Disclaimers: See Epilogue (very first page)
A/N: Ya know, this chapter would have been posted last week but I got distracted by tv. Well, not tv persay, but Big Brother 6 live feeds. You wouldn't believe how freaking addictive those damn things are. I swear it's like crack. And currently, I'm going through some major withdrawals. Damn CBS people decided to black out the live feeds, just when the drama was at its peek. Anywho, so since I have my life back, thought I'd finish up on this chappy.
Did I mention how many priceless one liners BB6 has given me this season? 'Bye Bye Bitches' has got to be my favorite. How can you not love Janelle. Ok, so what's that? You want me to shut up and get pack to the posting the chapter? Right. Sorry. So um, Buffy…I got nothing so I'll stop now. Enjoy.
Chapter 1
A sharp shrilling noise pierced through the silence of the empty hallways of Sunnydale High. A second latter, a procession of classroom doors flung open, its occupancies rushing from each room, a clatter of feet, making the once empty hallways theirs to roam.
MaryAnn Cutler pushed through the crowd, waving her hand vigorously, eventually drawing the attention from her close friend since elementary school, who at that moment, removed a first addition algebra text from her locker and shoved it into her schoolbag.
"Hey Mary," Cordelia acknowledged with a lazy smile, watching as her friend rushed towards her in a panic. "What's with you?" she started, looking at the girl with confused curiosity.
"How are you?" MaryAnn cooed, trying her best to look her most sympathetic as she came to a halt breathing heavily, her hand reaching out to lay on Cordelia's shoulder.
Eyes narrowing, Cordelia ogled her friend with irritation. "What are you on? Crack?" she spat. "How do you think I feel? After that horrendous performance you guys gave at the meet last night? It's a wonder we even got cheers. You guys are beyond lucky that you have me as a captain this year. If it wasn't for my triple axle and split, we so would have lost that crowd", she went on, slamming shut her locker and walking on.
Inhaling, MaryAnn stood for a second, then hurried after Cordelia. "Cordy", she said, catching up to the brunette and blocking her path. "You didn't hear did you?"
Gasping, Cordelia put a hand to her mouth. "Oh God, don't tell me that freak of nature Freddy Iverson blasted us in his editorial? Ok, so we messed up the pyramid, but it wasn't like we sucked or anything", she exhaled. "I swear, we are so unsung it's not even funny"
Features grim, MaryAnn wrinkled her brow, reaching out towards Cordelia and ushering her over to a quiet corner and away from the chatty students roving the halls. "Haven't you read the newspaper or watched the news at all today?"
"You have got to be kidding me", Cordelia began, her eyes wide with shock. "One silly little misstep, ok, that resulted in a not so flattering pyramid and a few broken bones, but pfftt, those girls will be fine in a week", she reasoned, then continued "and that makes it onto prime time news?" Her hands flew to the air in frustration. "God! Isn't there like a killing or maiming that was more important. This is Sunnydale. Mysterious deaths are our thing"
"Cordy"
"What" she barked, lost in her own inner thoughts. Of all the basketball games this school has had, it was her bad luck that on the day that her cheerleading squad stumbled through their routine would also be the same game that was televised for all of Sunnydale to see. And to think she thought, finally in her senior year becoming head captain would be the highlight of her high school experience.
Sighing deeply, MaryAnn shook her head slowly, again trying to look her most compassionate. "No Cordy. Freddy didn't give us a bad review in the school paper. Matter a fact," she added, "he didn't and doesn't mention us ever. And no, we didn't make it onto prime time news either," she finished. Taking a breath, she went on. "Cordy, it's Tony. He's dead".
As the huge wooden windows came into view, big and wide, the sun beaming through its glass; it sprinkled its warm rays into the lounging area, speckling the heads of 4 friends with warmth, as they ascended the few stairs and sat and continued their chatter of life, love and slayage.
"So Buffy, how did patrolling go last night?"
Another day had come, though not yet gone by like they always do, but the mind was constant in its thoughts. For three days now a battle raved inside his head for some clarity. During math class and Spanish class and even gym. But most of all, he had trouble concentrating on anything else but that one crucial, pivotal life altering night those three days prior, in Sex Ed. There were slides and a pointy stick, so the visual made it even harder to put those memories away in the farther regions of his mind.
Pop up they would do.
When he slept, when he ate, and now when he made conversation with his friends, so it wasn't his curiosity that made him ask his question, but rather a distraction from his thoughts that did.
"Yeah Buffster. Stake any evil demony things?"
It's been said that a friend is a person who knows all about you but likes you anyway. So when Buffy, the chosen one, looked to her friends, their eyes filled with sincere curiosity, Willow with her smile and Xander with his humor and Oz—well Oz being Oz, she silently thanked a higher power for their existence in her life. She remembered her days at Merrick and thought of her friends then. The day she found out her destiny in life was to kill vampires was probably one of the worst in her life, and then when her friends abandoned her because of it, she'd slowly accepted that her two lives could never again merge. In the day, she'd be Buffy Summers, normal high school student, but once the sun descended hiding behind the horizon she'd strip away the farce and become that one girl in all the world to kill the vampires.
