Chapter Two

Buffy meandered on the stage and spotted Angel standing next to Willow. They were laughing about something which distracted the "actors" on stage.

"What's so funny?" Jonathan asked, unsure if they were laughing at him. "Is my fly unzipped?" He frantically checked his fly which was securely zipped and then started looking on his back for a sign purposely taped there baring an embarrassing phrase. If you haven't noticed, Jonathan isn't exactly the most popular kid in school unless it comes to torment.

"All right, can we get through this play at least until the end of the party scene so I can see how all of you act and move? So please, if you're not on stage you must be quiet." All the students' eyes were resting on the librarian who many of them had only seen once in their high school career. "Now, continue."

Buffy amble over to Giles and stood right next to him. As she watched the four boys on stage she said, "You're loving this aren't you?"

"Yes I can hardly wait for the time costumes come in and the girls complain about their figures and the boys complain about wearing velvet," Giles sarcastically commented.

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you're at least a little happy you can tell us what to do."

"This is Principal Snyder's idea of a joke. Unfortunately for me he has a distorted sense of humor."

"I also liked your whole 'learn how you act and move' shpeal. I thought you were incapable of saying BS."

"The only thing I'm incapable of doing is keeping composure over this travesty of a play." Giles realized what he said and he looked at Buffy who gave him a shocked look. "Except you Buffy. You're doing fantastic."

"I haven't even done anything yet," she said with a smile, catching him in his sad use of lying. Buffy caught a glimpse of Angel sitting front and center and Cordelia was making her way over to him. "I'll catch ya later Giles."

"So Angel, it's pretty great that you got the part of Romeo. They usually cast people with no talent as the lead roles."

"Cordelia, or should I say mom?" Buffy said as she stood off to Angel's left.

"Case and point," Cordelia said with a smile to Angel.

"I'm surprised you haven't dropped out because you didn't get the lead. That's very big of you."

"Oh Buffy, I'm here as your back up for when you freeze on stage. Or when they realize you're not that great an actress. Whichever comes first."

Xander slid over to them because they were coming close to disrupting production again. "Hey can you two take the cat fight outside?"

"That's funny I don't remember asking for your half sense Harris."

"Ouch Cordelia. If I really cared what you had to say that might've torn me up inside."

"Xander!" Willow yelled. Everyone's eyes were on her which made her take a few steps back. "You're up," she forced out before scooting off the stage.

"Time for my close up."

"That means I'm up soon too," Angel said, standing from his chair.

"Good luck," Buffy smiled.

"Thanks."

Twenty minutes later they reached the party scene and next was when Romeo met Juliet. Buffy's blood started pumping faster and her temperature felt like it rose about a hundred degrees. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. How embarrassing would it be to faint in the middle of a line? Then again it would give Angel a chance to catch her.

Buffy snapped out of her thoughts when Xander nudged her to go out on the stage. She walked over to Angel and they started swapping lines, paying more attention to their scripts than each other. He was about to kiss her when Giles said, "That's all for now. Thank you everyone for a great first day of rehearsal and I will see you all here tomorrow after school."

Everyone cheered and quickly gathered their things before bursting through the auditorium doors. Buffy stormed over to Giles and asked, "What is wrong with you? Did I do something to make you hate me?"

"We're half an hour over schedule and you have a job to do."

Buffy gritted her teeth and let out a small burst of irritation. She grabbed her book bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Hey Buffy do you need a ride?" Willow asked as she slipped on her red coat.

Buffy watched Angel take his time in placing the script in his bag and looking at his schedule to see what homework he needed to do. "No, I'll be fine."

"All right. See ya tomorrow." Willow took Oz's hand and they left.

Buffy walked passed Angel and waited for him to come out the school doors. Once he stepped foot on the white cement she looked from side to side as if she was waiting for someone.

Angel took notice and asked, "You all right Buffy?"

"Yea. My mom's just running unusually late."

"Well, do you need a ride home?"

"No, I'm sure-" Buffy reached in her coat pocket for her cell phone which wasn't ringing or vibrating, "that's her now." She flipped open her phone and had a conversation with her opening screen. "Hi mom… Oh no… No that's okay… Yea I'll make it home… Kay, bye." She flipped her phone closed and returned it to her pocket.

"Is she okay?"

"Yea she just got a flat tire."

"So you do need a ride," Angel said with a white smile.

"No I can walk."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can give you a ride." Angel pulled his keys out of his pocket which dangled from a Sunnydale University chain.

"Okay. I live on Revello Drive, it's near Hadley."

"I know where that is." They made their way to his red Stratus which shone like plastic. The interior was black of coarse with a cd player and extra speakers that all the popular boys had in their cars. Buffy placed her bag in the surprisingly clean backseat and buckled herself into the security of Angel's car.

Angel started the small talk as they drove through the town. "So is your dad too busy working to pick you up?"

"My Dad's too busy thousands of miles away to pick me up. He's in LA."

"Ah, child of divorce," Angel said with a small smirk.

