One Valentine by Oroyukae

One Valentine

AUTHOR'S NOTE: T his is a liitle something I wrote for Valentines Day. It is not my usual lemony work, written so everyone can enjoy. There will be a few more as we near the upcoming holiday, so watch for them! Ciao!

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The sound of laughter filled the room and the boy fought against the urge to just walk out. They were laughing at him, you see; laughing at him for asking a simple question, one that he had felt was a good one. They seemed to believe different. It made the boy wish that he had never even opened his mouth at all; that he had just remained as silent as he had since the first day that he walked into that school.

He wasn't from there, having just moved from overseas, and had no clue as to what this supposed 'holiday' even was. Being only six years old and from a different country he was not familiar with the traditions and customs of this new place dad had forced him to move to. How was he supposed to know? As the laughter died down to little sniggers here and there, the boy found himself once again thinking of ways to convince his father to go back home.

In the two weeks that he had been there, not just today, the others found ways to make him feel worse than he already did. How he wished that his dad had not decided to move here. Here he had to listen to them call him names, make fun of his hair and eyes because they thought they were weird. Everyone in his family had the same as he did, but no one made fun of them...only him. Of course his dad was big...almost a giant and his brother was still little but that did not matter. The point was that these people were mean and cruel and he really did not like them at all.

Dad had forced him to come, telling him that he had no say in the matter; which made him feel a bit insignificant  to tell the truth...like he did not matter at all. He had liked his home, his real home, and father had no right in making him leave it to come to this place. Every day since he had been told they were moving, the boy had tried to change his dad's mind. Then, once they had moved, he continually tried to convince the man to go back to their home. That only caused his father to tell him that they were home; that it would take time to get used to it but he would soon come to like being there. Not going to happen. He hated it and nothing would ever change that. Back home he had friends, here he had no one.

To make it worse on him, they told his dad that it did not matter that he was smarter than the other children were; he still had to be there in that class. While the others struggled to learn to read and write, he had both almost mastered...in both their language and that of his own. Father refused to listen to his concerns about the treatment he received while at school, telling him that all children did those sort of things and that he just needed to be patient until they came around. Whatever that meant. Dad said that all he needed was to make but one friend and then things would get better for him, but no one even tried to make friends with him and he was too angry and resentful to try himself. Why would he want to try to make friends with kids who called him names like 'stupid head' and 'weirdo'? Then there was the couple of kids, boys, who tried to bully him too. They were the worst ones. Knocking his things out of his hands, running into him a little too hard on purpose, and threatening to beat him down while calling him even uglier names when he refused to do anything about it. He wasn't scared of them, even though they thought he was, he just did not believe in fighting without a good reason. Now, if they ever did hit him, then he would definitely hit them back, no question about it.

Keeping his eyes on his desk, Sesshoumaru refrained from doing what his mind told him to do. It would only be worse for him if he left the room and he knew it. If he did, he would leave the school; he just knew that he would. Then, he would be lost because he had no idea how to get home from here. Dad always dropped him off in the car...

The boy only half-listened as the teacher began talking, for he could hear the two children sitting next to him whispering about how strange he was. One little girl mentioned how his hair was the same color as her pet dog's fur and his hands clenched to hear their quiet sniggers return. They always made fun of him.

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He sat at his usual spot, waiting for the time to come for his dad to pick him up and take him to that place he refused to call home. Everyone else was up having fun, eating treats and talking, while he just sat there staring at the table. Once, a boy named Jonnie ran into his chair, causing him to almost fall out and Sesshoumaru felt like it had been on purpose. From the grin on Jonnie's face, Sesshoumaru had to say that it had definitely been on purpose. Jerk.

Once again, he glanced at the clock to see if it was time to go home but the big hand had not yet reached the six...it was almost there though. Enough to prompt the child into rising from his seat for the first time since class began and make his way over to the cubby area where his things lay waiting for him.

Quickly, he gathered his things from his cubby determined to be the first one in line. In his haste, the boy accidentally knocked his gym shoes onto the floor and bent down to retrieve them. That was when he saw it. Laying there upon the tiled floor beside his trainers lay a small white envelope with his name on it. He picked it up with his right hand while his left retrieved his shoes and the boy slowly stood upright. Once his shoes were in their proper place, Sesshoumaru turned back toward his seat – forgetting all about gathering his belongings.

The other children played on while he sat at his table studying the name as if he was somehow reading it wrong, even though the name was clearly written in two languages. Finally deciding that he had not misread the thing, Sesshoumaru carefully opened it and pulled the contents out. His young eyes widened as the image of a little scruffy puppy wearing a top hat greeted his eyes, the little markings at the little white tail telling him that it was wagging. Big glittery letters read 'You're Tops Valentine!' from the way he gathered, and a chuckle almost escaped him. He wondered just who could have given the card to him, thinking that maybe the teacher had noticed that he was not very well-liked and felt sorry for him.

