Part 2

I pull up outside the school the next day. It's overcast, so I can roll down the window fairly safely to look for Dawn and Jade. They're already hurrying towards the Desoto. Niblet looks right brassed off while Jade's face seems calmly indifferent.

They climb into the car and again I notice Jade's skirt riding up. She doesn't seem to care. Silly little chit. The girl practically screams jailbait. Little does she know, I'm evil and have no qualms about fucking a sixteen year old school girl. Although if I look in her eyes I get the feeling that she's not the innocent Lolita I think she is- she knows exactly what she's doing and would have no qualms about being fucked by me.

Dawn sighs loudly in the back seat, pulling me from my thoughts. "What's wrong, munchkin?" I ask.

"Spike, if you were my big brother and therefore my legal guardian would you let me go to a party Friday night?"

"What kind of party?"

"Mary Ann Foster's 'First Week of School' party."

"And might there be boys at this party?"

"Yes."

"No. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" she demands indignantly.

"You needn't be exposed to the walking hormones that are teenage boys any more than you have to be. As a matter of fact, if I were your big brother and therefore legal guardian, I'd have you in a nice safe convent by now."

"Spike!"

I ignore her appalled exclamation. "So let me guess, big sis said no, too, eh?" I see her nod in the rearview mirror.

"It's not fair! Brad Thomas is gonna be there! And if I don't show it'll make me look like the biggest loser of all the losers! Anyone who's anyone is going!"

"I'm not going." Jade chimes in.

"Why not? Did your mom say no?"

The blonde is silent for a moment before she says bitterly, "I don't have a mom. I have a Roger. And he could care less where I go or what I do as long as I smile nicely for the idiots at Social Services. No, I'm not going because of the colossal waste of time it is. I can get drunk at places a lot more fun than Mary Ann Foster's 'First Week of School' party."

Dawn sits dumbstruck in the back seat. "You don't have a mom?" she asks softly.

Jade stares straight ahead and it's impossible to tell what she's thinking. But all at once that cool indifferent face looks incredibly vulnerable- looks a little more human. Damn it. I'm starting to see her as a person. So much for no qualms about fucking her.

Finally she speaks. "No…I don't have a mom." Pause. "She's dead."

Dawn lays a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Mine too."

Suddenly I feel like I'm intruding on a moment. These two girls- seemingly so different- share a painful bond- grief. I fumble in my pocket for a fag. I light one up and offer one to Jade. She accepts it and looks at me with big green eyes that silently thank me for the small gesture.

Any and all sexual tension between us is broken. I can feel it. By merely being present at this sort of moment I've been crossed off her list. Obviously she likes her guys somewhat distanced from her life. I've seen the type a billion times before.

I glance at her through the corner of my eye and see her puffing away on the cigarette. Although the cool façade is back, I can still see just a hint of that vulnerability in her pretty face. Poor kid. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell she's had it rough.

"Can I have a cigarette?" Dawn's voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Of course not."

"But you gave one to Jade!"

"Jade already smokes. And Jade doesn't have an older sister who'd happily decapitate me if I let her lil' sis have a fag." I explain patiently.

"That's a horrible name for smokes." She taps Jade on the shoulder and nods toward the smoking cigarette between her fingers. "Can I?"

"Knock yourself out." Jade hands her the cigarette and I hear a large intake followed by hacking gasping noises. Dawn hands the fag back to a chuckling Jade. She doesn't ask for a cigarette again.

*****

"Dawn! Psst! Dawn!" I'm calling up at her window and I don't dare throw a rock against the glass cause with my luck the whole damn window would shatter and all would be for naught. Finally after a few minutes the window slides up and Dawn peers down at me.

"Jade? What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

"One in the morning. Hey, you wanna go to a party?"

"Mary Ann's party is over by now."

"Not that! A real party!"

"I'm not dressed. I'd have to pick out something and…"

I hold up my backpack. "All taken care of. Come on down."

She looks like she's thinking it over and finally she climbs out the window and down the trellis with the ease of someone with a lot of experience. With a soft thud she lands on the ground and turns to me. "If I get in trouble-"

"Then it'll have been worth it. Nice pajamas." I quip.

She looks down offendedly at the pink and white polka-dotted pjs. But she doesn't comment. Instead she asks, "So what clothes did you bring me?"

I dig around in the bag and finally produce the garments I'd selected for her. We're roughly the same size so I'm sure they'll fit her. Dawn eyes the brown leather pants and black halter. They're a contrast to my black leather mini and red halter. I've also brought a leather jacket for her since there's a chill in the September air. It's loose fitting and falls to the waist, where as my leather is form fitting and falls just above my knees between the edge of my skirt and top of my boots.

