Just something that occured to me after reading some other stories from other fandoms. Kind of AU, so no vampires, supernatural or Slayer powers. Usually I don't do these kinds of fics but this wouldn't leave my head and Buffy burning the gym in the film, let's just say an alternate version of it happened.

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse.

"Louis Daguerre. French painter who came up with daguerreotypes." Buffy repeated Willow's words. "I guess History of Arts is not gonna be my thing."

"Come on, I can help you out later in the afternoon in the library." Willow said as they walked down the corridor.

"Maybe you could pick math or English. It's not too late, right?" Tara said.

"I gotta go hit the head, we'll catch up later, OK?" Buffy said as she went into the bathroom and into the toilet but noticing it was dirty, she went behind and picked a cleaning cart and a broom, trying to clean the floor, when she noticed a young man with dark hair enter and she groaned in disgust. Warren Mears. One of the scums of the school. Creepy stalking sleazeball that most girls would keep their distance from like the devil from the cross.

Warren leaned onto the sink, mumbling to himself and staring into the mirror. "I'm the boss. I'll show them. I'm the boss."

"Warren? What the hell are you doing here?" The brunette, who had entered, stared in disbelief. Buffy couldn't help but feel like something was familiar about her. "It's the girl's bathroom, you know?"

"What are you looking at? What do you want, Chase?" Warren sneered at her in disgust.

"Uh, I think you're being creepy for walking here, duh. Get out, Warren." The girl said.

"You don't know who I am and who I'm capable of!" Warren said, pulling out a gun and a syringe.

"Where did you get that?" The girl backed away, terrified as he pinned her to the wall. "Warren, put it down and let's just talk about this."

"This is the last time you screw with me. When I'm done with you, you'll be my bitch." Warren said, about to drug her.

"You think you can get away with this?" The girl demanded, trying to keep a brave face.

"No one would even miss your sorry bitchy ass, would they?" Warren said.

Next thing they knew, there was a flash of light as they paused in their track and Warren slowly turned his head to see Buffy holding a polaroid with a photo printing out. "Buffy Summers…" He turned around. "You are so dead, bitch!"

"Buffy?" The girl spoke up in surprise but Buffy paid her no mind, since her focus was on Warren, who rushed at her and Buffy's self-defense lessons kicked in, dodging as Warren tried to hit her with his gun and threw him to the wall, dazing him.

Buffy turned to the brunette, taking a closer look at her brown eyes, the cheekbones and tanned skin, when the realization suddenly hit her like a truck. "Cordelia?"

Next thing Buffy knew, she was hit in the head by the butt of the gun as she fell down.

"Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Cordy, run!" Buffy ordered.

"B-but you—"

"Get out of here! I got this!" Buffy yelled as she dodged Warren's punch and Cordelia nodded as she ran off.

Buffy grabbed Warren by his wrist and pinned him to the wall but Warren shook her off and tackled her, pinning her instead.

"Get off me, you freak!" Buffy shouted.

"Not until you get rid of that damn photo!" Warren yelled.

"I said, get off!" Buffy pushed Warren away and immediately screamed, holding her shoulder as it bled from Warren pulling the trigger.

Warren widened his eyes. "Holy crap! Are you—"

In that instant, Principal Wood burst in. "What's going—" He widened his eyes upon seeing Warren with a gun in his hand. "Warren Mears?"

"Principal Wood, I swear, it's not—"

"Save it! You're coming with me!" Wood said as he grabbed Warren by his arm.

"What's going—" Willow gasped upon seeing Buffy's bleeding arm. "Buffy?"

"Osborne, Harris, take Buffy to the nurse. I'll handle Mr. Mears." Wood said, dragging Warren away.

"You'll rue this day! You're all gonna rue this day!" Warren shouted from around the corner.

"I'll accompany her too." Willow offered.

"Buffy, hang on." Xander said as he, Oz and Willow approached Buffy, with Buffy placing her arm around Xander's shoulders and holding her wound as they accompanied her out.

"Buffy, what happened?" Oz asked.

"Why don't we talk about this after I get patched up?" Buffy said and they nodded.

"Right." Willow said as Buffy was holding her wound but she was barely conscious by the time they arrived to the nurse and passed out.

When Buffy came to, she tried to get up but groaned upon feeling sharp pain in her shoulder.

"Easy, Buff." Xander said as he held her down.

"Please, be careful, OK?" Willow said worriedly.

"How are you feeling?" Oz asked.

Buffy laid down and tried to relax as she looked around to realize she was in the infirmary. "Could've been much worse. Hey, how long was I out?"

"Two hours or so. We stayed here until you'd wake up." Xander said.

"You really had us worried. What happened?" Willow asked.

"I was in the toilet, when I saw Warren burst in, mumbling to himself he's the boss and that he owned the school or so and then he pulled out a gun and then I showed up and… I think you can imagine what happened next." Buffy explained and they nodded.

