It Hurts
The rattling ringing of the school bell screeched across the empty halls of the local high school. A teaming mass of students of various ages, colors, shapes, hopes, and dreams filled the halls with youthful chatter and impatient footsteps. Students scattered off to various classrooms and subjects; most counting the minutes until the clock struck 3 and their educational nightmare would come to a collective end. One young woman, in particular, seemed to revel in the ocean of hormonal-driven bodies; craving and seeking attention as if her heart would stop beating without absorbing a continuous supply.
Her name is Rarity. Flashes of majestic purple hair flowed like violet star lights, her blue eyes sparkled like the purest diamonds. They noticeably matched her crystal blue blouse quite well. Her eye-catching legs strolled gracefully within the confines of a short black skirt; detailed with her small, yet recognizably signature appearance, of three blue diamond embroidering. Every student of every social standing knew where she stood in the pecking order. As a senior, her beauty, reputation, and natural sense of style were flawless in practically every way. One only had to give her the slightest, faintest passing glance to be blinded by her angelic looks. Needless to say, there was hardly a male in the entire school who didn't smile at least a little bit when her curvaceous form came sauntering by.
"Hey Rarity, love the dress!"
"Hey girl, we still meeting at 5 today?"
"Looking real fine today miss perfect!"
"Now that boy's is what you call a goddess!"
"That girl…she could have any guy she wants!"
All of these words and more were common songs murmured amongst the busying crowds. The classy female bathed in their glowing praises; she let it wash over her like diamond raindrops. Rarity knew she was beautiful. Not a soul had to tell her that. She worked hard to accentuate what was already divinely crafted by the gods of genetics; a blessing she was always grateful for.
Her heels ceased their clicking as she approached her glitter-saturated locker. The tiresome shade of rusty red typical of all lockers just wouldn't do. Luckily, she was able to work her magic on the tired old shell and transformed it into a sparkling piece of luminous beauty. Her pristine polished royal purple nails sparkled as the dial turned; clicking and popping open. Before her diamond blues could concentrate on what text she needed, a thick, burly set of knuckles teasingly slammed the locker door shut.
Rarity laughed with a dry, sassy chuckle. She already knew who it was without even turning around. "Hello Buck, I see you still haven't taken my advice on getting your nails cleaned," she turned to face the familiar male; her lips curved into a witty smirk. "Girls aren't overly fond of being fondled with filthy hands you know," she said matter-of-factly.
The square-jawed male smiled smugly; chuckling dismissively at Rarity's remarks. In many ways, Buck embodied every cliché, trope, and trait of a classic superhero: rippling muscles, broad charming smile, and enough dashing charisma to sweep the most jaded of girls off their feet. He was captain of nearly every physical sport the school offered and it certainly showed in his flaunting apparel. Buck's muscles were scarcely confined in an ash black championship coat with an orange and white collar, and matching cuffs; each sleeve was littered with a stitched symbol representing every sport he had won a championship in. Spoiler alert: it's all of them. His chest expanded tightly against his white undershirt along with his Adonis sculpted legs underneath dark grey pants. Buck's sneakers practically blinded the student body with their glittery coats of silver and gold. His assaulting ensemble, of course, wouldn't be complete without the big bold red "C" glaring painfully from his jacket.
"You know, I truly appreciate you looking out for me like that, Rarity. You always see the best in people. It's quite a charming trait," Buck said adoringly. Rarity cringed slightly as he flashed his emerald eyes her way; wiggling his pale blond eyebrows as if they were swinging hypnosis coins. "Course, getting a little dirty is worth it when you're rolling in gold afterward," he added.
A look of mild disgust soured Rarity's pristine baby pink lips. Usually, she associated colors with her favorite pastime: gemstones. However, looking at Buck's eyes didn't remind her of emeralds; they reminded her of gangrene and rotten seaweed. "I've often found gold to be rather," she raised a delicate finger to her lips; combing her mind for just the right word, "tacky and overplayed personally." The purple-haired fashionista clicked her heels past Buck's fog of smugness and headed towards class.
Sadly, rejection wasn't something Buck was used to, and like all manner of activities he partook in; he felt powering through was the best option. Buck quickly caught up with Rarity's pace. As briskly as she walked, she couldn't escape this leech's lecherous advances.
