Okay, Everybody, Merry Christmas! This is my present to all you faithful readers out there, to have a brand-spanking new chapter to read on the Big Day, even though I feel shitty but Hell in the form of an Apocolypse will not prevent me from posting!!!!
Deds:
anime-loverforever2007 - She is evil... we'll see about her demise. I haven't thought of a good way yet...
Mystical Hanyou - Well... your first character guess was right... but the rest is a little off. Good try though! I still love you!
Kitsune's Lover - Your right, they do have a fight... but not in this chapter. It's bad, believe me! And you will want to rip Kanna's eyes out... stop, don't spoil the surprise!!!
Du Weldenvarden Farcai - I couldn't have said it better, lol!
cookiemonsterks - Hahahahahahahaha! Your priceless! The ghettos?! That's great, I feel momentarily better. She is a bitch. I swear, you guys, I have such a scene coming up for you... if only Rach could possibly find the time to read it... sigh.
Sweet Temptation
Kagura ran the few blocks to Kikyou's, clopping in her white sandals and looking over her shoulder every few minutes, but Kanna was nowhere to be seen. She didn't know how she'd found her last time, but she was determined that that wouldn't happen again.
Huffing, she met Kikyou and her sisters at the corner of their street, and they all walked to school together.
"Where's Kanna?" Ayame asked, and Kagura's smile faded, replaced by a deep frown, and she turned her head away as she answered, "She doesn't start till tomorrow."
"Oh." An uncomfortable silence followed, until Kikyou broke it by asking, "Was there something you wanted to tell us, Kagura?"
Yes!
"Look, you guys," she said, checking behind her once more, just to be safe, "Kanna's a bitch. Do not trust her. Alright?"
Sango frowned. "We got that impression yesterday. But why? What has she done to make you hate her?"
Kagura sighed. Even after her Father was gone, her troubles still hovered around her like a swarm of malevolent wasps, hurting everyone who came close to her.
"When we were at your place, she had her eye on the guys. Just trust me here, okay? Do not leave her alone with them, watch her like a hawk, or she will steal your man, got it? I have a horrible feeling that she'd hurt you guys because she knows that'll hurt me."
Kikyou smiled, and the sisters exchanged glances. "You know, Kagura," Sango said, putting her arm around Kagura's shoulders, "You are such a good friend. I can't believe we used to hate you!"
Kagura smiled, "You used to hate me?"
Kikyou slapped Sango, and said, "That was before they knew you. They thought you were really going to ruin Kagome's relationship with Sesshoumaru."
Kagura nodded. She could understand that.
"But now that that's behind us," she continued, looking meaningfully at her sisters who smiled sweetly in return, "we can move on with our lives. Thanks for the warning, Kagura. I got the feeling that Kanna was like playing with dynamite. You never know when she's going to blow up in your face."
S.T.
School went smoothly for Kagura that day; she got no homework, and her last period teacher let her class leave ten minutes early, as soon as they'd finished their assignment.
Strolling to her locker, a boy passed her in the hall, a few of his friends accompanying him. He winked at her, and she forgot herself and let her jaw drop open. He smiled as he passed, and she stopped to watch him.
Who was that guy?
She didn't think she'd ever seen him before. Maybe he was new.
She shook her head to clear it. Whoever he was, he certainly was cute… she found it impossible to keep from grinning as she slung her bag over her shoulder and slammed the door to her locker shut, closing the lock and spinning the dial.
Waiting for Kikyou outside her last class, Latin, she told her best friend about him as they dropped off her stuff and Kikyou took out a bottle of water and finished it before throwing it in her locker and slamming it. "Was he hot?" she asked, waving at Inuyasha as he wound his way through the crowd toward them.
"Yeah, he was. I'll point him out to you when we see him next."
"Point who out?"
Kikyou spun Inuyasha and kissed him passionately, making him sway on his feet before licking her bottom lip and replying, "The hot guy who winked at Kagura."
He turned to face Kagura and smiled. "Some guy winked at you?"
She blushed. "Yeah."
He grinned. "What did he look like? Maybe I know him."
She smiled. Just the thought of him elicited smiles she had no control over. "Well, he's tall, very cute, and has long purple hair. And he was wearing a green T-shirt and jeans."
Inuyasha scratched his head. "I think I know who you're talking about. Really built?"
