Unnatural

Attn: This chapter had a lot of things from the books, but I had changed things to suite my purposes. This is the biology scene and I wanted to keep it as close as I could with Kagome as our lead. ALSO!! thanks to those of you that told me about my blunder! i was doing this last night around 2am so.... some things had slipped by me. if you notice any other mistakes please let me know thanks.

“Speaking”
‘Thoughts’

bChapter 5
Blast from the Past/b

I made it to biology in record time, glad to be the first student there. Mr. Banner was walking around the tables distributing 1 microscope and a box of slides on each desk. I walked in silently so I did not disturb him and took a seat at my desk after taking my biology book from my bag. I was glad to have a few moments to myself before everyone came in; it allowed me a few moments of peace to think of the strange feelings that Edward had evoked within me earlier. I was well aware of what that tug meant, no one knows the soul better then I do after all. You can’t help but gain a sort of in field expertise when you have had yours stolen or attempted stolen more then a handful of times. Only this new development has me stumped; ‘is it even possible to have 2 soul mates?’ I had no clue if it was.

Kagome POV…..

I have theories on how it could be possible, but no way to know for sure. My destiny was never a straight line, I knew I was destined to go to the past and destroy the jewel. But was it destiny that Kikyo was resurrected? That a piece of my very soul is given to her so she could survive? Was it that event that changed who my soul mate would be? My soul was different now, the piece stolen never returned only to be replaced by the left over essence of the Shikon. The change would have started with my soul being ripped apart, then the experiences I endured while at war for the Shikon. There were also the other things I had been through, like my personal experiences with the Kikyo Inuyasha and I love triangle and completed when the left over essence of the Shikon took its place.

Could that have altered my soul so much that it would now have a new mate? If this is true then what of Edward? ‘Would he now have two soul mates? Or is it yet again destiny at work? I don’t think I could believe that he was born for the sole purpose of being my soul mate, that would make him some sort of prize. I don’t really know him to be able to say that he is perfect for me. I had values and beliefs instilled in me while I was 500 years in the past. I don’t really think they make males like they use to anymore.

I tend to find myself more inclined to the instincts of male demons that have honor. I like my man to be protective of me, but at the same time he allows me to fight my own battles. I am strong but not infallible so my male would be there to catch me if I fall. Possessiveness is a common trait for demon males and I secretly liked the way Inuyasha reacts to Kouga when he comes by and claims me as ‘his woman’; or how he reacted to the unwanted attentions of Hojo. I also liked the way demon males felt the need to claim his female. That was not a trait Inuyasha showed, but it was a trait of Kouga. He would tell anyone who listened that I was his even though I really was not. But to have the male that I claim to claim me in such a way is a major turn on.

The first bell disrupted my thoughts and I purposefully kept my head down looking at my book while the first wave of students made their way into class. I became aware of his presence when I heard the light scrapping of the chair beside me and it took everything I had to not look up at him. Class did not start immediately with the second bell and the class was buzzing with chatter. I kept my head in the book even as he sat beside me.

I did not want a repeat of earlier I wasn’t sure I was ready to see into his soul again. It was just so complex, so beautiful that I would be unable to stop myself from getting lost again. I still undecided; I have no idea what to do about this strange connection I felt. On top of that I also had no clue if he felt the connection too.

The most important part was that I was not ready. I still had not let go of the past yet and was not ready to move forward. To be honest this feeling scares the crap out of me. My plan to just ignore went up in smokes when his smooth voice met my ears.

“Hello” said a quiet musical voice. I looked up stunned that he was speaking to me. His chair was at the farthest end of the desk, but his body was angled towards me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled; even so he looked like he had just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips, but his eyes were careful. “My name is Edward Cullen” he continued “I did not have a chance to introduce myself yesterday. You must be Kagome Higurashi.” My mind was spinning and try as I might I could not stop myself. As he spoke my eyes drifted towards his as is only polite when in conversation and I was hooked yet again.

I had to speak he was waiting, but I couldn’t think of anything conventional to say. “How do you know my name?” I stammered.

He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to
arrive."

I grimaced. I knew it was something like that. I had held out on the hope that a new arrival to the school had been to boring to pay attention to for him, but I was sadly disappointed.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right. "Get started," he commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at him like an idiot.

"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent.

"No," I said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."

I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.

My assessment was confident." Prophase."

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.

