Title: Lipgloss and Letdown

Rating: R

A.N. - Just a quick note explaining this fic (assuming you're reading this :P). I've read far too many fics where Buffy was completely perfect yet unpopular because of some weird slight she caused someone else. That's not high school...This is though. Warning: If you don't want a realistic B/A fic then perhaps you shouldn't read this.

A.N. 2 - Italics indicates thoughts. Oh! And HMD has been updated.

Disclaimer: The ideas are mine, the personalities are mine, but the names belong to Joss Whedon and whoever else happens to be named "Buffy" or "Xander" and so on. I do, however, own Star and Liz owns...Liz. ;p - Also, the title comes from Static Lullaby's song "Lipgloss and Letdown" - Thank you music.

Dedication: To my wonderful, beautiful, talented beta Liz and all the wonderful people who read/reviewed "HMD" - I can only hope you like this one as well -crossed fingers-

Summary: At first glance, this seems like your average high school fic...but it's not. Angelus is one of the "beautiful" people while Buffy...doesn't fit in with their preconceived notions of beauty. Unforeseen forces bring them together to allow Angelus to see that appearances aren't always what they seem to be. Trust me, the "unseen forces" aren't your typical clichés.

If you're still with me and haven't switched over to TK2 yet...I love you.

- Chapter One -

The beeping alarm pulled the sleeping blonde out of her dream. Lingering thoughts of flying settled themselves for the long haul. It was an amazing dream, her dark eyelashes fluttered open to allow the unfocused hazel eyes to glance around the room. The light from the open blinds reflected off the white walls and recently Windexed mirror to make the room bright. Almost...cheery. She sighed somewhat sadly and pulled back the midnight blue blanket.

"Buffy! We need to leave in twenty minutes!"

"Okay, Mom!" She ran a hand through her messy hair. Another day of school. Seven hours of unimaginable torture for what? A diploma? The chance to escape this place?

Buffy made her way through the mess of dirty shirts and carelessly thrown shoes to her dresser. A note from her best friend was still in the same place it had been for the previous two days, resting delicately against her jewelry box. The pink envelope it was in had remained untouched. She knew exactly what it said. 'Buffy, borrowed your raspberry lip gloss - Willow.'

She chuckled ruefully and raised her eyes to meet those in the mirror. Lip gloss wouldn't make a difference. A frown quickly worked to darken her previously light features. It wasn't as if she thought of herself as ugly. She had her moments where she believed that she was pleasant to look at. Everyone outside of school - and some teachers - always told her what beautiful hair and skin she had. They complimented her on her lively hazel eyes - "more blue than green but more green than brown" - and her full, naturally red lips...yet that did very little to make her like the way she looked. Most of the girls at Sunnydale High looked the same - bleached blonde hair, fake tits, the same nose job - Covergirls for Bulimia Weekly, she laughed at that thought. But compared to them she seemed...she tilted her head and thought, husky. She knew that it really was baby fat. And she was sixteen! She wasn't supposed to be supermodel thin or fake-and-bake tanned.

With a labored sigh, she turned her attention towards finding a clean - well, clean smelling - shirt.

.:.:.:.

Joyce Summers watched as all the emotions that had been on her only daughter's face disappeared - as if she had shut down. She pulled the black jeep to a slow stop in front of the stone steps of Sunnydale High. "I'll pick you up at three?" Hopefully in better spirits.

Buffy turned toward her mother, seemingly surprised to find someone else in the car, "Uh, yeah. No, wait! No. I promised Will and Xand we'd hang," Buffy slipped out through the car door.

"Have a good day."

Buffy adjusted her black leather backpack on her shoulders and smiled. "Sure, Mom." She straightened her T-shirt, with the Unwritten Law logo, and raised her right hand to her forehead in mock-salute. "Aye, aye, Captain."

"Captains are generally sailors," Joyce's mouth twitched into an amused smile.

Buffy's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head and looked up at the sky, appearing deep in thought. "Whatever. I stand by my original statement! Bye, Mom."

She watched Buffy's expression drip off her face as she moved through the crowd. A burst of anger shot through her when she noticed a dark-haired girl in a green midriff shirt make an obviously snide comment as Buffy walked past her, head high, ignoring her. The anger gave way to sorrow. She could only imagine what those brats said to her every day. It took every ounce of willpower Joyce had not to get out of the car and make it worse.

.:.:.:.

Yes, this is sort of a teaser. I have plenty written out but I was gettin antsy! ;p Anywho, I plan on having HMD finished in the next couple of weeks and then I'll focus entirely on this... and the three other fics I'm working on! ;] So, please review! It's nice to know what people think.