Chapter 2

Life or death

I was really happy. It was Saturday. Sango and I were exploring the grounds-Sango was carrying her giant boomerang. I had finally asked her why she had made it.

"So I can knock Miroku on the head whenever he's being a pervert!" she had said laughingly. I had wondered why she needed the boomerang for it when her fist had done an already good job. But the thing that I had learnt from being friends with Sango is that you should never argue with her.

"So Sango, the day before spring break is the big dance. Who you going with?" Sango shrugged.

"I dunno, I haven't asked anyone yet." I nudged her in the side.

"I bet Miroku would just beg in hands and knees to go to the dance with you." Sango smiled.

"And, who are you going with?" I shrugged.

"I thought I might ask Kohaku." Sango's smile vanished.

"You're going to ask my little brother?" Sango sounded astonished. I nodded. Sango shoved me to the side.

"Fine, but you better ask him before someone else does." I laughed and thanked her.

*_* ^_^ *-* ^-^

On my way back to the dorm tower I bumped into Kohaku.

"Oh, hey Kagome." He said. A blush creeping across his cute little freckled face.

"Hey Kohaku, um, would you like to go to the Spring Dance with me?" the blush deepened.

"Uh, oh sure. I'll meet you at your dorm at 6?" I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Sure thing!" life as I knew it was looking good. I felt very alive and full of energy. I skipped the rest of the way to my dorm.

In my room I was busy going through my wallet, seeing how much money I had. Ok, let's see:

Four twenties, five tens, two fives, and three ones, plus eighty-nine cents that made…$133.89! Plus a credit card! Sweet! I was rich!

Knock, knock, knock!

"Who is it!?" I shouted cheerfully stuffing the money back into my purse.

"It's InuYasha." My cheerfulness vanished.

"What do you want?" I groaned. InuYasha entered my room and sat on the bed next to me.

"Well, erm, I was wondering if you had already asked someone to go to the dance yet."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have." I said casually.

"What? Who?" InuYasha demanded.

"Kohaku, Sango's younger brother." I said walking over to my desk. I had just entered my deathbed and I was about to write my will if InuYasha didn't get out of my room NOW! InuYasha stared at me disbelievingly.

"You're going to the dance with a younger man? Why?" I got up and started shoving InuYasha out of my room.

"Because he's nice, cute, and he doesn't call me Dumpling Head!"

"Hey, I only called you that once!" InuYasha objected.

"Yeah, yeah." I said giving him one last shove out the door, and before he could reenter, I slammed the door in his face. I walked over to my desk and turned on my iPod. The song Mad World, by Tears for Fears started playing.

All around me are familiar faces

Worn out places worn out faces.

Bright and early for their daily races

Going nowhere, going nowhere.

Their tears are filling up their glasses

No expressions, no expressions.

Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow

No tomorrow, no tomorrow.

And I find it kind of funny; I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you cause I find it hard to take

When people run in circles it's a very, very

Mad world…mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good

Happy birthday, happy birthday.

Want to feel the way that every child should

Sit and listen, sit and listen.

Went to school and I was very nervous

No one knew me, no one knew me.

Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson

Look right through me, look right through me.

And I find it kind of funny; I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had

And I find it hard to tell you cause I find it hard to take

When people run in circles it's a very, very

Mad world…mad world…enlarging your world…mad world

I collapsed on my bed face first and sighed a sigh of relief into the pillow. I was alive and breathing again.

"Kagome, can I come in?" said the stressed out voice of Sango as she knocked franticly on the door. I got up and unlocked the door to let her in.

"So, you were right." Sango said. I looked confused. "You were right in saying that Miroku would beg on bended knees for me to ask him to the dance. And indeed I did ask him. He might be a complete lech but he is also my boyfriend."

"Well, as for me," I said. "I successfully asked your little brother out, but just as I enter my room InuYasha appears and he asks if I had already asked someone to the dance, and when I said 'yes I had' he demanded who and why. And when I told him that it was your younger brother-because he was cute and nice-he went into hysterics." Sango and I both cracked up at that.

We spent the rest of the day working out what days to go shopping on before the dance. We decided that next Friday-two days before the dance-after gym, we would catch the 12:30 bus and hit the mall then. Sango emptied her wallet and between the two of us we had $2,540.89, plus both our credit cards! We high-fived, and screamed with delight.

*_* ^_^ *-* ^-^

At lunch on Sunday, I was eating by myself in the courtyard, at one of the tea tables.

"Hey Kagome!" said a voice from behind. I turned around.

"Oh, hey Rin, Sesshomaru." The two sat down next to me.

"So, Rin. I'm guessing that you asked Sesshomaru to the dance?"

"Dam Skippy." Rin said with a triumphant laugh. Sesshomaru and I exchanged a look. His girlfriend was sweet most of the time but when she accomplished something that she wanted to accomplish, she was a total brag.

"What about you Kagome? Did you ask Sesshy's younger brother?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Sesshy's younger brother." She repeated. I still looked confused. "InuYasha." My jaw dropped to the floor-not literally, that would hurt.

