Chapter 9: The Phone Call

"Buffy!" Joyce called.

"Yes?" Buffy entered the kitchen.

"Oh good," Joyce said. "I was hoping to talk to you about Cordelia."

Buffy made a frown and Joyce shook her head. "She wants to speak with you."

"In person?" Buffy asked.

Joyce shook her head. "No, she is still in L.A." She said, "But she is your best friend and she wants to speak with you."

"Cordelia is my best friend?" Buffy asked.

Joyce nodded in response. "I told her that you woke up and she wanted to speak to you immediately." She explained. "But I told her that you needed to heal first."

"Thank you." Buffy said. "It's weird, in my sleep…She wasn't my best friend. She was mean."

"Buffy, I know you are still recovering, but Cordelia has been there for you since day one. You've known her since you were little." Joyce said.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

Joyce smiled and nodded. "Really." She said, "Why don't you give her a call today?" She paused. "Your father and I bought you a new phone."

Buffy was taken aback. "Really?" She repeated.

"Yes, really." Joyce said and went to another room.

She went into another room and when she came back, she had a box in her hands. Buffy smiled and took the box. She opened it and indeed, there was a phone. Buffy smiled and said,

"Thank you."

"Your father already activated it and there are some numbers on there." Joyce explained. "His number, my number, Faith's, and Cordelia's." She paused. "I also put Oz's new number in there."

"Where is Dad?" Buffy asked.

"He's at work." Joyce said.

Buffy looked down and sighed. She looked up at her mother. "Are you guys happy?" She asked.

Joyce smiled. "Why would you ask that?"

"In my dream…" Buffy started to explain. "You guys grew apart and he went away with his secretary."

"I don't think that's going to happen." Joyce said. "He doesn't have a secretary and we're very happy."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks Mom."

"Don't forget to call Cordelia." Joyce said.

"Where's Faith?" Buffy asked.

"At school." Joyce said. "Don't worry, we will get you caught up another way."

"Okay." Buffy said.

She looked through her contacts on her phone and found Cordelia. She pressed the button and it dialed her number. Cordelia picked up and said,

"This is Cordelia Chase."

"Hi! Hey, it's Buffy." Buffy said.

"Buffy!" Cordelia said. Buffy swore she heard Cordelia smile on the phone.

"How are you? I was so worried." Cordelia told her.

"Thanks Cordelia." Buffy said. "I'm doing okay. Memory is fuzzy, but other than that I'm okay."

"School hasn't been the same without you." Cordelia said. "Did your mom tell you how long we've known each other?"

"Yeah," Buffy told her. "She told me."

"Do you remember anything?" Cordelia asked her.

"I remember you, but in a different way." Buffy told her. "You were mean to me in my dreams."

"Oh Buffy, I'm sorry." Cordelia said. "But that wasn't me. We should get together soon and reconnect."

"I don't know…" Buffy said and sighed.

"Please Buffy, I'm telling you that wasn't me." Cordelia said.

Buffy sighed again. "Okay." She said, "Where do you want to meet?"

"We could go to the mall." Cordelia said. "I bet you're in need of new clothes."

Buffy chuckled. "Okay, you're right. We can go to the mall."

"Sounds like a plan!" Cordelia said with enthusiasm. "When do you want to meet?"

"How about this weekend?" Buffy asked her.

"I like it." Cordelia said. "We'll meet at ten. I'll come by and pick you up. We'll go shopping and get you some new clothes."

"Thanks Cordelia." Buffy told her.

"You're welcome." Buffy said and hung up.

She was looking forward to the shopping trip. Buffy wondered if the Cordelia in this world was actually nice. She sounded nice on the phone. Buffy had hoped that this world was different from the other world.