InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sweetest Escape ❯ Peak ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

Um…for once, I have no notes. At least right now. Except for this one, to say that I have none. Man…I just feel wrong having nothing to say, except that I have nothing to say. I dunno, just feels like I gotta fill up some space and say something before you start the chapter. So…something. LOL

 

Okay I'm a dork.

 

 

Read it and weep.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Peak

 

 

 

 

Kagome hurried to turn in her Biology final, which she was sure she'd aced, and quickly exited the classroom as soon as the final bell had rung. She smiled and breathed a happy sigh. Winter Break was finally here. She wanted to stop and ask Inuyasha how he felt he'd done, but when she left, he was still hunched over his test, scribbling furiously. She hoped sincerely that he'd done okay on his Lit test. After his bizarre…inquisition… on that third day, he'd seemed to be much more receptive to her efforts, and she felt, he'd improved by leaps and bounds. How that would translate into a test, however, she couldn't be sure.

 

 

 

 

She would have waited outside the door for him, but she had to run to the print shop and pick up the prints that Photo Club had taken of the faculty—she'd been designated `gofer'—so that they could be hung before break, and try to make it back on campus in time for the actual meeting, the last one of the calendar year. She hadn't bothered to wait for Eri—the girl had been alarmingly distant lately.

 

 

 

 

Opting not to try and muddle through the mad flow of traffic in the Daisuke students' hurry to get on with Winter Break, Kagome scuttled through the snow to the small print shop that was just down the block from the school. She flashed the red card that would have her recognized as the official runner for Photo Club, and was promptly bombarded with the nine cardboard tubes that held the portraits of the main faculty.

 

 

 

 

Juggling the tubes, her schoolbag, her camera bag, and the plastic bag full of film and canisters that she'd been surprised to find the president of the club had ordered as well, Kagome was beginning to wish she'd went through the hassle of bringing her car.

 

 

 

 

She fumbled at length with the door, frowning as several students passed her without so much as a helping hand, even having the nerve to stare at her directly.

 

 

 

 

“Thanks a lot,” she mumbled sarcastically as she finally managed to get a handle on the door and awkwardly flung it open with a little grunt. `Some people have no sense of common courtesy,' she thought as she hurried down the hallways. Finally arriving at the proper classroom, she fumbled with the handle once again, wondering why in the world no one would offer her any type of assistance.

 

 

 

 

“Okay, guys, sorry I'm late, but I got all the prints! Got `em all safe and sound with no dents or anything! No thanks to any—“ She stopped short. Everyone's eyes were on her, an unusual occurrence by itself, as the photo lab was usually bustling with activity, what with everyone busy with the impending projects and whatnot. There were no pictures clipped on the line for Mr. Takagami's approval, which meant there was probably not anyone developing pictures in the dark room, which was odd, because Kagome was positive that they had rolls and rolls of film that needed to be developed. Her committee wasn't even gathered in their usual spot by the window, as she was certain she'd told them to be for every meeting

 

 

 

Everyone was seated in the chairs at the tables, watching her. She tightened her grip on the precious tubes, the door bumping her rear as it swung shut.

 

 

 

 

“Alright…what's going on?” she asked with a nervous laugh. Were they playing a prank on her? Tomo, the president of the club, stepped forward, his face solemn.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome? We should talk,” he said seriously. She frowned. She did not like that tone of voice.

 

 

 

 

“Why? About what?”

 

 

 

 

“Listen…the club…and this is the club as a whole…we're deciding to go in a different direction—“

 

 

 

 

“What's that supposed to mean?” she snapped. This beating around the bush was starting to annoy her. “Just spit it out, Tomo.”

 

 

 

 

“Well…you know the importance of publicity…” he began, seeming to be choosing his words carefully. “And, as president, well…it's my job to make sure the club looks good right?” She didn't respond. “Right. Well…some of the members of the club feel as though maybe you're…contributions…aren't really all that necessary to the club any longer, and so—“

 

 

 

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kagome said quickly, shaking her head. “You're kicking me out of the club?” she near shouted.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, we feel as though it's in the best interest—“

 

 

 

 

“Of who?”

 

 

 

 

“Of the club, and we're only—“

 

 

 

 

“So you are kicking me out?” she yelled, absolutely flummoxed. “Are you even allowed to do that?”

