I'll Be Missing You
Chapter Three
It was a dream. It was all just a completely horrible dream. There was no way Sesshoumaru could have shown up after three years. No possible way. Well, maybe there was a small chance that it was possible and I was just so angry I didn't believe it. That's nonsense.
I reached out a hand to turn the hot water off in the shower and the flow stopped. I grabbed a towel hanging by the shower, wrapped it around my body, and stepped out of the tub. Steam clouded my vision, but I could see well enough to find my discarded pajamas. Slinging the garments over my arm, I walked out of the bathroom and stepped into my room. The photo I had found clutched in my hands when I woke up lay wrinkled on the disheveled bed sheets. Evidence like this would lead to Kikyou hounding me even more.
It wasn't the first time I had found the photo in my hands. The photo of Sesshoumaru and myself on a swing set, his arms wrapped casually around my waist while he stood behind me. I often dreamt of Sesshoumaru and it was a well known fact that I sleepwalked. After a particularly nasty incident which involved me standing on the edge of the Administrations Building and then jumping, I was prescribed a sleep aid. It worked for the most part, but sometimes I still found myself in the living area the next morning or my pajamas completely different.
I glanced once more at the picture and shoved it into the drawer that contained everything else that reminded me of inu youkai. I ran a brush through my hair until the tangles were out and walked back into the bathroom, grabbed the hair dryer, and retreated once more into my bedroom.
The sound of a hair dryer woke me up. Kagome was already awake. I glanced at the alarm clock I had placed on my bedside table and groaned. 6:45 a.m.. It being Sunday, we were granted the privilege of sleeping in. Also, since it was Sunday, I had no idea what I was going to do.
I could explore the grounds. Maybe get in some practice. I could reorganize my room. It was rather messy at the moment. Or, I could simply devote my day to getting Kagome to talk to me. Then, we could train together. I liked that idea best.
I pulled the gray pants up to my hips and buttoned and zipped them. As usual, I was wearing something similar to a business suit, but without the blazer. My shirt was a deep plum color that matched the shade of the shoes I had dangling from my fingers.
A white jacket, very similar to the dress I had worn yesterday, was pulled over the ensemble, dropping to my knees. My hair was once again pulled into a ponytail. I walked out of my room, buttoning the last couple of buttons on my blouse, and stopped dead in my tracks.
There he stood. The subject of all of my cold sweat nightmares was now standing directly in front of me. The best thing I could do was pretend that he wasn't there. I placed my shoes on the floor in front of the couch and walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth.
"I take it you're working in the nurse's office again?" He asked. I gave a nod and quickly completed the task as hand. After placing my toothbrush back in the holder, I walked out of the bathroom, sidestepped around him, and sat on the couch.
"Why won't you talk to me, Kag?" Sesshoumaru used my childish nickname. My eyes remained fixed on the floor as I pulled my shoes onto my feet.
"Kagome." I muttered. "You have no right calling me that." I straightened the front of my pants and walked out of the dorm, closing the door quietly behind me.
To say I was shocked would be a gross understatement. I didn't understand why Kagome would snub me like this. The last time she had acted like this was just after her father left. Why wasn't she speaking to me? Why wasn't she looking at me? Why wasn't she letting me call her by her nickname? I have to admit that it hurt to see my childhood friend ignoring me.
I ran a hand through my hair, wincing as I pulled at a tangle. I desperately craved a shower, but was torn between doing so and running after Kagome. It was obvious she was pretty steamed, so I opted to take a quick shower and then try to talk to her.
I could just see Kagome dashing across the school lawn, her nurse's coat billowing behind her lithe form. I automatically assumed she had run into Sesshoumaru and shook my head. My older sister could be so irrational at times. A hypocrite, even. I could only hope that she would talk to him soon. School was tomorrow and she was bound to have some classes with him. I rose from my bed and stretched my arms upwards, sighing as several satisfying pops reached my ears. I sensed Inuyasha was awake and smiled.
