Three Musketeers

"All for one and one for all."

-Alexander Dumas, The Three Musketeers

Chapter Two: Dinner and a Show

Because of his boyfriend status, he started out in the game ahead of me. Anything I said to her would be construed as jealousy because of her new relationship. Anything he said was gold.

I started out on the losing side, and continued in that direction. Kagome suddenly had no time for me. Her excuses started out as plausible- homework, dates, grounded, or babysitting. But when she told me she was headed out with Sango for one of their girls' night out things when I knew Sango was watching her little brother, I got suspicious. And called Sango.

Turns out Kagome had been giving Sango the same excuses as the ones to me. He obviously had said something to Kagome about Sango and I, and Kagome had taken his side.

The next time she tried this- she told me she and Sango were heading out shopping and told Sango that I was coming over to help tutor her for her statistics test. Which was very plausible, aside from the fact she stopped asking me for those the same time she started dating the asshole.

So Sango and I head over to her shrine to ask her mother where she was. And she tells us that Kagome's boyfriend had stopped by to pick her up just a few minutes ago to go eat at Vincenni's.

It's been almost a year since she had started dating him, why wouldn't she just say she had a date?

Vincenni's is a formal dress sort of restaurant, so Sango convinces me that we needed to change before confronting the two. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened that night if we hadn't spent those extra fifteen minutes changing.

When we arrive, we explain to a sympathetic maitre de that we wanted to spy on our friend's date because her boyfriend had a history of causing scenes. He guides us to a back corner of the restaurant, where we can already hear the scene being started.

"What the fuck is up with this 'I want to wait' crap? It's all you, you, you. There's two people in this relationship, Kagome, and a man has needs!"

"Don't you dare try to make me feel guilty for not sleeping with you!"

"Like hell I can't! Why the hell would you get into a relationship with someone if not for the sex?"

"That's not how it's supposed to be!"

It's rather embarrassing to listen to, even with Kagome keeping her voice lowered so as not to disturb the other patrons. Everyone else has stopped talking to listen to the two argue. And quite honestly, I don't feel like listening to him try to get into my best friend's pants when she so obviously didn't want that to happen. So I take matters into my own hands.

"If you're so hard up for sex, I'm free tonight."

"Stay the fuck away from me, you fucking faggot!"

And out Kagome's irate date storms. I keep my face from blushing at what I had said as everyone stares at me, slightly annoyed that the show had ended. I can hear Sango's muffled giggles, and Kagome gapes at where her date had been standing, yelling at her. The maitre de coughs a few times, and everyone goes back to their meals.

As conversations returns around us, Kagome looks up at me.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did."

"I was handling it. He's just going to tell everyone you offered, and everyone will think you're gay."

I shrug. Why would I care what people thought of me? They already think I'm gay for not dating either of the two beautiful women currently with me, or else they think I'm secretly doing them both. Denials only lead to more gossip, so I ignore it all.

"This can't go on, Kagome."

"We're your friends, but lately, we don't even see you in class, much less out of school."

"He's making you choose, isn't he?"

"It's not a good thing if your boyfriend is jealous of your other friends. It's worse when you actually ditch those friends just to be with 'you owe me sex'-san."

"Don't you dare say that! He's not making me choose between him and you! You're the ones who keep putting him down. He's very sensitive-"

"Listen to yourself, Kagome! Does the shithead who just stormed out of here leaving you with the bill look anything at all like someone with nice emotions?"

"Fuck you, Sango. Fuck you both. It's my life, not yours. Don't tell me what I should."

She storms after her date. The man who had brought us to the table asks which of us would like to pay the bill. I give him his name, number, and address, and told him to make him. Petty of me, I suppose, but it was his dinner, not mine, and I'm not about to pay for it.