Thanks for continuing to read Lovely Mask and sorry I haven't been writing chapters so long or updating quick, I've sort of been having a writers-block… But here it goes!

There are no demons, mikos, half-demons, etc.

"Maybe I should…no, this'll add some flavor to it…wait, then again, he likes sweet-and-sour…doesn't he…? No, he doesn't…does he? Urr, I don't know!"

Rin, still holding the leek in her hand, bent over the kitchen counter with frustration and put her head in her hands, her fingers tangling her bangs falling from her dark, tied-up hair. It was dark, night, a bit after seven from what Rin could tell looking outside the half-opened window. For a moment she continued to angrily groan, frustrated at the food and spices that lay before her, the utensils, and herself.

Then Rin straightened up and, still tightly grasping the vegetable in her hands, and looked determinedly at the copper pot before her. She had gotten back to the house late, later than she usually did as she saw the vague, light figure of the waning moon in the sky through the interwoven tree branches.

She could hear the clock tick and the television on in the living room connected to the kitchen; the voices of a short-skirted, wavy haired girl yelling to a boy in a shrilly voice at the top of her lungs as the long, white-haired boy (it was a boy…wasn't it? thought Rin vaguely as she popped her head out of the kitchen to peer at the television screen) in a red-robe with a ridiculously over-sized sword slung over his shoulder ran after her.

"I wonder why Sesshomaru-sensei isn't back yet…?" thought Rin vaguely as she turned back to her cooking. For a moment she pondered this and then saying suddenly, "wait, I should have dinner done by now!" returned to her work.

She had changed from her school clothing and now wore an apron of white over her tank-top and jean-skirt. Her hair was pulled back, as she always kept it while cooking with the exception of her stray bangs.

Young and vibrant, also filled to the brim with energy, Rin loved to cook. But that didn't mean she was…good at the exercise. Not to say that she couldn't cook a bowl of white rice without a burn on a single grain or boil a pot of soumen (noodles) successfully…except, that was the limit of what she could do with a bag full of groceries, a cabinet full of spices, and a pot and pan.

But that didn't stop her from concocting more than she was capable (or a mixture of products impossible to cook together in such a fashion that they actually tasted tolerable).

Rin was imaginative and always willing to cook with whatever ingredients one would hand over to her, even if it was a dish consisting of plum, pear, seaweed, pepper, sweet bean jam, anchovy liquorish sauce, and eel fried over a blazing fire, shredded in a dicer and served on a wok. Sesshomaru knew this from first-hand experience. Many first-hand experiences.

Rin, suddenly bawling her hand in a fist and looking determinedly at the pan before her said strongly, "Okay, I'll just wing-it then, do whatever comes to mind!"

With this sudden stroke of determination and resolve, Rin drew the wok from the cabinet and turned it on, set the dicer on the counter and threw a bag of jasmine rice into the boiling water of the pot.

With the water boiling and sunflower oil springing from the heating wok, Rin began to peel the shallots and dice the leeks, throwing them both into the dicer and sending it on. With a few cloves of garlic, chili pepper sauce, bean jam, and onions into the dicer, rice and rice noodles boiling in the pot, and fermented tofu in the wok, Rin began to cook.

Sesshomaru-sensei won't mind if I use some of the white wine for the sauce… thought Rin as she sprinkled some in the wok and sent it bubbling with hot liquid.

She was fevering, bursting when she heard a knock on the door and the ring of the bell. Uh-oh, I haven't finished yet! She thought as the ring sounded again.

"Just a moment!" she called out of the kitchen throwing the chunky, thick sauce from the dicer onto the wok, draining the rice and rice noodles, throwing them onto a plate and showering them with the sauce of tofu-shallots-leeks-garlic-chili pepper sauce-bean jam-onions.

Rin smiled as she covered her dish with the wok's top and ran over to the door. She grasped the doorknob as she passed the television set, just as the short-skirted girl and the red-robed boy with the humungous sword in the anime had embraced after defeating an especially fearsome enemy, saying frantically, "Oh, I'm so sorry; I just finished dinner, sorry Sesshomaru-sen—"

But she stopped. And Rin saw Ayame standing on the steps, wringing her hands and looking at the ground until she turned up to see her dark-haired friends face, smiling nervously.

"Oh," said Ayame, reddening a little, "oh, um, hi Rin…I…I, um, thought— I wondered if I could talk to you for a mo— I'm sorry if I disturbed you—"

"No, no, it's fine, really!" said Rin, both confused and elated to see Ayame on her doorstep. "Come on in, Sesshomaru-sensei isn't in yet."

"Are you sure—"

"Yeah, of course, I insist!" said Rin and pulled her friends wrists and led her into the house. Ayame kicked off her shoes and freed herself from Rin's grasp, pinching her nose and saying, "What—what's that smell?"

