Chapter Seven - Trout, a Discussion.
A/N: Yes I nicked the trout conversation from BTVS, so sue me! Actually please don't…
"Absolutely nothing Mr. Giles," Buffy beamed, giving him her winning prom queen candidate grin.
Willow, next to Buffy, nodded with furious agreement.
"But Rayne…" Angel began angrily, before Buffy quickly interrupted him. Spike sent Angel a triumphant smile, "Asshole" Angel muttered to himself and scowled at his desk. Someone had scrawled in black marker pen 'Detention sucks!" Fair comment Angel thought.
"We were just having a…" She paused, trying to think of something believable, Angel shot her a miffed look. She just flashed him her winning smile. "A discussion!" She finished with a flourish and a hundred watts smile.
Giles stared at Buffy aghast, briefly wondering if the California dumb blonde myths were true.
"Really?" Giles queried with suspicion and utter disbelief. Wondering if they actually expected him to buy this abysmal story they had concocted.
"Yes," Buffy answered sounding slightly unsure of herself, as if she could back up this Giles thought.
Spike shot Buffy a curious look, he had not expected this, well, unexpected turn of events. Buffy Summers had finally done something vaguely interesting. Maybe he'd misjudged the blonde. Maybe that dumb plastic shell was a mask. And maybe the Pope wasn't catholic. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the front.
"What, may I ask, this heated discussion was concerning?" Giles asked, removing his glasses to polish them.
"Err…" Buffy haltered, her eyes darting around.
"Trout!" Willow burst out; it was the first think she had thought of. Well actually her first thought was "Oh my God we're gonna be in so much trouble" but she felt it wasn't appropriate to say out loud.
Everyone stared at her; Xander was desperately trying to hold back laughter as Spike gave her a devilish smirk, which made Willow blush furiously. Angel looked mildly confused by the sudden turn of events he was watching unfold; he'd expected everyone to turn on Spike Rayne. Buffy gave Willow a grateful smile and revised her opinion slightly on the red head. Oz, well he just gave Willow a little nod. It was kinda cool, Willow thought, being the centre of attention, in a good way not in the humiliating, people pointing and laughing kinda way, for a change.
"Trout?" Giles repeated. Biting back his own grin, despite of himself.
"Yes, it's a fish, y'know." Xander chirped. The way Xander figured it, if one got in trouble Synder was bound to find a way make them all suffer. So it was in his benefit to keep up this cover story, as stupid as this one was.
Oz gave an ever so minute nod of his head to confirm Xander's statement.
"I am aware of that." Giles said sharply, glaring at them.
Synder strode along the corridors of the school where he ruled supreme. Past the battered red lockers covered in graffiti and stickers advertising various bands and brands. He glared at the lockers; maybe he should ban the 'personalised' decoration that all those liberal councillors were always going on about. In his day nobody cared about mental and creative development, all this woolly minded hippie thinking about 'feelings' was not helping students, only hindering, Synder thought angrily to himself.
He paused in front of the library double doors; there was a muffled argument. Synder stood on his tiptoes to watch what was going on, he couldn't quite hear what was being said without giving his presence away. He could see that damn librarian, if only the school board didn't control the fire and hire procedure otherwise that librarian would be job hunting right now, Synder thought with an ugly scowl plastered across his pinched features.
"You do not honest believe I am buying this ridiculous story, now?" Giles said, tilting his head slightly gazing at the students. "Give me one good reason why I should not inform principal Synder of this incident."
No one answered.
At this exact same moment Synder decided to burst through the doors. An audible gasp of horror ran through the students. Giles turned around in surprise to find the principal glaring at him.
"How long have you been here Mr. Giles?" Synder snarled, venom practically dripping from his words, one excuse that's all he need and he was gonna be straight on to the school board. Then bye-bye dumb British librarian.
"Err ahh awhile" Giles hedged. He glanced at the students, then at Synder. "As you can ask the students, Mr. Synder."
Synder glared round at the teens, that cheerleader Buffy Summers had moved seats but apart from that they seemed to be up to nothing. He was sure they had done something, but what still alluded him but it was only a matter of time.
"You." Synder snapped, pointing at Willow. "Explain."
Willow eyes widened with fear, Synder gave her a twisted smirk he could still scare the hell out of these little delinquents.
Willow didn't know what to say. Well except the truth, which would be bad but the trout story would be worse. Well it was kinda true; they had been discussing trout, with Mr. Giles. She chewed her lip and swallowed hard, now or never Willow told herself. She looked directly at Synder.
"Trout!" She squeaked.
"What!" Synder bellowed.
"We were dis-dis-dis." Willow stuttered, shaking with fear.
"Well, spit it out girl!" Synder ground out between clenched teeth.
"Discussing trout, sir." Oz interrupted, he couldn't watch Synder rip Willow to pieces. She hadn't done anything. It wasn't fair; in fact it was damn out of line for Synder to bully her like that. He offered Willow a nod of solidarity.
"This is," Synder shook his fist. "Is the last time anything like this happens in MY school." He took his time to eyeball each of the students, individually. "Now Mr. Giles I believe with have a matter to discuss."
"Nothing happened," Spike muttered under his breath.
"If this happens again, I'm cracking skulls!" Synder said with a shake of his fist. And with that stormed out of the library, reluctantly Giles followed in Synder's wrath.
Clem, the janitor, stood out from behind the stacks. His dirty blonde hair hanging limply across his forehead dressed in the standard uniform of all janitors, dark blue shirt with faded blue jeans and workers boots.
He muttered quietly to himself, "Nothing ever changes."
High school had not changed since his day. The students had settled back down. Clem silently made his way down into the main area of the library, humming 'Changes' by David Bowie gently to himself; as he emptied the trash cans.
Clem could remember being their age, your entire future still ahead of you. So far ahead you didn't bother to worry about the what ifs and could've been. Until it was far too late to do anything. Sure, it worked out for a handful of them and but the rest, life would be nothing but one huge disappointment.
Clem paused at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wooden banister, surveying the group of teens. Idly wondering what their futures would hold, he could probably make an educated guess.
The jock; Clem noted the letterman jacket and quarterback build, would probably end up working as a car salesman. Drinking a little too much at the bar after work, just to so he can cope better with the wife and kids. He'll probably marry his high school sweetheart, with dreams of making pro but in reality he may have been good in a small town but he's only average in the football world.
The princess, blonde with an expensive outfit, she'll probably marry the quarterback in a shotgun wedding. She'd gain weight after having a couple of kids and spend the rest of her life dreaming of her glory days.
The criminal, Clem recognised him, he had got caught spraying graffiti on a school wall last month, would in no doubt end up serving time or dead before he turned twenty-one. Those types always did it was a cruel fact of life part.
The red headed girl, she'd escape, make something of herself, Clem didn't have a clue what she'd been but she wasn't gonna stick around Sunnydale forever. He'd seen her in the maths club meetings and not a single one of those kids ever remained here. Lucky bastards, he thought darkly.
The other two boys would end up working blue collar jobs, the same as most graduates from Sunnydale High. Work hard all their life, never achieving much, nice stable family, that kinda thing.
It was an interesting theory, Clem thought, maybe he'd be proved wrong but unless something happened, right now to change the paths they're following. He'd probably be right. With a shrug Clem returned to his work.
Giles told himself, and he waited for the inevitable.