Misconceptions

Chapter Two:
Self Control

"Here," Kouga handed Ayame a few text books.

"Um, I think you have it backwards. The guys are supposed to carry the book, not the girls." Ayame struggled to hold all of them at once as she shifted arms.

Kouga smirked. "You are so dumb it's almost cute. You're not carrying them, you're doing my assignments."

Ayame froze and cocked a brow in shock. "Excuse me—I never agreed to anything like that!"

"You don't have to," he closed the small cubby that the school called a locker. Please, it's was barley big enough to fit a finger. "You owe me big time."

"So; I'm sure you could pay someone to do it."

"I could, but what would be the fun in that when I could just make you o it for free?"

Ayame sighed. She figured she could either throw all the books down right on his foot and hope they would break something and most likely mysteriously be kicked out of school, or put up with it. Kouga couldn't torture her for much longer, right? "And Suppose I decide not to do it?"

He smirked once more. "You don't have a choice."

Ayame sighed again, this time with more feeling. "You've got to be kidding me," she murmured under her breath. "Fine, I'll it done by tomorrow." Just as she turned to leave, she felt Kouga pull on her arm and turn her around.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked confused.

"To Kagome's house, duh. Someone has to help me with all this work and since you don't care to lift a finger, I figured Kagome would want to help me."

"I didn't ask Kagome to do it, I asked you." He gained a tight grip on her wrist as he dragged her behind.

"Where do you think you are taking me?"

"I'm gonna make sure you do all that work—by yourself."

"All you said was to get it done. You never said anything about me having to do it alone!"

.o0o.

"Late again; what's your excuse this time?" Bankotsu teased as he drank another shot with Hakkaku.

"The usual," he answered mysteriously as Ayame mumbled in the background. He pulled a chair out from the table behind his friends and forcefully, but gently sat her there. "Sit; stay; work," he ordered at her like a dog as Hakkaku and Bankotsu laughed behind them.

Ayame only glared and turned the pages of the text book as if she held a grudge against it.

"Don't turn the pages so loud, it's as if you have a problem with the author." Kouga sat with his friends.

"Who's the new victim?" Bankotsu questioned as he curiously eyed her.

Kouga waved his arm as if to dismiss the thought. "It's not important. She's my business. What'd I miss?"

"Nothing really," Hakkaku felt Bankotsu nudge him with his elbow and laugh. "Oh yeah, Ginta will also be joining your . . . business."

"Why?" Kouga asked coldly, pouring himself a glass tequila.

"Why not?" Bankotsu countered. He suddenly snapped his fingers only to have Ginta appear and bow lowly. "Get to work," he ordered.

Ginta nodded and sat at the same table as Ayame. She looked up from her work. "So why are you here?" she whispered, tapping her pencil on the paper. "I'm guessing you insulted them or something right?"

"Not exactly," Ginta replied as he opened up a couple text books and began typing in his notebook PC.

"So what'd you do to be here?"

"What'd you do?" he countered.

Ayame shrugged innocently. "Apparently getting a C on one test can affect my whole life. Now it's your turn."

Ginta sighed quietly, hoping it wouldn't be audible over Kouga and his friends' laughs and babble. "I'm just the outcast family member."

Ayame looked at him in a baffled manner. "You're related to Bankotsu?"

Ginta shook his head. "Not Bankotsu, I'm related to—"

"Hey," Kouga rudely butted in. "I'm not paying you two to talk."

"You're not paying us at all." Ayame realized too late that she couldn't take that punt back. "I mean . . . we're just working with no pay. Okay, I'm going to shut up now."

"That'd be best." Bankotsu added.

The thrill of Ayame's phone interrupted the awkward stares—thank God! She giggled nervously before shoving her head under the large table and placing the phone next to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Love! Where are you? You are totally missing the coolest club opening! It's barely dark outside and the party has already gotten started!" Carissa held her phone up in the air to make the sound of music and people audible to Ayame. "I figured I'd save you from whatever you're doing."

"Thank Kami!" Ayame turned around to face Kouga and tapped him on the shoulder. "I'll be right there!" She yelled urgently into the phone before flipping it closed. "There seems to be an emergency with Grandfather. I have to go."

"Fine, but take my books."

Ayame nodded. "Fine," she agreed. "I'll meet you at your locker tomorrow morning."

.o0o.

The bass of the techno/trance music blazed through the speakers, sending vibrations to every direction. Carissa made her way through the crowd of people dancing to the beats. "What were you saying?" She hollered, hoping her voice got over the music.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later . . . when we aren't both def." Ayame responded as she took a drink from her water bottle. "So why am I here again?"

"Don't you want to have some fun? Come on, Ayame! You need some fun in that lament life of yours. It's not very attractive to act all melancholy."

