I heard my alarm go off. Groaning, I quickly stopped the noise and opened my eyes. I was confused. It took me a moment to remember that this was my uncle's house and not my cousin's.

After my family died in a car accident, I was sent from relative to relative, finally landing at my uncle's. House after house after house...and this was the worst of them all. I hated it here.

Granted, my family wasn't the closest. My mom was a big lawer's daughter who didn't believe in my dad's morals, if he even had any, and my dad's parents thought my mom a stuck up whore. One look at me by any of my relatives, and I was out the door faster than you can say 'What the fuck?' . Resulting factor, I got a room at my uncle's.

My room was plain, a dresser and a bed the only large objects. Almost everything I owned was black. I figured if I had to buy my own junk, I might as well get my favorite color. The only other color was on my guitar.

Drawing attention to its blood red color, it was my most prized possession.

Going to my dresser, I grabbed some clothing. I pulled on some very baggy, very ragged black jeans. The tee shirt that matched it was tight and exposed a little of my stomach. Next to go on was a black hoodie with a devil cat on the front, then my three rings, spike bracelet and chain necklace. The same clothing I had been wearing for a week -or was it two?- now. My uncle was making me buy my own laundry soap, on top of everything else I needed...screw the laundry soap. If I get any money, it's going to food, clothing, cd's...

Quickly pulling a brush through my black hair, I stuffed the whole mess into my hood Thank god for hoods. If i had to buy a hat on top of everything, I'd may well jump off the nearest building..

Grabbing my black headband from my bedside table, I wrapped it around my hand and wrist to look almost like I had sprained something. Fashion sense? Never heard of it. I wear what I want, when I want, even if it is ripped to shreads and stained with paint.

I knelt down next to my bed and fished out a battered old guitar case. Taking my guitar from its stand, I gently placed it in the velvet lining. Then, locking the case, I grabbed my backpack and opened my door.

Quietly tiptoeing a few feet from my room to the front door, I listened for my uncle. All that broke the eerie silence was a drunken snore.

'Good,' I thought to myself. My uncle had a drinking problem, and if anything upset him, he took it out on the first thing he saw. Which usually ended up being me.

Unlatching the door, I quietly crept outside and into the bright sunlight. "Freedom," I murmured. I had a feeling that I was going to like my new school. At least it wasn't this hell-hole.

With that encouraging thought in my head, I began the long trek to my newfound escape.

--Miroku's POV--

I slammed my locker shut after gathering my books. It was another day in the same routine of go to class, eat, more class, more eat, home and bed. Occasionally I would get lucky and get to actually do something fun.

"Hopefully they'll be done fixing my drums soon." Earlier in the week, my little brother broke the head on the snare. Actually, he wasn't my brother. More of a kid I took care of like a brother at the monastary where we both lived. I had just gotten done dropping it off a few days ago. Can you say procrastinator?

"Hey Miroku!" I recognized the lovely voice of my girlfriend, Sango. I turned and saw her running towards me, my other friends not that far behind.

"Hello my lovely dewdrop," I said, embracing her. The same thought crossed my mind again, as it did every time I saw her. 'Damn, she's hot.' Even though she always wore plaid miniskirts, fishnet stockings, lace up boots that went to her knees, tight shirts with different sayings and various spike jewelry, I never tired looking at her. That did not, of course, include the fact that her skirts offered me a chance to look at her creamy white legs whenever i chanced it.

"Hey!" Sango pulled out of the hug. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't use pet names with me!"

"Yes, O great sun that brightens my days." Sango hit me over the head, but by now I was used to it.

"Will you two stop flirting?" Kagome, a good friend of mine and neighbor to Sango, walked up in the arms of her boyfriend, Inuyasha.

Kagome was more subtle in the way she dressed. She usually wore a light pink skirt with a lot of zippers (and also, very wide) and shirts similar to my cuddle bear's.

Inuyasha smirked. "Isn't it a little too early for this, Miroku?"

