Through Blood and Tears
Chapter 5: Verdict
The final bell rang and the principal was finishing up interrogating the entire student body. The only person remaining was Kagome. She shifted her position in the same uncomfortable chair she had occupied for the past two hours, watching as her friends were called into his office. After a moment, they would be released back to class, giving her a reassuring smile as they left. Kagome let out a heavy sigh. This clearly wasn't her day.
The young woman glanced up as the Principal's office door finally opened and Inuyasha exited. She knew by the expression on his face he had been caught red handed. The half-demon gave her a funny grin. "Good luck. That guy is brutal." Kagome returned the smile before standing up and stretching her aching muscles. "I'll wait for you by your locker when you're done." He received an affirmative nod from his friend and quietly left the office, leaving her to face the principal alone.
She hesitantly knocked on the closed door. A mumbled reply came through the thin layer of wood, granting her access. Kagome timidly opened it, shaken up by the principal's mere presence.
"Kagome Higurashi, I presume?" the elder man questioned, glancing up from the paper work on his desk to get a better look at her. She shyly nodded her head. "Take a seat." Kagome obeyed as silence enshrouded them.
"I have a feeling you know why you're here." The female student responded with another nod of her head. "Okay, I'm just going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer them honestly." He paused a moment to make sure she acknowledge what he was asking of her. The principal cleared his throat before continuing. "Who was involved in the fight that broke out in the cafeteria earlier today?" Kagome stayed silent. I don't want to get anyone in trouble. What would the principal do to me if I don't talk? He can't punish me, can he? The elder man, noticing her lack of words, tried a different approach.
"Look," he began, rubbing the bridge of his nose with this thumb and index finger. "When I walked into the cafeteria, you were standing in the middle of all the chaos, trying to settle everything. Now, I know for a fact that you had to have seen something." Principal Katsu paused, allowing Kagome plenty of time to respond. Silence ensued, causing him to rub his temples, weary from the day's work.
"Okay, here's what I'm going to do," he stated, shuffling through his papers until he found the one he desired. "I've compiled a list of names together as to who might have been involved. My investigation is still under way so some of these names will change. I'll read off the list and you tell me if I missed anyone." He eyed her carefully before glancing down at the sheet before him.
"Kouga, Inuyasha, Ayame, Yuka, Hakkaku, Miroku, Ginta, Sesshomaru, Rin, Sango, and Hojo. Is there anyone else I should know about?" He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. The young woman took a moment to think, worry clouding her mind. She didn't know what to do. If she told him her friends weren't involved, then he'd suspect something and really turn on the heat. And if he found out she was lying ... that would be even worse. We'll, if were going down, they're going down with us. A smirk played on her lips.
"Well, let's see." She put a finger to her chin and raised her eyes to the ceiling. "I do recall Kikyo, Naraku, and Kagura in the midst of everything." She paused for emphasis. "Yeah, they were definitely involved."
Kagome held back a smile as she once again turned her attention to the elderly man before her. He eyed her for a moment before he jotted down the names on the sheet of paper. After a minute of silence, he glanced back up at her.
"Well, if you think of anything else, let me know. Other than that, you're free to go."
The young woman smiled and grabbed her back pack, silently closing the door as she exited. She sighed as she left the office and quietly made it down the hallway towards her locker.
Inuyasha greeted her as she opened the metal door, grabbing a few things she needed. "How did it go?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned up against the row of lockers.
Kagome sighed. "Well he has a list of everyone who was involved ... and you're all on it." The half-demon grunted with indifference. She shut her locker and they walked out of the school building towards his car.
"Where's Miroku and Sango? Did they leave already?" Kagome asked, glancing over at Inuyasha's content expression.
"Yeah, Sango had to go pick up Kohaku from school." He unlocked his car and the twosome slid in. The drive was silent as Inuyasha sped towards her house. The dark haired teen was deep in though as they pulled up in front of the shrine steps. "Kags?" Inuyasha called, startling her from her thoughts. "Are you okay?" Concern dripped from his molten orbs.
She gave him a half-hearted smile and nodded. "See you tomorrow, Yash," she said, giving him a wave and exiting the vehicle. Inuyasha waited until she disappeared over the top of the steps before speeding away, his mind wandering.
Everyone was on edge the remainder of the week, awaiting the Principal's punishment. Inuyasha and the gang were all sure they would be called down any day now. Thursday afternoon came and Kagome was walking to history class, Sango by her side.
"I don't get it," she was saying to the brunette, glancing at the clock overhead. "It's been three days and he hasn't called any one down yet. How long does it take to write down a few names? I mean, whoever was involved received some kind of scrape or bruise." The slender female had become frustrated with the whole thing.
