Author's Note: Hey there! My first fic, I hope you all like it. I kept it short, just in case it turned out to be a total bust… anyway, thanks in advance for reading & reviewing!

Thoughts "Talking"

Summary: Kagome suffers a terrible trauma, and it's been slowly eating her away, inside and out, a problem that wasn't even her fault! Can anyone get her out of this all-time-low before something really bad happens? Sess-Kag/ Inu-Kag??

::Bring on the Pain::

Kagome walked through the hallways of her school, alone, as always, hugging her folder tightly to her chesty as if it might offer her some sort of protection from the cruel, mocking outside world. She stared at the ground as if it might offer her a solution, an answer to end her suffering. She swiftly walked through the halls, not once lifting her eyes from the dusty tiles of the cold hallway, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. Suddenly, purposely, someone stuck a foot out to trip her. She threw her hands out in front of her, releasing her folder in the process, when she felt two strong arms grab her, about waist-high, and she clutched the figure's sleeves before she hit the ground.

For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to look into the eyes of a fellow classmate, and it would seem, that in that instant, time had stopped. She gazed into the most amazing set of golden eyes, and marveled at his silver locks surrounding his head as if it were some sort of halo of an angel come to rescue her from this hell she called her life. "Are you…" he started, looking concerned.

"Heh…" was the sound of someone's nervous laugh. "Uh… Inuyasha… what are you doing? Helping that trash…?" came the same male voice a few feet away.

He glanced over at the brown haired boy who'd made the comment, then back at Kagome, looking helpless in his arms. And then, suddenly, instantly, her angel turned into a demon, like all the others. His expression suddenly matched all of their cruel, mocking ones. "Are you…crazy? Get your hands offa me you ugly bitch!" he yelled, loud enough for everyone in the hallways to hear, and then forcefully released her, sending her crashing down to the ground, next to her folder. She hastily reached over to pick it up, as tears came to her eyes, blurring her vision. Her head started to throb, from listening to the cruel laughter, comments, and threats.

Just as her fingers grazed the hard plastic cover of her folder, a foot connected with the side of it, hitting her right hand in the process. She clutched her hand to her chest, as her tears threatened to flow down her face. She looked into the eyes of her ex-boyfriend, one of the major causes of both her physical, and emotional pain. "Koga… why?" she whispered so quietly, very few even heard it. However to anyone who stood in the circle surrounding the fallen, innocent girl, they would have thought she was referring to her folder, or perhaps their tragic break up. However there were very few who knew the real question.

The question had taken Koga by surprise. It was easier to pick on her, to hate her, to lie if he wasn't forced to look into those eyes of hers. Eyes that used to be a brilliant blue filled with purity, hope, and love, but were now gray with shame, humiliation, and sadness. A sadness that he himself had brought upon her. Koga forcefully tore his gaze from Kagome's. "Why?" he repeated. "I think you know the answer to that," he said cruelly, refusing to look into her eyes again. It was an answer that he himself was not ready to supply. One question he didn't know the real answer to.

With that, he spun on his heel and began to walk away. "Let's get outta here before a teacher comes along and we get in trouble," he said to the crowd that had formed, and with that, they all disappeared, except for one girl who remained behind. But Kagome didn't notice. She was frantically picking up the scattered papers that had flown from her folder when Koga kicked it.

The girl crouched down next to her and placed her hand gently on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome jumped, thinking someone was about to hit her again. "You know the only reason they pick on you is because you don't bother to fight back," she said, and began to pick up Kagome's papers. "You just sit there and cry like a pathetic little six-year-old. Hell if I didn't have more class, I'd be right along there with them, laughing at you," she said.

Kagome didn't know what to make of this girl. She was helping her pick up her papers, and yet she was insulting her. "I…" she began, but changed her mind just as she started to speak.

"What?" she said, raising her eyebrow as if prompting her to speak. Kagome shook her head. "Whatever. Listen, I wanted to talk to you real quick," she said rudely.

"Oh…" Kagome said, and glanced into her eyes, then quickly looked away, as if she were being reminded not to look at anyone.

"Why do you let them push you around like that? If I were you, there'd be a couple of footprints on somebody's ass by now," she said, standing up and pulling Kagome up along with her.

That comment almost made Kagome want to smile. Almost. "I… well um… thanks for your help," she held out her hand to shake, some of her confidence visibly returning with the semi- kind words and actions of a fellow classmate. "My name's Kagome. What's yours?" she asked kindly.

"I'm quite aware of who you are. I'm not here to get to know you. I came to ask you a question. Are you still in love with Koga?" she asked bitterly.

"In… love…? I …" she stammered. In love? With Koga? The guy who ruined her? She wasn't so sure anymore. She used to love him, at the very least.

