Wow! I didn't expect so many people to like my commercial! That really made my day! So I sat down and typed this all in one go. See? I can write, just not the usual stuff right now. I'm going to wait and post this tomorrow though because technically it's still the same day I posted the commercial, so it won't show up as an update on your review screens, and you'd miss it! That'd be sad! Especially since I want to know if you still like it extended. It'll be a shorter story than some of my others, no longer than 12 I think, though probably no less than 6 either. And keep in mind that the commercial shows some of the most dramatic points. There will be more drama, but this first chapter kind of sets the scene though it should still leave you with a lot of questions.

It doesn't feel like Christmas season yet. At least not to me. Does anybody agree? It's like, I can't believe it's the 22nd! It feels like it's still in the teens somewhere, like 15 or something. I dunno, maybe I'm just straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaange.

Anyway! Thanks for all you support! It meant a lot! Seriously, getting the reviews was like, 'wow! The like it! They like it enough to review the commercial!" it was seriously fantastic, since I was afraid some people would be like "Why in the world is she doing this, what a freak." Lol, but I guess I should have more faith in you guys, you've always been supportive!

Okay, enough stalling, blah blah lol, here's the chapter!

"What about you? Are you going?" She knew the voice was directed at her before he'd even finished his first question. Her 'invites' always came when she was passing by; people always mentioned them to her.

"Going where?" She curved her lips slightly upwards, as if interested but not quite committed yet. "Who's throwing it?" If she agreed right away, she'd be too eager, and the invitations would stop, and then there were the parties she just wouldn't go to.

"Hiten. He's the only one doing anything decent lately; everyone else was spooked by the raid last week." It was true. Yura's party had been crashed by the cops only an hour or so before dawn. Most of the guests had left by then, and the ones that hadn't were able to get out okay. Yura was screwed, of course, but nobody cared. They were just afraid of getting caught themselves. The last two parties she'd shown up at had been relatively tame, alcohol but no drugs. She wasn't complaining, but she knew people weren't happy.

"Yeah, it's been a drag." She agreed tonelessly, not caring what he thought but making conversation anyway. "I might go, tonight right?" He nodded and she shrugged. "Maybe, if I feel like it." The guy looked vaguely insulted by her dismissal, as if she should feel honored to go. He was probably one of the people who wouldn't be invited for too much longer, especially since he was spreading the word. Parties with people like Hiten were the kind people instinctively knew about. By the end of the day she would have heard about it, and as far as the right people were concerned, just hearing about it was invitation enough. Asking was pathetic; accepting, more so.

She left without saying goodbye, and she could tell he was slightly offended. He was probably a sophomore, an underclassman hot enough to hear about the party, but still too young to handle it right. Hiten would be pissed if freshman and sophomores showed up at his house, she'd seen him turn them away before. Sometimes they were allowed, if they brought the right party favors.

Her locker was in the next hall over and she took her time getting there. People around her were frantically trying to make it to class on time, cramming books into bags and doing final touch ups on make up, but she just walked past them, as if she wasn't a part of the scene at all. The teachers never cared if she was late; they always made allowances for the good students, and her grades let her qualify.

The bell ran when she reached her locker. The hall was empty in seconds, people rushing to class with their bags still open, or hair only half done. She smiled softly to herself, a habit, and opened her locker to pick up the textbook she needed for her next class. She heard footsteps coming towards her, guys from the sound of it. Keeping the pleasant smile on her face, she slammed her locker shut and turned to walk by them.

Hiten was the leader, front and center, making eye contact before he passed by. "You're late." He told her, smirking the way he would at any anonymous pretty junior. She knew better then to like his smile, and flashed him one of her own.

