Hello again! Thanks for sticking with this story through the first chapter and coming to read the next one!
Important Note: I know nothing about Japanese culture (Feudal or modern), so I have made the OC love interest American. I will be westernizing the interactions in this story. Please forgive this OOC trait.
I decided to use a new love interest instead of Hojo because it's pretty clear Kagome has no interest in him whatsoever (at least not anymore). Hopefully you'll like my new character! Read and review, let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: As cool as it would be, I don't own Inuyasha.
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Kagome groaned at the obnoxious noise coming from her alarm clock. Time for school already?
Buyo entered her room and jumped on the bed next to her face, crouching in a luxurious stretch. "Good idea, Buyo," she murmured. Her body trembled as she stretched her limbs as far they could reach before she sat up and yawned.
Kagome absently pet her cat as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Physically, she felt refreshed after a hot bath and a long night of rest.
Her mental state was another matter. How can I miss him so much after only one night? She shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought—even though she still wasn't sure what "this" was.
Her body was on autopilot as she went through her typical before-school routine. After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, she took a long look at her reflection. The brown eyes looking back at her seemed dull, deadened by heartbreak and witnessing too many deaths.
She wanted to look away, but she forced herself to meet the girl in the mirror's gaze. "Listen you. We have never let any of that stuff stand in the way of doing what's right, and we're not going to start now." She did her best impression of Inuyasha's scowl and gave her reflection a fierce look. "We're too close for you to let it all get to you now. You've got work to do. Don't let the bad stuff change who you are." She gave a small smile when she realized how much her scowl matched that of Inuyasha's.
With a nod, she turned away and mentally psyched herself up to improve her mood. Today is gonna be a good day. I'll see my friends, start catching up on homework, and get my mind off of him for a while.
Determined, she grabbed her bag and strode out of the house with more confidence than she felt. Just fake it 'till you make it, Kagome. You'll feel better once you see your friends.
As if the universe sensed her thoughts, she heard Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka calling out to her from the bus that just stopped behind her.
"Kagome! You're going to school today," Eri exclaimed.
"Yeah. I'm going stir crazy being stuck at home. I thought I'd see how I do for the next few days at school," she lied, trying to keep talk about her health generic so she didn't have to come up with any more fake conditions.
"You're just in time to start prepping for that chemistry test," Yuka said.
Kagome smiled as her friends walked and chattered about all the stuff they thought would be on the test.
"And you're going to need a lab partner for the experiment section of the exam. Sorry Kagome—I'd partner up with you, but we're all in a different class period," Ayumi said with an apologetic tone.
She waved her hand. "I understand. Hopefully there will be someone available, or maybe our teacher will make an exception for me. We'll see what happens."
Ayumi nudged her suggestively with her elbow. "Too bad Hojo is in our chemistry class. I'm sure he'd love to partner up with you."
Kagome rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of boys," Eri exclaimed. "What's going on with that psycho, two-timing boyfriend of yours?"
"Yeah, is he still crazy possessive and jealous?" Yuka jumped in.
Kagome stopped. Her friends took a few more steps before realizing she was no longer beside them and turned back to her. "Listen, I don't want to talk about him anymore. Part of why I came back to school is to think about something other than him, so just drop it. Got that?"
She felt a bit guilty. She wasn't usually so harsh with her friends—even if they were overly nosy at times. But she just didn't have the energy to get into her complicated situation with the half-demon for them.
Her inner voice snorted. Nothing complicated about it. You love him. He doesn't feel the same way. End of story.
She shook her head, annoyed at her thoughts.
The girls exchanged looks before Eri and Ayumi linked arms with her and continued walking. "Okay Kagome. If a distraction's what you need, then that's what we'll do! Let's just focus on the test we have coming up," Eri said as she beamed at her friend.
"Thanks guys." She gave them a grateful smile as they passed through the doors to the school.
She was just about to walk into her first class of the day when she heard a familiar voice call from down the hall. "Higurashi!" She shot her three companions a stern look that spoke volumes before turning to address the person rushing to meet her. Keep your mouths shut for once, it shouted.
"Hey Hojo! It's been a long time." She hoped her smile didn't seem forced. She liked Hojo as a friend, and maybe once as more than that, but she was getting a little sick of fending off his requests for a date every time she returned to the present.
"It has! I'm so glad to see you're looking well. I was going to stop by your house after school today to drop off a gift for your back pains, but you look like you're able to stand up straight again!"
Before she could give an awkward response, an unfamiliar boy approached the group, his expression somewhat flustered.
"Hojo! You took off so fast I could barely keep up without running through the halls like a weirdo. Are you sick of me already?" He gave an awkward laugh as he took a spot next to Hojo, turning to nod at the girls.
