“Really?” Buffy asked, trying to contain her squeal of delight. Not only was she going to be able to see Spike, but she was going to meet the band, as well. “That’s awesome! I didn't even expect to win when I submitted the form, and then I met you and the contest didn't even matter and... Spike,” she said sternly. “Did you rig the contest?”
Spike laughed and shook his head, forgetting she couldn't see him. “No, love, I didn't. I'd forgotten you were even in the contest. But then Xander reached in and pulled out your ballot and I was just as shocked as you are now. But, I have to tell you something...”
Buffy's heart sped up, thinking that he was about to take this away from her because she had already met him or something. She wanted to spend time with him outside of school hours. Time that wasn't stolen. She took a deep breath, readying her self for the words. “What?”
“Well, I was thinking... Since you and I have already met, I was thinking you should bring that friend of yours with you. Willis, was it?”
Buffy's face softened. Did he still think that Willow was a guy? Was he trying to see for himself that Willow was in fact a girl? She had to plug her nose to keep from giggling at his insecurity. “Yeah, sure,” she said, her voice nasally due to the blockage of her nose. She let go and dropped her hand to her sides. “I'll call Willow and ask her if she wants to come. When does the hour start?”
“As soon as you get here, pet.”
“I'll be there in about thirty minutes.”
“See you then, Buffy.”
As soon as they hung up, Buffy started to dance, feeling like she was on top of the world with Spike at her side. She was going to spend an hour hanging out with her best friend and their favorite band, and all she had to do was...
“Who was that on the phone, Buffy? It sounded like a man.”
Get through her mother.
Buffy immediately stopped dancing at the sound of her mother's voice from behind her. She turned to face Joyce, not letting her smile fade. “It was... William Winters! He wants to go on a date with me on Friday. I was just about to call Willow to go hang out with her. Y'know, do the girly 'let's-pick-out-the-best-outfit-ever' thing. I know you said I was grounded, but I've been following the rules ever since, and I've been doing all of my homework and I really like this guy, so can I--”
“Go,” Joyce said, with a slight smile forming on her delicate features. Joyce didn't know if she just wanted to stop her daughter’s rambling, or trying to make Buffy happy. Either way, she lifted her daughter's grounding. “Have fun.”
Buffy squealed and lunged at her mother, pulling her into a bear hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, I'll be home by ten. I’ll probably have dinner at Will’s house, so you have the place to yourself for a while.” Buffy smiled, ran over to the door and wrenched it open. “Love you, Mom!”
Buffy ran out of the door and Joyce stood in the hallway, watching her over-excited daughter. “Teenagers.” Joyce sighed, shaking her head. “Oh, to be young again.”
As she walked back to the kitchen, she frowned and looked back at the phone. “The caller I.D didn't say...” Muttering, she went to the table and clicked the down arrow on the caller I.D.
Sunnydale Hotel
518-989-6554
Joyce furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why this William boy was calling Buffy from a hotel. Then she wondered why she hadn't heard about a William Winters before now.
Picking up the phone and pressing redial, she waited for someone to answer.
“Hello, I'm Joyce Summers. I was wondering if you could tell me what room William Winters is staying in...”
Buffy walked up the driveway to Willow's house, an award-winning smile on her face. It was all coming together, and she was so incredibly happy, she could die. She just couldn't wait until Willow was there to share her happiness.
Knocking on the door, Buffy took a step back as she heard Willow thundering down the stairs. “Buffy, hey!” Willow said, before pulling her friend into a hug. “I thought I was going to call you later. Oh, wait. You have happy face. Tell me exactly why you have happy face!”
Buffy was pulled through the door by her arm and led into the living room, Willow attached to her wrist. Once they had plopped down onto the sofa, Willow turned to face the blonde beside her. “Okay, tell me!”
Buffy smiled and pushed some hair behind her ear. “Well... Let's just say that we have somewhere we should be right now. That somewhere being at a hotel with Adrenaline Rush!”
When Willow's eyes widened in shock and repressed excitement, Buffy nodded her head emphatically. “Remember that contest I entered?” Buffy said, and not even bothering to let Willow answer, she continued. “Well, Spike called and said I won, but he wants me to bring a friend, well he specifically asked me to bring you, so I'm here, asking you to come. You ready to meet the band? Oz'll be there...” Buffy giggled, leaving the sentence hanging.
Willow started to bounce in her seat, her excitement no longer under wraps. “Really? I get to meet Oz and Xander and Spike? This is awesome! Oz!” Willow giggled and held her hands to her chest, a dazed look in her eyes. Oz was her favorite band member. Suddenly, Willow shook her head, her face turning serious. “When do we have to go?”
Buffy smiled and stood up, walking towards the door with Willow in tow. “They said whenever we wanted, so I said in about a half an hour. So, we really should leave now.”
“Wait,” Willow said, running back to the kitchen and picking up a piece of paper and a pen. “I have to write my mother a note. She's getting back from a trip in a little bit, and she'll wonder where her pesky daughter is.”
“No!” Buffy exclaimed, running over to her friend and stilling her hand. “You can't tell her the truth. In case my mother comes snooping. Say we're... going shopping, or something. My mother can't find out.”
Willow's eyes widened at the thought of having to lie, especially over something as huge as this. She felt nervous. Lying was not her strong suit, and she knew if it came down to it, her morals would win out. However, seeing the pleading look on her friend’s face, Willow caved and wrote out a fake story about shopping.
Hopefully Buffy's mother wouldn't come around, and hopefully her own mother wouldn't question the fake story.
“All right, we're all set to go!” Willow smiled and set the pen down, linking her arm with Buffy's as they walked out of the house and made their way to the Sunnydale Hotel.
“There's no William Winters there?” Joyce asked, her confusion growing by the second. “And you're sure? Because my daughter, Buffy Summers, received a phone call from a William Winters, and she seemed really excited about it.”
“I'm sorry, ma’am, but there is no one here by that name. Or anyone with that surname, even. I've checked three times,” the receptionist said, knowing exactly who the man was.
Buffy Summers was the winner of the contest Adrenaline Rush was holding. He knew because he has had strict orders from Spike himself to let her and her friend come up as soon as they got there. Not wanting to burst the girl's bubble, he decided to keep this little secret from her curious―and no doubt controlling―mother. “I'll have to let you go now, Mrs. Summers. I hope you find... whoever it is you're looking for.”
He hung up on her before she could say another word. A smile flickered over his face. He felt good. He'd done something nice for someone, and that was all that mattered. One Buffy Summers was about her meet her favorite band, and he wasn't going to stand in the way of that.
Joyce, on the other hand, was fuming mad. Her daughter was hiding something from her, and she intended to find out exactly what it was. Buffy was never one for keeping secrets for too long, Joyce always caught her out or Buffy ended up telling on herself. Joyce knew that she wouldn't have to wait long.
However, she was feeling impatient. She wanted to know what her daughter was up to as quickly as possible.
Picking up her keys, she walked out of the house, locking it up before getting into her car. She was going to get to the bottom of this, and when she did, Buffy's grounding wasn't going to be as easy as the last one.
TBC