Chapter 21

Pure Puppy Dog

Spike strode into the lunch room with his friends and sat down at their usual table next to the windows in the back of the lunch room away from the lunch room attendants.

Oz sat down on one side of the table, Willow in his lap, Faith sat next to them preferring to sit across from Spike rather than next to him. Willy sat on Spike's left (where Dru used to sit before they broke up).

The seat on the other side of Spike was empty and everyone knew who was missing but no one cared to say it aloud.

Andrew had not been seen since, he and Anya had dropped Spike and Buffy off at the trailer.

"Maybe she killed him and tossed the body into the ocean" Oz said as he fed Willow a spoon of his spaghetti.

Spike growled, "S'not funny. I knew those bloody slayers were no good and now thanks to them Andrew is probably waltzin' around 'ere somewhere wearin' Abercrombie and Finch and getting' ready to sign up to play football"

"Or he is wearing a pair of faded and torn blue jeans with a black Metallica hoodie, and standing right behind you"

Spike turned around and scowled at his friend, "very funny mate, where the hell 'ave you been, Oz 'ere was worried sick about you" hiding his concern.

Oz raised his eyebrows at Spike but said nothing; he just turned back to feeding the pretty redhead on his lap.

Andrew chuckled and sat down in his seat on the right of Spike, "Thanks man" he said nodding at Oz.

Oz nodded back at him, "Any time"

"So seems you guys were wondering where I was" smiled Andrew

Spike scoffed at this, "Not particularly, in fact we were just about to thank god that you'd finally left."

Faith kicked Spike in the shins under the table and smiled at Andrew, "Don't pay attention to this guy, he's just got another detention from the dean for not showing up to class, "she twirled her fork around in the spaghetti on her tray, "So are you gonna spill or what? We wanna know where you been hidin' out last few days" looking at her spaghetti.

Andrew shrugged his shoulders not sure what he should tell his friends, he had caved and fallen in love with a Slayer, "I've just been hanging out you know, doing some reading." He starred at his food.

Faith looked up from her spaghetti, "liar, we know you've been with that Slayer Anya, dude, Spike told us that you guys dumped Buffy on him and took off"

Andrew turned pink, "We went to the movies after we dropped Buffy and Spike off at the trailer, and yesterday we just hung out at the-" he paused not sure if he should continue.

Andrew could feel all eyes on him, and shifted in his seat, "We just went to the mall"

Oz eyed him thoughtfully, "You just went to the movies and the mall? That's it?"

Andrew played with his spaghetti and remained silent.

Willow giggled and squirmed around on Oz' lap, "Some one is hiding a dirty secret, what have you and the Slayer been doing Andrew?"

Andrew didn't say anything, he knew his friends would laugh if they ever found out where he and Anya went after the Mall.

Willy snickered as he shoved some greasy French fries into his mouth and everyone turned to look at him.

Spike spoke first, "And what is so bloody funny?"

Willy swallowed his fries and smirked at them, "I know where your boy Andy was yesterday"

Andrew rolled his eyes, "It's not a big secret or anything I just don't feel that I have to tell you guys everything but if you really wanna know then I'll tell you"

Willy frowned, "sure ruin my fun"

Andrew sighed, "Anya took me to a football game"

Everyone was silent for a minute then Faith broke out laughing; Andrew turned red and starred back down at his spaghetti.

Willow leaned against Oz and spoke, "That was the secret? I don't see what all the fuss is about, so he went to a football game"

Spike just shook his head, "She's tryin' to turn you into one of them isn't she?"

Andrew shrugged, "I don't know, I hope not. Going from Nerd to Goth was good for my social life but going from Goth to Prep? I don't know if I could handle another status change"

Spike patted his friend on the back, "No worries, listen we aren't gonna let those Slayers get to you alright? Faith will 'ave a little girl talk with them and they'll leave you alone"

Faith choked on her spaghetti, "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not gonna voluntarily talk to those airheads! You talk to 'em, it should be easy for you since your already such good pals with the big boss"

Spike growled, "I am not friends with that bloody bint! And you 'ad better remember that otherwise I'll do more than growl at you the next time!"

Spike got up from his seat and turned around to see Buffy standing in the middle of the lunch room with her poofter of a boyfriend Angelus O' Conner, Spike's greatest enemy. But Spike knew what was going to happen and somehow he felt bad for Angelus.

Buffy walked into the lunch room totally confident and prepared to slay. Cecily and Anya walked behind her, all three of them held their heads high and a path cleared as they walked to their table in the middle of the lunch room.

No one dared to get in their way, the Slayers were at the top of the Social Scale, and being only the three of them and such close friends, there was no way that they could be broken up from the inside.

