It was after second period when Oz made an appearance at school. He went
straight to the library. Everyone turned to look at him when he entered.
Buffy was the first to talk, "How are you feeling? You, uh, don't look so good."
Oz didn't answer. He looked at Cordelia. "Give me my pills." She looked at him with confusion. Then her expression cleared.
"Sorry" she mumbled. "I forgot to give them back."
She was just about hand them to him when she paused. "Why didn't you tell me they were still dosing you?"
"I didn't think you'd care." He said softly.
She looked down, "I do care."
He nodded. He looked at Giles. "Have you got any water?" Giles nodded and handed him a bottle and a glass. He looked at the two bottles of pills. He started to unscrew the aspirin but Cordelia stopped him.
"They won't go away if you just ignore them." She said quietly. He paused and looked at the other bottle. He unscrewed the top and tipped two pills onto the palm of his hand.
He stared at them for a few minutes. Faith spoke up. "Just one swallow and it'll be over." He looked at her.
She shrugged. "I was on them for a while. Is this your first time taking them?"
"First time this year?"
"What?"
"This is my third year. I don't need them but they think they work so every year they pump me full of more drugs." He explained shortly
Faith shuddered. "I was only on them for a few months."
"What are they for?" Wesley asked, angry that Faith knew something he didn't.
Oz glanced at him. "Depression." He said simply, before putting them in his mouth. He gagged. Cordelia grabbed the water and handed it to him. He didn't do anything.
"Come on, D-Oz. Swallow them" She pressed the water to his hand and he managed to take a gulp of it. He shook his head and shuddered. He rinsed his mouth out with the water and collapsed onto the nearest chair.
Faith winced. Cordelia grabbed a bottle of grape juice from her bag and gave it to Oz. "It'll help wash down the pills." She told him.
"I know how to take them, Cordelia." He said scathingly. "I've been taking them for two years without you." she flinched and looked upset.
"Um, Oz?" Giles asked nervously. It wasn't everyday that Oz snapped.
"Did you take any alcohol last night?" He rushed to continue. "I mean y- you're not supposed to t-take alcohol with drugs."
"I didn't take anything at all. I've been doing this for long enough. And anyway, today is my first day."
Buffy frowned, "Devon said he didn't see you yesterday. Where were you?"
"That's my business, Buffy" she looked down. He sighed. "I had an appointment with the Guidance Counsellor and then I had to go and get my prescription filled."
He looked at them all angrily. "Now, if you're all finished with the third degree, I have to go to class."
He left an awkward silence behind him.
Giles cleared his throat nervously. "Buffy, uh, how was patrol last night?"
"Oh, I nearly forgot. There was a nest in Weatherly Park. They looked like they were gathering."
"Really" said Giles, intrigued. "How fascinating. Ask Angel to get some information. You two girls should patrol around there tonight. Willow, could you look up anything related to the next few weeks on the computer? Prophesies and so forth. Could you all come here tonight just before sundown."
Cordelia cleared her throat. "Um, I don't think I can come. I have to eat dinner with my parents. They're getting really suspicious of me coming in late."
Giles nodded. "Well then. I believe you all have class to get to."
Xander groaned.
+ * * *
"No way!" Harmony screeched.
"Totally. It was definitely a fashion casualty." said Jessica
"Ugh, doesn't she know that tacky is out this year."
The two girls giggled hysterical at Harmony's 'joke'.
Cordelia rolled her eyes and started to make her way to the library. Even being surrounded by Willow and Xander was better than this.
"Hey Cordy! Where ya goin'?" Cordelia clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She hated when Harmony called her that. She ignored Harmony's shout and stalked off to the library.
"What's up her butt?!" Harmony exclaimed hotly. She tossed her hair expertly but stopped when she saw that the corridor was deserted except for her and Jessica and one other person at the lockers.
"Watch this." She told Jessica, her 'trainee'
"Hey Osbourne!" she shouted down the hall. Oz turned around to glance at her and then turned around again.
She huffed and stalked over to him. "Daniel, how lovely it is to see you again."
He glared at he angrily. "Harmony" he replied coolly.
"Jeez, you don't look to well. You didn't take pot again, did you?" she said sarcastically.
He ignored her.
He slammed the locker shut and just walked away.
"See ya later, *Danny*" she screeched after him. Then she added, "give my regards to your mum."
Oz hesitated and turned to look at her. his eyes were wide with horror and pain.
