When lunchtime finally came, I went straight to the library . I was
hoping to catch Giles alone, without Willow and especially Xander. It
wasn't fair to Buffy or me to put off going back because of him.
"Hey, Giles," I said, walking into his office.
"Oh, hello, Buffy," he replied absentmindedly, bent over numerous books.
"So, what can you tell me?" I asked. He glanced up from his book. Giles took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Well, not much at the moment. I'd rather talk more in depth after school, if you wouldn't mind. Give me some time to find out more. There aren't many documented cases such as this. Most people in such a situation would have been deemed mentally incompetent. And therefore not taken seriously," he finished. I slumped down in a chair.
"Look, Giles, it's not that I'm not enjoying it here. I am, kind of, as weird as this all is for everyone. I just want things to go back to normal. I don't want to get too used to this. I don't want to force Buffy to stay in a world she knows nothing about. There's no one there to help her like there is here for me. I mean, imagine how weirded out she is going to be when she watched an episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'" Giles nodded.
"That would be rather difficult," he agreed.
"I just…things are going really well for me here, excepting Snyder. I've never done well with authority," I said, shaking my head. "But," I continued, "the way everything is going around here, like with…Xander…" I trailed off, blushing.
"I understand completely, Brooke. But this might take time. All I'm asking is that you stick close to Willow and Xander, stay away from Angel, and be patient. And I have faith in you." I nodded dejectedly.
"You don't have to be so excited about staying, Brooke," a voice from the doorway sounded. I looked upward to see Xander with a wounded look on his face. He shook his head and backed away.
"Xander, I-"
"Forget it." He stormed out of the library, almost knocking over a couple of students coming in, to actually borrow books! I quickly followed him to his locker.
"Xander," I pleaded. He turned and glared at me. "What are you getting so mad about?"
"Wouldn't you be angry if I told people that I wanted to leave you? To get out of here?" he demanded. I stared up at him, tears forming.
"Xander, please, can we just go someplace a little more…private, not out in front of everyone?" He took my elbow and led me to a corner in between a bank of lockers.
"Fine. Well?" He asked, arms folded.
"Alright. I just…I don't want to get too close, okay? And we've barely known each other for twenty-four hours! But as soon as Giles figures out what is going on, I'm going to do whatever it is that I have to. And I don't want you to think I'm just using you for fun while I'm here. I've thought you were a really sweet guy, on TV. But that was just a character to me."
"Okay, look, I believe you. But…sometimes, you just know. You just have this feeling about someone. Maybe you can't explain it, but that doesn't make it go away," he replied.
"Don't I know it," I muttered.
"And we both know that not everything can be explained. So, okay, things are going to be weird when Buffy gets back and you go home. Really different for both of us. But why can't we enjoy this now?" he implored. I nodded, and leaned into him. He put his chin on my head. "Now this is more like it." I giggled softly.
"Hey, guys, news flash!" Willow exclaimed as she careened around the corner.
"What, Will?" I asked. Xander didn't let go of me. Willow took no notice and continued on.
"School's out for the rest of today!" Xan and I stared back in shock. "Principal Snyder's in the hospital because of a heart attack!"
"Whoa, alright, a free afternoon!" Xander shouted. I backed away in horror.
"Oh no…" I whispered. Willow watched me with concern.
"What is it, B?"
"I've already changed something. I mean, if Snyder dies, it's because I'm here. I'm already starting to throw things off. Nothing is supposed to happen to him until you guys graduate," I told them.
"Well, maybe it isn't you, and it's just how things happen," Willow suggested.
"Yeah, that's it, Brooke, don't worry about it," Xander tried, putting his arm around me.
"Look, I'll catch up with you later, I told Giles I'd be in to see him after school," I said, dashing off for the library. I nearly knocked Giles over as he walked out through the doors.
"Oh, good, Brooke, Buffy," he corrected, "there you are. I think I've found something out." I followed him inside. "It seems, Brooke, that you must face the demons to get home.
"Hey, Giles," I said, walking into his office.
"Oh, hello, Buffy," he replied absentmindedly, bent over numerous books.
"So, what can you tell me?" I asked. He glanced up from his book. Giles took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Well, not much at the moment. I'd rather talk more in depth after school, if you wouldn't mind. Give me some time to find out more. There aren't many documented cases such as this. Most people in such a situation would have been deemed mentally incompetent. And therefore not taken seriously," he finished. I slumped down in a chair.
"Look, Giles, it's not that I'm not enjoying it here. I am, kind of, as weird as this all is for everyone. I just want things to go back to normal. I don't want to get too used to this. I don't want to force Buffy to stay in a world she knows nothing about. There's no one there to help her like there is here for me. I mean, imagine how weirded out she is going to be when she watched an episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'" Giles nodded.
"That would be rather difficult," he agreed.
"I just…things are going really well for me here, excepting Snyder. I've never done well with authority," I said, shaking my head. "But," I continued, "the way everything is going around here, like with…Xander…" I trailed off, blushing.
"I understand completely, Brooke. But this might take time. All I'm asking is that you stick close to Willow and Xander, stay away from Angel, and be patient. And I have faith in you." I nodded dejectedly.
"You don't have to be so excited about staying, Brooke," a voice from the doorway sounded. I looked upward to see Xander with a wounded look on his face. He shook his head and backed away.
"Xander, I-"
"Forget it." He stormed out of the library, almost knocking over a couple of students coming in, to actually borrow books! I quickly followed him to his locker.
"Xander," I pleaded. He turned and glared at me. "What are you getting so mad about?"
"Wouldn't you be angry if I told people that I wanted to leave you? To get out of here?" he demanded. I stared up at him, tears forming.
"Xander, please, can we just go someplace a little more…private, not out in front of everyone?" He took my elbow and led me to a corner in between a bank of lockers.
"Fine. Well?" He asked, arms folded.
"Alright. I just…I don't want to get too close, okay? And we've barely known each other for twenty-four hours! But as soon as Giles figures out what is going on, I'm going to do whatever it is that I have to. And I don't want you to think I'm just using you for fun while I'm here. I've thought you were a really sweet guy, on TV. But that was just a character to me."
"Okay, look, I believe you. But…sometimes, you just know. You just have this feeling about someone. Maybe you can't explain it, but that doesn't make it go away," he replied.
"Don't I know it," I muttered.
"And we both know that not everything can be explained. So, okay, things are going to be weird when Buffy gets back and you go home. Really different for both of us. But why can't we enjoy this now?" he implored. I nodded, and leaned into him. He put his chin on my head. "Now this is more like it." I giggled softly.
"Hey, guys, news flash!" Willow exclaimed as she careened around the corner.
"What, Will?" I asked. Xander didn't let go of me. Willow took no notice and continued on.
"School's out for the rest of today!" Xan and I stared back in shock. "Principal Snyder's in the hospital because of a heart attack!"
"Whoa, alright, a free afternoon!" Xander shouted. I backed away in horror.
"Oh no…" I whispered. Willow watched me with concern.
"What is it, B?"
"I've already changed something. I mean, if Snyder dies, it's because I'm here. I'm already starting to throw things off. Nothing is supposed to happen to him until you guys graduate," I told them.
"Well, maybe it isn't you, and it's just how things happen," Willow suggested.
"Yeah, that's it, Brooke, don't worry about it," Xander tried, putting his arm around me.
"Look, I'll catch up with you later, I told Giles I'd be in to see him after school," I said, dashing off for the library. I nearly knocked Giles over as he walked out through the doors.
"Oh, good, Brooke, Buffy," he corrected, "there you are. I think I've found something out." I followed him inside. "It seems, Brooke, that you must face the demons to get home.