(Here we go, another new part. This one is all sparkly and corrected by my
beta, Jenn, who is now back and feeling better! Thanks to everyone who sent
me feedback!- sorry that you're not mentioned this time. Enjoy!)
Part Fourteen-
"Well," I smirked, "I told him that I'd love to go, but not with him."
Rain eyed me, "Really?"
"Well, not in those exact words, but you know, same idea." I shrugged.
"Why?" Jessa asked me.
"I've heard his rep. He's a 'wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-er'." I replied, my lips curling slightly.
Jessa laughed, shaking her head, "Nice way of putting it, but you're right. He's a bad person, not someone you want to get caught up with." She said, directing the last part to Rain, who looked away.
"Speaking of the fair." Jessa said, looking at all of us, "Why don't we all go?" She suggested.
Rain nodded silently, her smile widening. Aurelia shrugged nonchalantly, wearing a 'Why not?' _expression.
"Good, Anne? What about you?" Jessa asked.
"Sure, I guess. I'd just have to tell my sister and Angel." I mused.
"Great!" Jessa exclaimed, "We'll all meet at the Ferris wheel at, oh.let's say five-ish?"
We all nodded, and headed our separate ways. My classes all flew by. I had to collect the work I had missed, but it wasn't as much as I had expected. I walked down the hall, down to my art class. My stomach twisted at seeing Rye--I mean Mr. Finnegan. Would he act different towards me? Single me out?
I hoped not.
I came in and took my seat in the back, going to the storage room and pulling out my project. I looked at it, my artistic eye seeing imperfections that only I--the artist--could see. I sighed and set everything up. I got out the paints and mixed a few colors on my easel. The other kids started to pile in, all talking about their day. I didn't pay attention to them, or anything for that matter. I should have. I would have seen the long troubled stares Rye--damn it, Mr. Finnegan was giving me. But, no. I was lost in my own world of strange illusions and blending colors that I put on my canvas. My hand moved furiously across the canvas, my eyes darting to every spot, trying to see what needed to be added and what needed to be toned down. I working on the woman's face, making her complexion a creamy peach color, adding just a touch of scarlet to her cheeks. I carefully painted in her curls, adding a hint of brown into the blonde. Her face features where barely there, just enough to get the vaguest idea of what she looked like. I next started on the two little girls clinging to her hand. They both looked alike, but one younger than the other. You couldn't tell what they looked like, at all. They both wore both dresses the color of soot. The bell rang, breaking my trance-like state. I stood up, barley glancing at my art. I didn't want to see what images my thoughts were feeding to canvas.
I put it away, wincing slightly at a glimpse of the haunting images. I saw Mr. Finnegan looking at me in the most peculiar way. I was a little disturbed at how intensely his eyes stared. I smiled as if I didn't notice and walked out the side door, leading to the south parking lot where Faith should be.
She wasn't.
Instead, Spike was sitting in his car, staring out the window, his _expression sullen.
"I'm not getting in the car with you, you sleazebag!" I snapped at him, my eyes blazing.
"Damn it, I'm not in the mood for your attitude today, Anne. Just get in the damn car!" He growled.
I glared at him, then thought that this was my chance to kick his sorry ass, verbally, of course.
"Fine, alright, you jackass!"
I climbed into the car and slammed the door. He drove off and nothing was said for one long minute.
"Why did you do it?" I demanded then, breaking the silence.
He looked over at me, his eyes haunted. He shrugged, opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. He was quiet.
"Well? Do you have anything to say? Or.does Faith really mean so little to you that you can just write her off with some ho on your lap?" I uttered the last part with my eyes narrowed.
"God, no!" Spike exclaimed, glaring at me, "I love Faith, damn me to bloody hell for it, but I do. She's everything to me." He said quietly, and I thought I saw tears in his eyes.
"Then why were you with that girl?" I asked him.
"I. I don't know. I don't." He stammered, looking baffled.
"Who is she?" I questioned.
"Drusilla. She's." He stopped and looked at me, "I'm assuming Angel told you what I am?"
"Yup. Scum of the grave vampire." I sneered.