"You should know, the bathroom incident got Warren expelled." Oz said and Buffy nodded. Good riddance.

"Buffy, you should rest." Xander said as she was about to get up.

"Don't worry about me, OK?" Buffy said.

Willow handed Buffy a shirt with short sleeves. "Here. I brought you this. You stained your and my clothes with blood."

"Thanks." Buffy said, putting the shirt on.

They were going out into an empty car park as Xander was about to drive them away. "So how about we forgot about the whole mess and went to the Bronze—"

"Buffy. Bitch. Summers."

Of course, the moment didn't last. They turned to see Warren approach with a face full of relentless rage.

"Can I help you?" Buffy quipped, trying to keep a straight face but worried what he might do.

"You! Because of you, I got expelled! God, what are my parents gonna think? What am I gonna do?!" Warren panicked.

"Warren, calm—" Buffy choked, when he grabbed her by her throat.

"Don't tell me to calm down, you little bitch! This is all your fault!" Warren yelled madly.

"Let her go, Warren!" Xander ordered.

"Get off her!" Willow said as she and Xander pulled him away but Warren punched Xander and pushed Willow, sending them both on the ground.

Glaring, Buffy punched Warren and kicked him as he stumbled back.

"You're gonna regret getting me expelled, when I'm done with you, you little bi—" Warren grunted, when a car drove in and hit him in his side, knocking him to the ground. "Ugh!" He looked up and glared. "You again?"

"Cordy!" Buffy called as she noticed who was the driver.

"Get in! Hurry!" Cordelia said. Buffy quickly entered the car as Cordelia drove away, while she saw Xander and Willow back off from the yelling Warren, who shouted something about revenge.

Buffy panted out in relief. "Holy crap. Thanks for saving my ass back there, Cordelia."

"I guess we're even for you helping me back in the bathroom." Cordelia smiled before turning to Buffy worriedly. "Are you OK, Buffy? I was worried you wouldn't make it out alive back there. I hauled ass and didn't look back and waited outside until the mess blew over and tried to keep my distance. Didn't need anyone asking me gossip, if they saw me in the bathroom but luckily, they didn't know I was involved. So… same old, same old. You?"

"Shot in the shoulder and a bruise on the head but I'll get over it. Xander and Willow got me to the nurse and she patched me up, don't worry, I'm fine." Buffy assured and Cordelia sighed in relief.

"That's good." Cordelia said. "So… I guess L.A. sucked?"

"More like I got tired of it. I mean, it's a cool place but… I guess I didn't fit in there. Always the outsider. Don't get me wrong, there were cool people back there and good friends but… it just didn't feel right." Buffy said.

Cordelia nodded. "I know the feeling. I guess there's no place like where the friends are, right?"

"Huh. It's been barely a year but you're still cheery, right?" Buffy laughed.

"And you're still a problem magnet. I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that the freak attacked you because of the bathroom incident, did he?" Cordelia said.

"You'd be correct. Wood caught him with a gun and he got expelled." Buffy explained, smirking.

"Nicely done, sister!" Cordelia said as she and Buffy high-fived. "You've been in Sunnydale not even a month and you're already causing trouble!"

"Don't you remember how you splashed me with soda back when we were in the cheerleading team and I was the new girl?" Buffy reminded as they laughed before she grunted in pain.

"Are you OK?" Cordelia asked.

"Sorry. I guess I forgot about my wound." Buffy said, rubbing her shoulder.

"Where do you even live? Maybe we should check in on your wound again." Cordelia asked.

"Right there down the street. Mom's gonna be happy to see you again." Buffy said.

"Remember Joyce's pancakes she'd cook us, when we were sick as dogs or when I slept over at your place?" Cordelia said as both friends laughed as they drove down the street. "So… how long have you been in Sunnydale?"

"Moved in at the end of the vacation. Just enrolled." Buffy said.

Cordelia trailed off, looking hurt. "So… you've been in Sunnydale for almost a month and you haven't had time to catch up with your former best friend from L.A.?"

"Look, Cordy, I was just settling in, OK? And things can change a lot over the year. I mean, the group you've been hanging around with…" Buffy said and Cordelia sighed.

"I get it. We're both very different people now. A lot can change over the year. I guess I have some share of blame on that too." Cordelia said. "But maybe we can make up for the lost time now."

"Here." Buffy pointed to where her house was. "Just like old times, right?"

"Hopefully not too much. Remember how they almost caught us and kicked us out of Malibu Beach, when you suggested that we'd skinny dip when we had the campfire?" Cordelia said as they laughed. Already like the old days.

It's not going to be a long story, the next one is going to conclude this.

So, what do you guys think? Is it good? Is it bad? Should I continue?

Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this.

With regards

Bl4ckHunter