Chapter Five: As Long As Your There
Miroku finally stopped dragging me along behind him and opened a heavy looking door. Sunlight pooled in through the opening and I gasped as I realized where we were. I had a perfect view of the sun setting from the roof of the building and as I looked at it, mouth agape, Miroku pulled me towards a bench facing the amazing swirl of colors dancing in the sky before me.
I couldn't believe my eyes. All I could do was stare. The view was amazing. Like no other sunset I'd ever seen before. It appeared as if God had just stroked a pain brush across the sky so many different times with so many different colors. It was an image I doubt I'd ever forget.
"God. Miroku! This is so beautiful!" I told him, smiling like a fool.
"I know. I love coming up here. It's so peaceful."
The view truly was a once in a lifetime thing to watch, and as the sun set beyond the horizon, I found myself truly at peace. With all of Miroku's help I've been able to accept everything going on around me. Miroku was such a wonderful friend.
I am lucky.
We sat on the rooftop until the moon came up and the stars shone brightly above our heads. At least the ones we could see through the city lights around us.
"Miroku, look!" I said, tapping him on the shoulder and pointing up in the sky. "A shooting star."
"Make a wish." He said, smiling at me.
And I did. I wished for happiness for my new friend. I wished for all of his grief to be rewarded with endless joy. I wished for love to come into his life. And lastly I wished for Miroku and I to always be friends.
"What did you wish for?" I asked.
He turned to me and smiled, "I'll tell you when it comes true."
The next couple of weeks flew by quickly. I was a little bummed about not meeting my goal of two weeks, but three weeks isn't bad either. The doctor did say it would be about a month before I got out anyway. However, Miroku and I were both surprised when the Hospital Administrator announced I'd be getting out. I'm being released today. I was so excited. We were both excited.
So we both spent our time packing our belongings and awaiting our mothers arrival to take us away from this place. Once they did arrive, we said our goodbye's and exchanged numbers and addresses. I lived further away then Miroku did, so he told me to call him as soon as I got home to discuss plans for school tomorrow. I agreed and we went our separate ways until tomorrow.
I was so excited to get to go home and sleep in my own bed. My mom told me she'd had the carpet replaced in my room and for that I was grateful. I was also happy that I wouldn't have to go to school with gaudy bandages on my wrists as the doctor took them off a week ago.
On the drive home I filled my mom in on everything I'd done at the Sanitarium. She told me how happy she was to see me doing so much better. And I really was doing better. I was feeling a lot better too. I had Miroku to thank for that. He was my safe harbor the whole time. I knew I wasn't completely healed. There's no way that would ever happen. I'd always be missing something in my life. There would always be a void.
But having Miroku by my side helped fill it up enough to be able to function.
My mother, brother and I pulled into the driveway of the shrine and I quickly pulled my things out of the car, lugging them towards the house. I breathed in deeply as I entered my home and sighed, content.
It's so good to be home.
I dropped everything and ran to the phone, dialing the number Miroku wrote down and waited while it rang on the other end. It rang until it went to the answering machine and I debated on leaving a message or not. I heard the tone and decided I'd leave one to let him know I got home safely.
"Hey Miroku, it's Kagome. Just letting you know I got home safe. Hope all is going well with you. Well, give me a call, okay? See ya."
As soon as I hung up the phone, it rang in my hand. I answered it, a little startled, and greeted whoever was on the other line.
"Hi, may I speak to Kagome, please? It's Miroku."
I brightened instantly, but decided to mess around with him.
"Kagome? There's no Kagome here. Are you sure you got the right number?" I joked with him.
He hesitated and I heard him rustling papers around. "Umm...let me check." He said.
I covered the phone and giggled. He relayed the number to me and I told him that was my number.
"Oh. Uh, okay. My apologies." He said.
I busted out into laughter. "Just messing with you Miroku. It's Kagome. Glad to hear you got home okay."
"Oh! Kagome! That's not very nice of you." He said, sadness staining his tone.
