They made their way through the crowd and found Xander and Tatum at the same table with some drinks.

"Hey!" the couple greeted.

"Willow! You made it!" said Xander, pulling a stool up beside him.

"Yeah. I've been here since seven." she said a little downheartedly, "You know? When we said we'd meet."

"What's with the sour puss?" Xander asked, his eyes never leaving the brunette seated beside him, "I'm here now."

"So Willow." said Buffy, trying to take her attention from Xander and Tatum, "You dating anyone?"

"Erm...not really. I don't date a whole lot. When I'm with a boy I like it's hard for me to say anything cool or witty, or at all. I can usually make a few vowel sounds, but then I have to go away."

"It's not that bad!" laughed Buffy.

"It must be easy for you." said Willow.

"Yeah...real easy." sighed Buffy, looking into her glass and twirling her straw."

"I mean, you don't seem too shy." Willow said quickly, "I think guys like a girl who can talk."

"You really haven't been dating lately!" said Buffy smiling, "My philosophy...do you wanna hear my philosophy?"

"I do!" replied Willow with wide eyes.

"Life is short. Not original I'll grant you, but it's true. Why waste time being all shy over some guy and if he's gonna laugh at you? Seize the tomorrow, you could be dead."

"That's nice." said Willow genuinely, nodding her head.

A tall boy with dark hair came up to their table.

"Jesse!" said Willow, "Hey! This is Buffy and Tatum –"

"New girls!" said Jesse, pointing at the girls.

"Hi." said Buffy.

As Xander whispered in Tatum's ear, she let out a loud giggle. She tapped Xander playfully on the arm. He yelped out in pain.

"Hey!" said Jesse, pulling a seat up to the table and sitting on Tatum's other side.

"Hi." Tatum replied, "Jesse, right?"

"Yep –" he said, but stopped mid-sentence as Cordelia Chase sauntered past the table.

He jumped to his feet and jogged after her and her quick-paced posse.

"Jesse in love with the world's most poisonous, vicious, sluttish, annoying, degrading –"

"I think they get it Xander." Willow cut him off, placing a gentle hand on his knee, then turning to the two girls, "Cordelia Chase...she's the most popular girl in school."

"That's all you had to say Xander." said Buffy, "Explains everything."

"Except the fact that she's Xander's step sister." said Willow with a small smile.

Buffy and Tatum left the Bronze that night in high spirits. Buffy, because she'd made some friends and was finally feeling like herself for the first time since she had started school. Being the most popular girl in school was like having an opinion that suited everyone, and it was hard work. Tatum was happy because she was finally feeling like a normal teenage girl; she had friends, she had her dad, she had a social life that didn't involve crowding around a smuggled magazine bitching about less fortunate girls in her school. Plus, she decided she had a little crush on Xander!

The two girls walked in amicable silence. Suddenly, they both stopped dead in their tracks. A hand shot out of the dark and grabbed Tatum's throat from behind, lifting her off of her feet. The girl began to choke. Buffy swirled around to help her and someone put their arms around her, squeezing hard to press on her windpipe. Buffy elbowed him in the face and spun him around so he flipped on his back. She half expected half wanted, to see the guy from the alley on the floor again, but instead stared into wild, yellow eyes and saw sharp fangs bear from a large, spitting mouth, as the vampire got to his feet. She got into a fighting stance, and aimed a piercing kick at the vampire's chest.

Meanwhile, Tatum had struggled with her attacker. Being throttled, she had swung her legs aimlessly and managed to connect with their knees. They fell to the floor, one in pain, one gasping for breath. Tatum crawled away blindly, desperate to escape her attacker when she was so weakened. They grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her around, her bare legs scraping against the harsh concrete floor before she connected with a wall. Tatum looked up and saw, as she had rightly guessed, a vampire standing before her, its demonic visage in full splendor.

Buffy turned from the beaten vampire to see Tatum crawling from her assailant. She decided to finish up here and help her out.

"You'll die, Slayer!" the vampire growled, getting to his feet.

"Ah! Oh no! Please don't kill me!" Buffy said sarcastically, as she whipped out her stake, "You've really got me with that sentence. How ever will I get out of this one?"

The vampire opened his mouth to speak, but only uttered a gurgling sound, as Buffy's stake plunged straight through his heart. She ripped it from his body and he turned instantly to dust.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Buffy stopped in her path towards Tatum and the other vampire, and swirled around to see a shaken Xander and a startled Willow. Buffy opened her mouth to say something but Tatum's scream rang out as the vampire standing above her grabbed her off of the floor by her shoulders and held her against the wall. Buffy made for her friend and the blonde, female vampire but Tatum composed herself, kicking the vamp in the leg and falling to the floor. Tatum stood up and threw a few punches to her head, sending her back. Buffy moved forward and staked the blonde through the back, and was face to face with Tatum as the dust settled.

"Ok. I have to say this again...what the fuck?" said Xander, walking towards the girls.

"Why were they trying to hurt you?" asked Willow in a small voice.

"Because they were bad people." said Tatum quickly.

"Lucky you had those pointy sticks, eh?" said Xander, "For poking bad people with."

"What was wrong with their faces?" Willow asked.

"Just in dire need of a facial." replied Tatum, with a big smile.

"Yeah. And them turning to dust...just a trick of the light!" said Buffy, plastering a fake smile across her face like Tatum.

"Yeah...and the Mayor of Sunnydale is a century year old soulless fiend!" scoffed Xander.

Buffy and Tatum exchanged looks.

"Maybe we should go to the library..."