Ch. 4: I heard it all Before
The day of the band’s first rehearsal arrived quickly, and Spike soon found himself setting up amps and a drum set in his garage. The rest of the band wasn’t supposed to show up for another half an hour, but Spike was already warming up.
Gunn was the first to arrive, and his jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the new drum set that was waiting for him. He turned to look at Spike, who had an amused smirk on his face. “How...?”
“I’ll tell you when the rest of the group shows up. Until then, feel free to try it out, mate.”
Gunn nodded and slowly walked to it, eyes unblinking. He had just sat down on the drum throne when Oz and Xander arrived, instruments in hand.
They, too, looked at the drum set with awe. When they looked at Spike, he merely shook his head, blue eyes twinkling mischievously.
Oz was the first to come around. He shook his head quickly to clear it and then looked back at Spike. “Where do you want us?”
“Oz, you can go over to Charlie Boy’s left. Xander, you’re on the right.”
Xander nodded and gestured to their latest arrival. “What about Wes?”
Wes, however, had already began setting up his keyboard slightly behind Xander. “I’d imagine I go right around here.”
Spike gave the thumbs up. “Perfect.”
Oz had been playing an old Dingoes song when an idea struck him. “Uh, guys? What is our name gonna be?”
The group fell deathly silent.
Xander tentatively raised a hand. “We could be.....oh, nope. Never mind.”
The silence continued until Wes spoke up, albeit rather timidly. “Black Frost.”
Spike laughed out loud suddenly as the rest of the group simply looked confused, none of them understanding what had transpired between the two Englishmen.
When Spike finally calmed down he decided to enlighten the group. “Black Frost is a British beer. Great stuff.” He thought for a moment. “Though, it tends to make you act quite neanderthal-like if you drink too much, if I do recall.”“
Wes smiled and nodded before addressing the other three. “What do you guys think?”
There was a murmur of agreement, but Gunn’s voice stood out. “Yeah, Black Frost is great. Still wanna know about the set.”
Spike ran his fingers through his hair. “Steve, a new friend of mine, works at the local music store. Got me a huge discount.”
Xander looked puzzled. “Who’s Steve?”
“You know who he is. Senior, skinny little bloke, about four inches shorter than me?” At the black stares he was receiving, Spike rolled his eyes. “Dreadlocks?”
At once, looks of recognition crosses everyone’s faces and a simultaneous “Oh,” echoed throughout the garage.
Oz shook his head with a smile on his face as he looked around the garage. He frowned slightly as he noticed a think manila folder sitting behind Spike. He raised a quizzical eyebrow and asked quietly, “Umm, dude? What’s in the folder?”
Spike looked back and smiled. “That would be some songs of mine.” He looked up at the group. “Do you wanna take a look?”
Gunn was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. “Gimme my music! I wanna hit something, man!”
Spike chuckled. “Right-o, then.” He carefully put down his guitar and grabbed the heavy papers. The other band members were stunned when they found individual sheet music being placed in front of them. “You lot do know how to read music, right? I mean, yeah, it’ll have to be memorized, but this is easier.”
Oz looked up, admiration shining bright in his eyes. “How the hell did you manage all of this? I mean, printed sheet music? Damn.”
“That’s the beauty of it. I have this lovely little computer program running up in my room where all I have to do is sing it and play the different parts on a MIDI keyboard. The computer does the rest.”
Xander laughed shrilly. “This is so cool! I’m in a band. And we have music. To perform.”
“Bloody hell,” Spike muttered. He squinted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tilted his head back. “Oz, does the Bronze have any specific rules about vulgarity in the bands’ performances?”
Oz seemed to consider this for a moment before shaking his head in the negative. “Nope. Just have to make an announcement or something like that.”
Spike gave a heavy sigh of relief. “Good news for us, then.” He paused for a moment, contemplating what to say next. “Go ahead and look through your music, then, and we’ll try to find one to start practicing.”
Gunn and Oz both looked up a moment later, their eyes shining with delight.
“Man, this is awesome! You’re starting–and ending–a song with just drums and bass?” Gunn was beaming. “I could kiss you.” Spike’s eyes widened. “But I won’t. Anyhow, I definitely vote for ‘Longview’.”
Oz nodded emphatically. “Oh yeah. Definitely.”
Spike grinned. “Well, I guess it’s settled then. Wes, Xander, grab ‘Longview’ if you would. You guys can choose the next song, alright?”
