Hey! Sorry for the delay. Life hit me really hard recently so I had to take care of myself for a little bit. But I'm back with a new chapter and I can't wait because the story will be picking up in the next couple of chapters as we really settle into what this story is about. Thank you for reviewing, following, and favoriting! But an even bigger thanks for your patience. It makes my day. Don't forget to read and review!
Kagome woke bright and early the next morning though her mind was extremely hazy. She slowly let her eyes travel around her room. The walls were almost iridescent, a pearly white that feathered out at the edges. No longer did her room look like a hospital ward, It was beautiful. But it wasn't real. She blinked hard trying to clear her hazed eyes and fogged head. She was still in a foreign room.
I might really have a concussion.
Her walls were still bare, with no personal items. Kagome's eyes wandered to her open window where she could see the snow falling lightly, drifting lazily down to earth, though the grass was covered with it. Kagome felt relieved, she wasn't seeing things the morning light mixed with the reflection from the snow is probably why everything looks like that.
Kagome slowly sat up. Her head swam a little, but she felt good, even a tad stronger. She slowly shifted her weight, scooting to the edge of the bed. Her legs still felt weak, with her good arm, Kagome gently pushed her legs off the bed. Her cream carpet was rough made of harsh synthetic fibers she was sure was pretty cheap. She slowly stood up, carefully lowering her full weight onto her legs. Kagome took a small tentative step towards her window. She felt steady, Kagome smiled as she took a real step. She reached out to touch her window. The glass was freezing. Kagome pulled her hand back quickly. She sighed. She didn't have clothes for this. Kagome shivered in her pajamas, before turning away. She went to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans. Kagome left her pajama shirt on, and quickly changed her pants. Her jeans hung loose, threatening to fall off. They didn't fit Kagome didn't have a belt. She found some leggings and tried those instead. Her pajama shirt was an empire waist shirt that fell just below her butt and Kagome wondered if she could get away with this, The shirt was baggy enough to hide her drastic weight loss. She pushed her feet into the only pair of boots she owned and grabbed a scarf to wrap around her neck. She found a thin jacket in the bottom of a box, she shrugged it on. It used to be fitted, and flattering. Now it hung baggy around her small frame. Kagome grabbed her book bag, Putting it on her left arm, while the right strap hung down her back. Kagome thought about what to do with her arm. She should have gone to the hospital when the break happened, but seeing as that wasn't an option Kagome couldn't decide if it was worth putting it in a sling.
She eventually decided it was better to put it in a sling, and taking the scarf off her neck she made one. Tying a simple knot, using her teeth and her good hand. She carefully nestled her arm against her body.
The sling was a good idea. The last thing I need is people bumping into it.
Kagome stood in her room. Blinking, her room still held an otherworldly glow, though the lighting had changed as the sun fully rose. She was procrastinating. She didn't want to go to school and face the first people she ever felt were her friends. She didn't want to answer Sango's questions, because she had a feeling lies wouldn't work anymore. She opened the door to her room quietly, and tip toed down the stairs. Kagome's stomach grumbled as she passed the kitchen, but she couldn't bring herself to go in there. She could still see her blood on the floor, even though the floor had been wiped clean. The chairs were put back, pushed under the table. Kagome walked slowly through the house. It was spotless. But even in the short time they had lived there, she had bled and cried in every single room. Begged for her life almost everyday. Kagome faced the coat closet. The dark hell hole she had been confined to. Kagome felt the bile rise in the back of her throat and she turned away.
She walked past the kitchen, ignoring the pain in her stomach. Kagome walked quickly to the front door before she noticed Inuyasha's jacket hung next to the door where Naraku must have put it. She hadn't noticed it yesterday, and she couldn't help but feel bitter that a stranger's jacket was better taken care of than she was. Kagome grabbed it from the hook and left the house. She began her walk to school.
Kagome kept her head down. The walk to school dragging on much longer than she would have preferred The snow soaked her boots. Kagome should have stayed home. Cars zipped past her, windows up windshield wipers deflecting the still falling snow. It was silent around her. Kagome felt lost. The school came into sight and Kagome could feel the bile rising in her throat. Never had she been so nervous. She felt physically ill. She kept walking, her steps slowing but never ceasing. She weaved her way through the parking lot, careful to avoid Inuyasha and Sango's cars.
