CHAPTER TWO - Dawn - October 2004
I loved the Teke's. They threw the best parties and they had a nice house. Better yet, I trusted them not to be scummers like a couple of other frats. It helped that the sorority I wanted to rush, Alpha Sigma Tau, was tight with the TKE's. Paloma, my dorm mate, wanted to be an AST, too and Taliesha, our women's history tutor, was a sister. She said we stood a good chance of getting in.
I saw Taliesha by the keg dressed like a Nubian princess. I wished I could be so beautiful. Her skin was rick, dark and so damn perfect. Not to mention she was tall with big..um assets. I was still flat as a board in comparison. When I was around Buffy and Willow or Fred, it hadn't been so noticeable but here, well, let's just say I know I'm part of the 'little bitty titty committee' as Paloma called it and I'm not thrilled.
I was beginning to regret my own costume choice or at least the play sword I was using as part of Arwen's costume. It kept bumping me in the butt when I danced. Still, I looked pretty stylish. I had Xander's seal of approval when I had gone home to do laundry and confer on what might best catch a guy's eye.
Not that I had a particular guy in mind but that was okay. Even with elf ears, I looked hot. I knew someone would notice me. Why wouldn't they? Paloma had already snagged the eye of Michael McGovern, one of the starting running backs. I didn't really envy her that. The really popular guys were nothing but trouble. I went and got myself a beer, oddly thinking about the time Buffy turned into a Neanderthal thanks to beer. God I missed her and the others. I really missed Spike even though I hadn't truly forgiven him for what he tried to do to Buffy. But at the end, he gave his life for us all. I think he knew he'd die if he wore that thing Angel brought to Sunnydale. I think Angel knew it, too. Both of them were willing to die for Buffy. It was sort of creepy and beautiful at the same time. I gulped my beer and got another.
I turned and nearly ran over a skinny, short guy dressed like Dracula. At least it wasn't Lestat. Part of me wanted to scream it's not funny to dress like vampires. They aren't cool but then the rational part of me remembered that not everyone knows vampires are real. There's a whole world out there that loves Stoker's and Rice's work and the skinny kid had a great set of fangs. They must have been the expensive theater ones. He smiled at me.
"Sorry," he said, almost not lisping around the fangs.
"My fault." He was checking me out, not even the least bit shy about it. Of course I was doing the same to him. He was scrawny but he was cute if kinda girlie. He has the prettiest blue eyes and since we were about the same height I was looking right into them. His nose was a little off center but that added to the cuteness. Whoa girl, look who's fast out of the starting gate. I guess beer does loosen you up.
"Have I seen you around the house?" His eyes flicked down to my chest but didn't linger. Well, it's not like I've got a lot to look at there.
Oh boy, gotta be nice. He must be a Teke and I didn't want to irritate the AST sisters by annoying one of the brothers. Besides, I had the feeling I was going to like him. "Maybe. I like the parties they throw here. I'm Dawn."
"Ooo, Dawn, something I have to beware of." He flashed those fake fangs at me and I laughed in spite of myself.
"You know it." I showed him my best flirtaceous eyes.
"I'm Connor."
I smiled and he did likewise. Even without the fangs, Connor would have an odd smile. It was too big for his thin face, like it needed to be continued on someone else. I liked it. It gave his face character. Spike would have called the look cheeky. Spike would have hated this kid, I decided in an instant. He'd tell me I could do better but I'm sure he would have said that about anyone. Not like I was taking Connor home with me. We were just smiling over beers. "Are you a brother?" I managed to say.
He nodded, his fine brown hair flopping into his eyes. He brushed it back, irritated. "Yeah, I'm a Teke. Are you Greek?"
"Thinking about it." I think that was what he wanted to hear because that spooky grin widened.
"Want to dance?"
I looked out at the crowded area passing as the frat house's dance floor and saw Paloma bumping and grinding with Michael. Why should she have all the fun? I nodded and Connor took my beer and set it on the book shelves. He didn't dance too bad, better than I was expecting but not as good as I hoped. Still, we were having a good time. Taliesha had spotted us once and gave me the thumbs up and a big goofy grin. Connor didn't see her but he had to wonder why I was blushing.
