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Chapter Twelve
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Beep. Beep.
Kagome groaned in protest as she groped blindly with one hand for her
alarm clock while the other held her pillow firmly over her head as an
attempt to muffle the unwanted noise from her alarm clock.
Beep. Beep.
"Kagome! You need to get up or you'll be late for school!" Mrs.
Higurashi yelled up from the bottom of the stairs.
Did no one understand a girl's need for beauty sleep?!
Beep. Beep.
Apparently not.
Sighing in defeat Kagome lifted her head from the inviting feather
pillow. Her eyes were still half closed from sleep and she didn't even
bother to brush her raven locks out of her eyes. She could barely see
through the veil her hair created, but she was still able to make out the
shadow her alarm clock.
Beep. Bee-
The hand that had been searching the expanse of the bed side table a
moment before had found its goal. Mission completed.
Satisfied that the clock was no longer making such an irritating
racket, Kagome allowed her long legs to swing over the side of her bed, her
nightgown riding up and clinging to her figure as she yawned and stratched.
Rubbing the last of sleep from her eyes, she slowly stood and dragged
herself over to her closet, where her new unifrom was hanging on the door,
awaiting her.
She eyed it over specutively, though she had already done so the
night before. The blouse was similar to her old one, only the colors, which
were blue and yellow were different. It was the skirt that she had a
problem with. It was at least five inches longer than her old skirt though
it was still pleated. She had stayed up at least an hour more than she had
wanted to, hemming the damn thing. She still wasn't satisfied with the
length but at least it wasn't hanging past her knees anymore.
Heaving an inaudible sigh of defeat and disdain, Kagome lifted the
garments off of the hanger and put them on. She would have given anything
to just wear her old uniform. She liked it so much better than this one.
Though the blue did bring out her eyes...
The miko wasted about five minutes, just staring into the mirror,
scrutinizing her appearance. The blouse was a bit loose, but still managed
to show off her curves and the skirt was a little longer than mid thigh
now. Her socks were pulled up almost to her knees and her shoes looked like
she had polished them freshly just for the occasion. She sighed again. It
was better than nothing.
"Kagome! Hurry up!"
Her mother's voice snapped her out of her unpleasant revere. A glance
at her forsaken alarm clock told her that she would indeed have to hurry
unless she wanted to be late. However her steps were still rather reluctant
as she trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Her mother's cheerful smile was the first thing to greet her. Though
Kagome really didn't want to see anyone being so perky that morning, she
couldn't help but admit that the smile comforted her a little.
'Maybe things at Sarayashiki High won't be so bad.' She thought as
she absently nibbled on a piece of toast her mother had given her. 'I just
need to keep a positive outlook.'
Yeah.
Right.
All too soon the miko was finished with breakfast and walking towards
the car with her mother. She looked over her shoulder at the shrine one
last time before she lowered herself into the passenger seat. What horrors
would ensue today?
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Kurama idly kicked at a pebble as he walked down the sidewalk. He was
aware of Hiei following him on the rooftops above, but was in no mood to
talk to the little fire demon as of yet. His latest dream had been
irritating and confusing.
He had been in a clearing, watching that girl again. Suddenly she had
jumped down a well and was just...gone. Then he had made an idiot out of
himself and some dog demon had had the nerve to laugh at him for it. The
most humiliating thing was the lack of control he displayed as he had
attacked the inu afterwards. Thankfully he had regained control before he
slaughtered the other youkai. But then he did something that just really
confused him.
He had taken off and hid in the forest to keep watch.
He was turning into this stalker.
The only reason he could put to it all was that it had something to
do with the girl and her disappearing down the well. After all, why else
would he watch a dog demon for hours to days on end? Through the emotions
he experienced in the dream he knew that he certainly wasn't attracted to
him.
Hiei's black blur flashed in front of Kurama, causing him to look up.
It was clear the the koorime was trying to get his attention without having
to actually say anything. Deciding to relent, and in all actuallity
perferring to find something to distract him from his thoughts, Suuichi
looked up, arching one delicate scarlet brow in a questioning manner.
Hiei's red eyes bored into the emerald depths of Suuichi's own. It
was obvious that the jaganshi wanted to know what was wrong. Kurama
couldn't help but feel more than a little grateful that his demon friend
respected him enough to not pry into his mind and find out himself.
