The next morning, Kagome was sitting on the front steps, tracing shapes in the dew with her sneaker, when Inuyasha's bike appeared at the end of the block. She jumped up and checked for the tenth time whether her tennis racket was sucurely fastened to the back of her bike.

'' Bye,'' Miroku said from the doorway. One of their cats, Thorn, pressed his face against the screen door next to him and made a sad noise. '' Have fun.''

'' Yeah right,'' she said. '' You're the one who's going to have fun. I wish I could stay home all day, too.'' He nodded, looking down at the ground. Mrs. H. came up behind him and swung open the screen door. Thorn trotted out and nosed Kagome's ankle.

'' Are you wearing enough sunscreen Kagome?'' Her mother asked anxiously. '' Did you bring extra? What about the hat ; did you pack the hat I gave you?''

'' Yes mom, '' Kagome said. '' I'm wearing enough sunscreen to cover the entire population of Australia. I think I'll survive the sun ; it's the pain and hiliation of tennis you should be worreid about.''

'' Hey, Higurashi family,'' Inuyasha said, skidding to a stop in the driveway. '' Ready to go, Kagome?'' She was glad he didn't make a girlfriend joke in front of her mom. That would have been tough to explain.

'' Sure.'' She swung onto her bike. '' Bye Miroku.''

'' Bye.'' He went back into the house. Mrs. H. stayed on the porch, waving, until Kagome and Inuyasha were halfway up the block and couldn't see her through the trees anymore. Kagome had hardly been able to sleep all night. What was going to happen that day? What did being a pretend girlfriend mean? What would she have to do? Who would Inuyasha tell? What would people think? She had no idea how to act around a real boyfriend, let alone a pretend one.

The wind whipped her long hair back from her face as they coasted down the the hill to the stop sign. Kagome could feel Inuyasha glancing over at her, and she wondered whether she looked like a sweaty mess already. As they paused at the corner, waiting for a car to pass, suddenly he leaned over and put one hand overs hers on the handlebars. Kagome froze. She wanted him to leave it there, but she didn't want to seem obvious about wanting him to leave it there.

'' Kagome,'' he said. She loved the way he said her name.

'' Yeah?''

'' Are you okay? You look nervous.''

'' Well, '' she said, '' you know, tennis. Me and sports, a bad combination.'' Wow, could I sound like a bigger dork?

'' You don't have to do this,'' he said. '' If you don't want to. It's okay. I can find another way to get rid of Kikyo.''

'' Oh, that?'' she said with a nervous laugh. '' I'm not worried about that. Seriously. Um. It's the tennis. Nerve-wracking tennis.'' Oh, and maybe the fact that I'm alone with Inuyasha, No Miroku. No Ayame. Just me and Inuyasha.

'' If you're sure,'' he said, taking his hand back to his own hadlebars. Kagome took a deep breath.

'' Besides, didn't you e-mail her already?'' she said. ''We wouldn't want her to think I got sick of you that fast.'' She tried to smile.

'' True,'' he said with a grin. '' Okay, but just remeber I really appreciate this.'' He lifted up and pedaled ahead, and it took her a minute to recover enough to follow him. Shikon Summerlodge was down a winding road through pine trees. The camp had a pool, teniis and basketball courst, sports fields, and a large barn for indoor activities when it rained. A couple of different summer programs used the camp, but the one Kagome and Inuyasha were doing was Tennis ffor Teens.

As they coasted into the parking lot, Kagome spotted a thin, tan figure in white shorts and a fitted white baby teen leaning against the big Shikon Summerlodge sign.

'' Uh-oh,'' Inuyasha muttered.

'' I thought you to her,'' Kagome said. '' Didn't you e-mail her?''

'' I did,'' Inuyasha said. '' She didn't write back. Maybe she didn't get it.''

Kagome felt an anvil of cold dread settle into her stomach. She'd spent so much time thinking about how to pretend to be Inuyasha's girlfriend that she'd completely forgotten about what Kikyo Hiromi might do to her. Stealing Kikyo's chosen boyfriend - that definitely didn't qualify as staying under her radar.

'' Just ignore her,'' Inuyasha said.

'' Very funny,'' Kagome retorted.

They got off their bikes and rolled them into the bike rack. As Kagome knelt to wrap her lock through the front wheel, she heard the clip-clop of Kikyo's high-heeled sandals coming closer, as if an elegant angel of death were approaching.

'' Hi Inuyasha,'' Kikyo said in her sultry voice. Kagome had always thought Kikyo was too skinny to have a voice so low, but it made her sound like an oldtime movie star. It also made her sound bored a lot of the time. That, or she really was that bored.