Me, Inuyasha and our other friend, Koga, always wore the same type of outfits; a large black hoodie over a black tee and overlarge black pants. We also had matching chain wallets. You may call it a little girly, but none of us gives a damn.

"It's never too early, Inu my boy!" I answered, using Inuyasha's nickname. "Right honey bunny?" My comment only earned me a trip to the newly waxed floor.

I heard laughing and looked up. The girl laughing, Kikyo, was wearing her favorite outfit: leather pants, a halter that ended shortly after her bust line and crisscrossed across her stomach and back, and platform flip-flops. Of course, everything was black.

"Hello, Kikyo." I stood up, dusting myself off.

"Well then, if you're done mopping the floor for us, can we go to class?" Kikyo walked over and gave her boyfriend, Koga, a peck on the cheek.

"I take extreme offense to that." I stuck my nose in the air, and began to walk towards my classroom. I had gone not even three feet before I wan into someone.

Because their hood was up, I couldn't see the student's face. But, using my superpowers of gender detection, I knew the person was female. (A/N: now, how hard was that?)

"I'm sorry, miss. A thousand apologies."

She got up. "Whatever." She walked off, not bothering to apologize to the many people she ran into.

"Someone's cranky." I looked for my friends, only to find that they were already halfway to class.

I scrambled into the classroom just as the final bell rang.

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I took my usual seat in history class, surrounded by all of my friends.

"Hey, Miroku," Inuyasha whispered to me from my left.

"Yah?"

"Did you finish the homework?"

"Did you?"

"No."

"Same."

"Shit. Know anyone who has?"

"Nope."

I then heard some more colorful language from my best friend, then began to take out the notes on Feudal Japan that we had been working on last class.

I really liked my teachers. For some unknown reason, I always ended up getting the nice and funny ones. My favorite teacher, 'Kaede', as all students called her for her resemblence to one of the fuedal miko we had been studying, taught my two favorite subjects, art and history. Even though she was getting up there in age, most people could talk to her and everyone had fun around her. She had the impeccable ability to make history un-boring and exciting.

"Okay class. Settle down, settle down. Miroku, we keep our hands to ourselves." I gave her an innocent look, ignoring the fact that Sango and Kagome were staring. I don't think Kikyo even cared, but she was off limits.

Everyone quieted down as Kaede stood in front of the room. Of course, as a procrastinator, I was still rummaging around for my lost notebook that had suddenly vanished into thin air and was unable to see the new girl standing alongside the history teacher.

"Now class, this is…" Kaede paused for a moment before continuing. "This is Rin Subarashii."

As soon as I heard the new girl's name, I looked up. It couldn't be her!

When I was younger, my best friend was named Rin Subarashii. But this gothic chick couldn't be the same cheery and innocent girl from back then. Right?

--Flashback--

"Hey, Subi!" I called to my best friend. I knew her name was Rin, but when I was a kid, I didn't know her first name, and I couldn't pronounce her last name very well. So, I called her Subi. It was the best I could do, seeing as I was never very good at names. "Wait up!"

"No!" she called. "This is a race, and you gotta catch up!"

I ran after the girl wearing a flowery sundress and pink gel sandals, my pudgy legs propelling me up the grassy slope. She ran ahead of me, quickly surpassing my snail-like pace. But, just like always, she stopped at the hill's peak and began to impatiently jump up and down, encouraging me to hurry up.

Even though she was the fastest kid on the block, and could easily outrun most of the teenagers in our neighborhood, she would lose any race just to be able to cross the finish line with me. That's how close we were as friends.

I was panting by the time I caught up to her. Subi allowed me a little time to get my breath back before claiming my hand and trotting with me to the park.

--Back to reality--

Kaede was just finishing telling Rin what was expected, where they were as far as class work, and then asked if she knew anyone.

Rin shook her head. I wasn't really expecting her to recognize me, because the last time we saw each other, I had a buzz-cut and was just beginning my diet. (A/N: Yes, Miroku was rollie-pollie back then! :P) Nowadays, I kept my shoulder-length hair in a ponytail, and I was now thin as a toothpick. Plus the fact that she moved after her fourteenth birthday, and I hadn't hit my teenage growth-spurts yet.

