InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Break me or Make me ❯ Chapter 4

Miroku_n'_Guitars_101: Hey! Long time no update! I just finished finals, and have no Homework (damn commies...) so I have a green writing light for a while. Yay! Alright... I am looking for a beta reader for this story, so if anyone would like to volunteer, send me an IM, PM, e-mail, or whatever. My IM is Dolphin4002, and u can reach me at Dolphin4002@aol.com, or at Miroku-n-Guitars_101@yahoo.com. I have yim as well on the yahoo account, but I never login. Alright, I'm done blabbing, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: The killer squirrels took away my ownership papers... I do not own Brand New's Seventy times 7 lyrics, either, unfortunately.

Make Me or Break Me

Chapter Four

*Sunday Morning, 1:00 P.m.*

"Kagome, you really need to get up now!" Kagome pulled her sheets up higher over her head and stuffed her head under a pillow as well. "KAGOME MIKO HIGURASHI! GET UP THIS INSTANT!" Her mom yelled louder.

'Ugggg. If she knew what happened she would want to fall in a hole and die too.' She thought as she sluggishly replied. "Going, mom." Kagome then climbed, or rather fell, out of bed, then meandered over to the shower stall. She turned on the faucets, only bothering with the hot spigot and waiting for the room to fill up with cloudy steam before climbing in. She let the water fall around her, serenading her in hot droplets of water. She then washed thoroughly before relaxing in the hot water, letting it wash away her dilemma as the water spiraled down the drain. She basked in the fragrance of Honey and lavender as the hot water drained from the pipes and turned to a luke warm color.

She then decided to get out of the shower, and leisurely got dressed. She figured that she would just hide in her room all day, so she put on an old, white T-shirt that was practically sheer and had a few holes in it. She decided on a pair of old pants with holes on the pockets and a black belt with three rows of metal pyramids on it. The senior didn't reel like wearing black today. She was too upset at her life as it was; she didn't need to wear the mourning colors of black to further that issue. She then slouched her way down the stairs and grabbed some brunch, since she had missed both breakfast and lunch. She heard the phone ring in the distance, but was too into the radio to process it. She was singing and working on her painting, completely into it. She didn't realize that her mom was yelling bloody murder for the second time today.

*Back in school they never taught us

What we needed to know

Like how to deal with despair

Or someone breakin your heart

For twelve years I've held it all together

But a night like this is beggin to pull me apart

I played it quiet left you deep in conversation

I felt uncool and hung out around the kitchen

I remember I kept thinking

That I know you never would

And now I know I want to kill you

Like only a best friend could

Everyone's caught on to everything you do

Everyone's caught on to... *

"Kagome! Phone!" her mom yelled across the hallway. "KAGOME!"

*As if it happening wasn't enough

I got to go and write a song

Just to remind myself how bad it sucked

Ignore the sun, covers over my head

Wrote a message on my pillow that says

"Jesse, stay asleep in bed"

Don't apologize (I hope you choke and die!)

Search your cell for something which to hang yourself

They say you need to pray

If you want to go to heaven

But they don't tell you what to say

When your whole life has gone to Hell!

Everyone's caught on to everything you do

Everyone's caught on to...

(And I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to everything you do

(And I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to...*

This had finally permeated her music. Kagome stopped singing long enough to continue to sing, "Tell who ever it is that I don't feel like talking right now, call back later." 'I am really not in the mood. Its Inu-Yasha, I know it! He is gonna apologize and say what a jerk he was, only to stamp on my heart again..." Kagome turned the music back up and continued to sing. The song fit her emotions, and she was damned if anyone was going to interrupt her self-pity party.

*So is that what you call a getaway?

Tell me what you got away with

Cause I've seen more spine on jellyfish

I've seen more guts on eleven-year-old kids

Have another drink and drive yourself home

I hope there's ice on all the roads

And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt

And again when your head goes through the windshield

Is that what you call tact?

