As Days Go By

Summary: After one tragic night, Buffy refuses to get close to anyone. Now the new guy in town, Angel tries to do the impossible by getting closer to Buffy. Which may prove to be an even bigger tragedy.

By: Sara

Disclaimer: Not mine

Buffy's POV

I greeted Xander and Willow at the door of our High School the next day.

"I tried to call you last night, but your mom said you were out." Willow stated with a concerned look on her face. I smiled at her. It was nice to have a friend, who cared. Not many people have cared for me throughout my life.

"I was at Cordelia's party for making cheerleader captain." I mumbled. I still couldn't believe how I ended up there. It's all Angel's fault.

"Why would you be there?" Xander looked at me in confusion.

"You don't want to know." I told him as I walked past him down the hall.

"Hey, Buffy!" I heard a voice call me from down the hall. I knew it wasn't Willow or Xander. That voice could only belong to Angel. I ignored him and kept walking down the hall.

"You can sure walk fast." Angel ran up in front of me with a grin. He towered over me and the first thing that came to my mind was that he smelled really good. I blushed at the thought and then looked back up at him.

"What do you want?" I asked trying to sound as harsh as I could. He didn't seem to take the hint, he just kept grinning at me.

"I was wondering why you left Cordelia's party without telling anyone?" He asked me while his grin faded away.

"How could you expect me to stay?" I question in whisper and tried to walk around him.

"What?" He blocked my path and I was forced to look up at him again.

"That shows you how little you know about me." I told him and put my hands on my hips. This guy comes into my life and thinks he will automatically become my friend . He knows too little about me to be considered a friend, though maybe that's a good thing. The less he knows about me the better.

"Tell me." He asked and I sighed.

"Cordelia hates me. The feeling is neutral. We're rivals. She beat me to the cheerleading captain." I decided to tell him. Just incase something like this ever pops up again.

"Oh, shit." He cursed as he realized his mistake and I started to walk away from him.

"Buffy, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." He called after me. I turned around to face him. I don't know why I turned. Maybe it was the sorrow in his voice. Hell I have no idea.

"No, I think you've done enough damage for a lifetime." I said harshly and did a sharp spin around. Then I walked away from him. Yeah, I'm a bitch. Though I knew deep down if he tried hard enough he could convince me to give him a second chance. I wasn't ready to give him a second chance, yet.

Lunch

I walked over to the table Willow, Xander, and I sat at. I was holding my lunch trey tight as I walked through the lunchroom. Then I stopped a few feet away from our table. I rolled my eyes at the site of Xander and Willow engaged in a conversation with Angel. I took a deep breath and walked over to the table.

"Buffy, did you know Angel use to live in Ireland." Willow said once I got to the table. I shot Angel a deadly glare, but he just grinned at me.

"How interesting." I gave a fake smile and set my trey on the table. Willow and Xander glanced at each and I started to get a weird feeling. What had I missed?

"I have to go to the library." Willow said quickly. Xander just sat there and glared at Angel. After a second Willow hit Xander with her elbow.

"I have to go… do something." He responded and rubbed his elbow. Then they were both gone in a flash. And they left me with him . Isn't this my lucky day? I should play the lottery.

"Let me take you to the movies." He said out of nowhere and I stop my fork midway to my mouth. I stared at him for a while and then realized I must have looked like an idiot with my mouth open and my fork in the air. Then I set my fork down by my salad.

"What part of 'no' do you not understand?" I asked him and believe me I put it in the nicest way I knew how. After a while he just sat there and studied me. I decided I must have finally gotten to him, so I picked up my fork again.

"Everything," He said out of the blue again. I groaned and put my fork down. At this rate I was never going to eat my salad.

"Leave me alone." I said, even though I know Angel was just going to ignore my pleaded. The guy is never going to give up. What does he want so badly? It can't just be a date with me. I looked at my salad. No, not looked. Looked is too light of a word. I stared at my salad, hoping he would go away. I felt my barrier grumbling around me. I didn't want to feel vulnerable.

I looked up and he hadn't gone away. Though I guess I should have known better.

"Didn't I tell you to go away?" I asked slowly.

"I'm hard to get rid of." He smiled and I felt my heart tug.

"What a puppy." I grinned at him and he kept smiling at me. I really like his smile. I knew I was breaking down right then. He was becoming a good friend to me whether I wanted it or not.

"Forgive me?" he asked. I was surprised by his question. I thought it was going to be another attempt to get me to go to the movies with him.

"Say Please." I told him. So I decided to give him a second chance. I got a second chance to live, the scar on my side reminded me of that. Some people don't get second chances, Dawn didn't. But I think Angel deservers one. I don't know Angel really well, but I know him well enough to know he means well.

"Please." He smiled at me and I shook my head and laughed.

"You're forgiven. Now let me eat." I order and once again picked my fork up.

"By the way how did you get Willow and Xander to leave us alone?" I wondered as I put the fork in my mouth.

"It wasn't easy." He winked at me and I just looked at him strangely. I'm never going to understand this guy. Though I guess I was never going to have to.

Summers House

"I'm going out." I yelled as I grabbed my jacket on chair by the kitchen counter. I was ready to go out with Willow and Xander to the Bronze.

"Buffy, we need to talk." My mom appeared out of nowhere. I stopped and waited to hear what she had to say.

"You've seemed very distant lately." She told me and I was shocked.

"Me?" I said and pointed my finger into my chest. I was acting distant. She barely looked into my eyes anymore. I felt so frustrated, I knew I had to let it out.

"I went to see Dawn yesterday." I told her calmly.

"What does that have to do with this?" Her tone changed and I knew Dawn was the last thing she wanted to talk about. Well, that was too bad.

"Have you even gone to see her this month?" I question in a whisper.

"I haven't had time." She told me and made it sound like that fixed everything.

"You haven't had time for your daughter." I stated harshly and just stared at her. I couldn't believe what my mother had become. What's even scarier was that I knew I was becoming a mirror image of her. I knew she was scared to feel love again after a loss as greatly as Dawn. Though only differences between what we feel is that I know Dawn isn't totally lost to us.

"She's unresponsive, she isn't my daughter anymore." She whispered as a tear fell from her eye. I couldn't take this anymore, I just wanted to scream loud and long. I wanted to wake up. I wanted this to be a nightmare. I wanted my little sister back.

"She's your daughter." I stated.

"You're my daughter." She replied and I shook my head violently.

"Not by choice." I told her and ran out the kitchen door. I slammed the door shut and hugged myself as I walked down the road.

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