"I-Inu-InuYasha?" I stammered. Rin nodded. Sesshomaru looked amused.

"He's my half brother." He explained.

"Well?" Rin prompted. "Did you ask him?"

"No."

"What…" Rin decided to shake it off. "Well, who did you ask?"

"Kohaku." And Rin and I immediately went into discussion about the dance.

"Sango and I are going shopping on Friday, you're welcome to join us if you like." I offered.

"Sure! I'd love to." She looked at Sesshomaru. He nodded.

"Thank you!" she flung her arms around his neck and knocked him off his seat and to the ground.

"Agh!" he gagged. Rin laughed and ran her hands through his long white hair. I decided to leave those two alone.

"See ya Friday Kagome!" she waved to me. I waved back and kept on walking. I looked back and nearly gagged. Rin had not removed herself from Sesshomaru and was now under him. She was now kissing him with a fiery passion, and he obviously, was kissing back. If I had stayed much longer I would have died of grossosity. I ran back to the building. Wanting ever so much to get the image out of my head a.s.a.p.

I walked along the garden path kicking the little pebbles as I went. I spotted Shippo sitting on one of the boulders that sits on the bank of the river in the back of the school.

"Hey Kagome!" he waved to me.

"Hey Shippo!" I waved back. He hopped off the boulder and walked over to me.

"Have you asked anyone to the dance yet?" he asked.

"Yes, I asked Kohaku. Has anyone asked you?"

"Yes, Kanna." He looked down.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I said no to her because I wanted you to ask me."

"Oh, well, I promise I will give you one dance if you go right now and tell Kanna that you will go the dance with her." Shippo looked up, a smile wide across his face.

"Ok Kagome!" and with that he took off as fast as his little legs could take him. I smiled after him as he tripped and fell flat on his face. I stifled a giggle and continued on my walk. A few more feet and I myself tripped, but instead of falling on the ground, someone caught me.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Yeah, you'd better be." Said the person who had caught me. I looked up.

"InuYasha!" he let go of me and we glared at each other. It got tiring so I turned on my heel and walked in the opposite direction. I had not yet gone a foot when InuYasha stopped me.

"What do you want?" I asked with all the control I could muster.

"I was asked to the dance." He stated. I tried not to gag.

"Well? Who asked you and what did you say?"

"Kikyo, and 'that I'm going with someone else'." I gave him a look.

"And who'd you say you were going with?"

"You." I slapped him across the face.

"Why the heck did you say you were going with me?"

"Because I didn't want to go with someone I hadn't bumped into yet." I could feel my face flaring red with anger or embarrassment…nah, it was anger.

"Hey Angel Face, your face is as red as a fire truck." InuYasha so graciously pointed out.

"Really I hadn't noticed," I said. My voice flooding with sarcasm. "And what did I tell you about the nicknames?"

"Right. I forgot. So sorry, your highness." The last bit was a sneer. "But just so Kikyo doesn't think I'm lying let me have three dances." He took a step closer. I opened my mouth to respond, but InuYasha took that moment to close his lips over mine, for the second freaking time! This time when I tried to shove him off of me, he let go.

"See you at the dance, Dumpling Head!" I managed to crush his foot as he turned to leave. That guy had some nerve. There was still no mood! But he got the setting right. A nice quiet walk by a river on a lovely spring day is considered-in my opinion-very romantic. He was getting better. I sighed and ran to catch up with him. We needed to find the right time to have his swimming lesson.

I saw him sitting at the tea tables (Rin and Sesshomaru were gone. Phew!)

"Hey dog boy!" I shouted. I giggled to myself. I give him a hard time about giving me nick-names and here I am giving him one. InuYasha turned his head.

"Yeah."

"When do you think you'll be ready to have a swimming lesson?" InuYash just stared at me for a while. Finally he spoke.

"Have you met my older brother?" it was my turn to stare.

"Are you nutso? I asked you when you were available to have a swimming lesson and you ask me if I've met your brother!" I stamped my foot hard over his. "Yes I met your brother. There, I answered your question now will you please answer mine!?" InuYasha just sat there and laughed.

"What?" I snarled.

"It's fun winding you up!" he laughed. I balled my hand into a fist and slammed it onto the top of his head.

"Will you please tell me when you are available so I can teach you how to swim!?" I asked. My voice a deadly calm. InuYasha stopped laughing.

"Tomorrow after ballroom dancing, directly afterward," a smirk spread across his face. "Dance with me and I promise I won't stubborn." I wasn't in the mood to argue so I told him yes. As soon as that was over I went to my dorm, picked up a blue and white striped bikini and matching towel and headed down to the pool.

Since the lane dividers weren't out and the pool was empty, I was very happy. I had the pool to myself. I went to the deep end and dove in. When I resurfaced I heard a splash. I ubbed the water out of my eyes and looked around. I didn't see anyone, so I ignored it and kept swimming. I closed my eyes and started floating on my back.