She burst out laughing, a true snicker in a long time. "Me? Like him?" she said aloud in between giggles, "Ho, good one there!" It was the stress getting to her, for real, because why on earth would a man-boy elf thing be considered good boyfriend material? And another thing, they hadn't been talking until recently, too! Kagome guffawed loudly and nearly fell off the bed. Talk about opposites, too. He was way too hotheaded to settle down, and she didn't think he had ever had a girlfriend before. Inuyasha was way too focused on baseball, and there was no way he could ever marry if he carried on his sole focus like this. I mean, how is she going to feel, knowing she's second place to baseball for the rest of her life? She didn't think there was anyone out there who could match his love for baseball, so what made her so special? "That was a useless five minutes of my life," Kagome chortled before rolling off her bed and shuffling out of the door.

Never mind the fact her ears were tinged a lovely red, her neck a little prickly, and her stomach a little more uncomfortable than usual. (It was because she was… hungry. Yeah.) She needed something to eat now, because apparently everyone had decided to never come home again.

The minute she left her room the door downstairs shut loudly, and there was the sound of several coats rustling. "Kagome?" Ayumi called up a few moments later, and she guessed that her mom had seen the backpack and shoes lying by the entrance.

I've got to learn to keep my mess in my own room, Kagome thought with a sigh. "Kagome?" the woman's voice floated up again, and she had no choice but to answer.

"Yeah, I'm here." Her walk slowed into a shuffle, and then just plain, lazy plodding. Things were still uncomfortable between the two of them, even though Ayumi had been trying really hard, and Kagome had been trying to avoid conflict. Like now. Actually, she was just trying to avoid discomfort in general, and her mother was a walking UNEASY sign. Ignoring the problem never did solve anything, so Kagome was doing the opposite of that: facing it. The only thing was, it didn't seem to fix anything, either.

How was that for a setback?

"Sorry for being late—I was picking up Souta from soccer," Ayumi explained conversationally, very normally as she put the coat on the racket.

"Oh." That… was great? Kagome was nearing the staircase now and, if possible, slowed to a stagnated walk. Meaning she stopped walking. Just prolong a little more-! She could already feel those last, few minutes of peace slipping from her grasp already.

"So I was thinking that we could have—whatever you want for dinner tonight!" her mother exclaimed heartily, and she looked upstairs. "Oh, Kagome, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep walking around blindly in the dark!" She flicked on the lights. "Remember the last time you stubbed your toe and was called out from the game?"

…Yes, of course Kagome remembered, considering that a baseball scout had been there, and she had missed the chance. It was heartbreaking, but she had managed to move past it. But never mind that. Ayumi hadn't asked her what she had wanted for dinner in about a year, and that was on account of her birthday; most of the time it was just fish and rice. Kagome quickly went through all the important dates in her head: Souta's birthday? Nope. Ayumi's birthday? Nope. Her birthday? Far from it. Inuyasha's birthday? Didn't even know when his was. The Emperor's birthday? Nope. Grandpa's funeral anniversary? Too depressing to enjoy the meal. Dad's funeral anniversary? She didn't even think anyone remembered anymore, but it wasn't today, either.

So what was so special about today?

"I don't… care," Kagome answered slowly, still confused by the sudden turnaround in the personality. "But why are you cooking today? Usually we just have leftovers from the weekend." Cold, but not necessarily nasty.

She started down the first step and caught a peek of Ayumi's black pumps by the door. Then suddenly her mom's face popped into view, peeking from behind the banister, and she was smiling cheerily. "Oh, glad you could come down!" She motioned for Kagome to come down faster. "Go sit at the table with Souta! We're having sushi today, is that all right with you?" Then she vanished just as quickly, leaving Kagome even more baffled. Just what had been in her tea this morning?

"Wait, what's going on? You didn't answer my question!" she exclaimed, walking down the rest of the stairs. Ayumi had just disappeared behind the corner of the living room. "What's the eve—"

Kagome trailed off as she stopped in front of the dining room entrance. Yamaguchi was sitting there nervously, his hands playing around with a napkin. He smiled widely, placidly enough, and somehow he was able to free one of those shaky hands to give her an even shakier wave. "Uh, he-hello?" It was kind of funny, the way Yamaguchi even managed to turn a greeting into a question. Like "Is it offensive if I say hi?" In most normal circumstances, Kagome would have just giggled and made him feel at home. Say something like, "My name's Kagome, and it's very nice to meet you", or "I like your tie. It's a really unique color". Anything that could start a conversation and set them off on a good foot.