'' Hey, Kikyo,'' Inuyasha said. How did he sound so casual? '' This is my girlfriend, Kagome.'' Kagome's hands were shaking, so she could barely clip her lock into place, but she finally snapped it in and stood up. Kikyo was studying her with narrow, cold gray eyes. Her hair was a light black, and perfectly straight. Kikyo loved to wear white to show off her tan, and she always seemed to stay that colour all year long. Miroku was convinced that it was fake, and that she went to a salon or used some product. Whether that was true or not, Kagome-s mom - World's Most Enthusiastic Supplier of Sunscreen - would have been appaled to see it.

'' Kagome Higurashi,'' Kikyo said slowly. '' I have seen you before.'' She narrowed her eyes even more. '' I thought you moved away in elementary school.''

Nope. I just got quieter and better at staying out of your way.

'' Guess not,'' Inuyasha said when Kagome didn't respond. '' Lucky for me.'' He came around his bike and started helping Kagome unfasten her tennis racket from the back. Kikyo leaned against the bike rack, watching like a snake poised to strike. Kagome could barely breathe, she was so nervous. Could Kikyo tell that they were just pretending? What would she do if she figured it out? Behind them, a car pulled up.

'' Howdy-doo Kagome !'' a voice called, and Kagome winced. It was Mrs. Taisho, her mother's friend. The Taisho's had moved to town a year before, and Mrs. Taisho worked with Mrs. Higurashi at the library. At first, Kagome's mom have been convinced that Mrs. Taisho's daughter Rin would be a perfect new best friend for Kagome after Ayame left. But Rin was much too cool to hang out with Kagome. Kikyo had latched on to her from day one, so now Rin was one of the most popular girls in school. Kagome waved at Mrs. Taisho as Rin got out of the car and bounced over to the bike rack. Rin moved like there was always dance music plying in her head. She had perfect, really long, striaght black hair, that was held back in a high ponytail, and although she was short, like Kagome, she always looked long and graceful. She was wearing bright clean tennis whtes, and Kagome glanced down at her scruffy khaki shorts and red T-shirt.

'' Hey Kikyo,'' Rin said as she came up.

'' Rin,'' Kikyo said with a note of scandalized disapproval in her voice. '' You're wearing white.''

'' Well, yeah,'' Rin said. '' They're tennis whites. That's the idea.''

'' White is my colour,'' Kikyo said.

Rin giggled. '' Don't worry, Your Highness. My bathing suit is green. By the time I get to the pool, no one will ever know that I was so out of line.''

Kikyo sniffed. '' Rin, you remember Inuyasha,'' she said meaningfully. ''' This is his girlfriend.'' Rin squinted at Kagome.

'' No way. I didn't know you guys were dating.''

Kagome suddenly had the horrible realization that if Rin knew, Mrs. Taisho would know, and that meant that Kagome's mom would hear the news before Kagome even had time to get home. But it was too late to do anything about that now.

'' Um, yeah,'' Kagome said. '' It's new.''

'' Really?'' Kikyo said, rolling her r. '' When did you guys get together?''

'' Last Wednesday,'' Inuyasha said.

'' Friday.'' Kagome said at the same time. Kikyo's eyebrows shot up.

'' I asked her on Wednesday,'' Inuyasha said quickly, '' But she didn't say yes until Friday. ''

'' Oh, how cute, '' Kikyo said in a tone that sounded more like '' oh, how repulsive.''

'' How did he ask you?'' Rin said. She sounded more interested than Kikyo. '' Was it adorable ? Or was it weird ?''

Hmm, let's see, I think I'd have to go with weird.

'' You know, '' Inuyasha siad, pehaps sensing Kagome's panic. '' I just asked her. No big deal. We should go in, shouldn't we?'' He started forward and Kikyo stopped him with one hand on his chest. Looking stright at Kagome, she draped herself over his sholder.

'' Oh boys,'' She said in a teasing, aren't-we-all-friends-here way. '' They never care about the details. To get to the real story, you have to ask the girl. Right, Kagome? So tell us the details. I want to hear every single thing.''

'' It's totally boring,'' Inuyasha said. '' And we're going to be late.''

'' We have a few minutes,'' Kikyo said, resting her other hand on his arm so both hands were holding him in place. '' Unless there's some reason you don't want her to tell this story, Yashie.''

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged glances. Hers said She totally knows we're lying. His said, Help ! What do we do?

Kagome took a deep breath. Well, she had imagined Inuyasha asking her out a thousand times. She could describe the perfect scene pretty easily.

'' Um,'' she said. '' It was Wednesday night. I decided to walk Thorn and Alanna - those are our dogs - to the park on the corner. When I came out the door, Inuyasha was there, on the porch. He looked like he'd been waiting for a while, thinking about ringing the doorbell. I thought that was weird, but he asked if he could come to the park, and I said sure. I gave him Alanna's leash because she doesn't tug on it as much as Thorn does.

'' Your dogs are named Alanna and Thorn?'' Rin interrupted. Kikyo glared at her, but she didn't notice '' Seriously?''

