InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sweetest Escape ❯ It Begs the Question ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does. I don't own Starbuck's either…if I did, I'd be making typos all over the place from caffeine rushes, and also quite the unhealthy wretch from my extreme caloric intake….But I do love Starbuck's….

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

 

 

 

I recently got what I felt was a nasty little review on my fic Roundabout Way, from someone who is very adept at either skipping over Author's Notes completely, or at misinterpreting them entirely. (The review is only on mm.org) However, I'm not entirely sure that I can call it a true review, as the person chose to rant on and on about what I didn't write, and what I didn't address, as opposed to giving a constructive critique. I sincerely hope that particular person is reading this, so they can know just how I feel about that comment.

 

 

 

 

I can't even respond to this person directly, because they didn't sign in. But I want to address something. Firstly, this person asks why I don't address Sango's continual abuse by way of her oversized boomerang. I'd just like to say, that I didn't write about Sango and Miroku in Roundabout Way because it wasn't a Sango and Miroku fic. It was purely Inuyasha-centered, as was made obvious through the dialogue, which was 90% Inuyasha. In no way, form or fashion did I condone Sango beating Miroku. I did not say it was acceptable. I simply didn't write about it, because they were not the focus of the story. I am not obligated to address every little aspect of the series in one little fic, clearly labeled as a one-shot.

 

 

 

Secondly, it was specifically stated in the Author's Notes that I do not enjoy portraying Kagome as a bitchy little brat. That Kagome was, in fact, what you could call a foil of the Kagome that I do enjoy writing. If anything, Roundabout Way was almost parody-like. (A darker, albeit not funny parody, but a story meant to make a different point that what the original author intended.)

 

 

 

And thank you for your concern over my learnedness, `person to not be named', but my writing, nor my mind, is not so flimsy and weak-willed as to be permeated by “several lackluster fanfics”. I write what I write because I want to write it.

 

 

 

Lastly, forgive me if I do not hang onto Rumiko Takahashi's every word. I think she is talented, I think she is creative, I think she has an extraordinary gift, and I respect her. But I am by no means an expert on her. If she's stated that all of the sits and boomerang-beatings are purely for comic relief, that's all fine, but just be aware that her interviews, commentaries and whatnot, while numerous, I'm sure, are not readily accessible to everyone who is an Inuyasha fan. I'm pretty sure you don't have to have recorded tapes of every public appearance the creator has ever made to be a fan, or to enjoy what she has made.

 

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox, now! Sorry, everybody, but I just felt I needed to address it somewhere, and, like I said, I couldn't respond directly to the person.

Anyway, thank you to all those who did enjoy Roundabout Way for what it was.

 

 

 

Alright, back to happy-wowzer313, now!

 

 

Oh, and hey, Autumn_the_Reviewer—did I really turn Kagome into a flake? LOL! That was purely accidental!

 

 

 

Okay, that's really it.

 

 

 

Read on, IY lovers, read on! (I think that's a commercial…for Febreze, which I also don't own. You know, “Spray on, freshness lovers, spray on!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: It Begs the Question

 

 

 

 

 

“Because he keeps bugging me, Eri! I'm so sick of getting phone calls at strange hours of the day, and I'm running out of closet space to shove all those novelty gifts…” Kagome trailed off. She crumpled and un-crumpled the top of her paper bag lunch as she and her friend maneuvered through the maze of lunch tables.

 

 

 

 

“But he's so cute…” Eri pouted. “And I think the gifts he gives you are nice…a bit outlandish…maybe even useless, but nice even still…”

 

 

 

 

“They'd be nice if I actually had use for them. Or even liked them. Eri, how much can he really like me? I mean, he hardly knows anything about me, and he obviously hasn't put much effort into finding anything out, since he keeps giving me stuff I'm not interested in, and—“ She saw, out of the corner of her eye, a table in the corner of the cafeteria strewn about with papers and books—an unusual sight by itself. `Who does their homework at lunch?' she thought. But then when she recognized the lone figure sitting at the table, she got excited. “Hey!” she exclaimed, quite loudly, even she had to admit. She grabbed Eri's wrist and pulled the girl along in the other direction.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome! Wait, where are we going?” the confused girl asked.

