Game of Love
Chapter 3
6 months later
I can't even begin to describe to you how much I dislike Faith! God, she is like this stain, I can't get to go away. Not only does she come here and start honing in on something I thought was meant only for me, she has my friends, my watcher, and even my own mother, brainwashed. She has them thinking that she shits butterflies and daises. Even Dawn wishes Faith was her sister instead of me. That I don't really care. Faith can have her. Now, all I hear is, "Faith this...", "Faith that...", or "Faith is so awesome!" One more thing about her and I think I'm going to die! Like, forever this time! Shit, knowing my luck, they won't even notice I'm gone! I HATE HER! Well, maybe not hate. But, I DO strongly dislike her. Strongly dislike.
I can't even get a break from her. She's goes to my school now, she hangs out with my friends, and she even comes over for dinner. My mother thinks that she and I should get along since we both are slayers. But not all things associated with Faith are horrible, her parents, James and Tina, they are really chill people. They have been over for dinner a couple times. I just can't figure out how they gave birth to a fire monster baby.
It would be better if I could patrol my own, but Giles' thinks that it would be a great idea for Faith to tag along, so we could protect each other.
"Buffy, I really do think that you could benefit from Faith accompanying you on your nightly patrols. It would be a lot safer, if you both patrolled together." That was my best British accent. Don't make fun. I'm so not in the mood!
So, that's where I am. Patrolling. The object of my disdain is currently behind me, going on about something.
"So B, we haven't really had a chance to talk since I've been here." Yeah, I worked hard for that. I stop walking and turn around to face her.
"Let me guess, you want to change that?" She nods her head.
"Why don't we just keep things the way they have been?"
"You don't got any questions that you been just dyin' to ask me? I know you gotta have at least one." Yeah, I got one.
"Were you born this annoying or did you learn it along the way?" She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
"Well, I guess you could say I learned along the way. What about you? Has no one ever tried to remove your head from your ass?" She is such a jerk!
"Whatever." She chuckles.
"You know, if you want I can help you to loosen up the screws." She says as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. Uggh, she wishes. Always with the innuendo. I don't think she can live without it. She is forever suggesting in some way or another that, we hookup.
"If I told you once, then I've told you a thousand times that will never happen." She laughs.
"Never say never."
"Never." I mean it. She shrugs her shoulders.
"I don't know. I'm wicked hot. And you ain't far behind. It could be awesome." I dismiss her with a wave of my hand. She just won't give up. I won't even try and lie, she's gorgeous. But she rubs me the wrong way. Don't even start thinking like that. Enjoy the gutter?
Faith just walks ahead of me. Good, glad we had this talk. We were walking in an uncomfortable silence, when she starts singing this random ass song.
"You don't know how much I need you.
While you're near me I don't feel blue.
And when we kiss I know that you need me too.
I can't believe I found a love that's so pure and true.But it all was bullshit!
It was a goddamn joke.
And when I think of you Linda,
I hope you fucking choke..."
"Would you please keep it down?! What the hell are you singing?" She's looking at me like she just caught me smoking crack. What? She's the one giving the vamps our exact location.
"You're kiddin' me, right?"
"No, I'm not! We are here to hunt vampires, not the other way around, Faith." She really has no idea.
"Fuck that! You've never seen 'The Wedding Singer'?" What is she on now? This is the stuff I have to put up with.
"Would you lower your voice? God, you are so clueless!" I won't be able to take much more of this.
"Me? You have no clue. You've never seen 'The Wedding Singer'!" She really is so retarded. What is so great about this movie?
"You are missin' out on a great cinematic adventure. It really is a boss movie, B." I hate it when she calls me that!
"How many times...? Faith, I know how hard it is for you to comprehend simple things, but I really need you to stop calling me that!" She looks kinda hurt.
"Why do you always be a bitch, Buffy?"
"There. Was that so hard?" Wait, did she just...?
"Did you just call me a 'bitch'?" Yeah, I really think she did.
"Yeah, I did. Are you going to answer?"
"I'm not being a bitch." Really, I know I am, but whatever. Who are you to judge?