I instantly regretted my prank and began to apologize.
"Got ya!" He said, laughing.
Oh man. He just pulled his own prank o n me. I laughed with him at my expense but managed to tell him how I thought his joke wasn't fair.
"So about tomorrow." He began.
"How about I pick you up?" I said, offering him a ride.
"Oh, are you sure? I mean, I have my car. Why don't we carpool?"
"That's a great idea Miroku." I said, smiling. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, and you can take Wednesday."
"Okay, sounds great. What time should I be ready?" He wondered aloud.
"Be ready by 8:15."
"Okay! See you then Kagome."
We said our goodbyes for the second time that day, and I finally gathered my things and made it to my bedroom.
Even though I knew my mother had replaced the carpet, I half expected to see my blood stain on the floor. I breathed a small sigh of relief when there was no blood to see. I dropped my suit case on the floor and plopped down on the bed. Being all alone again felt foreign to me. I'd just spent the last three weeks with Miroku, and now I was by myself. It allowed me time to think, and time to think reopened the wounds in my heart.
That's the last thing I wanted to happen, so I jumped up quickly, grabbed my ipod and ipod sound system and headed to the bathroom to take a nice long hot bath, turning up the music as loud as I could without disturbing anyone else. And instead of dwelling on painful memories, I sang along to the lyrics that were blaring from the speakers.
Silverstein. I thought.
Silverstein was one of my favorite bands. So I relaxed and enjoyed the artistic lyrics this band came up with.
I awoke to knocks on the bathroom door.
"Kagome! If you don't answer me I'm coming in!" I heard Sota say from the other side of the door.
I blinked to clear my vision and I realized I'd fallen asleep in the bath. The water had gotten cold and my body was chilled.
I really need to quit doing that.
"Okay! I'm coming in!" Sota yelled.
"No!" I yelled back, reaching around frantically for anything to cover myself up with.
"Oh, so you are alive in there?" He asked sarcastically. "Well mom says it's dinner time. You've been in there for two hours so get out already. Your probably a prune by now."
I groaned. Two hours?! Oh man.
"All right. I'm coming out." I called back to him.
Groaning again, I lifted myself out of the chilly water and reached for my towel. After I dried off, I changed into clean pajamas and wrapped the towel around my hair. Grabbing my ipod and dirty clothes, I made my way back to my bedroom.
"Mom!" I called downstairs. Not waiting for a reply, I continued, "I'm not hungry. I'm actually pretty tired. I'm just going to go to bed."
This time I waited for her to reply. She showed up at the bottom of the stairs with a concerned look masking her features. "Are you feeling okay Kagome?" She asked me.
"Yeah, I'm just tired is all."
"Well, okay. But if you get hungry later then there will be left overs in the fridge all right?" She said, showing her motherly nature.
"Okay mom. Good night." I said smiling down at her.
She smiled back and then walked back into the kitchen to join Sota for dinner.
I walked back into my room and turned out the light, crawling into bed afterward. Making sure my alarm clock was set, and glad when I found it already was, I sighed and snuggled deeper into my pillow and comforter. It wasn't long before sleep overcame me and my dreams took over once again. Lucky for me, they were dreams and not nightmares.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The annoying chime of the alarm clock rang in my ear. Oh how I hated that sound. I hit the snooze button and relished in the quiet of morning for a moment before taking a deep breath and opening my eyes. It was my first day back to school. It had only been a month that I'd been out, but I doubt if anything major happened.
However, I was excited for some reason. I felt like I was starting a new day. Starting fresh. I went to my closet trying to decide what to wear. I settled for a pair of dark was destroyed jeans and a maroon and white striped button up tee with a maroon cami underneath it. I slipped on my white moccasins and pushed my white studded belt through the loops of my jeans.
Taking my thin maroon head band from the small basket I kept my hair supplies in, I pushed my hair back out of my face and let my long hair cascade down my back. I wasn't big on make up, so the only think I wore today was a little mascara to give my lashes more definition and some chap stick that gave my lips a little shine.
