Cordelia, Aura, and Harmony waded through the cafeteria toward their usual table.
"So, obviously, I have to burn my clothes," Aura remarked casually. "I mean, what else are you supposed to do when a dead guy falls on you?"
"That is certainly a special set of circumstances," Cordelia added. "But at least it wasn't a piece of vintage. Regular clothes can be replaced. Vintage Chanel cannot."
"Speaking of special," Harmony began as they sat down. "You certainly were an extra-special helping of yourself last night."
"What can I say? I was in an extra-special good mood," Cordelia said with a grin.
"You sure made it obvious, with all the flirting. I don't think there was a guy at the Bronze who didn't enjoy a dance with you," Aura agreed.
"Actually, she didn't dance with me," Jesse said, walking up beside their table, flanked by Xander and Willow. "Not that I was looking for it or anything."
"Oh, joy! It's the Holy Trinity of Losers," said Aura with an edge in her voice. "Please leave us before people actually begin to think we associate with you three."
"We were just passing by, we weren't thinking of staying," Willow said as she grabbed Jesse by the arm.
Cordelia lost all of her humor. "We know you weren't thinking of staying. In fact, we know that you weren't even thinking of sitting on the same side of the cafeteria. Maybe not in the cafeteria at all, right?"
Jesse was about to open his mouth, but Xander grabbed his other arm.
"Right," Xander and Willow answered in unison as they pulled Jesse away out of the cafeteria, the laughing of their tormentors following them.
Once outside, they sat together at a picnic table. They sat together eating quietly for a few moments before Xander broke the silence.
"You know, Jess, I don't know why you bother," he said angrily. "Every time you say something to Cordelia, she and her band of merry meanies make fun of you."
"Us," Willow interrupted, pointing her banana at both boys. "They make fun of us."
"I just can't help myself. She is so beautiful, and I don't want to be an old man and think to myself that I was a loser because I couldn't talk to Cordelia Chase."
"Newsflash—she thinks you're a loser whether you talk to her or not," Xander said, chomping on a pair of fries.
"And we get the extra helping of vile anytime you come near her. Quite frankly, I'm tired of her...her...bad attitude," William exclaimed, which she punctuated with an angry bite of her banana.
Jesse and Xander's eyes had grown wide in anticpation, thinking Willow might actually utter a curse word. Their eyes narrowed when she finished her rant, disappointed.
Shrugging, Xander added, "I mean, what are we gonna do? Cordelia is Cordelia, and she is never gonna change."
That night, Cordelia and Wesley drove to a nearby cemetery. Stepping out of the car, Cordelia shivered.
"Why is it so chilly?" She demanded. "It wasn't this cold at my house."
"I told you to bring a jacket," Wesley said smugly as he hoisted the weapons bag out of the trunk of his car. "And for the life of me, I cannot understand why you would wear jeans and a halter top to fight vampires."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Because they go with the boots."
They walked along together, Wesley carrying the heavy bag across his shoulder and Cordelia with a stake in her hand, looking for a fresh grave.
Wesley spotted one. "Here. This is where we'll begin." He put the weapons bag on the ground and opened it, pulling out a blanket.
Cordelia sat, stake still in hand, and stared at the grave. "So when is this going to happen?"
"You have to be patient. A vampire doesn't rise on demand," Wesley said as he sat beside her, looking around the graveyard nervously.
"Suddenly, there was talking. Wesley looked around again. "Did you say something, Cordelia?"
"No," she replied, looking out toward the street. "But they did. We've got to hide!"
Xander, Willow, and Jesse were walking by the cemetery, debating. Cordelia pulled Wesley behind a large headstone.
"I say we put peroxide in her shampoo," Jesse announced.
"That would require one of us getting into her house. Somehow, I don't see it," Xander said sarcastically.
"What about the girl's locker room? Then Willow could do it for us."
Willow shook her head frantically. "No way. Besides, I don't have gym with Cordelia."
From behind the headstone, Wesley looked at Cordelia. "They're talking about you," he said in a conspiratorial whisper.
"No—they're plotting against me." She started out, ready to charge the group, but Wesley held her back.
"You have something more pressing to worry about," he said nervously, pointing toward the grave they had been sitting by moments before.
A hand was emerging from the freshly covered grave. Cordelia's eyes grew wide with shock and fear, her hand clenching the stake. Slowly but violently, another hand materialized from the ground. Using what was obviously spectacular strength, the being pulled itself up from the ground. He stood at the foot of his own grave, shaking dirt from his suit and surveying his surroundings.
Wesley and Cordelia huddled in fear behind the headstone, watching the man's face convert to that of a vampire as the feed came upon him. The vampire heard Xander, Willow, and Jesse discussing their plots against Cordelia and immediately set off towards them.
"Cordelia," Wesley whispered, "is that the man that fell out of your friend's locker?"
She shook her head. "No. The guy from the locker was drained dry. And he didn't drink any blood himself."
Wesley smiled. "You've done your reading! But how did you know...."
"Not now, Wes. Got a vampire to kill." Cordelia stuffed the stake in the back of her jeans and jumped up from behind the headstone. She set off after the vampire, who was getting closer to the three students at the gate.
"Well, maybe we should...what?" Jesse looked at his friends, who had begun to back away in fear. He turned around to see the vampire grabbing for him.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Jesse screamed, practically running over Willow and Xander to get away.
