Author's note: Guess who's back, back again, Kag-chan's back, tell a friend. Sorry I was just listening to that song (it got stuck in my head). Damn eminem lmao.

Disclaimer: Actually, I do own Inu Yasha! Ya I just bought it last week. (part of you is believing me isn't it?) lmao j/k j/k I don't own it Rumiko does though, rocks to be her.

Only Hope

Chapter 1: The Last Good-bye

"Why do you have to go to this dumb summer camp anyway Inu-chan?" said a 13 year old raven haired girl.

"Ask my parents" the silver haired 14 year old boy standing by her replied "They think it's better for me to go so I can meet new friends and not get bored."

"You should just stay here with me this summer" the little girl said, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I wish I could Kag-Chan" the young boy responded "But it's only for a month, it'll be over before you know it, then things can go back to normal."

"Promise not to make another best friend while you're gone?" Kagome said smiling.

"Promise" Inu Yasha answered holding out his pinky "through thick and thin…"

"…together, we'll win" Kagome said, finishing their special oath of eternal friendship and linking pinkies with Inu Yasha.

Kagome and Inu Yasha had made that special oath of friendship when they were only 7 years old. But they had been best friends even longer. They now sat together on the curb, waiting anxiously for the bus that would take Inu Yasha away to summer camp, secretly dreading its arrival. But, to their horror, it came. The doors opened to let Inu Yasha board. Inu Yasha and Kagome stood and looked at each other.

"I know it's only for a month" Kagome said "but that seems like forever to be separated from your best friend."

"I'll miss you Kag-chan" Inu Yasha said, pulling her into a hug.

"I'll miss you more Inu-chan" Kagome said, hugging him back.

"Come on kid" yelled the bus driver "you planning to get on anytime soon or are you gonna stay there with your girlfriend all summer."

Inu Yasha and Kagome blushed as they let go of each other "sorry" Inu Yasha apologized as he got on the bus.

The bus started to pull away from the curb and go down the street. Kagome ran after it shouting "Good-bye Inu-chan! Have fun! I'll miss you!" and hoping Inu Yasha could hear it through the open windows of the bus.

Just as she stopped running, she saw Inu Yasha stick his head out the window and cry "good bye!"

Kagome, now 16 sat up in her bed. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was midnight. But she couldn't sleep, not that night, not any night since "it" happened. She remembered the whole event as though it had happened yesterday and not 3 years ago. But she wished she didn't have to remember. She sure as hell didn't want to. But tonight, like every other night, she had no choice.

Kagome ran down the street to Inu Yasha's house happily. After a month of crying, grief and agonizing patience, her friend was finally returning home to her. Sure enough, she came to the front of Inu Yasha's house just as the bus pulled up to the curb. Her eyes lit up with joy as she watched Inu Yasha step off the bus. He was talking to a couple of other boys. One had long black hair tied back in a high ponytail. He was wearing clothes from one of Inu Yasha's favourite stores, Adidas. The other had shorter hair tied back in a short, low ponytail. He was wearing clothes from more recognizable stores like the Gap and Old Navy. Kagome immediately recognized both of them, they were from her and Inu Yasha's elementary school, the one with the high ponytail was the popular jock, Koga and the other was Miroku, the hentai cutie that the girls all swooned over. Kagome ran down to them "Inu-Chan!" She called out as she threw her arms around his neck "I missed you!"

Inu Yasha looked startled by her actions "Kagome?" he asked "what are you doing?"

Kagome pulled away "did you just call me Kagome?" she said puzzled at his strange behaviour "what happened to Kag-Chan?"

"Nicknames are so stupid" Inu Yasha said as he looked away, a scowl on his face.

"O-oh" Kagome said sadly, wondering why Inu Yasha was giving her the cold shoulder.

"Come on guys let's go" Inu Yasha said, walking up the driveway of his house.

"Where are you guys going?" Kagome asked, hoping Inu Yasha would turn back into his old self.

"Koga and Miroku are coming over to my house" Inu Yasha explained.

"Can I come?" Kagome implied with hope.

"Sorry Kagome" Inu Yasha said, not even looking at her "it's a guys only thing."

"Oh…"Kagome said, turning to go home "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Maybe" Inu Yasha in a surprisingly arrogant tone "if I feel like it."