"Look, I'm aware my reputation as a ladies' man is rather layered; both in quantity and quality…"
"It amazes me you that think that is something to brag about while attempting to woo a young lady."
"I'm just trying to put your mind at ease. I'm just like you: never settle for anything less than perfection, it's one of the many reasons I think we'd be the ultimate couple. Come on, I know you've given it at least a little bit of thought."
"Indeed I have. Followed by nausea and a most unladylike act of ejecting the contents of my stomach into the nearest toilet."
"See, that's what I love about you! You're sharp, gorgeous, talented, and popular and everyone adores you…just like me! Did I mention how gorgeous you are?"
"Can't say for certain, I tuned out your ego-stroking blather the moment I choked on smelling your abundantly applied Axe body spray."
The hulking quarterback was left in his gawking stupor as the purple-haired source of his affections vanished into a classroom. Thankfully, Buck did not share this class with her. A small smile formed on her lips as she spotted two of her friends waving her down.
"Afternoon Sassy, Upper Crust; you're both looking especially fabulous today," her eyes glittered spiritedly. They all belonged to the same social sisterhood; sweet and elite beauties rich with wealth, beauty or both. There were sadly all too few ladies at this school who understood and appreciated the glamorous life Rarity had always dreamed of living.
"Is there any other way to live, darling? We have to remind the lovely little people of this plebian school that true beauty still exists," Upper Crust smugly snorted, "not that they can ever obtain it of course." The snooty senior dazed off in her makeup mirror; adjusting her cyan eyeshadow and white streaked indigo locks.
Rarity grimaced visibly at that comment. Her disgust at Upper Crust's words was further sickened by the unnerving look Sassy was giving her, staring her down with brilliant orange hues. A devilish smile stretched across her elitist lips. "Oh please, we all know Rarity is far too busy playing cat and mouse with Buck to think twice of the little roaches in-between. They are the perfect power couple after all," the vermillion-haired vixen said. She fluttered her eyelashes teasingly; reveling in the adorable redness accompanying Rarity's cheeks.
The violet-haired beauty clutched her arm anxiously. Her luxuriously presented skin feeling revolting tingles crawling up her body like spiders at the mention of Buck's name. It was times like these she questioned the so-called friendship she shared with these two. They lived and breathed in beauty so voraciously, they felt Rarity only belonged with someone who was as equally high on the social class food chain as they are…someone like Buck. She had told Sassy and Upper Crust countless times she wanted nothing to do with that overbearing ape but it mattered little. In the school's eyes (and largely theirs), Buck and Rarity were a smart match too perfect to even consider lowering their standards to date anyone else.
Good lord, if only the class knew how exhaustingly suffocating popularity could be. Sometimes she wonders if it was even worth it. Being surrounded and still being alone was a cruel paradox, an inescapable trap that had tarnished many souls and dragged them into a world of withering darkness. She wonders if she screamed at the top of her lungs in the middle of class if anyone would hear her; truly hear her.
Classes came and went, grades would rise and fall and time drudged on like a tranquilized tortoise. It mattered little. Sure, her GPA could benefit from a little more focus but deep down her heart and mental focus had always belonged to others - to everyone and the world…whether she wanted it or not. The more attention she received the more people would notice her. Not the real her, mind you, truth and sincerity had little place in a jungle as savage as high school. Everything had a price after all.
RING!
Class ended, bodies shuffled in and out; same dribble different day. Rarity could barely remember getting out of her seat and pouring into the hallway. She meandered like a displaced spirit; maneuvering through hordes of youthful bodies as if on autopilot. It was lunchtime next. Though she had little in the way of an appetite, she knew the social food chain expected her to make a glamorous appearance. The clicking of her heels was drowned out by the roar of the collective mass of students chattering and chomping away at the school's substandard overpriced lunches.
"Try not to stare this time. You can do it, you've got this Rarity."
Her body was magnetically being drawn to the table populated by Upper Crust, Sassy, and Buck. It was a tiresome yet predictable move her muscles mechanically complied with.
"It's just like every other day. You know what to do and what not to do."
Her mind raced with taboo thoughts of temptation. She'd danced this dance every school day ever since she first laid eyes on him. Logic had failed her, school boundaries entrapped her and every fiber in her curvaceous being told her that nothing good would come of this.
"Just don't look. No matter what happens or what you feel, you know nothing good comes from it. Do. Not. Look!"