 

 

 

 

“To meet somebody,” Kagome answered vaguely. She plowed right through the middle of the cafeteria and came to stand abruptly by the boy's side. “Hi!” she said brightly. The boy's head jerked up so fast, Kagome thought he'd surely have whiplash. The crippling shock in his unusual eyes was so evident that she was hard pressed to stifle her laugh. “I didn't know you had this lunch! I would have—“

 

 

 

 

“Kagome!” Eri whispered.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, sorry. This is Eri, the girl I was telling you about yesterday? Eri, this is Inuyasha. He's in our Bio class seventh period. I think we can make some room for you at our lab table if you wanna sit—“

 

 

 

 

 

“Kagome…”

 

 

 

 

“…with us in class. There's only supposed to be two to a table, but I'm sure Ms. Sakagami will make an excep—“

 

 

 

 

“Kagome!” Eri suddenly hissed, jerking on her wrist quite painfully.

 

 

 

 

 

“Ow, Eri! What?” Kagome snapped. Eri looked pointedly at the boy, who had still not said a word, but only sat staring at them both, and dragged her talkative friend a few feet away.

 

 

 

 

“That's him,” Eri emphasized, jerking her chin in the boy's general direction.

 

 

 

 

“Him, who?” Kagome questioned, clueless. Eri sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, do you ever listen to any gossip?” Eri bonked her friend on the head with a light fist. “It's the half-breed,” she said, enunciating every syllable. Kagome frowned at her.

 

 

 

 

“What's that supposed to mean?”

 

 

 

 

“It means he's only half human, duh,” Eri sighed.

 

 

 

 

“I know that, Eri, I'm not stupid. I meant, when you point out so tactlessly that he's a hanyou, what exactly am I supposed to say back?” Kagome asked crossly. She folded her arms and regarded the girl skeptically. Eri stared at her friend. “Is there something important that you're implying when you say it like that?”

 

 

 

 

“Kagome…”

 

 

 

 

“I'm only asking, Eri,” she said snippily. She glanced briefly at the boy, once again hunched over his papers and writing like mad. “How did you find out?”

 

 

 

 

“Ayumi told me. She's in his Lit & Comp class, fourth period, and she said that Mr. Akuran made him take off his hood yesterday. She said he's got white hair and….I dunno, weird ears,” Eri whispered conspiratorially, her hands gesturing to the crown of her own head. “She said they looked like dog ears or something, so maybe he's half inuyoukai. She wasn't sure, though. All I know is that she said they weren't near normal, and they were on top of his head. Real freak show, if you ask me—“

 

 

 

 

“I don't think I did,” Kagome said softly, distractedly. She was still looking at the boy, who, every so often would glance in their direction, and then hurry to turn his attention back to his books.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, seriously. There's some pretty…colorful…rumors flying around about him, and I think—“

 

 

 

 

“Already? But it's only his second day! How can there be—“

 

 

 

 

“Oh, believe me. There's plenty. Everyone's saying he's some kind of government lab escapee, or that maybe he—“

 

 

 

 

“Eri, you're ridiculous. Honestly, do you hear yourself?” Kagome asked, genuinely surprised by the rubbish spewing from her friend's mouth. “Do you believe everything you hear?”

 

 

 

 

“I'm not saying I believe it, I'm only telling you what I've heard. And what other people are saying,” Eri said solemnly. Suddenly her face wrinkled into a confused frown as she remembered something. “And wait, what was that you said to him? `That girl I told you about yesterday'? Kagome! You talked to him yesterday? Why didn't you tell me?”

 

 

 

 

“I didn't know talking to some obscure boy was front page news for you, Eri,” Kagome said dryly. “Anyway, I got him all wet when my car got stuck in the snow. I just gave him a ride home,” Kagome said innocently.

 

 

 

 

“You gave him a ride home?” Eri drawled, her eyes wide.

 

 

 

 

 

“Is it absolutely necessary that you repeat everything I tell you?”

 

 

 

 

“Don't you tell a soul. If you do, everyone will talk—and you don't want people getting the wrong idea…”

 

 

 

 

“You know, Eri….if he is half inuyoukai…he can probably hear you,” Kagome said softly, frowning a bit at her friend.

 

 

 

 

“So?”

 

 

 

“Don't you think it's just the tiniest bit tactless?” Kagome pressed, her voice hardening. “I mean, you're standing not even ten feet away from him, talking about him like he's a social disease.”

 

 

 

 

“That's what you're not getting!” Eri exclaimed. “He is a social disease! Already! That's why I'm warning you, as your friend not to get involved, because I know how you are—“

 

 

 

 

“Well, I'm going to go talk to him for a few minutes. You're welcome to come with. If you don't want to, then, by all means, go to the regular table. I'll be along when I'm ready, so don't wait up,” Kagome said flippantly, and began to flounce off before Eri caught her messenger bag by the strap.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, please, please don't turn this into one of your little crusades…” Eri entreated, tugging on her bag for emphasis. Kagome stared at her with disbelief.

