InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Another High School Story ❯ The Horror of French Fries ( Chapter 1 )

Another High School Story

The Horror of French Fries

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and will not ever own Inuyasha.

***

Kagome Higurashi made her way down the empty hallway towards her locker, her brand new pink high heels clicking loudly against the fake marble flooring. She passed several wooden doors, all fitted with small glass windows, but she didn't bother to duck under them to hide her presence. The white washed walls were barren, but wouldn't remain as so for long. Posters for football games or for the fall dance were sure to appear and clutter the walls before the week was out.

Arriving at her locker, she quickly searched her mind for the new combination. 17, 38, 23. They were easy numbers to remember. The first was her age, the second; her lucky number, and the last was Kouga's number; the one on his football jersey, and on her own jersey she wore on game days to promote school spirit. She sighed. She wouldn't be wearing that shirt any more, not since their break up.

After two and a half long years, she had finally found the courage to tell him she wanted out. He had been a sweet boyfriend, always looking out for her, but his constant failure to listen to her eventually proved fatal to their relationship. He only heard what he wanted to hear. If she ever disagreed with him, he'd simply ignore her, or tease her, telling her how silly she was. He had finally gone too far one afternoon during the first week of summer, and she'd taken the opportunity to split. She had been glad to be free of him, but that didn't mean she didn't miss him. They'd been going out since freshman year, and been friends since sixth grade, it had been hard to find herself suddenly without him.

She shook her thoughts aside and stared into her reflection in her magnetic mirror she'd stored on the inside of her locker. Usually, she kept pictures of Kouga and herself with it, but at the moment it was as bare as the walls behind her. Kagome frowned at the direction her thoughts were taking her. She'd simply have to put up pictures of something else. She had plenty of pictures of her and her friends. Running a hand through her long wavy hair, she made a mental note to find a few pictures that night and went to work storing her varying possessions and grabbing her supplies for first period.

After stashing her book bag, she straightened her pink and white flowered mini dress and made a beeline for her first class. She was late.

Peeking through the window to her chemistry class, Kagome watched her new teacher carefully. He wore freshly ironed black slacks and an equally impressive blue shirt, complete with a fancy deep red tie, but Kagome could tell he wasn't used to looking so put together. The chemistry teacher held a more casual aura about him, evident in his shaggy blonde hair and well-tanned skin. Kagome smirked; he was certainly cute for a chemistry teacher.

With a large grin on his face, he spoke to the class, using a variety of strange hand gestures. He pointed to something in the back of the room and the students laughed nervously, not sure if he'd meant the comment to be a joke or not. When he turned to write out the rules for the year on the chalkboard, Kagome slowly opened the door, trying to sneak to a seat.

"Excuse me, young lady."

Kagome sighed. Busted. Quickly putting on her most innocent smile, she turned back towards the front of the room where her now angry teacher stood. She tilted her head to the side and gave him the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. Now if only she could remember his name.

"Class started fifteen minutes ago."

It started with a C, or was it a K? Ka...Ki...Kla...

"If you're late, you get detention. No exceptions."

Klark? No. Kent? No. Kilmer? Val Klimer? Top Gun... Tom Cruise... Bingo!

"I'll see you after class."

"But Mr. Kruise, couldn't you make just like one exception for the first day of school?" Kagome pouted her lips together. "It wasn't my fault see, I couldn't find my locker, so I had to go get help, and then I couldn't find my class." Puppy dog eyes.

Mr. Kruise stared back at her sternly, but she could see in his eyes he was thinking it over. "Alright, but just this once."

Kagome brightened instantly. "Sure thing Mr. Kruise!"

She made her way towards an empty seat in the far row, perfect for checking out all the new guys while keeping an eye on her teacher at the same time. She always managed to escape detention, or any punishment for that matter, but she didn't want to tempt fate by getting in trouble a second time on only the first day.

***

Miroku Jacobs stood outside his first period class, debating whether or not to enter the suffocating room. He'd get detention either way. He glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes left. That would give him enough time to check out the new additions to the school. Specifically the female additions.

He glanced at his class once more and noticed a particularly beautiful addition sitting behind a rather inviting and empty seat. She yawned quietly and crossed one leg over the other. Miroku eye's traveled down her half visible legs. Boring fist day lectures would be well worth it.

"Glad you could join us Mr. Jacobs," the teacher droned sarcastically from the front of the classroom as Miroku made his way towards the young woman.

"The pleasure's all mine, Ben."

"Detention."

"Of course."

