Riley walked out of the cafeteria looking as if he was on top of the world. Buffy on the other hand kept a face of cool indifference. She turned in towards the table the group sat at and continued eating. A few moments later she casually grabbed Willow's hand under the table and squeezed it frantically. When Willow turned to her though Buffy had all ready begun to leave the cafeteria. Willow took on last glance at Angel before following her out. In a word Angel looked horrified.

Willow caught up with Buffy in the hallway. Buffy was leaning against the lockers banging her head.

"Buffy stop! What just happened in there?"

"Jeez I don't know Willow. Things are so weird right now, it's like I'm not in control of anything and it is driving me nuts!" Buffy emphasized 'nuts' by banging her head against the locker once more.

"Well why don't you give yourself a concussion, that's a sure way to fix things," Willow said exasperated. Buffy gave her an annoyed look, which Willow answered with one of her own. "Now tell me what is so weird?"

"It's Angel…"

"Buffy…tell me you're not falling for him, even though I know you already are and that he has already fallen for you."

"I'm not Willow, at least not on purpose. I don't know what's going on there, what I am feeling…and oh God now I've brought Riley into the mess."

"Riley is a really nice guy Buffy."

"I know, that's why I feel so terrible I could be leading him on and I'm not even meaning to."

"Buffy what has gone on between you and Angel the last couple of days because last weekend I held you while you cried because of the crap he'd put you through and now he's dumping his girlfriend for you, hanging out with us, and you are stealing glances at him with stars in your eyes."

"I am not."

"Buffy what happened."
"Nothing…" But at Willow's resolved face Buffy continued. "Well my mom has gone out of town and I have been staying at Angel's place, Not Of My Own Choice. Anyways yesterday, Angel and I started talking and God Will, it was just like it used to be between us. I don't even know what happened really, but the next thing I knew we were in my room and he was on my bed, and Jeez Will, he's gotten so attractive, and I was right in front of him and he was drawing me in for a kiss, and Oh My God what a kisser, and before I could form a complete thought we were making out on my bed."

'This is worse than I thought', "Then what," Willow said.

"What do you mean 'than what' as soon as I realized what I was doing I pushed him away. We barely talked at all until dinner and when that time came I told him that I didn't feel anything for him and the kissing was a mistake."

"You called it a mistake?"

"Well yeah, wouldn't you?" Now Buffy was getting annoyed, what did Willow want from her?

"Buffy do you want to be with Angel?"

"I don't know Willow, I don't know."

"Well I think you need to decide that soon, because tonight is your date with Riley." (AN: I don't remember if I said the date was for the following night or not so just assume they'd planned it for tonight)

"Oh God, Riley. Willow what should I do?"

"Well, I have a suggestion, but believe me you are going to owe me for this one."

"I'll do ANYTHING!"

"Oz and I have our first date tonight, we could make it double and that way all of the pressure wouldn't be put on you and Riley."

"Willow Rosenberg. I am not going to impose myself on you and Oz…"
"Oh no it's ok."

"Willow!"

"Look I haven't dated recently and I don't want to make a fool out of myself, so if you are there you can watch me and make sure I don't do anything stupid."

"Ok, but… I will fake a headache so that I can go home early so you and Oz can have some time alone."

"Buffy, I don't know…"
"Willow, I can have just as much of a resolve face as you."

"Fine." Both girls began to giggle and gave each other a hug, before heading towards their next period.

"Buffy I have a question, I'm dying to know."

"Sure."

"When you kissed Angel…I mean before you realized how wrong it was… what was it like?"

"Wonderful. It was like he and I were the only people in the whole world and everything revolved around that moment. I got lost, Will."

"Wow."

"I know. That's what scares me. I had no control, my body and my mind were saying two different things and I couldn't control what my body was doing."

"Buffy, don't yell at me for what I'm about to say. But, it seems to me like you're falling in love."

Buffy laughed, "Please Will, lust maybe, but love I'd never be that stupid." The girls then split to go to their classrooms, neither one believing what Buffy had just said.

