“Buffy Summers, my favorite delinquent.” Snyder said with a smug smile gracing his rat like face. Ever since he had become principal he had waited for this moment; waited for her to take that one step to far so he could send her spiraling out of his building.Today was that day. “I assume you know why you’re here.”
“I’m sorry about the classes I missed but my mom’s out of town and I slept through my alarm.” Buffy said calmly, giving him the excuse that she had worked out to cover her absence yesterday. Don't give him a reason to make it worse, she repeated over and over again inside her head.
“That’s not why you’re here Summers. Skipping class is one of your lesser offenses at this fine institution but this recent transgression is something I simply can’t ignore.”
Buffy furiously wracked her mind for what she could have done to put Snyder in such an euphoric mood but even though she was coming up blank, she knew that if he was happy her life was about to become very miserable. “Honestly I have no idea why I’m here, except for the missing class thing.”
“Spare me.” Snyder said his smile becoming sharper by the minute as she shifted in her seat. “Mrs. Callum approached me about the homework assignment you turned in.”
“Wait since when does doing my homework get me a lovely little visit with you?” You rotten little troll man, she added silently before once again reminding herself to remain calm.
“Normally you actually applying yourself would be a landmark event but after grading your paper it was very clear that you cheated somehow. My first thought was that you had convinced Miss Rosenberg to do the assignment for you but Mrs. Callum said that your paper was superior to even hers. Naturally given your solid D average in English literature, you earning such high marks is suspicious. So either you admit which website you downloaded your paper from and accept the failing mark for trying to pass it off as your own original work or I’ll have no other choice than to suspend you.” Snyder said his voice talking on the fervent tone of someone whose fondest wish had come true.
“Excuse me, you can’t suspend me for actually earning an A.” Buffy said coldly completely forgetting about trying to remain calm. It was clear he was going to bust her on this crap one way or another and since hitting him was out, she could atleast drop her obedient act.
“Ah but you didn’t earn it and that much is obvious.” Snyder said pleased to see her getting angry. He was hoping that if he pushed her hard enough she would do something violent enough to allow him to expel her. “So since your other papers prove that you are not only mediocre but a spectacular failure in the class, I’ve got more than enough proof to back up my suspicious. While all you have is your word for it and thanks to your colorful permanent record, it’s clear that your word is meaningless.”
“You are such a pathetic little man.” Buffy said getting to her feet. “I did not cheat on the assignment but it’s obvious you couldn’t care less. You’ve just been itching for a reason to pull something like this, just so that your miserable life has some meaning.”
“I’d watch your tone young lady; you are already on thin ice and it would be all to easy to extend your suspension from three days to five.” Snyder said his face purpling slightly as he did his best to contain his own rising anger.
“You know what, I don’t have to listen to this crap. Do whatever the hell you want.” Without bothering to ask for permission to leave his vile presence, Buffy crossed the room and slammed the door shut behind her.
Unable to leave her rage behind she stalked down the hall towards her lit class. Throwing open the door and not giving a damn about the class full of students staring at her like she had grown a particularly ugly head she crossed over to where her teacher was sitting and slammed her hands down on the desk. “I know I’m not exactly a genius but forgive me for daring to actually apply myself on an assignment. I thought the whole purpose of coming to school was to learn something but the first time I bust my ass to earn a good grade I’m instantly accused of cheating.”
“I think you’ve said quite enough Buffy.” Miss Callum told her crisply her face laced with shock.
“Buffy…” Willow said getting to her feet and laying her hand on her best friends arm. She knew that look on Buffy’s face and it had sent big scary demons screaming and if she was using it on a teacher as well as cussing, it was clear that something majorally bad had happened.
Shrugging her off Buffy continued glaring at her teacher. Snyder had sent two years of resentment and anger surging to the surface and since she was going to be punished either way, she’d rather it be for something she had actually done. So at this moment she didn’t care that the other students would tell this story over and over again, making her even more of a freak than she already was. It also meant she wasn’t about to let her best friends concern harness her temper. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t and if she was going to go out, she wasn’t about to do it quietly. “You bend over backwards for the smart kids, the kids that don’t need your help but when it comes to the average students like me you don’t bother. God forbid you actually have to teach something, I mean it’s not like their paying you or anything…oops I guess they are. I want you to know I read the whole damn book and I fucking wrote every single word on that paper, because someone actually cared enough about me to do your job for you.”