An involuntary smirk spread across Miroku's face at the small grimace apparent on the teacher's face. He had known Ben, known to others as Mr. Matthews, practically his entire life. Being neighbors, Miroku had grown up with Ben. When he was younger, the man had often babysat for his father, and Miroku still had pictures of the two at the zoo or park. His favorite one had been taken when he was nine; the two stood posed with a huge piece of pizza, their mouths open wide, in front of the local pizzeria.

When his mother had left him and his father, Ben had been there for the two. He had watched over the young Miroku while his father worked hard to keep them out of debt. Then, when his fathered had left, he'd offered Miroku a place to stay while he grieved. The man had taught him many lessons in life.

He had been waiting for years to take his Calculus class, and have the perfect opportunity to hassle him, after years of being hassled by the man himself.

Miroku slide into his chair and smiled at the girl behind him. His smiled turned into a smirk when he heard her giggle softly and whisper behind him to a friend. He really couldn't see the bad side of having all these new students. He leaned back in his chair and let his mind drift to less than appropriate things.

"Yo, Miroku." He jumped. The guy in front of him held a stack of books out to him. He took one, and passed the rest to the girl behind him, letting his hand barely graze hers as he did, bringing about another round of giggles from the two friends. He glanced back at her before returning his attention to the guy in front of him.

"Hey, how've you been?"

"Okay," Mark whispered back. "I see you're already scouting out the new girls."

"Of course."

"Hey, there's a party Friday night at Kouga's, you coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Mr. Jacobs," the teacher interrupted. "Would you like more detention time?"

"No, sir."

"Then I suggest you be quiet."

Miroku nodded. This was going to be a good year.

***

"Has anyone had the pleasure of seeing the new quarterback? I've heard he's divine."

"I have. He's got this amazing black hair, and these piercing blue eyes. He's simply gorgeous."

"And his muscles, they're huge!"

"I wonder if he has a six pack."

Sango McConnell rolled her eyes. Over the summer she had forgotten how boy crazy all her friends really were. At the moment, they were discussing all the new students. In fact, that was all they had talked about.

"There was this incredibly hot guy in my calculus class this morning," Amy mentioned.

"The one who sat in front of you?" Jessica asked. "What was his name…Miroku?"

"Oh," Mallory's face contorted into something similar to a sneer, "I heard he's slept with every girl on the cheerleading squad."

"Yeah, he's suppose to be Mr. Popular," Jessica sighed.

"Speaking of which, here comes Ms. Popular," Heather spat.

Of course, technically speaking, they were the new students. After years of changing populations, the local school districts had been adjusted. Their old school had been turned into an elementary, leaving the high schoolers to move in with another district. Sango had only spent half a day in the new school, and she already hated it with a passion.

She'd spent twelve long, agonizing years at Palm Creek, and now she would spend her senior year, the most important year, at Bluffside, Palm Creek's long time rival. Already tension was rising between the two schools. The student's of Bluffside didn't want them there, and they didn't want to be there.

"She walks around like she owns this school!" complained Heather.

"Well," Sango spoke up, "She does, really."

The group of girls around her grumbled. They all knew she was right; they just didn't like to admit it. No matter what school they went to, there would always be that girl. Sango didn't even bother to look as the heated glares of her friends followed the previously mentioned girl to a table somewhere off to the right.

Sango looked up from her mystery meat to find four depressed looking girls. She sighed and steered herself for another round. "So, you think this Kouga will still stay quarterback with Inuyasha here?" Grins instantly appeared on the girls' faces and a collective sigh came from the table as all the girls pictured the handsome jock with a dreamy look in their eyes. Sango groaned inwardly.

"No one can beat Inuyasha."

"Rumor has it, Ms. Popular over there is going out with Kouga. I'd like to see her reaction when she's suddenly not going out with the captain of the football team anymore."

"You think she'd go for Inuyasha instead?"

"The slut probably would."

Eight eyes turned to Sango's right as they shot daggers at the girl. Sango rolled her eyes. At Palm Creek, her friends had held an intense hatred for their own Ms. Popular, the cheerleading captain and homecoming queen, Kikyo Folst. Now, it was only lunchtime, and their disgust towards the new cheerleader was already rivaling that of Kikyo's. Most likely they were simply angered over the whole move to a new school, and were taking it out on the poor girl. Sango laughed quietly. If rumor held true, this girl was anything but "poor." She was currently dating the quarterback, the captain of the football team. She was cheerleading captain, captain of her soccer team, president of her class, head of the school's volunteering club, and headed to Northwestern University on a full scholarship. No, the girl was anything but sympathy worthy.

