The Fish Tank
It was just before ten o'clock and Spike and Dawn were waiting in his room. The second that 10:00 hit the clock Dawn stood up.
"That's the signal," Dawn said, walking over to the window. She hoisted her leg out the window and jumped. Spike shrugged his shoulders and jump out after her.
He landed with a thud, next to Dawn, in the back of a black soft-top Porsche.
The girl in the driving seat whipped her head round. She had very heavy black eye make up which made her skin look extra pale. Spike guessed this was Faith. She was a lot older than Dawn, maybe even older than Buffy.
"Who's the hottie?" She asked Dawn. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"This is Spike, he's our exchange student,"
"Does he speak English?"
"Yeah, I do, Pet. I'm from England." Spike said sarcastically.
"Mmm, sexy accent," Faith nodded. "Bet PowderPuff's all over you." Dawn and Spike burst out laughing.
"Like I'd ever go out with a Barbie Doll," Spike laughed as they started to drive away.
~~~~~
"So?" Cordelia asked. "What's the sitch with the British guy in your house?"
"Please, can I have one night free from talk about him," Buffy begged.
She had gone to the Bronze after all. She was sitting with her best friends round a table at the back. Xander was sitting in an armchair with Kendra on his lap, Angel and Cordelia were in the love seat opposite and herself and Willow were slumped on the sofa with their legs resting on the coffee table.
"Come on Buff, you can't not tell us." Xander smiled sweetly.
Buffy sighed heavily. "He's bleached, has a stupid accent and dresses like a Fish Tank groupie." She paused. "And he has the stupidest name ever, Spike!"
"Are you serious?" Kendra asked.
"Totally," Buffy replied, Kendra giggled. "He even expected to come here with me tonight! But, he went out with Dawn instead."
"Is he starting back at school with us?" Willow asked. Everyone else rolled their eyes. Trust Willow to bring up school on the third day of summer vacation.
"Yeah, he is," Buffy sighed. "Not only will I have to put up with him all summer. But all year as well."
"I'll save you from the mean man," Xander joked. Buffy scowled at him and Kendra hit him playfully. "What? We could at least meet him first. You could be overreacting Buff."
"No way. You guys can meet him if you really wanna, but don't say I didn't warn you." Everyone went silent for a second.
"Who's up for dancing?" Angel suggested, breaking the unusual silence.
"Sounds great," Willow said, finishing her coffee.
~~~~~
It was 1AM and Spike, Dawn and Faith were still at the Fish Tank. Well, Dawn and Spike were; Faith was in the alley round the back, making out with some guy that went by the name of Trick.
Dawn was dancing, if you could call it dancing, with some guy and Spike was sitting at the bar, drinking a beer. He was getting pretty bored; nothing interesting had happened.
"Hi," a voice said from behind him. He turned round, there was a young girl standing there. "Are you new here too?" There was a quiver in her voice, like she was scared. She wasn't dressed like the other kids here. She had ash blonde hair and was wearing a long black skirt and a cream gypsy top.
"Yeah, Pet. Why you ask?" Spike offered her the barstool next to him.
"I just thought you looked a bit different to the rest of the people here," she smiled at him shyly as she sat down.
"What's your name, luv?"
"T-Tara," She stuttered.
"Where you live?" Spike asked. The girl shrugged. "Streets?" She nodded as tears started to form in her eyes. "Hey, it's ok." He put his arm round her.
"I had to get away," she whispered. He could see she didn't feel like talking now.
"You want to come back to my place?" She looked up at him, terrified. "No, Pet, I didn't mean it like that. Come home with me, spend the night, the house has a few spare rooms."
"Ok, thank you." She whispered, trying not to let the tears fall.
"Oi, Dawn!" Spike yelled across the room. Dawn turned round and raised an eyebrow at Spike. "We're going." She nodded and turned back, dancing. He sighed and went over to the dance floor. He pulled her away and towards the door by her arm.
"What the hell was that for?" Dawn yelled once they got outside.
"We're going," he repeated. "Faith!" he yelled down the alley.
"What?" was her reply.
"Start the car already," she plodded out of the alley, hair all messed up and top slightly out of place.
"Who's the chick?" Faith asked, checking Tara up and down.
"Tara, Faith, Dawn." Spike introduced them all. "She's coming home with us. Your mom and dad won't mind will they, Dawn?"
"What they don't know can't hurt them." Dawn shrugged.
Spike nodded as he opened the car door. "In." He beckoned.
