"Where am I?" Bus Driver Richard said worriedly as he read off the unfamiliar signs. "The 23895? Ahora Dé vuelta Detrás? I'm lost. I'm lost. I'm lost. I'm lost!'
My eyes widened as the cries of 'I'm lost' crescendoed and the Yellow Fever screeched to a halt in front of a dusty looking farm.
"Excuse me!" Bus Driver Richard yelled into the bus's intercom system out the open bus door. The prone figure in the middle of the yellow field didn't respond. "I'm looking for I87. Excuse me?! I'm talking to you!" Frustrated at the lack of response, he flung the microphone down and stalked out to the immobile farmer.
"Excuse me, farmer extremely unhelpful but--" Looking up he finally registered what he was talking to. "You're straw," he said to the scarecrow, who grinned back blankly. Richard took a few agitated breaths.
Faith had turned around in the seat and had her backpack propped in her lap.
"Want to experience something wild?" She asked with a silly grin as she pulled out a can of beer.
"Nah...that...that's okay," Riley stuttered.
"I got it from my dad's stash," she said as she cracked it open.
"Faith...I don't think this is going to work."
She took a swig,
"Ahh. Does for me."
"No, no. I mean the note. You and me..." Riley trailed off.
"What note?" Faith asked disinterested as she dug through her bag for a snack.
Riley frowned. "What note? What note!" He exclaimed with a slight laugh.
Now that Riley knew the truth of the situation, he could get his revenge on me. He threw his arm around her and threw a disparaging glance at me.
"So, what else you got?" He asked.
"What a cruel, inconsiderate bint, moving in on your boyfriend," Spike said. I couldn't discern if he was honestly shocked at Faith's behavior or simply amused.
"Oh come off it, Spike. You know he's not my boyfr..."
I was cut off when Darla reached over and put a hand around my neck. She pulled me close to her and simpered into my ear, "He's making a fool of you."
Unheeded by any of the students, outside Bus Driver Richard violently thrashed the disobliging scarecrow with a pitchfork he had discovered lying a few feet away.
"I'd say you've got a bit of a problem there, luv," Spike said as I settled back next to him. I nodded my head.
"Right then. Any ideas?" He looked around at Darla and Angelus, who were on the other side of the backseat, his arm around her shoulder. Darla shrugged and Angelus shook his head.
Drusilla leaned over her seat, which was in front of ours; she was giggling like a hyena.
"Bite. Snip. Strings don't like accommodations," was all she choked out before her maniac laughing prevented her from saying anything more.
"What?" I asked.
Darla smiled and leaned over conspiratorially.
"She means..."
"Yeah," I said with an evil smile when Darla finished translating Drusilla.
Bus Driver Richard clambered back onto the bus still clutching the pitchfork, his hat and clothing were covered in pieces of hay.
"Um..." He said, looking around at the bored teenagers. "Thank you for your patience...little turbulence..." He realized he was still holding the pitchfork. He attempted to chuck it out the still-open door, managing to bash it about a bit before accomplishing the task. "Everything's a-okay. Fine," he declared, spinning around into his seat. Sunday rolled her eyes.
It finally happened. My own dark side was bubbling to the surface and you know, it felt great. With a pair of scissors Angelus had provided, I crawled my way down the aisle back to where Faith was sitting next to Riley, thankful that I had worn jeans and not a short skirt today, lest I give Spike the enjoyment of catching a glimpse of my underwear. Actually, that didn't sound as unappealing as it once did. I shook my head and tried to focus on the task at hand.
It was perfect; Faith was sitting with her back to the aisle, facing Riley, leaving the strings of her skimpy top in plain view. Taking the scissors, I quickly made two cuts.
Riley was nodding at something Faith was talking about and only noticed me after I stood up.
"Buffy?"
"Riley." I smiled.
Faith's skimpy top took that as its cue to slip down to her waist.
"Whoa!" Faith yelped as she flung her arms up to cover herself.
Laughing, I quickly scurried back down to my new friends. Angelus grinned in appreciation; Darla and Drusilla hooted and laughed with delight; and as Riley was helping Faith try and tie her top back together, in the adrenaline rush of vengeance, I greeted a glitter-eyed Spike with an excited kiss.
Riley looked up from Faith just long enough to glance as us in disgust.
Although the kiss didn't last very long and our tongues hadn't gotten involved yet, Spike still grinned at me and said, "Welcome to the club."
I grinned back and settled back into my place by his side.
"Let's say we celebrate with some bubbles," Angelus said as he handed out 2- litre bottles of fizzy red lemonade. I did a double-take, for a second I could've sworn it was blood. I shook my head and accepted the bottle.
I cracked it open at the same time as the other four and took a swig.
"Ohh," Darla said with a smile as they all simultaneously lowered the bottles to a few inches above the floor and poured out eight litres of soda pop onto the floor. I watched with wide eyes as the red river of soda splashed and flowed down the length of the bus. Students screamed as it hit their shoes and backpacks.