“Don’t you lie to me missy, that paper bordered on brilliant and that is something you are not. It showed an understanding of the subject that you have never once managed to grasp which is why I reported it to Principal Snyder and believe me young lady I will tell him about this as well.” She snapped back, completely confident that Buffy had cheated. She prided herself on knowing which students were worthy of her extra attention and which ones had no desire to learn and Buffy Summers was in latter category.
“Do you really think I give a damn anymore?” Buffy asked snidely. “I was going to be suspended either way and if earning good grades is enough to have that happen, why in the hell should I even bother trying when I come back. I mean if I actually do well, I’ll be punished and when I don’t I’m punished. So what in the hell is the point? Why bother coming to school at all because it’s pretty damn clear that you're not the only teacher I have that thinks I am beneath their notice. But you’re not completely stupid are you Miss Callum, you know that Sunnydale isn’t like other towns don’t you.”
She blanched slightly but recovered quickly. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Buffy gave her a chillingly sadistic smile that would make the devil himself proud. “Sure you do, what with all the neck ruptures and gangs on PCP running around. If you ask around you’ll find out I usually show up when things get bad and when I don’t, people have a nasty habit of becoming just another statistic. So maybe one night after you find yourself alone after dark and a disfigured face comes towards you out of the shadows, I’ll decide you’re beneath my notice.”
Willow wasn’t the only one who sucked in a ragged breath at her words or sinister tone but Buffy’s eyes never left Mrs. Callum’s face. Buffy wasn’t a complete idiot, people may not talk about it because it would be like admitting their nightmares were real but she knew she had saved enough people in this sorry town to earn a reputation of sorts. When things got scary, people were used to her sweeping in to kick ass and while she was only bluffing, she still had a point to make.
Slowly drop by drop she watched the anger fade from the woman’s eyes to be replaced by raw fear. While the sight didn’t give her any pleasure she wasn’t about to back down. She had died for this world and for once she wasn’t going to pretend that she didn’t matter. If this had happened to any other student, one without a Slayer related record, they would have been praised for working so hard but since it was her, every teacher would instantly think the worst. She knew damn well from the almost tangible wave of anxiety pouring off of her teacher, that she knew she wasn’t like her other students and instead of cutting her the slightest bit of slack, she didn’t even try to help her. If she was concerned about the paper, she could have had her come back after school to discuss it and instead she went to the Principal without bothering to give her a chance to explain her side of things. Buffy knew that on the surface it did look bad but if the teacher had just talked to her, it would have been clear that she had a firm handle on the subject of the paper. Anyone could download an essay but actually talking about things not mentioned in the paper should have been more than enough to prove that even if she had help, which she did, the final product was completely hers.
She’d heard the stories whispered in the halls about Buffy saving people but until the moment she never allowed herself to admit they were nothing less than the truth. Because if you admitted that this tiny girl faced the creatures that roamed the streets once the sun set, you couldn’t deny the harsh reality that living in Sunnydale truly was. Even if she believed that it was a gang causing so much trouble, she carefully avoided the shadows and only went to places where there were lots of people around but Buffy's words still chilled her to the bone. Death was a very real possibility in this town, the two page obituaries and numerous cemeteries weren’t something you could really miss, but the thought of being alone in the dark without a single hope of being rescued was more than enough to force her out of her habitual bubble of denial. “You‘d let me die?” Mrs. Callum asked finally, her voice thin and reedy.
“No I wouldn’t because I actually care about other people. No matter how I feel about someone personally, I won‘t let anyone die without a fight.” Buffy shot back her anger rapidly fading away and leaving her raw and exposed. “I’ve never asked for anyone to thank me for saving their life and I sure as hell don’t expect a parade in my honor but I don’t think it’s wrong to expect a little compassion. Here you are asking me if I’d be willing to risk my life for you but you couldn’t even be bothered to see if I cheated on a paper or not. I may not have much of a future, because girls like me usually don’t make it to twenty-five but that doesn’t give you the right to make my life any harder than it already is.”