"My name would be found under that category. Have you traveled the dusty highway of joint custody?"

"Nope. I have the white picket fence and both parents. But I'd rather they were split up. They never talk and when they do it's an argument. And they think I don't know that my father sleeps in the guest room every night."

Buffy pursed her lips and kept her eyes on his expressions. He seemed like he was okay with it. Maybe he learned the hard way that he couldn't make them do something they didn't want to so he just accepted the fact that they were no longer "together." "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine with it. I mean, I'm not fine with it but I've learned to deal." Angel turned down one of the side roads. "Off the subject of parents, what did you think of Geometry today?"

Buffy looked at him with delighted surprise. "You know I'm in your Geometry class?"

"I see you walk in everyday."

A wide smile appeared on Buffy's face. "I figured you were too busy with your groupies to notice me."

"Third seat…fourth row from the door," Angel spoke.

"Yea." Is it possible he looks like he's having as much fun with me as I am with him? He's always smiling. Buffy looked out her window at the familiar street and spotted her house. "This is me."

Angel pulled to the side of the road and leaned over to get a look at her house. "It's nice."

"It's not bad." She grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem."

Buffy strolled up the paved walk that led to her front steps.

"Hey Buffy!" She turned on announcement. "See ya in Geometry."

Buffy smiled and nodded as she returned her attention to her front door. When she opened the door she heard Angel's car speed off down the road. She dropped her bag on the floor and leaned against the door. This was one of the best days of her life.

A minute later, with Buffy still leaning against the door, it was pushed open. "Ow!"

"Oh goodness," she heard her mother say. Buffy stood up and moved away from the door. "Buffy. What're you doing in front of the door?"

"Today was our first rehearsal and afterwards I got a ride home with Angel."

"The hunkiest hunk of hunkdom at Sunnydale High?" Joyce asked, bringing the paper bag she was carrying into the kitchen.

"One and the same."

"That's great. So when is he coming over for dinner?" Buffy's face contorted into one of confusion. Joyce smiled as she looked at her daughter's expression. "I was kidding."

Buffy smiled sarcastically. "Did I mention I don't like how you're funny today?"

Joyce smiled in return and continued putting groceries away.

About a half an hour later Buffy decided to go for a walk around town. She started off by going down her street, the way Angel drove off. Was that history homework do tomorrow or Monday? Maybe I should call Willow- oh shoot I forgot my cell phone. I'll have to call her when I get back home. Maybe Xander will- nope, not even gonna finish that thought.… Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh. Buffy started to play the Batman theme in her head. As Buffy's eyes were fixed on the ground she ran into another body. "I'm sorry, I-" Oh my God!

"Buffy?"

"Angel. What're you doing three blocks over from my house?"

"I live five blocks down that way," he said, pointing over his shoulder.

"Denison?"

"Yeah."

"That's where all those three story houses with iron gates are," she said as if he made a mistake.

"That would be the street. Why do you have issues with that street?"

"No, it's just…"

"They're really fancy houses and that means I should be a rich Abercrombie and Fitch boy?" Angel finished.

"No, not at all. I just didn't know your parents had that kind of…" Buffy let out a small life, embarrassed for talking about money. "I'm sorry this is making me sound really superficial."

"It's all right. I'm used to it. Well, the girls being flush and embarrassed around me thing."

Buffy gawked at him. "Excuse me? I am not getting flush Mr. Big Ego. And who says 'flush?'"

"High society," he said with a chuckle. "It's not really all it's set up to be."

"I heard. Yea, some weird guy gave me a ride home today and was complaining about that."

"That's interesting because today I drove this neurotic girl home and she seemed a little on edge. Maybe she has ADD or something."

"What a coincidence." They both laughed, looking at the ground for a moment but then looking back up at each other. "So how excited are you about being Romeo?"

"I'm more excited than a guy would admit. It's nice to be recognized for talent as opposed to looks because you know how girls are in school they just swoon over the buff arms and six pack abs."

"Which one of your friends would that be?"

"Ha ha," Angel commented Buffy's jest. "But seriously I just wanted to do it so it would be something different. Very out of the ordinary. Now all the guys on the team are getting parts and doing something to help with the production. They're just as bad as the girls, maybe even worse."

"I don't know about that, you've never been in the girl's bathroom." Angel gave her a questionable look. "Okay, I guess you have but not during gossip breaks. I never heard one name said so much in conversation since J. Lo got her second divorce."

Angel smiled and nodded while scratching the back of his head. "So, where were you headed?"

"No place particular. I got about half an hour left until I have to-," luckily Buffy caught herself before she said the word 'patrol', "start rehearsing lines with my mom. She's very supportive."

"Do you wanna take a walk to Café Latté?"

"With you?"

"That was the idea."

Buffy was a little shocked, the only thing keeping her from pinching herself was the fear of looking like an idiot in front of him. "Okay."

Author's Note: Oh the false hope that Buffy's gonna end up with Angel. Never in my stories.