Chapter Three
The Witch
*Narcissa POV*
I sat in the library touching up my make-up and listening amused as Giles ranted
"This is madness! What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer! Lives depend upon you!" he began to pace "I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and
instead of which you enslave yourself to this, this..." he stopped pacing "Cult?" I looked up at Buffy who was wearing the school cheerleading uniform
"You don't like the colour?" she asked pouting, holding up the pompoms
"I d..." he sighed in exasperation "Do you, um..." Giles put some books on a cart "Do you ignore everything I say as a, as a rule?"
"No, I believe that's your trick."
Giles pushed the cart to the counter. Buffy skipped in front of him and posed.
"I told you, I'm trying out for the cheerleading squad!" she smiled brightly, making me roll my eyes, I hated cheerleading...although the outfits are pretty sexy...depending on the outfit of course.
"You have a sacred birthright, Buffy. You were chosen to destroy vampires, not to... wave pompoms at people. And as the Watcher I forbid it." Giles walked back over to me and I winked at him making him flush, he's been flushing more since our encounter in the library two weeks ago
"And you'll be stopping me how?" Buffy asked smirking
"Well, I..." he sat on table beside me and crossed his arms "By appealing to your common sense, if such a creature exists." I giggled, earning a dirty look from Buffy
"I will still have time to fight the forces of evil, okay? I just wanna have a life, I wanna do something normal. Something safe." Buffy told him.
She turned and left presumably going to the tryouts.
I looked at Giles and smiled
"Well, I should get going as well" I put my make-up away and stood up facing him "I don't want to miss this" I bit my lip cutely and walked to the doors. I looked back at my handsome librarian and blew him a kiss making him look down shyly. I giggled and left meeting up with the others outside the gym.
Buffy, Willow, Xander and I walked through the door to the gym.
"Giles didn't approve, huh?" Willow asked sympathetically
"He totally lost his water. We haven't seen a vampire in over a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend if he wasn't so old." Buffy said
"He's not old" I glared "He's experienced." I smirked to myself "And I would just love to find out just how experienced he is"
Buffy looked at me disgusted while Willow blushed brightly as she always did whenever I talked about things of a sexual nature
"Well, we're behind you." Willow told Buffy going back to our conversion "People scoff at things like school spirit, but look at these girls giving their all like this!" Xander noticed Amber doing the splits between two chairs and started to door a little "Ooo, stretchy! Where was I?"
"You were pretending that seeing scantily clad girls in revealing postures was a spiritual experience." Willow looked slightly saddened by Xander's gaze
"Who said I was pretending?" he turned to Buffy "Oh, hey! Here's a good luck thing for tryouts." he handed her a bracelet
"What's this?" Buffy took it with a kind smile
"What's that?" Willow asked worried
"Aww, how sweet!" Buffy read the inscription "'Yours Always.'"
Willow and I looked at Xander with completely different looks. Willow's gaze was sad, but mine was filled with amusement and anger for Willow
"I-i-it came that way, really, they all said that!" Xander flushed I heard Willow exhale with relief beside me and frowned, she should really find someone else who will pay her the attention she needs
"Just look at that Amber." sneered Cordelia who had just walked up "Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"
"I heard she turned them down." I said smirking Joy, the cheerleading squad leader, stepped up with her clipboard and called for everyone's attention. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with" Joy checked her list "Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."
Willow looked past us "Amy! Hi!" she chirped
We turned to a blonde girl;Amy walking towards us. Amy was really shy, but she was a good friend
"Hi!" Amy waved nervously
"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader! You lost a lot of weight." Willow told her
"Had to." Amy's eyes shifted to he feet making me look at her with pity. I must suck ass to have a mother like hers.
"Do you know Buffy?" Willow introduced
"Hi." Amy looked at Buffy
"Hi." Buffy smiled
Amy turned back to the try out "Oh, how I hate this, let me count the ways."
