Here goes...
A/N Everyone in the story is human; there are no youkai in this.
SO LISTEN UP 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T SAY NOTHIN'
YOU'LL SHUT ME DOWN WITH A PUSH OF YOUR BUTTON?
Kagome groaned and turned over, pulling the covers over her head in attempt to muffle the blaring sound of her clock-radio. She knew it was no good. The music was far too loud and she never could fall back asleep once she had woken up, anyway. Time to get up for school, she thought to herself with a sigh. Accepting the inevitable, she got up and crossed her room to shut off the music.
"'Cause what you see you might not get. And we can bet so don't you get souped yet." She sang along with a voice that was still raspy from sleep before she shut it off. Stretching and yawning, she opened the door and, after she went to the bathroom, headed down stairs for breakfast. Her mother was already up, of course. She was sitting at the table, sipping coffee, and reading the paper.
"Morning Mom" she said as she sat down at the table after pouring herself a bowl of cereal.
"Morning honey," her mother replied brightly. "Do you know if your brother is awake yet?"
"Don't know, but I didn't see him walking around up there, or hear him moving around in his room," Kagome told her mother after swallowing a spoon full of Cheerios.
Her mother sighed, got out of her chair, and climbed the stairs to go and wake up her son. Kagome rolled her eyes, her brother was fourteen now. In her opinion that was old enough to wake yourself up in the morning with out anyone's help. Regardless of this, her mother still treated them that way, like they were still small children. Kagome thought about this as she finished her breakfast. When she was done with her meal, her grandfather came into the room from outside through the kitchen door. "Hello Kagome."
"Hi Grandpa, have a nice walk?" she asked as she went to the sink to rinse out her bowl.
"Yes, thank you," he said as he walked over the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. "Your mother went to wake up Souta?" he asked as he lowered himself slowly into one of the kitchen chairs.
"Yep," she answered, walking towards the stairs after washing her hands.
"Kagome can I ask you something?" her grandfather spoke up from his seat at the table before she put her foot on the first step.
"Sure," she replied, turning back to him.
"I was wondering if I could have your help after school today," he said, sounding hopeful. Kagome sighed to herself. Her grandfather ran an antiques shop. If her grandfather needed help that meant that he needed someone with a young back to do some lifting and carrying for him. No doubt some old lady who had no relatives just died, leaving all her chipped tea cups and stained dollies to be in taken by her grandfather.
"Yeah, I have a year book meeting today but I can do it after that. It won't take to long will it?" Kagome asked.
"No, a family is only selling about a trunk full worth of antiquities to me." Her grandfather sounded disappointed, as if he was expecting to get more from them.
"'Kay, I'll see you after school," Kagome said, climbing the stairs. She ran into her brother once she reached the landing, looking puffy eyed and ill tempered. "Good morning, Sunshine," she said to him in a falsely cheery voice. He simply groaned at her and lumbered into the bathroom. Kagome considered following him a bit and singing a verse of “Here Comes the Sun,” but he had already closed the door. Kagome couldn't help but laugh as she went into her room to get dressed.
After she was finished pulling on a pair of jeans and her pink fluffy sweeter she went into the bathroom, which was now Souta- free, to brush her teeth and get ready for the day. After applying some light blush, lip stick, eye liner, and mascara, she brushed her raven hair quickly and pulled it back. She put charm of her necklace to the front of her shirt so people could see it. It was a little pearl with a pink sheen, the last gift her father had given her. She almost always wore it, even when she was sleeping. She took a moment to look into her light gray eyes and take a deep breath.
The calm feeling was put to an abrupt end as she looked at the bathroom clock. She swore quietly, she was running ten minutes late! She rushed back into her room and threw the books that she needed for that day into her backpack. Am I going to have time to put together some lunch to eat today?
Kagome ran down stairs and into the kitchen, clutching her backpack. "In a hurry?" her mother asked. She was leaning causally against the kitchen counter, drinking coffee.
"Yeah," Kagome told her, going to the fridge for a bottle of water.
"Here," her mother said as Kagome straighten up again. She closed the door and looked at her mother to see her holding up a brown lunch bag.