"Oh!" said Rin eagerly, oblivious to her friends wrinkled face and pinched nose, obviously in distaste, "I was cooking something in the kitchen, just a little thing I came up with. You can have a bowl of it if you want!"

"Um, don't worry about it, I just had dinner at my place," said Ayame hurriedly. She knew too well that Rin's concoctions were far from intolerable to inedible and poisonous (and her sense of smell confirmed it.)

Ayame seated herself on the opposite end of the table from where Rin sat, saying tentatively, "And Sesshomaru-san usually…eats your concoctions?"

"He hasn't minded them before," said Rin as Ayame thought, He must have an incredible immune system to stomach that stuff.

"Oh, yeah!" said Rin, leaning back as she sat on the ground, her knees tucked under the short table, "you said you wanted to tell me something…?"

"Yeah, I did," said Ayame and stopped at that point. For a moment she continued to twist her hands on her lap, feeling her sweaty palms and biting her lower lips and looking down. Rin eyed her curiously. Then Ayame raised her eyes to meet Rin's and her friend found them incredibly wet.

"I'm worried Rin, I really am, I just can't…can't…" said Ayame miserably, continuing to twist her hands and feeling the moist sweat.

"What do you mean?" said Rin, seriously, "Did something happen?"

Ayame gulped in some air for a moment and then answered by saying feebly, "Not really…e-except…except that…you know Midoriko?"

"You mean, Sango's relative, Midoriko Imanishi?' said Rin.

Ayame nodded her red hair, saying, "yeah, her aunt on her mother's side. Well, lately…she's been calling a lot, I don't know why."

"When?"

"She first called last month and talked to Papa, asking about Sango and her schooling and stuff. Sango said she hadn't seen her since the funeral years ago, but she knew her pretty well. She didn't call for a while after that but than started calling again, talking to Papa and talking to Sango, Today she called about some of the schools in Okinawa…"

"Okinawa? Why, what for?" said Rin, shooting forward so that she was leaning over the table.

Ayame looked at her and suddenly her eyes closed, as if to refrain tears, "I…I—don't know…except that when Sango told me…she got really depressed…did you see her at school today? She was even more…d-depressed than when Midoriko-san called in the morning. I don't know what happened, but…"

Then Ayame turned her head away from Rin and she suspected that tears were beginning to fall down her face, for she was wiping her eyes with the back of her hand from what Rin could tell. Rin was silent for a moment as she waited for Ayame to compose herself, tolerating her silence but impatient; she wanted to know more, she wanted to know how Sango was. She wanted to know why this was happening.

Then Ayame turned back to Rin, her eyes a bit swollen but her voice more calm and composed than it had been before. She started to speak and her hands began to twist again on her lap.

"I don't know why, but Sango was depressed ever since she called and she said she was talking to her about how much she missed her and how the education and life was in Okinawa…I know…I know Sango suspects something and she's been really depressed…it got worse since today…and— I'm afraid, Rin, I'm afraid for her."

Ayame's swollen eyes were rimmed with tears and her sweet voice became tremulous. Rin looked at the table for a moment, still not lifting her face to look at her friend as Ayame continued, saying tearfully, "I'm afraid…Midoriko-san wants to take Sango away…to Okinawa, I'm afraid she'll take her, Rin."

"Don't say that, Ayaa," said Rin firmly but her expression and tone softened as she looked up to see Ayame's face. "…you're…you're really worried about this, aren't you?"

Ayame, unable to speak in fear of crying, shook her red-curled head.

"Well, don't worry about it Ayaa, I'm sure its nothing," said Rin, still not entirely convinced from her own words, "I'm sure its nothing, its ridiculous. You shouldn't get all frantic over this."

"I guess…you're right," said Ayame softly through tears. She wiped her eyes and cleared her voice, taking in deep breathes of air before she spoke again. "It's probably…nothing."

"Anyway, what did San say about this? How is she right now?" Rin asked after a pause.

"She's been a bit quite lately…but I think she feels better. She's been a bit brighter from what I can tell, but she was late to get home today." said Ayame, remembering Sango entering the house after she had settled in front of the television in casual clothing with a box of nishin-soba (herring noodles).

"She was brighter after she got back?" Rin asked a bit perplexed.

"Yeah…I'm not sure why though…she only told me she met someone. She was first depressed, then worse, and then she was a bit happier…"

"Who?"

"Hmm?" said Ayame as Rin cut her off.

"Who'd she meet?" said Rin, a guess placed in her mind and a mischievous grin spread across her face, "Was it Miroku-sensei, I'm sure that would brighten her spirits…"

"I'd say the opposite…" said Ayame quietly. "She doesn't exactly seem to enjoy him slipping a hand over her rear, now does she?"

