Chapter 2
THE BRONZE
Buffy weaved her way through the dancing people with two lattes in her hand. After relocating her booth, she put the coffee down on the table and sat down heavily. She felt tired even though she has hardly needed to fight in the last week, tonight was no different, for the past three hours she had been on patrol, still nothing. Plus she hasn't seen Angel in almost just as long; she was starting to miss him.
"Hey Buffy, why the long face?" Xander asked as he came bouncing up to her in time with the music, an up beat techno rock band was on stage tonight.
"Nothing Xander, here, sit with me, you can have my latte if you want."
Sitting down next to her, Xander picked up the latte and looked over at her. The goofy grin slipped from his face as he saw just how tired she looked. "Hey, are you ill?" he asked, concerned. Buffy managed a weak smile but felt too drained to speak.
"Here," Xander said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her. "I'll walk you home." He stood up, gesturing for Buffy to do the same.
"No, I'm fine really," she protested feebly, but did not object as he guided her towards the exit. Not more than two blocks away from the Bronze, they ran into Angel.
"Buffy," he said by way of greeting, "I've been keeping an eye out for you, on the town, I mean. You look tired, you should get some rest."
"Well Dead Boy, for your information, I was just taking her home," Xander cut in snidely, peeved at Angel for ignoring him. Why should Angel get the credit for suggesting some thing he has already put into action?
Angel turned his dark, brooding glance onto Xander. "Don't let me stop you." To Buffy he said in a kind, gentle tone; "Things are quiet now, so don't worry." But still Buffy worried. Why exactly was it so quiet? Where are all the vampires? Any other person would probably be feeling glad but she knew that evil is never dead, she knew from experience and now, her experience told her that evil is just waiting, waiting for something big…
SUMMERS RESIDENCE
"Buffy!" Joyce Summers looked very surprised, "You're home early! It's barely half nine!" Her gaze fell onto Xander, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Oh hello Xander." She gestured for him to come in.
"Hi Mrs Summers." He remained on the doorway, indicating that he won't be staying long.
"Hi mom, don't worry about me, I'll just do upstairs and do some homework. Bye Xander." Xander turned and left whist Buffy shuffled up the stairs towards her room. Straight away she collapsed on the bed and into a deep sleep, the first proper sleep she's had in about three weeks.
Her door opened slightly ajar, Joyce looked inside and was very surprised to see her daughter asleep. She tucked the sheets up to her chin and kissed her on the forehead like she used to when Buffy was still small.
NEXT MORNING
Buffy woke up refreshed. Singing, she poured herself some OJ. Her mother smiled at her from behind a newspaper. "Hi honey, sleep well?"
"Yep! And ready to face another day."
Joyce felt a heavy weight lifted from her heart.
"I'm off mum, don't wait up." Practically skipping, Buffy went to school to find the whole place in action. People everywhere putting up streamers and posters. At a closer look, she could see that it was for the homecoming dance. By the trophy cabinet hung a large poster of Cordelia, her perfect teeth framed by a wide friendly smile.
At that moment, Cordelia herself entered into view, pointing and ordering about five juniors holding yet more posters. "Oh hi Buffy, phase one of my campaign… but if I want to be voted, I can't be seen to be hanging out with you," flashing her a smile, Cordelia walked off once more.
"Harsh," came a quiet voice from behind her. Buffy turned round and saw Oz standing there, looking at her sympathetically. Miraculously, today, his hair was a bright electric blue.
"Morning Oz," Buffy greeted him, determined not to let Cordelia the renewed bitch ruin her perkiness. Together, they headed towards the Quad where Willow and Xander were already seated.
"Homecoming," Willow said to them, pulling a face at the decorated walls all around them, even in the courtyard, there were streamers and balloons and posters.
"The music should be good, whoever it is, the school usually makes a big deal over the Homecoming dance," Oz noted, trying to cheer her up. Xander looked up suddenly from the snack bar he's been munching.
"Didn't you get the slot?" he asked. Right on cue, Devon, the Dingoes' lead singer sauntered into view.
"Hey Oz, we need to talk."
Oz nodded and turned to face Devon. "Yeah?"
"Dude, I know how much you wanted that slot at the dance…"
"Yeah?"
"Well, they got some big shot band to do that instead. I'm sorry man, I did everything I could."
Oz shrugged, "It's ok, no big."
"So we cool?"
"Sure. I wonder who is playing though…"
LIBRARY, END OF LUNCH
"Giles!" Xander called as he and the rest of the Scooby Gang entered the normally dimly lit, dull room, now covered in posters. He heard some muttering from the office.
"What have they done?" it was distinctively Giles' voice; it was obvious from the accent.
"Giles, what's up my man?"
"Posters!" Giles gasped, pointing wildly at the posters adorning the library walls.
"Yeah, I know, it'll be over soon, the dance is in three days, after that, it'll all go away." He snapped his fingers, "Just like that."
"Thank God for that," Giles sighed, emerging at last from his office but still looking disgusted at the posters.
"Wow, hey, check this out," Oz called from the other side of the room, standing in front of a large black poster nearly lost in the sea of colour around it. "It's the band that's playing at the dance," he explained, stepping aside for the others to see the poster.
It was large, with a long stemmed red rose in the middle of a black background. The letters 'AFI' were printed under the rose in swirly Italic script. Oz, amazingly enough, was on the verge of looking excited.
"Wow," was all he could manage to say. Willow looked slightly confused, as was Buffy, Xander and Giles. The others noticed that his normally pale skin was flushed; obviously, this was a big deal to him. Without saying another word and looking just a little dazed, he walked over to Willow.
"Oz?" she inquired.
"You'll see," was his reply.
