Racing Hearts by EternalLove
Masked One
Author's notes: Ok, I read over my story and well, Let's just say I'll still cringing at how horrible my earlier chapters were. So I did what I could and read over the first five, changing some things that reeeeally need to be changed. If my story has a sucky writing style in the first five chapters, I sincerely apologize because I was a young un?when I started this. ^^
Masked One
The jewels on her hand glittered as she raised it to cover the burning sun. It was a day to smile upon and enjoy. But it was neither the time nor place to do so. Her black silk dress crinkled and sighed as she shifted her place on her seat. The last of her adoptive family had died today, her father. He had been battling a disease for several months. After a hard fought battle, he had finally given up and passed away. She could say to others that she had loved him very much, but that was not the whole truth. She barely knew him since he was away on business so often. And being sent to a prestigious boarding school for several years made the gap even bigger.
After the funeral ended she took one last look at her father's grave. It was nothing exceptionally special, just grey stone with his name carved in and a short inscription on the bottom, The greatest shackles we bear in this life are those forged by our own fears. Her father had often quoted that to her whenever they saw each other and she had yet to decipher its true meaning.
"Too late, neh Otou-san?" She murmured to him and bent her head respectfully before turning to leave. Her driver was waiting for her and held the door to the sleek, black limosine open. He bowed appropriately and quietly closed the door behind her.
Inside she turned on some soothing classical music and slid the rings and bracelet on her hands off. Then, finger by finger, she pulled her long black gloves off. Her hands, white and delicate, went up to her hair and gently pulled out jeweled hair pins. Long black hair cascaded down a slender back. Giving a sigh of relief she opened the window an inch and let the wind slide in and play with her hair.
Soon they were driving up a driveway partially camouflaged by the multitude of sakura trees growing. Green shadows darted across the driveway as the driver carefully parked in front of a large stone house. A mover's van was already in the driveway and several men were packing things up. The immense dwelling had always seemed empty despite the army of servants that kept the mansion tidy. With her father gone, there would be no need to keep the grandiose house around for just one person.?The belongings were being transferred that day to her new home, a ultra modern apartment in the middle of the city.
She walked up the grand staircase and to her small suite of rooms. Most of her things had already been sent to the apartment and the only thing left in the room was a change of clothes. After slipping on a simple white sundress and setting a white sun hat on her head she was set to go. Her driver drove her to the front of the twenty-story building and with a last bow he drove away.
With her adoptive parents deceased, she was finally given the freedom to which school she was to attend. She had picked a well-known public school within walking distance of her new home but any school would have been fine, as long as it wasn't full of overly spoiled girls like her previous private school. The glass elevator took her to the 17th floor and opened to a small hallway. There were only two apartments on each floor, due to the large space given to each apartment. After fumbling through her bag she found her card key and slid it into the slot and punched in her code number.
The door opened to a simple white room that had a table with flowers in the middle. On one side was a closet for shoes, the other for coats and other things. The room then led to her living room, kitchen, and dining room. The apartment boasted a long balcony with several glass doors to let in air and sunlight. She peeked into a door across the living room which led into her master suite. It contained the spacious bathroom, and even more spacious bedroom, a large walk in closet, and an office/library. She explored her new home with glee then opened all of her balcony doors and let in a fresh breeze that flapped the long white curtains.
"Welcome home Kagome." She said to herself.
Going outside she peered down the dizzying heights to the city life going on below. The
doorbell rang and when she opened it it was a girl her age. Her eyes were warm and friend, making Kagome feel instantly welcome.
"Hi, I just wanted to say hi and welcome! I'm Sango Taijiya, your next door neighbor. The doorman below told me someone new was moving in."
"Yeah, I just got here."
"Mind if I take a peek?" The girl asked with curiousity. The majority of the people who live here are over 40 so I don't get to see people my age. You are in high school, right?"
"Sure come in," The girl hopped in and immediately began to exclaim over the spaciousness of the apartment. I'll be attending Rosefire high school starting tomorrow." Kagome said as she showed Sango around, the two girls ended up at the balcony, looking down in the same Kagome had earlier.
"That's the same school I'm go to, I'll introduce you and show you around if you want an easier day."
Kagome let out the tension that had been growing on her shoulders for days.
"Thank you so much! I've never gone to a public school. The last school I went to was an all girl's school."
"All girl's? Wow, so you didn't interact with any boys?" Sango sympathized.
Kagome gave a slight pause, thinking of the right words to say.
"Not much, I mean, it was an all girl's school. There wasn't much to do except study."
"Well, what classes have you enrolled in?"
"Um, let's see, I've got Japanese history, Calculus, AP Biology, world history, P.E., advanced art, philosophy, and advanced chemistry."
"I have the first six with you. As for philosophy and advanced science, well, I'm not much for science or debate, but I can show you where those classrooms are." Sango offered and Kagome gushed out her thanks. Sango looked around the living room and clapped her hands together.
