The Encounter.

My name is Kagome Higurashi. I turned 15 recently and I go to the local high school with my friends Ayumi, Yuka and Eri. I'm your typical junior high school student; always behind in work, daydream about guys in school and that kind of stuff.

I live in the Higurashi temple that's been in my family for generations. My grandpa, mama, little brother Souta and me all live together. Oh yeah and my cat Buyo. My poor buyo, Souta always picks on him. Souta can be a little pest sometimes, but I love him for it.

'Hi guys did you miss me?' I asked as I ran past the front gates of the school. I had been sick recently and I missed 2 days of school. I hate getting sick. I have a hard enough time keeping up with my homework without getting sick. Maybe I should sign up for cram school.

'Hi Kagome. Did you get that bug that's been going around?' Yuka asked.

'I guess so. But I'm feeling better now. Did I miss much at school?'

'No mot much. We're doing factorizing in maths. I can lend you my notes.' said Eri.

'And some global issue thingy in S.O.S.E. It is so boring.' said Ayumi. 'Thank god you're here today Kagome. I didn't know what I was going to do if you didn't come for Food Tech today'

'Glad to be of service.' I said, wrinkling my eyebrows.

'Hey Higurashi!' I heard someone call. A male someone at that. I turned to see Hojo running towards me. I had never talked much to Hojo, seeing as we were in different homerooms. I was really mystified to see him running towards me.

'Um…hey Hojo. What's up?' I asked, smiling politely. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friends whispering to each other.

'Hey Higurashi. How have you been?'

'Okay. I caught a cold a couple of days ago but I'm over it now.'

'That's good. But just incase, I heard that eating ginger strengthens your immune system. See you later okay?' he said and without waiting, he dashed off.

'That was weird.' I thought.

'Kagome! Do you know what this means?' Yuka shriek all of a sudden.

'What?' I asked. The three of them were grinning mischievously at me.

'We reckon Hojo's got a crush on you!' said Ayumi excitedly.

'A crush on me? How can you tell?' I asked skeptically.

'He was asking us about you yesterday. And he just came up to you to ask how you are feeling.' Yuka said.

'Maybe he's just a really nice guy.' I suggested. I really didn't see why they were making such a fuss.

'Uh-uh.' said Ayumi, making a cross with her arms. 'You have got it so wrong. There's more to this. Just wait and see.'

'There's the bell guys, we should be getting to class now.' said Eri. We all rushed off, Ayumi and Yuka still going on about Hojo's strange greeting.

>

'Persuasive techniques; How many people can name some?' said the English teacher. A couple of people raised their hands to answer.

'Alliteration?' I thought to myself, twirling my pen between my fingers. I never enjoyed English much. And the teacher had such a monotonous voice, it took all my will power to stay awake. I concentrated on twirling the pen. I had gotten really good at it lately. Sometimes I got so carried away with twirling the pen, I forgot to do my homework. The pen was between my middle and ring finger and I twirled it over so that it was between my index and middle finger. Then back again. Then faster and faster.

'I wonder if Hojo does like me?' I thought, watching the pen. I had never had a boyfriend before. But it didn't bother me. Life was busy enough without a boy to make it busier.

'Inuyasha!' the English teacher bellowed. I dropped my pen in fright, my heart beating 200 beats per minute. I turned around, as did everyone else, to look at Inuyasha. He was dozing on the table. I rolled my eyes. Even I made some sort of effort to learn at school. But that Inuyasha, he's so lazy and stupid. At least he always acts stupid. And he's always pissing the teacher off by sleeping or by clicking a pen or something else just as annoying. I couldn't wait for this time next year when we would all change classes and I hopefully wouldn't have to put up with him anymore.

'Inuyasha!' the English teacher shouted again. Inuyasha stirred but did not wake up. The teacher rolled the book he had in his hand up then whacked him across the head. He groaned and sat up properly.

'Why d'ya do that for old man?' he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

'Inuyasha, you are in school. You are here to learn. Sleep when you get home.' said the teacher.

'You're so boring old man. I try to learn but your voice puts me to sleep.' he said, leaning back on his chair and putting both his hands behind his head. I snorted. I wondered how many other people thought this as well. I had to admire how bold he was. I could never say that to a teacher.

