AN: A quick thank you to those who read and review- To those who don't review, I hope it's because you are too lazy to, and not because you think my story is crap. :p
Chapter 7
Buffy could feel her old confidence coming back in strides as she and Willow walked through the department store. One guy had actually come up to her, and asked her out, though she declined. Willow poked her several times to point out the less then subtle stares, as well. At first, Buffy was sure she must have been permanently red, but as they walked through the store, it lessened.
Willow held up a pair of indecently short shorts, and grinned. "I have been diggin' these for months, and my old lady would so flip her wig. You should get em, so I can snag em."
Buffy giggled softly. She understood what Willow meant, but all of the popular slang had been strictly forbidden at her school. The instructor's felt it promoted bad grammar and English skills, and was to be avoided at all costs. She still heard some of the older kids talking between classes. She herself had few friends at school, though, so she never felt comfortable using it in any conversations she had. Buffy always worried she would use it wrong.
"Willow, they are so short. I'm not sure Lee is going to want me in those." She eyes the shorts, which would expose most of her leg, and a good deal of her stomach. They were bright green, and made of thin polyester, with large white flowers on where rear pockets would normally be. On a rack near it, there was a white top with a lace up neckline, and wide bell sleeves. Buffy tugged at her lip, and looked at both of them.
"Buffy, you can be free, now. Your grandma and mom are as far away as can be, and you know Lee isn't going to knock anything you want to try. He has no place in it." Signing quickly, and silently asking for retribution, she grabbed the shorts, and the top. Willow dragged her back to the jeans next, and they snatched up two pairs in a hurry; one pair of flamboyant, hip hugging bell bottomed jeans, and the other, a pair of relaxed fit flare legged jeans. Buffy picked out several flowing peasants blouses, which looked far more decent then some of the other choices, and she allowed Willow to talk her into a dark brown suede vest with fringe that hung to her knees.
After trying everything on, they were satisfied with her choices, and made their way to the accessories, where Buffy found a pair of round beady sunglasses, a long rope of bright neon green love beads with a peace emblem, and several bandana's in an array of colors, for her hair. At the last minute, Willow tossed a package of plastic barrettes for holding her hair back.
Buffy had more then enough cash for the purchases, plus enough that she could find some more normal clothes the next day. She had already talked Willow into taking her job hunting the next day, but she had all morning free while Lee and Willow were both at work themselves. Spike had the next day off, though, and said he would either crash at their place, or head over when he stumbled from bed.
The two giggling girls made the purchase, and Willow took Buffy back to her place. When they got there, she pointed out Xander's rather dilapidated car out front.
"Oh, you are NOT going to believe this! Guess who Xander's shacking with?" Buffy shook her head in response, and asked whom he was with.
"None other then Miss Cordelia Chase, daughter of the hoity toity Howard and Gracie Lou Chase, founding members of the Sunnydale Historical Society." Willow said the last part in a high pitched fake southern accent, and walked with her nose in the air, and her hands held out to the side. Buffy burst into laughter, and thought back to the snotty little girl who always made fun of Buffy and Willow in grade school.
Cordelia had made it her goal in life to make Buffy and Willow as miserable as possible, and thus, the rest of the guys as well, by association. Cordelia had been usually hostile towards Xander in the years since Buffy left, and none of the gang would have ever expected to see them hook up, but they had just a few months back, and had been fairly inseparable since.
"It is so grodey to watch. Gives me major creepies. She probably won't be here tonight, but you'll defiantly have to contend with her this weekend. I just ignore her, it's so much easier that way." The girls made their way up the wooden steps to the apartment, and found Xander, Larry, Jesse, and two guys and a girl that Buffy didn't recognize from her younger years.
"Buffster! You finally convinced Red to leave the store?" Xander joked pleasantly as he stood up to hug her. His warm arms enveloped her, and she was shocked at the height he had gained in the years apart. The summer before she had left, they used to joke over how tiny he was compared to the other boys, with his head being even to Buffy's. Now, he towered over her tiny frame.
"She is quite the shopper, I noticed." She leaned up, and pulled his head closer. "Xander, I missed you so much, all of you, really." Buffy pulled back, and blushed as Xander's eyes traveled down her body.
"Milk did your body good, Buffy. When did you get all the girl stuff?" Spike snorted in the background, which was followed up with a glaring warning from Liam.
"I've always been a girl, you guys!" She gave Larry and Jesse both a hug before they introduced her to the 3 people she didn't know. The thin girl with long wavy brown hair was Winifred, but she quickly insisted that Buffy call her Fred, right before she gushed on an on about finally having a new girl in the group, stating rather loudly that the testosterone level was much to high.
Buffy giggled as she was pulled to sit in between Fred and Liam, and eyed the two boys. Fred introduced the dark haired one as Wesley, and the skinny sandy haired youth as Connor, who looked a bit younger then the others. She quickly realized that Fred was with Wesley, and Connor was Wesley's kid brother, though he was there nearly as often as Wesley.
Buffy relaxed into the couch, and laughed along with everyone else at the right jokes, and learned to play euchre with Spike, Willow, and Jesse. Eventually, though, one by one, everyone left. Xander gave her a huge bear hug, as he got ready to leave, and promised he would be back Friday night for her party. Jesse and Larry both gave her small hugs, and then left right behind Xander.
Eventually, it was just Liam, Spike, Willow, and Buffy. Some time during the night, Willow had ended up next to Liam, and the two were now lip locking, much to Buffy's discomfort. She ended up talking with Spike while the other two made out.
"What're your plans now that you're done with school, Buffy?"
"I don't know. I need to get a job though. Willow's going to take me to look tomorrow, after she gets done tutoring. Back when we were in school together, I never would have thought I would be the one getting out early. Guess that's what happens when you get motivated. I kind of thought about singing a few times, but I don't have the voice for it. I'm no Janis Joplin, that's for sure."
"Ah, pet, I'm sure you've a fine voice. Some of the boys and I, we have a little band. Maybe you should come to practice one night." Spike watched her as she fiddled with her long golden hair. He could tell that the action between Red and the poof on the couch was bugging her, though. "How bout taking a quick walk? Get out of the place for a bit?"
Buffy was about to say no, when she heard some especially loud lip smacking, and before further embarrassment could overcome her, she nodded, and was up and out of the chair like a shot, and waiting at the door. She studiously avoided watching the smoochfest as she fled from the apartment, though. Spike was right behind her, and though he tried like hell not to, his eyes were drawn to the way the jeans hugged her curves in the back. Moving upward, his ice blue eyes took in the bare skin of her back, then to the golden hair.
Buffy stopped at the end of the stairs, and turned to wait for him, but her eyes cause where his had been, and she found herself blushing. He was checking me out, she thought to herself, looking away from him for a moment. He caught up, and placed a light hand on her shoulder, holding back a chuckle as she jumped at the contact.
"Ready, pet? Any places near by you want to walk to? We could get coffee at Anya's Dinner down town. I don't think it was here when you left. Got built the next summer. Nice little place, got good burgers and wot not." Buffy nodded, and Will steered them towards down town Sunnydale.