Buffy furtively looked around the Skeffington cafeteria, looking for a
place to sit. She'd been in school for four hours now, and she still hadn't
met anyone to talk to, or become acquainted with. Her guess? They all knew
she'd been kicked out of Hemery for burning down the gym. She hoped that
little story would leave her behind sometime soon, because frankly, in the
past few days, it had caused way too much drama for her liking. She caught
a few disapproving stares from snobby rich girls and a few lusty looks from
some cute guys, but she ignored it all, trying to concentrate on finding a
decent spot to eat the discolored glop that Skeffington's cafeteria called
cheese soufflé.
"Need a friend?" a voice female voice piped up behind her. Buffy whirled around and came face to face with a girl about her age and height, who, despite the uniform, still managed to maintain her own personality through her own style of dress. The girl had hair that was obviously dyed black, but her bangs were colored in red, green, blue, pink, orange, yellow, and purple. The girl had a tiger printed, cat eared headband in her hair. She wore funky cat eyeglasses in a white, marble print, and her green eyes were heavily lined with maroon eyeliner. Buffy could also make out aqua and yellow eye shadow, and maroon mascara. She was an interesting looking girl, to say the least. But she seemed nice.
Buffy gave her a sweet smile, as if she were thanking her for her kindness and said, "Yeah, I'd like that. I'm Buffy. Buffy Anne Summers." The fifteen- year-old balanced her tray on one hand and gave her other out.
"I'm Kaatje," she said, doing the name.
"Kaatje. Pretty name. And nice to meet you."
"Oh, it's Dutch. And same here. Umm, anyway, seating?"
"Oh yeah, right." Buffy gave a small laugh. "Anywhere is pretty much cool."
"'K" Kaatje said, leading Buffy to a table near the front of the cafeteria. The two girls caught a table next to the wall on the far right, and sat down opposite each other.
"How do you like it here so far?" Kaatje asked, taking a bite of her soufflé.
"It's alright," Buffy began, "can't really say though, 'coz, you know, haven't been here much. But the people seem..well, I dunno how quite to put it but-"
"Mildly stuck-up? You're right, they are. Rich kids, you can't really help it, you know?"
"I get you." Buffy's voice came out a little regretful. A few weeks ago, before her Calling, Buffy herself had been a stuck-up snob who looked down upon those she considered lesser than her. Being the Slayer had made her realize that there were more important things in life, and Buffy had since grown. "So, how long have you been here?"
"Well, I've been here since daycare."
"Since daycare?!"
"Well, yeah. See, my mom moved back here from England when I was about three, and then opened this place. So, umm, she made herself principal of the school and-"
Buffy cut Kaatje off immediately, exclaiming, "Your mother is Skinner?!"
Kaatje smiled at Buffy's outburst, quite used to it by now. "Yeah, would you believe it? We're completely different from each other. Oh, um, as you can see." Kaatje giggled for a moment. "But yeah, she's my mom. Don't really get any special treatment though. Mom believes in pure and utter discipline."
"Yeah," Buffy sighed, "I can see that."
"Don't take her the wrong way, Buffy. Mom's strict, I mean, yeah, her nickname is 'the Beast' and all, but she means well. Really, she does. She's been trai- er, teaching me, like, how to be a better person...and stuff. Just give her a chance, okay? She's tough on all the newcomers."
Buffy slowly nodded, realizing that Kaatje was probably right. Sure, Buffy was a lot on edge lately, but she couldn't help it. Things were just weird, and she was going off on everyone, besides maybe Pike. And she couldn't get mad at him that easily. He was way too sweet, and besides, she kinda sorta loved him.
Catching herself before she lost herself in her dreams, Buffy asked Kaatje, "So, like, you and your mom. You guys are very close, I take it?"
"Oh, extremely," Kaatje said, attacking her green and blue clumps of jell-o with gusto. "Coz, you know, I am all she has and she's all I have...so we tend to get close. I can't remember a life, really, without her, myself, and the Academy. It's all such an innate part of my life. But Mom..she has big plans for me, or so she says. Plans beyond the Academy, and life here in LA. She won't tell me what, but for years she's been trying to get in touch with an old friend of hers for me. Some sort of special school or something." Kaatje paused for a moment, licking one final clump of jell-o off her spoon. "Hehehe. I just realized I've been going on and on about myself. Why don't you tell me some stuff about you?"
"Not much to say, really. From Hemery High. I'm an ex-cheer-"
"Whoa, Hemery? The school whose gym was burnt down by some chosen psycho- loony last week?!" Kaatje interjected. She then saw the look of pain upon Buffy's face and realized who the afore mentioned psycho-loony was. "Oh..sorry."
