Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ Shadows of What Used to be ( Chapter 1 )

Shades of Gray
Author's Notes: Here we go gang another High School A/U; basically the guys are in a band, Kurone is in here too. The girls (Keiko, Botan, and Yukina) are their groupies/girlfriends. Koenma is their manager. Basically there will be singing, no dancing though (lets not go "Grease" now), gang related stuff, some drugs, some drinking, violence (well duh on that), and abuse. Basically the plot the guys have to deal with everything from rival bands to former rival gangs, old flames and family problems. On another note Catterina and Panthera are NOT related in this fic in anyway, shape or form. Also sorry if this starts to resemble in other stories out there as I surely did not mean for it too. Anyways enough talk lets get to the good stuff.
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Kurama sat in his basement waiting for the rest of his friends to arrive; in the mean time he was tuning his guitar so they could practice for the club performance tomorrow night. He hoped the club wasn't another dive like last week's club had been, but Koenma had promised them that it wasn't. Although the bands definition of a dive and their managers definition of a dive were two completely different things. He sighed and set aside the guitar and looked at the sheet music before him.

Kurone had written it not long after they had managed to pull themselves out of their gang. It was true all five of them: Kurama, Kurone, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yuusuke had been in a gang a little over a year ago. Things had been going well the gang had been unstoppable until they ran into a rival gang of theirs and both gangs had nearly died as a result of the fight that had broken out. They didn't know why but the judge must have seen something different in their eyes after that night. She had let them off with a warning under the condition that they had to community service for two years once a week. The group had come to a decision to start a self defense class for women since they had seen their fair share of women being taken advantage of; a fact that had left them all feeling unsettled.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Kurone coming down the steps.

"The recent events of the passed year or so," said Kurama not bothering to look up at him.

"I know what you mean," said Kurone taking the stool beside him.

"So," said Kurama after a moment of silence. "Have you heard from her lately?"

The her that Kurama was referring to was Kurone's old flame from their gang years Catterina Shadow. The woman had had to go off into hiding with her mother after Mrs. Shadow had separated from her abusive husband. The only letters he had gotten from Catterina had been postcards and phone calls from phone booths. The entire group had gotten worried about her when she hadn't shown up one week to help them demonstrate the females can indeed throw bigger men over their shoulders; something that Catterina was an expert at considering she used to be in the gang with them.

Their answer to their question about her disappearance had come a week later when she had sent Kurone a letter with no return address telling him that the divorce had not gone well and now she and her mother had to go into hiding until things settled down some. She had also told him that she didn't know when she would return or if she even would. She asked him to wait for her for awhile but if she sent him back his ring then he should definitely move on, because she either wouldn't return at all or things had not gotten better and she wouldn't know when she would return. It had been a little over seven months and last month she had returned his ring. A sign as she had explained in the first letter that things weren't settling down and she suggested he move on since they might never see each other again. He hadn't moved on yet. The entire gang knew within a month of Kurone's entrance into it that he had laid claim on Catterina a claim that she had returned.

"Not since she returned my ring," said Kurone softly.

He still wore her ring on a chain around his neck and Kurama wondered if that meant he still was in love in with her.

"You still love her don't you?" he asked.

"It sure seems that way doesn't it?" asked Kurone after awhile.

"You don't have to keep that ring on you know," said Kurama.

"I want too."

"Look she as probably moved on or she wouldn't have sent you the ring back."

"Or she just didn't want me to wait if I found someone else."

"Are you guys arguing about Catterina AGAIN!" asked Yuusuke walking down followed by Hiei and Kuwabara.

"I just don't think it is necessary that he wait for her like he does," scowled Kurama.

"Look," said Yuusuke. "It is his decision to wait for her IF she ever does come back. Which considering her father will probably be never."

"She'll come back," said Kurone picking up his bass guitar and strumming a few chords.

"Whatever," sighed Kurama. "Alright boys what is our line up going to be for tomorrow night?"

"How about we start off with this song that Kurone finally finished?" asked Kuwabara taking a seat behind his drums.

"We won't have time to practice it so that it is good enough," said Kurone.

"Good point," scowled Kuwabara.

"How about "My Immortal?" suggested Kurama.

"Sure," said Kurone. "What else?"

Kuwabara opened his mouth to reply when the basement door opened and Koenma walked down the steps.

"How goes practice guys?" he asked.

"We were just discussing the songs we were going to play," said Yuusuke.

"Good," said Koenma. "What are you playing so far?"

"Right now?" asked Kurama exchanging a look with the others. "Just "My Immortal."'

"That's not much of a line up," frowned Koenma.

"Yeah well we just started deciding," growled Kurone.

Kurama watched Koenma tense up and knew that if he didn't do something another fight would break out between them. Koenma had been interested in Catterina even though he hadn't been in the gang and had not been happy when she had chosen Kurone over him. Koenma and Catterina had both come from well to do families and Koenma believed that you should keep the "blue blood pure".

"How about "Breathe No More"?" Kurama suggested before the fight could break out.

"Sounds good," said Hiei keeping the conversation directed toward music.

The group named off several more songs they would sing the next night and finally they began to practice. Kurama's eyes flew over the rest of the group in the band half his mind on them the other half on the music.