"Yeah."
He nodded. "That's Juuromaru. Just moved here from Osaka last week. Nice guy, too."
Kagura giggled. "He's so cute."
"You want me to talk to him for you?"
Kagura looked up at him, surprise written on her face, and Kikyou did the same, saying, "Inuyasha! That's so nice of you!"
He shrugged, turning red at her praise. "Well, it's the least I can do, having misjudged you and all," he said to Kagura, and she smiled, her eyes growing moist. That meant a lot coming from him.
"Thank you."
"No problem. He's in my Gym class. I'll put in a good word for you." He turned to Kikyou and grinned. "Walk you to Bobbi's?"
She laughed. "You drove here, stupid! Or did you forget that?"
He frowned. "Quit making fun," he sulked, "just because my memory is shit doesn't mean it doesn't have feelings, you know!"
Kikyou lifted a brow in doubt and Kagura snorted. "You are such an idiot."
He made a face at her back as she grabbed his shirt-front and dragged him along as she and Kagura headed downstairs, stopping first at Sango's locker, Miroku waiting casually alongside her, then onto Ayame's, where Kouga was fending off another guy who was interested in her, and she smiled when he wasn't looking. Lastly, they made their way to the bottom floor of the building, where the junior-high lockers were, and found Shippo sucking Rin's face off at her locker.
Inuyasha smacked Shippo's head playfully, and Shippo punched him in the gut, making him double over and grunt in pain. The girls laughed and Shippo's brothers high-fived his excellent aim as Inuyasha writhed on the floor.
Kikyou shook her head and pulled him to his feet, his eyes glaring daggers at his built-like-a-brick-wall little brother.
One day, Shippo, you will sooo pay for that!
When they got out to the parking lot, Inuyasha tossed Miroku his keys and took Kikyou's arm. "May I walk you to Bobbi's?" he asked - again - gallantly, and she raised her brow at him - again - but sighed, smiling and replying, "Why can't you be like this more often?"
He laughed. "Because that would make life simple!"
"Is that too much to ask?" she mumbled under her breath, and Kagura chuckled, following. Rin and Shippo walked a few feet behind her, while Sango and Ayame had taken a ride with Kouga and Miroku.
They all headed for their after-school meeting place, Bobbi's Teriyaki Sushi. Kagura was having a great time laughing at Inuyasha's stupid faces when they walked inside, and there, standing at the counter, ordering a double latte, was Kanna, in short-shorts and red leather sandals - her red leather sandals, that bitch!! - and a white baby tee, her aviator sunglasses sitting atop her head and her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail, two chunks fastened by barrettes hanging down on either side of her face.
Kagura hunched her shoulders and literally growled as Kanna turned and, setting eyes upon her sister, waved and made her way over to their table, where Miroku, Sango, Kouga, and Ayame waited for her, Kikyou, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Rin.
How in the hell? Kagura wondered frantically. How had she known? Or had she known? She doubted Kanna's presence was a coincidence. She barely knew her way around, and they'd just moved, for that matter! She had not been home enough in the past to remember where anything in the city was… What are you up to, Kanna? And how are you doing it?
Kanna stood next to their table and, looking at Inuyasha, dazzled him with her smile as she asked, "May I sit here?"
His jaw fell open and he blinked, before he came back to his senses and replied, "Sure, why not?"
Sliding into the booth next to him, Kikyou glared at Kanna from Inuyasha's other side. Kagura rolled her eyes, feeling helplessly obligated to treat her sister civilly in front of her friends. "You guys, this is my sister, Kanna. Kanna, this is Inuyasha, Kikyou's boyfriend…"
Kanna held out her hand and looked at him in such a way from under her eyelashes that he felt all the heat rush, well, down. Kikyou smiled at her brightly, now that she was in Kanna's direct line of sight, a smile that screamed, Touch him and die. Now she knew what Kagura had meant when she'd warned them against Kanna being around their guys.
"And this is Miroku, Sango's boyfriend…" Kagura went on, pointing to him, and Kanna nodded to him and smiled, but nowhere near as big a smile as she'd given Inuyasha, who was still trying to compose himself after her onslaught. Sango gave her a shark grin.
"And that's Kouga, Ayame's new man," she winked, forgetting that her sister had ruined her day until she got to Shippo.
