Somewhere Beyond This
(Co-written with LoversKagxInu)

Chapter 3: Party Gone Bad

Pink.

I don't quite understand how anyone can enjoy a color so much.

But Sango always managed to prove me wrong.

"Do you like?" she asked as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, squeezing the moisture from my hair with a towel.

I grimaced. She was wearing a pink halter top, a pink pair of jeans, pink heels, a pink necklace, and her face was covered in pink makeup. She even managed to tie her hair up with a pink rubberband. The girl knew fashion, don't get me wrong, but when she gets nervous, she tends to be a little ... off. I blame Miroku this time. "Uh, Sango," I mumbled, tracing my eyes over her attire once more. "Don't you think its a bit much?"

Her smile fell as she glanced in our full length mirror. "I guess you're right," she sighed, her lips sticking out in a pout.

I chuckled, amused by her reaction. "Come on," I said, setting down the towel and taking her by the hand. "Lets fix you up." I led her to the closet and let my eyes brush over the array of clothes she had. Although most of it consisted of pink, I managed to find some decent clothes. "Why don't you try on these and pair it with this?" I asked, holding up a black mini skirt and a pair of black flats.

"Thanks, Kags," she replied with a grin. "You're awesome."

"I know," I boasted, handing over the items and shooing her into the bathroom.

About fifteen minutes later, I had helped her complete her look by taking off some of the makeup and giving her a more natural appearance. She sighed in content. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably give people nightmares," I supplied, smirking as she playfully swatted at my head. I laughed at her expression, taking a pillow and hurling it at her in defense. "How do I look?" I asked, stepping in front of the mirror and dropping the little fight. We were on a mission and had no time to be goofing around.

She smiled and stood beside me. Her eyes shined with excitment as she brushed my long, black hair over my shoulder. "Beautiful," she mumbled, her tone filled with sisterly love. I had to admit, I looked pretty good. I wore a midnight blue halter dress with black leggings and a pair of heels.

"Kagome!" someone shouted before the door was slammed opened. We glanced over in surprise to see two boys standing in the doorway.

"Souta?" I questioned, wondering why my little brother was in my college dorm. "What are you doing here?"

Sango swiveled her gaze to the elder of the boys, noticing her younger sibling glancing anywhere but her. "Kohaku, too?"

"Hey, wait for me!" a childish voice called before a short red-headed boy squeezed his way through our two uninvited guests. I immediately recognized him to be one of Souta's friends. "Jeez, can't wait for the little guy, can ya?"

"Alright, Shippo," I said sternly, crossing my arms and tapping my foot on the ground. "What are you three doing here?"

"I'm sorry dear," my mother said, appearing next to our intruders. "We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by."

I groaned. "Mom ... " I whined, throwing my hands up in the air in a small tantrum. I got a college dorm so I wouldn't have to put up with my estranged family at home. "Can't you at least call before you come?"

"Yeah, Ms. Higurashi," Sango chimed in, smiling softly. She wasn't one to be rude, especially with adults. Although, Miroku always seemed to be an exclusion. "We were just getting ready to head out."

"Can we go?" Souta asked, fisting his hands in anticipation.

"No," I practically shouted without hesitation. There was no way I was going to have my kid brother at a college party, especially when there was beer involved. "A college party is no place for kids. Go home and play your video games, or whatever you do."

"Aw, come on, sis," Kohaku begged, giving my roommate a pleading look. "Can't we come for a bit?"

"Yura's parties sometimes get out of hand. Sorry, kid," Sango said, kneeling down to his level. I swear, that girl could be in the foulest mood, but as soon as Kohaku shows up, she's all rainbows and sunshine.

My mom opened her mouth to respond, but I quickly cut her off. "Don't even start, mom," I said, glaring at her. "We are adults now and can go to parties whenever we want. Besides, you know I'm not the type to let things get out of control." She didn't need to know about the underage drinking or the sex usually involved, right? I wasn't going to do any of it, so it didn't really matter.

I seemed to quell her fears for the time being. "If you say so, dear. I trust you," she replied, smiling. "Come on, boys, we should let them get ready."

"Oh, alright," Souta sighed. The boys left, mumbling a stream of complaints along the lines of 'I never get to do anything.' Before the door shut behind them, I saw Shippo glance back and snicker before running after his friends.

"That boy worries me," I mumbled, referring to the red-head's strange attitude.

"Yeah," Sango agreed, quickly dropping the conversation as her cell phone rang. She picked it up and answered.

While she was on the phone, I touched up my make up and listened to Sango's side of the conversation. "Yeah, we'll be there in a bit. See ya then."

"Ayame and Rin?" I asked, already smiling at her exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, those two don't have any patience." We giggled before shutting off the lights and heading out of our dorm room.

X.x.X.x.X.x.X

Loud. Noisy. Annoying. Nauseating. Blaring. Painful. Deafening. Shaking. Earsplitting.

If you wanted to describe Yura's party, those words didn't do it justice.

