InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ You Are Not Alone ❯ Forgive and Forget ( Chapter 28 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights of Inuyasha; Rumiko Takahashi owns all (Damn it all...)

Oh, and the camp Inuyasha was sent to is totally fiction. Just made it up. Try looking it up if you don't believe me.

Inuyasha grinned brightly at the piece of paper that held the long-awaited response he wanted so badly. In only a week or so, he would be on his way to what have had to been to him the greatest place on earth. Every nerve inside him was electrified with excitement. Since his grades were back up, there was no doubt in his mind that he could go now. To think, three months of nothing but sports, camping and his favorite, and beating the crap out of any guy who dared challenge him. It was a dream come true. He felt like he would jump and leap around the world in his happiness.

Kagome stared numbly at the letter, then back at Inuyasha. The liquid in her eyes was collecting fast, but she prevented it from falling. She was just about to tell him what she had wanted to tell him for months now, and right when she feels he might feel the same way, this happens, and he automatically chooses it over her. How could he? Was some soccer camp more important? Was everything she said to him and did with him meaningless? Were the feelings she grew from him a farce? Kagome couldn't understand it, even less believe it.

"Isn't Shijiyama that really cool camp in Hokkaido?" she asked, managing to force back a sob. Inuyasha obliviously missed it.

"Yup, and when I get my dad's say-so, I'll be leaving on a plane there next week!"

"I'm so...happy for you." Kagome lied, almost whispering. She was beyond upset. Far past sad. Wasn't long until she became angry.

"Thanks," he replied, still beaming. "Oh, right," he remembered, then looked over to Kagome. "What was that thing you wanted to say to me, Kagome?"

She didn't reply right away. She only shook her head, falsely smiling, telling him to forget it. Then she pretended to yawn, letting the tears fall, so he would get the impression that she got so tired that her eyes watered.

"Hey," his expression grew serious when the tears fell. "What's wrong?"

Kagome shifted her hands behind her back. Despite what everyone says, Inuyasha apparently wasn't as dense as he usually was. She shook her head again.

"It's nothing. Really, I'm happy for you." Not wanting to continue with this, she looked the other way and said, "It's kinda late. I'd better get home."

She turned to leave until she felt a hand tug on her wrist.

"Stop that phony cheery act," he said. "Now c'mon, what's the matter?"

Kagome was officially upset at this point. NOW he cared about what she felt? Only three minutes ago, he felt like he was on the top of the world for some camp invitation when she was sure he knew she wanted to tell her something important. She didn't want to hear any more at this point, and tried to pull her arm free of his grasp.

"It's nothing!" she said, becoming immediately defensive. "I'm tired, and I'm going home! I'm seriously happy for you, so you better hurry home too and start packing for your dream trip!"

"What's wrong with you, Kagome?" Inuyasha was now totally confused. She scoffed, her brows furrowing.

"What's wrong with me!?" Kagome was so upset, she walked forward towards Inuyasha and pushed him off the pier, sending him falling not-so-gracefully into the cold lakewater. He yelped when he felt the icy water crash against him like a hard wall. Inuyasha felt like he was sinking when the hakama he wore was soaking fast and nearly dragged him down. His teeth were chattering as his wet hair stuck to his face.

"Wha-wha-wha-what the hell d-di-did you do th-th-th-that for~!?!?" he forced out, his teeth still clattering as he huddled his arms close to his body.

"You don't get anything, do you!?" Kagome yelled, tears forming once again and streaming down her cheeks, flushed with frustration and sadness. Then she stomped away, not bothering to look back as she tried her best to refrain from sobbing to keep from degrading herself any longer. What a jerk, she thought! Every single thing he said to her was nothing but a lie, and she never felt more stupid in her life for believing him. Kagome never wanted to see him again. She would have preferred having no friends than to have met him.

Inuyasha only watched in stunned and literally cold silence as she trampled away, obviously steaming. Why the hell was she so mad? You'd think that she'd be happier for him; he'd been telling her about going to soccer camp so many times, and how much it meant to him. And right when it happens, she gets all moody?

He bit his lip. Now that he thought about it, Inuyasha never mentioned that it was a three-month long camp. But he had just refused to tell nor think about it, whether it had been intentional or not. However, he now knew that it probably was not the wisest idea.

Inuyasha wanted to smack himself. How could he be so dense as to not realize how she felt? But as much as he wanted to prove she was more important, this was something that he had been looking forward to for as long as he could remember. He inwardly apologized to her, wanting to tell her that even though he loved her, he had to follow his own dream first.

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Kagome ignored the reactions from her mom and brother as she ran straight up to her room, locked the door and lept on her bed, crying. He was her first love, and he would go and just treat her heart like some children's toy; playing with it until he got bored and either broke it or forgot it.

It wasn't until a long while later that she fully realized what she had done to him before she left the lake. Despite that she was glad she did, Kagome couldn't help but feel guilty. She had no right to do that. Just because she loved him didn't mean she could control his life just so he could be in her's. No, she didn't want to think that way. She wasn't shallow.

She decided that, even though it would hurt her more than anything else, she would apologize to him tomorrow and willingly wish him the best at Shijiyama.

Kagome loved him enough to let him do what he wanted, even if it meant it would break her heart in the process. But she also concluded that so as to not give him a reason to refuse or pressure him, Kagome would try to avoid him as much as possible. It would be good for both of them, she thought.

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Inuyasha arrived home, soaked to the bone, upset, confused, but surprisingly not angry. His father was startled, while Sesshomaru only laughed at his state, wondering if he had played the pervert if he had been alone with Kagome. Even so, Inuyasha suddenly grinned wide as he showed the letter of acceptance to them both, soon rewarded with widened eyes.

Yes, he was happy, but the most part of him was still puzzled on Kagome's strange behavior at the lake. She wasn't the kind of person to just be going around and shoving people in big ponds when she was angry. No, there was a deeper message, he felt, but didn't want to press on it as his damp form and fatigue numbed his senses.

Without another word, he yawned as he walked up to the bathroom to get washed up for bed. He'd think about it in the morning, he thought.

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The next morning, Inuyasha woke up late and walked downstairs to make some eggs for breakfast. Just then, the phone began to ring. Because he was still tired, he didn't get to it fast enough, and their answering machine recieved the call instead. He sat at the kitchen island and listened.

"Hi, Inuyasha. It's me. Kagome."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice.

"I want to apologize for what I did to you last night. I didn't really know what I was doing, and I know you didn't deserve it. Well, I...uh...I'll be busy for the rest of this week, so I'm afraid I can't see very much of you. Tell Shippo I'm sorry, please? Okay, bye."

"You have no messages."

Inuyasha just froze there as her message played back in his head. Busy? What was she busy with? And why didn't she mention what it was? Why was she sounding so unsure? And why was she sounding so sad?

His brain began to ache in response to his stream of questions. Groaning, he let his head fall to the wooden counter with a thud. He just got the opportunity of the century and he was feeling guilty!? God, why is this so hard!?