Hey there. You know the drill. Plus I don't like repeating something that I stated in the beginning of the first chapter. Enjoy. A.T.

*Bus*

Mai sunk down into a seat, glancing at the roof of the bus.

"Oh thank goth we made it."

"I sure hope you don't fall asleep or get into any fights at school here."

"Meh. I'll be good... maybe lol."

"Mai I'm serious. It's our first day, please be good."

Kagome sat quietly. 'Is he serious? I kinda feel bad for him.'

*School*

On their way into school they bumped into someone.

"Hi Hojo."

"Hey Kagome. Who's with you?"

"Hi my name is Dylan. This is my sister Mai. We're exchange students from America."

"Sorry Hojo but we have to go. Don't wanna be late."

*After School with Kagome's friends*

Three girls stood waiting for Kagome and the two new students. All three of them greeted 'hello' at the same time. They introduced themselves as Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. Eri braved being the first to speak.

" Hi. You're the exchange students right? From America? Nice to meet you both."

Dylan waved while Mai just stood beside him with one headphone in her right ear and both hands shoved in her pockets. The three girls started whispering to each other.

"Is it just me, or is Dylan cute?"

"Totally. Looks like Hojo has some competition."

While they were whispering, they didn't notice Mai sneaking up behind them.

" Why are you whispering, ne?"

Mai used a creeper voice causing the girls to scream. They turned to look at Mai while she stood there smirking.

" Well, aren't you girls skittish. Let's go guys. I'm hungry."

" You're always hungry."

" Let's go to Wacdonalds."

Dylan looked confused and turned to Mai. She just rolled her eyes.

" It's the japanese version of McDonald's."

He just gave her a WTF look.

" What? You thought I slept for the whole plane ride like you did? Hell nah."

" True, but I wasn't the one that was out cold after we landed."

*Wacky D's*

" So Kagome, how are things with you and your boyfriend?"

Ayumi asked between bites. Kagome blushed.

" I told you he's... oh forget it."

She put her head down in exasperation.

" Aw poor chicky."

Mai then proceeded to chug her chocolate milk shake while they all left to show the foreigners around.

*Higurashi Home*

" It's good to be back. I'm gonna go shower."

Dylan went to his room and found Inuyasha looking through his things.

" Um... Excuse me? What are you doing?"

" You smell weird."

" I... what?"

Kagome came up behind Dylan to see what the commotion was about.

" Inuyasha! How rude can you get? SIT!"

CRASH.

Mai walked up beside Dylan just in time to see Inuyasha face-plant the floor, causing her to fall to her knees from laughing so hard.

" That's the coolest... fuckin' trick... I've ever seen! You're a hell of a pooch!"

Dylan sweat dropped.

" You kind of had it comin' for looking through my stuff. And if I smell weird it's probably because I haven't showered yet."

He grabbed some clothes and headed to the shower. At this point Mai was chill again but still smirking.

*Shower*

" Nosy dog." ' OK first, I find out he's Kagome's boyfriend, then he's going through my stuff, PLUS he said I smell funny... wth?'

*Dylan's Room*

" OK. Why were you going through my brothers things?"

" It's like I said, he smells different."

Kagome was giving him a blank look.

" And what do you mean by that?"

" His scent... It's different from Mai's."

They looked to Mai.

" Yeah. Your point? It might have to do with the fact that we aren't related."

They just looked at her as if, silently telling her to clarify.

'Sigh' "OK. I was the odd duck at our orphanage. We are both orphans. He was shy and well behaved while I was always fighting, getting into trouble, pulling pranks, the whole lot. Heheh when met, when we were younger, I was the one to show him around. We just became close I guess. I always stuck up for him and after a while I just started calling him my little brother. Get it now?"

Stare.

Sweat-drop.

*Later*

Dylan walked back to his room with a towel around his neck to catch the left over water dripping from his soft black hair. When he reached his door, there stood Inuyasha.

" Hey. I just wanted to say sorry."

' Wow. He's actually apologizing. I didn't think he as the type.' " Thanks. Hell, I'd probably do the same thing if I was you."

" Yeah well, Mai told us about you guys not being related... so yeah."

With that, Inuyasha walked off down the hall.

' Mai told them? Even Kagome? ... Well, we were gonna tell them eventually anyway.'