"At least it's not up her skirt…"

"Rin!" said Ayame shrilly.

"What?" said Rin after her friends protest, trying to look innocent but having trouble concealing her mischievous delight.

"You've got just as a perverted mind as Miroku-sensei, I swear…" Ayame muttered.

"Well, was it him though?" Rin asked, changing subject easily.

"No, it wasn't," said Ayame, proving Rin's assured guess wrong and again beginning to twist her hands in her lap.

"What, it wasn't?" said Rin incredulously as if she had just been personally offended.

"Well, lately she's been pretty cold to Miroku-sensei, so I wouldn't think so," Ayame answered, trying to smooth Rin's ruffled feathers.

"Than who was it?" asked Rin, her mind bobbing with vague guesses but wanting to confirm them from what Ayame answer would be. But all her guesses, like the one previously from before, were incredulously wrong.

"It was Kagome."

For a moment Ayame looked at Rin, whose mouth was slightly agape and her eyes slightly wide. She was leaning over the table, as if reaching for something, as if she were trying to reach the words Ayame had just uttered but failing to catch them. Then she sat back and said for a moment numbly, "Kagome…? You mean…Kikyo's sister?"

Ayame nodded and added by saying, "Yes, she said she met her in the halls when the school bell had just rung…"

"She met…Kagome Higurashi?" said Rin, still slightly incredulously. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you, Ayaa?"

"No, I'm telling the truth!" said Ayame defensively. "Or at least what Sango told me…"

"You mean Sango told you that she met Kagome Higurashi?" said Rin, smiling slightly.

"Yes!" said Ayame, offended by Rin's grin like a preschooler would be when their parent grinned at them when they told them that they had seen a unicorn on their first day. "Don't give me that look, I'm telling the truth! I asked Sango why she had been late and she told me that been somewhere. She was talking more brightly than she had earlier so I asked her why and she told me she was talking with a friend. She said 'no' when I guessed that she had encountered Kikyo (and she was especially firm and red when I guessed Miroku-sensei,) and told me she met Kagome."

When Ayame stopped, Rin's smile slowly faded and she looked blankly at her red-haired friend. It took her a while before she said softly, "So, she met Kagome…what were the two talking about?"

"She didn't say," said Ayame, satisfied that Rin believed her.

"What do you mean she didn't say, didn't you bother to ask?"

"I did!" said Ayame, her satisfaction vanishing, "Why wouldn't I ask?"

Rin, leaning on her elbow against the table and looking eagerly at Ayame, asked, "Well, what did she say?"

"Well, she wasn't very clear…" said Ayame, gripping her skirt in her fist and twisting the light folds in her sweaty palms, "All she said was that she was talking about some things that…she said it was nothing and that I didn't have to worry about it."

"Well, what things were they talking about?" Rin asked.

Ayame bit her rich red lip and said her skirt still in her bawling hands, "I don't know, she just said 'things'. When I asked, she wouldn't answer me and told me not to worry about it, that it was nothing. But she was…happier… at least a bit. For the first time in a while, she actually talked during dinner. She had been so quiet before, I think she felt a little bit brighter."

After Ayame had stopped, she looked carefully at Rin and said quietly, "I think…she's nice…at least I think."

Rin did not answer her. She turned away from Ayame when she had finished and, putting her chin in her palm and her hand on her hip with her legs like a cat crouched on a window sill, was silent. Ayame nervously watched her until Rin said, a smile spreading across her face, "You know…I think I'll do just that."

"Do what?" Ayame asked nervously.

Rin looked at her, her eyes ablaze and a smile on her face as she said, "I think I'll meet this Kagome Higurashi,"

Ayame did not answer, nervously watching Rin.

"Hey, why are you so quiet?" said Rin, still smiling, "What happened to the sweet, fiery Ayaa I knew so well?"

Ayame didn't answer and the two both heard the door open and looked toward the door, seeing a man approach. He had long, silvery hair, so blond that it appeared argent and unnaturally golden eyes, cold and emotionless. He had thrown off his outer layer of clothing and wore a white, collared shirt, a tie over his chest and his suit's coat in the crook of his arms. His shoes had been kicked off at the entrance as he looked emotionlessly, not a single expression crossing his long, pale face at the two young girls sitting at his living room table.

"Oh!" said Rin, getting up, "Oh, Sesshomaru-sensei, you're back!"

Sesshomaru looked at Rin for a moment and then at Ayame, almost inquisitively.

"Oh, this is Ayame Hanakami, Sesshomaru-sensei. We were just talking and…"

Sesshomaru nodded coldly at Ayame and said, ignoring her and turning to Rin, "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes!" said Rin, "would it be okay if Ayame stayed for a while…?"