I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"

He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.

I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right. "Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at him.

He handed it to me; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again. I took the most fleeting look I could manage.

"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn't want to spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl. We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mike and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.

Which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at him… unsuccessfully. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Kagome should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Japan?"

"Yes."

"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess its good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook. If I did not keep myself busy I might be tempted to stare at him again.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. "Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. I had never liked snow though I did find the rain comforting and cleansing.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"I don’t like the cold and wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

“No not really, I don’t mind the rain. It is just snow I don’t like. Rain does not have to be freezing cold, but snow is both freezing cold and wet.” I muttered darkly.

He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.

"Why did you come here, then? It snows here just as much as it does in Japan."

No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding.

"It's… complicated." My voice turned solemn as I thought about the reason why I came here.

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered. “It’s private and I don’t really want to talk about it with a stranger.” I said my tone sharp. It was the look on his face that had me sighing a moment later and I leaned towards him telling him silently that what I am to say is not to be over heard.

He clearly understands as he too leans closer “listen, have you ever had a secret that even though it is your secret too you can not tell it because it involves others? That should I blab it would not only affect me, but others I care for as well?” I whispered trying to be nice about not telling him, but at the same time giving him telling why I can’t answer his question.

His eyes were still guarded and his lips pulled into a tight line, but he looked like he was thinking about my comment and how to respond to it. “I’m sorry for being so nosy. It’s just that I am curious about you.” He answered leaning back in his chair to sit normally.

I nodded and decided to tell him only part of the reason why I am here. “Part of the reason why I came here to live with my father was because some really close friends died and I was having a hard time coping. I was surrounded by things that constantly reminded me of them and my mom thought it might be better for me if I moved here. It was too painful to be reminded of those I lost everyday while I mourned them.”

“I’m sorry” he sounded sympathetic “How has it been working out for you?”

“Things are better now. Maybe when I’m better I can go back and remember the good things instead of just the bad, but right now all I can remember are the bad.” My voice sounded sad even to me. I shook myself of my gloom and smiled a small smile.

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away.

"Am I wrong?"

I tried to ignore him.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.

I glanced at him without thinking… and told the truth." Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — everyone tells me my face is like an open book." I frowned.

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.

"You must be a good reader then," I replied.

"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I turned with relief to listen. I was in disbelief that he'd seemed so engrossed in our conversation. Like I was telling him the most interesting of stories.

I tried to appear attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But my thoughts were unmanageable.

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room, I stared after him in amazement. He moves quickly, almost too quickly. Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I imagined him with
a wagging tail.

"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt. "Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it.

I just shrugged not knowing what to say and deciding to say nothing.

I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, and RE. didn't do much to hold my attention, either. Mike was on my team today. He chivalrously covered my position as well as his own, so my woolgathering was only interrupted when it was my turn to serve; my team ducked warily out of the way every time I was up.

The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry car. I got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.

I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white figure. Edward Cullen was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I swiftly looked away and threw the car
into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste. Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brake in time. I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw him laughing. ‘Jerk’-----

Edward POV….

I walked slowly to biology contemplating what I would say to initiate a conversation with Kagome. The only words that were ever exchanged between us were from this morning. While it had not been a bad experience it was weird so it may be a little bit harder to get her to actually talk with me. I have not really spoken to human since my change except for maybe polite hellos and things of that nature. I had never tried to actively know a human, so I was at a loss on where to start. It goes without saying that I would introduce myself since I had not yesterday, but where to go from there?

I was not late. Mr. Banner was still setting up for today's lab. The girl sat at my—at our table, her face down again, staring at the book that was open on the table. I pulled my chair back with unnecessary roughness, letting it scrape across the linoleum; humans always felt more comfortable when noise announced someone's approach. I knew she heard the sound; she did not look up, but her she seemed to twitch slightly. Why didn't she look up? Probably she was frightened. I must be sure to leave her with a different impression this time. Make her think she'd been imagining things before. "Hello," I said in the quiet voice I used when I wanted to make humans more comfortable, forming a polite smile with my lips that would not show any teeth. She looked up then, her wide blue eyes startled—almost bewildered—and full of silent questions.

As I stared into those oddly deep blue eyes, I realized that the hate—the hate I'd imagined this girl somehow deserved for simply existing and smelling the way her bedroom did—had evaporated. Maybe it had even evaporated earlier today with out first interaction as strange as it was.

