Chapter twenty two- Tick Tock

"Now you have five minutes to finish up so go over your work properly looking for mistakes to correct and make sure you have attempted each of the questions," said Miss Scarletta.

Buffy looked over her test paper to see if she had made any mistakes but she couldn't see any. She was pretty confident with the answers she had written, so she made sure she had her name on the top of the paper and waited patiently at her desk. Buffy looked around her and everyone else had their heads down and were busily writing down their final answers.

Buffy sat their still in silence waiting for the five minutes to be up and she put her hand into her pocket, pulled out her new gold pocket watch and checked how long until it was time up.

"Time up people. Pens and pencils down. Make sure you have your name clearly on the paper at the top. Marcy and Cordelia, could you please collect the papers from everyone's desks?" asked Miss Scarletta.

"Yes Miss," replied Cordelia.

"Yes Miss," replied Marcy.

As Marcy walked past Buffy's desk and collected her test paper she left a note with Buffy's name on it. The note said: Meet at the Shady Hill Cemetery at 8:00pm tonight. Buffy looked around to see where Marcy was and she was nowhere in sight.

The bell for recess rang and everyone started to move out of class. Buffy followed everyone out the door of the classroom. As she walked through the door way she was stopped by Harmony.

"Hey have you seen Cordelia?" asked Harmony.

"Yeah, she was just in my last class," replied Buffy.

"Is she still in class or did she go to recess?"

"I'm not sure," answered Buffy.

"Oh okay, thanks. Oh also have you seen Marcy?"

"Yeah I saw her but then, then she disappeared.."

"Yeah well that's great Buffy, I got to go. Bye!" said Harmony.

"Hey Slayer!" yelled Jesse.

'Shh! You can't go around yelling things like that out," said Buffy.

"Oh sorry."

"It's okay, I suppose it's hard for you to get used to it all."

"Well it was a big thing to tell us Buffy," said Xander.

"Yeah I know. Sorry about not saying anything sooner, I feel really bad."

"Well don't feel bad okay." said Xander.

"I'll try not to."

"So any supernatural things going on around here?" asked Jesse.

"Umm yeah but can we go and talk about it somewhere else?"

"Sure, of course we can."

The three of them walked off to the playground for recess and Buffy told them all about what happened in class and the note.

The bell rang for class and the three of them went back into the classroom and sat down. They had to do history, even though it was Buffy favourite subject she was getting tired of it because she had done a lot of it at camp this year.

"So you gonna go tonight?" asked Jesse.

"I'm not sure, I don't know what I'll be getting myself into."

"Well you won't know until you go right? We can come with you in case something goes wrong," suggested Xander.

"If anyone is going I am, you guys won't be coming. If something goes wrong I might not be able to stop it and if I can't.. I don't think you will be able to either."

"What makes you think we aren't tough?" asked Jesse.

"I didn't say you weren't tough, I'm just saying if something you know … supernatural happens, you won't be able to stop it."

"We can be your back up."

"Jesse, stop it. You heard Buffy we aren't going, if anyone goes it will be Buffy."

"But I don't want Buffy to go alone."

"I don't either."

"Maybe you can come but you'd have to stay behind some bushes, stay in a safe place."

"Are you sure Buffy?" asked Xander.

"Let me have a think about it okay."

"Okay," replied Xander.

"Okay slayer."

"Hehehe Jesse!" said Buffy as she pushes him.

"Hey! That hurt hehehe," said Jesse.

"Served you right for saying slayer another time dude."

They went back to do their work on history and Buffy turned to the front of the room and she saw Lauretta, she blinked and rubbed her eyes, she saw her in the flesh. Lauretta smiled at Buffy and whispered, "Come tonight, I need to show you something."

Buffy turned around the boys and asked,

"Did you just see that girl?"

"Which girl?" asked Xander.

"That one right over there a minute ago."

"You mean Cordelia?" asked Jesse.

"No silly, Lauretta!" said Buffy.

"Whose Lauretta?"

"Yeah who is Lauretta? Is she in our year?" asked Xander.

"No she isn't in our year, she's from the past silly."

"Huh? I'm not understanding you," said Xander.

"Me either slayer."

"Jesse! It's not the time to mess around and calling me that. That girl I saw, she's from the past, I've seen her before. Did you guys see a girl over there before that you haven't seen before?"

"What was the girl wearing?" asked Jesse.

"Does it really matter what she was wearing?" asked Buffy.

"Yes it does."

"Okay she was wearing an old school dress, with patches on it and her shoes were all worn out and her hair was out, she has brown hair and green eyes. Does that help you?"

