"Glad you could join us, William!" An English voice boomed. "And you
brought someone?" The malcontent dripped from every word.
"Yeah, this is 'Liz'beth Summers." He pointed to the tiny blonde who had made her way to the back row of the room. "She's new." He glanced at her, "freshman." He punctuated the end of the sentence by dropping himself and his books in the chair behind Buffy.
"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. My name is Mr. Giles and, Welcome to 'The Hellmouth'. I trust you will find the class interesting, if not completely overwhelming." He chuckled to himself. "Now open your books to page 237 and we will discuss the cell construction of."
His voice faded away as Buffy sank down in her chair, contemplating the events in the hallway. 'Color me confused' She thought to herself. 'But I definitely need some answers after class.' A tap on her shoulder startled her.
"Hey." The voice came from a brown haired boy sitting next to her. "Name's Riley, what's yours?" He offered her his hand. 'Farm Boy.' She thought evilly. Taking his hand she shook it.
"I'm Buffy, nice to meet you Riley." She pulled her hand away quickly, before he got too attached. "Are you a freshman too?" She asked.
"Nope, sophomore." He smiled at her hopefully.
"Oi, hate to interrupt you, Captain Cardboard but I believe this class is supposed to be silent, eh?" Spike hissed behind Riley.
Turning to Buffy he continued. "Buffy can I talk to you after class, I have something I need to tell you." His gaze stayed locked on hers until she answered.
"Uh huh." She said, clearing her throat, "Sure, yeah, after class." Her heart started doing jumping jacks and she was sure it would burst out of her chest if he did not stop staring at her like that.
"Great." Riley sighed. "He just told us what the homework was and I couldn't hear it cuz you two were talking!" He turned quickly, taking out his anger on his poor defenseless notebook.
"I think you'll live, Finn. You always manage to get someone else to do it for you anyway." Spike snapped back. "...and class is over in about 15 minutes so." He trailed off and slouched back into his seat, beginning to furiously take notes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"He kissed you?" Willow cried, disbelieving. Buffy sighed. She had bumped into Willow as she walked out of class and had immediately related the events, which had occurred earlier. Now she was regretting coming clean so quickly to her long time best friend, whose loud outbursts started drawing attention to the pair. She dragged Willow around the corner away from curious eyes.
"And you haven't even known the guy for a day, and he KISSED you?" Willow hissed, getting the message Buffy was quietly projecting but still continuing to waving her hands emphatically. "Are you sure he wasn't just using you as some rebound chick? Maybe he's trying to get back at an old girlfriend or something?"
'Wow, Willow really has a talent for imagining the worst of every situation.' She took a deep breath. "Thanks, Will. Now I can't go up to him to confront him about it without bad thoughts hanging around in my head." She dropped her backpack to the floor. "Thank you, sooo much."
Sighing heavily, she continued. "Can we just forget about all possible ulterior motives for tonight? I mean, he is still inside the classroom talking to Mr. Giles so I can probably put off seeing him for now and our movie marathon that's going to start in like." She glanced at her watch. "20 minutes, so please, please, please can we forget all about Spike for now?" She looked to her friend and pulled her patented wounded puppy dog look.
"Forget about who?" A British accent interrupted. "I could have sworn I heard my name." He sauntered over to where Buffy and Willow were standing.
"Buffy, luv, can we still have that chat I mentioned in class? There's something important I need to tell you." his tone serious. 'You are gonna get killed for this, mate.' He thought to himself.
"Sure." She smiled meekly, quickly hiding the panicked look on her face after hearing his voice. Turning to Willow she briskly said," Willow, can you give me a minute? If I'm not back soon, start the movie without me, k?"
"We'll finish our talk later then," Willow replied, completely ignoring the glare Buffy was aiming at her.
Buffy turned to Spike and he took her hand, leading her towards the student lounge and into a secluded corner inside.
"Buffy." He barely whispered. "About today, before class. I wanted to apologize. My behavior was inappropriate and I shouldn't have done that, I was just really miserable because I just broke up with my girlfriend and just got caught up in the moment."
'Willow and her goddamn foresight.' She fumed. "So basically, you were just messing with me?" She said with a calm that she had no idea she possessed. She picked at the hem of her skirt, not daring to look into his eyes.
'Why can't my life ever be simple.'
"Luv, I am so, so, sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I thought it would be better to tell you now then."
"It's ok." She whispered. "I get it. I was just going to be the rebound girl." Turning, she got up and began to walk away. Spike jumped then, her quite words registering, and grabbed her arm, whirling her around to face him.
"You were NOT a rebound." He hissed. "Not now, not ever." His icy blue stare bore into her as he waited for her to react.
"Then what was I?" She stated coldly. Without giving him a chance to respond she yanked her arm out of his hands and walked briskly away.
"You are bloody amazing. That's what you are." He mumbled to himself. Slamming through the doors of the student lounge, he stepped out into the sun. Blindly he fumbled through the pockets of his duster searching for his pack of cigarettes.
"Dammit, they're here I know it." He grumbled under his breath. 'Aha!' Triumphantly, his hand emerged from the pocket with his prize. Bringing one to his lips, he lit it, inhaling and savoring the almost immediate calming effect of the nicotine.
