A/N: Cordelia is my absolute favourite character in both Buffy and Angel, but I feel like she's misunderstood. This is just an outlook from her point of view. The first chapter is short, but please tell me how you like it!

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Cordelia Chase is Sunnydale High's queen bee, but inside, lacks to confidence. She leads her life in hidden fear, but has found somebody to help her self-esteem to be a true alpha.
A look at Cordelia's high school life with a twist; all human.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters.
Rating: T
Pairings: You'll see. 

The Cover's Not Quite Like the Book

Cordelia stood on top of Sunnydale High's front steps, her three-inch stilettos giving her extra height and extra needed confidence. Behind her, her posse consisting of Harmony, Callie and Whitney mimicked her in her shadow. They did not dare move, not without Cordelia's approval. She pitied them; they no longer had minds of their own.

She gazed out into the crowds of people below her, her classmates hurrying home after a long first day of school, chatting with their friends... She even caught a few groups of people staring up at her in awe; Cordelia wished they wouldn't. She wasn't as amazing as she seemed.

This was supposed to be her school. Her next three years. Her people. She was supposed to be ready to reign over all of these people, declaring fashion do's and don't's, who could date and who couldn't. But she wasn't ready. Even though to everyone else, she seemed big and power, inside she was small and curled up into a ball. She was afraid. Not ready.

Cordelia wished more than anything she could just be a band geek, with no worries except whether her clarinet's reed was useable.

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"Did you meet the new girl?" Harmony cackled over the booming music of The Bronze. The posse of four were seated together on the couches, each holding a spiked Coke, which Cordelia had gotten them by promising – with crossed fingers – that she would go on a date with the bartender.

Cordelia shrugged, feeling the buzz of rum through his veins. She had met the new girl in first period this morning, but she was not in the mood to talk. She wanted to dance.

She got to her feet without replying to Harmony's snide comment. "Let's dance girls," she announced, and made her way to the middle of the dance floor, the gentle curve of her hips swaying as she walked.

Cordelia, Harmony, Callie and Whitney moved around in their tight circle, arms over their heads and drew the attention of every boy in the room. They were always the center of attention, it was how it was supposed to be, and though some basked in it, Cordelia always wanted to shy away from it.

Key word being wanted.

It would seem weird if Sunnydale High's alpha did not like the spotlight. So, she always sucked in her fear and leaped into the sun. It was easy to appear fearless, but less easy to actually feel it.

It was at least twenty minutes later when a shock of blonde hair caught her eye. She turned to see a gorgeous petite girl with long flowing locks and green eyes. Cordelia stopped dancing immediately as her mind scanned for a name to match with this face. She was so familiar...

Buffy, the new girl.

Cordelia murmured something inaudible about going to the bathroom and left her friends to dance with three football players from the school's team. She took a long complicated route around the Bronze to get a better look at Buffy.

She looked innocent enough with her big deer-like eyes and pink blouse. She would fit in well with Harm, Whitney and Callie; she was definitely pretty enough. Now she just needed to test her verbal reflexes...

"Hey you!" Cordelia called out to her. Her insides squirmed uncomfortably, wishing she had not said anything; for all she knew this girl could destroy her. But she knew she needed some sort of help; if she collected some courage and recovered her dignity, maybe it would be easier to lead her girls, and the rest of the school like the leader she was.

Buffy whipped her head to lock eyes with Cordelia. "Hi," she replied, a smile crossing her thin lips. "We've met, haven't we?"

She shrugged, and flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder; she could not show weakness – not yet. "Um, oh yeah!" Cordelia said like it was nothing. "First period with Zephyr, right?"

The blonde girl nodded slowly. "Right."

Cordelia noticed that Buffy was nervously running her thumb and index finger across her skirt. "Antsy much?" she sneered. I'm sorry, she apologized mentally. She did this whenever she said something hurtful; it made her feel a little better.

Buffy flinched, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry," she murmured, "just a nasty habit. We all have 'em don't we?"

Cordelia felt shock grip her body. Nobody had ever talked back to her, ever. She was perfect.

She looked away and an awkward silence settled over the two girls.

Cordelia heard her friends giggle from far off on the dance floor. "I better get back to my friends," she said slowly. "Um, I'll see you around, Buddy."

"Buffy."

Cordelia winked. "Right."

As Sunnydale's queen bee slowly returned to the dance floor, her red three-inch stilettos clicking against the blackened wood, she began formulating a plan; a plan to become a better person, and Buffy would help her.

She reached her friends and held up her hand. "Let's go, girls," Cordelia ordered, with confidence for the first time. "The night's still young, and we've got lots to do."

Harmony, Whitney and Callie lined up next to her like soldiers in a boot camp. The brunette led her girls out of the Bronze, every boy close by, glancing at them seemingly secretly. She was ready for this change; she was ready to lead the way she should.

This was her school, her three years, her people. And she was finally going to be ready to take it all on.