"Mom, you're an angel!" Kagome hugged her mother. "What would I do with out you?"
Her mother just giggled and said "I think I hear Sango. You need to go, have fun at school, honey."
"Bye Mom!" Kagome hurried to the front door in the living room, grabbed her coat, and waved behind her before she closed the door. Kagome stepped into the Midwestern weather, being mindful not to step into any puddles from last night's rain. She looked up towards the sky, where there were no clouds. 'Looks like it's going to be a clear fall day.' Her best friend Sango Kuwashima was there, just as Kagome's mother said, sitting in her tiny purple Saturn, waiting for Kagome. She opened the back door first and threw her backpack in. She closed the back door, opened the front and plopped herself down.
"Time get away from you this morning?" Sango asked.
"I guess. I got up on time and everything," Kagome said, honestly wondering how she could have been late today. She set her alarm on the right time, didn't she? "So how was your night?"
"The usual, homework, both mine and helped Kohaku with his, made dinner, helped Dad with the budget, watched some crappy movie on TV, and went to sleep." Sango said all of this with a dismissive tone, as if it was a normal night for her. In all honesty, it was.
Sango's mother died when she was 10 years old. Her mother was hit by a stray bullet. She was in a convenience store while it was being robbed. Her father was almost completely destroyed over the loss of his wife and Kohaku, who was about 6 at the time, needed looking after. So Sango took it upon herself to pick up the slack, to do all the jobs her mother did for her family back when she was alive. By the time her father was well enough to notice all that his daughter was doing for the family, it had become the norm. Her father was very appreciative of all that she did for them, though. Kagome often heard him tell her that she was the best daughter in the world with complete sincerity. The car they were riding in was Sango's 16th birthday present. It was a car that the family could barely afford, but he wouldn't let her take it back.
Kagome wondered quite often how Sango managed to do all that work at home, be on the volley ball team, bus tables at a local dinner club, and keep up with her school work, especially since they were now seniors. "Well, my night was also pretty boring," Kagome said.
They got to school in no time, having gotten green lights all the way, much to Sango's delight. "We were lucky today! Maybe this is a good omen? I hope so, I could use some luck."
They pulled into the school parking lot, got their bags from the car, locked it, and walked toward the front doors. "Kagome!" A voice called out. It was Yuka. She was the president of the school's Key Club, of which Kagome was the secretary. When Yuka caught up to Kagome and Sango she asked, with out bothering to say hello, "did you do your MRF?"
"Yeah, I sent it last night." Kagome said, slightly annoyed. She always put in her MRF on time. Yuka was always like this, she put to much effort into bullying the club members to do their work, even though most of them did it with out needing reminders.
"Good, you have a ride to the tree sale this Saturday, right?" she demanded.
"I told you at the last meeting that I did," Kagome said in an emotionless voice.
"Alright then, I'll see you on Tuesday," Yuka told her in a business-like voice. She turned on her heel to walk quickly back to the school.
Sango shook her head after she left. "Kind of a bitch, isn't she?"
"Don't say that," Kagome said. "She just feels the need to make our club the most efficient it can be." Kagome didn't even know why she was standing up for her, but she thought Sango was being a bit unfair. Plus Yuka was still upset about losing the govern position at district to Kim Peterson, her rival.
Kagome and Sango barely made it forty more feet when Ayumi walked up to Kagome, looking distressed. "Hey Kagome, do you have your article for the paper done yet?"
"Yeah, it's on my zip drive. I'm ready to show it to Mr. Michaud, don't worry," Kagome told her, touching her shoulder in a comforting way. Ayumi always made herself more stressed then she ever needed to be.
"Good, great," she sighed. "You'll be at the meeting tomorrow?"
"Of course," Kagome assured her. "And don't forget we have that meeting with Eri today for year book."
"Okay, see you then." Ayumi waved and turned around to go back the way she came.
Sango and Kagome entered the school. They were quickly joined by their good friend, a boy of short stature, with bright green eyes and red hair, Shippou Watanabe. "How's my girls?" He asked in a cheerful voice.
