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Chapter Seven

“Will? Can I come in?” Buffy asked uncertainly as she
knocked on his closed door. They’d gotten up together that
morning and had gone to Home Depot to see about paint and
other things they needed for the apartment. After assembling
some shelves for the bathroom and living room, they’d had
lunch and then they’d retreated to their bedrooms. At first
Buffy had been fine just putzing around her room and
decorating it, but then her mind started to drift to the night
before and Drusilla.

She bit her lip as she distinctly remembered a phone
number being given. Did he plan to call? Had he already while
in his room? And why in the freaking hell had she told him
she was all right with him dating her? Because it’s his life, the
voice in her head scolded her. His life, yes, she answered
back, but what if he fucks it up? Not your call, the voice
answered back. Buffy wrinkled her nose. She hated not
having control. She also hated this jealous feeling she had.
Just the thought of Drusilla’s hands on William sent Buffy in a
tailspin. It was then that she had marched across the
apartment to his room to see him. She had to know, plus, if
she took up his time, then he wouldn’t call her, now would
he? Maybe he even lost the number already.

“Come in,” she heard him say almost weakly.

Opening the door she found him doing pushups of all things.
She gulped. His chest was bare.

“Thirty,” William grunted before rolling onto his back and
looking up at her with a grin. “Hi.”

She smiled, “What are you doing?”

“Working out.”

“Why?” Was it for Drusilla?

His smile faded, “Why not? You’re not the only one that likes
to look good Buffy. I realize that I’m not much to look at, but
what I do have I’d like to maintain,” he said grumpily and shot
up off the floor and grabbed a towel that was nearby.

“William, I didn’t mean it like that—“

“It’s all right Buffy. You don’t have to back pedal.
By the way, I’m going out with Dru tonight,” he said sharply
and strode out of the room towards the bathroom.


Buffy stood there, stunned. What the hell had
just happened? ‘Why’ she asks. No wonder he was
offended. He thought she was making fun of him. That idea
rolled around in her mind for a while and soon, it gave way to
anger. How DARE he think she was making fun of him! In all
the years they’d known each other, Buffy had NEVER played
upon his insecurities like that. She knew how sensitive he
could be and the idea that he thought she would make fun of
him . . . it made her blood boil. It was like he didn’t know her at
all and had no regard for their friendship.

Stalking to the bathroom door, Buffy stood with
her hands on her hips and glowered at the door as if it were
William. She could hear the water running so at the top of her
lungs she yelled, “I hope you have a fan-fucking-tastic time
tonight William!!”

Childish, yes. Did she much care? No. Instead she continued
to do what any immature person would do. She grabbed her
purse and headed out. She didn’t want to be around to see
William before his date with Dru. She didn’t want to see him
get dressed up and put on cologne and look so handsome for
her. She didn’t want to acknowledge that he was seeing her
tonight nor did she want to acknowledge the tears cascading
down her cheeks and what they could possibly mean.



Willow opened the door to see her best friend with a huge fake smile plastered on her face. “What’s going on?” she

asked immediately.

“What?” Buffy’s smile faltered. “What do you
mean?”

Willow pointed at her, her green eyes
narrowing. “You have a fake smile. You only have that smile
when something happened that you’d rather ignore until it
goes away. Which it never does, may I remind you.”

“Can I come in before the psychoanalyzing?”
Buffy asked on a sigh.

Willow stepped aside and ushered her
in. “How’s the apartment? Sorry I haven’t had a chance to
see it yet. Been busy with my own.”

Buffy looked at her in question.

“Had a plumbing problem, but as of this
afternoon, it’s all fixed,” she said on a tired sigh and ran a
hand through her short, vibrant red hair. “Come, sit down on
my nice comfy couch and tell me what happened. Drink?”

“Tequila?”

“At five? Starting early?

“Joking. Coke?”

“Coming up,” Willow said, entering her kitchen
as Buffy flopped down on her sofa and peered out the
window the sofa was directly in front of. Willow had moved
into her own place during college. Under sad circumstances
however. Her mother had died and she couldn’t stand living
with her father, so she’d used the inheritance her mother left
her and moved out. Now, she had a job as a nurse and was
toying with the idea of going on to doctor. Willow had drive,
that much Buffy could say. Buffy frowned as she picked at the sofa pillow in her lap. What kind of drive did she have? She’d been perfectly content to go into college undeclared for a couple years and then decide to finish out taking some law courses to become paralegal. Which she had been fine with. Until now. Until this very second. Where it all was coming from all of a sudden, she wasn’t sure.

“How’s the job?” Willow asked, coming back in and setting
down her Coke on the coffee table. She sat down in the arm
chair across the room and crossed her legs looking like some
kind of regal movie star.

“It’s all right. Just starting and all that. Waiting for
the moment when I don’t feel dumb because I’m new and still
don’t know much.”

Willow smiled gently. “Yes, that will pass.
Imagine taking blood the first time.”

Buffy grimaced. “No thanks.”

“How’s the apartment?”

Buffy took a deep breath. “Fine.”

“Liar.”

“Will has a date tonight,” Buffy blurted out. “And
I don’t like her. Her name’s Drusilla and she looks like the Bride
of Frankenstein without the Marge Simpson hair. She calls
him SPIKE and was draped all over him like a cheap coat—is
that the right saying? I always get it wrong. I don’t like her
Willow and he’s mad at me right now and I’m pretty pissed at
him and I’m so. . . just so . . . “

“Jealous?” Willow supplied.

“Yes!”

“Because you’re in love with him,” Willow said easily.

That met with silence.

“Well?” Willow prodded.

“I don’t want him to get hurt,” Buffy said weakly.

“He’s a big boy, Buffy. You have this knack for
coddling him a lot of the time. Come to think of it, he has that
knack with you too.”

Buffy shrugged. “So? We look out for each other.”

“Buffy, you look out for him as if you’re afraid
for him to make new friends.”

“That’s not true!” Buffy exclaimed indignantly.

“I think you’re in love with him Buffy. I’ve always
thought so. I also think that once you figure that out, you’ll
make your life a whole lot easier.”

Buffy furrowed her brow. “Love easy? Are you nuts? How
is admitting I’m in love with Will—IF I were, which I’m not—
going to make my life easier?”

Willow grinned knowingly and secretly. “Can’t tell.”

“You suck.”

Willow shrugged, unfazed. “So, what do you
want to do? Sit here and bitch about William and his date or
go hunt them down and see what they’re up to?” she leaned
forward, smiling conspiratorially.

Buffy stared at Willow in surprise. “You’re pure
evil.”

Willow smiled broader and sat back. “I know,”
she said proudly.

Buffy grinned, “I like it.”





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