“So who’s the blonde, blondie?” Spike gave his friend a sideways glance. Alexander Harris grinned inanely at his failed attempt at a joke.

“Harris, you are one strange bloke.” Spike thwacked him on the back again with a laugh, pulling a grimace of pain from his companion.

“Hey now, take it easy. I wasn’t trying to move in on your girl, just wanted to know her name.”

“As if you would have a chance with the bird.” Spike laughed at the answering grimace he received.

Alexander Harris, or Xander as he was known to his friends, was definitely not a lady’s man. Standing around six feet tall, with a mess of brown hair, he had yet to have a serious relationship. His communication skills with the opposite sex left much to be desired. His mother had died shortly before he finished his previous year of college, and had decided to move to UC Sunnydale to complete his degree.

Spike turned to look back at Buffy, catching her still staring after him. He flashed her his killer smirk and watched with an amused expression as she ran into her building before turning back to Xander.

“Well, whelp, if we don’t hurry we’ll be late.” Xander glared at the nickname his friend insisted on using.

“And just what are we gonna be late for?”

“Cordy.” Spike watched, amused, as Xander’s face lit up before a careful, but entirely useless, mask fell over his features, as he tried to five off an air of nonchalance.

“What’s up with you two. You sure are hanging out a lot.”

“Me and the cheerleader?” Spike chucked at Xander and shook his head. “There’s nothing going on.” Spike hid a smile at Xander’s relieved look.

“Just tutoring the bird in poetry is all. The summer make-up class she was taking just had its final, she needed all the held she could-” Spike let his voice trail off as he noticed that Xander was no longer listening. He shook his head ruefully and followed after his daydreaming friend.

“I’m really tired.” Buffy said into the phone as she polished her nails.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out?” Angel O’Conner asked, a note of concern in his voice.

“First day of classes.” Buffy replied in way of an explanation. “Besides Wills wants to talk to me about her new girlfriend.”

“I can’t believe little Willow Rosenberg is a lesbian.” Buffy laughed in agreement and promised to go out the next night, before hanging up the phone, a soft smile on her lips. She cranked the music on her radio and lay back on her bed, determined to finish her manicure.

Willow rushed into the room, a flurry of papers and books. Buffy jumped from her perch and took half the burden from the small red head. Willow smiled her thanks and flopped her bed after carefully depositing her books on her desk. Buffy set her stack down beside Willow’s and moved to turn down the volume on her stereo.

“I love school, but this is too much for even me!” Willow sighed, gesturing to her stack of books.

“Maybe if you didn’t insist on taking all your lab classes in your first semester you wouldn’t be so bogged down.” Buffy laughed at Willow’s sheepish look. “So what’s on the agenda for the night?” Willow sat up and grinned.

“Oz wants up to go cheer on the Dingoes tonight.”

“I’m so glad you two are still friends.” Buffy couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm.

Daniel Ozborne, or Oz as he was know to his friends, had dated Willow from high school. At the end of April his band, Dingoes Ate my Baby were given the chance to tour the United States as the opening act for some big names. Over the summer Willow had met Tara McClay and realized that she and Oz were destined to be just friends. Tara and her had been dating in secret and only just came out of the closet.

“He took it so well when I met Tara.” Willow said with a smile. “I think he knew before I did but it’s not like you can tell what he’s thinking.” Buffy joined in the laughter at Oz’s trademark stoicism.

“So, you’ve been officially dating for two weeks now. What do you guys have planned?”

“Well, you know Devon is out of town,” Buffy nodded, remembering Willow mentioned that the lead singer had left for Texas the night before. “Well the Dingoes need a lead singer and Oz and I talked Tara into singing so they didn’t have to cancel so we are going to cheer her on.”

“By we you mean you and me.” Willow gave her a pleading look.

“Well, ya. But we don’t have to stay late and I will totally buy all the drinks.” Willow cast her puppy dog eyes on her best friend.

“Wills, I already told Angel I was tired and felt like staying in tonight.” Willow made a face at Angel’s name, earning a laugh from her friend.

“I know you don’t like him but he explained about that girl, Mortica.”

“Drucilla.” Willow broke in.

“Who ever.” Buffy laughed. “She was just some nut job who was trying to make her boyfriend jealous and Angel just happened along and she grabbed him.” Willow hid her doubtful look from her friend bur knew there was more to the story than what Buffy was willing to admit to herself. Willow was with her when Buffy found Angel with the tall willowy brunette wrapped around him. The hickeys that both were sporting were evidence enough for Willow. Buffy was harder to convince.

“And he was so sweet. He had food delivered and we ate by candle light and fell asleep watching old movies.” Buffy said wistfully, staring off into space as she remembered the night.

“You stayed at his house? Did you, you know?” Will asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“No.” Buffy replied with a blush.

“You’ve been together almost six months and you still haven’t-”

“No.” Buffy broke in. “He’s been so great about it, never pushing. He totally understands that I want to wait after what happened with Scott. Not that what happened would ever happen with Angel.”

Willow laughed at the thought and gave Buffy a sympathetic smile as she recalled the disaster with Buffy’s first boyfriend, Scott Hope.

At seventeen, Buffy was living the teenage dream. She was on the cheerleading squad, she was dating a football player, she was popular and got good grades. Like all teenagers she felt her love with Scott was eternal and decided she would lose her virginity to him after the senior prom.

The lead up to that night was perfect. She got a B average in her classes, her SAT scores were off the charts. That night was even better. She was crowned prom queen over her rival, head cheerleader Cordelia Chase and got the Senior Class Most Perfect Couple Award with Scott. She had rented a hotel room for the night and had the room prepared with soft music, lightly fragrant flowers and a bottle of Champaign chilling by the bed.

Scott was jittery all night, Buffy realized in hindsight, but she just took it as excitement of the night to come and pushed her doubts from her mind. Things were just starting to get heavy when Scott pulled away, trying to stop Buffy from going further. Buffy, in her urge to prove that she was ready, stripped off her Victoria Secret nightgown. Scott picked up the discarded material and pressed it back into her hands, saying the three little words every woman dreads hearing. I am gay.

Scott had left that night for New York, leaving a heartbroken girl behind, questioning her self as to whether it was her that turned him gay, while realizing at the same time that it was impossible. She had sworn off sex after that night, refusing to get into a serious relationship until now.

“I was looking forward to some quality time with my pillow.” Buffy‘s voice broke Willow from her thoughts.

“You have to come. You know how hard it is to get Tara on stage.” Willow cast her puppy dog eyes on her best friend again.

“Alright.” Buffy sighed, smiling at the thought of the shy girl on stage, singing for the college crowd.

“Yay!” Willow jumped up and hugged Buffy tightly. “Now we just have to decide what to wear.” The red head was off, digging through Buffy’s closet with renewed enthusiasm. Buffy smiled at her friend wearily, falling back on her bed with a sigh.