InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 29 ( Chapter 30 )

“Two weeks… two long… miserable… weeks since that fateful night at Jade's place,” Koga thought sadly as he nursed a cold draught from on tap. “I just can't get her off my mind… from the honest look of hurt in her eyes… to the actions of her body. How could I ever believe that she'd cheat on me, considering what she's given me?” He continued to mull over the quandary as he spied Sango and Kagome sitting near the closest pool table to his seat. “I wonder what they're talking about?” he thought as he moved his ear slightly to eavesdrop on the conversation.

 

 

“How's Jade doing?” Sango inquired of Kagome as they casually observed Miroku teach Shippo the tricks of the game of pool.

 

Kagome turned toward Sango, fully aware of the eavesdropping wolf. “You know, miserable. Apparently she's been having some issues with her arm. This past week, her father started her on some physical therapy. Now when I pick her up, she seems drained, both physically and emotionally. I get her home and she eats enough to take her pain killers, then she heads upstairs and sleeps all night. It's not healthy,” she replied, making sure her voice seemed genuine as well as full of concern.

 

“I didn't know that she was that bad,” Koga thought as he downed his beer in one gulp before leaving the bar, headed back to the office for some alone time. Kagome and Sango's eyes followed his tail, noticing how dejected and haggard he looked as he vanished from sight.

 

Locking eyes with Kagome, Sango asked, “Is what you said true? Granted, I haven't seen Jade since the night of the party, nor has she been to work, but is she really turning away from everyone like that?”

 

With a softer, more worried look on her face, Kagome sighed as she explained, “It's actually worse then that. The therapy part is on the money, but there's more going on…” Kagome hesitated before continuing, having sworn to Jade that she'd never reveal what she found after coming home that night, with Jade in a pool of her won blood and broken glass. “It's like all the life has gone out of her. From what I've been able to discern, he was her first. No wonder she's taking it hard.”

 

Spying the two girls, Ginta moved toward them in a round about fashion, not wanting to draw attention. As he approached, Ginta called out to Kagome, “How's Jade?”

 

“Not well, I'm afraid,” Kagome replied sipping her soda as Ginta pulled up a chair to their table.

 

Once seated, Ginta looked at first Kagome, then Sango as he inquired seeing the looks of concern on their faces, “How bad is she?”

 

“I can barely get her to eat enough to take her meds,” Kagome replied, as a slight smile crossed her lips she continued, “That's only after I threatened to have Sesshomaru force feed her. The first time she didn't believe me it wasn't pretty.” She slumped a little in her chair, feeling dejected and helpless at being unable to help her friend.

 

Looking at Ginta, seeing a similar look of concern in his eyes, Sango asked, “How's Koga holding up? We saw him earlier and he looked like shit.”

 

Nodding his head in agreement, Ginta replied, “He tries to hide it well, but Hakkaku and I know better. He's been hitting the sauce after hours, trying to drown his sorrows. Koga's been staying in the office for the last few weeks, only coming over to our place for a shower and a bite to eat on occasion. Either Hakkaku or I will go in there long enough to empty out the trash can full of empty cans and bottles. Luckily for us, he limits himself to just beer, considering the last time he had liquor, it wasn't pretty.” A slight shiver trailed down Ginta's spine as he recalled the aftermath of Koga's fight with Inuyasha over Ayame and her betrayal. He'd drunk a whole fifth of Everclear and ended up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning before leaving for the Army later that week.

 

As the trio mulled over the revelations of their two heart broken friends, Hakkaku approached with a stack of flyers. “Hey, lazy ass… You're supposed to be helping me hang these up,” he exclaimed, shoving the papers into his brother's hands.

 

Picking up one of the flyers Kagome and Sango looked it over as Ginta explained, “We're holding our monthly karaoke contest next Wednesday. The winner gets two free prime rib dinners.”

 

As Kagome looked at the flyer, a sparkle of light flashed through her eyes as a huge smile crossed her face. “I have an idea to get them back together,” she exclaimed. Moving closer to the excided Kagome, Sango and Ginta listened to her plan, adding a few personal touches that they feel would make it even more believable.

 

 

Jade curled into a ball around Koga's coat that he'd left behind, nose into the soft tanned leather, and breathing in his scent as it calmed her frayed nerves. “Two weeks… it has been two weeks since he walked out on me without being able to explain what happened,” she thought as a couple of stray tears flowed down her cheeks. Curling into a tighter ball around the coat, Jade eased her freshly healed left shoulder into a more comfortable position under her pillows, and thought back to that awful night, remembering the anger and hurt in his blue eyes as the directed their gaze upon her. “How could things have gone so wrong, so fast?” she thought as she drifted off to sleep, thankful that Kagome had left to visit with Sango at the bar, and Sesshomaru had taken the opportunity to get some fresh clothes from his home, leaving Jade to the comforts of being home alone… the first time that she'd been alone with just the cats in a little over two weeks.

 

“It's not like they mean to be so protective of me. Hell, if I'd walked into a home and saw that, I would have freaked out too,” she thought sadly. Other than going to her father's mandatory physical therapy sessions, Jade hadn't been out of the house. Due to her lack of appetite, despite what she'd taken in front of Kagome after being force fed by Sesshomaru was minimal, which resulted in a little weight loss. The bags under her eyes were clearly visible as well as the constant red tint to her eyes. She'd cried her self to sleep so often over the last two weeks that Jade was sure she didn't have any tears left in her and was slightly surprised to feel the ones that were shed flowed down her cheeks. Quietly, Jade slipped into a restless sleep, the images of her beloved walking out of her life… possibly forever. More stray tears streaked down her face, the only evidence of her tortured dreams.