Okay, I'm actually putting this chapter out before I wanted to, but I felt it was a long enough wait. IF you want to know when the next chapter's going to be out just look at my author's note at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Rival

It was finally the end of practice and the other girls had gone in to change. But not Kagome. She decided to stay back, well not really decided, but, just ended-up. She caught sight of Inuyasha and just stood there staring. Soon she saw that their practice had ended. She watched as they circled around the coach and took to one knee. They were completely absorbed in his speech. Then he pointed to someone. That someone was Inuyasha, who came to stand next to the lilliputian coach. After a few more words from Coach Myoga the rest of the team clapped, seemingly directed at Inuyasha. He looked around at all of his teammates, that is… until he saw someone else. Off on the hill he saw the lone Kagome. His eyes caught with hers for a moment, and that's all it took for her to run back off to the locker room blushing.

She finally arrived, standing outside the club door, catching her breath and collecting her thoughts. 'What was that all about? Why was I staring at him?' she thought.

"Hey you!" She turned around to see a girl only slightly taller than her. It was the same girl from that morning, and she didn't look happy. She puts her arms on both sides of Kagome, hands hard against the wall, leering angrily at her. "You stay away from Inuyasha, he's mine. Always has been, and always will be." She moved her face in closer. "Stay away from him or you will regret it. And besides, it's not like he'd want you anyway."

"Kikyo" She suddenly went from anger to innocent as she turned to Sango.

"Why Sango, what's the problem?"

"Leave Kagome alone Kikyo" she said sternly.

"Oh Kagome is it?" She turned to face her "We were just having a nice little chat about boys… weren't we?" Kagome only nodded her head after a slight pause. "You see Sango?" She turned to leave, "Bye Kagome, remember what we talked about okay?" she said with an innocent smile.

After Kikyo was out of sight, "Alright Kagome, what did she say to you?"

This brought Kagome out of the shock she was in, "Oh, nothing important".

"Come on Kagome, don't hide it. I know Kikyo more than you do, and I know she doesn't talk to any girls without being mad at them." Then looked at her pleadingly, "Now tell me Kagome, please".

"…….. Okay" she said depressed and embarrassed "She said to… stay away from Inuyasha cause he was hers."

"Is that what this was about?" She leaned against the wall next to Kagome, staring at no where in particular. "You see Kikyo is Inuayasha's ex-girlfriend. He broke up with her last year, and she's been bitter about it ever since, even though she was sleeping around on him."

"On my…. really?"

"Yeah, he tries to distance himself from her. ……. But… I'm wondering… why would Kikyo tell you to stay away from Inuyasha, huh?" she asked growing a bit anxious.

"Huh? …… What? …. I…"

"Oh my God, you like Inuyasha!"

"What?!" she said getting red. "No I don't!"

"Oh yes you do!"

"No I don't!" she yelled getting even redder.

"Come on Kagome, it's written all over your face…"

"It is?" she said a bit depressed.

"Well now you've practically admitted it."

"……….." Kagome stared down at her feet, still beet red.

"Aww Kagome, I was just teasing you, don't feel bad. I'm just used to it from the others saying I like Mi……. never mind."

"No wait" Kagome looked at her "what was that?"

"Nothing, I said never mind."

"Oh no, you were about to say Miroku weren't you? You like him!"

"No I don't! Who would like that pervert?!" Now it was Sango's turn to be red in the face.

'That blush on your face says you like that pervert."

"I…. I…."

"It's okay Sango, I won't say anything if you don't."

"F… fine. Now get changed!"

"Okay" When Kagome was done they walked home together, because you know, they live across the street from each other.

"So Kagome, being this is our last year an all, I'm just curious, what are you thinking of studying next year?"

"Well, granted I get in, I want to study philosophy. I've always been interested in it because you get to think about and discuss the different ideas and theories of so many famous people."

"That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, and what about you?" Sango simply looked away and clutched her bag tightly. "Sango?"

"The truth is…. I don't want to go to college."

Kagome was, to say the least, surprised. "What? Why?"

"You see my family owns a small store and it does okay, but college is expensive, and I know my parents can't afford to send both me and Kohaku to college. Besides ever since I was a kid I've kinda wanted to work there. I've done some work there during the summer, and I found it really enjoyable. My parents keep telling me I should go, but I know it's not going to work out well for them. And at this rate it's going to take a miracle to convince my parents to get me to stay."