Buffy walked into her speech and debate class and sat down. She'd arrived early but the bell was set to ring any minute so she hadn't seen the reason to go back into the lunchroom. When the bell did indeed ring students began filing into the class. Angel sat down next to her, without looking or speaking to her. There was a tense and awkward silence and Buffy didn't know what to do. Finally the teacher began speaking. Half way through the class Buffy couldn't take it anymore. She didn't know what provoked her but she began a note and passed it to Angel.

Angel was in shock; he couldn't believe what Buffy'd just done. Just last evening they'd been kissing in her bedroom and today she's planning a date with Riley Finn of all people. It didn't help that as soon as Buffy and Willow had left the cafeteria Xander had chosen to rub it in Angel's face.

Flashback to lunch

"Well would you look at that, Fish Boy has got the girl, while Angelus over here gets snubbed. I'm lovin' Buffy more and more each day." Xander said laughing.

"You know Harris, I messed up not standing up for Buffy with the rest of this group, and I've truly missed you guys. Except you, I always hated you from day one and today has only proven to me that you have gotten more annoying than you ever were in elementary school."

"Well guess what O'Connor the feeling is mutual. You think you stand a chance with Buffy? You are a cocky idiot. She doesn't want you! Face it Angelus you can't have everything." Xander emphasized this by standing up over Angel looking down on him.

Angel pushed his chair away from the table so violently that the cafeteria went silent looking at the two of them. When Angel stood up half a foot taller than Xander and was therefore looking down on him. Angel looked so menacing that Xander had to fight not to cower away. But instead of hitting Xander, Angel just walked away.

End Flashback

Angel knew if he'd done anything to Harris, Buffy would have never spoke to him again and that was a chance he wasn't willing to take. While Angel was stuck in his broodings he'd almost missed the little piece of paper Buffy had set in front of him. He looked over at her but he whole attention was devoted to the teacher. He unfolded it to see what it said.

'Hey Broody, whatcha thinking about?'

Angel looked at her incredulously, but she wouldn't give him a glance. He grabbed a pencil and began to write, before tossing the paper back at her.

'What am I thinking about? Well the fact that you threw yourself at Finn today at lunch might have come up in my thoughts… and I don't brood, why does everyone say that I do?'

'You do brood; it is definitely one of the 3 adjectives used to describe Angel. I did not throw myself at him. Besides why would you care? You jealous?

'Buffy, what are we doing here? What are you playing at?'

'What do you mean? I'm not playing at anything. We're talking.'

'No we aren't we are writing notes, what are we in the 3rd grade?'

"Fine," Buffy said in full voice, forgetting where she was.

"Miss Summers and Mr. O'Connor, I have watched you now pass notes for the past 15 minutes of my lecture. As I am sure that neither one of you can tell me what I have just said because your conversation was so much more important I will ask you to leave my class, work out whatever problems you have, and return when you are ready to learn," the teacher said.

"Oh we're done I assure you," Buffy said.

"I don't care, get out of my class until you can work out whatever issues with each other you have."

Buffy looked at Angel for help but he was already packed and getting up. Seeing no other choice she packed her stuff and stormed off after him.

"What the hell is your problem!" she demanded to his back.

"My problem," Angel choked out, turning around, "I don't have a problem. You come waltzing back into town, turn my life upside down and you expect me to just be ok with it, to be your little lap dog?"

"Your life? What life Angelus! When I came back into town you had nothing but a shell of life. A girlfriend you could care less about that you bent to. A group of friends who are almost as superficial as your girlfriend was. No morals and no values. No family pride. You were a joke!"

"Who the hell are you to make judgments? Huh? You come back into town a completely different person. No one can recognize you. Were you that insecure as a child that you had to change completely to have any self worth?"

"I don't know who you are anymore Angel."

"Yea? Well right back at you babe." Angel could see the hurt in her eyes. She leaned against the lockers and slid down to the ground in her Parisian jeans. Tentatively Angel sat down beside her.

