Hey guys, it's been a while since I last updated, but I had to take care of a few long term assignments. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter, it's a pretty big part of what's going on in the rest of the story. I highly suggest listening to Dancing With Tears in My Eyes and Bring Me To Life at points during this chapter. As for both of those songs, I do not own or claim any rights to them, disclaimer. Please read.

Deal Breaker

I turn over, one of my arms lazily rests on the edge of the bed. The arms around my waist grip me tighter. I smile. It's been a few weeks since our last show. We've been going to to club after club, and so far all we've gotten is more local gigs. As for actually being noticed, we've come up short.

"No screws up tonight."

Tonight is the start of a five Kyoto contest/festival. They're celebrating music and bands from around the country. If we're going to get noticed anytime soon, this is the best time to do it.

I turn my head and meet his eyes. "Whatever pleases you."

"Damn right."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I never screw up anyway." That's a lie. I screwed up a few weeks ago. I forgot my cue, and stumbled on the stage. Inuyasha was sure to tell me how I messed up afterward.

"It'll be great tonight. Nothing has gone wrong in practices."

"That's the most positive I've ever heard you sound," I say.

He nips my cheek. "Shut up."

"Does that have something to do with the fact that you're laying next to me?"

"No, because we didn't even-"

"Don't say it."

"Fine, I won't."

I've been 'dating' Inuyasha for almost a month now. He never wants to call it actual dating though. He says it's just hanging out, a lot. This should hurt me more but he doesn't hang out with anybody else. He only kisses me. He only holds me. So maybe saying hanging out just sounds better to him.

"Maybe you should go, you need to get ready for the show."

He sighs. "Yeah."

His arms loosen from around my mid section. He gets off the bed. He never gives me a kiss goodbye. "See ya later,"

He moves to my bedroom door. When his hand reaches the handle I say, "Kiss me,"

He doesn't even completely turn his head. "Why?"

"Because you're about to go, and it's a sign you care,"

"We're not like your idea of couples. I don't kiss you because I feel like I really love you. Because I don't. I'm not gonna kiss you goodbye like I'll miss you for the next few hours, because I won't-"

"Just go. I need to get ready. Pick me up in an hour."

I'm still not even worth a spare glance. He leaves. I don't get it. I know it started off as me just being his band mate but by now I would hope that I mean something to him.

I sigh and get out of bed. I n any case, I don't have to try so hard. I can date some of the guys in school, from shows. People chant my name now that I perform. They love me and they don't even know me.

I change clothes. I put on a light dress. I let my hair fall around my shoulders. I put on lipstick.

As I'm putting on my shoes, Mom comes in.

We haven't been on good terms for weeks. The band, and Inuyasha have made her hate me. She doesn't like when Inuyasha is over. Or when I sing to practice for a show. To her there are other things I could be chasing besides a career in singing and Inuyasha.

"Where are you going now?"

" A show in Kyoto. It's a five day contest festival in a hotel."

She frowns. "When were you gonna tell me that you were going away for the weekend?"

"Now. It's also a few days of school this week. I have to stay in the hotel."

"I really think we should talk about this band thing-"

"There's nothing to really talk about. I'm finally having fun."

I never would have been so bold a few months ago. I mean, I didn't see a reason to. It made my family happy when I did things without really complaining, but I was bored.

"Why didn't you say-"

"That's not important, Mom. I need to finish getting ready."

"At least, tell me the sudden interest in the Inuyasha boy."

She's wringing her hands and looking around the room. I can see the stress all over her. I do feel bad. I don't like hurting my mom but...

"I like him," I say.

"He doesn't ever act like you matter to him."

Ouch. That's just how Inuyasha acts, all guys act like that sometimes.

"I do, that's why we hang out so much."

"Kagome..."

I take a duffel bag out of my closet and I pick two outfits and a different pair of shoes. I look at the clock. A half an hour until he comes back to get me.

"Kagome... I don't think being with him is the best..."

"I never said it was the best idea."

She stares. I zip up my bag. "Let me have fun."

For a long time she doesn't say anything. Neither do I. She sighs again, and leaves. I'm not trying to hurt anyone.

I still have a half hour before Inuyasha gets here. Earlier this week, Inuyasha and everyone were talking about this week's festival/ competition. Sango heard from Miroku that a few record label owners might be there. Then Inuyasha told me that we had to really step up, blow them away. Kouga said we had pretty much everything to win. A good sound, awesome lyrics, and a good singer to boot.

