('') (' ') (' ') ~レビューを残す
Gramps stared long and hard at the calendar in his room. The box for the current date was scribbled over with the words 'Graduation Day!' in capital letters. He scratched his head in confusion and looked up at the ceiling.
"...I could have sworn I already graduated. Perhaps I've gone back into time, got young and handsome...back to the day I graduated! Yeah...That's it."
"Actually Gramps..." Sota interrupted, peeking his head into the room. "It's Kagome that's graduating."
Mrs. Higurashi, that was seated in front of her vanity, burst into tears. "Darn it Sota! I'm going to have to redo my makeup!"
"I'm sorry mom. I forgot." Sota laughed nervously and glanced back over to Gramps who frowned. Sota was positive the sadness was due to the fact that he hadn't gone back into the past; not because Kagome was entering a new life phase. Sota twirled into his sister's room and spotted her on the ground, forcing her high heel on her foot. "Hey sis."
"I'm busy." She grunted.
"Why are you putting on mom's meet-the-new-boss heels?"
"Because my graduation dress is too long...it won't be if I wear these."
Sota gazed at the emerald colored graduation dress on Kagome's bed and frowned. 'Am I going to have to where that when I graduate? How embarrassing...I think I'd rather drop-out.' Sota thought inside his head.
"Kagome!" Akira called out with a tissue crushed against her chest. "Are you almost ready?"
"Yeah momma-wait, why are you crying?"
" I-I can still remember the day when I registered you for kindergarten and they asked me what your favorite color was...and how high you could count...and now my baby's all grown up. Then I'll start being asked what college she'll be attending...and when the wedding is..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa wait. You're getting a little ahead of yourself with the wedding thing mom...I could end up dying alone for all we know." She shrugged playfully.
"What about InuYasha?" Gramps, Sota, and Akira asked in unison.
"Not that again..." Kagome whined.
()()()()
For what seemed like the thousandth time; InuYasha swiped away the tassel attached to his graduation cap that just loved to fall in front of his face. His walking partner still wasn't here. She was five minutes late.
'Graduation isn't exactly the best thing to be late to Kagome...' InuYasha sighed and pushed the thought away. He was graduating...even though he was dressed in the robes of a graduate he still couldn't believe it. Had school been tough overall? Not really...he could thank his friends for getting him through the rough parts. He was grateful that Kagome was there after he and Kikyo broke up. He still wasn't over the situation, but today he had to mask the sadness. He glanced over at Kikyo who was holding hands with another guy. He couldn't help the growl that rumbled in his throat or the feeling he got deep inside him that wrote out 'Used.' Was he nothing more than a toy she decided to play with until she got bored? Suddenly, all the sadness he had been feeling just vanished. He shook his head at the sight and walked over to Miroku and Sango.
"Sango, as happy as it is to see you graduate...The dress hides all of your curves!" Miroku complained.
"You're such a pervert. I doubt they would agree to let everyone get their diplomas in curve-hugging, tiny dresses."
"Oh wouldn't those be the days..."
"Miroku, that would mean guys had to wear them too." InuYasha added, bursting Miroku's fantasy.
"Ew! No thanks." Miroku shuddered causing InuYasha and Sango to laugh.
"I'm here!" Kagome cried, rushing through the pool of seniors with heels in her hand and her cap in the other.
"It's about ti-hey watch it!" InuYasha caught Kagome before she fell flat on her face. "Your dress trying to kill you?" he chuckled.
"Kagome? Are you alright?" Sango asked with concern.
Kagome fixed her hair and bunched up the dress by her legs. "Yeah, I'm fine. My dress is just a little long. But these shoes are feet murderers so I'm not going to put them on until we have to walk." She said out of breath. "I just signed in my mom, Sota, and Gramps and showed them to their seats. Your guests here already?" She asked, exchanging glances at her three friends.
"About fifteen minutes ago." Miroku admitted, revealing his watch.
"You wear a watch?" Sango asked with a raised brow. 'Classy...' She mentally added.
"Only when my phone is dead and I'm too lazy to charge it. It's the only way I can know what time it is."