Sango laughed "What's with your good mood?" She asked. Kagome didn't say anything; she was busy digging into her backpack, looking for her history notes. She had a test today that she didn’t feel quite ready for.
"We have a new student," Shippou announced.
Kagome looked up, having found her notebook and asked Shippou "What's so special about that?" At their school in Chicago, students transferred in and out all the time.
"The student himself, there's all types of rumors surrounding him." Shippou never could help getting caught up in a mood of excitement. He was like a small child in that way.
"Really?" Sango asked; keen to take her mind off her morning math class.
"Yeah, he was supposedly kicked out of his last school or something," Shippou said, sounding intrigued by the information himself.
"So it's a delinquent we have, then?" Sango asked, sounding actually interested now. "Wonder what he did."
"That is the topic of the hour," Shippou told them. Indeed, as they walked to their lockers, as well as the usual chatter, they heard students talking quietly and not so quietly about the new student. Kagome too wondered about this stranger's past, but she guessed the last thing this guy needed was to be whispered about on his first day at a new school, so she didn't join the discussion.
As Kagome put some books in her locker, Sango tapped on her shoulder and said, "Heads up, Kouga Matsuno is headed our way."
Kagome's eyes widened and asked, "In this general direction or walking towards me?"
"Hey Kagome." She heard Kouga's deep voice speak behind her locker door. She could hear Shippou trying to suppress his laughter. Kagome took a deep breath, fixed a false smile on her face and closed her locker door to look up at Kouga.
"Hey Kouga, how's it going?" she asked the burly senior, who was the quarterback of the football team. Quarterback, no matter what high school in America you where in the position always meant more then the guy who throws the ball to the other players. It hardly mattered that their school team almost never won a game; Kouga was still fawned over by most of the student body, and even some of the teachers.
"Great, better now that I'm near you," he told her this in a voice that he clearly believed to be charming. But it just made Kagome want to take a step back, it was slightly creepy.
"Well, I guess we should be going to class, eh, Shippou?" Sango asked, also trying to hold back a laugh.
"Great idea, see you later Kagome." Shippou winked at her. Kagome just threw them a dirty stare. They were leaving her alone with him, the traitors.
"So," Kouga said pointedly, trying to get Kagome's attention back on him. "I was hoping you'd want to come to Mike's party this weekend with me."
"Kouga, you know I don't really like to drink," Kagome told him, hoping he'd get the hint and stop bothering her. She should have figured it was no use, he never got the hint.
"Well, we don't have to go, you know. We could go to a movie or something." He said this to her as if they already had made plans to get together. Kagome didn't know what to do with him, she didn't want to date him, and she knew how he treated his girlfriends. She had, far too often for her taste, walked in on some crying girl in a bathroom surrounded by her friends, attempting to comfort the girl who Kouga had just dumped. He was good looking, Kagome had eyes enough to admit that, with a body developed from hard weight training, a face that had high cheek bones and a strong chin, light blue eyes, and dark brown hair he always had pulled back in a ponytail, but it wasn't enough for her. She needed to be with someone who would treat her life a human being and not another conquest. Plus Kouga was the kind of guy who didn't know how to be friends with a girl.
"Kouga, that's nice of you to offer, but really, I don't want to go out on a date with you." At this point she was far past putting it lightly, that point had pasted about six months ago.
Kouga just smiled at her, took her hands in his and said, "alright, maybe another time, then." Kagome did her best to keep eye contact and look annoyed with out recoiling at the touch of his hands on hers. He walked away from her smiling. She knew what he thought, he thought that she was just playing hard to get. She wished she could tell him so he would understand that, for him, she was impossible to get. She laughed to herself on the way to class. Thinking of that line the character Meg said from the Disney movie Hercules. “You know men. ‘No’ means ‘yes’ and ‘get lost’ means ‘take me, I’m yours.’” She rolled her eyes. Truer words were never spoken.
She thankfully made it to her British Literature class just before the bell rang. Not that it matter all that much anyway, Mr. Passler never started class on time. About two minutes after Kagome got to her seat, he gathered his things off his desk in the back of the room and moved to front to face the students.
