Chapter 22
"And, if you will now all please stop writing and place your pens on the desk. I remind you that you are still under exam conditions and are to remain silent and seated until all of the papers have been collected in."
The examiner droned on and Buffy filtered it our, the relief lifting her above it.
Finally she thought. My last exam over. No more studying until next year. Buffy smiled and tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk, which earned her an annoyed glare from the woman who was collecting in the papers.
She hated this part of exams - the waiting at the end. She thought enviously of all of her friends, who had already finished their exams days ago. Only Buffy had landed an exam on the morning of the last day of the university year. Everyone else was at the flat getting ready to go to the summer ball that was being held on campus that night.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, they were dismissed and Buffy practically flew from the room.
When she reached her car she smiled as she saw the familiar figure lounging against the passenger door.
"You took your time" he grinned.
"Yeah, well - you know how long it takes these exam-types to do everything once it finishes." Buffy shrugged and unlocked the car. "You ready to go?"
"Ready and waitin'," he indicated the bag he was holding, which obviously contained his tux for that night. "Have DJ, will travel - jus' waitin' for you, pet - as always!"
"Just get in the car!" Buffy growled.
It had been decided that they would go to the ball as a group, rather than as couples as Spike, Buffy and Oz were single. Somewhere along the line it had also been decided that everyone would get ready together. Buffy wasn't sure how her flat had been volunteered for the venue, but it had and she decided she could go along with that.
She glanced briefly at the bottle blonde in the passenger seat and smiled to herself. He had been right, in the last few weeks - once she'd stopped avoiding him - it hadn't been awkward at all. They'd fallen back into an easy friendship, albeit an incredibly flirtatious one.
But tonight was the last night of term. It all seemed to be going by so quickly - it really didn't seem almost two years ago that she'd started here, but it was and she had to face the fact that next year would be her final year. Her thoughts flew back to her friends at college in the States - they were barely half way through their courses and she couldn't get used to the fact that she'd finish her degree a whole year ahead of them.
Tomorrow she was headed back to Sunnydale for the summer and when she came back in the autumn, Spike would have graduated and moved away. She sighed a little sadly and Spike, as if reading her thoughts, reached across silently and squeezed her hand.
By the time they had pulled up outside the flat, Buffy's spirits had picked back up again - tonight was about having fun - tomorrow would take care of itself.
Buffy turned from side to side, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled happily as she watched the way the blue silk dress clung to her curves in all the right places, stopping just above a pair of strapped, silver-heeled sandals that gave her the few extra inches that she craved so much. Her hair was piled high on her head, exposing the sweep of her neck, which was decorated only by the horseshoe pendant that had been a gift from Dawn. She sprayed on some of her favourite perfume and reapplied her lipstick before joining the others in the hallway to wait for the taxi, which was due any minute now.
She examined the group that was already there - Willow in a long, emerald green gown standing, talking animatedly with Tara, who was dressed in a black satin dress which fell to just below the knee, and Anya, in her short, red silk dress. The guys were standing off to one side, discussing the gig they had been to the week before, all dressed immaculately in their DJs. She smiled to herself as she watched the people who formed her closest friends and decided that there may have been some bad times this year, but right now she couldn't have been happier.
Should have known it wouldn't last she thought to herself as the door to the upstairs flat opened. She'd managed to avoid Riley quite successfully in the last couple of months since they'd split up- especially considering that he only lived upstairs - but she could here his voice coming from the flat and knew that she'd have to face him any minute.
Spike had known when Buffy had joined them in the hallway even though he had his back to her - he had smelt her perfume as she left the flat. He resisted the urge to turn around and look at her, knowing that he'd give away his feelings if he even glanced her way for the simple reason that he wouldn't be able to just do that. He knew that he would have to stare. So he concentrated on what Oz was saying about amps, trying to follow the conversation, but with half his mind on the girl standing on the other side of the room.
He heard the door to the upstairs flat open and the voices emanate from inside and he immediately stopped pretending to listen to the conversation and turned to face her. He took an instant to admire how beautiful she looked, but she had turned a little pale and her eyes were fixed on the still empty stairwell. He started to walk up to her, but stopped when he heard the sound of feet coming down the stairs.
