Chapter 4

It had been an hour since Buffy had her first cocktail and she was now sitting at the bar with people she didn't even know drinking tequila shot's.

"Ill have five more please" She slurred. The bartender looked her up and down deciding whether or not to serve but from a distance he could see Angel nodding at him so he turned around, grabbed five small glasses with a red rocket painted on them and filled them up with tequila. Buffy took the first glass, picked it up, threw it in her mouth, slammed the glass down on the table and sucked on a lemon. The people beside her laughed and clapped as she did this. Angel was dancing with the red haired girl; he had had his eye on her for a few days now. The girl whispered something to him.

"Maybe another time" Angel told her looking over to Buffy. She couldn't stand with out gripping something to help her. It was perfect. To good to be true. If Buffy wasn't going to play the game then he had to get her some other way and his plan had already been set into action an hour ago. Cordelia waved as Riley entered the bronze.

"Hey" He shouted over the music.

"Hello" She replied looking him up and down. He was wearing a lemon top and jeans.

"Can I get you a drink?" Riley asked

"Sure get me something I'll like" Cordelia said. Riley walked towards the bar trying to think what she would like, as he got neared he saw Buffy falling off a bar stool. He ran over to lift her up. Her long blond hair was all knotted and one of the sleeves of her pink top was resting just below her shoulders but she still looked stunning.

"Wow. Steady on" Riley said trying to stop Buffy from falling to the left of him.

"Hey, aren't you in my school?" Buffy asked breaking every word up.

"Riley Finn" Riley stood Buffy up and smiled at her.

"I know who you are but you don't know who I am and that's the problem with you popular people. You all think you're too good to hang around with us people who don't own car's or look as good or have designer clothes." Buffy was poking Riley in the chest as she was talking.

"I think you've had a bit much to drink ..."

"Buffy. My name is Buffy, Buffy Summers" Buffy stumbled but caught herself on the bar.

"Well it's nice to meet you Buffy Summers. Do you want to go sit down or something?" Riley asked noticing Buffy couldn't even stand straight. Buffy furiously shook her head and cupped her hand and brought it do her mouth. Riley laughed "Another drink?" Buffy nodded "I don't think so somehow. Who's bought you all these drinks?"

"Angel" Riley looked to Angel who was still dancing with the red haired, well dancing was a loose term she was practically straddling him. Riley wondered to himself why Angel was putting so much effort into this girl. She wasn't popular, she wasn't rich, and she didn't seem like a slut. So what was it? Buffy saw the confusion on his face "I think he wants to get me drunk and take advantage of me. What a twat. I always said he was a twat but my friend yeah? Willow, well he rang her yeah and was asking her all this stuff about me and I don't know why"

"You can't go home in that state. Why don't you stay at mine tonight?" Riley smiled to himself. He was so pleased; he was going to make sure that everything Angel had he had first.

"Go home with you?" Buffy might have been really drunk but she still knew what people where like and she knew exactly what Riley was like. Truth was she preferred Angel to Riley and that was saying something.

"Why not? There is no way you can go home like that and my parents wont be back tonight" Buffy made a face "I have a spare room you can stay in there, nothing will happen"

"I don't know. You might not have known who I am but boy; I know exactly who you are and what your like"

"Look if you want to go home like that and get grounded or what ever then fine by me, I'm offering you a way out, it's up to you" Buffy skipped past Riley. "Where are you going?" He asked

"I thought we were going back to your place?"

"Let me say goodbye to my friends then. Stay here" Riley pulled Buffy towards the chair's and sat her down then walked over to where Cordelia was dancing with Anya.

"Where's my drink?" Cordelia asked annoyed.

"Uh... Look, I'm really sorry but one of my mates has had a bit to much to drink and I have to take them home" Riley scratched his head. Cordelia was really trying to hide how annoyed she was but when she saw Buffy rolling off the chair she realised who the drunken friend was. It was the same girl Angel was speaking to earlier.