I wander down the hall, and into the bathroom. Hah. A good singer. I can't stop myself from looking at my reflection and silently pointing out tiny little things that irk me.

My eyes are too dark, my nose- too pointy, my lips aren't full enough. I drag a hand through my ratty brown hair. It looks lifeless.

Is this why I can't really get Inuyasha to act like he feels something? Because I look so plain?

Is that how the audience feels too? I kneel down and open the cabinet beneath the sink. I root around for a bit, until my hand taps it. A black box. Hair dye. I bought it about a month ago, thinking I might wanna try it for a day or something.

I've got about twenty minutes left now. I close the door and lock it. I turn on the water for the sink. I open the box and I start to pull out everything I need.

About a half hour later, I'm finishing up when Mom starts knocking on the door. "Kagome, your friends are here."

I pull at a wavy piece of black hair. "Be out in a sec,"

"Hurry. Inuyasha seems impatient."

I roll my eyes. When does he not sound impatient? I put on a little bit of make up, and I open the door. I run to my room and grab my bag.

Mom doesn't see me until I'm running down the stair case. I don't have to look at her to know she's more than a little miffed.

"Kagome!"

" See you in a few days, Mom!"

I open the door as quickly as I can and I run down the shrine steps, a personal accomplishment for me because I never wanted to sprint down twenty steps ever.

I hope into the passenger's seat of Inuyasha's Jeep.

"What took you so long wench? We have to be there by- what the hell?"

I self-consciously pat my hair. "Is it bad?"

He opens his mouth but Sango says, "Uh no. It looks great, Kagome!"

Kouga pipes from the back, "You do look hotter than normal. You know, like, a lot hotter. Wanna hook up later?"

Sango laughs, "Shut up, Kouga."

The car starts moving and we're driving out of my neighborhood. It'll be a couple of hours before we make it to Kyoto.

We're fifteen minutes into the drive when I say, "Inuyasha, you never said what you thought about my hair."

He looks at me, then back at the road, at the yellow lines coming up and passing by. "It's fine, he grunts."

Just fine.

I don't get why he acts like this... like an asshole! I'm angry before I can really realize what I'm doing.

"You're such an asshole."

Any chatter between Sango and Kouga stops instantly. The car is in a tense silence that I just caused.

"What?"

I can feel the heat crawling up my neck, and my heart speeds up the madder I get. "Asshole. You, you're an asshole!"

"What the fuck, Kagome? I'm not fucking fawning over you and I'm a-"

"Act like I mean something to you! Ever since I joined this band all you treat me like is the singer."

"Fuck, thats what you are! What did you think this was?"

"Hey guys..." I hear Sango mumble.

"Don't treat me like we're more than what we are then!"

"You don't even make sense anymore. Just shut up until we get there."

I can't help it- I'm so angry. I reach over and with the palm of my hand, I smack Inuyasha in the face and I leave a print.

As if on cue, Sango and Kouga gasp.

"Bitch, are you insane? You could have killed us all just now." He starts to pull the car back into the correct lane.

I don't say anything else. I relax into the seat. "I hate you, I hate you so much."

He snorts, "The feeling's mutual."

"Inuyasha, what did you do to her?"

He snorts as if Sango just said the dumbest, most ridiculous thing. "Not a damn thing."

"Bullshit, what did you do?"

"Let it go, Sango. Even if he did do something, he's never going to admit to it, the stubborn mutt."

"You know what, I can pull over and let you wander the side of the road for vulture skeletons, flea-bitten wolf."

"Oh please, I'll chuck you a bone and send you running like the dog you are."

"Make one more dog joke."

"Woof."

"That's it!"

We finally make it to the hotel two hours later than we were supposed to be there. We miss the opening performances, thank Kami we hadn't signed up for that one.

We sign in and we have one huge hotel room to ourselves. Although with four of us it seems small.

I sit on my bed. Everyone else is rearranging the guitars and everything else. Miroku should be here soon.

I don't know I'm gonna make it through the next few days. I didn't think Inuyasha would act like this. Well, he's always a little bit of an ass, but today just does it.

I curl up into a ball and I can hear everyone else, but I can't hear them. I'm not really listening. I lay there for a while.

Sango taps me after a while. I lazily meet her eyes. "It's still early, you know. It's not like we go to Kyoto all the time and stay in an expensive hotel. Lets go to the lounge."

