~
"I just don't see what's wrong with old acquaintances, that's all." Willow and Jesse exchanged a look, before glaring at Xander.
"What?"
"You say the same exact thing every, single year." Jesse groaned.
"And every, single year we tell you that they aren't saying that you should forget old, which is actually "auld", acquaintances, they're saying you should embrace friendships."
"And every, single year you say 'Well, they should say that, then.' Not to mention that this conversation always, always takes place on the day we return to school, as we walk to 3rd period, no matter what." Jesse finished, suddenly noticing a waving Dawn, "I gotta go."
Willow and Xander gave each other a nervous glance...they knew that look on Jesse's face all too well. Willow reached out and touched his retreating arm.
"Just...be careful, okay? She might be different, now...but don't loose sight of who she used to be, alright?" Jesse smiled reassuringly at Willow before racing over to the brunette.
"Hey." He said, lilting his voice.
"Hi, Jesse." Dawn replied, running her fingers through the length of her hair.
"How's it goin'?"
"Okay."
"That's good." Dawn smiled and traced the lettering on her algebra book. Why is a sophomore taking algebra??
"So, uh, yeah...I...I, uh...um...How's it goin'?" He finished lamely.
"Jesse, my next class is starting pretty soon, if you're gonna ask me out, you might wanna do it pretty fast." Dawn said boldly, taking on one of Spike's smirks.
"Do you want to go out with me?" Dawn gave Jesse a wide smile before nodding enthusiastically. He widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am, ya goofball."
"Goofball? You scar me with your words."
"Deal with it."
"Zing! You're certainly little Miss Insulto this morning."
"How was that an insult?" Dawn asked folding her arms and cocking her head accusingly.
"It wasn't really...I've just had a jonesin' to call someone 'Little Miss Insulto' for awhile now."
"Ah."
~
"You're nutso crazy." Buffy stated, lowering her eyes incredulously at Giles.
"Buffy, you never know who or what you may encounter." Giles replied, grabbing ahold of his.
"So, what? Now, I'm going to be fighting Friar Tuck?" Buffy replied sarcastically.
"Buffy, you were the one who wanted to start training solely with me, now if you think that Spike's methods were more efficient, by all means-" Buffy cut him off by raising her palms into the air.
"Okay, okay. Let's go. Stick fighting, whoo-hoo." Buffy said with a twirl of her index finger. Giles threw her the shorter one and cleared his throat.
"Now, I must warn you, I am some what of an expert of-"
"Stick-fighting?"
"Yes. I mean, no! No! Just get into your stance." With the elegance of a sword fight, the watcher and the Slayer fought with precision and grace against one another. In a matter of seconds however...
BAM!
"Yes, well then...quite good. Let's move on now, shall we?"
~
"Now if the equivilent of B-squared is equal to 5abc-to the seventh power divided by eighty-nine-" Miss Gilbert stopped talking long enough for the student to hand her a small, pink slip of paper. She looked down at the name.
"Elizabeth Summers?" Buffy looked up quizzically from her diligent doodling.
"The principal would like to see you."
Ugh.
~
"Now, some people say, think of your principal as your pal. I say, think of me as you judge, jury, and executioner." Buffy stifled a laugh, taking in the look of the man who was saying this. Snyder was not exactly Mr. Threatening; he was more of the Mr. Balding-Human-Weasel-Crossbreed type.
"Miss Summers, you have quite a track record, both here and elsewhere."
"I'm still sticking by the asbestos excuse." Buffy said, hoping she at least looked as though she was taking him seriously. Snyder, however, saw through it.
"Just give me a reason to expel you, Summers. Just give me a reason." The look deep within the hollow crevice of Snyder's dark eyes let Buffy know that he was indeed ready and willing to invoke everything he said.
Gulp.
Maybe I should take him a *bit* more seriously.
~
After school let out, Dawn walked nervously up Buffy's walkway. It was supposed to be * her * walkway. But it wasn't.
Dawn rang the doorbell.
Nothing in the world could have prepared her for who she saw when the door opened.
"Mom?" The woman looked down at her, a confused smile plastered on her face.
"I mean, uh, are you Buffy's mom?" Dawn somehow managed out.
"Older sister, actually. I'm surprised you didn't assume that immediately." Joyce replied with a wink, "Yes. I am Buffy's mom. Are you Buffy's friend?"
"Yeah." Dawn replied, smiling crazily despite herself, "Is she home?"
"Oh, no. I'm sorry. She said she was going to go work out. I highly doubt that, though. No, no...if you know Buffy, you know that she's probably off gallivanting around with some boy." Ah, so we're still in the "Buffy-is-a- complete-and-utter-flake" stage.
"Actually, she probably is working out. Fitness has become a major priority of hers, lately." Joyce smiled in surprise and then focused her attention solely on Dawn.