Riley came down, followed by his friends, and stopped when he entered the hallway. He looked at Buffy, took a breath and walked over.
"Hi," he said, a little awkwardly.
"Hi."
"You look fabulous - but then you always did." He said, gazing down at her.
"Thanks," Buffy said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Can we talk?" he asked, looking around at her friends.
"What, now?"
"Yeah - I need to discuss something with you." Buffy nodded her consent and they moved off into a corner. Riley took a deep breath.
"I've been offered a scholarship - a chance to study in Australia next year."
"Right."
"I'd stay if I had a reason to." he added hopefully. Buffy stared at him.
"I'm not quite following you."
"We could try to work things out."
"Oh,"
Spike watched the couple out of the corner of his eye; he couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched for any signs that she might need help. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding when Riley walked away and he and his friends left.
Buffy looked over at him and he gave her a look that telegraphed 'are you all right?' She smiled at him and beckoned him over.
"You okay, pet?" She smiled at him, obviously trying to hold back a laugh.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay, what's the joke? What'd I miss?"
"He asked if I wanted to get back together - said he was 'willing to give me another chance'." She couldn't hold back the laughter now.
"I take it you didn't fall into his arms and live happily ever after then?" Spike said dryly. Buffy just looked at him as if he was mad, before dissolving back into a fit of laughter.
"God, no! He was all, 'I have a chance of a lifetime, but I'll give it all up for you if you ask me to'. It was really weird - I honestly think that he thought I'd come running back if I thought he wasn't going to be around! Unfortunately, I had to break it to him that when I said it was over, I meant it. So, I wished him luck abroad next year and said goodbye."
"So, you'll probably never see him again?"
"Probably not, but I think I can live with that." Spike tried to hold back the look of sheer relief that threatened to pass over his face. She might have already told him that he had no chance with her, but he was nothing if not stubborn and as long as she was single, he'd have hope.
"And, if you will now all please stop writing and place your pens on the desk. I remind you that you are still under exam conditions and are to remain silent and seated until all of the papers have been collected in."
The examiner droned on and Buffy filtered it our, the relief lifting her above it.
Finally she thought. My last exam over. No more studying until next year. Buffy smiled and tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk, which earned her an annoyed glare from the woman who was collecting in the papers.
She hated this part of exams - the waiting at the end. She thought enviously of all of her friends, who had already finished their exams days ago. Only Buffy had landed an exam on the morning of the last day of the university year. Everyone else was at the flat getting ready to go to the summer ball that was being held on campus that night.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, they were dismissed and Buffy practically flew from the room.
When she reached her car she smiled as she saw the familiar figure lounging against the passenger door.
"You took your time" he grinned.
"Yeah, well - you know how long it takes these exam-types to do everything once it finishes." Buffy shrugged and unlocked the car. "You ready to go?"
"Ready and waitin'," he indicated the bag he was holding, which obviously contained his tux for that night. "Have DJ, will travel - jus' waitin' for you, pet - as always!"
"Just get in the car!" Buffy growled.
It had been decided that they would go to the ball as a group, rather than as couples as Spike, Buffy and Oz were single. Somewhere along the line it had also been decided that everyone would get ready together. Buffy wasn't sure how her flat had been volunteered for the venue, but it had and she decided she could go along with that.
She glanced briefly at the bottle blonde in the passenger seat and smiled to herself. He had been right, in the last few weeks - once she'd stopped avoiding him - it hadn't been awkward at all. They'd fallen back into an easy friendship, albeit an incredibly flirtatious one.
But tonight was the last night of term. It all seemed to be going by so quickly - it really didn't seem almost two years ago that she'd started here, but it was and she had to face the fact that next year would be her final year. Her thoughts flew back to her friends at college in the States - they were barely half way through their courses and she couldn't get used to the fact that she'd finish her degree a whole year ahead of them.