You're as subtle as a brick in the small of my back

So let's end this call and end this conversation

And is that what you call a getaway?

Tell me what you got away with

Cause you left the frays from the ties you severed

When you say "best friends" means friends forever *

Her mom hung up, but Kagome did not know that the caller would come up to her doorstep some ten minutes later. No one ignored Sesshoumaru and got away with it. 'Kagome obviously needs to learn a lesson,' he thought as he got in his Ferrari and sped to the unsuspecting girl's domain.

*Is that what you call a getaway?!!

Tell me what you got away with!!

Cause I've seen more spine on jellyfish!!

I've seen more guts on eleven-year-old kids!!

Have another drink and drive yourself home!!

I hope there's ice on all the roads!!

And you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt

Then when your head goes through the windshield!!

(I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to everything you do

(And I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to...

(I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to everything you do

(And I can't let you let me down again)

Everyone's caught on to...*

Kagome was fed up with him! First he ignored her through the toughest years of her life, then acted like he wanted to be friends again after all those years, only to ditch her and let the whole school body in on it as well. She would get him back, she just didn't know how yet. She continued on the painting of a rather depressed eye, crying blood out of it. The eye looked more and more like her stormy gray ones, raining down a red rain, by the minute. She hadn't noticed a man standing in her doorway until she turned around to mix more paint.

"I did not know that you painted as well as sung." his icy voice commented.

"Occasionally." she answered, her momentary suprise hidden from years of practicing keeping her emotions in check. "It's a good outlet for my feelings, as you can see." Sesshoumaru glanced around the girl's room as he spotted about five different easels with different canvases on them. There were also both used and new canvases leaning against walls In neat stacks.

"My brother, I presume?" the `All-Knowing' Sesshoumaru, as Kagome had dubbed him, stated more than asked.

"I guess," Kagome started, as if unsure what to think. Sesshoumaru just looked at her in fascination as she wiped her brow, smearing paint across her forehead. He noticed how her damp hair was slung into a low mess-bun and her shirt was tight and worn… it then hit him that she wasn't wearing any black today, minus the belt. She looked… good. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, Higurashi?" Sesshoumaru asked as if he hadn't missed a thing.

"I asked why you were here, today is Sunday, and I was planing on spending my Sunday ALONE," Kagome emphasized.

"Well, Higurashi, I was wondering if you would like to partake in a plan against my half-brother." Kagome looked somewhat shocked at this, Sesshoumaru was not the type to play payback, at least, not the non-verbal type. "I owe him as well."

~*~ Flashback ~*~

Sesshoumaru looked about eight instead of his current twenty-one. His eyes were much more expressive, and held a human gleam to them, instead of the emotionless voids they were as of now. He would soon learn why his future self had those inanimate orbs sooner than he would want to, as life as he knew it crashed down on the younger eight-year-old

"Sesshou, son, we have something to discuss. Can you come in here for a minute?" Sesshoumaru's father called from their sitting room. The room was extravagantly decorated, with expensive furniture and ornaments, so he was rarely able to enter. He looked at it as a special treat; however, the boy of fifteen was very, very mistaken.

He entered the room with a huge smile on his face. It soon faded, as there was another woman in the room with his father, whom he highly honored and cherished. He was expecting some time alone with his father, who was seeing him less and less due to "business". Sesshoumaru was smart enough to know it wasn't the whole story. "Yes, Father?" he asked, business like.

"Son, ever since your mother left," a sad look flickered in the father's eyes and a greater one became apparent in his, "I have been seeing someone, and we are going to get married." Sesshoumaru's eyes bugged out, and he almost instantly relaxed in denial. His father continued, "So, this is Kiyone."

"Hello, Sesshoumaru. It is very nice to finally meet you. Your father has told so much of your accomplishments. You are an eight year old, and already in the fifth grade… wow. I am impressed." Kiyone said, trying to let the young boy warm up to her. "You will set a good example for our next surprise then." She said with a bright smile on her face.

