AUTHOR: Goddess Isa
EMAIL: goddessisa@aol.com
SUMMARY: Angel and Cordelia invite Buffy and the others to a club in LA, and the girls get engaged in a not-so-friendly competition. I couldn't do this the way I wanted to because if I had, it would be XXXX g So, deal with implications, k??
SPOILER: S4 rumours, that's about it. Well, and Grad 2 'cause Will and Oz are still sickeningly sweet together.
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =)
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-14
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, Joss Whedon does. If he ever decides to give them to me, that would be nice. =)
"What did Cordelia tell you about this club?" Willow asked, her voice weary. This was her first trip to Los Angeles, and she was of the freaked out. Xander and Buffy had both been to LA several times to visit Cordelia and Angel, but she was a newbie, as Cordelia had called her, and a terrifed one at that.
The club Xander parked in back of had pop music so loud their car was vibrating as they drove. People were standing around everywhere, some drinking, some smoking, some shooting up. Others were dressed like the undead although Buffy's spider senses told her they were human. Possibly actors in disguise.
Willow squeezed Oz's hand for dear life as the foursome got out of Xander's father's car and headed for the front of the club. "Are you sure we should go in? What if we can't get in?" her voice was hopeful. "Maybe you have to be drunk, or high, or...." her voice trailed off as she noticed a group of five girls sitting on the ground. They were dressed alike in long black robes and they each wore a large pentagram around their neck. There were candles in the center of their formation and their quiet chant was familiar to Willow.
They were Wiccans.
"Look," she nudged Buffy. "Witches."
"Will, I don't--"
"I know the chant." she watched them, awestruck. "They're praying for rain to end the drought."
"Wonderful." Xander spoke in his usual loud voice but the Witches didn't stir. "Can we go in now?"
"Don't wanna keep Cordy waiting?" Buffy asked.
"You've never been here before, have you?" Oz asked.
"No," Buffy shrugged as she took a five dollar bill out of her purse for the cover charge. "Why?"
"It's just that you said they play rock music." he gave a little nod. "That's not rock music."
Willow laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder as they joined the long line of people waiting to get into the BackLot.
"Name?" the bouncer asked when Buffy reached him.
"Um, Buffy Summers."
"Oh," his entire attitude changed. "Right this way." he nodded towards the others. "They're with you?"
Buffy nodded and the bouncer got off his chair to open the velvet gate and let the four of them in. He nudged Xander as he entered.
"What?"
"Just a tip. Don't wear pink next time."
*****
The club wasn't at all what Buffy expected. They found Angel and Cordelia quickly at a large table on the second level. They were in the center of everything, watching what went on above them via screens and below them from the balcony near their table. On the first floor, a DJ spun loud techno music and a waitress brought them a pitcher of a yellowish drink Cordelia called "Heaven's Heaven".
"This place isn't usually this busy," Angel explained.
"No, this is MUCH better!" Cordy exclaimed. She turned to Xander. "You wanna dance?"
"No." she stared at him and he rolled his eyes and stood up to go down to the dance floor with her.
"All right, guys and gals," the DJ stopped playing music long enough to speak. "It's the time you've all been waiting for! The wet t-shirt contest!!!"
Everyone screamed and clapped except Buffy, Angel, Oz and Willow. Buffy looked disgusted, Angel looked embarressed, Willow looked horrified and Oz looked.....like Oz.
"You guys should enter!" Xander said to the girls.
"No way!" Buffy said.
"Gross," Willow added.
"I'm in." Cordy said.
The others gawked at her.
"What? I can't have a little fun? Besides, Pam Anderson got discovered this way!"
*****
"I'm not going to watch this," Willow said.
"I can't believe she's going to do this." Buffy shook her head.
Xander just stared at them. "I can't believe you're not!"
The girls gave him blank looks. Angel was ready to bare his fangs.
"Just hear me out," he glared at the vampire. "I know you already ate."
Angel snorted in response.
"Seriously though, it's like this. Cordy entered 'cause she knows you guys aren't entering, so she knows she can win. She'll drop out right before her turn comes, and then she'll be off easy. If you two join, she'll have to eat her words."
"And you'll really enjoy yourself." Oz added.
"There's no harm in that." Xander replied with evil eyes.
*****
Cordelia signed a fake name onto the sign-up sheet and headed for the stage with the others to get the "costume" they were supplying. It consisted of a teeny tiny black skirt with shorts underneath and the white tee shirt. She about fainted when she saw Willow and Buffy comparing tee shirt sizes.
"They're all one size, duh." a blonde with hair so big it could be used as a flotation device remarked to the girls.
"What are you doing here?" Cordy demanded.
"Giving you a little friendly competition." Buffy said.
"You can handle it, can't you?" Willow asked.
Cordelia felt her face pale and instantly wished she had the rest of her drink.
*****
"Oh God." Angel shook his head. "I never should've let Buffy do this."
"I'm guessing you shouldn't let Buffy hear you say that." Oz warned.
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"WOOHOO!" Xander yelled, his eyes bugged out.
"Buffy's the strong, domineering type. She knows what she wants and wants what she wants. She does what she wants. If she hears you say you shouldn't have let her do this, she'll start doing things just because she can."
"Things like...."
"Running off to LA and taking on a faceless demon, for one." Oz almost grinned.
Angel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at his girlfriend again, wishing to God he'd never gotten her into this. Then he slapped himself for thinking that.
"Are you WATCHING this?" Xander asked, almost panting.
"Get the guy a cold shower." Oz ordered.
*****
"Well THAT was a bust," Cordelia said. "I've never been so embarrassed in my life."
"That's surprising." Xander smirked.
"What?"
"That you were embarrassed by that. You never seemed to mind acting like a slut in high school."
"I did not act like a slut!" she kicked off her heels and preceded to chase him around the parking lot. He laughed and waved his hands in the air as she chased him. Buffy shook her head.
"It's sad to say they're my best friends."
"I cannot believe you're okay with all this." Angel said. "I cannot believe--"
"Relax." Buffy said. "I had a bra on."
"I know." he nodded at the winner. "So did she."
Willow and Oz were bringing up the rear of the group, kissing as they walked. She was carrying her prize for winning the contest, a Sony car Discman, in her hands.
"I still cannot believe she won," Cordy said as she walked back up to Buffy. Her hair was a mess but so was Xander's, a sure sign either she'd hit him a good one or they'd been having a make-out frenzy. The latter was the most likely.
"Hey, she won fair and square," Xander said. "I only have one question."
"What?" Buffy asked.
He eyed Willow. "Where DID those come from?!?!"