InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into The Well ❯ Just Another Day ( Chapter 1 )

The week had been so hectic for Kagome Higurashi, middle school student, normal teenager, almost birthday girl. She had been stressed out over exams, hoping to get into a good high school, but that didn't stop her from being excited over her birthday tomorrow. Her mother would make her oden, her brother would give her a cute hand made card, and her grandpa would give her an obscure artifact and spend an hour explaining it's importance to her and the history of her family.

Today was for her and her friends to enjoy. Sure, they had a tendency to get on her nerves, but they were all she really had. Eri had even been there for her when her father was killed; she stayed at the Higurashi home for two weeks. She was by far the closest of the three. Kagome just wished she wouldn't keep trying to push her closer to Houjo. He was sweet yet dense, the total opposite of what Kagome wanted. Plus, Ayumi had a crush the size of the whole of Japan on the boy. She would rather see her friend happy.

She glanced at her watch, careful not to accidentally bump into one of the busy residents of Tokyo. "I'm late!" she squealed, picking up her pace so she could meet her friends for an early birthday dinner at WacDonalds.

Narrowly avoiding a collision with a delivery boy on a bicycle, she breezed through the door of the restaurant, the fragrance of greasy french fries and burgers hitting her in the face. Catching sight of her friends waving at her, she made her way to the table and sat down.

"Sorry I'm late, guys!" she said, slightly out of breath. "I got caught up with Mr. Miura."

Eri placed a cheeseburger and soda in front of her. "We were starting to get worried!"

Next, Yuka placed a cupcake in front of her, next to the burger. "We didn't know if you had forgotten about us."

Kagome smiled. "How could I forget my best friends?" 'Even though sometimes I want to...'

Finally Ayumi plopped a single candle into the cupcake's thick pink icing and lit it.

"Happy birthday!" the girls cried in unison.

Blushing as pink as the icing, Kagome blew out the candle. "Thanks, you guys, I couldn't ask for better friends!"

"Oh, no, we're not done yet!" Yuka said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

Kagome looked at her smiling friends in confusion.

Ayumi giggled. "What would a birthday be without presents?"

On cue, as if they practiced, the girls produced gifts wrapped in brightly colored paper, covered in ribbons.

Kagome stood and hugged each of her friends. "None of you had to do this!"

Eri rolled her eyes. "We're your friends, it's what we do! Now sit down, shut up, and get to opening!"

The birthday girl giggled and took her seat then began to carefully unwrap the presents.

"Quit being a neat freak, rip it!" Yuka squealed.

Kagome shook her head and ripped open the paper.

Three tables over, two pair of dark eyes watched the squealing girls.

"It's now or never, Takeshi. Can't you see it's her birthday?" the first boy asked. He brushed a piece of his shaggy black hair out of his eyes.

Takeshi's brown eyes widened. "I can't just walk up and say 'Happy birthday Kagome, please be my girlfriend'!" The boy had developed a crush on Kagome the first day he saw her, he just regretted it was his last year at that middle school. Sure, she was fifteen now, but he still felt awkward being almost nineteen and harboring a crush for a middle school student. "I just can't do it Shin."

Shin lightly punched him in the side, making Takeshi lose his breath for a moment. "This has been going on for three years. Grow some balls and make a move or else she's going to think you are a stalker." Shin's eye's sparkled with mischief.

Takeshi looked at his friend. Shin had been somewhat of a teenage womanizer, never having a girlfriend for more than a week before he found another; he must know something that Takeshi didn't. "Give me your apple pie."

The other boy looked at him like he was going to bite his hand off if he came near his treat. "Get your own!"

"Just give it, I'll buy you another one!" He snatched the confection and stood.

"What are you doing??" Shin demanded.

Takeshi looked over his shoulder back at him. "Growing some balls."

Three tables down, Ayumi poked at Kagome. "Hey, who is that hot guy coming this way?"

Kagome looked up to see one of the most beautiful guys she had ever seen, at least by her standards. He was only a few years older than she, but his dark eyes held a gleam that normal teenage guys didn't have; almost like he was older than he looked. "I don't know, Ayumi." She cast a glance at her friends, and then back at the boy that now stood in front of her.

Takeshi held the apple pie nervously before handing it to Kagome. "Happy birthday!" he said with a smile.

"Thank you," she replied, returning the smile, wondering why such a hot guy would want to talk to plain her.

Takeshi stood smiling for a few moments. "Oh! I'm sorry," he said in embarrassment. "I"m Takeshi." He blushed.

"I'm Kagome." Her blush was as intense as his.

"I know," he said dreamily, but caught himself. "I mean I knew you from school."

She giggled. "Thank you for the pie, Takeshi."

He took that as his sign to leave. "You're welcome. See you around." HE turned and walked back to his table. "I blew it!"

Kagome looked over at Eri, Yuka and Ayumi. "That was strange."

-----

Takeshi sat on the sofa in his bedroom, overlooking the Tokyo skyline from the large windows; Shin was on the floor in front of the coffee table working on a jigsaw puzzle.

"I blew it," Takeshi repeated for the millionth time since they arrived at the penthouse. He picked at the hem of his designer shirt.

In a fit of rage Shin slammed his fist down on the glass table, scattering the puzzle pieces. "Damn it, no you didn't. What did you expect, for her to throw herself into your arms and say 'Takeshi, take me!' like all of the other girls??" He launched himself onto Taekshi's lap and started to act like one of the adoring girls, murmuring things like 'oh, Takeshi', 'let me love you!' and 'take me now!'.

Takeshi thought for a moment. That was the last thing on his mind. No. It had crossed his mind for a moment. But he didn't expect it from his Kagome. She was a sweet girl, not some money hungry whore.

Takeshi roughly pushed him off onto the floor. "Watch it, this shirt cost too much for you to be all over me. And don't let me ever hear you talk about Kaogme that way."

Shin held up his hands in surrender. "No offense, man!" For the last three years all he had heard about was Kagome, Kagome, Kagome. Takeshi's parents were one of the most wealthy families in Japan he could have any girl he wanted, but he wanted that girl.

With any luck, the apple pie would give them a start and Takeshi would be fun again. "Hey, wanna go to the club tonight?""

"No, I'm happy here."

"Whatever you say, man, whatever you say."

-----

A/N: I've decided to take some advice and slow things down a bit, so here's the first installment of the rewritten story.

I just want to think my awesome beta Nikki for looking over this and offering suggestions!

Remember, reviews make an author happy!

V.