A/N: Ok yeah so im finally coming back to this thing, yes yes I know people like this story the best but, Ive been trying to give my other stories a chance to update so everyone gets a turn (and I had writers block among other things…) and now on with the long awaited new chappie!
(I would just like you people to notice that the page break finally works again thank god. every other time i used it it would be all mean and not do it for me.)
A Child's Innocence - Chapter 4
The world was a cruel and terrible place.
He had thought of everything and yet still it wasn't enough, there was NOTHING he could get that stupid girl for her birthday.
Absolutely nothing.
The party was only one day away and he was completely out of ideas, he didn't know what to do.
He couldn't buy anything- well he could borrow from Kagome's mom but he'd rather gouge out his eyes before doing that.
Not only a pride killer, but he hated the thought of not only living under her roof and in debt but using her money for recreational purposes for something HE was supposed to get her? No, not happening, he'd find a way to get her that damned present if it was the last thing he did!
….or so he told himself a week ago….
Sighing he walked dejectedly down the street, cap firmly in place and irritating the hell out of his ears. Stupid baseball cap, everything was out to get him!
He walked on the sidewalk of the semi busy streets of the Tokyo suburbs, on this street some of the local restaurants and business departments were situated. The Wac Donald's, the laundry mat, the ramen place (his favorite of course), random real estate businesses, etc.
But further down on this street there was the park he and Kagome would go to from time to time, the best when empty. No one would try to pull the hat off during those times.
Deciding that he was in need of a good break for working/thinking so much (a good 2 hours of his life gone). He sat on one of the more lonelier benches by the trees and away from people. He wasn't much of a people person (if you HAVEN'T already noticed).
He watched the other kids run around mindlessly like drunken midgets on crack on the playground sets and watched the adults grouped together on the benches talking amongst themselves, not letting their children out of their eyesight.
Seeing this he pouted, it reminded him of the lecture he had gotten from his "mom" about going outside alone. He was a big kid, he knew where he was going he wasn't dumb he had a sense of direction! He wasn't a regular kid damnit, he had a nose to help him if he got lost!
But still Mrs. Higrashi had told him she didn't like him going around outside alone- that he needed an adult when he went out and about for "safety reasons". To this of course he vehemently denied.
He didn't need protection, he'd take care of himself. Sure, he was grateful for the Higrashi family for taking him in and bringing to him to "safety" from his last home. But they were trying to lock him up. It felt like they were caging him.
He was young but it calmed his demon side down whenever he was outside, it just bothered him staying indoors too long. He was half demon for Buddha's sake! He could take care of himself for at least 2 hours.
Becoming more frustrated with his train of thought, with thoughts of horrible scenarios of tomorrow and him still without a present (they wouldn't kick him out would they?) and knowing Mrs. Higrashi would be getting steadily more worried the longer he stayed out, he decided to head home.
He hoisted himself from the bench and started on his way only to fall flat on his face within two steps of getting up.
Snarling, he looked around for the cause of his fall.
The Sunset Shire was filled with joyous laughter of little children running about, playing tag or a game of some sort with the sun beaming down on them and streamers, balloons, and decorations surrounding them.
This sucks.
Kagome looked at all the nicely dressed children screaming about gleefully and resented it all. The birthday girl shouldn't be unhappy on her birthday, it was her one day of the year where everything she said was completely and utterly right (not that it wasn't all the time anyways). But here she was- sad!
Where was he!
Not only had he acted strangely when coming home form his little "walk" yesterday he COMPLETELY avoided her when he entered the house. And where was he know?
Gone.
He wasn't even there when she woke up or at breakfast. Off who knows where doing who knows what. On her birthday no less!
She scowled, Stupid boys, she thought and a holler was sounded amongst the boys, everyone else was sure having fun.
Her mother had of course, invited far too many people for her liking, her friend's/co worker's children, neighbors…family…almost all of whom where on her I-don't-want-you-here list.
