destructo-girl.com

"Anyone But You"

Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: The lyrics are from my favorite song of all time: "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon and also Jann Arden's "Insensitive."
Additional Notes: // \\ denotes flashback.

"Where are you going tonight, honey?" Mrs. Rosenberg asked her son three weeks later. She'd walked upstairs and found him getting dressed to go out.

Liam buttoned up the red shirt he'd put on. "The Bronze. Willow and Oz are already there."

"She said you weren't going with them."

"I changed my mind. Sorry, Mom, but I can't spend every night at home brooding. I need to get out and start living my life."

She nodded in agreement. Ever since Liam returned to Sunnydale he hadn't gone out very much. She'd never known him to be such a homebody.

"Good for you. It's time you started dating."

"I'm not dating." 'At least not yet. The girl I want to date already *has* a boyfriend. Why does my life have to suck so bad?'

"Then maybe you should start. Liam, you're a young, handsome boy. I'm sure there are tons of girls who'd beat down doors to go out with you."

He nearly laughed at his mother. "Uh, yeah, Mom. Not. I wish I could say that was the case, but it's not. Girls don't chase after me, not unless it's in my dreams. And even then, it's only one girl."

"Really?" Mrs. Rosenberg questioned. "So there is someone."

"There is, but it doesn't matter anyway. She doesn't know how I feel, not that it would matter if she did. B - She already has a boyfriend, and she's made it quite clear she doesn't like me."

"You never know."

He smiled, bending down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I won't be holding my breath. Anyway, I'll be home later. So don't wait up for me."

Twenty minutes later Liam waltzed into the club. The Bronze was exactly like the clubs he frequented back in Los Angeles, the only difference being that he knew more people here than he did back there.

'Okay, where are Willow and Oz?' he asked himself, his eyes roaming across the crowded building. Though he didn't see his sister, he did find Buffy standing alone by the stairs.

As soon as he walked in, Cordelia Chase spotted Liam. "Hello, Salty Goodness," she purred. The brunette cheerleader turned to her friend. "Pick up the phone, dial nine-one-one. That boy is going to need some serious oxygen when I'm through with him."

She started to approach him but he walked away as if he didn't notice her. And right in the direction of Buffy Summers to boot. It boggled her mind. "Why does this keep happening to me?" she demanded to know. "Hi, Buffy," Liam greeted, a half-smile playing upon his lips. "How are you doing?"

Buffy looked up from the fingernail she'd been examining. When she saw Liam standing a few feet away, and as handsome as ever, she suppressed a groan. "I was doing great until about a minute ago. You?"

The biting tone of her voice should have warned him away, but he wasn't giving up so easily. If he couldn't get the blonde-haired girl in the glittery bronze dress to love him back, he at least wanted a civil conversation with her. "I'm doing good. Are you here by yourself?"

"No. Riley is meeting me here in a little while." She turned to look for Oz and Willow, mentally berating her boyfriend for being late. "You know, there's an empty chair by Will and Oz. Maybe you'd better grab it before someone else does. This place can get pretty crowded on a Friday night." She pointed to where they sat.

"I can stay and keep you company until Riley gets here," Liam offered. Buffy shook her head. "Really, that's not necessary. He'll be here any minute now. Just sit down."

Realizing it was no use to try and strike up a friendly conversation with her, Liam gave up trying to. "Fine. Save me a dance later," he said before heading in the direction of his sister's table.

"Don't hold your breath, O'Neal," she muttered.

"Hey, guys," Liam said, sitting down in the empty chair Buffy had suggested he take. "Mind if I sit down?"

Oz shook his head. "Go for it. How's Sunnydale treating you so far?"

He wagged his hand back and forth, a frown adorning his handsome face. "It's okay. Can't really complain all that much."

"Will tells me you have to beat off the girls with a stick."

"I did not!" Willow defended herself.

"I'm a real heartbreaker, Oz," Liam responded sarcastically. "I'm really not interested in dating anyone right now. Maybe I need to settle in for a little while before throwing myself into the dating pool."

