Chapter Four
All I Know
As the group walked down the street, Darry couldn't help but think of how Buffy felt about Riley's return and his wife. The Slayer hadn't exactly welcomed Riley with open arms but Darry could tell that Buffy was happy to see him back. Now, however, Darry couldn't tell much of anything; Buffy's face was blank and expressionless, staring straight ahead.
Darry glanced to her left, to see Kellie was under the blanket with Spike and they were obviously making out. Darry couldn't figure out how they managed not to run into a stop-sign or whatnot.
Riley said something that Darry couldn't hear and then pointed to a section of buildings ahead. The buildings were larger then apartments but Darry guessed they served the same purpose.
The Scooby Gang, Kellie and Riley entered the main part of the section of buildings and headed up a flight of stairs. Riley pulled a key out of his pocket and stuck it into the brass lock of a door labeled B6.
The door opened and the first thing Darry knew was a horrible smell coming from inside; she wrinkled her nose and turned her head away.
"What is that smell?" Kellie muttered, beside her, putting a hand up to cover her nose and mouth.
"Melissa must be cooking, she's not a very good cook." Riley said. Darry found it weird that he didn't seem to be disgusted by the smell; however, he must be used to it, since he had lived with her for a while.
Riley opened the door all the way and went into the apartment first, motioned for everyone else to follow him. With some hesitation (except for Spike because he couldn't smell) the Scooby Gang followed Riley inside the apartment.
Riley flicked on the lights and Darry looked around the apartment; it looked like a normal apartment, a couch resting against a far wall, kitchen to the left of the door and a hall that led to the bedroom and bathroom. There were little decorations except for trinkets and whatnot that came from South America; a doll (voodoo, Darry guessed) made of corn-shucks rested on the coffee table. An assortment of creepy-looking masks hung on the walls, hollow eyes glaring down at them; beside the couch, resting a night-table, was a glass cage which held a large spider, larger then any other spider Darry had ever seen.
"Melissa?" Riley called, scanning the apartment.
"Just a second Riley." A voice called back, Darry couldn't pin-point the direction it had come from.
The smell disappeared and a woman, who looked younger then Riley, emerged from the dimly light hallway. Melissa, Darry presumed, had corn-blonde hair tied in a bun atop her head. Her skin was tan from staying in the sun too long; her green eyes were dull and hidden beneath thick eyelashes.
"Riley, you didn't tell me we were going to have guests." Melissa said, frowning and suddenly looking cross.
"I know, Melissa, I'm sorry but it was kind of a 'spur of the moment' thing." Riley said, hanging his head. Buffy looked over at him and could tell that he wasn't hanging his head in mock shame, he was truely appalled by his actions.
Melissa studied the group, her eyes scanning each person; she gave Spike the once-over, rolling her eyes. "So, who are these people?" Melissa asked, making no move to hide the disgust in her voice.
"This," Riley began, "is Willow, Kellie, her cousin Darry, Spike, Dawn, Buffy's sister, and this is Buffy." Riley said, pointing to each of the group.
Melissa looked at Buffy. "Buffy, your ex-girlfriend Buffy?" Melissa asked, once again her voice was full of disgust.
"Yeah." Buffy answered, before Riley could, giving Melissa a scornful look.
Melissa put her hands on her hips. "I don't see what's so great about her; the way you talked about her, you made it sound like she was a model or something." Melissa said, raising an eyebrow as she gave Buffy the once-over. "She doesn't look so tough to me, either, she can't be the Slayer." Melissa added.
"She knows I'm the Slayer?" Buffy asked, looking at Riley.
Riley shrugged. "Yeah but it's okay Buffy, Melissa won't tell anyone." He said, giving her a pitiful shrug.
Melissa shook her head. "Now, Riley, tell me is she the reason we moved to Sunnydale?" Melissa asked.
"Look, Melissa, Sunnydale isn't that bad." Riley said. He walked over to his wife. "Look, baby, just please be nice, these people are my friends; please, for me." Riley said, whispering in her ear.
Melissa shrugged him off. "Fine." She said. She turned her head to face Buffy and the others. "Sit down, please; I'll fix something for you to eat and drink." Melissa said and, going past the spider's cage, walked into the kitchen.
Darry took a seat on the couch beside her cousin. "Wait, Riley said that Melissa must have been cooking before; so, why is she going to fix something, now, for us?" Darry asked.
