InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Headlines: A Hollywood Romance ❯ To Kill a Mocking Bird ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I want to own Inu-Yasha. But Rumiko Takahashi-sama needs to own Inu-Yasha so she can finish the series. And, as we all know, wants and needs are two different things.

Author's Note: Well, here I am in hotel #1, day # 1 of my 14 some day "vacation". So far my family and I have gotten into five fights, gotten stuck in traffic twice, broke my glasses once, inflicted bodily damage upon one another seven times (my brothers and I, that is), and- at least personally- have all but lost my mind 567,382,948 times and counting.

On the bright side, I got to watch a lot of really kawaii eppies of Inu-Yasha in the car- including the one where Shippo falls in love for the first time. It was soooo cute! (I especially liked the very beginning, where Inu-Yasha takes Kag's back pack and takes her to the riverside and spreads out one of her blankets and they lay together there. XD I doubt it was meant to be anything fluffy, but I thought it was. XD XD XD)

Let's see- one or two things. One, someone pointed out that 5 million yen is actually less than 5 thousand American dollars- which is practically nothing when it comes to movies. My response: You're right. ::sweat drop:: I kinda forgot that when I was writing it. ::nervous laugh::

Second, everyone's been asking `why do they hate each other?'. My response: If I told you, it would spoil the story! (-; You'll just have to wait for a bit to find out.

Lastly, a lot of people have been comparing this fic to Rozefire-sama's `Dead Famous'. I'll say this first- I
don't blame you at all. (-: I LOVED DEAD FAMOUS, and I'm DYING to see the sequel, `Dead Obsessed'. (PLEASE DON'T ASK ME ABOUT IT, JUST GO READ ROZEFIRE-SAMA'S BIO. (-: ) However, I did NOT get inspired for this fic by DF, nor is this fic going to be anything like it, apart from the idea of Inu-Yasha being famous and disliking Kagome. But actually, that's a very cliché plot already. (-;

. . . God, I'm hungry.

XD Anyway, here's the next chapter of Headlines. I'll probably write a lot of new chapters, now that I think of it, but I'm in the middle of two other writing projects that I'd like to get done as well. . . my novel, and- no matter how stupid it sounds- a musical of sorts. ::nervous laugh and sweatdrop:: Don't ask. . .

(-: Well- Please enjoy and R&R! (Speaking of which- THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!! I think I'll go faint with happiness, now. XD Er- after I write this chapter, of course. (-; )

- - -

- - - Headlines: A Hollywood Romance- - -

-Chapter Three: To Kill a Mocking Bird-

"It- - - It's a boy. . ." Kagome whispered to herself, eyes wide with shock as she lifted a delicate hand to her mouth. A soft breeze blew through, causing her forest green skirt to ruffle and her silky charcoal hair to dance. "A bo- - - are those- - - dog ears?" she gasped, taking a careful step forward; crushing the vegetation of the small forest clearing beneath her feet. "They are. . ."

She ran her tongue over her lips, eyeing the large goshinbuko before her. What to do. . . ?

After a second's hesitation the girl crawled up onto the huge tree's exposed roots, balancing on them as she made her way to the thick trunk- and to the boy skewered there with a blue stick. "I think I wanna. . ." she murmured thoughtfully, reaching out her hands. "I think I wanna touch them!" With a small smile she began tweaking the fuzzy white appendages, before letting out a sigh and placing her hands on her knees. "Whew! Now that that's out of my system. . ."

"All right! Cut! That's a wrap for the day!"

"Finally!" Inu-Yasha snarled, eyes snapping open as he ripped the blue special effects stick off of his outfit; crushing it between his fingers. A few workers from the special effects department had to hold their tongues. Great. Another prop ruined. . . "This stupid haori itches! Honestly- who could stand to wear this hot, sweat, sticky thing all day every day for their entire life?!"

"You, in this story," Kagome reminded him coldly, unable to suppress a soft `eep!' of surprise as the hanyou pushed past her to leave, almost knocking her off balance and off the root. "HEY! Watch where you're going, doofus!"

*Doofus?* Was that the best she could come up with?

Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes and, with a nimble leap, jumped into the air and spun around to face her. "Up yours, Higurashi," he yawned rudely, flipping her off as he landed gracefully near the director's chair. "Go fuck yourself or something." With that, he turned on his heel and sauntered towards his dressing room, looking irritated and overheated.

Go *what*. . . ?!

The actress saw red. "YOU BETTER BE GLAD THOSE BEADS YOU GET NEXT SCENE AREN'T REAL!" she hissed, veins throbbing on her forehead.

"Too bad for you, the sword *I* get IS," he sang over his shoulder, smirking as he disappeared around the corner. "Later, doll."