His sister flashed him a knowing smile. She knew Liam wasn't interested in dating just *anyone.* The only thing stopping him was Buffy's boyfriend, as she didn't see Riley Finn going anywhere anytime soon. Despite her love and loyalty to her brother, Willow didn't want to see Riley get hurt either.

A few minutes later, and seemingly out of nowhere, Buffy came up to the table, walking right up to Liam's side. "You still want that dance?" she asked her neighbor.

"No Riley yet?" Willow noted, looking around for him.

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. And I love this song, and I really want to dance with someone. Do you want that dance or not?"

Liam stood up. "Sure."

The petite blonde grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the crowded dance floor. He smiled to himself when he realized it was a ballad; he'd have to slow dance with Buffy. 'I am not seeing a downside to this whatsoever. Thank you, Riley, for being late,' Liam thought when Buffy wrapped her arms around him.

You should have seen by the look in my eyes, baby
There was something missing
You should have known by the tone of my voice, maybe
But you didn't listen
You played dead but you never bled
Instead you laid still in the grass all coiled up and hissing
And though I know all about those men
Still I don't remember
'Cause it was us way before them and we're still together

For Buffy, her decision to take Liam up on his dance offer was done out of desperation. Riley hadn't arrived yet, and when she saw Parker Abrams enter the club she did not want him to see her standing alone. The last thing she wanted was for her one-time ex to think she lacked a date on a Friday night. But if he saw her dancing with a good-looking upperclassman, he'd be convinced she'd forgotten all about him and what he did to her.

Feeling Liam O'Neal's arms wrapped around her small form, holding her tight, made her feel comforted. She could forget, if only for the duration of the song, that Parker Abrams even existed. Even though she cared deeply for her boyfriend, he never gave her the safe feeling Liam's embrace did.

Riley entered the Bronze, looking for his girlfriend. They were supposed to meet by the stairs ten minutes ago but he got held up at home. Yet when he arrived Buffy was nowhere to be found. Catching sight of Willow sitting near the dance floor, he decided to ask her if she'd seen Buffy.

"Willow?"

The redhead turned around, seeing Riley standing behind her. "H-Hi, Riley. What's going on?"

"I'm looking for Buffy, we were supposed to meet here a little while ago. I am late, I know that, but I'm hoping she hasn't left yet."

Oz pointed to the dance floor. "She's out there. With Liam."

The boyfriend scanned the dancing couples, finding Buffy in Liam's arms. It didn't escape his attention that Buffy looked quite comfortable in his embrace. "Oh. How long have they been out there?"

"A few minutes," Willow informed him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think she only asked my brother to dance because Parker came in here. You know how she is when he's around."

"Yeah, I know."

And I meant every word I said
When I said that I love you I meant that I love you forever
And I'm gonna keep on loving you
'Cause it's the only thing I wanna do
I don't wanna sleep
I just wanna keep on loving you
Baby, I'm gonna keep on loving you
'Cause it's the only thing I wanna do
I don't wanna sleep
I just wanna keep on loving you

By looking at the expression on Liam's face – the look of contentment – Riley realized without a doubt what was going on. His childhood friend was in love. With Buffy.

'I won't lose her,' Riley swore. 'I will not lose Buffy to him.'

I'm out of bold, I'm out of touch
I fell too fast, I feel too much
I thought that you might have some advice to give
On how to be insensitive

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Riley," Buffy told her boyfriend when he walked her to her front door at midnight. She noticed he had been quieter than usual and wanted to reassure him that she'd had a good time despite it.

Riley avoided her gaze, looking at the tree over her right shoulder instead. "With who? Me or Liam?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You looked awfully cozy with him when you were dancing," he commented, finally looking into her eyes. "I know he certainly did."

Buffy eyed him. "Are you jealous because I danced with him? You don't have to be; you're my boyfriend, not him. The only reason I danced with him was because I liked the song that was playing and he asked me to dance earlier."

