The Girl.

Inuyasha kept his promise. Everyday, he was waiting at the bus stop for me when I got there at 7:30. I was amazed, astounded, I even taunted him just to be sure it wasn't a clone or identical twin or something.

"Woman, hurry up already." he drawled when he saw me around the corner.

"Geez you are so annoying." I said, trying to control the tone in my voice and hurrying to his side. "It's been three weeks already. You don't have to keep walking me to school. Unless of course, you actually like going to school now and you're using me as an excuse to get there on time."

"What are you jabbering on about so early in the morning?" he asked, yawning widely then stretching his arms. I sighed exaggeratedly. It was pretty annoying walking to school with him, because he kept stopping every now and then to look at things, or else buy food. We always seemed to just make it to school on time. I've been spared rumors so far because of this, but I think Ayumi, Eri and Yuka might be catching on. They haven't said anything, but I just have this feeling deep in my bones…

>

"Jerk, how much can you eat for breakfast? We're only just in time for school again." I said when we finally arrived at school.

"Ya're not late are you?" he said through a mouth stuffed full of food.

"Oh god. Never mind that now. Homeroom's gonna start without us so come on." I made a move to run forward, but saw Inuyasha wasn't following. In fact, he was trying to sneak off.

"Hey come back here!" I rushed forwards and managed to grab his ear. I held on to it as hard as I could and dragged him towards the classroom, him gagging all the while. Just before we got there however, he managed to pull free.

"Who do you think you are woman?" he spluttered. "If I don't wanna go to school, I don't go alright? Don't tell me what to do."

"But Inuyasha….school's important…you need to learn…stuff," I was trying to think of a good reason to make him stay but I couldn't. It was probably because I had never questioned why I went to school, I just did.

"Keh! I ain't good at learning like you. Don't feel like it today either. I'll just meet you at the school gates at three, kay?" He turned and left. After all that effort of dragging him up the stairs he was just walking away!

"You dummy! What was the reason of getting up early if you're not going to go to school?" I shouted at his back. He just put his hands in his pockets and continued walking.

"Then don't bother coming this afternoon!"

>

That Inuyasha! I fumed silently. I opened the classroom and strode over to my table where I dumped my bag on the table and dropped myself into my chair. Jerk. I have such a head ache now.

"Ka-go-me!" I heard Yuka say in a sing-song voice.

"Hm?"

"We heard everything!" said Eri, popping into my field of vision.

"Everything, between you and Inuyasha!" cried Ayumi.

"What are you talking about guys?"

"You were arguing so loudly I think the whole class heard." said Ayumi, pulling a chair to sit next to me.

"What?"

"Since when were you two on good….no wait you're still not really on good terms are you?" Ayumi thought aloud.

"Well, how long have you two been on speaking terms?" Eri supplied

"Yeah, I always thought you hated him." said Yuka. "You were always complaining about what a jerk he was….what did he do to you that made you hate him so much?"

"Nothing really-"

"Ooh Kagome I didn't know you went for those types of guys!" said Yuka, nudging me and winking.

"Huh?"

"But where does this leave poor Hojo?" asked Eri

"What does that-"

"I wonder if your voice carried down the hall as well…" I couldn't get a sentence in so I just gave up.

"I think I'll just go outside and see if the teacher's here yet." I lied after a while. I headed for the toilets to freshen up a bit. I was almost at the door when I saw Kikyo walk out. I didn't see her at school often. I don't even remember the last time I did see her. Not that it ever really mattered. But today, I remembered. It especially helped that she bumped into my shoulder so hard that I fell down.

"Watch where you're going you little insect." she spat and glared down at me. She was very good at it. It sent shivers down my spine and drowned the retort I was about to make. Instead I just stared at her dumbly and watched her walk off.

What was her problem? I wondered and picked myself up. I rubbed my shoulder and entered the toilet. For someone so skinny, she really could hurt. But why did she do that? I never talked to her much. I didn't even notice her that much. What bone did she have to pick with me?

>

"Lunch time! Finally I'm starving!" said Yuka when the bell went. We all headed outside to our usual spot on the grounds. During the hustle and bustle of moving people, I didn't notice the leg that someone purposely stuck out in my way and I fell forward and landed with a thump onto the floor. It was a sheer miracle that I didn't knock anyone else down with me.

I scrambled up and I saw Kikyo and her friends giggling cruelly at me.

"What a clumsy girl." she sneered at me. I had almost forgotten about what had happened this morning.

I rounded on her. "Hey what's your problem? I haven't done anything to you." She raised an eyebrow at me.

"What did I do?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me? You knocked me over this morning and now you've tripped me."

"Kagome lets just go." Ayumi whispered, trying to pull me away.

"Yes little girl," she sneered. "Just run along with your little friends. Mingle with your own kind where you belong. And stay away from people who you don't relate to." she added icily.

"What are you talking about? Mingle with my own kind? I don't know which world you living in but it certainly isn't reality."

This time, I met her glare and we had a stalemate. In the end, she turned her head and snickered.