"So are you." She said lightly, looking up at him boldly as she moved to pass him by. She'd been to his house dozens of times and he'd never talked to her. She was passing entertainment, interesting for only a moment, and she knew it. But it wouldn't hurt if he remembered her a little. She knew he watched her walk away for a moment, but then he turned back to his friends, not interested enough to pursue the conversation, which was fine with her. Hiten was a ticket to night life, and she only had to stay on the list. It was the people who tried to work their way up that seemed to get crossed off completely. Either you had it, or you didn't, and Kagome doubted she had it.

Her class was only a few doors down, and she reached it relatively quickly. "Sorry I'm late." She apologized, smiling in a self-deprecating way at her history teacher. "I was having problems with my locker." The lie came easy, practiced, rehearsed, and bought by the professor on more than one occasion.

"It's fine Miss Higurashi." He nodded at her in the friendly, elderly way that reminded her so much of her grandfather. Except her jii-chan would never have made a good teacher, he was too paranoid for his own good. If he'd lived any longer, her parents would have probably had him locked up. "Go ahead and take your seat."

She nodded back at him in acknowledgement. A couple girls gave her secret waves as she passed, one of them throwing her a subtle, "Hey there, Kagome!" She kept a smile on her face, making eye contact with everyone greeting her, and swatting the occasional guy tugging on her skirt. Her seat was in the back of the class, so she was used to the usual procession waiting for her when she was late. It wasn't that she was popular or anything, but everyone wanted to greet the late person, to disrupt class and prove they weren't paying attention, probably.

She slid into her seat and pulled out her notebook, dropping it unceremoniously on her desk. Yura sat in the seat next to her, and the short haired senior didn't seem happy. "Hiten's having a party tonight." She muttered. "And guess who's parents are having the house watched?"

Kagome gave her a sympathetic look. "They're still mad about that?" Of course they were, Kagome's parents would probably have killed her to save themselves the legal hassle, but she had to act like it wasn't a big deal.

The older girl shrugged, not caring. "That's not what matters. I just need them to let me out of the house, or let up the security, so I can get something." Drugs, sex, alcohol . . . it was all implied in the one word. Kagome hated everyone's need for it, their addiction to the night life, but she had her own cravings to satisfy so she couldn't judge them.

"So go to a friends house, say you'll be studying or something." She was offering solutions half out of pity, and half out of habit. Everyone liked a sympathetic ear, and Kagome was good at pretending to half way care.

Yura glared, not at her, just in her direction. "My friends don't study, and my parents know that." She was in a relatively unique position. She didn't care what she did with her life, or what happened to her, as long as she had a good time. Her parents actually worried about her and were constantly trying to help her help herself. Nothing ever worked, but they got parental points for trying her book. Usually parents either didn't care what their kids did, or only cared if it affected their own reputation.

"Do you drive?" Kagome asked, seizing the opportunity as it presented itself. Usually she bummed her rides off neighbors, or people passing her on the street, but she hated relying on guys because they were so hard to get rid of once they arrived at the party. She never accepted rides home from anyone.

Yura looked insulted. "Yeah, an Audi TT Coup. Why?" The words were biting, penalty for assuming she was anything less than cool. If nothing else, the car made her 'in' and Kagome hid a smile at the thought of riding in it.

"You can say you're coming to my house. Parents love me." She explained, coming across as if she was doing Yura the favor. "Pick me up at my house and call to check in before we leave and they'll never know the difference." And then she could tell her own parents she was going with Yura, make it sound like they were great friends, co-members of the NHS or something. The mental image accompanying that thought was just wrong, but she'd use it anyway.

Yura nodded slowly. She was an academic idiot, but smart enough to plan sneaking out. "They've seen you before." She said slowly, "some assembly or something parents were invited to. I think they were impressed." She made a face at that. "So it might work."

"It'll be fine." Kagome turned away from the girl, focusing her attention on the lecture. "Don't stress over it." She opened her notebook, slipped out a pen, and wrote the date at the top of the page. She'd already read the chapter they were going over, but you got points for taking notes in class, no matter what they said.