Kuwabara lived with his sister their father had walked out on them and their mother had died living Shizuru to take care of her younger brother. Shizuru had dropped out of school to get a job and had been supporting her brother by herself ever since and now that they had started up the band he was able to help out with some of the money he earned. Yuusuke had no father and he lived alone with his mother who had no job but had enough dirt on various people to make a good living. No one really knew who his father was although many thought that he was a Demon since Yuusuke had such a violent temper. Hiei lived with his stepfather and mother and his twin sister. He would do anything for his twin and was very protective over her. She, Yukina, was one of the very few things that he and Kuwabara, her boyfriend, actually agreed on. He, Kurama, on the other hand lived alone with his very successful lawyer of a mother. Which many thought to be the reason the judge had been so lenient on him and his friends. It hadn't been in fact she had been the one to suggest that they start up a women's self defense class.

"Kurama are you even paying attention?" asked Koenma.

"Huh?" asked Kurama looking up at the older male. "I am sorry what did you say?"

"He said," started Yuusuke rolling his eyes. "That the girls are waiting for us at the café. Come on we've been practicing for over an hour."

The group set aside their instruments and headed out of the basement to meet Keiko, Yukina, and Botan at the café, that Keiko's parents owned.
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"Where are they?" scowled Keiko flipping her brown hair over her shoulders.

"Don't worry," said Botan sipping her herbal tea. "I am sure they just got caught up in their music AGAIN."

"What's this about getting caught up in music?" asked Kurone taking a seat next to Botan.

"Nothing," chorused the girls laughing.

"So," asked Yukina as Kuwabara took a seat next to her. "You guys ready for tomorrow night?"

"Almost," said Kuwabara smiling.

"Good," said Botan smiling up at Kurama. "What are you guys going to play?"

"I am afraid you will have to find that out tomorrow," teased Yuusuke.

"Hey!" exclaimed Keiko. "That's not fair!"

"Maybe not," said Yuusuke. "But it is so much fun to watch you squirm in anticipation."

"Ass," growled Keiko.

Yuusuke just laughed at his girlfriend and kissed her cheek. Kurama smiled those two had been dating since eighth grade started. They had been friends before that and even back then Yuusuke would always act strong around her which had always been amusing to both their parents. Botan lived alone with her mother who was a make up artist for the starts which explained why Botan often had a new look concerning make up every time they turned around.

"So," said Yukina. "When do you guys start?"

"Six o'clock like we normally do."

"I can't believe Koenma got you guys a gig at a non-dive," said Botan. "Wait where is this non dive?"

"This non dive is The Celestial Club," said Koenma smirking.

"How did you manage that?" asked Kurone after a long moment of stunned silence.

"The owner is my aunt," said Koenma.

"Wow," whistled Yuusuke. "Good job."

"Yes," smirked Koenma. "I do tend to do them every now and then."

"Ha, ha smart ass," snorted Yuusuke.

"So," said Botan turning the conversation away from music. "How do you guys think you did on the Chemistry test?"

"That test was brutal," said Yuusuke rolling his eyes. "But I believe I got at least a C."

"You had better gotten a C!" snapped Keiko. "We spent two weeks studying for that test!"

"Speaking of studying," said Botan. "When should we have our next study session?"

"Next weekend unless we get another gig," said Kurama. "Word at school is that Mrs. Koro is going to give us a quiz in History."

"Damn," said Botan. "I hate history."

"Which is why we should get together."

"Fine," said Hiei. "As long as we can keep you two apart."

"That's not funny," frowned Kurama.

"Maybe not," snorted Hiei. "But the last time we studied for a history test. It became a mush feast between you two. You two are almost as bad as Catterina and Kurone were."

The entire table got quite and Hiei flinched he hadn't meant to say her name.

"Sorry man," he said. "Bad joke."

Kurone didn't say anything he simple finished his coke and left.

"Do you think he will ever get over her?" asked Botan softly.

"Who knows," said Kurama.

"Lets hope he is okay for tomorrow," said Koenma.

"That was way harsh Koenma," frowned Botan at her cousin.

"Alright look," said Koenma. "I didn't mean it the way it came out."

"Bullshit," growled Kurama.

"All I mean was that at some point he has to get over her running away with her mother to get away from her father."

"Koenma," said Kuwabara shaking his head. "Stop while you are ahead. "You are just digging yourself in deeper and deeper."

Koenma sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess I've been acting like a real ass about this haven't I?" he asked to the disapproving faces around him.

"Uh huh," said his friends together.

"Great," muttered Koenma.

"Stop being an ass about the whole Catterina thing and there won't be much of a problem," said Hiei.

"Speaking of which," said Botan. "As he heard from her?"

"Not since she returned his ring," said Kurama.

"She returned his ring," whispered Koenma. "I guess that means she won't be coming back."

"Guess it does," said Kurama shooting Koenma a warning look. "So what are we going to do about it?"

"Wait and see what happens," said Botan. "I mean if he finds interest in any girls at school we could try to hook him up with her."

"That gets my vote," said Kurama. "But he is too hooked on Catterina still."

"Well said Keiko. "My cousin Parn is coming down for awhile maybe we could get them together."

"I guess that is the only thing we can do for the moment," said Yuusuke. "She did seem to like him the last time she came over."

"Yeah," said Keiko.

"Well guys," said Kuwabara. "What now?"

"Who knows," said Keiko.

"Let's go to the arcade," said Kurama shrugging.

"Sure," said Yuusuke getting up with everyone else. "We've got nothing better to do with our time."
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Author's Notes: well that was the first chapter hope you guys enjoyed it!