Chapter 25
“Hey, man,” Nick O’Neill, a senior on the baseball team said with a sly grin as he sat down next to Spike. Spike glanced at him. This guy never spoke to him.
“Hey,” Spike said with an indifferent nod. A couple more guys came in and sat in the surrounding seats.
“Heard the big news. Congratulations, my man. You’ve done something that the rest of us have only dreamed about.”
“Excuse me?”
“Tapping Buffy Summers,” one of the other guys said with an impish chuckle. Spike felt his eyes widen, but he couldn’t form words to tell these bastards to sod off. “Harmony Kendall’s been flapping her gums about it all day. So you knocked up Buffy Summers, huh? Well, sorry about the little accident, but damn, what I wouldn’t give to have the chance to have a little accident with her myself.”
“Watch your mouth,” Spike warned.
“Hey, easy, Pratt,” Nick said, holding his hands up. “We just wanted to take a minute to, uh, ask you how you got her? I mean, rumor has it that that guy she dated? That Riley guy? Well, apparently he said it wasn’t really very easy to get her into bed. Took a lot of sweet talk, but she finally opened her legs. What was it? Was it the friend thing? Is that why she opened up her legs for you?”
Spike slammed his books down on the desk.
“Why don’t you mind your own fucking business?” he wondered. The guys looked at each other and then back at him.
“Because inquiring minds wanna know. You know, Parker said she gave him a blow job at The Bronze. Said she was practically begging to suck his cock. You might wanna ask her…maybe the kid’s not even yours. If it was me, I’d be relieved to not have to be stuck with that mess.”
In walked Parker Abrams, and Spike saw red.
“Hey, Abrams,” Nick said with a nod. “C’mere.” Parker strutted over, and when he saw Spike’s angry glare, he hid the fact that that gaze had suddenly put the fear of God into him, and he smirked.
“What’s up?”
“Heard that Buffy Summers is knocked up. Rumor has it that it’s Spike’s. Care to make a wager?”
“On what?”
“On if it’s yours. You said she was all over you in the bathroom. Did you hit that?” Parker smirked at shrugged his shoulders.
“Kid isn’t mine.”
“But it could be.”
“Yeah,” Parker chuckled. “It could be. But we used a condom, so…” Spike immediately stood up, and Parker, despite his cowardice, let his stupidity urge him on. “What’s the matter, Spike? Can’t take hearing that your little girlfriend came looking for a real man to make her feel good? Huh? You know, she was making eyes at Devon, too. Might wanna ask him about it.”
And then Spike was on him, knocking him back against the desks. The few students who were already in the room gathered around, as Spike repeatedly punched his fist into Parker’s face, relishing the sound of his cries of pain. For once in his life, Spike was enjoying beating the shit out of this snot-nosed little punk, and he hoped it hurt like hell in the morning.
“That’s enough! That’s enough!” Mrs. Grayson screamed, rushing into the room. “William Pratt!” One of the guys managed to pull Spike off of Parker, who was barely conscious. “Go to Principal Snyder’s office…right now!”
***
Buffy rushed out of the school building at the end of the day, scanning the lot for Spike’s car. When she saw him pulling around to pick her up, she rushed over and got in, her eyes wide with fright.
“Cordelia told me you got suspended.”
“For a week,” he said with a nod.
“What happened?” she asked. He stepped on the gas, and she held onto the dashboard for support. “Spike! What the hell happened? They said Parker had to go get stitches.”
“He shot his mouth off. That’s what happened.”
“Spike…”
“They were lying, Buffy. Parker was saying he could be the father, and then he was…” He gripped the steering wheel.
“You know he was just trying to get a rise out of you. Why do you let him do this, Spike?”
“The thought of those ponces touching you…it just…”
“They didn’t! I would never let him, Spike!”
“Before all of this? Before…when I was just your best friend, Spike, the guy you told everything to? I’d sit around and watch them leering at you. They all wanted you. All I wanted to do was knock their teeth down their throats. Today? With Parker? I wanted to kill him. I…” He was shaking.
“Spike…please, just…calm down.” She placed her hand on his forearm, and she could feel how tense he really was.
“The things they were saying about you…”
“I know. I heard it all today, too. When Harmony announced to the entire hall that I was pregnant, I figured the entire school would know in about three seconds, and I guess I was right.” She frowned. “We knew this was going to happen, Spike. We couldn’t hide it forever.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “I guess it’s better this way.”
“Better? How can you say that?”
“This way, they can get it out of their systems. They can say what they want, and eventually, they’ll get sick of it.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
“I’m a pregnant highschooler. I think it comes with the territory.” She frowned a little. “I’m sorry you got suspended defending me.”
“Are you kidding? I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t want you getting in trouble because of me, Spike.” Tears had formed in her eyes. “I knew we had a lot to face, but I don’t want you to get hurt because of me. I love you.” Spike sighed and reached over to take her hand.
“I’ll be alright, pet. Try not to think about it, ok?”
“That’s kinda hard when I’m gonna have to go to school all next week and not have you there with me.”
“It’ll be ok. Just as long as you bring me my assignments.” She smiled a little.
“I will.”
***
After a long shopping trip with Cordelia over the weekend, Buffy went to school Monday wearing some slightly larger clothes. They weren’t maternity clothes quite yet, but they had enough give in them that they didn’t feel uncomfortably tight.
She had expected the whispers and the stares. She’d expected the laughs and the pointing and the nasty remarks. She thought she was completely prepared.
What she hadn’t expected was to run right into Harmony and Dru. She couldn’t help it. They were standing right there in front of her locker.
“Excuse me,” she said quietly, not looking either of them in the eye.
“Oh, if it isn’t trailer trash Barbie,” Harmony giggled.
