[ ] denotes thoughts
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Part Two
Sunnydale cafeteria
"Cordy, what?!" Xander fumbled out. He was shocked to see this blast from his past. The brunette simply smiled at his speechlessness.
"Well, Xander Harris, I never thought I'd ever see you at a loss for words," Cordelia Chase smirked down at him.
Xander quickly recovered. "YOU'RE THE NEW STUDENT?!?!"
"Yep, now are you going to introduce me to your two friends or do I have to do it myself?" she replied with an evil grin.
Xander looked at her with a risen brow. "Now why would I want to traumatize my friends with your presence."
"Ha ha, very funny, dweeb," Cordelia sarcastically remarked. She turned to Willow and Oz who were looking on curiously. "Anyways, I'm Cordelia Chase. I'm an old friend of lame-o over here. I used to go to school with Xander at Hemery High in LA."
"More like old tormentor," Xander muttered under his breath.
"I heard that, dork," Cordy shot back. "I see your taste in clothes hasn't improved, but then you never did have any sense of style."
"Don't need style when I have charm. Besides all your 'style' just seems to attract idiot jocks, airheads, and sleazy old guys. I can do without those," he grinned.
The couple watched the continuing banter between the two before Willow intervened and halted their comments. "Um, hi. I'm Willow. That's my boyfriend Oz."
"Hey."
Cordelia replied chagrined, "Sorry about that. That's just how Xander and I communicate." She turned back to Xander. "But the reason I came over here was I was wondering if you would show me around here. It's the least you could do after all I've done for you."
"All you've done for me?"
"Of course. I did try to improve on your taste in clothes," Cordy said looking him over, "though it looks like you forgot everything I taught you."
Xander stood and waved away her comment. "That was only for one night, and you owed me to begin with. I needed your help to choose something to wear for that dance...," he trailed off as he remembered the event.
Chastened, Cordelia looked down then laid her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Xand. I know she meant a lot to you."
"Xander, who..." Willow tried to ask.
Xander shook himself out of his reverie. He grabbed his tray and bag to leave. "I suppose I should show you to your classes and help grab your books from the library. I'll catch up with you guys later, ok?"
"Sure," Cordelia quietly replied as she followed him out of the cafeteria.
The remaining couple watched in concern as they walked away.
Willow turned to her boyfriend as she spoke. "I wish he'd open up to us. He never really tells us anything about what happened in LA. The only thing he was willing to share was that he was involved with the previous Slayer and that she died fighting Lothos," she paused flustered before continuing rapidly. "I mean, I checked the newspaper articles and and found some more information on the net, but you know how they don't really report what actually happened in an event like that. The most they had was bodies were found drained of blood, that the gym was burned down, and they blamed Xander for the fire. He hasn't even given us her name, Oz! I'd ask Giles who she was but he gets so stuffy about those Watcher's journals that I doubt he'd tell us anything," she finished distraught.
Oz hugged the red head comfortingly. "He just needs a bit more time. If she really meant that much to him, he needs time to grieve."
"I know, but he never seems to take time off from the Slayer stuff. He's more devoted than Faith is! How can he grieve if he never makes the time for it," she complained.
"Maybe that is his way of dealing with it. I'll try getting him to talk."
Willow brightened. "Will you? I mean, with you being a guy, he might be more willing to talk to you since you're not a girl. It just might make him more willing to open up to you. You know, bonding, guy-like stuff."
Not even the corners of his mouth betrayed Oz's internal grin. "Might work. Since I'm a guy and all."
Willow didn't even notice as she thought of how they were going to help their friend.
***
Sunnydale hallway
[I know Willow means well, but I'd rather not talk about HER yet. Especially not in a crowded cafeteria,] Xander thought to himself as he led Cordelia through the halls.
"So how are you liking Sunnydale?" Cordelia said to try to break the depressing silence.
He snorted, "Not much to this town, but at least I have a few friends that help me pass the time." [Usually in graveyards.] "How'd you end up here anyways? Last I knew, you were planning on graduating and then going straight to acting."
"Daddy dragged me and mom here because of some business opportunity. So I got stuck here in Sunnydale with you."
"Jeez, don't sound so pleased to be around me, Cordy," Xander remarked.
"I suppose I can deal with being around you again. I tolerated you for years, a little while longer shouldn't matter that much," she countered.
"You wound me. I thought after all those 'conversations', you'd have grown to appreciate what I do for you," he said as they neared the library doors.
"And that is?" Cordelia asked with folded arms and a risen brow when they stopped outside.
"After talking to the people you usually associate with? Come on, someone has to keep you awake after listening to them drone on," he replied as they entered the library.
Inside, conversation stopped as they entered. Giles was at the table with Faith showing her something out of one of his texts.
"Hey, G-man. We've come for books," Xander stated before motioning to Cordelia. "This is Cordelia Chase. She's the new student who came in today."
Giles came forward to introduce himself. "Um, yes.. well.. Pleased to meet you Miss Chase. I am Mr. Giles, the librarian."
"Pleasure meeting you too," Cordelia said politely before throwing a look over at Xander. "What Xander failed to mention was that we used to go to school together at Hemery High."
Faith perked up at this and came over. "I'm Faith. So do you happen to know any deep, dark secrets of our Xand-man here?"
Cordelia gave Xander an evil grin as he squirmed. "A few. But first...," she said as she reached into her bag to pull out a slip of paper and handed it to Xander. "Why don't you go gather my books while I talk to Faith."
"Giles can do it," he blurted panicked.
"Be a gentleman, Xand," Faith replied with a grin. "I'm sure we can find 'something' to talk about while you're gone."
Xander looked over to the Watcher hoping for some help. Giles saw this and promptly headed to his office mumbling something about finding a book.
[Traitor,] Xander thought as he grabbed the paper.
"Feel free to take your time Xan," Faith called out as he headed to the stacks.
[God, please kill me now,] Xander thought when he heard the quiet talking behind him. [Or at least before they get to the childhood stories,] he added when the two girls broke out in laughter.
**********
End Part 2
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