The blue-eyed beauty was just about to cross the threshold. Her fingernails tightly gripped her lunch tray, her familiar friends and classmates awaiting her with sparkling smiles and prestigious shelter. She was doing it. She was going to do it!
"You know…you really shouldn't wear so much makeup…"
Sigh. She was so close and yet, so far away.
Before she could take a seat and return to her perfect, pristine senior paradise, the voice of a timid angel robbed her of all her strength. Social norms be damned…she dared to look back. Any typical teen would have been irritated, maybe even downright angry at such a peculiar comment being lobbed their way; no matter how gently it was proposed. If it were any other male, she'd be fuming and spouting many unladylike things at the uncouth pest who dare say such a thing to her. However, this wasn't any other male.
"Excuse me?" she asked curiously; her tone lacking any expected venom or harshness. The fashionista couldn't help but flash her dazzling diamond blues towards the source of that frail male voice.
Spike was a junior, though his baby-faced features and juvenile sense of fashion made him seem much younger. He sat at an empty lunch table; glittering emerald eyes buried in a comic book in a vain attempt to hide from Rarity's probing glance. His most noticeable features, however; failed to be concealed. Spike's ears were longer, pointier than most; resembling an elf's ears. His hair was a wild, exotic spiky mix of various shades of purple and green. Spike's lanky arms and upper torso were bound in a loose dark purple hoodie with a faint, metallic mint green underbelly-like stripe along the zipper line. The bottom of the hoodie hung heavily by his dark blue pants leading down to bland, unimpressive brown shoes. He was so meek and shy; one could hardly be blamed for failing to notice him. However, at the same time, he possessed a sense of unnatural mystique that was too enchanting and rare to miss.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but, you said something to me," Rarity approached the awkward boy; still clinging to his flimsy comic book shield. He tried to hide his face even further in the colorful pages. Rarity tugged the book down gently with a single finger. "Didn't you?" she asked sweetly.
"I'm s-s-sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I just noticed that you um…well…uh," he fumbled anxiously. Her face inched towards his invasively. He could barely contain the quaking shakes rumbling all over his body; let alone the burning redness flushing across his cheeks. He shook his head in response and tried to leave the table. "F-f-f-forget I said anything," he said. Spike's bag of half-eaten lunch was abandoned at the table as he fumbled over his feet.
"Darling, there's no need to apologize. I didn't come here to crucify you," she flashed a tender smile his way.
Spike stopped halfway from vacating the table. He looked at her; bewildered by her inexplicable kindness and restraint. Part of him told him to leave; this was a terrible idea that was only going to get worse. Still, he couldn't deny in the deepest center of his fragile, wounded heart that this was an opportunity he had always dreamed about. Spike returned to his seat slowly. He lifted his drooping head ever so slightly as his pointed ears twitched.
"That's better," her sweet smile widened as she noticed him calming down slightly. A small but hopeful smile slowly formed on his lips. "Now, I just wanted to ask-"
SPLAT!
Suddenly, a pudding cup collided with Spike's face and exploded in a blinding sea of bent plastic and goopy blobs of chocolate pudding. It was like the fashionista was watching it play out in slow motion. Spike's head jerked to the left; his eyes clutched tightly shut. The pain stinging his eyes caused a trickle of tears to briefly appear.
Then he heard it…the laughter…the merciless, unyielding laughter.
Rarity's eyes flashed from concern for poor Spike to anger the moment she realized she knew full well where that pudding cup came from.
"Sorry, Simp," Buck's vulgar laughter echoed barbarously. He had two other male friends on each side of him. One was buff and burly with dirty blond hair, the other was gangly yet solid with oak brown shaggy locks. Their crude, hyena-like cackling carved into Spike's soul like rusty pickaxes. "I was aiming for the trash can and I saw your face and…well…I guess I got confused on which was which," Buck said. The two boys burst with uproarious laughter. Their callous cackling mindlessly sprang forth whenever Buck said something vaguely resembling a joke or insulting; it was most often the latter.
"Sweet Celestia Buck, what is the matter with you?! There was no need for that-that sickening stunt you just pulled! We were just sitting down and talking, nothing more," Rarity fumed. The elegant girl clutched her fists so tightly she came close to breaking one of her expensively detailed nails. Her arms were angrily placed on each side of her hip; huffing with an angry pout. "Just look at what you did to poor Spike," she motioned towards the poor boy with her head.