Amber began her routine. It was very athletic. She started off with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. Once she landed, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides are then followed by a single spin. Everyone in the gym was intent on watching her. "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy." Amy whispered to Buffy
"They have cheerleading coaches?" Buffy's eyes widened
"Oh, yeah! Don't you have? I train with my mom, three hours in the morning, three at night." Amy boasted slightly
"Hmm, that much quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide."
"Oh, I know it's hokey. But she's really great." Amy smiled but I could see through it. Cordelia turned her back to Amber with a look of contempt on her face.
"Hmm!" she huffed
Buffy and Xander watched Amber in amazement. Amy and Willow were impressed, too. I just looked bored, but my expression changed when Amber's hands began to smoke.
"What the...?" Buffy started
"That girl's on fire!" Willow exclaimed
"Enough of the hyperbole!" Cordelia who was still facing away snarled Amber's hands caught fire, she dropped her pompoms and screamed. I gaped at Amber while Buffy jumped onto the stands and pulled down a banner before jumping back down and rushing over to Amber who was flailing her arms in the air. Buffy knocked Amber over and patted her down with the banner while the rest of us sat in shock
"It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... okay." we heard Buffy try to comfort Amber who was now whimpering loudly "God!" Buffy whispered to herself
*TWTW*
*Narcissa POV*
We sat in the library, Buffy was pacing while Willow, Xander and I sat at the study table
"I've been slaying vampires for more than a year now, and I have seen some pretty cringeworthy things, but... nobody's hands ever got toasted before." Buffy said
"I imagine not." Giles said coming out of the cage
"So, this isn't a vampire problem." Buffy stated folding her arms
"No."
"But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?" Buffy asked
"Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is, is rare, and, and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes." Giles explained
"That's all that would have been left if it hadn't been for Buffy." Willow said
"So, we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort." Xander said sarcastically
"But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth!" Giles at on table beside me "There's a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage." we all looked at him "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."
"Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?" Buffy asked
"Uh, rage. In most cases the person who combusted was, was terribly angry or, or upset." Giles said
"So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire. It's like the human torch, only it hurts." Xander said
"That would mean she was a witch" I said making them look at me. I rolled my eyes "Come on guys, a girl catches fire during cheerleading tryouts. Use your brains!"
Buffy thought for a moment before speaking
"I need to get the skinny on Amber. Find out if she's had any colourful episodes before." she turned to leave
"That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system. At last, something I can do!" Willow grinned excitedly
She and Xander got up and walked over to Buffy.
"I'll ask around about her." Xander nodded
"You guys don't have to get involved." Buffy said
"What d'ya mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?" Xander asked
"Yeah! You're the Slayer, and we're, like, the Slayerettes!" Willow smiled
"Speak for yourself" I scoffed while I played with my hair
"I just don't like putting you guys in danger." Buffy ignored me and spoke to Xander and Willow
"Oh, huh, I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away." Xander joked causing me to snort
"Okay, just walk softly, at least until we know a little more. I mean, what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?" Buffy asked
"Well, then we have to determine who or what did, and, uh, deal with it accordingly." Giles told us.
I sat on the counter in the kitchen later that evening, telling my parents what had happened
"I just don't understand" I groaned as dad cooked and mom set the table
"Why couldn't I sense another witch before?"
"Sweetie" Mom began "You know that your powers are blocked. I mean how many times has some of your powers stopped working. This will keep happening until you hit 18"
"It sucks!" I exclaimed getting off the counter to get some drinks "I have all these powers and some of them I can't use properly"
"Honey, every pureblooded witch or warlock goes through what you do at your age...with the exception of the many powers you have."
"Why can't I tell them the truth?" I whispered "I had to lie to them. All of them!"
"Baby, our kind are hunted down for our natural powers" dad said soothingly "Slayers have cut down our kind as if we were nothing but demons"
"Giles, her Watcher isn't like that" I told them
"Sweetie, let it go. No one can know that we are Purebloods" Mom stroked my hair as I nodded quietly. As much as I hate lying to my friends, mom and dad are right, I can't risk my family. I smiled at my parents and we sat down to eat.