Kellie shrugged and stood up again, pulling the sleeves down on her shirt. "Well, she was probably cooking dinner and she can't serve us dinner." Kellie said. She began to sit down but then let out a yelp and jumped back up.
"What happened?" Darry asked, looking at her cousin.
"There's a spider there!" Kellie exclaimed and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the coffee table.
Darry looked to where her cousin was pointing and saw the large spider that had been in the cage before. The spider was a spider that Darry had never seen before, it was probably from South America. The spider seemed to know that Darry was staring at it because it flicked its legs in Darry's direction.
Spike walked over to calm Kellie down and to look at the spider. "Oh bloody hell, what is that thing?" Spike asked, resting his hand on Kellie's shoulder.
"I HATE spiders!" Kellie cried, looking away from the spider on the couch.
Melissa appeared beside Kellie and Spike and then walked over to the couch. She bent down and gathered the spider in her hands. She clicked her tongue as she stroked the spider's back with her finger. "Charlotte, how did you get out?" Melissa cooed.
Darry frowned as she watched Melissa carry the spider, Charlotte, back to his cage; Darry noticed that the top of the cage was open. It would have been impossible for the cage to be open without human hands; it would been impossible for the spider to even get out, without help from humans.
Melissa put the spider back in the cage and put the top back on. Spike turned to face Melissa. "Now, tell me how the bloody hell that thing out of its cage." Spike asked, his voice thick with angry and confusion.
Melissa turned to face Spike with a very angry expression on her face. "Do not raise your voice at me, for you are a guest in my house." Melissa hissed, her voice was so fierce that even Darry recoiled. "Perhaps my spider knows something about her that you don't and wanted to get rid of her." Melissa spat.
Buffy was quickly at Spike and Kellie's side and narrowed her eyes, glaring at Melissa. "Don't you talk about my friends that way." Buffy hissed.
Riley put his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Buffy calm down, just calm down." Riley said.
Buffy shrugged his hand off and then turned to Riley. "It's been great seeing you, Riley, but I think that's its time for us to leave." Buffy said.
As Buffy and the others left the apartment building, Darry talked to Buffy about Riley. And Melissa. "What do you think about Melissa?" Darry asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't really know. All I know is she's weird and there's something about her that I don't like." Buffy answered. "That's all I know."
All I Know
As the group walked down the street, Darry couldn't help but think of how Buffy felt about Riley's return and his wife. The Slayer hadn't exactly welcomed Riley with open arms but Darry could tell that Buffy was happy to see him back. Now, however, Darry couldn't tell much of anything; Buffy's face was blank and expressionless, staring straight ahead.
Darry glanced to her left, to see Kellie was under the blanket with Spike and they were obviously making out. Darry couldn't figure out how they managed not to run into a stop-sign or whatnot.
Riley said something that Darry couldn't hear and then pointed to a section of buildings ahead. The buildings were larger then apartments but Darry guessed they served the same purpose.
The Scooby Gang, Kellie and Riley entered the main part of the section of buildings and headed up a flight of stairs. Riley pulled a key out of his pocket and stuck it into the brass lock of a door labeled B6.
The door opened and the first thing Darry knew was a horrible smell coming from inside; she wrinkled her nose and turned her head away.
"What is that smell?" Kellie muttered, beside her, putting a hand up to cover her nose and mouth.
"Melissa must be cooking, she's not a very good cook." Riley said. Darry found it weird that he didn't seem to be disgusted by the smell; however, he must be used to it, since he had lived with her for a while.
Riley opened the door all the way and went into the apartment first, motioned for everyone else to follow him. With some hesitation (except for Spike because he couldn't smell) the Scooby Gang followed Riley inside the apartment.
Riley flicked on the lights and Darry looked around the apartment; it looked like a normal apartment, a couch resting against a far wall, kitchen to the left of the door and a hall that led to the bedroom and bathroom. There were little decorations except for trinkets and whatnot that came from South America; a doll (voodoo, Darry guessed) made of corn-shucks rested on the coffee table. An assortment of creepy-looking masks hung on the walls, hollow eyes glaring down at them; beside the couch, resting a night-table, was a glass cage which held a large spider, larger then any other spider Darry had ever seen.
"Melissa?" Riley called, scanning the apartment.
"Just a second Riley." A voice called back, Darry couldn't pin-point the direction it had come from.
The smell disappeared and a woman, who looked younger then Riley, emerged from the dimly light hallway. Melissa, Darry presumed, had corn-blonde hair tied in a bun atop her head. Her skin was tan from staying in the sun too long; her green eyes were dull and hidden beneath thick eyelashes.
