Hey guys! I got surprisingly good reviews for that last chapter. Cool. Go me! So here's chapter 2, lets see if it's as good as the last one. Also, this won't be a very long fic, I don't think. Just throwing that out there.


Chapter 2.

Suspended.

That was apparently the punishment for defending yourself these days. Not that he particularly cared. Who complained about a break from school?

The answer to that, apparently, was Myoga. The old man was standing there, several inches shorter than Inuyasha but trying to look ten times as intimidating. He didn't...but the effort was there.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, just scowled and stared over the man's head in an attempt to appear unconcerned. It drove him crazy.

"Inuyasha", he sighed wearily, "What are you trying to do?"

Not die?

"I'm not trying to do anything old man. Just ground me or whatever and let me go."

He thought, for a moment, that he'd yell or make some sort of threat, his eyes narrowing and that little vein in his head throbbing slightly, but he didn't. He took a deep breath, pointer finger raised, clearly about to, but then he stopped, sighing and just shook his head.

"No...It's not...just..." He moved his hand, pointing up the stairs. "Just go..."

Inuyasha shrugged, trudging up the stairs, ignoring the eyes he could feel on his back. He knew the old man was watching him, his eyes sad, his face haggard, wondering where he went wrong, and for all his wrong doings Inuyasha didn't have it in him to tell him the truth.

That it started when he took him in.

Without another look he shut the door to him room before falling face first onto his bed.


She was a master of concentration. She could work a shift in a brightly colored store with music playing and small children of the hyper variety running amok for three hours a day without setting anything on fire or forgetting a single receipt. She was a valued employee,- even employee of the month a few times- and her masterful concentration was to thank. Today, however, the force just wasn't with her.

She'd spent the past hour in the back of the store, attempting to stack plush replicas of Disney characters into a tall mountain, below the giant television screen. She loved the plush mountain. She always had since back when she was a little girl, always dreamt of what it would be like to climb to the top, to dive from the peak onto the sea of stuffed animals below. She still dreamt of it.

She had also dreamt of working here since she was old enough to seek employment, loved her job, and would in no way jeopardize it. Therefore she had yet to ever take that dive.

But that didn't mean she didn't want to.

Just being back here made the extra shift she'd taken, covering for Eri so she could go on that date she'd been squealing about all week, worth it.

Except her attention had been divided.

No, to say divided would be to imply that some part of her mind was actually on the task at hand. This was in no way true. Even though the store was quiet, had closed to the public at 7:00, she failed to call upon her supreme concentration. Rather than stacking the stuffed dolls, she found herself sitting on the box- the one Hojo had been kind enough to drag out of storage before his highly anticipated date with Eri – hugging a plush replica of Micky Mouse and staring off into space. She was just lucky her boss had left her in charge of closing tonight and wasn't here to bear witness.

And so she was free to stew in her unproductively, her thoughts circling around the day's events. More particularly, the morning's. She had, at first, attempted to push them away. To focus on her work and deal with them later. Her environment however, made that task pretty much impossible. Especially considering that Beauty and the Beast had been playing on the big screen.

"Fine then. You want to know so badly. I said you sell lies because you do, you and the whole damn Disney corporation. With their theme parks and their books and their movies, all preaching about the same bullshit ideas of hope and trust and love. That if you don't lock Cinderella in the basement or steal some fish-girl's voice, than your story ends with happily ever after, in a big house with prince charming. Well guess what Princess, there's no such thing as happily ever after. As true kindness and unconditional love, and certainly not the vaguest hope of someone looking past the surface. They're nice ideas on paper, but once you leave that damn park or your happy little store, get into the real world they're not worth a damn thing."

She couldn't help but remember his words, hissed at her with well deserved anger. His eyes shining with it, his hands digging into her arms, her back pressed against the bricks of the wall, cold through her shirt. The feelings of panic that had risen at that moment, the feeling of being trapped.

Yet what bothered her more than that was what she'd heard then, seen. More than the fury in his voice, it was the conviction. The belief. He truly believed the words he'd spat at her so bitterly.

And that was the saddest thing of all.

Maybe she was sheltered, naive, but just the fact that anyone could feel that way was unfathomable to her.

Sighing, she stood, determined to get something done, knowing she needed to, to get home tonight. Knowing she needed to get home. Hell, it was almost 8:00 and she had absolutely nothing done. Yet as she crouched down to strategically position Mickey in between Simba and Baloo, she found herself studying the small lion. His yellow eyes looking back at her with all the joy of a stuffed toy, oblivious to the troubles of the world.

She found her thoughts drawn back to another set of eyes, slightly more golden in color and infinitely more tortured. Eyes that had stared at her, stunned, for just a moment before darkening with hurt. More hurt. Eyes she hadn't thought she could hurt.

