Chapter 2: Secrets and Lies

Naoke with her light blue school bag over her shoulder took the steps that would lead her home. It had been an exhausting previous day with a lot of emotion. It was part of their tradition that the family of the deceased holds a memorial in their home and celebrates the passing into the next life and pray for a safe journey. Naoke herself didn't see much to celebrate though.

Afterwards, like her mother had promised, they sat down in the living room just the two of them and talked. There wasn't much talk about Naoke's feelings though and her mother seemed to change the subject which she tried talking about family. If anything this had made things worse for Naoke, it was if her mother was shutting her out of something.

She shook her head from all the random thoughts invading her mind before going inside the house.

"Oh Naoke welcome home, would you like me to fix you a snack," asked her grandmother coming down the stairs with a load of laundry.

"No thanks," she looked around the house and with a knowing expression said; "mom's gone isn't she?"

Her grandmother looked uncomfortable with the question, but then smiled, "Yes, she went out for a bit, she should be home soon," and trying to change the subject like everyone did around the place said, "do you have any homework?"

"Yeah, I'll get on it as soon as possible," Naoke told her before heading upstairs, stomping a little as she went. It hadn't been the first time her mother had just gone off like that and it frustrated her to no end more every time she did it. Why couldn't she be a normal mother who cared about spending more time with her only child?

Naoke went to her room and roughly shut her door behind her. She went to her desk and sat down, pulling out her books, notepad and pencil. She looked around the room, it seemed so quiet and empty, like her life was most of the time and she never knew why.

She opened her math book and glanced at the arranged numbers and symbols on the page. But though she tried concentrating she couldn't help let her mind wonder on everything else. She tapped her pencil on the desk frustrated.

Then to her surprise a fat orange and black fat furry cat leapt onto her desk and began licking himself.

"Kibou," Naoke said annoyed, "how many times do I have to tell you to stay off my desk while I'm working," placing him onto the floor. Kibou gave a confused meow. According to her mom, they once had a cat named Buyo, but he died when she was real young so they got a new cat especially for her. Though much like Kibou's predecessor, he was lazy and meowed a lot.

Naoke took a deep breath and started to look at her homework again, but out of the corner of her eye she saw out the window that her mom coming towards the front door with her traveling bag with her. Frowning she left the room, a curious Kibou following her.

Downstairs she saw her mother and grams talking by the door.

"Naoke, hey sweetie," greeted her mom with a smile.

Naoke stopped at the middle step with a determined gaze, "Where were you mom?" she asked with an expecting expression.

Kagome paused thinking of how to answer, "I was just out, sometimes I like to get out of the house and go to the park, shop and things," she smiled innocently. Naoke wished she had a mom that acted, well more like a mom than a horny teenager sneaking out of the house to hook up with a guy.

"Fine," was all she said and returned to her room. Kagome looked at her mother guiltily and her mom wrapped an arm around her comfortingly.

"I'm such a horrible mother," Kagome told her.

Her mother shook her head, "No you're not, you're doing what you think is best for her dear, that's what any mother wants." If that was true, why did Kagome still feel horrible?

That night Naoke had fallen asleep pretty quickly considering all her confusion and thoughts. She was almost in deep sleep when she felt a hand brush her cheek lightly. She frowned with her eyes still closed, who was disturbing her sleep.

Then whoever it was stopped, causing her to open her eyes. She saw a blur of red, because her eyes were adjusting, but no one was there. The blur had went out of the opened window, which she swore was closed last time she checked. Frowning, she got up to close it. But before she had time to she heard the sliding of a door, but as she looked out saw nothing unusual. She closed her window and got back into her bed, completely confused now.

The sound had been the shrine door.

A/N: oh my goodness, it's getting good huh, lol, well what do you think, I had some interuptions on this chapter, have you ever had a pet that just wouldn't leave you alone when you're trying to type out a story lol, anyway, please review