What made him think that he could call me that? No body, with the exception of Kikyou and several younger students, called me Kag. And here he comes, showing up after three years and he thinks things are just going to go back to normal? He was wrong. Dead wrong. I stepped into the nurse's office and walked towards a separate door concealed behind a curtain. I pushed the cloth aside and stepped into another room. It housed several beds covered in plain white sheets and pillows, but only one was occupied. The stubborn wolf demon had yet to recover from his… tumble.
"How are you feeling today, Kouga?" I asked him. I looked at his medical chart, checking several things off as I glanced at the monitors placed by the bed.
"Shitty. My head is pounding." Kouga groaned.
"Well, that's going to happen when you jump out of a tree." I answered.
"Eh, it was worth it. Get to see my woman every day." He smirked and I rolled my eyes.
"I've told you before, I am not a possession. I am a person. And I belong to no one."
"Oh, come on, Kagome. Just one date. Next time we go to town."
"I don't date, Kouga. I thought I had made that painfully obvious to you and the rest of the male student body."
"You won't even give me a chance?" He asked. I shook my head and handed him two pills along with a small cup of water.
"Take those, shut your mouth, and try to get some rest."
"Your temper's short today, Kagome." Kouga chuckled and I walked back into the examining room. A wall clock read 7:30. Most people were still asleep, so I didn't' have anyone to tend to. Sighing quietly, I sat in the chair at my desk and placed my head in my hands.
My shower took longer than anticipated. I insisted upon using extra conditioner to insure that there wouldn't be any tangles and it quite a while to rinse my hair thoroughly. My clock read 7:30. Breakfast would be served in half an hour and I still had to get dressed and blow dry my hair.
My style was similar to Kagome's. Dress pants and shirts, no tie or jacket, but still put together. The pants I was wearing today were solid black and slightly baggy with a crease going down the front of each leg. My shirt was a basic white with buttons. Simple, clean cut,… me.
I walked into the bathroom, searching high and low for the hair dryer. It wasn't in the cabinets or on the sink, or anywhere else in the bathroom for that matter. She wouldn't easily forgive me for going into her room, but if I went outside with my hair wet I would surely catch a cold.
Her room was the same as it had been in Tokyo. Meticulously clean, not a thing out of place. Her bedding was crisp and white with cherry blossoms dancing sporadically along the comforter. I spotted the hair dryer lying beside the bed and quickly unplugged it, getting ready to leave. My nose stopped me. Her room was dominated by the scent of sugar plums and green apples. The same distinctive scent from three years ago. I shook my head. My Kagome had changed drastically in those three years, and I didn't like it.
Kikyou all but tackled me when I walked out of my room. I chuckled and returned her embrace.
"You smell the same as you did in eighth grade." She sighed, stepping back.
"You, too. I guess it's a good thing, though." I gave her my famous fanged smile and she elbowed me in the arm.
"Anyway, breakfast isn't for another fifteen minutes, so what do you want to do?" She asked.
"Does Ren and Stimpy still come on?" I grinned when she picked up the television remote and turned it on.
"How pathetic are we?" Kikyou laughed and sat on the couch, her knees curled into her.
"Feh. When I'm old I will still watch cartoons." I sat next to her and tried to focus my attention on the screen. "Be quiet, you idiot." I mocked the dog on the television.
Kikyou giggled and glanced at me. "Is it just me or does Stimpy not look like a cat?"
"That's a cat?" I asked after several seconds. "No wonder I don't like him."
"Oh, come on, Yasha. If a chihuahua and a cat can live together then so can you." She reasoned. The bell for breakfast rang four times and Kikyou and I exited the room.
"I saw Kagome running into the Administrations Building this morning." Kikyou muttered.
"Was she going to the nurse's office?" I asked.
"Yeah, but she's never left that early. I'm guessing Sesshoumaru tried to talk to her again."
"Why won't she talk to him? I mean, they were best friends. I never expected her to act like this."
"She says it's because he never wrote." Kikyou replied. "I say different."
Kagome took her seat at the end of her regular table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had removed her jacket, so her body was covered only in her pants and blouse.
"Hello, dear sister." Kikyou sat beside her with Inuyasha on the other side.
"No." Kagome replied.
"No what?" Kikyou asked.
