A/n: Wow...I don't even have an explanation. I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy the chapter and review.
Chapter Three.
Inuyasha woke up with a stretch. He didn't get much sleep last night. His mind doing flips over the girl from last night. Her face was drilled into his head and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
Kikyou ragged on her last night for hours. From the way she dressed to that stupid expression on her face when he disclaimed any previous encounters. Now it was haunting him.
Glancing at his clock, he cursed. "Damn, I'm late." Rolling out of the bed, he dashed to his shower, doing a quick but effective wash. Dressing in his regular baggy clothing, he went to his lovely 74 Transam. With Midnight Purple exterior and red interior, it was a complete babe magnet.
Throwing his backpack in the passenger's seat, he geared it in reverse and backed out the driveway before his mother came screaming out the house. Music blasted through the speakers as he cruised along the empty streets.
"DAMN!" He cursed, forgetting he had to purchase a book at the Library. Making a U-turn making a right. In ten minutes he had arrived at the library, running in.
One thing about the library was it was always open. 'Don't they ever go home?' Inuyasha thought.
"Hello?" He called out in a hurry. There was a desk clerk over to the left. He walked over, and stood there, trying to be patient. When she continued not to notice him he got agitated. "HELLO?!" he practically screamed.
The desk clerk jumped, turning around. Inuyasha's eyes bulged. It was the girl from last night! There was no way in hell that this could be happening. She was obviously thinking the same thing, her eyes darting for an escape.
"Oh I don't believe this shit!! Look, I'll make this simple on both of us. I purchased a book here three days ago and I need it. Has it come in?" He noticed her ridiculous tan trousers and suspenders that didn't match her orange tie and off white shirt. 'Does she dress in the dark?'
Kagome took a breath. Of all places, she didn't expect to see him here. "Shouldn't you be out selling drugs or something like the rest of the low lives?" she sneered. Inuyasha growled, but kept a cool tone. "Is the book here or not?"
Kagome checked into the computer. "What's your last name?" she asked. Inuyasha smirked. "Why, you stalking me now?" "No you ass. I need it for the computer." She shot back.
Inuyasha sighed. "Sakamoto." Kagome typed it in, and sure enough, the book was there. What was surprising was the type of book. "You read 5th century Angelo-Saxon literature? Wait, scratch that. You can read period?!"
Inuyasha sucked his teeth, ignoring the smart comment and nodded. "Yeah. I like Beowulf. And I have to write a 10 page essay on it by next week." Kagome smiled down at the keys. "I figured you were the type to like that. I'm very into Greek Mythology and literature."
"What's your favorite story?" he asked now interested. Kagome glanced at him, and then shook her head no. "Doesn't matter. Um…your book will be in next week." She said closing the discussion.
Inuyasha gave her a quizzical stare, shrugged it off walked towards the door. "And not that it's any of your damn business, but I've been an honors English student for the past six years. So, yeah, it sort of requires a little reading."
Kagome could say nothing as she unintentionally watched his butt. When she did realize, she blushed and went back to work, saying over and over that he was a bum, and she didn't like bums.
Inuyasha sat through a three hour class and had accomplished nothing. That Kagome girl had been on his mind. Her eyes, hair, smell, and her smart mouth. She intrigued him. No, she wasn't a looker, but his mother would do flips of joy if she saw them together.
"Like that would ever happen." He muttered to himself. His reputation on the streets just wouldn't allow it. Kikyou was more of his type. She was smart, sexy, and made him look good. 'Plus, she knows when to keep her mouth shut.'
The bell rung and he hopped out of his desk, dashing out of the car. If the lord permits, he wouldn't have to worry about the little nerd ever again.
0
Pulling into his driveway, Inuyasha got out of the car to see his mother shoveling snow. "Ma, what the hell are you doing?" he nearly shouted. Sick people weren't supposed to be out in damn near zero degree weather, shoveling snow.
