Hello there and welcome back!
For those who are wondering, I gave Cole Inuyasha's eyes because if Kagome is realistically going to be attracted to someone else, he needs to have some things in common with our favorite half-demon that draw her to him.
Now that that's all cleared up, let's get back to the story! Enjoy!
"Higurashi, aren't you going to eat your rice balls? You need to keep your strength up to stay healthy!"
"Huh?" She looked up at the worried tone in Hojo's voice. She realized she had been pushing her rice balls around with chopsticks while lost in thought. She barely even remembered waiting in the lunch line and sitting down.
"He's right, Kagome. You're already so thin. No wonder you're always sick," Cole added. "In fact..." He scooped a rice ball from his tray and placed it in front of her. "You should eat mine too."
Kagome blushed as he scooted the tray closer to her. She wasn't losing weight from sickness; she was just incredibly fit from fighting for her life on a daily basis. She was pretty sure all the fat had been beaten off of her body a long time ago.
Still. It's nice of them to care if I eat. Her heart squeezed as she remembered Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had been giving her the same worried expressions just two nights ago. I guess I haven't been eating much lately.
She nodded and smiled in gratitude. "You're right. Thanks, Cole." She took a large bite from the rice ball, then froze when she caught the shocked looks everyone was giving Cole—and her. "What?"
"Is that all it took? We should have given you our food forever ago," Eri said.
"You really have a way with Kagome, Cole," Ayumi giggled. Yuka elbowed her in the rib and shot a pointed look in Hojo's direction. "Uh—I mean—We can never get her out of her head when she spaces out like that. I guess the secret was always food." She rubbed the back of her head and gave an awkward laugh.
Kagome glanced at Hojo. He was unfazed, as always. She nearly rolled her eyes as she resumed eating. He's a nice guy, but when is he going to get it through his head that I'm not available?
Cole broke the tension by laughing. "Of course it is! I've yet to meet a problem that delicious food and good conversation can't fix. What's on your mind, Kagome?"
She looked up to see Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, Hojo, and Cole all watching her, awaiting a response. She stuffed the second rice ball in her mouth to stall her answer. I was thinking about Inuyasha. I wonder if he's gone to see Kikyo since I left. When will he come see me? "Mmmffff—" she hummed as she swallowed her bite. "I was just thinking about the test on Friday. I'm really worried about it."
The girls looked at her skeptically; she knew they didn't believe her for a minute. Hojo and Cole bought it though. "Don't worry, Kagome. When we're done, you're gonna destroy that exam," Cole exclaimed.
"Maybe we could all go for ice cream to celebrate on Friday. What do you say Higurashi?" Hojo looked at her with hopeful eyes.
She swallowed a bit of Cole's rice ball. "Oh, I—"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Hojo. We have to study for the exam before we start making plans to celebrate," Cole winked at her when no one else was looking. She gave him a grateful smile.
The bell to end lunch rang through the cafeteria. "Well, I better get going. See you guys later." Kagome stuffed the last of her food in her mouth and rushed in the direction of her next class.
Cole fell into step beside her. "Hey, so you want to talk about what was really on your mind back there?"
She looked at him in surprise. "W-what do you mean?"
He shrugged and resumed looking forward. "It's pretty obvious you weren't thinking about the test. But I understand not wanting to talk in front of everyone. I just want you to know I'm here to listen if you need to vent or something."
"But I just met you," she blurted before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I just mean—"
He laughed awkwardly. "No, I get it. We hardly know each other. My dad keeps telling me I'm too abrupt for people here. I'm not used to everything being so formal." Suddenly he stopped and bowed to her, clearly uncomfortable with the motion. "I'm sorry Kagome. I feel like I keep offending you."
She softened. "It's okay, Cole. Actually, you remind me a lot of someone I know. He's not very big on boundaries either," she giggled at the mildly insulted expression on his face.
"No boundaries? I..." He sighed in mock defeat. "I guess I'll work on that. Is your friend foreign, too? Or does he just suck at talking to people?"
"Definitely the second one. He's somewhat... uncivilized."
He raised a brow. "Sounds like a weird guy. Do you hang around with a lot of uncivilized people?"
She laughed. "You could say that. I am talking to an American after all."
He put a hand to his chest, dramatically swinging the other toward his forehead as if he was going to faint. "You wound me! And to think I was worried about upsetting you. How rude." The bite to his words was undermined by the charming smile he shot her.
She laughed even harder. "I-I'm s-s-sorry," she stuttered through her laughter.
He straightened. "That's nice. You should laugh more often, Kagome. Your smile is infectious."