The purple and green-haired boy was already scrambling to grab his belongings and leave as quickly as possible. He knew what was coming. This wasn't Spike's first encounter with the likes of Buck and his brutish friends. He tried to stumble off but the brown-haired thug cut off his exit route. The oafish student smiled, a cold, unfeeling grin as he shoved Spike back to his seat. Buck was waiting, sporting that same soul-crushing smile he always had when he was pummeling weaker students like Spike into nothingness. The splatter-faced junior was forced to sit right next to his tormentor.
"Hey, where you heading off to freak boy, were just getting to know each other," Buck slumped his tree trunk of an arm across Spike's shoulders. The gesture looked friendly, but deep down, Spike felt trapped and crippled with fear. "Don't you know it's rude to just stare at my girl like some fucking creeper? Not to mention scummy! What kind of freaky perv does that?" he asked rhetorically. Every time the thuggish senior said the word "freak" or some variation of it, he stroked Spike's abnormally long ears as if he were his pet. Spike tried to shake him off but Buck never let up.
"What do you expect? Freaky fag boy here does nothing but sit alone every day like a total loser! No friends, no family. I heard he's so fucking lame, his own parents didn't bother sticking around," the blond senior said with a dry laugh.
Every minute and word that passed just made Spike feel worse and worse. He didn't even bother cleaning the pudding off his face, the poor teen just wanted to leave this awful situation and crawl into a dark hole where he could never be found. Try as he might, Spike was trapped by Buck's crushing grip. He felt so powerless and alone.
"Am I freak or a faggot, pick one. At least make the insults consistent," Spike muttered under his breath.
The quarterback vainly tried to quell the laughter between his friends; despite chuckling up a storm himself. "Now, now guys, he's got a point. We all know he's a freak," once again; Buck drew attention to Spike's pointed ears. He tried to tug at the side of Spike's cheeks to bare his sharp canines, but Spike refused to give him more fire to roast him with. "But obviously he can't be a fag. I mean, he's got the hots for my girl, isn't that right shrinky dink?" he wrapped his forearm around Spike's head; forcing him closer.
"P-p-p-please stop…I hate this…I just wanna leave…"
Buck ignored Spike's pleas. His calloused, thick hands slapped Spike's cheeks multiple times. Spike tried to open his mouth to protest again but Buck gave the boy's genitals a fierce swat. The fanged boy cried out pitifully. He felt so emasculated and pathetic, and in front of her too. "Come on, can't you get it up for your girl? She's right here in front of you! Show her some love, whip that limp noodle into action, eh?" he taunted.
"That's enough Buck! Stop this at once," Rarity reached to tug Buck off of Spike. Her nails grasped his sleeve but he was easily able to shrug her off. "This is sick and twisted, just leave him alone" she fiercely protested.
Buck's emerald eyes flashed sharply towards Rarity for the moment. "No, I'll tell you what's sick and twisted," his mocking tone grew cold and punishing; he jerked his arm upward and forced Spike to look at Rarity. His eyes stung with pudding specks and oncoming tears. "This little pervert has been eye humping you every day and I won't allow that shit. Someone needs to teach him that this isn't acceptable," he said firmly.
"You're a fine one to talk! Besides, it is not for YOU to decide what I find offensive and what isn't. He wasn't harming anyone."
"Acknowledging him is plenty harmful. It gives little shits like him hope - hope they have a chance with a real girl; like my girl for example."
Rarity didn't think it was possible but she was even further disgusted by the quarterback's actions. He spoke as if he was doing women of the world a favor by teaching a valuable lesson that warranted such extreme measures. The fashionista refused to tolerate this any longer. She stormed up to Buck; shoving past his dim-witted friends and grabbed Buck's collar with both hands. The teen yanked back on the jacket's collar as hard as she possibly could. Buck gasped in shock; temporarily releasing Spike to free himself from Rarity's talon-like grip. Spike bolted for the exit and ran so fast his sneakers slapped and squealed on the tile floor. He disappeared in a blurry blob of vanishing purple and green, but not before he took one last fleeting glance back at the diamond-eyed beauty who stood up for him. He smiled weakly; tears flowing down his cheeks as he looked at her.
She blinked and he was gone.