"Not really. Why was she wearing old clothes? Doesn't she have any money?" asked Jesse.

"Your stupid," said Xander.

"I'm not stupid."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not. Tell him Buffy, I'm not stupid," said Jesse.

"Your stupid," said Buffy.

"Hey!"

"I'm not stupid because I understand what Buffy is saying now. Jesse the girl wasn't poor well actually I don't know that, she wasn't wearing 'old' clothes she was wearing like olden day clothes, is that right Buffy?" asked Xander.

"Yes that's correct Xander, at least someone understands me now."

"Well sorry if I'm slow at understanding things," replied Jesse.

"It's alright, as long as you understand now, that's the main thing."

"When did you see her before?" asked Xander.

"In the summer, in a vivid dream and also as a ghost. I know from all experiences of seeing her she needs my help, she's called out for my help. She told me today she wants to show me something at the graveyard so I've decided I'm going to go even though I don't know what is there. I have to trust her because she helped me once, that's all I can count on so you guys still up for tonight?"

"So we're trusting a ghost?" asked Xander.

"Yes as weird as it may sound, we're trusting a ghost."

"Our lives depend on a ghost, right I understand, I'm not stupid no more."

"No your not stupid and yes our lives depend on a ghost," said Buffy.

"What shall we bring with us tonight?" asked Xander.

"I'll bring a stake for all of us just in case."

"But we don't know how to use one," added Jesse.

"I can show you guys at lunch okay, it's not that hard except for staking the heart part."

"So really how hard is it to stake a vamp?" asked Xander.

"Well I've only ever staked vampires once and it was really in a life or death situation, so it was pretty hard."

"How many did ya dust?" asked Jesse who was curious about this slayer stuff.

"Umm I don't know. I wasn't exactly counting at the time, I was concentrating on not dying."

"That's always good to think about when your fighting I bet," said Xander.

"Yep."

"I think maybe we should get back to our history work, we haven't done much and I don't think we want to see Miss. Scarletta angry," suggested Jesse.

"I think that's the first smart thing you've said today," said Xander.

"Hey!"

"Why wouldn't we want to see Miss Scarletta angry?" asked Buffy.

"Because it's not a pretty sight. That's what I've heard," replied Jesse.

"So what are you two going to do your history projects on?" asked Xander.

"I'm doing mine on war because they are just so cool man."

"I'm gonna do my project on something to do with England in the 1880's to the 1900's, I'm sure I'll find something interesting to do in that period of time."

"Why does that period of time interest you? Is there any particular reason why?" asked Xander.

"Yeah there is, at our old school in the library I found a book, I think it belonged to a Slayer, it was like a diary and it was set in that period of time."

"Does this girl Lauretta happen to relate to this book at all?" asked Xander.

"Yes she does, I think she wrote in the book, I think it was her diary."

"Do you have the book with you?" asked Xander.

"No not right now but I'll show you guys another time."

The three started work on their projects but all thinking about one thing, tonight.

Over the loud speaker, the principal announced an important message to all the students.

"Lately as you all know, there has been a decline in the death rate of residents in Sunnydale which is great news but it still doesn't mean it's safe to be wondering the streets at night or day. So the school is providing on Tuesdays after school for an hour a defence class for all ages. It will cost $9 a lesson so if you are interested come to the front office for a permission note. The school will also be encouraging more safety for everyone with all students learning more about safety and defence in pe. Good after to you all."

"Huh who needs a defence teacher when we have a professional defence gal right here," said Xander.

Buffy smiled and continued with her work but a thought did come to her mind, who was out there killing the demons and vampires making the death rate go down?

The bell rang for lunch; Buffy packed up her school stuff and went to her locker to get her stake out of her locker so she could show Xander and Jesse how to use it. At first Jesse was having trouble with the whole holding the stake but he finally got it. Buffy then showed them how they could use it in different circumstances. They were psyched up for tonight, for what might happen, for what they would discover.

They planned to meet at the Sun Cinema because it was pretty close to Shady Hill cemetery and it was close to where everyone lived.

"Your still dropping you shoulder Chloe, you have to watch that in future," said Juliette.

"I will watch it in future but it's hard, I'm only new at this, so do be so hard sis," replied Chloe.

"Where'd Portia go?" asked Juliette.

"She went after the vampire Julez," answered Chloe.

"I told her she couldn't handle that one yet and to let me deal with that one."

"I guess she's just eager to dust more vampires than you."

"A little 'too' eager if you ask me besides she'll never get to as many as me. I've been doing this for two years now."