"I'm ignoring that, pet." He sighed heavily, "She's my sire. The vampire that made me. She's different than most. Angelus, her sire, drove her insane. She's always been able to see in the future, and she can, on occasion, place people's mind in her control." Spike sighed.
The name 'Angelus' rung in my head, but I ignored it for the time being. I made a mental note to check that out later.
"And, did she use said mind control on you?" I asked him, feeling like a lawyer for a split second.
Spike lowered his head, in shame. "No. She didn't."
"You knowingly cheated on Faith?" I asked him, he didn't object. "Bastard."
"Look! I couldn't-"
"Couldn't what?" I exploded. "Couldn't help it? Saw your damn sire and thought, 'to hell with Faith'?" I scoffed angrily, then laughed. "You don't deserve her."
"I bloody well know that!" Spike yelled, hitting the steering wheel. "I know that I don't deserve her. I know that she should have someone better than me.but I love her. I'm selfish. The thought of someone else loving her like I love her, wanting her like I do.it makes me want to kill everything in sight. I love her, God help me, but I do."
I just looked at him. He was telling the truth. But, then why did he cheat on her? Maybe there was a pull between a sire and their childe. Or, maybe Spike had lost control. There were a lot of reasons on why, but no definite answer. Maybe there was no reason, maybe it just.happened. I don't know. I don't understand it, but from the look on Spike's face, he was regretful. He loved Faith, with all his heart, though not beating.
I wanted a love like that. A love so strong that it hurt at times. I nodded at Spike as he stopped in front of the hotel. He clearly wasn't going in. I hoped that Spike and Faith would work things out.
I really, really did.
*
Angel was fine with me going to the fair, happy that I was making friends. He seemed a little sad, though. When I asked him about it, he told me that the past seemed to be haunting him today. When I asked him what that meant, he just shrugged, kissed me lightly on the forehead, and walked down to his room.
I shook my head, almost mournfully. He was so complex, I was seeing different layers of him each day. It made me wonder, though, what had he gone through to make him so desolate. Who had he lost? My questions went unanswered, and I chose not to dwell on them. I had a feeling I would find out soon enough. A good thing? I didn't know. I went up to my room and saw Faith was still there, watching my TV and eating some ice cream. She wore sweats and a tank top, her hair piled on top of her head. I glanced at the TV and saw she was watching 'General Hospital'. I laughed. She threw me a look, her eyes watching me with interest.
"What'cha doin'?" She asked me, curling her legs under her.
"You know the fair down at Santa Monica?" I asked, she nodded. "Well, I'm going. With some girls from school."
She snorted, "The high school years. The hell ride of your life."
"Did you like high school?" I asked her, throwing some jeans on the bed.
She laughed, "Didn't finish it. School's a bore, and, doing what I do, I don't need it."
"What if you want to do something else later in life, Faith? You're still young. Do you really want to do this forever?" I asked her, looking in my drawers.
She was quiet, too quiet. I glanced over at her and saw her looking at me in the most odd way.
"What?" I asked.
She shook her head slowly, "B hated it. Hated slaying, always wanted to do more with her life. I used to laugh at her, told her this was our gig to bear, and there was nothing else in the world for us. I was wrong." She said, her voice so very quiet and strange sounding.
I knew she was talking about Buffy. Why was everybody acting as if she was some Saint. I mean, I respected the hell out of her, but come on, she's dead. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying these things. It was obvious that Faith would not be too happy to hear my thoughts.
"What did she do with her life?" I asked, maybe too sharply.
Faith looked at me and chuckled sadly, "What we were supposed to do. She saved the world. A lot." Faith said bitterly, sadly, her voice choked.
She stood up and started to walk out, "Wear the blue blouse." She said over her shoulder and left.
I sighed.
What was it about Buffy that made everyone so damn upset?
*
I walked out of the hotel, glancing at my watch. I wore bell-bottom jeans and a short sleeved, blue, button-up, midriff bearing blouse. My keys jangled and my wallet was tucked into my pocket. I had gone to see Angel before I left, but he had been asleep. In his room, he had sat in his leather chair, his head lulled back and his lips partially open. He had looked so cute like that, so innocent and carefree. His chest rose and fell ever so slightly. For one macabre moment, I thought he was dead. He seemed so pale and still. My heart had thumped with fast terror until I placed my palm a hair-breaths away from his mouth. I felt warm air against my hand. I almost collapsed in relief.
