Chapter 2: Rainbows come AFTER the Rain.
Diclaimer and everything on the prologue - Pain. Definition of my Life.
The next morning, I woke up to the phone ringing. It was my own phone, because I hated sharing a phone that was in his name. So I chose to purchase my own phone, smart right? Right. Except now Willow calls every morning at precisely 6 am to wake me up. "Grr..." I mumbled sitting up and picking the phone up? "Hello?" I ask the phone receiver, sounding tired and sleepy.
"Hey Buffy!" Willow's voice comes loud and perky. Damn morning girls.
"Hey, Wills, you do realize Ted will have my ass if you keep calling this early EVERY morning. It may be my phone, but their room is only down the hall. And believe me, he has no troubles kicking my ass." I gingerly touch the crusted over blood on my cheek. He had really let me have it last night, thinking I was a whore. Mom tried to contradicte him, saying I was at the library again, so he hit her too. He really doesn't like me, and mom's to scared to leave him. But, getting back to the conversation, I could actually hear Willow wince.
"Hold on." She says, as I hear the phone click. More than likely she's calling Xander on the other line, and inviting him for a three-way conversation. Lately, or rather everytime Ted gets in his moods, we have a three-way talk at 6 am, before Ted and Mom wake up. Hearing the click again, Willow says, "Hey Buffy. Xander's here too."
Taking his cue, he announced his prescense, "Hey, Buff. Sorry about you-know-who. How bad this time?" he asks, the love and devotion to me shining in his voice. Willow and I are his girls, and so is Dawn, my little sister, to some extent. But he loves me, and Willow loves him, and I love Spike. Also, Dawn loves Xander too, aren't we totally screwed up?
"Not that bad, Xand. He cut my lip, and bruised my right eye. Also almost disjointed my left arm, but it's not my right so I can still write. But I'm fine, and so is Dawn, she stayed at Janice's last night." I say, confidently, but wincing at the pain of holding the phone up.
Willow sighed into the reciever. "Good, but I still don't like you staying there. Today's Friday, so why don't we have a sleepover at my place. Xand you can come too. We'll watch indian videos, talk sex, and eat popcorn. What do you say?"
"GET THE FUCK OFF THE PHONE! YOUR GROUNDED YOUNG LADY!" Came Ted's booming voice from outside my door. BANG BANG BANG, Ted's fists on my door. I wince, seeing little splinters fly off, onto my carpet. "Thank god that's not my head." I say into the phone, in a whisper. "Told you he can hear. He's like freaky that way. But, I have to go, talk more at school. Library meet you there." I whispered, even lower, as Willow and Xander say good-bye and I hung up.
(At School that morning)
Walking into the library I notice it's even quieter then usual. The thing about our library is it's part of the computer lab, so Giles runs the library part, and Miss Jenny Calender - Giles' girlfriend, but we're not supposed to know - runs the other half. Usually around this time, there's kids running in and out, trying to get to class and have their homework finished that they didn't do because of a date or a party, but today ... nadda.
"Giles? Miss Calender? Anyone?" I call, setting my shoulder-bag on the counter and hopping up onto our usual table, sucking on my cherry lollypop.
Rupert Giles, the 48 year old librarian, came from behind a stack with his glasses slightly askew, and followed by Miss Calender, she's 35, straightening her dress. "Yes, good, I think that'll work nicely, Jenny." Giles said, blushing furiously.
I laugh as they both turned 16 shades of red. "I may be 14, but I'm a freshman here and I know these things. Being in grade 10 does not mean I'm stupid you know?" - You may be thinking, She's in grade 10? But yes, I am. I got skipped ahead a year, because in my other school I was top average, then moved here and was skipped to grade 5, but my grades have dropped since starting high school, and Willow's the brainy one. -
Giles cleaned his glasses, again, and coughed deeply. Then walking over to Buffy he finally noticed the bruise and cut. "Oh dear. Are you okay, Buffy?"
I looked down, but was saved from answering by the arrival of Xander and Willow, followed by ... Spike? "Hey guys! And Spike, fancy actually seeing you in here." I say snarkily to him, still kinda mad that he ran over my foot, and upset over everything that happened last night.
Willow ran over and traced the cut lightly with her fingers. Hugging me she sighed, "Oh Buffy. Please say you won't go home tonight."
I shook my head, "I'll come over. I already told Mom, and Ted doesn't need to know. Plus, I never pass up a once in a lifetime oppurtunity like talking sex while watching Indian movies." All three of us laughed, and Spike shook his head.