Either that or Hiei had undiscovered talent in the acting field.
'It's the dreams again.' Kurama explained mentally, knowing that the
fire demon would pick up on the message. Hiei stayed still for a moment
longer, not saying anything audibly or telepathicly before he took off in
another blur, impossible to follow with the human eye.
'Watch yourself fox.' echoed in Suuchi's head a moment later, Hiei's
last warning before his presence completely disappeared as he departed most
likely for Makai.
A car sped past Suuichi, heading towards Sarayashiki High. Absently
he watched it pass through the iron gates, idly wondering if it was driven
by a student, parent, or teacher, before dismissing it entirely and
continuing on his way.
He only hoped that he didn't have any more 'interruptions' during
class that day.
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"Well Miss Higurashi, welcome to Sarayashiki High." A short and
stocky man said as he held out a pudgy hand for a shake. His brown eyes
were stern, but there were smile lines (y'know those wrinkles at the
corners of your eyes?) which betrayed him, saying that he wasn't as bad as
he looked. Nevertheless, Kagome only hesitantly shook his hand. A small
smile appeared on his face and the miko was surprised to find herself
returning it despite how nervous she felt inside.
Mr. Takenaka seemed to notice how uncomfortable she was because he
leaned a little closer so that he could whisper to her, "It's not really as
bad as you think it is. You only need to give the school a chance."
A little embarressed that she had been so transparent, yet at the
same time immensely grateful for the small bit of encouragement, Kagome
could only nod as he released her hand and turned around to gather some
papers.
"Here is your schedule. Its not often that we have a new student,
especially not in the middle of the year like this, but the teachers have
been informed so that you shall be exempted from severe punishment for
being late for your first week, or at least until you get to know your way
around the building." He said as he handed her the papers from his desk.
Sure enough they were her schedule and a list of school rules and
regulations.
"To make your first day a little easier, I'll assign one of your
fellow classmen to show you around and help introduce you to some other
peolple." He continued as he steered Kagome out the door to his office and
into the bustling hallway. His eyes squinted in concentration as he quickly
scanned the halls before the widened a bit in satisfaction, coming to rest
on a person standing in front of their locker.
"And I know just the person."
Kagome followed his line of sight and found herself looking into the
most gorgeous pair of green eyes that she had ever seen.
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Yusuke groaned in frustration as he twirled the lock on his locker,
trying futilely to remember what his combination was. He had long ago
forgotten it since he not only didn't often turn up at school, but when he
did he rarely ever actually went to class. He was about to lean over and
ask Keiko when he felt rather than saw and amused stare on his back.
Angry, thinking that it was some punk who dared to mess with the
great Uremeshi or maybe just Kuwabara he whirled around, a fist already
formed, eager to pummel whoever was laughing at him. Unfortunately it was
just Kurama. His scarlet haired friend was leaning casually against his
locker, which just happened to be across from Yusuke's. His emerald eyes
were dancing with a smile that hadn't quite made it to his lips and his
arms were folded across his chest in a reserved, yet open, gesture.
Yusuke scowled and this time the smile pulled at the corner of
Suuichi's lips.
"Yo, are you just going to stand there and laugh at me all day or are
you actually going to help me out here?!" The spirit detective demanded in
a loud gruff voice that caused more than a couple people to halt in their
actions and stare at him. He however didn't even acknowledge the many
curious and cautious glances being thrown his way and instead continued to
strare at Kurama, who was now pushing off of the locker to walk over and
aid Uremeshi in his plight.
The locker next the Yusuke closed and Keiko's face appeared where the
door had been. "Yusuke you gib bloke, did you forget your locker
combination again?" She demanded in a mothering tone. Had she been anyone
else, the Spirit Detective would have most likely exploded at the innocent
comment, demanding a fight or yelling. As it was though Yusuke was reduced
to a stuttering puddle as he tried to come up with a good excuse.
He hadn't been to his locker in so long that he had forgotten Keiko's
was only one over from it. He had to come up with an answer soon or else...
And Keiko hit REALLY hard for a girl.
Luckily Kurama reached his friends side just before the young woman
in front of them lost her patience. "Why hello Keiko." Suuichi greeted her
with his sensual drawl that would have most girls swooning. While he spoke
one hand reached behind Yusuke and began to twirl the dial.
Keiko didn't notice though as she continued to glare daggers at
Yusuke.