Kagome lightly bumped into InuYasha's side and reached up to whisper in his ear. With crossed arms he tilted his body for Kagome.
"How you feeling?" She whispered sympathetically. InuYasha shrugged and forced a small smile.
"Slowly but surely getting over it. I see Kikyo has." He frowned.
Kagome averted her gaze to Kikyo and placed a hand on her chin. 'That boy...he looks so familiar...'
"Seniors in class A. You better be lined up!" The teacher in charge of the group of seniors InuYasha and Kagome were in, screamed in a fake french accent. Once she came into view she jammed her fist into her eyes and began to dramatically cry. "You're all our future-runners and you can't even form a line until the ceremony! I'm doomed!"
The class A seniors all shuffled back in order within thirty seconds having the teacher sigh in relief.
"Two minutes." She indicated with two manicured nails up in the air. With that being said she smiled and walked through the double doors.
"Does she honestly think she is fooling anyone with that fake accent?" InuYasha whispered towards Kagome.
"Fake accent? Oh...I thought it was real." Kagome blushed and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Well, now she felt stupid. InuYasha laughed at his gullible best friend and kicked her high heels in front of her. "You should probably put those on now." He held up two clawed fingers and mimicked the teacher's fake accent. "Two minutes."
Kagome sat on the floor and quickly slipped into the heels that made her three inches taller. Even with the heels' help she still didn't get close to passing InuYasha. Kagome then placed the graduation cap on her head and smiled.
What would happen to everyone after graduation? She wondered. Would she ever see any of her friends again? Would she get an apartment? How cool would it be if her and InuYasha got an apartment together. She shook her head at the thought. Kagome decided she was only thinking of herself. What if InuYasha wanted to go out and do bigger things? She remember a short conversation she and InuYasha had when they were eight years old...surely his goals had changed over time...
~Flashback~
InuYasha stared at Kagome with a very confused look as he held a Polly Pocket doll in his hands.
"You want me to do what with this thing?"
"Talk for her! Come on Inu...you've never played with Barbies or...Bratz?"
InuYasha shook his head and lied down on the floor.
"I don't wanna play this...it's for girls."
Kagome moved the Polly Pocket doll's hand in a circular motion and frowned. "Oh okay."
"Hi I'm Polly." InuYasha said in his best girly voice, looking at the miniature doll. He began cracking up along with Kagome and tossed the doll towards her. "I don't see how that's fun."
"But you laughed!"
"Cause it's silly!"
"Hey Inu...What'd you wanna do when you grow up?"
"Random.."
"Just answer..."
"Me and you are gonna get our own mansion!" He declared with his fist up in the air.
"Yeah!" Kagome joined with his fist in the air.
~Flashback~
Kagome giggled at the memory and shook her head. Moving in with your closet friend was every kid's dream. Sometimes it came true; other times it didn't. Kagome had a feeling she would be stuck living at the shrine until she figured out what she wanted to do.
'Perhaps Sango will be my roommate.' Thinking for a few seconds longer she rolled her eyes. 'Sango's home won't have any room for me if she marries Miroku and clutters her home with drooling babies.'
"Kagome...Stop spacing out and walk." InuYasha said giving her a push. "We're going now."
"Oh..."
In two rows, the students were lightly pushed through the double doors. The auditorium was beautifully decorated with arranged flowers placed in a variety of areas. Flashes throughout the crowd of parents and other relatives were corrupting all of the graduates eyes.
The valedictorian was already proudly standing up on the stage behind the podium ready to speak once everyone was seated. The Taisho's as well as the Higurashi's all cheered for Kagome and InuYasha when they walked past them. The two teens looked away and pretended they didn't know those crazy people. InuTaisho growled at his son with help from Sesshomaru. Wait...Sesshomaru? InuYasha looked behind him with a shocked impression. Sesshomaru came to his graduation ceremony? The moment he turned around, Izayoi snapped a photo of him and gave him a thumbs up.
In InuYasha's opinion, it felt no different from the kindergarten graduation he went through. But that was just his opinion. Other seniors around him looked like they were going to pee their pants. He wasn't sure why though..You go up on stage, shake important peoples' hands and then you go sit back down. What was so hard about that?
