Buffy walked through the hall with her books in the one strapped bag that was slung over her shoulder casually. A cold chill went down her spine as she sensed someone approach her from behind.
“Well Miss. Summers, cause any trouble on your first day?” She closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath turning around to face Snyder. “I heard you were late for your first class, already rebelling I see. Might not want to make a habit of this, next thing you know you’ll be hanging out with them.”
Buffy looked over to a group of guys and a girl by a few lockers with blood shot eyes that looked very disoriented. Probably druggies, great, all she needed was Snyder thinking she was going to become a drug addict.
“And I hope you realize that I’d have to call you’re father if that happened, I’m sure a man of his stature wouldn’t appreciate that.” He said with a sneer before walking off.
What the hell was wrong with that guy? Its like he’s just waiting around every corner for her trying to make her day go wrong, that guy seriously had it out for her. Well, one more thing him and her father had in common. Sighing she increased her pace walking down the hall when she noticed the time. “Great, late yet again.” Turning the corner she bumped into someone hard and was sent to the floor. ‘Just Great…’
“Look I’m really sorry. I’m in a rush and I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Not looking at the person she quickly grabbed all of her books that had scattered all over the floor and shoved them in her bag running down the hall to her next class all the while hoping it was the right one.
She walked through the door just as the bell rang and grabbed a random empty seat in the front row next to the window. As it turned out the one class she actually enjoyed was one that she didn’t have with either Willow or Xander. Looks like she couldn’t even pretend not to pay attention in this class.
She looked out the window at the bright afternoon and waited for the teacher to get on with his lesson as the rest of the class got back into routine and ignored everything they said. That’s what high school was all about right?
“All right class. For all of you who weren’t here last year or never bothered to be in class I’m Mr. Giles. I will be teaching your English literature teacher for the year.” He heard a few groans and smiled, yup same school, same students. “Yes, and as always I expect you all to pay attention or at least finish your work.” He looked at all the sceptical faces. “That or you fail.”
Buffy looked at the man at the front of the room. He had greyish black hair, glasses and a refined British accent, there was something about him that just demanded respect.
“Since it’s the first day we shall start by going over the classic written by Shakespeare ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Most of us have gone over this before, who would like to explain what it is about?” Giles looked around the classroom expectantly before taking off his glasses and cleaning them.
Buffy sighed. This was definitely the guy who Willow talked about having the extra lessons with. She figured she could cut him a brake. “Romeo and Juliet was the tragic romance between a boy and a girl.” There, she got it started.
Giles smiled and put on his glasses. “Ah! Mrs…”
“Buffy Summers, new student from L.A.” She leaned back in her seat trying to look nonchalant as all attention in the room, female and male, was turned to her.
“Well Buffy, would you like to elaborate on your answer?”
She should have known that one was coming. And the way the question sounded when he asked was ingenious really, there wasn’t really a way she couldn’t not answer that now without looking stupid or just strange. She sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
“Well, it’s pretty basic. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, and they fell in love. They didn’t know until later however, that their families were in a…feud to put it lightly. But their love for each other was so strong that they didn’t care. Their love was one so consuming, and was of such passion that they died for one another.” She had to control herself and make sure she didn’t turn into a raving lunatic in front of the class about something she was passionate about. She wrote a little but she hadn’t shown it to anyone but her mom.
She closed her eyes as the memory stung her like it had all happened just yesterday. That wasn’t the case though, her mother was gone now.
“Loser.” She heard Cordelia say before a few other snickers.
Buffy glared at the girl. “Oh please, lets hear your opinion Cordelia. Or were you to busy reading up on what place is best to go to if you want to get a boob job in the Cosmo.”
“I actually have a social life, but it looks to me like if one died because of the other there’s not much loving going on.” Cordelia spat back.
Buffy just rolled her eyes. “They didn’t die because of the other, they died to be with each other. Romeo thought his beloved was dead so he killed himself, she in turn did the same thing because she hadn’t actually been dead. Both with the hope…”
“…of being united in the afterlife.” She finished with the voice of someone else. Somehow with an English accent.
Maybe not everyone in this town was dull, brainless, and opinion less.
She heard a girl she knew as Harmony, one of Cordelia’s crowd speak. “But who was his beloved if he was with Juliet?”
She rolled her eyes and banged her head on her desk.
***
Buffy blew the hair from her face grabbing her bag. This class had actually been interesting for the most part. And she hadn’t felt like the new kid since the beginning. And it was a definite plus that she had been able to embarrass Cordelia a few more times. She knew she had made an easy enemy that way but if no one else would stand up to Ms. Holier-then-thou then she sure as hell would.
She heard her name called right before she left through the door. “Mrs. Summers, I’d like to speak with you.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m happy if not surprised, that you seemed to be very active and passionate in this class. I hope you continue to participate like this.”
“There’s actually someone I think you’d get along with pretty well…”
“Uh, thanks Giles, I can call you that right?" Without his answer she continued. "But I like to meet people and decide if I like them on my own. Besides, I have willow and Xander to show me around.” This guy seemed really nice but she wasn’t about to let an adult, a teacher no less help her meet new people.
Giles took off his glasses and smiled awkwardly, starting the polish them. “Yes, well I’m glad you’ve met Willow. I’ll let you get to your next class now.”
Turning around she left, making her way out the front doors of the school and to her car. She had given Willow her cell phone number and the redhead was supposed to be calling tonight. Turning on the music she paused when she was an ice rink, she would definitely have to go there sometime.
***
“So there’s this small club in town, ‘The Bronze’. I mean, it’s nothing like the clubs in L.A but pretty much everyone from out school goes there and you could, you know, meet new people. So me and Xander wanted to know if you wanted to come.”
Buffy grinned. Tonight would definitely be interesting. “Sure, why not.”