Misconceptions

Chapter Four:
Most Wanted

"Are you aware that everyone is practically searching for you?" Kagome hissed as she slipped under the football field bleachers with her friend.

Ayame took the small packed meal from Kagome. "Thanks," she muttered trying to collect herself. "I know, I know. I'm dead! I might as well get out of the country. Kouga is going to kill me when he finds me."

"That is if finds you. What did you do anyways?" Kagome asked, offering Ayame a drink of water from her bottle.

Ayame waved it away. "He told me I had to miss class to redo his notes because they weren't good enough. Can you believe that? Anyway he practically tackled me down to the ground and accidentally landed in Oshiro-sensei's room."

"I see," Kagome noted tapping the nail of her index finger against her full bottom lip. "I suppose I could ask Inu Yasha to help you out a bit. But he can only do so much."

She shook her head. "No, this is like kid's stuff. Inu Yasha has better things to worry about, like his business." She sighed heavily looking around. "You better go. I'll try to make it to your house by dinner. If I'm not there, feel free to call the police."

Kagome laughed lightly. "Oh, Ayame. The worst he could do is pulling some strings and get you expelled. It's not like he'll kill you for disobeying him once."

"Once is an understatement," Ayame admitted. "Let's just say I'm been mouthing off a little too much."

"That won't matter. Kouga may seem very hard headed, but he has a good heart. Remember that, okay?"

Ayame nodded. "I'll try to keep that in mind while I'm dying."

Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Instilling good thoughts in you is a terrible thing once you've made up your mind about a person."

Ayame watched Kagome leave before looking around once more. 'Here goes nothing.' She stepped out from under the bleachers, grabbing her bag and running behind a random statue in front of the school's building.

She backed up slowly only to run into something hard. "I'm so sorry," she yelped helplessly. "I mean to pro—Souta?" She gave a heavy sigh of relief. "You scared the death out of me!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "What are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know Kouga and his gang are looking for you?"

"Why do you think I look so disheveled? It's not like I spent my day at the mall. I was hiding. You haven't seen them around here, have you?"

Souta shook his head. "Not yet. They probably gave up and went out for drinks anyway. Let's go to my house. Kagome or Mother should have dinner."

"I was just with Kagome. I think I'll lay low a while before going though."

"Really?" he asked. "Are you okay? You seem really flushed."

"Are you kidding?" she accidentally yelled. "I've been running all day. You expect me not to look flushed. My heart is racing so fast I think I'm having a stroke." Ayame innocently took Souta's hand and placed it over her chest where her heart would be. "Do you feel that? It's going a million miles a second." She watched as his cheeks began to redden.

"Hey, you," they both suddenly heard off guard.

Ayame suddenly saw Kouga push Souta's hand away from her. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked Souta with a growl.

"I wasn't—she—I didn't mean—" Souta stammered.

"Shut up. Get out of my sight, kid."

Souta nodded and disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Kouga turned around to face Ayame who was slowly turning herself, hoping he wouldn't notice if she also disappeared. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall with his weight. "Where were you going?"

"A—no where." She twitched feeling his warm breath over her small figure. "Before you even think about hitting me, I just want you to know that I said I was sorry about a million times."

"—hit you?"

"—and you can enslave me all you want but the one thing I won't let you do is take away my freedom to go to which ever college I choose. And I chose this one so we should just make our peace."

Just as she finished her last word, Kouga lifted his fist and punched the wall behind her head. He knew better than to let his temper control him, but this girl knew exactly how to push his buttons.

Ayame squeaked as she leaned her head to the side and away from his fist.

"Mind telling me why the kid was feeling you up?"

"Feeling me—no, you have it wrong. He was feeling my heart beat, I swear."

"You expect me to believe that?"

". . . Yes. Believe it or not, it's true. I'm not the type of girl you're used to being around. I'm not going to let the first guy I see touch me or anything."

"Kouga," Kagome interrupted. "What on earth do you believe you are doing?"

"This doesn't concern you, Kagome," he growled.

"Well I am making it concern me. Ayame is my friend and I refuse to stand by and let you bully her like this just because you need some entertainment. Now hand her over to me and we'll be on our way. You can have on your time but now is not the time. Let's go Ayame."

.o0o.

"Kagome did what?" Carissa yelled. "Are you serious? I don't believe."

"Well believe it," Ayame insisted. "Kagome totally told him off."

Kagome shook her head behind them as she stirred her batter. "Come on, it was not that much of a deal. I would have done it for any of you. Kouga is nothing but a bully and he needs to learn that he can't pick on everyone. And you, Ayame, can no longer fear him. It only gives him more power to do as he pleases with you."

"He can do whatever he pleases with me," Carissa added.

Ayame rolled here eyes. "You are so perverted sometimes," she muttered. "I thought you said he had a good heart."

"I did. And he does. But you fearing him will not bring anything good out of him except make him think that he has power over you."

"Well I can't exactly disobey him either. I owe him for what he did for me."

Carissa shook her head. "He didn't do anything but change one measly grade. You, however, are stuck with all of his work."

"Exactly," Kagome agreed.

"I guess you're right. But honestly . . . I'm not sure I can really say no to him."

"Would you say no to drugs?" Carissa teased.

"Of course,"

"Then why can't you just say no to Kouga. I'm sure it's hard seeing as how . . . attractive he is, but you can manage, right?"

"No," Ayame admitted. "He's a little scary when he gets mad if you haven't noticed."