"Calm down, Kags. Stop thinking so negative. Maybe he forgot?" Sango gave her a sheepish grin, only to receive a death stare. "Well, look on the bright side. You're name wasn't on the list. You probably won't get in trouble." This seemed to calm her nerves a bit, but it was quickly relinquished as Kikyo came into view.
Her icy demeanor threatened Kagome as her cold tone reached out to them. A ghost of a smile played on her lips. "Bitch," she whispered as she passed by. The raven haired beauty stopped to turn around and give her a piece of her mind, when Sango stopped her; oblivious to the exchange that had just occurred.
"This is my class, see you after school, Kags." The brunette gave her a reassuring smile as she disappeared inside a nearby classroom. This left Kagome alone to wander the almost empty halls. A bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she finally reached her history class; entering as the bell sounded. She grabbed a seat in the front row and awaited the teacher's instructions.
The teacher opened her mouth to speak, but was immediately silenced when a knock sounded on the now closed door. She removed the glasses that framed her eyes, resting them on top of her head. She sighed and opened the door, revealing a student. The pale, sickly looking kid handed the teacher a pink slip of paper and quietly made his exit. The blond female glanced over the sheet before crossing the room to her desk.
"Kagome Higurashi, you have a pass." The elder woman's kind voice echoed across the classroom. Kagome stood up, her heart pounding in her chest. "Grab your things." The professor signed her initials on the pink slip, signaling that the pass was legit. The female student took it from her, mumbling a thank you, and exited the rom. The door shut silently behind her and she heard the teacher's voice as she began the day's lesson.
The dark haired teen looked down at the slip of paper in her hands as she walked down the silent hallway. Her eyes scanned it twice, not sure if she should feel relief or worry. It was from the principal, demanding her to his office immediately. She heeded his request and allowed her gaze to travel the path in front of her.
As if it were second nature, she shuffled around one corner and then a moment later, she whipped around another one. Footsteps approached her from behind, startling her when she felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder. She jumped and covered her mouth, silencing a scream.
"Hey, Kags," a masculine voice whispered behind her. She turned around to meet her visitor eye to eye. When she saw the amber eyes staring back at her, the fear she felt turned into anger.
"Inuyasha!" she hissed, giving him a light slap in the arm. "Don't do that to me. What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" The half-demon smirked, pleased with himself for annoying her.
She faced forward once more and stalked off to the Principal's office, the silver haired male following her. The twosome walked in silence for a moment before Kagome broke it. "Why are you wandering the halls?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.
He held up a pink slip of paper, identical to Kagome's. "You got one too?" he asked, noticing the recognition dawn on her visage. She held up her pass as well. They both smiled as the office door came into view. Inuyasha opened it and bowed. "Ladies first," he said as she strutted through the door, head held high. He chuckled before following her in.
The secretary only glanced at their slips before handing them back. "You can both go into the office now." Inuyasha and Kagome stole a glance at each other as the secretary popped gum. Something was up. Usually you had to wait until the principal summoned you and when he did, you went in individually.
Inuyasha opened the door, surprised at what was on the other side. Sango, Kikyo, and Ayame sat in the three chairs in front of the Principal's desk; they were eyeing each other with hatred. Miroku stood behind his girlfriend protectively. On the opposite wall, Kouga, Hakkaku, and Ginta were huddled in a small group. In the other corner, Sesshomaru and Rin stood together as Kagura lazily stared out the single window in the room. Hojo, one of the school's hottest guys, stood off to the side, glancing around at the occupants.
Everyone was in the midst of their own quiet conversation, but words were hushed and all eyes turned to stare at the two new comers. A small blushed tinted Kagome's cheeks as Inuyasha led her over to where their friends were. Sango gave them a small smile as another person stepped through the door. Naraku's menacing eyes roamed over the room, seeing the small crowd gathered there. A low growl sounded in Inuyasha's throat as he noticed the dark haired man's eyes linger on Kagome.
The principal sat behind his desk and cleared his throat, grabbing every one's attention. "Now that you're all here, we have a subject of punishment to go over." The room erupted into groans and angry outbursts. Kagome watched as everyone began talking at once, trying to preach their innocence.
After a few minutes, the principal was able to quiet everyone down by throwing out a few threats. "Now, as you all know, a fight broke out in the cafeteria a few days ago. I have sufficient enough evidence to prove that you were all involved." He held up his hands before another outburst could occur. "I'm not going to tolerate shouting. I have gone over everything thoroughly enough. There is no swaying my judgment." The students kept their emotions in check, silently pleading for him to continue. "Now, I've come to a decision that you will all have detention at seven o'clock on Saturday night. With the severity of the circumstances, you will also take half you lunch period to take a study period in one of the classrooms."
