"So...are you gonna see Angel tonight?" Willow followed Buffy down the hallway, stopping in front of the library.

"I don't know. Things have been kind of off with us lately."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, he's just never around, ya know?"

"Yeah. I mean, I think I do."

"I need someone stable. Someone smart and loyal. Someone that will make me their number one priority all the time, ya know?"

Before Willow could open her mouth to respond Giles popped out of the library. "Ah, Buffy. Very good. I was just coming after you."

Willow giggled a little bit and raised her eyebrows at Buffy, who stared blankly at her for a moment before her eyes went wide.

"Ew, Will!"

"Stable...number one priority..."

"Ew. Ewewew."

Giles looked from girl to girl, but ultimately decided that he didn't want to know. "Come, we really shouldn't discuss matters in the hallway."

He led Willow by the elbow as Buffy skipped ahead of them, slinging her rhinestone studded book bag across the counter as she had done so many times before. Willow slipped into Giles's office for some tea before joining Giles and Buffy in the library. By the time Willow came out of the office with supplies Giles and Buffy had already managed to start arguing, which they had been doing more and more lately, usually about Buffy's priorities, or lack thereof.

Willow had gotten the brunt of most of it. Buffy ran straight to Willow to complain about Giles after every argument and Giles had a tendency of wrongly assuming that Willow could talk some sense into Buffy. Either way, Willow just wanted out of it, and was really hoping that this time they were talking about a demon.

"I don't see the big, Giles."

"Buffy, really, I would think that this would matter to you a little more than it seems to." K, so a demon was seeming unlikely, but it never hurt to try.

Willow tossed Buffy a Coke, the kind Giles kept around for her, and slid Giles some tea across the table Buffy was swinging her legs from.

"Is something going on? Do we need to mount up? Cause I could definitely go all research girl right now." Willow didn't want to burden anyone with anymore problems than they already had, but she'd been feeling especially down lately...she even got a B+ on her Chem. final...a B+! She was craving some take-your-mind-of-your-own-problems-because-the-world-could-be-ending goodness.

"I wish." Buffy rolled her eyes as Giles shot her a look.

"Buffy has a History exam tomorrow, an exam, may I remind you, that you must ace if you wish to pass the class."

"Oh, come on, Giles! I'm on slayer duty 24.7, when do I have time to study or go to class?"

Willow bit her tongue remembering the three days last week Buffy skipped to go see Angel.

"Oh, I don't know, Buffy." Giles was using his I-know-something-you-think-I-don't tone of voice, and Buffy and Will couldn't help but smile at each other. "Perhaps the three times you opted not to go to class last week when, I believe...oh, yes, you were with a certain tall, brooding gentleman. I believe he goes by Angel these days."

"Willow!" Buffy shot her an accusatory glance.

"I...I didn't! I swear!" Giles smiled sweetly at the girl before remembering to be angry at Buffy.

"I can assure you that Willow needn't tell me anything about your social life, I have my ways."

"Okay, one...creepy. Two...I hate history!"

"And I hate that we're still having this conversation, and yet..." Giles shoved an American History I book at Buffy before pointing at the door. "Class. Now."

"Fine, Dad."

"I can assure you that were I your father there would be much greater consequences...!"

Buffy rolled her eyes one last time before breezing through the doors, causing Giles to sigh and look to the ceiling. "This wasn't in the job description..."

"Sorry, Giles. I know that normally I kind of stay on top of Buff about the schooly goodness, I've just been...you know, with my own stuff."

Giles immediately softened at Willow's sweetness and turned around.

"I understand, Willow. Besides, it isn't as if it's your responsibility to keep up with Buffy." He refilled her coffee mug with tea.

"But, it---it is, kind of. I mean, you're on top of the books and Buffy's got the slaying down...Xander keeps her grounded, you know, with the fun, but I'm in charge of making sure she doesn't flunk out of school. I've been kind of slacking with the responsibility lately."

"Willow, are you alright?"

She sighed and tried to perk up. "Sure. I'm fine. Just kind of dragging today."

Giles didn't believe for a millisecond that Willow was "fine", but there wasn't much he could do. "Alright then. I was about to get some lunch...would you like..."

Interrupting, "No, I've gotta get to Chem. But thanks."

"Of course." He watched her leave the library, certain something was bothering her. Something had her down, and that was little less than disconcerting where Willow was concerned. Xander, no doubt, had inadvertently hurt her feelings. He had never seen a girl mope about so for an adolescent boy. All the same, she'd be fine. Besides, he had a bad feeling he would be seeing her tonight at the Bronze...