Well, it's Sunday which means it's time for that update! I'm not going to lie, this update almost didn't make it out because I've been a little bit sickly lately but I just couldn't help myself! It's another short one, but I hope this is acceptable. Until next week, my friends!
The small group spend the next few days in the same routine; waking up before six and having breakfast before finally moving on to training. In that time, Cordelia had become Faith's unofficial co-instructor but she found herself comfortable with the idea. Cordelia was proving herself, showing that she was obviously a valued fighter as well as a defender and it did make teaching Amanda and Andrew a little bit easier.
"Faith!" Faith jerks in surprise, not having heard Cordelia enter the apartment. Cordelia raises an amused eyebrow at her neighbor and crosses her arms. "Welcome back to the land of the living." She says dryly. Faith snorts a little, her eyes doing a quick sweep of Cordelia before going back to her notebook. Cordelia's other eyebrow raises and a Cheshire cat grin begins to take over her face; that could be fun.
Annie looks around her apartment, grabbing the final box and sitting it on the floor before pushing it down the hall with her foot.
"Well," she says looking around again. "Home sweet home." She says with a smile. As she walks down the hall, she passes one of her pictures that seem to be crooked and takes a moment to adjust it and smile a little brighter. She hears scampering around the corner, "Hey, hey Jamie, I think this is it for us boy." She says crouching down to pick the puppy up out of the box. "Yep, I think we've found our final home." She tells the wiggling dog.
"Get some clothes on; you and I are going shopping." Cordelia leans over the table in front of Faith several hours later. Faith raises an eyebrow, trying to avoid looking at her cleavage. Cordelia just smirks and leans forward a little more.
"Say what, Cor?" Faith asks finally realizing Cordelia had spoken. The taller woman smiles and stands up straight,
"We're going shopping. You need some new clothes and a little guidance and I need to get out of the house."
"What if I'm busy?" Faith asks raising an eyebrow. Cordelia shrugs.
"Take a break." She says. Amanda turns the corner, yogurt in hand and stops in her tracks.
"You're making her leave the house? Really?" she asks. Faith tries not to feel offended.
"See? Even your charge wants you out of the house." Cordelia says smugly.
"But I-"
"You go out at night and spend your days inside brooding." Cordelia rolls her eyes. "Come on, Faith. You're almost as pale as Angel right now." She says. Faith frowns and her hand flies to her face before she jumps up to run to a mirror. Amanda chuckles,
"I'm going to Andrew's; have fun!" she says leaving before Faith can protest.
Faith frowns down at her jeans and tries again to button them. When she still can't get them, she wiggles out and checks the size again before muttering under her breath angrily.
"C'mon, Faith! I'm tired of sitting here and there are more stores than this one!" Cordelia says impatiently from outside the dressing room door. Faith swallows heavily and looks from the jeans in her hands to the door.
"Don't worry, C, I'm on my way out now." She says switching back into her other pants and walking out.
"Did you try those on?" Cordelia asks. Faith nods and shrugs nonchalantly,
"Yeah, but they don't look good on me." She lies. Cordelia rolls her eyes.
"Right, can't have that." She mutters. "Well come on, we still haven't bought anything and it's your night to cook dinner." She says walking away. Faith tosses the jeans on a rack as they leave the store and frowns to herself.
"So, Ms. Amanda, are you ready for school to start?" Andrew asks sitting across from her. Amanda shrugs, picking at her nails.
"I dunno, kinda?" she asks hesitantly. Andrew tilts his head and frowns.
"Kind of?" he asks. She shrugs again. "What's up?" he asks watching her. she doesn't answer, instead just studying her nails before taking a breath.
"What if… I don't know, I'm opening my locker and it just comes off in my hands?" she asks softly. Andrew's eyes widen a little and he clears his throat.
"Oh, uh, well." He says not really sure how to answer that question.
"Or worse, I break a desk or something." She says, her voice becoming panicked. Andrew opens his mouth to speak then squints his eyes in thought.
"Well," he starts, searching for a way to calm the increasingly panicked girl. "I…uh…" he blows out a breath as he concentrates.
"Oh god, what if I accidentally bump into someone and knock their arm off or something!" she shrieks.
"That would be bad." He says to himself. Amanda stands up and begins to pace and he decides its time for damage control.
Faith fishes into her pocket for her phone and frowns at the caller id.
"Yeah, Tinkerbell?" she answers. Cordelia stops walking and watches her for a moment, really wanting to get this sown on the road.
"We are facing a crisis of epic prop-"
"I don't have time for your metaphors, get to the point." Faith cut him off quickly.
"Amanda is having a meltdown." He says dejectedly. Faith sighs and hangs up.
"We gotta get home, the kid is losin' her wits." She says apologetically. Cordelia breathes through her nose and nods.