My alarm clock went off, waking me instantly. I have to say, I hate alarm clocks almost as much as I hate Naraku, and that's saying something. I rolled out of bed and sat up, turning off my alarm clock in the process. I slapped it so hard it broke. Damn.
After tugging a brush through my long silver locks I did most of my home work. At about 8:30 I put on my black "Myoga's" shirt and a pair of khaki cargo shorts. Pulling my hair up into a pony-tail (Myoga makes me. Says it makes me look like my dad, but he still doesn't want me getting hair in the food.) I pulled on my baseball cap I walked out and locked the door behind me. Not like locks do much to stop demons, but it'll keep out humans, and that's good enough for me. Striding down the stairs with my hands in my pockets I made a thoroughly nonchalant impression on passersby. I reached the parking lot and launched myself into the sky with a leap. I reached Myoga's with three minutes to spare and pushed open the door, entering the kitchen. I can't cook all that well, which meant I was stuck waiting on people. I'm not a people person, but hey, it got me cash. Tying on my black apron I checked the list to see what tables I was supposed to be waiting on. Tables thirteen through nineteen. Peeking out the door I checked who was sitting there. Tables thirteen, fourteen, sixteen and nineteen were empty. Unfortunately, fifteen, seventeen and eighteen were occupied.
At table fifteen was a family of panther demons consisting of the parents and two little children. Table seventeen was a tall business man quickly eating, probably so that he could hurry home, and at table eighteen…HOLY CRAP! It's official. The universe must hate me. Sitting at the last table was Kagura, Kanna, (who I didn't really mind) Hakudoshi and NARAKU! Damn it.
I avoid their table as long as possible, taking the orders of the panther demons first, cleaning the business man's table after he left and even going back into the kitchens to beg someone to trade with me. The other waiters gave me sympathetic glances, but they all knew how Naraku was, and they weren't about to give up their sanity for me. Myoga came over and told me to lose the cap because it wasn't part of our uniform. Usually I would have refused, but this time I decided to save my breath. I walked over to Naraku's table and pulled out my pen and pad of paper.
"Welcome to Myoga's. What can I get for you tonight?" Naraku glared up at me, his ratty black hair hanging in his eyes.
"About damn time! I should complain to the manager!"
I snorted. "That won't get you very far. Just give me order already, I don't have all day!"
Naraku opened his mouth to complain some more but Kagura cut him off. "I'll take the spaghetti." She said curtly. I scribbled down her order and looked into Kanna's dead eyes. She was nice enough, but she freaked me out.
"Just water…" I scribbled that down too. Hakudoshi ordered fish sticks and as it turns out, Naraku hadn't even made up his mind yet. I stood there forever, waiting for him. He eventually ordered a hamburger. No pickles, but it had to have relish, honey mustard, and Swiss cheese, with a diced tomato on the side. He made it complicated on purpose, and he ended up sending his food back to the kitchens three or four times. Naturally he called me "half-breed" loud enough for everyone to hear, so I spent the rest of the night getting dirty looks. He tripped me on my way back to the kitchen so that I broke two plates and a glass, and got cut in the process. Then he said that he should sue for damages to his person when a tiny shard of glass skidded into his leg.
"I'll show you 'damages to your person'!" I growled as I swept up glass shards. They left at about 10:30. I got two hour's respite before the shop closed. I didn't get paid enough to put up with that. I left in a huff and sped home.
The next morning I woke up late, due to the fact that I had broken my alarm clock the previous night. In my rush I stubbed my toe, lost part of my home work, and had to leave the house without eating. Not even bothering to lock the door I ran full pelt to school, sliding into my chair thirty seconds before the bell rang. Miroku gave me a little half-smile from across the room. 'nice!' he mouthed. I smirked. Today I was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a black button up shirt that I wore open over a plain white tee. And my baseball cap. I usually don't wear it to school, but what the heck. History dragged by like a dying snail. The bell rang at last and I leapt out of my chair, darting into the hall, just to get out of that classroom! After stretching my legs I headed to my next class. Miroku caught up to me.
