Chapter 9.
"Won't you get in trouble for ditching classes this afternoon?" Buffy asked as she pushed the pancakes on her plate around.
Spike took a long drag from his cigarette and then stubbed it out roughly in the ashtray.
"I was done for the day anyway, so no," he replied. "And anyhow I thought you looked like you needed someone to talk to, figured I was as good a person as any."
"You want another soda?" he asked, beckoning over the waitress.
"Milkshake, large and chocolaty, very chocolaty please," Buffy smiled meekly.
He looked towards her and tilted his head, his eyes searching for an answer. "What happened in there love? You were totally off your rocker? I thought Snyder was gonna explode or something!"
Buffy raised her eyes to his. She wished he wouldn't look at her that way, liked he actually gave a shit.
Buffy sighed deeply, "Yeah he was seriously mad, but its all cool now, he let me off with a warning so can we………………..can we talk about something else please Spike?" she begged, and she wrapped her lips around her straw and began to work her way through her super sized milkshake.
Spike pulled the straw from her mouth and dragged the glass towards him speaking slowly, "Let me see, you deck the most popular girl in school, Dru flings you across the hall, and then Snyder just lets you off with a warning. Nothing worth talking about here pet is there?" He smirked, god how she hated that smirk.
"So seen any good films lately?" he asked.
"Huh?" Buffy stared back at him.
"How are you enjoying 'Mansfield Park'?" he continued.
Buffy looked confused.
"Who do you reckon is the better team, Manchester United or Arsenal?" He looked at her awaiting her response.
Buffy just raised her eyebrows and looked completely baffled.
"Oh wait I got a good question for you, Why did you deck Cordy?"
"Argh!" she screamed, "You are infuriating you know that!"
"You really want to know, she was a bitch, and I hit her, end of story. Happy?" she sat back in her chair and pouted
Spike leant back into his seat and said nothing, he just stared at her trying to work out what made her tick. Buffy fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze. 'What the hell is he looking at?' she thought.
He wasn't mad anymore; he just sat silently watching her. The more the silence dragged on the more she stuck out her lips. He continue to stare at her, the corners of his mouth turning up as he watched her get more and more agitated by the silence. Eventually she broke.
" Ok, you want to know? I'll tell you, not that it's any of your goddamn business!"
She leant in and took a big sip on her shake as Spike lit another cigarette, then she began.
"Right I'll give you the short version, and no interrupting OK!" she said forcefully.
"No interruptions honest pet" he replied holding his hands up.
She grinned, "See technically that was an interruption, but I'll let it slip this time."
"Right, My dad cheated on my Mum, I caught them, they divorced, and ergo he is a total asshole." Spike nodded in agreement.
"Then I am dating Angel like forever and ever, and I was, well sorta saving myself for him," she said blushing, and instantly cringed and wished she had edited that bit out. Spike couldn't help but let a little smile slip out, 'That is so cute,' he thought.
Buffy saw this, "You know what, forget it Spike!" She snapped angrily.
"Sorry, sorry please carry on love," he pleaded.
"Well Angel was all supportive guy, and totally understood why I was falling apart. My head got a bit messed up, and I was screwing up bad at school and stuff. Anyway he said it was cool to wait, and he didn't mind he wanted it to be perfect, and it was, we were perfect. I loved him so much," she mumbled as the tears began to well up in her eyes again.
"Let me guess, he was happy waiting for you because he had some other trixie on the go as well, right?"
Buffy nodded.
"What an asshole!"
Spike got up from his chair and moved round to the seat beside Buffy and slid his arm around her.
"Yeah, major asshole, caught him with his pants down, literally, in the locker room. He just laughed at me Spike. He sat there and laughed, and said I wasn't worth the wait," she rested her head on his shoulder and lets the tears come.
"I totally flipped, I hit him. He fell. Bastard smashed his jaw on the bench, and as he fell something snapped in his leg, so no more football for Angel. They expelled me, so there's your story, good enough for you?"
"Sounds like he deserved it if you ask me Pet!" he reassured, "I don't get what that has to do with today though?"
Buffy sat up off his shoulder and ran her fingers through her hair, then pulled a napkin from the holder to wipe the mascara streaks from her face.
"She knew, somehow they all new." She sighed again, "I shouldn't have hit her, that was stupid, and I could have got expelled again. Not to mention everyone will think I am a crazy woman now
Spike grinned at her, she looked so cute when she was vulnerable.
"Yeah well, I like a bit of crazy in my girls," he whispered softly in her ear. "What's the deal with you and Faith then?" he questioned.
Buffy swirled her milkshake around with the straw, "Hmmm she's a strange one, she totally took the rap for me, said she wanted to deck Cordy anyway. I guess I owe her one." She snapped her head up to look straight at him, "Should that worry me?" she said looking more than a little freaked out.
"What Faith, no pet she's a good'un, says it like she sees it that one."
Buffy looked at her watch and realized they had been sitting in the diner for 2 hours. She had poured her heart out to him, and he just listened and let her get everything out. She had felt so comfortable with him she totally forgot she had to pick Dawn up from school.
"Oh shit, shit, shit I am so dead, I was supposed to meet Dawnie at her school."
"Let me give you a lift pet," Spike offered as he called over the waitress for the bill. "You'll never make it in time on foot."
This was an offer she definitely wasn't going to refuse.
As they tore through the streets of Sunnydale Buffy leant forward and turned off the radio.
"Spike," she spoke softly, "Can we like not tell my mom about today?? He just nodded silently in agreement, as they pulled up outside the school ten minutes early in fact.
He turned to look at her.
"Buffy, don't suppose you fancy coming to the Bronze tonight, my mates bands playing, should be a good night?" he spoke gently searching her face for an answer.
She raised one eyebrow, "Don't think your girlfriend will be too happy with that Spike? Not seeing as last time I saw her she had a handful of my hair in her hand!" She pointed to her hair where there was a small chunk ripped out.
"Thing is Buffy," he replied firmly, "I am friends with who I like, not who my friends approve of. Me and Dru, well we are complicated, we go back a long way, longer than anyone else I know. She is a crazy bitch, sometimes she makes me want to scream, but she's always been there for me. I'll speak to her, tell her to cut you a break, she will listen to me."
Buffy looked unconvinced.
Spike continued, "You'll like her, honest!" Buffy snorted and rolled her eyes.
"No seriously Buffy, when she isn't around bloody Darla and Cordelia she's ok, they just bring out the worst in her."
Buffy waved out the window at Dawn, who was running towards the car beaming at Spike.
"Look I'll be there from 8pm, would be great if you came too, but if not then I understand," he said gently. "And Buffy, Dru's my girl, but were not together like that anymore. I love her, I would do anything for her, but I am not in love with her."
Buffy didn't have a chance to respond as Dawn threw open the car door and began chatting animatedly to Spike.
They soon pulled onto the driveway on Revello Drive. As Buffy opened the door to get out of the car Spike put his hand gently on her wrist. "Might see you later then love?" he whispered looking deep into her eyes.
"Maybe," she replied before pushing the door open, "Spike," she paused, "Thanks for today."
She walked up the pathway smiling, maybe the day wasn't turning out so bad after all.
To be continued…..