I had been about to leave the room, I swear. But, I just stood there, gazing at him. I didn't expect to lean forward and kiss him. I didn't expect for him to respond. I had pulled back slowly, my heart still pounding. I turned to his bed and pulled the silk coverlet off and covered him with it. I walked out quietly, but quickly. I took one last look at him, my lips smiling softly.
"Sweet dreams."
I still smiled as I thought of Angel asleep in his chair. It really was a cute sight. I walked down the sidewalk, my shoes quiet. The city was busy, as always. I didn't feel like hailing a cab. I didn't want to squander my money when I was perfectly capable of walking. I made it to the pier ten minutes earlier than the others. I bought my wristband and a diet soda. I sat on the bench and waited for the girls. I saw this guy eyeing me from the cotton candy stand. He was pretty cute. Dark copper hair and tanned skin. He looked familiar and my age so I guessed that he was one of my classes or something. He said something to the guy he was with and walked over to me.
"Hey." He greeted.
"Hey back." I said, meeting his eyes.
They were almost a gray color, blue just barely tinting them.
"Mind if I sit down?" He asked me, gesturing to the empty space beside me.
"Does it look like it's being used?" I asked him back.
He smiled, pearly white teeth, all proportioned, and nice full lips.
He plopped down, not too close to me, but not too far away either.
"You're Anne?" He asked me, meeting my eyes.
He didn't do the eye-drop like most guys did, not that there was anything to check out.
"Give the man a prize." I smiled, starting to warm to him.
"I'm Keith." He said.
"You look familiar." I told him.
"We have History together." He said.
"Oh." I murmured, "That makes sense."
"Are you here alone?" He asked me, but it was just a question.
Not an invitation to join him.
For that, I was glad.
"For now. I'm meeting Jessa, Rain, and Aurelia. You know them?"
He laughed, "Doesn't everyone?"
I smiled and sipped my drink.
"How do you like LA?" He asked me.
"As opposed to where I had lived." I shuddered thinking about the compound. "It's wonderful here."
He looked at me strangely, "Don't be fooled by the sparkle of this city. Los Angeles has two faces. Be careful not to be caught in the darker side." He warned, his voice serious.
I just looked at him. How much did the people know about LA's darker side? What had they experienced? My mind flashed to Whistler. To Spike, to Angel, and Faith. They were all caught up in this darker side. It was their life. My resolve hardened. That wouldn't happen to me. I would not be trapped in the night, in a world of sinister unknown.
Not me.
I smiled sadly at Keith, "I'll be careful."
He nodded and I saw Jessa, Rain, and Aurelia walking up to us. Jessa raised an eyebrow, her smile widening.
Oh no.
I looked over at Keith, "I have to go. My friends." I motioned to the girls.
He nodded and smiled, "Yeah, me too. So, I'll see you around sometime?" He asked me.
Again, just a question.
"Maybe." I answered.
I reached out and squeezed his arm slightly as goodbye.
He smiled--he had a terrific smile--and walked back to where his friend was. Jessa pulled me up and smiled.
"So. Who was that?" She asked.
"Keith. You know him?" I asked.
"Of course." She said, looking over at him. "He's only the most gorgeous guy in school."
"He likes you." Aurelia spoke up, startling me.
"No." I shook my head. "He's nice."
"Ask him out." Rain said, glancing over at Keith.
"I just met him!" I protested.
Jessa shrugged, "You two would make a cute couple."
"Whatever." I smiled.
Aurelia ran over to some guy, who was looking around, and hugged him. He was tall, with rich brown hair. She brought him closer and looked happy as she clutched his arm. He looked a little but older than us. I guessed he was a junior. He had some freckles under his eyes and he had dark eyes.
They were in love.
"This is Dillon." She introduced him to me. "My boyfriend."
I smiled, "Nice to meet you. I'm Anne." I said, holding out my hand.
He shook it and smiled back.
"You girls don't mind if I join you, do you?" He asked us.
Jessa smiled, "Nope. There's room for everyone." She said loudly enough that it reached Keith and his friend who were standing at the shooting game.
He looked over and smiled at me.