"No, I should get going Rin," said Ayame nervously, rising and looking earnestly at her dark-haired friend, "I already had dinner and Papa is expecting me back."

Ayame crossed the living room, Rin behind her as she replied to her pleas with "don't worry, I'm full", "I already ate" and "I'm late as it is". Finally Rin stopped asking her if she would like to stay and got onto the porch in her socks, Ayame with her shoes tucked on. The light had faded and darkness had fallen, pierced by the glow of the moon through the trees. Rin could see the backdrop of smaller houses surrounding the large building in which she lived with Sesshomaru, the city only around the block. The cars were still whizzing through the streets and the neighbors' voices rose beyond their walls.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" said Ayame.

"Of course," Rin replied, closing the screen door as to not let any late-season bugs into the house. "Tell San-san I said 'Hi'!"

"Okay," said Ayame and walked down the steps and into the darkness, opening the door of the small car she had borrowed and turning the ignition on. She had drove clumsily out of the driveway (apologizing through the opened window about hitting the garbage can and nearly going into the mailbox,) and drove onto the road, hearing Rin call out as she left:

"Oh, yeah, say hi to your Koga for me too when you get back to your love nest!"

…

She didn't know him very well. Soon after Kikyo had switched with Kagome's help the vegetable garden into a flower garden, Inuyasha had only visited seldom. She had only seen him those few times when he came to visit the garden and Kikyo and only saw him few times more during school. He had only gotten into school barely, managed to get a small job and continue to live in his apartment because of his landlord, an old friend of his deceased father, Myoga. But she had rarely spoken to him, and their conversations had been brief. But she knew one thing about him.

She never wanted to see that jerk again!!!

Kagome didn't known what Kikyo saw in Inuyasha, at least any good. She hadn't answered Kikyo when she had gotten back from the gardens, asking insistently why she was so angry.

"Oh, hi Kikyo!" said young Kaede as Kikyo got into the halls. Her jeans, patched in dirt and her hair sticking to her necks because of the sweat.

"Hi Kaede," said Kikyo, exhaustedly, "Is Sota in their too?"

"Yeah!" said Sota, pocking his head out of the doorway to see Kikyo. "Did you and Kagome get into a fight or something?"

"What?" said Kikyo, wiping her sweaty brow with the back of her hand while holding her dirty glove in her hands, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well," said Kaede before Sota could explain, his mouth still opened, "when she got back, she was late and she just stomped into you guy's room. We could hear her moan through her pillow."

"Really?" said Kikyo curiously.

"Uh-huhn," said Kaede. "She looked really angry too, like she was fighting or something."

"Well, why was that?" Kikyo asked, looking into the room through the hall.

"Beats us, that's why we asked you!" said Sota, using Kaede as an armchair.

"Hey, oww, Sota that hurts, stop!"

"Well, it's your fault for being so short!" said Sota and Kikyo walked into the bedroom, ignoring Kaede's whining as she tried to push Sota's elbows off of her head.

"Hey," said Kikyo as she entered the bedroom, looking at Kagome lying on her bed with her face buried in her pillow. Kikyo, throwing her gloves onto the floor, sat on her own bed beside Kagome's as Kagome did not reply.

Kagome shifted from lying face-down to on her back and looked at the ceiling, her pillow hugged to her.

"Are… are you alright? Sota and Kaede said you weren't…feeling well," said Kikyo, unperturbed by the angry expression on Kagome's face as she glared at the ceiling.

Kagome made no reply and turned on her side, away from Kikyo. She didn't want to reply, she didn't want to see Kikyo's maddeningly calm face when she felt like this. But she knew better than to say anything or it would come out in her anger insulting or childish.

"Are you feeling well?" Kikyo asked again, calm in her composure. She couldn't help but smile at her sister's childish anger and was therefore glad Kagome was not looking at her provocative grin.

Kagome muttered something and then said more clearly when Kikyo hadn't understood her, "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine to me," said Kikyo.

Kagome still didn't face her. She was afraid of bursting out in anger at Kikyo's calm voice and yelling at her childishly as Kikyo remained calm, like a parent during their offspring's indignant tantrum.

"I'm fine Kikyo," said Kagome firmly.

"What happened, Kagome?" said Kikyo, the smile vanishing from her features.

"I already told you, I'm fine, nothing happened," said Kagome, trying to sound calm. She didn't want to seem angry; she didn't want to be angry. It would be childish and pathetic to get angry over such a small matter…but the 'small matter' as she thought of it immediately roiled her blood and made her burn with anger. It took everything she had to refrain form shouting into her pillow with anger.

"I don't think its nothing, Kagome, what happened? Did something happen at school or something?" Kikyo asked.

"I told you, Kikyo, nothing happened, don't worry about me!" said Kagome firmly and turned on her other side to see Kikyo. But she had turned to see her at the wrong moment and caught Kikyo's 'look' on her face a moment before she hastily hid it.