"Oh Sango, I'm sorry, I… I didn't know…"

"It's alright Kagome, I didn't except you to know, its fine really." They arrived at the spot between their houses and say goodbye for the night.

The next morning seemed promising to Kagome, the sun was shined warmly, birds were singing sweetly, Inuyasha and Kouga were arguing, wait… what? Yep, wouldn't you know it, they were fighting…again. And at this distance, she could only make out the occasional curse word as well as her name. As she got closer and closer to her classroom, she could make out more and more.

"I said she's mine so stay away from her. I know I heard you two talking at practice!"

"Like its any of your business that I talk to her!"

"I'm sick of having to repeat myself! She's my woman, so it's my business!" Kagome finally reached the door ands saw the two head to head. "Why don't you just go back to Kikyo?!"

At this Inuyasha grabbed him by the front of the collar roughly. "Don't you ever talk about her in front of me again!"

"And why not mutt-face?! She was talking about you plenty, something about you spending the night at her place."

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha as well as another voice yelled. He looked over towards the other voice seeing Kagome at the door, completely stunned. She took a step back into the hallway, and saw someone to her right. Kikyo looked at her with a very content smile on her face. Kagome turned and ran down the hall. Inuyasha ran to the door, facing the way she ran, not even noticing Kikyo; that is until she put her hands on his shoulders. He snapped around, smacking her hands away in the process.

"What's wrong Inu-baby?" She asked sweetly.

"Don't hand me that shit! What the hell are you doing spreading lies like that?!"

"Whatever do you mean sweetling?"

"You know exactly what I mean! So I'm going to say this once. Stay away from me you slut! And stay away from Kagome; she has nothing to do with this." With that he went after her walking briskly.

Their conversation attracted much attention from the rest of the class as they murmured to each other. Kikyo stared at where he had just been with an agitated look. "So if she has nothing to do with it, why are you going after her?" she said to herself.

Kagome sat on the landing in the stairwell, her knees clutched tightly to her chest. 'I'm so stupid….. I can't believe I …..'

"Kagome"

She looked up to see Inuyasha knelt down in front of her. "What do you want?!" she yelled at him.

"Why are you yelling at me?!"

"You didn't answer my question!"

He sighed, "You seemed really upset."

"Well no shit!"

"What's your problem?!"

'I can't tell him the truth' she thought. "It doesn't concern you"

Now this put Inuyasha down a bit. "Fine, whatever!" He turned to walk away. "But just so you know, that was a lie that Kikyo started up. I can't stand her." She looked up into his eyes. "Class is starting in a few minutes." And with that, he left her.

Back in the classroom, Sango was very worried. "I hope she's alright."

"Yeah" Miroku joined in, "It must be hard hearing about your crush doing something like that."

"Mm hmm" Sango nodded, then went wide-eyed as she turned to Miroku, "W..w.. what?!"

He turned to look at her as well as he stood side by side with her. "Oh come on Sango, she stares at him during practice, and now runs away hearing that rumor, you'd have to be an idiot not to recognize she likes him."

At that moment Inuyasha walked through the door. "GOD! What is wrong with her?!" he said to no one in particular.

Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, "Idiot" they both said.

"I'm not surprised." Sango said.

"Neither am I" Miroku said. And very soon he reached behind her with a smile on his face and anger on hers.

"And I'm not surprised at this either" she said making a fist. SMACK!! She left Miroku on the ground with a red hand mark on his cheek and the word "pervert" left in his ears as she walked away fuming.

Inuyasha only saw, but didn't hear about what happened. He walked over to Miroku and offered a hand to help him up. When he was finally standing again, all he could say to Inuyasha was "Oh yeah, she digs" with a smile on his red face.

Now, I know that I have a total of 15 people who either added this story as a favorite or alert, and I only have 8 reviews --# . So I'll tell you all what, if at least 5 people review in 3 days of me posting this chapter, I'll type up and post the next chapter immediately. If it takes longer to get them... so it will for you all to get the next chapter. Honestly the reivews just let me know people like my stories, I know I should complete the chapter just for the sake of writing, but reviews make me feel better about what I'm doing and get my confidence up, and believe me, I don't have a lot of self confidence.