Chapter 23
“Did you two enjoy yourselves last night?” Joyce asked as she opened the fridge door she spied several foil take-out cartons and smiled
“The barbecue no good then at Marsha’s - who was it you went to for take-out?” Joyce asked, smelling one of the rather pungent containers
Yawning and scratching Buffy mumbled some name, and reached for the juice carton, opened it and drank deep
“BUFFY! Use a glass!
Buffy, breathless from drinking renewed her stance and drank from the carton again, draining it.
“Had Thai – boy was some of it was hot!”
“Thai? – Is there a Thai take-away around here?” Joyce asked surprised, taking a quart of milk from the fridge
“On the Highway, next to the veg shop, it’s where the old craft shop used to be”
“How’s the packing going?”
“I’m about half done…trouble is, every time I go to pack something, I keep thinking I’m going to need
it before I go, so I don’t, but then it’s left on my bed, so then I put it back in the draw!”
“You should be like me!” Will said coming into the kitchen
“Morning honey…tea and toast?”
“Please ma!”
“Go on then, HOW should I be like you?” Buffy asked, pulling put the stool next to her and patting it. William sat and said,
“As regards packing! See, all I’ve done is allowed my self a change of jeans and tee shirt, two changes of underwear, and I’ve left my best trousers and shirt out for when we go out with mom and dad for your birthday, everything else is packed”
Buffy looked scornful
“I don’t know what I want to wear for my birthday yet…I might get something new…then we might go to a couple of parties yet”
“What’s wrong with jeans?” Joyce asked
“Can’t! Nathan’s party is a theme party – movie theme!”
“We going to that? – I thought we’d passed on that one?” Will fell on the two slices of toast his mother put in front of him
Buffy shrugged
“Hey mom, you should have seen Angel last night – he looked like a dogs dinner all dressed up in designer gear!”
Joyce pursed her lips and said,
“Hmm, the less I see of that young man, the more I like it…so got himself a job has he – to be able to afford all these expensive clothes?”
“Huh, you’re joking mom – Cordelia’s shelling out for it, not him!” William said sipping his tea.
“Well I can’t see Cordelia’s parents standing that!”
“Joyce honey, have you seen my briefcase at all? – Morning Buf, Will” Hank came into the kitchen
“I think it’s in the den”
“Hi dad”
“Morning dad!”
“Oh, Buffy, your mom tells me you want to go out for a meal for your birthday, just the family, is that right?”
“Yeah – don’t mind do you?”
“Of course not Princess – I think it’s a great idea – I thought we could have a blow-out at the country club or something – special anyway, as it will be our last time out as a family for a while. The den you say honey?”
Joyce sniffed and nodded – the thought of her ‘babies’ leaving home made her tearful
“That’s it, if it’s going to be swanky, I’ll need a new outfit!” Buffy said
“You and me both!” Joyce said
“Oh god…there goes my bonus!” Hank said smiling as he left the kitchen.
“I’m off too – dad, can you drop me off in town?”
“Sure!”
“Where are you going?” Buffy asked
“Ah, now THAT would be telling!” Will winked at her and got up off the stool
Joyce knew it was to go and get Buffy a birthday present.
“Can I come?”
“Nope!”
“Oh but-“
“You can help me – I’ve got a system worked out for your packing”
“But mom – I’ve TOLD you, every-“
“This is for other stuff, curtains, towels, sheets, kitchen stuff, things that make a place a home – we need to get it parcelled up and Fed Ex’ed to Mass else you’ll be there with nothing to sleep on or dry yourself with!” Buffy sighed
“Okay!” – She’d got a sneaking suspicion what William was doing anyway!
********************************
“See - Blue for bathroom stuff, Red for kitchen, green for the bedroom and yellow for the lounge, that way, you haven’t got to open loads of boxes to find what you want” Joyce explained the coloured stickers on the sides of the boxes of all the packed possessions.
“Now, is there anything else?”