Kagome's blood roiled at this sight and then said loudly, "I told you that its nothing, you don't have the right to look at me like that Kikyo!"

"You know that I know it wasn't—"

"It was nothing, don't use that 'look' on me!" said Kagome, turning away from Kikyo again. She felt childish, pathetic…but her anger would not cease.

"Please, Kagome, just tell me what—"

"I told you already, didn't I? I said it was—"

"What you told me was a lie, if you're acting like this then it wasn't—"

"What do you mean, 'when I'm acting like—"

"When you act like when you're angry, when something's hap—"

"I told you already, I'm fine, nothings—"

"C'mon, Kagome, please tell me wha—"

"I told you, it's—"

"And I told you I won't believe it's—"

"Well then you should believe, because I'm fi—"

"Not fine!"

"I'm fine already!"

"No, you're not, just tell me what—"

"I'm fine, it's NOTHING!"

Kagome didn't know why Kikyo liked Inuyasha as she didn't know why she had cared for him, why she had loved him—

That arrogant, self-centered, martial arts-crazy jerk! Thought Kagome bitterly as she walked with Kikyo to school the next day. That encounter with him, she resolved, would be the last. I won't make you have to see this wench again…

Kikyo said nothing, she was certain Kagome would not tell her what had happened. But she knew something had happened no matter how much Kagome tried to deny it. She walked at the same speed as Kagome through the streets, wondering what had happened.

Kagome never wanted to see him again; she never wanted to encounter him again! She wouldn't, she wouldn't see him! Her heart thudded loudly beneath her chest, her blood burned with anger as she thought about him. She had barely seen him in the garden, only a bit more at school, and their first argument she resolved, would be their last. But as she thought these thoughts, one vague thought clambered into her musings, a though she had once ran across in her bed that night.

What did she care for Inuyasha, why did she care if she every saw him again?

…

"That will be your assignment, students, and I expect all these problems to be solved by tomorrow, questions answered and explanations for how you reached your conclusion. Class dismissed."

Sesshomaru closed his thick book and the bell rang on. The class lifted as they grabbed their items and prepared for the break during study hall.

Stupid girl, like it was her fight to interfere with!

Inuyasha had been thinking about yesterday as he sat on his desk, chewing with his sharp canines on his eraser and his pointed chin digging into his palm. Just thinking about her made him angry. That battle wasn't supposed to be interfered with, it wasn't her place to interfere! She should have just minded herself! It's disgraceful, being helped by a mere girl!

But as Inuyasha thought, he remembered her face filled with anger, her arms firmly at her sides.

"…And don't insult me, I was only trying to help you!"

"…Fine, this wench won't help you anymore!"

As Inuyasha remembered this, he could feel the pain in her eyes, the anger, and the anger at him. And it hit him painfully.

Feh! He though while shaking this abrupt and brief feeling off. She shouldn't have interfered; I wouldn't have been beaten by Koga! It was her damn fault!

But despite telling himself this, he could still clearly remember her words and what he had said to her. He could remember the feeling of hurt in her voice and face as she had hurriedly ran away from him. His expression softening and his eyes dropping, he bit into the eraser at the point where a chunk of it was chewed into his mouth and he spit it out, feeling the disgusting rubbery, leady taste.

I wasn't…she's just like any other girl; I don't care if I hurt her, only Kikyo, only her! She's just a regular wench, interfering in a man's fight! She doesn't know anything!

Inuyasha could feel the reassurance and the doubt in these thoughts. That's right…he only cared for Kikyo, no one else, not this girl, not her look-alike… he only cared for her…

Than how come in his heart there was a bit of doubt?

Feh! It's true, I'm conceited as hell! Thought Inuyasha impatiently and he rose from his seat, his bag over his shoulder. He wouldn't think about any regret for what he said to that girl yesterday, only his anger at her interfering in his match, saying he would have lost to Koga.

Yes, it was her fault, all hers; she was like all the rest…

As Inuyasha got out of the classroom, he could hear voices, the familiar voices of Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta. He turned to see them by the lockers, the right side of Koga's face padded with a bandage (to Inuyasha's pleasure, as he was grinning maliciously).

"I told you Ginta, Hakkaku, I'm not some wimp who would lose to these injuries!" Koga snapped to the two boys around him.

Both Hakkaku and Ginta flinched as Koga slammed the locker door loudly, the clatter resounding in the halls. Ginta, opening his eyes after tightly shutting them out of pain of the sharp sound began to whisper to Hakkaku and the two followed Koga through the halls.

