InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bad Influences ❯ Bad Influence # Sixteen: Tackling People ( Chapter 16 )

WOW! Briana D Longest review, and fully integrated review, I've EVER had! Thank a billion! So this chapter is dedication to YOU! Congrats!

 

Also, this story has tied in reviews, well almost (needs one more), to that of Desert Rose. ^_^ Plus it's approaching TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS! *Rejoices* Yay!

 

Oh and OLDDOG333 you just couldn't resist could you in that last review? You just haaaad to write “I love it” and “update soon” didn't you? ^_^

 

Oh and guys, it's finals week, ironically, for me here too so yeah, busy, busy, busy.

 

 

 

Bad Influence # Sixteen: Tackling People

 

“I have a headache.” Kagome said as she leaned her head on the table. She looked around the class. The room was thick with stress. Final projects, term papers, cramming for finals, the students looked frantic. Oh summer, when will you be here, Kagome thought tiredly in her mind. She hated crunch time in school. The only person who looked as though he wouldn't have a nervous breakdown was Inuyasha as he starred lazily at the calk-board. Word had gotten out that he was a math wiz and now all the girls were practically flaunting themselves about him, asking him questions. Kagome was slightly unnerved.

 

“How do you do it?” She asked him. He took his chin out of his hand and turned his head to look at her, a bored expression on his face.

 

“Do what?” He said mechanically.

 

“Aren't you worried about finals at all? You look like you don't have a problem in the world.” She replied, sitting up.

 

“Oh I've got plenty of problems.” Inuyasha yawned.

 

“Like?”

 

“Insomnia.” He curtly answered. Kagome's eyes widened. She leaned into his face, noticing the bags under his eyes. “You're not kidding are you? You really can't sleep?” Now that she thought about it, he hadn't slept in class for the past few days. “Are you pulling all-nighters or something?”

 

Inuyasha gave her a surprised look before laughing. “Hell would freeze over before I start studying.” His expression became grim. “I just can't sleep.” He mumbled.

 

“How come? Bad dreams?”

 

The tiniest of grimaces crossed Inuyasha's face as he said, “Who knows?” He stifled another yawn. Kagome was about to ask him another question when someone came up to them, math notes ready in their hands. Kagome sighed, annoyed, only to be surprised when it was a boy this time.

 

“Hey, could you tell me if I got this question rig-”

 

Inuyasha pointed toward the answer, his eyes half open. “The decimal is in the wrong place.” The student looked at his work and paled, his mouth wide.

 

“Wow, you are good.” He said before turning, heading back to a group of boys who looked eager to see if the math problem was solved correctly.

 

“It's not easy being the math genius, is it?” Kagome asked.

 

“Not one bit.” Inuyasha sighed, looking behind Kagome to Sango. “Do you have any need for mathematical expertise?” He asked wearily.

 

“Nope I'm good.” She replied and, smiling, went back to her work. Inuyasha got up and sat on the desk of his seat, crossing his arms. He gave a long groan, flexing his jaw.

 

“What's with you today? You're lazier then usual.” Kagome remarked.

 

“Can't wait till summer.” He crossed his legs. Kagome was slightly reminded of the position taken for meditation. She copied him, sitting on her desk. Their classmates looked at them. Kagome rolled her eyes. It was free period; students spent their time huddled around chairs, cramming. What was wrong with sitting on a higher plane?

 

“Any summer plans?” She asked Inuyasha.

 

“I think I'll challenge Satoshi to a ping-pong tournament. He beat me last time.”

 

Kagome punched him lightly on the arm. “Stop kidding around. You don't have any plans? You're not going to apply for any universities?”

 

Inuyasha clicked his teeth. “You have to be a total kill joy don't you?”

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “No plans for the future, huh?”

 

“What are you talking about, of course I have plans for the future.” Inuyasha gave her a sly grin. “First off, I'm going to leap over the Great Wall of China on a motorcycle, them I'm going to eat as many shish kabobs as humanly possible, and then-”

 

“No!” Kagome burst. “I mean about your life. You know, what do you plan to do after high school. Haven't you thought about that?”

 

“Gah, there's plenty of time for that.” Inuyasha waved his arm. “I want live before I hit the books.” He bent his knee, placing his elbow on it, and his chin in his hand.

 

“Get a good education and maybe you will.” Kagome said. Inuyasha sent her a look from the corner of his eye.

 

“Kagome, you're still a teenager right?”

 

“Uh, duh.”

 

“Don't you ever get tired of that old lady façade?” Her face became cherry red. What was worse, the entire classroom seemed to agree with Inuyasha. Several people who had been listening failed to hide their snickers. Others turned and then chuckled. Even Sango tried to keep her laughing quiet.