"Dad, I need your help. I have this project due in a week for History and I can't find anything on the internet about something called the," He looked down at the paper in his hands, "Concordat." He finished, looking at his father pleadingly.
"I'm busy right now," Giles began and I snickered catching Miss Calender's eye, "But I'm sure Buffy would love to help you," he finished, eyeing me and smirking.
"BUT GILES!" I nearly yelled, then seeing his smirk, plastered a fake plastic smile on my face and grumbled all the way up the stairs, Spike following.
Getting to the top, he looked slightly uncomfortable, "I don't exactly know what I did wrong last night -" he began, but I cut him off.
"Nothing. You only ran over my foot. But that's not what pissed me off." I didn't elaborate, and hoped he wouldn't persist in that topic. No such luck.
"What did then?" He asked, pulling out a few books on the Mi'kmaw natives, and sitting on the floor, leafing through them, well keeping on eye on me.
Feeling compelled to answer, I sat beside him and started leafing through books too, but not really paying attention. "My step-dad. He hates me, and my little sister, Dawn. Luckily Dawn was at her friend Janice's last night, or he would have -" I cut myself off sniffling again. Seems that's all I did around him, that and yell.
"Would have what?" He asked, gently, seeming to be really interested as he put his book down.
"He would have hit her too. Like he hit me and my mom." I replied, speaking softly and fighting back tears. I pointed to my face, and he realized then why I was all beat up, when I wasn't when he was with me last night.
"Oh." Was all he said, feeling uncomfortable again, but also sympathetic towards my pain. "Why-why does he do that? Was he drunk or something?"
I laughed bitterly, "I only wish he was drunk, then maybe he would have a reason for all those times beating my family. But no, he never touches alcohol, he was just really pissed last night." I looked down, feeling uncomfortable myself, but also like I could say anything right then, and he would understand. "He says I'm a little whore, and that's where I was last night. Whoring."
Spike moved closer to me, and put his arm around my shoulder. He's a lot bigger, because he's 16, and a Sophomore. "Buffy, luv, I know what's it like. My real father," I gasped a little, I didn't know Giles was not Spike's dad, "beat me and my mum. Then she got the courage and left, and re-married 2 years later, to my dad." He finished, strongly, and I got a feeling he really loved Giles. "They divorced a year ago, though, but Giles is still my dad." I was actually kind of glad he added that, because I knew Miss Calender was not Spike's mom. "So I kept his last name for my own. Mum and Dad were together for 4 years, and they met when I was 9, even before Alex and Mum broke up. So I always kind of knew Dad, but then I loved him when he helped mum get over that scumbag, and really trust guys again."
His story made my own life seem so.... different. My mom was to scared to leave Ted, and my real dad, Hank, was off in Italy with his secretary and I haven't even told him about the beating. "Oh. Wow." I said lamely, thinking of nothing else to say. Smiling at him, I stood up. "Thanks for making me feel a little better. I'll catch you later, good luck with your project." I smiled again, and walked off, stopping at the stacks, I threw the book I was carrying back. "Chapter 57, Page 1026. All about the Concordat." I smirked at him and walked back to join Willow and Xander. "Come on guys, don't want to be late for class. See yah Giles and Miss Calender!" I called, knowing they wouldn't hear me, because they were in the 'office', none of us would actually step into that room anymore.
Walking out of the library, Willow nudged me, "You were back there an awful long time, Buff." She said, smirking slightly, but for Willow it came out really shy.
I laughed, "Nothing like that, unfortunately, just talking. And I helped him find some information on the Concordat." I looked innocently around, smiling at Willow and Xander.
Xander sighed, "So nothing happened right? That's good, Spike's so not right for you, Buffy. He's mean, and cruel, and hangs out with all the wrong people. You can do a lot better." He looked defiant and pleading, really really wanting me to date him.
"Yes, Xand, nothing happened. Just a little talking, that's all."
"Good." He said again, really liking that nothing happened.
Willow sighed, sadly. It was hard loving a guy that was in love with someone else. "See, Xander, there's still hope yet." She said mockingly, sharing a laugh with me.
Xander hmmphed, and I hugged him. "Aww, Xander, I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way about you. You know that." I smiled sadly at him, and he hugged me.
Sitting at our usual spot in English, at the back, we passed notes all class, mostly talking about Ted and a way to get away from him, because Dawn and me couldn't stay at our friend's house forever, and we also couldn't leave mom with him alone. It was bad enough they were sleeping in the same bed.
A/N how are you liking it so far? it's already processed in my head, but the details and making chapters longer is taking me some time to post. So sorry for not posting sooner! Keep R&Ring I would love to know your thoughts! I can't write without a little outside encouragement you know!