"Looking at you makes me want to hurl. Get out of my sight and remember what I told you."

"Just where do you think you are?" I cried, incredulous. "I don't know if you have servants waiting on you in your house, but you at school. You have no right to talk to me like that you snob."

She snickered again and clicked her fingers. Immediately, her group of friends stood up.

"She said leave maggot. Didn't you hear?" said one. I snorted in her face.

"Pathetic." I told her and turned to leave. The others were glad that I was finally leaving and hurried behind me.

>

"What was that about?" asked Yuka, breathing a sigh of relief when we had finally sat down without further incident.

"I don't really know." I answered. I noticed that my heart was beating really quickly in my chest and that my hands were clenched. "She knocked me over this morning and just then, she or one of her friends tripped me."

"I always knew she had something crammed tightly up her…" said Yuka.

"And you didn't do anything to her before this Kagome?" asked Eri.

"I'm pretty sure. I mean, the most I knew about her was that she was a stuck up model."

"She is such a snob." said Ayumi. She stood up and started imitating Kikyo. "I'm Miss Beautiful. I'm so great. I appear in magazines and that makes me a princess." She began to prance round, posing ridiculously for invisible photographers until we were all rolling around with laughter.

"Hey, what did she mean by, "…mingle with your own kind"?" Eri asked when we had all calmed down a bit.

"Like I said, she's probably off in her own world; thinks she's like and almightily ruler or something. Ergh! What an ego." I rolled my eyes.

"Are you friends with any of her friends?" Yuka asked.

"God, no." I said incredulously.

But wait, maybe I did know someone that she knew. Wasn't Inuyasha going out with her? That's it! Maybe she was jealous! Maybe she still liked Inuyasha, jerk that he is. But why would she still be after him? Inuyasha of all people. Why no some drop dead gorgeous model hunk or something? I mean, Inuyasha! He was just a lazy jerk who wagged school.

I have to deal with this. Kikyo thinks that I want to go out with Inuyasha. Why in the world would I want to go out with Inuyasha? He's a horrible person who eats like a hog and whines all the time. But I guess I wasn't being totally fair. I mean, he did save me from that pervert and walked me to school and back home everyday. Anyway, why was I thinking about him so much?

>

I left her a note to meet me at the lockers once everyone had left at the end of the day. I thought she was going to meet me alone, but she brought along her little group of vapid friends.

"What do you want little girl?" she asked scornfully.

"You don't have to be so rude. I just want to tell you that Inuyasha and I aren't going out. Nor are we ever likely going to go out. Or reach the stage of friendship. He's just doing me a favor okay?"

She had a look of utmost distaste on her face. There was silence for a while then she said, "You talking to him, even being anywhere near him is unacceptable. You are to refrain from talking to him starting now."

"You are being unreasonable. And it's not for you to decide who I talk to or who he talks to for that matter. What is wrong with you? It's not like you're going out with him. Like you told me, why don't you just go mingle with your own kind in that fantasy land that you live in?"

She now looked livid. Before I knew it, she had stridden over and slapped me hard. I felt her numerous rings scrape across my cheek. But I reacted instantly and slapped her back. Then I was slammed into the lockers and pinned by the arms. I cried out in pain when my head hit the locker and I struggled to get free. But those hands were holding me firm. How do I get myself into these situations?

Kikyo leaned in close to my face. "How dare you hit my face?" she hissed.

"How about you? I got a nice stinging sensation across my cheek now." I retorted. A strange impulse told me to continue insulting her. "You're a coward. You wouldn't dare to fight me one on one. You're disgusting." And then I spat at her face. I don't know what possessed me.

Words failed her at this point. So instead, she slapped me across the face a couple of times and then kicked my stomach. I doubled over in pain and the hands let me fall to the floor. I have never been hit by anyone, not by mama or papa when he was round, not grandpa. So the pain felt so intense that all I could do was curl up and gasp.

I hardly heard anything else. All I knew was the pain coursing through my body from my stomach. I don't know how long I was lying there on the ground, but eventually I opened my eyes, which had been clamped tightly shut until now. The hall was empty.

The pain had subsided now. I put a hand, which had turned clammy, on the lockers and pulled myself up. Being attacked was really a unique experience. I found that I was trembling and hyperventilating and tried to breathe more slowly. When I had gathered myself enough, I began to stagger out.

I hardly noticed anything except the path ahead of me. When I got to some distance I noticed that there was a large figure blocking my way. I tried to move out of the way but it stopped me. Long fingers reach out and gently tilted my head up. My gaze slowly shifted from the ground, to the person's waist, chest then finally their face and I saw it was Inuyasha. I gaped at him. Was it really him or was I hallucinating?

"Kagome what happened?" he asked softly, voice filled with unease.

"Inuyasha…"

>

Author's note: Yay, I actually got around to writing another chapter! Thanks to those who have reviewed so far. It is so nice! Little fuzzy things float around and stuff, it's great!

I hope you like this chapter and remember to review. Criticisms welcome as well.