"Good morning, everyone," he said, sounding genuinely pleased to be there. Students answered back with a series of greetings, some with words and others with yawns. He simply smiled and started his lesson. "So, we're done with Beowulf, and I know you are all so disappointed," he said with a smile, earning him a few smiles from the students. "Now we move on to Chaucer. Turn to page six hundred eighty of your text. Ashley, start off reading the Middle English that's on the left hand side of the page."
Kagome left English feeling good, as she did after almost every English class. She made her way to History, hoping to do a quick three minute review of her notes before the test. "Hey! Kagome!" She heard Eri run to catch up with her. Kagome sighed to herself, she guessed she wouldn't get to do her speedy review.
"Hey Eri, what's up?" Kagome said when the girl was right by her side.
"Did you see him yet?" Eri asked Kagome, looking excited.
"See who?" Kagome asked.
"The new student of course!" Eri rolled her eyes at Kagome.
"No, I haven't, or I don't think so." Kagome shrugged.
"If you did see him you'd know. He's absolutely gorgeous!" Eri exclaimed.
"Eri, does you thinking this guy is hot have anything to do with the fact that he has a rumored sordid history?" Kagome asked, turning to face her friend.
"What do you mean?" Eri said, looking confused.
"Well, I mean, that's just the type of guy you go after. You dated Ben Samson, after all," Kagome told her in a conclusive tone.
"What do you mean, Ben was a good guy?" Eri said, sounding offended.
"He was a drug dealer, remember?" Kagome said, trying to keep her voice even.
Eri shrugged and told Kagome, "He was sweet." Kagome kept her mouth shut and thought 'I'm sure he'll be sweet in jail'. She then hummed Folsom Prison Blues to herself after Eri said good by to her upon they pasted the gym.
Kagome left History, feeling like she really should have studied better then she did the night before. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. Her next two classes pasted in a boring blur, and it was time for lunch. She met up with Sango and Shippou near the front doors and the three of them went outside on the front lawn to eat.
"I saw Eri before History," Kagome told them, opening up conversation as she laid her coat on the picnic table and sat down. "She saw the new guy, said he was hot."
"Well that's not a surprise," Sango said dismissively, sitting across from Kagome. "I wonder how many prison pen pals she has."
Shippou laughed, nudging Kagome to move down the bench. "I wonder if I start breaking into people's homes and vandalizing mailboxes I would get a date, too."
"Aww, Shippou," Sango said with sarcasm. "Do we need to find you a girlfriend?"
Shippou ignored her and sighed, "Sometimes I think it would be easier if I just was destructive for no good reason."
"Oh, come on Shippou. Don't say that," Kagome said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You don't want to be that guy. A 'bad boy', that's just not who you are."
"Yeah, but it doesn't get me a girl, now does it?" He asked as he plunged his spoon in and out of his pudding cup.
"Shippou, don't worry. You'll find some girl who will want to be with you. I only hope she deserves you," Kagome told him honestly. Shippou was really one of the sweetest guys, sweetest people, she knew. He had bad luck with girls though. Either he went for the fickle type who would dump him when they got bored with him, or he would attract girls who may or may not be mentally stable. "Plus you know, not every girl wants a bad boy." She promised. Hoping that was enough to convince him, and she bit into her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Hey, isn't that him?" Sango asked loudly, to get Kagome and Shippou's attention and pointed towards the entrance of the school. Kagome turned slightly in her seat to get full view of Lincoln High’s newest student. Eri was right, Kagome admitted as she swallowed hard, he was gorgeous. Her heart began to speed up, she could feel a blush on her face, and her stomach felt very weird indeed. She was sure she never felt this attracted to anyone before in her life. He wore tight jeans that looked as if he had been wearing them for years; they were so wore and faded. His shirt, however, was a vivid red that looked brand new. His shirt was not very tight, but the slight breeze showed off the lean muscles in his chest and stomach. Kagome could also see the color of his hair from across the yard. It was silvery white and not that long, coming past his ears. She wondered if it was dyed.