"Does that mean my new dream man is taken?"

Amy nodded her head.

"Damn."

"Too bad."

"Oh, please," Sango muttered.

***

Kagome tapped her high heels impatiently against concrete. She crossed her arms across her chest and sighed dramatically. Glancing one last time around the crowded courtyard, she spun around and walked defeatedly back inside.

She should have known. It wasn't very likely that Kouga wanted to eat lunch with her after she'd so rudely broken up with him this past summer, but they had always eaten lunch together, and Kagome was at a lose without him.

"Kagome! Over here!"

Kagome spotted three of her good friends and almost danced with relief. Eating alone on the first day of school was not something Kagome Higurashi did.

"Football tryouts start tomorrow tonight. Are you going to go and support Kouga, Kagome?" Yuka asked.

Kagome shook her head. What was the point of supporting someone who didn't want anything to do with you? "Cheerleading tryouts are next week, I'm going to get a head start."

"But you could still practice at the field. We could practice together!" Ayumi stated excitedly.

This day was really testing her. Her mind flipped over ways to get out of her present situation. She had told her friends her and Kouga had broken up; she had told them many times, but they just didn't seem to get it. She didn't want to add more fuel to the fire, but she didn't want to have the same conversation they always had when she reminded them of her and Kouga's separation. "Umm, sure." Great plan, Kagome, great plan.

"Great, I'll meet you there after school."

Kagome nodded, glad the topic of conversation had moved on to something else. After two and a half years with her overbearing boyfriend, she was finally free, but he was all anyone seemed to talk about around her. Her friends could be a little pushy sometimes.

With a sigh, Kagome rested her head on her hands. They hadn't even comforted her after the break up. Not like she needed it; the break up had been long coming and she had dealt with it admirably. It still would have been nice to have some comfort though.

It had been her so-called friends who had pushed them into going out in the first place. Not that Kagome hadn't wanted to, but she would have been perfectly fine waiting out her little crush on the sideline. She hadn't wanted to risk the friendship she had with Kouga for a possible romantic relationship. Because of them, Kagome was out a good friend. Now, after all they'd been through, Kagome couldn't imagine her and Kouga being friends again. Still, it really wasn't their fault; it had just been easier to have someone to blame.

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by a loud cough from Eri.

"Umm, Kagome, I think those girls are staring at you..."

***

Miroku scanned the cafeteria. He spotted his usual table and picked his way through the crowd. The cafeteria had certainly become more crowded since the addition of all the new students. At least Palm Creek was a smaller school. Bluffside had about two or three times as many students, which made it easier to cram the extras in.

"Mark. Evan." Miroku nodded in greeting to his two friends as he took a seat. "Kagome?"

"Hey." She was looking somewhere off to the west side of the lunch room distractedly. He followed her gaze to four pissed looking girls. He squinted. Those two looked a lot like the girls in his first period. Were they staring at him?

"What's their problem?"

"Who knows," Eri answered. "They're probably just jealous of Kagome."

Miroku scratched his head. He remembered that look. It was a look he got a lot. Especially when he made the mistake of going after a girl who was already taken, only it was her boyfriend who wore the look.

He glanced back at Kagome who was now pushing her mushed green side dish around her plate. Kagome wasn't the type to steal another girl's boyfriend, but you didn't just get stares like that for nothing. He'd have to talk to her later, at least to cheer her up.

"So, there's this new guy, Nuyashi, or something," Evan began. "He's supposed to be an awesome quarterback."

"He couldn't beat Kouga," Yuka piped.

"I hate to admit it," Matt said. "But I'd kind of like it if he did. No offense Kagome, but the guy's just too bossy."

"None taken. That's why I dumped him after all."

Miroku cringed when the table fell silent. Kagome seemed to take the break up pretty well, but everyone was just waiting for her to explode.

"What?" she almost yelled. Everyone became immensely interesting in their food. "It's been three months, I'm over it!"

"We know you still want him back Kagome," Yuka said. Miroku prayed she wouldn't get her head bitten off, but at the same time, he was glad it wasn't him. At least he had enough sense to realize Kagome truly was over the guy.

"Ugh! I'm leaving!"

The whole table watched her get up and leave, including the four glaring girls across the room.

"Well, she seems to be doing better," Eri said halfway enthusiastically.

"Move, you idiot!" Kagome screamed in the background.

"Or not."