"Uh, yeah you are! Every since I got here, you have been nothin' but an ass to me, when I have been nothin' but nice to you!" She could've stayed where she was.
"You came here and fucked my life!"
"Oh, really? How did I come here and 'fuck your life', as you say?"
"You just blew in and took anything that matters to me!" Fuck, she gets on my nerves!
"Really, is that how it went down? Because the last time I checked, you still had everything you had before I got here." Whatever. She doesn't get it.
"Why did you come here in the first place?" She gets this look between anger and sadness on her face.
"Well, um, before my watcher was, you know, dismembered right in front of me, she mentioned you! She told me that if something should happen I should try and find you. So, after I told my parents what had happened to Diane, they agreed that it was time for us to get the hell outta dodge. We had to totally abandon our lives in Boston. You have no clue what I have been through My dad got transferred to a place not too far from here and my mom she just felt better knowing there would be someone here to watch my back. But, I guess she was wrong. I've tried to be nice and put up with the fact that you have a giant stick up yo' ass! But I can't take it anymore! I came here hoping that we could be like the 'Chosen Two'. A chance to get to slay alongside the girl my watcher, had lots of journals on. You know, I thought it would be great to have finally have someone who understood what I had to go through, but here you are 'Miss high and mighty' actin' like I stole something that belonged only to you. There were slayers before you and there will be slayers after you! That you can be sure of, Buffy!"
Wow! I feel like a complete an utter asshole. I had no idea all that stuff happened to her. I don't think I can back-pedal out of this fast enough.
"Faith, I'm..." She holds up her hand to silence me.
"Save it, B. I don't need you to apologize. I'm done tryin' with you. From now on we patrol alone. Imma leave you alone like you wanted this entire time." And she just walks away leaving me standing there.
"Faith, wait!" It's barely above a whisper. I know she heard me. Slayer hearing, but she just keeps walking.
God, I feel horrible. Why do I have to such an idiot? You know what? Don't you dare answer that! Smartass! Like, I don't feel bad enough.
Faith was true to her word. I haven't talked to her in 2, almost 3 weeks. And though I hate to admit it, but I miss having her around. She comes to the meetings but she doesn't look or talk to me. I wish she would so I could tell her that I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to be an ass to her. I just felt like she was trying to steal my whole life. I was the only slayer for a long time. I didn't like feeling like I had to compete with her. But really, I should have been working to get along with her.
When I finally come to my realization I hear the sounds of a fight. I run over and see this demon with Faith above his head about to toss her.
"Faith!" When it hears me it throws her. She goes sailing through the air and hits a tree. Hard. Fuck, I know that hurt.
I charge him. He really is fuckin' huge. I try to gut him with the sword I have. But he just catches me at my wrist and twists my arm, so that my sword falls on the ground. I try and punch him with my free hand. He blocks and head butts me. Blood splatters everywhere. My fuckin nose! I don't think it broken. But, OW! Fuckin' son of a bitch! This was a brand new shirt. Does he have any idea how hard it is to get blood out of clothing? Of course, he doesn't he a goddamn demon! He lifts me over his head like he did Faith, but before he can throw me; I kick him as hard as I can from this position. I guess it's hard enough because he screams and drops me. I look around for the sword I dropped earlier. I see it, run for it as fast as I can, but the big stupid-head demon blocks me. I tuck and roll on the ground past him. Grab the sword as fast as I can, with a quick slash, his head is rolling on the ground. The rest of him turns into this nasty ass goo, his head shortly follows. I drop my sword and run over to Faith. She is out cold.
I stop right next to her, kneel down, and pick up her head. When her head is in my hands, I feel something sticky. I turn her over slightly; she has a cut on her head, that's bleeding kind of fast. I look around for something to try and stop the bleeding. I don't see anything. I look down at my shirt. Oh, what the hell? It's not like I was going to get that blood out. I rip it and add pressure to the wound. I got to wake her up. I take my jacket off and put it under her head so she can use it as some kind of pillow.
"Faith, wake up." No response.
"Faith, c'mon get up!" I lightly slap her on the cheek. Oh, no! She's dead! She can't be dead, not when I just realized that she and I can get along.
"FAITH!" I slap the hell outta her this time.
