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Chapter Seven: Angel Loves Me, I Love…
"…growled at me like I was a frickin' dog or something!"
"*Neg!*"
"Pos! I could *not* believe!"
"He's probably gay, y'know. All the gorgeous ones are."
Cordelia was tired. She let the conversation settle over her like an old shirt. Its very inanity was what made it comforting. The fact she was eavesdropping rather than partaking made no difference. Sometimes it was … relaxing … to let vacuousness reign.
She leant further into the bar and rested her head on her crossed arms. All the better to overhear you with, my dear. The five girls next to her were various clones of each other – much like, she acknowledged, she herself would have been once.
"…don't care how good the leather looks, sometimes an attitude smears all in badness. I mean, rude or anything?"
"…totally…"
Once. Twice. Three times and you're out. Cordelia wasn't sure what the word 'once' really applied to. I would have been that way 'once.' Buffy and I were nearly friends 'once.' I was attracted to Angel 'once.' *Twice, three times, four times…* Why can't I have a normal life?
"…sounds like a job for a star, girls. Where is he?"
"Near the pool tables last I saw. Can't miss him, the only real talent in the place."
Cordelia idly remembered when she would have been up for a challenge like that. Bending Men To Your Will 101, the Cordelia Chase special. Click your fingers, snap that smile out, and they were all yours. When had she stopped wanting that? Why had she stopped wanting that? Was it because she and everybody she loved could die any old time? Or was it because Angel-
"…warning you now, he's all rebound-y or something. Wouldn't even talk to me, just kept staring at some girl on the dance floor."
"Probably stalking her."
"Yah."
"Oh please, allow me. Title to defend here. Big and Broody is all mine."
And when had this love thing begun, anyway? And what in the hell had he been thinking? Which wasn't really fair, she admitted silently. It's not like you could choose who you loved. You either loved somebody or you didn't, and if you did, there was no use pretending…
She suddenly stood up. "Excuse me. Big and Broody, you said."
"God," exclaimed one of the girls, a bottle-blonde with a brittle face. "Earwig much?"
"Unfortunate and painful side-effect of the being near you," retorted the Seer, straightening her shoulders. "This guy you were talking about." She held her hand up to Angel's height. "About this tall?"
"Yeah," a brunette answered slowly.
"All glowery and gorgeous?"
"Uh-huh."
Cordelia stepped closer. "Leather jacket and dark hair most men would kill for?"
"Totally." The brunette waved a hand for emphasis. "William Shatner would first weep, then die."
Cordelia swallowed the instant, pure and fiery rage that threatened to consume her. They were talking about … about…
And suddenly, wonder of wonders, Cordelia Chase had an epiphany of her own.
"I don't think you girls know exactly what you're dealing with," she said through clenched teeth.
"What's it got to do with you?" sneered the first girl.
"Everything," Cordelia replied calmly. "Allow me to make something very clear here, and I suggest you take it on board. Big and Broody guy?" She levelled a death stare at the blonde. "He's mine."
On to Chapter Eight…
Chapter Seven: Angel Loves Me, I Love…
"…growled at me like I was a frickin' dog or something!"
"*Neg!*"
"Pos! I could *not* believe!"
"He's probably gay, y'know. All the gorgeous ones are."
Cordelia was tired. She let the conversation settle over her like an old shirt. Its very inanity was what made it comforting. The fact she was eavesdropping rather than partaking made no difference. Sometimes it was … relaxing … to let vacuousness reign.
She leant further into the bar and rested her head on her crossed arms. All the better to overhear you with, my dear. The five girls next to her were various clones of each other – much like, she acknowledged, she herself would have been once.
"…don't care how good the leather looks, sometimes an attitude smears all in badness. I mean, rude or anything?"
"…totally…"
Once. Twice. Three times and you're out. Cordelia wasn't sure what the word 'once' really applied to. I would have been that way 'once.' Buffy and I were nearly friends 'once.' I was attracted to Angel 'once.' *Twice, three times, four times…* Why can't I have a normal life?
"…sounds like a job for a star, girls. Where is he?"
"Near the pool tables last I saw. Can't miss him, the only real talent in the place."
Cordelia idly remembered when she would have been up for a challenge like that. Bending Men To Your Will 101, the Cordelia Chase special. Click your fingers, snap that smile out, and they were all yours. When had she stopped wanting that? Why had she stopped wanting that? Was it because she and everybody she loved could die any old time? Or was it because Angel-
"…warning you now, he's all rebound-y or something. Wouldn't even talk to me, just kept staring at some girl on the dance floor."
"Probably stalking her."
"Yah."
"Oh please, allow me. Title to defend here. Big and Broody is all mine."
And when had this love thing begun, anyway? And what in the hell had he been thinking? Which wasn't really fair, she admitted silently. It's not like you could choose who you loved. You either loved somebody or you didn't, and if you did, there was no use pretending…
She suddenly stood up. "Excuse me. Big and Broody, you said."
"God," exclaimed one of the girls, a bottle-blonde with a brittle face. "Earwig much?"
"Unfortunate and painful side-effect of the being near you," retorted the Seer, straightening her shoulders. "This guy you were talking about." She held her hand up to Angel's height. "About this tall?"
"Yeah," a brunette answered slowly.
"All glowery and gorgeous?"
"Uh-huh."
Cordelia stepped closer. "Leather jacket and dark hair most men would kill for?"
"Totally." The brunette waved a hand for emphasis. "William Shatner would first weep, then die."
Cordelia swallowed the instant, pure and fiery rage that threatened to consume her. They were talking about … about…
And suddenly, wonder of wonders, Cordelia Chase had an epiphany of her own.
"I don't think you girls know exactly what you're dealing with," she said through clenched teeth.
"What's it got to do with you?" sneered the first girl.
"Everything," Cordelia replied calmly. "Allow me to make something very clear here, and I suggest you take it on board. Big and Broody guy?" She levelled a death stare at the blonde. "He's mine."
On to Chapter Eight…