 

 

 

 

“Eri, if my memory serves me correctly, didn't you reap the benefits of one of my `little crusades'?” she asked, her tone surly. “Or did you just move to Tokyo and immediately have Ayumi, Sango, Miroku, and I? Because I seem to remember that you were shy. You were lonely, you were self-conscious. And isn't everyone in their first couple of days at a new school? And I don't recall anyone propagating stupid rumors about you either,” Kagome rushed on, on a small, indignant tirade.

 

 

 

 

 

She jerked her bag's strap out of the stunned girl's hand. “Kami, Eri, grow up and try to have a little empathy.” And with that, she walked briskly back to the boy's table and slid into the seat one over from him, leaving an empty one between. She didn't want to spook him; he seemed like the skittish type.

 

 

 

 

“Hey,” she said quietly with a small, reassuring smile. He didn't say anything. But then, she hadn't expected him to. The all-out, no holds barred, flabbergasted stare he gave her was just what she was expecting. “You're welcome to eat lunch at our table if you want…don't mind Eri, she's…ah, I'm not sure just what her problem is. I should have known, though. She can be a bit of a gossip. Sorry about that,” she said apologetically.

 

 

 

 

“There's something wrong with you,” he told her flatly, still regarding her with that look of shock on his face. She gave a short, incredulous laugh.

 

 

 

 

“Something wrong with me? Why?” He gave her a pointed look, and then glanced at the place in front of him, then back at her. “Because I'm sitting here talking to you?” Kagome deduced. He nodded. “Well…do you not want company? I can leave if you want to be alone that badly…”

 

 

 

 

“No!” he exclaimed, then his eyes went wide, and he bit his lip and looked away quickly. “I mean…shit….I meant, you know….didn't you hear anything your friend just said?” he asked her. “It's all true, you know.”

 

 

 

 

“That you're a hanyou?”

 

 

 

 

“That I'm a freak show,” he clarified. “Or that I'm a social disease, take your pick,” he added offhandedly. She looked at him uncomfortably, and he looked back at her dryly. Self-deprecation made her uneasy. “You might wanna get back to your friends. Wouldn't want them getting the wrong idea,” `I knew he could hear her,' Kagome thought angrily.

 

 

 

 

 

“They'll be fine,” she said flippantly, waving a hand. He squinted at her, cocking his head to the side and giving her a quizzical look.

 

 

 

 

“You mean to tell me you didn't know?” he asked.

 

 

 

 

“Didn't know what?” He gave her another pointed look, almost poisonous in its intensity. “That you're a hanyou?” she repeated. He sighed and rolled his eyes, apparently thinking her slow. “Well…I don't know…I guess I didn't really think about it…I mean, you looked human enough to me…Guess I just didn't notice,” she shrugged.

 

 

 

 

“You couldn't have possibly thought yellow eyes were normal,” he pointed out, his voice flat and deadpan. Again, Kagome shrugged.

 

 

 

 

“I figured maybe you had contacts or something…I think they're rather pretty, actually,” she said casually. She could have sworn she saw the beginning of an especially prominent blush spreading across the bridge of his nose, but he looked down too quickly for her to be sure, the side of his hood hiding his face from her view.

 

 

 

 

“And you…now that you know…you're not afraid of me?” he asked, his voice low and raw. Kagome gave a short, slightly confused laugh.

 

 

 

 

“Um…no…why? Should I be? Do I have a reason to be?”

 

 

 

 

“Most people do,” he muttered, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. There was a strange look on his face that Kagome couldn't quite decipher.

 

 

 

 

“Well…I don't really see one…I mean, you don't really incite feelings of terror in me…sorry,” she added. He nodded jerkily and began to chew his lip, and Kagome could now see one of what she was sure was a pair of fangs that held the place where his canine teeth should have been.

 

 

 

 

She leaned her elbows on the table and looked at the papers he was working on. “So, whaddya got here?” she asked brightly. Her eyes scanned his various homework papers, which she recognized as packets that her Biology class had already completed. `Sakagami must be forcing him to make up the work…all that work…jeez, talk about unfair…' she thought. “That's quite a workload you got there,” she told him solemnly, giving him a grave look. He scowled at her and snatched the pile away from her view.

 

 

 

 

“Thanks for the reminder,” he said sarcastically. “Bitch gives me till fucking Thursday,” he grumbled to himself under his breath. Kagome discreetly opened the flap of her messenger bag and pulled out her binder. She flipped it open to the section marked `Biology' and deftly unclipped a thick stack of papers from the rings. She silently slid the stack across the table to him, and waited for his gaze to fall upon it.