Kagome kept her eyes down as she weaved through the crowd in her school, her arm carefully tucked against her body. Despite her gut telling her to avoid her locker, she needed her books from it. There was no point on coming to school if she was going to half ass it. Kagome stopped in front of her locker and carefully turned her lock. She hated her locker mostly because the lock was finicky. Some days it opened on the first try, others it took some coaxing. A small smile graced Kagome's lips as the lock popped open the first time. She opened it, the little mirror in her door catching her eye. Her reflection looked as bad as she feared and she pushed the locker open wider, her ghastly reflection no longer taunting her. Kagome took her books out. Kagome set her books on the ground before closing her locker. As she pulled the locker closed something caught her eye, glinting in the reflection. She looked at the mirror. It took her her a second to see behind her own face in search of whatever had caught her eye. She saw two girls standing and chatting. Their faces were twisted grotesquely. Kagome stared at them wide eyed. There was a dark hue around the girls, their hands were clawed as they talked with mouths full of pointy teeth. Kagome spun around knocking her pile of books over. The girls behind her were beautiful. One with long blonde hair, the other with a short red bob. They spoke widely and excitedly with happy smiles. Gone was the dark hue, the fangs and claws. Kagome leaned against the locker next to hers to catch her breath. She looked again at the girls but saw nothing. Kagome stood up straight and turned back to her locker. Kagome looked in the mirror again. Two pairs of red eyes glared at her through the mirror, their already horrid faces twisted into scowls. Kagome stared back wide eyed, she felt her throat closing. Kagome took a deep breath and closed her locker. She quickly leaned down and gathered her books, clutching them to her chest tightly. She didn't spare the girls another glance before she walked away, her head down, eyes locked to the floor.
Faces scrunched in pity and hushed voices questioning her absence plagued Kagome all day, and that was just from her teachers. Kagome could hear the whispers of her classmates and she tried her best to ignore them. So far the rumors were that she was anorexic, abused by her boyfriend, on drugs, and a stripper. Kagome was very confused about the last one but she ignored them all. Keeping her eyes down to her paper.
Kagome ate lunch alone. She sat at her favorite tree, her knees pulled to her chest, her arm between her torso and legs. Inuyasha's leather jacket draped over her didn't have any money for food and she finished all her books so she just sat there lost in her own thoughts.
Feelings of worthlessness swirled around Kagome's head. She leaned her head down on her knees, burying her face while she felt the tears prickling the back of her eyes.
She felt an arm drape around her and flinched back. Sitting up quickly to find Miroku beside her. She looked at him wide eyed.
"We all skipped our classes to look for you."
Kagome looked around for the others.
"I found you first, don't worry. I won't tell them where you are if you don't want me to."
Kagome cleared her throat, "I rather you didn't."
He sighed and looked away. Kagome studied his profile, his jaw clenching and relaxing. Kagome's eyes welled with tears.
"I guess it's not fair to ask that of you."
Miroku looked at her again, "It's fine, I won't tell them." He pulled her closer to him. Kagome jerked back before gently pulling her arm out of its cocoon.
Miroku gently touched her arm.
"So he did this?" Kagome thought about lying, as feeble and unbelievable it may be. She looked him in the eye, making contact for the first time during their conversation. his eyes were open to her, full of concern and as she looked at him she just knew she could see all she was hiding, her shame, guilt, fear, and sadness.
Kagome quickly looked at his hands on her arm.
"He did."
The were both silent. Kagome stared at Miroku's hands, his felt hand had a dark hue. Kagome blinked hard before looking again. She could see a whole in his hand that didn't go through to the other side, as if it were a bottomless pit.
"What's that on your hand?"
Miroku's eyes widened in alarm. He clenched his hand together before touching the beaded bracelet he wore.
"You can see?"
"I don't know what that means Miroku. Sango asked me the same thing, of course I can see."
Miroku studied her, his face unreadable.
He patted her on the back before pulling away from her.
"Kagome, if you're seeing anything that you don't think makes sense, don't tell anyone. You can tell Sango, Inuyasha and me. But don't mention it to anyone else. And don't stare if you see something."
Kagome looked at him, her face frozen somewhere between a wide eyed stare and a smile.
She fumbled for words.
He's serious.
"Sure."
He smiled at her before digging in his book bag. She looked away from him. She felt a small bag land in her lap. Kagome looked down. It was a brown paper bag. Kagome slowly opened it, unrolling the crunched opening with one hand. Inside was a sandwich, an orange, and a small bag of chips. Kagome stared.
"I hope that's good. I figured you might not have eaten. Looking at you..." Miroku trailed off, " Never mind."
"You can tell the others you saw me. I'm okay." Miroku stood up to leave.
"We were all really worried Kagome. We're glad you're okay." Miroku left with that.
Kagome's stomach growled, but she continued to stare at the paper bag nestled between her chest and legs.
Pain. A sweet and bitter pain as Kagome began to cry. She had only ever received one paper bag lunch in her life. Right before her mother left her. Kagome slowly removed her sandwich from the bag. It was in it's own separate bag. It took some work, and the use of her other hand but she finally was able to remove it. Simple ham and mayo. Cut diagonally with the crust still on. Kagome remembered her mother telling her that it was the best part of the bread and Kagome denying it shaking her head while giving her mother a smile that soon evolved into a giggle. Kagome took a small bite of the sandwich, tears streaming down her face as she ate silently. It tasted just like the one her mother made, simple, light, and filling. It tasted like love.