Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter twenty-six: Revolution
"Kagome, are you sure you want to do this? Are you really ready? You can wait another year or two if you want! It's not too late to notify the school and tell them that you won't be attending this year." A frantic and nervous Izayoi stood by the front door with the rest of her family, adjusting the red bow under the collar of Kagome's clean, white uniform shirt. Now updated with a nicer design, the school uniform for her was a pleated midnight blue skirt, a simple, white button-up shirt, and a dark blue jacket with the schools crest sewn under the lapel. The boys' uniform consisted of dark blue slacks, white button-up shirt, and matching jackets. All three of the children looked very sharp in their getup, but Kagome seemed most eager and proud of the ensemble as she stood there with the biggest smile on her face. The past three years had been good to her, and she now stood at normal height and weight, and it was obvious that she would grow to be a pretty girl. Her eyes were still as bright and blue as ever and her midnight black hair fell just below her jaw line in thick, healthy waves.
Now nine years old, Kagome was entering elementary school at the fourth grade level with her friends Sango and Ayame; though it was her first time attending after years of private tutoring. Inuyasha Miroku and Kikyou had moved on to the sixth grade as they were all eleven now, while Sesshoumaru was in the ninth grade and in High School. Both boys had gotten taller and matured in looks, taking after their father more and more with each year's pass. Sesshoumaru was still as close to Kagome as ever, a first and foremost best friend in her eyes. And though they still fought, Inuyasha and Kagome had found common ground and no longer hated each other to the brink of death-threats. They refused to acknowledge each other as brother and sister though, and Kagome continued to use her given last name rather than take on the Taisho's. Even with that, Izayoi and Inu-Taisho were her parents and she no longer had doubts of their love for her.
"Mommy, pleeeaase don't do this. You promised I could go! I want to go to school with my friends and eat in the cafeteria with them. Sango even said there's a dance team there! I have to go!" She begged with some laughter in her voice. It was comical the way Izayoi clung to her for dear life; but it was time that the chord be cut, so to speak. Kagome pulled Izayoi's hands off of her clothes and took a step towards the door with a smile on her eager face. The older woman in the room let out a whimpering noise and stood next to Inu-Taisho, leaning on him for the support and comfort she needed. He, on the other hand, was just as eager for Kagome to be off to school. With a handsome smile sent to her, Inu-Taisho nodded towards his daughter and she sent him back a dazzling smile of her own. Motioning at Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, the excited nine-year-old bolted out of the house and down the marble steps to the car waiting to shuttle the three of them to school. Her feet scrapped against the gravel driveway and the driver had the door opened for her as she launched herself into the interior. "Sesshoumaru! Inuyasha! Come on!" She yelled out to them, the soft dimples in her face showing as she smiled.
The boys followed Kagome with much less enthusiasm, Inuyasha most of all. He had been tasked with the responsibility of taking care of Kagome and keeping her safe. With much refusal at first, the indigent young boy claimed that he didn't want his reputation to be ruined by having her sit with him at lunch; but one deathly look from his mother put a stop to his complaining. Kagome wasn't too ecstatic about it either and knew already that Inuyasha would be the last person she'd go to if she ever needed any help. Her friends Sango and Ayame had promised to show her the ropes and Kagome knew they were more than willing to take care of her. The three of them had grown close over the years and found common things upon which to build a strong friendship. The two girls took to Kagome like surrogate sisters and showed her everything she'd missed out on during her years of homelessness. Sango and Kagome especially loved gushing over the hottest Japanese and Korean singers while Ayame sparked a love for musical theatre in the young girl. Each girl had a specific niche role in the group, Sango being the kind and protective sort, Ayame the confident and loyal type, and Kagome the sweet and silly one, each accepting and loving the other two for who they were. Weekends were spent with all three of them sleeping over at one of their houses, and always they referred to each other with an affectionate '-chan' following their names.
Sango was being raised in a household that spoke Japanese and English, and she was the always the first to know the newest and most popular trends to come from their homeland. Kagome knew that her father and Sesshoumaru spoke it fluently, but it wasn't emphasized as important for herself or Inuyasha to know. Of course, she knew a few phrases thanks to Sango's influence. Ayame, being only half-Japanese on her father's side, was in the same predicament as Kagome. It wasn't imperative for her to know the language; but it didn't stop her from wanting to learn it and join in Sango and Kagome's enjoyment of the culture.