Yura followed suit, knowing that all she needed to do was doodle for an hour and a half to pass the class. "Hey," she added as an afterthought. "Thanks." There was no genuine gratitude in her voice, nothing to turn her into a sappy loser, but the fact that she'd said it at all meant Kagome wouldn't be forgotten when the surveillance on Yura's house was lifted. The little things ensured access to the best parties.

She didn't say anything and wasn't expected to. Yura continued to scribble unintelligible nonsense, but Kagome jotted down the main points, just in cased she'd missed anything in her reading notes. Half her ticket to getting through life was maintaining her GPA. The other half was doing everything she could to forget her responsible self. It was a precarious balance.

Everything went smoothly, of course. Things had a way of working out around her. Her parents never caught her in a lie, or sneaking out. She was always able to get a ride. And no one ever had a problem with her, or thought she was out of place. Yura dropped her off and went to park the car, probably thinking the walk to the house would be awkward if they were together.

Kagome never bothered to adjust herself as she walked up the steps. She saw a lot of girls do it, and it always made them come across as insecure, a little lost rather than collected. It wasn't attractive. She knew she looked alright. Her jeans were snug, her shoes, stylish, and her hair was swept up in an attractive messy do. The shirt she was wearing had sleeves covering her arms, but the beginning of her midriff was exposed, a look she'd been told was 'tantalizing'. Her makeup was simple, eyeliner and mascara was the basic party look, and then some gloss to match the shine on her dark shirt. She didn't have a purse, they were either stolen or mocked and it wasn't like they were an important accessory.

She didn't knock; no one ever did, just opened the door and walked inside. She left it open behind her, too lazy to close it and figuring Yura would be in soon anyway. She made her way through the crowds, smiling confidently at anyone who greeted her. There was always some food, but she sidestepped that table, and headed straight for the drinks. She hated alcohol, and if she got their before all the cups were used and the guests resorted to bottles, than she could fill one up with something from the fridge or water. No one ever knew the difference.

"Yo, Kagome!" Kouga gave her a nod as she grabbed one of the cups. "You didn't need a ride tonight?" He lived a block or two away from her and often picked her up on the way, either at her house, or on the street if she'd already started walking.

"Nah," She shook her head, loving the feel of her loose strands hitting her face and neck with the gesture. "I got a ride with Yura. I love her car!"

Kouga grinned his appreciation. "It's an Audi, right? Yeah, it's cool. I'm surprised her parents bought it for her, with all the trouble she's been getting into this year."

She was surprised, and showed it. Widening her eyes she asked, "Trouble? I thought the only thing was the raid last week." While it wasn't good to be ignorant, everyone loved to gossip, so it was a flaw easily forgiven.

He shook his head, obviously glad to have someone new to share the story with. "Nope, I heard she was pregnant at the beginning of this year, but her parents covered that one up fast." She knew better than to be shocked, especially since it was Yura, but she parted her lips anyway, a gesture of surprise.

"Well, it figures." She said finally. "She missed school for a while too, didn't she? I think I remember that. And her parents got her a car? They're more forgiving than I thought."

He disagreed. "I think they just want to keep her happy enough so she doesn't kill herself. You know what a drama queen she is when she doesn't get her way." Everyone in school knew how she was. Rules had been altered, however slightly, to keep her alive. Of course, it helped that her parents were influential with the school board. People worked to keep them happy.

"How irritating." She didn't really have anything against the girl, but Kouga didn't seem to like her, so she went with the flow. It wasn't as if she had any attachments to the senior. "No one has to keep us happy to keep us alive."

He grinned at her in a way so she couldn't misconstrue his meaning when he said, "I'll work to keep you happy, Kagome." Obviously, he thought he was attractive. And he would be, if he wasn't so confident all the time.

"Yeah, until morning, right Kouga?" She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood to get laid by you tonight."

"You're never in the mood." He complained, but there was no sting to it. After giving her as many rides as he did, they'd talked some, and she figured he'd come to think of her as a kid sister, or something close to it. He was a good guy, if a little too enthusiastic for her tastes. "Anyways, I'll see you later. Ayame just got here." She grinned and gave him a small wave as her moved to meet his on again off again girlfriend.

