The Gypsy 5: Concern

Spike really didn't have any strong feelings against Dawn. She was a cute kid. But did he really have to go to her party? The answer he knew would be yes. "Oh to be 18 and free" he thought.

.......

Sunday afternoon rolled around and Joyce busied herself with frosting Dawn's cake. Dawn ran around the house with one of her young friends who she'd been allowed to invite over for the day. Buffy walked into the kitchen with Willow and Xander.

"That cake looks great, Mrs. Summers." Willow sat up on a bar stool. Xander leaned against the counter "So I hate to ask but when are the other guests and by other I mean Spike coming?"

Joyce put the finishing touches on her cake and handed the rest of the frosting over to the teens. "Around 6 then we can order some pizza."

Dawn and her little friend joined everyone in the kitchen "Mom can we put M & Ms on the cake?"

.....

The evening was pretty uneventful. Buffy and her friends hung out eating pizza and talking. Dawn and her friend ran round, spied on the older kids, and generally tried to get Spike's attention. Spike busied himself counting all the things he'd rather be doing. Joyce and Rupert sat and talked enjoying the company of a peer.

The pizza came and was eaten, without much cause. Except that Buffy spoke up about Spike lack of appetite when it came to the food "What, Do they not have pizza in England?"

"Don't be stupid, there's pizza. I just don't want any." Spike sipped the Sprite he had been nursing all night.

"Don't you like Ham and Pineapple?" Xander asked with his mouth full. Spike didn't know if he liked it or not he had never had it, but the thought of it at that moment made his stomach queasy.

"Hey we should go over to the school. Classes start in like a week. They might have homerooms posted." Willow as usual was over zealous about the beginning of school. Xander and Buffy both agreed that it wasn't a bad idea. The evening was still young and it was really nice outside, plus it would get them away from Dawn and her friend.

"Do you want to walk over to the high school Spike?" Willow asked. Once the question was posed a few thoughts passed through Spike's mind though he didn't let them show on his face. In the end he decided probably against his initial instincts to go along, at least he wouldn't be sitting in this house anymore.

"Yeah, sure, alright."

"Mom we're going to walk over to the High School." Buffy called into the kitchen, hoping that Dawn was out of ear shot.

"Alright Buffy, don't be too long. We'll have cake in a little bit."

"Ok, mom."

........

The high school was a few blocks from the Summer's house. Spike's boots thudded against the pavement out of time with the others who were walking lively and laughing. They others didn't notice that the Summer's neighborhood had lots of big trees and quaint houses; it was an all American street. They had lived here all their lives, why should they notice? Spike on the other hand recalled all the slums and poverty stricken places he'd lived while growing up constantly on the move. "Bloody hell I've walked into leave it to beaverville."

.........

"I'm amazed William chose to go with the other children to the school." Rupert sat in the living room with Joyce.

"Maybe they hit it off this time." Joyce was optimistic that all of the children were getting along. She hadn't heard too much complaining out of Buffy this time.

"The school is only a couple blocks from here right?" Rupert looked nervously out the window.

"Yes. Don't worry he'll be fine."

.......

"Well it looks like it's going to be me and Willow, and Xander and Spike." Buffy read the list of homerooms that was posted on the front door of the school.

"Great!" Willow and Buffy were very happy with the arrangements. Xander and Spike on the other hand weren't so thrilled.

There was really nothing to see after the list so they started to head back to Buffy's house, but before they left the campus Xander spotted something of interest: a new fenced off construction area in the back of the school.

"Hey guys what do you think that is?" Xander started head over in the construction site's direction.

"Maybe it's that greenhouse the Ag. Department wanted?" Willow offered.

"I don't know. Maybe it's a new equipment shed." Buffy followed Xander.

"Guys what do you think you're doing?" Willow didn't like the way things were going. She and Spike followed Buffy and Xander.

When they got to the fence it was Xander who decided to climb it and Buffy who didn't want to be left out of the adventure. Willow stayed where she was.

"Guys really, you shouldn't be doing this!" Willow was biting her lip now.

Xander reached the top of the fence first and looked back down.

"Aren't you coming?" He asked the punk he decidedly thought of as the bleached wonder.

"Naw, I really think you should listen to Red on this one." Spike hated not being able to follow but he was obvious, painfully obvious of his limitation at the present moment and didn't feel like doing something stupid.

"Are you scared?" Buffy taunted in her "what is your problem" voice.

"I'm not scared."

"Then why are you on the ground and I'm up here?" Buffy asked him like he must have been the stupidest person in the world. She didn't give him time to answer before she dropped to the ground on the other side of the fence and ran off to find Xander in the skeletal building.

"OH Dear." Willow was torn now between doing what was right and following her friends in on their mischief. She opted to stay with Spike who had sat down in the grass and was huffing over being called a scared.

"You could go in you know. You don't have to stay out here with me. I don't think anyone will catch them." Willow sat beside him.

"I don't really want to. What's in there some wood and nails, probably a few empty soda cans. Who cares?" Willow nodded her head in agreement, but she noticed Spike out of the corner of her eye he looked very much like someone who cared.

To be continued...