THE BRONZE
Buffy weaved her way through the dancing people with two lattes in her hand. After relocating her booth, she put the coffee down on the table and sat down heavily. She felt tired even though she has hardly needed to fight in the last week, tonight was no different, for the past three hours she had been on patrol, still nothing. Plus she hasn't seen Angel in almost just as long; she was starting to miss him.
"Hey Buffy, why the long face?" Xander asked as he came bouncing up to her in time with the music, an up beat techno rock band was on stage tonight.
"Nothing Xander, here, sit with me, you can have my latte if you want."
Sitting down next to her, Xander picked up the latte and looked over at her. The goofy grin slipped from his face as he saw just how tired she looked. "Hey, are you ill?" he asked, concerned. Buffy managed a weak smile but felt too drained to speak.
"Here," Xander said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her. "I'll walk you home." He stood up, gesturing for Buffy to do the same.
"No, I'm fine really," she protested feebly, but did not object as he guided her towards the exit. Not more than two blocks away from the Bronze, they ran into Angel.
"Buffy," he said by way of greeting, "I've been keeping an eye out for you, on the town, I mean. You look tired, you should get some rest."
"Well Dead Boy, for your information, I was just taking her home," Xander cut in snidely, peeved at Angel for ignoring him. Why should Angel get the credit for suggesting some thing he has already put into action?
Angel turned his dark, brooding glance onto Xander. "Don't let me stop you." To Buffy he said in a kind, gentle tone; "Things are quiet now, so don't worry." But still Buffy worried. Why exactly was it so quiet? Where are all the vampires? Any other person would probably be feeling glad but she knew that evil is never dead, she knew from experience and now, her experience told her that evil is just waiting, waiting for something big…
SUMMERS RESIDENCE
"Buffy!" Joyce Summers looked very surprised, "You're home early! It's barely half nine!" Her gaze fell onto Xander, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Oh hello Xander." She gestured for him to come in.
"Hi Mrs Summers." He remained on the doorway, indicating that he won't be staying long.
"Hi mom, don't worry about me, I'll just do upstairs and do some homework. Bye Xander." Xander turned and left whist Buffy shuffled up the stairs towards her room. Straight away she collapsed on the bed and into a deep sleep, the first proper sleep she's had in about three weeks.
Her door opened slightly ajar, Joyce looked inside and was very surprised to see her daughter asleep. She tucked the sheets up to her chin and kissed her on the forehead like she used to when Buffy was still small.
NEXT MORNING
Buffy woke up refreshed. Singing, she poured herself some OJ. Her mother smiled at her from behind a newspaper. "Hi honey, sleep well?"
"Yep! And ready to face another day."
Joyce felt a heavy weight lifted from her heart.
"I'm off mum, don't wait up." Practically skipping, Buffy went to school to find the whole place in action. People everywhere putting up streamers and posters. At a closer look, she could see that it was for the homecoming dance. By the trophy cabinet hung a large poster of Cordelia, her perfect teeth framed by a wide friendly smile.
At that moment, Cordelia herself entered into view, pointing and ordering about five juniors holding yet more posters. "Oh hi Buffy, phase one of my campaign… but if I want to be voted, I can't be seen to be hanging out with you," flashing her a smile, Cordelia walked off once more.
"Harsh," came a quiet voice from behind her. Buffy turned round and saw Oz standing there, looking at her sympathetically. Miraculously, today, his hair was a bright electric blue.
"Morning Oz," Buffy greeted him, determined not to let Cordelia the renewed bitch ruin her perkiness. Together, they headed towards the Quad where Willow and Xander were already seated.
"Homecoming," Willow said to them, pulling a face at the decorated walls all around them, even in the courtyard, there were streamers and balloons and posters.
"The music should be good, whoever it is, the school usually makes a big deal over the Homecoming dance," Oz noted, trying to cheer her up. Xander looked up suddenly from the snack bar he's been munching.
"Didn't you get the slot?" he asked. Right on cue, Devon, the Dingoes' lead singer sauntered into view.
"Hey Oz, we need to talk."
Oz nodded and turned to face Devon. "Yeah?"
"Dude, I know how much you wanted that slot at the dance…"
"Yeah?"
"Well, they got some big shot band to do that instead. I'm sorry man, I did everything I could."
Oz shrugged, "It's ok, no big."
"So we cool?"
"Sure. I wonder who is playing though…"
LIBRARY, END OF LUNCH
"Giles!" Xander called as he and the rest of the Scooby Gang entered the normally dimly lit, dull room, now covered in posters. He heard some muttering from the office.
"What have they done?" it was distinctively Giles' voice; it was obvious from the accent.
"Giles, what's up my man?"
"Posters!" Giles gasped, pointing wildly at the posters adorning the library walls.
"Yeah, I know, it'll be over soon, the dance is in three days, after that, it'll all go away." He snapped his fingers, "Just like that."
"Thank God for that," Giles sighed, emerging at last from his office but still looking disgusted at the posters.
"Wow, hey, check this out," Oz called from the other side of the room, standing in front of a large black poster nearly lost in the sea of colour around it. "It's the band that's playing at the dance," he explained, stepping aside for the others to see the poster.
It was large, with a long stemmed red rose in the middle of a black background. The letters 'AFI' were printed under the rose in swirly Italic script. Oz, amazingly enough, was on the verge of looking excited.
"Wow," was all he could manage to say. Willow looked slightly confused, as was Buffy, Xander and Giles. The others noticed that his normally pale skin was flushed; obviously, this was a big deal to him. Without saying another word and looking just a little dazed, he walked over to Willow.
"Oz?" she inquired.
"You'll see," was his reply.
