Chapter Six:

Willow, Anya and Dawn invited Buffy to go shopping with them to try and find a new outfit for Dawn to wear on her date with Connor. It was apparently their four month anniversary and Dawn wanted something special.

Standing outside of the mall Buffy found an unfamiliar nervousness creeping into her stomach. For some reason it was important to her for these girls to like her. It had nothing to do with Spike, or at least that was what she was telling herself. It was unnerving her no end to know that with these girls there was no point in pretending to be someone she wasn't the way she did to fit in with Cordy and the other cheerleaders at first, she knew it wouldn't work. But what would happen when they found out that she was just another boring, lonely, rich kid? She spent so many years being "Buffy, the cheerleader" or "Cordelia's friend Buffy" and now "Angel's girlfriend Buffy" that she could hardly remember who she was when she was alone in her room, just being herself.

Just as she was telling herself off for being so pathetic and turning for home Willow rounded the corner.

"Hey Buffy, I'm glad you came, Dawn can use all the help she can get!"

Willow smiled confidently. It was unusual to see the slender redhead so self-assured and Buffy again noticed just how wrong she had been about them.

Buffy could feel the satisfied glow as they all made their way to the food court. Dawn settled on a light blue, three quarter dress with a lace up back. She looked beautiful, casual and elegant at the same time. They all chatted and seemed to honestly want her opinion. Usually Cordy and Harmony were too busy quoting "Cosmo" to hear her fashion ideas.

The conversation moved naturally from fashion to makeup and the horrors of animal testing, back to fashion and onto relationships. Willow beamed as she told Buffy how she and Oz first started dating. There was something settled and calm about it and yet still charged with passionate energy.

Anya sure seemed in a hurry to spend her days, and nights for that matter, with Xander and Dawn was so excited about her date it was bouncing off her like beams of sunshine. Buffy couldn't help wondering if maybe she was pushing Angel away? They went out every Saturday night, they did the same things, went to the same places and ended the same way. Angel would try to undo her buttons or untuck her shirt, she would kiss him for a few minutes and they fooled around a little some of the time but then on her instinct she would go inside and up to bed alone much to Angel's annoyance.

Maybe it was her? Maybe if she just tried a little harder? Angel was a catch! Star quarterback, rich, popular and built like a granite statue. Every girl in Sunnydale knew Angel's name. So why didn't she feel fireworks? Buffy found her contemplations interrupted by Dawns bright voice.

"So Buffy, do you have a hot romantic date this weekend?"

"Nope. I'm going out with Angel"