Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Mm… Thanks for all the yummy reviews! Hey, I updated pretty quickly for the last chapter…be patient, it won't take long.

Title: I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

Chapter Three: Collision And A Frozen Elevator

Silence. As she stepped back into her room, from a cold, sleepless night on the balcony, she listened carefully while making her way to her bedroom doors. Hesitantly, she came down to her knees and bent over to peek under the door. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she stood and slowly, cautiously and quietly left her room, eyes darting back and forth from every door, tiptoeing through the hall, and she dare not make a single sound. As she walked slowly, her small footsteps making no sound, she had the strangest feeling that someone else was there with her…

"Aaggghhh! Souta, what the hell!" As she turned from her brother's reflection of the glass bar, he glared at her.

"Geez, Kagome, what the hell back at you. Run down the main hall and wake everyone else up, why don't you." He was straightening his tie, smoothing back his hair. Glancing at his watch, he picked up his briefcase and walked past her around the bar, rushing towards the door.

"You've got about an hour and twenty minutes to get to school, Kagome. Look on the table out on balcony. Talk to you later, I'm late!"

He comically jumped around, trying to shove on his shoes and ran to open the door, where a nicely dressed Kohaku stood, hand raised to knock and blushing.

"Err… Hello, Mr. Higurashi," Kohaku bowed to him, mumbling. But, he was not the only one who looked nervous.

"Ah, yes, good morning Kohaku," A light blush stained Souta's cheeks, and then he snapped out of his nervous trance.

"Forgive me, I'm late," He bowed back to Kohaku and ran past him, headed for the elevator.

Kagome, who had been standing and watching by the bar this whole time, was also turning pink. She gestured for her friend to come in but instead, it was she who had to go over to him, pull his frozen, shocked figure into the room, and close the door.

"Hey, Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Please tell me this is not a dream."

"This is not a dream."

"No, that this really, truly, honestly is not a dream."

"This is really, truly, honestly not a dream."

"No, that this-"

"Kohaku… shut up and sit down."

"Right."

Kohaku followed her out onto the balcony, his focus completely lost in dreamland as he allowed her to shove him into a chair. Kagome turned her attention to the contents of the table: There was a plate of bacon, a plate of different eggs and then a plate of toast with butter, jams, etc. Next to the breakfast plates was a small black flip Fido Cell phone, holding down a small envelope with her name scrawled in the middle. She set aside the phone, and held up the envelope, and then eyed Kohaku.

"…haku…"

"Nnn…"

"Kohaku, are you listening?"

"Huh…what?" He snapped out of his reverie, and looked up at the impatient teenage girl, waving the opened envelope. She sighed, and set the envelope, the phone and the small pocketbook filled with money into the pocket of her robe.

"I said, 'Eat something'. I've got to get ready…the letter from my brother said I'm going to Himiko-Den High School. I don't know when my classes are, and I have to take a shower and get my uniform and stuff…"

"Where did you think my uniform was from? Silly, this is Himiko-Den's guy uniform."

"Eh…eh? Really? Well, lucky you, you're all ready, but I'm still in my pajamas. Eat some of this, or it'll go to waste."

"What's your hurry…? Or…I guess no one told you- on Wednesdays, school starts an hour later than usual. Kagome stopped in her tracks at the glass door, and turned to look at him, puzzled.

"What! How come I wasn't told about this? In Souta's letter, in says he used to go there…why didn't he say…?"

"Probably because he graduated, what, three years ago? Anyway, so we have two hours to go. Relax…and eat. You look like you've skipped a month's worth of meals, girl." She glared at him, and walked back over to the table, and sat down. She grabbed the plate of bacon, took a tiny piece and chewed tiny bites, smirking at him. He shrugged.

"That's just fine and dandy, girl. But you'll eat it." He laughed. Now they were acting like real, old friends as Kohaku picked at the plate of toast, asking her how she liked her toast and she spit back that she hated toast. Then, he moved on to the eggs, and she said they made her sick. He just laughed back at her.

"That's just fine, Kags. You eat that whole plate of bacon; and I mean every last bite. We clear on that?" She just glowered back at him, gnarling of piece after piece of bacon.

Fresh from the shower, dressed in her school uniform with her knee-high boots and eyes dark with makeup, Kagome stood before her full-length mirror and wondered how she should wear her hair.

"Agh, just come here. If you don't hurry up, then we will be late. You're as bad as Inuyasha!" Kohaku rose from his position on her bed, and came up behind her and grabbed the hairbrush.

"Really? I am?" She smiled at the thought of the silver haired boy, standing before a mirror with a hairbrush, trying to figure out how to do his hair.