I blushed.
Rain noticed and squealed, "You like him!"
I sigh, smiling still.
It was going to be a long night.
*
We had the time of our lives. We all went on all of the rides, big and small. Keith had later joined us, his friend had gone home. They had this huge roller coaster set up and Jessa, the group leader lead us to it. Keith and I sat up front, followed by Aurelia and Dillon, and then Jessa and Rain. As we went up the first hill, I kept murmuring, "Oh God, oh God, oh God."
Keith laughed and clutched my hand. We went down and all of the girls screamed, including me. My hair was whipping all around, tangling about. We all looked horrible when we got off. We were pale, messy-haired, breathless, but we all looked happy. I felt happy. Genuinely happy. It was a great feeling. As we walked around, playing the games and eating, Keith still held my hand.
I liked it.
I liked him.
Aurelia looked back at me and smiled, really smiled. She could be intimidating at times, even cynical. But, I had a feeling, that out of all of us, she was the one I could trust the most. Keith had won me a giant teddy bear at the dart throwing stand. I clutched it too me, still holding his hand. The last ride we went on was the Ferris wheel. It had grown dark by then and everything had lit up. Again we split up in pairs. Keith and I got stuck on top and I looked out over the side, over the whole fair and the city. The view was really breathtaking.
"I had a lot of fun tonight, Anne." He told me and I could tell he meant it.
"I did too." I responded, also meaning it.
"How would you feel if I told you I wanted to do this again sometime? Spend time with you?" He asked me, his voice somewhat tentative.
I smiled sadly. "I have a lot going on in my life, Keith. My life a whole big mess."
And, it was. I thought of Angel, and Faith, Spike, Wes, and Quentin.
"Oh." He murmured, dejected, "I understand."
"No, no, no." I said quickly, "I didn't mean no. I just meant that I carry a lot of baggage. And if you don't want to put of with it, we'll just end it before something even starts."
He was quiet for a minute, "When I saw you, the first day you were at school, I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about this girl who spoke with the British accent."
I blushed.
"You were different, are different, from these other girls. You're unique. There's something about you that makes me want to know everything about you." He said.
I don't even know everything about myself.
"I think I like you." He finished, smiling.
I smiled too, "I think I might like you too."
I think I really did. Whatever I felt for Angel.it was confusing. Whatever he felt for me, he was holding back. I liked Keith. Keith liked me. Why wait for the hopeless when there's something just as good, right in front of you?
I wasn't going to ignore what I did feel for Angel, maybe just put it on hold. At least until I could figure everything out.
*
It was eleven. I didn't have to be home until midnight. I decided to patrol a little bit before gracing Angel with my presence. Taking out my stake and shifting Keith's teddy's bear on my hip, I prowled around, honing in on my senses. It was all too quiet when my feelings went on overload, everything in me telling me to move and defend myself. My breathing hitched and I gripped the stake. I looked around and saw nothing. I wasn't ready for the blow that knocked my off my feet. A heavy fist smashed into my jaw, I heard it crack. Dizzy, I jumped on my feet and saw half a dozen uniformed men closing in on me.
"Come with us peacefully, and we won't have to use force." One commanded, stepping forward.
"You already used force." I retorted.
Were they vampire? Human? I couldn't tell!
"Last warning. Come with us and you will not be harmed." He said.
I smirked, "Not on your life."
They attacked. All at once. I tried to block them as best as I could. But, six militant guys versus me? The odds were defiantly in their favor. I threw punches, kicked, clawed, and kneed. Nothing seemed to work. One would go down and then another would takes it's place. I resorted to running. There was no other choice. I made it to the park before a surge of electricity went through me.
They had damn cattle prodders!
I went down, unable to move, breathe, or speak. The closed in and everything in me tightened to move away, but I couldn't. It all seemed to go slow. I could feel the cold cement under me, becoming warm and sticky with my blood. My lungs tightened from the lack of air. My nerves tingled from the residue electricity.
They were going to get me.
I was going to die.
Oh God, help me!
TBC- I am truely evil, I know. And, I also know that I will probably get killed for bring keith into the picture, into Anne's life. But, she isn't Buffy. At least not yet... She wants more than to pine away for her lost love, meaning Angel. I can't promise you Anne & Angel will end up together in the near future...but fate can surprise you. Until next time!