"That's not it, Buffy. I saw Parker there with Harmony Kendall. And I happen to know how you get when he's around. You turn into Robo-Buffy."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. Look, I understand it, but I can't lie and say it doesn't matter, or that it doesn't bother me. It does. And it bothers me more than I'd like to see you dancing with Liam O'Neal."

She bit her lip, seeing how truly upset Riley was. "It shouldn't bother you at all. There is nothing between me and Liam, you have to trust me. There's *less* than nothing between us. He's arrogant and completely self-centered, and the only reason I danced with him was because he was there. I would have preferred to dance with you."

"I know how you feel about him," Riley stated simply.

"Nothing. I feel nothing for him. Maybe when I was a kid I thought I was in love with him, but I'm not a kid anymore," she explained. "It was a crush; a crush I have grown out of."

"Are you sure?" Riley wanted to be convinced, but her words weren't enough for him. He firmly believed that actions speak louder than words, and her actions at the Bronze during her dance with Liam spoke volumes.

"A hundred percent positive. I'd prefer to forget he – or anyone else, for that matter – exists at all."

Not long after returning home from the Bronze, Willow knocked on her half-brother's bedroom door. He had left the club an hour after arriving, stating that he wasn't feeling well, but she had her doubts. In the back of her mind, she had a nagging feeling it was because of Buffy.

"Can I come in?" she asked, poking her head inside the room when Liam didn't answer.

Sitting at the desk he'd placed in front of the window facing Buffy's room, Liam turned around from the email he'd been typing. "Sure."

"I knocked. Didn't you hear me?" Willow wanted to know. Wanting privacy, she closed the door behind her.

"No, I didn't." Liam picked up the remote control sitting next to his laptop and turned off the Eminem CD he had been listening to. "What can I do for you?"

She sat down on his bed. "I was hoping we could talk. About what happened tonight at the Bronze."

"Did I miss something after I left?" he asked, shutting off his computer. "Because that's just my luck. All the good stuff always happens when I'm gone."

"No, it happened when you were right there, Liam. I'm talking about the dance you and Buffy shared. It raised a few eyebrows and ruffled a few feathers. Most notably Riley Finn's," she informed him.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "That was never my intention. When I walked in I saw Buffy standing by herself near the stairs. She was waiting for Riley, and seriously giving me the brush-off. I asked her to save me a dance later, figuring she would never take me up on it. It was a shock when she did."

"I know how you feel about her."

"How I feel about her? What do you mean?" questioned the seventeen-year-old.

"You said it yourself it was love at first sight when you ran into Buffy in the hall at school. Are you really in love with her?"

Liam shook his head. "No, I was mistaken. I thought I was in love but I wasn't. Lust, Wills. It was lust at first sight, not love."

"That's not how it looked to me, or to Oz or Riley. I get the feeling he knows how you feel and he isn't too happy about it."

"He has every reason to be unhappy; if someone starting lusting after my girlfriend I'd be downright pissed off. Hell, I'd probably pound his face into the ground," he stated.

"Look, there's a lot you don't know about her, Liam. Buffy took it really hard when you left. What she felt wasn't some schoolgirl crush; she'd been in love with you since she could walk. It killed her inside when you said you hated her. Maybe she didn't expect you to say you loved her back, but she sure as hell wasn't expecting what you ended up saying. You weren't there, you don't know what a mess she was. She just wasn't herself for a long time. Things happened to her freshman year and Riley helped her through it."

He blinked, stretching the tired muscles in his arms and legs. "What happened?"

"Buffy would kill me if she found out I told you."

"I'm not gonna tell her. Come on, Willow. How bad could it be?"

Willow chewed on her lower lip, knowing she'd put her foot in her mouth this time. 'Why did I even say anything?' "Parker Abrams happened to her. They met at the Bronze a few weeks before school started last year. The two of them went on a couple dates and then…then it happened. She slept with him."