The woman of silk ebony hair, and gentle hazel golden eyes, glared back at him with a deep frown. Arisa never liked her son's choice of words. "Inuyasha, have you lost your mind? Just who in the hell are you talking to like that?!" She screamed, irritated.
Inuyasha sighed. His mother was a constant hypocrite. "Ma, it's below 50 out here." Arisa smirked. "Well I knew you weren't going to shovel out the driveway anytime soon so I decided to get some work done."
"Have you forgotten about your weak state?" he asked sadly. Arisa puffed. "I'm sick, Inuyasha, not dead. Where have you been all morning?"
"School." He replied simply. Arisa paused in her shoveling. "And where else?" she asked cautiously. Inuyasha sucked his teeth. "No where. Go inside. I'll finish this up." Not giving her a chance to argue, he took the shovel out her hands and started digging in the mounds of white powder.
Arisa went as far as the steps, watching her son shovel snow. 'Please don't let him get back into trouble.' She closed her eyes, taking in the afternoon air, and walked into the house.
In no time, Inuyasha had the whole driveway shoveled. His cell phone rang out of his coat pocket. Without even thinking about it, he answered.
"Yeah"
Hey sweetie! What are we doing tonight? Kikyou's voice came out through the other end. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He really didn't feel like talking to her right now.
"I don't know Kikyou. I'm kind of busy tonight."
Oh Inu-baby. I wanted us to go to the winter festival tonight.
The Chicago Winter Festival was something, no one missed. It started on the 3rd of December to represent the three wise men. Unfortunately, every girl in Illinois thought it was the most romantic thing since Valentines Day. In truth, he didn't mind going. But he wasn't in the mood for wasting money on Kikyou.
"Kikyou, I'll see. I have some business to take care of."
Fine. Whatever.
"Don't get all dramatic."
Well how am I suppose to act when you don't even want to spend the second best day of December with your own girlfriend?!
Just to shut her up, Inuyasha gave in with a sigh. "Fine."
Really?! Oh Inuyasha honey you won't forget it! I'll make it up to you I promise!
"You damn well better." He hung up the phone, pissed that he had to work over time to pay off for this night. Taking out his cell phone, he called Loui.
000
Tai twirled in front of the mirror for the tenth time. Kagome sat in pure agony. "We've been here for over an hour Tai. Can we go?" She complained.
Tai shook her head no. "We're not leaving this store till you pick out something. The Winter Festival is the best place to meet guys. And I want to look perfect."
"You already look perfect." Kagome muttered under her breath. What was with these people? Was everything a dating service? 'We never did this stuff back home. Daddy wouldn't let me be apart of such nonsense.'
On thinking of her father's opinion Kagome stood from her chair. Her father had been controlling every aspect of her life since she turned 13, and she wouldn't let him do it, now that she was over 20,000 miles away.
"Fine. I'll get something." Kagome declared. Tai jumped up and down. "Thank god! What color represents you for Christmas?" Kagome shrugged. She didn't know anything about shopping.
"I have no idea. No white. I'm too clumsy for that." Tai nodded. At least the girl was honest. "We can work on that. You just need heels." She encouraged with enthusiasm. Kagome looked unsure.
"No, I couldn't." Kagome waved her hands in protest. Tai smirked. "You can and will. Come on. Let's get to shopping."
0000Winter Festival000
The night sky lit up the streets, and everything else that surrounded the enormous park. Inuyasha had seen it a thousand times. "Mom would love this." He said to himself. Dressed in All black, with his classic timberlands, he was one handsome bachelor. Kikyou, beside him, dressed in her sexy white fleece sweater, and matching skirt with the slits down the slide complimented with the fur at the end.
"Come on Inuyasha, let's go skating." She smiled. Inuyasha smiled, trying to get into the spirit. 'No sense of crying over spilled milk.'
The two made their way over to the frozen lake, putting on their skates, and pretty soon gliding on the ice.
Kikyou skated gracefully, smiling back at Inuyasha seductively. Inuyasha laughed. "Damn if she ain't fine." He said to himself. A noise caught his attention.
