The music was loud, the people were drunk (mostly), and Buffy was not
having the time of her life. It was too impersonal, she was more for the
her, Willow, Xander, Dawn and Giles sitting around exchanging stories and
gifts (or not exchanging gifts, giving them all to Buffy). As a matter of
fact, there was a rather large pile of gifts anyway, which was some
consolation. But her two closest friends and her sister decided to give her
the presents personally.
Dawn had bought Buffy a cute blue sweater, and Xander had gotten her a Kung- Fu video (a strange choice, she had thought). But Willow's present was the most interesting one. A ring, for friendship, apparently, but a simple, gold band. Nothing too fancy, with no stones or anything, just a simple gold band.
'I know it's not much,' Willow had said, 'but I kinda think it's nice,' as though unsure as to why she had really purchased it.
'It's perfect,' Buffy had said, mainly out of politeness to her best friend, but also because she felt there was something about this ring, something that drew her to it.
When the party was over, Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Giles all made their way back to Buffy's house, talking about how much the party sucked. It wasn't until they got back that Buffy put on Willow's ring. The reaction was quite a shock.
'Holy freaking Moses Buffy, you're invisible!' Dawn shouted.
'Again!' Buffy replied in shock.
She looked down at herself and saw through herself. Interesting.
'Take off the ring,' Giles said quickly.
Buffy pulled the ring off of her finger and instantly became visible again.
'Willow, where did you get this ring from?' Buffy asked.
'A second hand jewelry store,' Willow replied.
'You bought my birthday present from a second hand store!' Buffy shouted, sounding hurt.
'I think that's beside the issue,' Giles said, grabbing his coat.
'Where are you going?' Buffy shouted after him as he marched down the hall towards the front door.
"Out,' he replied.
'But you just got here,' Buffy pleaded. 'And now something freaky is happening and you just leave?!"
Giles opened the door and stepped outside into the night air. He turned to face his slayer once again.
'I don't understand,' she said.
'Neither do I,' Giles said, before turning and walking away.
Buffy just stared down the street a he walked quickly away. She looked down at the ring she now held in her hand. Her thought about throwing it away, about destroying, but she realized she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she walked upstairs, ignoring the questions from her friend and sister, and put the ring in her jewelry box. And it lay there unmoved for another month, until Giles returned.
Dawn had bought Buffy a cute blue sweater, and Xander had gotten her a Kung- Fu video (a strange choice, she had thought). But Willow's present was the most interesting one. A ring, for friendship, apparently, but a simple, gold band. Nothing too fancy, with no stones or anything, just a simple gold band.
'I know it's not much,' Willow had said, 'but I kinda think it's nice,' as though unsure as to why she had really purchased it.
'It's perfect,' Buffy had said, mainly out of politeness to her best friend, but also because she felt there was something about this ring, something that drew her to it.
When the party was over, Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Giles all made their way back to Buffy's house, talking about how much the party sucked. It wasn't until they got back that Buffy put on Willow's ring. The reaction was quite a shock.
'Holy freaking Moses Buffy, you're invisible!' Dawn shouted.
'Again!' Buffy replied in shock.
She looked down at herself and saw through herself. Interesting.
'Take off the ring,' Giles said quickly.
Buffy pulled the ring off of her finger and instantly became visible again.
'Willow, where did you get this ring from?' Buffy asked.
'A second hand jewelry store,' Willow replied.
'You bought my birthday present from a second hand store!' Buffy shouted, sounding hurt.
'I think that's beside the issue,' Giles said, grabbing his coat.
'Where are you going?' Buffy shouted after him as he marched down the hall towards the front door.
"Out,' he replied.
'But you just got here,' Buffy pleaded. 'And now something freaky is happening and you just leave?!"
Giles opened the door and stepped outside into the night air. He turned to face his slayer once again.
'I don't understand,' she said.
'Neither do I,' Giles said, before turning and walking away.
Buffy just stared down the street a he walked quickly away. She looked down at the ring she now held in her hand. Her thought about throwing it away, about destroying, but she realized she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she walked upstairs, ignoring the questions from her friend and sister, and put the ring in her jewelry box. And it lay there unmoved for another month, until Giles returned.