Chapter Three
Buffy and Angel were laughing amiably as they made their way up Revello Drive, Styrofoam coffee cups in hand. She stepped on her front porch, making sure to swing around to keep eye contact.
"Thanks for keeping me company," Angel obliged.
"No problem. Thanks for the Mocha Latté."
"You're welcome." They stood there awkwardly for a minute. What exactly do you say when you need to go back home but you really don't want to?
"Well I should-"
"Me too, I gotta-"
"Yea. Well, thanks again and I'll see you at rehearsal Sunday."
"Maybe sooner."
Buffy displayed a coy smile. "Maybe." She turned and entered her house. Keeping a tight grip on her coffee she pushed her back against the door and slid down to the floor.
"Buffy?" Joyce called down the stairs. She descended halfway and noticed her daughter was in the same place she found her earlier. "Why are you leaning against the door?"
"Buffy isn't here right now. Please leave a message," she said in a dreamy tone.
"Is that from Café Latté? I thought you hated coffee."
"I do. Do you want it?" Buffy asked, snapping out of her daze.
"What is it?"
"Iced Mocha Latté."
"No thank you. Giles has been looking for you young lady."
"I love how I'm referred to as 'young lady' when something bad happens. Or Buffy Anne Summers if it's really bad." She traced the rim of her cup with the tip of her pointer finger.
"He called twice looking for you. You were supposed to meet up with him in one of the graveyards and patrol with him tonight." Joyce was opening cupboards trying to figure out what to make herself for dinner. Obviously her daughter wasn't going to be there.
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed, quickly rising from the floor. She opened the door and ran down the street.
"You're late," Giles said as Buffy paced towards him.
"I know. But I brought you a nice beverage," she spoke with a can't-be-mad-at-me-for-too-long smile.
Giles grinned as he took the cup. "Thank you." He took a sip and immediately spit it out. "What is this?"
"It's an Iced Mocha Latté."
"A what?"
"It's an enriched coffee blend that gives you the finest fresh mocha flavors with a cool refreshing effect." Buffy remembered it word for word as it was written on the board.
"Coffee isn't supposed to be cool. It's supposed to be hot and taste like coffee, which I don't care for by the way."
"I'm sorry I forgot to check your list of preferences while unselfishly ordering you something. Maybe I'm trying to broaden your restrained English horizons."
"My horizons are at a comfortable distance thank you very much and there is a vampire coming up right behind you."
"Just because I'm late that doesn't mean my senses are off." Buffy welcomed him with a spin kick to his face. "Since we're voicing our opinions I would like to suggest rehearsal everyday." She punched the vamp in the face and then elbowed his stomach.
"That isn't possible. People have jobs and families to tend to."
"But doing this play to its utmost…mostness we should have more time to prepare." The vampire placed one hand on her shoulder and the other through her legs and held her over his head. He was just about to break her back over a gravestone when she tossed her body weight back as she bent his fingers in the opposite direction. She fell like a pack of dirt and quickly swiped his legs out from under him. She whipped out a stake from Giles's coat and then drove it into his chest.
"And you're unprepared," he observed.
It was one in the afternoon on Sunday and Buffy arrived at the auditorium bright and early. Willow and Xander took their respectable spots next to Buffy as Oz worked backstage on the props. When Giles stepped out on the stage Buffy did a quick pan of the room, noticing the absence of the one person who she wanted to be there the most.
"Good afternoon everyone. It's nice to see you remembered the schedule and are here on time. I just received a call from Angel Connors and he will be missing practice today, so Spike will stand in as Romeo when needs be." Giles took notice of the disgusted face Buffy displayed. "So let's get started with the ballroom scene." Her face instantly became one of panic.
Buffy rose from her seat and ran onto the stage. "Giles, what're you doing?"
"I'm waiting for you to start the scene."
"Yes, but you're asking me to participate in something where Spike is my significant other. I can't do that."
"Buffy, it's only for one day."
"Have you even read this play? Do you know what Romeo and Juliet do in this scene?"