'' It's from this series of books I like,'' Kagome said, blushing furiously. '' Alanna and Thorn are twins, like me and Colin, so that's why we picked those names. '' She hadn't ever thought about her dog's names being embarrassing before.

'' Go on, '' Kikyo said '' So you and Inuyasha walked up to the park.''

'' Yeah,'' Kagome said. '' And we let the dogs off the leashes in the fenced area, and then we sat on this bench by the fountain.''

'' I know that fountain,'' Rin said. '' Wow, that's really so romantic.''

'' Rin, '' Kikyo said. '' Stop interrupting!''

'' And then he put something in my hand,'' Kagome said. She had imagined it so many times, it was like it was real in her head. She could practically see the expression on his face in the moonlight. '' I looked down, and it was this little origami whale. On one side it said, Kagome ... And when I turned it over, the other side said, ... will you be my girlfriend?

'' Oh my God,'' Rin said. '' That is the cutest thing I've ever heard.''

'' How could you read it in the moonlight?'' Kikyo asked suspiciously.

'' There are, um, lights in the park,'' Kagome said, jolting back to reality. She glanced nervously at Inuyasha, but she couldn't figure out the look on his face. Was he freaked out? Did he think it was weird that she had come up with that whole story oof the top of her head?

'' Oh,'' Kikyo said. '' Well, that's sweet.'' She shoved Inuyasha away from her. '' I don't know why you didn't want to tell us that story Inuyasha.''

'' Guys don't like girls to know how romantic they can be.'' Kagome said, trying to sound like she had any idea she was talking about.

'' But you waited until Friday to say yes?'' Kikyo asked. Kagome felt like she was being interrogated. The bright lights and water torture couldn't be far off.

'' Um, I guess I was nervous, '' she said. '' I haven't - I mean, Inuyasha's my first - '' She faltered. She couldn't do it. She couldn't say Inuyasha's my boyfriend.

'' The important thing is she did say yes,'' Inuyasha said smoothly. He put one arm around Kagome's shoulders and used his other hand to wrap her arm around his waist. '' Now that you have all the details you need for an in-depth encyclopedia on the subject, may we please get to camp Miss Hiromi?''

Kikyo lifted her chin so her wings of hair swung back from her face. '' Of course,'' she said linking her arm through Rin's. '' Come on, Rin.'' They swept on ahead, down the path leading to the check-in booth.

Kagome's heart was racing. Inuyasha's whole side was pressed against hers, and his bare arm was resting lightly on her shoulders, and her arm could feel the muscles in his back through his shirt, and it didn't seem possible that she could be so confused and scared and thrilled at the same time.

'' Wait, he whispered, curling his hand around her shoulder until Kikyo and Rin were out of earshot. As soon as they were, he nudged her forward, keeping his arm in place. '' Kagome, that was amazing.''

'' Oh,'' she said, turning a light scarlet. '' It wasn't anything special.''

'' Seriously?'' he said. '' I couldn't believe it. I wish I were that cool You should have been a guy. You'd knock the socks off any girl with a move like that.''

Kagome started giggling. She couldn't help it. '' Knock the sock off?'' she said. '' How old are you, fifty?''

'' Nice,'' Inuyasha said. '' I give you a compliment, and you make fun of me.''

'' Sorry,'' Kagome said. '' I forgot for a moment that that's really what every girl wants to hear - that she'd make a great boy.''

'' I mean, '' said Inuyasha, '' that you're so much smarter than any boy I've ever heard of.''

'' I'm a girl,'' Kagome pointed out. '' So that's true by definition.''

'' Dweeb,'' he said affectionately.

'' Loser.'' she said.

'' Smart wench.''

She started giggling again. '' Oldest person ever trapped inside a fifteen-year-old.''

He pressed one hand to his forehead. '' Alas, how my girlfriend abuses me.'' They'd reacehd the check-in counter, so he took his arm from around her shoulders and leaned over to sign in. Kagome glanced around and stopped laughing. Kikyo was standing halfway down the path to the swimming pool, her arms folded so her elbows were sharp points at her side. Kagome could parctically feel her freezing glare from there.

This wasn't over. Kikyo wanted Inuyasha, and she thought Kagome was the one standing in her way. The question was, what was Kikyo going to do about it?

A/N : Hello ! well, you guys sent me so many reviews ! And I'm just getting started! There are going to be maybe about 17 chapters. and I will answer some of the questions given in some of the Reviews

Q : InuIchiSasLover11 : just a suggestion but if u did it it wold make me so hapy!) that kikyo
(or should i say kinky-ho? XD) goes after inuyasha anyway, then gets
-slapped by kagome

A : love783904 : Well, that depends on what I want to do with this story. I will take your suggestion cause it seems like a good one. But i'm not making any promises.

To Kuroi Koneko : Thank you very much for correcting my name errors.

Animeloverchick4eva : Thank you for reviewing my story. I have already started my next chapters and should be done by maybe Sunday January 27, 2008 .