The plan no longer mattered. In fact, Buffy was sick and tired of making plans to ruin Dru when she really didn’t matter. Of course, she would have liked to see Dru’s face if she showed the tape of Dru singing into the hairbrush. But none of it really mattered now.
Buffy did not come to school until Wednesday. William tried to talk to her several times, but she did not want to hear it. Buffy decided that she could not have any distractions in order to come up with a logical solution. She felt badly, however, whenever she saw his face fall as she walked away. When she came home from school that day, Buffy sat at her desk and thought about her future. And although she was never one for making lists, she thought it might make it easier to discern the best course of action.
Pros to leaving:
• Great schools/education
• Ability to travel
• Father making up for past mistakes/will take more of an interest
• No more Dru and her lackey’s
Cons to leaving:
• No more William
• Moving to a place where I have no friends
• Father may not end up taking an interest, leaving me more alone than before
• No more William
She realized after writing it that she mentioned William twice. Was love really all you needed? She certainly loved William, but was it enough to keep her in Sunnydale when her future seemed so bright elsewhere? High school love, nonetheless. Buffy looked at the pros and cons for a few minutes, a small part of her believing they would give her an answer if she stared long enough. The words slowly lost meaning as the letters swirled into shapes. Luckily, the phone rang her out of her reverie. She didn’t really want to talk to anyone so she let it ring a few times, but by the fifth ring, she picked up the receiver.
“Hello?” Buffy said.
“Hey, Buff!” No one said anything for a moment until the female voice continued. “Buffy? It’s Cordelia.” The silence continued because Buffy had no idea why she was calling her.
“Hey… what’s up Cordie?” she replied tentatively.
“Not much. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to the Bronze with me tomorrow night.”
“Why? What’s happening tomorrow night?”
“Open mike night! I don’t know... I was feeling really nostalgic and was just wondering if you wanted to come.” After a pause, she remedied with, “I swear you won’t have to sing.” Buffy didn’t know what to make of it. She hated herself a little bit for automatically being suspicious of her motives, but Cordie was best friends with Dru. But so was Angel. And she really needed to get out of the house.
“Ok. Yeah, sure I’ll go.”
“Great! Do you want to drive or should I?”
……………………
8:15am, Tuesday
William missed her. He knew he would get her to stay, he just knew it. He had to show her, which was why he approached Daniel Osbourne on Tuesday morning.
He walked down a rarely used hallway trying to find Oz, the sound whiz of the school. One of the other media kids said he would be there, but he was having trouble locating the redhead. Suddenly, he heard voices in a nearby classroom. William was normally not one to pry, but curiosity and a small patch of spiky red hair in the doorway forced him closer.
The redhead turned to face him and gave him the universal ‘shh’ symbol. He then motioned his head toward the fight inside the classroom.
“…and I was trying to do what you said but they just aren’t going to do what you want. I don’t know what to tell you, and-“
“Tell me?!” a female voice shrieked. “You don’t know what to tell me?! Tell me results! Tell me how unbelievably screwed you are when I am through with you. Remember Xander Harris? That boy didn’t have a chance by the time I was through gossiping about him. I own this school! I own everyone in it!” The girl took a breath and continued. “This high school is a breeding ground for losers and I am just trying to make a difference. I just want to help. Don’t you want to help me?”
“No, Dru! I really don’t. I’m done with this crap.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Aurelius,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Why not? What the hell are you gonna do to me? You don’t have any real power. I may not be the smartest guy in the pack, but at least I know that.”
“Oh, that’s just too bad.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because what you are doing is against the law.”
“What?! Dru, come on.”
“No. You want out, I’m going to give it to you.”
“What… what are you gonna do?” Angel actually seemed nervous.
“Do? I’m not going to do anything.” Dru ripped a piece of her sleeve. “I mean, can you prove that you didn’t try to rape me?” She used the very sharp nail of her right finger to make a cut near her neck. “I can have witnesses.” She ripped another piece of shirt. “Everyone does what I say because they have to. Or,” she banged her thigh against the desk Angel was sitting at. His face was that of pure horror. Then, Dru said harshly, “They’ll end up like you.”
“You are insane! Y-you need serious help, oh my god.” Dru just smiled.
