2
The bidding had been going on for an hour and Willow was trying not to fidget in her seat. She had been watching the stage anxiously, but Xander had not yet been called to appear.
Buffy smiled at Willow. "Easy, girlfriend. You'll get your chance."
"I've got to win this bid, Buffy," Willow said anxiously. "It's the only way I can be with him."
"Will, you're always with him. You do hang out all the time."
She hesitated. "I-I know. It's just that...if I win this bid, m-maybe things will be different. M-maybe I can tell him how I feel." She looked at her. "It's the only way I know of that I-I might have some kind of a chance with Xander."
Buffy regarded her friend. "Willow, if you are serious about this--"
"I am. I have my whole savings."
Buffy looked at her. "How much?"
"Three hundred and fifty-eight dollars."
Buffy paused. "Okay. But still, you have to be a different kind of Willow."
Willow looked scared. "Wh-what do you mean?" She tried not to think about the cuffs and the riding crop. What kind of a costume would come with that? she asked herself. Then she realized that it would come with the outfit she had bought for Halloween.
"You have to be tough. If you win this bid, Xander will be relieved that's it you and he'll think that you will let him off the hook." Buffy looked at her sternly. "You can't let him do that to you."
Willow tried to look meaner. "I-I can be tough."
"I mean it, Will. You have to put your foot down. Take charge. Show him that you mean business." She nodded her head. "Trust me, if you show him that, you'll see how quickly he changes his tune."
She sighed. "I-I just hope no one bids higher than what I have."
Buffy smiled. "I brought some money to help."
"Buffy! I can't take your money."
"If you need to, Willow, you can. It's for the school."
Then the bidding for Xander started.
It began at $10.00. Then it went to $20.00, and that bid was from Cordelia.
"She's already won four other guys, what does she want with Xander?" Willow asked Buffy angrily. She gave Cordelia a look, but the high and mighty cheerleader hadn't noticed. She wasn't even looking in their direction.
Buffy looked at her. "It's not over yet."
More bids went around the auditorium. Xander began to look a little scared as he saw some of the bidders. He saw his best friend out there, however, and this filled him with hope. He saw that she was trying to bid for him.
But as the bids got to $300.00, he was scared again. There was this chick in the front row whose face was covered in pimples, and who bid for $310.00. Xander was sweating. At least Cordelia had stopped bidding for him. She obviously thought he wasn't worth that much money.
Willow bid for $320.00.
Xander saw no other bids go up.
Except after some thought, the pimple-faced chick raised the bid to $330.00.
Willow pushed it to $340.00.
The pimple-faced glared back at her and raised it to $350.00.
"Buffy!" Willow whispered. "I-I'm two dollars short!"
"No, you're not," Buffy told her. "Bid!"
Willow raised it to $360.00.
Silence spread throughout the auditorium. The pimple-faced chick was counting her money furiously. Then she sadly shook her head.
Willow won the bid.
Xander went back stage...and Jonathan came on.
The bid started.
No one raised a hand.
Buffy frowned. "Well...that ain't right."
No one still raised a hand.
Willow frowned. "Poor Jonathan."
Buffy raised the bid to $10.00.
No one still raised a hand.
She won the bid. "Well...I guess I've got a man to bring home for my Mom. And it only cost me ten dollars."
"Buffy..." Willow shook her head. "That didn't come out right."
_______________
The bidding had been going on for an hour and Willow was trying not to fidget in her seat. She had been watching the stage anxiously, but Xander had not yet been called to appear.
Buffy smiled at Willow. "Easy, girlfriend. You'll get your chance."
"I've got to win this bid, Buffy," Willow said anxiously. "It's the only way I can be with him."
"Will, you're always with him. You do hang out all the time."
She hesitated. "I-I know. It's just that...if I win this bid, m-maybe things will be different. M-maybe I can tell him how I feel." She looked at her. "It's the only way I know of that I-I might have some kind of a chance with Xander."
Buffy regarded her friend. "Willow, if you are serious about this--"
"I am. I have my whole savings."
Buffy looked at her. "How much?"
"Three hundred and fifty-eight dollars."
Buffy paused. "Okay. But still, you have to be a different kind of Willow."
Willow looked scared. "Wh-what do you mean?" She tried not to think about the cuffs and the riding crop. What kind of a costume would come with that? she asked herself. Then she realized that it would come with the outfit she had bought for Halloween.
"You have to be tough. If you win this bid, Xander will be relieved that's it you and he'll think that you will let him off the hook." Buffy looked at her sternly. "You can't let him do that to you."
Willow tried to look meaner. "I-I can be tough."
"I mean it, Will. You have to put your foot down. Take charge. Show him that you mean business." She nodded her head. "Trust me, if you show him that, you'll see how quickly he changes his tune."
She sighed. "I-I just hope no one bids higher than what I have."
Buffy smiled. "I brought some money to help."
"Buffy! I can't take your money."
"If you need to, Willow, you can. It's for the school."
Then the bidding for Xander started.
It began at $10.00. Then it went to $20.00, and that bid was from Cordelia.
"She's already won four other guys, what does she want with Xander?" Willow asked Buffy angrily. She gave Cordelia a look, but the high and mighty cheerleader hadn't noticed. She wasn't even looking in their direction.
Buffy looked at her. "It's not over yet."
More bids went around the auditorium. Xander began to look a little scared as he saw some of the bidders. He saw his best friend out there, however, and this filled him with hope. He saw that she was trying to bid for him.
But as the bids got to $300.00, he was scared again. There was this chick in the front row whose face was covered in pimples, and who bid for $310.00. Xander was sweating. At least Cordelia had stopped bidding for him. She obviously thought he wasn't worth that much money.
Willow bid for $320.00.
Xander saw no other bids go up.
Except after some thought, the pimple-faced chick raised the bid to $330.00.
Willow pushed it to $340.00.
The pimple-faced glared back at her and raised it to $350.00.
"Buffy!" Willow whispered. "I-I'm two dollars short!"
"No, you're not," Buffy told her. "Bid!"
Willow raised it to $360.00.
Silence spread throughout the auditorium. The pimple-faced chick was counting her money furiously. Then she sadly shook her head.
Willow won the bid.
Xander went back stage...and Jonathan came on.
The bid started.
No one raised a hand.
Buffy frowned. "Well...that ain't right."
No one still raised a hand.
Willow frowned. "Poor Jonathan."
Buffy raised the bid to $10.00.
No one still raised a hand.
She won the bid. "Well...I guess I've got a man to bring home for my Mom. And it only cost me ten dollars."
"Buffy..." Willow shook her head. "That didn't come out right."
_______________