 

 

 

 

“We aren't `kicking you out', quote unquote,” Tomo said patronizingly, bending his fingers in air quotes. “We are…strongly suggesting that you perhaps find another way in which to occupy your time after school…”

 

 

 

 

“Why?” she demanded.

 

 

 

 

“Why?” he echoed.

 

 

 

 

“Yes. I want to know why. This…this makes no sense, Tomo! You can't just up and kick people out of clubs!”

 

 

 

 

“Like I said Kagome…you…you know the importance of publicity and appearances…in Photo Club especially. Appearance is everything,” he said leadingly. She stared hard at him.

 

 

 

 

“So…you're saying that I'm making the club look bad,” she stated, trying to follow his seemingly skewed logic.

 

 

 

 

“More or less—“

 

 

 

 

“And just how am I doing that?” she asked. It was at this point that Tomo seemed to lose his cool, calm demeanor, and began to look quite uneasy. “How, Tomo? The rest of you? How? What have I done, hm?” her voice escalating. She was mad enough to break something, and her hands gripped the tubes still cradled in her arms tightly.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, you've brought this on yourself,” Harumi said sadly from her chair. Kagome frowned at her, confused.

 

 

 

 

“Harumi, what are you talking about?”

 

 

 

 

“The people that you choose to…associate with….perhaps they aren't the most savory characters to be around—“ Tomo began.

 

 

 

 

“Wait…” Kagome said quietly. “So you're telling me…you're telling me that this whole thing is…it's about Inuyasha?” she asked in a small voice.

 

 

 

 

“He's not exactly prime company, Kagome, and you've been around him quite a bit lately.”

 

 

 

 

“Even after a lot of warnings,” Rei added somberly. Kagome's face broke into an incredulous smile, her brow wrinkling.

 

 

 

 

“You guys are getting this worked up over me tutoring one guy?” she exclaimed.

 

 

 

 

“A half breed!” a kid spouted from the back of the room.

 

 

 

 

“But, he's—“

 

 

 

 

“You've been gallivanting around with him since he first got here,” said another, someone she didn't know.

 

 

 

“Gallivanting? I was tutoring him!”

 

 

 

 

“Is that what they call it nowadays?” snickered a boy to her far left. Kagome's jaw dropped at the insinuation. Her breathing began to quicken. `This cannot be happening,' she thought faintly.

 

 

 

 

“No…I was only…” she started weakly.

 

 

 

 

“I'm sorry, Kagome…this was a club decision…” Tomo offered.

 

 

 

 

“Tomo…please…what about my project? What about that?” she implored. That project…it was her baby. The club had needed a service project and a fundraiser at the same time. And so, Kagome conceived Pics for Plates, a project that would help both needs. The members would, during the second semester, offer students and those in the nearby community the opportunity to have their own personalized portraits, complete with all types of special effects added with photoshop technology and the help of the Digital Arts classes and sell them. Half of the proceeds would be donated to the local soup kitchen, while the other half would go towards the club's bank account.

 

 

 

 

She'd planned every part of it, worked the budget and set prices, and though she wasn't president of the club, she'd been made committee head for the project. Didn't that count for anything? They couldn't kick her out and scrap the entire project—they were already invested in it!

 

 

 

 

“We, um…we've decided to make Akio the new committee head…since he was helping you and everything…we figured he was the best choice…” Tomo said uncomfortably shifting his weight from foot to foot. Kagome's gaze fell on the boy in question, who was giving her a smug look, his lips turned up into a slight smile. Her temper flared again at that look.

 

 

 

 

“Well, I don't know how you're going to do that. This project was my idea. I've got all the plans. I've got the price sheet and all the practice proofs, so if you're going to let him take over, he's gonna need to start from scratch,” she said spitefully, jaw set. Tomo gave her a disparaging look.

 

 

 

 

“Kagome…I never thought you'd do something so spiteful—“

 

 

 

 

“And I never thought you'd be such a coward! Such a weak, spineless coward, Tomo!” she cried. His face hardened, turned stony. “I've known you since we were kids, Tomo! How could you do something like this to me, huh? Our parents are friends, you jerk! And all this! For what?”

 

 

 

 

“Kagome. Don't be like that. Like you said, this project was your idea. If you don't want to see it fail, then you need to hand the information over,” he told her. She glared at him defiantly. “Don't be stupid, Kagome. Don't let the club suffer because you decided to be selfish.”

 

 

 

 

“If the club suffers it was because the club was prejudiced!”