Looking to his right, he saw a group of people about his age. The girl had fallen, and the group was laughing hysterically as she attempted to pick herself up. When she fell again, he found himself laughing.
Kikyou skated back up to him, grabbing her attention. "Come on!" she demanded. "The Christmas song Contest is starting!" She said excitedly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. She won every year!
000—Kagome----000
"Ouch!" Kagome moaned, falling on the ice a second time. Hojo sniggered. "Here. Let me help you." Bending down, he made eye contact with Kagome, and for a second, there was a pause.
Breaking the spell, Kagome blushed looking away. She was given a complete make over, and she wasn't sure if she liked the attention. Her hair was soft and silky, and short. Now shoulder layered in shoulder length with a bronze tint, she couldn't believe how nice she had looked.
Her eyebrows had been arched into a thing of beauty, apart from the bush wrecks they were before. Tai replaced her glasses with contacts, and now she was Cinderella ready for the Ball of Life.
Her clothes were a little much. Dressed in red, she sported a skin tight turtle, and white baggy pants, with shiny leather knee-high spiked boots. She was Santa Clause in the flesh.
She had gotten a lot of cat calls too. That was new as well. But it was all good. She was happy with it. Most it anyways. She wasn't mad because Tai said she only had to wear it for one night.
Tai grabbed her arms. "Come on. I want to watch the Christmas performances."
"Christmas performances?" Kagome asked questionably. Milo sighed. "Same bitch wins every year. Kikyou Akimoto. I'm so sick of hearing jingle bell rock, I could puke."
Hojo and Tai laughed. Leave it to Milo to be negative. Kagome's ears were on full alert when the name Kikyou came from Milo's lips. "I want to see this Kikyou. Surely, she must be good if she wins every year."
Hojo took her hand. "If you must see, let's go." Kagome nodded, grateful to get off the ice.
00---00
Miroku stood next to some of his friends. Out the corner of his eyes, he watched Inuyasha smirk at the sexy performance given by Kikyou. 'She grows sluttier every year.'
A tap on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see a beautiful woman behind him, smiling brightly. He recognized the smile instantly. "Kagome?!" he said shocked.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Hi Miroku! Nice seeing again." Miroku smiled when she released him. "Likewise. Last time, we sorta left on a bad note."
Kagome waved it off. "I'm fine. I'm going to be in the singing competition." Not only Miroku, but Hojo, Tai, and Milo were in shock. Tai walked up behind her. "Are you serious? I didn't know you sang!"
Kagome gleamed. "I don't." Miroku stared at Tai, which she returned. "Hi." She said sweetly to him. "I'm Kagome's friend Tai." "Miroku." He smiled.
Milo coughed, getting everyone's attention. Turning to Miroku, he extended his hand which Miroku shook. "I'm Milo. And the fella behind me is Hojo." Miroku nodded to him and Hojo who smiled back.
"I'm Miroku. Kagome, these people have been known to boo folks off the stage." He explained. Hojo shrugged. "I think it's time for a new winner. I'm sick of Jingle Bell Rock."
Tai and Hojo gave each other a high-five. "Come on, lets go sign Kagome up."
00----00
Kikyou curtsied as the crowd's loud applause erupted from the stage. She smirked at Sango, handing her the mike. "The best always wins." She sneered arrogantly. Sango sucked her teeth. "I'm sure."
Looking at the list, she was surprised to see one more entry. Recognizing the name, she frowned. "Miroku's new toy." Going on to the stage, she smiled at the audience. "I know this is usually where I announce the winner, but it seems we have one more entry. Everyone, please welcome Kagome Higurashi!"
The audience gave a small around of applause. Kikyou stood next to Inuyasha, heated. "Who does that tramp think she is?!" Inuyasha couldn't believe his eyes. Was that the same Velma from the library?! The same chick Miroku was with last night?