Her cheeks began to flush, and she said nothing.

I kept my eyes on hers, focusing only on their questioning depths, and tried to ignore the appetizing color of her skin. "My name is Edward Cullen," I said, though I knew she knew that. It was the polite way to begin. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Kagome Higurashi."

She seemed confused—there was that little pucker between her eyes again. It took her half a second longer than it should have for her to respond. "How do you know my name?" she demanded. I laughed gently—it was a sound that I knew made humans more at ease.

Again, I was careful about my teeth.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name." Surely she must have realized that she'd become the center of attention in this monotonous place. "The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

She frowned as if this information was unpleasant. I supposed, being shy as she seemed to be, attention would seem like a bad thing to her. Most humans felt the opposite. Though they didn't want to stand out from the herd, at the same time they craved a spotlight for their individual uniformity.

"Get started," Mr. Banner commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" I offered.

She looked up at my expression and her face went blank, her eyes wide. Was there something off in my expression? Was she frightened again? She didn't speak. "Or, I could start, if you wish," I said quietly.

"No," she said, and her face went from white to red again. "I'll go first." I stared at the equipment on the table, the battered microscope, the box of slides, rather than watch the blood swirl under her clear skin.

"Prophase," she said after a quick examination. She started to remove the slide, though she'd barely examined it.

"Do you mind if I look?" Instinctively—stupidly, as if I were one of her kind—I reached out to stop her hand from removing the slide. For one second, the heat of her skin burned into mine. It was like an electric pulse—surely much hotter than a mere ninety-eight point six degrees. The heat shot through my hand and up my arm. She yanked her hand out from under mine. "I'm sorry," I muttered through my clenched teeth. Needing somewhere to look, I grasped the microscope and stared briefly into the eyepiece. She was right. "Prophase," I agreed.

I was still too unsettled to look at her. Breathing as quietly as I could through my gritted teeth and trying to ignore the fiery thirst, I concentrated on the simple assignment, writing the word on the appropriate line on the lab sheet, and then switching out the first slide for the next.

What was she thinking now? What had that felt like to her, when I had touched her hand? My skin must have been ice cold—repulsive. No wonder she was so quiet. I glanced at the slide. "Anaphase," I said to myself as I wrote it on the second line.

"May I?" she asked.

I looked up at her, surprised to see that she was waiting expectantly, one hand half-stretched toward the microscope. She didn't look afraid. Did she really think I'd gotten the answer wrong? I couldn't help but smile at the hopeful look on her face as I slid the microscope toward her.

She stared into the eyepiece with an eagerness that quickly faded. The corners of her mouth turned down. "Slide three?" she asked, not looking up from the microscope, but holding out her hand. I dropped the next slide into her hand, not letting my skin come anywhere close to hers this time. Sitting beside her was like sitting next to a heat lamp. I could feel myself warming slightly to the higher temperature. Was it normal for humans to be this warm?

She did not look at the slide for long. "Interphase," she said nonchalantly— perhaps trying a little too hard to sound that way—and pushed the microscope to me. She did not touch the paper, but waited for me to write the answer. I checked—she was correct again.

We finished this way, speaking one word at a time and never meeting each other's eyes. We were the only ones done—the others in the class were having a harder time with the lab. Mike Newton seemed to be having trouble concentrating—he was trying to

watch Kagome and me.

iWish he'd ignore her as he does every other girl in this school, /i Mike thought, eyeing me sulfurously.

Hmm, interesting. I hadn't realized the boy harbored any ill will towards me. This was a new development, about as recent as the girl's arrival it seemed. Even more interesting, I found—to my surprise—that the feeling was mutual. I looked down at the girl again, bemused by the wide range of havoc and upheaval that, despite her ordinary, unthreatening appearance, she was wreaking on my life.

It wasn't that I couldn't see what Mike was going on about. She was actually rather pretty in an unusual way. Better than being beautiful, her face was interesting.

Not quite symmetrical—her narrow chin out of balance with her wide cheekbones; extreme in the coloring—the light and dark contrast of her skin and her hair; and then there were the eyes, brimming over with silent secrets. You could tell she was Japanese by looking at her eyes but her other features where her fathers. Though I wonder where she gets her eyes from as I am sure her father does not have such a shade.

Mr. Banner approached our table. "So, Edward," he said, looking over our answers, "didn't you think Kagome should get a chance with the microscope?"

