"This is pure torture!" Buffy grumbled, as she looked herself in the mirror. "I mean, can you say generic? I feel like I'm K-Mart's customer of the year."

"Oh come on now, hun, its not that bad," Joyce said, perched on Buffy's bed with a cup of coffee. The two were getting ready for Buffy's first day of school early Wednesday morning, and Buffy was none too pleased. She had discovered that Hank and Joyce had found a private school that was willing to take Buffy in, for a special, higher fee of course. Buffy wasn't too thrilled, but at least she was getting some sort of education. But if only she could do something about the uniform..

"Oh please Mom! I mean, look at this thing! I look like something out of Satan's School for Girls!" Buffy exclaimed, pointing down to a tacky gray skirt, a maroon sweater, and a light blue shirt with a red, blue, yellow, and green striped tie. "I mean, whoever thought of this color scheme was either blind or had no sense of right or wrong. Ugh..I feel all icky."

"Buffy, please. Everyone else will be wearing the same thing as you, so don't feel too bad. And why do you keep on bringing up references to vampires and Satan and things? Are you in some sort of cult I should know about?"

Buffy sighed, hoping this time her mother didn't launch into some sort of lecture about how her supposed gang activities were going to ruin her life. The tackily dressed teenager decided to cut her mom off at the pass by saying, "No Mom, no cults. There are no cults, no gangs, no drugs, nothing. I'm telling you, it was vamp.." Buffy stopped mid sentence, not seeing any reason to go on with the argument. "It was...rats. Lots and lots of rats."

"Rats? Buffy, I -"

"Umm, Mom? Never mind what I just said. So, about this school..."

"Welcome to the Children's Penitentiary," Buffy remarked as her mother's SUV pulled up in front of Skeffington Private Academy. The school looked almost drab, with pale, dusty gray walls and a horribly shingled roof that was an indeterminable shade of either gray or brown. The courtyard of the school looked deserted, and Buffy guessed that everyone was already in homeroom.

"Buffy, please, just give it a chance. You never really gave us much of an option, now, did you? I mean, no public school would take you in, not even in any of the surrounding districts, and your father and I only had this one choice left. Please, just give it a shot for your father and me."

The young Slayer sighed, and nodded. "Yeah, sure. But, if I don't like it, I'm so audi, okay?"

"Sure. I'm sure there are many fast-food joints that would love to have you as their employee of the month."

"Thanks for the support, Mom."

"Anytime, dear. It's what mothers are for," Joyce replied, smirking ever so slightly. It was during those moments when Buffy saw where she got her sarcastic, yet lighthearted, banter.

"So..showtime."

"Showtime it is."

***

"Miss Summers," Principal Gretchen Skinner said by way of greeting once Buffy and Joyce were seated in a large, dark office filled with mahogany furniture and books, and dark bold blues, greens and reds.

"Principal Skinner." Buffy greeted back, her voice slightly cold. There was something off about this woman, Buffy noticed, and whatever it was, Buffy didn't like it. Her spider-senses tingled. This woman was bad news.

"You were kicked out of your old school for burning down the gym."

"Is that a statement or a question? Coz, it's pretty much all on my permanent record there." Buffy said.

Joyce shot her daughter a look that conveyed all too clearly the message 'Calm down, or else.'

"You're a saucy one. I don't like saucy ones. And yes, it was a statement."

"Oh. Just checking."

"Just checking?" Skinner asked, giving Buffy a cruel look.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, do I seem too abrupt or disrespectful? Maybe I should be quiet."

"Yes, maybe you should."

"On the other hand -"

"Buffy!" Joyce snapped.

"No wonder your daughter got kicked out of her old school, Mrs. Summers. She's not most polite person I've ever seen. No matter, though. Skeffington can change all that. I trust she will be starting today?"

"Yes, she will be," Joyce agreed. "Good. Why don't you go on ahead, Mrs. Summers, and Buffy and I can take it from here."

Buffy looked up, her mouth gaping. Whatever this Skinner was, Buffy knew she couldn't very well slay her. After all, nine out of ten, Skinner was probably a human. But, then again, this was LA, land of a thousand freaks. Skinner could be a succubus for all Buffy knew.

Joyce agreed and, kissing Buffy good-bye, left. Buffy and Skinner stared at each other a moment, Buffy with a wooden letter opener in her hands and Skinner with a metal one. Buffy let her imagination run for a moment, envisioning herself and Skinner engaged in a demonic battle. There was definitely something about this woman, and Buffy decided to clear up the matter then and there.

"Okay, so who..or what..are you? I mean, you are a who or a what, so just gimme the details." Buffy's voice was stern, hard, the voice of a Slayer.

"You're a smart girl."

"Pretty much have to be to survive. Who are you?"

"Gretchen Skinner," the woman said, extending a hand, "former Watcher, now principal of this school."

"Former Watcher..." Buffy said, echoing Skinner. Buffy was silent for a moment. Was all this just a coincidence? Merrick had just died recently, and suddenly she found this new Watcher, or former Watcher anyway, in her life. Buffy wondered what it all meant.

"You're probably wondering as to what my significance is to you here, yes?" Skinner asked Buffy, examining the Slayer's lost expression. "Well, let me make it clear for you. Nothing. I was a Watcher, but no more. And frankly, I don't care if you are the Slayer. You will get no special rules. No special treatment. Nothing. You will be treated like every other student."

It only took Buffy a moment to figure out why Skinner had such an attitude, and as soon as she realized, Buffy's hazel eyes widened and she smiled at her principal, a cold, knowing smile. "You're bitter," Buffy stated. "You're bitter because you were never Chosen. You trained until the age of eighteen, but the Powers That Be never Chose you." Buffy smirked. "I don't believe this. You were never Chosen, and you became merely a Watcher, replaceable, like everyone else. You hated that, didn't you, Skinner?"

"I'm not answerable to you."

"That pretty much says all you don't want to say. And you know what? It's okay. Hold your grudge. I so don't care. I'll show you that I can stay here and not get kicked out. I'll be a better Slayer than you ever thought you could be, Skinner. And I'll lead a normal life too."

"Don't you dare be smug with me. And don't you dare challenge me, Miss Summers, or you'll regret it."

"Too late Skinner. Already have. This? This means war."
Hey guys! Thanks a lot for the reviews and encouragement! I've taken a few liberties here with the story, kinda making it A/U..so..sorry for you that disagree..but I just thought I'd be kinda cool if she had like a month of adventures before the mental institute. So, please continue reading and reviewing, coz it totally helps a lot! And, like, totally enjoy, k?

*~*Amit*~*