As soon as he turned it over to read the back, he realized that it was not from Mrs Turner, but a girl named Kagome Higurashi instead. Now since he usually ignored the other kids in his class, Sesshoumaru had no idea just who this Kagome was. For probably the first time since he walked in the classroom door, the boy lifted his head to take a good look around him to try to locate this Kagome person.  

As he expected, not a single person was paying any attention to him which made it hard to try to pick out just who this girl was. As far as he knew, no new students had been introduced...but he rarely paid any attention so he could have just missed it. Everyone that he looked at did not appear to be the one he was searching for; they were lucky to be able to spell their own names, let alone his...is two languages.

Then the boy named Jonnie, the one that tormented him the most, moved and Sesshoumaru saw her. At least, he thought it was her; she was Japanese after all... and she was looking at him as well. She was sitting there smiling over at him from her seat four places from his and the boy thought that maybe the little black haired girl had only been smiling about something Jonnie did or said. But, as he continued to to stare at her, the girl kept the smile on her face and then she...waved at him. Waved.

He didn't return the gesture, but it wasn't because he didn't want to; it was because his hand would not move. She probably thought he was as strange and stupid as the other kids did because of how he just sat there looking at her, but he could not help it. There was something about her smile that mesmerized him; it was so kind and so warm and it seemed like she was doing it because she actually wanted to. That amazed him to no end.

For some weird reason, when this Kagome person laughed, he did not feel the usual anger and resentment that he always experienced when the others did it. Instead a slow heat rose to his cheeks that was nothing like how it usually felt when the other kids taunted and teased him. This was very different. Even when Kagome finally stopped looking at him so that she could gather her cards and treats, Sesshoumaru continued to stare.  The moment that he had been waiting for arrived then, school was over, but Sesshoumaru did not jump right up from his seat like he always did. Instead he just sat there watching as the girl got up, he bright yellow tote bag in her hand and walked to the swiftly forming line at the door.

Only when the teacher called out to tell him to get in line  did Sesshoumaru find it in him to get out of his seat. That tiny little card remained in his hand as he walked with his class to the designated area where he was to wait for his dad to pick him up. As he waited, the boy overheard that Kagome girl and another kid talking about why Kagome had been absent from school for so long and Sesshoumaru realized that was why he had not noticed her before. According to Kagome she and her family had gone back to Japan and had only just returned but a few days ago, on the day that he had been out due to a stomach ache. Okay, so that explained how he never knew that there was a Higurashi in his class. When he climbed into the car, he slid his hand inside his jacket pocket so that his father would not see the first valentine he had ever received.

Once he got home, the boy raced to his room where he threw open his closet and rummaged around for a good three minutes. Sesshoumaru located what he was looking for and walked over to sit upon his bed, the little box held tightly in his hand. Again, he looked at the card – feeling his little heart warm more and more with every second that went by. Finally, he opened the lid and set the card inside. Suddenly, he was kind of looking forward to going to school tomorrow.

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“Go away, Jonnie,” the black-haired little girl muttered, annoyed at her classmate's attempts to spoil her game.

“Make me.” When Kagome turned away, intent on ignoring the little jerk, Jonnie became angry.

Sesshoumaru watched as the boy took the little ball away from Kagome making it impossible for her to continue with her game. He just knew that Jonnie would not like the girl standing up to him, demanding that he give her the ball back, and in no time Sesshoumaru ventured over.

The instant that Jonnie shoved the girl and knocked her down, Sesshoumaru got angry too. He got very angry to be truthful about it. Before anyone knew what had happened, Jonnie was lying on the ground sporting a bloody nose with Sesshoumaru standing over him. Needless to say, no one listened when he tried to tell them that he did not start the fight and Sesshoumaru found himself sitting in the principal's office waiting for his dad to get there.

He had to sit there in that chair and remain silent while dad and the principal talked, listening to the man tell the story that was nowhere near the truth. Nothing was said about how Jonnie pushed Kagome down and made her cry and that that had been the only reason he had done what he did. The only thing that was said was how he had bullied that jerk and made his nose bleed. Father was not happy at all and agreed when the principal said that the two of them should coordinate punishments so that Sesshoumaru would understand that violence was not an answer to anything. Even though he really did not know just what coordinate meant, Sesshoumaru was sure that he would be in trouble at home too. The look on father's face told him that much.

Both father and son turned to see the little dark-haired girl running down the hallway, telling them to stop. Even though he wanted nothing more than to just leave, Sesshoumaru remained at his dad's side as they did exactly what Kagome asked for them to. Her dark dark hair flew into her face when she came to a sudden stop right in front of them and her tiny hand reached up to move it so she could see.

“Please, don't be mad at him, sir,” Kagome panted, aware that the teacher would be coming to make her return to her class. “He didn't start it, Jonnie did. He's a mean boy who likes to pick on people.”

“There is no excuse for Sesshoumaru to have...”

“But...he was defending me,” the little girl protested. Her wide blue eyes pleaded with the big man towering over her to understand that Sesshoumaru had hit Jonnie for a good reason.