"We're getting a new lady friend in our next class!" he said excitedly. Stupid pervert. I didn't answer, but right before I entered our next class, geometry, a girl at least a head shorter than me barreled right into my chest and fell on her butt, books skidding across the floor. She caught me off guard and I ended up on the floor too.
"Watch where you're going wench!" I yelled, picking myself up. Then I saw her face.
Kagome's POV:
The same boy I had seen collapse on the stairs outside Sango's apartment was standing in front of me after we collided.
He gave a smirk. "Well Kikyo, it seems you've lost your touch if you can't put me down for longer than ten seconds". I stared at him from my seat on the floor. Did he just call me Kikyo?
"You're looking pretty dumb there Kikyo. What'sa matter? Cat got your tongue?"
I stood up angrily and jabbed him in the chest. A boy with black hair pulled into a small ponytail was picking up my books for me in the background but I was too angry to appreciate his kindness.
"I don't know who you are, but my name is Kagome, not Kikyo! Whoever she is I'm not her!" I shouted up at him. He was tall…
"Don't play games Kikyo. You haven't changed a bit, I think I would be able to tell if…" He stopped talking and examined my face more closely. Shock flitted across his perfect features. "You're not her!"
"I know! My name is Kagome! Ka-Go-Me!" The boy in the purple polo and black jeans walked back over and handed me my books.
"Inuyasha, you should be gentler with the lady-folk!"
"Shut up Miroku." The silver haired boy growled.
"Kagome?" Sango poked her head around the door frame that led into the geometry room and looked about. Her eyes went instantly to where Inuyasha and I had been yelling. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me inside. Inuyasha and Miroku came in a moment later and sat on the opposite side of the room. Sango lowered her voice to a murmur and muttered swiftly in my ear.
"Kagome, don't do anything stupid. Inuyasha has a short temper, and bad things happen when he gets mad. Don't push him." I smiled at Sango.
"I can handle myself!" Koga chose that moment to show up. The wolf demon had been dancing attendance on me ever since I moved into my Grandpa's shrine last weekend with my mom and younger brother. He shamelessly showed off in front of me and said that he had 'claimed' me. As if.
"Hey Kagome!"
"Um, hi Koga…" the bell rang. Saved by the bell! Yes!
Classes came and went and soon it was lunch time. I walked into the cafeteria with Sango and spotted that silver haired boy sitting by himself in the far corner of the room. No joke, kids were sitting on the floor rather than his table. I felt bad for the poor guy. I started toward his table when Sango caught my arm.
"He's dangerous Kagome." I laughed and walked away.
Inuyasha POV:
I was sitting alone. As usual. Miroku had gone to flirt and Shippo was involved in a conversation with some other fox-demons about shape-shifting qualities. I picked at my food, not bothering to look up at anyone. I was an untouchable, so I wasn't expecting any company.
"Hey!" a cheerful voice startled me and I looked across the table to see that girl…Kagome I think… occupying the bench on the other side.
"What are you scheming witch? One your friends put you up to this? A bet? A dare maybe?"
"Nothing, honest! You just looked lonely so…" Damn, she hit the nail on the head. I took care not to show it though. I snorted.
"In case no one's told you girl, I'm not someone you 'hang out' with."
"Sango said not to come over here, but I did anyway."
"Obviously." I took a mouthful of my cup-o-noodle and chewed thoughtfully. I swallowed. "Listen, about what happened earlier…"
"Its okay, no worries!" she smiled at me. She was pretty…beautiful even, with raven tresses and pale skin.
"Well anyway…I don't think you should be sitting here."
"Why? No one else is here, and I'm pretty sure you don't bite!" she teased. A smile lifted the corners of my mouth a bit. I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by a freshman group of boys. They were obviously up on a dare of some kind, and one kid looked ready to pee his pants. I could smell the fear coming off them; they'd seen me beat the crap out of that guy in the ring yesterday.