Kagome's vision started to blur as she was blinded by tears "I've got to go" she said, running back down the driveway to her own house a few doors down.

16 year old Kagome felt the hot tears stinging in her eyes as she remembered it all again. The painful, torturing memory greeted her the same way every night. She wished with all her heart that it would just leave her alone, but it was relentless. That was not the only time Inu Yasha had blown her off to do things with his new friends. In fact, after a while, Kagome hardly ever saw Inu Yasha until one day, when the most terrible thing happened.

Kagome stood on her driveway pretending to play with a skipping rope so she could watch Inu Yasha and his friends play basketball on his driveway a few houses down. He seemed to be laughing and happy. Kagome, though in pain, couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help feeling joyful for her friend's happiness. Suddenly, she saw Koga glance at her and call a time out. The boys huddled together and started whispering for moment, then burst out in cold, cruel laughter. They started walking down the sidewalk to her house. Kagome suddenly grew optimistic as they walked up to her.

"Hey guys" she said innocently "what's up?"

Inu Yasha walked straight up to her, giving her a cruel smirk that sent chills of fear and uncertainty down her spine. "We have to talk Kagome" he said.

He pulled her over to the side of the house "Kagome, as of now, we are no longer friends."

"What?" Kagome said, laughing nervously and hoping he was joking "Come on Inu-Chan that's not even funny."

"I know" he said "that's why I'm not joking."

"Why are you doing this?" Kagome said, looking into his eyes. But they were no longer the kind, loving eyes of her best friend. These eyes were glaring, cold, and mean.

"See, when I was at camp" Inu Yasha said arrogantly "I made new best friends and I realized that, you're just not cool enough to hang out with me."

"But, what about your promise?" Kagome said, tears starting to well in her eyes "and the oath."

"You mean that stupid through thick and thin together, we'll win?" Inu Yasha snorted "That was so babyish Kagome, only you could think of something like that."

Kagome realized now that Inu Yasha wasn't joking, he was deadly serious. The camp had changed him completely. He was no longer the gentle, friendly, Inu Yasha that he used to be. His new friends had made him arrogant and mean. She couldn't take it anymore; the tears flowed out like a waterfall. And for a moment, she thought she saw Inu Yasha's eyes glaze over with guilt. But she didn't care! She screamed out in pain and slapped Inu Yasha hard across the face "You JERK!" she cried out in between sobs "How could you do this to me? You promised me we'd always be friends!"

"Did I?" Inu Yasha said laughing cruelly "I must have been crazy."

Kagome looked up at him with a pained glance and Inu Yasha almost felt his heart break. It was all there in her eyes, the pain, the torment, the sadness. And it was his fault, but he couldn't break now, he had a reputation to keep. "I HATE YOU INU YASHA!" Kagome shouted after a short silence. She then pushed past him and ran inside "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" she shouted as she slammed the door.

Kagome buried her face in her hands and sobbed. That was the last time she ever spoke to Inu Yasha, the very last time. She wanted to forget how he had treated her that day, the pain he had put her through, the torture she endured even today. She wanted to forget so badly, but she couldn't, no matter what she did, she just couldn't forget.

Her little brother, Sota, stood outside her door, an ear pressed up against it. He sighed with sympathy for his sister. Ever since that day, Kagome had spent every night crying her eyes out. He walked back to his mother's room to report what he had heard.

"Is she crying again?" she said as he slowly walked in.

"Yeah" Sota said sadly "I feel so bad for her, every night she cries remembering that creep Inu Yasha, she shouldn't waste her tears."

"You're right" his mom replied "But she can't help it, they used to be inseparable, she really cared for him. In fact, your father and I used to think she might actually be in love with him."

"You mean before he died?" Sota said.

"Yes" Mrs. Higurashi replied with a pained smile "before that fatal WPW attack."

"Kagome shouldn't be getting upset like this all the time" Sota said "It'll just make her time come faster."

"We can't force her to stop caring" said his mom "besides; her time could be up any day now."

Author's note: What do you think? Interested in seeing what happens next? Why could Kagome's time be up sometime soon? And what about Inu Yasha? What happened with him? It's all to come in the next Chapter so keep reading. Oh and don't forget to send in the Reviews!