"Actually, she identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner's thoughts were skeptical as he turned to look at the girl. "Have you done this lab before?"

I watched, engrossed, as she smiled, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?" Mr. Banner probed.

"Yeah."

This surprised him. Today's lab was something he'd pulled from a more advanced course. He nodded thoughtfully at the girl. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Japan?"

"Yes."

She was advanced then, intelligent for a human. This did not surprise me.

"Well," Mr. Banner said, pursing his lips. "I guess its good you two are lab partners." He turned and walked away mumbling, "So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves," under his breath. I doubted the girl could hear that.

She began scrawling loops across her folder.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" I said, repeating the small talk that I'd heard a dozen students discuss already. A boring, standard topic of conversation. The weather—always safe.

She stared at me with obvious doubt in her eyes—an abnormal reaction to my very normal words. "Not really," she said, surprising me again.

I tried to steer the conversation back to trite paths. She was from a much brighter, warmer place—her skin seemed to reflect that somehow, despite its fairness—and the cold must make her uncomfortable. My icy touch certainly had. "You don't like the cold," I guessed.

""I don’t like the cold and wet."" she agreed.

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live."iPerhaps you should not have come here, /i I wanted to add.iPerhaps you should go back where you belong. /iI wasn't sure I wanted that, though. I would always remember the scent of her blood—was there any guarantee that I wouldn't eventually follow after her? Besides, if she left, her mind would forever remain a mystery. A constant, nagging puzzle.

“No not really, I don’t mind the rain. It is just snow I don’t like. Rain does not have to be freezing cold, but snow is both freezing cold and wet.” she said in a low voice, glowering past me for a moment. Her answers were never what I expected.

"Why did you come here, then? It snows here just as much as it does in Japan." I demanded, realizing instantly that my tone was too accusatory, not casual enough for the conversation. The question sounded rude, prying.

"It's complicated."

She blinked her wide eyes, leaving it at that, and I nearly imploded out of curiosity—the curiosity burned as hot as the thirst in my throat. Actually, I found that it was getting slightly easier to breathe; the agony was becoming more bearable through familiarity.

"I think I can keep up," I insisted. Perhaps common courtesy would keep her answering my questions as long as I was rude enough to ask them.

She stared down silently at her hands. This made me impatient; I wanted to put my hand under her chin and tilt her head up so that I could read her eyes. But it would be foolish of me—dangerous—to touch her skin again.

She looked up suddenly. It was a relief to be able to see the emotions in her eyes again. “It’s private and I don’t really want to talk about it with a stranger.” Her tone surprised I was not expecting her to react that way to my question. She sighs though a moment later and leans towards me as to tell me a secret. Reacting on instinct I lean towards her as well waiting for what she was to say. “Listen; have you ever had a secret that even though it is your secret too you can not tell it because it involves others? That should I blab it would not only affect me, but others I care for as well?” her tone had a tint of finality in it enough to tell me that was all she was going to say about it.

My questions had obviously made her angry or had offended her in some way. “I’m sorry for being so nosy. It’s just that I am curious about you.” I apologize and lean back in my seat to sit straight.

She nods her acceptance of my apology and only a few moments later she leans back towards me “Part of the reason why I came here to live with my father was because some really close friends died and I was having a hard time coping. I was surrounded by things that constantly reminded me of them and my mom thought it might be better for me if I moved here. It was too painful to be reminded of those I lost everyday while I mourned them.”

It was clear that who ever she lost she loved them dearly. “I’m sorry” I paused for a moment thinking about how to go on. “How has it been working out for you?”

“Things are better now. Maybe when I’m better I can go back and remember the good things instead of just the bad, but right now all I can remember are the bad.” She smiles but I could tell it was forced her eyes still seemed dulled.

"You put on a good show." I spoke slowly, still considering this next hypothesis. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

She made a face, her eyes narrowing and her mouth twisting into a lopsided pout, and she looked back towards the front of the class. She didn't like it when I guessed right. She wasn't the average martyr—she didn't want an audience to her pain. "Am I wrong?"

She flinched slightly, but otherwise pretended not to hear me.

That made me smile. "I didn't think so."

"Why does it matter to you?" she demanded, still staring away.

"That's a very good question," I admitted, more to myself than to answer her.