Part Fourteen-
"Well," I smirked, "I told him that I'd love to go, but not with him."
Rain eyed me, "Really?"
"Well, not in those exact words, but you know, same idea." I shrugged.
"Why?" Jessa asked me.
"I've heard his rep. He's a 'wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am-er'." I replied, my lips curling slightly.
Jessa laughed, shaking her head, "Nice way of putting it, but you're right. He's a bad person, not someone you want to get caught up with." She said, directing the last part to Rain, who looked away.
"Speaking of the fair." Jessa said, looking at all of us, "Why don't we all go?" She suggested.
Rain nodded silently, her smile widening. Aurelia shrugged nonchalantly, wearing a 'Why not?' _expression.
"Good, Anne? What about you?" Jessa asked.
"Sure, I guess. I'd just have to tell my sister and Angel." I mused.
"Great!" Jessa exclaimed, "We'll all meet at the Ferris wheel at, oh.let's say five-ish?"
We all nodded, and headed our separate ways. My classes all flew by. I had to collect the work I had missed, but it wasn't as much as I had expected. I walked down the hall, down to my art class. My stomach twisted at seeing Rye--I mean Mr. Finnegan. Would he act different towards me? Single me out?
I hoped not.
I came in and took my seat in the back, going to the storage room and pulling out my project. I looked at it, my artistic eye seeing imperfections that only I--the artist--could see. I sighed and set everything up. I got out the paints and mixed a few colors on my easel. The other kids started to pile in, all talking about their day. I didn't pay attention to them, or anything for that matter. I should have. I would have seen the long troubled stares Rye--damn it, Mr. Finnegan was giving me. But, no. I was lost in my own world of strange illusions and blending colors that I put on my canvas. My hand moved furiously across the canvas, my eyes darting to every spot, trying to see what needed to be added and what needed to be toned down. I working on the woman's face, making her complexion a creamy peach color, adding just a touch of scarlet to her cheeks. I carefully painted in her curls, adding a hint of brown into the blonde. Her face features where barely there, just enough to get the vaguest idea of what she looked like. I next started on the two little girls clinging to her hand. They both looked alike, but one younger than the other. You couldn't tell what they looked like, at all. They both wore both dresses the color of soot. The bell rang, breaking my trance-like state. I stood up, barley glancing at my art. I didn't want to see what images my thoughts were feeding to canvas.
I put it away, wincing slightly at a glimpse of the haunting images. I saw Mr. Finnegan looking at me in the most peculiar way. I was a little disturbed at how intensely his eyes stared. I smiled as if I didn't notice and walked out the side door, leading to the south parking lot where Faith should be.
She wasn't.
Instead, Spike was sitting in his car, staring out the window, his _expression sullen.
"I'm not getting in the car with you, you sleazebag!" I snapped at him, my eyes blazing.
"Damn it, I'm not in the mood for your attitude today, Anne. Just get in the damn car!" He growled.
I glared at him, then thought that this was my chance to kick his sorry ass, verbally, of course.
"Fine, alright, you jackass!"
I climbed into the car and slammed the door. He drove off and nothing was said for one long minute.
"Why did you do it?" I demanded then, breaking the silence.
He looked over at me, his eyes haunted. He shrugged, opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. He was quiet.
"Well? Do you have anything to say? Or.does Faith really mean so little to you that you can just write her off with some ho on your lap?" I uttered the last part with my eyes narrowed.
"God, no!" Spike exclaimed, glaring at me, "I love Faith, damn me to bloody hell for it, but I do. She's everything to me." He said quietly, and I thought I saw tears in his eyes.
"Then why were you with that girl?" I asked him.
"I. I don't know. I don't." He stammered, looking baffled.
"Who is she?" I questioned.
"Drusilla. She's." He stopped and looked at me, "I'm assuming Angel told you what I am?"
"Yup. Scum of the grave vampire." I sneered.
"I'm ignoring that, pet." He sighed heavily, "She's my sire. The vampire that made me. She's different than most. Angelus, her sire, drove her insane. She's always been able to see in the future, and she can, on occasion, place people's mind in her control." Spike sighed.
