Chapter 7
Faith looked through the halls and room looking for Buffy, desperate to apologize. She stopped and asked a tall red-headed girl, "Hey, have you seen a short blonde in a black dress, possibly with a tall bleach-blonde guy?" The girl shrugged, but a guy that had accidentally overheard said, "Yeah, I think I have. Is the guy she was with wearing all black?"
"Yeah. You know where they are?"
" I saw them leave while ago, when I was outside taking a smoke. The girl left with the guy.", he said.
Faith was both relieved and hurt. She thanked God that Spike, someone she could trust was with her, but at the same time she was hurt. Not, that she could blame her sister from running away, and leaving her. "Oh okay, thanks."
"Yeah, whatever.", the guy replied and walked away.
Faith left the party, and drove home, feeling guilty and ashamed of what she did. 'God, I hate myself. Why couldn't I just walk away, but noo I always have to make a big deal about everything.' She arrived at home, seeing that Buffy's room dark. She quietly walked inside, and went upstairs to check up on her sister.
Faith arrived at her sister's door, and hesitated to open it. 'Maybe, I should just leave her, and talk to her tomorrow. Let us sleep on it..'. She sighed, and decided to take a peek inside the room. She looked and saw a lump on the bed. 'Must be sleeping. I'll have to talk to her tomorrow.', and closed the door.
Faith went inside her room and flopped onto her bed, without changing her clothes. She had trouble sleeping that night, often just staring at the ceiling, but finally her eyes drooped and went off to deep,
disturbed slumber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Hey Buffy wake up!", Cordelia pounced on her bed. "Tell me every last detail that happened last night. How was the party?", she asked.
Buffy opened one eye, seeing her cousin's smiling face in her face. "Cordy, I'll tell you later. it's the morning, I need my sleep.", she grumbled, but she had no intention of really telling her cousin what happened.
" Oh, come on! Its not really even morning. Its almost noon.", Cordelia whined.
Buffy groaned, and put her head under her pillow.
"Buffy, wake up! Today I'm leaving to go back to LA.", Cordelia said. Buffy stayed silent for a second, before standing up and leaving to go to the bathroom to wash up.
" So how was the party?", she asked one more time.
"I'll tell you after I get dressed and brush my teeth.", Buffy said, getting a bit annoyed with her whiny cousin.
Cordelia rolled her eyes, and walked downstairs. She went into the kitchen, finding Faith playing with her soggy cereal, thinking intensely about something. "Hey cereal girl, stop playing with your food."
Faith looked up and seeing it was Cordelia and ignored her.
Cordelia got a carton of juice out, pouring it into a cup. She frowned at Faith's mood. Strangely, today, she wasn't saying anything back or talking. "Anything wrong with you?"
Faith, continued to take no notice of Cordelia, and then walked away.
"Why is everyone so grouchy today?", Cordy said to no one in particular, and took a sip out of her glass.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy quickly put on a pair of flared jeans and a light pink shirt, and noticed a leather duster on her chair, she must've placed after changing for bed last night. 'Spike..', the name rang in her head. Spike had given her a ride home last night, after the incident at the party. She smiled slightly when she remembered him giving his duster to her, as if he was concerned that she catch a cold, and when he put his arm around her for comfort. She had to remember to thank him for last night, even if he did it out of pity, probably and to return the duster back. She walked downstairs and her cousin no where in sight or Faith, thankfully.
"Cordy?", she said, looking for her cousin.
"I'm in here.", cried a voice from the living room.
Buffy went in there, finding her cousin trying to lock a packed suitcase that was almost going to burst of clothes.
"Damn suitcase, the whole thing opened when I was dragging it down here.", Cordy said.
"Want me to sit on it for you, to make it easier?", Buffy offered.
Cordelia chuckled. "Thanks for the offer, but I almost got it.", and with that a little 'click' was made, indicating it was shut.
Cordelia stood up and said, "So, are you ever going to tell me what happened last night?"
Buffy sighed mentally, and said, "What do you want to know? It was just …party-like, you know had the usual, people drinking and getting drunk, people trading spit, etc."
"What time did you get home last night?"
"Uh, I don't know, I lost complete track of time.", Buffy answered.
"Oh, well was it fun?"
"Yeah, tons.", she lied. She hated lying, especially to Cordy, but there was no way she was telling her the real story.