"Seeing as how you aren't doing anything right now, how about some ice cream? There's this great caf?down this street that serves the best strawberry sundaes.?br>
After an hour of window shopping, ice cream eating, and gossiping the day lessened into night and the two parted with promises to walk to school with each other. When Kagome closed the door she noticed the movers had put in the rest of her belongings and surveyed her sparsely decorated home. With a despairing look at the mess of boxes and bubble wrap she hitched up her shirt sleeves and got to work. After a grueling length of time, accompanied by dinner and breaks, Kagome finally looked at her clock that 10 p.m.?
With a relieved sigh she made for her closet and picked out black pants, a nondescript white top, and a black jacket. She pinned her hair up and grabbed leather gloves from a drawer. Turning off all her lights she closed her door with a silent click. She took the elevator down to the garage level and look for her apartment number on the parking spots. Walking a ways down she finally spotted her blue motorcycle and silver convertible.
Securing a helmet on to her head she got on to her motorcycle and revved out of the garage and into the sweet night. She had heard from an underground connection that the race would be by the pier tonight. She took her time getting to the pier, saving her energy for the race. Coming near to the destination she spotted a large group motorcycles. She grinned and made for that spot. She saw a few girls, but mostly girlfriends possessively watching their boys race. It was usually males racing with few females ever attempting to race. She was one of them. She could see a short teenager taking in the wagers and signing people up for a race. He had bright clothes on and shocking red-brown hair that grew unruly. The boy looked at her, trying to see through the dark glass.
"Here to race??He asked curiously.
"Yeah, put me with your top racer.?
"Sorry, but he already has a scheduled race tonight, maybe I can put you down later this week. But I doubt you want to, he's the best, the fastest. He doesn't really call himself anything, but I named him the Wind.?The boy said with an excited tone.
"So who are you going to put me down with?"
"You'll have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. That's how it is here. You new aren't you?"
"Yeah, alright, put me down for it."
"What's your name?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing huh? You sure you want me to write that down?"
"I don't care."
"Fine, I'll call you the masked one. Sounds pretty mysterious huh?"
Kagome's stern resolve broke as she smiled behind her dark mask.
"How old are you kid?"
"Old enough."
"No, really, tell me how old you are."
"18."
"Liar."
"Fine fine fine, 14."
"How's a 14 year old taking wagers at races?"
"My math skills are the best around here. Anywho, your race will be on in around five minutes, depending on how long it takes Miroku to toast Kaido and to feel up a few girls."
The kid turned around and took more wagers among the clusters of groups. Refusing to congregate like the others, Kagome leaned against her bike and watched the race happening at that moment. Along the pier was a long stretch of concrete that went far down the beachline. A young woman in a tightly cinched black corset held up a white piece of cloth. The motorcyclists on each side of her revved their engines in anticipation. When she let down the cloth, they were off. Both were moving back and forth from each other. The race was pretty even but Kagome could see that the one with the blue stripes on his bike would win. He was pulling ahead and expertly blocking his opponent from moving further. He gave a quick turn at the end of the road and sped back toward the finishing line. He won by a mile and stopped his bike shortly.
Kagome moved closer to see who he was. With the helmet taken off she could see a man with long hair tied into a ponytail and a mischievous twinkle to his dark eyes. He pushed his bike off to the side and started to check out all the females within his vicinity. Then his eyes fell on her. He sauntered up with all the confidence in the world.
"You're new." He said with an innocent smile but something in the way his eyes immediately went to her chest said otherwise.
"So?" Kagome replied indignantly as he continued to slyly look her up and down.
"May I ask a question?"
"Just one."
"Will you have my baby?"
She lifted her balled fist and punched him in the stomach. He doubled over and wheezed in faint breaths.
"Just..*huff*...an innocent....*puff*...question."
Kagome was quivering from anger and turned her back to him, pushing her bike towards the beginning line. What kind of guy asks that question to a girl he just met? Even the most perverted wait a few minutes before making a pass like that!
Her opposite was a large, tough looking slob who looked like he had one too many bottles of sake that night. Looking down her lithe and slender frame he licked his lips.
"Hey baby, how about when I win you come over to my place after?"
"A little cocky, aren't we?"
He gave a loud laugh, spit flying from grotesque lips.
"A little girl like you winning?"
Kagome didn't answer his question and got on her bike. When the woman let down the white cloth she was off. But he was catching up and was pushing his bike closer and closer to her wheels. She swerved right and left, trying to get him off her tail. Finally, she had enough. She pushed down on the accelerator and gave a quick burst of speed. Soon she was leaving him behind. When she got to the end of the road she took a quick turn and was speeding back. He was still running along and tried to block her way when she was coming back. She managed to squeeze through the space on his left and was off, leaving him to eat her dust, literally. When she crossed the finish line, she could help but give a laugh. This was what she lived for. This was her passion. This was her escape.