Kagome couldn't wait to be in a classroom with them and other kids her age. She really did love her two best friends, but they and her new brothers were the only children she ever got to be around. Years of private tutoring had been torture for her, making it difficult to find others to play and be friends with. Hopefully the children at her new school would react positively to her and she too would one day have many friends like Inuyasha did, though Kagome wondered how difficult it was for him to keep up with all of them. The sixth grader was quite the popular boy; one didn't have to go to school to see that. He had friends over constantly and had grown very busy with his basketball team; so busy, in fact, that he was rarely seen around the house.
The same went with Sesshoumaru. Now a high school student, he was so much busier than he had been before. Still as smart and capable as ever, Kagome's admiration for the older boy never wavered or failed even as he slowly began to neglect and ignore her. And with the social life that comes with being in high school, commanding his attention was even more difficult. If Sesshoumaru wasn't doing homework or swimming, he was out with Kagura or his other friends until far past Kagome's bed time. She tried to not let the hurt show, but Sesshoumaru was keen and could easily pick up on her sad moods. And to alleviate those moods and to make her happy, he'd let her hang out in his bedroom while they did school work or sometimes the older boy watched Kagome practice her dances. It was in those rare and special moments that Kagome was reminded of her loyalty and devotion to Sesshoumaru; and if her feelings ever wavered all she had to do was take out the precious handkerchief he'd given to her years ago that had been drying her tears ever since. It was her security blanket that always remained under her pillow at night and went with her if ever she spent the night away from home. No one knew about it and it was her one and only secret that she kept to herself.
Her relationship with Inuyasha, on the other hand, was a complex and confusing one. With so many things in common, one would think the two would be peas in a pod; at least that was what Izayoi often said when she watched Inuyasha and Kagome spending time together (which was becoming increasingly common around the house). On the off chance the both of them had nothing else to do, Inuyasha and Kagome always somehow managed to start a video game or something of the sort. Sure, they'd fight and tease each other the entire time, but it was all in good humor and not meant to be hurtful. Animosity was no longer part of their relationship, but some nervousness still lingered due to their uncertain feelings towards each other. So long as no one was around to see it, the two had a comfortable friendship with the other that they seemed to mutually understand was under wraps and not meant to be open about.
One thing was for certain though; neither wanted to admit their strange similarities which everyone else seemed so keen on. They both were terrible at school work, math being both of their biggest problems, and each had a terrible stubborn streak to them; but Kagome's was a slightly different type. While Inuyasha's stubborn side came out whenever he was denied or forced into something he didn't want, Kagome's stubbornness mainly came out when she was trying to get better at something. Be it dance, school, or being patient with Inuyasha; she put a lot of pressure on herself to do it perfectly. Clumsiness didn't make things easier, but that, along with her overall optimistic and friendly disposition, only made people like her more. Kagome tried to extend the same kindness and generosity to Inuyasha every day, and at first he bucked and fought it with all his might, but eventually learned to accept her newfound sweet-side.
And through this, Kagome came to realize Inuyasha wasn't rotten; he just became very sour whenever he felt neglected. She could now see the reasons he was so rude to her during the first months of her living with them; Izayoi's and Inu-Taisho's attention had been primarily focused on her for the greater part of a year. With Inu-Taisho already emotionally distant from his youngest son, which was heightened as the man grew closer to her, she felt sympathy for Inuyasha now. If ever their father spent one-on-one time with her, Kagome always insisted Inuyasha join them as well. Even though she did like the private attention from the older man, Kagome knew it wasn't fair to Inuyasha for her and Sesshoumaru to hog all of Inu-Taisho's affection and time. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice all the small things Kagome did to make him feel better, and that was okay with her; she was so grateful to have been given a life like this that putting up with his moments of grouchiness were hardly a bother anymore.
On this day, that was the case as Kagome sat between the two boys and chatted away to no one in particular. Inuyasha had a cantankerous look on his face as he stared at the back of the drivers head, doing all he could to ignore the chatterbox sitting next to him. At least Sesshoumaru was nodding arbitrarily every now and then at Kagome's words, even though his primary focus was on the Ipod in his hands. He looked up when the driver announced that they were at the Elementary and Middle School section of the enormous campus, then he glanced over at Kagome. It was time for her and Inuyasha to depart from the car. As Kagome began readying herself to leave, Sesshoumaru gently touched her elbow and waited until she looked up at him to speak.