"What?" She say all groggy. Oh, thank God! I lean down a little to try and hug her.
"You don't gotta yell. I was near death, not deaf." How can she still joke at a time like this?
"Where is the train that hit me?" She has to have a crazy headache.
"A demon threw you at a tree." She groans.
"Well, my head says train." She jokes as she tries to get up.
"No, you can't! You hit your head really hard. Just lie still for a while."
"Gee B, I didn't know you cared." She laughs and then groans.
"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting towards you, Faith." And I really am.
"S'okay, B. No worries. We're five-by five." What does that mean? Must be some weird Boston slang.
"We should get you somewhere safe and see to that cut on your head. Are you okay to try and walk or do you want me to carry you?" A smile comes across her face.
"You'd do that, B? Look at you tryin' to make with the butch." She winks. I laugh a little.
"Well, it's the least I can do."
"No need to feel guilty, B. I said we were good and I meant it." I believe her. But I still feel a little guilty.
"So, about that carryin' me?" I can only chuckle at her. She tries to stand up, but wobbles a little bit. I stand up to steady her.
"You really want me to?" She shakes her head. I really would have.
"Naw, you ain't got to. But, could you help me walk home?"
"Of course." She wraps her arm around my shoulders and I throw one around her waist.
"So B, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" It's a start.
A few months later
I'm at Faith's. Because Faith says she has something planned for us today. I ring the doorbell. I hear her father shouting, that he's coming. He's opens the door and smiles when he sees it's me. He's where Faith gets her smile and dimples from.
"Hey Buffy, c'mon in." His accent is so thick. He steps aside so I can enter the house.
"Hi, Mr. Lehane, how are you?" He closes the door.
"I'm five-by-five. And you?" I guess, Faith gets that from him, too. He really is a handsome guy. Relax, I'm not checking out her father. Sicko. I just notice things.
"I'm well, Mr. Lehane. Thanks for asking." We walk further in the house and I see Mrs. Lehane sitting on the sofa watching TV. We say hello.
"Good to hear. And it's James." He says with that huge smile on his face.
"Sorry. I'm well, James."
"That's better. Faith is up in her room. You are more than welcome to go up." He motions towards the steps with his head.
"Thanks, Mr.…" He raises an eyebrow.
"I mean, James." I laugh at the look he gives me and head up to go get Faith. I can hear the pounding from her stereo all the way down the hall. I would knock but there is no way she could hear me over the music. I walk in and she is in the mirror singing, putting on her lipstick. I call out to her but she can't hear me.
"Faith!" She just keeps on going. Loser.
"Faith!" She gets more into it. With that, I walk over to the stereo and turn down the volume. She is still singing along with the song.
"Faith." I don't yell this time. She still jumps, anyway. She turns around to look at me. She smiles when she sees me.
"Hey B, I didn't know you were here yet." She turns back around to finish.
"Yeah, your stereo was so loud you wouldn't hear bombs going off outside."
"What can I say I like my music loud?" She goes over to her closet and walks back out with a pair of boots.
"Well, don't blame your hearing loss on me." She looks at me and shakes her head.
"Don't worry. I will." Brat.
"You should be warning me of the dangers of listening to my music that loud."
"Whatevs. You ready?" She takes one last look in the mirror.
"Are you ready for the best date of your life?" It's not a date.
"It's not a date." She chuckles.
"But don't you wish it was?" She is so full of herself.
"Don't you wish?" I reply back.
"Yeah, I do. I'll get you one day, B." We head down the stairs. She grabs her car keys. Her mom turns around.
"Ya takin' off, baby girl?" Faith looks at me and blushes a little. So cute, she's embarrassed.
"Yeah, ma. Don't worry; I'll be back before curfew." She walks over to the sofa.
"You'd betta or there'll be a search party out for ya, if you're one minute past."
"You're such a kidda, ma." She kisses her parents goodbye.
"You can think I'm kiddin' if ya want, girl. One minute past? Search party. End of story." Her mom turns back around to watch TV. Faith rolls her eyes.
"Don't roll eyes at me. One minute." Mrs. Lehane turns back around and looks at me.