Buffy being the leader of the Slayers was at the very top of the Social Scale and not even her friends who came in at a very close second were clever enough to take her down. Or so it seems right now.

Buffy was just a bit nervous, she was hoping that Spike would be able to see the show but she wasn't sure why. He is a dumb perverted jerk, but I can't figure out why I can't stop thinking about him and that great hair of his. No! Bad Buffy. Spike does not have great hair. Its gross hair with all that goop or gel or what ever he uses to make it stay slicked back like that. And how many times has he worn those jeans? I think they are the exact same ones from yesterday.

Buffy scanned the lunch room and immediately spotted him; he seemed to be having a discussion with his friends. I really should rethink this bet, going out with Spike might cuz a drop in my social status. But Anya seems so happy and she is going out with Andrew. But Andrew is different his not like Spike, Spike is a pig. Andrew seems sweet not to mention he had some potential to become prep if he just wore some Abercrombie.

Buffy looked at her two friends who had already started on their lunches, "Guys I forgot to tell you, I am dumping Angel today. Its time for me to get working on that bet. Besides I have been with Angel way to long."

Cecily and Anya looked at her with excitement in their eyes, Cecily smiled, "That is great Buffy maybe I was wrong about you after all. I mean you made up the Slayers no way you could actually even think about leaving, I don't think any of us could."

Buffy's nervous seemed to go away and she felt totally ready to do her duty.

Anya stabbed a meatball with her fork and said, "So when are you going to do it?"

The excitement of her friends must have helped Buffy a great deal because now she was beaming, "Right now"

Buffy pointed behind them and they turned and saw Angel with his football friends, Riley Finn, Xander Harris, Parker Hans, Charles Gunn or just Gunn with his girlfriend Fred who also happened to be the assistant manager of the team, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.

Buffy and the other Slayers stood as Angel and his group approached their table.

Buffy smiled happily at Angel and gave him a hug, "Hi Angel, how have you been?"

Angel smiled back at her, "I've been great Buff, I missed you though. I couldn't wait to get back to Sunnydale and see you" he leaned in to give her a kiss but Buffy stopped him.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Everyone in the lunch room turned to watch the scene they all knew so well from having seen previous ones in a variety of places.

Angel's smile slowly faded as he realized what was about to happen, "Buffy please"

"Please? Did I just hear a please?" she turned to her friends, "Did you guys here a please? I think he said please"

They both nodded, "We defiantly heard a please come from his mouth"

Buffy chuckled and shook her head, "You men just don't get it do you? Please will get you know where, in fact it just makes me angrier!" she nearly shouted that last part.

Angel took a small step back, "Buffy I don't understand why you are doing this. I thought-"

"You thought what?" anger in her voice

"I thought you loved me"

Buffy laughed at that as did Cecily and Anya, "This is perfect. Angel you were the most fun I have ever had. Dumping you has totally made my week"

Angel didn't know what to do; anything he said was turned against him or made fun of. When he had first met Buffy he hadn't really believed the stories that he'd heard. Of her being a cruel girl who seemingly had absolutely no heart at all. She and her two friends were demons sent to punish men by breaking their hearts. As a young boy in Ireland, Angel had been taught to try and see the good in people and Angel had tried to see the good in Buffy and thought he had found it. But now he knew it was just an act. The happy times they had shared together were just something for her to laugh about later with her friends.

Buffy sneered at him, "Well?"

Angel glanced at her hopefully, "Well what?"

"Are you going to leave the lunch room now? That is the tradition remember, I dump the guy and he runs out of the lunch room crying or gives me puppy dog eyes then saunters out of the lunch room. So which are you gonna do, because this is starting to bore me and I still have to eat my lunch."

Angel gave her a sad look and, "I'm sorry that you're unhappy Buffy" and he walked out of the lunch room. His friends just shook their heads and wandered off to their own table.

Buffy stole a glance at Spike, who had been on her mind throughout the whole thing. Spike had been standing up watching the scene, the whole time. After it was over she watched him walk out of the lunch room his face was red and she could tell that something had angered him.

But her thoughts soon drifted from Spike to what had just happened with Angel. I feel so refreshed. I'm glad I picked now to do.

Anya and Cecily congratulated her, "That was marvelous Buffy, simply marvelous. The best one I've seen so far." Cecily could have been an evil demon like the rumors said, Slaying made her so happy. Happier than it had ever made Buffy.

Anya clapped, "It was great, I wish I was as good as you. You get so evil. I was scared of you for a minute. I mean because you are so nice other times, like now. You have gone from severely pissed off to cheery and happy."

Buffy smile at her friends, "Thanks guys. I do feel great. This one was the best ever. I don't think I could ever top that one; I mean did you see the way he looked at me? Pure Puppy dog"

The girls continued chatting excitedly over Buffy's success until the end of the period.