Liam knew she paused to gauge his reaction, but he was speechless. He never thought of Buffy being with anyone intimately. At least not someone who wasn't him. "Parker Abrams, huh?"

"Yeah. It was only that one time. He was the first guy she ever went out with, and he ended up breaking her heart, even more than you did. She sat by the phone for days waiting for Parker to call. But he never did. I don't know if he purposely avoided her or what, but Buffy didn't see him again until the first day of school. He had this blonde sophomore hanging all over him. When she confronted him about their night together, he told her it had been fun but it didn't mean anything."

"That's seriously harsh," Liam commented. "Goddamn bastard."

"Tell me about it. The whole incident sent Buffy into a tailspin that she still hasn't fully recovered from. That's why she asked you to dance, because he came into the club. He still upsets her, over a year later. Riley has been great for her, though. He's been her rock. As their friend, I don't want to see either of them get hurt. You're my brother, Liam, and I love you but I don't want you to come between them if you are after a good time."

"I'm not like Parker; I don't ruin relationships for fun. I'm not going to lie and say I don't care about Buffy, because I do. Not that I'm saying it'll never happen, but if Buffy and I were to hook up it would be because it's what she wanted, not because I came between her and Riley for my own selfish reasons."

Willow smiled. "I'm glad you understand."

"I do. Now if you don't mind, I'm pretty beat. I wanna go to bed."

"Okay. Night, Liam."

"Goodnight, Willow."

She exited his room and he sat at his desk, staring out the window. A couple minutes later, a light came on in Buffy's bedroom, causing Liam to shut his off. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him watching her as she stripped out of her dress and into a pair of pajamas.

Rage consumed him as he thought of Parker Abrams hurting Buffy the way he had. "I will make him regret he ever laid a hand on Buffy Summers," he swore.

Oh I really should have known by the time you drove me home
By the vagueness in your eyes
Your casual goodbye
By the chill in your embrace
the expression on your face that told me

Liam walked down the hallway at school Monday morning, a man on a mission. He'd had all weekend to think about what Willow told him Friday night, and used that time to figure out what to do with his newfound information. One thing he knew for certain was that he wanted to punish Parker Abrams. Severely.

The one thing he couldn't understand was how a smart, pretty girl like Buffy could be taken in by such a jerk like Parker. The little girl he'd known – and left behind three years earlier – would never have stood for being treated like that. And Liam couldn't help but himself for it. If he'd only told her how he felt before he left Sunnydale, maybe it never would have happened.

Classes didn't begin for another ten minutes, so Liam stood in front of Parker's locker. He hoped the other boy hadn't headed for homeroom yet; he really wanted to get this finished. Glancing down the hall, he saw Parker coming his way.

"Hey, O'Neal. How are ya doin'?" Parker asked.

Liam eyed his enemy. They were both about the same height, but he was definitely more muscular than Parker. One thing he had to say, Parker Abrams looked the part of the slimy weasel. "I'm okay. How about you?"

"Couldn't be better. Had a hot date this weekend with Harmony Kendall. That girl…just amazing. Most fun I've had on a date in a long time. You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. I don't operate that way."

"To each his own, I guess," the thinner boy responded. "You know, I've seen you in the halls. I didn't know you came back to good old Sunnydale High. What made you come back? L.A. get too boring?"

Unfortunately for Parker, Liam wasn't in the mood to make small talk. "Change of scenery."

"Well, if you don't have a date for this weekend, I can assure you Harmony is free. Or, I've got a list of other girls who'd be glad to show you a good time."

"I heard you like your girls a little younger than yourself. Like using them, too," Liam accused.

Parker shrugged his shoulders. "A man has his needs."

With all the anger boiling inside of him, Liam took a deep, controlled breath. "I understand your needs included Buffy."

"Buffy? You mean Buffy Summers? Of course you mean her, there's no other Buffy at this school. Yeah, we slept together. Last year. She wanted it the second I touched her, a man knows these things. You want a stab at her, go ahead. That girl has a lot of stamina."