"You- - -!" Kagome growled, raising a trembling fist and shaking it in the man's direction as she hopped off the set herself, barely noticing Kikyo and her spouse, Naraku Hijimashi, in the corner; talking in hushed voices with Sango and Miroku as they shook their heads. "You- - - You'll get what's coming to you someday! I swear it! Isn't that right, guys?!"

. . .

When no one agreed Kag scowled, turning with crossed arms and a deadly expression towards the two agents. "ISN'T. THAT. RIGHT?"

Both employees froze, danger sirens going off in their heads. Kikyo and Naraku simply took this as their cue to scuffle off with plastered smiles on their faces.

"Er- of course it is, Miss Kagome!" Miroku laughed nervously, waving his hands as if to cool her off. "I thought it went without saying!"

"Yes, yes," Sango chirped with a forced grin. "Now, come on, Kagome-chan- I'll help you to find your coat."

"But I already know where my co- - -"

"Just come on!"

". . . Yes, ma'am."

-

"See you tomorrow, Kikyo-chan!" Kagome called happily after her stunt double, who was waving cheerfully through the tinted glass of her husband's limo. "Good night!"

"Good night!" she heard the woman's muffled voice repeat as the black car pulled out of the studio parking lot, joining the line of other expensive automobiles heading home. "See ya!"

Kagome smiled slightly and mock-saluted as Sango's car passed her; tightening her coffee-colored, crochet scarf and buttoning up her forest green fall jacket. It certainly got cold quickly after the sun set. . . Best get home for a spot of tea before bed.

With that warm thought in mind, the woman began to walk off towards the security booths to check out and hit the sidewalk when- - -

"Oi! Bitch!"

Shit.

Her demeanor dropping within an instant, she faced her speaker with a deadpan look. "What do you want, Inu-Yasha? Here to poke more fun at me?"

"Yeah, I am, as a matter of fact," he grinned roguishly, his red windbreaker unzipped as he stuffed his hands into the back pockets of his tight blue jeans. "Why're you walking home, idiot? Doesn't the studio pay you well enough to at least afford a cab?"

". . . I could ask you the same thing," Kagome commented dryly before spinning away from him and clip-clopping past the guards with a flash of her ID.

"Hey! I ain't done talking to you yet, moron!" the hanyou cried after her as she went on ahead of him, eyes closed lightly as she joined the busy sidewalks of Tokyo; nonchalantly sticking her leather-gloved hands into her pockets.

"That's funny. Because I'm done talking to you," she murmured as she left him in the dust, still furious with the man.

Even more so when he managed to catch up. Damn half-youkai powers. . .

"So, what, you just like to roam the alleys at nighttime when thugs and rapists are on the look out for new bitches?" he drawled dryly, walking backwards a few paces ahead of her; snickering as she kept a cool face.

"More or less," she replied smoothly, deciding the best way to irritate him was by not reacting to his taunts. That's what had worked on her little brother, after all, when she was little. "Walking home clears my mind and calms me down after a rough day."

"You had a rough day?"

"ANY day I spend with you is rough."

"Ha ha. You're such a sweet bitch, sometimes."

"Thank you," she smiled, her voice laced with syrupy venom. Then she frowned slightly, a suspicious look forming behind her gray eyes. "What about you, eh? Why are you walking home? Why not drive, if you're such a hot-shot star?"

He grinned; flashing his fangs as his golden irises glittered with mischief. "What? And miss a chance to further tick you off? You don't know me that well, do you?"

"Oh? So you're gonna follow me home like a little lost *puppy*?" she smirked, watching with satisfaction as he began to tremble with rage. Ah, the dreaded nickname. . .

"May you get beaten and raped, whore," he growled heatedly, stalking off in the opposite direction though Kagome knew for a fact that his house was right on her way. Whatever- he was probably going out to get sloshed and join the rapers. . . not that she cared- - -

Wait- - -

~WHORE?!~

*GrRrRrRr*. . .

As the feeling of complete and total rage welled up inside her stomach, her face began to burn. Wanting nothing more to whirl around and beat the living tar out of him, she had to literally force herself to keep walking down the path to her house. She did, however, allow herself to imagine thrashing the snot out of the egotistical maniac.

SHE HATED INU-YASHA.

-

"Stupid, fucking, god-damn irritating woman," Inu-Yasha spat, all but tearing his Feudal Fairytale script apart as he attempted to run over his lines. `Attempted', being the key word.

