Chapter II: The First Day of School


"You've gone over the schematics? Exits and entrances memorized? You know your escape routes?"

"Yes, mom," John said for what he could swear was the hundredth time today.

"And don't talk to anyone you don't have to. Don't draw attention to yourself. We have to stay-"

"Mom!" John protested from the back seat of the car. "It's a small town where if we try to go unnoticed, we'll just get noticed for that. We'll just keep our eyes open and look for a place to start the search."

"I can help with that," Cameron said from the front passenger seat.

"Do that," Sarah said as she pulled up to the front of the school. "Here you are at the mouth of Hell, as you put it. I didn't realize Terminators were religious."

"We're not."

John shared his mother's unease about Cameron's cryptic warnings about the school. She hadn't said more about the so called 'Hellmouth' other than that it existed. What she meant by it, John didn't know. "Doesn't look so bad."

"Looks can be deceiving, John. Look no further than right here," his mother said, gesturing to Cameron. "Just try to survive your first day, and we'll see where we go from there. Remember what happened last time you went to school."

"I'm not about to forget, mom. Mind if we get out now?"

Sarah sighed. "Sorry, John. It's the overprotective mom in me," she said with a small smile.

"I got that," he said, returning her smile. "See you later, mom," he said as he got out of the car.

Cameron opened her door and exited. "See you later, mom," she echoed.

Sarah looked murderous, but ignored the comment as it fit with their cover, and she drove off.

John looked around at the hustle and bustle of students in the bright sunlight. It seemed like a cheerful enough place. He began to walk forward, up the stairs towards the front entrance. "Well, here we are. Seems like that Light Brigade poem. Do you remember how that one goes, Cameron?"

"'Boldly they rode, and well,'" she quoted. "'Into the jaws of death, into the mouth of Hell, rode the six hundred.'"

"Yup. That's high school," John agreed.

"Excuse me, but could I have a moment?"

John turned to see a man with glasses, wearing tweed, looking at him and Cameron with something like curiosity. "Uh, sure," he said, casting an awkward glance at his protector. "What is it?"

"I just heard you quoting Tennyson, and I couldn't help but wonder what you meant by it?"

"High school is hell," Cameron said evenly as she observed the man. Her head titled slightly. "What else could I have meant?"

"N-nothing, of course. You are Buffy Summers, I take it?"

John was confused. "Who?"

"Cameron," his guardian said, extending her hand. "Cameron Baum."

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry. I'm Mr. Giles. I'm the new librarian," he said as he took Cameron's hand and shook it.

"We have a new librarian?" a new voice said. John looked to see a black-haired student about his age coming up. "Sorry to interrupt, but my best friend is crazy into the whole school thing. Will! Over here!" he called before turning back to face them. "Hey. Uh, sorry to interrupt. You guys new here?"

"We just moved here," John said. "I'm John, and this is my sister Cameron."

"All right! Nice to meet ya!" the boy said cheerfully. "I'm Xander. Need any help, can't find the bathroom, looking for ways to escape detention-"

The librarian, Giles, cleared his throat.

"And I'm getting into trouble before the bell has rung, aren't I? Sorry about that, Mister?"

"Giles," he said. "And you are familiar with detention?"

Xander shrugged. "I have this problem that keeps pestering me. Punctuality is my sworn enemy, you see. Oh, here you are, Will."

Will turned out to be a rather cute girl with long red hair who had a rather nerd-ish look about her. Still, she seemed rather happy. "Hey, Xander. What's up?" she asked cheerfully.

"New librarian. Thought you might be-"

"Wow! Hi! I'm Willow! It's great to meet you, sir! I'm really a big fan of reading. Reading books, that is. Educational books. Also a bit of fiction and an occasional magazine from time to time, but mostly books that teach things. Yeah, that's me. Big into learning."

John, Cameron, and Giles stood silent for a moment.

"And I have this tendency to babble a bit when I'm nervous. Oh. I must be nervous now. I'm sorry! I don't do well in social situations I guess."

"Hey, it's okay," John said. His heart went out to the shy girl. "I know what it's like to not really be there, socially. I'm John. Just moved here. And this is Cameron."

"His sister," she said stoically.

"Hey! Nice to meet you! Wow! This is weird. People are talking to me and not rejecting me. This is-"

"Easy, Willow," Xander said. "Breathe, Will."

"Okay. Breathing now," she said through panted breath.

"Well, Willow, I've yet to unload all of my personal collection from the trip over here, but I hope you'll find some educational volumes. I was a curator at the British Museum for a time, so I've accumulated quite the collection."

"Of what?" Cameron asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Collection of what?"

"Why, of educational texts, of course." A bell could be heard. "That's the warning bell. You'd best get to your home rooms. I do hope to see you all later in the library."

"Great! Sounds like fun!" Willow said, a bright smile lighting up her face. "So, do you guys need help finding your homeroom?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. It looks like Cameron and I are both in room 104."

"Hey! Same here! Xander, you too?"

"Yup! Takes more than an arbitrary computerized sorting process to keep us apart, Will."

"You're dating," Cameron said. It wasn't a question.

"What? Oh, no. No, not dating. I don't have a date," Willow said. "And certainly not Xander. Not that I don't like Xander. Just that you're my best friend. In a platonic sense that has nothing to do with anything else I might be thinking."

"You two do seem close," John said.

"We've been friends since we were about five," Xander said as he walked them into the building. "This way," he said as he led them down a hall. "So, what'd you think of our new British masterpiece, Cameron?" Xander said, raising his eyebrows a bit.

"He seems quiet," Cameron said, flashing a charming smile at Xander. John recognized it as the same flirtatious smile that she had used on him back in Red Valley. "But quiet isn't everything."

Xander snapped his fingers and smiled. "That's pretty awesome to hear. What with me not being the quietest individual and all."

"I noticed," Cameron replied.

"Now hold on there, you two. You can't be flirting just yet! You only just met a few minutes ago. Unless you didn't. Maybe you met months ago and there's been a covert affair going on behind my back. Not that it would be an affair since you wouldn't be cheating on anyone, Xander. But that's not because you're not charming and handsome and a good man and-"

"Calm down, Willow," John said with a laugh. "You're really funny, you know that?"

"I am? Really?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, you are. I think it's kinda cool how you list everything in detail very literally. Leaves no room for confusion."

"Heh. I never thought about it like that. Thanks!"

Xander wrapped either arm around Cameron and Willow. "I, personally, think that this year is off to a great start. This is gonna be one hell of a year."

As the four new friends turned into the classroom, Rupert Giles looked on from behind them. "You don't know how right you are."


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