"Sango, I don't really feel like it, I'm tired..."

"Get out. You sulking is disgusting."

I glance at Inuyasha. "You-"

Sango slaps a hand over my mouth. Then with some amazing amazon-like strength, she tugs my arm and pulls me out of bed.

"We'll be back late. We need to have girl time, try not to kill each other."

The door slams behind us before we can hear Inuyasha or Kouga say anything.

We walk to the elevator. Sango presses the down button.

"Why are you so down?"

I shrug. "Just stuff, with Inuyasha."

As the door opens she says, "You two, aren't just friends are you?"

I snort. "That's what I thought. It's complicated..."

She makes a hmm noise.

We get on the elevator and stay on until we reach the bottom floor

"Cheer up, at least there's free liquor down here."

"What?"

Sango laughs and tugs me in the direction of a group of people by the bar.

"Those are the other bands. Mingle a little bit."

I nod and move forward. Oh. I feel really self-conscious. They're dressed perfectly. All I have on is this dress.

I twirl a piece of my hair in my hands as I move closer. I sit down at the bar. Ugh. I need something non-alcoholic. After getting drunk the time first time, I don't think I wanna try it out again.

A glass of water with an olive in it is slid toward me. I look in the direction the drink came from.

Theres a guy with long hair looking at me. I pick up the drink and sip it. Definitely just water.

He moves closer. "I'm Byakuya. I'm the drummer from Crane Stealer."

I smile, "I'm Kagome. I'm the singer for Attack!, we play in Tokyo-"

"I know you! You're the girl that sins with Inuyasha."

Whoo. We gotta work on that whole identity thing.

"Yeah... I'm the new singer."

"Your voice is amazing, you should go into the practice room, sing a little."

I sip water again. "I'm okay. I'm just here to mingle."

He's quiet for a minute. "How old are you?"

"17, why?"

"You just seem too young to be so stressed out."

I laugh. "How do you figure I'm stressed out?"

"The way you're sitting, with you're shoulders hunched and legs crossed. Your eyes look dead..."

"You really know how to charm a girl. Why did you send me a drink if I looked so stressed out?"

His bony hand reaches out and taps me on the shoulder. "I appreciate good music. And, you're cute."

"So you're a fan?"

"Something like it."

With that, he gets up and leaves. Stranger things have happened to me in public.

I turn, and Sango is coming towards me. "How goes it?"

She grins, "I met someone from Wolf's Howl."

I've heard of them. They originally wanted Kouga to join because it's an all wolf demon band. "Which one? Ginta?"

"Yeah. He said to ask Kouga to reconsider."

I laugh as we get up and head to the elevator. "We might as well sleep now. We start pretty early tomorrow."

As everyone is loosing patience, mainly me, with Inuyasha, there's a knock on the door.

It's the first day of the competition and we've been waiting for the coordinate to come up and tell us the deal for the first day.

Kouga hops off his bed and yanks open the door. "Yo!"

The coordinator steps in. It's a small woman. Well, a girl. She can't be much older than me.

"I'm Shiori."

We all greet her.

"I'm your coordinator. Okay, so whats going on today is that it's the very first performance of the competition. This year's theme is emotions. Each day represents a different emotion. The first emotion is excitement, because you're participating in the Kyoto festival!"

We laugh as she goes on,

"Each emotion is reflected in your songs. We don't care how you do it, but we wanna feel whatever the emotion is from your music. Now, whats your genre?"

Inuyasha coughs. "We don't have one."

Shiori raises a brow and runs a hand through her silver hair. "You don't have one?"

"The music we make is more in the moment, how we feel. This only label is our name, Attack!. In a way, we're every genre."

Shiori nods at Sango who so kindly gave us a background story. "Okay. Well, we want excitement, and we want you to look happy, the cameras are here!"

I gulp. "Cameras?"

"You'll be on TV, babe."

Inuyasha snickers at my panicking. Jackass.

"I'll check on you guys later, don't forget, I'm one of the judges, as well as Kagura Otaku from Dance of the Dragon records and a guest judge. I hope you make it through all five days!"

She leaves. I look around the room, looking at my band mates. Whoa, this is it. This is real, our chance to be more than just a city band. They're looking back at me.

"First, Kagome, stop having your bitch fit and sing tonight. Sango, I really need you to work with me with the strings, Kouga, eat a dick."

