Chapter 4 – Call The Fire Brigade
[Buffy's house]
[Dawn watching television alone]
[Knock on the door]
[Dawn goes and opens it]
Dawn: Xander?
Xander: Hey.
Dawn: What are you doing here?
Xander: Just stretching my legs.
Dawn: But I thought you weren't allowed out of bed.
Xander: Yes but I don't always do what I am supposed to do.
Dawn: You are such a rebel.
Xander: Yeah, I'm James Dean.
Dawn: Who?
Xander: James Dean.
Dawn: Never heard of him.
Xander: You don't know who James Dean is?
Dawn: Nope.
Xander: Don't they teach you anything at school?
Dawn: I learned that Independence Day is on the wrong day.
Xander: What?
Dawn: It should be on July 2nd but they guy who printed the declaration of independence put the 4th as the date.
Xander: Is that true?
Dawn: That is what I was told.
Xander: You shouldn't always believe what you are told.
Dawn: Should I believe that?
Xander: Err…no.
Dawn: So, what you doing here?
Xander: I was bored.
Dawn: Aren't Willow and Buffy entertaining enough for you?
Xander: On normal occasions yes, but not at the moment.
Dawn: Why?
Xander: They went out for some sort of girl's day thing.
Dawn: They told me that couldn't do that!
Xander: It appears that they lied to you.
Dawn: Like that is unusual.
Xander: What is that meant to mean?
Dawn: Everyone lies to me.
Xander: That's not true.
Dawn: Okay, is it true that you love Buffy?
Xander: Who told you that?
Dawn: Will…no one. Anyway that doesn't matter. Do you love her?
Xander: Err…um…no.
Dawn: I See.
Xander: What?
Dawn: You just lied to me then.
Xander: I did not.
Dawn: You did it again.
Xander: I don't know what you are talking about.
Dawn: You're lying to me.
Xander: Dawn, I'm not lying to you.
Dawn: You so are. You totally love Buffy.
Xander: You should ignore whatever a certain small redheaded young lady told you. She doesn't know what she is talking about.
Dawn: Fine.
Xander: I'm glad we got that cleared up. Now I have not been watching television for the last half an hour and I think I am suffering from withdrawal.
[Xander sits down and watches the television]
[Dawn goes and sits next to him]
[A few minutes of silence pass]
Dawn [whispers]: You so love her.
Xander: What?
Dawn: Nothing.
Xander: You said something.
Dawn: No I didn't.
Xander: Now who's lying?
Dawn: You?
Xander: I think I would know if I was lying.
Dawn: What if you convinced yourself that the lie you were telling wasn't a lie but the truth.
Xander: I'm too smart for that. Or is that too stupid. I'm one of them. Anyway that wouldn't happen to me.
Dawn: Sure.
Xander: What?
Dawn: Nothing.
Xander: You said sure.
Dawn: Yeah?
Xander: People don't say sure when they agree with you.
Dawn: Isn't that like the definition of sure.
Xander: Maybe your "dictionary" definition but it's not the street definition.
Dawn: Since when do you know street definitions?
Xander: Since I started to work on a building site. So you obviously think that I could be convinced that a lie was the truth.
Dawn: Alright fine I do.
Xander: How could you think that?
Dawn: That shirt you have on, does it look good?
[Xander looks at his shirt]
Xander: Yes.
Dawn: That's why.
Xander: Hey! Don't attack my fashion sense.
Dawn: Why not? Buffy does.
Xander: She does not.
Dawn: What about the time she said you couldn't wear that bright orange shirt in the house?
Xander: Okay, maybe one time.
Dawn: Or the time she said those leather boots you bought were so ugly she wouldn't even give them to a charity shop.
Xander: Alright fine.
Dawn: Or the time she...
Xander: Dawn! You've made your point.
Dawn: Oh, good. So why can she criticise your fashion sense but I can't?
Xander: Well...err...um...because.
Dawn: Oh, I get it.
Xander: You get what?
Dawn: Its part of the whole you love her thing.
Xander: Okay for the last time I do not love...Buffy! I almost didn't see you there.
Buffy: You don't love who?
Dawn: Yo…
Xander: No one.
Buffy: Is it that Alyssa girl?
Dawn: Who's Alyssa?
Xander: Just someone from work.
Buffy: It's this secretary that Xander fancies.
Xander: Okay no one said anything about fancying her.
Buffy: Oh come on Xander. It is obvious that you do. Any girl would have to be blind not to notice when you fancy them.
Dawn: Is that so?
Xander: Dawn!
Dawn: What?
Xander: Err...aren't you angry that Buffy and Willow went on a girl's day out without you?
Buffy: Xander!
Dawn: You told me it was cancelled!
Buffy: Willow and I wanted a little…and the film we saw was…Oh, Xander you are so dead.
Xander: Enjoy.
[Xander exits]