Afraid of what she might say next Buffy spun on her heal to go, completely unaware of the fact that some of her classmates had been crying silently as her pain had reached out to touch them. All she could think about was escaping and her vision had narrowed down so that all she could see was her way out. Halfway to her goal she heard her teacher call out her name but she never stopped going. She was running very close to empty as the full weight of her situation consumed her and all she could feel was the coldness deep inside her bones.
“Bloody hell pet, what’s happened?” Spike asked leaping to his feet as she staggered into her house like she had taken a beating from a horde of demons. Everything from her stooped shoulders and the bleakness that covered nearly all of her natural scent, screamed that she had been defeated, possibly broken and it was to much for him to bare. Whatever had done this to his girl, was going to have it come back on them times ten he decided as he pulled her into her arms.
Tearfully Buffy told him everything that had happened and everything she had said. “I shouldn’t have asked you to help me, another D would have been better than my more than likely expulsion. My mom’s just started to trust me again and I just had to make things worse. I couldn’t just sit there and take it, no I just had to prove what a major screw up I was. It was just like everything I had been holding back just broke free all at once and I couldn‘t stop myself. God Spike, I more or less threatened to watch as my teacher got eaten; what kind of sick freak does that?”
Shaking her firmly, he waited until she lifted her tear filled eyes to his own. “Listen to me Buffy, no one has the right to treat you like you’re nothing. You’ve given up so much of yourself to you’re calling and you’ve been forced to place a happy smile on your face and pretend that everything’s fine and dandy. But it doesn’t stop it from hurtin pet, the pain is always going to be there and if you don’t face it…it’ll consume you like it did today. Anyone whose spent any time with you can see that you’re a creature of emotion.” He placed his hand over her heart and smiled down at her. Personally he though the bitch got what she deserved and it would serve her right if Buffy carried out her threat but he knew his girl didn’t have it in her to walk away if someone was in danger. They had spent hours last night just talking about their lives and he knew that every person she was to late to save haunted her. All those ghosts were like slashes on her very soul and no matter how long she lived be it five more years or a hundred, those wounds would never heal completely. She‘d never allow herself to forget. It was that purity, that selflessness that had kept her alive this long. No matter how badly she may want to let herself get taken, she‘d force herself to fight and survive because people would always be counting on her to save them.
All Slayers have a death wish, given how they lead their lives it’s not that big of surprise but he knew his girl didn’t yet and if he had anything to say about it she never would. She wanted to live, to go on no matter how shitty her life was. She’d felt death enter her during the battle with the Master and some part of her remembers the cold black emptiness that had carried her away. “You feel everything so strongly luv because you’ve accepted you don’t have an infinite amount of time to experience everything before this stops. You’ve tested your mortality once, so you understand how precious life is and you want to take it all inside you until the bitter end. That power, that zest for life gives you a strength the other Slayers I faced didn’t have but it also weakens you in ways they wouldn’t understand. They were raised to be a Slayer, to accept that their life would be all about the mission but no matter what fate wants to deny you, you won’t just let it happen. Just like you could let today happen. You’re a fighter Buffy and no matter how many times you’ve managed to bite your tongue before, if you’re kicked often enough, you’re eventually going to kick back. That doesn‘t make you a bad person pet, it just makes you a little more human.”
Burring her face in his chest she took comfort in his words and his arms firmly wrapped around her, sheltering her from the pain that followed her home but not even he could undo the damage she had done. “Please Spike just make me forget. I can’t stop what’s going to happen but I can’t deal with it right now either. All my emotions are crackling inside my body like static that I can’t tone out and I just want it to stop, even just for a moment. I just want it to stop.”
He held her close a few seconds trying to decide the right way to tend to her before he scooped her into his arms and headed towards the stairs. He was so focused on the trembling bundle in his arms that he never even registered the phone ringing. Fire could rain down from the sky and until she stopped crying, nothing else mattered.