"What the fuck?! Is she following me?" He scowled. Spotting Miroku coming over, he growled. "Miroku, what the hell is your girlfriend doing here?" he shouted.
Miroku shrugged. "She's not my girlfriend. And She wanted to compete." Inuyasha just shook his head in amazement. "Unbelievable." Kikyou was still mad. "She won't beat me. I should throw snow at that little crack head's face. Who is she anyways?"
Inuyasha sighed. "I don't know." He said honestly. The crowd quieted as the music came on.
Kagome stared out at the crowd, spotting her friends sitting next to Miroku, who was sitting next to Kikyou, who was shitting next to a pissed…'Inuyasha' . She felt like an idiot. Nervous as hell, she knew she had to get a song out of her head.
"Okay, I can do this." She whispered, taking a deep breath. The Maestro said the band didn't know her song, so she'd have to sing for them, and they'd follow.
Oh, ooh, oh, uh
Ooh,
oh yea-yeah, oh, ooh, ah
You'll be my New Year's Day, my
Valentine
Now I ain't gonna stop until I make you mine
You'll
be my April Fool, my Mardi Gras
The music on my tongue when I sing
fa la la
You'll be my flower child, in the month of May
My
sunny summer lover on my holiday
You'll be my autumn leaves, my
Halloween
The winter snow and everything that's in between
This
year I'm gonna take you home
This year I don't wanna be
alone
This year, this Christmas together
And the minutes
they pass, and the hours they fly
This year, this Christmas
forever
And the weeks and the months go rushing by
This year
we've learned how to live
How to forget, and how to forgive
without fear, oh
Just love this Christmas, this year
Oh,
you'll be my spring ahead, my fall behind
The shimmy on my hips oh
when I, bump and grind
You'll be my Santa Boy, all dressed in
red
And ride that little reindeer all through my head
Oh, ooh,
here we go, oh yeah
This year I'm gonna take you home
This year
I don't wanna be alone
This year, this Christmas together
And
the minutes they pass, and the hours they fly
This year, this
Christmas forever
And the weeks and the months go rushing by
This
year we've learned how to live
How to forget, and how to forgive
without fear, oh
Just love this Christmas, this year
This
year I'll pray for you, uh
And I thank God for you
Just wanna
be with you
This year that's all I wanna do
Day by day, I'm
gonna get my way
This year I'll pray for you
The seasons turn,
I've got a lot to learn
And I thank God for you
Now this year
I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home
Cause I don't wanna be
alone
This year, this Christmas together
And the minutes
they pass, and the hours they fly
This year, this Christmas
forever
And the weeks and the months go rushing by
Now this
year we have learned how to live
How to forget, and how to forgive
without fear, oh
Just love ooh oh
This year we have learned how
to live
How to forget, and how to forgive without fear, oh
Just
love this Christmas, this year
Kagome smiled at the crowd whom gave her a standing ovation. Miroku whistled. Tai and Milo's rants could be heard over the noise, seeing as though they were the loudest.
She stole a glance at Kikyou who was extremely pissed off. Inuyasha on the other hand looked bored. He gave a slow, uncaring hand clap, grabbed Kikyou's arm, and they left.
For some reason, Kagome was upset. Was the song not good enough? Turning to Sango, She smiled at a shocked Sango, handing her the mike and walked off the stage.
Her friends all swarmed around her at once. "Where the hell did you learn that?!" Tai screamed. Hojo wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulder, and they all walked off, singing her praises.
000---000
Inuyasha pulled into his driveway and just sat in his car, not ready to get out. It seemed that this Kagome chick had more to her than he saw. And she was hanging around with his best friend.
Kikyou had racked his brain out, screaming insults about the girl who beat her at her own talent show. In truth, he was sort of glad Velma won. She was like a breath of fresh air.
A buzzing noise made him jump, forgetting he had on his pager. He looked down at the number. [Miroku came up.
Taking out his cell phone, he called him. "Yeah Miroku."