The name 'Angelus' rung in my head, but I ignored it for the time being. I made a mental note to check that out later.
"And, did she use said mind control on you?" I asked him, feeling like a lawyer for a split second.
Spike lowered his head, in shame. "No. She didn't."
"You knowingly cheated on Faith?" I asked him, he didn't object. "Bastard."
"Look! I couldn't-"
"Couldn't what?" I exploded. "Couldn't help it? Saw your damn sire and thought, 'to hell with Faith'?" I scoffed angrily, then laughed. "You don't deserve her."
"I bloody well know that!" Spike yelled, hitting the steering wheel. "I know that I don't deserve her. I know that she should have someone better than me.but I love her. I'm selfish. The thought of someone else loving her like I love her, wanting her like I do.it makes me want to kill everything in sight. I love her, God help me, but I do."
I just looked at him. He was telling the truth. But, then why did he cheat on her? Maybe there was a pull between a sire and their childe. Or, maybe Spike had lost control. There were a lot of reasons on why, but no definite answer. Maybe there was no reason, maybe it just.happened. I don't know. I don't understand it, but from the look on Spike's face, he was regretful. He loved Faith, with all his heart, though not beating.
I wanted a love like that. A love so strong that it hurt at times. I nodded at Spike as he stopped in front of the hotel. He clearly wasn't going in. I hoped that Spike and Faith would work things out.
I really, really did.
*
Angel was fine with me going to the fair, happy that I was making friends. He seemed a little sad, though. When I asked him about it, he told me that the past seemed to be haunting him today. When I asked him what that meant, he just shrugged, kissed me lightly on the forehead, and walked down to his room.
I shook my head, almost mournfully. He was so complex, I was seeing different layers of him each day. It made me wonder, though, what had he gone through to make him so desolate. Who had he lost? My questions went unanswered, and I chose not to dwell on them. I had a feeling I would find out soon enough. A good thing? I didn't know. I went up to my room and saw Faith was still there, watching my TV and eating some ice cream. She wore sweats and a tank top, her hair piled on top of her head. I glanced at the TV and saw she was watching 'General Hospital'. I laughed. She threw me a look, her eyes watching me with interest.
"What'cha doin'?" She asked me, curling her legs under her.
"You know the fair down at Santa Monica?" I asked, she nodded. "Well, I'm going. With some girls from school."
She snorted, "The high school years. The hell ride of your life."
"Did you like high school?" I asked her, throwing some jeans on the bed.
She laughed, "Didn't finish it. School's a bore, and, doing what I do, I don't need it."
"What if you want to do something else later in life, Faith? You're still young. Do you really want to do this forever?" I asked her, looking in my drawers.
She was quiet, too quiet. I glanced over at her and saw her looking at me in the most odd way.
"What?" I asked.
She shook her head slowly, "B hated it. Hated slaying, always wanted to do more with her life. I used to laugh at her, told her this was our gig to bear, and there was nothing else in the world for us. I was wrong." She said, her voice so very quiet and strange sounding.
I knew she was talking about Buffy. Why was everybody acting as if she was some Saint. I mean, I respected the hell out of her, but come on, she's dead. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying these things. It was obvious that Faith would not be too happy to hear my thoughts.
"What did she do with her life?" I asked, maybe too sharply.
Faith looked at me and chuckled sadly, "What we were supposed to do. She saved the world. A lot." Faith said bitterly, sadly, her voice choked.
She stood up and started to walk out, "Wear the blue blouse." She said over her shoulder and left.
I sighed.
What was it about Buffy that made everyone so damn upset?
*
I walked out of the hotel, glancing at my watch. I wore bell-bottom jeans and a short sleeved, blue, button-up, midriff bearing blouse. My keys jangled and my wallet was tucked into my pocket. I had gone to see Angel before I left, but he had been asleep. In his room, he had sat in his leather chair, his head lulled back and his lips partially open. He had looked so cute like that, so innocent and carefree. His chest rose and fell ever so slightly. For one macabre moment, I thought he was dead. He seemed so pale and still. My heart had thumped with fast terror until I placed my palm a hair-breaths away from his mouth. I felt warm air against my hand. I almost collapsed in relief.