"That's okay, dear. Why don't you take one of the empty seats near Kanna or Kikyo?"

'Don't sit by Kanna!' I screamed to her in my head.

Kanna was a very odd girl. She never talked, and it was hard to provoke her. But before Rin moved, she obviously did something wrong, because she had Kanna on her tail like a mouse to cheese. Add that to the fact that Kanna holds grudges...

I shouldn't have worried my pretty little head off. Rin walked over and sat behind Kikyo, which was one desk back and one to the right behind me.

'Since Kaede gives us a break halfway through class, I'll see if Rin recognizes me.' Now all I had to do was wait for a half-hour or so…I hate waiting.

--Rin POV--

I didn't tell the truth when I told Mrs. Kaede I didn't know anyone. The truth was, I knew the girl sitting on the opposite side of the room.

Kanna was easy to spot, and I saw her right away when I entered the classroom. Being a short albino, you'd think she would be picked on and teased. Not her.

Kanna was quiet. Although, when picked on, she had a temper mean enough to rival the devil itself!

I had been gone only two years, yet now I felt like a complete stranger. Where was Miroku, my old friend that still probably lived at the Buddhist temple? What happened to make me feel like I wanted to crawl away and die? 'Oh, yah,' I thought. 'My parents dragged me to America and then died on me. Not that they really cared about me before.'

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Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. Mrs. Kaede was nice and all, but I felt like couldn't breathe. I wasn't used to staying in one class for over three hours. In America, we only had one period for an hour and a half. It seemed I would spend the next few weeks getting used to the long double periods.

When Mrs. Kaede had given us a break, I could hear the students whispering about me. It got to a point where I couldn't stand it, so I got permission to 'use the restroom' and wandered the halls for a good ten minutes.

I rushed into the hall, not caring if I ran into anyone. Many people got pissed when I knocked them down, but they weren't watching where I was coming. It was their fault.

I finally arrived at my locker and I quickly spun the combo. Checking to make sure my guitar was still in one piece -I would KILL a person if said person did anything to it, seeing as it was the only way I could make money and worth a lot because of the many inlays and expensive wood used- I tossed my books onto the top shelf and grabbed my lunch money. It was weird for me, having lunch around eleven. I was used to eating around one. Guess it was just another thing I had to add onto my list of things to get used to.

Just as I closed my locker, I heard my name being shouted by what seemed like at least four different people. As it turned out, it was one guy leading a group of about six towards me, and his voice was cracking slightly from running.

"Rin!" he shouted, and my mind registered 'You've already pointed out that little detail, so either get to the point or fuck off.'

"Who are you?" I asked politely, seeing as my escape route was conveniently cut off.

"One…sec…" he panted, clutching his knees and breathing heavily. Finally, having caught his breath, he plastered a large smile on his face and said "Rin." I inwardly groaned and thought 'YES, we have already ESTABLISHED that fact.' Oh, how hard it was for me to resist wiping away that stupid smile. "Don't you recognize me?" he stated after a slight pause.

"Cant say that I do." The more he said, the more I wanted to pummel him into the floor. Maybe drag him into one of the restrooms and flush his head down the toilet…? Tempting idea…

"I bet I can make you remember by just telling you a name." He had a mysterious look in his eye that worried me a little. Of course, having the instincts of someone who never backs away from a challenge, I accepted. Unfortunately, I also had a family history of momentary insanity.

"What's the bet?"

He looked around for a moment, and must have noticed that I had just enough money to get a sandwich and some milk. "Here. If you win, I buy you lunch, whatever you want. And if I win…little help guys?" he asked his friends behind him.

"She buys you lunch?" said a girl.

"A kiss?" said the other two guys simultaneously.

"She gives you a month of servitude?" suggested another girl.

"Don't look at me!" shouted a third girl, waving her hands in front of her and backing away slightly.

"Ok, I opt for the kiss. Deal?" He offered his hand, and I shook it. I dismissed the feeling that said I would end up beat red and kissing someone I had, seemingly, only just met.