"They meet each other for the first time."
"Yes, and they greet each other with tongues. I am not kissing him!" she exclaimed in a low voice as she pointed to the 'him' that was across the stage.
"You're on Buffy," Willow said, making sure she knew what was going on.
"Willow, please tell Giles that I can't kiss Spike."
"Hello!" Cordelia proclaimed from the sudience. "We don't have all day Buffy. Some of us want a chance to rehearse too."
"Just gon out there and read the script," Giles requested.
"You have no idea what you're-"
"Excuse me," Spike intervened, "but you are needed on the stage because this scene is between the two of us. I know you're not exactly joyous about me playing Romeo but get over your pathetic grudge and rehearse this scene."
"You're loving this aren't you?"
"Yea I'm really looking forward to locking lips with an annoying wannabe with bad hair." With that Spike walked back on stage and waited for Buffy to follow. She tightly clenched her fist and walked out on stage with her script in hand. She walked over to Spike, eerily placing her hand in his.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the
gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready
stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly
devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands
do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"
"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."
"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray,
grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." Spike moved in to give her a kiss and Buffy swerved out of the way. "Are you kiddin' me?"
"What? We don't have to kiss now."
"I'm sure if I were Angel you'd be singing a different tune."
"As if it's hard to see why."
"Actually it is. What does he have? What's so special about him?"
"Uh, let's move forward to a new scene," Giles said, stepping out on the stage. He grasped Buffy's right arm and pulled her in close. "Buffy, is it too hard for you to compose yourself for one moment?"
"But he-"
"Buffy," Giles said in his disappointed and exhausted tone; it always made her felt deficient.
"I'm sorry."
"Excuse me, Mr. Librarian?' Cordelia called.
"Yes Cordelia."
"Is it at all possible for Buffy to keep her melodramatic problems to herself during rehearsing hours?" Giles looked at Buffy who gave him an awkward look and then shot it at Cordelia. "And also, can we get to another scene with me in it? I'm the mother remember?"
"Exactly, the mother. One of the secondary roles," Buffy said condescendingly.
"Who slipped you a bowl of Bitch Flakes this morning?"
"I believe that was you. You must've been full." With that Buffy walked off the stage and left the building.
Buffy strolled down Denison Avenue looking for Angel's car in one of the driveways. Finally she spotted it parked in front of a white house with a big iron gate fence and freshly cut grass that was so perfect it looked fake. Before approaching the door she ran her fingers over the lawn. It felt real at least. She pushed the doorbell which emanated a low bell tower noise.
The door opened and revealed a curly, brown haired woman in a flower dress and apron. "Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. I go to Sunnydale High with Angel."
"Oh."
"I was just wondering if he was okay."
"Of coarse. Why wouldn't he be?"
Buffy was a little perplexed. His mom really was crazy? "He didn't show up for rehearsal today."
"Well you can't have a Romeo with a cast on his leg now can you," she said with a smile.
"Cast?"
"From football last night. One of the boys from the opposite team landed right on his leg and snapped the thing in two."
Buffy's eyes widened in fear for herself. "He's in a cast?"
"Yes. When bones break you put them in a cast." The woman looked at Buffy like she was the one with the problem. She was the one who was all chipper while her son was wearing a cast! "Would you like to go see him?"
"No that's okay. I'm sure he's tired."
"No he just got up actually. Come on in," the woman lightly placed her hand on her arm and nudged her inside. Buffy started to get a little freaked out. Sure you can have three vampires come up to her and her heart doesn't miss a beat but you pull her into a house with a scary robotic type woman and she starts to go off the charts. "It's right up those stairs, go right and then it's the first door on the left."
"Okay." Buffy quickly made her way up the stairs and to Angel's room. "You're mom is scary," she whispered.
Angel was caught off guard by her sudden appearance. "Hey, and yea. She's just upset about it and decided to overdo it with the happy pills." He tried to pull himself up to a sitting stance and his face contorted into one of pain.
