College hadn't been very easy for the Summer's girls, Buffy was going through the motions whilst also still pining over Parker who was avoiding her like the plague. And Eris was trying her best to make it up to Buffy about Spike whilst also self-hating at what she did. The Scooby gang were trying to be as supportive and caring as much as possible but there was only so much you can do to help heal a broken heart.
Eris wasn't particularly broken hearted, but she was definitely in pain. She didn't fall in love with Spike or have any real feelings towards him, she just felt dirty at what she did. Did he know who she was? He seemed as confused as she felt, but it wouldn't be surprising if it was all a plan to get close to the Slayer. If that's the case, did he even want her? Or was it Buffy he wanted, not for anything lustful but for something murderous.
The weeks went by, and the usual spooky supernatural things happened and were of course defeated which helped to lessen the pain. Classes were the only thing that were routine for Eris. But her mind couldn't help but wander.
She dreamt of Spike, not wanting to kill her or Buffy, but to want Eris completely. She missed his touch, his voice, his intimacy. But it was something she could never have again, "these are the things we want. Simple things, comfort, sex, shelter, food. We always want them, and we want them all the time," she was taken out of her internal struggle by Professor Walsh's voice as she spoke to the class, "The id doesn't learn. It doesn't grow up. It has the ego telling it what it can't have, and it has the superego telling it what it shouldn't want, but the id works solely out of the pleasure principle. It wants. Whatever social skills we've learned, however much we've evolved, the pleasure principle is at work in all of us."
Eris hated how right Professor Walsh was, no matter how much she knew he was unsafe, that he could kill her, she wanted him badly, and there was no way of stopping it. "So, how does this conflict with the ego manifest itself on the psyche? What do we do when we can't have what we want? We dream of it; we create scenarios where we get what we want. This of course makes the id stronger and even harder to ignore, but the ego does so anyway," the Professor then moved to turn off the projector slide before turning back to the class, "for tonight's homework I want you to look into your own id, find out what it wants and write about how it affects you. You don't need to give it to me or share it with the class, its more of a personal project to work with."
With her motioning to the end of the class, Eris had turned to leave but was stopped by a hand touching her arm, "hey Eris," she stopped and looked to see it was Graham, which she had not thought about much as of late which made her feel guilty.
"Hey Graham, how are you?" they both stepped out of the class to speak in the hall.
"I've been good, worried about you and your cousin though, you haven't really been yourselves lately."
"Oh, you noticed, have you?" she looked at him in embarrassment, "Buffy got the Parker treatment so it's been a little low energy sadness time lately."
Graham nodded in understanding, "I was hoping that would not be the case, sorry it happened."
She waved him off, "no need to apologise, we new it was going to happen back at the Wolf party, just sorta wished it was different," she shook her head and put on a smile, "changing subject, would you like to hang out tonight? If you're free of course," she was hoping she could take her mind off Spike and maybe get closer to Graham and away from the vampire.
"I'm meant to be going to a bar tonight with Riley and Forrest, but you're welcome to join," it wasn't a date between just the two of them, but he was happy to just be in her presence.
"I'd like that, not sure where the bar is though."
"I can take you to it after your last class if you'd like?"
"That would be lovely, thank you" she gave him a sweet smile in response, "I should probably get to my next class, but I'll see you later?"
"Of course, see you later Eris," he kept his eyes on her and she left.
She had enjoyed her time with the guys at the club, though she had to keep checking on her cousin who drank beer with a group of random guys and seemed to be getting sloshed.
And it didn't seem to end, the entire next day was Buffy acting like she was still drunk, she was sounding stupid, speaking up in class to say weird things, she even stole another girl's sandwich and ate it right in front of her. That was not the normal Buffy, but she supposed the girl had to act how she wanted during a broken heart.
However, turns out she drank magic beer that started to turn her into a cave woman, but as a positive it helped her to save Parker and knock him unconscious with a big stick, which finally got her over the guy so that was good.