Buck was yelling, barking like a wounded puppy at her over the minuscule tear she made on his collar. It was nothing but noise so she didn't bother to listen. The only thing on her mind was that sad, sweet smile on Spike's face. She had to find him; she had to make sure he was all right. Her clicking heels started to head in the same direction until she was stopped suddenly. The blond brute had grabbed her arm, there was no way she could tune out this little offense.
"Forget that pervy fuck! He's better off alone, besides, no girl of mine is dirtying herself by associating with that little puke," Buck said.
Rarity reached into her purse and whipped out a perfume bottle; the very same perfume she applied before coming to class today. She sprayed it in Buck's face. He gagged and wheezed; eyes and face cringing in visible pain. Rarity yanked her arm free and stormed off as if she was on a mission.
"And for the record Buck: I am NOT your girl, not now not ever!" she replied curtly.
Buck and his friends could only stare; slack-jawed and flabbergasted as Rarity walked away.
Spike sat; huddled and quivering on top of the toilet. Try as he might, he couldn't stop his tears from flowing, they soaked into his half-eaten sandwich as he struggled to eat among his sobbing. He went to the nearest bathroom as soon as he left the cafeteria to eat his lunch in peace, well, eat and cry in peace. It was the same bathroom had he fled to on many similar occasions involving bullying. This vacant stall with a semi-broken lime green door and poorly scribbled profanities and genitals on the wall had sadly become almost like a second home to the green-haired boy. He cried so much he could barely regulate his breathing. Those emerald eyes were clouded by red puffy eyelids from excessive crying. God, he was so pathetic.
"I'll just eat here for the next weeks, s-s-s-stay out of their way for a while," he reasoned with himself. Buck was so popular and adored by girls and guys alike; maybe all the attention will make him forget about today. "Guess I should have known better. If I hadn't said anything to her, he wouldn't have come at me like that," he took another bite of his sandwich. Eating food seemed to help calm his nerves down, little by little. He sighed heavily and took a drink from his soda.
"Why did you tell me I wore too much makeup all of the sudden like that?" a familiar female voice said from the stall next to him.
Spike's eyes bulged comically. He choked on his soda and gagged as it started spurting out of his lips and nose. He tried to catch his breath; slowly processing what just happened. "Ww-w-wha…RARITY? What the heck are you doing here?!" he blurted out. He wiped his purple hoodie clean from the soda splashes as best he could.
She immediately shushed him and kept her voice to a low, fierce whisper. "Will you please keep it down? I am trying to have a serious conversation with you and I would greatly appreciate you not broadcasting it!" The fashionista groaned cutely as she pulled her legs up to her chest and avoided touching as little as possible in the unkempt stall. "I feel like I need to be wearing a bio-hazard suit or something," she muttered to no one in particular.
Spike shook his head. Every time she spoke, she just sounded weirder and weirder. "A serious conver…what?" he stared bewildered at the stall panel where Rarity's voice emanated from. "Why are you trying to have a serious conversation with me in the guy's bathroom?"
"Believe me, darling, it's not personal preference it's a lack of options. I heard someone say they saw you run in here, distraught. I knew I was the cause of that horrible, unforgivable scene in the cafeteria. So while yes, it's most uncouth of me to be sneaking into the boy's bathroom but…I…I…I just couldn't leave you alone in here…I just had to do something."
Spike smiled a little, barely a grin but still; he couldn't deny he was warmed by her heartfelt words. He'd been pitied by many people throughout his time in school. He knew what it sounded like and how dirty and lowly he felt when people did it. However, this wasn't pitying, this was true sincerity. He could hear it in her angelic voice. It was a nice change of pace.
"You're…your very kind Rarity. I know that uh gross stuff and getting all dirty and icky isn't something you're comfortable with. So I uh…I just-just wanted to let you know how much it means to me. I'm all-all right now so you don't have to worry about me anymore, really."
Spike sniffled loudly; still audibly upset about what happened. Understandable as anyone would be after such humiliation and degradation. Rarity looked at the opposing wall of her stall and cringed in disgust. It was a crude stick drawing of her getting assaulted by a variety of male genitalia. They were bombarding her like a horde of phallic Kamikaze planes. As much as she wanted to flee this cesspool of a room and take the spa treatment equivalent of a decontamination bath, she could tell by the broken quivering in Spike's voice that he was far from recovered. She sighed, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Anything worth doing is worth doing right she thought.