"Are you nervous?" He asked softly, with a monotonous tone in his deep voice. Kagome smiled brightly as she unbuckled her seatbelt and shook her head quickly.
"No! I'm excited! Wish me luck~," Holding up her pinky to him, Kagome smiled as Sesshoumaru nonchalantly hooked his pinky to hers and they then touched the pads of their thumbs together. It was a not-so-secret handshake she only shared with the most precious of people; those being Sango, Ayame, Sesshoumaru, and her parents. When she did attempt it with Inuyasha, he would just roll his eyes and brush her off with a swat of his hand. After a while, that came to be their handshake; a lazy swatting of the hands against each other (though Inuyasha didn't see it as a mutual and secret interaction like Kagome did).
When the car came to a stop outside the entrance of the school, the two youngest passengers waited for the driver to walk around and open their door. Inuyasha slid out first and before Kagome followed suit, she turned back to her older brother with a big smile on her face.
"Bye Sesshoumaru, have a good day!" She said excitedly and put her first foot out onto the cement. Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome went to leave the car, and all looked as if it were going to go smoothly until her other foot caught the edge of the car and she was out of sight on the ground. All three men, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and the driver, all jumped out of surprise at her tumble. Sesshoumaru's face was turned into a worried expression for a moment and he leaned towards the opened door.
"Kagome? Are you okay?" There was some urgency in his voice, but all worry disappeared when Kagome popped back up onto her feet with a big smile still on her face. Her hair was slightly roused and clothes twisted, but a few quick adjustments and she was as good as new. Inuyasha, who was just a few feet away, rolled his eyes as she laughed off her clumsiness and reassured both Sesshoumaru and driver that she was okay. That he had gotten worried for her at all was laughable. By now, the entire family should have become accustom to her clumsy nature rather than get excited every time she tripped. He turned back around towards the school as Kagome ran to catch up with him. Sesshoumaru chuckled under his breath and looked back down at his precious belonging as the car pulled out of the drive and took him towards the High School.
As the sixth grader neared the doors to the school, he was passed by Kagome walking at a much faster pace.
"No you don't," He muttered and grabbed her elbow gently. Looking back at him, Kagome narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha and yanked her arm away, making sure he didn't wrinkle the fine fabric of her jacket. This was going to be her first impression for the entire school and the young girl wanted to look perfect for it.
"What is it? Sango said she'd be waiting for me." She said impatiently. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, still a little upset that Kagome had effectively taken two of his friends and made them her own. At least he still had 'the guys' and, of course, Kikyou. She was now his 'official' girlfriend and the two were the most popular 'couple' in middle school. Of course, being a couple at that age didn't entail what being a couple at an older age did. They went so far as to hold hands in public and kiss every now and then if they thought they could get away with it. Inuyasha was being brought up with a very traditional view of how young boys and girls should interact, so it surprised most to find out that it was he having to keep Kikyou from going too far. But none of that mattered as he gave Kagome one final warning.
"Look here, Ka-Go-Away; I'm really popular at this school. Everyone pretty much knows you live with us and that you're adopted, but I don't want to be associated with you at all so whenever you see me in the halls, at lunch, or wherever; don't pull that crap that you use with Sesshoumaru. He may put up with you hanging all over him, but I won't. I'm not your friend, brother, or acquaintance. Got it?" Inuyasha growled when Kagome just rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms. She had a few words of her own to share.
"Look here, Inu-Yuppie! I don't need to use you to make friends. I have Sango and Ayame and I'm about to make a lot more friends too without your help! I'm going inside now. You wait out here so no one thinks we came here together." And with that, she turned on her heels, sending her short black locks dancing, and marched inside. Inuyasha was left fuming, upset that she had the last word, and followed her a minute later. He watched her, Sango, and Ayame all run up to each other and act as if they hadn't seen each other in years; it made him want to vomit. Quickly turning away, the twelve-year-old went to the cafeteria to find his group. He couldn't wait to hear at the dinner table how terrible her first day at school went.
