Chapter Five-Winter Formal

Disclaimer: The characters mentioned are still Joss's, not mine, except the made up ones. Also, I don't own the songs Dancing Queen or Wonderful Tonight. I also don't own Saved by the Bell.Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed…please keep the reviews coming!

"He wants to WHAT? Are you sure you heard him right," Buffy yelled into the phone to Xander.

"I over heard Angel talking on the phone about the winter formal and I heard him say that he wants to ask you to go with him."

"Xander, I think your wrong. Why would he want to go with me? He's a junior and I'm a freshman. Plus, there are so many other people in his grade who would love to go with him."" Buffy explained as she made a salad to go along with dinner that night. She wondered why Angel would want to go with her. After homecoming they did go out together but as friends and no where exciting. They only went out for pizza or to the movies together and usually with Xander, Willow and Cordelia, who was now showing more interest in Xander than Angel. She and Angel also danced together at the school dances but that was never a big deal because everyone usually danced with everyone else.

"I can't explain my brother's thinking. I can tell you only what I heard. Buff, I'm just telling you what I heard."

"What do I say?"

"Usually yes or no are the most popular answers. If you want to go, go but if you don't, just don't go. I'm going."

Buffy smiled. "With Cordelia?"

"Maybe. I was also going to ask Willow."

"Willow?"

"Yeah, we've been friends forever and it would be fun, no pressure or anything like that."

"But Cordy will be there, right?"

"Yeah, she'll be going with us."

"I don't even know if I want to go, I haven't even thought about it."

"Well, I think he'll ask tomorrow before Thanksgiving break. Knowing Angel, he'll ask you when he is on his way to drop you off at home."

Buffy sighed. "Xander, why does he want to take me?"

"I don't know but I will eavesdrop on his conversation some more and let you know."

"Will you really do that? You know I'd appreciate it."

Xander laughed. "I don't think so, Angel would kill me. Hey, he just pulled into the driveway. We're going to the mall so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Xander, let's go!" Buffy heard Angel say in the background.

"All right, but keep up the eavesdropping, okay?"

"No way, bye Buff." Xander said as he hung up the phone.

Buffy put the salad into the fridge and sat in the living room. Dawn was in the room watching some a rerun of Saved by the Bell. She sank into the chair and closed her eyes and began thinking to herself. Xander had to have heard wrong. Maybe he said he wouldn't want to take me. Why would he want to take me, there are so many more girls who are prettier than I am. He's a junior and I'm a freshman. Xander had to have heard wrong. After all he-

"When is Mom coming home?" Dawn asked, interrupting her thought process.

"Later. She is working late tonight."

"What about Dad, when is he coming home."

"He's coming home soon. He had some meeting or something after work and is coming home right after."

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked as she walked over to the couch.

"Thinking. What are you doing."

"Watching TV, duh, what does it look like I am doing. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, nothing. Which episode is this?" Buffy asked referring to the television series she used to watch.

"It's the one when Zach asks Kelly to the dance."

Buffy sighed. "I'm going up to my room, okay?" Before Dawn could answer, she was up the stairs and in her room.

"So what are your plans for Thanksgiving?" Angel asked Willow and Buffy in the car after their last class before Thanksgiving.

"Well, my parents are out of town on business, so I'm spending time over Buff's house."

"That sounds like fun."

"Then we are going holiday shopping really early on Friday morning with my parents."

"Oh yea, with me too," Xander butted in.

"Sounds very traditional," Angel said as he paused for a minute. "Have you guys heard about the winter formal?"

Buffy's stomach had a knot in it. "Yea, Xander, and I are going together," Willow answered before anyone could continue. Buffy looked at Willow and smiled.

"What about you Buffy, do you dance?"

"Sometimes, I was going to go stag, or as a threesome."

"You mean foursome, remember Cordy is coming too," Xander corrected her.

"Do you really want to go by yourself?" Angel asked.

Oh God, she thought. He is going to ask me. What do I say? What do I do? "Well, it was a thought. My friend Dan from LA isn't able to go. Plus, it's not really stag when I am going with my friends. We are going to have fun as a three-foursome."