InuYasha and Kagome took a seat in their row. Before InuYasha sat down he took off his cap and placed it under his chair. It was about a good ten minutes until every senior in the high school was able to walk around the auditorium and take their seats. InuYasha sunk into his chair and blew up at his bangs. One thing he certainly didn't look forward to was the valedictory speech. It still made him laugh when he remembered coming to Sesshomaru's graduation and he was chosen to give the speech. His speech was well over five pages but anyone willing to push him off the stage was beyond insane.
Clearing her throat, the valedictorian gazed down at the graduates and gave an encouraging smile.
"It all started with the first day of kindergarten..." She began.
Kagome tapped InuYasha on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Bet you five dollars my mom is crying now." InuYasha turned around in his seat, and just like Kagome had predicted her mom was reaching into her purse for another tissue as tears dripped down her chin. He turned his body back around, fishing in his pocket, and flung a five dollar bill in Kagome's lap.
"Then there was that struggle with switching to middle school. Trying to open our lockers, confessing to our crushes for the first time, struggling with completing homework.."
InuYasha touched Kagome on the shoulder and moved her hair gently so he could whisper back into her ear.
"Bet you five dollars Sesshomaru looks like he has a stick up his ass..."
Kagome had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from laughing. She shifted in her seat to gaze at Sesshomaru and tossed back the five dollar bill in InuYasha's lap. By that time the both of them were trying to hold their laughter in.
"I like to see our years in school like a track race. We aren't able to jump the next hurdle until we finish the grade. Seniors...we did it. Together we passed the finish line..."
()()()()
The speech went on and on but it could not even begin to compare the length of Sesshomaru's speech in the past. Sesshomaru probably had the laminated written speech in a box somewhere in the attic of his home. Before InuYasha's droopy eyes could completely close she wrapped the speech up and had the whole place clapping.
()()()()
The principle grabbed the next diploma and brought the microphone to his lips. They were only in the H's and his lips were immensely dried out.
"Higurashi; Kagome." He called out in a masculine voice.
Akira was having trouble holding up her camcorder when she was shaking so much. She was already on her sixth tissue. That valedictory speech nearly killed her! Izayoi rubbed her back and pulled out one of her own tissues from her purse.
InuYasha gave her a smirk before she got up from her seat and quickly made her way up on stage. She almost slipped twice causing Sango and InuYasha to wince. Everything was happening so fast. She couldn't tell you how many hands she had shaken. The diploma felt like gold in her hand. She couldn't believe it was in her grasp. Kagome got a photo taken with the principle and went back to her seat in one piece without falling.
"Oh kami...did I look as stupid as I feel?" Kagome winced. InuYasha chuckled and shook his head.
"There was a couple of times I thought you were going to slip. That would have been perfect on video to keep for years and years."
It was twenty names later that they called Kikyo's name. Kagome could clearly see InuYasha stiffen up. Kikyo shook the many hands on stage that Kagome had without emotion written on her face. It was like her eyes had gone cold. InuYasha and Kikyo's eyes locked on each other as she made her way back to her seat. He could see nothing in her chocolate brown eyes but hurt and regret.
It was like the Kikyo he knew had died and was replaced with a new expressionless one. He couldn't understand the explanations her eyes had...She had that new guy that she was holding hands with didn't she? Kikyo tore her gaze away from InuYasha quicker than he would have liked. Looking into those blazing amber eyes was just too painful.
Kagome shook InuYasha a few times in a panic. "Inu! They called your name!"
InuYasha shook out of his trance and got up from his seat. "Oh...thanks."
The Taisho's and Higurashi's were joined by InuYasha's many fan girls in the cheering as he walked up on stage. He sent a smirk into the crowd as he claimed his diploma causing them all to loose it.
InuYasha was surprised that he even saw Kikyo lightly clapping for him; though without a smile, nor a frown.
()()()()
"Come on K'gome. Just standing close together and smiling is boring." Sota whined, not impressed with InuYasha and Kagome's choice of pose for their graduation photo. InuYasha got behind Kagome, pulling on her cheeks to force a smile and smirked into the camera.