This is how it was and how it was suppose to be and then she smiled thinking her next thought. Her friends, even after they found out that their lives would constantly be in danger just by being a part of hers, they still liked her anyway in spite of it all. And that, she concluded, is why she would always cherish them dearly.
"As blood sucking vampires go? Four big checks in the slay column", Buffy told them, her eyes narrowing on the on tapping fingers of the red head sitting next to Oz. Head tilting inquiringly, Buffy looked to Oz, who in turn, fixed his eyes on Willow.
Pressure, the feel of it, the thought of it, the tension it caused, the drive it created, was a double-edged sword for Willow Rosenberg. It made her work harder, focus more, but at the same time, it put a strain on her emotionally. Tapping her fingers on the school binder she picked up last week when her last one broke was a habit she had in calming her nerves. The fact that she had yet to receive not one acceptance letter to the many schools in which she applied, in the mail meant nothing. Didn't mean that she let everyone down, or that she wasn't smart enough or so her boyfriend kept telling her. And this she wanted to believe whole heartedly, but when she heard Amy from her History class squeal in glee the other day with her friends, over the piece of information she held in her hand that told her she was accepted to Princeton University, it was hard to keep a positive outlook since then. She might have kept up the brooding, if her senses hadn't picked up on the 3 pair of eyes watching her.
"What?" she questioned looking up
"You seem a bit distracted Will", Buffy tentatively asked, perceptibly apprehensive, as she moved her gaze towards Oz, the two term senior wrapping his arms around Willow comfortingly. "Something wrong?"
Assessing whether or not she should tell the truth in fear they may think she was making a big deal out of nothing, she halted her tapping fingers and decided to be truthful. "It's… I'm kinda worried about not getting accepted to any of the colleges I applied for. I mean, this is the time when they arrive in the mail and I've got nothing"
"Will, have you seen your transcript?" Xander chimed in, clasping his hand together in mocked thought. "If not, I have and believe me, you're getting accepted to all the schools you applied to and some you didn't".
"Will, he's right. You're making a big over nothing"
"I agree", Oz took the reigns then, laying a kiss on Willow's temple. "Give it another week".
Sighing, Willow forfeited her pessimism in favor of the optimism her friend threw her way. "Yeah, you guys are probably right", she conceded, getting up from the couch. "Giles wanted me to help him transcribe some of the more rare books in his collection into the computer…"
"Ooh, I'll go with", Buffy jumped in, quickly rising from the couch, Xander and Oz doing the same, though slower.
"I've got class, so I'll see you guys later", Oz excused himself, kissing his girlfriend before he went on his way.
"Well, I guess I'm with you lovely ladies then", Xander declared. "Lead on", he finished extending his hand for the two to go before him.
"So how's Angel", Willow started up conversation as they walked through the halls to the library, Buffy by her side, Xander taking up the rear.
"He's getting better. That fight took a lot out of him", Buffy returned, a frown pulling at her lips. Those memories of the vampire she loved, lying on the floor, still, with no movement, were ones she had no desire to keep. After she'd taken Giles to the hospital to get stitched up, she rushed back to Angel to find that he had a few broken bones, bruises among bruises from head to toe, but besides that, he was good, if you neglect all the pain. She remembered telling him the day after, when she cut class to go to the mansion, that he was being a big ole baby when she applied the antiseptic to his cuts and he moaned in pain, only to then cover it up by mentioning that he's immortal and will heal without the help of any ointments. She laughed and kept on applying it anyway. "I do enjoy nursing him back to health oh so much", she finished with a big smile
"I bet", Willow retorted smirking, pushing open the library door just then. "Hey Giles", she chirped, as he exited his office, book in hand, flipping through the pages as he did. "I've got a free period, so I'm all yours till that bell rings", she said, Giles lifting his head to acknowledge his company as he watched Willow leave Buffy's side and walk over to the computer, where she sat and got to work.
"Buffy? Xander? You two here to help as well", he inquired, removing his glasses from his face and wiping his brow with the back of is hand.
"Errr… I've got class", Xanders' voice echoed behind Buffy, but when she turned around to look, all she saw were the swinging of the doors. She turned back to Giles
"And you?"
"Um… I would really love to help Giles. Really I would, but I thought I'd take this free period and go check up on Angel", she conveyed, though when Giles gave her a look, she rushed on. "He hasn't completely healed yet and I thought I'd…"
"It's more than alright Buffy, you may depart"
Gleefully, Buffy spun around and headed for the doors, only to come to a stop as Cordelia barged in, the skin around her eyes swollen with the look of someone who's been crying.
Taken back, Buffy looked at the brunette. "What's wrong with you", she muttered, not really much caring for an answer.
"I need your help"
To be Continued…