March 16, 2010

Disclaimer: I own nothing InuYasha.

Author Note: Guys, this is one of the last chapters. I don't know if I'll even make it to chapter twenty. Oh well though, I've gotten a lot done within the fifteen previous chapters so it's not going to be as long as I could have made it. I'm happy with myself since I wrote 15 chapters, soon to be sixteen in only 19 days!

Shout Outs: As always, to my incredible reviewers – Bonnafied (Runaway & The Fast Track), Agnes Wallace, and AnimeTonk1843.

Warning: The italisized words are flashbacks for this chapter.

I'll Remember You

Chapter Sixteen

We packed up and loaded the van and InuYasha's truck the next morning. It was only at the beginning of this month, that we had come here. We were friends, close ones, and all of us had been single. So many things had changed since then. I watched as Miroku drove and Sango played with the radio. Kagome was sitting beside me reading a romance novel. I was there with my forehead pressed against the glass. It was too early to leave.

I made a disgusted face but giggled as Koga's arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back into his lap since he was now sitting up. I didn't know how Miroku got his information but it was correct and part of me didn't even want to know. None of that mattered anymore though because we were at the beach and in less than an hour we'd be in our hotel rooms and unpacking.

I was happy for them, all of them. I wouldn't wish anything bad on my friends. Just because my chance at love with Koga crashed and burned didn't mean I was spiteful of their relationships. I was pretty sure they felt bad about my romantic luck, but I made sure they knew that I was okay with it. I didn't want my friends worrying over me. They had full lives ahead of them and there was no reason to try to avoid a relationship in hopes that my difficulties would be any better than before.

"Wave, duck!" Koga yelled and, just like that, the chance was gone and, by the time I resurfaced, so was my top. The gentle recoil of the waves gently untied the little grip that was left and Koga reacted quickly, swiping his hand out and grabbing the lime green covering. I gasped in full shock but he used an arm that had pulled me against his chest so nobody had gotten the chance to see anything.

"Hey Kagome?"

"Yes?" she asked lightly as she looked over at me.

"Remember that time when we were in high school and joined cheerleading. We were so happy when we got to watch the football players and coach yelled at us for skipping practice! That was before either of us had much of a shape though, but those football boys didn't seem to mind too much. They were attracted nonetheless." I smiled.

The waves crashed and rippled forward with white tips bouncing up and down before it sucked the body of water in and threw it back out again. The water was green and blue yet clear all at the same time and it was gorgeous with the dying sun reflecting upon it. There was a comfortable silence but I broke it calmly, speaking more to myself than anything. "Next year I'll be looking out into different ocean waters by myself."

"Or the time when we destroyed the chemistry lab!" Kagome giggled. "Mr. K was so pissed off at us! I can still hear him bitching at us. I remember how I let you in charge because you knew what you were doing and you told me to dump in the chemicals in the test tube because he needed to see me do something in order for us to share a grade. I picked up the beaker, or whatever you guys called it, and poured that in and the whole room filled with that black smoke and the whole school had to evacuate in the dead winter."

"That was the worst day to cause an explosion, too. The wind was really cold and hard. Everybody was freezing and I'm pretty sure half of the school population hated us by then but three quarters of the half that didn't hate us began to. Mr. K flunked you out for that whole year and made you just watch as I did all the experiments. To be fair though, we were right when I said you were helping by doing the writing part, even though I was telling you what to write. He should have just let you be with how you were." I shrugged.

I stepped into the cold shower and shivered. I didn't care how he saw me anymore; I couldn't have felt any worse than I had when he was convinced I was a slut. This was the worse thing that had ever happened to me. Koga was the one I'd worked to look so perfect to for years now and in over a night all those years meant nothing because he still thought I was capable of such acts. I closed my eyes and let the cold water splash all over my body.

"And then there was that time when you punched Kagura. She called you a bitch or something and you said 'I'll show you a bitch!' and attacked her! That was one of the greatest times! It took four of our buffest teachers to pull you off of her. By the time you were off she was nothing but a bloody mess and nobody could distinguish her by her blood smeared face at first. Or when we sat with those snobby brats who didn't like us and just planned on messing with us. They walked away for a second and came back and she was like 'what's in my salad?' and you looked and went 'Hm, oh, that's my gum. Here, let me get that' and reached on her plate and picked it up and put it back in your mouth. She freaked so bad!" Kagome reminisced.

