I watched Mom's Jeep pull away from the curb feeling like I was ten and it was Christmas morning. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and when I turn around, I see Angel bending over to tie his shoe.
I feel a sudden urge to pinch, but I don't think molestation is appropriate 'welcome-to-your-first-day-of-school' behavior.
So I'll just think about it, instead.
... mmm. Firm.
"So this is where you go to school?"
"Yep. Good old Sunnydale High. Hotbed of social intrigue. And occasionally some people learn stuff here, too." I look up and follow his gaze out across the courtyard towards the main doors. There were a few people here and there, but otherwise it was pretty deserted. "So, what do you think?"
"It's amazing. My school's only about a third this size."
"We in California like to build really, really big and expensive buildings. That way it will be much more dramatic when an earthquake happens and knocks everything down." I smile at him and we start walking up the path. "And hey, this is your school now, too, you know."
"I guess that's true."
"So... first day. Are you nervous?"
"Aye. A little. I usually tend to keep to myself."
I find it so amusing that he says things like 'Aye'. He reminds me of Popeye, only hot and with arms and legs proportionate to his body.
Now if only I could get him into a sailor uniform...
"That's okay, I'm sure you'll do fine here. I'll introduce you to my friends later, too."
"That sounds great. Thank you." We stop walking at the entrance to the school and he reaches out to hold the door open for me. I feel silly and girly and happy all at once. I'm trying not to grin like an idiot, but it's really, really hard.
"Thanks." I pointed to an open door on the left side of the hallway. "That's the Administration Office. We should be able to pick up your schedule in there."
We both walk into the office, but there's no one behind the Registrar's desk. I peek into some of the adjoining offices, but there's no one there, either. I guess the administrators here are just as excited about coming to school as the students are. Which is to say... not excited.
"Why is there a pig in here?"
I turn around and see Angel leaning over the cage to our mascot. It was making weird pig noises, which I guess isn't unusual since it's, you know... a pig. They tend to make pig-like sounds.
"That's Herbert, our school mascot. He's on loan from the State Fair until he's 'fattened up'," I say, and then think about that for a moment. "So I guess eventually we're going to have to change our name from the Sunnydale Razorbacks to the Sunnydale 'Soon to be Delicious Pork Products'."
It doesn't really have the same intimidation factor as the Razorbacks, but it's slightly better than the Sunnydale 'Mmm! Bacon!'.
Angel laughed, a real laugh and not one of his lopsided smirks, and I have to chew on my bottom lip to keep from biting him. Yes, biting. With TEETH.
What is WRONG with me? Ugh.
"What are you two doing in here?"
Angel and I both whirl around and come face to face with Ms. Lenowitz, the Office Manager. She's holding a donut in one hand and a horrible orange purse in the other. There's a bright red smudge of lipstick all over her front teeth.
A big part of me wants to tell her 'Hey, you know.. you've got lipstick on your teeth!', but Ms. Lenowitz is a very large woman and I'm afraid she might eat me. "Um, we were just here to pick up a schedule."
She looked at me skeptically for a moment before turning towards Angel and squinting. "Name?"
"Uh, Angel Cormac. I'm one of the exchange students."
This was the first time I had actually heard his last name, but I'm going to pretend that I didn't start fantasizing about the many attractive ways to write "Buffy Cormac".
Even though I did.
A lot.
Or maybe I'll do a hyphen thing? 'Buffy Summers-Cormac'? Or does that sound pretentious?
And WHEN did I become a psychopath? I really need to stop thinking about this.
"Let me just see if I can find you in the computer."
Ms. Lenowitz walked (waddled) over to the Registrar's desk and sat down behind the keyboard. She tapped on a few keys and the printer started up. Once the schedule was finished, she pulled it out from the paper tray and checked it over.
Angel looked mildly disgusted when she handed it to him because she'd left a big smear of donut grease all over the side of it. It was pretty gross, actually.
I was about to interrogate him on what classes he had, but Principal Snyder chose that very moment to stalk through the door. He made it halfway to his office before he noticed us. "Summers. What did you do wrong this time?"
How I hate you, Tiny Rat-like Man.
"This is Mr.Cormac. He's one of the foreign exchange students," Ms. Lenowitz announced, surprisingly coming to our rescue.
He looked at Angel darkly and frowned. "Ah, yes. Another post-pubescent underachiever to stain the halls of this institution with his dazzling mediocrity. How nice."
Gee. Leave it to Snyder to offer up some good old fashioned Nazi hospitality.
Angel seemed to take it in stride, though. "Nice to meet you, too, sir."
Snyder stared disdainfully in our direction and made some sort of odd snorting noise before disappearing into his pathetic office.
