Chapter Two

The bell rang and Buffy slipped in just in time. She rushed to her seat before the teacher turned around. Spike tapped on her shoulder.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't ya love?"

"Don't call me that, it makes my skin crawl."

"What would you prefer I call you? Honey? Darling?"

"How about you don't call me anything, because you won't talk to me? Ever." Buffy asked, looking back at him.

"Can't. What if I need to know what the homework was Friday?"

"Call up your little friend Xander. You two can fail together."

"Miss Summers and Mr.Giles," the teacher said sternly.

Buffy slowly turned. "Sorry Miss VanEttan."

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to teach arithmetic up here."

"I know, I'm sorry." Buffy smiled cautiously. After getting an upset response, she looked down at her desk.

In the library, Rupert Giles was trying to categorize some old texts. He kept looking back and forth from the book's descriptions and the genre list. His doors opened, revealing Spike and Xander.

"Hello Spike," Giles greeted, keeping his eyes on his work.

"Hey Dad." Spike hopped onto the counter Giles was working on.

Giles looked up when a book nearly fell on his hands. "What is it?" he asked.

"I got study hall. Figured I'd hang out with you."

"Lucky me." Giles went back to his work. He was getting confused. "How would you categorize this book?" he asked Spike.

Spike looked at it. "Under B."

"B?"

"For boring. I'm sorry Dad, but for all the job titles you could've had, why did librarian have the vacant sign?"

"I happen to like being a librarian." Giles grabbed a book and walked out from behind the desk.

The doors opened again and in came Buffy and Willow, giggling. Buffy stopped and rolled her eyes once she saw Spike. She sighed and walked forward. "Hi Giles. Do you mind if me and Will come in here for study hall? Mr. Findman is like the Hitler of study hall teachers."

"No problem."

"We can even help you with… whatever it is you're doing," Willow offered.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to ask if I need your assistance." Giles looked at the shelf in front of him and placed the book on it.

Buffy walked over to Spike. She said, loud enough for Giles to hear, "Did you tell your dad about your thirty on that test in arithmetic?"

"What?" Giles said, completely shocked.

Buffy smiled. "Guess not." She turned and walked to the big table in front of them.

"You got a thirty in arithmetic?" Giles walked down the couple stairs that lead back to the first floor.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Xander said, making an excuse to leave. "Good luck with this one," he whispered to Spike before he left.

"A thirty?" Giles repeated.

"Not the class, just the test."

"Yeah, he got a fifty two in the class," Buffy said.

Spike shot a deadly glance at her. "You can stop helping any minute."

Buffy smirked and pulled out her History book. Willow sat next to her and laid her book on the table. "Okay, time to go back to the Crusades and men wearing practically no clothing."

"When did that happen?"

"In Troy."

"That was the Trojan War Buffy."

"Doesn't change the fact that Brad Pitt is hot no matter what he is or is not wearing. I need to marry someone like that." Buffy's fantasy came to an abrupt halt. "Too bad I'm stuck with him."

"You can not neglect your studies. I can't count how many times I've told you this."

"I think we're verging on two hundred thousand," Spike sarcastically remarked.

"That's enough!" Giles said, extremely frustrated. "It doesn't help the situation when you don't take it seriously."

"Dad, I'm serious. I just don't dig arithmetic."

"Well, you're going to have to at least put up with it and get grades above a sixty five. I'm getting you a tutor." Giles grabbed a couple books and brought them to the bookshelves.

"Dad, no! You can't stick me with some pocket protector geek whose social life consists of online chatting and comic conventions."

"I'll find a student who excels at arithmetic and they will be your tutor. I can't guarantee who it will be." Giles placed some texts in their respectable spots.

"Dad, please don't do this," Spike implored. He fell to his knees. "Look, I'm on my knees. I'm begging. Pleading."

"I can help," Willow offered, standing up from her seat. Giles and Spike looked at her. "I have a ninety eight in arithmetic."

"And practically every other class," Buffy added.

"Perfect. I'll be sure to give you compensation for your time."

"You mean money?" Buffy asked, bolting up from her chair.

"Yes."

"I'll tutor him," Buffy offered at the promising of cash.

"I'd rather have the geek," Spike commented.

Buffy sneered at his comment.

"Can you start tomorrow Willow?"

"Sure."

"Excellent. Now, you pull out your books and start studying," Giles told Spike.

"I don't have anything to study for."

"Not even that History test we have last period?" Buffy asked.

Spike gritted his teeth. Giles looked at his son with a strict face. "Study," he said, pointing to the table.

"Can't I use your office?" Spike asked.

"Oh, where I can't keep my eye on you?" Spike nodded. "No." Spike grabbed his backpack and walked to the table.

"Thanks a lot Barbie," Spike told Buffy.

"Moron."

"Amoebae brain."

"One more cell than you!"

"Stupid-"

"Spike!" Giles yelled. "Leave Buffy alone. She's studying."

"Yeah. I'm studying."

"The concept of words maybe."

"Screw you."

"In your dreams."

"Pig head."

"Flat chest."

"Spike Louis Giles!" Giles exclaimed.

Buffy's mouth dropped. "Louis?" she said in a squeak from holding back laughter.

"I got the whole use of the middle name Dad. Sorry."

Xander walked back in. He could feel the tension in the room. Not to mention Spike actually had a textbook open. It was a little too weird in this place for him to handle. "I think I'm just gonna go back to study hall."

"Xander, wait!" Spike yelled, but he already left.

"I guess you and your bosom buddy will just have to cuddle later."

"Sod off!"