"And last, but certainly not least, that's Shippo, Rin's Number One Squeeze." Kanna focussed her attention on Shippo, and within seconds he was redder than a tomato. With one look she'd made him feel… like a god. He didn't have to hear her say it to know she wanted him, and he tried hard to hide the fact that he was helplessly flattered.
Kagura pulled up an extra chair and sat close to her sister. If she didn't keep an eye on her, and steer this conversation toward safe topics, it could literally blow up in her face.
Unfortunately, though, things did not go as she had hoped they would.
"Are you guys going to the dance?" Rin blurted, then looked at the tabletop with regret. Why did I say that??
Kagura's eyes widened, and a silence fell that was awkward in the extreme. Smiling, Kanna asked, "What dance? Kagura never mentioned a dance…"
Kikyou, smiling a smile that everyone knew was fake, said, "It's the school dance, and all grades are invited to attend. We're all going together," she made sure to state, so Kanna wouldn't get any ideas about going with their guys, and like an idiot Inuyasha asked, "We are?"
She elbowed him hard and said, "Yes, we are!"
"Oh yeah! I remember now," he said, picking up on her hint, catching the angry looks from his brothers. He sighed. He couldn't help it. Having Kanna sit so close was… distracting.
Kanna smiled without showing her teeth, her serene smile. They were so nervous around her she could practically hear the girls hissing at her with contempt. This was going to be fun.
"Sounds great. I'll definitely be there. I start school tomorrow." She pulled out the schedule she'd gotten that day in the mail, and opened it. "Do any of you have English 8G tomorrow morning?"
Shippo looked up. He did. Rin looked at him nervously. She'd seen his face before when Kanna had looked at him. Was she going to lose him to Kanna, a girl his own age? Would he still be interested in her, a twelve-year-old?
Rin contemplated Kanna. She was so pretty, and had an air about her that exuded experience. Suddenly she felt as if her gut was going to fall out her butt.
"I do," Shippo said quietly, not daring to look at Kanna or Rin.
"Great," she drawled. "Will you show me around tomorrow?"
Kagura decided she'd heard, let alone seen, enough. "I'll show you around, Kanna. Shippo has enough on his plate without you adding to it."
Kanna turned to her sister and remarked, "Thank you Kagura. I appreciate that."
Kagura curled her lip in disdain. What you really mean is that I'll pay for ruining your little scheme, don't you?
Inuyasha cleared his throat. Was it just him, or was it weird in here?!
Suddenly, Kouga's phone rang. He spoke briefly, then put it away. "That was my soccer buddy," he said, excusing his way out of the crowded booth by the window. "I'm late for practice. Call you." He kissed Ayame goodbye, and waved to the rest of them as he ran out.
Shippo took his cue. "Come on, Rin," he said, taking her hand and helping her out of her seat, "I'll walk you home."
"I'll come with you," Ayame said, and left with her sister and Shippo.
Now, only Kagura, Kanna, Kikyou, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku were left.
Kanna sighed. She hated to cut things short, but she wanted to be home before Kagura. Her sister had some shoes that needed her attention… or rather, her lighter.
"Well, I'm on my way," she said, standing, and they all smiled and bid her goodbye. She walked into the lobby, waiting for her denim jacket as the hostess went to fetch it, and she eavesdropped on her sister's conversation as soon as they thought she'd gone.
"Kagura, how can you stand her?" Kikyou hissed, and Kanna smiled. She's worried, she thought. Excellent.
"Just ignore her. It's attention she's after."
Not just attention, dear sister, she thought, smiling. About to leave, Inuyasha's next words prompted her to hang around a moment longer.
"Oh, Kagura, I just remembered. Do you have Math first thing in the morning next semester?"
"Yeah."
"So does Juuromaru. Apparently your not the only math brain anymore."
Kagura grinned. "He's so hot, I could just lick him!"
Inuyasha laughed at the interested expression on Miroku's face. "Is that so? Do you fancy licking anyone else Kag-"
Sango elbowed him in the gut, and he croaked, "I love a woman who isn't afraid to voice her opinion."
Sango giggled, replying, "And don't you forget it! I'll take you on any day, sweetheart!"