 

 

 

 

“Against that monster!” Harumi exclaimed. “Let it go, Kagome! He's not even that important! He's just a half-breed, he doesn't matter!”

 

 

 

 

 

“I can't believe you'd be so callous! You kick me out because I was—“

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, yeah, we know, `tutoring',” that same boy laughed, twisting tutoring, and using the infamous air quotes. “Tell me, just how long have you been slutting around with half-breeds? Is this something you do often, or is it a new thing you're trying?” he smirked. The entire room went silent. Kagome could feel that insistent prickling in the backs of her eyeballs, the tightening of her chest and the constricting of her throat, all signs that a full-fledged sob-fest was imminent. `Don't you dare,' she told herself. `Don't you dare cry in front of them! These assholes! Don't you dare give them that satisfaction!' she screamed mentally.

 

 

 

 

“I can't believe you'd condone something like this,” she said to Mr. Takagami, trying to stem the slight waver in her voice. The club's sponsor simply clasped his hands together and averted his eyes. “Is this the type of educator you are? The type to just let students say things like that to one another? About one another? You'd just let people spew whatever prejudiced bullshit that comes to mind?” she pressed, voice rising with every question. The squat man stood and straightened his tie.

 

 

 

 

“That's quite enough, young lady,” he said sternly. “Now, you knew what you were getting yourself into, going around associating with that half-breed. Don't make things worse for yourself. Try to handle yourself with some poise, and leave graciously.”

 

 

 

 

What could she do? It was her against the system; the unchanging, unforgiving, unrelenting system. And she felt so small. Stiffly, robotically, Kagome set down the nine tubes and the bag of film she'd still been awkwardly holding in her arms onto the table. With shaky hands, she opened her messenger bag and pulled out a purple file folder, neatly marked “Pics for Plates”, and set it down carefully next to the tubes. Closing the flap to her bag, she straightened, licked her lips and turned to leave the classroom without another word.

 

 

 

 

The door clicked shut and the sound echoed through the empty hallway, reverberating in Kagome's ears as she made her brisk exit from the school building in quick, measured steps. Fingers clutched the strap of her camera bag tightly with white knuckles, and she held her bottom lip quite firmly between her teeth. Sniffling at the burst of cool air that greeted her, she made her way across the vast, now empty student parking lot.

 

 

 

 

Optimally, she would wait until she got to her room. But she could feel the pressure building behind her eyes and in her sinuses, and she knew that she would probably be unable to hold in the barrage that threatened to break loose any longer than the time it took to get to her car. So she would do it there.

 

 

 

 

Stepping around a patch of black ice in the space next to her, Kagome slipped her keys out of her purse, and prepared to unlock the door.

 

 

 

 

Her hand was promptly stilled as the sight of the door registered fully in her mind.

 

 

 

 

`Demon's Whore'

 

 

 

 

The words knocked around her skull. The letters were large, perhaps as tall as a length and a half of her hand, scratchy, irregular, jagged. Small curlicues of green paint hung off the tips of the letters, the silvery metal shining in the gouges. It was scratched into the windshield as well.

 

 

 

 

She dropped her bag, ignoring it when the fan of notebooks and folders slipped out of the top. She pressed her back against the offending message, sliding down the car's surface to land on the cold ground. Her head was absolutely throbbing, and the pressure was bordering on painful.

 

 

 

 

How had this happened? How had she gone so quickly from an average high school student with a fair amount of friends and respect to…to…a whore?

 

 

 

 

She knew that people were thinking she was crazy; crazy to be hanging out with him. She knew people thought it was weird that she'd want to be around him. But she never thought that people would degrade her because of it. She never thought she'd be stripped of her rank in Photo Club because of it. She never thought she'd be a victim of vandalism because of it.

 

 

 

 

She trembled. Was this why Eri wasn't talking to her? She'd thought it was because the girl's feelings were still bruised from Kagome's comment about her having been a new student. Was this why her discussion group in IB Lit had been strangely avoidant of her answers and contributions lately? Was this why that boy in History made that lewd gesture to her last week?

 

 

 

 

Suddenly floods of instances that had occurred over the past few weeks poured into her mind with a torrential force. Strange looks in the hallways, people suddenly falling silent when she came forward, teachers giving her disapproving glares, the girl in the front office who'd laughed, seemingly pointlessly, at her, the boy near the restrooms who'd asked her if she'd do `favors' for anyone.