"Oh I see," Angel said. He wanted to go with her so badly. He really liked her. "Here's the thing. I'm not going to beat around the bush so just listen. I would really like to go with you. You are my friend and I think we would have a good time together, and you would still get to hang out with Xand and Willow."

Oh God, he's being so nice. I don't want to make him upset. He is really nice, and he's kind of cute. Buffy, what are you thinking! You don't want to go with Angel. He knows too much about you after talking during the bon fire. You're going to say no. Just say no.

"Sure Angel, that sounds like it will be fun." She smiled not understanding why she said yes. Xander turned around from the front seat of the car and kind of laughed at her. Yep, she was going to homecoming with Angel.

"We are going to have so much fun tonight!" Willow said as she got ready for the formal at Buffy's house. She pulled her red hair into a bun and applied her make-up.

"You're going to have fun. You're going to be with Xander and even Cordelia. I'm going to be with a bunch of juniors I don't even know!"

"Buffy, you have hung out with Angel and his friends before, it's not like you don't know them. You will have fun."

"I hope so." Buffy said as she stood up. She was ready to go. Her short, strapless dark purple dress hugged her slim body. "Wil, I don't know about this."

"Well-" Willow began to talk before she was interrupted by Rupert calling from down the stairs.

"Girls, Angel and Xander are here."

"This is it." Willow said with a smile. She straightened out her floor length black dress.

'But I don't want to go. Don't make me go."

"Buff, it's too late. You're dressed and ready to go." Willow said as they began to go down the stairs.

They where in the middle of the staircase when Buffy began to whisper. "But I don't want to-" she stopped dead in the middle of her sentence when she saw Angel and Rupert joking around. He looked so elegant and so beautiful. Buffy forgot about every reason or excuse she made to get out of that night. She was going with the nicest and best looking boy in the whole school. She and Willow waited at the bottom of the staircase while Xander and Angel finished their conversation with Rupert.

"Buffy, you look so pretty," Dawn commented almost in awe. Her comment got the attention of everyone in the room. "And you look pretty too Willow."

"Thanks Dawnie," Willow said with a smile.

"Yea, thanks Dawnie," Buffy also added with a smile as she walked over to Angel.

"You both look beautiful," Rupert commented. "Your mother will be back in a few moment, she just went to get some film for the camera."

"You look beautiful Buffy. Here, I got these for you," Angel said, almost baffled. He handed her a bouquet of white and pink tiger lilies. "I knew everyone was going to have roses so I figured you would like something different. I hope you like them."

Buffy smiled. She actually hated roses so she was relieved when Angel had something else. "They are beautiful, thank you very much."

Just then Joyce came home with the film. "Oh sweetheart, you look so pretty." Joyce said as she hugged her daughter. "Willow, you look gorgeous too." Joyce also hugged her. Since moving to Sunnydale, Joyce became sort of a sergeant mother for Willow. Joyce felt bad that Willow's parents traveled a lot and Willow often went home to an empty house and take out food. Joyce had insisted that whenever Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberg where out of town, that Willow stay with them. Willow hated to be by herself so she always accepted the offer.

"Let me take just a few more picture before you leave." Joyce said after almost ten minutes of picture taking.

"Sweetheart, I fear that you will have to go back to the store and get more film if you keep this up," Rupert said with a smile to his wife.

"There, last one," Joyce said with a smile but also rolling her eyes at her husband.

"What time does the dance get over?" Rupert asked.

"Eleven. What time do you want me home?" Buffy asked.

"I guess midnight or twelve-thirty, only because it is a special night." Joyce explained.

"Thanks mom, I'll see you in the morning." Buffy said as she kissed Joyce's cheek. "Thank you too," She said to Rupert.

Rupert placed his arm around Buffy. "No problem, just have a good time."

The four walked out of the house. Xander and Willow crawled into the backseat of the Saab before Buffy and Angel took their seats in the front.

"I changed our seating at dinner." Angel said.

"Where are we siting now?"

"At table fourteen."

"Table fourteen? That's our table." Willow said.