She stopped suddenly. When is the last time I laughed like this? It bothered her that she couldn't remember being genuinely happy in a long time. How did I get this way?
"Kagome? What's wrong?" Cole bent to her eye level and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? Kagome?"
She blinked and met his gaze. "Oh... Sorry. I guess I zoned out for a second."
"You sure get lost in your thoughts a lot. You must have been through a lot to have so much going on in your head all the time." He resumed walking.
"I... Yeah." She didn't know what to say to that. It's like he sees right through me. Who is this boy? She rushed to catch up with him.
He stopped next to the last doorway at the end of the hall. "Well, this is my next class. I'll see you afterward in chemistry. Oh and Kagome?" His expression turned warm as he looked at her earnestly. "Thanks for the talk. I really like getting to know you."
Kagome blinked; she wasn't expecting that. "You don't know anything about me." Her voice wasn't challenging, just slightly bewildered. Cole's words made her feel off—she didn't like being read like an open book.
He chuckled. "Maybe you're right. But I'd like to."
Kagome turned away as he entered his classroom. She didn't want to acknowledge the quiet whisper in her mind that said she wanted to get to know him too.
"Gah! I don't understand. When am I ever going to use this outside of school?" Cole slammed his forehead into his textbook for the tenth time while Kagome stared at her own textbook in horror. It didn't matter if they spent the next year in the library studying. She was so going to fail this test.
"Well that depends. What do you want to do after college?" She was curious, but mostly she just wanted a distraction from how stupid she felt looking at the pages in front of her. They might as well have been written in Swahili for all she understood.
"Me? I don't know. I'd like something that keeps me active. I hate sitting around all day."
She nodded. "I guess chemistry really isn't the field for you then."
"Who'd want to sit around poring over chemical reactions anyway? It's cool and all but I don't see why I need to know it. I'd rather travel around, picking up jobs that interest me. Maybe help some people along the way. Just until I find something that makes me happy, you know?"
She stared at him. "Yeah. Actually, I know exactly what you mean." It's like he's been there. "There's nothing like going on an adventure and seeing where the road takes you."
He gave her a confused look. "You say that like you've experienced it."
"Uuuuhh. Hey I'm hungry! Are you hungry? I'll go get some more snacks from the vending machine." She sprang out of her seat quickly to avoid his questions.
I can't control what comes out when I'm around him. He's so easy to talk to. He doesn't shut me out like Inuyasha does. She sighed. She missed Inuyasha. No matter how nice and easy Cole was, he wasn't the golden-eyed boy she wanted to be with right now. I hope he's resting before we finally face Naraku.
Kagome chewed her lip as she carried the chips back to their table. I need to be careful with what I say to Cole. He'll think I'm crazy if I say too much about my journey in the Feudal Era.
The sound of a chair scraping across the floor snapped her out of her thoughts. He was scooting closer to her with an expression full of worry on his face. "Kagome, am I too forward?"
She sputtered at his abrupt question. "F-forward? What do you mean?"
He leaned toward her, furrowing his brow as he spoke. "I mean do I come on too strong? I don't want to make you or anybody uncomfortable. You jumped up to get food so quickly I was almost worried you would just leave."
She shifted her gaze to the bags of chips on the table beside them. "Oh that? No I didn't do that because you make me uncomfortable." Just the opposite, really. I'm too comfortable around you.
He shook his head like he didn't believe it. "I mean it, Kagome. I don't want to invade your privacy or anything like that. You would tell me if I'm getting too personal, wouldn't you?"
She smiled. "Don't worry, Cole. If I'm not happy with you, you'll know right away."
After frowning at her for a moment, he returned her amused smile with a relieved one. "Okay, good. Let's get back to the chapter. We only have an hour until the library closes. We'll never cover it all by Friday at this rate."
Kagome was only half paying attention as they talked over the test material. She couldn't stop thinking about how easy it was to talk to the boy next to her. She tried to remember to be wary of him, but it was starting to seem unnecessary. She didn't sense the slightest bit of darkness in his heart. What is it about him?
"Ready for the practice quiz? We'll focus on just this unit for now," Cole said, handing her a quiz booklet he pulled from his notebook.
She rubbed her eyes to clear her thoughts. Focus, girl! You can catch up. You've just got to try! "Okay. Let's do this!"
She decided that for the next three days, she would put all thoughts of talking, sparks, and golden eyes aside and focus on her studies. She ignored the pang in her heart that reminded her she said something similar the last time Inuyasha didn't come for her.
Kagome stretched and yawned as she exited her last class of the week. She was exhausted; she had been up half the night going over her notes to cram for the test.