As Kagome walked into the main lobby of the school, she instantly forgot all about Inuyasha and admired the beauty of the interior. It was so beautiful decorated with marble floors, hand carved wood finishing, and majestic architecture that looked as if it had come out of another time. As Kagome gazed about, admiring the grandeur, her hands grasped the tan leather straps of her plain backpack and pulled it higher on her shoulders as she ventured further to find Sango. The school seemed deserted; no sounds of running students or the collective hum of a cafeteria scene met her ears as she wandered the round lobby of the middle school with just the soft claps of her shoes against the polished marble. Suddenly, she heard her name being shouted and the fourth grader turned around in time to see two familiar people running towards her from the hallway. Instantly perking up, Kagome met them halfway and grabbed the hands of her two friends as they jumped together giddily. Their laughter was louder than they thought and a nearby teacher instantly shushed them, stopping their joyous reunion. Kagome tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled eagerly at her friends, hardly able to contain her excitement.
"Can you guys show me around? Like the gym and the cafeteria and stuff? I have my classroom number here." She said after catching her breath and took out a folded paper from her jacket pocket. The three of them huddled together to look at the information and Sango spoke up first.
"Yeah, that's on the second floor. It's close to Miroku's locker," She said simply, getting twin sly grins from her friends. Both knew how much Sango was starting to like Miroku, especially since he'd gotten out of his scrawny phase and had grown a good three inches over the summer.
"You already know where Miroku's locker is? Which one is it, Sango-chan? Have you already memorized his combination?" Ayame asked knowingly, and laughed when Sango swiped at her. The two girls were always the roughest with each other, while they handled Kagome with a much more gentle touch. As Kagome watched her two friends bicker playfully, she admired how nice the two looked in their school uniforms (since she'd never really seen them wearing them before). Ayame was the much more decorated out of all three girls with her pearl earrings, necklace, and rhinestone-studded braces. Her bright green eyes, flaming auburn-red hair, and olive colored skin showed her exotic origins; father being a Japanese native while her mother was Irish, though she was now married to an American business man she'd met five years ago. Everyone was drawn to the young girl's striking looks, but it was her exuberant and loud personality that pushed people away or made them stay. Naturally, Ayame was drawn to the theatre, music theatre to be exact, and she could often be heard singing Marilyn Monroe classics in eager anticipation to be on the stage for real.
Sango, on the other hand, was a much more conservative person than Ayame. She was drawn to sports and the outdoors and wore clothes that were comfortable and durable (unless she was dressed by her fashionista mother). She was a cute girl, but it was the hair that was her greatest beauty. Dark and thick, Sango's hair looked like silky sheets of oil cascading down her back. It was soft to the touch and seemed to never tangle no matter what she did to it. It was no wonder why Miroku liked her so much, or why Sango was starting to like him even more as well. But since he had become so dashing all of a sudden, other girls were starting to notice also; and that didn't bode well for the competitive Sango. She was a goal oriented person who hated to lose, which tended to make her become intense at times. But it was the times when she showed how loyal and strong she was that Kagome knew she had the best friend in the world.
"Shut up! Come on, let's show Kagome-chan her room." The three girls ran towards the elegant flight of stairs and climbed it easily to the second floor. Their uniform dress shoes clacked against the marble floors, echoing throughout the hallway as they roamed around to find the designated classroom. They had a good time getting side-tracked by locating bathrooms and explaining how to get to the gym, and time seemed to fly as they caught up with each other until the first chiming school bells signified that there were five minutes for the students to get to their classes. In less than a minute the relatively empty hallway became swarmed with students, bumping and brushing past each other like cattle. Kagome was a caught off guard and carried her bookbag close to her chest as she tried to find the right room. It was difficult navigating the halls when she was so unfamiliar with the layout of the school, and as soon as the first bell had gone off, the second one seemed to follow not a minute later. The halls were empty, with the exception of Kagome.
Her heart leapt up into her throat as she ran to find her classroom, and thankfully it didn't take too long now that the other students weren't roaming about and distracting her. Running up to the door, she opened it quickly and slipped in; but didn't stop the door in time to keep it from slamming. The loud and sudden sound instantly brought every gaze in the classroom on her small form. The teacher, a husky and friendly looking black man, smiled at her.
"Are you Kagomee Higarishi?" He asked kindly, though botching up the pronunciation of her name. Kagome blushed and took a few steps into the classroom, nodding quickly. Her tousled waves framed her blushing face cutely, and her blue eyes remained fixed on the floor in embarrassment.
"Kagome Higurashi," She politely corrected with a whispering voice. The teacher just chuckled and made a note on the attendance sheet, then pointed at a vacant seat at one of the desks in the middle row.