Oz slammed the library door shut behind him. Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at him. He threw his bag on the table and retreated to the stacks.
Giles looked after him worriedly, "Oz, are you all right?
There was no answer. Buffy and Willow exchanged glances. Buffy stood up and went to investigate. He was digging through one of the shelves. He pulled out a book and sat down on the floor.
"Oz" she said softly.
He looked up at her. "I just want to be alone for a while." She nodded and went back to the others.
Cordelia walked in with an armful of snacks. She tipped them onto the table and grimaced.
"That is the last time I'm doing that. The janitor must have thought I was a total pig."
She saw Buffy emerging from the stacks, "God Buffy, you weren't actually reading, were you?!"
"I was just checking if Oz was all right."
"Oz? Is he okay?"
"He said he wants to be left alone but he doesn't look so well." She looked at everyone and then at Cordelia.
"What's wrong with him?"
Cordelia's eyes widened, "There's nothing wrong with him!"
She went up to the shelves, ignoring Buffy's protests.
"Oz?"
"Leave me alone Cordelia."
She eyed him carefully. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?"
"No"
She bit her lip.
He looked up. "I ran into Harmony." He explained.
Cordelia clenched her fists again. "What did she say?"
"Not much"
Everyone else had joined them by now.
"What did she say?" Cordelia repeated.
He sighed. He looked up at her sadly and then at the ground. "She called me Danny."
Cordelia's expression changed. "That bitch" she fumed. She studied Oz again. "She said something else didn't she."
He nodded.
"What?"
"it was nothing." He responded. He looked down at the floor again and went back to his book. Cordelia lifted up the front of the book.
Her face fell. "Oh"
"Just leave me alone, Cor" he whispered. He was choking on his words.
She nodded and started to get up. Then she stopped and placed a hesitant hand on his forehead. He shrunk back.
"You don't look well and you've got a temperature." She told him. "You should go home."
He watched her suspiciously. "I'm fine."
"Come on. I'll drive you home."
"I said I'm fine. I don't want to go home."
Cordelia took a step back. "Oh" she said softly. "Sorry"
Oz looked at them all. "I thought I said I wanted to be alone."
Everyone went back to the table.
Oz went back to his book.
+ +
Buffy was the first to talk, "How are you feeling? You, uh, don't look so good."
Oz didn't answer. He looked at Cordelia. "Give me my pills." She looked at him with confusion. Then her expression cleared.
"Sorry" she mumbled. "I forgot to give them back."
She was just about hand them to him when she paused. "Why didn't you tell me they were still dosing you?"
"I didn't think you'd care." He said softly.
She looked down, "I do care."
He nodded. He looked at Giles. "Have you got any water?" Giles nodded and handed him a bottle and a glass. He looked at the two bottles of pills. He started to unscrew the aspirin but Cordelia stopped him.
"They won't go away if you just ignore them." She said quietly. He paused and looked at the other bottle. He unscrewed the top and tipped two pills onto the palm of his hand.
He stared at them for a few minutes. Faith spoke up. "Just one swallow and it'll be over." He looked at her.
She shrugged. "I was on them for a while. Is this your first time taking them?"
"First time this year?"
"What?"
"This is my third year. I don't need them but they think they work so every year they pump me full of more drugs." He explained shortly
Faith shuddered. "I was only on them for a few months."
"What are they for?" Wesley asked, angry that Faith knew something he didn't.
Oz glanced at him. "Depression." He said simply, before putting them in his mouth. He gagged. Cordelia grabbed the water and handed it to him. He didn't do anything.
"Come on, D-Oz. Swallow them" She pressed the water to his hand and he managed to take a gulp of it. He shook his head and shuddered. He rinsed his mouth out with the water and collapsed onto the nearest chair.
Faith winced. Cordelia grabbed a bottle of grape juice from her bag and gave it to Oz. "It'll help wash down the pills." She told him.
"I know how to take them, Cordelia." He said scathingly. "I've been taking them for two years without you." she flinched and looked upset.
"Um, Oz?" Giles asked nervously. It wasn't everyday that Oz snapped.
"Did you take any alcohol last night?" He rushed to continue. "I mean y- you're not supposed to t-take alcohol with drugs."
"I didn't take anything at all. I've been doing this for long enough. And anyway, today is my first day."
Buffy frowned, "Devon said he didn't see you yesterday. Where were you?"