Was that it? Was that why she'd said it? Allowed herself to spit the venom that she had. Had she thought it wouldn't affect him? That he'd been hurt so much, so many other things been said, that her words couldn't possibly matter? What was one more laceration?

It was stupid. She was stupid. What had she been thinking? She was hit with a wave of regret, definitely not the first since the whole incident. The same wave that washed over her every time the though occurred.

She had to fix this. How she was supposed to do that was beyond her, but she knew it had to be done. Somehow.

And it would start with an apology, something she was sure he was unfamiliar with. Something to show him that she was really, truly, sorry. Because she was. Regardless of whatever deformation had occurred he was still a human being, and he still had feelings. She'd seen them. She wished she hadn't, would have preferred to keep thinking of him as cold and unfeeling, a complete and utter asshole. Hell, he may be. But there was something there. Something that was hurt, and damaged and disbelieving. Something she couldn't ignore.

Something she resolved to change.

She wanted to see him believe in goodness, in truth and faith and love. Everything she embraced and he denounced. The very things that had drawn her to Disney and this store.

And who better to make the change?

After she made an apology.


While his words were echoing through her mind, her own resounded in his. Cold and angry, biting. Oddly enough, they stung no less now than when they were first uttered.

"What, are you retarded too? Did whatever fucked up your outside fuck up your mind as well?"

He gave one short laugh, devoid of any humor whatsoever, that disappeared into the dark. He lay on his back on his bed, his knees drawn up, feet flat on the mattress. He kept remembering the scene, the throbbing in his stomach keeping him from forgetting, the business of his mind preventing him from slipping into the oblivion of sleep. And so he was left awake at midnight with so many unanswered question.

Why?

Why did it happen?

Why to him?

Why had this been the result? One of the results anyways. There'd been others, no more pleasant.

She'd asked if he was retarded. He might have been, had come very close to it. Perhaps it would have been easier if he had been. Perhaps then he could have the blissful joy of the ignorant, been oblivious to the hatred of others. Been spared the pain of comprehension, the misery that came with understanding the situation. But no. For all the damage done, his mind had been spared. The universe's fucked up cosmic joke.

Well, it had been spared to an extent. Been spared from anything physical. He couldn't attest for his current mental state, though considering Myoga had attempted to get him into therapy several times he didn't figure it was good.

He was twisted, distorted, messed up. He was in pain, both his body and his heart and there was nothing anyone could do. Nothing anyone wanted to do. After all, why should they care about him of all people? Why should anyone care? It wasn't like he was human or anything, had feelings or emotions. It wasn't like he was worth anything.

Maybe she was right. He really was fucked up inside, inadvertently by the same thing that had fucked him up outside.

Irony at it's best.


"Have any of you guys seen Inuyasha?"

Four sets of eyes were suddenly glued to her, their emotions ranging from confusion to contempt. Miroku, however, was the first to voice his.

"Why? What's with your sudden fascination with him? Didn't you do enough yesterday?" His voice was insolent, his eyes narrowed, and she realized with a start that he was really, seriously, angry with her. She found herself taking a step back, her hands coming up in front of her in a gesture of peace.

"Hey, what's with you?"

"Yeah", Rin added from her current position hanging over the edge of a desk. She was lying sideways across it with her entire body over the edge facing the window, her feet hooked around the legs to keep her from falling. Kagome could only assume this was some sort of meditative thing, and after having known Rin this long didn't really question it. She had more on her plate right now anyways. "You're getting really worked up about this."

Sesshomaru just leaned against the window, facing his upside down girlfriend, the look on his face murderous. This was also something no one questioned. It was easy enough to explain.

"I'm not, it's just... Why are you so obsessed with him all of a sudden? I'm just saying, it didn't do much good yesterday."

She winced at both the memory and the accusatory tone in his voice. It was strange...so out of character. For the entire time she'd known him he'd always been kind and good natured, always with a joke or a smile. A sarcastic yet amusing retort. Something. Just standing here, seeing that look in his eye.

She'd never really seen him angry, she realized with a start. And now...he was...

"I know things didn't end up so great yesterday, that's why-"

"You think? Really? Because I thought things went just splendidly."

"What are you getting at?"

"I mean now you don't have to look at him-"

"I never said-"

"And you have given Koga yet another chance to prove his undying love. Because he never does that-"

"Will you just shut up!" She could hear her final syllable echoing around the room, feel the teacher's eyes on her back, knew she'd probably be asked to leave, but she didn't care. She was too angry to care. "I know I fucked up yesterday, and believe it or not I really didn't mean for any of that to happen! And- and since when do you care anyways? You keep yelling about my fascination or obsession or whatever, but what about you? You're the one leaping to his rescue like some knight in shining armor! Are you looking to make him your princess Miroku? Is that it?"

