Chapter 1
Buffy stood awkwardly with the small peace of paper held in her hand with the numbere ‘342’ scribbled neatly on it. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other she waited nervously in the office for her ‘guide’ to come so they could show her around for the day. Maybe things would get better here…in the middle of nowhere Sunnydale. She leaned back against the wall, backpack hanging limply at her side as she surveyed her surroundings.
Like most offices it was plane white with a main desk, long and narrow with an old, rather friendly looking elderly woman behind it. She remembered just yesterday how she had came here with her father and met her principle. She was able to tell that the man struck fear into the hearts of many people going to this school, that and a deep hatred.
She watched the two adults interact as she sat in the chair set beside her father, who was standing over her like the overbearing bastard he was. She could tell right when she heard how Snyder was speaking that the two men would hit it off immediately.
“I Hope you understand Mr. Summers, that I do not tolerate any misbehaving from my students. I was brought up in the old system, you do something wrong and you get punished, directly. However, since the school board…the bunch of morons they are, frown upon that,” he muttered. “I will take the first chance I have to expel your daughter as well as any other deserving brat, make no mistake of that.”
She watched silently as the small men grinned at her father with his beady little eyes looking at her then Hank. She wasn’t surprised when Hank shook Snyder’s hand and smiled at the man. “I’m glad we have an understanding. And I’ll have you know I can deal with Buffy in a way which assures that she won’t be misbehaving.” He put a firm hand on her shoulder making her bite her lip in an effort not to shake it off in disgust. She hated the way he could make her feel so damn small and insignificant with nothing more then a stare at times.
She glanced up at the clock, 8:55. She sighed and walked up to the secretary behind the desk who was currently looking at some papers. “Excuse me.” She waited patiently for the lady to turn her attention to her. She sighed and tried once more. “Excuse me.” She said louder, this time the woman looked up and Buffy nearly fell back from the shock of seeing her eyes through the thick glasses. “Yes dear?”
“The guide isn’t here.”
“Who died in here? Oh dear.”
Buffy continued staring at the woman for a minute. No wonder Snyder hired her, probably didn’t pay her every time he’s supposed to and she doesn’t even notice. “Never mind.” She said quietly and started making her way out the door when a short redheaded girl ran into her making them both fall.
She stood up picking up her bag and looked at the flustered red head as the bell rang for class to begin. “I’m so sorry! I’m here to…”
Buffy tucked her hair behind her ear. “Look, I’d love to stop and chat seeing as how I know absolutely no one here and all, but the bell just rang and I don’t really fancy making enemies with teachers on my first day. Besides there’s plenty of time for that.” She muttered the last part annoyed.
“Oh, you’re Buffy! Sorry about that! I know I’m really late but I’m you’re student guide, we have most of the same classes together and I have a note excusing us. See I had this extra lesson with Mr. Giles this morning and…” She stared at the blonde girl and blushed. “And you don’t care. Sorry, I tend to babble now and again. Follow me, we have history first thing, my name is Willow by the way.”
The blonde stopped and smiled. Well the flustered girl before her did seem very friendly, maybe befriending someone in this place wasn’t as hopeless a task as it seemed. “That would be great thanks. Nice to meet you Willow.”
***
“So that was class huh? Do the teachers actually know how to make anyone want to pay attention or do they just figure if no one talks it’s easier to get through the class?”
“Yup that about sums it up. They pretty much figure it’s a waste anyway because we don’t care either way and most of us are going to either end up living off our parents for the rest of our lives or dropping out of school.”
“Figures.”
“Why? Do you like school?”
Buffy sighed and smiled slightly, exasperated. She wasn’t about to tell her new acquaintance her life story and leave her to run scared. “Let’s just say that sadly it’s one of the only things I have going for me right now.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.” Willow gave a shy nervous smile at Buffy’s raised eyebrows. The blonde wasn’t naïve she knew it was a new girl sympathy type thing.
“Well, I’m new, and I’m not about to join any clubs, and I don’t know anyone but you, not that it’s a bad thing because you’re great.” She ticked off each thing on her fingers looking at her new friend while they walked to the courtyard.
“Well, you might not want to be seen with me to often. Not exactly a way to popularity and respect. I think people will let you off the hook since it’s first day and you’re new, so basically I’m not the person to be seen with. I’m a science and math geek and I used to be in the chess club.”
Buffy smiled. She liked this girl but she was in dire need of self-esteem. “Trust me when I say the words ‘popular’ and ‘respect’ don’t go together. Nobody has respect for people that make them feel like shit.” She looked at the red face of her companion and laughed. “Sorry, that make them feel insignificant.”
Willow smiled quickly changing the subject. “Look there’s Xander, you’ll like him.” The two girls made their way to the table closer to the middle of the courtyard where Buffy saw a brown haired guy waving frantically at…them? She checked behind her, there weren’t exactly to many people behind them. Willow giggled at her. “He’s waving at us, that’s Xander.”
“So who’s the new girl?”
Willow frowned and smacked him on the shoulder. “Xander!”
Buffy laughed. “It’s ok Will. The new girl is named Buffy.”
The guy smiled and stuck out his hand. “Hi. Looks like the duo is now a trio.”
“Aww isn’t that cute? The loser duo is trying to initiate a poor unsuspecting new girl!” She turned her attention to Buffy and held out her well manicured hand. “I’m Cordelia Chase.”
Buffy looked at the offered hand taking a bite out of the apple she had just gotten out. “So you’re the popular one’s huh?”
Cordelia looked around her clique and grinned smugly. “Yeah, guess it’s just that easy to tell.”
“Yeah it is, I mean the air of ‘I’m a bitch bow down before me’ is really prominent. By the way, where’d you get your outfit? I think I saw the same one at ‘sluts ‘R’ us’, on sale too.” She gave the brunette a bright smile.
Cordelia just stared at the girl like she had been slapped in the face. Her look quickly changed to a malicious glare. “Well, at least now I know I didn’t make a mistake by letting you join my group.” With a flip of her hair she walked off.
She took another bite out of her apple and turned to look at her two new friends. “What?” They were looking at her with awe and shock.
“You just gave up any chance you had of being popular in this school.” Willow gushed.
“Telling off Cordy by calling her a bitch and a slut is one thing but accusing her of going to a store and getting something on sale is another thing! My new hero!”
She laughed at Xander. She could actually get used to this.