"We wanted summer romance. Is that too much to ask Koga?" I said, hurt, in a small voice. He seemed a little hurt with my response, like inside he was blaming himself, down beyond in those blue eyes and the sorrow surfaced. He didn't say anything but picked me up bridal style and carried me off. I was a little confused but went with it anyway as he headed towards the beach. At the waters edge he put me down and I automatically took off my shoes and stuffed them in my bag, along with his socks and sneakers.

"And I clearly remember when I was a child and Sango would cash me around with her stupid boomerang. She kept claiming I was an Irish wolf demon or something from the Northern mountains. I have no clue you even got that idea Sango, or the idea that you were a demon slayer, feeling the need to kill me off with your fat cat and bash that boomerang off my head." I giggled.

"Koga, I've waited too long for you to love me, to only have you lust me in the end." I sighed.

"I was just a kid and your grandfather had convinced all of that to me!" Sango blushed. "I can't believe I actually fell for his story, he was always teasing us as children. Like that time he told us there was a wolf in the backyard."

I pulled my arm free and gave Koga no expression. My face was as placid as a professional poker player. I turned my head away and started walking back towards the beach. I was walking away from Koga and my heart wasn't jumping to go back, my feet didn't want to turn around, my mind was screaming at me. He didn't come after me, just stood there. I was leaving Koga behind, and that was the smartest thing I had ever done.

"And, if I remember correctly, you said my pack was coming back for me." I smiled.

"I said it was a tribal ritual for your fellow kin to come get you when it was time to change back into a wolf." She giggled.

"And I believed you!" I sighed.

"You went searching for hours and we had to send Koga in to find you!" Kagome laughed.

"And you gave him a bloody nose." Sango added.

"I thought he was a killer!" I defended.

"Sure you did, Ayame." Sango rolled her eyes.

"You can get chicken nuggets and fries anywhere, yet it's the first thing that you decide to go for... you're a strange one Ayame." Kagome sighed. Within a few minutes both Koga and I were done and I decided that I was going to race him. He sped up walking so I stuck my foot out and Koga tripped just as a swinging door opened. He threw his arms in an 'X' over his face and smashed into the door, which a server was coming out of to restock the seafood stew. Thrown off balance the dish and the water went everywhere. I gasped as soup spilt all over the ground and quickly helped Koga up.

"I was five years old and alone because somebody sent me in there and said to watch out for the Bird's of Paradise because if they caught me then they'd kill me and eat my flesh from my body since I was a white wolf princess to that tribe. Honestly Sango, grandfather doesn't even have that big of an imagination I don't think." I replied.

Koga had chunks of pink cotton candy entangled in his usually perfect black hair and red dots all over the back of his neck as well as a couple whacks from the stick that had caught his arms, legs, and forehead. I, on the other side of the bench smiling giddily up at them, had ice cream smeared all over my faced and a large portion had fell down my shirt, along with a few drips that were coming off of my chin.

"He obviously does since he was telling me all of this!" Sango defended.

"Why Koga for the prince though?" Kagome questioned.

"Gramps always loved him." I muttered.

"Oh, Ayame, I'm sorry." Kagome frowned.

"Don't be. Hell, I'm over it already." I shrugged, brushing it off.

"I'm not sure what you want, Ayame, but I'm hoping that you'll be my girlfriend." He said and the words made me stop what I was doing and lock eyes with him right away. A large hand grabbed my chin and tilted it up a little more as his soft lips met with mine for a gentle morning kiss. Being Koga's girlfriend was something that I had only used to dream about yet now it was about to become reality.

I wasn't over it, not by far. It was eating at me on the inside. It was unbearable pain to feel my heart be ripped into shreds. It was left as an unwhole inside my body. It was protected with bones but there was nothing that could have possibly saved it from Koga getting to it. I never would have guessed he'd be the type to break hearts, and cheat. I wasn't sure how Gramps would take Koga and me breaking up. He always had a thing for Koga and I couldn't possibly tell Gramps what Koga had done to me.

Memories... they were what it was all coming down to anymore. Everybody has to flee from the coop sometime or they'll never really get the chance to live, they will never truly experience freedom. I was leaving to be rebellious; I wanted to gain respect and self satisfaction. Sometimes in order to gain bigger, better things you have to leave some of your childish things behind. Childhood friends, childhood games, childhood places had to be lost in order for the future to actually be created.

Kagome's cell phone rang and she answered it, then drew it away from her face and asked everybody. "Hey, is it okay with everybody if we stop at Denny's to eat some breakfast since we didn't get any this morning at the beach? InuYasha and Koga are starving and I'm pretty hungry myself to tell the truth." We all agreed and she told InuYasha before exchanging their ''I love you's'' and hanging up.