"Honestly Yusuke, can't you ever just do a simple thing like go to
school AND remember your combination?" She demanded, her hands now firmly
planted on her hips.
"But Keiko..." Yusuke whined almost pitifully. Kurama resisted the
urge to cluck his tongue and shake his head. The Spirit Detective had no
problem fighting demon that could easily kill him with a flick of their
wrist, yet when faced with the challenge known as Keiko his behavior turned
cowardly almost to the point of pathetic.
"Yusuke's locker is unlocked though." Suuichi calmly stated, abruptly
halting the lecture that was about to come streaming out of Keiko's mouth
like a river from an opened dam. Two pairs of brown eyes turned to look at
him, bewildered. Kurama only shrugged.
Truth be told, he loved puzzles, and because Yusuke skipped class so
much and thus often forget his combination, the perfect reason to figure it
out had been presented to him. Of course it had been child's play to the ex
legendary kistune thief, but still, it was better than nothing.
"It is." Kurama insisted, nodding his head and glancing out of the
corner of his eye at the locker. Both his hands were now safely tucked into
the pockets of his pants. Keiko continued to stare at him, confused while
Yusuke's eyes narrowed in doubt.
Suuichi merely shrugged.
Brown eyes narrowing even further, Yusuke slowly lifted his hand to
the lock. Sure enough, when he pressed on the latch, the door sprang
open...
...and a mountain of books came flying out.
Keiko however was quite content with the fact that Yusuke had
'remembered' his locker combination. With a burst of speed that surprised
both young men, she had thrown her arms around the spirit detectives neck
and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Oh I'm sorry Yusuke! I'm so proud that you remembered on your own!"
Uremeshi only smiled like an idiot on cloud nine and rubbed his cheek
as he made a mental note to do that more often and thank Kurama later.
Kurama was just about to snap his black haired starry-eyed friend out
of his stupor when he smelled it. It was that scent.
The scent that he thought he had only imagined that belonged to the
girl in his dreams.
And it was coming from down the hall.
He whirled around to see who it was that smelled like that, and when
he saw, he could barely believe his eyes.
It was her.
There she was standing before him, looking slightly nervous and out
of place next to Mr. Takenaka as the man scanned the hallway for something.
Her hair was loose, cascading around her shoulders like an ebony waterfall.
The sapphire eyes that he so vividly remembered from his dreams were
darting around, absorbing all the activity happening around her.
The only thing that was different were the clothes. But of course
they would be, she was wearing his school's uniform of blue and gold, not
red white and green.
He blinked and fought off the urge to rub his eyes and he stared down
the hallway once more. He was faintly aware of Yusuke tapping on his
shoulder, asking him something, but the words didn't register.
There was only one thought going through his mind.
'It really is her.'
Suddenly her sapphire eyes lifted and looked right into his own. His
breath was pulled away and he was lost in the ocean depths, drowning, but
not sure if he actually wanted to come up for air.
'It really is her.'
Did that mean that his dreams were real?
A deep, rough voice interrupted his thoughts less than a moment
later.
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"Ah! Keiko, there you are! Just the person that I was looking for."
Called out Mr. Takenaka as he began to steer Kagome through the sea of
bustling students. The miko couldn't help but feel a little suffocated as
she was rudely pushed around by the occasional elbow or so. Sarayashiki
High was definately not like her old highschool.
But at the same time she barely noticed the discomfort as she stared
into a fascinating pair of emerald eyes. She had never seen anyone with
eyes that color before. But that wasn't what really captivated her.
Something about him was just so familiar.
She allowed her eyes to wander for a moment, taking in his masculine
structure and firm shoulders. His legs were long and a bit slender for a
man, but undoubtedly well muscled. One glance at his abdomen told her that
the same could be said for there as well. In fact his entire body looked
like it was well built.
But it was nothing compared to the head that rested on its shoulders.
He had beautiful scarlet hair, longer than most guys as it fell
around his shoulders, a deep red that she never thought was humanly
possible to have. But when she looked at it she was somehow sure that it
was natural. She found herself itching to run her hands through it.
His features were all so delicate, yet undeniably masculine. They
almost reminded her of Sesshomaru's. His skin was almost as pale as her
own, but still it never appeared feminine. Only to seductively masculine.
And then there were his eyes.