With that last thought, he entered his room to do his homework. Mai sat in her room, groaning from the homework.

" I HATE HOMEWORK!"

She got up and went to Dylan's room. She opened his door and flopped down on his bed.

" I see you're bored and not doing your homework. I'm almost done. Want me to help you?"

" Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees."

Mai moaned miserably.

" I don't get it!"

She rolled onto the floor with a thump.

" Heh. Fine just let me answer these last three."

It took about two and a half hours after he was finished to help Mai not only finish her work but actually start it. Just as he showed her how to do the last problem Mrs. Higurashi called for diner. The moment Mai heard, she was already half way to the kitchen screaming food the whole way. When she reached the stairs she nearly fell.

" Woot Woot! I'm starving!"

Mai plopped down in her self claimed spot.

" I repeat. You're ALWAYS hungry."

Inuyasha took a seat asking what was for diner. When Mrs. Higurashi said steak, the siblings cheered. Mai was about to literally drool as she huggled Dylan.

" Steeeeeak!"

Stare.

" What? I love steak."

" It's just meat."

" That's what she said."

Mai looked to Inuyasha, then proceeded to jumps over to him. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him like a mad woman.

" Are you MAD MAN? H-how could you say it's just meat? Kagome! He's deprived! He doesn't understand the wonders of steak!"

" Um. Inuyasha isn't from here Mai."

Dylan looked away from the mad woman he called his sister.

" Where is he from? And not everyone eats steak that's still bleeding Mai."

" Well you know me Dyl. Walk the cow by the grill and hand her over!"

Sota decided to finally speak up.

" Cool. And he's from,"

One stare from Kagome told him to end there.

" Never mind."

Mai stopped shaking Inuyasha and looked at Kagome.

" Tell... or else."

" I can't."

Mai tackled Kagome and began tickling her.

" TALK!"

" MAI!"

Dylan tackled Mai off of Kagome and pinned her down while tickling her.

" If she can't tell us then it's not our place to know." 'Doesn't mean we can't investigate.'

"OK OK! Stop! I give I GIVE!"

Every one looked at them.

" What? It's how I get her to stop... most of the time. So Kagome, is Inuyasha ganna be staying long?"

Sota looked at Dylan.

" I was gonna ask that."

Mai struggled for breath underneath Dylan's weight as she chuckled.

" Kids readin' your mind..."

She flipped him off and sat on his back with him laying flat in a slight daze, causing the others to laugh.

" I'll be going back in two days with Kagome."

" Aw. That's Friday. I wanted to see more of Japan."

Mai gave Inuyasha a suspicious glare.

" Back where?" ' No way I'm ganna let this go. I wanna know.'

" Actually, I lost my appetite. I'm tired... night."

Mai left to her room and stood by her window, looking out at the darkened shy.

' I can't see the stars here either...'

*Back in the Kitchen*

Dylan looked to the door way his sister left from.

' Uh oh. She's got that look in her eyes again.' " Well, I hope you get back before school Monday. We have a math test next Wednesday."

*With Mai*

She opened her window and proceeded to climb out. When she touched down she walked over to the bench by the big tree and sat down, looking up to the sky.

" Like stars huh?"

Mai looked beside her to see Inuyasha standing there.

" Yeah. But there's no where left to see the stars properly. I hate all this pollution and madness. It would be nicer if things were like in the past. Clean."

" Yeah. Things are completely different here... Well, there's nothing we can do about it."

*Inside*

" So Kagome, what's your cat's name?"

" Buyo. Inuyasha likes to play with him when I'm not around."

" Cat's are OK, but I'm more of a dog person. Mai's an any animal person, heheh."

*Outside*

" No. not for this world. Not this time. People have sealed it's fate. It's just a matter of when the earth decides to take herself back. You know, it's odd that Dylan stays around me with the way I am and all the trouble I get in. Everyone else runs away."

" Well I'm here. And I'm not running. So why do others run? Let me guess, Dylan was the good child."

" Yep."

" So when you got in trouble he'd cover for you?"

