Chapter 8: Warning signs
Whilst Buffy's friendships had blossomed over the past year, other areas of her life were slowly starting to grades were slipping and she and Angel were seeing less and less of each other. "Who needs to go to the Bronze?" Willow shrugged, "I can come over and help you study," she offered as the two girls sat on the bleachers at lunchtime.
"Oh would you?" Buffy asked as Willow nodded vigorously, "Will, you're a life saver! Everything's just so scrambled right now, what with Angel and school and Angel…"
"He still hasn't called huh?" Willow asked sympathetically and Buffy shook her head.
"It's our anniversary next weekend, he's going to come and visit so I guess that's something to look forward to," she said and Willow flashed her a hopeful and reassuring smile. It faded quickly however, as she saw Ashley heading straight for them, a murderous look on her face.
"Speaking of what I'm not looking forward to…" Buffy started.
"That was a cleaver little stunt you pulled, as if I have a crush on that dork!" Ashley screamed at them.
"Huh?" Buffy and Willow replied completely confused.
"Oh don't act the innocent with me, you'll get what's coming to you and…" she was interrupted by a voice from behind.
"Assley!" Cordelia beamed, flanked by her loyal followers, she wore black knee-high boots, a mustard yellow, turtle neck jumper and a black and white checked mini skirt. Her long brown hair was scraped back into a ponytail. Buffy thought she had a nice smile, although according to Spike she never smiled, she just bared her teeth. "I hear congratulations are in order, you and 'Drippy Derrick' will look so adorable at Prom!" Cordelia continued sarcastically and was rewarded by a chorus of giggling as Ashley flounced off. The bell rang and with a look from their leader, the cheerleader's were dismissed. Cordelia sat down on the bleachers and Buffy and Willow exchanged puzzled looks.
"Are you lost? I'm mean you're sitting with us." Willow challenged and Buffy swelled with pride at how her confidence had grown.
Cordelia looked at them blankly, "Oh, I'm not sitting with you," she replied as if it was obvious, "this is the best spot to look at boys, or…" she trailed off noticing something far more interesting across the football pitch, "watch the carnage."
The two other girls followed her gaze and found Spike and Drusilla engaged in a blazing row; not that they could hear a word but their body language spoke volumes.
"Trouble in paradise," Buffy said sarcastically. She couldn't believe how appallingly that promiscuous sleaze had been treating Spike lately and he'd been bending over backwards trying to make her happy. Buffy would watch him though her window, she could see the strain this relationship was having on him. Spike should have been away last weekend for his 17th with the lads, but he had changed it because Drusilla had organised a romantic evening. Instead of celebrating he had spent the whole night with Buffy consoling him with Ben and Jerry's after she found him passed out on her front porch. She sighed as she continued to watch the scene. He deserved so much better than her.
"Trouble in paradise is always sad and private, we shouldn't be watching," Willow said, earning a scoff from Cordelia. "Pah lease! Paradise! More like trouble in purgatory, she's been nothing but a thorn in his side since they started this charade, god knows what he ever saw in her!" Cordelia said without taking her eyes of the unfolding scene.
"He loves her," Buffy said somewhat distantly.
"He wouldn't know what real love was if it bit him on the ass. He's a high school boy their just not programmed that way," Cordelia clarified.
"Ah Chlamydia! Nice to see you taring us all with the same brush," Xander said announcing his arrival. Buffy and Willow stifled their sniggers as Cordelia stood to face him, leaning her weight on her left leg and folding her arms in the ever tried and tested pose of a teenage strop. "Nice one Harris," she simpered, "keep reading those how to guides," she dropped her arms and began gliding towards him with a dangerous glint in her eye, she began trailing her hand down his chest towards his waist making him tense up, his goofy grin slowly falling off his face. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "and if you're really lucky maybe a girl will touch you in your special place." Cordelia's hand was almost at his 'special place' when she withdrew and shoved him hard in the chest instead, causing him to flop down on the bench, his jaw almost at floor level, "oh wait it's not luck you'll need, it's money." She turned back to the scene across the pitch to discover that Spike had stormed off and Drusilla was sat crying, "Bored now!" Cordelia announced and left to pursue other areas of entertainment.
Xander slid over to Willow, "the woman can't be beaten," he sighed.
"Ever the optimist," Buffy quipped wondering if she should follow Spike.
"Speaking of…" Willow began focusing on Drusilla, "do you think if she cries enough tears she'll melt?"
Buffy and Xander turned towards her in slow motion, a look somewhere between horror and admiration, "Willow!" they both exclaimed.
On the way home from school, Buffy picked Dawn up and the two sisters headed over to their grandmother's house.
"Buffy!" The old lady cried out excitably when she opened the door to her favourite granddaughter, "and Dawn," she concluded when she spotted her other favourite granddaughter. The two siblings were ushered in straight away and were plied with tea and biscuits, which of course they knew weren't optional, as Granny Lilly began her interrogation.
