A/N For those of you who didn’t see my note in the reviews section, my computer completely crashed yesterday. Luckily, I have the updates saved to a disk, but my hard-drive had to be reinstalled and the new one (which is actually a very old one) is very slow. This is my only update today, because it takes so long for the computer to process it. I’ll try and have one tomorrow, but this hard-drive could crash at any time. I’m expecting a new computer around the middle of next week, so until then the updates will be irregular. If there are none at all, you know why. I’m sorry, believe me- I hate it more than you do, I’ve been working on it all day and come to the realization that there’s nothing I can do until I get a new computer. I promise to update as often as I’m capable of.
Chapter 3
Buffy nervously walked through the doors of The Bronze, wearing a lavender
halter with a slight shimmer to it when she moved and a pair of black
pants. Her hair fell slightly past her shoulders in a golden curtain.
Buffy looked around the popular club and spotted Willow and Xander at a
table, waving at her to get her attention.
Buffy smiled and waded through the crowd to get to her new friends, giving
them each a friendly greeting as she sat down.
“So this is the ‘it’ place in Sunnydale, huh?”
“Yeah,” Willow said with a nod. “It’s not much, but it’s got a homey
atmosphere.”
Buffy nodded in agreement as she looked around the dimly lit club. “Well, I
think I’m going to get a drink. Do you guys want anything?”
“I’m good,” Xander said with a shake of his head.
“Me, too,” Willow said, nodding. “But thanks.”
Buffy slowly made her way to the bar, feeling like a fish swimming upstream,
as she tried to squeeze through a particularly tight area.
“Bloody hell!”
Buffy squeezed her eyes shut, praying to anyone who would hear her, begging
that the voice she heard didn’t belong to the one and only Spike Giles.
Apparently no one was listening.
“I should have known it was you.”
Buffy opened her eyes and turned in the direction of the voice. Her mouth
opening slightly as she saw his t-shirt clinging to his chest as a result of
the empty cup in his hand.
“Why don’t you watch where you’re bloody going next time?” he growled,
looking at her with ice blue eyes.
“I-I’m sorry…I didn’t…”
Spike clenched his jaw, staring at the tiny blonde girl in front of him.
“Forget it,” he ground out, pushing past her, only to come face to face with
his girlfriend.
“Why are you talking to her?” Harmony asked in a haughty voice as she looked
down her nose at Buffy.
“I wasn’t,” Spike said, trying to pull the soaked fabric away from his
chest.
Harmony stared at the other girl for a minute. “What a cute outfit…last
year.”
Buffy glanced down at her clothes before sighing and turning for the bar,
narrowly avoiding knocking over another man. She stopped when she heard
Spike’s voice again.
“You know, Summers, wherever you go, I’m guessing bad things inevitably
follow.”
Buffy turned to face him, something that could only be anguish written on
her features. Blinking rapidly, trying to keep her tears at bay, Buffy
quickly began walking the other way, only stopping briefly to say a quick
goodnight to Willow and Xander, making up an excuse of a headache.
Spike watched her walk out of the club, not sure what came over her all of a
sudden. He felt remorse for something that he didn’t consciously do, and it
mad him angry at himself. His ‘inner ponce’ William was trying to come out
and make him feel guilty, but Spike gritted his teeth before turning away
from the direction that Buffy fled.
* * * * *
Buffy wandered home slowly. Her father would still be gone for several
hours, so there was no need to rush back. Hugging her arms around her thin
frame, she periodically wiped tears from her eyes, hating herself for the
weakness flowing through her.
She felt her heart rate speed up when she heard a car approach and slow
down, coming to a stop next to her.
“Buffy, right?”
Buffy turned at the sound of her name, vaguely recognizing the boy in the
car. “Who wants to know?”
She watched skeptically as he exited the car, making sure to keep a safe
distance from her. “I’m Riley Finn,” he said with a friendly smile. “I go
to Sunnydale High.”
“Oh, right,” Buffy said with a nod. “One of Spike’s lackeys.”
Riley smiled, glancing down at the ground almost shyly. “Not the way I
like to think of it, but I can see how you would get the assumption. I was
wondering if you wanted a ride?”
Buffy hesitated, looking up and down the dark street as she nervously bit
her lip.
“I promise I’m not an axe murderer or something.”
“Okay,” Buffy said softly. Riley seemed like a nice guy, and it was probably
safer than walking a mile in the dark.
Walking around the side of his car, Riley held the door open for her,
helping her into the car like a gentleman.
Very little was said as Buffy pointed out the way to her house. Pulling
through the front gates of the Summers Estate, Riley let loose with a soft
whistle.
“Nice house,” he said with raised eyebrows.
“Thanks,” Buffy murmured.
“Must be nice living here.”
Buffy shrugged. “It’s just a house.”
Riley looked at her but didn’t comment as he got out of the car.
“Thanks for the ride, Riley,” Buffy said, offering him a smile in gratitude.
“It really wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he replied with a goofy smile. “Listen, Buffy…there’s this
party Saturday night that one of the guys from the football team is
throwing. I was wondering if you wanted to go.”
Buffy swallowed nervously as she glanced behind her at the imposing house.
“Can I tell you in school tomorrow?” At Riley’s quizzical look, she
continued. “I have to ask my dad.”
“Sure,” Riley said, glad that she wasn’t blowing him off.
* * * * *
Buffy wandered through the halls of Sunnydale High the next day. She was
slowly making her way to the cafeteria, not in a hurry since she never had
much of an appetite anymore.
Stepping through the doors, Buffy sighed when she saw Riley begin waving her
over to his table. Swallowing hard, she walked over to him, trying to avoid
eye contact with most of the people sitting there, especially Spike and
Harmony.
“Guys, this is Buffy,” Riley said in introduction. “Buffy, this is Angel
O’Rourke, Darla Mason, Cordelia Chase, Harmony Kendall, and I think you
already know Spike.”
Buffy offered a timid smile, wanting to make her escape as soon as possible.
“Nice shoes,” Cordelia said, looking the blonde girl up and down and
ignoring the shocked look that Harmony was giving her.
“Thanks,” Buffy said, smiling genuinely for the first time that day.
“Gucci?”
“Yeah,” Buffy said quietly.
“Of course,” Spike said, stabbing at his lunch, never making eye contact
with Buffy. “The Princess has to have the best of everything, isn’t that
right?” he asked, looking up at Buffy for the first time.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Cordelia said, raising an eyebrow at her
friend.
Spike wisely stayed quiet, not wanting to get into an argument with
Cordelia Chase of all people.
“So, what do you say, Buffy?” Riley asked, steering her attention back to
him.
“Yeah…it sounds good.”
“Great! The party starts at nine, so I’ll pick you up around then.”
“That’s-“
“What?” Buffy was cut off as Spike turned to Riley, staring at him as if
he’d grown two heads. “You’re going out with her?” he asked, jerking a
thumb in Buffy’s direction. “Come on, Finn, you don’t want to have to pawn
your car so the Duchess can have a good time.”
“You know what, Spike?” Buffy said, her anger finally bubbling over. “You
think you’re so clever, but let me fill you in…you’re not! Riley asked me
to go to a party, and I accepted. You may think I’m a stuck-up snob that’s
only interested in money and clothes, and that’s okay, because I have no
interest in the opinions of a guy who doesn’t even bother to get to know me
before he makes a snap judgment. You’re pathetic.”
The group at the table watched as Buffy turned and walked toward her lunch
table, many raising their eyebrows at Spike as he stared after her with
narrowed eyes.
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