|
I think it's due time for me to thank everyone who reviewed School Daze. I appreciate the critiques and the compliments; they always help me to either keep certain characteristics of my writing the way they are or fine tune the characteristics that.. well, need to be fine-tuned. It also encourages me to put out the newest chapters to SD ^___^ Let me explain chapter eleven. It's not nearly as well-written and well-thought out as the past chapters, because I was in a hurry and crushed under a rather huge writers block. I realize now, after looking over it, I could have done so many things with that chapter that could have made it better. Oh well. I still have several more chapters to go before School Daze is finished. As one person pointed out in one of my reviews, the characters are unbearably flat in the story, besides Kagome. I do have plans for each character (i.e., Eiji is a computer hacker and Kikyo does dance), but most of these characteristics I didn't plan to expand upon until the later chapters. After all, only a couple of weeks have passed in the School Daze year, therefore I haven't been able to build up these characters. So that's my excuse for being a slacker. -____-; Important! For those who care, that is.. Due to the fact that a couple of people have asked me to send them a notice as to when the next chapter of School Daze is out, I'll be starting a 'mailing-list' thing. Basically I'll just be adding you to my addy book and sending you an e-mail when I put out each chapter of School Daze. So, um, if you'd like me to send you a notice when I put out the next chapters to School Daze, just tell me over review or send me an e-mail at [email protected]. So basically, be all: I want you to send me the new chapters to School Daze! E-mail: [insert e-mail here] If you don't have e-mail, I'm sorry. @@; My fanfic webpage will be up in a bit. Actually, it is up, you just can't open anything. O_o; It's www.geocities.com/_clara_19_. Anyway, it'll be having School Daze on it, and several of my other fanfics (for Inuyasha (and other series), and even teasers to other stories that I'm not going to be putting up on FF.net any time soon. Fanart for Inuyasha (or other series..) or screencaps is always accepted. ^___^ Fanfics I'm a little iffy on, for my own reasons, but they're accepted. Contact me if you want me to put your 'Yasha fic (or any other series fic) up, and I'll discuss guidelines with you (I'm a stickler for grammar and correct spelling, even though I continually make my own mistakes..). Basically, I'm okay with almost everything. If you plan on sending me something, though, make sure it's at least PG-15.. I don't want any crazy mother's e-mailing me, screaming about cartoon porn. If you DO send me something that has a higher rating than that, then please clearly mark what it should be rated. One thing: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I have my reasons. Prom is one of them, and being sick is another. I'm really sorry. ;_; Another thing is that I'm on the edge right now. School, finals, boys, my car getting broken into.. well, you know the story. But now it's summer and I'm happy. :D *tosses in some Sango/Miroku fluff for aurora borealis* ^^ Chapter Twelve: Stand By Me by Clara To recap, the gang and I were at a school dance, me hiding behind Miroku like the big, brave boy I am. Bear with me here, okay? It wasn't every day I got so blatantly hit-on-dash-groped-dash-whatever by someone of the female gender. It's a little.. well.. awkward, all right? Hell, I rarely get hit on by boys, let alone girls, so you can imagine my great surprise. Sango standing to the side and cracking up wasn't helping matters much, mind you. I had the distinct feeling that I would be safer if Wanaka or whatever thought I was a girl. Somehow, by the looks she was giving all the boys in the group (including me), I doubted she swung any other way but straight ahead. Which meant that it was highly unlikely that she would throw herself at my feet and profess her undying love for me while I was 'Kekki'. Okay, so I'm overreacting. That's expected, though, isn't it? Miroku sensed by discomfort better than anyone else (due to the fact that I was hiding behind me), and seemed to catch onto my thoughts. I could see his shoulders shaking in silent laughter, though, and I barely managed to keep myself from kicking him in the back of the ankles. Instead, I did what any red-blooded girl would do in a situation like this. I turned around and ran. "GottagosorryIreallygottapee!" I managed, somehow turning that entire sentence into one word. Miroku let