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Chapter 12: Photo Albums
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"So, do we have a plan for today?" Buffy asked as she hung her jacket up on the coat rack near the door.
"I've got some unpacking to do still, but after that we could go Bronzing if you want." To tell the truth, Andrea kind of wanted to stay in.
"I don't really feel like going out," Buffy said. Andrea felt a rush of relief.
"Yeah, me either. Wanna have a movie-fest?" Buffy's face lit up.
"Can there be brownies?"
"And ice cream."
"Low cal?" Buffy frowned.
"Of course. Who do you think I am? We're not going slaying, so we gotta watch the fat grams." Andrea led Buffy into the living room and motioned for her to sit.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you. Can I help you unpack?" Buffy fell back onto the large and very comfy sofa.
"Uh, sure. Just let me grab the boxes and I'll bring them in here." Andrea left the room and reappeared a few minutes later carrying two cardboard boxes stacked on top of one another. "Okay," she started, setting the boxes on the coffee table, "just make piles of stuff. Stuff for the living room, stuff for my bedroom, et cetera."
"Right. I think I can handle that." Buffy reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a matching pair of photo albums. Andrea, who was making a pile of books on the floor next to her, didn't notice when Buffy began to flip slowly through the pictures. Images of Andrea as a child and teenager filled the pages. Andrea, two guys, and another girl were in most of the pictures, taken in a nasty old building that looked about to fall down. Andrea's hair was messy and her face was spotted with random smudges of dirt. She was still pretty, just kinda dirty. Her clothes were torn and muddy. But the other people were just as bad. Except for one of the guys. He looked like a normal, clean, healthy kid. He had dark hair and seemed kind of out of place hanging out with the other three kids. He was handsome in a sophisticated, college-snot way. The other boy was good- looking with blond hair the same shade as Andrea's and his clothes were in a similar state of disarray. He was probably her brother. His eyes were more brown than Andrea's hazel ones and his had less of a devilish gleam than his sister's. The girl that was with them had messy auburn hair that was cut short, and the only reason she looked any better off than Andrea and her brother was that she had a well-worn leather trenchcoat dangling off her shoulders. "Who are they?" Buffy asked softly. Andrea glanced over at the photo album.
"They blond is my brother, Ben, the red-head is my cousin, April, and the brunette is James, my editor."
"Oh, I get it. You guys have been friends for a while. How old were you in this picture?"
"Fourteen. Ben was sixteen, so was James, and April was fourteen, too." Yeah, I know we look pitiful. But just because you're poor doesn't mean you aren't clever enough to steal a disposable every couple of months.
"Did you know that you were a potential then?"
"Nope. They dumped it on me about a year after that. I was fifteen." By then, Andrea had finished sorting her box and was halfway through Buffy's. Realizing she wasn't exactly helping, Buffy helped Andrea finish off the box and move the piles into the proper rooms. Settling back down in the living room, Andrea said, "I rented some movies last night for us to watch."
"What movies?"
"I got 'House on Haunted Hill,' 'Winding Roads,' 'City of Angels,' and both 'American Pie' movies. Oh, and 'Cruel Intentions'."
"Awesome. What do you wanna watch first? I vote for 'House on Haunted Hill.'"
"Yeah, me too." Putting the movie into the VCR, she said, "Hey, has it ever struck you as incredibly creepy how much the camera man in the elevator scene looks like Spike?" The movie began playing.
"Actually, now that you mention it, it is quite freaky." Buffy hesitated. "Speaking of Spike, how's that developing?"
"How's what developing?"
"Oh, come on, Andrea. Don't give me that. Have you guys done it yet?"
"What? Spike and I have not done it! We're not going to do it. He's a vampire. Watch the movie." Andrea uncomfortably crossed her arms over her chest.
"That doesn't always matter," Buffy continued, ignoring Andrea's command. "I should know. I was with Angel."
"It's not the same. Angel had a soul."
"Spike can be a good man if you give him a chance."
"He's not a man. He's a vampire. Huge difference, there, Buffy."
"You know what I mean. He's changed since he got the chip in. He's a good guy. Give him a chance." She grinned slowly. "I bet he's really good in bed."
"Buffy! Holy crap. Assume much. I mean, so what if he has killer cheekbones and rock hard abs and an incredibly sexy accent and God, help me, I'm rambling." She took a deep breath. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to stop me when I do that." Buffy laughed.
"I'm sorry, it's just that it's so very funny. Okay, look. I know you like Spike. I think you should go for it."
"If you like him so much, why don't you go out with him?"
"I had enough of Spike when Willow cast that do-thy-will spell." Andrea frowned. "Never mind. Long story. And besides, Xander would have a total cow. He probably will when he finds out about you two anyway, but-"
"There is no 'us two.' Nothing. No need for cows."
"Whatever. But I can tell you and Spike have something special. There's definitely chemistry. And I'm not the only one who's noticed. Dawn's got Willow picking out wedding invitations."
"What?"
"I'm not even kidding. And to tell you the truth, I'm kinda jealous."
"Of what? Why?"
"I haven't had a guy look at me like Spike looks at you in so long. It would be nice to have that again."
"Yeah?" Andrea said sarcastically. "How does he look at me?"
"Like you're the only person in the room, and it's a very small, hot room." Andrea rolled her eyes dismissively. "So how far have we gotten? Are we at first base, second base or 'eee gads'?"
"None of your business, Buffy I-don't-know-your-middle-name Summers."
"Ah ha. Rounding second."
"Not funny. Okay. So, when are you leaving?"
"Before I answer, I want you to know that I am completely aware that you're changing the subject. Around two. I thought I'd get a head start, then rent a motel room when I get to LA, catch up on some beauty sleep and see Angel in the morning."