Finally we got hot and tired so we left the dance floor. Connor rescued our beers from the shelf and handed me mine. I shook my head.
"Do you mind if I get a fresh one?" I was totally paranoid about drinking from anything that had been sitting around. I knew all about date rape drugs. Elle, a girl I had became fast friends with probably because I was someone who didn't think her being a Wiccan was weird, had been raped thanks to one of those drugs. Paloma and I had gone to support groups with her. It didn't help. Elle killed herself and I thought that maybe there was something more I could have done.
All I could do now was protect myself. When I thought about this stuff, remembered Elle, I thought about Andrew. I didn't know where he was any more and I regret that I ever even so much as spoke to him. When I remembered Elle's haunted eyes, those rambling confessions Andrew would make bobbed to the surface of my memory. He helped Warren hunt down some poor woman to make her a sex slave, thanks to magic. Warren killed that girl. Andrew killed Jonathan. When I thought about what we were willing to forgive; rape, murder, lies I felt dirty. I'm glad I didn't know where Andrew was any more. Anya should have been the one to survive instead of him, but then again cockroaches always endure. Sometimes I talked to Angel about this since Buffy was in Cleveland and Willow in London. I didn't feel right talking about it with Wes or Gunn. Fred chattered so much I never could make sense of what she was telling me. I couldn't talk to Xander about Andrew since there was some kind of weird connection there, thanks to Andrew being there when Anya died.
I must have looked strange or upset since Connor gave me a look. "No, go ahead. I'll get you some."
"No, that's okay," I said a little too quickly, too sharply but he didn't seem offended. Always get your own drink, never set it down, keep your hand over the top of the glass, that's what they teach us to do. It's hard and I try to do it but it's so easy to forget. Then I remember Elle, I remember the party at Frannie's apartment when she found someone had dumped a whole bag of GHB down the garbage disposal after losing their nerve. Better safe than sorry so I got myself a fresh beer.
"Want to go somewhere quieter so we can talk?" he asked.
"Um." I froze, my eyes looking up at the second floor. If he thought a few dances would entice me to his room, he was sorely mistaken.
He must have read my mind. "No, I meant outside, get some fresh air."
I smiled weakly. "I'd like that."
It felt odd sitting outside at night. I guess living on a Hellmouth will do that to you. I kept expecting real vampires to pop out of the garden, or what was once a garden until the frat boys had gotten hold of it.
"You from California?" he asked.
"Born and raised. You?"
"The same. I'm a sophomore here."He looked like he felt as awkward as I did. This get-to-know-you stuff was always painful.
"Freshman. I'm majoring in art and history," I said and he gave me the look everyone did. 'What? You're majoring in poverty?'
"What do you plan to do with that?" At least he made that sound a little better than usual or maybe it was the beer.
I shrugged. I couldn't exactly tell him I planned on being a Watcher. "I'm good at art but it's not exactly an easy field to break into. I like history, too, so maybe I'll teach."
He smiled. "I'm pre-Law."
Oh, you could see he was proud of that. If he turned out to be a pompous jerk, I'd be so disappointed. I could just hear Angel and Xander now. What does the world need with another lawyer? I guess working with a law firm might make one cynical. Still, if he was pre-law, Connor probably had to be smart. "Cool."
We talked for a long time and drank a little more. Connor stowed his fangs at some point and I ditched my sword and pointy ears. Connor was a sweet guy. I liked him a lot. I never had had time for boyfriends back in Sunnydale. The one time I tried I ended up with a vampire. It must run in the family. The second time, it was because of that magic jacket. Third time's a charm, or at least I hope so. It was nearly dawn by the time he walked me back to my dorm. He kissed me goodnight and I was going to pretend this was my first kiss because it was everything a first kiss should be. Sweet, gentle, soft and left me wanting more.
"Can I see you again?" he whispered.
"Of course."
I watched him go, sending out a little wish that he got home safely. With my track record something would snag and eat him in the last dying moments of the night. I went into my room and fell asleep, truly happy for the first time in a long time.
Author's Note - Both the TKE's (Tau Kappa Epsilon) and the AST's (Alpha Sigma Tau's) are real Greek organizations. No offense is meant to either. I am an AST alumnus and the boys of TKE were a good friend to my sorority on my campus and I hope I've captured that friendly atmosphere here.