"Cordelia?" asked Xander in amazement, seeing the cheerleader jump on the vampire's back.
"Shut up and get out of here!" Cordelia screamed.
"We should call the police!" Suggested Willow frantically as she watched Cordelia punch the vampire in the face and wrestle him to the ground.
"You should haul ass out of here!" yelled Cordelia as the vampire pushed her back. "Go!"
Watching them run as she charged the vampire, she called out to them. "And don't tell anyone you saw me!"
The vampire grabbed Cordelia by the arms and lifted her up to throw her, but she deliver a quick kick to his face with her right foot and followed it with a kick from her left. He dropped her and she landed on her feet, giving her time to send a spinning kick to his knee. Once he was back on the ground, Cordelia jumped on top of him and punched him in the face once more.
The vampire smiled. "I never knew you liked being on top."
A rage ran through Cordelia like she had never known. She grasped his throat with her left hand and pulled the stake from her pants with her right. "Guess there's a lot about me you didn't know."
A moment later, all that was left was dust. She Wesley clapping, so Cordelia jumped up and smiled.
"Bravo! Bravo!" he applauded. "Excellent technique. I can't wait to record this in the Diary."
"Do you want to go do something? I'm feeling a little hungry."
They sat on the patio of a local restaurant, looking over their menus. Apparently, Cordelia had issued her stamp of approval on a select few establishments in Sunnydale.
"I'm thinking salad. What are you having?" Cordelia asked as she peered over the top of her menu at Wesley.
Not looking up, Wesley replied, "You do realize that having Slayer energy and strength means having a heightened metabolism as well?"
"Really? I burn fat faster?"
"Yes," Wesley said distractedly as he flipped the menu over. "Where is the tea on this menu?"
"Here comes the waiter." Cordelia smiled at the oncoming waiter, who sped up slightly.
"What can I get for you tonight?" he asked, ignoring Wesley.
"Do you have tea? Not ice tea, but tea like the English drink?"
"Of course," the waiter said, admiring Cordelia.
"Great. My friend here will have that, and I'll have a glass of water. Oh, and two hamburgers."
"Right away," he said, taking their menus.
Wesley suspiciously watched him walk away, then leaned forward. "Do you know him?"
"The waiter?"
"Yes—he seemed rather taken with you," Wesley said, attempting to hide the jealousy that was bubbling up in him.
"No, but I get that kind of thing all the time. It's because of the parents," she said casually.
"Somehow I doubt that," Wesley said, surprising himself.
Cordelia smiled. "But you know—I did know the guy I killed tonight."
Wesley's eyes grew wide. "Cordelia! Please whisper when you speak about these things."
She rolled her eyes, then lowered her voice. "Well, I wouldn't say I knew him, knew him. But he was a senior. A/V club geek."
"And the people you saved tonight?"
"Ugh. The bottom of the food chain. Don't worry about them. They'll keep quiet."
"What makes you so sure?" inquired Wesley.
Cordelia scoffed. "Number one, no one is going to believe that there was vampire in the graveyard. This is Sunnydale, Land of Denial. Number two, who's going to believe that Cordelia Chase was fighting a vampire in the cemetery."
Wesley sighed. "I still think you should speak to them about confidentiality."
"Ew. Not on your life."
Wesley was about to speak when the waiter came back with their food. Cordelia tore into hers.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've had one of these?" she said between bites. "I've been living on salads and water since I was thirteen."
"Yes, absolutely. The upside to becoming the Slayer is not the good you can do for humanity, but the calories you can burn," Wesley disapproved.
Cordelia shrugged. "I'm not saying I didn't enjoy killing that vampire. I'm just saying that hamburgers are an added bonus."
"Ah," was all that Wesley could muster. He was completely enchanted by her.
"Let me just tell you," Cordelia said after sipping her water, "how good it felt to plant that stake right in that geek's chest. That will show him to underestimate me."
"Weren't you frightened at all?"
"Maybe when I first saw him rise, but then it was like my blood began to run faster, you know? And that's when I knew I was going to win."
"Cordelia, I must say..." Wesley began, but she gave him no chance.
"Call me Cordy, OK? But no, I have no reason to be afraid. I'm the Chosen One, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"No, no buts. Vamps should tremble before me. 'Cause I'll kill them dead. Deader, even." Cordelia's jaw set and her eyebrow arched.
Wesley felt unsure about her attitude. Still, she had asked him to call her Cordy....
"Your confidence and conduct in this situation is exemplary. I'm quite pleased, and I'm sure the Council will be as well. We've never had anyone so...eager to fight the forces of evil."
"A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, right?" She said as she reached across the table and touched his hand. "It's not training with you is such a big pain. It's nice...having someone who's actually interested in me, and not my money or my popularity. And you've got some pretty interesting things to say yourself, for a guy who thinks tweed is a seasonless fabric."
She smiled that smile again and squeezed his hand. Wesley cleared his throat.
"Likewise. These past few days have been an absolute pleasure."
Cordelia removed her hand from his and raised her glass.
"Here's to us, then. May we have lots of fun and kick plenty of demon butt."
Wesley smiled and picked up his cup of tea. "Here, here."
As their glasses touched, he was sure he saw her wink at him.
END