"Yeah, I figured you would be more comfortable with people you know well, so I changed our table. Hope you're not too upset." Angel smiled.

Buffy returned his smile and simply said, "Thank you."

Angel pulled into Cordelia's driveway and the four stepped out of the car. After taking more pictures there, they were ready to begin their night.

"See, I knew you would have a good time. All you have to do is give fun a chance." Xander said to Buffy while they were dancing to Abba's 'Dancing Queen'.

"So I am having fun, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you like to have fun and I think you like people too."

At the end of the song they walked back to their table to get a drink.

"So you have figured out my secret. Shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone." She smiled.

"I'm glad you are having fun."

"Yea, fun is good. Where's Wil and Cordy?" Buffy asked as they sat.

"They are in the bathroom, fixing their make-up. Where's Angel?"

"He's talking to some of the football guys. He's over there talking to Doyle now."

"Okay boys and girls. Young men and women of Sunnydale High School, this is your DJ and I am about to play the last song of the night, so find your someone to share the last dance with." The DJ said before playing Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight.

Buffy sat at the table as Xander and Willow danced together. Cordelia decided to sit that song out.

"Hey Buffy, do you want to dance? It's the last song." Angel asked as he stood next to her.

"I would love to," she smiled as she stood up and walked with Angel to the dance floor. They danced closely and slowly.

"I want you to know that I had a good time tonight, with you. Thank you for inviting me Angel."

Angel smiled. "Buffy, it was my pleasure. I had so much fun with you. I hope this is just the beginning of good times with us."

Buffy was puzzled. "Angel, what do you mean? We always have fun together."

Again, Angel smiled. "I was hoping that we could kind of maybe go out, alone, just the two of us."

Buffy was puzzled. "Just the two of us? You mean like a date?"

Angel nodded. "What do you say?"

Buffy was now the one smiling. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me? Why not Cordelia or Theresa or Amy? I mean, why me?" Buffy laughed. "Sometimes I'm not the most sociable person."

Angel kept on smiling. "Yeah, I have noticed. First off, Cordelia likes Xander, and I am thankful for that, believe me. And Theresa and Amy are boring. I have known them all my life and they are the same old girls who I remember when I was six. They haven't changed or grown or anything. Buffy, you are fun to be around. I have fun when I am with you. Your truthful and you don't care what people think about you. You can't care, your friends with my brother, aren't you? Seriously, I like being with you. You are a strong and independent person. So please, will you go out with me?"

Buffy smiled. She couldn't stop. She was excited. "Yes, I guess I will give this dating thing a try."

Angel and Buffy both smiled at each other as they continued to dance to the song. Buffy rested her head upon Angel's chest until the end of the song.

"Hey Angel, a bunch of the guys are going to the beach for a party, you wanna go?" Someone asked Angel.

He looked at Buffy. "Do you want to go?"

"I guess it could be fun."

"All right, count us in."

"So we're back here again?" Buffy said as she sat on a rock along the beach. It was the same spot where she and Angel sat the night of the bon fire.

"Yea, I don't want to be around a bunch of drunk kids. Plus, you said you liked it here because it was peaceful. It's a nice place to talk."

"It is. You have been so nice tonight. Thank you."

It's nothing." Angel said as he put his arm around Buffy. They sat for almost forty-five minutes before leaving. Luckily for them, Xander, Willow and Cordelia were waiting to go.

After dropping off Cordelia, Angel next drove to Buffy's house to drop her and Willow off. Angel got out of the car and walked the two to the front door.

"We'll have to talk about going out soon." Buffy said.

"Yea, we are. I can't wait." Angel paused for a minute. "Goodnight Willow."

"Good night Angel, thanks for everything tonight."

"It was no problem, really. Good night Buffy."

Buffy gazed into Angel's big brown eyes. "Good night Angel."

Angel stood on the doorstep as Willow and Buffy both entered the house. Angel grabbed Buffy's arm before she entered the house. "Yes?" She said

Angel didn't replay with words. He replied by kissing her. "Good night Buffy. I'll talk to you soon."

Buffy ran up the stairs and caught up with Willow. She had so much to tell her about her night.