"We are having a child as well, Sesshoumaru. He is already seven months now," Sesshoumaru took the time to now look at the strange woman's stomach and sure enough… "You will be a wonderful elder-brother, I am sure." He said dryly. "That is all, son. You may continue with whatever you were doing." And with that, Sesshoumaru's life turned upside down.

Five years later, Sesshoumaru was thirteen, and in the eleventh grade, submerging himself in his studies ever since that day five years ago. His younger half-brother, Inu-Yasha, was five, and got all the attention. He was basically shoved out of his parent's lives, only recognized for babysitting and mealtime. He studied with a new fever, letting his already brilliant mind suck up information endlessly. He now had eyes like diamonds in a mine, unpenatratable, unreadable. No one could see through them, clouded by the dirt and grime from the mine, or the corruption he had seen in his life.

He swore to himself that he would make his brother's life a living hell first chance he got, payback for his own. Little did he know that the playmate that his brother was constantly with would help him with his scheme.

~*~ End Flashback ~*~

"Well, what is your so called `brilliant' idea?" Kagome asked. The two of them were at the local coffee joint, Cozi. A young girl in a tattered outfit and a young man, who appeared much older than he actually was, in a business suit.

"I am working on that. To change the topic, I was wondering if you had a current place of employment." Sesshoumaru looked at her, calculating his next move.

"Well, I had been looking for one, yes, but no one wants to hire a senior about to graduate." She said, looking down at her plate of bite-sized cookies.

"I took over my father's business after he had passed away last year… don't even bother saying anything, I am over it." He noted the look of sympathy in the other's eyes. That was the first time anyone had ever looked at him like that… "He owned Tensaiga, the… shall I call it…bar. We are in dire need of filler performances, as well as waitresses. The pay is average to good," Sesshoumaru was cut off by Kagome, who was trying to excitedly trying to digest all of it.

"You mean you want me? To sing at your bar? The Tensaiga? Do you know how… ritzy that place is?" Kagome bombarded the collage grad with questions.

"Yes I know, I own and run it, Higurashi. I am well aware of it's reputation." He said in a who-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are-talking-to voice.

"Oh, yeah…" she giggled nervously, "momentary lapse. I would love to, but are you sure? I mean, I'm not all that great at singing, I have never sung in a chorus or had singing lessons at that…" she droned on as supprise flickered across Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"Why else, Higurashi, would I ask you?"

"Sorry, Mr. All-Knowing restaurant-owner. I apologize, sire." Her voice practically dripped with sarcasm. She waltzed out of the restaurant with out giving her approval or saying goodbye.

"HIGURASHI! A deep, scholarly voice yelled at her. She was already a quarter of a block away before she stopped dead in her tracks. "Forgetting a ride?" a faint flicker of a smile crossed his lips, but dissapeared before Kagome could confirm it.

'Did he just... smile at me? What do you know? The humanoid ice cube may have a soul after all.' she thought as she smiled sheepishly and walked back to him.

'She is sooo...'

'Cute?' his mind offered.

'Hell no!' he waged war in his head.

'You know you want her, and not just to help publicize your bar...'

'I DO NOT!' a rare expression crossed his face as Kagome walked up to him and started to tap him on the shoulder.

"Sesshoumaru...You there...Hey... HEY!!!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" he yelled back, frustrated, but not intentionally. 'That should shut her up at least. He was wrong again.

"What the hell is your problem?" Kagome asked, getting into the car.

"Nothing, nothing at all," he commented, bringing himself down to the childish level of argument.

"You are so weird," she stated, turning up the radio. She started to sing along to the familiar tune. Sesshoumaru found himself relaxing to the sound of her voice as the voices waged war in his mind again.

"So, about that job..." Kagome questioned.

Snapping out of it, Sesshoumaru replied, "Well, do you want it?" with a nod from Kagome, he continued. "Well, when can you start?" he asked the girl, who was flipping through his CD's.