"Scary? Oh please, you get scared if someone waves at you."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. Like that one time when Souta—"

"That's different. He popped out of no where and waved his hand directly in my face."

"Enough," Kagome interrupted. "Tomorrow will be another normal day like any other. And if Ayame chooses to continue to do Kouga's work, then that's her choice. We can't change her mind for her."

.o0o.

Kouga watched as Ayame grabbed another book from the library's business section. She opened up to a random page and doodle down a few notes before putting it back and digging for another book and repeating her previous actions.

Seeing as all the desks were full with students cramming for midterms, she took her lead and sat down on the floor, leaning against a shelf.

"I see you've started on our project."

She looked up at Kouga. "Oh, yeah. I guess you beat to picking partners. Then again, I didn't exactly have much of choice."

"Okay. Well, seeing as you'll need a less crowded place to work enough for the both of us, you should come over my house at eight o'clock."

"Wait, aren't you even going to tell me where you live?"

Ayame knocked on the door lightly, as if it might shatter if her knuckle touched it too hard. I small young looking woman opened the door with a friendly smile. "Hello, how may I help you?" She asked in a small voice.

Ayame smiled back and bowed her head in respect. "Hello, my name is Ayame and I'm here to see Kouga."

She nodded. "Oh yes, come in. I believe the Young Master mentioned you coming by."

"Young Master?"

"Why yes. Kouga is the Young Master of this estate."

"Oh, right."

"Well, he's currently in his bedroom. I could announce you, if you'd like?"

Ayame shook her head. "No, that's fine, I'll just . . ." she drifted off as she observed the overly large home. It could fit a country. "I'll just manage to find my way around."

The woman bowed. "As you wish,"

Ayame took it to herself, almost regretting that she didn't take the servant's help in finding her way. Taking the stairs to the next level of the house and following the trail of carpet around.

The second level wasn't as shiny as the first. It looked pretty plain and clean. Ayame roamed to the large fish tank at the end of the hall. One fish in there was probably worth more than her.

"Lost?"

Ayame jumped at the voice behind her. "Kouga, you scared me."

"Where's the servant? She's supposed to make sure you don't get lost," he commented.

"No, don't blame her. I asked her not to announce me. I didn't want to be a burden toward her."

"It's her job," he pointed out.

She smiled. "Right, still . . . she's got better things to do then show me around the 'estate'." She stalked behind Kouga, following him into his room.

"Young Master," an older male interrupted. "Can I offer you anything?"

Kouga shook his head. "No, I'm good. You?" he asked toward Ayame.

"Oh, um . . . could I just have a glass of milk? Thank you."

"Milk?" Kouga mocked with a chuckle.

"Don't tease me," she argued. "Milk is good for you. It gives you calcium and . . . makes you look healthy or something."

"Great, you drink it but can't make a plausible argument for it? Kind of sad, eh?"

There was the Kouga she knew all too well. "Whatever," she mumbled under her breath. "So are we going to start or what? I mean, I do want to hand in this project early just to get Oshiro-sensei to check it for mistakes."

He flopped down on his bed. "What do you mean we?"

She stared at him dazed. "I mean we are partners. You aren't really going to make me do this project alone, are you?"

"I was thinking about it."

'Figures,' Ayame scolded inwardly. There was no remote possibility that he could change in five seconds, was there? "By the way, I'd prefer you never tackle me again, thank you."

"I didn't tackle you," he argued. "I lost my footing."

"Sure, like I believe that."

He stood up, stretched and yawned. "I have an idea."

"Oh, so now you can think with out me—"

"Shut up, and listen," he cut in rudely. "You do this whole project on your own, and I'll do something . . . anything."

"Anything?" She questioned with a hint of mischief. "And I can hold you to it?"

He nodded exhaustingly.

She smiled. "You've got a deal. But you have to promise not to bail out. . . . I actually have an idea already."

"Let me guess, never having to see me again?" he taunted.

She giggled. "Ha, that would be plan B. But no. I'm guessing with the power your parents have, you can find someone—anyone?"

Kouga laid the thought over for a while before thinking. "I guess."

"Interesting," She nodded in thought. "Okay," Ayame reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a sheet of worn-out, folded paper. "I need you to find the woman who signed this. Even if you can't come up with everything I'll be sure to put your name on the project—so long as you at least tried I mean." She lifted her tote bag and tossed it over her shoulder. "I'll take my glass of milk to go."

Kouga waited for Ayame to leave the room before looking over the folded document. He read over and over again till it was probably burned in his memory. "Birth certificate?" he mumbled under his breath.

.o0o.

Ginta arrived at Kouga's house a little later than he was supposed to, but he supposed Kouga would make an exception just this once. Now he sat on back porch of the house where a nice little display of an out door dining table. He waited patiently for his cousin to walk toward him.

Kouga sighed as he pulled a chair in front of Ginta and sat in it. "From what I hear, you've got some connections right?"

"Connections?" Ginta repeated.

"Yeah, well, from what I hear, you can hack you way into anything like a ghost and not leave a trace."

Ginta stared at his shoe guiltily. "Maybe,"

Kouga slipped him the piece of paper Ayame had given him the under day. "Find the woman who signed this, and if you tell anyone about this I will personally take the pleasure in ripping your throat out."

Ginta gulped loudly a nodded. "Can I go now?"

Kouga waved him away as if he were a displeasing rat that needed to be immediately destroyed.

Ginta quickly rushed out.

.0o0o0.

A/N:

thanks for the posotive feedback. HELP! Midterms. I'm so stressed. No time to write! AGH!

.0o0o0.

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.