"Well, thank you for saving me from my horrific night, but this whole party scene isn't my style."

"Shut up!" she giggled. "I know you are nothing but a wild beast tamed Tanaka Ayame, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you release all worries, and have some fun."

"We're seriously going to get in trouble for being here. I mean, would you look at every one? They're either drunk or high. This is so not my scene. Can we go?" Ayame whined pulling on Carissa's arm.

"Fine," she agreed, setting her martini on the bar.

"May I see some ID, please?" A random police officer asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I think you heard me Miss."

"Well, it just so happens that I don't have my ID with my officer."

The man sighed and grabbed her by the arm. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me." They pushed through the crowd while Ayame followed along behind, trying to skip around on the tip of her toes to see what was happening.

Arakaki Hideki threw the cigarette bud on the cold cement and stomped on it. He went toward the door only to find Carissa being escorted out. "Carissa?" he asked.

"Detective Hideki, you know her?"

Hideki sighed. "Yeah, just put her and her friend in my car."

The officer nodded. He escorted Ayame and Carissa to Hideki's car. Ayame sighed. "I wasn't even drinking," Ayame murmured under her breath.

"Thanks," He said before waling toward both girls. He sighed again. "I'm guessing underage drinking, right? How many times do you have to get busted to realize you're too young?"

"Hey, you only caught me once."

"Do your parents know you drink?"

"Please, they gave me my first martini."

Hideki rolled his eyes. "Somehow I don't find that hard to believe."

The trill of Ayame's phone interrupted the soon-to-be dispute. "Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Who is this?"

"Kouga."

Ayame sighed, loosing her posture and slouching. "How did you even get my number? I never gave it to you."

"That's not important," he countered. "Where are you?"

"I'll have you know that's non of your—" She suddenly felt someone tap on her shoulder. "Hold on," She placed two fingers on the receiver of her phone and turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kouga.

"What happened? Did you grandfather break his hip dancing?" Kouga growled lowly.

Ayame laughed nervously. "That's a good one," she added, hopping that if she sucked up enough she wouldn't wind up dead. "I was actually going to tell you . . . wrong number! It seems they got the wrong person. Did you know there are a lot of families with girls name Ayame in Japan?"

"Am I supposed to buy that story?"

"Um . . . yes?"

Kouga sighed. "Is it alright if I take her home . . ." Kouga caught a look of Hideki's badge. "Detective?"

Hideki nodded. "So long as she is alright with it." They both stared at Ayame, Carissa joining them in the stare off.

Ayame smiled nervously, playing with her fingers. "I guess I don't have much of a choice. So yes . . . he'll take me home."

Carissa waited till Ayame started toward Kouga's car, looking at the ground. She stepped out of Hideki's car and stood in front of him, shutting the car door. "I'm sorry. You won't catch me here again, okay?"

"That's it?"

"What else were expecting."

Hideki held his hand out. "Give me your fake ID and I'll let you off."

"Are joking? That thing cost me—I mean I don't have one," she corrected quickly, but not quick enough.

He let out a cold but comical laugh. "I'm serious, Carissa. If you don't give it to me right now, I'll have to take you into custody."

She rolled her eyes as she dug into her little clutch purse. "Here," she grunted handing him her ID. "If you're done torturing me, I'd appreciate a ride home, thank you."

"Fine," he agreed. "Get in." He could help the warm pinch he got inside.

.o0o.

Kouga turned the engine of his car off. The silence haunted them as they came to the complete halt. Neither had thrown insult in a while.

"It wasn't that big of a deal . . . I finished your homework," Ayame offered innocently biting down on the nail of her index finger nervously. "I put it in your locker," she continued. "If that helps . . . and I already started writing your midterm paper. Are you going to talk to me? This silent treatment kind of hurts."

"Are you going to get out?" He finally spoke.

Ayame scoffed uncrossing and re-crossing her legs. "I should have expected a rude comment to come out of your mouth. Besides . . . I don't even think Souta or Kagome are home yet."

He squinted to get a better few of the shrine house. "Kagome? Why are you staying with her?"

"Well Carissa is a little busy at the moment, other wise I'd usually stay at her place." She stopped herself for a moment in thought. "Wait, you did know I wasn't from the city, right?"

"I didn't think you were from earth either," he teased. "What town are you from then?"

She let her eyes roam the outside of the house, ignoring any eye contact. "It's sort of hard to explain."

"How hard is it to say where you're from? Unless you're so dumb you can't even pronounce it."

"It's hard—I mean I don't know exactly where I'm from. I grew up in Humanity Haven."

Kouga thought to himself for a second. "Isn't that a . . ."

"Orphanage?" Ayame finished for him. "Yeah . . ."