"Yeah, this is 'Liz'beth Summers." He pointed to the tiny blonde who had made her way to the back row of the room. "She's new." He glanced at her, "freshman." He punctuated the end of the sentence by dropping himself and his books in the chair behind Buffy.
"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. My name is Mr. Giles and, Welcome to 'The Hellmouth'. I trust you will find the class interesting, if not completely overwhelming." He chuckled to himself. "Now open your books to page 237 and we will discuss the cell construction of."
His voice faded away as Buffy sank down in her chair, contemplating the events in the hallway. 'Color me confused' She thought to herself. 'But I definitely need some answers after class.' A tap on her shoulder startled her.
"Hey." The voice came from a brown haired boy sitting next to her. "Name's Riley, what's yours?" He offered her his hand. 'Farm Boy.' She thought evilly. Taking his hand she shook it.
"I'm Buffy, nice to meet you Riley." She pulled her hand away quickly, before he got too attached. "Are you a freshman too?" She asked.
"Nope, sophomore." He smiled at her hopefully.
"Oi, hate to interrupt you, Captain Cardboard but I believe this class is supposed to be silent, eh?" Spike hissed behind Riley.
Turning to Buffy he continued. "Buffy can I talk to you after class, I have something I need to tell you." His gaze stayed locked on hers until she answered.
"Uh huh." She said, clearing her throat, "Sure, yeah, after class." Her heart started doing jumping jacks and she was sure it would burst out of her chest if he did not stop staring at her like that.
"Great." Riley sighed. "He just told us what the homework was and I couldn't hear it cuz you two were talking!" He turned quickly, taking out his anger on his poor defenseless notebook.
"I think you'll live, Finn. You always manage to get someone else to do it for you anyway." Spike snapped back. "...and class is over in about 15 minutes so." He trailed off and slouched back into his seat, beginning to furiously take notes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"He kissed you?" Willow cried, disbelieving. Buffy sighed. She had bumped into Willow as she walked out of class and had immediately related the events, which had occurred earlier. Now she was regretting coming clean so quickly to her long time best friend, whose loud outbursts started drawing attention to the pair. She dragged Willow around the corner away from curious eyes.
"And you haven't even known the guy for a day, and he KISSED you?" Willow hissed, getting the message Buffy was quietly projecting but still continuing to waving her hands emphatically. "Are you sure he wasn't just using you as some rebound chick? Maybe he's trying to get back at an old girlfriend or something?"
'Wow, Willow really has a talent for imagining the worst of every situation.' She took a deep breath. "Thanks, Will. Now I can't go up to him to confront him about it without bad thoughts hanging around in my head." She dropped her backpack to the floor. "Thank you, sooo much."
Sighing heavily, she continued. "Can we just forget about all possible ulterior motives for tonight? I mean, he is still inside the classroom talking to Mr. Giles so I can probably put off seeing him for now and our movie marathon that's going to start in like." She glanced at her watch. "20 minutes, so please, please, please can we forget all about Spike for now?" She looked to her friend and pulled her patented wounded puppy dog look.
"Forget about who?" A British accent interrupted. "I could have sworn I heard my name." He sauntered over to where Buffy and Willow were standing.
"Buffy, luv, can we still have that chat I mentioned in class? There's something important I need to tell you." his tone serious. 'You are gonna get killed for this, mate.' He thought to himself.
"Sure." She smiled meekly, quickly hiding the panicked look on her face after hearing his voice. Turning to Willow she briskly said," Willow, can you give me a minute? If I'm not back soon, start the movie without me, k?"
"We'll finish our talk later then," Willow replied, completely ignoring the glare Buffy was aiming at her.
Buffy turned to Spike and he took her hand, leading her towards the student lounge and into a secluded corner inside.
"Buffy." He barely whispered. "About today, before class. I wanted to apologize. My behavior was inappropriate and I shouldn't have done that, I was just really miserable because I just broke up with my girlfriend and just got caught up in the moment."
'Willow and her goddamn foresight.' She fumed. "So basically, you were just messing with me?" She said with a calm that she had no idea she possessed. She picked at the hem of her skirt, not daring to look into his eyes.
'Why can't my life ever be simple.'
"Luv, I am so, so, sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I thought it would be better to tell you now then."
"It's ok." She whispered. "I get it. I was just going to be the rebound girl." Turning, she got up and began to walk away. Spike jumped then, her quite words registering, and grabbed her arm, whirling her around to face him.
"You were NOT a rebound." He hissed. "Not now, not ever." His icy blue stare bore into her as he waited for her to react.
"Then what was I?" She stated coldly. Without giving him a chance to respond she yanked her arm out of his hands and walked briskly away.
"You are bloody amazing. That's what you are." He mumbled to himself. Slamming through the doors of the student lounge, he stepped out into the sun. Blindly he fumbled through the pockets of his duster searching for his pack of cigarettes.
"Dammit, they're here I know it." He grumbled under his breath. 'Aha!' Triumphantly, his hand emerged from the pocket with his prize. Bringing one to his lips, he lit it, inhaling and savoring the almost immediate calming effect of the nicotine.