He paused, letting it sink in. That was a big mistake on his part as everyone immediately started yelling again, pointing fingers at one another, trying to come up with excuses. The only ones staying silent were Kagome and Sesshomaru. This gave her a moment to think. Well, why am I here? Her eyes roamed over the angered faces of her classmates, finally landing on Hojo. And what is he doing here? He wasn't even involved in the fight.
The principal sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to avoid the headache that had formed. When the noise only grew, the principal took it into his own hands. "QUIET!"
Everyone went silent. They turned their attention to the principle; his face a crimson red. "I will have no more outburst from anyone or else I will extend the punishment. You're lucky I didn't allow the police to investigate or the lot of you would be in trouble with the law." He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You are all to report to room 1304 tomorrow during the first half of your lunch period. There, you will be informed on what your tasks will be and what is to occur on Saturday." He took a minute to allow his temper to simmer down before he continued. "You are all dismissed back to your class." He waved his hand, signaling everyone to take their leave.
The air thickened with tension as everyone silently left the room. Kagome stood there with a bewildered look on her face. "You coming, Kags?" Inuyasha asked, giving her arm a slight tug.
"Um, yeah. I'll be there in a sec." Her gaze didn't waver from the principal, who was now hunched over his desk writing something down. The half-demon hesitated before proceeding through the door. When everyone was gone from the room, Kagome timidly approached the elder man's desk.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" she asked, clutching her books to her chest. He glanced up at her, allowing her to continue. "I'm a little confused. Why am I getting punished? I was just ..."
The principal cut her off. "I have quite a few people placing you in the middle of the fighting and at least three that say you took part in it." Kagome could only stare at him with disbelief.
"But ..." she tried to get out an explanation, but the principal interrupted her once more.
"No buts. My hands are tied." By this time the principal had stopped writing and folded his hands in front of him, leaning on his elbows for support. Kagome knew there was no point arguing and sulked out the door.
She was in a daze as she handed her pink pass over to the secretary's desk. The elder woman sighed her in initials on it and handed it back before Kagome slowly walked out into the hallway, deep in thought.
The dark haired teen wasn't surprised to see everyone milling about in the hallway. She shuffled over to where Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango where waiting. In the corner of her eye, Kagome noticed Kikyo, Naraku, and Kagura standing off to the side, quietly talking amongst themselves. It appeared as if Kouga and his friend had left the school. Only a half hour of school remained anyways, why bother going back to class?
"That was ridiculous," Inuyasha grumbled as she came within hearing range. "Why the hell should we all suffer because of that mangy wolf?" Sango and Miroku sighed in frustration.
"You were the one that threw the first punch," Miroku calmly pointed out. He let out a yelp as Inuyasha smacked him over the head.
"What I don't understand is why Kagome got in trouble," Sango said, ignoring the immature boys. "She didn't even do anything wrong. She should be awarded for trying to stop it." The three of them looked at Kagome, hoping for an explanation. The slender female sighed and told them about her recent conversation with the principal.
After she finished, the brunette glanced over at Kikyo's group with a heated death glare. "Who wants a bet they had something to do with it?" Everyone shifted their gaze to said group, only to see smirks on the threesome's faces.
"That bitch!" Kagome balled her fists at her side and Sango had to hold her back from going after her. They could tell the angered woman was truly upset, seeing as how she rarely swore unless she was pissed about something. Kikyo acknowledged her sudden change in attitude and she smiled, leading her posse out of the school.
A moment passed as Kagome's anger simmered down. As they waited, the four friends discussed the recent events. Hojo had gone back to class and apparently everyone was confused as well as to why he was being punished. Sesshomaru and Rin had headed off in the direction of the parking lot and Ayame had gone to her locker.
Kagome glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed they had fifteen minutes left. She sighed as the whispers came to an end; a silence enshrouding them. "Let's go, I'm too worked up to go back to class anyways," the dark haired teen said as she put a hand on her forehead. She walked towards the exit as her friends watched after her, their mouths hanging open. After all, Kagome had always been the good girl; good grades, good attitude, never getting in trouble. It was so unlike her to ditch class.
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango exchanged a glance before they followed her out into the sun.
A/N: Another chapter down. Yes, I made this one longer by combining two chapters. I promise that the rest of them will be as long as possible. So press that little button at the bottom of the page and send me a review. It'll helpt me update faster, I promise!
Preview for next chapter: The group arrives for detention on Saturday. When the teacher takes a bathroom break that last much longer then it should, the gang decide to ... (do you seriously think I'm going to give that away?)
Our intro is over now and the real terror shall begin! Mwahahaha!