Buffy listened intently, as Dawn explained about her classes, her favourite teacher and her new friend Janice. They'd been living in Sunnydale for almost a year and Buffy had to admit it was hard to think of anywhere else as home now.
"What about you Buffy? How's my mate Skewer?" Granny Lilly asked as she looked at Buffy. Buffy looked at Dawn and then the pair collapsed in a fit of giggles, "it's Spike," Dawn clarified once she had calmed down. Granny Lilly looked blankly between the two, "who's been Spiked," she asked confused. Buffy wiped the tears away from her eyes, "his name is Spike!" Another blank stare from Granny Lilly, so Buffy tried again; louder this time.
"Oh, it's no good," the old lady said reaching for her walking stick, "I'll have to get my hearing aids from upstairs." With that she left the girls alone. The minute she left, Buffy's phone rang and she scampered out of the room, leaving the remaining custard creams at Dawn's mercy.
"Angel," she almost screamed, "I miss you so much! I've been trying to call. Have you booked your train? What time will you get here?Oh on Saturday there's this really great club I thought we could…"Buffy stopped abruptly, "…what do you mean you can't make it? Angel…it's our anniversary…well…I guess…Angel…Angel!"
Throughout the entire conversation Buffy had been toying with her necklace, the one Spike gave her for her 16th birthday. When the line went dead, tears threatened to burst forward, and she began dialing on auto pilot. As she listened to the dial tone, she suddenly realised Spike might not be in any mood to talk. She was just about to hang up when he answered the phone, sounding surprisingly chipper, "Hey Goldilocks, to what do I owe…"
"He's not coming!" Buffy sobbed.
Spike listened attentively as Buffy sobbed her heart out to him, he knew he'd never liked the guy, "you want me to come over?" Spike asked reaching for his leather duster with his free hand.
Buffy felt instantly happier at the prospect of seeing Spike but she declined, "I'm not home," she said and Spike felt disappointed, "I'm at my gran's being force fed," she could hear Spike smile through the receiver, "I better stay here where it's safe then pet, your gran's a bad influence on me."
Buffy giggled, "You're as bad as each other and you know it."
On the other end of the receiver Spike congratulated himself, "Made you laugh though," he said triumphantly. "You coming to the Bronze tonight?" he asked after a short pause.
"No, I've got a hot date with a redhead," Buffy said grinning.
"You dirty stop out!" Spike teased.
"Spike, Spike, you better not have used the last of my midnight black nail polish again" a shrill voice cut through the conversation and Buffy could have sworn she heard Spike roll his eyes, "on second thought…tell your gran I'm coming… now!" he muttered so Cordelia wouldn't hear him. Buffy just laughed, "Man up Spike!" she teased.
"You'll pay for that one Summers!" Spike retorted dryly as they bid each other goodbye. Feeling much better, Buffy went back inside to rescue the custard creams.
When the two girls arrived home, they found a bleached blonde sat on their front porch. "Hey Spike," Dawn muttered shyly, as she brushed a strand of her long brunette hair out of her eyes. Buffy tried hard not to laugh, she couldn't decide which was more humours, her sister's obvious infatuation with her best friend or her best friend's complete obliviousness to it.
"Hey, Niblet…I need to borrow your big sis for a while ok?" he said looking at Buffy. Dawn flounced off into the house without another word. Buffy grew concerned as she looked at Spike, "what's up?" she asked tentatively as she sat next to him. Spike cocked his head and stared at her for a brief moment, "I've got tickets to see the Dingo's on Saturday, thought you might want to come?"
Buffy felt guilty, she knew Spike was just trying to cheer her up, "I'm sorry, Saturday's my anniversary with Angel and even though he can't come I wouldn't feel right making other plans, if I can't be with Angel then I just want to be alone, I…"
"I know," Spike smirked, "that's why I asked you if you wanted to come, so you and peaches can spend some quality time together."
Buffy was getting agitated now, "Spike I told you earlier he can't come so…"
"So," Spike interrupted, enjoying how adorable Buffy looked when she was cross, "you go to him," Buffy was struck dumb and Spike took full advantage, "the gigs in LA."
Buffy still had a confused look on her face and Spike sighed as he shifted his body so he was looking her straight in the eyes, "Honestly, Buffy do I have to spell it out for you… I'm offering you a ride…we'll go to the gig and you go and make googly eyes at your boyfriend."
A smile as wide as the Grand Canyon spread across Buffy's face and she leapt on Spike almost knocking him over, throwing her arms around him, "oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"I take it you're coming then?" Spike asked rhetorically, slowly enveloping Buffy in his arms.
Behind the twitching curtains, Joyce and Dawn shared an approving smile as they watched the two blondes.