InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ HeartSong ❯ A Hard Life ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, its characters or any quotes I may use.

 

A/N: To keep things clear

THINKING

SPEAKING

FLASHBACK

 

CHAPTER FOUR: A HARD LIFE

 

Kagome took a deep breath before lifting her hand and knocking on the large door in front of her. She heard a dog bark and a soft voice hush it. Moments later a woman answered the door, with one hand holding onto a large black dog's collar. Kagome smiled, “Hi, my name is Kagome Higurashi. I called you yesterday.”

The woman smiled, “Oh of course” she stepped back, “Please come in.”

Kagome stepped into the house and followed the woman down a long hallway and into a large parlor room.

The woman indicated to one of the couches, “Please Kagome, sit down.”

Kagome smiled as she sat across from the older woman, “Thanks you for agreeing to see me Mrs-”

The woman laughed slightly and waved a hand, “Please, call me Koto. All that “Mrs” stuff makes me feel old.”

Kagome's smile widened. Koto was nearly as bubbly as Ayumi. They were similar in appearances as well. Except while Ayumi kept her hair short, Koto's hair was past her shoulders and loose.

“So what was it exactly you wanted to know?” Koto asked softly.

Kagome let her eyes drop to the carpet, suddenly shy about asking for information on Amaya. When she had called Koto the day before and asked if she could tell her about Amaya, Koto had gone silent then agreed to meet with Kagome. Now, she was suddenly at loose for words.

“It's okay Kagome” Koto smiled, “You can ask me anything.”

Kagome sighed deeply then slowly nodded her head, “How long was Amaya here before she fe- before she disappeared.”

Koto leaned back into the couch, “How long…I think it had been about 6 months. I think she was really starting to enjoy living here. She was still her normal, distant self. But she was changing too, she laughed and smiled more.”

Koto frowned, “That is…until her mother came to visit.”

“She wasn't happy to see her mother?”

“No. Akari never gave details about her home, but one thing she made clear that she and her mother didn't get along.”

“What happened?”

“I remember Akari came to school on Monday, really angry.”

 

Koto's head snapped up as Akari slammed her book bag down on her desk, growling slightly as a pencil rolled on to the floor.

“What's wrong Akari?”

Akari just snarled in her direction and dropped to the floor to retrieve her pencil.

“I take it things didn't go well?” Midori commented dryly as she and Sakura walked up. Koto shrugged her shoulders, “So far all I've gotten is a growl and a snarl.”

Sakura dropped to her knees in front of Akari, “What happened Kari?” she whispered.

“Nothing”

“I don't believe you.”

Akari growled again.

“Akari, we're your friends, please tell us.”

Akari sighed deeply and slowly looked up from the floor.

“Mom and I had a fight last night.”

She sat back so she could look at all three girls, “She informed me that I'm not going back to the states. Ever.”

Akari half shrugged, “I don't care. Hell, I like it better here anyways. We yelled like we always do, and that's it.”

Akari stood suddenly and starting to unpack her books for class; the three other girls exchanged glance and Koto nodded to Sakura.

“That's not all…is it?”

Akari didn't stop rummaging through her bag, but Midori could see that her hands were trembling slightly, “She's a bitch. What else is there to know?”

“Akari-”

“He's dying okay!”

Koto frowned, “Who?”

“My father. And that bitch of a woman won't take me back to see him.”

Akari suddenly grabbed her backpack and ran out the door, leaving her history books on the desk.

 

Akari's feet pounded loudly as she ran down the sidewalk. Run; that's all she could do to keep the pain from becoming too much to bare. Run. Her sides burn and her legs ached but she didn't stop, couldn't stop. Her backpack became a dead weight but she refused to stop. Run. The physical pain was easier to bear, easier to manage. Run.

Finally she couldn't take another step and collapsed dead away into the grass, lungs screaming for air. Rolling over so she was lying on her stomach, Akari closed her eyes and tried to block out Julie's harsh words the night before,

“Why are you here?” Akari could hardly keep the sneer out of her voice. “I thought dad was coming.”

“Something came up.”

Akari scoffed and looked away, “Whatever.”

“You're not coming back Amaya.”

“What?”

“Ever. I decidedit will be better if you just stay in Japan. Hana and John have agreed to keep you.”

“They agreed? What about dad? What about me? You could have asked me ya know!”

Julieraised an eyebrow, “I was under the impression you like it here.”

“I do” Akari growled, “But you still could've asked.”

“I'm returning first thing in the morning.”

Akari turned to go back up to her room, “Don't let the door hit ya on your way out” she muttered.

Julie sighed, “Before you run off, Davis asked that I tell you what's going on.”

Akari stopped, interested to hearfrom her brother.

“Well?”

“Your father was in a car accident.”

That stopped Akari cold. “What? Whathappened?”

Julie held her head high but Akari would see the tears glistening in her eyes, “He was on his way home from work and was hit on the driver's side. He's in a coma and not expected to live long.”

Akari could hardly stifle her gasp as she felt her world come crashing down butJulie spoke as if she'd just given the evening weather report.

Dad? Dying? Never. Dad was never hurt, never sick. He was perfect.

“You're lying” Akari hissed through clenched teeth.

Julie's narrowed, “Don't you dare accuse me of that you little snip! I love your father and I would never say anything about him like that if it were not true.”

Akari's jaw tightened as she admitted to herself Julie was right. The woman may try to make Akari's life miserable, but she would never say Ryan was dying just to hurt Akari.