Tomorrow she was headed back to Sunnydale for the summer and when she came back in the autumn, Spike would have graduated and moved away. She sighed a little sadly and Spike, as if reading her thoughts, reached across silently and squeezed her hand.
By the time they had pulled up outside the flat, Buffy's spirits had picked back up again - tonight was about having fun - tomorrow would take care of itself.
Buffy turned from side to side, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled happily as she watched the way the blue silk dress clung to her curves in all the right places, stopping just above a pair of strapped, silver-heeled sandals that gave her the few extra inches that she craved so much. Her hair was piled high on her head, exposing the sweep of her neck, which was decorated only by the horseshoe pendant that had been a gift from Dawn. She sprayed on some of her favourite perfume and reapplied her lipstick before joining the others in the hallway to wait for the taxi, which was due any minute now.
She examined the group that was already there - Willow in a long, emerald green gown standing, talking animatedly with Tara, who was dressed in a black satin dress which fell to just below the knee, and Anya, in her short, red silk dress. The guys were standing off to one side, discussing the gig they had been to the week before, all dressed immaculately in their DJs. She smiled to herself as she watched the people who formed her closest friends and decided that there may have been some bad times this year, but right now she couldn't have been happier.
Should have known it wouldn't last she thought to herself as the door to the upstairs flat opened. She'd managed to avoid Riley quite successfully in the last couple of months since they'd split up- especially considering that he only lived upstairs - but she could here his voice coming from the flat and knew that she'd have to face him any minute.
Spike had known when Buffy had joined them in the hallway even though he had his back to her - he had smelt her perfume as she left the flat. He resisted the urge to turn around and look at her, knowing that he'd give away his feelings if he even glanced her way for the simple reason that he wouldn't be able to just do that. He knew that he would have to stare. So he concentrated on what Oz was saying about amps, trying to follow the conversation, but with half his mind on the girl standing on the other side of the room.
He heard the door to the upstairs flat open and the voices emanate from inside and he immediately stopped pretending to listen to the conversation and turned to face her. He took an instant to admire how beautiful she looked, but she had turned a little pale and her eyes were fixed on the still empty stairwell. He started to walk up to her, but stopped when he heard the sound of feet coming down the stairs.
Riley came down, followed by his friends, and stopped when he entered the hallway. He looked at Buffy, took a breath and walked over.
"Hi," he said, a little awkwardly.
"Hi."
"You look fabulous - but then you always did." He said, gazing down at her.
"Thanks," Buffy said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Can we talk?" he asked, looking around at her friends.
"What, now?"
"Yeah - I need to discuss something with you." Buffy nodded her consent and they moved off into a corner. Riley took a deep breath.
"I've been offered a scholarship - a chance to study in Australia next year."
"Right."
"I'd stay if I had a reason to." he added hopefully. Buffy stared at him.
"I'm not quite following you."
"We could try to work things out."
"Oh,"
Spike watched the couple out of the corner of his eye; he couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched for any signs that she might need help. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding when Riley walked away and he and his friends left.
Buffy looked over at him and he gave her a look that telegraphed 'are you all right?' She smiled at him and beckoned him over.
"You okay, pet?" She smiled at him, obviously trying to hold back a laugh.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay, what's the joke? What'd I miss?"
"He asked if I wanted to get back together - said he was 'willing to give me another chance'." She couldn't hold back the laughter now.
"I take it you didn't fall into his arms and live happily ever after then?" Spike said dryly. Buffy just looked at him as if he was mad, before dissolving back into a fit of laughter.
"God, no! He was all, 'I have a chance of a lifetime, but I'll give it all up for you if you ask me to'. It was really weird - I honestly think that he thought I'd come running back if I thought he wasn't going to be around! Unfortunately, I had to break it to him that when I said it was over, I meant it. So, I wished him luck abroad next year and said goodbye."
"So, you'll probably never see him again?"
"Probably not, but I think I can live with that." Spike tried to hold back the look of sheer relief that threatened to pass over his face. She might have already told him that he had no chance with her, but he was nothing if not stubborn and as long as she was single, he'd have hope.