Chapter Ten
Xander pulled into a parking space at Sunnydale High and let Buffy and Dawn out of the car. "I'm going to go check on the crew." Xander said. "Make sure they're still working."
"We'll meet you there." Buffy nodded and led Dawn into the high school.
Buffy and Dawn walked to the office.
"Ms. Summers." The receptionist smiled. "Times two."
"Hi." Buffy returned the smile. "Is Principal Wood in?"
The receptionist beeped Wood and escorted Buffy and Dawn inside.
"Hey." Buffy offered once the door was shut.
"Hey yourself." Wood said. "Dawn. How are you?"
"Sore." Dawn replied, feeling last evening's fight.
"We have a problem." Buffy said.
"Really." Wood said coldly, sitting at his desk.
"Look, I know you're pissed about Spike." Buffy said. "But you don't understand what's going on there and you're not really a part of it."
"I - I don't understand, I'm not a part?" Wood half shouted. "You're harboring my mother's killer and treating him as if he's not a murder and I don't understand!?"
"Look." Buffy cut him off. "I'm sorry he killed your mother. And I'm sorry for whatever happened in your life before, during or after that. But I can't be held responsible for his actions."
"But you can protect his life?" Wood snapped.
"She protected Angel after he killed Ms. Calendar." Dawn blurted out. "Sorry." She added quickly, looking at Buffy.
"He's redeeming himself." Buffy said. "He's making up for his past."
"Great." Wood said sarcastically. "I'm so happy for him."
"Look." Buffy said. "Social Services called because Dawn hasn't been in school."
"And I should care?" Wood said smugly.
"You called them." Buffy challenged.
"The girl needs her education." Wood said.
"The girl has a name." Dawn snapped.
"And Dawn has a right to live." Buffy added. "She's better off with me right now."
"As long as she's enrolled here, she'll be expected to be here." Wood said. "Starting tomorrow. And she will catch up on all the work she's missed."
Buffy frowned. "I know how hard it is to play full time student and full time slayer with the forces of evil crawling into town. But I've never seen this much evil. And Dawn can't play regular girl for eight hours a day and patrol twelve hours a night and still have time for homework, training and sleep. It's not fair."
"Who said anything about being fair?" Wood asked, all attitude.
"As of right now, it won't be your concern." Buffy smiled. "I'm withdrawing Dawn from Sunnydale High."
"Fine." Wood said. "I'm sure social service will be glad to hear it."
"And I'm sure the school board will be happy to hear about you." Buffy spat. "Happy to hear about a principal to pushed his way into a job, took advantage of the children here and the children's families."
"The school board won't even listen to you or your accusations, Buffy, you forget, they have quite the file on you." Wood smirked.
Buffy smiled and stood. "Come on Dawn." She motioned. "And Principal Wood, I do hope you're careful out there. Big evil moving this way and all."
Buffy left the office.
Wood's head dropped to his hands as a worried look came upon him. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Mrs. Clark." He said. "We have the Summers situation under control. Buffy will be home schooling from now on." Wood listened. "No, I have every confidence in the tutor Buffy has chosen."
Xander pulled into a parking space at Sunnydale High and let Buffy and Dawn out of the car. "I'm going to go check on the crew." Xander said. "Make sure they're still working."
"We'll meet you there." Buffy nodded and led Dawn into the high school.
Buffy and Dawn walked to the office.
"Ms. Summers." The receptionist smiled. "Times two."
"Hi." Buffy returned the smile. "Is Principal Wood in?"
The receptionist beeped Wood and escorted Buffy and Dawn inside.
"Hey." Buffy offered once the door was shut.
"Hey yourself." Wood said. "Dawn. How are you?"
"Sore." Dawn replied, feeling last evening's fight.
"We have a problem." Buffy said.
"Really." Wood said coldly, sitting at his desk.
"Look, I know you're pissed about Spike." Buffy said. "But you don't understand what's going on there and you're not really a part of it."
"I - I don't understand, I'm not a part?" Wood half shouted. "You're harboring my mother's killer and treating him as if he's not a murder and I don't understand!?"
"Look." Buffy cut him off. "I'm sorry he killed your mother. And I'm sorry for whatever happened in your life before, during or after that. But I can't be held responsible for his actions."
"But you can protect his life?" Wood snapped.
"She protected Angel after he killed Ms. Calendar." Dawn blurted out. "Sorry." She added quickly, looking at Buffy.
"He's redeeming himself." Buffy said. "He's making up for his past."
"Great." Wood said sarcastically. "I'm so happy for him."
"Look." Buffy said. "Social Services called because Dawn hasn't been in school."
"And I should care?" Wood said smugly.
"You called them." Buffy challenged.
"The girl needs her education." Wood said.
"The girl has a name." Dawn snapped.
"And Dawn has a right to live." Buffy added. "She's better off with me right now."
"As long as she's enrolled here, she'll be expected to be here." Wood said. "Starting tomorrow. And she will catch up on all the work she's missed."
Buffy frowned. "I know how hard it is to play full time student and full time slayer with the forces of evil crawling into town. But I've never seen this much evil. And Dawn can't play regular girl for eight hours a day and patrol twelve hours a night and still have time for homework, training and sleep. It's not fair."
"Who said anything about being fair?" Wood asked, all attitude.
"As of right now, it won't be your concern." Buffy smiled. "I'm withdrawing Dawn from Sunnydale High."
"Fine." Wood said. "I'm sure social service will be glad to hear it."
"And I'm sure the school board will be happy to hear about you." Buffy spat. "Happy to hear about a principal to pushed his way into a job, took advantage of the children here and the children's families."
"The school board won't even listen to you or your accusations, Buffy, you forget, they have quite the file on you." Wood smirked.
Buffy smiled and stood. "Come on Dawn." She motioned. "And Principal Wood, I do hope you're careful out there. Big evil moving this way and all."
Buffy left the office.
Wood's head dropped to his hands as a worried look came upon him. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Mrs. Clark." He said. "We have the Summers situation under control. Buffy will be home schooling from now on." Wood listened. "No, I have every confidence in the tutor Buffy has chosen."