I had been about to leave the room, I swear. But, I just stood there, gazing at him. I didn't expect to lean forward and kiss him. I didn't expect for him to respond. I had pulled back slowly, my heart still pounding. I turned to his bed and pulled the silk coverlet off and covered him with it. I walked out quietly, but quickly. I took one last look at him, my lips smiling softly.
"Sweet dreams."
I still smiled as I thought of Angel asleep in his chair. It really was a cute sight. I walked down the sidewalk, my shoes quiet. The city was busy, as always. I didn't feel like hailing a cab. I didn't want to squander my money when I was perfectly capable of walking. I made it to the pier ten minutes earlier than the others. I bought my wristband and a diet soda. I sat on the bench and waited for the girls. I saw this guy eyeing me from the cotton candy stand. He was pretty cute. Dark copper hair and tanned skin. He looked familiar and my age so I guessed that he was one of my classes or something. He said something to the guy he was with and walked over to me.
"Hey." He greeted.
"Hey back." I said, meeting his eyes.
They were almost a gray color, blue just barely tinting them.
"Mind if I sit down?" He asked me, gesturing to the empty space beside me.
"Does it look like it's being used?" I asked him back.
He smiled, pearly white teeth, all proportioned, and nice full lips.
He plopped down, not too close to me, but not too far away either.
"You're Anne?" He asked me, meeting my eyes.
He didn't do the eye-drop like most guys did, not that there was anything to check out.
"Give the man a prize." I smiled, starting to warm to him.
"I'm Keith." He said.
"You look familiar." I told him.
"We have History together." He said.
"Oh." I murmured, "That makes sense."
"Are you here alone?" He asked me, but it was just a question.
Not an invitation to join him.
For that, I was glad.
"For now. I'm meeting Jessa, Rain, and Aurelia. You know them?"
He laughed, "Doesn't everyone?"
I smiled and sipped my drink.
"How do you like LA?" He asked me.
"As opposed to where I had lived." I shuddered thinking about the compound. "It's wonderful here."
He looked at me strangely, "Don't be fooled by the sparkle of this city. Los Angeles has two faces. Be careful not to be caught in the darker side." He warned, his voice serious.
I just looked at him. How much did the people know about LA's darker side? What had they experienced? My mind flashed to Whistler. To Spike, to Angel, and Faith. They were all caught up in this darker side. It was their life. My resolve hardened. That wouldn't happen to me. I would not be trapped in the night, in a world of sinister unknown.
Not me.
I smiled sadly at Keith, "I'll be careful."
He nodded and I saw Jessa, Rain, and Aurelia walking up to us. Jessa raised an eyebrow, her smile widening.
Oh no.
I looked over at Keith, "I have to go. My friends." I motioned to the girls.
He nodded and smiled, "Yeah, me too. So, I'll see you around sometime?" He asked me.
Again, just a question.
"Maybe." I answered.
I reached out and squeezed his arm slightly as goodbye.
He smiled--he had a terrific smile--and walked back to where his friend was. Jessa pulled me up and smiled.
"So. Who was that?" She asked.
"Keith. You know him?" I asked.
"Of course." She said, looking over at him. "He's only the most gorgeous guy in school."
"He likes you." Aurelia spoke up, startling me.
"No." I shook my head. "He's nice."
"Ask him out." Rain said, glancing over at Keith.
"I just met him!" I protested.
Jessa shrugged, "You two would make a cute couple."
"Whatever." I smiled.
Aurelia ran over to some guy, who was looking around, and hugged him. He was tall, with rich brown hair. She brought him closer and looked happy as she clutched his arm. He looked a little but older than us. I guessed he was a junior. He had some freckles under his eyes and he had dark eyes.
They were in love.
"This is Dillon." She introduced him to me. "My boyfriend."
I smiled, "Nice to meet you. I'm Anne." I said, holding out my hand.
He shook it and smiled back.
"You girls don't mind if I join you, do you?" He asked us.
Jessa smiled, "Nope. There's room for everyone." She said loudly enough that it reached Keith and his friend who were standing at the shooting game.
He looked over and smiled at me.
I blushed.
Rain noticed and squealed, "You like him!"
I sigh, smiling still.
