InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Go Home Kagome ❯ Holding Out ( Chapter 2 )

Two

 

The girls passed the next afternoon in Boog's backyard pool. Kagome's hair fanned out from her head and floated on top the water. Boog thought she looked like a water sprite. Kagome asked if sprites were susceptible to hangovers.

 

Boog's mom hovered around the side of the pool shaking out towels and offering them sodas. Kagome spent every vacation and holiday of the past three years at this house with this family. As much as she missed her mother, Souta and Grandpa, she knew this parting would leave another hole in her heart. Each break and at least once a month she and Boog made the four hour drive from Athens Georgia to Boog's home in Florence South Carolina. She tried to push the visual of her packed suitcases from her mind and pretend this was just another summer day in the pool.

 

So much had changed. Kagome wondered if her mother would treat the new Dr. Higurashi Kagome any differently from the stubborn young woman she'd seen off at the airport three years ago.

 

The phone calls never stopped. Her mother called twice a week like clock work. Kagome knew the long distance charges were killing her family's small budget. She hoped the fact her family was now shopping for three instead of four offset enough money for the phone bill.

 

At first she prayed one of the calls from home would be Inuyasha. But they never were. He understood the phone and how it worked. Once he even called for pizza while she was studying. She couldn't even guess why he'd never called or written. He knew the basics of elementary writing. Miroku or Souta would've helped him. But nothing ever came. Mom was right, not one call or letter, he is such a man.

 

She supposed he was too proud to ask for help. Once for her birthday, Souta sent her a lock of Inuyasha's hair. She assumed her mother didn't know about it and it was unlikely he'd donated it willingly. It could only mean that he visited Souta and he still cared.

 

She kicked her legs and swam farther into the deep end under the shade of a large palmetto tree overlooking the waters edge. Boog spotted her retreating and swam up beside her.

 

“Whatcha thinking about?” she asked.

 

Kagome grabbed a hold of the side of the pool. “Nothing and everything.”

 

Boog smirked, “Sounds deep.”

 

“I was wondering when you were going to pay Paul a visit. We've been here four whole days and you've yet to storm his office.”

 

Boog rolled her eyes. “My best friend moving back home to other side of the globe always takes precedent to the pursuit of true love.”

 

Kagome splashed her. Boog sputtered then dived to the bottom of the pool. She grabbed Kagome's foot and pulled her down under with her.

 

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Oct 30 2002:

 

Kagome sat on her tiny bed reading her bio-chemistry text book trying desperately to tune out the noise of the party in the apartment below them. It was the fifth Halloween party that week alone and Halloween was still a day away.

 

Kagome was taught that for every hour spent in class you should spend three more studying. Her roommates seemed nice enough but didn't subscribe to the same belief. They studied just not as much as she thought they should. But then they weren't there on scholarship and didn't have to maintain a 3.50 grade point average.

 

A loud persistent knock sounded on the thin wood of her door.

 

“Come in.” Kagome knew it was pointless to pretend she hadn't heard.

 

The door flew open and Angie pranced in wearing a cat suite complete with ears. She held a full bottle of tequila in one hand and two glasses in the other.

 

“Nicky bet me five dollars I couldn't liven up our little Ka-go-me so here I am. I never lose a bet!”

 

“No thank you I have work to do.”

 

Angie swiped the textbook and held it out of Kagome's reach. “Girl it's 11pm. You've been studying since classes let out at 3! Our only class tomorrow starts at 1. Lighten up and live a little. I won't call the homework police and have you hauled away for having fun.”

 

Kagome stared at her roommate in horror. Doesn't this American care about her grades?

 

Angie seemed to read her mind. “You have perfect grades; you're some king of frigging genius or something. Now take a night off!”

Kagome eyed the tequila bottle. She'd avoided most parties back when she was a university student in Tokyo, not that they partied as much as students did here. She worked hard to get out early so that she could get back home. Inuyasha grudgingly admitted that if school were important to her then she should go. Now that the Shikon no Tama was destroyed, he had no claim over her but she didn't like to be parted from him for long periods of time.

 

Now here in the US there was no going back home for three years. Graduating early was simply not an option. So screw it! Maybe I should lighten up, besides I am ahead in the reading. Okay peer pressure, here I come!

 

Kagome blinked then said, “I'm in.”

 

Angie was surprised and laughed, “Great! Now this is Caba Wabba, a very nice tequila made by Sammy Hager. It cost a fortune so I would be most offended if you didn't drink a lot.”

 

“Sammy who?”

 

“Ya know the guitarist from Van Halen.”

 

“Okay if you say so.”

 

Angie sat on the bed across from Kagome. “We gotta get you some pop culture.”

 

She poured two shots and set out lime wedges. “Okay, pour the salt on your hand. Lick it, slam the shot and then suck the lime. Got it?”

 

Kagome was fascinated. “Okay?”

 

“Good. Now we both go on three. One…Two….Three!”

They did the shots together and Kagome's throat burned with the tequila. Why in the hell would someone think this was fun!?

