A/N: Chapter Two. Yayyy! I hope you guys liked it. Well, prepare for more salty goodness, 'cuz this one's AWESOME! The other chapters are awesome, too, but this one is currently the coolest because I'm writing the A/N for it right now.

Nice Normal Semi-Holiday

Chapter Two

Sixteen Hours Later

Dawn sat on Buffy's bed, eating a chocolate-flavored Tootsie Pop. "So, have you decided what you're going to be yet?"

"What do you mean? Like, my major?"

"No, stupid." Dawn rolled her eyes. "For Halloween."

"Oh." Buffy folded a shirt and placed it in her pile. "I do know, actually. But I can't tell you what it is. It's a surprise."

"Does Riley know?"

"Nope. There is one person that knows, but you'll never guess who."

"Angel?"

"I'm not telling you a thing."

Dawn rolled her eyes and fell back on the bed, stealing that month's issue of Seventeen off Buffy's nightstand.

"Uh, no, I don't think so." Buffy grabbed it back and tossed it in the closet.

"What?"

"It's not appropriate. There's stuff about, you know, boys and stuff. You need to appreciate your youth and innocence and just, you know, hang out with your friends. Worry about boys in high school."

Dawn rolled her eyes again. "You know how overprotective you and Mom are, right? Janice's mom lets her watch - "

"I don't really care. Have you seen Janice lately?" Buffy shuddered. "Whenever she comes over, I'm just like, 'Someone put a shirt on that girl.' And, by the way, if you ever dress like that, Mom and I will beat you with a stick like a redheaded stepchild."

For the third time in the past two minutes, Dawn's eyes were at the ceiling. "You'd have to catch me. I'm a fast runner."

"I'm faster. You might be top of the playground ladder, but I'm the Slayer. There's no way you're faster than me. And if you are, I need to have my power checked."

"Anyway," Dawn said, "back to Halloween costumes. Can you go shopping with me tomorrow for my costume? I want to check PartyTown and Ethan's before I hit the department stores."

"Ethan's?"

"Mhm. It's back in business - not owned by Ethan Rayne; I already checked. The guy that runs it is just this nice old Chinese guy named Zackey."

"Oh. Cool."

"Yeah. And they have pretty good costumes, but Mom didn't give me any money until last night, so I need to go this weekend before all the good ones sell out."

"I'll check with Giles, but I think I can." Buffy agreed in a spurt of sisterly helpfulness. "I might need to bring Riley along - knowing him, he probably won't buy a costume unless I drag him by his you-know-whats to the store."

Dawn laughed. "You sure have a talent for picking guys like that, Buffy."

"I bet Parker dresses up."

The room suddenly got quiet and it felt as though the temperature dropped ten degrees until Dawn put on a cheerful smile (whether it was fake or not) and pointed out, "Hey. At least you know what he's gonna dress up as. For all you know, if you didn't pick his costume for him, Riley could show up as the second half of a couples' costume without knowing."

"Or, worse, he does the couple thing with another girl."

"Or possibly a guy, if he's gay."

Buffy smacked Dawn's head with the flip flop she was holding. Not hard; just enough to make Dawn shriek and say, "Eek! Leave me alone!"

*.*_-_*.*

"Margie, I can't believe ya actually took me seriously." Diana shook her head when she walked into the room and saw Meg reading a beat-up old copy of Anne of Green Gables.

"I've always been able to read!" Meg exclaimed. "I was a top reader in my class in sixth grade. I just, ya know, don't. Readin's kinda pointless, when ya think about it. I mean, ya spend so much time readin' something that you could watch on the TV in about an hour. It's a waste o' time."

"Well, what if it's not something that's been turned into a movie? Then what do you do?"

"Don't read it, I guess."

Diana shook her head. "I coulda brought Anna Jane along, ya know? I coulda brought Anne Jane or McKenzie. But I didn't. I picked you as my partner. Now, come here. Which o' these costumes do you like the best?"

Meg approached the desk, looking over the photographs of costumes that Diana had spread across the table. There was a bumblebee, a witch, Hannah Montana, and Daphne from Scooby Doo.

Meg pointed at the Daphne costume. "I want that one. It'll be funny. What're you gonna be?"

"Prob'ly Velma. I knew you'd pick Daphne, so I already ordered both of 'em. They'll be here by Monday."

"But ain't Monday after Halloween?"

Diana gave her a Look. "Um, no, Margaret. Halloween is next Sunday."

"It all happens then, right?"

"Yup. For once, sis, you're absolutely right."