Determinedly, she shifted through the crowd to the kitchen, finding some cider in the fridge to fill her cup. She left as naturally as she could, knowing people would find it strange if someone came to a party and stayed sober. She almost jumped when a voice breathed into her ear behind her, but managed to stay still.

"Did you get a detention?" She turned, recognizing Hiten by his voice, but needing visual confirmation anyway. He was smiling, but it was the popular, plastic smile that all the guys wore. The only natural look they had was a glare, something fierce and cruel.

"Nah." She gave a dismissive gesture. "I never get a detention." Taking a sip from her cup, she frantically tried to think of a way to keep from turning boring. "Did you?" She asked finally, quirking an eyebrow.

He was amused. Both by the question and by the way she'd asked. She prided herself in reading people and she could tell he wouldn't mind talking to her more. But then a fight broke out somewhere behind them, and knowing him, he'd have to join in or stop them forcefully. Any reason to be violent. "Have fun." She ordered, shooing him towards the commotion. He flashed her another plastic grin and started pushing people out of his way.

She made the usual rounds, talking to the same people, meeting a few new ones, it was nothing special. After a long time, she allowed herself to feel tired, to let her physical fatigue come to the forefront of her mind. Practically everyone was drunk, so they wouldn't remember what she said anyway, and everyone else was high, leaving, or too caught up dancing to do anything else.

So she followed her usual routine. She never left a party until morning, for reasons no one knew. It was starting to be her trademark, or at least make her recognizable as an 'all nighter'. And instead of boring herself with the rest of the crowd, she would try to find an empty room somewhere, a place where she could catch a couple hours of sleep before morning so she wouldn't be completely dead the next day.

It took her a while to find an empty, since a lot were being used that night for other purposes. She finally resorted to peeking under the door and seeing if a light was on, or if she could hear anything going on. Finally she found one that seemed quiet. She opened the door slowly, stepping inside and closing it behind her softly.

It was dark. She blinked, trying to adjust to the lack of lighting in the room. It wasn't long before she recognized the distinctive sound of someone's breathing coming from somewhere in front of her. "Oh!" She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. "Please tell me I'm not interrupting something!" If she was, it would be the third couple she'd walked in on trying to find some place away from the party.

"You're too loud, if that counts." The voice was rough, male. "Shut up or get lost." She heard him shift, and her eyes had adjusted enough that she saw his figure standing by the window. It was dark outside; no light came through the frame.

Cautiously, she stepped further into the room, feeling around until her fingers hit a chair, and then sliding into it. "I'll shut up." She said softly, curling into a ball. The hair she'd taken care brushing that afternoon was tangled around her face and spiraling down her back and against the chair, but she didn't care. She hugged herself tight and closed her eyes, wishing sleep could claim her right away rather than making her wait until it tired of being elusive. It was late. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew it would be morning soon. She couldn't leave yet though, not until after sunrise when they would have already left for work.

Watching the shadow by the window proved to be relaxing, and eventually she did manage to drift off to sleep. She didn't wake up until something soft hit her in the face. "Morning." He said gruffly, pulling his jacket back and walking away. Sunlight streamed through the window, blinding her. She turned to watch him leave, catching sight of his long white hair before he disappeared completely.

And that is IT! For chapter one. Of course the 'mysterious stranger' is Inuyasha. And of course he's going to have his super cool super scary reputation. I think I'll have him go to another school though (that's not set in stone so don't kill me if I change my mind). And yeah, so this is the fic, it'll get better. Right now you're in the dark about Kagome's home life, and Inuyasha's life period. There will be more though, and don't hate Kagome if she seems cold in this chapter. This is just the beginning, the basic way she lives her daily life, how she's learned to survive. Trust me, it gets deeper!

Thanks so much for reading!

Rogue Pryde