"That's my business, Buffy" she looked down. He sighed. "I had an appointment with the Guidance Counsellor and then I had to go and get my prescription filled."
He looked at them all angrily. "Now, if you're all finished with the third degree, I have to go to class."
He left an awkward silence behind him.
Giles cleared his throat nervously. "Buffy, uh, how was patrol last night?"
"Oh, I nearly forgot. There was a nest in Weatherly Park. They looked like they were gathering."
"Really" said Giles, intrigued. "How fascinating. Ask Angel to get some information. You two girls should patrol around there tonight. Willow, could you look up anything related to the next few weeks on the computer? Prophesies and so forth. Could you all come here tonight just before sundown."
Cordelia cleared her throat. "Um, I don't think I can come. I have to eat dinner with my parents. They're getting really suspicious of me coming in late."
Giles nodded. "Well then. I believe you all have class to get to."
Xander groaned.
+ * * *
"No way!" Harmony screeched.
"Totally. It was definitely a fashion casualty." said Jessica
"Ugh, doesn't she know that tacky is out this year."
The two girls giggled hysterical at Harmony's 'joke'.
Cordelia rolled her eyes and started to make her way to the library. Even being surrounded by Willow and Xander was better than this.
"Hey Cordy! Where ya goin'?" Cordelia clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She hated when Harmony called her that. She ignored Harmony's shout and stalked off to the library.
"What's up her butt?!" Harmony exclaimed hotly. She tossed her hair expertly but stopped when she saw that the corridor was deserted except for her and Jessica and one other person at the lockers.
"Watch this." She told Jessica, her 'trainee'
"Hey Osbourne!" she shouted down the hall. Oz turned around to glance at her and then turned around again.
She huffed and stalked over to him. "Daniel, how lovely it is to see you again."
He glared at he angrily. "Harmony" he replied coolly.
"Jeez, you don't look to well. You didn't take pot again, did you?" she said sarcastically.
He ignored her.
He slammed the locker shut and just walked away.
"See ya later, *Danny*" she screeched after him. Then she added, "give my regards to your mum."
Oz hesitated and turned to look at her. his eyes were wide with horror and pain.
Oz slammed the library door shut behind him. Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at him. He threw his bag on the table and retreated to the stacks.
Giles looked after him worriedly, "Oz, are you all right?
There was no answer. Buffy and Willow exchanged glances. Buffy stood up and went to investigate. He was digging through one of the shelves. He pulled out a book and sat down on the floor.
"Oz" she said softly.
He looked up at her. "I just want to be alone for a while." She nodded and went back to the others.
Cordelia walked in with an armful of snacks. She tipped them onto the table and grimaced.
"That is the last time I'm doing that. The janitor must have thought I was a total pig."
She saw Buffy emerging from the stacks, "God Buffy, you weren't actually reading, were you?!"
"I was just checking if Oz was all right."
"Oz? Is he okay?"
"He said he wants to be left alone but he doesn't look so well." She looked at everyone and then at Cordelia.
"What's wrong with him?"
Cordelia's eyes widened, "There's nothing wrong with him!"
She went up to the shelves, ignoring Buffy's protests.
"Oz?"
"Leave me alone Cordelia."
She eyed him carefully. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?"
"No"
She bit her lip.
He looked up. "I ran into Harmony." He explained.
Cordelia clenched her fists again. "What did she say?"
"Not much"
Everyone else had joined them by now.
"What did she say?" Cordelia repeated.
He sighed. He looked up at her sadly and then at the ground. "She called me Danny."
Cordelia's expression changed. "That bitch" she fumed. She studied Oz again. "She said something else didn't she."
He nodded.
"What?"
"it was nothing." He responded. He looked down at the floor again and went back to his book. Cordelia lifted up the front of the book.
Her face fell. "Oh"
"Just leave me alone, Cor" he whispered. He was choking on his words.
She nodded and started to get up. Then she stopped and placed a hesitant hand on his forehead. He shrunk back.
"You don't look well and you've got a temperature." She told him. "You should go home."
He watched her suspiciously. "I'm fine."
"Come on. I'll drive you home."
"I said I'm fine. I don't want to go home."
Cordelia took a step back. "Oh" she said softly. "Sorry"
Oz looked at them all. "I thought I said I wanted to be alone."
Everyone went back to the table.
Oz went back to his book.
+ +