"Alright. My name is Subi."

Alarms and lights started going off in my mind as I stood there, dumbfounded. Only one person had ever called me that. But how could it be him? Miroku used to be pudgy and slow, with short hair and a high squeaky voice. "M-Miroku?"

"Jeez, took you long enough." He smiled and I glared at him. "By the way, you lose."

I groaned, wishing he didn't know me so well. He knew just about every one of my secrets and wishes from when I was born to the beginning of seventh grade. So, needless to say, he knew I was easily embarrassed and didn't like showing signs of affection in public.

"I'm waiting," he commented, still smiling.

Lucky for me, everyone else besides his friends were at lunch, so that limited my embarrassment to be witnessed by only five people. Miroku didn't count; he wasn't worth my time right then. Leaning forward, and outwardly blushing, I quickly brushed my lips against his. Right away after, I dashed away, pushing through his wall of buddies. I could still feel the heat radiating off of my face as I raced to the cafeteria.

--Miroku POV--

I smiled as I saw her blush. Yes, I was aware that she would be very annoyed after this, but I wasn't paying attention to my awareness right now. Only her luscious lips. Much too fast for my taste, her beautiful lips brushed against mine. I immediately noticed that her lips were not moist like Kagome's, nor smooth like Kikyo's. I also happened to notice that they were not as full as my precious darling's.

As I noticed all of this, I didn't see her shove through my friends' barrier, nor my friends following soon after. Fortunately, no others saw me standing there like an idiot in front of a girl's locker. Just my luck for with my current reputation, rumors would have flown that I was mentally unbalanced.

"Damn!" I swore as all of this dawned on me. I started to run after them, calling all of my friends (plus Rin) over and over to wait.

As I wasn't watching where I was going, I tripped over something and fell flat on my face for the fourth time today, the previous three helped by the girls in history. I looked up as I heard someone giggle, and saw Sango. Then I remembered how we met.

--Flashback--

I was so late! 'Shit shit shit, and on the first day of school, too,' I thought as I swore aloud.

It was the first day of ninth grade, a year after my best friend moved to some unknown town. I was remembering how she looked -had it only been a year? Seemed much longer- as I clung to the fading details. Oh, how I wished I could see her again. I was so absorbed that I didn't notice the rabbit hole, and as a consequence, I tripped and fell face-first into the dirt, scattering my books and papers.

"Dammit!" I screamed into the cold and uncomfortably solid earth. I heard giggling, and looked up.

I could've sworn that the giggling girl was an angel; A black angel, but an angel nonetheless. She wore fishnets, a plaid miniskirt, a shirt that showed a wonderful figure that wore a lot of jewelry.

"I'm sorry for laughing," she said after calming down a little. "It's just, you were so cute when you fell over!" She knelt down and offered her hand to help me up. "I'm Sango."

--Back on the floor in the hallway outside the cafeteria--

Sango raised one of her eyebrows, still smiling. "Why are you staring at me?" Her smile soon became a scowl. "What are you thinking?"

I smiled. "I was just thinking of that fateful morning one year, six months, three days, four hours and twenty-seven minutes ago when we first met."

"And now I'm regretting that I ever met you." Sango was wearing an expression that began to worry me.

"C'mon, you don't really mean that. Do you?" I didn't bother trying to keep the fear from my voice.

"Yes, I do." Her eyes began to dance with amusement. She said something else, but I wasn't paying attention. I was too shocked to find that my squishy angel-darling regretted our fateful meaning. It was fate, damn it! She was obviously annoyed, because by the time I was out of my stupor she was already walking through the cafeteria doors.

"Where are you going? You didn't really mean it, right?" I struggled to rise, which was made difficult, as I kept tripping over my pants.

"I'm going to find your friend. You don't want her hanging with Naraku, do you?"

I mumbled no and watched as she walked up to Rin.

-------------------------------End Chapter-------------------------------

Any suggestions? Comments? Questions?

--Kittey Rin