Father stared down at the young girl, his left eyebrow arched up like it always did whenever dad wanted more details about something. “Defending you, dear?”

She nodded her head, those long unruly bluish black waves swishing with the movement, “Uh-huh. Jonnie took my ball and wouldn't give it back. He pushed me down and made me cry...”

“Is this true, Sesshoumaru?” he asked his son, but the boy refused to answer. It made the boy uncomfortable to be standing in that hallway discussing the incident that would see him punished no matter what.

It really did not matter if he told his dad that what Kagome said was indeed true. He would still have his recesses at school taken away for two weeks and, most likely, his television at home as well. Why then should he say anything at all?

“Tell him Sesshoumaru. Tell him how you defended me...” Kagome practically begged him, her eyes looking as though they were about to tear up if he did not open his mouth and tell what really happened during recess.

For some reason, the boy found that he could not refuse Kagome's request for him to say something. His mouth opened and he said the first thing that came to him, “She was crying...”

With those three words, his father's eyes widened with shock,“So, that boy did shove her down?”  Just why it was so hard for dad to believe when father was aware that he always told the truth, no matter if the truth would get him into trouble or not. Instantly, his dad's reaction was explained when another question sounded from the man's mouth, “Why didn't you say anything to the principal when he asked you what happened?”

“He didn't ask him, no one did. They were mad that he made Jonnie's nose bleed,” Kagome answered for her protector as if she thought that he would once again refuse to say a word.

“When I tried to tell them, I was told to be quiet and wait for you,” he replied, trying hard not to look at the girl. It was hard to do for some reason, but he managed it. At least, until Kagome cleared her throat to get his attention that was.

Kagome smiled the second that he finally gave in and turned his eyes toward her. Her small foot kicked nervously at the gleaming floor beneath it once or twice before she said a single word. “Thank you for what you did. Do you want to play with me at recess tomorrow?”

“Why?” He had a reason for asking her that and it was a very good one too. Maybe the girl just wanted to hang around him so that no one would pick on her anymore.

After what he did today, there was a very good chance that no one would be trying to mess with him again because he would probably just hit them too. While it would keep the others from picking on him, it would also destroy any chances of him finding even one kid who would want to be his friend like his dad keeps telling him to do.

Her face turned pink then, and a small nervous laugh sounded before she answered the boy. “Because I want to be your friend. Can I be your friend, Sesshoumaru?”

Friend? She wanted to be his...friend. “I-I...they said I can't have recess...” he muttered, his eyes trained on the window rather than the girl. “Maybe.”

“But...what about being friends?” she asked, sounding as though she was getting upset. Then, Kagome said something that confused the boy even more than her wanting to be his friend did. “Just cause I am a girl doesn't mean that we can't be friends you know.”

He looked at her once more, wondering just where she got the idea that he didn't want to be her friend just because she was not a boy. “I didn't say that...”

His classmate did not even let him finish what he was going to say, apparently having heard all that she had wanted to hear. Suddenly, she threw her hands up into the air and announced firmly, “Okay, then we're friends.”

With the biggest smile that he had ever seen in his life, Kagome told him and his dad goodbye. She waved to them as she scurried off down the hall toward the classroom to retrieve her things since school was about to be let out. Nothing was said for a few minutes as he watched the girl and thinking just how strange she was.  

“Am I still going to be punished?” he asked his father, eyes at the far end of the hall where Kagome had disappeared. His dad took a deep breath, telling the child that he was most likely not going to enjoy hearing the answer to his question.

“Yes.” Father sounded a bit sad to have to say that to him, which eased his resentment over being punished for helping the girl when she needed him. As always, dad offered an explanation for what he said, and the boy listened to every word, “You still hit that boy, son. Although your intentions were good, there was no need for violence. You should have run for a teacher instead.”

He nodded his head, strangely okay with accepting whatever punishment his father decided on. In his mind, he had done the right thing, for that horrible little Jonnie was always picking on others...especially him. Although he hated it, he tolerated the things that Jonnie did to him because he knew that fighting was not acceptable unless there was a very good reason to do it. However, to him, defending someone who could not defend themselves was a very, very good reason...especially when that someone was a female. Guys were not supposed to hit girls. Didn't Jonnie know it was not nice to shove down girls and make them cry? Father had told him that many times and Sesshoumaru wondered if maybe Jonnie didn't have a dad to teach it to him. It still didn't excuse what the jerk did, but it would explain it a little.

“No dessert tonight, Sesshoumaru and you must go to bed at eight rather than eight thirty for the remainder of the week.”

“Yes, father.” At that, Sesshoumaru slung his little pack over his shoulder to begin the walk to the family car. He was kind of happy with his dad's decision on a punishment; mainly because it did not include taking his television away. Oh, and he could still go outside to play if he wanted to.

“Your new friend seems quite nice,” his dad replied as the two of them climbed inside the car.

Friend. That one word brought a small smile to his face and a warmth to his little heart. Yes, Kagome was now his friend and she was a friend that he intended to keep for a very long time too.

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