But this wasn't an average situation, now was it?

It was frightening for the poor man, since she wasn't saying anything, and all he could do was swallow hard and plaster that anxious smile across his face. For crying out loud, Kagome was still trying to mend things up with Ayumi! What made her think that she was ready for any kind of meeting with her boyfriend?

Ayumi entered at this point, attempting to tie on the apron. "Oh, so you've finally come down," she commented. "Souta's in the kitchen right now, chopping up the vegetables and such. Do you want to help, or do you want to sit here and talk to Yamaguchi-kun?" Kagome didn't miss the way her mother spoke his name. Or the way she was "casually" suggesting things. So this is what the whole thing's about. The whole cheerful face, asking what she wanted to eat—it was all a big, fat trap, Ayumi's way of pushing her towards something she wasn't ready to accept. Not yet, not when everything was too raw and new in her mind. And it was sad that Kagome knew that Ayumi couldn't date Yamaguchi with a peace of mind, knowing that her daughter was against it. No, not against it, she corrected herself, just not ready to accept it. There was a big difference. Was her mother really that impatient as to try and set up a dinner date between her boyfriend and her family? Souta may have been indifferent about it, but he was still too young to fully comprehend the situation. Ayumi was—well, she was dating him, so that was a given. That left Kagome, and she just wasn't ready.

How incredibly selfish of her mother.

Presently the said woman's smile began to falter. "Kagome?"

"May-Maybe I should go…." Yamaguchi trailed off and made to stand up. He was cracking under the pressure, and it was obvious that Ayumi had told him about her.

"No, no," Ayumi insisted, looking behind Kagome to give him a placating smile. "Just sit down and relax. She's just—stressed from school and such." What a lie. "Kagome, let's go into the kitchen for a bit, OK? We'll have this sorted this out in no time."

"I don't know," Yamaguchi said, looking terribly unsure. He was hovering above the seat now. "Thank you for inviting me, Higurashi-san—" It sounded very much like what Hojo would say. "But I think there was another event to attend to—"

"Excuse me, Yamaguchi-kun," Kagome interjected shortly, still facing her mom. She didn't need to say anything to the woman, because Ayumi looked down first, her clasped hands a little whiter than usual. "But please stay a little longer, at least until dinner is over." Her voice was controlled and tight, and she liked it that way. At least it covered up the disgust she felt inside. Ayumi wasn't stupid—she knew, and she cleared her throat before turning quietly back into the kitchen.

The man was a tad on the dull side, and he happily sat down at her request, regardless of her voice. Or maybe he did know how she was feeling but just chose to turn the other cheek. Whatever it was, Yamaguchi complied, and, after her mother returned to the stove, Kagome turned around to sit with him.

"So," he began, still smiling. "How is school?"

"I'm doing fine." His hair was combed back meticulously, exposing his wide forehead and his bushy eyebrows. His eyes squinted as he looked through his eyeglasses, and his teeth were slightly uneven. (But she did like his suit. It was very professional and very nice.)

Yamaguchi sounded polite and pleasant to get along with. It was just too bad that she could never see past his first impression: naked in her mom's bed.

-

"This is really good sushi," Yamaguchi complimented, picking one out of the dish. Ayumi beamed. "You're a fantastic cook, and I don't know why you've never thought about opening a restaurant before. You're much better at preparing food than typing." He flushed immediately. "Not that you are bad at your job or anything, Ayumi. It's just that—"

"It's all right. I still have problems turning on the computer." She giggled, obviously amused, and Yamaguchi visibly relaxed, laughing along throatily. Souta smiled briefly, for lack of better emotion; he was more focused on the eating part, really, and Kagome was trying with all her might to follow his example.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mom squeeze his hand briefly, and Kagome wanted nothing more than to leave the dining room. She couldn't stop them because it really wasn't her choice on whom Ayumi chose to like, and Yamaguchi seemed a nice enough guy. Kagome just didn't want to see them in action, doing things that other young people do when they were in love. She preferred to see them as-as single, individual people rather than as a pair, a couple.

"So Kagome." She started at hearing her name and looked up to find Ayumi glancing at her. "When is your next baseball game?"