 

 

 

 

And with the overwhelming influx of realizations, Kagome gave into the sobs that violently tore at her throat.

 

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

“Fuck, yeah,” Inuyasha muttered with a small smile. He'd waited around after he'd finished his Biology final just for Mr. Akuran to input the grades into the computer. Then, instead of simply showing him on his computer or telling the boy his grade, he made him go all the way to the school's library across campus to ask the librarian for a copy of his grade report. Inuyasha reread the paper that he held, turning away from the printer. `Final Grade: 60.2%' it read. It wasn't a great grade, but it wasn't failing, and for that, he was grateful.

 

 

 

 

He had to admit, the girl's tutoring sessions had helped tremendously. He couldn't have gotten the 2.2 percent increase he needed without her help, and he knew it, but he'd never admit it. He'd thanked her on their last session of course, but when he saw her again second semester, he'd be damned if he was going to kiss ass.

 

 

 

 

“Take that, Akuran, you fucking asshole,” he said lightly. He actually had a slight bounce in his step. No school for two whole weeks. No Mr. Akuran and his stupid Lit class for two whole weeks. No hearing barbs and taunts from stupid students for two whole weeks. His father would undoubtedly want him out of the house, undoubtedly so that he could entertain a few random demonesses; Inuyasha would be able to pretty much do as he pleased. He was sure that he'd be able to spend tons of time at his flat, and that thought alone lifted his spirits.

 

 

 

 

Relatively happy thoughts in mind, Inuyasha shoved the grade report into his pocket and pushed the library doors open, inhaling deeply. Actually feeling in a halfway decent mood for once, Inuyasha pushed the hood off of his head and pulled the cloth strip away, tucking that into the pocket on his sweatshirt. He twitched and swiveled his ears, allowing them a moment of extraordinarily rare freedom in the deserted public.

 

 

 

 

 

He was just crossing the walk way when a peculiar sound caught his attention. He wanted to ignore it, hoped to ignore it. But when the tang of salt wafted by his nose, he groaned heavily, rolling his eyes. He knew he couldn't simply walk by without at least seeing what was causing that accursed smell. He followed the path he was on that led to the student parking lot, seeing that there were only a handful of cars left. Following his nose, and cringing as the dreadful sounds got louder, he ended up at an awfully familiar car.

 

 

 

 

His eyebrows rose considerably as he saw the damage that had been done to the tiny vehicle. `Demon's Whore' and `Slut' were jaggedly carved into the shamrock-green paint of the car, into the windshield.

 

 

 

 

“Kami,” he murmured. Someone had truly done a number on the little green Bug.

 

 

 

 

That was when it hit him.

 

 

 

 

She couldn't have done that…could she? Would she? Up until this point, he'd been convinced that she had something up her sleeve, and was simply waiting for the right moment to spring her trap on him. Surely she was going to give up the game any day now. So he'd kept his distance, except for slipping that one time in the library, and he felt fairly certain that she had no information to blackmail, humiliate, or incriminate him with. She wouldn't be able to pull any stupid teen-girl pranks on him.

 

 

 

 

But this…this was a bit far for a mind game…wasn't it? Would she have really gone so far with a prank as to key such a message into her own car? Just to fool him into trusting her so that she could pump him for information, and then humiliate him publicly? She didn't strike him as the rich type. Sure, her clothes were fairly nice, but she didn't seem to be abounding with money, so much so that she could afford to scratch up a car for something as stupid and insignificant as a prank…

 

 

 

 

The hair-raising sound of sobs reclaimed his attention and he flattened his ears. Groaning again Inuyasha tugged the hood back over his head, not bothering with the cloth strip, and walked cautiously around the front of the car.

 

 

 

 

His stomach churned. He already knew who it was. But upon the sight of his tutor huddled into a quivering, sobbing ball against the driver's side door of her car, legs pulled to her chest, face buried in her arms that made a little nest atop her knees, he felt sick. He'd never been one to handle crying women well. Anybody crying, for that matter. It made him uneasy, skittish, and the smell of tears actually made him feel a bit nauseated. Her shoulders shook with each sob that violently wracked her frame. Her chamois-colored messenger bag lay beside her, its contents haphazardly strewn on the ground. Inuyasha cringed. She needed to stop. Now.

