After finally completing the venture into the great outdoors, Spike had to set about finding something to eat. He was actually starting to feel sick from hunger and didn't want to start school with a loudly rumbling stomach as well as looking like he'd lost a fist fight with Mike Tyson.
As he walked along the familiar street that hadn't changed, save for a couple of older paint jobs and signs, he found a $10 note stuffed into the small pocket in his jeans. He obviously hadn't done a thorough search earlier before concluding that he was stranded with nothing. Then again, how long was $10 going to let him live for? One day? Perhaps two if he bought cheap food and rationed. All thoughts of rationing flew out of Spike's mind as approached a bakery.
"I'm so having one of those..." The has-been vampire sighed in pleasure whilst nearly drooling over a slice of cake.
The trip into the bakery store earned him a semi-full stomach and a glance at the time after squinting at it for a quite a while. Whist trying to fathom out the time, he was subsequently holding up the queue and an eldery lady finally nudging him with her shopping trolly to hint he should move. It was just under an hour before school started, but he didn't fancy like heading back to the crypt, or even the cemetary for that matter. It'd be easier to just go to the school now. Spike didn't even want to consider being late - talk about bad impressions.
The school had always been fairly close to his crypt, but there hadn't been much point in going there. Besides, it wasn't exactly standing for a long period of time.
He was more than a little concerned about what to do when he got to the school, as he had no schedule. He wasn't even sure if there was any story told to the Principal as to why he was starting this far into the school year. Hopefully he hadn't been labelled a rebel already. Not like Buffy, burning down a school gym to get transferred.
It was all well and good being thrust back in time to spend high school years with Buffy and the gang, but what if they didn't like him? He sure knew that Xander hadn't liked him even when working alongside the scoobies, so what would be different now? He had to think of a game plan: ways to make Buffy interested in him, ways to win Xander over. Maybe they could become good friends by talking construction? Maybe Xander didn't even like wearing a hard-hat right now. What would he do if Spike told him he'd be working on a construction site for the rest of his days? What if he told him about how he left Anya at the alter? What if he told Willow that she nearly destroyed the world with her magic? The answer was a simple one. He wouldn't be believed, obviously.
Everybody would think him stark raving mad if he said the school was going to be blown up and that a future principal called Synder would be eaten by a giant monster of sorts. If Spike were to tell Buffy that years ahead she would be having sex with him on a nightly basis, he'd be staked for sure, regardless of his human state!
Again, Spike had to remind himself to stop thinking and get walking. The school bell indicating the start of the day was fast approaching.
When the peroxide blonde set his heart to it, it took barely ten minutes to reach the school gates.
As he had walked, there were so many thoughts flashing through his mind that he had trouble controlling them all. The dominating thought of the moment seemed to be a certain Mr. tall dark and forehead. Spike was thinking about how he had the potential to prevent Buffy from falling in love with him only to get hurt. But, then again, if Angel put up a fight then Spike would be nothing short of doomed. There were still demons, vampires, ghosts... all of the bad guys, in this world, he just wasn't one of them anymore. He was going to miss the ability to kick anybody's butt who he so pleases. Anybody except for humans of course.
As Spike started to walk across a path which seemingly let to the main school block, a car caught his eye. Inside were two familiar people. Very familiar people. Luckily he was within close range, otherwise his eyesight would have failed him completely.
"Joyce and Buffy..." he whispered to himself, turning around to head back towards them. As he turned, his body collided with another.
"Ow! Watch where you're going!" A girl with blonde hair shreiked.
Spike stood dumbfounded for a minute, frozen in both suprise and a certain degree of fear. "Harmony?"
"Just because you know my name, bleach boy, doesn't mean you can walk into me." The girl said, turning to her friends and giggling. "Move out of my way."
Having no desire for the girl to touch him in any way, Spike stepped aside, even extending his arms in a 'walk this way' gesture. She looked at him in disgust but he chuckled anyway. Now, back to Buffy and her mom...
By the time he turned around, the car had just pulled away, but Buffy was still standing where she had climbed out. As Spike had moved to allow Harmony and her harem past, he was now a slight distance away from Buffy and couldn't quite see what she looked like. From guesses and the quick glance from the car, he knew there wouldn't be many differences. At least he could see that her hair was still long and the same blonde that he'd loved running his fingers through. She soon started walking her way up a small flight of steps, and Spike made to follow. As he stepped forward, he once again collided with somebody; just catching their arm.
"Woah, woah, woah!" The guy exclaimed, nearly toppling over on the skateboard he was riding. "Sorry!"
Then he noticed it was Xander. Then he noticed him watching Buffy. In a not-so-friendly way. He kind of looked like he thought she was hot, actually. Spike considered going over and telling him to back off (though the action would be completely unjustified), when Xander slammed into a railing and did actually fall over. Spike considered just bursting out into laughter and perhaps kicking the fallen guy for good measures, but then he remembered that it wouldn't do him any favours in getting into Buffy's good books.
"Careful, mate." Spike chuckled, reaching down to offer the fallen man his hand.
"I was just looking at..." Xander looked back up and noticed the blonde girl had disappeard. He took the tall guy's hand and grunted slightly as he was hauled to his feet. "Never mind. Thanks."
"No problem. Don't make a habit of it though, you'll probably get trampled next time."
"You're, um, English." Xander observed, picking the skateboard up.
Spike nodded and gestured to the school building. "That I am. I've gotta head off though, see you 'round."
Just as Spike left, the bell went. Perfect timing.