Hojo chuckled and put a hand behind his head. "Sorry! I just got excited to see my friend. She's out sick a lot so none of us have seen her in a while. Ladies, this is Alder Coleman. He's a new transfer student from the United States. I'm showing him around the school. Alder, this is Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, and Kagome Higurashi."
Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka waggled their eyebrows at Kagome with Hojo's formal introduction. She ignored them.
The new guy extended his hand in the western custom to each of them as they were introduced. "You guys can call me Cole, if you don't mind." He stilled as he met Kagome's gaze while shaking her hand. "Uh h-hi. Nice to meet you Kagome."
She froze, too. His eyes. They're just like...
Kagome stared in wonder, taking in this stranger's appearance. His skin was deeply sun-tanned, though the exposed part of his wrist revealed he was naturally light-skinned. He stood about a head taller than her, and his face was wide and angular, but it worked on him. His shoulders were broad, but his frame was thin. What he seemed to lack in muscle he made up for in tone, not that she could see much through his uniform. She wondered if he was one of those guys who never got big muscles no matter how fit he was. His sandy blond hair was cut short, with would-be bangs spiked up an inch or two at the front of his head.
And in the light coming from the window, his eyes were the color of melted gold, exactly like Inuyasha's. She felt her breath catch as he looked at her.
Hojo reddened. "Cole, here in Japan it's inappropriate to—"
Kagome cut him off. "It's okay, Hojo. I don't mind if he doesn't know any different. You can call me Kagome."
Hojo sputtered. Kagome didn't notice. She was too interested in the boy with the blazing eyes. I don't sense any demonic energy coming off of him. Could he be half-demon too? Why are his eyes like that? Out loud she only said, "You speak Japanese really well, Cole. Where are you from?"
He blushed and released her hand. She hadn't realized he'd still been holding it in front of her. "Thanks. I'm from Arizona, but my mom was from here. I grew up bilingual."
Eri raised an eyebrow. "If your mom is Japanese, how come you don't know the customs for addressing people?"
"Eri!" Kagome chided. She noticed an almost imperceptible tinge of sadness enter his expression.
Cole only shrugged. "It's okay. I got to learn the language, but not much about the culture. I gotta learn sometime, right? I hope I didn't offend you Kago—erm, Higurashi."
Kagome shook her head. She wasn't sure why, but she instantly liked Cole—which made her wary of him. She'd learned in the Feudal Era to be cautious of anyone who was too easy to get comfortable with. But... He doesn't seem like a demon. She was suddenly very curious about this new golden-eyed student."Really, Cole. I don't mind if you call me by my first name."
All three of her friends looked at her with their eyebrows raised. She lifted her chin and ignored them, not looking away from Cole.
"Okay, Kagome," he smiled fully again. The bell rang, warning everyone they had one minute to get to class before being marked tardy. "Well, I'll see you. It was nice to meet you all!"
Hojo grinned at Kagome and bowed slightly to her. "It was really great to see you, Higurashi. I hope you'll be able to stay longer this time." With that, he went to join the new student walking toward the other end of the hall. He waved as they walked away. "Bye girls! See you later!"
Kagome watched until they disappeared, then she noticed her friends staring at her. "What?" she asked, her tone mildly annoyed.
"What was that?" Eri said.
"What?" She repeated.
"You two couldn't keep your eyes off each other!" Ayumi exclaimed. "There were total sparks!" She squealed as she got into her seat next to Kagome.
She rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. "No, there weren't." It's just those eyes surprised me. "Don't you three have anything better to do than talk about my interactions with boys?"
Before they could answer, the instructor walked in and took his seat at the front desk. "All right students. Class has begun, no more talking."
She let out a breath, relieved to escape her friends' questions about boys—for now.
Kagome flopped into the chair at her desk. It was her last class of the day, chemistry, and she was glad to be away from the girls. She was starting to feel suffocated by her boy-crazy friends. Don't they have anything else on their minds? She had been avoiding conversations about Inuyasha and why she wouldn't date Hojo all day.
She was struggling to pull her chemistry textbook from her overly stuffed backpack when movement at the front of the classroom caught her attention. Before she could look, the instructor cleared her throat, as she always did before she started addressing the class. "Everyone, I would like to introduce a new student to our class. This is Alder Coleman. He is a foreign exchange student from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. I expect you all to make him feel welcome. You may take the empty seat in the fourth row, Alder."
Kagome started when she realized the only empty seat in the room—the one mentioned by her teacher—was the one next to her. She scrambled to move her supplies to her side of the desk to make room for him.
"Kagome! Wow, it's nice to see a familiar face. I only have Hojo in my first class, so I've been alone most of the day." He beamed. In the dimmer lighting of the classroom, his eyes darkened to the color of amber. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed to see the change.