"So, do we have a plan for today?" Buffy asked as she hung her jacket up on the coat rack near the door.
"I've got some unpacking to do still, but after that we could go Bronzing if you want." To tell the truth, Andrea kind of wanted to stay in.
"I don't really feel like going out," Buffy said. Andrea felt a rush of relief.
"Yeah, me either. Wanna have a movie-fest?" Buffy's face lit up.
"Can there be brownies?"
"And ice cream."
"Low cal?" Buffy frowned.
"Of course. Who do you think I am? We're not going slaying, so we gotta watch the fat grams." Andrea led Buffy into the living room and motioned for her to sit.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you. Can I help you unpack?" Buffy fell back onto the large and very comfy sofa.
"Uh, sure. Just let me grab the boxes and I'll bring them in here." Andrea left the room and reappeared a few minutes later carrying two cardboard boxes stacked on top of one another. "Okay," she started, setting the boxes on the coffee table, "just make piles of stuff. Stuff for the living room, stuff for my bedroom, et cetera."
"Right. I think I can handle that." Buffy reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a matching pair of photo albums. Andrea, who was making a pile of books on the floor next to her, didn't notice when Buffy began to flip slowly through the pictures. Images of Andrea as a child and teenager filled the pages. Andrea, two guys, and another girl were in most of the pictures, taken in a nasty old building that looked about to fall down. Andrea's hair was messy and her face was spotted with random smudges of dirt. She was still pretty, just kinda dirty. Her clothes were torn and muddy. But the other people were just as bad. Except for one of the guys. He looked like a normal, clean, healthy kid. He had dark hair and seemed kind of out of place hanging out with the other three kids. He was handsome in a sophisticated, college-snot way. The other boy was good- looking with blond hair the same shade as Andrea's and his clothes were in a similar state of disarray. He was probably her brother. His eyes were more brown than Andrea's hazel ones and his had less of a devilish gleam than his sister's. The girl that was with them had messy auburn hair that was cut short, and the only reason she looked any better off than Andrea and her brother was that she had a well-worn leather trenchcoat dangling off her shoulders. "Who are they?" Buffy asked softly. Andrea glanced over at the photo album.
"They blond is my brother, Ben, the red-head is my cousin, April, and the brunette is James, my editor."
"Oh, I get it. You guys have been friends for a while. How old were you in this picture?"
"Fourteen. Ben was sixteen, so was James, and April was fourteen, too." Yeah, I know we look pitiful. But just because you're poor doesn't mean you aren't clever enough to steal a disposable every couple of months.
"Did you know that you were a potential then?"
"Nope. They dumped it on me about a year after that. I was fifteen." By then, Andrea had finished sorting her box and was halfway through Buffy's. Realizing she wasn't exactly helping, Buffy helped Andrea finish off the box and move the piles into the proper rooms. Settling back down in the living room, Andrea said, "I rented some movies last night for us to watch."
"What movies?"
"I got 'House on Haunted Hill,' 'Winding Roads,' 'City of Angels,' and both 'American Pie' movies. Oh, and 'Cruel Intentions'."
"Awesome. What do you wanna watch first? I vote for 'House on Haunted Hill.'"
"Yeah, me too." Putting the movie into the VCR, she said, "Hey, has it ever struck you as incredibly creepy how much the camera man in the elevator scene looks like Spike?" The movie began playing.
"Actually, now that you mention it, it is quite freaky." Buffy hesitated. "Speaking of Spike, how's that developing?"
"How's what developing?"
"Oh, come on, Andrea. Don't give me that. Have you guys done it yet?"
"What? Spike and I have not done it! We're not going to do it. He's a vampire. Watch the movie." Andrea uncomfortably crossed her arms over her chest.
"That doesn't always matter," Buffy continued, ignoring Andrea's command. "I should know. I was with Angel."
"It's not the same. Angel had a soul."
"Spike can be a good man if you give him a chance."
"He's not a man. He's a vampire. Huge difference, there, Buffy."
"You know what I mean. He's changed since he got the chip in. He's a good guy. Give him a chance." She grinned slowly. "I bet he's really good in bed."
"Buffy! Holy crap. Assume much. I mean, so what if he has killer cheekbones and rock hard abs and an incredibly sexy accent and God, help me, I'm rambling." She took a deep breath. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to stop me when I do that." Buffy laughed.
"I'm sorry, it's just that it's so very funny. Okay, look. I know you like Spike. I think you should go for it."
"If you like him so much, why don't you go out with him?"
"I had enough of Spike when Willow cast that do-thy-will spell." Andrea frowned. "Never mind. Long story. And besides, Xander would have a total cow. He probably will when he finds out about you two anyway, but-"
"There is no 'us two.' Nothing. No need for cows."
"Whatever. But I can tell you and Spike have something special. There's definitely chemistry. And I'm not the only one who's noticed. Dawn's got Willow picking out wedding invitations."
"What?"
"I'm not even kidding. And to tell you the truth, I'm kinda jealous."
"Of what? Why?"
"I haven't had a guy look at me like Spike looks at you in so long. It would be nice to have that again."
"Yeah?" Andrea said sarcastically. "How does he look at me?"
"Like you're the only person in the room, and it's a very small, hot room." Andrea rolled her eyes dismissively. "So how far have we gotten? Are we at first base, second base or 'eee gads'?"
"None of your business, Buffy I-don't-know-your-middle-name Summers."
"Ah ha. Rounding second."
"Not funny. Okay. So, when are you leaving?"
"Before I answer, I want you to know that I am completely aware that you're changing the subject. Around two. I thought I'd get a head start, then rent a motel room when I get to LA, catch up on some beauty sleep and see Angel in the morning."