Part 2
"Wake up, Sunshine," Cordelia said
blandly, busting into Faith's room without so much as a knock. Faith rolled
over on her side and looked up sleepily from bed. Cordelia gave her a dirty
look and stalking over to the window threw open the drapes. A dirty white
sunlight filtered in, and Faith squinted against it.
"What the fuck do you want?" Faith
growled.
"Naughty mouth!" Cordelia
shrieked, giving her a disapproving look. Faith started to cover her head with
her blanket, but Cordelia reached the bed, and taking it in both hands, gave it
a good, hard yank. She almost pulled Faith out of bed.
"TIME TO GO SHOPPING." She
announced. "Come on! Get up!" She started to take Faith's arm, but Faith
snapped back out of reach and Cordelia jumped. An irritated Cordy sighed and
stood back, staring down at the girl.
"Don't do that, k?" Faith said
quietly. Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"Sorry."
Faith slowly withdrew from bed,
scratching her messed up hair and letting her legs dangle from the edge of the
mattress. She sat in her underwear and yawned. Cordelia stood impatiently.
"What time is it?" Faith asked.
"A quarter after nine…"
"What!"
"You heard me!"
Faith gave her a demanding look.
"Everyone knows to get the best deals
you have to get there before the store opens, duh!" Cordelia crossed the room
and entered the bathroom. She flicked on the light, and peered into the mirror,
checking her makeup and smoothing her hair.
"Where are we gonna go?" Faith
yelled out, yawning again as she tried to deal with her rude awakening.
Cordelia grinned and came back to
the door.
"Well, I know that your usual
taste is amply available in the junior miss department at the K-Mart
Superstore, but, I'm thinking today, I'm going to take you somewhere with a
little more class, and a touch of style! I'm taking you to Melrose. And
besides, I wouldn't be caught dead at K-Mart…so you'll just have to deal." She
dropped her smile and went back to the mirror.
Faith shook her head in contempt
but got up anyway.
She dressed in her own, now dry,
clothes from the day before, and was able to get Cordelia away from the mirror
for a few minutes to brush her hair.
"We really have to do something
about that…" Cordelia commented from the doorway, shaking her head.
"What?" Faith asked, confused.
"That rat's nest of a hairdo,"
Faith flinched at the remarks. They were getting really personal now. "I'll
take you to my stylist," Cordelia added. "What the hell! As long as Angel's
paying for it…"
"Do I really want to go to
your stylist?" Faith asked sarcastically. "I don't want to end up looking like
Britney Spears or a Spice Girl or anything…"
Cordelia came to her and peered at
her frostily.
"If you're lucky, they might be
able to make you look as good as Scary Spice."
"Do you really think so?" Faith
scathed. "Because, you know, I've always wanted to look like her!"
"Wesley, I didn't think you'd be
back in today,"
Wesley stood idly near the door,
glancing around uneasily. Angel approached his associate, keeping just out of
the reach of daylight, his breakfast in hand.
"I didn't want to let my
responsibilities go just because…" His voice trailed off. Angel followed his
eyes as they looked apprehensively up the ornate stairwell.
"Relax, Wes. She's not here. I had
Cordelia take her out shopping."
Wesley sighed in extreme relief,
closing his eyes momentarily, making the effort to gather himself.
"I—I'm sorry, Angel…I don't know
why I'm acting this way."
Angel frowned.
"Wesley," He said, all too seriously.
"You don't have to try to impress anybody,"
"I'm not."
"If you're not comfortable now,
you don't have to come back right away. I know this is really hard for you. I'm
sorry—"
"Don't apologize, Angel…You're
doing the right thing. And I'm a grown man. I shouldn't be acting this way…but
still,"
"Wesley, she kidnapped and
tortured you once…how do you expect to act?"
Wesley was at a loss. Angel
watched him sadly.
"I'm sorry I put you in this
position."