"Eri was right, I think," Sango said, craning her neck to get a better look. "He's certainly easy on the eyes." Kagome’s blush deepen and didn't say anything. Instead she looked over to group of girls near the left side of the building, all giggling and looking at the silver-haired stranger. Kagome guessed that they were trying to decide who would be the one to go over and talk to him. The boy seemed to notice as well. He scowled at them, causing them to stop their giggling for a few seconds. He didn't spare them another glance as he strode towards the right, away from them and towards an unoccupied tree.
"Hmmm" Shippou uttered thoughtfully. "I don't think he's to interested in any of those girls, though. Guess they're out of luck." Sango and Shippou turned away from him as the new student bit into his sandwich. "I wonder if the rumors about him are true. That he got kicked out?"
"Maybe someone should go ask him," Kagome said boldly, Sango and Shippou stared at her. It was true, Kagome wasn't the type to be bold or impulsive, but there was something inside of her that she couldn't quite explain that was telling her to get up and go talk to this guy.
Sango smiled in an annoyingly knowing way. "Oh, so you want to go over there? Make him feel welcome?"
"Well, I am on the student government," Kagome said, trying to give Sango, and maybe even herself, a good excuse and to reduce the blush in her cheeks. "I should go, as a reprehensive of the school, of course."
"Of course," Shippou echoed, adopting Sango’s knowing tone. Kagome rose to her feet, brushing the crumbs of her meal off her jeans. "You're actually going over there?" Shippou asked in surprise.
"I said I was going to," Kagome stated confidently. "Plus, what's the big deal. He's just some guy; half the stuff said about him probably isn't even true. He's not going to mug me here in the middle of the courtyard."
"His past isn't what's the issue here," Sango said. "It's the fact that you're going to talk to a guy at all." Shippou nodded in agreement. Kagome wasn't the type to make the first move, after all.
"Well, you have to start somewhere, right?" Kagome said, finishing the conversation with her friends and making her way to talk to the new student.
As Kagome got with in twenty feet of him, he looked up at her, wearing a bored sort of scowl. Kagome's smile faltered, but she kept walking towards him anyway. "Hi there," she called.
"Hey," He answered shortly, his eyes getting narrower as she got closer, which were a surprise. His eyes were a deep yellow color, almost gold.
"I'm Kagome Higurashi," Kagome said after she was done looking at his eyes, she held out her hand for him to shake it.
He simply looked at it and said, "InuYasha Takahashi." Kagome put her hand down. A moment of silence passed, she began to feel the blush rising in her cheeks again. She was suddenly feeling very stupid, standing there trying to talk to this less-then-friendly guy. What the hell possessed me to come over here? She felt hot all over, she realized, maybe not just from embarrassment. If I feel so warm, then why am I frozen to the ground? She looked down; this was not the time for witty wordplay. She took in a big breath of air and looked behind her. The girls from before were talking amongst themselves, all looking at Kagome. Some of them looked impressed, others amazed, others envious.
She turned back to him, and decided that since she was over here, she might as well at least try to talk to him. "So, where did you transfer from?" Her voice was slightly higher than usual, but she was grateful she was able to say anything at all.
"A different school," he said simply, not allowing his face to relax as he continued to glare at her.
"Have you been shown around?" she asked, not really understanding why she didn't just return to Shippou and Sango since it was clear InuYasha wanted her gone.
He just scoffed at her and asked, "you make a habit out of this? Finding and shepherding the troubled youth?" He stood up. Kagome noticed he was only about five inches taller then she was. The perfect height for her, she could tuck her head easily under his chin if he embraced her while they were standing. Her little fantasy was put to an immediate end when he said, "don't bother, I can manage just fine on my own." He told her, giving her a cold look.
"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. She probably shouldn't have bothered him in the first place, she admitted to herself. It couldn’t be easy to have everyone staring at you and whispering behind your back all day, he probably wanted a break from all that judgmental noise. "I was just trying to be nice," Kagome grumbled, looking down, feeling more than a little embarrassed, wanting nothing more than to back out as gracefully as she could from this situation.