She and Cole had spent the last three days taking detailed notes in class and going over every little thing in the library after school. It had been an adjustment at first because Cole wrote his notes in English. He said he wrote faster in English and wasn't used to writing in Japanese all the time yet. Kagome did well in her English class, but she was better at speaking and understanding it than she was at reading and writing; it had taken her a while to make her own copy of the notes to go over one more time.
Cole fell into step beside her, as he had been doing the past week. "You know, that actually wasn't so bad. I think I did okay. How did it go for you, Kagome?"
Despite how sleep-deprived she felt, she beamed. "I did my best. I think I'll get a good grade for once!"
Cole raised his hand for a high-five—another one of his American quirks. She slapped her palm to his. "Awesome! We make a great team," he said.
She quietly reflected on this as they walked toward the front of the school, where they had agreed earlier that day to meet the girls and Hojo to let them know how the test went. We really do make a good study team.
Now that she thought about it, she realized she had quickly come to consider Cole a friend. He spent every day at lunch with her and her other friends, and with each day in chemistry and at the library, the conversations between them flowed more easily. She hadn't warmed up to anyone this quickly since Inuyasha had promised to protect her with the Tetsusaiga in his father's tomb.
"Higurashi! Cole! How was the test for you guys?" Hojo waved them over while he worked to unlock his bicycle rom the rack. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka quickly approached them with eager looks.
"It went pretty well. I think I'm finally caught up with the rest of our class," Cole said. The girls congratulated him and turned to Kagome.
"Well?" They all said at once.
She smiled. "I still have a long ways to go before I'm caught up, but I think I got a decent grade for once!" Her friends cheered with her.
"That's great Higurashi! We should all go celebrate with that ice cream we talked about! What do you guys say?"
Kagome grinned. She worked really hard to prepare for that test—she deserved a little time to enjoy herself. With a nod she made her decision. "Let's do it!"
"I'm in!" Eri exclaimed, quickly followed by Yuka and Ayumi.
"Me too. Ah, if that's okay..." Cole said, suddenly looking anxious.
The girls laughed and pulled him by his arm. "Of course," Ayumi said. "Let's go!"
Kagome clutched her stomach as she and her friends sluggishly walked toward her family shrine. "Ugh. I ate way too much ice cream."
Ayumi giggled. "Then why did you order two scoops? You know you can never eat more than one without getting sick."
Kagome threw her arms up. "Because! How am I supposed to choose between mint chocolate chip and rocky road? They're my two greatest loves." She sighed dramatically and clasped her hands together against her face. All of her friends burst out laughing. She sighed in contentment.
Hojo tried to sound firm through his laughter. "You shouldn't go so crazy with sweets, Higurashi. Too much sugar isn't good for your health."
Kagome shrugged. "What's the point of being healthy if I can't enjoy delicious ice cream? I'd rather stay sick then."
"Yeah!" Ayumi chimed in happily.
Hojo paled. "Don't say that! Your health is the most important thing. In fact—" He paused as he reached into the backpack slung over his bike.
Oh great. Another get well gift. She tried to give him a grateful smile.
"I brought some herbal tea for you. You've seemed tired lately, so I thought these might help you rest so that you can recover more quickly. It's been great having you back at school for so long."
At least I can actually use this one. These herbs smell great! Her smile turned genuine. "Thanks, Hojo. That's very thoughtful of you."
The six of them chattered the rest of the way until they reached the steps to the Higurashi family shrine. "It was really great spending time with you, Kagome." Eri said.
"Yeah," Yuka said. "We've really missed you."
Kagome gave a small smile. She felt guilty for neglecting her friends so much, but her work in the Feudal Era was important. She owed it to Inuyasha and all her friends to see their journey through to the end. "I've missed you guys, too. Thanks for a great day."
Ayumi wrapped her in a hug, quickly followed by the other girls. "We'll see you later, Kagome. You keep trying to get healthier, okay?" She nodded.
Hojo bowed to her formally, ever the gentleman. "I had fun, Higurashi. You get lots of rest this weekend. I hope we'll see you Monday." With that he turned and walked his bike back in the direction they had come from.
She turned to Cole. "Thanks for studying so hard with me all week. It's been fun."
He returned her smile, but his expression was a bit nervous. "It was fun. I really like being around you Kagome. I was actually wondering..."
She waited expectantly. "Yes?"
He let out a deep breath and met her eyes. "Would you like to go on a date next weekend?"
She stared at him, eyes wide. "Oh. Cole." She shifted awkwardly. "That's sweet. But... I'm not really available right now. I like someone else."