Inuyasha began to walk through the halls, alone through the hoards of school uniform-clad students in suits of black and skirts of green. His bag was slung over his shoulder, the old beat-up strap barely still held together. As he passed, he could see students flood out of and fill the classrooms and as he entered the halls, he saw someone familiar at the lockers, trying to open the door as she held on one arm to her chest a stack of books staggering in height.

"Hey," said Inuyasha as he grabbed the books out of her arms, supporting them with ease in one hand.

Kikyo, surprised, looked behind her to see the white-haired 'hanyou' and smiled. It was half-forced, half-true as she revealed it, her pale-red lips curving in her smile.

"Oh, thank you, Inuyasha," she said, touching the necklace beneath her shirt of the bellflowers unconsciously.

"You know, you could've just put em on the floor while you opened your locker." said Inuyasha, as if explaining the obvious.

Kikyo grinned unblushingly and said, "Oh, yes, sorry, I wasn't really thinking…"

Inuyasha's face became a bit surprised and confused as she said this and Kikyo recognized this expression.

"That's not like you," he said, holding the books with apparent ease. "Are you…alright?"

For a moment Kikyo hesitated and then she said, touching her brow as Inuyasha recognized as a rare characteristic, "Yeah, I'm fine…just thinking too much about something."

"'Something'?" said Inuyasha, looking inquisitively at Kikyo.

"Yes," Kikyo answered as she opened her locker and drew a book from inside, holding it to her chest, hugging it. For a moment she hesitated once more and then, looking back to Inuyasha with her calm hazel eyes after staring out into a classroom, said, "You know…my twin sister Kagome, don't you Inuyasha?"

As Kikyo said this, Inuyasha's eyebrows rose into his silvery bangs and he felt a pang at her name. He quickly concealed this expression of surprise and Kikyo was thinking too hard to notice it. The books in his arms staggered.

Stupid, why the hell do you care! Thought Inuyasha to himself angrily and answered Kikyo with, "Yeah…why?"

Kikyo, biting her lip and lowering her eyes beneath her dark lashes, said after much hesitation, "I don't know, but from what I know of Kagome….I don't know, but I think something happened."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha inquired another pang sent to him as he brushed it off. His heart was rapidly thudding and he couldn't even tell why.

"Well," said Kikyo nervously, her teeth still on her lower lip. For a moment she considered telling Inuyasha and then resolved on it. She was nervous, more than she had been before the bet when she was with Inuyasha and her heart raced when she spoke to him. If you want to figure out your feelings for him, you ought to be able to talk to him!

"Well….I know Kagome, she's a really good person but I think something happened. She wouldn't tell me why and she kept on telling me it was nothing…but I could tell, I just could even though she kept on denying it that something happened. She was really angry…"

And Inuyasha could feel his heart rapidly beat and he could hear it in his ears.

"Fine, this wench won't help you anymore!" She had screamed at him angrily and stormed away as fast as she could.

It was…his fault, wasn't it? He tried to conceal his expression as hard as he could and tried to listen to the rest of what Kikyo was saying, but only a few words registered in his brain, the fragments of the sentences like "she was really angry", "something must have happened", and "I could tell it wasn't nothing".

So she was still angry, was she?

"…And don't insult me, I was just trying to help you!"

"…won't help you anymore!"

Inuyasha could feel her word sting him. He could see her face so vividly in his memory, angry and hurt. He could even see the wetness in her eyes that soon turned to the tears rimming her lashes. And he could feel regret.

No! He thought, shaking his head. I don't give a damn, it was her fault! All her damn fault!

But these words barely reassured him. She was still angry; she had been hurt by him. By him…he had angered and hurt her. Why the hell did he care? Another person, one of the many who filled the streets, an ordinary person, an ordinary girl… She didn't care.

"Well I did interfere with it, to help you!"

Inuyasha remembered these words barely through his anger that she had interfered, that she had disgraced him, and he remembered her face. And he remembered shaking away the doubt as she had long been lost from sight after running away from him, leaving him alone in the streets.

It was your fault; she was hurt because of you; she's still hurt by you; it's your entire fault again.

NO! No! I don't care, I don't care! All I've ever done is hurt people; she's just one of the million!

And Inuyasha snapped back into reality when he heard Kikyo say something, her chin in her hand and her eyes lowered thoughtfully and concernedly: "I hope she's okay, but she won't tell me what's wrong. I know it must have been something bad, because she wouldn't tell me and it looked a little like she had been crying."

Inuyasha heard her words and regret filled him. Doubt, regret, and denial. What did he care for her, what did he care, he had hurt a lot of people, he had lashed out at millions, and he didn't give a damn; only his mother, only Kikyo, and no one else.

Then why did he felt since the first time he could remember that he had done something wrong?

"Oh," said Kikyo, bringing Inuyasha out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I'd better be going. I just hope Kagome's better."

