Weeeeeeeell… I don't feel like going to the tablelands, so I'll write a new chap instead and study for my SOSE exam…
And I know this was supposed to be up sometime within the last twenty-four hours, but I was too tired…
Thanks to: DanCrazed, Sorceress of the Cat, Lintered, sangoscourage & Eru for reviewing:) Ooooooh! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Disclaimer: I own Yousu and only Yousu…so far…
To Imbue A Soul
Chapter 3: Like a sister
.oOo.
"Do you have to go anywhere this afternoon, Yousu?" Kagome asked the violet-eyed girl.
It was the same afternoon, and the bell to conclude school had just rung. The five girls were packing up their books to leave when Yousu turned to Kagome and smiled sadly.
"Yeah, I have to go back to me home at five," she muttered. "I dunno when that is though…"
"Five o'clock?" Yuka asked. Over the course of the day she had become convinced that Yousu wasn't a total nutcase, and had apologized very sincerely to the new girl.
"Then we have two whole hours!" Eri exclaimed. "What do you think we should do?"
"Well…" Ayumi began, "Isn't it Kagome's birthday soon? We should do something special for her…"
"Um, hello…?" Kagome said quietly.
"Yes!" Yuka said. "We can organize a party or something!"
"Uh…guys?" Kagome tried again.
"Ooh! Or a slumber party!" Ayumi cried. Yuka and Eri nodded in unison while Yousu just looked confused.
"Guys!" Kagome said, raising her voice a little. "I wish you wouldn't talk about me as if I wasn't here!"
"Oops, sorry Kagome."
"Yeah, sorry."
"Hey…?" Yousu interrupted quietly. The four of them turned towards her.
"Eh…what's a slumber party?"
.oOo.
"So, Kagome," her mother asked while wiping the dishes clean with a dishcloth.
Kagome had just arrived home, holding a scrap of paper with some numbers scrawled messily under an equally untidy name. "Are you planning anything for your fifteenth birthday?"
"Hmm?" Kagome looked up from the note. "My birthday? Well…I was thinking of doing something with my friends…"
Even though they were the ones that were planning it, not me, she thought wryly.
"Great!" her mother exclaimed. "You can invite them over for a sleepover tomorrow night, how's that?"
"Thanks mum!" Kagome said brightly. "Can I ring them?" At a nod from her mother she leaped up to grab the telephone. Squinting at the piece of paper in her hand she slowly dialed the number.
I hope I got her number right, the girl thought as it began to divert her call. It's pretty hard to read…
"Hello? This is the medical ward for Unknown Causes of Disease, Injury and Other Uncommon Inflictions – how may I help you?" the female voice on the other end obviously belonged to a person who had rehearsed the introduction well – it sounded like clockwork.
Yep, Kagome thought with a smile. This is where she'll be.
"Yousu gave me this number – I'm a friend from her school – Kagome Higurashi," she told the woman at the other end. "I'd like to – "
"Miss Yousu?" the female asked excitedly, "The coma girl? She's made friends? Progress already! She adapts quickly, that girl does… that's the only reason we let her out of the ward so soon after waking up! I'll put her through…"
The nurse's tone had changed from stern to vibrant with energy. Kagome made a bemused face at the wall; some people became excited over the smallest of things –
"Kagome?" a hesitant but rather loud voice spoke through the receiver. In the background, Kagome heard the nurse shouting that you didn't have to yell to be heard on a telephone. The girl continued in her normal quiet level of voice. "is 'zat ye, Kagome?"
"Yes, Yousu, it's me," the schoolgirl said, grinning. No one could mistake the new girl's peculiar accent.
"Oh, Kagome!" Yousu launched into talking now that she knew who it was. "Thank ye so much fer takin' me fer eatin' this afternoon! I had the bestest time!"
"You're welcome," the girl answered. "Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to come to a slumber party tomorrow with Ayumi, Eri, Yuka and I. It's for my birthday, you see."
"Really?" Yousu exclaimed. "Ye four never exactly told me what one was…"
"There're great!" Kagome assured the girl. "Basically, we'll just talk and have fun and not really go to sleep, even though it's a slumber party. Just bring pajamas, a spare set of clothes, and a toothbrush. It's an overnight thing – you'll be sleeping at my place."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. After a few minutes, Kagome became worried.
"Yousu?" she asked.
"Aye?" was the immediate reply. "I was watin' fer ye to say somethin'."
At this remark Kagome laughed outright, catching the other girl off guard.
"What've I done, Kagome?" Yousu asked worriedly.