"No, Kikyou." She muttered.
"Kami, are you psychic or something?" The younger sister asked bitterly. Inuyasha laughed quietly but quickly stopped when Kagome glared at him.
"I know that look. It's the 'Don't mess with me or I'll purify you to hell' look." Sango sighed as she sat on the other side of the bench.
"You must be having a bad day if you're using that look so early." Naraku sat beside Sango, grabbing a piece of toast from a plate. The seat directly in front of Kagome was still unoccupied. After a few seconds Sesshoumaru took it.
'They planned it.' Kagome thought.
"Um, hi, Kagome." Sesshoumaru greeted cautiously. Kagome remained silent.
"Kag, it's common courtesy to say hi back." Kikyou growled. "You're going to have to talk to him."
"No, I'm not." Kagome grabbed an apple from a bowl of fruit, swiveled around on the bench, and stood up.
"Kag, wait." Kikyou grabbed her arm.
"Back off, Kikyou. Just leave me alone."
"Talk to him, Kag. Tell me you can resist this face." With her free hand Kikyou turned Sesshoumaru's face to look at Kagome.
"I can and I will." Kagome's arm glowed for a fraction of a second and Kikyou quickly retracted her hand. Kagome glared at her younger sister and stomped out of the dining hall, the headmaster running after her retreating form. Naraku and Onigumo glanced at each other for a second before following.
"Did I miss something?" Inuyasha asked.
"They're the only ones who can handle her when she's pissed. Now, at least. If she would get her head out of her ass then Shou could help." Kikyou replied.
"Well, I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon. She flippin' hate you, Shou." Inuyasha chuckled. Sesshoumaru silenced him with a glare.
"Kagome, open the damn door!" Onigumo shouted, pounding his fist on the nurse's office door.
"I'm on my breakfast break, come back in half an hour if it's important." Kagome replied calmly.
"Kagome, open up. Naraku's vomiting blood." Naraku made a gagging sound and Kagome sighed.
"Go away. I don't feel like talking about it."
"Step aside, boys." The headmaster pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket. "Sometimes being headmaster has its advantages." He inserted a key into the lock on the door knob, twisted it, and pushed the door open.
"You brought the headmaster with you?" Kagome asked angrily.
"Actually, I was the first one to follow you, Miss Higurashi." Ryuu answered. Kagome moved to get up to make the customary bow but he shook his head. "I know your knee has been bothering you lately."
"Hai, Headmaster." Kagome took a bit out of the apple she had brought with her and rubbed her knee.
"Would you care to explain what happened in the dining hall? It's not like you to disobey the school rules." Ryuu casually sat in a vacant chair while Naraku and Onigumo sat on the examining table.
"Off the record?" Kagome asked. The headmaster nodded. "PMS. My powers are far too sensitive."
"Please, Kagome." Naraku snorted. "You used that excuse the last time your powers spiked."
"Well, how do you know that I'm not telling the truth this time?" Kagome asked.
"Because, if I recall correctly, your menstrual cycle is the first through the seventh. It's the fifteenth."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that. But, what really happened, Kagome? You won't get into any trouble." Ryuu interjected.
"Honestly, I don't know. My powers have been acting rather odd lately." She answered hesitantly. "The same thing happened the other day, though."
"What do you mean?" Onigumo questioned.
"Do you remember in gym on Thursday when I purified the door knob?" The men in the room nodded. "That wasn't me. I mean, it was me, but I couldn't control it. And at night I've been hearing voices in my head"
"What kind of voices?" Ryuu asked. His posture stiffened slightly.
"I don't know. It's a jumbled mess, so I can't understand anything."
"Have you told anyone?" Onigumo spoke up.
"Are you crazy? Over half of the people here are already terrified of me. Why would I add to that fear by telling them that I can't control my powers and I'm hearing voices?" Kagome replied sarcastically.
"You haven't even told Lady Kaede?" Naraku asked in mild disbelief. Kagome shook her head.
"I want you to start taking extra lessons with Lady Kaede, Miss Higurashi. Two hours everyday. And I would like to assign you an assistant for in here." Ryuu focused his gaze on the back wall as he spoke.