Flopping back on his messy bed with a growl, he stared darkly around at his loft- at the rows of various trinkets and books (most of which were based off of his movies and showed him an- - -), entertainment system (with copies of all the films he'd been in wi- - -), posters (of him and- - -). . . SHIT! No-no-no-no- - - need- something- to- - - AH! Sticking his nose in his script once again, he began to read:

Inu-Yasha: Damn it, Kouga!

"Damn it, Kouga. . ."

Inu-Yasha: If Kagome's hurt, I'll kill you!

"If- - - ARGH!"

That was it- the icing on the cake. He officially couldn't concentrate. WHY did everything seem to revolve around the ONE woman in the whole wide world that he completely and totally despised?! WHY? Did the gods hate him that much. . . ?

KAGOME.

He practically listed the name with all the swear words he knew.

She was so annoying! So perky! So- so- so ergh!

"Oh Inu-Yasha!" he mocked, batting his eyelashes as he sat up his knees and flipped to a new page of Feudal Fairytale. "How can you be so MEAN to me?! How can you be so RUDE and TWO-TIMING?! How c- - -Oh my God- I chipped a fucking nail!" With a laugh he leaned back once more and rolled his eyes, propping one knee up as he rested on his side. "Keh," he grinned. "And she sounds even worse than that! How come I'm always paired up with that idiot?!"

-

One block down, someone else (ironically) was wondering the same thing.

"How come I'm always paired up with that idiot?!" Kagome moaned into her pillow, throwing her Feudal Fairytale script upon her bedside table- almost knocking off a picture frame with the photo side down, her phone, and a lamp. "I HATE HIM!" She suddenly snapped to a sitting position, snatching her script again and wringing it forcefully in her hands. "Oooh- I'd just like to kill him! Crush his stupid skull and brea- - - "

But she cut herself off with a sigh, loosening her grip on the packet of papers and staring around the bedroom of her two level home. Getting to her feet with a soft grunt, she decided to release her anger in a different fashion. It wasn't any more productive, but it was less likely to break her stuff.

"Oh, Kagome!" she slurred, crossing her eyes and sticking out her upper teeth. "I'll protect you! But wait- first let me screw up all our plans with my rash attitude and rescue Kikyo from almost certain death- even though she's already dead- because I love her! Ooo- aren't I a good actor? I know I love Kik- - - !No- wait- I hate her, right? No, I love her. No, I hate her! No- - -" She faked a look of complete confusion, wrinkling her nose as she opened her curtains, ignoring the scratching of the tree outside it.

"Gosh golly wonkers gee- I'm so thick skulled, I don't know even know whether or not I love the dead miko! Let's think about it for the next hour or two!" Flopping back onto her neat bedspread, she giggled quietly to herself. `I've got Inu-Yasha down to a `T'.'

Shaking her head and closing her eyes, she sighed softly, rolling over with the intent of falling asleep. `Stupid asshole. . .'

And with that final thought she drifted into a light slumber- - -

Not noticing the eyes watching her through her window.

-

Let's see- powder, gloss, a dab of that glittery stuff Sango-chan always insisted upon. . . What else would she need for tomorrow's shoot. . . ?

"Kagome-chan!"

Hm?

"Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan?! Are you in there?"

Kagome looked away from her makeup and mirror in order to glance towards the door, where a familiar entity had taken to knocking rapidly from the outside. "Kikyo-chan? Is that you?"

"Yes!" Kikyo called, sounding a bit hurried. "And- uh- I was wondering if you saw this. . . ?"

Kag frowned slightly, standing and undoing the inside door lock of her dressing room. "Saw what, exactly?"

"This," the almost identical woman grimaced, all but thrusting a magazine into her friend's hands before racing off as quick as she possibly could. It was like passing off a bomb. . .

`. . . Huh?'

Kagome cocked her head confusedly after her double, but then shrugged and turned her attention towards the cover page. `What on Earth is all the fuss- - - '

. . .

*WHAT*?!

-

"You got the newest issue?! Oh my God- you have GOT to let me see it! The store was all out!" Eri whined, nearly clawing at the phone as Yuka snickered haughtily over the line.

"Maybe. . ." the second girl cooed tauntingly, rustling the glossy pages near the receiver just to hear her friend's moan of regret. `Ah, life is good. . .'

"Yuka-chan. . ." Ayumi warned softly from behind her friend, looking up from her homework. "Be nice or I'll take it back!"

"Shh!"

"What? Yuka-chan- what's going on over there?"

"Nothing, nothing. Now- I promise to share if you do one teeny tiny thing for me."

"What?"

"Admit you ripped the magazine in the store!"

". . . Which?" Eri blinked, nonplused as she pealed her eyes away from the many movie posters hanging on her pink walls (all featuring Inu-Yasha in his breathtakingly masculine glory) and stared at the phone as her pet dog scuffled into the room, sniffing her bed incredulously before jumping up on it. "The manga one?"