"Goodnight, Buffy! It was nice seein' ya." Faith starts yanking on my arm, trying to get me out the door faster.
"Same here. You guys, have a good night." Not sure that they heard the last part, since Faith is so rude and pulled me out so quickly.
"Geez 'F', anxious much?" She unlocks the doors and opens mines up for me.
"You heard her, didn't ya? That was all serious. She is really overprotective sometimes." She closes the door and walks around to her side and climbs in.
"So, where are we going?" She looks over at me.
"Nope, not gonna tell. It's a surprise. You'll find out when we get there." She starts her car a pulls off down the drive way.
She comes to a stop in front of a building that looks kind of rundown.
"Where the hells are we, Faith?" She turns off the car.
"Good things come to those who wait." With that she hops out. I asked where we were, not for a Chinese proverb. So, I'm impatient? Get over it. Surprises make me nervous. Get off my back!
I climb out and she walks around to my side.
"So, you ready?" She holds out her arm and I put mines through hers.
"Do I have a choice?" She look around, like the answer is going to fall from the sky. Then she shakes her head.
"Nope." We laugh.
"Didn't think so." We start off towards the run down building.
When we get closer she knocks on the door. An old man answers it.
"Hey Faith, it's all ready for you." Who is this guy?
"Thanks Peter." How does she know him? She leads me inside. We stop moving and she tells me to wait here. It's really dark in here.
"Faith, where are you? Can you turn on some lights? It's really dark in here." As soon as it's out of my mouth, the lights come on. I'm shocked at what I see.
We're in an ice skating rink. There are these really classy white Christmas lights that are lining the rink and hung up all over. She has this table set up in the middle of the rink, with a small picnic basket on top. I'm in awe. She walks back over to me.
"Faith how did you…?" She shushes me.
"I saved the janitor, Peter from some vamps, said he would repay me in any way he could. I found out he cleaned this place. And been tryin' to get it ready for ya." What is she talking about?
"What do you mean?" She starts toward the rink.
"What I mean is that you can skate here whenever you want. The owners kinda left it to rot. I have been workin' on gettin' the rink in good enough shape to be skated on. Welcome the grand opening of your rink." I'm at a complete loss of words.
"You did this for me?" She shrugs her shoulders.
"I can't think of anyone else to do it for. I remembered, you sayin' somethin' about a Michelle Kwan obsession." I roll my eyes at that. It wasn't an obsession. Okay, maybe it was. I told her that once a long time ago. I can't believe she remembered it.
"Faith, no one has ever done anything like this for me." My voice is kind of shaky because I getting all choked up. I pull her into a tight hug.
"No need to ruin the make-up, B. The look on your face was well worth it." She says as she rubs my back to calm me down.
We head out to the table she has in the middle and she starts getting everything set up. She pulls some plates and puts everything in its place. Then she tells me to close my eyes. She can't have more.
"What else could you have to…?" She pulls out something I wouldn't have been close to guessing. But when I see it, I get very happy.
"POP TARTS!" Priceless. A very Faith-like move. I start clapping and getting all excited. I LOVE pop-tarts! She laughs at my behavior. I can't help it.
"Calm down, B." She chuckles as she says it. She reaches back in her basket of goodies and pulls out a cloth to put over her arm, like those waiters at fancy restaurants. She goes back in and pulls out 2 cans of Tab. It just keeps getting better! She holds the cans over the cloth.
"Strawberry or Orange?" In a fake French accent. She is such a dork.
I tap my finger on my chin, like I'm really thinking about it. But is there any other choice?
"Strawberry!" She put the cans down and grabs the one I picked.
"An excellent year, Madame!" See? What a dork? She opens it and pours it into the glass she has set up.
She sits down and hands me a packet of pop-tarts.
"Bon appétit!" I laugh at her accent. It's really bad. I open my packet and set them up on my plate and dig in!
We make small talk as we eat. She had like 2 boxes of pop-tarts in her basket for each of us. After we get done eating, she tells me she has one more thing for me. She asks me to stand up. When I do, she packs ups the table and the basket and slides it off the ice. She is gone for a couple of minutes, when I hear music.