She glanced over at Kikyo who sat quietly keeping to herself. Yeah. Too many.
She had only really wanted 6 people to come tops and yet there they were. They, the children whom she wished were gone, consisted of her fridge cousin (duuuuh), Onigumo, Yura, Kagura, and a group of 7 "brothers"; Bankotsu, Jankostu, Renkotsu, Suikotsu, Jyakotsu, Mukotsu, and Kyokotsu Arai.
First was family. Kikyo Wantabe. She was worse than she remembered, she was a total spoiled sport, she had wanted to calmly sit at the table and chat. She "didn't wish to degrade herself by acting childish and immature". She was first on the list.
The band of 7 (as they referred themselves) were random neighbors and kids she knew from school, where Bankotsu (the leader of their gang) went the others followed. He caught wind of the party and invited himself and his group along for reasons unknown. They were known to start trouble wherever they went. She stated to them clearly and bluntly she didn't want them here (Inu Yasha's rubbing off her more and more each day to her mothers chagrin). They didn't care.
Yura Sato was the daughter of one of her mother's co workers and was obsessed with hair to the point where Kagome started wear hats with her hair stuffed into it around her lest they play "hair-dresser" for the rest of the day. Having her hair yanked and messed with for hours on end wasn't exactly her idea of fun.
Onigumo and Kagura Suzuki where brother and sister (both adopted) and were also her mother's coworker's children. They really gave her the creeps, especially Onigumo. There was just something not right about them. He treated his sister worse than dirt (more than usual siblings do), like he had a secret he threatened to spill to taunt her and blackmail her. She would furiously do as he so pleased.
But while there were people she just couldn't stand there where some really fun people with her. Her three friends from school, Yuri, Ayami, and Eri, and of course Sango-chan, (her personal favorite put of everyone who was at the party) and Miroku.
Yuri, Ayami, and Eri were friends from school she would stay with everyday, they were quite entertaining if a bit chatty. Not to mention BOY OBSESSED. They were giggling in a corner for 5 minuets straight when Miroku smiled at them in greeting.
She had known dear sweet Sango Tanaka since their diaper days, their mothers being best friends so they carried out the tradition. But, sadly, her mother died during childbirth with Sango's younger brother Kohaku and now she lived with just her father and him. Because of this, they moved away to a different district and she rarely got to see her anymore. They didn't even go to the same school, but that would change when they got into middle school since they had decided to move back (her mother assured her of that).
Now Miroku Yoshida she had only known for about 6 months but she liked him a lot already (not liked him liked him, just liked him) he was really funny and calm. He moved in on the same street as well with his foster father Mushin. Since they were very religious people (both descendants of monks coincidentally) they had come to the shrine to visit when they moved in and they became friends from then on.
But that still didn't change facts. The very utmost person she wanted there was no where to be found, she had asked her mother repeatedly and her mother just smiled and told her not to worry about it, to "just have fun".
Fun….right…how was she supposed to have fun when he wasn't here… "Kagome?"She looked to her left and saw Sango's concerned gaze on her. "Are you ok?"
She smiled, at least she had her. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Are you sure Kagome-san?" Miroku had come to her right.
She laughed, "Yup!" she loved them so much. It didn't matter she was sad about that stupid dog boy, she'd stay cheerful for them, they cared for her well being.
"Alright kids! Time for cake!" Her mother had parted from the group of adults to announced and was holding a nicely sized vanilla cake with the words 'Happy Birthday Kagome' scrawled on it in green icing.
The other kids all raced to the table (excluding Kikyo and the Suzuki siblings) and crowded around anxiously wanting a piece from themselves. They sang to her happy birthday as loudly and obnoxiously as possible (again excluding the antisocials). And she sat staring at her candles thinking about her wish.
She closed her eyes. I wish Inu Yasha was here.
She blew out the candles.