"Are you always going to live your life with the safety protecting you or are you actually going to face the unknown Koga? If you're always in your safe haven then you're never going to really live. God only gives you one life, make the best of it!" I urged. Koga hesitated, just look at me, for a couple seconds before he took the hoodie off and stripped down to his dark grey boxer briefs, revealing those incredible washboard abs and incredible oblique muscles (the V-shape muscles).

The van rolled on until finally stopping in front of Denny's, only the greatest breakfast joint on earth. We all piled out of the van. I had no makeup on and was dressed in black cotton shorts and a lime green tank top. My sunset hair was piled on top of my head in a messy bun. I stretched, happy to be out of the van again and able to move around. I had yet to actually look at Koga. Nobody was talking to him; they were all avoiding the guy. Even InuYasha, who was riding with him, refused to talk to him (though he hated him less than everybody else).

I was at loss for words. Never once had somebody actually serenaded me. I blushed as he thanked the man who let him borrow his guitar and people began to clap and cheer for him and how good he had done. He made his way towards me and wrapped me in his arms, placing a kiss on me. I smiled up at him. "I didn't expect that from you."

We walked into Denny's and Koga trailed behind everybody. Everybody took their seats across their boyfriend/girlfriend. That left me and Koga to sit across from each other. He sat quietly and stared at the table. He was so much different than normal. I almost felt sad for him; I did feel sad for him. The waitress came and took our orders. It was obvious she tried really hard to get Koga's attention but his eyes never wavered, not even for a second. The table was silent and awkward as everybody shot him death glares.

My life was a fairytale. It was something I always never though would happen. It was something that I had always believed I was incapable of. But now, as I was looking thinking of those amazing blue eyes and the feeling that filled me when he touched me, I knew that it was a real, once in a lifetime feeling. The following days had been more than amazing and every second with Koga made me want him more.

I couldn't take the silence so I stood up.

"We're running with the shadows of the night, so baby take my hand it'll be alright!"

I held out my hand to Kagome and she grabbed it and got up, giggling as I rolled my hips around, dancing sexily with her. The other members just watched. I didn't care what they thought because I had a decent singing voice; it was definitely nothing to be ashamed of.

"Surrender all your dreams to me tonight; they'll come true in the end!" I moved over to danced next to Sango as I pulled her up and sang to her. "You said – oh girl, it's a cold world, when you keep it all to yourself. I said you can't hide, on the inside, all the pain you've ever felt. Ransom my heart but baby don't look back 'cause we got nobody else."

All three of us sang in unison. "We're running with the shadows of the night, so baby take my hand it'll be all right. Surrender all your dreams to me tonight, they'll come true in the end."

I went next to Koga next and encouraged to get him up out of the chair, which surprised everybody. He was confused as his eyes shined with hope. "You know that sometimes, it feels like, it's moving way too fast, use every alibi and words you deny, that love aint meant to last, you can cry tough baby, it's alright, you can let me down easy but, not tonight."

I went back over to my girls and we danced and sang the chorus two more times. Finally I finished it off, bending down and throwing an arm around InuYasha and Miroku, "And now the hands of time are standin still, midnight angel won't you say you will?"

A crowd of fans from the diner began to clap loudly and cheer. I giggled and locked a hand with each of the girls and raised them up, as in a victory. We all sat down, full of laughs. Kagome couldn't stop smiling and giggling. "Ayame you're such a crazy bitch, I can't help but love you. No wonder both Sota and Kohaku had crushes on you!"

"Aye, you're a crazy bitch and you... sing... so good you're on top of it." Miroku joked.

"Good job Miroku." Sango giggled and patted his head.

"Ayame!" somebody called out as two of the boys from our football team came over. They ignored their team players, Miroku and InuYasha, as well as Kagome and Sango. They took turns to give me a hug and the one spoke again. "Ayame, I haven't seen you in forever! I can't believe that you're moving to America, that's so crazy. I'm going there too, for football, but I highly doubt we'll be in the same state. How cool would that be? You were always the captain of the cheerleading team, I've been the quarterback ever since Koga went to college... it'd be nice. But hey, you have my number, keep in touch with me, okay?"

"I'll be sure to." I smiled and nodded.

"Alright well we're leaving so I'll talk to you later." He smiled.