"RICHARD!!" Kathy wailed. Bus Driver Richard looked hard into the large rear-view mirror and slammed on the brakes.
"I am exceedingly not pleased!" He was yelling as everybody clambered off the bus and began milling about in yet another field in the middle of nowhere. "I joined the service to help people, to do good for mankind!" He declared as he leaned against a rusted tractor. "If you screw up one more time...back you goooo!" He sing-songed.
A little worried for my safety, I moved away from Bus Driver Richard in the direction of some old farming machinery Spike and his gang were lounging on.
As I was walking, I head a pissed-off voice say: "Way to go, Buff. Way to trash your friend."
I turned to Riley.
"Oh you mean 'lover-girl'?" I said making air-quotes.
He rolled his eyes.
"Faith wasn't...Faith's great! Wanna know what's so great about Faith?"
I nodded my head enthusiastically, wanting to know what corn-fed Iowa boy could possibly have in common with a tramp like Faith.
"Faith, uh...she's uh..." he stuttered. "She knows how to have fun."
"Oh yeah?" I shot back. "Well so does Spike. I can't even understand why I've been hanging out with you."
"Well, then don't anymore!"
"Fine by me," I said calmly, honestly meaning it.
I walked away from Riley, glaring over my shoulder.
"Buffy, my slayer." I turned as Spike snaked his arm comfortably around my shoulders. "You're doing very, very well. You showed that sketchy bint, yeah? But what about Captain Cardboard?"
He had a point.
"Hmm. What would make Riley really mad?" He asked with a glint in his eye.
I laughed.
"Gee Spike. What could you possibly be implying? That I shack up with you?" I asked playfully.
"Come on. Just kiss me," he said with a smile, his Cockney accent sending shivers down my spine. Suddenly I was acutely aware of how close our bodies were and for some reason, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would.
"One kiss and you're your own woman, Buffy Summers," he said, now looking me straight in the eye, his hands on each of my shoulders.
"You mean your woman," I said distractedly by the look in his eyes.
'That too," was the last thing he said before his lips closed over mine. My eyes sank shut as his tongue slipped in to duel with mine. How could I resist? The fever he'd caused was pounding through my veins and I found myself worming my arms up around his neck to try and pull him closer. His arms fell to my waist and I felt some primal feeling of satisfaction surge through my veins.
As we pulled back I realised everyone was staring at us, some gaping at the sight of us--who had been arch-nemeses since the second grade--kissing until the silence around us seemed to echo like a gong. And 'kissing' was putting it lightly I thought.
"I'll never talk to you again," Riley said in what felt like slow motion. At least it broke the gong.
My eyes widened as the cries of 'I'm lost' crescendoed and the Yellow Fever screeched to a halt in front of a dusty looking farm.
"Excuse me!" Bus Driver Richard yelled into the bus's intercom system out the open bus door. The prone figure in the middle of the yellow field didn't respond. "I'm looking for I87. Excuse me?! I'm talking to you!" Frustrated at the lack of response, he flung the microphone down and stalked out to the immobile farmer.
"Excuse me, farmer extremely unhelpful but--" Looking up he finally registered what he was talking to. "You're straw," he said to the scarecrow, who grinned back blankly. Richard took a few agitated breaths.
Faith had turned around in the seat and had her backpack propped in her lap.
"Want to experience something wild?" She asked with a silly grin as she pulled out a can of beer.
"Nah...that...that's okay," Riley stuttered.
"I got it from my dad's stash," she said as she cracked it open.
"Faith...I don't think this is going to work."
She took a swig,
"Ahh. Does for me."
"No, no. I mean the note. You and me..." Riley trailed off.
"What note?" Faith asked disinterested as she dug through her bag for a snack.
Riley frowned. "What note? What note!" He exclaimed with a slight laugh.
Now that Riley knew the truth of the situation, he could get his revenge on me. He threw his arm around her and threw a disparaging glance at me.
"So, what else you got?" He asked.
"What a cruel, inconsiderate bint, moving in on your boyfriend," Spike said. I couldn't discern if he was honestly shocked at Faith's behavior or simply amused.
"Oh come off it, Spike. You know he's not my boyfr..."
I was cut off when Darla reached over and put a hand around my neck. She pulled me close to her and simpered into my ear, "He's making a fool of you."
Unheeded by any of the students, outside Bus Driver Richard violently thrashed the disobliging scarecrow with a pitchfork he had discovered lying a few feet away.
"I'd say you've got a bit of a problem there, luv," Spike said as I settled back next to him. I nodded my head.
"Right then. Any ideas?" He looked around at Darla and Angelus, who were on the other side of the backseat, his arm around her shoulder. Darla shrugged and Angelus shook his head.
Drusilla leaned over her seat, which was in front of ours; she was giggling like a hyena.
"Bite. Snip. Strings don't like accommodations," was all she choked out before her maniac laughing prevented her from saying anything more.
"What?" I asked.
Darla smiled and leaned over conspiratorially.
"She means..."
