InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Escape ❯ Encounter ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not and probably never will own Inuyasha. Just like to borrow him from time to time.

When we last left off:

He was like a rock, a symbol of strength and solidity. They had had their ups and downs, but in the end, they always stuck together. He had always been there for her, when he wasn't sidetracked doing a million other things. This was love…wasn't it?

Encounter

Reluctantly Kagome left the warmth of her bed and got up to take a shower. Once finished she went downstairs just to be greeted by the enticing aroma of Carla's Belgium waffles. She smiled brightly as Kagome entered the kitchen. "Well its about time you woke up. Hungry?"

"Famished." She pulled up a chair next to her foster sister, Rin, who was a year younger than her. They both had been adopted the same day but from different agencies. Rin was by nature a sweet, sociable and amiable chatterbox. While Kagome had already blossomed into a young woman, Rin still looked like very much like the little girl they had picked up almost 6 years ago and still adored her older sister with the same enthusiasm. They both had been brought up with the same expectation of succeeding in all they do. Carla and Ron had always demanded that they be the best, which was why both girls had 4.0 cumulative GPAs and studied almost all the time. Outwardly Kagome did what she was expected and never fell short of her foster parents' expectations, but inwardly she silently wished she could relax and not be burdened down with all her responsibilities. Being class president, president of the Japanese club, and manager of both the wresting and soccer team was taking its toll. She barely had enough time to hang out with her friends, not to mention Hojo. And half the time they planned to get together he cancelled or was a no show. Exhaustion and lethargy were no strangers to her.

"Kagome," Rin said bringing her out of her thoughts, "what are planning to do today?"

She shrugged. "Probably work on my essays for AP English." Graduation was only a month away and she still had so much to do.

Rin didn't make an effort to conceal her disappointment. "Oh. I was hoping you could come with my friends and me to the college fair in Fairfax."

"Kagome should already know what college she will be attending," Ron responded upon entering the kitchen. "Therefore it would be in her best interest to stay here and study for those AP exams coming up, right Kagome?"

'Great, another Saturday wasted.' But she only nodded in agreement.

"I can't wait to go to college!" Rin exclaimed excitedly practically jumping up and down in her seat, her brown eyes glazed over with in enthusiasm. "Aren't you excited Kag?"

"Thrilled."

"Well Carla and I leaving tonight," Ron stated unfolding his newspaper. "We have to meet with our clients in Norfolk and won't be back until next week. Make sure you girls do what you're supposed to do and don't cause any trouble. We will be checking in often. I trust you two. You've never caused us reason to doubt you before, so don't do anything I wouldn't do."

'Which would be absolutely nothing.' Kagome put on her best imitation of a smile. "You don't have anything to be worried about."

Carla nodded in approval. "Good then. Now lets talk about how you're fairing in your classes." Kagome inwardly sighed. That's all they cared about. Academics was more important to them than anything else. From then on the day pretty much dragged on. Out of pure boredom she had finished all her homework for the weekend. What had kept her interest all day was her and Hojo's upcoming date. It had been such a long time since they had went somewhere nice, in which is why she called up her best friends, Charlie and Rei, so they could go shopping.

"Explain to me again why this date with Hobo is so important," Charlie said flipping her waist length strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. "I thought you hated the guy for standing you up."

Kagome shrugged. "I forgave him. Besides this internship is really important to him."

Rei sucked her teeth in exasperation. "Kag, you are too damn forgiving."

"My words exactly," Charlie replied giving her a wary glance.

"Which store are we going into first?" she asked completely ignoring the irrelevant remarks of her friends.

"Maybe Nordstrom will have some cute dresses," Rei contemplated aloud.

Miraculously, they found the perfect dress within the next twenty minutes. It was a simple but chic sapphire dress that barely came to her knees with slits on both sides. The back was out and the front dipped low enough to show the right amount of cleavage.

"Kag, you look great!" squealed Rei in delight as Kagome modeled in front of the mirror. "That color is so you. It matches your eyes perfectly."

"I don't know," she responded hesitantly, "don't ya think it's a little…revealing?"