"'S alright," Buffy said, accepting the apology. After all, she couldn't really blame Kaatje. It wasn't everyday a fifteen-year-old cheerleader burnt down the high school gym. "But yeah, that was me. So, ex-cheerleader, pretty much an ex-flake too. The rich, snobby girls here? I was pretty much like that. Well, not financially maybe, but attitude-wise, and with a keen fashion sense. Kinda started changing the past few weeks..started realizing things, and the gym? Pretty much the last straw of my old, flaky ways."
"Got tired of cheerleading?"
"No. Not that as much as fate got tired of letting me stay a nice, trendy, and normal fifteen-year-old girl."
"Normal? Buffy, I agree I haven't known you long. Perhaps just a half-hour, but you seem pretty normal to me."
Buffy gave Kaatje a half-smile there, a smile that was almost sarcastic. "You don't know me yet, then."
"I would like to get to know you better. You seem nice, down-to-earth."
"Thank you...but friendship and closeness? Sorry, Kaatje, but not big on my books. There's a lot of things that people won't understand..and I kind of just need a break from people, you know? Don't get me wrong. We can totally hang out and stuff..but I just lost some of my best friends, and I don't think I wanna risk making anymore friends just to lose them. It's just..too messy. But, you know, if we do become really close friends..it's cool...and...I'm just confused, can you tell?"
Kaatje nodded briskly. "Yeah, but it's okay. We all go through odd times. But things? Pretty much always improve, so keep a smiling face, k?"
"Yeah, I will. In the meantime, though," Buffy said, looking at her Swatch watch, "I've got a date with chemistry."
"Cool, cool. So, maybe catch you later then?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice."
"Bye then."
"Laters." Buffy answered, getting up with her tray and giving Kaatje another smile. The Slayer then left to exit the cafeteria, after dumping her tray. As she left, though, she saw Skinner give her an odd look, almost a jealous glare. Buffy decided to ignore it, and exited the noisy room, all the while pondering as to whether she really wanted any close friends and also wondering what Principal Skinner's issue really was.
***
Hey guys! It's me again. So, okay, the rudeness and the confusedness that is Buffy Anne Summers? Mainly coz she's not who Buffy was when she moved to Sunnydale, she's still developing into that person, so she's a bit of a problem kid right now, kind of unsure about stuff, deep down inside. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and stuff, and I hope to hear more from you guys, and I hope you guys like all this so far! Thanks again!
Ciao
*~*Amit*~*
"Need a friend?" a voice female voice piped up behind her. Buffy whirled around and came face to face with a girl about her age and height, who, despite the uniform, still managed to maintain her own personality through her own style of dress. The girl had hair that was obviously dyed black, but her bangs were colored in red, green, blue, pink, orange, yellow, and purple. The girl had a tiger printed, cat eared headband in her hair. She wore funky cat eyeglasses in a white, marble print, and her green eyes were heavily lined with maroon eyeliner. Buffy could also make out aqua and yellow eye shadow, and maroon mascara. She was an interesting looking girl, to say the least. But she seemed nice.
Buffy gave her a sweet smile, as if she were thanking her for her kindness and said, "Yeah, I'd like that. I'm Buffy. Buffy Anne Summers." The fifteen- year-old balanced her tray on one hand and gave her other out.
"I'm Kaatje," she said, doing the name.
"Kaatje. Pretty name. And nice to meet you."
"Oh, it's Dutch. And same here. Umm, anyway, seating?"
"Oh yeah, right." Buffy gave a small laugh. "Anywhere is pretty much cool."
"'K" Kaatje said, leading Buffy to a table near the front of the cafeteria. The two girls caught a table next to the wall on the far right, and sat down opposite each other.
"How do you like it here so far?" Kaatje asked, taking a bite of her soufflé.
"It's alright," Buffy began, "can't really say though, 'coz, you know, haven't been here much. But the people seem..well, I dunno how quite to put it but-"
"Mildly stuck-up? You're right, they are. Rich kids, you can't really help it, you know?"
"I get you." Buffy's voice came out a little regretful. A few weeks ago, before her Calling, Buffy herself had been a stuck-up snob who looked down upon those she considered lesser than her. Being the Slayer had made her realize that there were more important things in life, and Buffy had since grown. "So, how long have you been here?"
"Well, I've been here since daycare."
"Since daycare?!"