Angel stared at his now-closed door for a few seconds before breaking the silence. "He's very friendly."
Yes, friendly in much the same manner as cannibals and wild dogs. "I know. The first time I met Snyder he forced my two best friends and me to take part in the school talent contest. We ended up completely embarrassing ourselves in front of the whole class. People referred to me as 'Speech Impediment Girl' for weeks."
Although, usually there were more words in front of it. These included such classic gems as 'Freakish Speech Impediment Girl' and 'Oh no! Here Comes Speech Impediment Girl!'.
"Sounds harsh. Is the entire faculty this pleasant?"
"No, it's just Snyder. I'm pretty sure he has rabies." Either that or he's just bitter about his rapidly-expanding forehead.
Angel and I grab our things and his newly-printed schedule and start walking towards the quad. Most of the students are here by now and I can see Cordelia and her entourage of giggling minions standing around the soda machine.
I tamp down the wicked grin that wants to erupt on my face and try to inconspicuously steer Angel towards her. But only because I want to promote the friendly exchange of culture between nations, of course.
Yes.
That's it.
...
Okay, so it was more of a 'Behold my delicious man-friend and his buns of steel!' thing. Sue me.
Luckily, common sense kicked in after a few steps in her direction and I realized that introducing Angel to Cordelia was a very bad idea. She may be a bitch, but she's also popular, rich, and perfect-looking. I really don't feel like ruining my good day by having other people hit on my Scrumptious Irish Treat.
So instead I maneuver him outside and towards the picnic tables where I usually meet Willow and Xander during lunch.
I gesture for Angel to sit before I plop down next to him. "Let me see your schedule."
Angel hands it over silently, and I grab it by the very edges to avoid getting donut glaze all over my new manicure.
I quickly scan the list of his classes before I make an embarrassing
shrieking noise that sounds an awful like a dying
cat.
He only has TWO classes with me. TWO! Out of SIX. And one of them is stupid P.E., where the boys are separated from the girls, anyway.
And although I AM excited about the prospect of seeing him in our cute maroon gym shorts, it's not enough to console me over the fact that I'm going to have four Angel-less classes.
That's four hours of wasted quality Angel-Time!
FOUR.
As in, WITHOUT Angel.
As in, Angel in classes with OTHER people.
Who AREN'T me.
Blech.
I hope Ms. Lenowitz chokes on her donut.
I was still in a little bit of a funk over the heinous scheduling nightmare
when I showed Angel to his first class. But I started to feel better when I
realized that I had first period with Willow. What better time to update my
best friend on the exciting new developments in the life of Buffy?
"Hey Wills!" I plopped down in my desk and grinned in much the same manner that crazy people do. "What's the what?"
Willow looked at me suspiciously for a moment. "Um, why are you so happy?"
"No reason."
"Buff~y." My Mom may be the master at the two syllable 'I know you're up to something' pronunciation of my name, but Willow is no slouch at it, either.
"What? Can't a girl just be happy? I mean, who DOESN'T get excited about chemistry? All those fun elements just waiting to be memorized..."
Willow looked at me as if I had grown another head before her eyes widened comically in surprise. "You got out of the student exchange program!"
"Nope. In fact, I'm kind of jonesing on the whole 'exchange of cultures' thing. This is my opportunity to expand my horizons and learn interesting customs and traditions from foreign nations!"
"... You met a guy!"
Willow is pretty smart, I have to admit.
"I did. There was a guy. Of which I met."
"Tell me!" Willow looks so excited. It's a true testament to the patheticness of our dating lives that simply MEETING a guy is cause for extreme giddiness.
"Well, he's tall... and dark... and has... two ears." I knew I was teasing her, but I didn't care.
"Buffy!" Willow screeched. Really loudly. Half the class swiveled in their seats to look at us, and we both tried to sink behind our desks.
Our Chemistry teacher tipped his glasses down to glare at us. "Is there something you want to share with us, Ms. Rosenberg? Or can I begin the lecture?"
"Um, you can start."
"Thank you. Alright, class. Yesterday, we went over how to find the atomic number of an element--"
I was halfway listening when Willow threw a little balled up piece of paper at the side of my head. I jerked back like a spaz before I realized it was a note.
I pretended to yawn before reaching down and grabbing it off the floor. I smoothed it out on the desk and read over what she had written:
//Is he cute?//
She had two little checkboxes underneath it. One said 'Yes' and the other had 'No'. I shook a little trying not to laugh before drawing three huge, red circles around the 'Yes' and writing 'UNDERSTATEMENT' is all capitals underneath it.
I toss it back at her gently and she gives me a happy smile after reading it. I mouth the word 'Later' at her and she nods before we both turn back towards the board and pretend to be interested in atoms.