'Do not call me old man you delinquent, or I'll give you another detention.'

'Bite me.'

'Detention!' said the teacher and stalked off to the front of the room. Inuyasha made faces at his back. People chuckled and the teacher turned around, looking at Inuyasha suspiciously. Inuyasha waved at him cheerily. The teacher turned around, mumbling darkly and headed for the front again. Inuyasha gazed around the room, winked at one or two girls and grinned at his buddy, Miroku, who grinned back and gave him a thumbs up.

I turned around. That Inuyasha! What an arrogant jerk. How could he do that to the poor teacher? Not that he wasn't as boring as hell, but he didn't need to hurt the teacher's feeling like that. As class resumed however, I found myself concentrating on twirling the pen again, rather than on the teacher.

>

'Take this Miroku!' Inuyasha yelled, and tried to whack him with the feather duster.

'I'm afraid that you are way too slow for me Inuyasha!' Miroku yelled, parrying Inuyasha's attack with the mop.

'Oh, lord. Those two are at it again!' Yuka sighed, watching them. It was clean up time at the end of the day. This was always made longer than usual because of Inuyasha and Miroku mucking around and not getting things done. And this almost always got everyone else mucking around. I really didn't want to put up with this today because my cold felt like it was coming back.

The two rushed past me and Inuyasha's duster brushed past my nose. I sneezed three times.

'Four times for luck?' Ayumi said.

'I have had it with them.' I said nasally. Composing myself, I went over to where Inuyasha and Miroku were continuing their fight.

'Wait Kagome, what are you going to do?' Eri asked. I didn't answer. Instead, I reached for Inuyasha's ears and tugged his head down to my level.

'H-h-hey! What are you doing woman?' he yelped as he bent over awkwardly.

'Listen here you.' I growled in my most menacing tone. 'I want to go home on time today. I don't want to have to wait 10 minutes after the bell to go home because you haven't finished cleaning!'

'Ow! O-ow! Le'go'a my ear already!' he yelped. As soon as I did, he turned on me.

'Who do you think you are woman?' he growled, bearing his teeth at me.

'Are you deaf or something? I just told you I wanted you to finish cleaning! You can have a mock fight with Miroku sometime else!' I yelled, just as fiercely.

'The hell I care about what you want!'

'Well you're gonna care about it today!'

'Like hell I will!'

'You arrogant jerk!'

'Noisy woman!'

'Stop calling me that! I have a name you know!'

At this point, Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were holding me back, while Miroku and Sango, Miroku's girlfriend, were holding Inuyasha back.

'Let's calm down now you two.' said Miroku. 'Inuyasha come on, let's go back to cleaning.'

'What? Why? If I wanna take my time, I'll take my time. I ain't gonna hurry cuz she wants me to!'

'Inuyasha, be a gentleman. I want to go home too.' said Sango.

'Hey, youse are s'posed to be on my side!'

'Now now Inuyasha,' said Miroku. Together with Sango, they dragged him off to a corner with Inuyasha grumbling and shaking his fist at me.

'Oh that Inuyasha!' I growled. 'I just want to wring his neck out!' I sank into a chair.

'Kagome calm down.' Eri said, rubbing my back.

'What's gotten into you today?' Ayumi asked. I sighed and calmed down.

'I guess it's because I'm tired.' I said running my hands through my hair.

'You're just stressed out. Hey, why don't we go to Waccdonalds later? You'll feel better after eating something.' said Yuka, clapping her hands together.

'I kind of just want to go home guys.' I said, but knowing it wouldn't work.

'No you're coming. You'll feel better for it.' said Yuka.

>

And so I found myself sitting at our usual table at Waccdonalds. We hang out here a lot. All our life's drama's get discussed here. And a lot of our home work gets done here too. We come here so much the manager knows us and gives us free burgers every now and then.

'I can't believe you went up to Inuyasha like that Kagome.' said Yuka, drinking her cola.

'I know, aren't you afraid of what he might do?' asked Ayumi.

'What might he do? Snore at me?' I asked, taking a bite out of my burger.

'You haven't heard?' Eri asked, her eye's widening. The three exchanged glances.

'Know what?'