"Apologies but I can't say I'm terribly convinced. You still sound quite wounded darling and I wouldn't be much of a proper lady if I left you without being absolutely certain you were all right. Now, I don't mean to change the subject but I do believe I still have a question you have yet to answer: why did you tell me I wear too much makeup?"
A brief silence fell on the young boy and curious girl. He knew this moment was going to come up inevitably. Thankfully, communicating through the stall doors made it easier for him to speak his mind. Spike wasn't confident he could look into Rarity's gorgeous face and say what he was about to say.
"There was this one day you came to school late. I know because you were in a rush, you looked all flustered and panicky and worried. I uh…I don't like seeing you like that. I'm used to seeing you all graceful and confident; like you got it all figured out. Anyway, it was kinda drizzling that day and I noticed you looked wet from the rain and-and your makeup was running. It looked like you didn't get a chance to apply your usual amount; probably because you were running late and all. You didn't want anyone to see you. You always try to look your best in front of others, you never want to look foolish or shaken up in public. I only saw you for like a second before you made it to your classroom but I managed to see you…the real you that's under all that…everything and…it was beautiful…you were, ACK, I mean you are beautiful; just the way you are."
Another silent pause crept into the room. Spike and Rarity's cheeks were both flushed bright red; though for different reasons. Both could not comprehend the gravity and emotional weight of Spike's words. They were speechless and motionless; incapable of understanding where to go from here. They waited for what felt like centuries until someone finally spoke.
"T-t-t-thank you, Spike. That was…terribly sweet of you. I can't imagine the courage it must have taken to say those words."
"No need to thank me, it's just…how I feel…or rather…what I feel is the truth. I want you to know that I didn't say it to like make you like me or anything like that. I know you got your place and I got mine. I just wanted to get that off my chest. We don't, like, have to be different or act weird around each other, ya know?"
Spike's emerald eyes eagerly awaited a response. He bit his lip and swallowed heavily; feeling his heart sink into the pit of his stomach as anxiety expanded. The sound of squeaking metal screeched out as the stall door next to him opened. Rarity's heels clicked like light knocking growing farther away. The boy sighed and woefully came to the possible realization he had scared her off, or she had grown tired of pitying him; either possibility twisted his heart into mangled pretzel chunks.
The door to Spike's stall suddenly opened. There, standing right before his widening eyes was the purple-haired beauty he had feared was nothing more than a delusional daydream. She extended her hand to Spike. Her creamy, slender arm looked immaculate and smooth. The green-haired teen felt his cheeks flush with blushing hues once again. He awkwardly accepted the gesture. Rarity gently pulled him off the seat and smiled at him; eye to eye, not a speck of pity or annoyance in those luminous eyes.
"Do you feel better?"
Spike still found it hard to reply while staring bewilderingly at her heavenly features so he simply nodded.
"Good, that makes me feel much more at ease. I wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving this place knowing you were still in such sorrow. Granted, it is the boy's bathroom so I do want to leave rather quickly none the less so I hope you don't mind me leaving before you do. Things would appear even more unusual than they already are if we left together at the same time. Because of…you know…the implications."
Spike's face turned even redder than before. He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head; idly fumbling with his hood.
"Right, right, right…the uh…implications…heh"
His response confused Rarity more so than confirmed his supposed understanding. She smiled weakly and felt just as eager to exit this uncomfortable exchange as he most likely was. The fashionista turned to leave but paused just as her glittery nails reached out to open the door. She turned to look back at Spike. He blinked curiously; anxiously awaiting her reaction.
"Spike, please do me a favor: please don't eat in here anymore. Try and meet with some classmates or friends and eat in the cafeteria. I know it's not always the most dignified of environments but…you're better than this…you're better than eating in here alone. Okay?"
Once again, only found himself capable of answering with a nod.
Rarity thanked him for listening and his kind words. She left the bathroom, giving him a friendly wink and kind smile before vanishing.
The young boy slowly fiddled with his hoodie pull strings. A slow, growing smile formed on his face. He giggled, sporting a goofy-looking grin. Though no phone numbers, dates, or plans were made or exchanged, Spike found himself feeling uncharacteristically optimistic and possibly even…happy about this turn of events.
"She…she really does care."
To be continued...