"Do you have any idea what it felt like for my father to call me a slut?" Buffy laughed ironically, "I barely understood what the word meant only that my father thought it of me. To stay in a house I'd never seen with my father and a woman, not twice my age, in the next room doing things a 12 girl shouldn't have to know about. Then, to get put on a plane to go half way around the world, alone. Yeah Angel I had problems. And I treated these problems by throwing myself into every club and event that I was scared to death to be a part of. I filled the void of not having you to protect me by this burning desire to be able to protect myself."

"When I couldn't protect you that night I felt worthless. I wanted so badly to go after you, but I couldn't. I remember pleading with my dad to do something to get you home, but he wouldn't. That's when my mom and dad started fighting at night. I wasn't stupid I knew they were going to separate. I just hadn't planned for my dad to royal screw over my mom. I detached myself from everything. I didn't have you to give me advice or just listen to me. Doyle did his best, but he couldn't fill the hole that was created when you left. I fell in to a depression; I just didn't care about anything. I set up one of the rooms in our house to be a gym and I worked out constantly. That's when girls started to notice me and I tried to fill your void with other girls. I had a new one every week. Cordelia was my longest and only because my mom was questioning me about my frivolous attitude towards girls. I was a shell, you were right, when you left I crumbled. You say you always needed me to protect you when we were younger, but it was really you who kept me whole and protected."

"Angel, what happened to us? We used to know each other so well." she leaned into his chest and he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I was just thinking that the other day, in your room. I had no idea what was going through your head and I thought, jeez five years ago I would have known exactly what she was thinking and what to do next."

"I know what you mean."

"But five years ago I thought of you as my best friend…I still do Buffy. I mean when I think who knows me the best, it's still you, even though I've changed and so have you…"

Buffy sat up and looked in his eyes, "I know Angel."

"But along with all the changes we've gone through apart, the feelings for each other have changed as well, haven't they Buffy?" Angel knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he had to get through to her.

Buffy's eyes got big as she recognized where he was going with this. "Angel, I think I know where you are going with this and I've already told you…"

"I heard what you told me last night but I don't believe it. Buff, you may have changed, but your eyes are still the windows to your soul and I know that isn't what you truly feel. Your scared of what your feeling, but maybe if you tell me we can talk about it and work it out together. Buffy I'm feeling the same way and I am scared to but let's do this together."

"Angel, I can't. Listen, whatever you think you're feeling you're not. It's lust, that's all. I'm the new girl and I've changed so much and so have you and the player alter ego that you created while I was gone is screaming at you to get in my pants, that's all this is."

"Buffy don't ever say that," by this time both of them are standing up never breaking eye contact. Angel grabs her hand, "Buffy I am falling in love you." Her eyes grew two sizes wider. "It's true, and I am scared to death to admit it, but I am more scared to attempt to ignore it. I have always loved my best friend, the shy and sweet girl that depended on me, but now I am falling in love with the strong independent woman who is standing in front of me. Buffy please say something."

She pulled away from his hand. "I have to go."

"Buffy…"

"Angel, please. You don't have to give me a ride today, I'm going home with Willow and then out for my date," on the words 'my date' Buffy looked at the floor almost in shame. "I need to sort some things out Angel, please don't push me."

"I'd wait for you forever, I promise."

At his declaration Buffy merely nodded and walked off towards her last period class. Angel watched her sigh before turning to wait for Doyle at his classroom. Neither one noticed Riley come from around the corner having heard almost the entire conversation.

AN: Hey, I've started school so I will update as much as possible. It is going to be hard for the next two weeks cuz I'm already juggling school and the show opening. But I will finish this story don't give up on me. Next chapter will be the date. I am going to speed things up a bit, only because I've realized Buffy has really only been in town like a week. There goes my inability to pay attention to little details again. Plus I really want to take this story beyond H.S. so there you have it. While Buffy and Angel will get together in the near future it isn't going to be the end of the angst! REVIEW!