InuYasha let out a light laugh, causing her to look up at his face again. "Girls like you always are," he said shaking his head slightly, looking directly into her eyes. The way he looked at her, it was if he knew her. Like they were bitter childhood acquaintances, and Kagome was the girl who used to push him in the mud everyday. Kagome felt a shock go through her as he rolled his eyes, scoffed, and walk away.
What does he mean by that? She wasn’t going to just let that lay there. Before she even registered what she was doing, she walked quickly to catch up to him, she stood in front of him and asked "What do you mean, 'girls like me?'" She crossed her arms under her chest and stood up straight. She had a feeling that he knew how embarrassed she had just been; it annoyed her that he wasn't being the least bit gracious.
"Miss perfect student," he told her in an annoyed voice. "Not only at the top of the class but I bet you're the president of some volunteer organization, probably on the year book, paper, maybe even play the flute." Kagome was taken aback, and couldn't speak momentarily. She of course did all those things, and was ranked as 5th in their graduating class. But she didn’t play the flute. She couldn't play an instrument to save her life. "You're the type of girl thinking you can swoop in, and save some poor delinquent from himself." He stated, beginning to sound angry. "I got news for you sweetheart, I don't need your pity. You'll have to find another fucking charity case!" he all but yelled at her.
Kagome couldn’t believe it! She was just trying to make him feel welcome and be friendly and he took her courtesy and threw it back in her face! She answered with equal anger. "Listen pal, I don't know who you think you are, but you do not have me all figured out! I was being nice! I'm nice all the time! And I don't need to justify that to you!"
InuYasha just smiled at her then. "Then why are you still talking to me?"
Kagome just opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water.
"That's what I thought." he said smugly. He then turned around and strutted back towards the school, walking as if he owned the place.
Kagome felt infuriated. That jerk just yelled at her for no at all reason and had the gall to suggest that she wasn't being sincere. What an asshole! She turned to go back and sit with Sango and Shippou. Neither of them said anything as she grabbed her apple and bit into it.
"So…he seems nice," Shippou offered. Sango laughed, but stopped when Kagome shot her an angry look.
The meal continued in silence until Kagome heard one of the girls from before let out a shrill giggle and she looked up at them. The track boy's team had finished their laps and they were heading back to school, but not before stopping to flirt. Kagome decided to get Sango back for laughing at her, so she nudged her, pointed to the boys and said, and said "it's your boyfriend."
Sango looked up, glared, and looked back at Kagome. "Yeah, maybe in a million years."
Shippou looked towards them, shook his head and said, "I should join some sports team."
"Come on, Sango. You should go over there and…" Kagome teased.
"Finish that sentence, and I'll kill you," Sango promised with an edge to her voice. Kagome figured that she had taken it far enough and decided to quit teasing her. Kagome however had no control over what happened next. As if he heard their conversation, Miroku Tsujitani strode over to the three friends.
"Afternoon my dear Sango," he said in his most charming voice. She bristled at his tone. His smiled wasn't effected, however. Instead he asked, "How are you Kagome, Shippou?"
"Alright," Kagome answered.
"Good. Miroku, do you know if you guys are having try outs for the team?" Shippou asked.
"Not as far as I know," Miroku told him. He looked back at Sango and asked "Sango, would you like me to walk you to class?"
"So you can grab my ass again?" she asked angrily.
"Why, certainly not, dearest Sango," he said, almost sounding appalled. "I will be a perfect gentleman."
"Yeah, and I'm Mickey Mouse." Sango stood up, the others followed suit; it was almost time for their next class to begin. "Why don't you go bother one of those twits over there?" She asked, gusting to the group of air head girls with one hand and pushing him slightly with the other.
Miroku just smiled again and said, "I will, of course, leave the beautiful lady in the care of her friends." He bowed; Kagome couldn't help but smile at his strange antics. "I will see you again dearest," he said with his hand over his heart in a tragic tone, as if he was a knight about to fight in some epic battle. Sango just rolled her eyes at him.
The friends made their way back to school and Sango spoke the moment they got inside. "God, Miroku! What am I going to do about him! Five years, and he hasn't left be alone."