It was going to be a long night.
*
We had the time of our lives. We all went on all of the rides, big and small. Keith had later joined us, his friend had gone home. They had this huge roller coaster set up and Jessa, the group leader lead us to it. Keith and I sat up front, followed by Aurelia and Dillon, and then Jessa and Rain. As we went up the first hill, I kept murmuring, "Oh God, oh God, oh God."
Keith laughed and clutched my hand. We went down and all of the girls screamed, including me. My hair was whipping all around, tangling about. We all looked horrible when we got off. We were pale, messy-haired, breathless, but we all looked happy. I felt happy. Genuinely happy. It was a great feeling. As we walked around, playing the games and eating, Keith still held my hand.
I liked it.
I liked him.
Aurelia looked back at me and smiled, really smiled. She could be intimidating at times, even cynical. But, I had a feeling, that out of all of us, she was the one I could trust the most. Keith had won me a giant teddy bear at the dart throwing stand. I clutched it too me, still holding his hand. The last ride we went on was the Ferris wheel. It had grown dark by then and everything had lit up. Again we split up in pairs. Keith and I got stuck on top and I looked out over the side, over the whole fair and the city. The view was really breathtaking.
"I had a lot of fun tonight, Anne." He told me and I could tell he meant it.
"I did too." I responded, also meaning it.
"How would you feel if I told you I wanted to do this again sometime? Spend time with you?" He asked me, his voice somewhat tentative.
I smiled sadly. "I have a lot going on in my life, Keith. My life a whole big mess."
And, it was. I thought of Angel, and Faith, Spike, Wes, and Quentin.
"Oh." He murmured, dejected, "I understand."
"No, no, no." I said quickly, "I didn't mean no. I just meant that I carry a lot of baggage. And if you don't want to put of with it, we'll just end it before something even starts."
He was quiet for a minute, "When I saw you, the first day you were at school, I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about this girl who spoke with the British accent."
I blushed.
"You were different, are different, from these other girls. You're unique. There's something about you that makes me want to know everything about you." He said.
I don't even know everything about myself.
"I think I like you." He finished, smiling.
I smiled too, "I think I might like you too."
I think I really did. Whatever I felt for Angel.it was confusing. Whatever he felt for me, he was holding back. I liked Keith. Keith liked me. Why wait for the hopeless when there's something just as good, right in front of you?
I wasn't going to ignore what I did feel for Angel, maybe just put it on hold. At least until I could figure everything out.
*
It was eleven. I didn't have to be home until midnight. I decided to patrol a little bit before gracing Angel with my presence. Taking out my stake and shifting Keith's teddy's bear on my hip, I prowled around, honing in on my senses. It was all too quiet when my feelings went on overload, everything in me telling me to move and defend myself. My breathing hitched and I gripped the stake. I looked around and saw nothing. I wasn't ready for the blow that knocked my off my feet. A heavy fist smashed into my jaw, I heard it crack. Dizzy, I jumped on my feet and saw half a dozen uniformed men closing in on me.
"Come with us peacefully, and we won't have to use force." One commanded, stepping forward.
"You already used force." I retorted.
Were they vampire? Human? I couldn't tell!
"Last warning. Come with us and you will not be harmed." He said.
I smirked, "Not on your life."
They attacked. All at once. I tried to block them as best as I could. But, six militant guys versus me? The odds were defiantly in their favor. I threw punches, kicked, clawed, and kneed. Nothing seemed to work. One would go down and then another would takes it's place. I resorted to running. There was no other choice. I made it to the park before a surge of electricity went through me.
They had damn cattle prodders!
I went down, unable to move, breathe, or speak. The closed in and everything in me tightened to move away, but I couldn't. It all seemed to go slow. I could feel the cold cement under me, becoming warm and sticky with my blood. My lungs tightened from the lack of air. My nerves tingled from the residue electricity.
They were going to get me.
I was going to die.
Oh God, help me!
TBC- I am truely evil, I know. And, I also know that I will probably get killed for bring keith into the picture, into Anne's life. But, she isn't Buffy. At least not yet... She wants more than to pine away for her lost love, meaning Angel. I can't promise you Anne & Angel will end up together in the near future...but fate can surprise you. Until next time!