"Well, I will have to clear it with my mom, but I'm sure she will say yes. I can start any time, really."

"Wonderful," he stated in his monotonous voice. "You will start tomorrow, providing your mother lets you.

"Tomorrow!" Kagome exclaimed. "But...But that is only a a a day away."

Sesshoumaru looked at his watch, which read five thirty. "Twenty four and a half hours, to be exact. You are expected to be there at six, sharp. I can pick you up if you want. Do not worry about a stage outfit, my coworker can provide one, as well as a uniform.

You will start serving people at six-thirty, and your stage time is from eight to eight thirty for starters." he said, mentally rattling off the schedule.

"Okkk..." 'He is such a piece of work, the communistic slave driving, egotistic...'

"Higurashi, it was nice doing business with you. I will pick you up at six then."

"See ya, and thanks, I guess."

"No, problem, you have talent." with that he revved up the car and sped back down the street.

~*~ The Next Day ~*~

Hey, Sango." Kagome said as she approached her friend in the hall. Kagome was back in her all black attire again. She was wearing a plain black long-sleeved shirt with a black polo shirt over it. She had on a plain black pair of dickies and a pair of black vans as well.

"What's up?" Sango was wearing a red tank top over a black T-shirt. She had on hip-hugging flares and a pair of combat boots. Both of the girl's hair was down.

Kagome decided not to tell her friend of her employment position, so she just made pleasant conversation instead. The two reached their first hour classes, the hour seaming to last forever. Since today was a Monday, they had all of their classes, all seven of them. First hour was physics, Sango considered herself lucky, although Kagome couldn't say the same. That passed by relatively quickly, being as it was only a forty-five minute long class on Mondays, instead of the normal hour and a half on Wednesdays and Fridays. Second hour they had English, (the language, not the class) and third hour was Japanese (our equivalent of an English class). Fourth hour they had Calculus, and then lunch after. Fifth hour they had speech class, Fifth was Japanese history, and seventh was Choir for Kagome, and A.P. portfolio for Sango. Needless to say, with a full schedule, their day was packed.

The day ran somewhat smoothly, only Kagome noticed the glances that alienated her, and made her feel sick in the pit of her stomach. Sango, having missed the crucial event, didn't appear to see them, just continued to talk to her friend, meandering from hall to hall.

When it was time for Sixth hour was when things got heated up. Kagome didn't know what she was in for, if she did, she would have feigned sick. Or death.

"Hello, class," an elderly woman greeted as she entered the classroom. The students were in groups, bickering, but fell into their seats the moment she graced them with her presence.

"Hello, Miss Kaede," the monotonous class responded.

"Today, as you well know, we will be continuing our studies with the feudal era. I feel that it would be best to follow up with a project." The class groaned. "However, you will be paired by random. I will just pull out my cards…," just then a door was slammed and a long, silver haired man walked unconcerned to his seat in the back. "Ahhh, Inu-Yasha. Nice of you to grace us with your intelligent, intellectual presence. I was just saying that I was going to put you in groups for a project. After a quarter of the class was called, she then called Sango's name, followed by a smirking Miroku's. Kikyo was then immediately paired up with Hojo. Kagome was praying to whatever god was out there that she got stuck with anyone but him.

`Not him, please. I promise I will take all of grandpa's lessons to heart, I really will… jus don't let it be with HIM!'

"And lastly, Higurashi, you will be paired with Youkai. If there are no more questions, I will hand out the assignment, and you will get started. This project should take you the majority of the next three weeks, and you will have the privilege to work with your partner on your own time, as well as mine." She said dryly as she passed out the handouts.

The bell rang, interrupting her, and the class filtered out of the room. Kagome paled in disbelief as she walked to her choir. At least that class had the tendency to cheer her up. Her opinion would again be changed in a short passing time of a mere eight minutes.