"Headmaster, I have mid-terms coming up! I need all my free time for studying." Kagome said.
"I will hear nothing about mid-terms. You will take extra lessons. Understood?"
"Yes, Headmaster." She sighed and slumped back in her chair as the man left. Onigumo and Naraku remained on the examining table, neither one talking for several minutes.
"So, what's up with you and that Sesshoumaru person?" Naraku finally asked.
"Absolutely nothing. He can rot for all I care." Kagome took another bite of her apple and tossed the core into the garbage.
"You're a terrible liar, Kagome." Onigumo stated shortly.
"So, what?" She walked to the door where her coat was hanging on a hook and pulled it down. "Promise me you won't tell anyone about this. I'm under enough stress already. I can't take people giving me weird looks." Kagome took a small bottle of pills out of the coat pocket, opened it, and took two out.
"Yeah, yeah. We won't tell." They answered irritably.
"I mean it. Not even Kikyou. She worries about me enough already." Kagome swallowed the pills with a sip of water and sat back down.
"We get it, Kagome. We won't tell a soul." The bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast. Naraku and Onigumo stood, waved to Kagome, and walked out of the office.
"I am not going to survive this year." Kagome groaned, placing her head on the desk. She sat in silence for a few minutes before the office door opened rather forcefully.
"Kagome, help! They're at it again!" A young man, one of the newer teachers, cam in, hauling a screaming Rin and Shippou with him. Kagome stood and grabbed the two children by their shirts.
"Stop yelling this instant!" She ordered. Both of them became quiet, including the teacher. "I didn't mean you, sensei. I can take it from here, have a nice day."
The man bowed out of the room and Kagome turned to the glowering eight year olds.
"Who is going to explain first?" She asked, tapping her foot on the floor.
"It's Shippou's fault! He pulled Rin's hair!" Rin exclaimed. "Rin did nothing!"
"Not true! She kicked me!" Shippou defended. This comment started more yelling.
"I said stop yelling! Do not make me bring the headmaster in here." Kagome barked. "Both of you, on the examining table." Shippou got up easily but she had to pick Rin up.
"Rin, you go first. What exactly did Shippou do?" Kagome asked.
"We were playing outside in the snow when Rin hit Shippou with a snowball. Rin didn't mean to, she was aiming for someone else. Well, Shippou gets mad and tries to use his fox fire on Rin, but sensei stops him. So, Shippou pulls Rin's hair, instead." she made a tugging motion on her hair. "Rin kicks him in the leg and then he pushes her down. Shippou calls Rin a bad man, so Rin hits him. Then sensei pulls Shippou and Rin apart."
"Shippou, is this true?" Kagome turned her attention to the kitsune.
"No! Rin lies!" the office door opened just as Shippou and Rin started yelling at each other again.
"I'll be right with you." Kagome attempted to silence the children, but to no avail.
"Kagome, the narcotics are starting to wear off!" Kouga shouted.
"Give me a second!" Kagome called back. She walked to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle. Walking to the door hidden by the curtain, she opened it and walked into the room.
"Sounds like a zoo in there." Kouga joked. Kagome rolled her eyes, handed him one pill and a cup of water, and walked back out.
Rin and Shippou were still yelling at each other. Kagome groaned and flexed her fingers. A flash of pink light emanated from the appendages, hitting the floor. Both became silent.
"Thank you. Konoe, you aren't sick. I suggest you leave."
"The headmaster sent me. Something about you needing an assistant." Sesshoumaru replied.
"No, I don't." She turned to Shippou and Rin. "Now, Shippou, what did you call Rin?"
"Shippou calls Rin a powerless freak!" Rin answered.
"Did not!" Shippou shouted. They were at it again.
"Quiet, damn it!" Kagome's voice overpowered theirs. "You know better than to call anyone that, Shippou."
"But…" The fox started.
"No buts. You know very well that you're lying!" She scolded. A knock sounded on the door and Kagome spun around. "What?!"
"Um… Kagome, the last of the second graders are ready for their shots." A shriveled old woman peeked around the door.