Xander gave the thumbs up and Wes saluted their band’s leader.
“There we go, then. Start us off, Charlie Boy.”
An hour and a half later, the band had played through virtually every song, and surprisingly, with very little difficulty. At one point, Oz had even commented that they should be able to play at the Bronze the next week.
Slowly, Spike stood up and stretched, popping his spine back into alignment. “Well, mates, I think that’s good for today. When do you next want to get together? Tomorrow?”
There was a low rumble as everyone agreed and began collecting their things.
“Oi, Xander! Care to hang back for a bit?”
Xander looked at Spike, startled. “Uhh, sure. But, uh, what about my ride?”
Spike waved a hand dismissively. “Not a problem. I can give you a ride. I just need a little of your time.”
Xander nodded and sat down, while Spike grabbed a couple of Cokes out of the cooler. “So, um, what...what did you need to talk to me for?”
Spike tossed a can to Xander, and popped the tab of his own. He paused thoughtfully before taking a swig. After he had swallowed, he looked back at the other guitarist. “Tell me about Buffy.”
Xander blinked stupidly. “Wha-who?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “You know, the little blonde chit that sits with you at lunch? Big green eyes, dimples?”
“Yeah, I know who Buffy is. Just-why? I mean, what do you want to know?”
Spike ran his fingers through his platinum locks. “I dunno. Anything. Everything.”
Xander bit his lip. “I don’t really know that much. She hasn’t exactly been open and honest. She’s a bottler. She bottles.”
Spike frowned. “So, what you’re trying to tell me is, you know nothing?”
Xander lifted his chin defiantly. “I know some stuff.” Spike raised an eyebrow. “I do! She has a little sister named Dawn and she lives with her mom. I don’t really know much of anything about her life before Sunnydale. Whenever one of us asks, she just...freezes. All I know is that she was accused of burning down the Hemery High School gym in LA.”
Spike chuckled into his can of Coke. “Was she the one who really did it?”
Xander shrugged and took a sip. “No idea.” He hesitated for a moment. “Why the sudden interest?”
Spike cocked his head to the side. “She...intrigues me.”
“She intrigues everybody, Spike,” Xander said with a laugh. “Listen, in my opinion, if you want to get to know her, you gotta talk to her; not me.” He stood up and stretched. “Now about that ride home...”
*****
(Monday afternoon)
Buffy sat in the back of her advanced algebra class, tapping her pencil anxiously. She had been listening to her teacher, Mr. Schaar, drone on for an hour, and she was still no closer to understanding inverses of functions, or anything else that had been said. She desperately wished Willow was in her class, but alas, her best friend was in trigonometry. Oz was sleeping next to her on the table, drooling slightly. Despite his senior status, he was in a class with mostly sophomores and juniors due to numerous absences.
“Oz,” Buffy whispered, prodding him slightly. “Oz, wake up. Schaar is giving you the evil eye.” He still remained asleep. Sighing heavily, she grabbed her water bottle and quietly unscrewed the cap. She made sure that Mr. Schaar had his back turned before deftly dumping water over Oz’s head.
“Wha-I’m up! I’m up.” He turned to look at Buffy and raised an eyebrow.
She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, but you sounded like you were gonna start snoring soon, and that definitely would have been of the bad.”
Oz smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Buff.”
With Oz now awake, the last half hour of class seemed to fly by. When the bell rang, Buffy couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. She was nearly to her locker when she heard her name above the din in the hall. She turned around to see Spike standing behind her, surprisingly with a nervous expression on his handsome face.
She smiled as she opened her locker. “Hey, Spike. What’s up?”
He ran a hand through his hair, loosening the curls that were held into place so rigidly by gel. “I...uh...bloody hell, I’m such a ponce.”
Buffy bit her lip and raised her eyes to his. “Is there something you’re trying to say, William?”
He jerked his head back. “Hey, watch it.” He paused again before lowering his eyes to examine an invisible spot on the floor. “This Friday, the band is playing at the Bronze. Do you...would you, er, be interested in going? You don’t have to, but, we’re not playing all night, so...” He trailed off sheepishly.
Buffy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. “I don’t know. I haven’t been to the Bronze since the night-” she shook her head and wiped her eyes hurriedly. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ll try.”
Spike smiled genuinely. “Great. I’ll see you there at seven.”
“Is that when you go on?”
“Yeah, but I have to be there at 5:30 to set up.”