"Nothing," the schoolgirl assured her friend, trying to stifle her giggles. "It's just funny that everything is weird for you!'
"Hey!" Yousu protested. "It's not me…" she trailed off and began to giggle herself. "I guess it tis a bit strange… All of them seem to know everythin', but I don' know anythin'."
"So," Kagome said when she'd stopped laughing. "Will you be able to come?"
"I reckon so…Wait up an' I'll ask…"
While she waited, Kagome glanced up and saw her mum looking at her with a strange expression on her face. 'Who's this?' she mouthed. Kagome was about to reply when Yousu burst back into conversation.
"Yeah!" the girl said, barely able to contain her excitement. "They says I can go! I got one night a month where I can do stuff, an' they'll let it be tomorrow!"
"That's great!" Kagome said. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yeah… oh, they asked 'where do you live?'" Yousu repeated.
"Higurashi Shrine," Kagome told her. "Bye for now!"
Placing the phone back in it's holder she breathed out with relief.
That's one down, and three to go – her thoughts cut off as she noticed her mother still standing there.
"What, mum?" she asked.
"Who was that, Kagome? A new friend of yours?"
"Yes. She's new at school, and I thought it'd be nice to invite her to my party."
"That's kind of you Kagome," her mum said, drying the last dish in her hands. "What's she like?"
"Oh, she's very shy," Kagome began. "And I don't really know much about her, as she's just woken from a coma and can't remember anything – "
The plate her mother was holding crashed to the floor.
"Mum! Are you okay?" Kagome asked her, walking over to her and picking up the dish, which luckily hadn't been damaged.
"Yes, I'm fine, just… what was this new girl's name?" her mother asked.
"I said it a few times on the phone – it's Yousu," Kagome replied.
"Yousu…" her mum murmured. "I thought so…"
"What is it mum?"
"Oh, I read an advertisement in the paper and went to the hospital to see the child that was seeking a home from there," the woman explained. "She's just been woken from an unnatural sleep, and from what I could determine, she's orphaned. Her memory is gone except for the knowledge of her name and how to speak."
"It's Yousu." Kagome stated rather than questioned.
"Yes, I took pity on the girl, poor thing," her mother continued sadly. "She's been made a ward of the state, and now I am listed as her guardian. It seemed like the hospital was glad to get rid of her, though if she's like you say, I don't see why. They did say there were strange disturbances whenever she was around…"
"But if you're her guardian, then wouldn't she be living with us?"
Her mother nodded in answer to her question. "I offered for her to come and live with us the day after tomorrow. I don't think they've told her yet – I hope she agrees."
Just then, the telephone rang, echoing through the room. Kagome sighed and lifted it off its hook.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey, Kagome!" Yousu's breathless voice came over the receiver. "Ye'll never guess what's happened!"
I've got a pretty good idea… Kagome thought with a smile. "What, Yousu?"
"Well, I told 'em where ye lived, an' I was real happy, an' then a doctor came up to gimme a message 'bout some people that's offered me a home!" the girl recalled with enthusiasm. "An' I've got someplace to live now! The lady here reads out the name of me new home an' I says, wait up – that's Kagome's place, that is! An' it turns out that yer mum asked if I'd like to come live with ye!"
"Yes Yousu, mum was just telling me!" Kagome said, the excitement finally catching up with her. "It'll be like having a sister!"
"Yep!" Yousu agreed. "And ye can help me learn stuff again an' – oh. Okay, Kagome, they're calling me for another test-thing. I gotta go – see ye tomorrow!"
"Bye!" Once again, Kagome hung up the receiver and smiled. Turning towards her mother she leapt towards her and hugged her, smiling happily.
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" the schoolgirl cried. "You're the best, mum!"
"Kagome…? Mum…? What's all the fuss?" Sota asked suddenly, entering the room.
"We have a sister, Sota!" Kagome told him, hugging her brother as well, much to his disgust.
"Mum!" he said over his sister's shoulder. "She's scaring me."
Releasing him, Kagome began to laugh at the confused look on his face and was joined by her mother a moment later.
"What?" her brother asked, still lost. "What's going on?"
"You'll see!" Kagome said, smiling.
Well, that was unexpected. My fingers just typed and up on the screen a story formed under my very eyes! I think I'll stop there, or risk it seeming rushed again.
Stay tuned! Next up: the slumber party! Not to mention Kagome's disappearance on her fifteenth birthday:)
Please review! This fic has had…80 hits and just 10 reviews! Come on! We all know you readers can do better! – puppy eyes – please?
Until the next chapter!
Víra :)