out a bark of laughter, and I heard him say to the others, "I'll go make sure he doesn't try to sneak out a window, or something." Gee, Miroku, you're a lifesaver. I'm being vitriolic here. I peeked into the bathroom, looking left and right to make sure no one was� occupying any of the urinals or something. That would be rather embarrassing. Luck smiled down on me at that moment, because no one was there. "Hey, Kagome," Miroku's muffled voice called through the door. "I'm here, okay? No one should walk in on you or something�" I breathed a silent breath of relief, thankful for this sudden bout of luckiness. Luck is a tricky son of a bitch. * At this point, as I was struggling to put both my legs in one pant leg (because I'm smart like that), Miroku was leaning against the door of the male's bathroom, making sure no one would come in like the good guard dog he is. Notice my bitterness again. Anyway, as he stood in front of the door, a certain, attractive and very scantily clad young woman walked past him. Being who he was, he was automatically distracted. Yura smiled at him seductively. "Hello, Handsome." Miroku gulped. "What say� you and I get to� know each other a little better?" she asked, punctuating each break in the sentence with a little flip of her hair or a bat of her eyelashes. I wasn't there to see this, of course, but Miroku is good at describing. Miroku nodded once, those traitorous eyes examining her body. She smiled, knowing that she had already won, then did this little 'come hither' thing with her finger. He obeyed and followed her. Meanwhile, Hiten decided he had to go to the bathroom. Do you see where this is leading? Anyway, so there I was, pulling my shirt over my head (and thus revealing a whole lot of flesh), when someone pushed open the door. Quickly, I yanked my shirt back on. "Miroku!" I shouted, automatically suspecting my sometimes moronic friend. "What do you think this is, some kind of free peek-sho.. show.." Hiten blinked at me, then snapped his mouth shut. It had been hanging to his ankles. SHIT. "K-Kagome?" Hiten asked, shutting the door behind him. I took a step back "N-no," I answered, feeling all the blood rush away from my face and down to my ankles. I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was going to pass out. "Don't give me that shit," Hiten snapped waspishly. "You're wearing 'Kagome's' clothes. Do you have some kind of gender identity disorder or something? Do you really think you're a boy? Let me tell you something, boy's don't have those.." "NO, I don't think I'm a boy, thankyouverymuch!" I snapped back, folding my arms over my chest as if to protect myself. That just drew his eyes, well, there. "I know I'm a girl, and I have a reason to be dressing like this." "Inform me." I sneered at him. "I don't think you have the right to know why." Hiten shot me this very annoying smirk, leaning against the door. "You don't really have any choice, doll." I opened my mouth to holler at him for calling me 'doll', then changed my mind. He did have a certain power over me, now, and I was going to have to be careful. Sneering a little, I turned around and began to.. ah.. unwrap my chest. Hey, give me a break. He already knew, might as well keep changing.. Okay, so there are times when I don't think rationally, but bear with me. This was about the six billionth shock in one night, and I was getting a little weary. "I'm protecting my brother." "Oh." I blinked a couple of times and looked over my shoulder at him, confused at his response. He returned my baffled look with a haughty one, folding his arms over his chest. "Don't be stupid. I have my own brother who's always on the bad end of the boat, and I know what it's like to have to protect him." Still surprised, I looked at Hiten with a new type of respect. I hadn't thought there was anyone who was going through the same problems as I was.. "..you're quite attractive, by the way." ..Of course, he had to be an idiot. Growling irritably, I pulled my shirt over my head and pushed past him to the door. "Not in your wildest dreams, mister." "Ah, c'mon Kagome.. I'm a great guy and I can show you a real good time.." I shut the door in his face. "Just give me a chance!" was his muffled yell. I stepped out of the bathroom area, looking around for Miroku to give him a piece of my mind. How dare he leave me on my own to deal with idiots like Hiten? And now another one of my arch enemies knew my 'secret'. Before long, Naraku was going to know, then.. then.. Oh shit. I turned around fast enough to nearly snap my neck and hurried back towards the men's bathroom, a