Should I be friendly or cautious? What if he's not as nice as he seems? Kagome quietly let out a puff of air. She was being paranoid. I've been spending too much time with Inuyasha.
"Hi, Cole. I guess we're lab partners. No one else is available."
He tilted his head inquisitively as he took his seat. "Don't you already have one?"
She shook her head. "I've been out sick most of the year. I wouldn't want to let someone down because they're counting on me when I can't be here."
He nodded in understanding while he pulled out his notebook and a textbook identical to hers. "Well, I'm glad you could be here today. I'd love to be your partner."
"Okay class, open your books to chapter seven," the instructor said, beginning to write notes on the chalkboard.
She frowned. "But I just told you I'm gone all the time. I won't be a very reliable partner," she whispered to him.
He laughed under his breath. "Then I guess I'll just have to enjoy your company while I have it, won't I?"
Is... Is he flirting with me? She never wanted to be one of those girls that assumed every guy was trying to hit on her, but Cole's smile was a little warmer than she would expect from someone she only met for a few minutes that morning. Then again, she was letting him call her by her first name. She chewed her lip as she wondered what he thought of that.
"—gome? Did you hear me?" Cole was leaning closer, whispering and trying to meet her eyes.
She realized he'd been saying something to her while she was lost in her thoughts. Get a grip, girl! "Huh?"
He gave her that shy smile again. "I asked if you think you'll be here for the exam on Friday."
"Oh. Yeah I think so. That's the main reason I came back."
He nodded. "Great! Maybe we can study together after class for a few days. We both have a lot to catch up on."
She hesitated. Why is he being so friendly? Is it some kind of trick? "I don't know. I've got a lot of work from my other classes, too. And my health still isn't the best so..."
His smile faded. "Oh. Of course. Sorry to assume. I guess I'm just over-eager to make a friend. It sucks being the new kid in the middle of the year, you know?" He turned away and kept his gaze fixed on his notebook, taking notes.
She chewed her lip again, feeling guilty. She knew what it was like to feel lost in a new place. That was how she first felt walking around in the Feudal Era, before she realized that she could go home through the well whenever she wanted. You're being ridiculous. Not everyone with weird eye colors is a demon out to get you and Inuyasha.
She made up her mind. "You know what, I understand. We're partners, so may as well act like it while I'm here. I'd be happy to study with you after class. Why don't we start tomorrow?"
His face lit up. "Really? Sounds perfect! We can head straight to the library from here and go over the chapters that will be on the test."
She fought the urge to giggle at his change in attitude. He was as resilient as Shippo.
The rest of the class was uneventful. Kagome wrote down everything she could and dreaded having to commit it all to memory in a mere four days.
When the bell rang, she gathered her things and turned to leave. Cole fell into step beside her. "So tomorrow then? I'll bring snacks for us, since we don't know how long it will take."
She nodded. "The library closes at 5:30, so we can study until then. But snacks would be awesome."
They stopped as they exited the classroom. He turned to her. "You got it. Thank you for agreeing to be my partner Kagome. It's nice to have a friend on the first day."
She chuckled. "Don't thank me yet. You don't know how behind I am. I'll be a burden more than anything."
He met her gaze, his expression suddenly intense. "Something tells me you could never be a burden to anyone. You don't seem like the type."
She frowned, not sure how to take that. He put his hands up in front of him and chuckled awkwardly. "Ha, that was a compliment. Anyway, I'm going this way," he pointed in the opposite direction from where she usually exited the building. "See you tomorrow, Kagome."
She blinked as he suddenly turned to go. "Bye," she said lamely. She watched him exit before she turned to make her own way home.
This is going to be an interesting week.
So what do you think of Cole? Is he a suspicious person with an ulterior motive, or is Kagome just being paranoid? You'll just have to read and see ^.^
I'm sorry if the story still seems a little slow. I meant to put more plot in this chapter, but it's already so long. I just want to make all of her interactions as realistic and immersive as possible. I hate it when writers gloss over the parts in between the major events, even when the stuff between is not super important. It makes the story feel rushed and incomplete, don't you think? I hope you'll stick with this story, because it will get more interesting. It's worth it if you want to see Inuyasha sweat over Kagome and an actual love triangle!
Thanks for reading! If you like it, or have any constructive (see: helpful and friendly) suggestions to make it better, leave a review! Please include an email or use your FanFiction account to leave reviews. I like to respond to feedback, which I can't do if you leave an anonymous guest review.
Just FYI, I'm currently a busy college student balancing full-time classes and a part-time job, so I don't have a bunch of time to write a lot. In fact, I shouldn't be writing this right now (I should be reading a media law textbook. Ugh). So my goal is to update with a new chapter every two weeks, but this may need to be changed later. We'll see how the semester goes! Thanks again!