InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demons in Disguise ❯ Alone and Dreaming ( Chapter 9 )

Rin had skipped dinner and refused any other food Janice or George offered her. She wasn't in the mood for eating. She sat crossed legged on the colorful comforter of her futon. Parts of the clouds had thinned enough so the Lin could see the shining crescent through her window. She gazed at it longingly. Mentally, she pictured Sesshou with that moon on his brow. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like Sesshou was her Ivory Prince that she dreamed about. Rin's reverie was broken when Janice knocked at her door.

"Sweetie? May I come in?" Janice didn't even wait for Rin to answer. She opened the door, entered, and sat down at the edge of Rin's futon. Rin only looked at her from the corner of her eye.

"Do you need anything, Janice?" Rin questioned with a brow raised.

"Well, I was just wondering if you felt well enough to go to school tomorrow. We'd understand if you choose not to," Janice said. Rin's first thought was to say she's rather stay at the house, but then she reconsidered. If she did get out of the house then there was a chance she'd meet up with Sesshou again. However slim that chance might be.

"I'm fine. I don't see why I couldn't go to school," Rin rested her chin on her legs.

"Are you sure you are well enough?" Janice checked. "Do you want George to drive you? I wouldn't want you running into the cruel man again."

Rin shook her head side to side fiercely.

"That's okay, I'd rather ride the bus. I'll be more careful now," Rin gave a phony smile to satisfy Janice. Janice kissed Rin's forehead and tucked her in.

"If you're sure then it's okay with me," Janice said and walked out of the room, turning off the lights. Once she was gone, Rin reached for her backpack under the futon and rummaged through the front pocket. When she took her hand out, the white tissue Sesshou had giver her earlier that day with locked in her fingers. She ran her fingertips over the white fabric and took a deep whiff of the milky scent of his skin, still apparent on the tissue paper. With thoughts of Sesshou swirling through her head, she snuggled under the covers and fell asleep.

* * *

He walked through the dense forest quietly. His face was still, and the starlight reflected off of his fair skin. A soft breeze picked up and stroked through his long silverly hair. The soft creamy fur from the object adorning his shoulder rubbed against his neck. The shape of the moon on his forehead matched the shape of the moon hanging in the night sky. A chest plate protected his abdomen and a spiked ribbon of metal curved over his left shoulder. Two swords hung at his yellow and purple sash around his waist. Golden eyes watched the wilderness that lay before him.

He was powerful; untouchable. The Lord of the Western Lands. None dare oppose him unless they have a death wish. Demons awed at his power while humans trembled before him. He was Sesshoumaru. With his head held high, Sesshoumaru sauntered along through the trees, searching for nothing in particular.

There was another there. A strange companion considering who he was. A young girl in an orange and tangerine kimono pranced around him. She admired the wildflowers and the fireflies that flickered with neon light. Her innocence and her vivacious attitude were always abundant. Somehow, this young girl mantainted Sesshoumaru's interest. He had never understood why he hadn't just let the girl die when he came across her that day in the forest. Something about this girl touched his heart. A heart that had never been reached by any before she came along.

Sesshou awoke from the dream with a start. He bolted up straight in his bed, breathng heavily. Tiny droplets of prespiration covered his forehead. He swallowed and wiped his forehead with his arm. What dream was that? Why did the man in his dream, Sesshoumaru, seem so familiar? No, that man was beyond familiar. It was as if that Sesshoumaru fellow was part of him. Sesshoumaru was him.

Sesshou checked his watched and groaned heavily. It was 11:29 AM. He was already late for his first lecture class and if he didn't hurry he'd be late for his second. Out of all the commotion yesterday he had forgotten to buy a new alarm clock. Sesshou jumped out of bed and began to hurry through his morning routine.

* * *

Rin rode the bus to school that day (after carefully checking the bus route) and was disappointed when Sesshou didn't make an appearance. It was a slim shot anyway so she wasn't really that surprised. Nearing the large high school, Rin gulped. She just knew today wasn't going to be any different than her other first days at a school. Loneliness, misery, and shunning is all that awaited her.

