*THIS STORY HAS UNDERGONE MAJOR CHANGES*

I apologize to those of you who have already read and enjoyed the old version. I hope you like this one even better!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of it's characters. I am merely sharing my imagination with you.

1 - First Day Jitters

I groaned back to life at the screech of my alarm clock. I rubbed my face, trying to remove the sleep that desperately clung to me. Glancing through blurry, sticky eyes, I saw the fiery numbers on my night stand that seemed to laugh at me. Six in the morning. Fabulous.

I stretched out to my right, my arm unskillfully swatting the rowdy clock off. With a heavy sigh, I kicked off my fluffy covers and tumbled through a multitude of plush pillows, dragging my feet all the way to my own bathroom. I left the door open, a habit acquired from my lack of needing extra privacy. I unbuttoned my smooth, periwinkle-hued sleep shirt, pulled back the gauzy curtain and slipped into the bathtub.

I searched for the silver shower handle with my eyes closed and pushed the metal lever as far as it would go to my left. Instantly, my sleepy daze began to dissipate along with the steam created by my shower's hot temperature. With lazy fingers, I grabbed for the fresh bar of soap and rubbed it into the poof ball that served as my loofah. I rubbed the sleep out of every pore in my body in soothing motions, the crisp and awakening mix of lemon and pomegranate easing my rather grouchy attitude. I don't see why we have to start so darn early! What's one hour later? It's not like we'll learn any less.

I kept grumbling to myself before switching to happier thoughts. My mind swam back to last Monday, to when I met my new friend, Sango. The bubbly girl escorted me throughout the school, effectively teaching me the routes I should take and the ones to avoid on my way to my classes, the cafeteria, and the gym. We spent the entire day exploring, with Sango conveniently explaining every last classroom, building, and monument on the property. We stopped to take a break for lunch, choosing to sit on the unkempt lawn behind the school, beneath the shade of a lone oak tree.

"Sango, I was wondering, are you free this afternoon?" I asked her.

"Sure," she paused briefly to finish chewing. "Why? Would you like to stay on campus and explore our extracurricular activities? We've got an extraordinary chess club! And our sports teams aren't so bad, either."

Although it peaked my interest, I simply grinned and shook my head. "Actually, I'd like to invite you to dinner at my house. We could hang out and get to know each other better, maybe even bake something for dessert. Plus, I think my mother would like to meet you. She hasn't had time to meet anyone since we've arrived here. What do you think?"

Sango gulped down the last bite of her deliciously sweet apple and said, "I like your idea better. If you're up for making gooey, melt-in-your-mouth, double chocolate fudge brownies, then I am in!"

That was it. That was the beginning of forever to my friendship with Sango. For the rest of the week, she flew in and out of my new home. She lent us a hand to finish unpacking, she pitched in while we painted and decorated, and then again volunteered herself as we worked through the tedious, clean-up process together. My mother absolutely adores her, claiming that, "She's the other daughter I never had,"

We planned a sleepover this past Saturday at Sango's, where a I met her wonderful parents and younger brother, Kohaku. So far, my new life was exceptional. It was a fresh start and everything was going surprisingly well.

I sighed happily and recalled the hyperactive, loopy woman who made it all happen. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't be so at ease, nor would I have made such a great friend.

I continued my shower and chose one of the larger bottles from the cluttered rack, shutting my eyes and welcoming the sweet and creamy shampoo. As soon as I did, a handsome, silver-haired boy appeared in my mind's eye. I thought back to his molten, amber gaze, and its ability to make my mind forget how to function. I remembered the intense, overwhelming urge I had to march over and touch his small, slightly pointed puppy ears. I needed to make sure I wasn't just imagining them.

Much to my disbelief, I saw him twice last week out of school. First, at the local grocery store when he entered just as I finished paying the clerk. We locked eyes for a millisecond before the cashier obnoxiously waved my receipt and loose change in my face. When I looked up, he was gone.

Then, I encountered a twenty-four hour coffee shop only five blocks from my home. The cozy atmosphere beckoned me closer, so I gave in and entered for a quick caffeine fix. There he was, just as appealing and mysterious as I remembered. His shimmery hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his delicate ears gently swiveled on the crown of his head, sorting through the boisterous café.