There were so many people, they were pouring out of the doors. The entire floor was crowded with students, spilling out from dorm rooms into the narrow hallway. People hollared across the hall, beers were passed like notes in junior high, the dance moves seemed to be from a different planet, and the language wasn't the nicest either.

Not that I'm complaining.

I took refuge in the dorm a few doors down from Yura's, occupying the same spot for the last thirty minutes - by the snacks of course. No one bothered you there. Remember? I'm not the partying type. Everyone was either passed out on the couches or floor, dancing in the middle of the chaos, or just simply standing there. I had yet to see Inuyasha, which had been my main reason for going. Oh well, guess it was a stupid idea in the first place.

My muscles were tense and my mind kept screaming for me to leave, to run out of the building and straight back to my dorm, but my nerves finally calmed down when I saw Kouga across the room.

His blue eyes shined like crystals from the flourescent glow of the moon streaming through the windows. He smirked before pushing his way through the crowd and making it to my side. "Are you having fun?" he screamed above the music. I couldn't tell what kind of song was playing. It seemed to mix into various genres. All I knew was my head had begun pounding from the bass, probably cranked up to full. I swear, the floor was vibrating beneath my feet.

I smiled and opened my mouth to answer, but someone squealed just to my right, piercing through my ear drums almost enough to make me deaf.

Glancing over Kouga's shoulder, I saw Rin and Ayame playing twister with three other girls. They looked like undead drunks and I couldn't help but laugh at their strange behavior. "I'm not having as much fun as they are," I giggled. Looking behind my friends, I spotted Sango on the couch with Miroku. And were they ... kissing? I think the world stood still for a moment as my brain tried to process such an unimaginable sight. Seriously, I think Sango told me once the chances with her being with Miroku were like, one in a zillion. "-or them." I sighed to myself; I was happy my friend found love in the lecher, but sad because my own heart was still in turmoil.

I have no idea why the scene was so funny. Maybe it was something I said? But I tuned back into my boyfriend and found him laughing his ass off. So hard, in fact, that people began to stare. I rolled my eyes and tried to calm him down. After I coaxed him out of his little fit, he smirked. "Do you want to?" he asked, referring the the liplocking Sango and her new lover were now enduring. His gaze turned from my eyes to my arm, stroking it lovingly with the back of his hand.

I smiled at his comment. "I'm fine, it was just a joke," I lied, giggling a bit to back it up. He looked down at me, moving closer as I became lost in the azure depths of his eyes. My breaths quickened and I suddenly found the room too tight, too crowded, too hot. I felt a lump stick in my throat as I tried to stop the dread rising within me.

His lips barely touched mine as I leaned up on my toes to savor his touch, his taste. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me tight to his chest. My hands found their rightful place around his neck, interwining in his dark hair, pulled free from its usual pony tail.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed down the hallway and I jerked myself away from the lust-filled man before me. "Time to get this party started!" a familiar childish squeal echoed through the dorms. I managed to pull out of Kouga's grasp and push my way through the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of the boy darting in between a group of girls.

"Souta?" I asked aloud, wondering what the hell my fifteen-year-old brother was doing at a college party. My eyes widened and I immediately felt anger light within me, causing my head to pound with rage. I took Kouga's hand and pulled him with me through the maze of people, trying to keep him from tripping over his own feet. Damn the beer and my lightweight of a boyfriend.

It didn't take me long to spot my brother, along with his two friends, dancing with a group of seniors; who were obviously high and drunk. I grabbed Souta from the crowd and pulled him into one of the rooms, automatically letting go of Kouga's hand. "What are you three doing here?" I screamed above the noise, letting my anger be known. I shuttered to think what mom would say about this.

Souta shook his head, glancing over his shoulder to see Shippo crowd surfing. "Relax, Sis. Mom thinks we're still upstairs asleep in our beds. We jumped on a bus for about a half hour and here we are." His smile widened, innocently glancing around the party, as if to approve the fun level.

I didn't know whether to be proud of him, or be mad at him. After all, its not every day your brother puts his smarts to use, even if for the wrong reasons. Kouga slung his arm around my waist, drunkenly leaning against my shoulder. "Kags," he slurred, beer swishing violently from the plastic cup in his hand as he waved his arm around in meaningless gestures. "I think ya should give the boy some credit. Here ya go, kid." He smiled before handing over the yellow liquid.

"Kouga!" I yelled, reprimanding him for giving a drink to a minor. "What the hell are you doing? He's fucking fifteen years old!" I snatched the drink away before Souta could touch it, setting it on the table next to me. Kouga continued to smile at me, as if he were an innocent child. "You're drunk," I mumbled, pushing him off my shoulder and leaning him on the wall.

I grabbed my brother's hand and led him through the crowd, trying to catch sight of Kohaku or Shippo. I had to get them home before mom found out. Somehow, I knew I would be the one to take the fall for it. A flash of pink caught my eye before I saw Sango staggering through the crowd. "Sango!" I screamed, somehow grabbing her attention. She grinned at me and waved before setting her sights on someone in the crowd.