 

 

 

 

“H-hey…” he started hesitantly. Her head quickly whipped up, and she looked at him through bright brown eyes shiny with blurry tears. She sniffled, and the finicky scent of embarrassment crept into her scent as her face darkened into a dusty pink blush. Inuyasha felt his throat constrict. “Cut it out,” he mumbled looking down at her. She straightened her posture, her pearlescent coat skidding against the car door, and scrubbed her cheeks with her fists, sniffing and sighing.

 

 

 

 

“Kami, this is embarrassing,” she muttered with a self-conscious laugh. She tried to keep up the weak smile, but soon succumbed to another bout of tears, at which point Inuyasha paled. “I never…I could have never imagined…”

 

 

 

 

“Look…just…just quit it, alright?”

 

 

 

 

“They…they kicked me out of Photo Club,” she whimpered, ignoring his demands that she stop crying. “They all just…kicked me out. Akio…He's taking over my committee…he's taking over my idea…” Her face crumpled and she buried her face in the crook of her arm again. Inuysha sighed heavily, uncomfortably. She wasn't gonna be done anytime soon. He didn't know why, but he sat down beside her, leaning up against the car's front tire. Tilting his head, he took a discreet sniff at her. The tang of sour sweat, usually a sure-fire way to detect a lie, didn't pollute her scent. Her scent wasn't cloudy or clogged, as a liar's usually was. He decided, that although he was still hesitant…she was coming from a genuine place…and there was no mistaking, faking or half-assing those tears and sobs that kept spouting from her. There was no way those were fake.

 

 

 

 

Which meant…she really was alienated. She really had lost all of her friends, and she really was the victim of the abuse that he endured daily. He cringed. `This is all my fault,' he thought guiltily.

 

 

 

 

He'd heard it. The things people said about her. He'd heard barbs tossed around, mixed in with the regular taunts about him. But he hadn't stopped them. He hadn't raised a voice to defend her. At the time, he was still in the mindset that she was out to get him. Now, he truly regretted not saying anything, but knowing that the outcome would have been the same whether he'd stepped in or not; perhaps it would have even been worse. What would people say if the half-breed was defending her honor? Why, that was just as bad as having no honor at all. And of course, people would run with that notion.

 

 

 

 

“I just…Kami…I never thought it would be like this…you know? I mean, there are people saying such…such awful things. People I've known since I was in diapers…” she sobbed, her voice hitched. She wiped a woolen gloved hand across her face. “I mean…Tomo. I've known him since I was three years old. We've gone to the same schools for I don't know how long—and even he…even he's saying things. Doing things…” she trailed off, shaking her head miserably.

 

 

 

 

“That's the nature of the beast,” Inuyasha told her aloofly. She gave him a mournful, heart wrenching look, and he felt like an asshole for saying that. But…he had warned her…

 

 

 

 

“But…I was only tutoring you…only talking to you…how could they be so angry…so horrible for only talking? To one person?” she asked hopelessly.

 

 

 

 

“It's the person you're talking to that counts,” he reminded her quietly. She shrugged and her brow wrinkled in confusion.

 

 

 

 

“But…you haven't done anything…I mean, they're so…angry over me talking to someone innocent that they'd say things like that…Demon's whore…” she said, her voice in a trance-like tone.

 

 

 

 

“And `slut',” he added before he could stop himself. He hadn't meant to say that…She gave him a shocked, almost blank look.

 

 

 

 

“Slut?” she echoed emptily.

 

 

 

 

“…It's on the passenger's side,” he muttered ashamedly. She took in a deep, shaky breath, nodding slowly.

 

 

 

 

“Where do they even get that from?” Inuyasha shrugged needlessly. He blushed a bit at the thought. `Demon's Whore'. He was obviously the demon in question, and she, was obviously the whore in question. That being said…people thought—or simply said pointlessly—that they were having…His face reddened. “I could feel it,” she added after a long quiet moment.

 

 

 

 

“Hm?”

 

 

 

 

“I could feel it…this tangible energy or tension in the air…I felt it for a couple of weeks, but…I don't know. I guess I just shrugged it off—ignored it,” she said. The corners of her mouth jerked downward and tears splashed down her cheeks again. This time, their flow was not stemmed. Inuyasha fidgeted restlessly.

 

 

 

 

“Look…if you wanna…yell, or whatever…if you wanna scream at me, you can go ahead,” he offered awkwardly. She frowned at him through her tears.

 

 

 

 

“Why would I want to do that?” she questioned. He shrugged.

