A/N: I do not own Inuyasha or Goblin: the Lonely and Great God

Chapter Fourteen

Writing down as furiously as she could, Kagome worked as quickly as she could. Her in class essay would be a work of art, she was determined to make it the best gosh dang essay the teacher had read that year. Her pen scribbled down each line of the paper, she was sure this would go well. It would! Looking up at the clock, she made note of the time that she had left and the remainder of what she had to write. It wasn't much—for either. She most certainly could make it though.

Alright, go! You can do it! She spurred herself onward, her mind in overdrive as she hurried to complete the assignment.

"Where are we going?" she demanded, following him with a puzzled frown and several tossed looks to her hand.

"Enjoying the sights of the town," he responded with his characteristic monotone. "Is that not what friends do?"

Swiping her hand hurriedly, as if to shoo away the thoughts she had to focus. Now was not the time to be thinking about her trip to Quebec. Furrowing her brow, she cast another quick glance up at the clock. Five minutes. She only had her conclusion to write and then she would be done. Only one more measly paragraph and then the weekend would let her escape school for a few days. Steeling herself, she began to write the last part of her essay.

Sesshomaru's gold eyes looked down at her with puzzlement when she handed him the maple leaf she had pilfered from the park. Giggling, she began to walk away from him. She had never seen him, as a daiyoukai, so expressive in his features. Perhaps now, with his difference as a Goblin, he was closer to human than he imagined. Giving him a smile, she opened her mouth to explain to him her odd gift. She wanted to help him break his curse, yes. But she also wanted to get to know this person better—he seemed far more approachable now than he ever did back in the Feudal era.

"Pencils down," the teacher announced with a nasally tone. "Time's up."

Groaning, Kagome looked at the one sentence that served as her concluding paragraph. She handed in her paper with a certain reluctance when their class rep came around picking the assignments up. She had been so close. So close and yet so far.

"Kagome, how did you do?" Eri leaned over, waggling her eyebrows. "Could it be that you finished. It seemed so intense the way you were focusing."

"I didn't finish," she complained, sinking into her desk as her friends began packing up for the day. "I got distracted and didn't finish."

Ayume opened her mouth to console the girl but another voice interrupted them.

"Well what do you expect, a stupid student like you probably blanked. Your mind couldn't handle all that thinking," one of the older girls of the class stepped before them, her school back hoisted over her shoulder.

"Yui, bug off," Yuka bit back, crossing her arms as she stood next to the miko's desk. "Kagome's plenty smart."

"I heard she barely passed middle school, and has been struggling through high school since," Yui flung her long braids off her shoulders with an attitude that said rude sass. "It's pathetic that you ended up at this school."

"I'll have you know I've made honors every year," Kagome rolled her eyes, before standing up and crossing her arms. This girl was definitely not worth her breath past that simple explanation. Gathering up her things into her backpack, she turned to her friends, completely ignoring Yui. "You guys, there's a new cafe in town that I'd like to try. Would you like to go?"

Her friends gave each other pleased grins before nodding, looping their arms together and marching out of the classroom.

Yui scoffed, rolling her eyes at the four. Sooner or later she would be able to get under Kagome Higurashi's skin. And when she did, maybe she could finally get that girl in trouble.

"You did so well!" Eri cheered, tugging gently on the miko's arm. "Really! You didn't blow up in her face or anything!"

"Honestly you have no idea how much I wanted to," Kagome chided, her frown now visible on her face. "Really! Yui has no idea how hard I worked to catch up!"

"It's not like being sick in school was your fault anyways," Yuka nodded, her fist cradled in her palm. "Honestly, Yui's such a brat. She thinks just because she's got the highest marks in the class, that she can goad you on like that! You're seriously this close to to passing her up!"

"I don't know about surpassing her," laughed Kagome, her head shaking.

"Who's mocking you, woman?"

The deep baritone voice caused them all to jump. But once the initial shock settled, Kagome instantly recognized the owner to the sound. She spun around quickly, surprise surging through her.

Sesshomaru stood propped up against the wall, his face as expressionless as ever except for his brow which was raised slightly in question. Looking him up and down, the miko realized how out of place he seemed in the school district—with his long navy trench coat and the gray suit he wore. Did he always have to wear such ostentatious clothes? Then again, he had always been one for fine fashion. She remembered the days of his white kimono and the strong looking armor, his mokomoko draped across his shoulder, the silver white fur a strong contrast to the red and yellows he wore for accent.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, not entirely unhappy to seem him, just uncomfortable now that her friends were around.

"I happened to be in the area," his response was monotone and his facial features did nothing to lend any insight as to what he was thinking.

Ayume was the first to step up. "Hey you're the guy from last week!"

"Yeah, are you stalking Kags?" Yuka sidled up next to her protectively, her arm wrapping around the miko's shoulder almost possessively.

"Hn," was the only response he offered them, his brow slowly setting until his entire features said 'I am annoyed.'

"Ah, hey." Kagome felt a twinge go through her; she knew the white-haired male enough to identify that look as his passive aggressive death glare. "He's actually a friend."

"Oh, he is?" Eri passed a confused look between the two.

"Yeah, we've known each other for some time?" She laughed girlishly to try and dispel the hostility in the atmosphere. C'mon Sesshomaru, help me out! I can't convince them if you're being like that.

Yuka began to double take as well. "Now that I think about it, he looks an awful like Inuyas—"

"Hey, I got an idea!" Kagome jumped up from behind her friend, hugging her tightly. "Why don't you come with us, Sesshomaru? We're going to a cafe not far from here!"

He observed all of them with a look of distaste and shook his head. "Let this one know when you are free."

With that said, he started to walk away, hands in his pockets and brows twitching with a nerve struck.

"Kagome, you're friends with that old man?" Yui called from the school gates, watching the whole affair with amusement. "Figures a girl like you would have that sort of relationship."

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks.

Kagome had never been one for cussing. Inuyasha had cursed enough for both her and her entire family ancestry. But the stiff posture in the Goblin's stance told her that everyone within a fifty mile radius was dead. As dead as Naraku and all his minions. Shit.

"On second thought, woman," He said slowly, turning around with a pleasant smile on his face. He returned before them, his gold eyes holding a sort of malicious mischief that terrified her. "This Sesshomaru will join you and your friends. Consider the meal on me."

Shit, shit, shit, the miko panicked, her eyes wide.

He ushered her and her friends away after that, his smirk never leaving his face.

"Hey wait!" Yui cried out, storming after them before yelping out.

Kagome turned around, looking past the pleased Goblin to see her high school bully crying out. Her braids had caught and tangled in the iron rods of the school gates. On the ground, her hair pulled tightly, the girl was panicking, tears pricking her eyes as she tried to undo the plaits from their knotted mess.

"Sessh," the miko hissed.

With a 'hn', and a satisfied grin, he continued to lead them away.

a/n: I think this is my favorite chapter to have written so far. Seriously it was fun!

Thank you to everyone for reading this chapter! Leave a review and let me know what you thought^^

Arigato and takk fyrir lovelies!