"Well, yeah. See, my mom moved back here from England when I was about three, and then opened this place. So, umm, she made herself principal of the school and-"
Buffy cut Kaatje off immediately, exclaiming, "Your mother is Skinner?!"
Kaatje smiled at Buffy's outburst, quite used to it by now. "Yeah, would you believe it? We're completely different from each other. Oh, um, as you can see." Kaatje giggled for a moment. "But yeah, she's my mom. Don't really get any special treatment though. Mom believes in pure and utter discipline."
"Yeah," Buffy sighed, "I can see that."
"Don't take her the wrong way, Buffy. Mom's strict, I mean, yeah, her nickname is 'the Beast' and all, but she means well. Really, she does. She's been trai- er, teaching me, like, how to be a better person...and stuff. Just give her a chance, okay? She's tough on all the newcomers."
Buffy slowly nodded, realizing that Kaatje was probably right. Sure, Buffy was a lot on edge lately, but she couldn't help it. Things were just weird, and she was going off on everyone, besides maybe Pike. And she couldn't get mad at him that easily. He was way too sweet, and besides, she kinda sorta loved him.
Catching herself before she lost herself in her dreams, Buffy asked Kaatje, "So, like, you and your mom. You guys are very close, I take it?"
"Oh, extremely," Kaatje said, attacking her green and blue clumps of jell-o with gusto. "Coz, you know, I am all she has and she's all I have...so we tend to get close. I can't remember a life, really, without her, myself, and the Academy. It's all such an innate part of my life. But Mom..she has big plans for me, or so she says. Plans beyond the Academy, and life here in LA. She won't tell me what, but for years she's been trying to get in touch with an old friend of hers for me. Some sort of special school or something." Kaatje paused for a moment, licking one final clump of jell-o off her spoon. "Hehehe. I just realized I've been going on and on about myself. Why don't you tell me some stuff about you?"
"Not much to say, really. From Hemery High. I'm an ex-cheer-"
"Whoa, Hemery? The school whose gym was burnt down by some chosen psycho- loony last week?!" Kaatje interjected. She then saw the look of pain upon Buffy's face and realized who the afore mentioned psycho-loony was. "Oh..sorry."
"'S alright," Buffy said, accepting the apology. After all, she couldn't really blame Kaatje. It wasn't everyday a fifteen-year-old cheerleader burnt down the high school gym. "But yeah, that was me. So, ex-cheerleader, pretty much an ex-flake too. The rich, snobby girls here? I was pretty much like that. Well, not financially maybe, but attitude-wise, and with a keen fashion sense. Kinda started changing the past few weeks..started realizing things, and the gym? Pretty much the last straw of my old, flaky ways."
"Got tired of cheerleading?"
"No. Not that as much as fate got tired of letting me stay a nice, trendy, and normal fifteen-year-old girl."
"Normal? Buffy, I agree I haven't known you long. Perhaps just a half-hour, but you seem pretty normal to me."
Buffy gave Kaatje a half-smile there, a smile that was almost sarcastic. "You don't know me yet, then."
"I would like to get to know you better. You seem nice, down-to-earth."
"Thank you...but friendship and closeness? Sorry, Kaatje, but not big on my books. There's a lot of things that people won't understand..and I kind of just need a break from people, you know? Don't get me wrong. We can totally hang out and stuff..but I just lost some of my best friends, and I don't think I wanna risk making anymore friends just to lose them. It's just..too messy. But, you know, if we do become really close friends..it's cool...and...I'm just confused, can you tell?"
Kaatje nodded briskly. "Yeah, but it's okay. We all go through odd times. But things? Pretty much always improve, so keep a smiling face, k?"
"Yeah, I will. In the meantime, though," Buffy said, looking at her Swatch watch, "I've got a date with chemistry."
"Cool, cool. So, maybe catch you later then?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice."
"Bye then."
"Laters." Buffy answered, getting up with her tray and giving Kaatje another smile. The Slayer then left to exit the cafeteria, after dumping her tray. As she left, though, she saw Skinner give her an odd look, almost a jealous glare. Buffy decided to ignore it, and exited the noisy room, all the while pondering as to whether she really wanted any close friends and also wondering what Principal Skinner's issue really was.
***
Hey guys! It's me again. So, okay, the rudeness and the confusedness that is Buffy Anne Summers? Mainly coz she's not who Buffy was when she moved to Sunnydale, she's still developing into that person, so she's a bit of a problem kid right now, kind of unsure about stuff, deep down inside. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and stuff, and I hope to hear more from you guys, and I hope you guys like all this so far! Thanks again!
Ciao
*~*Amit*~*