determinedly frightened look on my face. However, before I got three paces to the door, an annoyingly familiar voice dragged me back. "Kagoooome! Hey, Kagome!" I stopped dead in my tracks and wondered who in the heavens hated me so much. I raised my eyes to the ceiling in a silent beg for respite, then turned around and plastered a huge, very fake smile on my face. "Hi, Yuka!" Boy, I was up the crap creek right now. Yuka was one of those girls who you couldn't lie to. It is just virtually impossible. The girl can see through every mask you put on and sniff a lie coming from a mile away. You can see my predicament here, can't you? Don't get me wrong, though. I love Yuka like a sister. In fact, she was my best friend throughout all my school years. So, of course, I had no idea what to do. All my friends here knew me as Kekki. How was I going to explain to her that, hey, I was now called Kekki when I was a girl, and when I was dressed up as a boy, I was known as Kagome. I could feel the beginnings of what promised to be a very bad headache. "Kekki!" I spun around. Inuyasha was heading towards me, a happy smile on his face. I could feel my heart break. At the same time, Hiten walked out of the guy's bathroom, a determined look on his face. The beginnings of that headache exploded into a full blown one. Inuyasha was going to find out. Shit. They all surrounded me, Inuyasha observing Hiten with a wary eyes, Hiten alternately glancing at me with a look in his eyes that I didn't want to know about and glaring at Inuyasha with all he was worth, and Yuka with one of those 'this ought to be interesting' expressions. I looked down at the floor and wondered why it wouldn't just open up and swallow me whole. That would make life so much easier for me. I wrapped myself in a slightly self-preserving hug, watching with impending doom. "Hey, Kekki," Inuyasha said hesitantly. Yuka looked at me with an upraised eyebrow, and Hiten looked as if he wanted to burst out laughing. He was the only one who knew of my inner turmoil right now, and I had a feeling he guessed about Yuka. Oh Lord. "Yes, hi Kekki," Hiten said. His grin rivaled a Cheshire Cat's. "I'm sorry, I seem to have been confused," Yuka stated, still looking at me with an upraised eyebrow. "I thought you were Kagome." "Nah, Kagome went and disappeared," Inuyasha shrugged a little. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Kagome's girlfriend or something, would you?" Yuka choked. Literally. I had to smack her on her back pretty hard to dislodge whatever she had choked on. She gave me one of those looks, then crossed her arms over her chest and gave Inuyasha a no nonsense look. "I most certainly am not!" Inuyasha frowned a little. "Hey, now, Kagome isn't that bad of a guy..." "I mean, I love Kagome like a friend but.. did you just say�" I smacked my hand over Yuka's mouth before she could finish her sentence, wearing my most innocent 'you've got to believe me' look on my face. "Ahaha, don't mind Yuka," I assured him. "She's been mine and Kagome's friend for ages. Her dating my brother," I paused to look meaningfully at Yuka. She glared at me, "would just be like.. uhm, you dating Sesshomaru." Inuyasha looked baffled for a moment, then disgusted. "Yuck, Kekki, that's a disgusting analogy." I grinned at him. Hiten stood behind me, shaking almost imperceptibly with silent laughter, his hand over his mouth. I wanted to kick him. Instead, I removed my hand from Yuka's mouth. She snorted at me, and I knew I would have a lot of explaining to do. What confused me the most, at the moment, was why Hiten wasn't saying anything. His mouth was closed and his hands were folded militarily behind his back. He still had an amused look on his face. "Anyway," Inuyasha said, looking at me with a 'you're not telling me something but I can live with that for right now' look on his face, then jammed his hands in his pockets. "I'm actually looking for Miroku right now for Sango. She said she needed talk to him, but.." he glanced at Hiten with evident dislike. Hiten matched his look with an equally dark one. "Don't worry, Inuyasha, I currently have my eyes set on someone else." Both my eyebrows shot up at that, and I glanced at Hiten. He, surprisingly, was looking at Yuka with a frighteningly predatory look on his face. I almost laughed. Inuyasha looked at the three of us, frowned slightly, then sighed. "All right. I'll let you talk to your friend," he purposefully left out Hiten's name, smiling crookedly at me, "and look for that brick headed idiot. See you later, Kekki." With that, he walked off. I glanced at