Come down to Mugz
"Not tonight man, I'm already at home."
Get your ass down here. We gotta talk.
"About what?"
Come to Mugz and find out.
Miroku hung up in his face. Inuyasha sighed, starting the engine. Damn, this was turning out to be a long night.
00-00
Kagome sat, sipping her java as Miroku made his phone calls.
She had gone home and changed back into her comfortable pumpkin of a non labeled vintage long sleeve parka and a puke green shaggy dress, sheep skin ugs. Her glasses were back to the traditional geek rectangles.
And even after she had changed back, Miroku had still invited her to come hang with him at Mugz for the performances on open mike night. Hojo, Tai, and Milo passed, being a little tired of the cold.
When he came back, she smiled sweetly. "Thanks for the invite." Miroku nodded. "You're welcome. The ice queen seems to have melted into a flower child."
Kagome shrugged lightly. "I'm not really open to strangers here. Too many people who are hateful, disrespectful and cruel." "But there are still a few good guys around." Miroku joked.
The open mike nights were fun. Miroku and Kagome sat by the fireplace, watching the entertainment.
One girl called "Flow" rapped about her life as a hustler. Most of the crowd loved it. A few found it musically delighting. Then there was a man named Kevin who sung 'Chariot.' Needless to say it was beautiful.
But all the fun and excitement left for Kagome the moment a familiar shadow hung over her. She felt his deadly gaze and heard his annoyed breaths. She glanced upward to confirm her prediction.
Inuyasha sighed. Not wanting to argue with Miroku that second, he took a seat, waiting for the coffee he ordered from Sango on the way in. When she came up with it, she frowned deeply, seeing Miroku's arm around Kagome.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" She snapped, getting his attention. Miroku rolled his eyes, but was polite as ever. "Sure thing." Getting up, the two walked down stairs, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone.
000---000
Sango threw down her tab. "Miroku, is this supposed to be some kind of game?!"
Miroku said, "No. Sango, I'm here because my grandmother owns this place, and I like being here."
"So you bring your little pets in to join you!" She screamed.
Miroku frowned. "What difference does it make? You didn't want me remember, and you have a boyfriend."
At that, Sango shut her face. Miroku just sighed and walked off to the patio, trying to get some fresh air. 'I swear she's more complicated than a damn word search.'
Sango had rejected him, and it hurt. Why couldn't he move on? She certainly had.
0000---0000
Kagome continued to stare at the stage. A man was juggling while telling a story, but she didn't hear it. All she heard was Inuyasha's breathing, and how calm it sounded.
"So, um...how's your girlfriend?" She asked quietly. Inuyasha gave her a questionable glance with a raised eyebrow. "She's fine." He said in a short sentence, killing any chance of conversation.
Kagome didn't want to be near him. Inuyasha was a rude, pig of a person who made fun of others who weren't like him. 'So why do I keep finding him?'
Reaching for the sugar, her clumsy fingers knocked it over. Most of it landed on the table and Inuyasha's lap. Kagome gasped, thinking he was going to hit her.
"I'm sorry. Um, I'll go get something for the mess." She began to panic as she stumbled out the booth. Inuyasha just sighed, hoping she didn't kill herself trying to make reparations.
When she came back, she began to wipe the sugar off the table and tossed it in the fire. Inuyasha silently began to help her. Kagome didn't say anything but was grateful that he hadn't screamed at her like most people did all her life.
When the mess was clean, the two sat back down. Kagome fidgeted with her scarf. "T-Thank you." She softly stumbled over her words. Inuyasha looked directly at her for the first time all night.
Ever so slowly, he raised his hands up to her hair, taking it out of the sloppy ponytail, watching it fall beautifully around her face. He then removed her glasses, setting it on the table. From there he just stared, amazed that this was the same girl from the winter festival, just in disguise.
"You're welcome." Taking his hand back, he watched the rest of the performance without looking at her.
a/n: end of chapter three! I'll be back with more! Please review!!