 

 

 

 

“It's all my fault that nobody likes you anymore,” he explained, wincing when her frown deepened. He probably could have been a bit more tactful saying that…well. He was truly lacking in social graces. “So, you know, I understand if you just wanna yell my ear off. Cuss, scream, do whatever. You might…you know. Feel better, or whatever,” he muttered.

 

 

 

 

“It wouldn't make me feel better to scream at you,” she said softly, her breathing hitched and ragged. He shrugged.

 

 

 

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

 

 

 

“It's not your fault anyway,” she said sullenly. He looked at her strangely, surprised when she gave a timid smile. “I didn't have to talk to you,” she explained. Well. She was right about that. She didn't have to. And he'd even warned her, even though he thought she was playing jokes. `Why do I still feel bad, then?' he asked himself.

 

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, but…you're pretty stupid, so…I'm still kinda responsible,” he said. She chuckled a bit, and Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief, thinking perhaps she was done crying. Wrong. The chuckle turned into another choked sob, and she leaned her chin on her knees. His stomach was turning flips.

 

 

 

 

“This is how it is for you? Like this everyday?” she asked, looking up at him. The vulnerable, pleading look in her eyes compelled him to nod, and so he did. She bit her lip, looking listlessly across the parking lot. “I had no idea…I knew you got some crap…but…I can't even imagine…”

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, well…you live and you learn,” he said dully. “Pretty soon it's just noise.” She shivered.

 

 

 

 

“I don't think I could ever get used to that,” she admitted. He shrugged again. “I don't know what I'm going to do,” she said in a small voice.

 

 

 

 

“ `Bout what?”

 

 

 

 

“About school…seems like I don't have any friends anymore,” she said, biting her lip, the tears overwhelming her again. “At least I've got you, right?” she asked hopefully, tears pooling in her eyes. `Why the hell do you have to go and do that, you stupid girl?' he thought, looking at her in horror. She was looking straight at him, crying, asking him a question like that. `Damn her!'

 

 

 

 

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

 

 

 

 

“Well…It's not like I've got anybody else. And you don't have anybody else—“

 

 

 

 

“I don't need anybody else,” he snapped.

 

 

 

 

“But…I mean…it's kind of a kindred spirit thing now, right? We're both alone. It wouldn't be so bad if we hung out…would it?” Inuyasha sighed.

 

 

 

 

“I think the farther away you are from the freak, the better.”

 

 

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

 

 

“The less you're seen around me, the better off you'll be. Think about it. If you go into school next semester, and you act like you've got your wits about you—you act like you've got some sense—then maybe you can get all your old friends back. Get back into your club again,” he explained. `And then I can stop feeling so damned guilty,' he added silently. He began to fidget again as wave after wave of salty scent assaulted his nose. `Stop fucking crying!' he screamed at her mentally. He knew better than to yell aloud. That would only make things worse. His fidgeting was brought to an abrupt halt when she placed a warm hand on his knee.

 

 

 

 

“Inuyasha. If they stopped being my friends because I chose to befriend someone else, then I don't think they were really friends to begin with,” she said sadly through her tears and hitched voice. “If our friendship is so fickle that its status changes depending on who I choose to associate with…it's not a real friendship.” Inuyasha could only stare at her as she said that. He wanted to shake her hand off of his knee, wanted to slap her away, tell her to stop being so stupid. But that sorrowful, miserable look in her brown eyes stopped any standoffish behavior he was considering.

 

 

 

 

“Keh. Whatever. If I were you though, I'd hightail it while I can. While you've still got some salvageable reputation. People aren't gonna feel sorry for you if you keep surrounding yourself with freaks and monsters. That's just the way it goes,” he muttered coldly. His butt was beginning to go numb from the hard concrete. He could feel her eyes staring a hole into the side of his face.

 

 

 

 

“I sometimes wonder if you really think that way. About yourself. I sometimes wonder if that's what you really think, or if it's just the things you hear from others that you're spitting back,” she pondered quietly.

 

 

 

 

“I sometimes wonder why you give a shit,” he retorted. She giggled through her residual tears and patted his knee once.

 

 

 

 

“You're so grumpy. All the time.”

 

 

 

 

“Well…maybe if you stopped snifflin' and snottin' all over the place I wouldn't be so damn grumpy now,” he grouched. “So quit it, alright? Cryin' doesn't solve shit,” he told her. She laughed fully now, even if it was a bit choked.