'I heard that Inuyasha belongs to a gang or something.' said Ayumi. 'He rides a motor bike and terrorizes people.'

'Don't you think that's a bit exaggerated?' I asked.

'But I've seen the bike!' said Ayumi.

'And he used to go out with Kikyou.' said Yuka. That got my attention.

Kikyou was the most popular girl in our year level. She had the look, the attitude and was the most 'in' person for miles around. It was hard to believe she was 15. She had a part time job as a model and boy did she ever look good in the magazines.

But she was also the snobbiest girl in our year level. She looked contemptuously at everyone, like they weren't good enough to be in her presence. To know that that jerk Inuyasha had gone out with a person like that, it was unbelievable.

'Are you sure? Inuyasha and Kikyou?' I asked. 'You're all lying.' I took another bite out of my burger.

'It's true. They went out for a whole year!' said Ayumi. I almost spat my burger out in shock. I forced myself to swallow it.

'You're kidding! How come I've never noticed?' I asked. They shrugged.

'Maybe you're just the kind of person who doesn't notice these things until they are written in plain English.' Yuka teased.

'I don't need things to be spelt out.'

'Well, Hojo obviously has a crush on you but you didn't even realize until we pointed it out.' said Eri.

'But we don't know that for sure.' Ireasoned.

'Our Kagome. What will we do with you?' said Ayumi melodramatically.

An hour later we decided to go home. I didn't really feel better after going to Waccdonalds and was glad to be going home.

'Oh boy am I sleepy.' I thought and yawned. I was walking to my bus stop at the end of the street. The sun was turning orange on the horizon. When I stand at the top of the stairs on the hill that leads to my temple at this time, the view is spectacular. If I managed to get home in half an hour, I could still catch a glimpse of the sun set.

A man beside me, who I hadn't noticed before dropped his bag. I bent down to pick it up for him.

'Oh thank you. You are such a kind…and pretty girl.' he said.

'It's no problem.' I told him and handed him his bag. He made a point of touching my hands as he took his bag.

'Okay….weird.' I shivered. I continued walking and he walked beside me. 'Creep!' I thought. Maybe he just happened to be walking this way. I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions just because he was a stranger. I looked around. The street was semi empty.

'So, how old are you?' he asked.

'I'm, uh, 17.' I lied. I hoped I looked 17 to him.

'Oh really? I have a daughter who is 16. I can't help but say that you are much prettier than she is.'

'Thanks.' I said in an offhand tone, hoping to discourage him from talking to me. My worst fears were coming to life. I was being picked up by a middle aged and ugly man.

'What school do you go to?' he asked. I told him, then I swore at myself on the inside. Why did I tell him the truth?

'You have very nice looking skin,' he said suddenly. I clenched my hands, praying to god that he would just leave my alone.

'And you have a very nice looking body,' he said. I could see him looking me over in the corner of my eye. 'Go away! Go away!' I thought desperately.

'Come on, how much you want? I can pay.' At this point, I bolted. I could hear him running after me. 'I'm going to be raped!' I thought and ran as fast as I could. I turned a corner and cut across a park. When I looked back he wasn't anywhere in sight. I sighed in relief and sank to the ground, panting hard and shaking. What a horrifying experience. Thank god he stopped chasing me.

Or so I thought.

He jumped out of the bushes beside me and held me down. I screamed for my life. I struggled underneath his weight but I couldn't move him. He put his horrible mouth over mine and slobbered all over my face. It was the worst feeling in the world.

I screamed again, hoping desperately that someone would hear. And someone did. The man was pulled off of me. I scrambled away and looked to see who my savior was . It was Inuyasha.

He was beating the man so viciously the man began to bleed at the mouth. Inuyasha was cursing with every blow and his fist was soon bloodied.

'You ever touch her again, I'll kill you.' he hissed and let the man scramble away. I watched him scramble away blankly.

'Are you alright? Are you hurt?' he asked me.

My hands were clenched together and I was shaking. The reality of the situation was beginning to hit me and tears began to pour down my face.

Inuyasha put his arms around my shoulders. I leaned on him and cried my heart out.

>

Author's note: Thanks for reading thus far. Please feel free to criticize to your heart's content (which means read and review! Onegai!)