Laughing at Xander's antics Buffy got off the floor when she heard the doorbell ring. On her way towards the door she grabbed the twenty off the coffee table. Opening the door she gave the delivery boy the money and took the pizza that he carried.

"Guy's pizza's here." She called as she put it on the kitchen counter.

"Oh good because I'm starved." Xander said opening the box and grabbing the first piece of pizza.

"Xander when are you not hungry?" Buffy said as she got down four plates. Seeing that only Willow had followed them into the kitchen Buffy called out to Spike, "You need to get in here fast if you want to eat."

"Yeah you'd be surprised how fast Xander can eat a pizza." Willow giggled.

"I would be more worried about Buffy." Spike said with a smirk, finally joining them.

"Hey I'm a growing girl, I need to eat too." Buffy said defending her appetite.

As Spike took a plate from Buffy he asked, "It's always the same excuse isn't?"

With a shrug she responded, "Hey if it works why change it?"

"The Buffster's got a point there." Xander said with a mouth full of pizza.

"Ewww, Xander don't talk with your mouth full." Willow scolded.

With a sigh Xander said, "Sorry mom."

"I am not your mother." Willow said in mock offense.

"Could have fooled me." Xander said.

"I second that." Buffy said shooting her friend a smile.

Huffing she asked, "What is this pick on Willow day?"

"Ummm…."Buffy said pretending to think about it, "Yep!"

"Oh great just what I need." The red head responded.

Laughing at herfriend's response Buffy handed Spike a plate and they all sat stood around the island to eat. Once they had finished the friends put their dishes in the sink.

Looking at the clock Willow said, "I have to go home now."

"Yeah I should go too." Xander stated.

"Are you sure you can't stay just a little longer?" Buffy pleaded.

"Yeah, sorry." Willow said as she went to find her bag.

"Xander?" Buffy said in almost a whine.

"Yeah me too Buff, sorry. But hey Spike's still here." Xander said nodding in the direction of the only other boy in the room.

"No I'm not, I have to go home too." Spike defensively said throwing his hands up.

"All of you have to go now?" Buffy said a frown forming on her face.

"Yeah it would seem so." Spike said giving her an apologetic shrug.

Resigning herself to the fact that all her friends had to go home, Buffy walked out to the front hall.

"Bye guys I'll see you tomorrow." Buffy said with a small wave.

"Bye." Every one chorused.

"Buffy?" Spike said walking back towards her.

"Yeah?"

Walking the last few steps towards her he asked, "Do you need a ride tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks." She said a smile lighting up her face.

"You're welcome." He said as he turned back down the walk. As he got in his car to drive home he watched her go into the house.

The next morning Buffy made sure not to run even a moment behind schedule. She took her shower and got dressed in record time, she even made sure that she had socks. She grabbed a Pop Tart on her way out. Shouldering her bag she quickly crossed the street to Spikes house. Knocking on the front door she was surprised to have the door flung open and Spike grab her arm.

Pulling her along they almost ran to the car, he took her bag and threw it in the trunk. Running over to the driver's side he climbed into the car. "Get in!" He hissed.

"What is wrong with you?" Buffy asked as she got in.

"My father's way to happy about the fact that I'm giving you a ride to school." Spike said as he sped down the driveway.

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"It would be but he wants to talk to you." Spike said making a face to show his distaste.

"I don't understand what's wrong with that."

"Everything's wrong with that." Spike said throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Hands! Hands on the wheel!" Buffy said grabbing on to the door handle.

"Oh, right sorry." Spike said as he put his hands back on the wheel.

"That's okay just don't ever do that ever again." She said as she put a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"Do what, this?" Spike asked as he again took his hands off the wheel.

"Spike!" Buffy screeched.

"Alright fine." He said with a pout and put his hands back on the wheel, "Spoil sport."

"Well excuse me if I want to make it to twenty." She said with a glare.

"You have to admit it was funny."

"No it wasn't." Buffy said crossing her arms over her chest, "It was scary."

"It wasn't that scary." Spike said shooting her a disbelieving look.

"Maybe for you."

"I'm sorry, I'm a bad, rude, man." He said trying to make his old friend feel better.

For awhile they had a pattern every morning she would walk over to his house, then once at school they would go to their respective group of friends. After school Spike would take Xander, Buffy, and Willow to Buffy's house. Once there they would hang out until they could no longer put off the burden of homework. This had been going on for two months now and all four were starting to become close. Buffy and Spike's friendship was getting back to what it had been so long ago and Xander and Willow accepted Spike as a friend. Of course they only acknowledged that they knew one another outside of school but it was a start.

Buffy and Spike still had so many things that needed to be talked about but they never did. Except for that one time Buffy had never talked about the pain Spike had caused her but neither one wanted to talk about it, Spike because of the guilt that he knew it would cause him and Buffy not knowing if she could handle him forgetting about her again.

Summer was fast approaching and that meant that they had survived another school year, Xander had even started to greet people by telling them how many days were left. Although Willow, Xander, and Buffy had planned a trip at the begging of the year they were starting to wonder if maybe they should invite Spike.

"I don't know guys, what if he already had plans?" Willow said.

"But what if he doesn't," Xander said with a smirk, "if we don't invite him he might get upset."

"Or we could just ask him and find out." Buffy said not willing to let Xander make the conversation go around in circles like he often did.

"But that would take all the fun out trying to figure it out." Xander said pouting.

"Yes and then we wouldn't have to have this conversation ever again and for that I would be very glad." Buffy stated.

"Fine we can ask him I guess." Xander said as he crossed his arms over his chest realizing that Buffy wasn't going to let him have any fun.

With a nod of her head the blond said, "Good then it's settled." She said turning her attention back on to their teacher.

Later that night at Buffy's house it was getting closer and closer for people to go home but they still hadn't asked him. Buffy just seem to find the right moment, they never talked about the summer. She didn't understand why Willow or Xander didn't ask but figured that they thought it was her responsibility, after all she had been friends with him first. Still she didn't know how to approach the subject. Giving up on waiting for the right moment Buffy blurted out, "Spike do you want to come on a trip with us this summer?" All at once four heads started at her and Buffy knew her face was the color of Willow's hair.

"Well that was random." Xander said always one to state the obvious.

"I'd have to agree with you there mate." Spike said and then he asked with a curious tilt of his head, "Where are you going?"

"Boston." The three other teens chorused at the same time and then burst out laughing.

"Why Boston?" Spike asked as he put his feet on the coffee table.

"Feet, feet!" Buffy scolded.

"Sorry." Spike said not looking very sorry at all, "So again why Boston?"

"I've always wanted to go there." Willow said her eyes lighting up, "I mean, the Boston Tea Party happened there."

"And the fact that it's on the other side of the country helped too." Buffy added.

"Oh and we get to go on a plane!" Xander said giddily.

"So do you want to come?" Willow asked as she looked at him hopefully.

"Sure, why the hell not?" Spike said as he watched the smiles break out on his friends faces.

"Good, now I can have another guy to talk to." Xander said happy he wasn't going to be the only boy on their trip.