"Kohaku!" she yelled. I think the room went silent at the noise. "Get your ass away from that girl immediately! And put down that beer before I come over there and whoop your ass!" She is tender and loving to her brother, more then I've ever seen her be with anyone. But when he does something that he knows hes not supposed to do ... well, like I said, never get on her bad side.

She managed to grab his arm and met up with me in the middle of the hallway. The kids grumbled, whining about their captors. "Hey, Kagome?" a voice called over the confusion in a questioning manner. We turned to see Ayame pulling Shippo through the crowd by his ear. "What's your brother's friend doing here?"

"Proving how stupid he really is." I glared at the three of them before motioning for my friends to follow me. We pushed through the crowd until we found a couch in a packed room. I ignored the strong smell of smoke and beer, concentrating on getting my brother and his friends out of there. "We need to get them home," I said, looking to my friends for help.

Sango giggled in a drunken manner and Ayame leaned on her shoulder, a bit tipsy from the numerous beers she consumed. Well, I couldn't exactly depend on them, now could I?

"Damn it all," I yelled above the noise. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go to a party after all. How was I supposed to get all three of them home, safe and sound, with no one to help? I sighed. Oh well, I had to try.

Ignoring the slurred conversation Ayame and Sango were having, I grabbed a hold of Kohaku and Souta's hands, glaring at Shippo in an attempt to look threatening. I think he took the hint because his eyes found the ground and a pout formed across his lips. At least one of them listens to me. "Come on, guys, we're going home." I yanked the boys by the hands, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Shippo was following, before trying to squeeze my way through the crowd. It didn't help that Kohaku and Souta were pulling against my grip in protest and I felt light headed from the smoke.

"Excuse me," I called again and again, praying I could make it to the stairs before I ran out of oxygen. Honestly, who needs this much smoke at one college party?

While pushing my way through a huddled crowd, I lost my grasp on both Souta and Kohaku's hands, causing me to fall forward. Just my luck, I ended up not falling into someone, causing a mass wave of dominoes, but I instead fell flat on my face in the middle of the room, surrounded by dancers with heels and big boots. I took a moment to clear my head before trying to struggled up once more. Only to be pushed down again.

I glanced up to try and glimpse who had shoved me, but everything was blurring together; sight, sound, smells. I couldn't tell smoke from perfume anymore, let alone find out where the hell I was. "Souta?" I called helplessly into the crowd, struggling to my feet, only to be shoved from behind. "Kohaku?" It seemed as if they had long ago escaped back to the party, rendering me vulnerable to the mass of people encircling me. "Shippo?" Even the little brat wouldn't come to my aid.

Out of the crowd, a hand seemed to reach for me, as if giving me unseen strength. Instinctively I grabbed it and waited until it pulled me to the wall, out of harms way. "You idiot," someone shouted above the noise. I coughed a few times and turned my head, trying to focus my vision on the silver blur before me.

"Inuyasha?" I mumbled, swallowing against the dry aching in my throat.

He scoffed. "What the hell are you doing down there? Trying to get yourself killed?"

"Kagome!" I slightly turned my head to see Rin staggering through the crowds, followed by Sango, Ayame, and Miroku. "You 'kay?" she slurred, giggling in her intoxicated state.

I nodded slightly. "I'm fine," I said, swallowing against the smoke infiltrating through my mouth. Now I know why smoking can kill you.

"Wow, Kags," Miroku said with a smile, slapping a hand on my shoulder with a beer in his hand. "Its an hour pass midnight and you're already hammered! You should come partying more often!"

"Can it, Miroku," Inuyasha sneered. "The bitch doesn't drink, so of course she's a lightweight."

I would have yelled back at him at the name he called me and the fact that I had nothing to drink, but my head hurt to much. "Where's Souta?" I managed to choke out, stopping the argument that was sure to ensue between Inuyasha and Miroku.

"You're brother's here?" the lecher asked in surprise. "Isn't he a little young?"

"He snuck in," I replied, pushing myself off the wall, trying to regain my bearings. "Along with Shippo and Kohaku. I have to get them home soon or else I'm dead."

"Ha ha! Dead ... " Sango laughed before slinging her arm over Ayame's shoulder. Most likely, they had started drinking as soon as we stepped through the doors. It was five o'clock somewhere, right?

"Ugh!" I screeched, throwing my hands up in the air and ignoring the pounding headache. They were really beginning to get on my nerves. "We need to find them!" My three friends stared at me for a moment, exchanged glances, and burst into a fit of giggles, leaning on each other for support. "You guys are hopeless," I mumbled, fisting my hands at my sides and pushing my way through the crowd.

"Stupid," Inuyasha called, grabbing my shoulder and twirling me around. "You'll end up getting trampled. Just let me and Miroku grab the brats for ya." Before I could agree or object, the two had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving me with the drunk lunatics.

"Don't call me that, you JERK!" I screamed after him, unsure if he heard me or not. I crossed my arms and huffed in a frustrated state. Glancing over, I watched as Rin tripped over her own feet, causing Ayame and Sango to laugh before they, too, slumped to the ground.

Parties are definitely NOT my thing.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think. The main story line will get back on track next chapter. Promise!