Then Kikyo grabbed the books out of Inuyasha's arms and put them on the floor as, one hand over the pendant beneath her shirt and one on Inuyasha's shoulder, she leaned over to kiss him.

But as with one hand she brushed away the silver hair at the side of his face, her hand felt like it had caught fire and her eyes dilated. Her lips almost touching the skin of his face, she drew away hurriedly. Inuyasha looked at her, confused, and she looked back at him and said through her fingers, "I'm sorry!" and ran away from him, disappearing from sight through the halls.

Inuyasha watched her, bewildered, her books still on the floor and her locker still open, as she disappeared from sight, running as fast as she could after retreating from kissing him, apologizing and running away.

…

Kagome sat at a table, the room mostly empty, shafts of light cascading from the windows. Before, she had hesitated in the bathroom, looking at the mirror that reflected the abandoned stalls and the tiled floor.

Her hair, as always, was messily tied into a nest at the back of her head, her curved figure was hidden beneath her thick sweater and long skirt, and her face wore dullness and an uninviting look.

For a while she had only made faces in the mirror, moaning, "aww…should I…no…no, I shoul….no, I shouldn't…aww!"

The dare had only just crossed her mind. If she had to be herself, she had to show her true self; the girl who hated to imprison her long, shining, wavy, raven-hair in a clip and loved it to flow free on her back and shoulders; the girl who hated to wear the extra layer of clothing over her body just to hide her figure; and the girl disliked forcing herself to avoid people, hide her radiant face and fill a need for friends and company, with loneliness. She hated that girl, but she couldn't stop her. She estranged herself from people, hid what would attract people to her, and made people ignore her. She didn't want to be neglected…yet she wanted to more than anything in the world. That's why she hid how she looked. She never thought she was beautiful, but Kikyo and Kaede had many times insisted it (Sota had ignored them, excluding himself from their girl stuff).

She never thought of her appearance before; she had always thought she was ugly and Kikyo was beautiful, and she still believed that. But she had still hid how she looked, how she truly looked and liked to look from people in fear of being judged to Kikyo and to disappoint people again. If she was truly 'beautiful', it was just a bait to lure people to her, like fish to a worm cast on a hook on a line. And then their hopes would be killed. She wasn't better than Kikyo; she wasn't prettier, she wasn't kinder, she wasn't more talented, she wasn't more helpful, she wasn't wiser, and she failed in comparison.

So she hid everything, anything; anything that would make people come to her and makes people compare her to Kikyo. She hid her true self because she didn't want to be unwanted. She didn't want to disappoint people and be disappointed. She didn't want people telling her again and again that Kikyo was better, that she should be more like her, that she was nothing compared to her.

But she hated tying up her hair and she hated wearing all that damn hot clothing and she hated avoiding people.

C'mon Kagome! She thought angrily, looking determinedly into the mirror. If your gonna win this bet, your going to have to be yourself, and therefore show your true appearance, the way you like to look!

But Kagome just continued to moan in front of the mirror and couldn't bring herself to change how she looked; she couldn't bring herself to free her hair like she so wanted to or to take of her sweater or look inviting and warm.

Therefore Kagome sat on a table, secluding herself from groups of students working together, looking as she always did. She looked dully down onto her papers, moving her pencil and she bit into the eraser, trying to think.

But she could only think of more disappointment. She didn't have the courage to change how she looked to the way she wanted to, she couldn't.

Gripping her messy bangs in her fists and tugging at them angrily, Kagome moaned and thought, I'm never gonna change, I'm never gonna win this bet!

"EEEPP!"

Kagome and other students turned around to see a girl on the floor, crouching hastily as she retrieved the thick sheaves of paper from the ground…or what remained of the once neat sheaves. Biting her lip to refrain from swearing, the girl grabbed at the papers from the big sheaf.

Kagome rose from her seat to help the girl and crouched besides her, handing her a couple of sheets of paper.

"Oh," said the girl, turning up to look at Kagome's face and revealing her own; it was Rin. "Oh, thank you for, um, for helping me."

"No problem," said Kagome and she continued to gather the papers.

Her scheme had worked well, Rin knew it did. Now lets see… she thought, glancing frequently up from gathering the papers to look at Kagome.

Rin had offered to transfer this stack of papers to the empty printer and copier, taking this route to the office in hope of meeting Kagome. She knew how she looked; similar to Kikyo, though there were differences. And, when she found her working in the study, she purposely dropped them, making it seem like an accident, to draw Kagome to help her. Ayame was right; she was kind enough to help her, from what Rin could perceive. Or it could have been an act to be polite.

Kagome's hair was tied at the back of her head, meaning to look as if it had been tangled and turned by the wind, never touched by comb, and so wild it was barely contained in its tie. Her bangs were messy, strands of long hair from her back falling over her face. Rin could see Kagome trying to hide her expressions, being calm, composed, polite, and evasive, trying not to look Rin in the grace; for Rin's gaze was so penetrating and calculating, Kagome feared it could look into her thoughts.