"I'm back, did ya miss me?" asked Portia.

"I was worried where you had gone. You shouldn't run off like that," said Juliette concerned.

"Sorry sis. I just thought I was doing you a favour, dusting another vamp for ya. He was a real tricky one, tried to get my trapped in crypt but I got out, sucked in, now he's dust in the wind baby," replied Portia.

"Well that's great and all for dusting the vamp, you get your gold star for that but you loose it for nearly getting trapped, you could have been killed," said Juliette.

"Well guess what, I'm still here."

"She's right you know Portia, you should have just left the vampire to Julez, you could have died or gotten badly hurt," said Chloe.

"I'm glad one sister has some common sense. Now if any other vampires appear you guys stay back behind those bushes and I'll fight it," said Juliette.

"I was just trying to help."

"I know you were trying to but just leave it to the professional okay."

When Buffy, Xander and Jesse arrived at the graveyard they heard some girls talking so they rushed over to see what was happening in case they were in trouble but stayed hidden behind some bushes. The realised they weren't in trouble at all, they were training and patrolling for vampires. Buffy was just as surprised to see what she saw as Xander and Jesse were.

"Are those girls like what you are?" asked Jesse.

"Keep your voice done mate," said Xander.

"The older one is, Juliette. She said something about leaving the fighting to the professional and has been doing it for two years running."

"So she's a Slayer?" asked Jesse.

"Yes, the Slayer," replied Buffy.

"But aren't you the Slayer?" asked Xander.

"No, there's only one and she must be it. Not only do I know by what they have said I could just tell, it's an instinct, " explained Buffy.

"So what are you then if you're not a Slayer?" asked Xander confused.
"I'm a potential Slayer but I've been told many times that I'm going to be a future Slayer."

"Did they just go up to you and tell you that you're going to be a future Slayer?" asked Jesse.

"No, not exactly. Just different people have told me certain stuff and keep referring back to if you don't do this, if you don't do that, it will affect your future as a Slayer."

"Oh now I get it," replied Jesse.

"Me too."

"Did you hear that?" asked Juliette.

"Hear what?" asked Chloe.

"Voices," replied Juliette.

"What type of voices?" asked Chloe.

"Demon voices?" asked Portia.

"I don't think they were the demon kind more of a human kind to be exact."

"Where were they coming from?" asked Chloe.

"Near those bushes."

"Do you want me to go to see if it's a demon? I can fight it."

"It's not a demon. Didn't you hear? Julez doesn't think it was demon voices," replied Chloe.

"What do we do now?" asked Xander.

"Panic?" suggested Jesse.

"Or run? suggested Xander.

"None of the above. We have to move quietly and slowly to that crypt over there. Follow me."

Buffy lead them over the crypt safely and when the there young girls weren't looking they went inside.

"Now you two stay here, I don't want you following me, and Portia please stay, don't go off finding a demon to kill you."

"But.." said Portia.

"No buts," said Juliette.

" I'm going to go over to those bushes to see what I can find, you two just stay on guard. If something does appear just scream really loud."

Juliette went over to the bushes where she heard the voices coming from but was disappointed when she got there, there was no one. She searched around the tree and the other bushes but nothing. She looked around for possible places someone could have run off to.

Buffy told Xander and Jesse to stay inside the crypt until she came back, Buffy wanted to go see what this girl Juliette was up to.

Buffy crept out of the crypt door, trying not to be seen by Chloe and Portia.

"There! Over there! Get her!" screamed out Portia when she saw Buffy just outside the crypt.

"We have bigger problems sis, look over there," said Chloe.

Buffy looked over to where Chloe was pointing and a vampire appear, even Portia looked scared. Buffy looked in the direction of the bushes and she couldn't see or hear Juliette coming.

"Where's the stake Portia?" asked Chloe.

"Juliette took it. Find a try branch or something," suggested Portia.

"Juliette!" Chloe screamed out.

"No one is coming to rescue now girls," said the vampire.

"Yes they are," said Buffy as she attacked the vampire.

Xander and Jesse heard all the noise from inside the crypt and ran out to see what was going on and froze when the saw Buffy.

Buffy kept fighting the vampire until it fell over and knocked its head on the side of the crypt. Buffy run over to it and staked its heart. She dropped the stake looked at the two girls, looked over at her friends. Buffy told Xander and Jesse they had to go and the three of them ran off into the night.

"Thank you for saving our lives!" yelled out Chloe and Portia, but there was no reply from Buffy.

"Who was that girl?" asked Juliette.