The first time she sees him, she blushes. He's a boy, and he's across the room, and he's really, really cute. And since she's new at school, she thinks that this is the perfect time to introduce herself to him, so she gives him that sweet little half-smile that's always gotten her the boys before and bounces over to him. "Hi! I'm Buffy."

"Angel."

He doesn't smile or anything, but she suspects that he never does, and she plunges on anyway. "I'm new here, and you know how in the movies, they always assign someone to show you around on the first day of school? Turns out that doesn't really happen." She laughs self-deprecatingly. "So I don't know anything. Hey, would you mind showing me around?" She gives him her best pleading look, the one that's never failed her before.

But he shakes his head. "I'm waiting for someone." He puts the emphasis on "someone" so she knows that it's Somebody Important, and she leaves, a bit taken aback. That must be one damn hot girl.

She pouts about it for a while, then shrugs it off and puts the smile back on her face, waiting to be collected by the other girls. Cordelia Chase is the first to find her and they immediately discover that they're kindred spirits. They talk animatedly through history and biology and finally waltz into the cafeteria together, newly best friends forever, and Buffy almost forgets being slighted by Angel earlier. Almost.

"What's the deal with Angel?" she asks Cordelia as they pass him in the cafeteria. He's silent, alone, and brooding, and Cordy pats him on the shoulder as they walk by. He ignores her. "Who's he dating? You?" she asks, suddenly suspicious. She likes Cordy and all, but if it's between winning over Angel and having Cordy as a friend, she'd probably take Angel. He seems like he'd be a good listener, too, and that's half her friendship with Cordy already, right?

Cordy laughs, not unkindly. "I'm his sister, Buffy. And sorry, but he's never going to be interested in you."

She's stung. "Why not?"

They take their seats with Cordy's girls, and Cordy gestures to the door of the cafeteria. A boy has just entered the room, and Buffy squints at him in revulsion. He's not bad looking, chiseled cheekbones and muscular arms that she'd kill just to touch; and blue eyes both sharp and smirking all at once, in a way that makes her flush even when his gaze isn't directed at her. But the vision of perfection is marred by his clothing, since he can not be wearing that outfit in this decade. It's horrific.

"I know, right?" Cordelia mutters, rolling her eyes. Buffy tries to tear her gaze away from the new guy, but it's hard, especially when he smiles suddenly and seems to flood the room with revitalized energy. She follows his smile across the room, to where Angel sits alone, and when their eyes lock-

-Something changes. She can't quite place her finger on what, but Angel's expression is suddenly a little less dark and a little more warm, and the new guy's grinning at him with a softer smile now, approaching the table, and then he stops. Looks around, like he's making a statement.

And then Angel and New Guy lock lips, and nothing else in the world seems to matter to them, not the fact that the whole cafeteria is watching them, not the fact that New Guy is kind of bent over the side of the table in a really awkward position that must be killing his legs, and not the fact that Buffy's head has just hit the table with a loud clunk.

"He's gay?" she asks, from where her forehead is now sticking to something greasy and wet that had stained the table.

"He's gay," Cordy confirms, patting her on the shoulder.

"They're both gay?"

"Spike's…" Cordy frowned. "I don't know what he is. But he really cares about Angel, and they're having very loud, very annoying makeout sessions in his room, like, 24/7." She rolls her eyes. "Seriously, he's gay. We get it. He doesn't need everyone in the neighborhood to get it, too."

"Oh." Buffy watches them despondently. "This is the worst moment of my life," she moans. "And that includes that time last week when we went on a day trip here and missed the biggest shoe sale of the season in LA."

"Worse than missing a shoe sale?" Cordelia scowls, then slaps her on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Cordy gives her a solemn look. "Nothing's worse than missing a shoe sale. Especially not my dorky brother being gay."

"Dorky?" Buffy stares at her. "Your brother is my soulmate, Cordy! And there's no way that this gay thing is going to get in my way." She stands, resolute.

Cordy raises a perfect eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

Buffy looks at her like she's an idiot. "Seduce him, of course. Trust me," she says with a confidence borne of never being rejected. "If anyone can turn a straight guy gay, it's me."

She strides over to Angel's table and gives him a sultry smile. "Hey," she purrs.

New Guy- Spike-, she reminds herself, making a face- snorts. She glares at him, the mood broken. "What?"

"Did you miss the show earlier?" He smirks. "Because I'm always up for a repeat, yeah?"

He has a British accent, which would have been swoon-worthy if he wasn't so annoying. She chooses to ignore it for the time being, and slides down next to Angel. He grunts and stays where he is, leaving her barely enough space to fit one leg in, but she can manage with that. "You're an ass," she informs Spike.

"Yeah?" He curls his tongue between his teeth and blows her a kiss condescendingly.

She scowls, but then a miracle happens, and Angel turns to talk to her! "He is an ass," Angel agrees with her, and she gives him heavy-lidded bedroom eyes with her smile.

But that's all he says, and it's up to Buffy to steer the conversation along. "So, how long since you decided you were gay?" she asks Angel brightly.

He's silent, but now Spike's angry, glaring across the table at her. "It's not a decision," he growls. "It's who he is, you crazy bitch, and you'd do well to remember it."

"Oh, you did not just call me a bitch," Buffy hisses.

"S'what you are," Spike says smugly, and she slaps him- crack!- across the face before she gets up and stalks off back to her table.

Cordelia's shaking her head pityingly, and Buffy looks away from her friend to glare back at Spike. He's still smirking, those sparkling blue eyes glowing with mirth, and he's stroking the side of his face where she slapped him slowly, leisurely, almost-

She glares at him one last time and directs her eyes back to Angel. He's going to be hers someday, she knows. As long as she can get him alone, without his fashion-challenged boyfriend.

Although, she realizes, he probably won't let Angel go without a fight.

That's okay, she decides with renewed determination. She can handle him.

For Angel, she'll have to handle him.