"Yeah. That jerk took a forty-five minute shower this morning, and then he had to do his hair, which took fifteen minutes, and then he couldn't figure out what to wear. Hey- it's not funny!" He pulled on a silky strand of her hair playfully, and then reached for a black hair tie, while she still giggling.

"Yes it is, Kohaku. A guy, taking that long- oh, I'm sorry, it's just too awesome!" He ignored her and seemed to have finally decided on a loose look, her hair brushed to the right hanging over her shoulder with the band just an five inches above the ends of the hair. He examined his work, and she gave him a thumbs up in their reflection.

"All right, let's go…we now have half an hour to get to school. Lucky us, we don't have to walk to the train station- we have a car."

They left the apartment, Kagome checking for her key, pocketbook, cell phone, and the new briefcase that had been left for her on the bar, filled with necessary supplies for school.

"Now I know they picked everything out themselves…only the best technologies, only…the best laptop?" She was mumbling to herself as she was rifling through the briefcase. There was a small, handheld computer- that she would find stocked with internet, office programs, e-mail, Photoshop, etc. They entered the elevator and Kohaku gave her an exasperated look.

"Aw…that's so not fair. Mine's a 2005 model- I need to update." He pushed the ground floor button, but it would take a moment to reload, and they leaned against the wall impatiently. Suddenly, there was a noise out in the hall, and Kohaku was waving to someone.

"Yasha, hey, man! Why aren't you dressed yet?" It was the silver haired demon himself, walking down the hall in sweatpants and a t-shirt, holding a towel with a mischievous grin.

"Not going today." He ran into the elevator just in time, and Kagome instinctively moved slowly behind Kohaku, so as not to draw any attention. The elevator door closed, and the elevator moved down slowly, so Kohaku and Inuyasha struck up conversation.

"What are you doing here then?"

"Aw, I'm going down to the pool today. I need to catch up on my exercise."

"I'll say. After all that junk food and sleep, you're going to need it, heh."

"Say that again and I'll pop you, got it punk?" Both boys laughed, and suddenly Kohaku remembered his female acquaintance. He turned and pulled her in front of him so Inuyasha could see her, and Inuyasha's face perked with interest.

"Don't tell me you went straight, man," He scratched his… Doggy ears? Kagome wondered why she really hadn't noticed before, and eyebrows flew up. Inside her, an insatiable desire to touch them spiraled into her mind.

"No way in hell! Souta's my one and only…so, you can have his sister. Kagome, this is Inuyasha, and vice versa." He pushed her up closer to his friend, but she still hadn't stopped staring at the ears.

"What're you looking at, honey?" He frowned down on her, not sure what she was thinking of him.

"Can I…touch them?" He was stunned, unsure of what to say.

"Wha…what did you say?"

"Can I touch…your ears?" Behind her, Kohaku nodded encouragingly, mouthing a silent "Go on" and Inuyasha looked back down on her.

"Um…I guess. Knock yourself out," he bent down so she could reach. Slowly, she lifted her hands up to his head, and lightly pressed her fingertips to the smooth, silky surfaces of his flattening ears, before she got the courage up to stroke them. It wasn't until the elevator chimed, and Kagome was brought back to reality, that she let go and he stood back up straight. She smiled, and headed out of the elevator and waited for them to come out.

"Phew, now that I got that out of my system…" He was still looking at her strangely, and she wondered if she had possibly offended him.

"Um…I'm sorry if I bothered you by that…but…" He shook his head.

"No, it's okay. Most people really don't take to a freak with dog ears…"

"…But they're really awesome! Nobody I've ever heard of has ears like that."

He slowly started to smile, while behind him was Kohaku who was so happy, he could barely stand it.

"Um, Kagome, we have to go to school now…" He could barely contain the happiness in his voice, but both his friends turned to look at him.

"What's got you all happy?" Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, and Kagome merely shrugged and went over to Kohaku's side.

"Ah, it's nothing. Well, see you later!" Kohaku started off, but Kagome lingered a moment, and stood looking at Inuyasha shyly.

"Um, I guess I'll be seeing you then…" He grinned at her.

"You guess? I'll be seeing you in class tomorrow- I'm a red tie as well," He pointed to her chest, which had a red scarf tied in the center. She blushed, and nodded, walking backwards.

"Kagome, come on!" She laughed.

"Well- I, err…better go." She turned and ran off to catch up with Kohaku, while Inuyasha chuckled and headed off to the pool, feeling pretty good.