His beautiful eyes.
There were so many emotions running through them, each one of them
drawing her in and enchanting her. But the most prominent was...Surprise?
Had they met before? But Kagome's thoughts couldn't stay on that topic for
much longer, they just kept returning to his eyes. She could get lost in
those emerald depths. And if she did she wouldn't be sure that she would
ever want to get out.
"Kagome, this is Keiko Atsukura, your class president. She'll guide
you around today and help get you acquainted with your fellow classmen."
The miko had to shake her head and clear her thoughts in order to
register what Mr. Takenaka was saying. Realizing what she had done, and how
blatantly she had been staring, she felt her cheeks begin to burn. No doubt
her face was now bright red, and to make it worse, a dark haired boy whom
she had only just noticed was smirking at her for it in a very Inuyasha-
like manner.
She hated how easily she blushed.
Mr. Takenaka and the scarlet haired stranger seemed not to notice
though, and she felt silently relieved. In fact, Mr. Redhead was still
staring unabashedly at HER. She felt herself wanting to squirm under his
heated gaze and she couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow it felt SO
familiar.
"Well I'll leave you all to get to know each other." Mr Takenaka said
as he turned to walk away. "And Yusuke, make sure you're in ALL of your
classes today." He called one last time over his shoulder before he was
gone, swallowed by the sea of activity that lay behind the group.
The dark haired boy scowled, again in an Inuyasha-like fashion, and
muttered a few choice words under his breath that Kagome had only heard
come from the hanyou. She looked up at him for a moment, her eyes wide in
surprise as a sudden thought passed through her head.
What if the boy was Inuyasha's reincarnation?
A smile lit up her face as she thought about it. It was just too
absurd. But at the thought more than a few amusing mental pictures passed
through her head of a modern day Inuyasha.
She would have to really feel sorry for his mother.
Deciding to break the silence that had followed the principal's
departure, Kagome stuck out her hand to the still scowling boy in a
friendly gesture. With her brightest smile she introduced herself.
"Hello. I'm Higurashi Kagome."
For a moment the boy looked stunned, almost as if he didn't know what
to do with the hand in front of him. Kagome's smile only grew as she
thought of once again how he reminded her of a certain inu back in the
Feudal era. But after a moment's hesitation he seemed to get it and
accepted her hand clumsily in his own for a brief shake.
"Uremeshi Yusuke." He said, the scowl still in place though it looked
like it was there more from habit rather than being directed at her. She
nodded briefly in acknowledgement before turning to the girl that she
assumed was Keiko and repeating the gesture.
"Keiko Atsukura!" The young woman chirped, heartily returned both the
smile and the hand shake. Kagome began to feel a little more at ease,
confident that at least in Keiko she had found a companion.
'Though I could always start an interesting relationship with
Yusuke.' She thought to herself. 'I wonder what he would think of a
rosary?'
A small chuckle escaped her as she pictured herself sitting the
adolescent boy and she turned to the last member of the small group.
Mr. Redhead.
She held out her hand and he immediately engulfed it in his own. She
couldn't help the pleasant shiver that went up her spine nor the warmth
that spread through her body at the contact.
"Minamino Suuichi." He said as he shook her hand. His voice was
smooth and silken. It was so familiar...
Suddenly Kagome's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. The boy
in front of her sounded just like Youko Kurama, the kitsune thief she had
met in the feudal era!
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Kurama looked at the girl in front of him with concern.
She was still clutching his hand.
When he had introduced himself, her eyes had gone wide in
recognition, then surprise, then confusion. He had no idea what to make of
her reaction. Suuchi was sure that they had never met before.
For some reason Youko was getting excited and dancing on the edges of
his subconcious. Kurama had never felt his kitsune side's emotions this
strongly before. There was recognition, determination, and some other
undefinable emotions flying through his mind.
One thing was for sure though.
Youko definately wanted to get to this girl.
"Kagome, Are you alright?" Suuichi asked, his other hand went to
cover their still firmly attached ones. The young woman's eyes, previously
unfocused as if lost in thought, seemed to come back to reality. For a
moment she stood there, as if she was unsure where she was and what she was
doing.
Then she looked down at their hands.
And blushed.
She pulled away as if burned and became fasincated with the texture
of her shoes, refusing to meet Suuichi's eyes as her hands fiddled with the
papers that Kurama assumed were her schedule.