"You may take your seat there." He said and went to preparing for the day's lesson plan. Kagome kept her eyes down as everyone watched her walk over to the table and take her seat next to a short, blonde boy with thick glasses. As she placed her belongings on the surface before her, she noticed the boy looking at her curiously. With a small grin, she slowly opened up as he greeted her and introduced himself as Francois. In turn, Kagome introduced herself and they smiled at each other, but did nothing else when the teacher, Mr. Norman, began to go over the rules of the classroom and handed out the important first-day-of-school papers. Kagome sat up straight and paid attention to the teacher, eager to do well on her first day of school.
By lunch time, Kagome was on cloud nine. School was everything and more than she had hoped for. All the new people she was meeting were exciting for the girl who had only known the face of her one tutor that came to the house every day. Here, there were a plethora of different people to meet and know, teachers being some of them. They were nice and gracious with her since they understood her predicament leading up to this point. The students were kind as well, but understandably curious about the girl who seemed to have no past. Most of the students had known each other since kindergarten, so to have a new comer in their ranks was exciting and refreshing. They asked her where she came from, who her family was, and all sorts of questions along those lines. Kagome soon found out maintaining the secret of her past and present was difficult, but Sango and Ayame always came to her rescue.
As they sat in the cafeteria, which consisted of marble-tiled floors, top quality food, and long, hand-carved wooden tables imported from Italy, Kagome couldn't help but blush as she and her two friends were joined by many other students wanting to get to know her. It was mainly the girls wanting to become acquainted, to which Kagome was grateful; she was terribly shy around boys still, with the exception of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Miroku. Sango and Ayame helped with introducing her to other kids, and Kagome smiled and talked to those girls, but she remained with her two real friends loyally. They were her rock in the middle of a turbulent and chaotic sea of students and classes; unlike the boy sitting a few tables down.
Inuyasha sat with his usual crew of boys, but unlike most lunch periods where he was silly and loud, his focus had been on Kagome all day. Paranoia of her spilling the beans had plagued him since they parted ways, and with the big buzz about her being the new student, there was little anyone could do to quell his fears. In class, he could not pay much attention to what the teachers were saying, and instead thought about how she so easily could just let it slip without noticing and in a second ruin his reputation. There was a shudder that ran down his spine at the sickening thought. Miroku noticed the crazed look in his friend's eyes, which were bearing holes into the back of Kagome's head in an attempt to hear what she was talking about. He didn't even have to turn to know who Inuyasha was staring at and sighed as he popped a grape into his mouth.
"You're creepy," He mentioned off-handedly, earning a glare from Inuyasha; but it did get the boy to stop fretting and start eating. Inuyasha jabbed his steak with his fork and huffed.
"Shut the fuck up Miroku," He grumbled and tore a chunk of meat with his teeth. Kouga turned to watch his friend and rolled his eyes.
"If you don't want people to think there's something between you two, then you shouldn't be so obvious. Ayame just texted me that Kagome is doing a good job you need to stop watching them because it's creepy." This got Inuyasha's cheeks to flare up with embarrassment when he glanced up at a smiling Ayame. She fanned her dainty fingers at him in a waving motion and he quickly looked away. Remaining quiet, Inuyasha chewed his food as he thought to himself that keeping the secret would be easier than he initially thought. But then a conversation between two boys further down the table caught his attention when he heard Kagome's name mentioned.
"She's so cute! She got lost in the hallway and asked me where the library was. I walked her there and helped her find the book she needed. She's so nice and pretty…" Inuyasha couldn't take any more of that non-sense. Without hesitation, he let out a forced and strange laugh, effectively interrupting Kouga and Miroku's conversation. They, as well as the rest of the boys sitting at the table, looked at him oddly and waited for an explanation. Inuyasha just stared at the boys who'd been discussing Kagome with a smug and dismissive look on his face.
"You think that new girl is cute? You're stupid! I heard she's a total dork and she has to use makeup to cover all the gross pimples on her face." His boasting and cursing not only got the attention of the majority of the students (including Kagome), but also the focus of the teacher nearby. The boys who had been discussing Kagome quieted down out of confusion about Inuyasha's random outburst while a teacher stepped up and took the loud boy from the cafeteria. As Inuyasha was taken to the counselor for his misconduct, the entire lunchroom became abuzz with false rumors about Kagome. The girl in question blushed madly and gritted her teeth in absolute loathing of Inuyasha. The resolve to treat him kindly was cracking and crumbling.