Kanna decided she'd heard enough. So Kagura had a man in mind, did she? Well, we'll see who gets him, sister dearest, she thought evilly, and smiled all the way home. Messing with people's love lives was so… satisfying.
S.T.
Kanna opened her sister's closet and scanned the selection. Kagura had her shoes arranged to cover the entire lower half of the space. You may have great taste in shoes, Kagura, she thought, picking up a pair of rhinestone-studded stilettos and swinging them around her thumb, but you have awful taste in clothes.
Digging through her purse, Kanna came up with a metal lighter her friends back in England had given her as a going away gift, and snapped it open, spinning the flint until the wick caught fire.
She was about to light the shoes on fire when they were snatched out of her hands, and Kagura glared back at her viciously. Kanna was excited; she'd never seen her sister so angry.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?"
Kanna was silent, but her smile said it all.
"Get out."
Flipping her lighter closed, Kanna left, but before she'd passed the doorframe, she said, "Consider yourself warned, Kagura."
Kagura swallowed. She wanted to kill her…
Kanna glided down the hall with only a tiny amount of happiness over what she'd almost done. Her smile grew as she reviewed her plans. Kikyou, by Friday, Inuyasha will be mine. And Kagura… you will bear the brunt.
S.T.
Kagome waved goodbye to the girls the following morning.
Kagura had shown up early, her sister in tow, and she had fed them Cheerios, laughing with the others as Sango once again hurled her Cheerios into her sisters' mouths.
She kissed Sesshoumaru goodbye and promised to stop by the office to see him for lunch.
She smiled with mirth as once again the Taisho boys were late for school, and shoved her own chatty cathys out the door when the time came for them to leave.
After that, she went to the supermarket.
S.T.
Kikyou looked suspiciously at Kanna.
She walked beside Rin ahead of them, neither girl saying anything to the other. Rin was apprehensive, and nervous. She'd gone to more trouble than usual with her appearance that morning, but Kanna still outshined her; she never failed to wear something more eye-catching than everyone else, except maybe Ayame. She had an eye for fashion that rivalled Kanna's any day.
The girls were almost there when the guys drove by, honking and yelling out the window, and Sango yelled back, "You know we're hot! Admit it!!"
"Never!" Inuyasha yelled, and Kanna kept her small smile to herself. She had plans for him today. She would be his date for the dance… she would see to it.
S.T.
During third period break, where the students had five minutes to move to their next class, Kanna scanned the halls for any sign of white hair - or purple hair, whichever came along first. She had so many things to do…
Finally, she spotted him, and as he passed her in the hall, her arm snaked out and she affected her most innocent face.
I should win an Oscar for this, she thought.
Inuyasha felt himself sucked away from the crowd and his friends as he was spun to face Kanna, her shiny black eyes almost tear wet.
"Oh, Inuyasha, thank God," she sniffed, holding out her schedule, "I have looked everywhere, but I just can't find my History class, and if I'm late one more time today someone told me they'll send me to the office, and I don't even know where that is, either!"
She held the back of her hand to her face, to hide her tears, but his soothing voice made wrecking her eye make-up worth it.
"Look, let me see. History, room 119. Come on, I'll show you."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it, Inuyasha."
And she smiled at him. He felt a jolt of electricity as she bared her teeth at him, a jolt that travelled from his brain outward, to the very tips of his fingers and toes. Fleetingly he wondered if Kikyou could make his body do that with a single smile.
Taking his hand, she toned her smile down a bit and allowed him to lead her through the crowd of people, many of whom did a double-take at the sight of them together, holding hands.
Perfect, she thought, snickering inwardly. Kikyou's going to know about this in no time.
When they arrived, he pulled his hand out of hers and smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck his other hand. "Well, here you are."
She took note of the rooms around hers and the trophy case across the hall and turned back to him. "Thank you very much, Inuyasha. I'd be so lost without you."
He hemmed and hawed around, his cheeks aflame, when Kikyou rounded the corner and spotted the two of them standing there. Kanna couldn't have done better if she'd had supernatural powers and commanded Kikyou to show up, and as soon as she saw her, she lowered her lashes and moved closer to him, whispering, "I really do appreciate your going out of your way, Inuyasha. Will you accept a token of my gratitude?"
She looked up, and he was hers, hook, line, and sinker. Reaching her chin up, she pecked him on his bottom lip, before smiling seductively and stepping into the classroom just as the bell rang.