Two hours had seen towels, curtains, sheets, pillowcases, cushions, pots, pans, plates, cutlery and various kitchen accoutrements all parcelled up ready to go. Joyce was on her knees sticking address labels on the sides of the boxes.
William came in from shopping
“Wow, you two have been busy – I feel guilty!”
“Don’t – we had a good time didn’t we mom?”
Joyce smiled – she’d had a nice chat with her daughter, something she hadn’t done in a long time.
“I saw Nathan in town, he said to drop by the party regardless if we’re in costume or not, he understands that we go at the end of the week” Will said
“Great! – So what did you do in town?” Buffy asked grinning
“Oh, you know…looked around nothing special – is it okay if I go up and have a shower mom?”
“Sure honey, I’ll be right in there after you!”
**********************************
“Do you think she’ll be very disappointed?” Hank asked as Joyce told him that they’d left it too late to book either the country or the golf club for dinner for four.
“I hope not, so I booked our usual place, I’m sure she won’t mind, she loves the food there anyway”
“Listen honey, I thought I’d write her a check rather than giving her that much cash – I know our Buffy, money burns a whole in her pocket, she’d have it spent sooner than blink!”
“Actually, she told me when we were packing, she was going to put it in the bank and save it, in case she needs something for school”
Hank looked mildly surprised and then smiled
“Our little girl growing up at last huh? – Oh hey honey, don’t get upset”
“I know…but they’re my babies…and they’re leaving home!”
Hank cuddled Joyce up
“They’ll be fine love, and if they don’t like it, well, they know there will ALWAYS be a home here for them” Joyce nodded and sniffed.
*************************
Cordelia was fuming. She’d gone to town and left Angel in bed, and now she was home, he was nowhere to be found, but the house looked like a pigsty. PLUS, he’d gone and left the patio door unlocked, and ANYBODY could have got in.
Angrily she flipped her mobile open and called him – getting his voice-mail as he was switched off.
Slamming about, Cordelia started to throw away empty beer cans, a wine bottle, juice carton and then she wiped the counter of crumbs and peanut butter.
Upstairs wasn’t much better either, the bed was unmade, a wet towel was on her bed, and one on the bathroom floor, and some of his old clothes were thrown in the corner of her room too, the socks stinking the place out. She promptly opened her large bedroom window and threw the lot out, jeans and all.
It was then she noticed the designer jacket she’d bought him just casually thrown over the back of her chair. This made her see red!
“I see, treat a $1500 jacket like a bit of rag, would you!” Cordelia hissed out loud
She left it where it was and went downstairs.
***************************
“And who in HELL – ugh – don’t tell me, they belong to your skanky little ho I suppose!”
Angel’s mother was holding up by the very edge of the lace a thong, and was looking at it like it contained every disease known to man. She threw them at her husband, who caught them, and at least had the decency to look sheepish.
“Anyway, I’m giving you both notice to quit – you’ve to be gone by the end of the week!”
“WHAT- now have a heart love – where am I supposed to go?”
“I don’t care, I’ve been onto my lawyer, this property is in MY name, so I’M the one entitled to live here”
“But love –“
“Don’t you ‘but love’ me! Do you think for one lousy minute I work two jobs to keep a roof over our heads just so you can screw around when my backs turned huh?”
“Where can I go?” Angel’s father protested
“Oh I don’t care- perhaps that skank of yours can put you up – just be gone by Friday – you as well”
“But mom – what have I done?”
“You chose to stay here with HIM – you could have come to your gran’s with me, but no – so you’ve made your bed as they say!” She disappeared into the kitchen
“It’s all right for you, YOU can stay at your woman’s house – practically have done this last week – has she got a spare room?”
“NO SHE HASN’T…and I’ve got to get back there before she comes home from town else she’ll go ape-shit at me – what did you call me for anyway?” Angel groused at his father
“To see if you could talk some sense of reason into your mom”
“Well, why can’t you do as she suggests, and go stay with Jenny or whatever her name is?”