"That Inuyasha…I can't stand him! Ugh!" Storming off, Kagome took her unfinished lunch tray to the disposal area and left the cafeteria with a stomping gait. It was obvious she was mad and Sango and Ayame watched her with mild surprise in their eyes. Neither knew the depths of Kagome's wrath yet and had no idea what she was going to do in retaliation. They quickly followed their friend to the courtyard to let her vent to them in safe privacy while they still had the free-time that lunch provided.
Inside the virtually uninhabited girl's locker room, Kagome stood in mirror staring at her reflection. The school's gym uniform she'd been provided was just like the other girls', white t-shirt tucked into the waistband of navy-blue shorts with a pair of sneakers on her feet, but it seemed far too big for her small, wispy body. Her shoulders were small and hips un-developed, making her look like one of the boys rather than a girl. Sighing softly, Kagome tried tucking the shirt further into waistband of her shorts to reduce the amount of excess fabric. It was for naught though, as a flat chest only perpetuated her un-feminine body type. She knew why her body was like this; it was from all the years of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. But no matter the reasons for her state, Kagome couldn't help but feel insignificant compared to the other girl's whose bodies were starting to round out and take on a feminine quality. Her insecurities about her body were only heightened by the fact that this was the first day of gym class and there was both anticipation and nervousness deep down inside her. Though in good condition, her body was small. Would she be strong enough to do the things other girl's could?
As all the young girls in her gym class formed neat rows in the gymnasium, the coach went down the roll-sheet and checked off every girl's name as she called them out. Once again, Kagome's name was mispronounced and she had to politely correct the woman. Other girls had reactions of giggling under their breath, but Kagome chose to ignore them in lieu of listening to the coach's instructions for the class. That was when the boy's filed into the gym and got into their own rows at the opposite end of the room. Kagome didn't pay them much attention and called out when her name was announced. Inuyasha, who was just on the other end of the gym in his own row, heard and visibly crumbled with dejection of sharing a class period with her; the only class period they could possibly share due to their differing grade levels. He suppressed a groan and answered his coach and Kagome's reaction to Inuyasha's presence was similar to his. The two caught each other's glances for the briefest of moments before quickly looking back at their respective coaches for a breakdown of the day's activity; but in the back of their minds' each fretted over how this would end up.
There was a long line of girls awaiting their turn to attempt what the coach had planned for them; the back-bend. Today's first activity was to test their flexibility and strength; something Kagome was excited for. She had become quite flexible due to her dance lessons and could bend easily, but holding certain positions was still a challenge for her developing muscles. As it came closer to her turn, Kagome tried to limber up and prepare while watching as the coach aided the girls in entering the back-bend. Most were able to execute it, some having success holding it for the desired ten seconds, but when one girl was not able to bend back far enough and ended up on her butt a few girls behind Kagome snickered under their breaths; to which she looked back at them with a disapproving glare. If they were laughing at her, she wouldn't have been so bothered. But, when the humor was at someone else's expense, it angered the small girl most. She watched as the girl walked off the mat with a dejected look and offered a supportive smile before stepping up to the coach.
"When you're ready, arch your back and fall backwards." The coach put a hand on Kagome's back and waited for the girl to begin. Without even blinking an eye, Kagome put her hands over her head and let her body arch backwards and went into the position easily. There was no fear on her face as she held the pose without the coach's aid, though her arms and legs did begin to tremble after the first few seconds. All the girls in line watched quietly in surprise to see a little thing like Kagome be able to do it when they'd only barely managed to. "Very good! You can stand up and go to the end of the line now," The coach helped Kagome stand back up and gave her shoulder a friendly pat. As she sauntered past the girls still in line, there was a proud grin curling on Kagome's face. So what if she was small? Seeing the surprise in their faces was worth it.
Inuyasha's group had been tasked with playing basketball. Since he was on the basketball team, Inuyasha was well versed in the rules and everything that went along with the sport. He had stopped paying much attention to Kagome when the game began and enjoyed earning the majority of the points for his team, but every so often he'd take a moment to check up on her. She seemed to be doing well enough as she stood at the back of the line smiling and chatting away with another girl. He saw happiness on her face, and a weird feeling began to spread in his chest at the sight of her smile. For a moment, the twelve-year-old got lost in watching Kagome smile and laugh, and he forgot where he was or what he was doing. His daydreaming was quickly ended though when a hard knock to the side of his face landed Inuyasha on his back with bright lights dancing in his eyes. Everyone in the gym froze when they heard the coach blow his whistle and rushed to Inuyasha's side.