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, you're right. But it does feel good sometimes, though, yeah?”

 

 

 

 

“Keh.” She exhaled deeply and leaned her head against the car.

 

 

 

 

“Hey…” she started.

 

 

 

 

“What now?”

 

 

 

 

“Your ears…are they cute?” she asked. Inuyasha froze. Where had that come from? How was he supposed to answer? He tried his luck.

 

 

 

 

“What the hell kind of question is that?” he growled.

 

 

 

 

“I'm only curious,” she said. “I haven't seen them.”

 

 

 

 

“And it'll stay that way,” he said with finality, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

 

 

 

“Aw…why?” she pouted.

 

 

 

 

“Why would you want to—“

 

 

 

 

“I bet they're cu-ute,” she said in a sing-song voice, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

 

 

 

 

“You're deranged.”

 

 

 

 

“Aw, come on. Lemme see,” she implored.

 

 

 

 

“No.”

 

 

 

 

“Please?”

 

 

 

 

“No.”

 

 

 

 

“It'd make me feel better.”

 

 

 

 

“Keh! Like I care about making you feel better,” he said callously. She gave him a knowing look, raising an eyebrow.

 

 

 

 

“I'll start crying again,” she warned. He blanched.

 

 

 

 

“Are you serious?” She nodded solemnly.

 

 

 

 

“I can start at the drop of a dime,” she told him seriously. He sighed, scowling and cursing silently.

 

 

 

 

“Fine,” he bit out. “But no more crying, you hear? I don't wanna hear a peep outta you!” he said firmly. She nodded happily, and scooted around to face him directly. “Stupid squealy girl…making a fucking show outta me…fucking tears,” he muttered absently. Quickly, he swiped a hand over the crown of his head, brushing back the hood. He stared intently down at his knees, hating the hot blush that spread across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He chewed the inside of his lips, which had set into a hard, thin line. “Great, so now that you've seen the freak's ears, what are you gonna—“

 

 

 

 

“They're so cute!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands together enthusiastically. His eyes flew wide.

 

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

 

 

“Oh, Inuyasha, they're so cu—“

 

 

 

 

“You're chemically unbalanced!” he exclaimed, the pure shock evident on his face. It was as if things started moving in slow motion. His eyes drifted downward to stare at her hands as they lifted towards his head. “Hey! Uh-uh! No touching! No way!” he exclaimed, pushing her hands roughly away. She bit her lip.

 

 

 

 

“Oh…sorry, I didn't—“

 

 

 

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he continued to rant.

 

 

 

 

“I said I was sorr—“

 

 

 

 

“Kami, what are you, crazy?” he exclaimed, starting to tug the hood back up. Kagome stopped him.

 

 

 

 

“No, you don't have to do that…I said I was sorry,” she murmured quietly. She glanced back up at him.

 

 

 

 

“Keh.” He glanced down at her, rolled his eyes. He pulled his crumpled grade report out of his pocket and tossed it over to her, the slip landing in her lap.

 

 

 

 

“Hm? What's this?” she asked, unfolding the rumpled wad. `Inuyasha Chikamatsu…blah, blah, blah, home phone number, address, ID number…blah blah blah…First Semester Grade Report…' she scanned the paper. “Oh my gosh! Inuyasha! 60.2%!” she exclaimed suddenly.

 

 

 

 

“Yup.”

 

 

 

 

“Oh, wow, Inuyasha this is great! I'm so proud of you!” she said sincerely. “I knew you weren't stupid,” she joked, nudging him with her elbow. He snorted.

 

 

 

 

“Shut up,” he groused. “Just thought you ought to know. Since you helped…and whatever,” he muttered. “I'm gonna go…” he said, taking the paper back and standing. She followed suit and stood as well.

 

 

 

 

“Hey,” she called after him as he'd started to leave. He paused. “Thank you. You really did make me feel better,” she said gratefully, offering him a warm smile. Inuyasha frowned at her, turning back around abruptly.

 

 

 

 

“Keh,” he grunted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

 

 

 

Man, that was a long chapter! 25 pages! Whew!

So…now that the ice is broken (kind of) where will this go? If my transitioning through the future is kind of rough, I apologize…heh heh.

Review and tell me what you think! (and hey, if there's typos, let me know—remember, I'm sneaking and doing this, so I'm typing fast!)

 

 

 

Wowzer313