He wore a loose, rich, purple button up that accentuated the color of his eyes to an impossible shade of polished gold, with many flecks of copper that glimmered boldly. I noticed how snug his sleeves were on him, and how they were rolled upward carelessly, leaving his forearms bare. He lounged in a corner booth accompanied by another boy, a friend I assume. All I could see of him was his dark hair and a sliver of his profile since he was facing away from me. They each sipped casually throughout their relaxed conversations and much to my satisfaction, I went unnoticed.

Or so I thought.

Before I was able to escape unseen, he spotted me. His stare nailed me to the floor.

Now, this situation was purely coincidental. It's nothing to get worked up about either; it's not like either of us owned the place. Anyone was welcome to sip their tea and savor their lattes at anytime. Also, this town was relatively small, yet largely populated. You are bound to run into certain locals more than once, so it is unnecessary to fret over small issues like this. Right? Wrong!

You see, the issue at hand was that I had just finished painting my room. My cheeks were speckled lavender, my hair had morphed into a sloppy, pony-tail hybrid jumble, zilch makeup, and my t-shirt transformed my body to appear not like that of a blossoming young lady but to be more like a stubby marshmallow.

I was a stubby, sweaty marshmallow, with disastrous, matted hair, dotted in purple and quickly turning scarlet as his stunning amber irises peered at me from across the room.

I promptly made my order and hauled butt.

I shook my soap-filled head at myself, not understanding the odd attraction I had to the boy. I don't even know his name and I'm crushing on him like an obsessed nine-year old.

My thoughts swirled around in my head some more. "Oh, crap." My hands stilled mid-rinse in my hair. A large, and very rude, brick wall I named "Realization" slapped me on the face. "He is in almost all of my classes."

Faster than I thought I could achieve, I clambered out of the shower, stepped on to my fuzzy, plum-colored, bath rug, and snatched the twin towels that hung on the wall. I wrapped one securely around my frame, while the other was fixed to encompass my long, tangled mass of curls, and zoomed to my closet.

"I should have done this last night!" I hurried to find something suitable to wear on my official first day. I snatched out the white, loose fitted button-up, littered with a bright blue rose print, that had caused me to destroy my closet in a few short moments.

Its sleeves ended just below my elbows, and the smooth neckline came to rest slightly beneath my collar bones. The emerald from the rose's stems, and the blue of the petals made my eyes come to life. I ripped through my drawers, choosing the first pair of jeans in sight. Then, I threw myself to the floor, slipping my hand into the darkness that was under my bed and fished for my shoes. After reaching and stretching into emptiness, I finally located a pair of white sandals and slipped them on my feet.

Turning to my vanity, I quickly skimmed through my cosmetics. I chose a very light swipe of eyeliner and mascara, and my favorite sheer, peppermint flavored lip gloss. I tore the damp towel from my head and pressed it against the ends of my hair, trapping stray water droplets. I combed through and separated the knots, tipping over a couple of bottles of lotion in my hurry to apply mousse. "Well, it's a great thing they're plastic."

I ignored the stray bottles for the moment and worked the foam into my sable hair, curling most strands with my fingers. My hair curled into loose ringlets along my back and my bangs softly curved down the sides of my face. Satisfied, I glanced at my appearance in the mirror, twisting and arching to get a view from every angle. "Just one more thing,"

Reaching over to my jewelry box, I brought out the golden bracelet my father gave me on my fifteenth birthday. I studied the delicate link of the band, tenderly sliding my finger along the metal. Clasping the two ends together on my left wrist, I gave the chain a small twist to straighten tiny golden heart that dangled.

I grabbed a tall bottle of body spray and spritzed myself once with a lightly scented mix of purple freesia, sugared sandalwood, and crystal peonies. I ruffled my hair, the motion shaking away my nervousness a tad. Get a grip on yourself Kagome.

I exhaled sharply, slung my backpack on my shoulders, balanced my keys and cellphone in one hand, and swung open the door.

This story has done a complete 180. I apologize for disappearing for so long. Hopefully, you readers enjoy the changes I have made (I know I have!)