"Fuck you."

"Ew."

I sigh. "Idiot is right. We need to figure out a good song to do tonight."

I take a deep breath as the stage lights up. They really did it up. I'm still nervous and I'm still mad at him.

I stomp the stage with my heels. I'm wearing heels that are practically six inches.

I can hear the crowd shouting as Wolf's Howl finishes up their set.

My palms are sweating. Inuyasha smacks me on the back. "Ass."

I can feel his breath near my ear, "Go back to being nice to me."

I turn, and stare right into angry looking golden eyes. "Stop treating me like I'm your hobby or something. Either you're with me or I'm your singer. No in between."

"... and now, I want a huge round of applause for Inuyasha and Kagome from Attack!"

Sango and Kouga are already on the stage when we step out. Inuyasha takes his place at slightly center stage with his guitar.

I yelp as he pats me on the behind as we walk on stage, "We'll see about that,"

The lights are blinding until my eyes adjust.

People are chanting for us. My name is on homemade signs. I have fans.

I look to Inuyasha, as they start to play, waiting for me to give the music a voice.

I see all the people, all the screaming. I make sure my headset is on right. Inuyasha nudges me forward.

I step until I'm almost at the edge of the stage.

"Here we go, welcome to my funeral, without you, I don't even have a pulse. All alone, it's dark and cold, with every move I die..."

They're screaming even louder,

I move around, walking around the edge of the stage, surprisingly keeping my balance in these heels, "Here I go, this is my confessional, a lost cause, nobody can save my soul, I am so delusional

, with every move I die, I had destroyed our love, it's gone, payback is sick, it's all my fault..."

As I start to sing the chorus I start to move my hips, weaving a hand through my hair, belting out, "I'm dancing with tears in my eyes, just fighting to get through the night, I'm loosing it, with every move I die, I'm faded, I'm broken inside, I've wasted the love of my life..."

As I dance and sing, I make eye contact with Inuyasha as his claws keep moving on his guitar strings. I keep my eyes trained on him, and I keep moving as the hook comes,

"This is it, and now you're really gone this time. Never once, thought I'd be in pieces left behind... I'm dancing with tears in my eyes! Just fighting to get through the night, I'm fading, I'm broken inside, fighting to get through the night, with every move I die..."

Even as the music stops my eyes never leave his, but the crowd... the crowd is amazing. They're screaming and cheering and Shiori quiets them, or at least tries to as the judge's evaluate.

"Everyone, that was amazing! Give it up! Besides myself, we have two more judges."

I turn only for a second to look at the eye of a camera that's zooming in on me.

"We have Kagura Otaku from Dance of the Dragon records, and our guest judge, Bankotsu Banryu from Mercenary Records. Kagura, what do you have to say about this fantastic group?"

A woman with dangerous looking red lips leans towards a microphone. "I think they are fantastic. They have the right sound, and the energy for tonight's theme was definitely there laced with little bit something more. My critique is that the rest of the band become a little more involved."

Shiori shouts, "I definitely agree Kagura, what about you Bankotsu? What do you think of Attack!"

A guy with a long black braid speaks into the microphone, a smooth voice. "I think that they were decent," the crowd boos, he chuckles, "they have potential, but their little singer, little miss popular, Kagome, can do so much more than move those lovely hips and hit a couple of high notes. I feel they all could have been a little more involved. But, they have at least four days to improve, a fifth if they make into the finals-"

I quickly thank Miroku, who was hiding backstage, for handing me my guitar. I can do more by far,

Inuyasha watches me, waiting for a hint of some sort about what I'm doing,

I start to strum my guitar, quickly, fast, I sing, "Bid my blood to run, before I come undone, save me from the nothing I've become,"

Kouga's picked up on what I'm doing, and so has Inuyasha and Sango, instead of twirling and hip dancing, I'm really singing, singing as loud as my voice will let me. My stage fright is every bit of gone,

"Now that I know what I'm without, you can just leave me, breathe into me, and make me real... wake me up, wake me up inside, call my name and save me from the dark..."

The crowd is screaming my name again.

I walk over to Inuyasha while still playing and singing, and I stand across from him as both of our guitars sing the same tune,

I sing to him, "Frozen inside, without your touch, without your love, darling, only you, hold the life amoung the dead..."

He says, "All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see, living in the dark, but you were never far from me,"

"I've been sleeping a thousand years in tears, you're to open my eyes to everything..."

