"William! Get out of bed! You have school!" Lila's voice rang through the
small house.
Spike rolled over in bed and put a pillow over his ears.
A knock came at his door as it was opened.
"I'm warning you, William," Lila said sternly. "You had better get out of bed or I'll ground you for the whole summer!"
"I'm up. I'm up," he grumbled.
Spike threw the pillow on the floor and sat up in bed. Lila smiled.
"Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Be ready in ten minutes."
Lila closed the door.
Spike moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. The sheet fell off his boxer-clad body and he made his way to the closet. Pulling on his leather pants, blue silk shirt, and boots, he ditched the duster and left his room.
Chris was sitting at the table eating a bowl of Cheerios.
"You want anything to eat?" his mom asked him.
Spike shook his head. "I think I'll just head on to school. I'm meetin' Buffy."
"Uh, you can't," replied Lila softly.
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"John took your car. He's been out all morning."
"What the Hell is he doin' with my car?"
"William, language," Lila warned.
"Sorry."
Lila turned back to the dishes she was cleaning. "I'll give you a ride, but you're going to have to walk home."
Spike nodded in agreement and sat down across from Chris to wait.
* * *
Spike ran up the front of the school and through the door.
"Where have you been?" Buffy asked as he came up to her locker.
He stopped to catch his breath. "Minor difficulty with the car pool. My Dad has my car and my Mum had to stop by the middle school first."
She slammed her locker closed. "Well, you better hurry. You're going to be late for first and you still have to get your books."
"It makes no sense," he complied. "This is second to last day of school and we still need our books."
"Wait unil we get into our senior year. Rumors are that teachers let them play hang-man all day."
Spike grinned. "That's sounds more like it."
Spike lowered his head to kiss her briefly on the lips, but before he could do anymore, Buffy pulled away.
"Hey, books, remember?" she reminded him.
He rolled his eyes.
Buffy pushed him in the direction of his locker. "Come on. Move."
He grinned as she pushed him down the hall and into his locker.
"If we're late, you are so dead," she told him.
Spike smirked and took his sweet time unlocking his combonation. Once the door was open, Buffy grabbed the book, slammed the door closed, and dragged him down the hall.
The bell rang just before they walked into class. Mrs. Casey raised an eyebrow at the tardy students.
"Nice of you to join us, Miss Summers and Mr. Elliot," she greeted.
"Happy to be here," Spike quipped.
Buffy turned and glared at him.
Mrs.Casey rolled her eyes and proceeded to start class.
* * *
At lunch, the gang was short an Anya and an Oz.
"He said he had stuff to do," Willow explained. "He had to help Damon fix some stuff for their summer tour."
Buffy nodded. "Didn't you say you were going with him?"
Willow shrugged. "Maybe. My parents are coming home in two weeks, but I have no way of contacting them. If they come home and their daughter isn't there, they're gonna freak."
"I can tell 'em," Xander offered.
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Xand. But I'm not so sure. I don't want to get in trouble for leaving without asking."
Xander tilted his head to the side in a shrug. "I tried."
"So, Xander, where's the rich girl-friend?" Buffy asked.
"She wanted to sit with some other friends today. She's been sitting with us all year. The only problem is that she's not an outcast like the rest of us. She has other friends."
"We're not outcasts," protested Buffy. "I have a lot of friends."
Xander raised an eyebrow.
"It's true," agreed Willow. "I mean, we all have other friends, but mainly it's just our little group. We're all best friends and we stick together. Kinda like Scooby-Doo."
They all gave her stranged looks.
"I mean, we're friends, and they're friends, and they stick together and we stick together, and they help each other out and we-"
"I think we get the point, Red," Spike cut her off.
Willow blushed.
"I just mean, we're like a normal version of the scooby gang. We're scoobies," Willow chirped.
"I guess we are," said Buffy with a nod. "And anyone else who becomes one of us. Like, boyfriends and girlfriends and other best friends."
"Nah," Xander said, waving his hand. "I think we're fine just the way we are."
"And as members of the scooby gang," Willow started in a mock serious tone, "we have to promise to always keep in touch and be there when we're needed. If one of us is in trouble, the rest of us help the best we can."
"Sounds good to me," Spike said.
"No matter what the situation," she continued.
"Or what TV show is on," Xander added.
"Or what date you have lined up," Buffy put in.