"Riley, you didn't tell me we were going to have guests." Melissa said, frowning and suddenly looking cross.
"I know, Melissa, I'm sorry but it was kind of a 'spur of the moment' thing." Riley said, hanging his head. Buffy looked over at him and could tell that he wasn't hanging his head in mock shame, he was truely appalled by his actions.
Melissa studied the group, her eyes scanning each person; she gave Spike the once-over, rolling her eyes. "So, who are these people?" Melissa asked, making no move to hide the disgust in her voice.
"This," Riley began, "is Willow, Kellie, her cousin Darry, Spike, Dawn, Buffy's sister, and this is Buffy." Riley said, pointing to each of the group.
Melissa looked at Buffy. "Buffy, your ex-girlfriend Buffy?" Melissa asked, once again her voice was full of disgust.
"Yeah." Buffy answered, before Riley could, giving Melissa a scornful look.
Melissa put her hands on her hips. "I don't see what's so great about her; the way you talked about her, you made it sound like she was a model or something." Melissa said, raising an eyebrow as she gave Buffy the once-over. "She doesn't look so tough to me, either, she can't be the Slayer." Melissa added.
"She knows I'm the Slayer?" Buffy asked, looking at Riley.
Riley shrugged. "Yeah but it's okay Buffy, Melissa won't tell anyone." He said, giving her a pitiful shrug.
Melissa shook her head. "Now, Riley, tell me is she the reason we moved to Sunnydale?" Melissa asked.
"Look, Melissa, Sunnydale isn't that bad." Riley said. He walked over to his wife. "Look, baby, just please be nice, these people are my friends; please, for me." Riley said, whispering in her ear.
Melissa shrugged him off. "Fine." She said. She turned her head to face Buffy and the others. "Sit down, please; I'll fix something for you to eat and drink." Melissa said and, going past the spider's cage, walked into the kitchen.
Darry took a seat on the couch beside her cousin. "Wait, Riley said that Melissa must have been cooking before; so, why is she going to fix something, now, for us?" Darry asked.
Kellie shrugged and stood up again, pulling the sleeves down on her shirt. "Well, she was probably cooking dinner and she can't serve us dinner." Kellie said. She began to sit down but then let out a yelp and jumped back up.
"What happened?" Darry asked, looking at her cousin.
"There's a spider there!" Kellie exclaimed and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the coffee table.
Darry looked to where her cousin was pointing and saw the large spider that had been in the cage before. The spider was a spider that Darry had never seen before, it was probably from South America. The spider seemed to know that Darry was staring at it because it flicked its legs in Darry's direction.
Spike walked over to calm Kellie down and to look at the spider. "Oh bloody hell, what is that thing?" Spike asked, resting his hand on Kellie's shoulder.
"I HATE spiders!" Kellie cried, looking away from the spider on the couch.
Melissa appeared beside Kellie and Spike and then walked over to the couch. She bent down and gathered the spider in her hands. She clicked her tongue as she stroked the spider's back with her finger. "Charlotte, how did you get out?" Melissa cooed.
Darry frowned as she watched Melissa carry the spider, Charlotte, back to his cage; Darry noticed that the top of the cage was open. It would have been impossible for the cage to be open without human hands; it would been impossible for the spider to even get out, without help from humans.
Melissa put the spider back in the cage and put the top back on. Spike turned to face Melissa. "Now, tell me how the bloody hell that thing out of its cage." Spike asked, his voice thick with angry and confusion.
Melissa turned to face Spike with a very angry expression on her face. "Do not raise your voice at me, for you are a guest in my house." Melissa hissed, her voice was so fierce that even Darry recoiled. "Perhaps my spider knows something about her that you don't and wanted to get rid of her." Melissa spat.
Buffy was quickly at Spike and Kellie's side and narrowed her eyes, glaring at Melissa. "Don't you talk about my friends that way." Buffy hissed.
Riley put his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Buffy calm down, just calm down." Riley said.
Buffy shrugged his hand off and then turned to Riley. "It's been great seeing you, Riley, but I think that's its time for us to leave." Buffy said.
As Buffy and the others left the apartment building, Darry talked to Buffy about Riley. And Melissa. "What do you think about Melissa?" Darry asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't really know. All I know is she's weird and there's something about her that I don't like." Buffy answered. "That's all I know."