I loved the Teke's. They threw the best parties and they had a nice house. Better yet, I trusted them not to be scummers like a couple of other frats. It helped that the sorority I wanted to rush, Alpha Sigma Tau, was tight with the TKE's. Paloma, my dorm mate, wanted to be an AST, too and Taliesha, our women's history tutor, was a sister. She said we stood a good chance of getting in.
I saw Taliesha by the keg dressed like a Nubian princess. I wished I could be so beautiful. Her skin was rick, dark and so damn perfect. Not to mention she was tall with big..um assets. I was still flat as a board in comparison. When I was around Buffy and Willow or Fred, it hadn't been so noticeable but here, well, let's just say I know I'm part of the 'little bitty titty committee' as Paloma called it and I'm not thrilled.
I was beginning to regret my own costume choice or at least the play sword I was using as part of Arwen's costume. It kept bumping me in the butt when I danced. Still, I looked pretty stylish. I had Xander's seal of approval when I had gone home to do laundry and confer on what might best catch a guy's eye.
Not that I had a particular guy in mind but that was okay. Even with elf ears, I looked hot. I knew someone would notice me. Why wouldn't they? Paloma had already snagged the eye of Michael McGovern, one of the starting running backs. I didn't really envy her that. The really popular guys were nothing but trouble. I went and got myself a beer, oddly thinking about the time Buffy turned into a Neanderthal thanks to beer. God I missed her and the others. I really missed Spike even though I hadn't truly forgiven him for what he tried to do to Buffy. But at the end, he gave his life for us all. I think he knew he'd die if he wore that thing Angel brought to Sunnydale. I think Angel knew it, too. Both of them were willing to die for Buffy. It was sort of creepy and beautiful at the same time. I gulped my beer and got another.
I turned and nearly ran over a skinny, short guy dressed like Dracula. At least it wasn't Lestat. Part of me wanted to scream it's not funny to dress like vampires. They aren't cool but then the rational part of me remembered that not everyone knows vampires are real. There's a whole world out there that loves Stoker's and Rice's work and the skinny kid had a great set of fangs. They must have been the expensive theater ones. He smiled at me.
"Sorry," he said, almost not lisping around the fangs.
"My fault." He was checking me out, not even the least bit shy about it. Of course I was doing the same to him. He was scrawny but he was cute if kinda girlie. He has the prettiest blue eyes and since we were about the same height I was looking right into them. His nose was a little off center but that added to the cuteness. Whoa girl, look who's fast out of the starting gate. I guess beer does loosen you up.
"Have I seen you around the house?" His eyes flicked down to my chest but didn't linger. Well, it's not like I've got a lot to look at there.
Oh boy, gotta be nice. He must be a Teke and I didn't want to irritate the AST sisters by annoying one of the brothers. Besides, I had the feeling I was going to like him. "Maybe. I like the parties they throw here. I'm Dawn."
"Ooo, Dawn, something I have to beware of." He flashed those fake fangs at me and I laughed in spite of myself.
"You know it." I showed him my best flirtaceous eyes.
"I'm Connor."
I smiled and he did likewise. Even without the fangs, Connor would have an odd smile. It was too big for his thin face, like it needed to be continued on someone else. I liked it. It gave his face character. Spike would have called the look cheeky. Spike would have hated this kid, I decided in an instant. He'd tell me I could do better but I'm sure he would have said that about anyone. Not like I was taking Connor home with me. We were just smiling over beers. "Are you a brother?" I managed to say.
He nodded, his fine brown hair flopping into his eyes. He brushed it back, irritated. "Yeah, I'm a Teke. Are you Greek?"
"Thinking about it." I think that was what he wanted to hear because that spooky grin widened.
"Want to dance?"
I looked out at the crowded area passing as the frat house's dance floor and saw Paloma bumping and grinding with Michael. Why should she have all the fun? I nodded and Connor took my beer and set it on the book shelves. He didn't dance too bad, better than I was expecting but not as good as I hoped. Still, we were having a good time. Taliesha had spotted us once and gave me the thumbs up and a big goofy grin. Connor didn't see her but he had to wonder why I was blushing.
Finally we got hot and tired so we left the dance floor. Connor rescued our beers from the shelf and handed me mine. I shook my head.