 

“SANGO!” Kagome reprimanded.

 

“I have to say Inuyasha, sometimes I wonder if she was born thirty.” Sango giggled.

 

“Look what you did Inuyasha!” Kagome motioned to the other students in the room. She glared daggers his way.

 

“Hear me out.” He placed his hands up in front of him, speaking for his own defense. “You nag at me more then my own mother.”

 

“You don't have a mother.” Kagome growled.

 

“But if I did, you would nag at me more then she would. I'll apply to college when I feel like it. Right now, I just was to have fun. I'm never going to get this time back.”

 

“But you will regret not making something of yourself.”

 

Inuyasha sighed, reaching out and shaking her shoulder. “C'mon Kagome, do something stupid! Be a teenager, not a college counselor. You're so school crazy and serious. I'll bet you've taken college preparatory classes over the summer or something.”

 

Kagome blushed. Inuyasha pointed at her face, smirking. “I knew it!”

 

“Well entrance exams are really hard!” Kagome retorted.

 

“I have to agree with Inuyasha on this one.” Sango said. “This may be our last summer together. We should spend it having fun. Making memories.”

 

“Speaking of being together, how are you and Miroku doing? Haven't seen you with him lately.” Inuyasha asked her.

 

Sango shrugged. “The old pervert agreed to leave me be during finals. Plus it's the end of the semester for him in the university also. It's not like we can go out while we are both in the middle of academic chaos.”

 

“It's that time of year.” Inuyasha shook his head.

 

“You're telling us? It's already crazy time here.” Kagome sighed, setting herself back into her seat. “I should be getting back to work.” She said reluctantly.

 

“Have a good time.” Inuyasha said.

 

“You're not going to bother studying?”

 

“Nope.” He said unabashed.

 

Sighing, Kagome tried concentrating on her studies, but it was rather difficult with her already pounding headache. If only she had Inuyasha's good memory. At least then she wouldn't have to spend hours on end memorizing equations and English language mechanics. She stole a glance at him, tapping her pencil to her chin. He leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head and his feet on the desk. Kagome sighed. “You have it too easy.” She mumbled.

 

As she returned to her notes, a student came to her desk, tapping it to get her attention. Kagome turned her eyes on the girl, waiting for what she had to say. “Kagome Higurashi?” She asked.

 

Kagome stood answering. “Yes?”

 

“Could you come with me?” She asked. Nodding, Kagome began to follow when the girl paused. “You might want to get your things.” She said. Kagome tipped her head to the side, slightly confused, but gathered her belongings anyway. Inuyasha straitened behind her and she saw him send a curious gaze her way. The girl exited the room, and stood outside. Shortly afterward, her teacher came up to them.

 

“Kagome, your mother called.” She said bluntly.

 

“Is something wrong?” Kagome inquired nervously.

 

“Your grandfather is waiting for you at the principal's office. This way please.” The teacher dismissed the girl that had come to fetch Kagome and motioned toward the upper level stairs. Kagome didn't move, her eyes on her instructor.

 

“What wrong?” She repeated.

 

“Your brother has woken up.” Kagome's heart flipped in her chest. Without another word, she whizzed past the teacher and dashed toward the office.

 

()()()()()()()

 

She sat at the hospital lobby, holding her book bag close. It was now three and she was waiting for her mother to finally come out and tell them if Souta was feeling okay. Would he lose his memory? Was there any permanent brain damage? What if his seeing was impaired? Or what if he has terrible hand-eye coordination after this?

 

Grandpa placed a warm hand on her shoulder and Kagome flashed him an appreciative smile. When she met him at school and he told her the news, she had practically wanted to yell at the teachers to let her go. It seemed like forever till they signed her school release forms. Afterward, Kagome had tried her best not to run to the hospital, leaving Grandpa behind.

 

At least it was only a few days. He could've slept a lot longer, Kagome reminded herself, trying to stay positive. After so long, Ms. Higurashi finally came out. Kagome jumped from her seat, her heart rate speeding and then warming at the smile on her mother's face. Ms. Higurashi placed her hands on Kagome's shoulders, breathing in.

 

“He's fine. He's awake and he hasn't forgotten anything.” Kagome pulled her mother close, squeezing her with all her might. “What did the doctors say?” Kagome asked as she broke her mother's embrace.

 

“They said that he should be fine. His injuries should heal and we'll be able to take him home in a two weeks.”

 

“Thank goodness.” Grandpa whipped the tear from his eye.

 

“Can we go see him?” Kagome asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

Kagome followed Ms. Higurashi and Grandpa into the hallways. She paused before the door leading to her brother's room. She'd been to visit so many times, yet it felt like this was the first time she was here. Ms. Higurashi opened the door and Kagome tried her best to hold her tears back as she went inside. Souta wouldn't like seeing her like that, but Kagome couldn't help letting a few drops fall when she looked at Souta.