They finally had their strong Slayer Buffy back instead of the one that moped around dreaming of making a loser fall in love with her.
Eris herself had an easier time getting over the vampire as she hadn't seen him in weeks, instead she had been focusing more on Graham. He had been so sweet and kind to her and seemed really interested in her. Maybe it was time to settle down with someone normal.
"The Bronze is more fun this year, isn't it?" Willow said to the group as they all sat around a table.
Buffy nodded enthusiastically in agreement, "cause of the gloating factor alone, you know? We're all about college now. We've got heady discourse."
"Yeah. Curfew-free nights and mom-and-pop-less hootenanny," Chimed in Oz in his usual serious but joking tone.
"Coed dating prospects who find townies sexy and dangerous."
Eris smirked and rubbed a hand down Xander's harm, "are you sexy and dangerous, Xander?" she said in a sultry town, making Xander flush red.
"Yes? No, do you think I am?" he stuttered out.
"No Eris, don't make his brain melt," Buffy scolded joking, which made Eris laugh and move away from the man who sighed in relief, "Right. So if college is so great, what are we doing here and why is it more fun?"
"Because the Bronze is nice and familiar, Its like a big, comfy, blanky."
"I was under the impression that I was your big comfy blanky," Oz said to Willow casually, which made her smile sweetly at him.
"Aww, you're my person blanky. This is my place blanky," the rest of the group looked on with smiles, happy to see the couple being cute with each other, "yeah, you know, with all the shock of the new its nice to have one place that you can come back to and where everything's predictable."
Her words we're quickly disproven when Giles suddenly appeared at the table, "Hello, all," he said casually as everyone stared at him in surprise.
"Giles, trouble?" Buffy sat up straighter in her chair, ready for any danger.
"Oh. Oh no, no, no, Buffy. Don't get up. No, no. Nothing like that. No, I just…you know, I thought I'd, um, drop by."
"The world is about to end, I can feel it," Eris pretended to look around for signs of the apocalypse.
"Oh hush Eris," Giles scolded, "latte, anyone? On me?" he quickly went to grab a chair for himself.
"So much for your predictable blanky theory, Will," Buffy rushed out before the older man came back.
"Splendid. Well, it's been ages since I've been to a gig," everyone looked at Giles with unbelieving looks, "well don't look that way. I'm…I'm down with the new music. And I have the albums to prove it."
"Yes, but it's your cutting-edge eight-tracks that keep you ahead of the scene."
"Don't scoff, gang, I've seen Giles' collection. He was an animal in his day."
"Thank you," the older man said gratefully to Oz.
"Hey, why not? If the Stones can still keep it rolling, why can't Giles."
Willow nodded her head in agreement with Buffy, "Exactly. I think its brave that you're here."
Giles had seemingly had enough with the groups light teasing, "oh well thank you all, you've made me feel right at home."
"Isn't home that empty place you're trying to escape?"
"Xander he's had ladies over at that place before," Eris chimed in, "Buffy has seen it."
"Yea, not something I really wanted to see but it is true."
The conversation had quickly died off when the singer started to play, it was like her voice made all the men fall into a trance as they stared at her, "oh yea, Veruca is playing tonight." Willow said to fill the silence, but she didn't seem too happy about it.
"Yeah. Every Wednesday. I told you," Oz said without missing a beat, which didn't help Willow's uneasy feelings at all.
"A little quick with that knowledge, huh Oz?" Eris called out, not liking the look he was giving the singer.
"Its just band knowledge," he shot back uninterestingly, his eyes were locked with Veruca's unblinkingly.
Buffy, trying to help, turned back to her group to attempt a new conversation, "so, Oz, what about Dingoes? When are you guys here again?"
All she got was a, "oh we're up next Friday," from the werewolf before he turned back to Veruca, mission failed.
The girls kept trying to keep the boy's attention on them but all 3 of their focus on the singer, as if called in by her, "ugh…men…"