"Don't be…" Wesley exhaled. "She
needs your help. And it's…it's not her fault she was…was…was…"
"A sadistic, psychotic, and
deranged killer?"
"Yes."
"Well, I can't blame you if you
hold it against me,"
"You? Why?"
"For bringing her here. Wesley,
I'm really sorry," Angel glanced down into his half finished glass. He was
drinking it cold this morning… 'Chilled', he preferred to think.
"Angel…stop apologizing. She's
rehabilitated now…I hope. And I'll deal with it…eventually. And I
don't want to be chased out of my own job by demons…so to speak." Wes
frowned at this choice of expression. "Sorry, not you."
Angel smiled.
"I knew what you meant."
"So, I've decided its time to buck
up and get passed it! Besides…" Wesley's expression went from bad to worse.
"How hard could it really be seeing her again…"
"Pretty bad."
"Ah, great."
"But…I think things will be okay.
I have faith…in Faith." Angel said sincerely. Wesley shook his head.
"I'm glad somebody does… Now.
Work. I want to work. What shall we work on today?"
Angel tipped his glass at his
friend.
"Can I get you something to eat
first?"
"I think this would be perfect!"
The saleswoman said, holding up an ugly, retro green and brown plaid dress to
Faith as she glared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Even Cordelia
cringed.
"You know what!" Cordelia said
sweetly, trying to be as polite as possible. "I think we're okay on our own…if
we need anything, we'll call ya! How does that sound!"
"O-okay," The woman forced. She
eyed the edgy looking girl in the combat boots, then the taller, sheik one,
before walking away.
"This is so ugly," Faith gasped in
amusement, looking at the price tag. Cordelia snatched it from her hands.
"It sure is," She heaved. Cordy
stuck it back on the closest rack and started looking through another. "Don't
you see anything you like???"
Faith looked around easily.
"Nope."
"Well," Cordelia sighed. "Thanks
for being honest."
"This place blows."
"I happen to like this
place,"
"So that's what's wrong with it!
Can't we go somewhere I want to go?"
"I told you, no K-Mart!" Cordelia
hissed. "K-Mart bad! K-Mart…not fashionable! Angel put you in my hands to make
you…as good as you're gonna get…and I will not let him down! I'm not
going to disappoint him. I'm NOT going to let you make me look incompetent! You
hear me? It's a simple task! I am going to succeed! I'm going to give you a
little class if I have to shove my Gucci handbag down your throat and tape your
mouth closed!!! So if you don't like the taste of leather…which I just BET you
do! Then shut your hole, and start trying things on!!! GOT IT?"
"Got it," Faith said dryly.
She ended up with an armful of
over-priced duds as she was being shoved into a fitting room. The sales lady's
eyes lit up at the prospect of commission and so she was more than happy to let
her take in more than was to be allowed. Six items nothin', try like thirteen…
"If you need anything…!" The woman
was practically salivating.
Faith rolled her eyes.
"We'll call ya!" Cordelia
promised.
"Okay…great…" The woman floated
away.
Faith turned around to shove
Cordelia out, but Cordelia pushed her arm away and closed the door behind them.
Faith gave her an annoyed look.
"I'm making sure you don't steal
anything." Cordelia bit.
Faith laughed absurdly.
"Why would I steal
anything?"
"You tell me…you're the convict."
"I went to prison for murder, not
thievery," Faith said wryly, dropping the clothes carelessly to the floor. She
made sure to step on them as she slipped off her shirt. Cordelia folded her arms
and glared. "Besides, this stuff is putrid." Faith went on, smiling then, as
she reached for her pants zipper. "Admit it, Cordelia…You just get your rocks
off seeing me naked."
"Uh. NO."
"Oh, you sooo do! It's okay… In
the pen, everyone's a lesbo. I'm used to it. Just don't try to eat me out or
anything…"
Cordelia rolled her eyes and
leaned back against the fitting room door in a huff.
Outside, the sales lady's eyes
widened as she eavesdropped on the two customers.