Rin crept through the front doors. She did her best to attract no one's attention while walking down the student congested hallway. Rin pulled the note with all her information on it. Finding her locker was easy, it was opening it that was the hard part. She had a top locker and, due to her short stature, she had more than enough trouble turning the dial on the lock.

"Let's see. Turn right twice to 56...then left once to 25...argh!" Rin exclaimed aggravatingly. Her hand had slipped up again. It wasn't simple trying to read the combonation while standing on her toes to reach the dial.

Since it had taken so much time to open her locker, Rin was late for first period. She hated being late because that meant that everyone in that class would notice her. She slipped in to the room and handed a slip to the teacher that told her she was a new student. Rin was very relieved when the teacher didn't announce her to the entire class like they usually did with new students.

Rin took a seat in the back and listened to the teacher speak. It was harder than she thought to keep up with the class. How much could have she missed in just one day? Soon she gave up completely trying to pay attention to the teacher. Rin began to doodle on her paper and her thoughts trailed back to Sesshou. The connection they had made had been uncannily strong and became only stronger when they had embraced each other.

"Did you hear me, Miss Lin?" the teacher's voice caught her off guard. Rin's head bounced up to the teacher. Everyone was looking at her with amused faces. She shrunk back into her seat and her cheeks became redder than ever.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Rin peeped. "W-what was the question?"

"Why aren't you paying attention, Miss Lin?" the teacher asked sternly. Rin was so nervous she was practically jumping at every sound.

"W-was that the question you asked me w-when I wasn't listening?" Rin managed a tiny smile which soon disappeared when the entire class started snickering.

"Miss Lin, do you think I'm in the mood for a class clown?" the teacher scolded as he approached Rin who continuing to shrink at her desk.

"D-do you want me to answer that?" Rin seriously asked. The snickers from the class grew into loud chuckles and the teacher's fierce glare bore right through Rin. Her eyes became moist and she bit her lip, trying not to let anyone see how hard she was trying not to cry. But nonetheless the class noticed.

"Oh, my God, is she actually crying?" one girl whispered to her friend with a giggle.

"What a baby."

"I think she belongs in the pre-school a few blocks down."

"I bet she wants her mama real bad right about now."

The teacher didn't even say anything to the people who were mocking Rin. A tear spilled down her blushing face and she covered her cheeks, pressing hard. The chuckles fro the class exploded into downright laughter. The sound stung her ears and tore at her heart.

"I want you to go the principal's office right away," the teacher said. He scribbled a pass on a sheet of paper and jammed it in front of Rin's face. She snatched the piece of paper out of his without hesitation. Rin sprung out of her chair, grabbed her books, and sprinted out the door with tiny tears falling from her eyes.

The sounds of laughter disappeared once Rin was far enough away from the classroom. She didn't stop running though. She went straight to her locker and fiddled with the dial until it flung open. Papers and her backpack tumbled out of the locker onto the floor. Still sobbing quietly, Rin stuffed all the paraphernalia into her backpack and swung it over one shoulder.

Rin continued her mad dash right past the principal's office and straight out of the front doors. The tears began to subside, replaced by cold rain. Her side hurt, and her legs were sore, but she didn't stop sprinting. She wasn't quite sure where she was heading, but she wanted to get there fast. Rin never wanted to go to that school again. She never wanted to go to Janice and George's home again! She just wanted to go home! Even though she didn't know where home was.

Rin hadn't even realized how far she had run until she stopped at a crosswalk. The red hand switched to a "Walk" symbol and she crossed quietly, panting for breath. The city was busy around her. Vendors waited at corners, business men chatted away on cell phones, homeless people jingled little cups, and all kinds of other sights and sounds surrounded her.

Rin paid no mind though. She just ambled down the sidewalk slowly with all kinds of different people walking on that same sidewalk. The people around her hid small Rin from the city. Tears fell from her eyes and were drowned in the downpour of rain. She knew she was crying though. Even though no one else cared or was even aware that an eighteen year old girl with the heart of a child was weeping, Rin knew. And sadness swept through her with every tear that fell.