‘Beep’
“Buffy this is Giles, Willow informed me about what occurred today and I must say I am very concerned about you. I fully intend to take this matter up with Snyder but Willow wanted you to know that your teacher believes you now and also intends on asking the bastard to resend his punishment. I won’t say you were in the right but after reading the paper you turned in, I can understand why you reacted the way you did. It’s obvious you put a great deal of effort into it and I am extremely proud of you. Call me as soon as you get in.”
“Beep”
“Buffy this is Mindy Adams…I heard about what happened at school today and I just wanted to well…I just wanted to say thank you. You probably don’t remember saving me from that…thing but I know the only reason I’m here today is because of you. So…well thanks.”
“Beep”
“Oh my god Buffy I can’t believe you did that. I’ll admit I was a little worried cause you talked back to a teacher but you actually got through to her. Giles said he’d call you but he sometimes forgets stuff so I wanted to let you know she’s not mad at you and she totally believes you now. She also gave me your paper, because I think she didn’t want Snyder to get his hands on it and when I read it I really understand why you kinda flew off the handle. So if you wanna talk or want me to come over with sugary treats, just give me a call.”
“Beep”
“Miss Summers this is Mr. Paulson your economics teacher. Mrs. Callum called me this evening and I realized that I haven’t exactly be fair in my treatment of you this year. I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need any extra help on one of my assignments, I would be more than willing to meet with you before or after school. Don’t worry about handing in today’s paper, I’m sure that today was hard on you and if I can excuse the athletes I can certainly extend the same courtesy to you.”
“Beep”
“Buffy this is Giles again. I took the liberty of contacting Angel and he was more than willing to patrol for you tonight. So why don’t you try to get some rest and let me deal with this situation. Please call me as soon as you get in, so that I can assure myself that you are alright.
“Beep.”
“Hey Buff it’s me Xander and I guess you're not in a real talky mood right now. But man you’re totally my idol. You have no idea how many times I wanted to stand up to one of my teachers like that but according to Wills you stood up for all us mediocre students today. Go you! So hey if you feel like talking or just need a friendly shoulder to cry on, give me a call.”
“Beep.”
“Buffy, you don’t know me but my name is Ryan Markes and I heard about what happened in Mrs. Callum’s class and I had to call you. Last October I was walking home and this scaly thing jumped out at me and just when I thought I was gonna die you showed up. I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am, I was too scared to say anything that night but I still thought you’d want to know.”
“Beep.”
“Buffy this is Angel, Giles told me what happened and if you need me to be there for you don’t hesitate to call me. I know we’re not together anymore sweetheart, but I still care a great deal about you and knowing that you are hurting, bothers me. I won’t say I understand why you ended things but I can understand how you might need a little time or just some space. Things happened between us pretty quickly and given all that you’ve been through I can see how it all must have become more than a little overwhelming. But I want you to know that even if we’re not together it doesn’t change how I feel about you. So please, if you need me, even as just a friend, don’t be afraid to call me.”
“Beep.”
“It’s Giles again, I can only assume that you haven’t returned my earlier calls because you don’t wish to talk about things yet. It’s now eight and I’ll admit I drove by your place and saw that all the lights were off. I pray that you took my advice and went to bed but I’ll admit I am worried about you. Sadly I nor your teacher were able to convince Snyder to lift your punishment but I am far from through with the bastard. As it is now, you aren’t allowed on school grounds until this matter is resolved but I plan on takng this to the school board first thing in the morning. Please ring me back first thing when you wake up, no matter the hour.”
Cordelia slammed down the phone in irritation. She had been trying to get through to Buffy all damn day but her phone was constantly busy. Her little stunt today was the talk of the whole school and according to the chatter at the Bronze, Buffy was the current it girl. Sure what had happened to her totally bit the big one but since her own popularity had taken a few dents because she had pitched in to help Buffy and her little gang of rejects, it was about time she got something in return. She knew how fast this little scene would be forgotten and Buffy would soon be labeled the freak girl again but until then, she fully intended to get her piece of the limelight.
Besides it wasn’t like she had never done anything for her. She had gotten her into a college party for cripes sake and it wasn’t her fault they almost gotten eaten by that snake thing. That was her Cordy thought picking up the phone again, she was a giver.