“No, not insane.” She whispered in his ear, “I just get whatever I want.”
Angel continued to talk, but Oz grabbed William away before they were noticed. Oz ran to the newsroom, pulling the stunned boy along with him. When they reached the seemingly sacred door, he sat William down, shut and locked it. It was a few minutes before William could speak.
“What the bleeding hell is wrong with her? She should be in a mental institution! I mean, I knew she wasn’t all there but what the hell was she doing?!” He stared at Oz incredulously. He stared back, expressionless.
Without saying a word, Oz walked to the bag he had placed on the table during William’s momentary catatonia. From it, he lifted a small, black video camera.
……………………
Thursday went more or less the same. Cordelia did not speak more than two words to her, but she smiled and was generally friendly. Buffy wondered if the popular crowd would let her back in. She marveled at the ironic timing.
By 5:45pm, 80% of her clothing was spread across her bed and floor in an attempt to find the perfect outfit. For some reason, she was nervous to meet Cordelia. After all, she hadn’t had many friends since the winter break debacle. And now that William was temporarily out of the picture, Buffy felt more alone than ever. On Thursday morning, she woke up completely certain that she would move to D.C. for it would best serve her interests. But then she thought of the boy and suddenly could think of nothing worse.
By 6:30, Buffy wore a red tube dress with 4-inch heels and dramatic, shadowed eye makeup.
By 6:45, Buffy wore a yellow and pink knee-length dress with a single ribbon keeping her hair tied.
By 7pm, Buffy stamped around her room in a bra and underwear, desperately trying to find something suitable. The problem wasn’t that she didn’t have enough the clothing; the problem was that she had to many options to choose from.
By 7:15, Buffy settled on a backless, silver top, black leggings and boots.
By 7:50, Cordelia arrived in her shiny sports car to pick her up.
……………………
3:15pm, Tuesday
“Hey, Cordelia. Wait up!” William yelled down the hallway. She was shocked at first, then angry that he would dare try to talk to her. Then again, he was really hot and that cancelled out any of the other stuff.
“Hi…” she said impatiently as William tried to catch his breath. The boy surmised he really needed to get into shape if he was going to be running after girls all the time.
“Hi. I have a favor to ask. Could we, um, talk?” Cordelia cocked her head and tried to figure him out.
“About what?” William looked at the group of girls circling around them like hawks.
“Well, can I talk to you in private. It’ll just take a minute, I swear.” In normal circumstances, Cordelia would have laughed in his face and walked away. But something in his desperate expression made her stay. Without breaking eye contact, Cordie shooed her friends away.
“ We are alone now. Talk.”
……………………
8pm, Thursday
Cordelia and Buffy reached Sunnydale’s only club quickly. Cordelia did not stop talking for one minute, but it was a nice change from the silence she was getting used to.
After paying the few dollar cover charges, Cordelia left Buffy to get sodas. Buffy stood uncomfortably, trying to spot a few empty chairs in the scarily packed club. A long time went by without seeing her friend, so Buffy sat in one empty chair facing the stage. A long list of singers, dancers, comedians, etc was stapled on one of the supports.
Suddenly, Cordelia’s voice came out of the mike. Knowing Cordie would sing “The Greatest Love of All,” Buffy prepared to clamp her hands over her ears. Instead, she started speaking.
“Is everyone happy to be here tonight?” A roar of applause sounded from the crowd. “Great! Well, I am your MC for the night, Cordelia Chase.” Another round of hoots and hollers erupted from the dance floor. “Thank you! Alright, so I realize this first act isn’t on the list, but please give a warm welcome to Spike!” The crowd jeered.
Buffy considered leaving if Cordelia was going to spend the night onstage. She figured she could be alone at home just as well as at the Bronze. Buffy got up and proceeded to walk out when the music started up. First, a slow guitar melody. Then, a cello joined. It sounded incredibly beautiful, but she could not see the face onstage clearly. And when he began to sing, she realized it was William and the world went away.
Close your eyes
Let me touch you now
Let me give you something that is real
Everyone faded as the music, as Spike spoke directly to her. A few audience members began looking her way as he stared intensely at Buffy. His slow, rough voice sang to her.