"Without thought, without a voice, without a soul, don't let me die here... the monster's out the box..."

"Bring... me... to...life!"

"Wake me up inside..."

"Can't wake up..."

"Wake me up inside!"

"Save me!"

"Call my name and save me from the dark!"

"Bring me to... life!"

The crowd is out of control, for a second I can't even hear, it's deafening. They're screaming for us, calling our names. Me and Inuyasha are both breathing hard with bruised fingertips.

Shiori is practically hyping the crowd some more, screaming and cheering with them. I look around and look at my band mates. Sango is grinning from ear to ear, and Kouga is cheering too back at drums.

Shiori laughs as she stops her cheering, "Bankotsu, what were you saying?"

He grins, showing perfect white teeth. "I was saying, that this is what we look for at Kyoto Festival! Kagome, Inuyasha, you and your band have some real talent, excellent sound, strong singer and lead guitarist, I love it. Kagome, you're beautiful, from your super high heels to the tips of that lovely wavy black hair," the crowd goes into another uproar, Bankotsu laughs as they calm down, "Inuyasha, I've never seen a guy play guitar so good and be able to back it up with a voice like that, there was no mistake in the way your band is put together, excellent job to Kouga and Sango as well. You really showed me tonight,"

I cheer, Inuyasha cheers, Sango and Kouga go insane, as the crowd cheers for us again. I wrap my arms around Inuyasha's neck and scream. I can't even believe it, we did so good and it's only the first night of the event.

I see a camera zoom in on me and Inuyasha. Shiori shouts, "Those two right there, next power couple in music, if the band is called Attack! Inuyasha and Kagome are for sure the sword and arrow of this group, give it up, again, Kyoto!"

For the first time, Inuyasha is looking at me so happy. His eyes are wide, and he looks so excited, he leans forward and kisses me.

The crowd is going again!

It's a long kiss, long enough, and good enough, for the entire world to see.

I'm getting high fives as I walk through the lobby past one. Every performance ended an hour ago and people from other groups haven't stopped telling me how good I am. That the sword and arrow of Attack! we're amazing and that we're something to envy.

I walk into the singing room, where groups are practicing and singing their hearts out. I take a seat at the edge of one of the stages and watch the next group critique each other.

"Kagome?"

I turn and I'm looking at Bankotsu. Oh my. Bankotsu from Mercenary records! He could be my boss someday, I extend my hand,

"How are you?"

He shakes it, and smiles at me. "I'm lovely. Your group did fantastic tonight, really the unprompted encore blew me away."

I grin at him, "Thank you so much, I just really felt like we had so much more offer than what you were saying, not that you don't know music, I mean, because you're you and all, but still, um, I'm sorry, I'm really excited."

He grabs one of my hands and pats it. "It's alright, you should be. Your family will be excited when they see that back home too."

He gets a serious look on his face, and squeezes my hand. "You are so talented. You're gorgeous, and your voice, your voice just does something to me,"

Oh man, I'm probably blushing...

"What a cute little red face. You and your group are almost everything I'm looking for."

His fingers are rubbing my hand. I don't have time to draw a breath before Bankotsu leans forward and brushes his lips across mine. When I don't move, he does it again, and a third time, urging me to respond to him. Should I really be doing this? I know that Inuyasha hasn't treated me like much of a girlfriend, but I know we're on good terms now. But, this is Bankotsu Banryu, as far as I know, this might get us a record deal. Or maybe it could just be something amazing...or maybe...I should just do this, regardless of the outcome... I'm finally having fun. I kiss back, softly, slowly. I can feel a hand weaving through my hair.

"Kagome..."

A muffled whisper. I give one last kiss, and move back, hoping that not too many people saw that.

"You'll be amazing, Arrow, lovely."

I'll be amazing. I'll be Arrow.

Thanks so much for reading, the story is really starting to take off from here, keep reading everyone, updates will be coming a lot faster. Disclaimer: I do not own Bring Me To Life or Dancing With Tears In My Eyes. Bring Me To Life is property of Evanescence and Dancing With Tears in My Eyes is property of Kesha, I do not own either songs nor do I claim any rights to them. Anyway, thanks so much for reading keep a lookout for the next chapter of I Don't Do Love Songs entitled Boss Man. I'm still looking for fan art for my fan fics, by the way, send me some stuff! Please review!

With that said, Sayonara!