Chapter 21: Caught Out There

Houjo sat in his room staring at the blank wall doing much of nothing, seeing as there was nothing he could really do other than watch the TV. And that had grown boring too. He didn't want to listen to the radio because then he'd wish to sing along with the songs and it hurt to do so.

He couldn't wait till Kagome got there though doing his work would be much of a task for him seeing as his right hand had been broken and that was his writing hand. It would take him hours to write with his left, but he had all the time in the world it seemed.

Then there was a gentle knock on his bedroom door. He'd have wheeled over to the door but with one arm it would take him days to reach it, "Come in," he yelled instead.

There stood Kagome with her huge yellow bookbag. "Hi, Houjo, sorry it took me a while. But I decided to come straight to your house so we could do our homework together. And perhaps I could be of some help to you."

"Thanks a lot."

"No, don't speak," she said noticing his obvious discomfort. But then she noticed it was hard for him to write too. Houjo was just falling all apart. "It was real sweet of you to forgive Inuyasha after everything he'd done to you. I'd have hated him forever if he'd done it to me." She smiled, "But you're different from me." She flipped open their Algebra books. "Let's start with math first, huh?"

"When is Kagome getting home?" Inuyasha asked Miroku dully.

"You know she went to Houjo's house."

"Yeah yeah," he said remembering. It wasn't fair, she was just assuming too. It was boring and he'd already told Shippo what happened and Shippo spilled it all out to Mrs. Higurashi who only nodded, not paying much attention.

Inuyasha was still wondering how to figure out who'd been the cause of Houjo's injuries. He wished he'd paid more attention to Detective Conan when he'd come on TV. It was a show that Kagome had liked to watch a lot and made him watch with her. If he'd paid attention, then maybe he'd be as smart as him when it came to figuring out mysteries.

Miroku chose that time to walk inside Kagome's room and join him on the floor. "So you're positive you didn't do anything to severely injure him."

Inuyasha sighed. How many times had they gone over that that day? "Yeah."

"Tell me the story again."

"All right. Houjo was in the locker room, I snuck up on him and then I hit him in the eye and then punched his mouth. Then he fell out unconscious. And then I left. End of story!"

"Are you sure you didn't notice you broke his legs and arm?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I think I would know whether or not I'd done something like that. What am I stupid?"

"Getting annoyed won't help the problem, Inuyasha. I'm trying to help you out and prove your innocence." That calmed Inuyasha down some. "So that's all you did."

"Yes. I swear to Buddha! How's that?"

Miroku only rubbed his chin. "Then how? Maybe we should pay Mr. Houjo a little visit tomorrow during school since I'm sure he won't be going anywhere…"

"Do you have to go so soon?" Houjo asked as Kagome started to gather her books.

"Unfortunately, yeah, I have to help Mom with dinner and she'd probably be worried if I stayed out to long."

He looked disappointed. "Well, you could stay here for dinner. You could call your mom and everything. And you said that Miroku and Sango and Inuyasha were staying there. I'd say that's more than enough help for dinner."

She shrugged. "I guess you're right. I'll call and see what she says." She disappeared down his hallway.

Houjo smiled then pulled his lips into their regular position. The ice hadn't been helping much. They still felt sore, but he had to get used to the pain. He didn't want Kagome to hate too much his face while they were out having dinner. Soon he was starting to think maybe doing that had been a big mistake. What if Kagome was really grossed out? Maybe she wouldn't be able to stand looking at him while she ate? What if she looked at him, then at her food and threw up. He couldn't spare the humiliation. Even if it was just them and his family. He'd know and he'd feel bad.

Kagome walked back in, "My mom said it's okay."

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but I'm not feeling so good anymore. I'd just like to rest for a while. I'm sorry but perhaps you can come another night for dinner."

She nodded. "That's all right. I understand. Do you want me to help you, you know into bed? Or do you have nurses for that?"

"Thank you for offering, yes, that would be fine."

It sent electricity down Houjo for Kagome to be touching him, to be helping him into bed. If only she would lay down next to him. That would really make his day though he knew she wouldn't.

In no time at all, he was comfortably positioned in his bed. "Thanks a lot. Same time tomorrow?"

"Sure." She slung her bookbag across her back. "See you tomorrow, Houjo, I hope you'll be feeling better by then."

Inuyasha was waiting outside the door of the house as Kagome entered. She walked right past him into the house as if she didn't even see him.

"Kagome! You're not being fair!"

Again she ignored him as she slipped off her shoes and put on her bedroom slippers. "Hi, Mom, I'm home early!"

"Have fun at Houjo's?"

"Yeah, but he has all sorts of problems, he can barely…" her voice trailed down the hall into the kitchen.