“If you were as smart as your father thinks you are, you would know that.”

Akari flinched.

After so many years of hearing Julie belittle her, she had build up a wall and the remarks started to just bounce off;butnow her guard was downand Julie took the opportunityto attack her cruelly.

“If it weren't for you Akari, I could be by Ryan's side; when he needs me the most. But I had tocome and see you.He could die why I'm over here.”

Akari rolled to her side and took a shuttering breath. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it stung. Every word had bitten into her like a sharp tooth.

“Well then stop your barking and we'll go back.”

“We?” Julie hissed out a laugh, “No Akari. I meant what I said before. You're not coming back.”

Akari's jaw nearly dropped, “But is he's dying, I need to see him!”

“No.” Julie said simply, “You're never coming back.”

“Dad wouldn't let you do this!” Akari snapped.

“Obviously your father doesn't have a choice. We don't need to be wasting our money and bring you back. Everything is going to your father.”

“You can't do this!” Akari began to feel desperate.

Her father was her closet friend. He looked out for her, loved her,and protectedher against her mother. He was her everything.

“I brought the rest of your things with me” Julie slightly nodded to the corner, “And don't try to get John and Hana to send you back. I have enough on my plate without you running around.”

Akari just turned and headed up to her room. The person she loved the most in the world was going to die; and she couldn't even say goodbye.Laying on her bed and stared out the window as one tears slowly made it way down her cheek.

Sitting up Akari looked around to see where she had ended up. She almost laughing at the irony; it was the small park next to the shrine. Without even realizing it, she'd run right to the doorstep of the one place she truly felt at peace. She got to her feet, picked up her backpack and made her way up the stairs. Mrs. Higurashi wouldn't approve of her visiting when she was normally in school, but Akari knew she wouldn't turn her away.

 

Kagome clenched the steering wheel tightly as she drove home. Koto told her everything she knew about Akari, and about the two other girls who she could talk to as well. But what bothered Kagome the most, was what she learned about Akari's mother. She couldn't understand how a mother could do, or even say such horrible things to her own daughter. Kagome locked the car and headed inside. Her face instantly went to a smile when she smelt cookies.

“Mom! I'm home!” she called as she made her way into the kitchen.

Mrs. Higurashi turned from the oven and smiled, “Hi Kagome. How was your day?”

Kagome half shrugged as she grabbed a cookie and sat at the table, “Okay I guess.”

Sighing deeply she watched her mother pull a tray out of the oven and set in on the stove top.

“Hey mom. You love me and Souta, right?”

Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly, “Of course I do Kagome. Why would you ever ask such a question?”

Kagome fidgeted in her chair, “Well…you see. A while ago, one of the new patients at the home mistook me for her granddaughter; she disappeared 17 years ago.”

Mrs. Higurashi took a seat at the table with a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk, “What does this have to do with me loving you and Souta?”

“Well…I've been doing some research on her, and talking to people who knew her. And I found out today that she had a really bad time at home. That her mother didn't even love her.”

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, “That's very sad. I could never understand a mother not loving her own daughter.”

Kagome started to take a bit of her cookie but stopped a thought suddenly struck her, “Hey mom, you might have known her.”

Mrs. Higurashi broke a cookie in two and dipped on piece into her glass, “Why's that?”

“The woman I talked to today, Koto, was a good friend of the girl, and said this is where she spent most of her free time.”

Mrs. Higurashi froze and her eyes flickered up to Kagome's face, “She did?”

“Mmmhmm…and her grandfather said this is where she disappeared. Inside the well.”

Mrs. Higurashi suddenly stood and left the room. Kagome's eyebrows rose in surprise but she said nothing. Moments later her mother came back, holding a picture in her hand.

“I know who you're talking about Kagome” she said softly, “Her name was Akari.”

She handed the picture over, “You knew her too.”

Kagome looked down and for the first time saw what Akari looked like.

Kagome was only slightly surprised to see she was very beautiful. In the picture she had long copper red hair with black highlights that fell to her waist and gorgeous blue-grey eyes; that even through the picture seems to see right into Kagome's soul. She was dressed in blue jeans, a black tank top, black gloves and had a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

In the picture she was standing in front of the Tree of Ages; Gramps was on her left, Mrs. Higurashi was on the right and she held a little girl in her arms.

“She used to come over and play with you after school.”

Mrs. Higurashi sat back down, “I had no idea that's what you've been doing lately, or I would have helped you where I could.”

Kagome set the picture down, “Her grandfather said she fell down the well, why didn't you tell me?”

“Grandfather, you and I were in Yokohama when it all happened. When we finally got back, the search had died down. Everyone thought she'd just run away. As for the well…it seemed such a wild story, no one believed it.”

“But what about when I fell in three years ago? Why didn't you tell me then?”

“Honestly it didn't cross my mind Kagome. I never connected it with you. I believed, like everyone else, that Akari had just run away.”

Kagome leaned forwards, “What can you tell me about her?”

“Probably not anything you haven't already heard. Akari wasn't exactly a forthcoming person. She didn't like to talk about her life, and if it ever did come up; she was very bitter about it.”

Kagome nodded, “That's what Koto said.”

“She had a lot of pain build up inside. But I don't think she'd even admit that, even to herself.”

Mrs. Higurashi stood and bought some more cookies over, “Did Koto tell you about the fight Akari got into?”

Kagome half smiled, “No, she didn't.”

Mrs. Higurashi half laughed, “That's one day…I will never forget.”