Spike raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled.
"No matter what, we are always there for each other and help each other and keep each other safe."
"Amen," Xander finished.
Just then, a loud buzzing sound filled the room. The four slammed their hands onto their ears.
"What the bloody Hell is that?" Spike shouted over the noise.
"It's the fire alarm!" Buffy yelled back. "We have to get out of here."
Students were already swarming to the doors as the halls filled with workers and kids.
"Don't get seperated!" Xander shouted.
Spike latched onto Buffy's hand and Willow grabbed Xander's sleeve. By now they could all smell and partly see the smoke coming from the oppisite of where they were going.
Then the sprinklers turned on. In two seconds, everyone was soaked. The floor became very slippery. Willow lost her balance and fell hard on her arm.
"Willow!" Xander shouted.
He tried to go back to her but the ocean of teens and teachers pushed him in the oppisite direction.
"Xander!" Willow cried back.
He couldn't hear her and was too far away to see her. She tightly gripped her arm. It hurt like hell from how she had fallen on it. She tried to get to her feet, but she was always pushed back down and no one stopped to help her up. So, she got on her knees and used her other hand to crawl across the hall to a classroom. Many kids tripped over her and some fell on top of her. She felt a bruise form on her back where someone had dropped a bookbag on her.
Willow dragged herself into the empty classroom and propped herself up against wall.
By now, the smoke was thicker. The ceiling was barely noticable in the black smoke and it was getting lower. Willow climbed to her feet and walked over to a window. She tried to open it, but since her arm hurt so much, she had limited strength and couldn't.
She noticed it was quieter and turned around to see the halls were cleared. Willow ran out the classroom door and started down the hall.
The door was only but fifty feet away from her when she tripped the second time on the slippery floor. This time her ankle twisted and felt a stabbing pain
shoot up her leg.
"Dammit!" she cursed.
When she tried to get to her feet, her ankle failed her and she tumble back to the solid ground. She tried to drag herself across the wet floor.
The the ceiling just above the door gave in and made a pile of burning rubble right in front of her only exit.
And the fire at the end of the hall was growing.
TBC. . .
A/N: Many, many apoligies about the delays on my stories! It has been a hectic last few weeks and sometimes life has to come before writing.
Spike rolled over in bed and put a pillow over his ears.
A knock came at his door as it was opened.
"I'm warning you, William," Lila said sternly. "You had better get out of bed or I'll ground you for the whole summer!"
"I'm up. I'm up," he grumbled.
Spike threw the pillow on the floor and sat up in bed. Lila smiled.
"Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Be ready in ten minutes."
Lila closed the door.
Spike moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. The sheet fell off his boxer-clad body and he made his way to the closet. Pulling on his leather pants, blue silk shirt, and boots, he ditched the duster and left his room.
Chris was sitting at the table eating a bowl of Cheerios.
"You want anything to eat?" his mom asked him.
Spike shook his head. "I think I'll just head on to school. I'm meetin' Buffy."
"Uh, you can't," replied Lila softly.
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"John took your car. He's been out all morning."
"What the Hell is he doin' with my car?"
"William, language," Lila warned.
"Sorry."
Lila turned back to the dishes she was cleaning. "I'll give you a ride, but you're going to have to walk home."
Spike nodded in agreement and sat down across from Chris to wait.
* * *
Spike ran up the front of the school and through the door.
"Where have you been?" Buffy asked as he came up to her locker.
He stopped to catch his breath. "Minor difficulty with the car pool. My Dad has my car and my Mum had to stop by the middle school first."
She slammed her locker closed. "Well, you better hurry. You're going to be late for first and you still have to get your books."
"It makes no sense," he complied. "This is second to last day of school and we still need our books."
"Wait unil we get into our senior year. Rumors are that teachers let them play hang-man all day."
Spike grinned. "That's sounds more like it."
Spike lowered his head to kiss her briefly on the lips, but before he could do anymore, Buffy pulled away.
"Hey, books, remember?" she reminded him.
He rolled his eyes.
Buffy pushed him in the direction of his locker. "Come on. Move."
He grinned as she pushed him down the hall and into his locker.
"If we're late, you are so dead," she told him.
Spike smirked and took his sweet time unlocking his combonation. Once the door was open, Buffy grabbed the book, slammed the door closed, and dragged him down the hall.