Charlie snorted. "The more the better." She gave her friend a sly wink. "'Sides, you don't plan on staying a virgin forever, do ya?"

Kagome felt her face burning in mortification.

"This comes from a girl who lost hers, how many boyfriends ago?" Rei asked, or rather stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I believe it was six," Charlie confirmed, apparently not catching or choosing to ignore her cynicism.

"OK, I'll get it," Kagome said in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Good, now lets start on the hair."

It wasn't until a quarter after 6 that Kagome returned home. She only had enough time to take a quick shower before slipping into her new outfit. Once she finished fiddling with her hair and applying make-up. Satisfied, Kagome gathered her purse and keys, then headed downstairs at the sound of the doorbell. Before opening the door she glanced at herself one last time in the hall mirror that hung above Carla's prized vase of faggots. <AN: A bundle of sticks for those that are confused.> The dress accentuated her every curve and practically glowed against her subtly tanned skin. The cobalt teardrop earrings Charlie had loaned her were a perfect accessory to her attire. Kagome grinned at herself. The cute crinkles made her hair more animated and lively. Wrapping the blue shawl around her shoulders, Kagome opened the door…to find a cheerful looking midget holding a red rose out for her.

Her smile faltered. "Umm sir, do you have the right house?"

"Hello Kagome-san," he responded, still smiling. "My name is Myouga. I am to be your chauffeur tonight." He gave a dramatic bow, holding out the rose for her.

Kagome had half the mind to ask him if he could even reach the pedals, but held her tongue instead. She took the rose and put her smile back in place. "Thank you. Is Hojo in the limo?"

"Iie Kagome-san. It was at his request for me to drive you to the restaurant and meet you there," he replied with unnerving cheerfulness. "Come with me. Your carriage awaits you."

Wondering how much he got paid for doing this, Kagome followed him the sleek, black limo. The interior of the limo was nothing like she'd seen before. Plush leather seats, red carpet, a small mini bar, a stereo system, and a built in DVD player…Hojo must really love her.

<AN: Fear not. The Hojo/Kag fluff ends here <Praises the heavens>>

Grinning from ear to ear, Kagome sat down on the smooth seats. It took a little over twenty minutes to reach the restaurant, mainly due to the fact that downtown Baltimore was apparently the hot spot on Saturday nights. Cars and pedestrians alike cluttered the crowded streets. The limo finally pulled up to a glamorous building clad in dazzling lights and excitement. Upon stepping out, she was momentarily blinded by the brightness of the lights.

"Now just go in, announce yourself to the host, and she'll take you to hour table," Myouga said closing the door behind him.

"Will you be joining us?"

He gave a hearty laugh. "No Kagome-san, unfortunately I have business elsewhere to tend to. Have a nice time on your date."

After exchanging a brief farewell, she went in. Just as Myouga had said, after mentioning her name, the host led her to a table for two on the second level, which had a stunning view of the city from the window. Her spirits sank a little when she saw that her date had yet to arrive.

"If you need anything, just let me know," Clara the waitress stated enthusiastically as Kagome settled into her seat. After saying thanks and receiving her menu, she rested her head on her hand and gazed out of the window. The city was such a beautiful place. Her father had promised her that as soon as he was done campaigning they would all take a family vacation to New York City once day. Kagome shook her head, mentally scolding herself for bringing up the painful memories of the past. 'No, tonight has to be perfect.' She glanced at her watch. It was 8:15. OK, so he was late, no biggie. She drummed her fingers patiently on the clothed table. He would be here; he promised. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. The waitress came by several times, each time with a more sympathetic expression than the next. Sighing, Kagome fingered the silver locket Hojo had given her three years ago for their anniversary. It was, in his words, a constant reminder of him always being there for her. How ironic the situation at hand seemed to be. Another half hour passed before Kagome took a hint.

"That's it," she muttered to herself angrily. "I'm outta here. Hojo can kiss my ass." <AN: You go girl> And she gathered her belongings and left.