“Because she lives in a trailer, it’s got one bedroom and she has to share that with her 14 year old daughter…”
“Sorry Dad, I’ve got to go…oh shit – SHIT! I bet I’m for it!” Angel took out his mobile and saw he’d missed 4 calls, all from ‘Delia………
********************************
“Do you think she’ll like it?” William opened the box and showed his mom. Joyce wiped her hands on her apron and came over to her son, she put one hand on his shoulder, and she held the box with him with the other hand.
“Oh William, it’s beautiful…she’ll absolutely love it, I’m sure. She’d love anything you bought her, she always has”
William smiled, then hearing Buffy’s and their father’s voices as they came back in from the garage, he quickly snapped the box shut and hid it behind his back, slipping it into his back pocket and covering it with his sweat shirt. Buffy was holding an envelope in her hand, she waved it and said,
“From old Mrs Koprinski next door…she’s a dear old thing, never forgets our birthdays. Do you think…I mean, I don’t want them, and mom doesn’t want them…can I give her that bouquet Aunt Susan sent me, otherwise they go in the bin, she might enjoy them” Buffy asked, ripping up the card from the flowers. Joyce shrugged.
“Do what you want honey, they’re your flowers! – And I’LL take that, it can go with the other’s, you’re not opening it until Wednesday!” Pulling a face Buffy surrendered the envelope, and picked up the unwanted two-days early for her birthday bouquet
“I’ll take them round”
“I’ll come with you, might be the last chance before we leave to say goodbye to her” William held the door open for his sister as they made their way back to the neighbours house.
*********************************
“Delia…DELIA COME ON BABY! I’m sorry, okay?” Angel was sick of pleading, his voice was croaky and he’d had enough of sitting on her back doorstep.
“………An absolute filthy PIG! AND you left the patio door open, what if my mother had turned up, my dad’s just spent hundreds of dollars changing locks and alarm systems, and YOU leave the freakin’ place unlocked, MORON!”
Angel sighed, she’s been ranting at him now for over an hour about how he didn’t deserve nice things, yadda, yadda, yadda………truth be known, he’d have fucked off after five minutes, but after the ultimatum his mother had given to him and his dad, well, he needed somewhere to stay…
He patted his pockets for a smoke, opened the packet and found one proper cigarette, and four spliffs – he smiled, he’d forgotten about those…he lit up one – just to take the edge off Cordelia’s whiny voice………
Feeling peckish and thirsty, Angel looked for money in his pocket, and found a good few dollars he hadn’t spent the other night………grinning, having smoked half a joint, he felt almost like he was floating and slightly unsteadily made his way to the 7-11 to get some beer…perhaps he’d catch-up with his mates there…
**********************************
“Oh babe, don’t worry, he’ll SOON come crawling back”
“Y-y-you think?” Cordelia sobbed to Harmony
“Of course! He knows he’s onto a good thing, and he loves you!”
“No he doesn’t!”
“Yes he does – look, come to Nathan’s party with me and Dick”
“No…I’ll be okay!”
“Go on, you’ll be doing me a favour…we’ve been in bed all day and I’m getting real sore! I need to party, we’ll pick you up about nine okay?”
“Okay, if you’re sure!”
“Sure I’m sure – I bet he’ll be there waiting for you” Harmony said
“Nine then, bye”
***************************
“What do you mean, ‘where’s Cordelia?’ She doesn’t fuckin’ OWN me y’know!”
Ged looked disbelieving at Angel, a friend of his brother’s had told him all about how Angel had turned up at Marsha De Montroi’s party in a few thousand dollars worth of designer schmutter.
“So what have you been doing then?”
Unsteadily Angel tried to think….he’d been with Cordelia….trotting around dutifully after her carrying bags for her like some jerk off…or fucking her………or talking with her. He scowled
“I’ve been around!”
“Not at the pool hall – or the Bronze for that matter!” Marco said
This began to needle Angel
“Coz those places are for fuckin’ loosers like you! We saw you, the other night...round by the school gates – I mean what do you want to hang round there for – could never stand the fuck – ooh shit…you could never stand the fucking place when you were there – now your left!” Angel had missed his mouth and split lager on his best shirt, he tried to wipe it, but all he succeeded in doing was to make a dirty mark on it so he left it.