 

 

 

 

“Wh-what…what is this?” he asked, pinching the heap of papers.

 

 

 

 

“You don't have to take it if you don't want to…I know I kind of come off like a ditz sometimes,” Kagome said, ignoring his question. “My friends all say I'm a bit of a spazz…guess that's true, too…But, I actually get pretty good marks,” she said leadingly. He still looked confused. “I've got an A in Bio…the marks on the top don't lie. They're pretty much all correct,” she stated slyly.

 

 

 

 

The expression of total and utter astonishment that adorned his face was priceless, and Kagome wanted to roll on the floor laughing. She closed her binder and stowed it away, and then stood, slinging her messenger bag over one shoulder.

 

 

 

 

“And…you've got Mr. Akuran for Lit & Comp, right?” He nodded. “Right…well, I'm his aid for second hour, and I'll let you in on a little secret. He's planning a pretty killer pop quiz for Thursday…So, you know, if I were in that class, I'd review chapters nine and ten pretty extensively….especially the theme of the public versus the private self,” she nodded sagely. His jaw hung slightly ajar as he stared at her.

 

 

 

 

“Wh-why are you telling me this?” he asked, his voice soft and unsure.

 

 

 

 

“Because…I think everybody deserves a break. I have a feeling you don't get many,” she explained simply with a small shrug. She smiled warmly. “See you in Bio.” And she walked away before he could say anything else.

 

 

 

 

Inuyasha sat, mouth agape, staring after the girl in the brightly colored forsythia-yellow sweater, a color he admitted to himself that he'd love to experiment with. She stuck out, and not just because she was wearing an obscenely bright sweater amidst the sea of muted, cool neutrals, so typical of wintertime.

 

 

 

 

His gaze fell to the neat stack of papers that she'd pushed his way. There, in her neat, flowing characters were the answers to the mound of work he'd been struggling through since the previous night, unable to comprehensively get through a fraction of it.

 

 

 

 

Now he had all the answers, presented oh-so-willingly to him, practically on a silver platter. He reached for the first packet, his pencil poised over his own sheet ready to write. Something stilled his hand.

 

 

 

 

It wasn't that Inuyasha had a problem with copying answers. He had absolutely no qualms about cheating whatsoever. Like Kagome said, he never did get a break….why not take advantage of one when the opportunity presented itself?

 

 

 

 

He paused because he couldn't figure the girl out. She was a full-fledged conundrum, and she puzzled him to no end. He couldn't understand just what she was doing by talking with him and acting so damned nice. Inuyasha frowned. He knew how to handle the Eris of the world. He just didn't know how to deal with the Kagomes.

 

 

 

 

Pushing his inherent confusion for the girl in question aside, he flipped open her pages of homework, and made quick work of transferring the answers to his own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

Kagome could tell he didn't know how to approach her. His body language simply screamed `I'm uncomfortable!' as he attempted to lean casually against the wall outside of their Biology class. She and Eri had stopped to talk to a few other passing students as the bell had dismissed classes. She hadn't noticed him ghosting well beyond the outskirts of their little circle until Eri nudged her and hissed, “Tell him to go away,”, jerking her head in the boy's direction.

 

 

 

 

Kagome nudged Eri back, none too gently, and told her friends to wait up for her at the entrance to the school.

 

 

 

 

“Hey, you,” she greeted brightly. He jolted a bit at her voice, as he seemed to be studying with a fierce intensity her papers. He glanced down at her, then beyond her at her retreating group of friends.

 

 

 

 

“You coulda kept talking…I coulda waited.”

 

 

 

 

“You really wouldn't have wanted to wait for me to finish talking….have you forgotten who you're talking to here?” she joked. He let out a small puff of air…which could have been construed as laugh…but Kagome wasn't quite sure, because he hadn't smiled.

 

 

 

 

“Well…here,” he muttered, and pushed the stack of papers at her.

 

 

 

 

“You finished? You got a chance to copy everything?” she asked, astonished, taking the load from his hands. He nodded.

 

 

 

 

“Yeah….did some of it in sixth….anyway…um, thanks. You didn't have to do that,” he mumbled his gratitude, choosing to look just over the top of her head as opposed to her face.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, it's no problem,” Kagome waved it off gaily. “I don't think it's quite fair that she only gave you till Thursday…there's no way you were gonna get all that done with out a little push,” she said with a smile.

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, okay…well…bye,” he grunted awkwardly, and abruptly turned to vacate the hallway. Kagome trotted a few steps after him.

