As we grew closer to Buffy's house, I started to worry. "What if
Joyce knows I'm not her daughter? I mean, mothers know that kind of stuff.
So, like, what if she finds out? That wouldn't be good, 'cause who knows
what…" I trailed off.
"Hey, you need to stop worrying. It'll be okay. We were over at Willow's studying, we finished, so she kicked us out so she could study calculus. So you and I decided to come over here and watch a movie. It's that simple," Xander reassured me. I nodded and took a deep breath as we walked up Buffy's front steps. After a few minutes searching, I found the key to the front door. I let us in, just as Joyce was going up the stairs.
"Oh, Buffy, there you are," she said, turning around. "I was just about to call Willow. Where were you?"
"At Willow's, studying. You know, fun stuff," I replied, lightly. Xander jumped in.
"Yeah, Willow decided it was time for us to go so she could enjoy her calculus alone. So B-Buffy suggested a movie night over here." I elbowed him in the ribs. 'Careful,' I mouthed.
"Alright, well, at least I know you've done your homework then," Joyce said, smiling. "Have fun, you two, I'm off to bed." She hugged me.
"Night, J-Mom." This time it was Xander's turn to nudge me. Joyce went on upstairs and Xander flopped down on the couch.
"This is totally going to take some getting used to," I said under my breath.
"Nah, not for me. I mean, usually, Buffy wouldn't let me touch her. And she'd probably make me get up off my butt and get my own snacks," Xander replied. I glared at him.
"And so now that Buffy's soul is elsewhere, you think you can just jump my bones now? I mean, her bones?" He grinned wickedly. "Besides, you can get the snacks. I have no clue where anything is in this house. Including my bedroom. Remind me to let you show me where that is before you leave." Xander got up and led me into the kitchen.
"Food…food. Alright, cheesy chips! More unhealthy stuff…" he mumbled, rummaging through the cabinets.
"Just grab me some Chips Ahoy!, alright? I'm going to go find a movie," I said, then decided to head for Buffy's room to change clothes. Locating it was no problem, it was figuring out what to wear that was the challenge. I settled on some comfy pink sweat pants with a baby blue stripe on the side and a pink tank top. I was just stepping out of the bathroom when I heard a noise in the bedroom. I slowly crept out from behind the door…
"Xander!" I exploded. "What are you doing up here?" He smiled.
"I thought we'd be more comfortable up here…" he trailed off at my scowl. I sat down on the bed.
"Look, Xan, just because I'm not Buffy doesn't mean you can take advantage of her body…" I stopped at his wounded expression. "I'm sorry. I just…I know you wouldn't do that…I just…things have happened to me, and the last thing I need is to put myself, and Buffy, in a situation like that again. I just…Forgive me for being a jerk?" He pulled me close in a hug.
"Of course, Brooke. I don't know exactly what it was that happened to you, but I'm here if you need to talk. And I can definitely back off if you like. I mean, I may be 17, but not everything is about how the girl looks. Even just meeting you today, well, you're different. Different than Buffy. I mean, not to be mean to her, but you're, well, kind of, deeper. I mean, not all boring and…What am I trying to say?" he mumbled.
"How 'bout this?" I suggested, leaning closer to kiss him softly on the lips. We broke apart. Xander grinned.
"Yeah, that about sums it up," he whispered. "Now how about that movie?" We went back downstairs and began arguing over which movie to watch.
"I don't care what you say, we are NOT watching 'Spice World'!" Xander voiced vehemently. I giggled.
"Hey, you said you wanted a scary flick. What's scarier than the Spice Girls acting?"
"Ha, very funny. Why don't we just watch 'Halloween'?"
"Oh, come on, how lame can you get? 'Halloween' may be the first of the slasher films, but it is SO not scary," I complained.
"Okay, fine. Any other brilliant ideas, other than Baby and Ginger?"
"Hey, I actually happen to like the Spice Girls," I said, serious. Xander raised his eyebrows, then started laughing. I picked up a pillow and threw it at him. "Alright, we'll watch this."
"What is it?"
"It's from the horror genre, don't worry. And it's by John Carpenter. So there." I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Don't tempt me," he said wickedly, pulling me down on the couch next to him.
"Hey, hey, behave!" I chided. I pulled a blanket up over us, leaned against him, and started to push PLAY.
"Um, Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind starting the tape? I mean, look what happened last time I touched a VCR remote. I don't want that to happen again until we can find out what happened there. I would so hate to end up in this film," I entreated him.
"I know, you'd just rather be here with me," he replied, winking.
"Yeah, that and I hate having people mess with my mind. Sutter Cane is insane. Or sane, depending on how you look at it from the movie."