The next few hours passed uneventfully, she opened all her presents- she got this really awesome bike from her grandfather, her favorite gift. She also got some roller blades and lots of toys of course, not that Inu Yasha was going to play with them- humph!
Then she sat with Sango and Miroku talking and just passing the time while Yuri, Ayami, and Eri sat watching Miroku like a hawk (which he seemed to like, more than he should) and the band of 7 ran around with Yura with boosted hyper ness from the cake. And of course the three stooges just sat not doing much (except a smirk from Onigumo's direction once in a while).
Inu Yasha never showed.
"But why mama!"
"Because I told you to dear, go outside and put your bike away properly or no desert for you."
"Can't I just do it in the morning? Please? It's almost all dark outside and it's already dinner time."
"No, young lady. I said to go put it away, now please do as your told."
Picking up on the unmentioned threat in her mothers voice Kagome huffed and stomped out of the kitchen into the semi darkness, away from the pleasing scents of homemade food.
She grabbed her new shinny pink bike (with training wheels) from where it lay on the ground to put it in the shed as she was told. She slammed the door shut and turned to go back in the house to finally eat but stopped.
Iun Yasha was in her way.
There he stood, shuffling his feet awkwardly- embarrassedly waiting for her while at the same time trying vainly to look tough and nonchalant.
She glared. That baka! Who did he think he was? "Move." She ordered as coldly as possible, trying to imitate her elder cousin. Ears flattening he asked defensively, a frown marring his face, "What did I do?" Why was his arms behind his back?
"What did you do!" balling her fisted she yelled, "You just missed my birthday that's all! Baka!" Great. Now she was crying. Idiot, can't he do anything right?
"Stupid! Stop crying now!" he ordered.
Wow, he's looking really panicky…
"No! Why weren't you there?" More tears streamed down her face, it was pitch black now except for the porch lights shining on them.
"I'm trying to tell you wench if you'd stop blubbering-"
"I am NOT blubbering!" (girls are confusing ne?)
His now amber eyes widened and darted back and forth. Man what he wouldn't give to be ANYWHERE else right now…back to his old house…back with Sesshomaru, away from women's tears is all he'd ask.
"Common Kagome, I had a really good reason….so stop." He gruffly told her.
She sniffled, that's about as close to an 'I'm sorry Kagome' she'd get. "Ok then, " she said in a not so friendly tone, "What was better than not coming to my birthday when you promised you would?"
Wincing he held out the package that was behind his back the whole conversation. It was wrapped in brown paper. Folding his arms and scowling at a bush he muttered "Happy birthday".
She looked at it curiously and ripped open the gift. She gasped. How pretty.
It was a bracelet. But not just any bracelet, it was hand made, except for the stone hanging on it. It was a deep emerald colored stone, her favorite color, on a strip of leather. The leather had symbols and designs all over it, some where just designs or symbols others where words like "Fortune" and "Happiness".
It was even better than her bike.
"I found it yesterday when I was at the park. It looked like something you might like so I talked to your mom and she said to go over to your neighbor Totosai's house, he's some kind of craftsman or something. He took all day to put the designs in on the bracelet."
Wow the way that stone shined in the light was cool. It would change from a range of greens (but its still mainly emerald) depending on the light. How could he have just randomly picked it up…?
"Well?" he asked moodily.
She looked at him, finally, he was so cute when he was nervous. Poor thing, she had scared him with her tears.
So smiled brightly at him to make him feel better and to show her appreciation.
"Thank you Inu Yasha."
A/N: I know, the only ones that don't have last names are Inu Yasha, Yuri, Ayami, and Eri. It wont be That way permanently, I just got lazy (Iun Yasha should be automatic though, that about it. Takahashi made him- of course that's the last name he gets!)
Did you notice almost everyone's adopted?
And finally….i don't know whats wrong, but I feel like you don't know what anything looks like. Like I havent given enough detail about the scene….oh well! I tried…