"Oh yeah, that's it. I'm just dying to have him under me. That just has to be it doesn't it. There couldn't be any other reason! Like maybe I'm not a selfish little bitch or-"

"Miss. Higurashi!, Mr. Houshi!", the teacher exclaimed, shoving her wide girth between the two. They were almost nose to nose, each looking ready to strangle the other, and she didn't ant them in arm's distance when their restraint finally snapped. "I want you both separated! Out!" She pointed a chubby finger towards the door. "There's only five minutes until the bell and I can't have you killing each other. There's nowhere near enough time to clean the blood, which I find just slightly disruptive to the learning process!"

"Allow me", Kagome hissed, her voice so cold she was surprised ice didn't form on her breath. She looked back just once as she slipped out the door. "Man whore."

She didn't hear his response, if there even was one, letting the door shut and marching off to sit against the opposite wall. She wasn't expecting to hear the door open again, or to see Sango slipping out after her.

She turned to face her friend and sighed, spotting the look in her eyes.

"That was uncalled for."

"He was asking for it."

"You don't know the whole story."

Kagome frowned. There was actually a good chance that was true, seeing as she'd only known him for a year. "Should I?"

"Yeah, probably," she replied, "Especially if things are going to keep going like this." her eyes grew cold suddenly, sharp. "You really hurt him."

She felt yet another stab of guilt, remorse, strong and bitter. The same she felt towards Inuyasha, and yet maybe worse. Inuyasha was just some guy, but Miroku was her friend. Her good friend. He'd never been anything but kind to her and yet...

She needed to learn some tact, to bite her tongue. She wasn't too bad about it under normal circumstances, but whenever she was angry it was as if her temper cut off all ties between her brain and her mouth. Words formed, words specifically designed to tear flesh, and when she cooled down she was left with bad feelings and bitter remorse.

Sango's eyes softened a little as she watched the emotions play across her friend's face, saw the regret there. "I'm not saying you're completely to blame, he was being stupid too but...his stupidity is justified. To an extent anyways."

"By what?" Her voice wasn't accusing anymore, simply curious. "What's this story I don't know?" Why was he so concerned with Inuyasha.

"It goes back about nine years ago to when Miroku was seven. He'd just moved here and was in my class. Inuyasha was too. I wasn't real close to him, I never was, but..."

"But?"

"But Miroku was. They were friends almost instantly. Best friends. They were always together. I was actually jealous of him at one point." Her face flushed red, "Seeing as I had a crush on him at the time. Oh! But that's ancient history! Ancient..." She shook her head, and Kagome couldn't help but crack a small smile at her friend's denial. At the crush she sensed had never really faded. "Anyways, the point is they were inseparable. Closer than brothers for three years...then..."

"Then?" She pressured, anxious. She had to admit...it explained a lot. Miroku's refusal to join in the mockery, his refusal to bad mouth him. Miroku was one of the most loyal people she knew...but he was also one of the least judgmental... "Wait...Inuyasha, did he look like...then?"

"No", she replied, her voice sad, "That's what I'm getting to. For all that time he was a normal, happy, little boy. But then...when he was ten...It was raining and...there was an accident."

"An accident?"

"A car crash. A bad one. A ten car pile up kind of thing, it made the news that night. I was over at Miroku's watching cartoons when we saw it..." She shuddered. "It was horrible. They interrupted the programing to show it...I don't think I had ever seen him so pale. He just kind of sat there...staring at the T.V, watching the coverage as they tried to pry the cars apart, knowing that somewhere in all that wreckage lay his best friend..." She paused, swallowed back the memories of that night. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. "Both his parents died that night, and he...well...you know."

"Yeah", she nodded, her voice distant.

What was that like, she wondered? To be in a crash like that, or to watch it on TV... To be a scared little boy in the hospital all alone. To wake up horrible and disfigured, crying for your parents, only to hear that they weren't there. That they never would be again.

"What about Sesshomaru?" She whispered, taking in the impact of the words. "He looks-"

"He wasn't there." She replied. "He stayed home that night." She paused once more, looking Kagome in the eye, watching fir the reaction she suspected the story would elicit. She wasn't disappointed. Kagome opened her mouth, her eyes darting back towards the room where he was, and Sango replied as if anticipating her question. "He blames him. They were out on the road bringing Inuyasha somewhere. There was always tension between them, but after that it was just... they couldn't even be in the same room without trying to kill him..."

"But how did that", she made meaningless hand gestures which Sango took to mean Miroku and Inuyasha's friendship, "Turn into..." More gestures. "This?"

Sango sighed again, leaning wearily against the wall as if the memories were wearing her out. "After it all Inuyasha was...bad...just in bad shape. For the longest time he wouldn't talk, or eat, or anything... Miroku went to see him a few times during that period and...ten year olds aren't supposed to feel that, go through that. Either of them. But..."

"But they did."