Kagome tried to concentrate on her music, but it was hard when your archrival was staring holes in your back. Kikyo was sitting in the back with Kagura, and Kanna.

`I will get her for being partners with Inu-Yasha. I fix one thing, and she just goes and gets involved with him again. Well, there won't be a next time, the plan was supposed to fix that. They will just bicker and argue the whole time that they work on the…project," she smirked to herself. Maybe this would workout after all, without her influencing it.

~*~ After Classes ~*~

"You want to hang out, or something? We don't have all that much homework today." Sango offered her new best friend as the two of them walked to their cars.

"Nah, I have to go home. I need to do some work on the shrine." Kagome felt bad for lying to her friend, but she didn't want Sango to know where she would really be.

"Oh, have fun," she jested. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

'If I make it.' "See ya then." Kagome smiled as she got into her car, then sped down the streets to get to her house.

Kagome got home, and she rushed to her room like her tail (if she had one) was on fire. And we aren't talking the cigarette lighter kind; we are talking about the massive, gasoline-induced kind of fire you see at gasoline stations in a cop movie. She wanted to get her homework done before tonight, but also she wanted to get her mind off of tonight. Kagome had a passion for singing, she had wanted to be a singer all her life, just never had a chance like this to persue it. Now that the time had finally come, she almost didn't want to do it. She spent hours warming up her voice, singing whatever was thrown at her from the radio, as she tackled her Calculus problems. The phone rang, and since the house was empty, she had to go get it.

"Hello?" She asked, winded from a combination of singing and running down two flights of steps, separated by a landing.

"Hey," Sesshoumaru's cool, calm, and collected voice was heard on the other end.

"What's up?" Kagome asked, nervously, for fear of losing her job.

"I have to pick you up a an hour earlier. There are important people coming, old friends of my dad, and they want to check up on the place. One of them is the mayor, and another is a producer, and has given out record deals in the past. No pressure," he said in a monotonous voice.

'Did he just joke?' a confused Kagome asked herself before replying. "Are you serious? I-I don't k-k-know if I can do that." a shaky voice replied.

"You will do fine. I will pick you up in an hour, instead of at six."

"Alright... I hope you know what you are doing..."

"Trust me, I do." and with that, a suit clad Sesshoumaru pulled back his hair in a low pony-tail at the nape of his neck with a black ribbon, and got in his car. `This will be great for business. Even if I cant stand the wench, she will make me a big profit, and maybe one of her own while she is at it…' he thought as he pulled his car out of the driveway.

When Kagome heard the bell ring, she dropped everything and ran frantically. She opened the door on herself, causing her to trip and fall right into the slightly annoyed person in the doorway. He was wet, from the slight downpour that she hadn't noticed. Only one word could describe him: ticked. "Get in the car," he said, jaws tightly clenched. She noticed the water had pulled the suit so that it clung to his structure. Kagome realized one thing: although he had a supple, elegant, studious figure clothed, the clinging of the suit revealed every muscle, ripple, and angle of his extremely masculine structure.

`Bad, Kagome, Bad!' she scolded herself as she climbed in shotgun and Sesshoumaru speed off in the direction of his father's lounge.

~*~ At the Lounge ~*~

In the dressing room, Kagome met a person that she would get to know very well. She went by the name of Rin. She was Sesshoumaru's associate, as she assured Kagome and deffinantally NOT his girlfriend. "I couldn't stand to be around him that long, although I have known him most all of my life," she commented. "He saved me from the streets. Both of my parents were dead, and I was dying, and would have if he didn't rescue me." She said, rummaging through her things for an ensemble for Kagome to wear up on stage. Ahh, here we go, Perfect. You will deffinantally knock `em dead in this getup!"