"All right. Give me five minutes." Before the door could close another teacher rushed in.
"Kagome, you're needed outside. Someone tried to break Susamajii." She stated hesitantly.
"Can't Nani help?" Kagome groaned. The woman shook her head. "Where is that woman?"
"I am so sorry I'm late, Kagome." The head nurse walked into the office.
"Thank Kami-sama." Kagome sighed. "It's hectic in here"
"How so?"
"The rest of the second graders need their shots, Konoe needs to be trained, Shippou and Rin need to be taken to the counselor, and some baka attempted to break my horse." Kagome answered.
"How's Kouga?" Nani asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail.
"He should be out within ten minutes."
"All right. I'll handle the second graders and Konoe." Kagome thanked her and walked out of the room, Rin and Shippou clinging tightly to her legs.
"Not the counselor, Kag-Kag! Rin and Shippou were just there two days ago!" Rin begged.
"Maybe this will teach you two to stop fighting." Kagome pried the eight year olds off of her legs and knocked on the counselor's door.
"Come in, child." A kindly voice answered the knock.
"Gomen nasai, sensei. But, Rin and Shippou have been fighting again." Kagome explained after she opened the door.
"It's quite all right, dear. You may go back to work now." The counselor gently took Rin's and Shippou's hands. Kagome bowed out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Turning on her heel, she quickly made her way down the hall and out the double doors.
"Kagome, about time!" Kaede exclaimed when she saw the student
"What happened, Kaede-sama?" Kagome pushed her way through the gathering crowd until she was next to the gym teacher.
"Come." Kaede led Kagome to the center of the circle. "Hojo tried to ride Susa. Got thrown off." Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Hojo, you baka!" She groaned. "You know no one can ride my horse but me!"
"Can you please stop yelling at me and fix my arm. I think I dislocated it." Hojo moaned.
Kagome glanced at Kaede, lifting an eyebrow. "You could have fixed that before I came out here."
"I didn't want to use any healing powers on him. Besides, it's good for your training." Kaede reprimanded. Kagome sighed again and knelt next to Hojo.
"I suggest you squeeze something. This is going to hurt." She said quietly. Hojo squeezed his eyes shut and gripped on her arms with his good hand. "One, two, three…" When she got to three Kagome forcefully pushed his shoulder back into the correct position. Hojo let out a howl and squeezed her arm even more. "You can let go. I'm finished." Kagome stood up and dusted off her clothing. "Where's Susa?"
"He ran off after he bucked Hojo off. I think he's at the back of the school. Take Hojo to the nurse's office and get him situated while I go get the horse." Kaede told her. Kagome nodded and helped Hojo up before walking back into the school.
"That horse is the devil." Hojo whimpered with each step he took.
"There's a reason why I named him Susamajii, Hojo." Kagome grumbled.
"Susamajii… fierce. How ironic." Kagome opened the door to the nurse's office and carefully walked inside.
"Good Kami-sama on earth! What happened?" Nani stopped talking to Sesshoumaru and turned her attention to Kagome and Hojo.
"Never try to ride Susa. He will buck you off and just laugh about it." Hojo groaned.
"Everybody knows not to ride Susa, Hojo. Kagome, put him on the examining table." Kagome nodded and stood next to the table, helping Hojo get on it.
"He dislocated his shoulder, but that's fixed. He'll need a sling. I think he broke a bone in his wrist, but other than that there's nothing. Just some bruises." Nani made some notes while Kagome told her the diagnosis.
"Sesshoumaru, there's a closet across the hall that has some crutches, slings, splints, and braces in it. Bring me a sling, splint, and wrist brace." Nani told the boy. Sesshoumaru nodded and walked out of the room.
"Morphine, morphine, morphine." Kagome sifted through a cabinet holding several small vials of clear liquid. "Ah, morphine." She grabbed a vial and a syringe.
"What do I need morphine for?" Hojo asked, looking worriedly at the needle in her hand.
"Your shoulder is going to start hurting and it will not be a subtle pain." Kagome thumped the needle and carefully rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "Now, don't move or this will hurt." She pushed the needle into his arm, injected the liquid, and pulled it back out. "Where is the sling?" She muttered to herself.