"NO! From a few weeks ago!" Yuka huffed. "The one on Kagome and Inu-Yasha!"

"Oooo- Wait! I didn't- - - !"

"Apologize, or I won't spoil a thing about it," the school girl sniffed, winking at Ayumi as said teenager rolled her eyes.

`Maybe I should have just kept it for myself. . .'

"All right- I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, just read it to me! Please!" Eri begged, instinctively reaching out and hugging her little white puppy so tightly he yipped and scurried away.

"Mmmm, okay!" Yuka sang, flipping open the magazine. "Ready?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"~A Feudal Fairytale: Romance, Comedy, Horror- and an Off-Screen Tragedy~," Yuka whispered dramatically, giggling as both her friends spontaneously and uncontrollably squealed with excitement. "~Last week's surprise at the premier of Red as the Rose left many people thrilled: Kagome Higurashi and Inu-Yasha Takahashi were having a baby! The newspapers had a field day as gossip spread like wildfire. Millions upon millions of fans began discussing baby names on forums, and arguing over whether or not Kagome and Inu-Yasha should marry. Everyone had fun planning the birth of this little starlet, including us- the workers at People. Unfortunately, it is our duty to inform the public that this child is not to be.~"

"WHAT?!" Eri screamed into the mouthpiece, making both Yuka and Ayumi jump on the other side of the line. "No! That- - - !"

"Let me finish!" Yuka snapped as Ayumi rotated her pinky in her ear, trying to decipher whether or not her eardrum had burst. "~Yes, it seems like stress and hard work combine brought an end to this young life. "I feel so guilty," Kagome sobbed over our telephone interview. "I should have taken time off work! I should have relaxed! But. . . What's done is done." We only had time to agree before finding ourselves crying along with our favorite actress. As for our favorite actor. . . ?

"I don't blame Kago-chan in the slightest," Inu-Yasha told us firmly after we'd hiccuped our tears away and Kagome had passed her co-star the phone. "We didn't even realize she was expecting until it was too late. I still love her, I still love the child, and nothing will ever change that." As nothing should.~"

"Eeeee! Poor Kagome! Poor Inu-Yasha!" Eri whimpered into her bedspread.

"~Though both are still devastated by this tragic turn of events, they push bravely on- hand in hand- working on their newest movie, A Feudal Fairytale. "We both really enjoy this film," Inu-Yasha admitted with a chuckle and an almost visible smirk. (Yes, we were melting too, girls.) "Both Kago-chan and I grew up listening to the legend this tale is based on; both of us, for once, get characters with names we can remember (We enjoyed hearing Kagome's heartwarming laugh in the background at that one.); we get to work with actors that we respect and idolize (Naraku Hijimashi has just announced his plans to partake as the story's villain.); and it's one of the few films we've done that really has something for everyone, no matter who you are. Action, adventure, humor, undying love. . . It's a wonderful story line, and we're having a blast working with it."

And though the tragedy off screen is almost more terrible than the horrors on, both Kagome and Inu-Yasha seem certain that they'll make it through- with their own undying love.~

Oh- and then there's a picture of them, smiling, arm-in-arm at the premier a few weeks ago."

"How sweet- but how terrible. . ." Ayumi couldn't help but whisper as she laced her fingers together, sighing as she stared dreamily off into the distance. `After all that- They're still inseparably in love!' Yes, she was a romantic at heart. . . "I wish I had a boyfriend. . ."

Boyfriend? Ha! "What you need is a physiatrist," Yuka muttered under her breath, snapping the covers together with a brisk nod. Regrettably, however- Ayumi heard.

"HEY! That's so mean!" she glared, snapping out of her trance within an instant. "And how can you say that about me when YOU'RE the one that kisses her pillow every night, pretending it's Inu-Yasha?!"

"Wha- - - How'd you know about that?!"

"Yuka-chan? Yuka-chan! Is that Ayumi-chan I hear?! What's she doing there?!"

"Just for that, give me back my magazine, Yuka-chan!" Ayumi snapped, snatching the glossy bound papers with an angry `humph!'.

"HER magazine?! Yuka-chan! DID YOU LIE TO ME?!"

"Er- - -!"

And so the three continued to fight- until they remembered what they had read and instead decided to cry together; completely heartbroken for their favorite couple.

Their favorite couple-

Who were about to literally break the other's heart.

- - -

You would not believe how long it took me to write that chapter. Not minutes- not hours- DAYS. ::sighs sadly:: Writing on the move is harder than I remember it being. . . Oh well.

(-: I hope you enjoyed! Please R&R!

Ja ne!