"But you told Oshiro-sensei—"

"I know what I told Oshiro-sensei. And . . . I obviously lied. It was a little embarrassing to tell him that . . . I never meant for anyone else to find out."

"Embarrassed?" He questioned lightly. "There's nothing embarrassing about—"

He was cut off by his car door slamming shut. "I'm gonna try to jump through a window," Ayame yelled from outside. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

'She's an . . . orphan?'

.o0o.

"It's quiet . . . too quiet."

"Till now," Hideki quipped, pulling over in front of Carissa's town house.

Carissa smiled and then laughed.

"What?"

"It's just . . . I don't know. I was a year younger last year."

"What does that to do with anything?"

She shrugged, looking into his bright eyes. "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean."

Hideki stared into the steering wheel. "No, I don't think I do."

"Yes, you do," she encouraged strongly, sliding her hand over his leg and climbing over the stick shift and straddling him.

She pressed her forehead against his, letting her full lips brush against his own. Hideki had no time to protest—frankly, not that he wanted to. He grabbed her wrist suddenly, and ran his other through her hair as he closed his eyes. Her tight dress barely left anything to imagine. "We can't."

"Why not? I'm legal."

"Just barely," he added bitterly.

She took her free hand and let it sneak its way to his belt. "So what; that doesn't mean I'm not. You can't say you don't want me."

Hideki sigh, dropping his arms to his side. "We can't do this."

Carissa sighed also. "What's stopping us now? I'm legal, and no one has to know."

"As much as I appreciate your vow of secrecy, I prefer not to keep you as a skeleton in my closet. Find someone your age, Carissa. Someone nice and decent; someone who can give you the attention you need."

"Because I can't get it from you," she finished in a questioning tone. "I'm here right now, Hideki. You can have me right now . . . and not a soul would know. I'll give you one more chance. Yes or no?"

He shook his head a looked away from her.

Carissa scoffed and grabbed the door handle. "Fine . . . your loss." She stepped out, slamming his door behind her.

.o0o.

"You told him what?"

Ayame shrugged innocently. "I know. And I bet now he feels sorry for me, which is even worse."

"Hey," Carissa interrupted. "If you're lucky then he'll leave you alone. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I wouldn't exactly count on it," Kagome added. "I mean, sure he'll feel bad for you, but he's determined to make you his . . . homework-slave till he finds some other bate. He'll most likely go easier on you."

"Right," Carissa agreed, shoving a chocolate chip cookie in her mouth—compliments of Kagome's home and cooking courses. "I'm just . . . a little surprised you told him. It took you forever to tell me."

"Me too," Kagome agreed. "It was years before you told me also. What made you tell him?"

Ayame shrugged again. "I guess I got tired of lying. If I'm lucky, he'll leave me alone—"

"May I remind you . . . look at where your luck has gotten you so far?"

Ayame threw herself over the coffee table with a loud thud and groan. "You're so right Carissa. I'm totally six feet under either way."

"Eh, I'm sure it's not so bad. Maybe he'll take you to the gym with him and let you watch him work out."

Both Kagome and Ayame stared at their friend in astonishment. "Are you honestly serious?" Kagome asked with a giggle. "Sometimes I fear for you Carissa."

"What? Don't act like you don't want to see him work out. It's like one of my goals to complete before I'm thirty."

"Really? And would that be before or after sleeping with Brad Pitt?" Ayame countered.

"Oh, before of course."

All three girls began to laugh. "How's Souta after getting his ass handed to him?" Carissa questioned, breaking the ice.

"Hey, be nice," Ayame chided.

"He's fine by the way. Just a few cuts and bruises," Kagome answered. "Nothing my healing remedies couldn't fix."

"Good to hear."

Ayame recapped the ruby-red nail polish. "How'd you end up last night after the cop busted you?"

Carissa froze for a second before answering. "He just drove me home and I slept like a baby," she fibbed. She picked up Ayame's phone which had begun vibrating and looked at the caller ID. "It's Kouga,"

Ayame snapped her head toward Carissa. "Don't pick it up!" she yelled in a panic.

"Why not, if you won't talk to him, maybe I'll want to."

Ayame groaned. "I really don't want to hear a word he has to say. I spent all night ignoring his calls. I'm not going to give in now."

"You do realize the more calls you ignore, the angrier he'll get. Do you honestly want to mess with that?

A/N:

Another Chapter. Sorry it takes me forever to upload, but I'm so busy with school. Midterms are coming up—which means much cramming!

A blanket disclaimer for all chapters associated in the story of Misconceptions, which is soon to be come and Inuyasha fan fiction series. R. Takahashi owns all rights to the original characters of the manga/anime series. However, for all characters not associated with the manga/ anime series, they are owned by me, Tayanese.