"Do you mind if I get a fresh one?" I was totally paranoid about drinking from anything that had been sitting around. I knew all about date rape drugs. Elle, a girl I had became fast friends with probably because I was someone who didn't think her being a Wiccan was weird, had been raped thanks to one of those drugs. Paloma and I had gone to support groups with her. It didn't help. Elle killed herself and I thought that maybe there was something more I could have done.
All I could do now was protect myself. When I thought about this stuff, remembered Elle, I thought about Andrew. I didn't know where he was any more and I regret that I ever even so much as spoke to him. When I remembered Elle's haunted eyes, those rambling confessions Andrew would make bobbed to the surface of my memory. He helped Warren hunt down some poor woman to make her a sex slave, thanks to magic. Warren killed that girl. Andrew killed Jonathan. When I thought about what we were willing to forgive; rape, murder, lies I felt dirty. I'm glad I didn't know where Andrew was any more. Anya should have been the one to survive instead of him, but then again cockroaches always endure. Sometimes I talked to Angel about this since Buffy was in Cleveland and Willow in London. I didn't feel right talking about it with Wes or Gunn. Fred chattered so much I never could make sense of what she was telling me. I couldn't talk to Xander about Andrew since there was some kind of weird connection there, thanks to Andrew being there when Anya died.
I must have looked strange or upset since Connor gave me a look. "No, go ahead. I'll get you some."
"No, that's okay," I said a little too quickly, too sharply but he didn't seem offended. Always get your own drink, never set it down, keep your hand over the top of the glass, that's what they teach us to do. It's hard and I try to do it but it's so easy to forget. Then I remember Elle, I remember the party at Frannie's apartment when she found someone had dumped a whole bag of GHB down the garbage disposal after losing their nerve. Better safe than sorry so I got myself a fresh beer.
"Want to go somewhere quieter so we can talk?" he asked.
"Um." I froze, my eyes looking up at the second floor. If he thought a few dances would entice me to his room, he was sorely mistaken.
He must have read my mind. "No, I meant outside, get some fresh air."
I smiled weakly. "I'd like that."
It felt odd sitting outside at night. I guess living on a Hellmouth will do that to you. I kept expecting real vampires to pop out of the garden, or what was once a garden until the frat boys had gotten hold of it.
"You from California?" he asked.
"Born and raised. You?"
"The same. I'm a sophomore here."He looked like he felt as awkward as I did. This get-to-know-you stuff was always painful.
"Freshman. I'm majoring in art and history," I said and he gave me the look everyone did. 'What? You're majoring in poverty?'
"What do you plan to do with that?" At least he made that sound a little better than usual or maybe it was the beer.
I shrugged. I couldn't exactly tell him I planned on being a Watcher. "I'm good at art but it's not exactly an easy field to break into. I like history, too, so maybe I'll teach."
He smiled. "I'm pre-Law."
Oh, you could see he was proud of that. If he turned out to be a pompous jerk, I'd be so disappointed. I could just hear Angel and Xander now. What does the world need with another lawyer? I guess working with a law firm might make one cynical. Still, if he was pre-law, Connor probably had to be smart. "Cool."
We talked for a long time and drank a little more. Connor stowed his fangs at some point and I ditched my sword and pointy ears. Connor was a sweet guy. I liked him a lot. I never had had time for boyfriends back in Sunnydale. The one time I tried I ended up with a vampire. It must run in the family. The second time, it was because of that magic jacket. Third time's a charm, or at least I hope so. It was nearly dawn by the time he walked me back to my dorm. He kissed me goodnight and I was going to pretend this was my first kiss because it was everything a first kiss should be. Sweet, gentle, soft and left me wanting more.
"Can I see you again?" he whispered.
"Of course."
I watched him go, sending out a little wish that he got home safely. With my track record something would snag and eat him in the last dying moments of the night. I went into my room and fell asleep, truly happy for the first time in a long time.
Author's Note - Both the TKE's (Tau Kappa Epsilon) and the AST's (Alpha Sigma Tau's) are real Greek organizations. No offense is meant to either. I am an AST alumnus and the boys of TKE were a good friend to my sorority on my campus and I hope I've captured that friendly atmosphere here.