Since when did you give two cents about it? It was a horrible thought, but it was true. Even with her husband alive, Ayumi had never really encouraged or helped Kagome to continue with her hobby. With the death of her father, Grandpa had taken it as his mission to foster her ability, to push her to become a better player because he saw the talent she had, the passion she held for the sport. And where was her mother this entire time? Telling Grandpa to teach baseball to Souta when he was older (He didn't even like the sport!), scolding him to stop encouraging such "boyish" behavior.

So it wasn't like Kagome was completely resentful towards her mother for no reason. But she guessed Ayumi was taking some false interest because of Yamaguchi, to either show off her daughter or pretend she liked what he liked, too. Or maybe she just wanted a nice, family dinner with some added conversation. Kagome wasn't sure which one it was, so she gave her mom the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe this is selfish of her, but I don't have to make it painful for everyone. It's not like I want to make it difficult.

"I think some time next Tuesday."

Ayumi clapped her hands together. "That's perfect! This Tuesday also happens to be a company day-off! Right, Yamaguchi?"

"Yep! Maybe I can come to your game…?" He trailed off, a hopeful look in his eyes, and Kagome knew what this was all about: pushing more family time with the new man.

So much for giving the benefit of the doubt.

But she wasn't going to explode or throw a fit, because Yamaguchi was a guest, after all, and Kagome would be damned if he went home that night with the wrong impression of her. She wasn't spoiled, and she wasn't intolerant of new people; she just needed time to take it all in, to sort it out in her head one piece at a time. And Ayumi wasn't doing much help except cramming it in all at once.

So Kagome just smiled instead, albeit a tight one. "Sure." The event, the whole dining experience with Yamaguchi, was becoming just a little too much for her to handle, and suddenly the thought of eating anything made her stomach turn and flip uncomfortably. "Excuse me," she said, standing up. Never mind the napkin that had been on her lap was lying on the floor now.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"I don't feel good, so I'm going up to my room." Ayumi didn't say anything to that, and Kagome was glad, because it was becoming clear that every topic that her mom brought up would have the intent of setting up some family date with the new person in her life.

Closing the door, Kagome sighed in frustration and closed her eyes. She had to restrain herself from lashing out, because it wouldn't do any good if Yamaguchi heard strange noises coming from above. But it was hard, because she was so… angry? Furious? Disappointed? It was a mix of too many emotions at once, and Kagome couldn't handle how her mom could think that a few days was all it took for her to get used to the new addition in their lives.

Yeah, because I can completely overlook my first encounter with Yamaguchi. Kagome didn't feel like crying her heart out, because the occasion didn't merit for it; he was too nice, and that made her feel all the worse for having such an unspoken grudge against him. But she was angry about the way her mom was acting, and it didn't do well to quell it, because that was all she would be doing: suppressing it. And eventually, the coil was going to spring up, and things would just fall apart again. The relationship was already tenuous, so why agitate it? What good would it do if she went down there and confronted Ayumi about the way she was acting? Maybe Kagome could quietly talk to her mother and tell her that things were moving way too fast, but how would she take it? And how would she tell Yamaguchi? That "Oh, my daughter doesn't want to be friends or talk to you for a while"? Kagome didn't want to hurt his feelings, and she doubted her mom would word it that way.

But Kagome couldn't but feel a little left out, because Souta didn't seem to mind, Yamaguchi was eager to befriend her, and Ayumi just wanted everyone to get along. At her pace. It was like she was the only one who saw how fast everything was going; no one else seemed to notice, or if any did, just went along with it, like it was all right to not slow down and take everything in and try to figure out where to go from here.

The walls were beginning to move in closer, and she squeezed her eyes shut even more. There it was again—the dull rush of the blood in her ears. Kagome cleared her throat and shook her head, trying to calm down. OK, if no one wanted to think things through, then she would have to do it by herself.

…Which would be what again?

"Oh God, I'm losing it," she moaned, trying to focus on anything. Things were getting too complicated here. Or maybe she was making it too complicated. But Kagome didn't think so. How come no one else thought that this-this thing between Yamaguchi and Ayumi was coming along too fast of a pace? Why was it only her who thought it like that?

And why was her room suddenly too small again?

Kagome snapped—all the questions running through her head and the seemingly claustrophobic bedroom were getting to her just like last time. She needed to get out now, or-or she would just do something, anything that would most likely make her regret it later on.

So she did the first thing she thought of: climbing out of the window.

-