It was only first period, and already Kagome hated the school. Sure, she was amazed at the enormous glass building, filled with up-to-date textbooks and the latest technology and the smaller classes, but almost everybody she had spoken to thus far was…well, really bitchy. The first moment she stepped into the registration office, all she got were these looks from all the secretaries, like she was some kind of freak- but it was probably because of all the looks she was getting from the guys. It seriously freaked her out. And then, right when chemistry had started, some asshole sitting behind her reached up her skirt. She had yelped, slapped him…and then got all these evil looks from the other girls, even the teacher glared at her!

Gah…this whole school is like the third ring of hell. Makes me wanna gag, She thought miserably. She tapped her pencil as her teacher went on to assign lab partners, and she saw some other girls whispering again. This was totally unfair! She was completely miserable, living with a brother who hardly knew her and a father she now half-feared, and no one in her class liked her, including the teacher! What if Inuyasha saw this and decided he didn't like her, either? I'm doomed! She mentally slapped her forehead. But just then, something else caught her attention.

"Yeah, I heard…mother was a circus freak…to a loony bin…" This lit Kagome on fire. Were they…talking about her mother…? No! The concept of such a thing struck pain and wild fear in her heart. How could they know? Not even her father knew about this…

Kagura was chatting gleefully to her friends about their new "freak" student, when all of the sudden a boot crashed onto her desk in front of her, and she sqeaked as she realized Kagome Higurashi was glaring down at her.

"Ahh! Teacher, Higurashi-San is attacking me!" Kagome disregarded this and the teacher that was angrily approaching. Her face twisted into an angry snarl and she grabbed Kagura by the hair.

"Why you little bitch! How dare you speak about my mother like that! You don't know me- you don't know anything!"

"Ow- ow! Teacher, she's hurting me!"

"Higurashi-San, sit down! Or, go home! Such crude behavior is unacceptable, and is not tolerated!" Kagome sighed, and released whining Kagura.

"Fine, I'll just come home. Please forgive my poor behavior, teacher." Her blood boiled as she forced herself to act respectfully, and was threatening to explode as the older woman sneered with triumph.

"Very good, Higurashi. Tomorrow, I expect you to come back, and we shall act as though this never happened. Is that clear? You too, Kagura." Kagura bowed her head, smirking all the while.

"Yes, teacher, I understand. Don't worry Higurashi-San, I forgive you."

Inuyasha was only heading back from the pool, refreshed and relaxed from a long exercise of laps in the pool and a few minutes in the hot tub, and was feeling pretty sleepy when a loud crash ahead of him snapped him to attention.

"Eh? What the…" As he hurried to the closing elevator and stepped in, he saw Kagome Higurashi, banging her fists on the wooden elevator wall.

"Kagome?" Kagome froze mid-fist, and blushed, looking anywhere but her new companion.

"Um, Inuyasha…what are you doing here?" Inuyasha scratched his head, smiling unsurely.

"Uh…I might ask you the same thing, Kagome. Didn't we already talk about this…like two hours ago? I was going to the pool and just got done. But, weren't you going to school with Kohaku?" She smiled nervously.

"Um…I just got done, too…?" Inuyasha eyed her suspiciously, more of in a teasing manner.

"Oh? Normally, when I go to school, it doesn't get out until two o' clock…don't tell me they've changed the schedule this early in the semester." There was a moment of awkward silence. Kagome noticed that the doors were still open, and they were still on the first floor, but as she reached for the buttons, he pressed the seventh floor, and then they were on their way up as the doors closed.

"So really Kagome, what's up? You don't look too happy, for someone who was beating on the wall."

"It's just really…stupid reason. I shouldn't have left anyway."
"So what is it?"

"Uh…well, you see- this one girl, Kagura…" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Okay…now I totally see where this one's going. What's she say?"

"Well, I don't know how she knows, but she was talking about my Mom, and, well…"

"Gotcha. I'll kick her ass tomorrow, no worries."

"What? No, that's not-"

"No worries. That old bag of a teacher doesn't scare me worth shit, and my brother has connections, so it's all good. Anyway, everybody's gone. Want to watch a movie or something over at my place?"
"Um…sure, I'll- agh, what was that?" As she was talking, the elevator had jerked forward, causing her to fall into his arms as both were slammed into the elevator door, and she looked at him and blushed, frozen in position. Inuyasha, however, was hardly aware of anything romantic in the slightest.

"You okay?" He asked, and frowned around the elevator and looked to the panel of buttons.

"What the hell was that?" He gently pushed her away and Kagome ignored the slight, disappointed sinking feeling she felt as he did. He pressed the seventh floor button again, and when nothing moved, he opened the emergency phone case, and forgot…to be gentle. He held up the phone with the broken cord, blushing tomato red sheepishly.

"Um, Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"We may be in here for quiet some time."

"Oh…"

Well, what did you think? I think they'll get longer, the chapters I mean.

What will happen with the two stuck in the elevator?

Review!