"Cant someone else take her home?" Cordelia was making it obvious that she didn't care what happened to Buffy and she put Riley in a very difficult position but he knew what he had to do.

"I'm sorry I really am. When I came here and saw you I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get to know you better and I really am sad to go so early without buying you a drink or anything so I was wondering if you would like to go for dinner sometime. Someplace quieter. Just you and me?" Cordelia's face lit up and she had suddenly forgotten all about Angel, Harmony and Buffy.

"Sure, I think that will be good. Call me?"

"Yeah" Riley was just going to walk back to the beautiful blond when Cordelia spoke again.

"I don't go to anywhere that do anything more then a hundred calories and no carbs either" Riley looked at her like she was mad but thought it would be easier if he just agreed, so he nodded his head and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before walking back to Buffy. Xander looked around for Buffy to see if she was alright but couldn't find her.

"Where's Buffy?" He asked Willow. Willow was sick of hearing about Buffy so just sighed and pointed to where she was laying.

"Look at the state of her. I bet that was his plan, to get her drunk and when she's drunk he would take what he wanted. Hey what's he doing?" Xander noticed Riley walking over to her so he instantly got up and power walked to where they were talking. "Are you alright Buff?" He asked

"Xander!" Buffy jumped on him.

"Where are you going?" Riley stood there waiting to go, a bit annoyed that someone he didn't even know was getting involved

"This young man by here is taking me home to look after me" Buffy said. Xander looked at Riley suspiciously, he had an idea of what Riley meant by looking after.

"Finn, what are you doing?" Angel had now come over to see what was going on. Riley had one arm around Buffy's waist and the other around her shoulder trying to keep her up.

"I'm taking her home, she's had to much to drink and we all know what your like with the girls that go home with you" Riley replied.

"Better then you are." Angel snarled back.

"Look none of you are taking her home, she's coming back with me" Xander took charge and snatched Buffy from Riley meanwhile Willow came behind Angel.

"I thought you actually liked her. My opinion of you had changed completely but I know now that your just the same, you only have one interest. Come on Buffy your coming home with us" Willow said pulling Xander to the exit. Angel looked really angry at Riley but he didn't care, Angel didn't have her so he was happy and now he could go back to Cordelia. The bronze door opened and Buffy was taking a load of gibberish to Xander, he just looked at her laughing, him and Willow.

"You don't get it though. I love you so much" Buffy said to Xander. His eyes widened and eh was about to lean in to kiss her when she carried on. "Your like one of the girls" Xander back away a bit, his eyes saddened. Willow almost felt a little sad for him, she knew what it was like someone saying that, countless times he had said it to her and every time she felt like he did. But on the other hand he finally knew how she felt. "I need a piss!" Buffy shouted waving her arms. Xander let go of her and she ran to an alley.

"Don't take it personally look at the state of her for gods sake" Willow rubbed Xander's arm up and down

"That's all she thinks of me as. I saved her from doing anything stupid tonight and I realise that's al she will ever think of me as. One of the girls. Xander Harris just one of the girls"

"Yeah and Willow Rosenberg just one of the boys" Willow said under her breath, loud enough for Xander to hear but quiet enough for him not to understand what she had said.

"What was that?" Xander asked distractively. He was trying to decide whether or not to go check on Buffy; she was gone for about five minuets

"Nothing" Willow suddenly said. Buffy came back skipping to where her friends stood.

"I want to get something to eat come on"

"Buff its gone midnight, we have to get you back to Will's"

"I don't want to go back with Willow. I want to have some fun." Xander tried to grab Buffy's arm but she pushed him away. "Get off me! I don't want to go back with you"

"You have to. Your Mom's going to freak if she finds out you've been drinking." Willow was trying to reason with Buffy.

"My Mom knows?" Buffy clasped her hand to her mouth. "No! My Mom can't know!"

"Well you have to come back to mine." Buffy nodded and marched down the alley she went down before with Xander running after her and pointing her into a different direction

"This way he laughed"