"Do you have a place you can change real quick?"

Dawn thinks a moment. "I guess the only option other than going inside- where I'll be caught, by the way- is to change behind a bush or something. Here, follow me."

She leads me into her back yard to a cluster of high bushes. Ducking behind them quickly, she strips out of her pjs and they're tossed to me over the bush. I hand her the clothes I brought and within minutes she's stepping hesitantly from behind the hedge. "I dunno…" she says, looking down at herself. "It's just not me."

"Well you can't be you where we're going. They'll chew you up and spit you out. Come here…" I say, pulling out my tube of black eye liner. She obeys and I carefully line her eyes like my own- dark and thick. Then I apply some mascara, dark red lipstick and we're set.

"We look like hookers." She says.

"That's the idea." I start walking and she runs to catch up.

"We're gonna be hookers?"

"No. We're gonna look like hookers. Don't worry, girlie, your virtue will remain intact if you deem it so. We're just gonna have a little fun. But you can't have fun where we're going if you're wearing Hello, Kitty pajamas."

"Where are we going?"

"Little place outside town. It's fun. I went there last weekend." We walk to the bus stop and take a seat on the bench. I probably shouldn't be taking her to this place. It's not exactly a Bible study. I glance over at her and she's looking around us nervously. "Relax, chica."

"Jade…we shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous."

Ugh. What is it with these people? You'd think we were a couple of Jews dodging the Gestapo. I sigh. "Let me guess…muggers? Listen, I've lived in New York. I can handle myself." I grin. "I'll protect you."

She doesn't smile back. "This is serious. This town…it's different…"

Before she can finish, the bus pulls up to the stop and I jump up and board with Dawn close behind. The bus is dirty and smells like vomit poorly covered with aerosol spray. There's fluorescent lighting, probably making me look down right demonic with my pale skin and dark make-up. I plop down on a hard seat and Dawn scoots in beside me. We have the bus to ourselves except for the driver.

The ride is silent. I think Dawn's debating telling me something cause she keeps turning to me as if she's going to say something but then she just turns away with this torn look on her face. I don't comment on this and after a while I just look out the window at the bare streets.

The bus finally comes to a halt about a block from our destination. We walk in silence to the bar and when Dawn sets her eyes on the seedy building, her pace slows a bit. "It's ok." I assure her. We approach the door and the bouncer- who I got to know last Friday night- convientently looks aside as we enter.

Dawn sticks close to me as she eyes the smoky room. It's full of people at tables and at the bar and on the dance floor. Harsh, loud rock music is pouring from two large speakers on either side of a small catwalk. She looks at me questioningly when she sees the catwalk with it's golden pole in the middle. "It's a strip club six nights a week." I explain, having to shout to be heard over the deafening song.

I can't hear it but I see her mouth form a small 'o'. Her eyes are wide and she's obviously very tense. A few drinks and some hotties should cure that. Let's get this party started.

*****

What in the bloody hell is Niblet thinking? I can understand Jade's stupidity- she doesn't know any better. But Dawn! Dawn's the slayer's little sister! She of all people should know better than to go out in Sunnydale at night! Bloody sodding idiotic chit!

I watched from behind the tree in the Summers' front yard as Jade called up to Dawn from the lawn. Then when lil' bit appeared, I listened to their conversation and watched as she climbed out of her window. They went around back and then came out again- this time with Dawn dressed like a regular whore. That nearly sent me off right there. I've come to expect that from Jade over the week that I've known her. But Dawn's different, dammit. Technically speaking, she's only three years old.

I followed them to the bus stop and watched them board, then hopped easily onto the back of the bus and rode precariously with them until they got off. And then I followed them hear. Of all the places in Sunnydale- leave it to Jade to find the seediest.

A little flash of the game face and I'm past the bouncer and in the bar. Well, they certainly made themselves right at home real quick. Jade and Dawn are standing by a booth of four guys that can obviously drink the beer in their hands legally- unlike the girls. But that doesn't seem to have stopped them as they already have two frosty bottles in their hands.

I stick to the shadows, watching as Jade leans over the table- obviously showing off her cleavage. The guys' eyes all follow the path from her neck to the gaping top of her shirt. She smiles sweetly and says something and immediately the men scoot apart in the booth so that Jade can squeeze in between the two of them. Dawn takes a huge gulp of beer and follows the blonde's lead. I sneak a bit closer and suddenly I become aware of the fact that there are only two heartbeats at that table. Dammit.

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