That's the first time I've said it out loud to someone else. She didn't count her multiple conversations with the girls; they were the ones who called Inuyasha her boyfriend, not her. She realized a long time ago it was easier to let them think what they want than to try to correct them.
"Is it Hojo? He seems really into you, too, you know."
She reddened at his question. "Um... No, it's not him." She sighed. "I know he likes me, but I just don't feel the same way," she admitted.
He raised a brow. "Have you been with this other person long? Because Hojo doesn't seem to know you're taken. I didn't either, actually."
She shook her head. "He doesn't go to our school. He and I aren't exactly together..." She put her head in her hands. "It's complicated."
"So you're not exclusively seeing him then?" Cole asked hopefully.
She didn't want to lead him on, but she wasn't going to lie. She was through pretending she and Inuyasha were something they weren't. He hasn't even come to check on me once in four days. She shook her head. "Like I said, it's complicated."
He nodded in understanding. "Well, I won't pry. But if you're not in a relationship, would you consider giving me a chance?"
"Cole, I—" she started to respond. A noisy clap cut her off as he clasped his hands in front of her. He wasn't quite begging; it was more like an emphatic request.
"Come on, please Kagome. Give me one month. We can date non-exclusively, and if after that time you're still not interested in anything more, I will take the hit to my ego and move on. Then you and I can just be good friends and study partners. What do you say?"
She chewed her lip. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Cole, I'm flattered, but I can't even promise you that. You know I'm gone a lot because of my health. It comes and goes. If we dated for that long, you would only see me about four or five days out of that month. And they wouldn't all be in a row like this week."
He brightened up. "I understand that. How about this then? Give me a month and a half—one date a week. You decide when we start it with the first date."
She frowned. "I don't know, Cole. I'm never sure when I'll feel good enough to leave the house, and it doesn't seem fair to you."
He frowned back at her. "Why wouldn't it be fair?"
She looked away. "I know what it's like to want to be with a person who likes someone else. I don't want to do that to you. It's not right."
He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "No worries. You've warned me of what I'm getting myself into. All I'm asking for is a chance." He reached into his bag and pulled out a felt-tip pen.
"Cole..."
He cut her off and took her wrist in his hand. She gasped at the sudden movement. "Tell you what. Here is my number. If you decide you want to give it a try, give me a call. If you don't call soon, I'll stop pushing, and we can forget this whole thing, okay?"
She blushed as he pushed her sleeve up slightly and the cool tip of the pen met her skin. The confident smile never left his face as he wrote his number on her wrist. What happened to that shy guy who was worried about being too forward? Even as the thought flitted across her mind, she admitted she kind of liked Cole's newfound confidence.
"A-all right. But don't get your hopes up, okay?" She blushed harder as his gaze met hers. The sun behind her turned his eyes into a gleaming gold.
"Too late. Not once have you directly said you just don't want to go out with me."
She opened her mouth to respond, and he waited expectantly. The words fizzled out in her throat. She couldn't say she wasn't at least intrigued. He smiled. "See? Just think about it. See you later, Kagome." With that, he turned and strode away from her. She chuckled at the spring in his step, then bent her head to look at the digits on her wrist.
After reading over the numbers slowly, she let out a breath and headed up the stairs to her home. I can't go out with Cole. I have to keep my mind on the fight with Naraku that's coming. We're so close!
She felt her mood dim slightly as she remembered everything that was waiting for her back on the other side of the well. I don't have time to think about boys right now. I came here to rest and prepare myself!
A traitorous little voice whispered in her mind. But you also came here to try to get over Inuyasha. What better way to go about that?
She resisted the urge to sniffle as her eyes filled with unshed tears. But I don't want to get over Inuyasha. I love him.
She put her head in her hands again and groaned. When did things get so complicated? It used to just be her and Inuyasha and the search for the shards. There was no Naraku. No burying hundreds of villagers when enemies attacked. No Kikyo, she thought darkly. She gasped, ashamed of her thoughts.
"I wish I could make these feelings go away," she whispered to herself as she walked underneath the Sacred Tree. She stopped and gazed at the familiar scar on its trunk. What am I supposed to do? I don't know how I'll ever be able to say goodbye. She wanted to defeat Naraku once and for all, but as always, she was scared of what would follow when he finally met his demise.
"Kagome! I'm so glad you're home. Did you have fun with your friends?" Mrs. Higurashi called to Kagome from the sliding glass door in the kitchen.
She wiped her eyes before she turned around. "Yes I did! But I'm feeling kind of worn out. I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap."