The girl sighed and glowered toward the front of the classroom. Something about her frustrated expression was humorous. The whole situation, the whole conversation was humorous. Here I was trying with an absurd amount of effort to keep a conversation between us flowing.

"Am I annoying you?" I asked, smiling at the absurdity of it all.

She glanced at me quickly, and then her eyes seemed to get trapped by my gaze. "Not exactly," she told me. "I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read— everyone tells me my face is like an open book." She frowned, disgruntled.

I stared at her in amazement. The reason she was upset was because she thought I saw through her too easily. How bizarre. I'd never expended so much effort to understand someone in all my life—or rather existence, as life was hardly the right word. I did not truly have a life. "On the contrary," I disagreed, feeling strangely¼wary, as if there were some hidden danger here that I was failing to see. I was suddenly on edge, the premonition making me anxious. "I find you very difficult to read."

"You must be a good reader then," she guessed, making her own assumption that was, again, right on target.

"Usually," I agreed. I smiled at her widely then, letting my lips pull back to expose the rows of gleaming, razor sharp teeth behind them. It was a stupid thing to do, but I was abruptly, unexpectedly desperate to get some kind of warning through to the girl. Her body was closer to me than before, having shifted unconsciously in the course of our conversation. All the little markers and signs that were sufficient to scare off the rest of humanity did not seem to be working on her. Why did she not cringe away from me in terror? Surely she had seen enough of my darker side to realize the danger, intuitive as she seemed to be.

I didn't get to see if my warning had the intended effect. Mr. Banner called for the class's attention just then, and she turned away from me at once. She seemed a little relieved for the interruption, so maybe she understood unconsciously. I hoped she did. I recognized the fascination growing inside me, even as I tried to root it out. I could not afford to find Kagome Higurashi interesting. Or rather, she could not afford that.

Already, I was anxious for another chance to talk to her. I wanted to know more about her mother, her life before she came here, her relationship with her father, how her friends died, how she meet them, and most of all what the secret was. All the meaningless details that would flesh out her character further. But every second I spent with her was a mistake, a risk she shouldn't have to take. While I know she is different from other humans she is still a human. Her heart beats and she has blood in her veins making me dangerous too her. Especially if whatever is keeping her scent hidden is taken off and her scent is freed. Jus the thought of the divine scent made my throat burn.

I went to my car again, to wait for school to end. To hide. Again. I should have spent the time making decisions or trying to bolster my resolve, but, like an addict, I found myself searching through the babble of thoughts emanating from the school buildings. The familiar voices stood out, but I wasn't interested in listening to Alice's visions or Rosalie's complaints right now. I found Jessica easily, but the girl was not with her, so I continued searching. Mike Newton's thoughts caught my attention, and I located her at last, in gym with him. He was unhappy, because I'd spoken to her today in biology. He was running over her response when he'd brought the subject up¼

iI've never seen him actually talk to anyone for more than a word here or there. Of course he would decide to find Kagome interesting. I don't like the way he looks at her. But she didn't seem too excited about him. Didn't sound like she cared. All she did was shrug to my comment. It couldn't have been much of a conversation¼ /i

He talked himself out of his pessimism in that way, cheered by the idea that Kagome had not been interested in her exchange with me. This annoyed me quite a bit more than was acceptable, so I stopped listening to him.

I put a CD of violent music into the stereo, and then turned it up until it drowned out other voices. I had to concentrate on the music very hard to keep myself from drifting back to Mike Newton's thoughts, to spy on the unsuspecting girl¼

I watched as she exited the gym and quickly get into her car. I watched as she had a near hit with a old Toyota and laughed as she reversed from her spot carefully as if she was a danger to any and all cars near her.

Kagome POV….

When I had finally got home and realized that my father was still at the station I decided to start dinner and do my homework while I was cooking. I knew my father was hopeless in the kitchen my memory told me as much. I had decided to make some stir-fry and rice today. It was quick and easy enough to cook it only took 20 minutes to finish and I sat at the kitchen table to finish my homework.

I completed y homework quickly and just as I was about to take it upstairs the phone rang.

“Hello?” I answer the phone turning to look towards the living room. Nothing could have prepared me for the reply I was about to receive.

“Miko” his voice was like a memory from the past crashing into me like a tidal wave. Heartbeat quickening as my mind remembered the voice on the other side. “Sesshomaru” I replied my voice breathy I was in shock.