"Much better!" He said, taking a picture with the camera he stole out of his mom's purse.
"I think fifty pictures is good enough." Izayoi said satisfied. "Let's get you both home in case you need to change for the graduation party."
"How many people did you invite?" InuYasha whined.
"Let's just say it'll be like a family reunion, with plenty of Kagome's relatives as well."
"I haven't seen my cousins in years..." Kagome blushed. "This is going to be interesting."
Sesshomaru walked up to InuYasha and punched him lightly enough in the stomach so he didn't cough up blood. "And remember your manners InuYasha..."
"Kagome!" Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi cried from afar. "Don't forget us!" They then threw up their graduation caps in the air and danced around.
"What are you kidding! We won't loose touch!" Kagome laughed. 'cause that would be too good to be true...'
InuYasha hopped into his dad's sports car and pulled off the graduation dress and cap. Kagome followed suit and threw her heels at InuYasha.
"The hell was that for!"
"I wanted you to feel the same pain my feet are having." She shrugged.
"So...why'd you blush when you said you haven't seen your cousins in years?"
"Uh..."
"See you're blushing again! Dammit Kagome; tell me!"
"Okay, okay. I used to have a crush on two of them." She whispered quickly, sinking into the car seat.
"Ew...Kagome! They're family!"
"I-I couldn't help it...they w-were cute." She said flustered.
"...You never told them did you?"
"No! I'd never...like you said, we're family...Their mother would beat me if she found out. My family sees incest as a sin."
"You mean you were considering dating one of 'em?"
"No...they were just crushes way out of my reach."
"I know what you mean." He sighed.
()()()()
InuYasha found his hand clasped in yet another person's who claimed to be his aunt. In their enclosed hands was a hundred dollar bill to get him started in life. Standardize graduation gifts...
He only payed half of his attention on the speech of praise she was giving him. How many more speeches was he going to have to listen to? He preferred that they skipped out on a graduation party...but nooo...his mother just adored these parties.
The banquet hall was decorated perfectly by Izayoi. It wasn't as large as the one she would need for a wedding but it was just enough for a short congratulations party for the graduates. Since Izayoi and Akira were so close, they decided to have InuYasha and Kagome's party conjoined.
Kagome was trapped in a warm embrace with one of her long-lost older cousins. She was praying to every god she knew, hopping that her blush would disappear by the time he released her.
"It's so good to see you Kaggie."
'But goodness did I hate that stupid nickname you gave me...'
Daichi, Kagome's first cousin, released her and stared into her eyes with a warm smile. He was two years older than her and half way done with college. His auburn bangs swooped down the side of his face to cover his right eye. He was about the same height as InuYasha but didn't look like he worked out much.
"You never come to see us, Kaggie. We only live a couple hours away."
"Gramps won't abandon the shrine for a second."
"Oh yes! I forgot about the shrine. How is it holding up? Lot of guests?"
"Mhm. Though I've been at school or work whenever tourists visit."
"Cool, cool. Where you workin' at?"
"Victoria's Secret. Not a very fun job but at least it's something."
"Ah...that's neat. What are your plans for the future? Will I see you at my college?" He winked, gently nudging her in the jaw with his fist.
"I doubt it. You think I want four more years of school after I just knocked out this bullcrap?"
"No, I suppose not." He laughed. "What's the other graduate's name?"
"InuYasha. Childhood friend."
Daichi stared at the demonic features on the half demon and winced.
"Kagome if you're ever in trouble with 'em...you can call me." He assured, looking around the room.
"What? InuYasha would never uh...hurt me. What makes you say he will?"
"Do you see the size of those claws cuz!" Daichi pointed. "I wouldn't find myself alone with him ever. He could overpower you in a second."
"You think InuYasha would...No! He'd never. InuYasha would be the one to protect me if that ever happened!"
"If you say so." Daichi shrugged, popping another Takoyaki in his mouth.
"So...where's Haruhiko?" Kagome slowly asked. Though in all honesty she thought Daichi was more handsome.