 

 

 

 

“Hey, wait,” she said, tugging gently on the sleeve of his jacket—the same one, she noticed, that she'd inadvertently drenched the previous day. He was so skittish—jerked away from her touch, his eyes widening at her with a dubious look. “Sorry…um…hey, I was just thinking: a couple of us were going to Starbuck's—it's just down the road—for hot drinks and stuff. Anyway, I just wanted to see if maybe you'd wanna come too?” she offered, a cheery grin adorning her face.

 

 

 

 

Inuyasha frowned deeply at her, his dark brows drawing up, and, Kagome thought, he almost looked sad.

 

 

 

 

“No,” he answered softly.

 

 

 

 

“No? But, why not?” she asked, the smile slipping from her lips. She'd thought for sure he'd want to come along.

 

 

 

 

“Just no,” he bit out, beginning to turn away again. Kagome caught his sleeve once more. He yanked out of her grip, scowling. “Let me go.”

 

 

 

 

“What's wrong? Don't you want to meet new people? Make friends? This is a way you can do it.”

 

 

 

 

“No,” he reiterated, now, thoroughly annoyed.

 

 

 

 

“But why?” Kagome stressed. “I'm only trying to be nice here, and I don't understand why you don't want to—“

 

 

 

 

“You listen to me, and you listen good. I don't know what exactly you're trying to pull here. I'll admit, you've really thrown me for a loop, and I don't exactly get your game just yet. But whatever the hell you're playing, I don't want to be a part of it. So just leave me the hell alone, and get your kicks somewhere else,” he growled in a low voice. For a moment, Kagome could only stare at him as she couldn't help but think that that was the most he'd ever spoken at one time. In the next moment, she was indignant, and beginning to get mad.

 

 

 

 

“What are you talking about?” she exclaimed. He glared at her hard, folding his arms over his chest.

 

 

 

 

“Don't play dumb,” he said darkly. “I may not be as smart as some people, but I'm not completely stupid. I haven't figured out your angle, but I'm willing to bet you've got some kind of trick or some shit like that—“

 

 

 

 

“That's ridiculous! I don't have an `angle'! Where did you get an idea like that from?”

 

 

 

 

“Experience has taught me well, Princess,” he spat nastily, sarcastically. “Don't try pulling your bullshit over on me, because I'm not gonna—“

 

 

 

 

“What bullshit are you talking about? Will you please talk some sense?” she almost screamed. She was ready to pull her hair out by the roots. He was infuriating!

 

 

 

 

“I am talking sense!” he shouted back. “The bullshit that every kid at every fucking school feels obligated to put me through! I'm fucking sick of it! I'm sick of being the butt of every stupid, unoriginal joke! I'm not gonna be caught in one of your dumb pranks or any of the other bullshit you've got up your sleeve!” he bellowed. Kagome just stared at him. He was absolutely livid, she could tell, but she still was unsure just what she'd done wrong. His face was red with his yelling, and to Kagome's eyes, he looked seriously ill.

 

 

 

 

“I haven't done anything, though…I haven't made…um, jokes. I haven't done any of that, so I don't understand why you're so upset with me…” she trailed off. His face had changed yet again. Now, he was only watching her with somewhat detached interest, his face now drawn into a guarded, suspicious frown. Then, he did something that, up until that point, Kagome didn't know he was capable of doing. He smiled.

 

 

 

 

It was one of the most disturbed, sick smiles she'd ever seen. His lips turned down, and he shook his head, and it was almost a grimace.

 

 

 

 

“You're good,” he said in a low voice. He began to clap slowly. “You're really, really good. And I applaud you, you deserve it. You've got the act down completely. You've got the little smile, and the talk, and all the great ability to act like you're not completely repulsed by me. Good job. I fucking commend you,” he spat derisively.

 

 

 

 

Kagome could only stare at him as he appeared to have what was the equivalent of a mental breakdown right before her very eyes.

 

 

 

 

“What is your problem?” she murmured. She hadn't intended for him to hear it. She was only murmuring to herself, truly concerned, as he seemed to be genuinely upset. He whirled around, walking backwards as he addressed her.

 

 

 

 

“In case you hadn't noticed, I have many!” he shouted, his hands motioning to the top of his head. Kagome assumed he was referring to his ears. He threw his hands up in the air, and stalked down the corridor, his footsteps echoing off the walls, leaving the baffled girl to stare after him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

 

I'm gonna try to speed it up a bit after the end of chapter five, `cause I wanna get to some good stuff… I'm hoping my transitioning isn't too choppy…

 

I've pretty much got the entire story planned out; it's just a matter of actually writing it…and filling in the holes. So, no need to fear, this story will be finished!

 

 

Um…that's pretty much it!

 

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