The bell rang just before they walked into class. Mrs. Casey raised an eyebrow at the tardy students.
"Nice of you to join us, Miss Summers and Mr. Elliot," she greeted.
"Happy to be here," Spike quipped.
Buffy turned and glared at him.
Mrs.Casey rolled her eyes and proceeded to start class.
* * *
At lunch, the gang was short an Anya and an Oz.
"He said he had stuff to do," Willow explained. "He had to help Damon fix some stuff for their summer tour."
Buffy nodded. "Didn't you say you were going with him?"
Willow shrugged. "Maybe. My parents are coming home in two weeks, but I have no way of contacting them. If they come home and their daughter isn't there, they're gonna freak."
"I can tell 'em," Xander offered.
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Xand. But I'm not so sure. I don't want to get in trouble for leaving without asking."
Xander tilted his head to the side in a shrug. "I tried."
"So, Xander, where's the rich girl-friend?" Buffy asked.
"She wanted to sit with some other friends today. She's been sitting with us all year. The only problem is that she's not an outcast like the rest of us. She has other friends."
"We're not outcasts," protested Buffy. "I have a lot of friends."
Xander raised an eyebrow.
"It's true," agreed Willow. "I mean, we all have other friends, but mainly it's just our little group. We're all best friends and we stick together. Kinda like Scooby-Doo."
They all gave her stranged looks.
"I mean, we're friends, and they're friends, and they stick together and we stick together, and they help each other out and we-"
"I think we get the point, Red," Spike cut her off.
Willow blushed.
"I just mean, we're like a normal version of the scooby gang. We're scoobies," Willow chirped.
"I guess we are," said Buffy with a nod. "And anyone else who becomes one of us. Like, boyfriends and girlfriends and other best friends."
"Nah," Xander said, waving his hand. "I think we're fine just the way we are."
"And as members of the scooby gang," Willow started in a mock serious tone, "we have to promise to always keep in touch and be there when we're needed. If one of us is in trouble, the rest of us help the best we can."
"Sounds good to me," Spike said.
"No matter what the situation," she continued.
"Or what TV show is on," Xander added.
"Or what date you have lined up," Buffy put in.
Spike raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled.
"No matter what, we are always there for each other and help each other and keep each other safe."
"Amen," Xander finished.
Just then, a loud buzzing sound filled the room. The four slammed their hands onto their ears.
"What the bloody Hell is that?" Spike shouted over the noise.
"It's the fire alarm!" Buffy yelled back. "We have to get out of here."
Students were already swarming to the doors as the halls filled with workers and kids.
"Don't get seperated!" Xander shouted.
Spike latched onto Buffy's hand and Willow grabbed Xander's sleeve. By now they could all smell and partly see the smoke coming from the oppisite of where they were going.
Then the sprinklers turned on. In two seconds, everyone was soaked. The floor became very slippery. Willow lost her balance and fell hard on her arm.
"Willow!" Xander shouted.
He tried to go back to her but the ocean of teens and teachers pushed him in the oppisite direction.
"Xander!" Willow cried back.
He couldn't hear her and was too far away to see her. She tightly gripped her arm. It hurt like hell from how she had fallen on it. She tried to get to her feet, but she was always pushed back down and no one stopped to help her up. So, she got on her knees and used her other hand to crawl across the hall to a classroom. Many kids tripped over her and some fell on top of her. She felt a bruise form on her back where someone had dropped a bookbag on her.
Willow dragged herself into the empty classroom and propped herself up against wall.
By now, the smoke was thicker. The ceiling was barely noticable in the black smoke and it was getting lower. Willow climbed to her feet and walked over to a window. She tried to open it, but since her arm hurt so much, she had limited strength and couldn't.
She noticed it was quieter and turned around to see the halls were cleared. Willow ran out the classroom door and started down the hall.
The door was only but fifty feet away from her when she tripped the second time on the slippery floor. This time her ankle twisted and felt a stabbing pain
shoot up her leg.
"Dammit!" she cursed.
When she tried to get to her feet, her ankle failed her and she tumble back to the solid ground. She tried to drag herself across the wet floor.
The the ceiling just above the door gave in and made a pile of burning rubble right in front of her only exit.
And the fire at the end of the hall was growing.
TBC. . .
A/N: Many, many apoligies about the delays on my stories! It has been a hectic last few weeks and sometimes life has to come before writing.