I grabbed my white fleece hoody from the back of my computer chair and slipped it over my arms and onto my body. I didn't want to wear my hoody, but the wounds on my wrists were still fresh enough to draw attention, and that's the last thing I wanted.
I finished my morning routine and looked at the clock. It was already 8 o'clock. I needed to leave now if I wanted to get to Miroku's house in time. I ran to my lap top and map quested his address. I was already familiar with the street, but I wanted to make sure I got the right house. Satisfied, I kissed my mother goodbye and ran out the door and hopped into my car.
I made it to Miroku's just in time and before I could get out to knock on his door, he came out with his book bag slung over his shoulder, seemingly ready for the day. He was dressed really well, in a sky blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. He had a yellow tee under it, and as I looked closer I noticed a yellow design on the left side of the button up he wore. He had on light jeans that fit him well and a pair of all white sneakers. He looked very good. He'd have to beat the girls away with a stick.
I smiled at him as he got in the car, and told him my theory about beating girls off with a stick.
He laughed, "Well look at you Kagome. I'm going to have to help you beat the guys away because they will be coming at every angle."
I laughed at his comment and sped off to school. We made it there right before the bell rang. I didn't like to hang out in the morning, so I arrived as late as possible.
"Do you know your schedule?" I asked Miroku.
"Yepp." He said, pulling it out of his pocket.
I grabbed it from him and studied it. He had most of my classes with me, and we had the same lunch. I could live with that.
"Well, we don't have first or second class together, but I'll show you to yours. We have third together though, so if you want to wait for me after your class, I'll come get you." I said, smiling at him as we made our way down the hallways.
"Okay. So I'll just wait for you then. Don't make me wait to long though." He warned in a joking manner.
"You got it boss." I said, saluting him then sticking my hands in my front pockets.
"Well, here we are." I told him, stopping in front of his classroom.
He looked at me funny, and I couldn't contain my laughter as I turned him towards his classroom and game him a little shove.
"Knock em' dead tiger." I joked, "And don't forget to wait for me so I can show you where your second class is." I reminded him.
He just nodded and kept walking. I turned away laughing and shaking my head. However, just as I turned around, I bumped into someone and fell on the floor.
"Oof." I breathed, furrowing my eyebrows.
"I'm so sorry!" I heard someone say. He reached his hand down and offered it to me.
I took it and he pulled me up. "No, no it's fine. I should be the one apologizing, I need to watch were I'm going." I said, half smiling.
As I stood completely, my eyes met a pair of blue and violet orbs, and his eyes took my breath away.
"No really. I'm sorry. I'm new here, and I can't find room..." He paused, looking down at his notebook. "...213 for the life of me."
I laughed and pointed at the door I'd just pushed Miroku into. We were standing right in front of Room 213.
"Oh wow. yeah, now I feel really stupid. Way to make a first impression." He mumbled.
I just laughed again. "I'm Kagome. Uh, if you need someone to show you around, I'd be more then happy."
"Oh, that would be great, but I feel I need to be honest with you." He said, turning slightly red, and averting his eyes to the floor. "I'm not really new exactly. I've been here for a week, but I saw you standing here and needed a reason to talk to you...so...yeah...sorry." He said, finding something interesting about the floor in front of him.
I could tell he was ashamed about purposely knocking me over.
"You never did tell me your name." I reminded him, trying to tell him I forgave him.
He looked up quickly and his eyes widened. "Oh, forgive me. I'm InuYasha." He said, smiling crookedly.
"Well InuYasha, you could have just come and talk to me." I smiled at him to let him know I was sincere.
He laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess your right."
The warning bell sounded and the last few students in the hall scurried to their classes.
"Well, you better go." I told him.
He nodded. "Yeah, well...see ya then."
I waved and began to walk away, just as the final bell rang. I have a free class though, so I wouldn't get in trouble. I had always gone to the same place during this free hour though. And that is where I was heading now.