"Definitely..." I said as he left then rolled my eyes, "not."

"Man slut!" Kagome called.

"Man whore!" Sango added.

"Big ass dick head!" InuYasha joined in.

That made all three of us girls laugh.

Miroku rolled his eyes. "And everybody dubbed me the pervert! You girls are sick!"

"Forgive us for having humor." I stuck my tongue out.

"Put it away or he might just sense it and come running back." Kagome warned.

"For that little bitch, I'm sure he would cum easily." InuYasha scuffed.

"Ten bucks says he'd blow early." Miroku added.

"Miroku, you're a sick pervert." Kagome scrunched her face up.

"Agreed!" Sango chimed in.

"What? Did you just hear what InuYasha said?" Miroku asked, shocked.

"Yes, and...?" Sango waited.

"You guys are dicks to me." Miroku pouted.

"Awl, I sympathize with you 'Roku!" I smiled.

"Why thank you." She smiled and lifted his chin proudly.

"I have to. If it wasn't for you I'd be dead." I pointed out.

"I'm thirsty." Kagome frowned.

"I WANT CHOCOLATE MILK!" I screamed out and started banging my fists on the table. Within a few seconds the lady had brought out the drinks we had ordered. I smiled up at her and she scowled. I had obviously made a new friend. She cocked her hip to the side and asked if I was pleased. I stuck my straw in and blew air into my drink, creating bubbles like a child. I stopped and lifted my head, put on a large cheesy grin, and nodded enthusiastically. She growled, rolling her eyes, and walking away.

"Why to yell and get attention." Sango laughed.

"Pah-lease. I yelled to add affect. What got us the drinks was this right here," I motioned towards my body and face, "and my wonderful people-person skills of course. I make new friends either. Like for instance, me and this waitress? Yeah, we're close. Me and her are like bestest friends, you don't even know."

I looked up at Koga while sipping my chocolate milk and stopped. He was just looking at me with his weird look in his eye. He was just studying me. I pulled back and bit my lip as I looked away quickly. I was trying to mask the pain with fun and laughs. It hurt so much that I wasn't ready to deal with it. The pain hurt too much to deal with. I swallowed hard, unsure of what to do.

"I miss hide and go seek and tag." I whispered. "I miss Easter egg hunts, baskets of candy, trick-or-treating, playing at the park, Christmas mornings with tons of presents, water gun fights, slip-and-slides, old Disney cartoons, Junie B. Jones books, beanie babies, Doug, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Cat-Dog, polly pockets, Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, the original Easy Bake Ovens, Goosebumps, I miss the first day of school when Gramps would walk me to the bus. I miss a lot of things; I don't want to let them go. You never really think about everything but, eventually, it catches up with you. All of that went by in the blink of an eye, we didn't even really enjoy it while we could, we were too busy with trying to get into relationships and be grown up."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, she's right." Miroku sighed.

I wanted to cry but I couldn't find it within myself. I was tired of crying and I just couldn't cry anymore. I took the sweatshirt off and slipped my skirt off and dropped my flip flops on the pile of forlorn clothes, too. This was the pier I had jumped off with Koga. It was dark but the moon was pretty bright. I didn't care anyway. I ran and jumped, throwing my body into the air.

Not going to lie guys, this chapter like broke my heart! I remember all those things and they're not around or aren't as popular anymore. I don't know if you guys remember any of those but I'm sure you do. Awl, man, I miss being a little kid.... But yeah... anyway, this is my sixteenth chapter in only nineteen days, that's the best I've done so far, considering this has a lot of words to it as well.

Help me:

I have a couple story ideas so far but I'm not really sure. I don't want to start like three new stories. I'm going to tell you my ideas though. First there's Infestation which is about this disease that falls over the population to make them like zombies or something and survival, I don't have it completely figured out. Secondly there's Ocean Breed which is about a girl who loves the ocean and they find out that the Megladon (the ancient dino shark) has made a spontaneous return and the ocean is being deformed as the dinosaur ages begin to return again. Finally there's A Run for Your Money which is about Koga (who is a rich heir of an expensive business) and Ayame (the girl following her dreams to create a hotel even though her parents refuse to help her or aid here) and this was inspired by Dark Skittles story Home but I put a different twist to it. In order to get the hotel done, Koga agrees to pay here money if she pretends to be his fiancée to please his father. I already know I'll be doing a short multi-chapter story on Toby Keith's one song and it will be called God Love Her but I doubt it'll be more than ten chapters, if that.

Got Time?

Review.