It was just before ten o'clock and Spike and Dawn were waiting in his room. The second that 10:00 hit the clock Dawn stood up.
"That's the signal," Dawn said, walking over to the window. She hoisted her leg out the window and jumped. Spike shrugged his shoulders and jump out after her.
He landed with a thud, next to Dawn, in the back of a black soft-top Porsche.
The girl in the driving seat whipped her head round. She had very heavy black eye make up which made her skin look extra pale. Spike guessed this was Faith. She was a lot older than Dawn, maybe even older than Buffy.
"Who's the hottie?" She asked Dawn. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"This is Spike, he's our exchange student,"
"Does he speak English?"
"Yeah, I do, Pet. I'm from England." Spike said sarcastically.
"Mmm, sexy accent," Faith nodded. "Bet PowderPuff's all over you." Dawn and Spike burst out laughing.
"Like I'd ever go out with a Barbie Doll," Spike laughed as they started to drive away.
~~~~~
"So?" Cordelia asked. "What's the sitch with the British guy in your house?"
"Please, can I have one night free from talk about him," Buffy begged.
She had gone to the Bronze after all. She was sitting with her best friends round a table at the back. Xander was sitting in an armchair with Kendra on his lap, Angel and Cordelia were in the love seat opposite and herself and Willow were slumped on the sofa with their legs resting on the coffee table.
"Come on Buff, you can't not tell us." Xander smiled sweetly.
Buffy sighed heavily. "He's bleached, has a stupid accent and dresses like a Fish Tank groupie." She paused. "And he has the stupidest name ever, Spike!"
"Are you serious?" Kendra asked.
"Totally," Buffy replied, Kendra giggled. "He even expected to come here with me tonight! But, he went out with Dawn instead."
"Is he starting back at school with us?" Willow asked. Everyone else rolled their eyes. Trust Willow to bring up school on the third day of summer vacation.
"Yeah, he is," Buffy sighed. "Not only will I have to put up with him all summer. But all year as well."
"I'll save you from the mean man," Xander joked. Buffy scowled at him and Kendra hit him playfully. "What? We could at least meet him first. You could be overreacting Buff."
"No way. You guys can meet him if you really wanna, but don't say I didn't warn you." Everyone went silent for a second.
"Who's up for dancing?" Angel suggested, breaking the unusual silence.
"Sounds great," Willow said, finishing her coffee.
~~~~~
It was 1AM and Spike, Dawn and Faith were still at the Fish Tank. Well, Dawn and Spike were; Faith was in the alley round the back, making out with some guy that went by the name of Trick.
Dawn was dancing, if you could call it dancing, with some guy and Spike was sitting at the bar, drinking a beer. He was getting pretty bored; nothing interesting had happened.
"Hi," a voice said from behind him. He turned round, there was a young girl standing there. "Are you new here too?" There was a quiver in her voice, like she was scared. She wasn't dressed like the other kids here. She had ash blonde hair and was wearing a long black skirt and a cream gypsy top.
"Yeah, Pet. Why you ask?" Spike offered her the barstool next to him.
"I just thought you looked a bit different to the rest of the people here," she smiled at him shyly as she sat down.
"What's your name, luv?"
"T-Tara," She stuttered.
"Where you live?" Spike asked. The girl shrugged. "Streets?" She nodded as tears started to form in her eyes. "Hey, it's ok." He put his arm round her.
"I had to get away," she whispered. He could see she didn't feel like talking now.
"You want to come back to my place?" She looked up at him, terrified. "No, Pet, I didn't mean it like that. Come home with me, spend the night, the house has a few spare rooms."
"Ok, thank you." She whispered, trying not to let the tears fall.
"Oi, Dawn!" Spike yelled across the room. Dawn turned round and raised an eyebrow at Spike. "We're going." She nodded and turned back, dancing. He sighed and went over to the dance floor. He pulled her away and towards the door by her arm.
"What the hell was that for?" Dawn yelled once they got outside.
"We're going," he repeated. "Faith!" he yelled down the alley.
"What?" was her reply.
"Start the car already," she plodded out of the alley, hair all messed up and top slightly out of place.
"Who's the chick?" Faith asked, checking Tara up and down.
"Tara, Faith, Dawn." Spike introduced them all. "She's coming home with us. Your mom and dad won't mind will they, Dawn?"
"What they don't know can't hurt them." Dawn shrugged.
Spike nodded as he opened the car door. "In." He beckoned.