"I've never seen you before, have I?"
"No, I don't think so. I'm Dawn...Dawn Jones." Dawn bit her tongue. Oh, yeah...that's cute.
"Dawn is a pretty name. But, wow, your parents must be big fans of-"
"Actually, Dawn is a nickname. People have started calling me that just this year actually. But that was the first time I ever realized that my name is...Dawn...Jones." Joyce laughed out loud and ushered her in.
"I swear, I don't know where Buffy finds all of these absolutely endearing people. Would you like some hot chocolate?" Dawn blinked back the few tears that were threatening to unleash.
"Yes. Very much so, please."
~
Buffy sat back with one of Giles' big, researchy books. She pretended to be engrossed on the one page (which of course had a strategically placed magazine.), playing the doting Slayer role.
"How to Relieve Menstrual Cramps," a British voice drolled from behind her, "What sort of demon are you fighting, luv?"
She just kept on reading, fully intending on ignoring him.
"Ah, I get it. You're givin' me the cold shoulder. Suppose I deserve it."
"You "suppose"?!?"
"So she can speak." Spike replied, a teasing smile meeting a cold glare, "C'mon, luv, don't get like that." Buffy crossed her arms, gave a small, mirthless laugh, slamming onto her feet angrily.
"Don't get like what? Rightfully upset? Because let's review the event, shall we?"
"Buffy-"
"No, no. You have no speaking rights whatsoever. You kiss me. You kissed ME. Not vice versa. Your lips did all of the activating. I kiss you back. You back away, freak out and run, leaving me alone in some weirdass apartment!! Now, I'm sorry if it seems unreasonable of me to be miffed, but I am. I am way beyond pissed at you." Spike breathed in heavily and ran his hand over his hair.
"Look, Buffy, if I could have stayed, God knows I would have, pet, but everything was so damned confusing, and believe me, you have no bloody idea what I've gone through in the past few months-"
"Oh, boo-hoo. Spikey's looking for a little sympathy." Spike shot his gaze straight into her, pursing his lips.
"It isn't about sympathy. Not for me. I have no interest in people pitying me. I'm just trying to explain why I left the way I did."
"Well, ya know what Spike? Don't bother." Buffy replied, enunciating every word with her fingers, before waving them in the air as a careless goodbye, walking off.
"Buffy!" Spike yelled after the retreating figure, whose only response was the waving of a particular finger high up in the air, "Well, that was uncalled for."
~
tbc...
"I just don't see what's wrong with old acquaintances, that's all." Willow and Jesse exchanged a look, before glaring at Xander.
"What?"
"You say the same exact thing every, single year." Jesse groaned.
"And every, single year we tell you that they aren't saying that you should forget old, which is actually "auld", acquaintances, they're saying you should embrace friendships."
"And every, single year you say 'Well, they should say that, then.' Not to mention that this conversation always, always takes place on the day we return to school, as we walk to 3rd period, no matter what." Jesse finished, suddenly noticing a waving Dawn, "I gotta go."
Willow and Xander gave each other a nervous glance...they knew that look on Jesse's face all too well. Willow reached out and touched his retreating arm.
"Just...be careful, okay? She might be different, now...but don't loose sight of who she used to be, alright?" Jesse smiled reassuringly at Willow before racing over to the brunette.
"Hey." He said, lilting his voice.
"Hi, Jesse." Dawn replied, running her fingers through the length of her hair.
"How's it goin'?"
"Okay."
"That's good." Dawn smiled and traced the lettering on her algebra book. Why is a sophomore taking algebra??
"So, uh, yeah...I...I, uh...um...How's it goin'?" He finished lamely.
"Jesse, my next class is starting pretty soon, if you're gonna ask me out, you might wanna do it pretty fast." Dawn said boldly, taking on one of Spike's smirks.
"Do you want to go out with me?" Dawn gave Jesse a wide smile before nodding enthusiastically. He widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am, ya goofball."
"Goofball? You scar me with your words."
"Deal with it."
"Zing! You're certainly little Miss Insulto this morning."
"How was that an insult?" Dawn asked folding her arms and cocking her head accusingly.
"It wasn't really...I've just had a jonesin' to call someone 'Little Miss Insulto' for awhile now."
"Ah."
~
"You're nutso crazy." Buffy stated, lowering her eyes incredulously at Giles.
"Buffy, you never know who or what you may encounter." Giles replied, grabbing ahold of his.
"So, what? Now, I'm going to be fighting Friar Tuck?" Buffy replied sarcastically.
"Buffy, you were the one who wanted to start training solely with me, now if you think that Spike's methods were more efficient, by all means-" Buffy cut him off by raising her palms into the air.
"Okay, okay. Let's go. Stick fighting, whoo-hoo." Buffy said with a twirl of her index finger. Giles threw her the shorter one and cleared his throat.