Cordy nodded. " I see."
Buffy grew a bit uncomfortable and said, "Hey, I promised that Xander and Willow that I introduce them to you. I'm going to meet them for lunch in awhile, do you want to join? When do you have to leave?"
"I think mom said that we were leaving around 4, or somewhere in the afternoon.", Cordelia shrugged. "Sometime later."
"Oh ok.", Buffy looked at her watch. "I think we should leave now, its almost 12:00."
Cordelia grinned. "Xander…sounds like a guy's name. Is he your friend cute?"
"Cordy! Is that all you think about?"
Cordelia laughed. "What? I'm just asking if he's cute."
Buffy rolled her eyes. Faith walked in that moment. Buffy glanced up seeing it was Faith, and quickly turned away.
"Hey Buffy, can I talk to you for a second.", she asked.
" Sorry, can't. Me and Cordy are going out for lunch.", Buffy answered back, not feeling sorry at all.
Faith looked a bit hurt. "Okay, well I'll be here when you get back…"
"Yeah, whatever."
Faith looked around uncomfortably, then left the room. Cordelia a bit puzzled asked, "Geez, what was that about?"
"Nothing."
Cordelia raised a brow, but kept her mouth shut.
Willow looked out the window, once more, impatiently. " Xander, do you know what time it is?"
"Uh, 12:13."
"Exactly, they're late. Buffy hasn't called me once since Cordelia arrived and she calls me every night. Its been a tradition ever since middle school. Now they're late, whats next? They're going to ditch us?"
" Willow, calm down.", said Xander. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're jealous."
"What? Of course I'm not jealous. I just don't have a very good skill at waiting.", she said quickly.
"Right."
Willow played with the straw of her drink, while occasionally looking back out the window, and Xander looking at the menu.
"Hey guys!", a pretty, blonde girl went up to them with a brunette next to her. Willow and Xander glanced at each other.
"Uh, hi.", Willow stuttered. Xander practically drooled, when they sat next to them.
" So, do we, uh, know each other? Not that we mind or anything, but you see a friend of ours with her cousin if coming here, and I don't want them to think I haven't saved them a seat. But if you really want to its…I'm babbling aren't I?", Willow asked, sheepishly.
The blonde's mouth dropped open, astonished her two best friends didn't recognize her. 'Wow, I must really look different' The brunette smirked at her.
" Yeah, so what are ,you ,beautiful ladies' name?", Xander said, trying to act cool.
" Xander, Willow! I can't believe you guys don't recognize me.", Buffy finally said. Cordelia chuckled.
"BUFFY?", they both cried out in unison.
Buffy nodded, almost wanting to take a picture of them with their funny and flabbergasted expression. "Guilty."
"W-w-what happened to you?", Willow asked, eyes wide.
Cordelia butted in. "Got make-over by yours truly."
Willow looked at Buffy. "That's your-"
"Cousin.", Buffy interrupted, "Yeah, guys meet Cordelia Chase, other known as Cordy. Cordy meet my best friends in the whole world, Willow and Xander."
Cordelia smiled warmly at them and they exchanged Hi's.
" Buffy, I can't believe its you. I mean it was really weird having two girls, you don't know, come up to me, but then find out that one of them is your best friend. Why didn't you tell me?", Willow asked, a bit hurt.
" I just got it yesterday, and I was kind of busy and all, but I'm really sorry.", Buffy put on her best pout.
Willow and Xander smiled. "Well, I think you look great.", Xander said.
"Yeah, me too.", Willow said.
" And all done by moi.", Cordelia said, proudly.
Buffy rolled her eyes.
" So Cordelia, where are you from?", Xander asked, not taking his eyes off the brunette.
"LA."
" Cool, I love LA. My Aunt Marge and Uncle George live there.", Willow added.
"Okay, why don't we talk ,while, get something to eat.", Buffy said, holding her stomach. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."
" Well you do eat a lot.", Cordy said. "I've seen her once chow down a whole carton of Double Fudge Chocolate ice-cream in one night. I don't know how you're so skinny."
Willow and Xander agreed. "Yeah, she always hogs the popcorn when we have our weekly rent-a-movie Saturday night."