*TWTW*
I walked through the hallways with Willow, hugging my school books to my chest and my heels clicking on the floor. While Buffy was in cheerleading tryouts I spent the time in the Library teasing Giles as normal. It's fun watching him try not to stare at my bare legs, he is a gentleman though. He would never act on his desires despite any feelings he may feel for me.
"So, what did you get up to last night?" Willow asked as we walked along
"Nothing much" I lied "Hung out with my parents and..." I trailed off as Willow looked at me
"And what?" she asked
"I got a call from a certain guy" I smirked as Willow squealed. I had been on and off with this college guy for a few months. It didn't mean anything it was just sex, but Willow seems to think we're in love or something. She's so cute and naive. "Justin called you!?" Willow clapped her hands
"Calm Down" I laughed "I'm not getting back with him, we were never together it was just...sex" I shrugged and giggled when Willow turned red.
"Hey there's Buffy and Amy" I said as I spotted the two talking near the awards cabinet
"Hey, Amy!" Willow smiled, but It vanished as Amy stormed away "Is she okay?" she asked Buffy who looked concerned "No, she's, she's wiggin' about her mom, big cheer queen back when." Buffy said
"Yeah, her mom's kinda..."
"...Nazi like?" Willow nodded
"Heil. If she gains an ounce she padlocks the fridge and won't eat anything but broth." Willow said
"So, mommy dearest is really... Mommy Dearest?"
"You have no idea" I said "Her mom freaks me out"
"There's a bitter streak. But Amy's nice. We used to hang in Junior High. When her mom would go on a broth kick, Amy'd come over to my house and we'd stuff ourselves with brownies!" Willow grinned as we started to walk down the hall.
"Hey, any word on Amber?" Buffy asked
"Nothing thrilling. Average student. Got detention once, for smoking. Regular smoking... with a cigarette, not, like, being smoky."
"Hmm."
"All pretty normal."
"So we just have to wait and we'll see what happens. Maybe nothing will." Buffy shrugged
Willow, Xander and I walked along the halls outside.
"I told Buffy about Amber." Willow told Xander
"Cool! Was she wearin' it? The bracelet, she was wearin' it, right? Pretty much like we're goin' out." Xander rambled with a large grin
"Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it." Willow said
"And without sex" I giggled as both of them blushed and stuttered
"So I'm just a figure of fun." Xander exhaled "I should ask her out, right?"
"You won't know till you ask." Willow told him
"So that's never right" I smirked as Xander glared at me "What? You know it's true. You'll never ask" Ignoring me Xander turned back to Willow
"That's why you're so cool! You're like a guy! You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff!"
"Oh, great. I'm a guy." Willow sighed disappointed so I rubbed her shoulder looking at her with sympathy
"Oh, hey, they're posting the list!" Xander exclaimed before he ran off to see who made cheerleader.
Buffy and Amy stood at the back of the crowned surrounding Joy who was putting up the list. The watched with pity as a girl ran passed them in tears because she didn't make it
"I can't take this." Amy said worried Joy stepped away from the bulletin board and Lishanne stepped up and found her name on the list.
"Yes!" she squealed before she walked away. Xander came up behind Buffy and Amy as Willow and I stayed behind
"Cover me, I'm goin' in." he said as he pushed his way through the crowd to look at the list. Willow and I stood beside Buffy and Amy as Cordelia approached us
"You're lucky!" she told Amy who looked shocked
"I made it?" Amy asked stunned
"I made it!" Cordelia smirked smugly as Xander came back, I laughed as a girl hit him
"One of those girls hit me really hard! You should test for steroids." he turned to Buffy and Amy "Okay, not only did you make the team, but you, Miss Summers, are the first alternate, and Amy's number three." he grinned as Willow and I shook our heads at Xander's stupidity. Amy looked at Buffy disappointed before she left
"And what a better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive through..." Xander trailed off looking at our facial expressions
"Xander, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team, they only fill in if something happens to the ones who did." Willow explained
"Excuse me." Buffy said before she left probably to console Amy
"For I am Xander, King of Cretins. May all lesser cretins bow before me." Xander shook his head at himself as I patted his shoulder and we walked away.