The girl purposely dropped one of Kagome's pencils on the ground, making it look like an accident. "Oops," she said, and made no move to pick it up, as it was closer to Kagome. Kagome bent to pick it up, instinctively reaching forward with her right hand, when the girl stepped forward and crushed her fingers under her shoe.

"Ah!" Kagome cried out in pain. "Please…" she whimpered.

"Listen whore. I'm not here because I like you, or because I feel sorry for you. I'm here to deliver to you a warning. Stay away from Koga, stay away from him or anyone else around him, or else you will find yourself in a situation much more painful. Got it?" she said, putting more weight on Kagome's hand for emphasis.

"Yes," she whimpered. "I'm sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. The girl saw this and abruptly turned on her heel and walked away.

I lied. I do feel sorry for her. But I want her away from Koga, and I want Koga away from her. To forget about her, and now. She swung open the door to her history class, and strode in. "Miss Naguru. You're late," the teacher said, glaring at her.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I had something I had to do," she said, bowing.

"Get to your seat," he said, sighing, and turned back to the board. She glanced about the room, looking for a seat, noticing open ones by Inuyasha…No, that freak who kept asking her out, Miroku or something or other…as if!! And one next to Koga. Yes.

She smirked and went to sit next to Koga. He glanced at her curiously. "Hey Sango," he said, and she offered a quick smile and turned to take out her supplies.

"Now that the lecture for today is completed, I would like you all to direct your attention to the television screen, where you will be watching a video on major events in the Meiji Revolution. Pay close attention, I may quiz you on this at any time," the teacher announced, as he went to the shelf to find the proper video.

Sango leaned over towards Koga's seat and whispered, "Hey can I borrow your notes from today's lecture?"

"Sure," he said, handing over his notes. Sango glanced at them and fought the urge to groan. Not very much written, and hardly legible to the untrained eye. "So what took ya?" he asked, obviously referring to the fact that she had shown up late.

She was spared from giving a proper response when a soft knock came at the door. The teacher set the video he had just found on his desk, then made his way to the entrance. He sighed, opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Kagome to pass him.

"Business, Koga. Business," Sango whispered, earning a strange look from Koga.

"Miss Higurashi, would you care to explain why you're late?" he asked impatiently.

She bowed low. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," she said quietly.

He sighed. "Whatever… just take a seat. We're about to watch a video now," he said, exasperatedly.

She hurriedly chose the one closest to her, next to Inuyasha. He just looked at her, and said nothing. He was curious about her, to say the very least. That face. I swear I've seen it on someone else. She looks so much like someone else, but I just can't figure out who…

About five minutes into the film, Kagome was aware of someone's gaze on her face, but she neither turned nor spoke. She didn't want to get hit, or made fun of again, so she did her best to ignore it, no matter how much it bothered her. She thought of Inuyasha, and his eyes. Those amber eyes that had transformed from caring to malicious and detached in an instant less than thirty minutes before, but still beautiful, nonetheless. But she stopped that thought at just that place. It was things like that which got her into trouble. So she forgot about Inuyasha and focused on the film.

Ten minutes later, with the end of class near, the film ended, and the lights were switched back on. The teacher began handing out papers and just as Kagome received hers, she knocked her pencil off her desk. She reached for it with her injured hand at the same time Inuyasha did, and for a moment, his hand rested on top of hers. She winced both in pain and at the contact and hastily yanked her hand away. "Sorry," she murmured.

He held out her pencil for her. "Don't worry about it," he said, handing her the pencil. She took it in her left hand and apologized again, shoving it into her pocket.

"Class, as you can see on your papers, we will be having a series of group projects. All will be completed with the same group over the next two months," he began. The class started whispering to each other, and he held up a hand to silence them. "Groups, of course will be assigned." An audible groan was heard throughout the class. "Time will not be given in class to complete these assignments, so you must find time outside of school to work on them, perhaps at each other's houses. I will begin assigning groups tomorrow…" Kagome tuned out from there.

Two words were stuck in Kagome's mind. Group projects. Group projects meant working… in a group… with her classmates… who, for the time being, hated her guts. Which meant she's probably be stuck with all of the work, and then beaten if her group didn't like the final grade they received. Please… there has got to be another way. Anything but this…maybe, if I ask, I can work alone…

"…There will be no choice in groups, there will be no changing groups, there will be no solitary work, so don't bother to ask. These are group projects and are worth a fair chunk of your final grade. We will go into more detail tomorrow," he said, just as the bell rang. Students shuffled to gather their things and leave the class.

Kagome, however, was frozen in her seat. Group projects… she could only imagine the cuts and bruises that were soon to come…

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Okay, first fic. Like? No Like? Please review, makes me feel much better, and makes me want to write more! Well thanks for reading this, at the very least, and feel free to leave any questions/ comments/ concerns with the story you may have. Thanks again, and I hope to see you soon!