Rebuilding Your Life in Ten Easy Steps
Part 1
Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. Though I would like to have Spike as my pet. And the song is the theme song to Serial Experiments Lain and is performed by BOA (I think).
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Buffy sat at the desk in her room and carefully titled her piece of loose leaf paper: The Affects of Immigration on a Country. She admired her handiwork, and stretched. Too bad she didn't actually know anything about immigration stuff.
"E," Willow said absentmindedly from behind a rather large book she was reading. Luckily, the head of the school had been persuaded to let Willow trade with Buffy's previous roommate Kathy. She had seriously been a nightmare.
"Hmm?" Buffy asked, looking quizzically at Willow.
"It's 'effects'. With an 'e'."
"How do you know that-"
"You always mix up 'affect' and 'effect'," Willow smiled shyly at her sort-of friend before going back to her book.
"Will, I've had enough of this," Buffy slammed her book shut causing her roommate to jump, "We are going out. We're going to have fun."
"Fun?"
"Yeah, it's something we humans have sometimes."
"I know what fun is," Willow said with a blush, "I…I just wondered what you wanted to do. For, you know, fun."
"Come
on Willow, we both know you're a dirty little eavesdropper. So, what have you heard? What hot thing is happening?"
"I do not
eavesdrop!" Willow was scandalized, "I just…listen." Buffy arched her eyebrows doubtfully.
"I don't. Not…really." She
smiled guiltily and Buffy laughed. "Well, I did hear about a new band
that's playing at a club in town…they're supposedly really good."
"To the club it is!" Buffy proclaimed, leaping to find a suitable outfit.
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The club was quite loud and fairly smoky. It was basically a bar, except for the stage and dance floor. Instruments were on stage, but no people. Willow grabbed an electric blue flyer off the floor.
"'The Sunnyhell Players is an eclectic band with songs varying from modern day punk rock, old school rock, and even some big band era hits. Featuring: William Marsters (vocals), Lorne Caritas (keyboard/back-up vocals), Charles Gunn (guitar)'" Willow read, "Sounds…interesting."
"I think it sounds pretty cool. Ooh…I think they're coming!" The lights swirled and dimmed and the band stepped onto stage. In the dark, Buffy could only see their silhouettes. Then the piano struck up an eerie, melancholy beat.
"And you don't seem to understand…" a low and seductive voice began, "A shame, you seemed an honest man."
The lights came back a little, and Buffy found herself gaping. William Marsters was quite possibly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. His hair was white-blonde, and curled playfully around his ears. He was pale, and clad entirely in black, except for a few silver chains and earrings. His eyes were a stormy sort of blue…piercing and knowing. And his voice…she thought she might melt. As Cordelia would say if she were here: Hello salty goodness!
"And all the fears you hold so dear," he stroked the microphone stand gently, "Will turn to whisper in your ear. And you know what they say might hurt you, and you know that it means so much…and you don't even feel a thing…"
The guitar started in, played by a muscular African-American man with a shaved head, and many couples started to sway on the floor. Buffy ignored the several guys who were trying to catch her eye. She was captivated by the song.
"I am falling, I am fading, I have lost it all…" the piano player, a scrawny man with wildly orange hair and green lipstick joined in, but all Buffy heard was William. He looked like he meant it…he really did.
"And you don't seem the lying kind…a shame that I can read your mind," he drew his lips back into a slight sneer before continuing on, "And all the things that I read there, that candle-lit smile that we both share…and you know I don't mean to hurt you, and you know that it means so much…but you don't even feel a thing..."
A large number of girls without a partner on their arm, and a large number with a now very disgruntled looking partner, stared open mouthed at him.
"I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning…help me to breathe," his voice soared powerfully and she felt it. The rage, sorrow and fear he felt, "I am losing, I have lost it all, I am drowning. Help me to breathe…" The song drifted to a quiet stop and he dipped his head to mad applause. When he looked up again he was grinning wolfishly.
"Thank you ladies!" He blew a kiss. Ooh…British…Buffy licked her own lips and let her face sink into her hands with a sigh. Even Willow was mouthing speechlessly at him. The band struck up another song and they played several more. Buffy rarely, if ever, blinked. When the band took a break, she allowed herself a deep breath before looking up at the stage. William Marsters was eyeing her with a telling smirk. He jumped off the stage and swaggered over, looking very cat-like and predatory.
"Mind if I join you lovely vixens for a drink?"
"Please." Buffy said, keeping her voice calm and collected while the rest of her was overheating. Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod! He pulled out the last chair at their table, flipped it around and straddled it, leaning his elbows on the table.
"Hey!" He signaled to a bartender who walked over. There wasn't really waitstaff at the club, but as a member of the band, Buffy supposed he got special privileges, "I'll take a beer, and the ladies will have margaritas." The bartender nodded and headed back to mix the drinks. Buffy was a little worried. She had never really been drinking before…
"What?" The singer sitting across from her noticed her discomfort.
"Nothing," she said, sitting up straighter, "I just don't like it when men assume they know what I want."
"Now, now, pet. I think we both know what you want…" he licked his lips and his eyes made perfectly clear he what he was talking about. The bartender set the drinks on the table and headed back to his usual duties. William took a long swallow, still watching Buffy and Willow closely. Buffy shot him her sexiest smile and took a sip. She blanched a bit and swallowed hard. Her male tablemate crowed in triumph.
"I knew it! Only schoolgirls, aren't you? So, where d'you go?"
"Salus." Willow blurted out.
"The boarding school?" He raised his eyebrows, "And how is that working out for you? Life of virtue and all."
"It's a boarding school, not a convent," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. He laughed. She loved his laugh. It was pure, not tainted with any ulterior motives or worry about other's thoughts.
"Hey dumpling," the pianist with the green makeup had come to lean on William's shoulders, "We're back on in a few." He glanced up at Buffy and Willow, "Care to introduce me to your lady friends?" He smiled at them, very friendly and warm, not at all like his bandmate's half-leer. Not that Buffy minded if that delicious guy wanted to leer at her.
"Well, if they decide to introduce themselves to me, I'd be happy to."
"Oh! I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers."
"Willow Rosenberg," Willow managed to squeak. She was thoroughly awed with both of them.
"I'm Lorne, and this cute little fella is William or Spike, whichever floats your boat." William elbowed him with a disgruntled scowl.
"Spike'? I like it," Buffy said with a laugh. William grunted, which only made her laugh more. When he turned to talk to Lorne, she dug quickly in her purse for a pen. She had to give him her number. Finally, she found one and looked up triumphantly. The boys were gone, and the band had started up again.
"Oh…" Buffy said, with a sigh of disappointment.
"Buffy," Willow whispered and pointed. Buffy looked and her face broke into a huge smile. Scrawled across the corner of her napkin was a phone number and two words: Call me.
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Once again, tell me your thoughts. Improvements, stuff you liked, how my characterization is. I crave feedback!