Unknown Place. After School.
There was a bubbling cauldron and some personal items on the table. An unknown figure stirred the cauldron
"Give me the power. Give me the dark." the figure said before they walked to get a doll from the rack "I call on you, the laughing gods." she yanked one of the dolls off of the rack "Let your blackness crawl beneath my skin." she wrapped Cordelia's scrunchie around the dolls head "Accept thy sacrifice... of Cordelia. Feed on her." they finished as they dropped the doll into the brew
*TWTW*
I was standing in the corridor with Xander an Willow the next day when Cordelia walked past us in some kind of daze.
"Cordelia, you haven't been mean to me all day. Is it something I've done?" Xander turned to Willow "Okay, see how she has no clue that I'm even a mammal, much less a human being?"
Willow took the pen out of her mouth "I see that."
Xander nodded "This is the invisible man syndrome. A blessing in Cordelia's case. A curse in Buffy's." Willow and I closed our lockers
"You're not invisible to Buffy." Willow said as she chewed on her pen
"He kind of is" I said as we walked down the hall
"It's worse! I'm just like a part of the scenery, like an old shoe. Or a rug that you walk on every day but don't even really see it-" Xander ranted
Willow took the en out of her mouth "-Like a pen that's all chewed up, and you know you should throw it away, but you don't, not 'cause you like it so much, more 'cause you're just used to-"
"Will, yeah, that is the point, you don't have to drive it through my head like a rail road spike. I'm gonna take your advice and not beat around the bush."
"Or I could be wrong! Maybe you should beat around the bush more." Willow said quickly making me shake my head
"Nah, I gotta be a man and ask her out. Y'know, I gotta stop giving her ID bracelets, uh, subtle innuendoes, taking Polaroids outside of her bedroom window late at night, that last part is a joke to relieve the tension because here she comes." Xander nodded towards were Buffy was leaving her classroom and making her way towards us. "Okay, into battle I go." he turned to us in a panic "Would you ask her out for me?" he gripped our shoulders, startling both of us before he pulled himself together.
I looked over at Cordelia and frowned when I saw her struggling with a locker that I'm pretty sure wasn't hers.
"No. Man." Xander let us go "Me battle." he turned to Buffy "Buffy! Would you like to, uh..." I smirked when Xander stuttered
"Is that even Cordelia's locker?" Buffy asked pointing over her shoulder at Cordelia who gave up on the locker and wandered down the hall, keeping her hand on the lockers "Huh? Oh, I don't know. What I'm saying is accompany me Friday night..." I looked at Xander with sympathy when I noticed that Buffy was too busy watching Cordelia to listen to him.
"Xander, I have to, um..." she turned to him "We can make this up later. You don't mind, do you?" Buffy passed Xander her book before she followed Cordelia. I bit my lip before I re-opened my locker and put my bag and books him, I turned and ran after Buffy. I may not like Cordelia, but something strange was happening and with that witch casting harmful spells...well Cordelia's not acting like herself.
"Buffy!" I called as I caught up with her outside
"What are you doing here?" she asked as we looked around for the brunette
"Better to have a witch with you if something happens" I said before I spotted our target. I tapped Buffy and we began to follow her. We watched concerned when Cordelia got into a car with Mr. Pole the driving instructor, my eyes widened when the car took off backwards, crashes into some signs and stopped before they shot off again forwards making the tires burn. Cordelia lost control and the car raced along the course, knocking down cones and signs. Buffy and I looked at each other before we took off after them before they crashed
"Brakes! Brakes!" we heard Mr. Pole yell as the car crashed through a fence and onto the street before it came to a halt just as another car swerved around them
"Everybody out!" they got out and I noticed Cordelia still in a daze and she walked right into the middle off the street just as a large van was coming straight at her and it wasn't slowing down. Buffy and I ran faster than before, as Cordelia turned to face the van and screamed. I lifted my hands and tried to freeze but nothing happened causing me to panic, luckily Buffy saw what happened leaped over the car and tackled the girl rolling out off the way of the van. The van took off the open the car door as Buffy and Cordelia rolled to a stop.