"Taisho!" He knelt next to the boy's limp body and gave his shoulders a quick shake, getting Inuyasha to groan and turn his head slightly. Kagome watched curiously and with some concern in her eyes as she and the other girls watched the coach help Inuyasha to sit up and look him over carefully. Inuyasha seemed out of it as he lazily swayed back and forth with dizziness, but there didn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with him. "If only you would put the focus you have on girls into basketball, you'd be a much better player." An eruption of giggles and guffaws erupted in the gym and Inuyasha's face turned red with embarrassment. As he scowled and got to his feet finally, he could feel a painful tightness forming on the side of his head where the ball had hit. Once it was inspected by his coach, Inuyasha was dismissed so that he could rest and get some ice on the knot. Kagome watched as the upset boy escaped into the hallway and she started to feel sorry for him. For someone as proud as Inuyasha was, she knew being knocked down like that must hurt much more than just his cheek.
Instead of enjoying the sweet satisfaction of revenge, Kagome dismissed herself to go get a drink of water in the hallway so she could check on the sulking Inuyasha. As she walked across the gym, past the group of boys, she ignored their curious gazes and let the doors shut behind her. Finding Inuyasha wasn't difficult; he was sitting against the wall by the water fountain with his knees pulled up and head bowed in shame. The most pathetic looking thing she'd seen in a while, all of Kagome's smug satisfaction dissolved as approached the saddened boy and stood in front of him until he picked his head up to look at her. In his striking, golden eyes Kagome could see the sadness and hurt that he so obviously felt after being humiliated.
"What do you want?" He snapped angrily, but Kagome's reaction was patient and kind as she knelt down in front of him. Her bare knees touched the chilly surface of the marble floors and sent a shiver down her spine at the sudden coldness. Leaning in close, Kagome stared deep into Inuyasha's eyes without a hint of fear, animosity, or pity in her stormy, blue-grey eyes. As she neared, Inuyasha backed into the wall as much as possible and gazed back with surprise and confusion, taken back by her bold and unyielding stare. Why wasn't she answering him or saying some stupid, smart-ass retort? With such a short distance between them, and without anywhere else for him to look, Inuyasha got a good view of Kagome's sweet, heart-shaped face and it caused a light blush to flare across his cheeks. "Can I help you?!" He asked/yelled in a sarcastic tone. All it got was another smile from Kagome and she finally leaned away to stand back up onto her feet.
"I was just making sure you're going to be okay," her tone was nonchalant and breezy as she approached the water fountain to take a drink. Inuyasha watched from his low vantage as the strange girl tucked a piece of her unruly hair behind her ear before bending at the waist to put her lips to the arched stream of cold water. Kagome's eyes shut, her dark lashes resting against the apple of her high cheek bones, and she looked so peaceful and graceful that it caught him off guard. How was she so effortlessly able to go between infuriating and mesmerizing in just a matter of a few seconds? Still left in stunned silence, Inuyasha watched as Kagome turned to go back into the gym when all of a sudden she was flat on her face just a foot or so in front of him. It had happened so fast that the boy thought that he might have been imagining things, but Kagome began to groan and he realized that she had, indeed, fallen for a second time that day.
"Kagome," He said her name under his breath, his tone somewhat annoyed, and helped the fallen girl to her feet regardless of how silly he thought her to be. Kagome just groaned, a self-loathing and embarrassed sound, when she realized that her untied shoelace had been her undoing. She was about to crouch down to fix the problem when Inuyasha suddenly took a knee before her and did the job himself without a word of complaint or insult. Staring wide-eyed at the top of his head, Kagome wasn't quite sure what to say when he stood back up and seemed to examine her; but for what?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked softly, voice barely able to rise above a whisper. Inuyasha's hard gaze flickered across her face to meet Kagome's gaze, but they didn't linger there too long as he took a step back and unnecessarily went about fixing his uniform.
"Just making sure you're okay," Was all he could mumble under his breath before the situation became too intense to remain standing before Kagome. She watched as he hurried back into the gym to finish his game with the other boys, and as the door shut with a loud, metal clank, Kagome put a dainty hand over the racing heart inside her chest.