"If I lay here,
If I just lay here,
Would you lie with me,
And just forget the world?"
She came back out with some skates on, a stool, and a pair in her hands, which could only be for me. I didn't know she could skate.
"Where did you learn to skate?"
"I grew up in Boston, B. We had our fair share of lakes frozen over."
She sets the stool down and hands me the skates. Instructs me to put them on. When I do, she takes my shoes and the stool off the floor.
She skates back out to me and holds out her hand.
"May I have this dance?" I give her a small curtsey and flutter my hand into hers. She chuckles at my actions.
We skate around for a couple of more songs she has on a, what I guess, is a mixed cd. When she tells me she wants to watch me skate, to see me doing something other than slaying, that I really enjoy. She goes and watches from the stands. I skate to the rest of the cd, and she tells me it's time to go. We pack up, she cuts everything off, and we head back out to the car. When we get there she opens my door for me and runs around to get in. When she climbs in, I lean over and give her a quick peck on the cheek. She whips around to look me in my eyes.
"What was that for?" I lean back in the seat.
"For an amazing night." She holds our gaze for a little longer, then starts up the car.
"It was good?"
"No, it was great." She gets her thousand-watt smile and drives off.
We make small talk in the car. When we head down my street, I get a little sad. I don't want this night to end.
She pulls in my driveway, walks over to my side, and helps me out. We walk up on the porch, when we get there, she lets go of my hand and shoves her own into her pocket. She seems nervous.
"Did you have a good time?"
"Faith, I had the best time in a long time." She looks extra happy at that.
"Well, I'm glad. Mission accomplished." She is really sweet.
"Yeah, it was. It was great. Thanks a lot, Faith."
"No thanks necessary. It was my pleasure. Sweet dreams, B." She turns to leave. Wait! I grab her wrist and turn her back towards me.
"Don't dates usually end in a 'goodnight kisses'?" She looks shocked.
"Ya for real?" I shake my head. But I guess she needs verbal confirmation.
"Yes." She takes a step toward me and I feel my breath get caught in my throat. She wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me into her. She looks in my eyes for me to change my mind. It won't happen. I wrap my arms around her neck. I close the distance.
When her lips touch mine for the first time, I feel a small shock. God, I don't think I've ever felt this way from a single kiss. Her lips are so soft. She pulls me closer and runs her tongue across my bottom lip, wanting to deepen the kiss. She don't even got to ask. We are like this for a little while longer when I remember her mother's threats. I couldn't have picked a better time to think about her mother? I break contact. She lets her frustration be known.
"Sorry, but you got to get home"
"Yeah, I know. It's gonna be kinda hard to leave after that." She ain't lying. I really don't want her to go. She leans in for more. I gently push back at her shoulders.
"As much as I would like for this to continue, I really don't want you to get into trouble." She sighs.
"Yeah, I don't to either. Alright, I'm gonna kick rocks, but I'm goin' to call you tomorrow, alright?" I shake my head.
"Sure, I'd like that." She gives me a quick peck.
"Goodnight, B."
"Goodnight, Faith." And she heads off
I watch her walk off down the path. She gets in her car and starts it; she waves back at me, back out the driveway, and drives off. I watch her disappear down the street. When she's gone, I walk in, close the door, and lean back against it.
I run my fingers over my lips. Faith lips were just on mine. I giggle and run up the stairs to get ready for bed.
I just had the best kiss of my life. That was the kiss that let me know that we were always going to be together.
And we have. We have been together ever since that night. And the rest is history.
Present
I got a big smile on my face. I love thinking about how Faith and I got together. When I finish putting on my lip-gloss, I hear the doorbell ring. My smile gets bigger. But then...
"BUFFY! FAITH IS HERE!!" Smile fades all too quick. Why my little sister is so loud, I will never know.
"Thanks, kid. I think she got." Faith retorts.
"I'm not a kid." Dawn says as she stomps off. She is such a brat.
I head down and see Faith standing at the bottom of the stairs, playing with her phone. When she hears me coming she looks up and smiles the smile that makes me melt.
"You ready to go, B?" I love it when she calls me that!
Song-Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
Should I end it here? Let me know. Please!!