Buffy glared at them. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you Alexander Harris."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy slammed her hand onto the snooze button, dreading to get up. She, finally, got up from her bed and walked into her bathroom. 'Its sure seems quieter without Cordy.', she thought to herself. Yesterday, Cordelia, Aunt Helga, and Uncle George had left to go back to LA. It hadn't even been a day and she already missed her cousin. After they left, Faith stopped her again to talk to her, but Buffy ignored her and went right past her. She didn't like being mad at one person too long, but Faith was a exception.
She walked into her closet, picking out a open-neck black shirt and a pair of tan cargo pants. It was strange that, not even three days ago, she didn't care a thing about what she wore; but now she thought picking out a outfit in the morning was one of the most important parts in the day. Cordelia must have had a big influence on her, like Faith said.
Almost forgetting, she grabbed the leather duster and put it in her book bag. She put on some light make-up, then walked downstairs.
"Mornin Buffy.", Joyce said, adding sugar to her black coffee.
"Hey mom.", she replied, grabbing a apple from the fruit bowl.
"Honey, do you want to check if Faith's coming down anytime soon?", Joyce asked. "I think she might still be sleeping."
Buffy groaned. "Do I have to?"
"No need. I'm here.", Faith appeared at the doorway.
"Okay, then lets go. We're almost late for school.", Buffy said, impatiently. In a few minutes, they were out the door in Faith's car. The silence in the car ride was normal, since they didn't to each other a lot, but this time the silence was eerie.
"Look Buffy.", Faith said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry. I really am. I don't like having you mad at me, and I'm really sorry. What else do you want me to do?"
Buffy continued pay no attention to her.
"Buffy, say something.", Faith said, pleading.
Buffy finally spoke, "Look, you can't expect me to think nothing happened okay? Things take time."
" How long?"
Buffy didn't say anything. She didn't know.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy took her books out of her locker and headed to History with Willow and Xander.
"Ugh. I can't believe we have a chem today, when we just learned it a few days ago.", Willow complained.
"You'll probably ace it though. You always do.", Xander said.
"So, Buffy, are you tutoring Spike after school today?", Willow asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, every Monday and Friday."
Willow and Xander felt sympathetic for her. Buffy on the other hand, didn't mind so much anymore. She was kind of looking forward to it, but she dare not say it to her friends. Buffy, Willow, and Xander entered the history classroom right on time. Spike, who sat right next to her in class, was busy writing a something Buffy, who was almost falling asleep, saw a note flicked at her desk. She had a puzzled look on her face, and saw it came from Spike.
Curiously she opened it.
Try not to fall asleep, luv. You have to tutor me on this stuff later today, remember?
Buffy couldn't help but grin. She quickly wrote something back and flicked it back at Spike.
He opened it.
Whatever. Pay attention now and we won't have to go over this.
Spike glanced at her, but she was pretending to be busy concentrating listening to Mrs. Norman-the history teacher. He picked up his pencil to write something back, but the stupid bell had rang.
"Look, I might be a bit late after school. So, just wait for me.", Spike said to Buffy.
"Why? Why are you going to be late?"
"Mrs. Handson wants to see me about something.", he shrugged.
"Maybe...something about biology.", she said, not helping but to be sarcastic. Mrs. Handson was the Biology teacher.
"Maybe.", he grinned.
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"See you after school.", he smirked at Buffy and left the room. Buffy smiled, slight feeling like a giggly school girl…which she still kind of was. Wait- what was she thinking? Hello? Spike was not the person she was supposed to feel giddy about. Spike was well…not her type. She didn't know what her type was, but it wasn't a Billy Idol look-alike with black clothing and a British accent-but a sexy British accent mind you. Augh, she couldn't believe she was arguing with herself. Besides it didn't matter if she thought Spike was hot. He'd never think of her that way. Not in any way, than a friendship. She shook her head and walked out of the classroom, trying to take her mind off him.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Okay, I haven't updated since three days ago, but that's the longest I haven't. But anyway here's a sneak peak at whats going to come. The next chapter soon on the way. J
SNEAK PEAK: "Okay what the hell are you talking about?", Buffy demanded looking at her new librarian, as if he was delirious.
"I said you're the one."
"One for what?"
"The one to fight the demons and vampires. You are the Chosen One.", Merrick said slowly, with a dead
serious look on his face.