Yuka. She looked murderous. "All right, all right! I'll explain.." * Ten minutes later, me, Yuka, and Hiten were all sitting outside with a couple of sodas. Yuka had a faintly disbelieving look on her face. "Well, Kag, that story is hard to believe... but since I know you so well, I have a feeling it's true. You and your family are insane like that." She took a long drink from her soda, then glanced at Hiten. "But that doesn't explain braided boy wonder, here." "He walked in on me," I explained shortly, and glared at him. "What are you still doing here, anyway?" Hiten grinned, showing a couple of canine's that were a little too sharp for comfort. "Well, Kagome dear, you owe me for not saying anything to your friends, or, of course, mine." He crossed his feet at the ankles, still smiling evilly enough to rival Satan. "So I'm here to discuss my payment with you." "I won't have your children," I said automatically. Hiten laughed. "I'm too young for children," Hiten said, still chuckling slightly. "But.." I held my breath, dreading the next words. I knew they were gunna be, "date me!" or something repulsive like that. Hiten glanced at Yuka. "Hook me up with your lovely friend." I fell backwards off the bench and Yuka spit out her orange soda everywhere. Hiten smiled pleasantly and sipped his Mr. Pibb. Carefully, I pulled myself back onto the bench, brushing the dirt off my back and trying to look as if I had meant to fall of the bench. Yuka was still coughing rather violently, looking at Hiten with disbelief in her eyes. Hiten just sat their, still smiling insufferably. "No way," Yuka spat, crossing her arms over her chest determinedly. "Consider Kagome's rep ruined, then," Hiten said. He didn't move, and his pleasant smile didn't even slip an inch. My hands flew to my face in almost comic despair. "Yuuuka!" I wailed, dropping my hands to clutch her shoulders. "You've got to help me! Please!" "I don't even know the guy!" Yuka looked as if she was about to have a panic attack. It didn't help her appearance that she had a bit of orange soda on her nose. Hiten still smiled. "I'll lower the stakes a bit. Let me have a month of dates with you, every Friday of every week that month, and any time I want to see you in between. Then I'll just pretend like that I never found out about 'Kekki'." In the midst of his speech, I chanted my new favorite mantra. "Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.." Yuka looked back and forth between Hiten and me, resembling a scared deer. She was clutching her soda can hard enough to dent the aluminum. "Ah.. ah.." Her face crumpled, and she glared at both of us with equal intensity. "All right, all right. But only because you're my best friend, Kago." Her glare darkened. "I don't see why I have to suffer for your problems," she grumbled, glaring. "Trust me, though," I muttered, "I'm suffering for them, too." * When I walked back into the room, Sam Cook was mellowly singing 'Stand by Me'. I immediately saw Sango and Miroku dancing together somewhere in the middle of the room, Miroku sporting a red hand print on his cheek and Sango looking slightly guilty but still angry. Miroku would later tell me that she had found out about Yura. Eiji, surprisingly, was dancing with Wataka.. (or was it Wakiki?) with a resigned look on his face, and Inuyasha was no where to be seen. Unfortunately, neither was Kikyo. Hiten automatically dragged a resisting Yuka to the middle of the dance floor, leaving me by my lonesome self. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining. Them leaving me alone meant I could finally get some peace, something I hadn't gotten the entire night. I wandered towards the punch table, glancing at my watch that glowed in the dark (how cool am I?). It was ten minutes to eleven, meaning the dance was just about to end. I smiled wistfully. A perverse part of my mind admitted that this wreck of a night was fun. Well, kind of. Hey, I got to see Yuka and Inuyasha hadn't found out. I also got to be both 'Kagome' and 'Kekki' at the same time, which was a feat I was damn proud of. Therefore, this night turned out, for me, fine. I leaned against the punch table, sipping my drink and grinning slightly. To my surprise, the table shifted a little as someone else leaned against it beside me. "So, where'd Kagome disappear to?" Inuyasha asked, grabbing a punch cup. "Saw an old friend," I said, cheerfully. I sipped the saccharine drink. We didn't look at each other, instead content on watching the dancers. "They went out to have coffee and talk." "Ah," Inuyasha said, accepting what I said completely. I smiled