"Couldn't make it." He frowned. "I don't know if auntie told you this, but Haruhiko got addicted to drugs. He finally agreed to go to rehab- today was his first day there. He did wish you luck in your future though. His card is somewhere on the table."
"That's good he wants help. What caused him to..."
"Went to a rave with one of his friends," Daichi shook his head with a sigh. "They got him to try some things and he was hooked...You don't do drugs; right Kagome?"
"Oh no! M-my friends all avoided that part of life. InuYasha would pound me if he knew I started doing drugs."
Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a look towards his cousin. "Kagome, please reword that last sentence..." He begged. Kagome thought back to what she said with widened eyes.
"Oh...uh...InuYasha would beat me if he knew I started doing drugs. Better?" She laughed nervously.
"Eh..it's getting there." He shrugged. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to have a little look-see at the buffet choices."
"Oh no, go right ahead!" Kagome urged. "It was nice talking to you."
"You too! Congrats again!"
Kagome smiled and walked over to her table. Just like Daichi...always being super protective. She found InuYasha already digging into his super-sized bowl of ramen and giggled.
"I don't know why you're laughing." InuYasha said with a mouth full of noodles. "There's a massive pot filled with Oden over at the buffet and I know you'll look just as scary as me when you devour it." InuYasha looked up and swallowed the noodles with difficultly. Kagome had already dashed over to grab a plate, causing him to chuckle.
Sesshomaru walked over to InuYasha's table and took a seat next to him, tossing him a card.
"What's this for?"
"Shit InuYasha...are you aware there is more food available in Japan besides noodles." Sesshomaru interrupted.
InuYasha held his bowl of ramen close to him and growled at Sesshomaru. Rin skipped over to the two and sat down on the other side of InuYasha.
"It's a graduation gift. Open it!" She encouraged. "From the three of us!"
'Three?' InuYasha raised a brow and cut the card open with a claw. He tried reading the card but it was difficult to do that when the right side of the card said 'I'M PREGNANT! ~Love Rin.' written in giant letters.
"Dammit Rin, you couldn't wait til after dinner to tell somebody? And you choose InuYasha out of all the people here to tell first, in a secret message, in his graduation card. Goodness...what am I going to do with you." Sesshomaru sighed, rubbing his stiff neck.
Rin squirmed in her seat out of excitement and shook her head like a small child. "I didn't tell InuYasha first. I told you, silly."
InuYasha pulled out two hundred dollar bills from the card and put it in his pocket.
"Rin, this is going to be the one graduation card worth keeping until I die. Thanks."
Rin got up from her seat and hugged InuYasha. "Congratulations! Sesshomaru and I made a bet long ago; he said that you weren't going to graduate. He lost, as you can see. Come on Sesshy. We got to give Kagome her card."
Sesshomaru got up from his seat and patted InuYasha on the shoulder. "Well done, little brother." With that being said he followed his wife to the food.
It felt good to get praised from his older half brother. He never praised him...until now. InuYasha smiled and stirred around his noodles, ready to attack them once again.
Kagome came over to their table with Daichi and a female cousin, Kanon. Kagome had a card in her mouth as she set down her food and drink.
"Was Nozomi invited as a guest?" She asked, taking a seat beside InuYasha.
"Well duh...You think we would make her clean all day while we celebrated?"
Kagome just shrugged. "InuYasha I'd like you to meet my cousin, Daichi and my second cousin, Kanon."
InuYasha offered them a small wave and averted his eyes to his mother who was bringing out a projector in the middle of the room.
"So, have you gotten as many hugs as I have?" Kagome asked, trying to build a conversation.
"Probably. Most of them I didn't even know." InuYasha watched as his father brought up a presentation screen and grew worried. Just what did they plan on showing while everyone ate?
"I know that Miroku and all his 'monk' family were throwing him his own party...but what about Sango?" Kagome asked.
"Maybe she went with him. She likes him a lot better then us."
InuYasha took a peek in Kagome's card though Rin hadn't written the same thing that she wrote in his.
'Smart girl. Kagome would be one to spread the word and start gossip...'
Izayoi and Akira both tapped their flute glasses simultaneously to gain everyone's attention.