"Um..uh..."she stammered, never once looking up, "Sorry about that."
Just as the fox was about to reassure her that it was quite alright,
leaving out the fact that he had enjoyed the contact of course, Yusuke
burst into the seemingly private scene, unfortunately reminding the two
that they were not alone.
"Oh that's okay. All the girl's get that way about Kurama!" He teased
in a LOUD voice causing more than several students to look over at the new
girl curiously.
Kagome's head shot up, she was blushing more furiously than before at
his words, but there was one difference. Now she looked angry.
"Why..you...!" She stuttered, looking for a suitable insult to fling
at the rude boy in front of her. However the class president beat her to
it.
"Yusuke you jerk!" Keiko yelled as she hit the boy over the head with
her conviently available books.
"Aww, Keiko, I was only teasing her!" Yusuke protested, clutching his
wounded skull and undoubtedly his injured pride between his hands. Never
one to know when to shut his mouth though he then turned to Kagome and
wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Unless of course you really do have the hots for Kurama."
Keiko hit him over the head again, causing him to cry out in pain and
indignation once more. Kagome was about to add a retort or physical
punishment of her own when suddenly Yusuke's words hit her like a ton of
bricks.
"Kurama..?" She repeated in a voice barely above a whisper.
'Kurama...like Youko Kurama?'
Hearing his name fall from her lips, Suuichi halted, abandoning his
effort to win the Spirit Detective some mercy, and turning to face Kagome.
Once again she was frozen, her eyes looking distant and troubled. Then he
realized why it was so odd hearing his name from her.
She had said Kurama, not Suuichi.
He had introduced himself as Suuichi Minamino, the name that everyone
at school knew him as. But Yusuke had to be an idiot and mention his other
name.
But why did she appear to recognize it?
Did she really somehow know Youko, like his dreams suggested?
Kagome's lips were moving, silently forming unreadable words as she
seemed to replay past events and thoughts in her mind. Kurama found himself
standing still, silently watching her, trying to form some sense out of
what she was doing.
Before he completed his analysis though, Keiko came to the 'rescue'.
"Well come on Kagome. We'll leave THAT jerk with Suuichi-san and I'll
show you to your first class." She said as she gestured with her head to
over her shoulder where Yusuke was barely standing, still clutching his
head tightly with his hands and making small whimpering noises.
Kurama frowned at the indication that he would stay behind. He wanted
to learn more about this Kagome Higurashi. But before he could protest,
Keiko had pulled Kagome away and they were out of his sight.
Turning slighly, he analyzed Yusuke's situation. Then he turned and
walked off in the direction her thought the girl's had gone. The Spirit
Detective could recover on his own.
As he walked through the crowded corridor a mantra echoed in his
head.
'It's her. Kagome. The girl from my dreams.'
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Inuyasha scowled from his perch on the fence post outside of Kaede's
garden.
He was there.
He knew he was.
A rumbling growl began in the hanyou's chest as he glared off into
the forest. The cockly little shit kitsune was out there and where ever he
was, he was watching him. The hanyou could practically feel the amusement
from the fox's insistant stare dripping off of him it was so thick.
The growl escaped.
Kaede, who had been calmly tending to her herbs, jumped a little,
startled at the malignant noise coming from the inu behind her. She had
never seen him so angry before and she had thought she had seen him at his
worst.
What could have been the cause.
Late last night, Inuyasha had come hobbling back to her hut, using
Kiarara as a support. He had offered no explanation as to what had
happened. In fact he hadn't said a word. Period. He had slept propped
against the wall and thanks to his demon blood he had been healed of
whatever wounds he had recieved by that morning.
He still had not said anything. Inuyasha had just been sitting on the
fence all day, staring off into the forest with narrowed eyes and everynow
and then flexing his claws and growling.
Suddenly amber eyes were glaring angrily back at her and Kaede
realized she had been caught staring. Seeking to explain herself and
perhaps draw a word or so out of the hanyou she wiped her hands on the side
of her pants before rocking her crawling frame back to rest on her knees.
"What has been plaguing ye Inuyasha?" She asked in the blandest voice
she could.
As expected she got no answer other than an irritated snort as
Inuyasha turned his head away from her once again, flicking his silver
locks over his shoulder as he crossed his arms and continued glaring at the
forest.
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