into my drink. "Having fun?" "Well, this night has most definitely been an interesting one," I said to him, still smiling. "How come you aren't dancing?" "Didn't really feel like it," Inuyasha said, loftily. "I see." So darling, darling Stand, by me.. "But.." Inuyasha started. We were both still looking at the dancers. "If you don't have anyone to dance with, and you really, really want to dance, I'll be happy to dance with you." My smile widened. "Even though you don't feel like dancing?" "I'll make an exception just for you," Inuyasha answered. "I think," I said, as I sat down my cup, "I'll take you up on that offer." Inuyasha finally turned to look at me, and his grin softened to a smile. He set his cup on the table, then took my hand and led me to the middle of the dance floor. "As long as you don't step on my foot, 'Yasha.." "I can't promise that." He wrapped his arms around my waist. Won't you.. stand by me.. Just as long, as you stand.. Stand by me.. * I love the weekends. I mean, I have fun at school and all, and I DO actually enjoy my classes (sans Algebra 2, but I'll get into that later), but I must say that I adore the weekend. I mean, when else can you get two days of rest, relaxation, and time to do whatever the hell you want? Please keep any and all smartass comments about summer, winter, and spring vacation, thank you. Anyway, what I love about the weekends is that I can sleep in until two in the afternoon. I love sleeping in as much as I love weekends. Especially after dances or parties. So, since it was the weekend, and it was the morning after a dance, I was currently buried under a mountain of blankets and pillows, happy sleeping my life away. My phone rang. Being as easily startled as I was, I fell out of my bed. My, I fall a lot, don't I? "Hello?" I grated out. I hate mornings. I hate mornings on weekends. I hate mornings when it's SIX O' BLOODY CLOCK on the weekends. "Hi!" Miroku chirped cheerfully. Damn morning people. I hate 'em. "Kagome? Man, you sound like hell!" "Miroku..." I said slowly. "What the HELL do you think you're doing, calling me at six in the morning?!" "Well, I was going to invite you to the beach with us for the weekend, but if you're going to be a jerk about it.." I shot up to a sitting position, clutching the blankets around my chest. "You're kidding me, aren't you? You're freakin' kidding." "Lemme guess, you're a beach bum, aren't you?" Miroku asked with dry amusement. I snorted at him. "Damn right I am. But no joke?" "No joke. Not at all. I have a beach house, and it's still amazingly hot out.." Okay, I was immature when I got excited. Bear with me, all right? It wasn't every day that I got to go to the beach with a group of friends. And I loved the beach. Adored it. The ocean was so dang fun.. "When do you want me at your house, and what should I bring?" I could almost hear Miroku grin over the line. "Shouldn't you worry about who you should be?" "Kekki, of course," I responded immediately. There was no way I was going to be Kagome if that meant I couldn�t go swimming. "That's what Sango and I thought, too. I'll just tell Inuyasha that the reason why Kagome couldn't go was because he twisted his ankle falling down the stairs or something." I paused, nearly dropping the phone. Not because of his excuse, mind you. "Um, Miroku..? "No, she did NOT spend the night at my house, pervert," Miroku snapped lightheartedly. "I just finished talking to her on the phone." "Really? Dang, you must have called her really early." "Ummm..." "Awww!" I squealed, "You guys talked the entire night, didn't you?! How perfectly adorable!" "I know I am," Miroku agreed. He didn't deny talking to Sango all night. How cute. "Anyway, if you wanna come with us, be at my house by twelve." I glared at the wall. "Why on earth are you calling me at six, then?!" Miroku laughed. "Because I like making you suffer." He laughed and we hung up, that is, of course, after I yelled a couple of obscenities at him. I sighed happily and put phone back in it's cradle. Did I mention that I loved weekends? * I got to Miroku's at 11:30, shouldering a large black duffel bag. I was actually kind of surprised that my mother had agreed to let me go, since Miroku invited me the morning of. I think it's because she loves my friends so much. Probably because Miroku is a total kiss-ass. Anyway, when I got to Miroku's house, Sango was already there. On the couch. With Miroku. Kissing him. "AWWWW!" I couldn't help it. Both Miroku and Sango jumped and sprung apart, Sango turning an unhealthy shade of maroon. Miroku was startled for a few moments, before