 

He was sitting on his bed, his broken arm across his lap, as he looked about the room. “Sis!” He said happily when he noticed Kagome. She smiled and whipped the water from her cheeks with her thumb and came close, patting him softly on the shoulder. “How do you feel Souta?”

 

“Terrible. I guess I won't be playing soccer anytime soon.” He gave Kagome a toothy grin. “When my leg heals, could you play with me? I want to make sure that I don't lose my game.”

 

Kagome nodded, patting him on the head, something she had missed doing. “Yeah, I promise.”

 

“You gave us quite a scare, young man.” Grandpa scolded.

 

“Sorry, Gramps.” Souta said softly.

 

Ms. Higurashi smiled, fluffing the pillow behind Souta's back. She then fixed the blanket covering him and tenderly placed his injured leg under the covers. “Mom!” Souta began indignantly, flushing. “I'm not a baby. I'll be fine.”

 

Ms. Higurashi laughed. “Your right. You'll be just fine.”

 

“So twerp, you'll have a few scars to show the ladies huh?” Kagome nudged him.

 

“Forget the ladies! Wait till the boys on the soccer team see these!” He indicated his casts. “I'll have these covered in signatures in no time!” He flashed them a toothy grin, then said, “The nurse gave me a marker. You want to be the first one to sign?”

 

Kagome picked up the black marker from the side table and began writing on the arm cast. “To Souta,” She said aloud, “try not to show off too much.” She laughed.

 

“Hey.” Souta pouted.

 

Grandpa tapped her on the shoulder. “Give me that, dear.” Kagome handed him the pen and he came forward, drawing a strange symbol of the wrist of the cast. Souta took a look at it when he was finished. “What's this?”

 

“A symbol for quick and good healing.” Grandpa said proudly. Kagome and Souta exchanged looks, laughing.

 

A nurse poked her head inside, smiling at Kagome who recognized her from a couple days past. “He should be getting some rest.” She said kindly, as she came in, ushering Ms. Higurashi and Grandpa outside. Kagome stood in place. “Sorry, can I stay here for five more minutes?” She asked.

 

The nurse nodded, walking toward Souta and helping him lie down. “Just don't disturb him. He needs to sleep.”

 

Kagome was actually glad that this nurse came in. She had to admit, now that Souta was awake, she was curious to know who had given the nurse her information. She was about to ask more about mysterious the boy when Souta gave a long moan. Her head snapped to the side as Souta moved in the bed. She sighed and turned back to the nurse, her question already on her lips. “Can I ask about the boy that came in with Souta the day of the accident?”

 

“Of course.” The nurse smiled.

 

“What did he say?”

 

The nurse pressed her index finger to her chin. “I remember he had fallen to his knees and he had become pale as a sheet. When I asked him if he needed a doctor, he just yelled at me for a piece of paper. Then he wrote your information, shakily I might add, and ran out.”

 

“I wonder why he was so frightened of the hospital.” Kagome mumbled to herself.

 

“Poor boy, I hope he's all right.” The nurse remarked.

 

Who did she know that knew Souta? Kagome wondered. “What did he look like?” She asked the nurse, running through possible candidates in her mind.

 

“He was a very good looking boy.”

 

“Good looking?” Kagome eliminated several of the boys in her mental image.

 

“Yes and he was strange too. He was tall, and his hair was long. Who has violet eyes these days? I think he must have been wearing contacts. I doubt that color is common here.”

 

Kagome's was immobile. “Long hair? Did you say violet eyes?”

 

The nurse nodded. “You know who it was?”

 

“Did his eyes look kind of grayish?”

 

“Actually, yes they did.” Before the nurse could say another word, Kagome had left the room. She heard several angry hospital staff yell at someone for running in the halls.

 

()()()()()()()

 

To say that he was tired was an understatement. Inuyasha wanted nothing more then to flop down on the bed and just sleep. Hopefully this time he wouldn't dream, he thought grimly as he dropped his things on the floor and headed toward his room. Two whole days and not a wink of sleep, his eyes were already touching. He shouldn't have gone to that hospital. Two nights in a row, he would revisit that damn place in his sleep. He would smell and hear the sounds he hated. He woke up both times in a cold sweat and couldn't go back to sleep.

 

Someone was knocking on the door. Inuyasha gave a slight start, turning, growling. He didn't care who it was, he wanted sleep damn it! He stomped his way toward the door as the knocker banged for entrance.

 

“I'm coming!” He growled. Whoever was there must have been eager because he had a sneaking suspicion that they were kicking the door. Scowling, he swung the door open. “What the hell do yo-Kagome?” He stopped mid sentence looking her over.

