Author Note: The Xander and Cordelia romance is just for humor. It's mainly Spike/Buffy but with a little Xander and Cordelia on the side.
Sticks and Stones
Written By: Moonjava
Beta Reader: jjonahjameson
Disclaimers: All is owned by Joss Whedon.
Chapter One: Concert Tickets and Xander's Blues
"I cannot believe that you and Kyle got tickets to go see Ecstasy. I'm so jealous, although God knows that if I went into a crowd like that I would totally pass out. But still, it's like Ecstasy, Spike! I so wish that I could go."
Sixteen year old Willow Rosenberg was chatting with her friends, Buffy Anne Summers and Xander Harris. It was lunch time, so they had at least forty-five minutes to talk about Spike.
Xander rolled his eyes with annoyance.
"Spike, the guy with the chains and white spiked hair, is just so hot, with the whole David Bowie look and knight in shining armor thing," Xander mimicked his friends. "Please, that's so over! I'd like to see the guy get run over by a train or something. Why the hell is he called Spike anyways?"
Buffy and Willow looked at Xander with a sort of pity in their eyes.
Xander understood why when he realized that he had already answered his own question.
"Oh, spiked hair. Right, yeah, got it," Xander grumbled.
Buffy smiled and patted his hand.
"Ah, come on, Xander. You know that you're our guy." Buffy told him, hoping that Xander would feel better. But Buffy could tell that she was only making things worse.
Willow smiled and looked away from her chocolate pudding.
"Yeah, besides, you can always come to my place on the night of the concert. The two of us could mope and throw darts at my poster of Spike. Or we could always just go to the Bronze and mope."
Xander looked at Willow.
"No thanks, Wills. I can have my own personal pity party. I'm a big boy now, remember? I do know how to do these things."
Xander grabbed his fork and began to play with his broccoli. Xander hated broccoli. In a weird way, it reminded him of Spike ...
"Yeah, and Xander is also really good at counting to ten and saying the alphabet in English."
Xander Harris cocked his head to see a gorgeous brunette. She was quite a bombshell, but with one hell of a catty attitude.
"Ah, Cordelia Chase. So what will you be doing while Spike is playing Mr. Superstar? Pouting to Mommy and Daddy because you don't have your own pet monkey yet?"
Cordelia had recently gotten a B+ on her French test, while Xander, of course, failed it. Xander knew that he never should have taken that course. Cordelia was never going to let it go. Xander snarled at Cordelia as she answered him.
"No, you shelter-life pathetic loser. I, of course, will be going to Spike's concert with Harmony and the rest of the Cordets. Take a dive in the popular zone for about five minutes, Harris. I'm sure that you'll learn something new."
Cordelia gave the trio one last sour look and then headed to where Harmony and the rest of the Cordets were sitting for lunch.
"Ah, come on Xander, cheer up. Cordelia doesn't know what she's talking about."
Xander sighed. Maybe Cordelia was right. Maybe he really was just a pathetic loser. But he would give anything to show her how wrong she really was.