"Now, I must warn you, I am some what of an expert of-"
"Stick-fighting?"
"Yes. I mean, no! No! Just get into your stance." With the elegance of a sword fight, the watcher and the Slayer fought with precision and grace against one another. In a matter of seconds however...
BAM!
"Yes, well then...quite good. Let's move on now, shall we?"
~
"Now if the equivilent of B-squared is equal to 5abc-to the seventh power divided by eighty-nine-" Miss Gilbert stopped talking long enough for the student to hand her a small, pink slip of paper. She looked down at the name.
"Elizabeth Summers?" Buffy looked up quizzically from her diligent doodling.
"The principal would like to see you."
Ugh.
~
"Now, some people say, think of your principal as your pal. I say, think of me as you judge, jury, and executioner." Buffy stifled a laugh, taking in the look of the man who was saying this. Snyder was not exactly Mr. Threatening; he was more of the Mr. Balding-Human-Weasel-Crossbreed type.
"Miss Summers, you have quite a track record, both here and elsewhere."
"I'm still sticking by the asbestos excuse." Buffy said, hoping she at least looked as though she was taking him seriously. Snyder, however, saw through it.
"Just give me a reason to expel you, Summers. Just give me a reason." The look deep within the hollow crevice of Snyder's dark eyes let Buffy know that he was indeed ready and willing to invoke everything he said.
Gulp.
Maybe I should take him a *bit* more seriously.
~
After school let out, Dawn walked nervously up Buffy's walkway. It was supposed to be * her * walkway. But it wasn't.
Dawn rang the doorbell.
Nothing in the world could have prepared her for who she saw when the door opened.
"Mom?" The woman looked down at her, a confused smile plastered on her face.
"I mean, uh, are you Buffy's mom?" Dawn somehow managed out.
"Older sister, actually. I'm surprised you didn't assume that immediately." Joyce replied with a wink, "Yes. I am Buffy's mom. Are you Buffy's friend?"
"Yeah." Dawn replied, smiling crazily despite herself, "Is she home?"
"Oh, no. I'm sorry. She said she was going to go work out. I highly doubt that, though. No, no...if you know Buffy, you know that she's probably off gallivanting around with some boy." Ah, so we're still in the "Buffy-is-a- complete-and-utter-flake" stage.
"Actually, she probably is working out. Fitness has become a major priority of hers, lately." Joyce smiled in surprise and then focused her attention solely on Dawn.
"I've never seen you before, have I?"
"No, I don't think so. I'm Dawn...Dawn Jones." Dawn bit her tongue. Oh, yeah...that's cute.
"Dawn is a pretty name. But, wow, your parents must be big fans of-"
"Actually, Dawn is a nickname. People have started calling me that just this year actually. But that was the first time I ever realized that my name is...Dawn...Jones." Joyce laughed out loud and ushered her in.
"I swear, I don't know where Buffy finds all of these absolutely endearing people. Would you like some hot chocolate?" Dawn blinked back the few tears that were threatening to unleash.
"Yes. Very much so, please."
~
Buffy sat back with one of Giles' big, researchy books. She pretended to be engrossed on the one page (which of course had a strategically placed magazine.), playing the doting Slayer role.
"How to Relieve Menstrual Cramps," a British voice drolled from behind her, "What sort of demon are you fighting, luv?"
She just kept on reading, fully intending on ignoring him.
"Ah, I get it. You're givin' me the cold shoulder. Suppose I deserve it."
"You "suppose"?!?"
"So she can speak." Spike replied, a teasing smile meeting a cold glare, "C'mon, luv, don't get like that." Buffy crossed her arms, gave a small, mirthless laugh, slamming onto her feet angrily.
"Don't get like what? Rightfully upset? Because let's review the event, shall we?"
"Buffy-"
"No, no. You have no speaking rights whatsoever. You kiss me. You kissed ME. Not vice versa. Your lips did all of the activating. I kiss you back. You back away, freak out and run, leaving me alone in some weirdass apartment!! Now, I'm sorry if it seems unreasonable of me to be miffed, but I am. I am way beyond pissed at you." Spike breathed in heavily and ran his hand over his hair.
"Look, Buffy, if I could have stayed, God knows I would have, pet, but everything was so damned confusing, and believe me, you have no bloody idea what I've gone through in the past few months-"
"Oh, boo-hoo. Spikey's looking for a little sympathy." Spike shot his gaze straight into her, pursing his lips.
"It isn't about sympathy. Not for me. I have no interest in people pitying me. I'm just trying to explain why I left the way I did."
"Well, ya know what Spike? Don't bother." Buffy replied, enunciating every word with her fingers, before waving them in the air as a careless goodbye, walking off.
"Buffy!" Spike yelled after the retreating figure, whose only response was the waving of a particular finger high up in the air, "Well, that was uncalled for."
~
tbc...