Buffy smiled shyly. “6:30 it is, then.”
“You’re blushing, pet.”
She reached a hand up to her face. “Wha-no. It’s just...it’s really hot in here. They must have the heat cranked up.”
Spike’s eyes roamed her body appraisingly. “Love, you’re wearing shorts and a tank top.” He curled his tongue behind his teeth and raised an eyebrow seductively as he took a step closer. “You sure it’s the furnace that’s getting you hot?”
She rolled her eyes and slammed her locker shut. “I thought English people were all, like, proper and stuff.”
Spike chuckled. “We’re not all like Wes. I’m one of a kind.”
“Were you born this big a pain in the ass?”
He stopped walking and waited for Buffy to turn around before backing away. “What can I tell you, baby? I’ve always been bad.”
Buffy smiled as she turned around and called to him, “I find that hard to believe, William Matheson.”
“She sees right through me, doesn’t she?” Spike mused to himself. “Hmm. ‘When you look you see right through me,’” he sang. “I like it.” He shook his head once more and smiled before turning and walking to psychology, humming the entire way.
*****
“Oz! Oz!” Spike ran after the tiny bassist; Xander, Wes, and Gunn hot on his trail.
Oz’s hand froze on his van’s door. “Yeah? What’s up?”
“I call an emergency practice at my house.”
“Okay, uh, why, though? I mean, we’re all set for the gig on Friday.”
“I just wrote a great new song. Didn’t hear a single word Graves said in psych because I was so busy writing. I managed to write out some of the parts, even.”
Gunn’s eyes lit up. “Can you show us how you get it onto the computer, then? Cause, man, I SO wanna see that done.”
The others agreed, nodding their heads vigorously.
Spike rocked back on his heels. “Alright. I’ll see everyone in five.”
They all nodded again and headed off to their separate cars, none of them noticing principal Snyder peering through his blinds, smiling maliciously.
Five minutes later, the members of Black Frost were gathered in Spike’s rather large bedroom. Before any of them knew it, the song had already been sung and recorded. After listening to it and looking over their parts, they wholeheartedly agreed that it would be added to Friday night’s lineup.
*****
It was 5:00 Friday night, and Buffy had already gone through every outfit she owned–twice. She was scanning over the clothes strewn about her room when she saw something peeking out from beneath her pillow. Running a hand through her hair exasperatedly, she stalked over to her bed and threw the offending object across the room.
She smiled when she saw her dark green halter dress. “Finally, something presentable.” She pulled her long golden hair away from her face, leaving half of it down in back as well as a few face framing tendrils. She rimmed her large eyes in black, giving her an edgy yet seductive look. She nearly fainted when she realized it was already 6:15. After swiping on a coat of nude gloss, she grabbed her purse and shoes.
“Buffy, where are you going?”
“Mom, I told you, Oz’s new band is playing tonight at the Bronze. Except, I don’t know if it’s actually Oz’s band, but he’s in it...” She shook her head. “Whatever. I gotta go.”
Joyce sighed as the door slammed behind her daughter. “Have fun.”
*****
Spike’s jaw nearly hit the floor as he saw a nervous Buffy walk through the club’s door. He snapped back to reality when he felt a drumstick hit him in the back of the head.
“Ow! Bloody hell, what was that for?”
Gunn grinned. “You, uh, wanna give that back?”
Spike narrowed his eyes as he tossed the offending piece of wood to the drummer. He inhaled deeply as he plugged in his guitar, desperately trying to calm his nerves. He hadn’t been nervous until he saw Buffy, but now he felt like ridding his stomach of everything he’d eaten in the past twelve hours. His heart leapt into his throat when he heard the announcer, Lorne, begin to introduce them.
“All right, kiddies. I’d like you to give a warm Bronze welcome to these high school newbies. Come on, give it up!” Lorne began clapping, and everyone else soon followed.
After the applause had dwindled, Spike stepped toward the microphone. “All right. We’re a band called Black Frost, and we sincerely hope you have a great time tonight. And anyone who has a problem with vulgarity, I strongly suggest you leave now.” Spike smiled when no one left. “Great. This is a song called ‘Longview’.” He turned and winked at Gunn, giving him the signal to start the song.
Oz waited a few bars before he began to play. He laughed softly when he heard Willows excited scream of, “Go, Oz!”
Buffy was sitting at her usual table with Willow, but both of them found it odd not having Xander sitting next to them. However, it definitely wasn’t Xander that Buffy was focusing so intently on. Spike had all of her attention, and the mere sight of him was enough to make her drool.
