“Buffy! Breakfast! You don’t wanna miss your first day of school!”
Disoriented, Buffy sat up and rubbed her eyes. Oh yeah, she remembered, school today. Her nervousness came back to her and she jumped out of bed, searching through her new clothes for an outfit.
After a few minutes, she settled on a jean miniskirt with green tank top, a gray sweater tied around her waist. Buffy carefully applied her make-up, keeping it light and brushed her hair. She put the silver chain back on her neck, fingering the little heart lightly.
With a sigh, Buffy slipped her feet into her shoes and headed downstairs.
“Buffy,” Joyce looked up as her daughter walked into the kitchen, “you look lovely.”
Spike merely glanced up from his Lucky Charms, not saying a word.
A bowl had already been set for Buffy and she poured her cereal in it, taking small bites.
“You looking forward to starting today?” Joyce asked, breaking the silence.
Buffy nodded. “Yeah, I am.” Her anxiety had only increased as each minute passed but it seemed safest to stick with yes.
Spike shoveled the last of his cereal into his mouth and stood up, his chair squeaking against the linoleum and went up stairs.
Buffy watched as he exited, feeling confused. One minute she could have sworn Spike was checking her out and the next he was ignoring her.
“You better get going,” Joyce told the blonde. “School starts in a half hour and Spike’s probably leaving in about five-ten minutes.”
Buffy stood up and placed her dish by the sink, frowning. “Spike?”
Joyce nodded, taking the dirty dish. “He’ll drive you. Thankfully he got a parking space this year.”
Buffy swallowed. “As in ‘taking me to school with him,’ kind of driving?”
Joyce gave her daughter a weird look. “Is there another kind?”
Buffy let a small, forced laugh. “No, I was just…being spacey. I’m gonna finish getting ready.”
She ran up the stairs, grabbing her new black backpack and slipped her gray sweater on. While it was usually warm in Sunnydale, the sun was just peeking over the horizon this early in the morning and it was a little chillier.
As Buffy exited her room, she bumped into Spike who had his own beat-up bag slung over one shoulder.
“There you are,” he muttered. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”
Buffy followed Spike out to his car, a big black thing that would terrify small children, and slipped into the front seat.
“This is your car?” Buffy couldn’t keep all the disdain out of her voice and earned herself a glare for it.
“Yeah,” Spike snapped defensively. “What of it?”
“It’s just so…” Buffy trailed off as she picked up an empty bag of chips off the ground, “old.”
“It’s vintage,” Spike corrected her as they pulled out of the driveway and onto Revello Drive.
Buffy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Vintage implies it has actually been in style and still looks good.”
Spike gritted his teeth and took a sharp turn onto Main Street. “It’s vintage and stop insulting my car or you might just find yourself walking to school.”
Buffy pursed her lips but didn’t vocalize her protests. She had a feeling Spike wasn’t kidding about actually kicking her out of the car.
They drove the rest of the way in silence; the Sex Pistols, which Buffy would never admit to Spike, were not that bad, playing low.
Spike maneuvered through the busy parking lot and parked into a spot near the tennis courts. He climbed out and without another look behind him, headed towards a clump of students near the track.
Buffy stood there, annoyed and not a little angry and embarrassed, watching him start shaking hands with a dark-haired boy, laughing.
“Don’t bother,” a voice came from behind her.
Buffy jumped, clearly startled and spun around to face a redhead girl wearing a fuzzy pink sweater, a black skirt and Keds.
“Oh!” The girl gasped, looking upset. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”
“No problem,” Buffy managed with a brief smile and then frowned slightly. “Bother with what?”
“Him,” the redhead gestured to Spike off in the distance. “Don’t bother making with the lusties. He has two types: the crazy or the dumb,” she paused, “or the really easy. But you didn’t hear that one from me.”
“You don’t say,” Buffy said dryly, still watching Spike.
The girl nodded. “Yep. That’s Spike Giles. BMOC.”
“Huh?” Buffy asked, turning to the redhead.
“Big Man On Campus,” she explained and the two naturally started walking towards the school building.
“Ah. Got it,” Buffy replied with a small laugh. “I’m Buffy.”
“Willow,” the girl replied, sticking out her hand to shake.
Buffy complied with a little grin. “Nice to meet you. So, I was wondering…do you think you could show me around a bit? I have,” she glanced down at her badly written schedule, “English in room 805 with Mr. Minton first hour.”
“Sure! No problem!” Willow exclaimed happily and at Buffy taken back look, she clarified, “I’m the girl who actually likes school.”