"Oh, my God, I, I can't see anything!" the brunette shrieked scared as I caught up with them
"It's, it's okay, it's..." we looked at her eyes "Oh God!"
"What's happening? I can't see anything!" I looked at her eyes closely, her eyes no longer had irises and were completely white.
In the library we were sat at the table "Witchcraft." Giles began "Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them is, it's classic!"
"First vampires, now witches. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale." Xander complained
"Thanks" I said sarcastically causing Xander to apologise
"Why should someone want to harm Cordelia?"
"They saw her face?" I guessed at the same time as Willow who said
"Maybe because they met her?" we all looked at her shocked. Their used to me being a bitch, but Willow? That's not normal "Did I say that?" Willow asked shocked with herself "And setting Amber ablaze?" Giles questioned
"Yeah, those guys don't hang..." Xander spoke
"They're both cheerleaders." Buffy and I said
"Someone doesn't like cheerleading." Giles cleaned his glasses slightly amused
"Or likes it too much." I hinted
"Amy!" Willow's eyes widened as did Buffy's
"Amy!"
"So, you guys are leaning towards Amy?" Xander asked nodding Buffy nodded
"She's desperate to get on that team, and I've got this feeling she'd do just about anything to make her mom's dream come true."
"Uh, let me make sure I have this right. This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?" Giles asked unsure
"I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a picture perfect carbon copy they tend to wig."
"Not mine" I shrugged "My parents want what's best for me and what's best for me is to make my own decisions about my future"
"Cheer leading was kind of her mom's last hurrah." Willow agreed with Buffy and I about Amy
"Look, we still have to stop Amy. We should grab her and..." Xander was cut off
"I think we should be sure she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's, she's capable of some fairly unpleasant things." Giles said
"Okay, alright," Buffy stood "so, you're in high school, you are desperate to make the team and please your mom, so you turn to witchcraft. What's the first thing you're gonna do?"
"Check out the books on witchcraft!" willow exclaimed and walked over to the computer "Uh, no! No, that would be the last thing you would do! You don't wanna leave a paper trail. Forget that!" Xander rambled
"It'll just take a minute." Willow said
"We don't have a minute! Cheerleaders are in danger. Buffy's in danger." he spoke to Buffy "You were the first alternate, you are on the team now that Cordelia's out. You could be next. We gotta get you to a safe house."
"Xander..." Willow trailed off looking at the screen
"Yeah." he shifted
"'Witches: Historic Roots to Modern Practice.' Checked out by Alexander Harris." she read out making me laugh
"'The Pagan Rites', checked out by Alexander..." Buffy smirked
"Alright, alright, it's not what you think." he stopped them
"You like to look at the semi-nude engravings?" I asked smirking as he blushed
"Oh, well, uh, I-I guess it is what you think." Xander nodded ashamed
"Have you all quite finished?" Giles asked "We have to find a conclusive test. There may be something in here..." Giles went to flip through a book when I spoke up
"You'll need some of her hair, a little quicksilver and some aqua fortis." I filed my nails missing the looks that were shot my way
"Well, that's just mercury and nitric acid. You can get that in the science lab." Willow spoke up
"Heat the ingredients and spill it on Amy, and if a spell has been cast in the previous 48 hours, her skin will turn blue. Oh, and you'll need some Eye of Newt." I smiled as we went to class, winking at the stuttering Englishman before leaving the room.