"I don't think there's much to do but wait it out," Shippou said reasonably. "I mean once the year ends, you'll go your separate ways. He'll get into UW Madison or some other school with a track scholar ship and you'll still be here." Shippo’s bluntness was something that caused strong emotions in others. They either loved it, or they hated it. Kagome’s thoughts turned to Sango’s sad home life. She would never leave her father and brother alone, she thought they couldn’t do with out her. And, Kagome thought sadder still, maybe Sango’s right.
Sango choose not to comment on his last statement and instead said "we should do something together Kagome."
"What?" She asked, perplexed.
"Well, Kouga bothers you all the time, and Miroku bothers me," she said as they waved off Shippou, who headed towards his Theater Arts class.
"That's not the same thing," Kagome said as they walked to their lockers.
"What are you talking about? Neither of us are interested in them, but they won't leave us alone. I say it's the same," Sango said, as if it were obvious.
"Miroku and Kouga are very different guys," Kagome stated as she threw books in her bag.
"Yeah, Miroku is more disgusting," Sango huffed.
"Only on the surface," Kagome said, her attention still focused on her bag. She looked up and Sango, who was looking at her like she was crazy. Kagome sighed and said "look, Kouga is the type of guy who will tell a girl whatever he thinks she wants to hear to get into her pants. Making all types of promises, and stuff. But with Miroku, he makes it very clear up front what he wants and doesn't want from the girls he… dates." Kagome closed her locker and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "He learned his lesson back in Junior High with Kohura, remember her?"
"Wasn't she the girl who went crazy and cut off all her hair?" Sango asked. Her eyes rolled to the side, trying to recall what happened.
"Yeah, Miroku's dad had to pay for her therapy," Kagome said, walking towards class.
"Woohoo…wait!" Sango called out.
"Sango, I'm going to be late," Kagome called back.
Sango ran up to her and asked, "So what do you think I should do?"
"Outside of a restraining order or just waiting it out, I got nothing." Kagome shrugged. "I'm going for the latter with Kouga. It's only a school year, after all." Kagome's thoughts of going to class were cut short, however. She heard her name called over the PA system. She groaned. "See you later, Sango." Kagome rushed to the office, hoping she'd be able to get whatever she was needed in the office for done quickly before she missed too much of her Calculus class.
A/N: The song that plays at the beginning is Sabotage by the Beastie Boys. And if you think someone can't like that song and Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, you're wrong. Because you just read a whole chapter by someone who does. You should expect me to be inserting all types of music into this story. The title comes from one of my favorite Coldplay songs, for example.
A/N 2: Sango's car, a purple 1993 Saturn is my best friend Joe's car. I always get sick of other fan fic authors giving the characters expensive cars in AU fics. High school students don't have that much money, you know.
A/N 3: Key club is the high school level of Kiwanis. Kiwanis is an international volunteer organization; they do all sorts of good things both for local communities and over seas. Google Kiwanis for more information. MRF stands for "monthly report forum," all the people who have executive positions need to fill them out, the president, secretary, and treasure have to do them.
A/N 4: Michaud is pronounced like “me-shaw.” Mr. Michaud was one of my much loved English teachers in high school, so was Mr. Passler, which is in the story too, as you can see above. Why is it that English teachers are always so awesome? If I keep going with this story, I expect a lot of people from my life will pop up in here.
A/N 5: I decided to set the story in Chicago because you're supposed to write what you know, and I live in the Midwest, so I'm giving a shout out to this area of the United States. How many InuYasha fics, period, are set anywhere but Japan and California? I needed a big city for InuYasha's history, which you'll hear about later, and Chicago seemed like a natural choice. Plus one of my favorite bands ever is from Chicago. I will be invoking Lucky Boy's Confusion's music often. If you know who there are, you get a cookie!
A/N 6: InuYasha's length of hair in this story will be about the length of his bangs in the anime and manga. If you got a problem with that ::shrug:: I don't know what to tell you. But it's hard for me to image a human, modern, teenage InuYasha with really long sliver hair.
A/N 7: All the character's last names, save for InuYasha's and Kagome's, are the last names of the seiyū who play them. They have Japanese last names because they’re of Japanese heritage. Some of the characters will be mixed with a little of this, a little of that, though.