 

Her hair was disheveled and she was covered in sweat, panting. Her school bad was sliding off her shoulder. Her face was pale and her eyes glassy. She breathed in a mouthful of air. “Whoa. Shit, what happened to you?” He asked, trying to get her inside.

 

She pounced on him, making him fall backward, losing his balance. He hit his head on the floor, but that was nothing compared to the pain in his chest because Kagome was crushing his rips in a ferocious hug. He tried to at least sit, but her weight and the arms around his middle pinned him down. “OW! Are you trying to kill me!” He trying prying her hands loose, but stopped when he heard a sob come from her.

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Kagome yelled into his collarbone.

 

“Uh, your welcome?”

 

Kagome let out a puff of air and leaned up, staring into his face. “It was you wasn't it?” She asked, breathless.

 

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side, looking up at her as her hands straddled his head. “What are you talking about?”

 

Kagome looked into his face, inspecting him. “You were the one who was with Souta the day of the accident, weren't you?”

 

Inuyasha starred at her for a moment. He sighed and said, “Yeah it was me. I was there when it happened.”

 

“How did the accident…”

 

“I didn't see. Apparently, the car at the front of the intersection hadn't gotten to break in time.”

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” Kagome demanded, shaking his shoulders.

 

“I don't know. I didn't think it was important.” He shrugged.

 

“Not important!” Kagome was shocked.

 

“Listen, all I did was give them the school's number and your name. It's not that big of a deal. I didn't exactly save his life.”

 

“Of course it was a big deal! I never would have known that Souta was hurt if you hadn't given them our information! I would have been twice as worried!” She stopped to catch her breath. “Is that the reason you weren't in school for the rest of the week?”

 

Inuyasha frowned. “Kind of.”

 

“Now I feel terrible.” Kagome bit her lip.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because of the deal and…”

 

“Oh that. I still missed more then three days of school. Forget it.”

 

“I can't thank you enough.”

 

“Geez woman, all I did was give them your contact information! Don't go gushing `thank you' over and over; it's embarrassing!”

 

Kagome smiled. “Still, is there anything I could do to show my gratitude.”

 

“Yeah, you can get off me.” Inuyasha smirked, pointing to where her body touched his.

 

Color surfaced in Kagome's skin when she realized the position they were in. “Uh,” she flinched, looking down to where she was sitting on his hips. In a second she had stood and rushed across the room, her eyes wide and her face pink.

 

Inhaling, Inuyasha stood, dusting himself off. “Ow.” He whined, rubbing the back of his head. “That REALLY hurt.” He gave Kagome a mild glare as she pushed herself to stand, her cheeks still rosy.

 

“Sorry.” Kagome breathed out, hearing her heart spring from flashing across the room. Inuyasha kicked his front door closed, making the red resurface in Kagome's face. The door had been open the whole time! What if one of his neighbors had come by?

 

“So, I'm guessing that you found out from that nurse.” Inuyasha placed his hands in his pockets.

 

“Uh, yeah.” Kagome hoped that no one had come by and seen them in that…compromising position.

 

“How's your brother doing by the way?”

 

She became alive again. “He woke up!” She said excitedly, beaming.

 

Inuyasha exhaled in relief. “That's good.”

 

Kagome bounced up and down in happiness, giving him an unnerving expression. Her eyes were wide and she looked like she wanted something. That wide grin was making him anxious. “Will you stop looking at me like that! It freaks me out!”

 

Kagome clasped her hands together. “Hey why don't you come to the hospital to see Souta with me? I'm sure he'll be more then happy to see you! Please?”

 

His reaction wasn't what she had expected. He blanched and became rigid, holding still like a statue, his eyes wide. Taking in a deep breath, he replied, “I don't think that would be a good idea.”

 

Kagome pouted, coming closer and nudging his shoulder. “Come one. Don't play the modest hero.”

 

Inuyasha turned his head away. “No, really. It's not a good idea.”

 

Kagome placed her hands on her hips, scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes. “Why not?” She crossed her arms stubbornly.

 

Inuyasha was beginning to lose his patience. Did this girl ever take no for an answer? “Just drop the damn thing okay?” He growled.

 

Kagome bit her lip, smiling. “What's wrong with showing my brother the guy who helped him out? I didn't know you were so shy Inuyasha.”

 

“I'm not shy!” He wrinkled his nose.

 

“Then why won't you come?”

 

“Because I just don't want to go to a hospital okay?” He yelled, snarling. Kagome stepped back from the intensity of his voice. He panted, calming himself down.

 

“Inuyasha…”

 

He took a long, deep breath. “Listen. I don't…do well with hospitals.”

 

“How come?”

 

He turned his head away. “It's complicated.”