"Welcome! Relatives of Higurashi's...and relatives of Taisho's...Today we gather to celebrate the graduates, InuYasha and Kagome!" Akira said into the microphone.
"We all seem to go through it at one time or another...having our babies grow up and leave us." Izayoi said, taking the microphone from the tearing up Akira. "With the immense help of Gramps Higurashi...we pieced together a little slide show for you all to enjoy."
The same moment InuTaisho dimmed the lights, InuYasha and Kagome shared a look and gulped. This couldn't be good...
The first thing the screen showed made InuYasha push his ramen away slowly and claim he wasn't hungry anymore. It even made Kagome drop her fork with her mouth opening wide. It was a video of Kagome and InuYasha at seven years old, playing just dance at one of their sleepovers. The crowd laughed as the young girl and hanyou tried mimicking the dance moves in the game.
"Ugh..I hated that song." InuYasha whined.
"When did they start recording us!"
"...And yet you still made me dance to it." He continued.
"Because you looked funny." She giggled.
There were probably a billion photos shown of the two growing up together. Photos that made the crowd softly laugh, and photos that had them 'awing.' Akira had to be reminded that this wasn't a funeral...but even after that fact was known she still couldn't help the sniffles.
"Okay...none of the photos have been too bad." InuYasha admitted, looking at the screen of him and Kagome cuddling, while they were taking a nap, on the day he went to get her pads. "...Damn. Spoke too soon." He and Kagome both slammed their heads on the table, embarrassed. They didn't want to see any more of the slide show.
Gramps gave Izayoi a high five, their mission to embarrass the graduates was a success.
Kagome groaned, trying to wipe the blush away. "I...how...I don't r-remember..."
"I bet you it was Nozomi. Sneaky bitch." InuYasha got a quick glance at Daichi's death glare towards him and went back to staring at the ground.
"So Kaggie...this InuYasha you speak of...is just a friend?" Daichi questioned, twirling his pinky in his glass of tea.
"Daichi! We just dozed off! I mean...n-not like that but...ugh." Nothing could explain how truly embarrassed the two of them were...
()()()()
Just a few more minutes passed until the slide show finally came to an end. The relatives all clapped, ignoring the suffering duo. Izayoi once again picked up the microphone and sent a look towards InuYasha's way.
"Oh come on guys...It was cute. Next time InuYasha, you should lock your door so I can't steal a photo of you two." 'Ooohs.' were heard throughout the banquet hall followed by more chuckles. "Now, before I let you bid farewell to everyone...Rin has an announcement she would like to share."
Rin skipped up to the microphone and stole Izayoi's spotlight. "Hello everyone. I'm Sesshomaru's wife, Rin...for those who don't know me. And I'm super excited to announce that...in nine months I'll be the mother to triplets..." She squealed, holding her stomach.
Sesshomaru spit out the red whine he was tasting onto the ground and grabbed a fist full of hair at the top of his head.
"T-t-triplets?" Sesshomaru gave his wife a look of confusion. 'Why didn't she tell me we were having...kami..three!'
InuYasha saw Sesshomaru's reaction and burst out laughing, clapping as loud as he could. The announcement may have been more towards the Taisho family but she still had everyone cheering for her.
"Jeez Fluffy..you didn't have to knock her up times three." InuYasha joked.
"Can we ever have an event without surprises..." Kagome sighed.
"Where would the fun be in that?"
()()()()
Graduation could mean everything...or graduation could mean nothing. It proved the point of stepping out of your safe zone into the real world. The years to come all depends on decisions made and opportunities faced and ignored. InuYasha knew he would get over Kikyo. He promised himself he would...because he was starting a new chapter in his life. The first step to the new chapter was quitting his job at the salon...and work on getting a job that he could use to support himself. He already proved to Sesshomaru that he could survive the salon. So what were his wants in life? He couldn't just laze around at his parent's mansion for the rest of his life. Or maybe he could... (Sesshomaru: No.) ….I was just kidding..
To dimediva23, My 'lazy ass' has been up since eight in the morning writing this; thanks. But your review made me laugh. (;
Hoped you liked the chapter. Please leave a review!