" Yeah. I don't know. 'Cause I'm so different, my view of the world's way different, heh and getting in trouble all the time doesn't help, especially with it seeming to be a talent, I just... I was born in the wrong world I guess. As for Dylan, he tried. Everyone knew it was me anyway, so it didn't matter. I was even blamed the rare and few times it actually wasn't me, but he tried hard to get them to think better of me. Sometimes I think he's too good to be around such a bad influence like me. Makes me wounder why he still tries sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love him and would do anything for him, it's just... he's such a good kid."

" Eh... Wrong world? If you weren't born in the time you were then you wouldn't have met Dylan. Life can be tough,but it'll get better. Especially when there's someone by your side. And the kid has a big heart, like Kagome. So pure, and thinks of others. I can't think if any other way I could live life without her."

" Aw. You really like her don't you?"

Inuyasha blushed and turned his head away.

" Shut up. Anyway, you should head back inside before Dylan and Kagome figure out your out here."

He headed back inside, leaving Mai still sitting on the bench.

' You'd be surprised.'

Mai turned her sights up to fall on the moon.

*Inside*

Dylan was still playing with Buyo when Inuyasha came back in.

" Oh hey Inuyasha. Here, you can play with him now. Hey Kagome, do you need help with your math homework? I'm a whiz at it if you need help."

" Yeah thanks. I'm good at it but can you check to see if I did anything wrong?"

" Sure."

Kagome and Dylan headed up to her room.

" Check math?" ' Is he trying to make a pass on Kagome?'

Putting Buyo down, he followed them upstairs. Mai was just climbing back into her room through the window when they passed by her room.

" Again?"

" Hehe... yeah."

Sweat-drop.

" Busted huh?"

" Oh yeah... busted."

Kagome looked at Mai with a curious look.

" Where were you?"

" She was outside."

They turned to see Inuyasha standing behind them.

" So she went through the window?"

" Habit..."

" She always snuck out at the orphanage through her window to go look at the sky."

" Well at least you're safe. Shall we go Dylan?"

Kagome turned to face down the hall.

" Yeah lets go."

With that they disappeared into Kagome's room. Inuyasha was about to follow when Mai grabbed his arm to stop him.

" Are you spying on them?"

" How did you...?"

" Oh please. You make it so obvious it's just plain sad. You gotta be slow and careful about it. Come on."

She pulled him quietly down the hall to the slightly open door of Kagome's room. They knelt down just as Dylan was finishing explaining something mathematical.

Yuck.

" Oh wow. Thanks Dylan. That makes this equation much easier. If you tutor me like this I'll pass the math test for sure."

" Happy to help. Like I said, I'm a whiz at math. Also, that sounds good. You, me and Mai can study together before the test."

Dylan got an odd feeling they were being watched and looked toward the door. Mai's eyes widened.

" But... How'd he...?"

Before she could finish, her and Inuyasha fell through the doorway.

" Oh dear goth you're heavy. Get off!"

Mai pushed Inuyasha over so she could sit up since he fell on top of her. The sudden ruckus caused Dylan and Kagome to jump and look at the two in the door way.

" Inuyasha!"

" Mai! Why were you spying on us?"

Moment of silence.

" Busted... RUN!"

Mai grabbed Inuyasha's wrist and ran for her room, slamming the door closed. Dylan blankly stared at the door.

" Looks like they thought we were up to something."

" I have a way to teach Inuyasha a lesson for spying... SIT!"

CRASH.

They heard Mai's muffled scream of pain from her room down the hall.

*Mai's Room*

" Damn... It..."

" Stupid... You got us caught."

" I thought he knew I was there. He looked right at he door. Now get..."

With a great heave she pushed him off of her again,

" Off! That's a serious trick man. How does she do that?"

" It's something that she has over me. And I HATE it!"

" That's what you get for spying."

They whipped their heads to the door way, giving Mai a serious case of whiplash.

" Not cool... I feel like music."

Mai crawled over to her night stand and grabbed her music player. Playing 'Jar of Hearts' by Christina Perri, she turned it on full blast to block out the rest of the world.

" Well I'm off to bed. Thanks again for the help Dylan."

" Yeah me too. Good night Kagome. Good night Mai. Night Inuyasha."

Dylan left to his room. Mai crawled onto her bed and hummed a lullaby that was then playing and fell asleep while putting Inuyasha to sleep, who was sitting against the wall beside her bed.