Kagome stared at herself in the mirror. She knew that she had the potential to look nice, but what she looked was beyond that. She didn't even look like Kagome anymore, but a grown up young lady, in an extremely expensive outfit. She had on a long, black satin dress. It was form fitting until it hit her slender waist, then it started to flare out after her hips. The straps were barely visible, but there, nonetheless, and were made up of a suede material. The neckline was square, cutting off for just enough to show, consequently leaving much to the imagination. The lip of this was lined in the same material as the straps were. The dress was full length, and had slits up to her upper thigh, showing off her well-toned, pale legs. She had on high heels, that had two crossing straps at the toes, and one high around the ankle, everything but the large platforms made of silk as well. The bottom rim of the dress had a stripe corresponding to the top lip of the dress. She had on elbow-high midnight black satin gloves, matching the extravagant dress. Her hair was pulled into a mess-bun; loose strands curled, and was held up by small diamond clips. Her eyes were heavily eye-lined in black, and had on a heavy dash of mascara as well. The only other make-up was her lips, which were stained blood red. She looked like an angle, fallen from above.

As the lights dimmed down on the customers, a spotlight turned on, illuminating an unrecognizable Kagome, standing with a cordless microphone in her gloved hand. Her soprano voice suddenly rang out, resonating in the room, and in the ears of the engrossed listeners. (MNG101: I know, guys sing this song, but in this case, Kagome is singing it. ^ ^ I won't interrupt again, I promise)

*Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next
What happens next *

Kagome had the whole room in a trance-like state. She was lost in the music and didn't even notice the people, just the lyrics forming in her head, and the notes coursing as the instrumental track played them.

*I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before *

She swayed after this chorus, letting the instruments envelop her; she was in her element, and everyone noticed.

*Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

[Chorus]

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before *

Kagome just stood there, the music finishing, the last of the emotions washing up on her. The audience just sat there, and for a horrible moment, she thought that they hated it. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stood up, and clapped. The whole dining area then stood up, and applauded, throwing roses at her in gratitude. Murmurs of `that was beautiful' and `absolutely stunning' along with an occasional `that was so freakin awesome' from an employee was heard through out the room, with various variations. Kagome exhaled a pent-up breath she didn't know she was holding, and waited to start her next song, wondering which one to do. She was just about to tell the controller, but then a certain man walked through the door. Inu-Yasha. This swayed Kagome's opinion on the choice of song completely, as she picked a more appropriate one, as well as a childhood favorite, that she used to sing to him at the ripe and untainted age of ten or so.

*My immortal
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all of my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
and though you're still with me
I've been alone all along*

As she finished another breathtaking song, all but two people had the general reaction. One walked up the stage to reintroduce her so she could be relieved of the pressure of the stage, and the other brother, finally figuring out who the goddess was on the stage, just stood there, perplexed. The rest of the audience, including the mayor and the producer, stood up and clapped a thundering reward, like none the lovely girl had ever received before. `Dad would have loved that,' she thought as she walked in a dazed stupor off the stage.

"Hey, Higurashi," Sesshoumaru poked his head into the singer's temporary room. "May I have a word with you?"

"Yeah, sure," she said as she finished taking off the make-up, clad in her previous clothing.

"The producer wants me to introduce you," was all he said before he heard her over to the table with the important people at it.

"Mr. Kinomoto, Mr. Shinra, this is Higurashi Kagome, the singer from earlier," the young businessman formally introduced. "Higurashi, meet the mayor and the producer." Kagome politely shook hands with them, and received reassuring glances.

"Kagome," the producer started, "if we could find you a sponceror, not only would the mayor and I like you as a regular act here, but we would be interested in working you up to a record deal, with your own, original songs, of course."

~*~ That Night ~*~

Kagome laid in bed, starring at the ceiling. She couldn't believe what had been offered to her. She fell into a deep sleep, unlike the ones she had been having. Her mind had completely forgotten Inu-Yasha for the moment, and she dreamt of stardom.

Miroku_n'_Guitars_101: Hey, folks long chapter, yeah? I will keep this short then, but remember, you know you want to click that sexy rate button right there… yeah the one in the corner. Tankey-tankey!! ^ ^