“Wan’ some?” he unsteadily held out the can
“Er yeah…cheers”
“Don’ drink it all though!”
“Here” Marco passed the can back to him after taking a swig
“Give some to...to ‘im!” So Marco passed the can to Ged
“Hey guys…keep…(hic) keep a secret…got some really good shit here…wanna try some?”
Ged looked uncertain
“I better not”
Angel screwed his face up, nearly overbalanced and said
“Knew it! Fuckin’ chicken, tha’s what you are!”
“No I’m not!” Angel lit the half of spliff, inhaled deeply and passed it to Ged. Ged looked from Angel to Marco and then at the spliff – he took the bulky roll of tobacco and skunk cannabis leaves, and took a small puff, passed it to Marco, who bravely took one big draw and inhaled.
The effect on him was odd – he felt nothing for a few seconds except some light-headedness, then bang, suddenly he felt like the grass had dropped away from under his feet and he was flying
“Fuck! What is THAT…oh fuck – I’ve had ganja before…nothing like…fuck!”
Angel grinned
“S’good stuff innit?”
“Fuckin’ hell!” was all that Marco could say, as he anchored himself to earth by holding very tightly onto the park bench…
“Are we goin’ to this party then or what?” Ged moaned
“Party? – What oh you mean that jerk…thingy…we’ll never get in, it’s a movie theme or something!”
“I know, but my bro said it’s pitch black, flashing lights nobody will see us if we stay at the sides, got loads of booze and babes”
“Wha we waitin’ for then, come on!” Angel reeled off with the other two following, Marco coming down slowly just after one puff of the strong spliff.
****************************
“I said, it was nice of you to invite us, as we’re not dressed up!” Buffy shouted into Nathan’s ear, trying to out-do the fast pulsed trance-dance music
“S’okay! Just enjoy!” Somebody pulled the host away and Buffy turned to her brother
“Get us a drink – just a soda for me”
“’Kay…stay here so I know where to find you” Buffy nodded and William made for the drinks table
*************
“See…told you we’d be fine if we came in round the back way! – See you guys later!” Angel went reeling off into the main room with the dancing – the music thudded off his chest that combined with the narcotic effect of the spliff made him feel weird, as though he WAS the music………
“I’m not standing ANYWHERE near him, he’s trouble tonight” Ged said
“Yeah, MAN I’ve smoked shit before, but NOTHING like that – I wonder where he got it from, it’s like fucking dynamite rocket fuel!”
****
Buffy frowned and stood on tip-toe, looking into the blackness, all she could see was silhouettes of bodies rhythmically moving to the music, she couldn’t see William anywhere.
After waiting another five minutes, she ventured in, hoping to find him. She didn’t. Whom she DID find however, was a rather (she supposed) drunk Angel.
“Buffy!”
“Oh, it’s you – gods are you alright?”
“Nerer… I mean… I’m…no – I’ve… nev-ver… been better!” he grinned, pleased with himself that he’d still got the basic grasp of English…
“Well you don’t look it. Where’s Cordelia?”
“Huh..she…she inn’t, is, ent my keeperer, er, keep, keeper – ke- keeper!” Angel slurred
Buffy shrugged and went to move away when somebody pushed passed her pressing her towards Angel
“Oh Buff…fuck you feel s’good!” his hands went all over her breasts and Buffy shrieked, trying to get his hands off her
“Don’t touch me, don’t you dare touch me you - huh!” Angel caught her square on the jaw with a right hook, knocking her out cold, nobody noticed this, as she slumped forward against his shoulder
“S’rupp….bad as that fuckin’ ‘Delia…you are…hehe delia…deeley-bop – whoops-a-daisy…coming through…another drunk………sk’use me….sk’use…mind yerself…fuckin’ move will ya…comin’ through….!”
Angel picked Buffy up and hauled her over his shoulder. With her hair falling forward, you couldn’t tell who she was a unsteadily Angel carried her upstairs………
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