He was wearing black leather pants that were so tight it looked almost as if they had been painted on. He had on a tight black wifebeater that was at least one size to small, but yet it wasn’t midriff baring. Without his leather duster, Buffy noticed his bulging biceps, and desperately wanted to simply touch them. Several rings adorned his long fingers, and there was a simple silver chain around his wrist. A matching chain hung around his neck, dipping slightly at the curved contour of his pecs. Both him and eyes had dipped into the eyeliner, but Spike was wearing much more, drawing the focus to his crystalline blue eyes.
Buffy’s breath hitched in her throat when he met her eyes and began to sing.
♪Sit around and watch the tube but nothing’s on
♪Change the channels for an hour or two
♪Twiddle my thumbs just for a bit
♪I’m sick of all the same old shit
♪In a house with unlocked doors
♪And I’m fucking lazy
Buffy felt the thud as the drumbeats picked up. Spike, Xander, and Wes all began playing their respective instruments, headbanging slightly. Buffy grinned and turned to her friend. “Come on, Wills. Let’s go dance.”
♪Bite my lip and close my eyes
♪Take me away to paradise
♪I’m so damn bored I’m going blind!
♪And I smell like shit
Buffy and Willow laughed out loud as they shoved their way toward the stage. Everywhere they looked, people were getting up from their tables and migrating to the dance floor. The girls were shocked to find Fred in front of the stage, thrashing her head violently to the music. However, as the song calmed, so did she.
♪Peel me off this velcro seat
♪And get me moving
♪I sure as hell can’t do it by myself
♪I’m feeling like a dog in heat
♪Barred indoors from the summer street
♪I locked the door to my own cell
♪And I lost the key
Spike was having a blast. He hadn’t expected the crowd to react as positively as they had, considering Black Frost was a brand-new band. The thing that thrilled him most, however, was seeing Buffy beaming up at him from her spot on the floor.
♪Bite my lip and close my eyes
♪Take me away to paradise
♪I’m so damn bored I’m going blind!
♪And I smell like shit
Buffy was amazed at Fred’s hyperactivity, but rationalized it by remembering it was Gunn’s first performance at the Bronze, and she was probably on a caffeine buzz.
♪I got no motivation
♪Where is my motivation
♪No time for motivation
♪Smoking my inspiration
Adrenaline was still rushing through Spike’s veins as he looked at the enormous crowd that had began to dance. He had never experienced anything remotely similar, and he quickly realized that he was a born performer. The band was cruising through the song like they were all stage vets, simply playing at yet another show. The thought thrilled and terrified Spike.
♪Sit around and watch the phone but no one’s calling
♪Call me pathetic call me what you will
♪My mother says to get a job
♪But she don’t like the one she’s got
♪When masturbation’s lost its fun
♪You’re fucking breaking
Buffy felt a chill run down her spine and intense wave of nausea when she was Angel grinding with Cordy, his cow-like eyes scanning the club. At Willow’s questioning look, Buffy shook her head and continued to jump around the makeshift mosh pit.
♪Bite my lip and close my eyes
♪Take me away to paradise
♪I’m so damn bored I’m going blind!
♪And loneliness has to suffice
♪Bite my lip and close my eyes
♪Oh, slipping away to paradise
♪Some say “quit or I’ll go blind”
♪But it’s just a myth
Xander’s last chord faded away as Spike continued to play along with Oz and Gunn. However, all of them were soon drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Oz put a hand over his mic and turned to Spike. “I gotta say, I’ve never seen the Bronze this pumped.” He paused as a slow smile spread. “They love us!”
End Ch. 4
A/N: Whew. That was a long chapter to write. Chapter 5 is gonna take off right where this one left off, continuing at the show. I’ll probably stay at the Bronze for another chapter or so, depending on how much YOU people want. Leave me reviews telling me to stay at the show (or go home!) and I will follow the majority. The more suggestions and whatnot I get the faster the updates. Possibly. Probably. Anywhoo, on that note, the more reviews I get, the longer this story will probably be. Keep in mind, this is my first fantasy fic, as well as my first long story. R&R! BTW– look for the continuation of my story ‘Whisper’ under the name Allison, who has been kind enough to adopt it. Keep those potatoes peeled! REVIEW....OR ELSE!
~Lyrics: ‘Longview’ by Green Day
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