he grinned smugly. "K-Kagome!" Sango sputtered out, jumping to her feet. "Here, let me help you with that." With that said, she grabbed my big bag and raced up the stairs, somehow dragging me along with her. I did, however, see Miroku fall backwards happily on the couch. I grinned. Sango pushed me into the guests room, then looked at me. After awhile, her lips started twitching. Abruptly, she started laughing giddily. "I did it. Can you believe it? I kissed Miroku." She was practically dancing. I had to laugh. "I actually did it! I finally kissed him!" She fell back onto the bed dramatically, still laughing,. I grinned at her, sitting beside her on the bed. "Hey, I'm happy for you. Was this the first time the two of you kissed?" "Well, no, but our first kiss doesn't count." "Oh?" It turns out Sango and Miroku kissed for the first time when they were a grand total of five years old. They had been drinking lemonade under one of their favorite trees when Miroku had brought up an entirely too interesting topic. "I saw Inuyasha's older brother kiss a girl yesterday," Miroku had told her, bubbling up his lemonade by blowing through his straw. "I think their braces stuck together." "Ewww.." Sango had shuddered, sipping her own lemonade. She managed to spill a quarter of it on her shirt. "I wonder why adults think kissing is so great?" Miroku looked at her thoughtfully, before grinning. "Hey, do you want to try and see?" he had asked as innocently as only a five year old can. "Ewww.. kiss you?!" Sango made a disgusted face. "Gross." Miroku pouted at her. "Come on, it's only once!" He paused. "I'll give you a nickel if you kiss me." "A nickel? A whole nickel?" Sango's eyes had lit up. "All right, fine. Give me the nickel first, though." He made a face at her, then fished around in his pocket and pulled out a nickel, handing it to her. "Okay, now you HAVE to kiss me." Sango took the nickel and shoved it in her pocket, then looked uncertain for a minute. "All right." Hesitantly, she puckered up her lips (like a fish.. Sango showed me while she was telling the story, and let me tell you it was hilarious) and looked at him with wide eyes. "You're doing it ALL wrong," five-year-old Miroku had said. "You gotta close your eyes. Like this." He puckered up in a way that was more hilarious than Sango's expression, then closed his eyes. Sango nodded, then mimicked him. "Now what?" she had asked, still keeping the fish lips and her eyes closed. Actually, she had whispered the question, in fear of ruining the moment. "We move in and then push our lips together." Miroku didn't change his expression either. "Oh, okay." After a few moments, they moved in and attempted to kiss. Unfortunately, it's very hard to aim with your eyes closed, and Miroku ended up planting a sloppy kiss on Sango's chin. Sango had started giggling uncontrollably, at that. "Okay, let's try again," Miroku had said, determined to get his nickel's worth. They puckered up again, Sango still once in awhile giggling, and kissed. It was a sloppy, wet, nose crushing kiss that lasted for only a few moments before they both pulled away. "Well, that was yucky," Sango calmly informed him, wiping her lips then sipping her lemonade. "Yeah. I wonder why grown ups like to do it so much?" After Sango finished the story, I couldn't stop laughing. That was so much like Sango and Miroku it wasn't funny. Well, okay, so it was. Funny and adorable. "Yes, well, anyway.." Sango coughed, then grinned. "Anyway, so THIS kiss is a bit better than THAT one.." I wiggled my eyebrows at her. "Oh, really?" Sango stuck out her tongue. "We both have a bit more experience on the subject matter at hand, and considerable more knowledge." My grin widened. "Shut up," Sango said, blushing slightly. "And keep those dirty thoughts to yourself. I swear, you've been hanging out with Miroku waaaaay too much." "What can I say? He's my best friend." * We all piled into Inuyasha's van at twelve that afternoon. Let me explain this van to you. It's big. It's blue. It has flames painted across the sides, and smiley face lights. It also had an awesome system, two couches (!), and a cooler. Inuyasha had taken out it's original seats and replaced it with those couches, which I had a feeling was illegal. The van ROCKED. So there we were, all piled in the van, talking too loud, laughing to loud, and listening too music, which is too loud. On our way to the beach. With surfboards. Meaning, I got to learn how to surf. I love weekends. .:end chapter twelve:. Sorry about the super long wait. I hope the lengthened chapter made up for it a little. X_x; |