"Hey flea-bag!" a boy with red eyes and curly purple hair yelled. "Street rat!" I ignored him and kept my gaze on my noodles. "What's the matter?" he shouted at me. "You scared to take us all at once?" I still kept silent, though I could fell rage building in me like water ready to burst a dam. The next thing he said pushed me over the edge. "Jail-bird! What was it like behind bars?" I stood slowly, and faced the kid, eyes blazing. The whole cafeteria had fallen silent to watch. The boys' friends had the sense to make a run for it. This kid was frozen with fear.
I towered a full head higher than him. Clenching my hand into a fist, I punched him across the face. He skidded across the linoleum flooring and was knocked out cold. I rubbed my knuckles as I sat back down. Kagome was staring at me, and a low buzz of conversation started up in the room again.
"Have you…really been to jail?"
"Yeah. Does it matter to you?"
"Well…"
"Thought so. You should leave me alone. Like I told you the first time. I don't need you or anyone else." Though this was far from the truth, I didn't want her to get hurt…like Kikyo had.
"What were you in jail for?"
"Don't matter. Just…" Koga walked up smirking. He cut me off and sat down next to Kagome.
"Hey Inu-trasha. Principle wants to see you!" I growled low in my throat.
"Don't call him that Koga! He has a great name, so use it why don't you!"
Koga and I glanced at her in shock. Wow, this girl had some fire in her…I stood up and strode to the principal's office, cup-o-noodle in hand.
Kagome's POV:
I really felt bad for the guy. He obviously had a rough past, and no one would let him forget it either. I turned my back on Koga and went to sit by Sango again. Surprisingly, Inuyasha's friend, Miroku was sitting next to her. She flashed a nervous glance his way every few seconds. I sat across from the pair.
"What did I tell you Kagome? That guy is bad news!" She said to me. Miroku raised his eyes angrily to her face.
"Lay off will ya? He has it hard enough already without you two joining his 'hate club'!"
"I don't hate him." I said sincerely. He gave me a look of surprise and gratitude.
"I don't hate him per-say, but I don't trust him." Miroku frowned and turned away again. The three of us didn't talk for the rest of lunch.
Inuyasha POV:
I walked into Kaede's office and she gestured to the chair in front of her desk. I slouched in the chair and the old woman watched me slurp up noodles.
"Inuyasha…" she began, and I already knew where this was going. I tossed the empty noodle cup over my shoulder and it landed in the trash can. I sat up and stared at her with my piercing golden eyes.
"You beat up a freshman. This has to sto-"
"He provoked me! Was I supposed to sit there and take it?"
"You should have alerted the faculty instead of handling it yourself."
I laughed humorlessly and she eyed me wearily. "Where was your precious faculty when I was the one getting beat up? I'm not gonna take their crap any longer! I learned the hard way, when you're like me, you gotta fight for yourself. Humans hate you; demons see you as a weak link. I got kicked around for too long. I'm going to start fighting back. I'm sorry if you don't like what you see."
I growled. Without waiting to be dismissed I stood up and walked out of the office. Classes had already started so I leaned against my locker in the hall rather than get a tardy. Someone was walking down the hallway toward me and I took a hostile stance, expecting Kaede, Nazuna, Sesshomaru, or anyone else on the mile long list of people who hate my guts. It was Kagome, and when I recognized her I relaxed instinctively.
"What are you doing here?" I asked in some confusion. She didn't seem the type to cut class.
"I got out of priestess training early to help my mom unpack at the shrine."
Whoa crap, did she just say that she was a priestess?
"Hello! I asked you a question!"
"Huh?" if she was a priestess, why did I feel so attracted to her?
"I asked if you wanted to help. There are only a few more classes left, and you aren't doing anything, so I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."
I should have said no, but being the idiot that I am, I agreed. I didn't remove my cap though. If she found out what I really was she wouldn't stick up for me. She would hate me like everyone else. So I kept silent about my true self. Never a good idea.