 

 

One hour and several shots later…

 

At this point Angie had become and forever would be Boog. The girls lay across the bed holding their sides as they laughed. The whole world seemed to have stopped and now this one moment was everything.

 

“Kagome, if you left this pit of an apartment more often you'd have dates too.”

 

“Not like you.” She responded eyeing the tight cat suit costume.

 

“Well I have to dress up to get noticed.” Boog fluffed her short blonde hair. “But you, you are exotic. Guys here are breaking their necks for a second look at ya.”

 

“I am quite ordinary. They must have that Asian girl perv thing going on.”

 

Boog laughed and pointed at her in agreement. “True that! But not all men are a complete waste.”

 

“Oh really? So do you have a shining example of a good man?”

 

“But of course.”

 

“Who Boog?” Kagome rolled over to her stomach and propped her head up on her fist.

 

“Paul.” She sighed and closed her eyes.

 

“Who is Paul?”

 

“He is the perfect man who I will marry after graduation.”

 

“Okay. So does he know that you average two dates a week?”

 

Boog smiled showing off a set a small perfectly bleached teeth. “We aren't engaged…yet. Or dating for that matter.”

 

“Wow, sounds serious then.”

 

“Oh but it is. We went to school together. We've been friends for years but I've never admitted I love him. He's now a boring success of a CPA. He dates but nothing serious. Once I am a vet I am going to storm his office and claim him. I'm planning on a New Years wedding.”

 

“That is the wildest thing I've ever heard off. So what will you do if you meet a guy here?”

 

“I know I won't ever meet anyone like Paul. But”, she gave a wicked grin, “I will still have fun.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“So Kagome…what about you?”

 

“What about me?”

 

“Any man waiting back home for you?”

 

This was only the fourth time Boog had asked Kagome this question. Each time before she'd said no and cut her off. But now she was drunk and spoke without thought.

 

“Ugh. My mom hates Inuyasha and he has Kikyo.”

 

Boog jumped up from the bed. “I knew you were holding back on me. Must…Tell…Me…MORE!”

 

Kagome sighed. “He doesn't have a future, he's very…traditional and my mom's right he is a lost cause.”

 

“So who is this Kiki chick?”

 

“Kikyo is his old girlfriend. They aren't officially back together but she has some kind of hold on him.”

 

“So who does he spend the most time with, you or her?”

 

Kagome closed her eyes in thought, “Me.”

 

“There's your answer. He likes you more.” Boog made everything seem so easy and straightforward. She ruined the sophisticated image Kagome had of her by asking, “so when you say he's traditional do you mean he likes women who bind their feet and wear those little shoes?'

 

Kagome threw her pillow at Boog, “Baka! That's China you gint.”

 

“Oh my bad, so what does Baka mean?”

 

“Oh that's just Boog in Japanese.”

 

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2005:

 

Kagome stretched on the chaise lounger beside Boog. She'd already toweled off and rubbed herself with sunscreen. She envied Boog who tanned dark and evenly especially well for someone with naturally blonde hair. Kagome tanned but not nearly as well.

 

Boog lay on her belly and Kagome wasn't aware she was awake until she heard her voice.

 

“So are you going to see Inuyasha when you get home?'

 

Kagome sighed. “I just don't know.”

 

“Do you want to?” She was typical Boog, direct to the point.

 

Kagome thought. “I think so. But my mother…”

 

“Girl you are twenty four freaking years old. Stuff your mother.”

 

“Yeah but she gave up a lot to make sure I got this far in life and I kinda feel that I owe it to her to listen to her advice.”

 

“Raising two kids on your own is hard.”

 

“Grandpa helped but still we barely made ends meet.”

 

“Yeah but don't you think you've already lived up to your part of this bargain?”

 

Kagome turned to look at her coconut scented friend.

 

“How you do mean?”

 

Boog flipped over on to her back and pulled off her sunglasses. “You are the perfect daughter. You're even a vet for Christ's sakes. On her advice you moved halfway across the world. You're a good kid. You have perfect grades. You graduated with honors. You have a guaranteed job waiting for you back home. You're starting that fund so that Souta's college will be paid for. And you will be living at home in the shrine so you can help with it's upkeep. God girl, this is your life NOT an application for sainthood.”

 

“Whatever you thought you owed your mom has been paid in full.”

 

Kagome closed her eyes. I wish I could tell her the truth. Would she be on my side if she knew he is a 200 year old hanyou (half demon) from the middle ages of Japan?! But she'd just loved his ears. Boog is SUCH a softie. Her lips formed a small smile.

 

“Maybe I should give a normal guy a chance?”

 

Boog snorted with laughter. “Yeah you mean like you gave that jerk Ian a chance?”

 

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Notes:

 

I won't deny that there is some OCC. But in the anime, Kagome's mom is not real. Come on, what mom would let her kid jump down a well with Inuyasha? Also keep in mind this takes place nearly ten years after she's first gone down the well. I just have more fun imagining how everyone will end up.