***

"Gross." Sango stared down at her chair. It was covered in a rainbow of paint. She touched it gingerly with her finger, finding it dry. She sat down, praying the chair wouldn't ruin her jeans and searched the room for familiar faces. She didn't find many. Most of the students were Bluffside originals.

"Mind if I sit here?" a voiced asked beside her. She looked up to find a handsome face smiling down at her. Immediately she noticed his smile. It seemed to radiate warmth and kindness.

"Yeah. I mean no. I mean, uhh."

He pulled the seat out and sat down. "Great."

Sango blushed from head to toe. How did he do that to her?

"Miroku."

"Hmm?"

"My name. It's Miroku."

"Oh," her blush deepened. "I'm Sango."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady."

"Class," their art teacher, Mr. Harshem bellowed from the front. "I know you've been listening to nothing but rules all day long, so we're not doing that in here." A cheer erupted from the class. "Instead, we'll get right to work." The cheering turned into a collective groan.

The teacher flipped off the lights and his first slide appeared in the front of the room. It was beautiful and colorful picture of water lilies. "This," Mr. Harshem explained, "is a painting by Monet, entitled Waterlilies. You'll be seeing a lot of Monet, as he's my favorite. Now, can anyone tell me about this picture?"

Sango sunk lower in her seat. "Ms. McConnell, what do you think of this picture?"

"Um," she bite in her lower lip, trying desperately to come up something intelligent to say, "It's pretty." That wasn't it.

Mr. Harshem smiled. "Yes, but what is it about?"

Squinting at the picture, Sango looked for a deeper meaning, but all she could see were a bunch of water lilies. "That nature is beautiful," was her best guess.

"I disagree," the boy beside her spoke up.

"Okay Mr...."

"Jacobs."

"Yes, Mr. Jacobs, what do you think it's about?"

"Loneliness." Sango tilted her head towards the boy. How could a pretty picture of a pond be about loneliness? "Specifically," he went on. "It's about being so close to something you can't see it for what it is anymore, but only for what it is in your own mind. It's about being completely surrounded by people, friends even, but feeling so alone, so detached."

Sango narrowed her eyes. That certainly wasn't what it was about. How dare he try to make her look stupid with that load of bullshit. She sucked in a breath and spoke her opinion, "That's not even close to the meaning."

"Oh, really?" The whole class was staring at the two now, including the teacher who looked at them with a grin that grew wider with each passing comment at the obvious enthusiasm of his students.

"Nope, you just made all that up so you would sound good."

"Sorry, my dear Sango, but you expect me to believe a genius like Monet would spend years of his life painting simply for the 'beauty of nature'?"

"Genius? He's just a painter."

"He's a great painter whose paintings continue to be cherished to the day."

Sango crossed her arms across her chest. This guy was just frustrating. She looked to her teacher for help. "Well, Mr. Harshem, who's right?"

"Both." The students stared at him. "As long as you truly believe in your opinions, they aren't wrong."

Sango glared at her teacher. "Excuse me, Mr. Harshem, but we're not third graders. I mean, I'm not going to go home and kill myself if you tell me I'm wrong."

The teacher went on, trying somewhat to ignore the comment, "However, the experts, I dare say, would agree with Mr. Jacobs, though their opinions are not all the same, they do believe it has a deeper meaning. Deeper even than some of his other works."

Sango glared down at her desk. She already hated this guy with a passion. First he comes in and makes her blush tomato red, and then he proves her wrong in front of the whole class. What a jerk.

***

3, 2, 1. The bell rang and Mrs. Bradley's history class spilled into the hallway, leaving only one girl behind. Kikyo Folst gathered up her books with practiced patience and made her way slowly towards the door. She wore a pair of short jean shorts, and her old captain's cheerleading t-shirt. It had been in an effort to keep up Palm Creek spirit while establishing her place. But as she looked around the hall to see Palm Creek students chatting away with Bluffside students as if they had been friends all their lives, Kikyo felt extremely self-conscious.

Ever since she'd entered the building that morning, Kikyo had felt out of place. People had been whispering behind her back and giving her odd looks. She pulled down on her tight fitting t-shirt and held her books tighter to her chest. A groups of guys behind her broke out in laughter and she walked faster, desperate for a place to hide, while tears threatened to fall.

Kikyo Folst did not cry. She slowed her pace, switching her books to a more casual position, and blinked her eyes rapidly, drying the unfallen tears. Soon, she would own this school, as she had owned Palm Creek. It was just a matter of time. Until then, she had to remain strong.