Her mother gave her a warm smile. "Okay, dear. Will you be staying or leaving when you wake up?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's been a while, so if I don't go tonight I'll definitely go check on them tomorrow."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded as Kagome passed her. "I understand. Make sure to let us know when you leave if you can!"
Kagome smiled at the concern in her voice as she went up to her room.
She groaned in frustration as she flopped onto her comfy bed. What was she going to do? If she didn't get her head on straight, she would be dead before she ever made it to high school. If she could pass her entrance exams, that is.
She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling blankly. Why hasn't he come? Did something happen? She clamped down on those thoughts before she worried herself into a panic attack. If something had happened he would have found a way to get here. Or I would have sensed it. Or something.
She had always been reunited with Inuyasha when it mattered most. She had to believe that if he needed her, she would know it. So then... I guess he just doesn't need me right now.
Kagome peeked inside her sleeve and stared at the ink on her wrist. Cole likes me… Do I like him back? She wasn't sure. He definitely interested her a lot more than any other boys in her time. He was charming, funny, good-looking, and unusual—which, she admitted to herself, was kind of a requirement to catch her attention these days.
That was the problem with Hojo. He was a great guy, but he was just too… normal. Since that fateful day at the well, she just didn't identify with "normal" anymore, though at times she wished she did.
But with Cole… the more she learned about him, the more curious she became. Around other people, he was shy and somewhat quiet, though he was quickly coming out of his shell as he found his place at their school. But when it was just the two of them, a whole other side of him came out. One that was fun and personal and confident. She enjoyed getting to know him in ways other people didn't. Sometimes being around him was almost like being back in the Feudal Era. But as much as he reminded her of him sometimes…
He's not Inuyasha. She sighed and dropped her arm over her eyes. Why am I even considering this? I don't want anyone else.
That irritating inner voice came back to taunt her. So you'd rather just be miserable and alone?
She growled under her breath. I just want to stay by Inuyasha's side, no matter what happens between us.
It didn't let up. But at some point you're going to have to say goodbye forever. What will you do then?
She refused to let her mind go down that road. She wouldn't think about that now. They still had a battle to get through before she had to worry about goodbyes. She glanced in the direction of her wrist again.
Well… maybe there's no harm in just writing it down. Besides, it would come in handy if I need to borrow his chemistry notes later in the year. She chose not to acknowledge the thought that she wouldn't live to see later in the year in this state of mind.
She quickly scribbled the number on a notepad on her desk before she could think too much about it. She was just rolling her sleeve back down when the sound of her window sliding open made her jump.
"Yo. Kagome." For once he was calm instead of barging into her room demanding to know what was taking so long. It was slightly unnerving.
She squeaked and scrambled to cover the notepad with her textbooks. "Inuyasha!" She whirled around to face him. He finally came… "What are you doing here?"
He frowned at her as he hopped from her window frame to the floor with a loud thud. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I told you I'd come get you if there was any sign of Naraku." He paused. "Is something wrong?"
She flushed. "Wrong? What? No. Why would anything be wrong?"
He moved closer and sniffed the air around her. "You're acting weird. You don't smell like anything's wrong. Are you okay?"
She waved her hand and forced a light-hearted laugh. "Oh, I'm fine. You just startled me." Then she registered what he had said a moment ago. "You're here because of Naraku? Have you found him?" She clenched her fists, not sure whether to feel hopeful or dread the possibility of what was to come.
He grimaced. "Not quite. But we might have found Kagura. There have been rumors of her hanging around a village not too far away from where we are now." He suddenly seemed impatient. "When I get my claws in her, she'll tell us where Naraku is. Now let's get going! We don't have all day," he said in his usual gruff manner.
She nodded and rushed to gather her things. We have work to do. Just focus on the battle ahead. Clinging to that thought, she rushed downstairs to say goodbye to her family and run to the well with Inuyasha.
"What took you so long anyway?" He asked as they floated through the cosmic portal that connected her world to the past. For once, his tone wasn't accusatory when asking her about the length of her stay.
"Just trying to clear my head," she answered vaguely. She could feel him watching her as she climbed out of the well.
He leaped over her and bent in front of her as she got to her feet. "Get on."
She jumped on his back and tried not to sigh in contentment at the familiar feeling of holding on to Inuyasha. It's good to be back.
But how long will it last?
Wow. That chapter came out waaaaaaaay longer than I thought it would. Hopefully you guys think it was worth the read. Let me know what you think in a review! I really do take your suggestions into account, so tell me how I can make the story better, or just what you like about it ^.^
Like I said last time, my goal is to update this story every two weeks. So, I'll see you guys then!