"Here." Sesshoumaru walked back into the office, holding out the piece of navy blue cloth. Kagome took it from him and helped Hojo sit up.
"You know, Kagome, I respect you." Hojo's words slurred together as he spoke. "Who else would work in here every weekend when they could be out with friends?"
"And there goes the morphine." Kagome sighed. She carefully settled his injured arm into the sling and adjusted the strap so that it fit comfortably. "Can you walk?"
"Of course." Hojo pushed himself off of the table, swaying slightly. "I've been wondering, Kagome. Will you go out with me?" Kagome rolled her eyes and started leading him towards the room hidden by the curtain. Hojo stopped when he started swaying again. Kagome glanced at him before he collapsed on top of her.
"Oh, dear." Nani muttered. "Maybe we should have given him the morphine when he was already in bed."
"Get him off. I can't breathe." Kagome groaned. Sesshoumaru pulled Hojo off of her and she got to her feet. "Put him in the bed at the far end of the room. I'll get some monitors hooked up soon." Sesshoumaru nodded and walked into the other room. Kagome sighed and collapsed into a chair.
"Are you okay, Kagome?" Nani asked. She sat in an empty chair, staring intently at the girl.
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. What time is it?" Kagome asked.
"About 9:00 a.m. Why?" Kagome groaned and placed her head on the desk. Sesshoumaru walked back out of the room, the door closing quietly behind her.
"Who is the other occupant?" Sesshoumaru questioned, looking at Kagome.
"Kouga. He decided to jump out of a tree to spend some time with Miss Higurashi." Nani replied. "Apparently he has a little infatuation with our nurse." The woman giggled quietly. Kagome lifted her head slightly and glared at her.
"I'm going to go check on Rin and Shippou." Kagome carefully stood up, hiding a wince as what felt like an electric bolt shot through her knee.
"Oh, no, you don't." Nani stopped her. "You're not going anywhere with that knee."
"It isn't that bad, sensei." She grumbled.
"I don't care. On the examining table." Kagome sighed and pulled herself onto the metal table. "Put your leg up." Kagome followed the order.
Nani rolled up the pant leg and stifled a gasp. Her entire left knee was bruised and swollen. "Sesshoumaru, knee brace and crutches. And could you hand me the bottle of pills in her coat?" Sesshoumaru nodded, slightly perplexed, and handed the nurse the bottle before once more walking to the closet across the hall.
"Why didn't you tell anyone your knee had gotten this bad?" Nani asked.
"Because. I don't need anyone's sympathy." Kagome muttered. Sesshoumaru walked back into the room with a knee brace and crutches in his hands.
"How do you feel about bandaging her knee, Sesshoumaru? May as well get you used to it early." Nani suggested. Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome for a short while before nodding. "All right. It's not brain surgery or anything. I'm sure you've done it on yourself before."
"Hai, Nani-sama." The nurse smiled lightly and walked out of the office. "Lift your knee." Sesshoumaru told her gently. Kagome obeyed, though the movement caused even more pain to shoot through the injured leg. He carefully wrapped the brace around her knee and allowed her to relax. Kagome, still not meeting his ever protruding gaze, rolled her pant leg back down and stood up.
"Kagome, please speak to me." He whispered. "You can't ignore me forever."
A deafly silence filled the room. Only their breathing could be heard. "Try me." Kagome answered.
Author's Note: The much anticipated update. I know, it sucks. Constructive criticism is welcomed and is loved. If you flame me I become an unhappy authoress. I hope my reviewers will remain loyal to me even though I cannot update as often as I'm sure they would like.
Special Note: I have a new story idea. For some reason I've been getting into Jack the Ripper a lot lately. Well, I don't believe I've seen a story based off of the infamous Ripper murders. That's my idea. Have it set in old time London and have it take place in the same time as the original Ripper murders, just have the Inuyasha characters.
Or, I could have a copycat Ripper story. Same premise, just in modern times. You, dear reviewers, choose. Would you rather have the original Ripper murder story told or the copycat Ripper story? Tell me in your reviews.