He didn't even realise that by showing her to her class, he was going to be late for his own, and he walked down the hall in a daze, his fingers to his lips in wonder.
Kikyou had stopped in her tracks as soon as she'd spotted the two of them together, but Kanna had moved to smoothly that she'd been at a loss to do anything but watch events unfold before her, and when she saw her kiss him, her heart shattered, because he didn't push her away.
Kikyou let out a sharp sob, and Inuyasha heard it; spinning around, all he saw was Kikyou running away, her face covered by her hands. He began to chase her, calling, "Kikyou, wait! That wasn't what it looked like!"
Kikyou, overwhelmed by emotion so strong she thought she might drown in it, stopped dead and stormed back to him, screaming, "Oh, no? It didn't look that way to me! It looked like you liked it! How can you do this to me?!"
And she ran again, only this time he didn't follow her. His head drooped and his shoulders sagged. He'd really messed up this time.
Maybe Kikyou and I aren't meant to be, he thought, then vehemently shook his head. Don't even think that! Kikyou has done nothing but love me. I won't lose her. Not now, not ever!
S.T.
After school, Kikyou didn't show up to meet her sisters to go to Bobbi's.
She ran home, and didn't stop until she'd slammed her bedroom door shut. From there, she cried until her head pounded and her eyes refused to produce more tears.
Kagome knocked on her door, calling, "Kikyou? Sweetheart?"
Opening it, Kagome rushed to hold her sister, the look of absolute misery on her face pulling hard at her heart-strings. Holding her tightly and smoothing her long black hair, Kagome rocked Kikyou. Kikyou began to cry again in earnest, and held onto Kagome as if she would die if she ever let go.
It was half an hour before Kagome finally asked her, "What happened, honey?"
Kikyou could barely get it out, but when she finally blurted, "Kanna kissed Inuyasha!", Kagome hid her reaction. She was not surprised by this at all, and had, in fact, anticipated it, but what she hadn't anticipated was that Kikyou would take it so hard.
"Oh, Kikyou…" she was really stuck now. They were a perfect couple, she thought. How could he have let this happen?
Kagome asked gently, "Did he kiss her back?" Kikyou sniffled, hesitating.
"No."
Kagome smiled. The relationship was salvageable after all.
"Well, don't let a little thing like that ruin your life, honey. I'm sure he can explain what happened. I think this was all just a big misunderstanding."
"You do?"
"Yes, I do. I think you should hear what he has to say, first." Pulling Kikyou close, Kagome whispered, "You can't let her win, Kikyou. It's what she wants; if you get into a fight, she'll move in on him. Don't let her."
Kikyou smiled. Things were beginning to make sense now; she remembered how Kanna had looked at Inuyasha yesterday, and she resolved to let nothing Kanna did come between her and Inuyasha.
A moment later, the doorbell rang, and Inuyasha barged in, and, spying Kagome coming out of Kikyou's room, he grabbed her by the shoulders and demanded, "Is Kikyou in there?"
Laughing, she said, "Yeah, she is. But she's very upset. Are you here to make up with her?"
He looked at her as if she were whacko. "Of course! I love her!"
Kikyou's eyes widened from the other side of the door. He loved her? Her heart melted, and she felt terrible for making him worry about her.
Flinging open the door, she ran into his arms, crying all over again, this time with happiness. "Oh, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry!"
Pushing her back, his own tears threatening to fall, he shook her gently, replying, "Sorry? I'm the one who's sorry, Kikki, I never should have allowed her to do that. I feel awful about it. Will you ever forgive me?"
She laughed through her tears, and cried, "I'll always forgive you, Inuyasha! I love you!"
Pulling her close and hugging her tightly, he whispered in her ear, "I love you, too, Kikyou, more than my life. I will never leave you."
Kagome walked away, satisfied.
Kikyou one, Kanna zero.
S.T.
God bless it, to think that Kanna's only going to get worse... I love this story! It is so much fun, I can even forgive my stupid brain for its occasional bouts of writer's block! Sigh. Still feel shitty, but not so much. Musta been somethin' I ate. Oh well! Hehehe, I'll post again soon... but lots of reviews would make a spiffy Chrimmas present, lol! I love you guys!