Close the door
Leave your fears behind
Let me give you what you're giving me
You are the only thing
That makes me want to live at all
She glided to him as if there were no alternative. Closer and closer to the stage she went, pushing past the other patrons with no regard. She had heard William sing before, but not like he was now. When only a few feet away, he looked up and saw her. The passion in his words filled Buffy with the certainty that she would stay in Sunnydale. Not just for him, and not because she was ungrateful for the opportunity, but William made her happy and she would choose happiness over being well off any day. William sang his words to her without looking away for even one moment.
When I am with you
There's no reason to pretend
That when I am with you I feel flames again
Just put me inside you
I would never ever leave
Just put me inside you
I would never ever leave you
And as the cello finished playing, the audience whistled and applauded. William bowed and ran offstage to meet Buffy.
“William! That was amazing!” She beamed at him, mirroring his own brilliant smile.
“Thank you, but you have to know it’s all about you. I wrote it for you.”
“I kind of got that,” she laughed. They were comfortably silent for a moment, and then William asked if she would dance with him. Buffy nodded enthusiastically.
They danced through a few good songs and a few horrendous ones until Buffy talked again.
“I, um, I decided to stay here. In Sunnydale.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But why? I thought you wanted to go. I mean, I sang the song to show you that you can go.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“NO!” he shouted before calming down. “No, I don’t want you to go. But I really do love you and I’ll support whatever you choose.”
“Good.” There was a pause, and Buffy continued, “Because I’m not changing my mind.”
“Oh, thank god.” William relaxed in her arms and breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, a crazy Cordelia interrupted them.
“OH MY GOD GUYS!!! You will NEVER GUESS what happened!”
“What?” Buffy asked nervously.
“Dru is being arrested!! Apparently, she tried to frame Angel and someone caught it on videotape and sent it to the police. They just took her away like an hour ago!”
Buffy felt like she’d been slapped in the face. “Well, I gotta go MC now, but isn’t that great?!” She winked at William who looked sheepishly at the floor.
“What was that?” Buffy wondered aloud.
“Oz and I found Dru in a classroom a few days ago, trying to make Angel fall in line I guess. And you were right all along; he was never part of our team or anything. But she started coming on to him and ripping her clothes to make it seem like he was rough on her… I’ve never seen anyone so scared as Angel. Almost felt bad for the oaf. Anyway, Taking from what you said of your old friends, I assumed Cordelia would be a better ally than any of the others. I told her what Oz videotaped and she agreed to bring you here to help me in return.”
“Wait… in return for what?”
“If I made Dru leave, then she would bring you to me. I mean, you wouldn’t have come out here if I just asked you to.” Buffy thought about this, wanting to retaliate against the statement, but knowing it to be true just nodded. She was blown away by the events that seemed to happen so quickly.
“Wow,” was all she could say.
“So I was thinking… we could start fresh again? Without you trying to make me a love toy for the crazy bint who got arrested, I mean.”
“Hey!” she smiled and hit him playfully on the arm. “I had good intentions.” And she added, “I think.”
“Well, regardless, what do you say? Let’s be together and just work through everything together, without making all sorts of plans and going behind peoples back and what have you. Deal?”
“Deal. No more plans.” The two smiled lovingly at each other until Oz’s voice came through the mike.
“Hey guys, we are ‘Dingoes Ate My Baby’, and this first song is a cover of my personal favorite. Ready guys? A 1, 2, 1,2,3,4.”
Buffy and William started laughing hysterically on the dance floor as 500 Miles blasted over the speakers. William saw Rupert and Ms. (apparently no longer a Mrs.) Wilcox drop their drinks on the bar and run out to the dance floor as well. William laughed at them as well, but could not tear his eyes away from his girl. His Buffy.
William sang along softly in Buffy’s ear.
When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you.
“So, about your song…” Buffy began.
“What about it?”
“Am I really your flame?” She looked up into his devastatingly handsome blue eyes.
As the song played, the two lovers danced. They did not know what troubles were to come, but in each other’s arms they knew they would face it together and get through it. They just knew.
“Can’t you see the burn marks?” he joked.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hey guys! I'm finally finished *wipes brow*. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did :)
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for reading!