"Are you okay?"
"Besides a broken leg bone I'm peachy with a side of keen."
Buffy gritted her teeth. "I feel so bad."
"Don't."
"Not about you. But that's why I feel bad. You're the one with the broken bone but all I'm thinking is now I have to kiss Spike. A lot of times."
"Sorry."
"It's not your fault. You didn't ask the guy to fall on your leg."
"If I did I sure didn't mean to. It's the biggest pain having a cast because you're just not the same person any more. I can't go running, I can't play football and I can't do the play. I am coming to see it though."
Yea, that'll make it easier on me. Damnit Buffy, the guy's in a cast! Stop being selfish! "I should get going, I promised to help my mom with some museum stuff. I hope you feel better. I'll see you in school?"
"Maybe."
Buffy inhaled deeply. The cruel irony. "Okay. Bye." She walked down the hall slowly and then meandered down the stairs.
"Done already?" his mom asked.
Oh no! "Yea I gotta go. But thanks!" Buffy hustled out the door and bolted down the street. Thank God for her Slayer quickness.
An hour later Xander and Willow showed up on her doorstep. "Hi Willow. Xander," Joyce greeted with a smile.
"Hi Joyce," they said in unison.
"Buffy's upstairs moping in her room."
"Thanks." Again in unison.
Buffy was lying on her stomach on her bed, reading the script pages. "Hey Buffy," Willow greeted. "You left early."
"Yea, I had to get out of there."
"Everyone wants it to declare it National Buffy Day for giving Cordelia a piece of her lack of mind," Xander informed.
"Good for me," she said blandly.
"What's wrong," Willow asked with concern.
"Angel's in a cast." Both Willow and Xander displayed shock. "He won't be able to be in the play. That means Spike's gonna play Romeo." Her body did a quick shake as if she got a cold chill.
"Oh no."
Xander left a minute of silence before saying, "I think this situation deserves a nice scoop of pineapple and pistachio ice cream." Willow and Buffy gave Xander the usual look they provided when he ordered that at the ice cream shop. "Just for me."
"I could use some comfort food," Buffy stated before closing the book.
"Of coarse it's going to be a problem. I hate him. Neither of you like him do you?"
"No way."
"Of course not," Willow assured.
"I have to kiss him now. Every time we rehearse and then for the play for the three nights that it's shown. Not to mention all the lines I have to know. Xander only has to learn one big monologue."
"Mmhmm," he said with a nod, not fully catching what she said. "What!" he exclaimed.
"Your monologue you do to Romeo about Queen Mab."
"No one said anything about a monologue."
"Xander you ran through it the other day," Buffy exerted.
"No we skipped over a bunch because Giles wanted to see you and Angel interact."
"I love how you have a script for one week and you don't even look at it unless you have to. It's not even easy language to memorize."
"I don't want a monologue. Giles should take it out. He said there are less lines."
"You can't cut out that speech, it's very important."
"Now it's an important speech?"
Over Xander's panic came a voice. "It is my lady. It is my love." Buffy clenched her teeth and turned around. "Heard about Angel's mishap."
"You seem happy."
"I just got bumped up to the biggest role of the play."
"Bigger part means more lines," Xander remarked.
"Unlike your pea sized brain, I'm capable of memorizing things."
"Ya know what…," Xander started, "I'm not even gonna give that a come back. But don't think I don't have one."
"So, Juliet. Are you excited?"
"I'm excited about all the barf that'll end up on you if you ever touch me."
Spike placed his hand around her waist and pulled her in. "How's about a kiss fair Juliet?"
"Kiss this." Buffy kneed him right inn the groin. Spike's hand fell from around her body and curled up into a ball on the sidewalk.
"Oooooo, Buffy. I'm not a fan of the guy either but have some respect for the genitalia," Xander said with remorse.
"If you ever try that again, you'll be the next student who ends up in a cast," Buffy threatened. She turned on her heel and walked away, Willow and Xander glaring back once and awhile to see if Spike was still moving.