Dinner had been quiet. At least for Inuyasha, Kagome hadn't said a word to him. And ignored him anytime he'd ask a simple question such as 'Pass the rice' or something. At times she would even pretend she didn't see him.

Kagome's mom didn't know what to think so she said nothing. Then Souta opened his mouth, "What's wrong with you two? Why aren't you talking?"

It seemed another question Kagome was going to ignore, so Inuyasha spoke up, "Kagome thinks I hurt that punk ass bitch Houjo and I didn't."

That got Kagome talking, "Inuyasha, don't curse at the table for Souta and Shippo to hear!" She looked towards her mother and Grandfather who said nothing, keeping up with the saying 'hear no evil, see no evil'

"It's the truth."

"Whatever, Inuyasha, I'm tired of talking about it."

"Then let it go."

Kagome from the floor, "Please, Mom, I'd like to be excused." Her mother still didn't answer so Kagome did it anyway.

Inuyasha slurped on his soup and eyed her as she walked out. Something had to be done about this.

"Houjo, you have some more visitors!"

Oh goody, he thought clapping his hands together. He'd already had a few since Kagome left. Most offering their sympathy and sending cards and flowers of 'Get Well, Soon' Now who would be the next to arrive.

"Send them in," he called back. He wasn't expecting Inuyasha and Miroku to come in. "I-Inuyasha,'" he stuttered, "Haven't you done enough?"

"No, not merely as much as you say." He looked Houjo in the eye as he closed the door behind himself. "Tell the truth, Houjo, how did all that happen to you? You and I both know I didn't do it."

Houjo narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? I wouldn't know. I blackened out after that. When I awoke, I couldn't move. Not a thing except my arm. Then when I was shown my reflection in the mirror I could have just died. How do you think it feels to see an unattractive loser in the mirror? Well, it doesn't feel good!"

"Then why'd you do it?" Inuyasha spoke quietly. "You can give up the act. I know you did it to yourself."

Houjo sucked his teeth. "You have no proof. Merely your word against mine and who is going to believe you?"

"So you admit it!"

"I admit to nothing except being the victim of a horrendous fight." Houjo then looked away to the mirror, a grimace on his face as he did so. "She won't believe you. No one does. You look pretty capable of it I must say."

Inuyasha knew Houjo was right. Everyone, even in his short period of time there, knew that Inuyasha didn't exactly favor Houjo and how strong he was. "That may be right, Houjo, but I'll find out some way to prove you're guilty." He prepared to walk out then turned around to Houjo before he walked out the door, "But you better stay away from Kagome before I hurt you worse than you hurt yourself. Go to sleep tonight, Houjo, but if you don't do as you're told, this morning might be the last time you ever wake up."

Houjo pointed a finger. "That's a threat."

"Tell all you want. I can't get in any more trouble than I already am."

Houjo shook his head. "Get out before I call Security!"

"We're leaving. C'mon, Miroku."

Miroku nodding and reluctantly put down the Idol magazine Houjo had stashed in his bookcase. "Good reading, Houjo." Then he laughed.

Inuyasha had been trying all that week and he didn't find out anything until that Friday when they were all to go to P.E. for something. They had to dress out in their uniforms and he got it when he overheard someone's conversation, "I really do hate those video cameras in here! I bet those old security ladies are getting a kick out of this." Then the same ignorant boy pulled down his pants and mooned the camera.

Video camera, Inuyasha thought. I remember Kagome had one of those before. And it takes pictures. But it wasn't called video camera, just camera… So what does 'video' mean?

PE had been less than exciting, they were just going to be entering and watching basketball. The students against the faculty. Inuyasha hadn't participated in anything and Miroku's eyes were glued to all the girls wearing the tight and short shorts in the basketball teams.

Then it hit Inuyasha. He got up and walked over to Kagome who was surrounded by her usual clique: Ai, Hikaru, and Megumi. "Hey, Kagome."

She immediately turned around and tried to ignore him.

"Just answer me this one question, any one of you. What's a video camera?"

"One of those?" Hikaru wrinkled her nose. How did he not know what that was? "It's a camera that's like a video." She was a bad explainer. "Well, you know how you watch TV, it's like that! You can play videos on a tape in a VCR player. Do you understand?"

"Uh… So how do they work?" He hoped maybe that would help him to get it.

"Well, you set it for a specific time and it records whatever's on the TV."

"Can it record people too? Like right now?"

"Yeah. There are some in the corners or the gym and it's recording everything we do now."

That was it. "Does the school keep the tapes?"

"Supposed to. The police are supposed to be watching it in case there's a fight or a food fight or something."