She nodded. "Yeah. Anyways, it got to the point where I begged Miroku to stay home, not to go. His parents did too, they didn't think it was good to expose their son to that. I can't blame them, but when they suggested it he threw a fit... Anyways things did eventually progress. I don't know what changed, but he started eating. He'd say things now and then and while it wasn't right away they released him... It was over the summer so it wasn't like he'd missed too much school or anything, just the very beginning. They gave custody of him and Sesshomaru to their uncle and said that he could go to school. And that was when things went to hell."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, he was different. I mean, it was understandable that things would change, something like that just changes things. We weren't too young to realize that but... It was like he tried to disappear. When you look like that though, especially in elementary school...kids are cruel...it didn't work so well. Not to mention that part of his disappearing act included from me and Miroku. He shut him out, tried to push him away. Miroku was persistent though and so it dragged on, and the longer it went the meaner he got. Finally, about a week before school ended they got into this huge fight. Inuyasha yelled some terrible things out on the playground, that Miroku was gay, obsessed with him, and that was why he wouldn't go away. That it was disgusting and that he didn't want anything to do with a little fag like him..." Pause. "I'm not entirely sure where he picked it up but it worked. I think Miroku actually cried...I mean all the kids heard what he said...the teasing was inevitable. Either way, that was the end. Miroku was too hurt to forgive this and too preoccupied with defending himself to care. That last week of school was just hell. They didn't talk at all over the summer, I don't know if Inuyasha even left the house. If he was anything at home like he was at school...We moved into Middle School after that, sixth grade, and things have been like this ever since..."

They were both silent, listened as the bell rang, watched as their friends filed out of the Latin room to scurry on to their first period class. Rin looked over, Sesshomaru beside her, but Miroku jut left without so much as flicking his eyes in their direction.

"He still cares."

"He was hurt, true, but they were friends. Best friends, for years. As he got older he could see things clearer, get a better perspective, but..."

"He still cares...All that... and I said..." She winced as she remembered what she'd yelled in a fit of anger, remember the gay reference. No, that wasn't cool. That was entirely too close to home, to things she had no clue about. "I really fucked up, huh?"

"Just a little...but you really didn't know." When she saw Kagome's face, the look of misery etched there, she grabbed her chin gently, lifting her face to look at her. "He knows you didn't know. Perspective, remember. Just let him cool down. I'll talk to him. I'm not saying you shouldn't apologize, you damn well should-"

"I will", she replied quickly, "That's why I was asking about Inuyasha in the first place...what I said", she groaned, raking her hands through her hair, "That was so bad before... now...God... I've got to do something about my tongue. Cut it out or something."

"Alright" Sango replied, wrapping an arm around her friend. She wasn't a bad person, Sango knew that. She was one of the best people she knew...if she could just conquer that problem with her temper... "But not yet. You have apologies to make. And class to get to. We've got like, 30 seconds left."

When Kagome didn't respond she squeezed the arm in a one-armed hug. "It'll be fine. I'm not so sure about Inuyasha, and neither will you until next week. From what I heard from Koga he's got a week's suspension, but Miroku will forgive you. I know he will."

"You think?"

"I know."

"Thanks Sango."

"Sure thing."

They parted as the tardy bell rang.


Oh My God! I keep doing this! Much like the last chapter of How Not To Die I wrote this all in one go! I'm exhausted...though that might have something to do with the fact that it's almost 5:00 AM... God...good thing it's summer...Anyways, I know this chapter is shorter than the last, but this was a good stopping point. And I'm not just saying that because I want to go to sleep. Anyways, I hope this chapter was as good as the last, though I know it was considerably less humorous. What can I say, this isn't really a funny story. There will be humor because I can't write something completely devoid of laughs, much less sarcasm, but still...

Gah...sleepy... Anyways Don't forget that the chapter title is that of a Disney song. Kokoronagomu mentioned Hunchback of Notre Dame, the incredibly depressing sounding book, so i decided to go with a song from there for this chapter. Sorry if it doesn't fit so well, I don't write the chapter to fit them. I try to find one afterward and I'm seriously about to pass out. Oh, and yeah I was pissed off too. What's up with choosing the handsome guy over the Hunchback? He was nice and in love with her! I mean yes, Quasi does get love in the less popular sequel which I like better for that purpose, but really... Anyways, the stuff:

Song: And He Shall Smite The Wicked

Movie: Hunchback of Notre Dame

Dies irae, dies illa (Day of wrath, that day)
Solvet saeclum in favilla (Shall consume the world in ashes)
Quando Judex est venturus (When the Judge is come)
Confutatis maledictis (When the damned shall be cast down)
Flammis acribus addictis (Into the searing flames)
Voca me cum benedictis (Call me with the blessed)
Confutatis maledictis (When the damned shall be cast down)
Gere curam mei finis (Help me in my final hour)