At that comment Buffy let out a laugh and Willow joined in.
“So,” she began, “when did you move here?”
“Um,” Buffy shifted her gaze slightly, watching the students pour in to the building. “Just a few days ago.”
“Really? Where from?”
“LA,” Buffy answered. “My mom was already living here.”
“Wow,” Willow looked at her, shocked. “I can’t believe you left such a big city to come to…well, such a small one. I mean, we literally only have one Starbucks.”
Buffy shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery,” she half-lied. The last thing she wanted to do was ramble on about her sob story and freak out her new potential friend.
The two walked through the hallway and into the 800 wing. People were just starting to trickle into classrooms, cramming for their tests but most students were hanging out in bunches in the halls.
“Can I see your schedule for a second?” Willow asked and Buffy handed it to her.
The redhead scanned the sheet, looking confused. “Not that I wouldn’t be happy to show you to all your classes, but the office usually assigns a person to show you around.”
“Oh,” Buffy shifted and took her schedule back. “I did, have one I mean,” she admitted, “but, uh, he kinda…ditched me.”
It took a moment for the blonde’s words to register. “Oh, you mean Spike Giles was your tour guide?” Willow asked, her eyes wide.
“Yeah,” Buffy grumbled, “lucky me.”
Willow glanced down at her shoes. “Some people would think so.”
Buffy stared at the girl for a moment, watching the faint blush work its way up her face. “You like him?” At the sound of her voice, Buffy winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. It’s not that-“
She was interrupted as a brown-haired boy with a goofy smile slung his arm around Willow’s shoulder. “Hey Wills.” The boy’s gaze was trained on Buffy. “Introduce me to your new friend here.”
Buffy couldn’t help but giggle a little at the guy’s attempt to sound suggestive. He seemed sweet and obviously a good friend of Willow’s. “I’m Buffy and I’m new.”
“New is good,” the boy confirmed. “I’m Xander.”
“Well,” Buffy said with nod, “nice to meet you. Willow here was just showing me to my first class.”
“Ah! Fear not, we’re here to save your day, Ms…” Xander trailed off, looking at her expectantly.
“Summers,” Buffy filled in, a grin playing on her lips. “And thank you.”
“Her guide is Spike but he ditched her,” Willow informed her best friend and he sighed, shaking his head.
“And we’re surprised? He’s not exactly known for his winning personality. Don’t get me wrong, we’re sorta friends but he’s been like this since Drusilla dumped him. Man, she really did a number on him.”
Buffy looked at Xander, confused. “Who’s Drusilla?”
“Spike’s ex. They’d been going out since, like, sixth grade. She’s kinda…different,” Willow said hesitantly.
“In other words, a total wacko,” Xander corrected for Buffy as they led her into her class room.
Willow rolled her eyes. “Anyway, they were like the Bonnie and Clyde of Sunnydale High only goth. Then at the end of school year, Dru dumped him for some college guy. He was a wreck.”
Xander nodded sympathetically. “Spike was one sad drunk.”
“Xander!” Willow scolded her friend and turned to Buffy. “Like Xander said, we’re kinda friends with Spike; at least we used to be until he got into Harmony.”
“Who’s into half the football team,” Buffy added, remembering what Spike’d told her.
Willow nodded, a little surprised at Buffy’s accurate comment. “Yep. She puts the ditz in ditzy blonde.”
Just then a girl walked up to the three and turned to Xander, tapping him on the shoulder. “I thought you were meeting me in the supply closet? You know how I get without my morning-“ the girl stopped and gave Buffy a bright smile. “Hello, you must be new. I’m Anya.”
Xander’s face was beet red as he gently tugged Anya closer. “Ahn, remember that discussion about how I like our private times…private?”
Anya pouted, crossing her arms. “Well I wouldn’t have to mention it if you’d been in the closet like you promised.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry; I’ll make it up to you.”
Anya glanced at the clock impatiently and dragged Xander with her. “Let’s go then, we still have fifteen minutes. If we work really fast, we might get one orgasm in.”
Buffy watched as the pair left, her mouth hanging open. She’d known some of the tactless girls out there, but that girl…well she one-upped them all.
Willow smirked at Buffy’s expression. “That was Anya. She can be a little intense. She and Xander have been hooking up since summer but neither of them will say anything about dating. It’s weird.”
Buffy nodded slowly. “No kidding.”
“So,” Willow smiled brightly, “how about I show you to the rest of your classes?”
“Sounds good.”