Anata mo Watashi mo Pocky
(You and Me and Pocky)
BeautifulTwisted
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Inuyasha…if you didn’t understand, I’m a FAN writing a FANfic.
Important Note: This story is taking place in Japan, however I am not that familiar with Japanese culture and society so a lot of things will probably seem American. Also, I don’t know much about the police system and how they handle children that have been found, so it might seem highly improbable that they let Rin stay with Kagome, but for the story’s sake, please just go along with it. Oh, and one more thing. Characters are probably going to seem OOC. Probably.
21:43 (9:43 p.m.)
Kagome Higurashi sighed as that annoying commercial popped up on the TV screen once again, the stupid one where people were eating pocky, taking a bite but over exaggerating the swing of their arm. Okay, perhaps it wasn't that stupid of an add because it certainly made her want to go out and buy pocky. Dammit, those stupid pocky commercials. Dammit, dammit, dammit. With a final frustrated huff, Kagome stood up from her comfortable place on the couch and threw the thin TV remote at the sleek, flat screen sitting on a rectangular cherry wood table. Of course, as always, she missed and the remote slammed into the wall instead.
Crap.
Following the loud thump of the plastic device hitting the wall was the yelling of the old cranky woman who lived in the apartment just to the left of Kagome's own small, one person apartment.
"Sorry Itou-san!" Kagome yelled to the elderly woman and then muttered to herself "It was all that stupid pocky commercial's fault." Itou-san, or as Kagome referred to her as 'bird lady' because of her eternally raised and squawking voice, was the kind of strange woman who was there opening her door to give you a disapproving glare when you accidentally let your own apartment door slam. She was that woman who creepily looked out her window, peeking from behind heavy curtains at you when you went outside or returned from shopping at the grocery store. Yes, she was THAT neighbor.
"Stupid pocky," Kagome continued to mumble to herself as she grabbed her wallet from the counter and slipped it into the pocket of her blue and white stripped pajama shorts. She slipped on her Pikachu slippers and took a hair tie and her car keys from what she referred to as her 'miscellaneous items bowl', a small ceramic bowl that always sat on her kitchen counter, and then continued to stomp out of her apartment to go to buy pocky...again.
Starting her car, she messily put her hair into a high ponytail before setting of to go quell her addiction. Stupid pocky.
Driving madly around like a blind person, Kagome reached her destination, the bright blue sign lit up in the dark, white English letters spelling out LAWSON. This was the same store she always went to when she was having pocky cravings.
Turning off her car and pulling the keys out, she hopped out of the metal contraption and let the door shut before walking grumpily into the store, catching the look the cashier was sending her way. With a roll of her eyes, she shuffled her Pikachu clad feet over to the aisle she knew her precious pocky would be. With her usual defeated sigh, Kagome scanned the shelves, choosing a few different boxes of various flavors of the chocolate and strawberry coated treat before going back to the check out counter to pay for everything.
At the counter, the cashier was a teenage boy who scanned her purchases and collected the rumpled bills she handed to him. As she turned to leave, she stopped as he called back to her, “Excuse me, Miss, but is that your kid?” The teenager motioned towards a small little black haired girl who was looking around the store in wonder.
Kagome’s face twisted in confusion as the boy continued to speak. “It’s just that, well, I thought she walked in with you and there’s no one else here. Since we have to close soon, it would be best if you didn’t forget her here. I mean, I don’t want to bother you. But, if she’s yours, which I believe she is, then you wouldn’t want to, uh, leave her here.” ‘Wow, what an awkward kid,’ Kagome thought as she glanced back to the talking teen.
Kagome looked to the little girl once more. She was probably six or seven. ‘Why do I always get stuck with things like this? She probably ran away or something!’ Of course, looking at the adorable small girl Kagome knew what she had to do. Besides, if no one claimed her, then the girl would probably end up in the police station alone for the night while they tried to find her parents. Right?
“Yeah, sorry, I’ll get her. Thanks, though,” Kagome said as she slowly made her way over to the child looking at the shelves full of instant ramen, a rather amazed look on her innocent face.
Crouching down so she was around the same height as the girl, Kagome gently brushed her petit shoulder with her own slender fingers. The startled girl jolted slightly before relaxing upon Kagome’s appearance. Pajama’s and Pikachu slippers weren’t exactly that threatening.
“It’s, uh, time for the store to close,” Kagome stated somewhat awkwardly, not sure if she should be gentle. “We should probably leave now so they can lock up.”
The girl’s eyebrows knitted together before she nodded and grabbed Kagome’s hand. Standing up, Kagome let the child lead her out of the store, not bothering to glance back at the cashier.
‘Strange kid.’ The girl continued to hold onto her right hand as Kagome slowly made her way to her car.
“Are your parents around?” She asked. She wasn’t really the best with kids, but they always seemed to cling on to her. It was the ‘Because-I-don’t-like-you-you’ll-feel-the-need-to-cling-on-to-me’ law.
“No. Daddy is at work and Kaede brought me shopping with her, but I got lost,” the brown eyed child said innocently as Kagome sighed. She would have to bring the kid to the police station and tell them she found her.
“Okay, well, I’ll take you to some very friendly people who will help find your father,” Kagome told the girl, unlocking the car and opening the backseat door for her.
“Daddy says not to go with strangers,” was the reply as Kagome scratched at her neck as she always did when she was frustrated, nervous, or just didn’t know what to do. At the moment, she was a combination of all three.
“Okay then…well, my name’s Higurashi Kagome. It’s good to meet you,” she tried to sound somewhat friendly, but at the moment all she wanted to do was go back to her apartment and eat some pocky.
“I’m Tashio Rin!” The small girl chirped with a smile.
“There, now we’re not strangers anymore. Besides, if I was going to hurt you, I think I would have already done so,” Kagome told Rin. “I mean, if you want I can walk with you if you know where you came from. Maybe someone’s still there,” the older woman offered.
“No, I don’t think Kaede-san is still there and I don’t really know where we were,” Rin said, a guilty look coming onto her innocent face.
“Okay,” kagome sighed. One trip for pocky and now she was stuck with a kid. Isn’t life wonderful? “Well, hop into the car and I promise we’ll find your dad. Okay?”
“You say okay a lot, Higurashi-san, but okay.”
This was going to be one hell of a long night.