Spotting a group of her good friends, Kikyo quickly stepped up to them.

"Then there's that Kagome girl."

"The old captain?"

"Yeah, though I heard it's only because she bribed the coach."

"Hey," Kikyo spoke up. "What are you guys talking about?"

Lynn looked at Kikyo hesitantly, as if she expected her to explode from their topic of conversation, "Oh, just our cheerleading competition this year."

Kikyo nodded, "We have no competition. The Bluffside cheerleading squad sucks and everyone knows it." Her friends exchanged glances. "What?"

"They aren't that bad, Kikyo, I mean, they did come in third at regional competition last year."

"Yeah," Kikyo tossed a thick lock of hair over her shoulder. "But we came in first."

"Only because we had you as a captain."

These girls were so unbelievably good at sucking up, and, at the moment, Kikyo needed a self-confidence booster. She was really glad to have found her friends when she did. They went back to discussing last year's squad as Kikyo let her mind wander again. She was better than this Kagome. The girl may be the best at Bluffside, but she wasn't anywhere near the Palm Creek level. Kikyo would be captain for the third time in a row, and no one could stop her. She was simply the best.

***

Kagome tapped her pencil against her desk mindlessly as the teacher droned on and on about classroom rules. After twelve years, she could recite the little speech in her sleep. 'No foul language, no being late, no talking while I'm talking.' The rules were mostly common sense anyway.

Beside her, Miroku leaned in to whisper in her ear, "This teacher's so specific." Kagome nodded in agreement. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Kouga slipped into the classroom and took a seat near the front.

"You may only have food when you first ask permission, and only during reading time, you may have drinks without permission, but not when we're doing presentations," their English teacher, Mrs. Parker, went on.

"No cocaine unless you wear pink underwear and bring a written note from your gardener," Kagome giggled as Miroku whispered into her ear.

"Miss Higurashi, would you like to tell the rest of the class what I just said?"

Kagome gulped. She could get out of this, she always did. "Umm, no cocaine, I mean, umm." Shit.

The English teacher stared at her in horror. Apparently she didn't find it as funny as the rest of the class seemed to. "Out in the hall. Now!"

"But..."

"No!"

Kagome sighed in defeat and left the classroom. She'd never been sent out before. Fixing her short dress, Kagome slide down the wall to take a seat on the cold floor. Mrs. Parker was a Palm Creek teacher. If she'd been teaching at Bluffside, she would have known. No one sends Kagome Higurashi into the hall. Crossing her arms across her chest, she went into full pout mode.

"Uh."

Looking above her, Kagome was surprised to see a lost looking student staring down at her. Dusting off her spotless mini dress, Kagome stood and smiled at the stranger in all her pink glory. "Hey." She looked him over. She noticed his passionate golden eyes and his firmly chiseled jaw, which was framed perfectly by several long strands of wayward silver hair and immediately changed her smile to a more flirtatious one. "Need help?"

"Umm yeah," he looked down at a wrinkled piece of paper in his right hand. "I found all my other classes, but I can't seem to find this one." He stole a quick glance up towards her before focusing on the paper in his hand again. Though a short gesture, it had been just what Kagome was looking for. She had him. "I had some...things to take care of, so I just got here."

"What class?" she asked innocently. He was on the football team. It was a widely know, but under discussed fact that varsity football players missed all but their last class on the first day. Kouga's late arrival flashed to her mind. Kagome wasn't sure what they did, but Kouga had explained it once to her, simply saying, "We talk strategy." Kagome hadn't minded, as long as he got lunch off to sit with her.

"English, with Mrs. Parker."

"Oh," she smiled. "That's my class." She pointed towards the nearby door. "It's just right through there."

"Hmm." He didn't move. "So, you already got kicked out?"

Kagome blushed. "I was talking."

"Of course," he said with a knowing glint in his eye.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

The stranger shrugged, "Just that you seem the type to talk a lot."

"Humph. Well, for your information, this is actually the first time I ever got in trouble, and it wasn't even my fault."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's true."

"Sure it is," he began walking over to the doorway.

"Wait!"

He turned an expectant glance back over his shoulder. She grabbed a pen from her purse and hurried over towards him. He turned and she took his hand, writing out her number. "English is my best subject," she explained. "So if you need help, just call." She looked up and smiled.

"Right..." he said with a low chuckle before disappearing inside the classroom. Kagome peeked through the window and watched him sit down at the back of the class, directly behind her previous seat. 'Hmm,' she thought. 'This could get interesting.'

***