Kagome hid her expression behind a wall of seclusion and coldness. She made her hazel eyes, usually warm, cold; and her face was hard as stone. Her figure, curved and slim, was made uncharacteristic by her thick sweater, hiding her body from eyes and her legs veiled by her skirt. But Rin could see through a vague portion of her. But only just that.

Rin scooped up the last of her papers and held the staggering stack to her chest after Kagome had handed her the portion she retrieved.

"Oh, thank you so much!" said Rin, smiling.

Kagome had turned away from her, facing the wall and looking coldly over her shoulder through slightly narrowed eyes. She did not reply. But Rin was determined.

"Well," said Rin, holding the stack with the corners of worn-out papers sticking out of it, "You're nice. What's your name?"

Again. Here it was again, someone telling her that. It was because she let herself help, against her will she tried to help someone. And here it was again.

Kagome muttered something.

"Hmm?" said Rin, smiling inquisitively.

"Kagome…Higurashi," said Kagome softly, still avoiding Rin's gaze.

"I'm Rin Miyazawa," said the dark-haired girl, smiling.

For a moment the two girls merely stood there, Rin looking at Kagome over her stack of paper and Kagome coldly over her shoulder. This girl could see her, barely…but she could. She couldn't let her see her; she had to act as she always did; cold, indifferent, and uncaring.

Then she felt a jolt of surprise as Rin dropped the papers onto the table nearest her and grabbed Kagome's wrists, saying, "Come with me,"

"Hey, what—"

But Kagome was cut off as Rin dragged her through the halls at a running pace, narrowly avoiding and occasionally brushing the shoulders of students. Kagome tried to break herself free of Rin's grasp, but to no avail and they continued to run.

"Hey!" said Kagome to Rin, still trying to keep up with her fast pace, "Hey, what—what are you—"

The bell rang loudly.

"Oh, it's lunch!" said Rin as they kept on running. "Then come on, you'll eat with us!"

"No—wait—" But Kagome could not finish as Rin sharply rounded the corner. Her shoes' soles skidded across the waxed floor and only Rin's firm grasp on her stopped her from slipping. The halls flashed around her and soon she was out of breath. She could se student flash by her; she could see everything whir around her.

"Oh, here we are!" said Rin, no where near as breathless as Kagome was presently and they climbed up the stairs to the rooftop. The open door was the only light on the stairs, the light that slipped through the door ajar. Kagome was thinking rapidly as Rin continued to drag her.

"Wait!" she said, breathing hard, "Why—why are you taking me?"

"Because," said Rin, her back still turned to Kagome and Kagome heard her words clearly, even though her brain was filled with thoughts, her ears with the clattering stairs: "you helped our Sango; I haven't thanked you yet for that."

Kagome asked no more, nor did she have the time, as she and Rin reached the door and were sent through it. The light wan blinding, so painful. Kagome put her hand over her eyes, Rin still loosely grasping her wrist as she breathed in deeply. The fresh air felt good to her lungs, she was exhausted from running. But as she looked around, Rin turned to her and said, Kagome's mask falling for a moment, "C'mon, Kagome, you'll eat lunch with us!"

…

Kikyo lay against the tree, facing away from all the other students, breathing in deeply. She had avoided going with Rin, Sango, and Ayame and she lay on the soft grass of the school grounds. With her dark bangs covering her eyes, she tightly squeezed her peach in her hands, her nails sinking into the fuzzy skin and juicy flesh.

Then Kikyo grabbed the books out of Inuyasha's arm, putting them on the floor, with one hand on her pendant beneath her shirt and one on his shoulder as she leaned forward to kiss him. As she brushed away his silvery hair, her hand felt as if it had caught fire. She quickly drew back to Inuyasha's bewilderment, her lips so close to the skin of his face, saying, "I'm sorry!" and ran away from him.

Inuyasha watched in utter confusion as Kikyo disappeared from sight through the halls, her books on the floor, her locker door still opened after she had retreated from kissing him, apologized, and ran away.

She put a hand to her face as she remembered it, heat in the form of blush coloring her skin. She covered her face with her hands. And she remembered the thing that drew her away from him and made her run, run away:

She had seen midnight hair and a long, pale face.

Okay, so that's the end of the fourth chapter of Lovely Mask and I hope it was enjoyed. So now Kagome's meeting Kikyo's group, had a fight with Inuyasha, Kikyo's still trying to sort out her feelings for Inuyasha, and Inuyasha has to sort out his feelings for both of them.

Next chapter explores the teachers more, which I planned to do in this one but wanted to do it a bit later, so please continue to read and review!