"Thanks a lot!" Inuyasha ran off. He'd make them watch the tape and that would prove his innocence. But first he had to find out where it was kept. "C'mon, Miroku."

"But but…" he complained as Inuyasha dragged him out. "Didn't you see those ripe behinds? Just right for picking. Plump and everything."

"Miroku, I really don't care right now." As if he ever cared. "We got to find the security room."

And they did, it took them forever and then they'd had to wait until the officers left it abandoned. They slid in unnoticed and locked the door behind themselves. They went through about fifty million tapes and what seemed to be hours before they learned how to work the security equipment. They'd made thousands of mistakes before it was finally working and then the tape came on.

Houjo had just finished tying up his shoes and then he was walking to the mirror, Inuyasha walked up behind him and punched his eye. A satisfied smirk came on his face and then he punched his mouth. Then Inuyasha had disappeared out of the view of the camera. Five minutes passed by and Houjo was still on the floor, unconscious. Then he woke up finally, just as Inuyasha and Miroku had been preparing to turn off the tape. He looked at himself in the mirror and gasped. He started scratching and picking away at his skin leaving ugly bruises. Then he climbed on the top of the lockers, looked down and fell.

You could hear the sickening noise of bones cracking. His right arm had been saved however since it didn't hit the ground quite as hard. He'd had it pressed against his side. As if that weren't enough, Houjo crawled in what seemed definite pain, banged his head on the hard sink and then passed out again with a slight pleased look on his face.

Something was definitely wrong with him, Inuyasha thought. Why would you do something like that to yourself?

Miroku, as if reading his mind nodded, "Perhaps he figured that if he had some slight cuts then he was basically already ruined."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't think so. I think he just did it to gain Kagome's pity by having her believe I did it. But that's just going too far. I almost feel pity for him."

Then they could hear footsteps outside of the door and a key turning the lock. Miroku quickly pressed stop on the VCR just as Tatsuya had come in screaming when he saw Houjo. Then he ejected the tape and handed it to Inuyasha so he could hide it quickly.

"What are you students doing in here?! Get out!" the police officer shouted at them.

"Sorry!" Then they rushed out breathing hard.

After they'd left from there and stopped so Miroku could catch his breath he turned to Inuyasha. "So now what do you have in mind?"

Houjo was sleeping peacefully on his bed when he'd heard the doorknob turn. He shot up quickly. "Who is it?" There was no response and he saw who it was the moment the door opened. "What do you want?!"

"We want for you to give it up, Houjo. We know everything now. From your jumping off the lockers to your hitting your head against the sink," Inuyasha said with a smug look on his face. "Are you that crazy?"

No, Houjo thought. I'm not crazy, I did the same thing anyone else would have done. "You're wrong. You-you have no proof."

Miroku smiled and pulled up a video tape. "The locker room has video cameras you forget. Shall we put it in to refresh your memory?"

Houjo shook his head frantically. He didn't want to be reminded of it again. He couldn't believe he had done it himself. It was like he'd loss momentary sanity. He liked to stick with the lie he'd told everyone else, that Inuyasha had done it.

Besides, Houjo had just done it so Kagome would understand. Understand his pain and love for him. And maybe she could find time to spend with him rather than Inuyasha. Houjo wanted to know how it felt to be loved by a woman such as herself. "No, please don't," he finally managed to choke out.

"You're a sick bastard, Houjo. You'd do all of that to yourself just to make me look guilty. Something's really wrong with you. You need help," Inuyasha said as he stared at the tape.

"You're the one who inspired me to do it," Houjo said quickly. "If you had never come in there attacking me, I'd be fine today."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Believe whatever you want, Houjo, but I know the truth and that's all that matters. Your family should have you sent away."

"You're wrong, I'm not crazy," Houjo repeated using his one arm to pull himself into an embrace. "I'm not crazy!!"

They left him that way and went home to show Kagome. 

Inuyasha had shown the tape to the whole school the next day. He was suspended for next week and Houjo was being taken to a mental institution where they could further help him. The story had gotten so serious, a local newspaper had decided to do a story on it.

"I still can't believe Houjo was so unstable. He seemed fine," Ai said shaking her head as she read the story again in the newspaper.

Kagome couldn't believe it herself, she didn't and couldn't even imagine of how he could have gone so far off the edge. Still, she kept Houjo in her prayers and wished for his recovery.

Inuyasha only felt slightly sorry for him, but not much. If he hadn't interfered, perhaps Houjo wouldn't be there. But it was his own fault he saw it.

End of story.

Hope you liked that! I haven't written the next chapter for this. But I already have some ideas swarming in my head. Gotta hurry before August 9 and I'm in school. Then there might be as less updates as last time. But we'll see, ne? Megu-chan