“Wow, Harm,” Buffy noted, “you should really stop talking about yourself in third person. It’s kind of creepy and really sad.” Harmony scoffed and Dru gave her the side-eye. “Now get out of my way.”
“Or what? You’ll have your boyfriend beat me up? Oh wait, he already got suspended for that. When Spike was with Dru, he never would have gotten suspended for beating anybody up.”
“He was defending me,” Buffy said with a shrug and a glance at Dru. “But you’re right, Harmony, he probably wouldn’t have cared much about defending her, especially since she was cheating on him.” She saw the hurt look on Dru’s face and wondered when she’d become the bitch and Dru the hurt victim. Part of it felt good to knock the dark-haired bitch off her pedestal, but another part felt guilty, because it wouldn’t be long and Dru’s secret pregnancy wouldn’t be a secret anymore either.
“God, you’re such a bitch,” Harmony murmured. Buffy suddenly had the urge to utter the words “it takes one to know one” but she realized that she wasn’t ten, despite the fact that Harmony had the maturity level of a ten year old.
“Get out of my way, Harmony.” Buffy finally pushed past her and opened up her locker.
“Seriously. How stupid do you have to be to get pregnant? I mean, use a fucking condom or pay attention in health class.” She was completely oblivious to the fact that Dru was slowly sinking into herself, tuning out the words her friend was speaking.
“Why don’t you pay attention, Harmony? Condoms don’t exactly guarantee anything. And having sex with three guys in one night? Not exactly the smartest thing to do. There are a lot worse things than getting pregnant, Harmony. So I suggest you look up the chapter on STDs and keep your legs together next time you’re at The Bronze.” She slammed her locker shut, leaving a stunned Harmony standing next to a silent Dru.
“Can you believe her? What a…”
“I have to go to class,” Dru said quickly, excusing herself and rushing off with her books clutched firmly to her chest.
***
“Geez!” Cordelia laughed, walking with Buffy to their classroom. “Did you eat bitchflakes for breakfast this morning, or what?”
“I can’t believe I said that. I shouldn’t have said that,” Buffy groaned, running her fingers through her hair.
“Well, Harmony kind of deserved it after what she did to you. I’m surprised Dru didn’t join in on the sabotage.”
“She’s got other things to worry about,” Buffy murmured. Cordelia quirked an eyebrow, but Buffy shook her head. “Nevermind.”
“Hey!” They turned at Willow’s voice. Willow came rushing over, worry filling her eyes. “What happened? Somebody said you just went off on Harmony. Is that true, Buffy?”
“Unfortunately,” she mumbled, walking into the classroom and finding her seat. “I don’t know what got into me. I was such a bitch. I was…oh God…I was Harmony!”
“No, you weren’t. You were totally right. Harmony’s a skank, and she deserved to be cut down from her high horse,” Cordelia responded.
“I don’t want to be that girl,” Buffy muttered. “I don’t wanna be the bitchy pregnant girl that bites off everybody’s heads because she’s so defensive. That’s not me. I’m not gonna let that be me.”
“So you’re just gonna let Harmony keep treating you like mud on the bottom of her shoes?”
“No,” Buffy replied, “but I’m not gonna stoop that low. I won’t let myself be like her.” She turned her attention to going over last week’s notes, just in case there was a pop quiz. Cordelia and Willow shared concerned glances before turning to their own notes to do the same.
***
Spike strummed languidly on the guitar Buffy’d gotten him for Christmas. He was getting better, and he was practicing with Oz, but there was no way he was ready to bring the guitar out for performances.
He was seated on the stage at The Bronze. Obviously, the rest of the band wasn’t there because of school, but he’d decided to come in and get a little practice in on his own. Really, though, he just wanted some solitude and to get out of his apartment.
As he strummed out the first few chords of a song he, Oz, and Jesse had been working on, he heard footsteps coming from nearby. He frowned and peered out into the dim bar to see Rupert Giles standing there.
“What are you doing here?”
“I told you I’d keep in touch.”
“Ever heard of a telephone?” Giles chuckled a little at Spike’s remark. “What can I do for you? The place is closed, and my band won’t be here for a few hours, so…”
“I came to speak with you, Mr. Pratt.”
“Spike,” Spike pointed out. “And how’d you know my name, anyway?” Giles held up a flyer announcing the band. “Oh. Right. Well, what have you come to talk to me about, Rupert?”
“I’ve come to offer you the chance to record a demo to play for a few labels.”
“You mean, record labels?”
“Yes.”
“You want the band to…”
“Not the band, just you. You’d be accompanied by a professional band. The rest of your group is quite talented, but you have star quality.”
“I do?” Spike glanced down at himself.
“You have a nice physique, great hair, blue eyes that would break hearts.”
“Are you offering me work, Rupert, or are you hitting on me?” Spike asked, squirming in his seat. Giles laughed.
“I’m happily married, thank you. I’m just saying, you’re marketable.”
“Thanks ever so,” Spike said with a shrug, “but I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Oz, so…”
“I understand the need to be noble, but I also understand fresh, young talent when I see it.”
“Sorry, Rupert. I’m flattered, but I’ve got to set up for practice. My band is counting on me.” Spike turned around, but Giles spoke once again.
“What if I brought the three of you in for a demo?” Spike turned back to face him. “I’d be willing to set that up, if you’d like.” Surprised at Rupert’s willingness to cave like that, Spike was taken off guard. Did they really want him to do a demo that badly?
“I…uh, I’ll talk to the guys. Get back to you, alright?”
“You still have my card?”
“Yeah.”
“Right then. Give me a call and let me know their decision. If they disagree, we’d still love to have you come in.” With that, Rupert Giles turned and walked out of The Bronze, and Spike sat back down, realizing he had a lot of thinking to do.
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