A blast of chilly wind hit her upon exiting the building. Dark storm clouds had gathered in the sky, threatening to unleash hell at any moment. With teeth chattering, Kagome pulled out her cell phone and dialed her home phone number. After 18 rings she disconnected. 'Damn. Rin must still be at the college thing.' It was no consolation that Ron and Carla had probably already left town. She tried Rei, then Charlie, and finally Hojo as a last resort, but it seemed as if everyone had decided not to answer their phones tonight.

'Wonderful.' She had no money so a cab was out of the question, as was the prospect of hitchhiking. Left with no other options, she chose to make the long journey home. Droplets of water began to fall steadily from the heavens. Shivering, Kagome clutched the thin shawl tighter to her body, trying to absorb what little heat the cloth could provide. She ignored the curious stares of bystanders who were probably wondering why the hell was she walking in the rain all dressed up.

'Why the hell am I walking home' she wondered bitterly. 'That's it. As soon as I get home, I'm going to kick his ass and tell him to go screw himself. I'm tired of always being the least important thing in his life.' With renewed vigor Kagome endured the biting cold rain drops that slapped mercilessly against her body and withstood the coldness of the busy night air, but only got so far before drifting back in a state of melancholy. A wave of dizziness and light-headedness overwhelmed her senses. She growled in frustration as her sight began to blur. Guess she should have eaten something before rushing out of the restaurant.

"Damn you, Hojo," she mumbled before completely blacking out.

. . .

He shifted gears and slammed his foot on the accelerator heatedly. Cars honked angrily as he swerved between lanes in an aggressive manner.

He growled as the gray Honda in front of him dawdled along unhurriedly. "Get the fuck outta my way!" Switching lanes yet again, he accelerated, almost giving the frightened old man a heart attack at the ferociousness of his speed and attitude.

A scowl marred his handsome features. He was pissed off. Really pissed off. The landlady, Kaede-baba, was giving him shit again about paying his rent on time. Fuck. She knew he was still paying off the parts for his Skyline, not to mention other anonymous bills of all sorts that had a tendency stay piled a mile high on his dresser. He only made so much working as a mechanic.

'She'll get her money when I damn well fell like paying it.' Dismissing the thought of braking, he made a sharp turn at the next intersection, barley missing pedestrians who had jumped out of the way of the speeding maniac.

"Stay out of my way next time morons!" he snorted glancing at the rearview as the couple got up and yelled obscenities while waving middle fingers at him. As if from out of nowhere, rain began to pelt his windshield.

"And just when I was starting to have a little fun." He flicked on his wipers and began to decelerate until he reached the speed limit. Deciding not to run the oncoming red light, he braked. He sighed, slumping wearily in his seat. Maybe city life was getting to him. Of all the places he had stayed over the past 6 years, this was the longest he had remained in one place. Rain began to come down harder, assaulting his precious car with its insistency. Maybe it was time for a change. He had trained during the past years, hard. Never giving in to the demands of his body and ignoring the protests of physical strain. He had did it all, in the jungles of the Congo to the mountains of Tibet. And just when he thought he was strong enough to bring down those bastards, they disappeared. Like out of thin air. He had went back to the complex to find it completely abandoned.

The blaring of a car's honking jarred him out of his musings. "Aww, shut the hell up," he grumbled knowing full well they wouldn't be able to hear him, human or youkai. Turning up his music, he continued his journey to the apartment. His show would be on in a couple of minutes and he wanted to watch it from the beginning, and would have gotten the chance to if he hadn't seen a body lying halfway in the road. He had half the mind to run right over it, but the blood might spoil his new and expensive rims. 'At least curiosity didn't kill the dog.'

He got out, ignoring the frosty rain drops that bombarded his body. 'A girl?' He made his way over to the body. 'Damned prostitutes.' Crouching down, he turned her over to see if she was in fact dead or alive. The sight that he beheld pulled at a dozen heartstrings in his chest and literally took his breath away. "Kikyo?"

End.

Sorry for the little cliffhanger, but if I continued it would soooo much longer and right now I'm suffering from a mild case of the munchies. So until next time folks! (which will probably be in the next couple of days)

<Runs out of room and to the fridge>