"Yeah," I said with an evil smile when Darla finished translating Drusilla.
Bus Driver Richard clambered back onto the bus still clutching the pitchfork, his hat and clothing were covered in pieces of hay.
"Um..." He said, looking around at the bored teenagers. "Thank you for your patience...little turbulence..." He realized he was still holding the pitchfork. He attempted to chuck it out the still-open door, managing to bash it about a bit before accomplishing the task. "Everything's a-okay. Fine," he declared, spinning around into his seat. Sunday rolled her eyes.
It finally happened. My own dark side was bubbling to the surface and you know, it felt great. With a pair of scissors Angelus had provided, I crawled my way down the aisle back to where Faith was sitting next to Riley, thankful that I had worn jeans and not a short skirt today, lest I give Spike the enjoyment of catching a glimpse of my underwear. Actually, that didn't sound as unappealing as it once did. I shook my head and tried to focus on the task at hand.
It was perfect; Faith was sitting with her back to the aisle, facing Riley, leaving the strings of her skimpy top in plain view. Taking the scissors, I quickly made two cuts.
Riley was nodding at something Faith was talking about and only noticed me after I stood up.
"Buffy?"
"Riley." I smiled.
Faith's skimpy top took that as its cue to slip down to her waist.
"Whoa!" Faith yelped as she flung her arms up to cover herself.
Laughing, I quickly scurried back down to my new friends. Angelus grinned in appreciation; Darla and Drusilla hooted and laughed with delight; and as Riley was helping Faith try and tie her top back together, in the adrenaline rush of vengeance, I greeted a glitter-eyed Spike with an excited kiss.
Riley looked up from Faith just long enough to glance as us in disgust.
Although the kiss didn't last very long and our tongues hadn't gotten involved yet, Spike still grinned at me and said, "Welcome to the club."
I grinned back and settled back into my place by his side.
"Let's say we celebrate with some bubbles," Angelus said as he handed out 2- litre bottles of fizzy red lemonade. I did a double-take, for a second I could've sworn it was blood. I shook my head and accepted the bottle.
I cracked it open at the same time as the other four and took a swig.
"Ohh," Darla said with a smile as they all simultaneously lowered the bottles to a few inches above the floor and poured out eight litres of soda pop onto the floor. I watched with wide eyes as the red river of soda splashed and flowed down the length of the bus. Students screamed as it hit their shoes and backpacks.
"RICHARD!!" Kathy wailed. Bus Driver Richard looked hard into the large rear-view mirror and slammed on the brakes.
"I am exceedingly not pleased!" He was yelling as everybody clambered off the bus and began milling about in yet another field in the middle of nowhere. "I joined the service to help people, to do good for mankind!" He declared as he leaned against a rusted tractor. "If you screw up one more time...back you goooo!" He sing-songed.
A little worried for my safety, I moved away from Bus Driver Richard in the direction of some old farming machinery Spike and his gang were lounging on.
As I was walking, I head a pissed-off voice say: "Way to go, Buff. Way to trash your friend."
I turned to Riley.
"Oh you mean 'lover-girl'?" I said making air-quotes.
He rolled his eyes.
"Faith wasn't...Faith's great! Wanna know what's so great about Faith?"
I nodded my head enthusiastically, wanting to know what corn-fed Iowa boy could possibly have in common with a tramp like Faith.
"Faith, uh...she's uh..." he stuttered. "She knows how to have fun."
"Oh yeah?" I shot back. "Well so does Spike. I can't even understand why I've been hanging out with you."
"Well, then don't anymore!"
"Fine by me," I said calmly, honestly meaning it.
I walked away from Riley, glaring over my shoulder.
"Buffy, my slayer." I turned as Spike snaked his arm comfortably around my shoulders. "You're doing very, very well. You showed that sketchy bint, yeah? But what about Captain Cardboard?"
He had a point.
"Hmm. What would make Riley really mad?" He asked with a glint in his eye.
I laughed.
"Gee Spike. What could you possibly be implying? That I shack up with you?" I asked playfully.
"Come on. Just kiss me," he said with a smile, his Cockney accent sending shivers down my spine. Suddenly I was acutely aware of how close our bodies were and for some reason, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would.
"One kiss and you're your own woman, Buffy Summers," he said, now looking me straight in the eye, his hands on each of my shoulders.
"You mean your woman," I said distractedly by the look in his eyes.
'That too," was the last thing he said before his lips closed over mine. My eyes sank shut as his tongue slipped in to duel with mine. How could I resist? The fever he'd caused was pounding through my veins and I found myself worming my arms up around his neck to try and pull him closer. His arms fell to my waist and I felt some primal feeling of satisfaction surge through my veins.
As we pulled back I realised everyone was staring at us, some gaping at the sight of us--who had been arch-nemeses since the second grade--kissing until the silence around us seemed to echo like a gong. And 'kissing' was putting it lightly I thought.
"I'll never talk to you again," Riley said in what felt like slow motion. At least it broke the gong.