"What movie is it?" he asked, pressing PLAY.
"'In the Mouth of Madness'," I told him. "Kind of…fitting, isn't it?"
"Hey, you need to stop worrying. It'll be okay. We were over at Willow's studying, we finished, so she kicked us out so she could study calculus. So you and I decided to come over here and watch a movie. It's that simple," Xander reassured me. I nodded and took a deep breath as we walked up Buffy's front steps. After a few minutes searching, I found the key to the front door. I let us in, just as Joyce was going up the stairs.
"Oh, Buffy, there you are," she said, turning around. "I was just about to call Willow. Where were you?"
"At Willow's, studying. You know, fun stuff," I replied, lightly. Xander jumped in.
"Yeah, Willow decided it was time for us to go so she could enjoy her calculus alone. So B-Buffy suggested a movie night over here." I elbowed him in the ribs. 'Careful,' I mouthed.
"Alright, well, at least I know you've done your homework then," Joyce said, smiling. "Have fun, you two, I'm off to bed." She hugged me.
"Night, J-Mom." This time it was Xander's turn to nudge me. Joyce went on upstairs and Xander flopped down on the couch.
"This is totally going to take some getting used to," I said under my breath.
"Nah, not for me. I mean, usually, Buffy wouldn't let me touch her. And she'd probably make me get up off my butt and get my own snacks," Xander replied. I glared at him.
"And so now that Buffy's soul is elsewhere, you think you can just jump my bones now? I mean, her bones?" He grinned wickedly. "Besides, you can get the snacks. I have no clue where anything is in this house. Including my bedroom. Remind me to let you show me where that is before you leave." Xander got up and led me into the kitchen.
"Food…food. Alright, cheesy chips! More unhealthy stuff…" he mumbled, rummaging through the cabinets.
"Just grab me some Chips Ahoy!, alright? I'm going to go find a movie," I said, then decided to head for Buffy's room to change clothes. Locating it was no problem, it was figuring out what to wear that was the challenge. I settled on some comfy pink sweat pants with a baby blue stripe on the side and a pink tank top. I was just stepping out of the bathroom when I heard a noise in the bedroom. I slowly crept out from behind the door…
"Xander!" I exploded. "What are you doing up here?" He smiled.
"I thought we'd be more comfortable up here…" he trailed off at my scowl. I sat down on the bed.
"Look, Xan, just because I'm not Buffy doesn't mean you can take advantage of her body…" I stopped at his wounded expression. "I'm sorry. I just…I know you wouldn't do that…I just…things have happened to me, and the last thing I need is to put myself, and Buffy, in a situation like that again. I just…Forgive me for being a jerk?" He pulled me close in a hug.
"Of course, Brooke. I don't know exactly what it was that happened to you, but I'm here if you need to talk. And I can definitely back off if you like. I mean, I may be 17, but not everything is about how the girl looks. Even just meeting you today, well, you're different. Different than Buffy. I mean, not to be mean to her, but you're, well, kind of, deeper. I mean, not all boring and…What am I trying to say?" he mumbled.
"How 'bout this?" I suggested, leaning closer to kiss him softly on the lips. We broke apart. Xander grinned.
"Yeah, that about sums it up," he whispered. "Now how about that movie?" We went back downstairs and began arguing over which movie to watch.
"I don't care what you say, we are NOT watching 'Spice World'!" Xander voiced vehemently. I giggled.
"Hey, you said you wanted a scary flick. What's scarier than the Spice Girls acting?"
"Ha, very funny. Why don't we just watch 'Halloween'?"
"Oh, come on, how lame can you get? 'Halloween' may be the first of the slasher films, but it is SO not scary," I complained.
"Okay, fine. Any other brilliant ideas, other than Baby and Ginger?"
"Hey, I actually happen to like the Spice Girls," I said, serious. Xander raised his eyebrows, then started laughing. I picked up a pillow and threw it at him. "Alright, we'll watch this."
"What is it?"
"It's from the horror genre, don't worry. And it's by John Carpenter. So there." I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Don't tempt me," he said wickedly, pulling me down on the couch next to him.
"Hey, hey, behave!" I chided. I pulled a blanket up over us, leaned against him, and started to push PLAY.
"Um, Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind starting the tape? I mean, look what happened last time I touched a VCR remote. I don't want that to happen again until we can find out what happened there. I would so hate to end up in this film," I entreated him.
"I know, you'd just rather be here with me," he replied, winking.
"Yeah, that and I hate having people mess with my mind. Sutter Cane is insane. Or sane, depending on how you look at it from the movie."
"What movie is it?" he asked, pressing PLAY.
"'In the Mouth of Madness'," I told him. "Kind of…fitting, isn't it?"