Liam, enraged at Parker's insensitive words about Buffy, shoved him against the locker as hard as he could. The door rattled when Parker's head hit it. "You are *never* to talk about Buffy that way again. Do I make myself clear?"

By now, a small crowd had gathered around the two students. Parker, very aware of their presence, adjusted the collar of his t-shirt. "Easy there, Liam. She's just a girl."

"Buffy is not just a girl," Liam disagreed.

"What, do you have a hard-on for her or something? Let me give you a few tips about that girl. She likes to be teased and touched. There's this one spot underneath her right breast–"

He couldn't listen to any more. Half turning around, Liam fisted his right hand and connected it with Parker's nose. His head snapped back, blood dripping from his nose. He didn't have time to wipe it away before he was hit with another punch. Liam laid into him twice more, the sound of cheering students giving him energy. He didn't hear Principal Snyder order him to stop; all he could think of was hurting Parker as much as he'd hurt Buffy.

"One week's suspension," Mr. Rosenberg stated when he arrived home from work. His wife had called him during his lunch break that afternoon.

When he entered the house, he found his stepson sitting in front of the television watching Dr. Phil.

"Yep. Looks like it."

He picked up the remote control and turned the television off. Mr. Rosenberg wanted Liam's full attention. "What on earth were you thinking, Liam? No, wait, you weren't thinking at all. That much is obvious."

"It's not a big deal. I've been suspended before," the seventeen-year-old replied.

"And that is something you're proud of? I thought you moved back here to get away from that type of behavior. You've only been here for three weeks and you are already in trouble. Is this just the beginning?"

"Parker Abrams got exactly what he deserved."

"You broke his nose."

Leaning back on the couch, Liam smiled with satisfaction. "He deserved a hell of a lot worse; he's lucky I didn't break something else. Something more important to him."

"What happened this time?" his stepfather wanted to know. "What did he do to deserve your wrath?"

"He hurt someone very important to me. I was just defending her honor. I know you're going to ask if I regret it. And I don't. I'd do it again in a heartbeat; only next time I'd hurt him a hell of a lot worse."

Willow's father shook his head in disgrace. "Your mother and I haven't discussed your punishment yet. But I can guarantee it won't be a walk in the park."

"I don't doubt it."

The doorbell rang and the two men looked at one another. "Get the door, then go to your room until dinner." Mumbling under his breath, Mr. Rosenberg walked out of the room.

Liam got up and answered the door, pleasantly surprised to see Buffy standing on the other side. "Buffy, hi. Did you come by to see Will?

'Cause she's not here, she went to Oz's for dinner."

"No. I came to see you. Can we talk in private?" she asked.

"Sure." He opened the screen door and stepped out on the front porch.

"Is everything okay?"

"Who do you think you are, Liam?" Buffy demanded.

He could see the anger raging inside, her green eyes burned with it. If it were possible, Liam found her even more beautiful. "I don't get it. What are you talking about?"

"You and Parker Abrams. The fight you two were in; or should I say the beating you gave him. Everyone was talking about it. That and the fact that my named was mentioned."

"Buffy, I just wanted to confront him about what happened between you two," he tried to explain.

"Who told you? Was it Willow?"

Liam nodded. "Yes. But she only did it to help me understand why you turned into a pod person Friday night at the Bronze."

"She had no right!"

"Don't blame my sister. She didn't know I'd do what I did. I'm sure she wouldn't have told me if she had any clue."

"Why did you do it? Haven't I been embarrassed enough?" Buffy was on the verge of tears, but refused to let him see.

"I was simply defending your honor. The things he was saying about you…they were disgusting. There was no way I was going to let him stand there and speak about you that way."

"Were you trying to win points with me? Beating Parker Abrams to a bloody pulp isn't going to change things between you and I."

'Like I thought it would,' he thought. "I know. The guy had it coming. If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else. I got suspended from school for a week, and it'll be worth every minute of it. Buffy, I would do it again."

Buffy glared at him. "Then don't do it for me."

As she headed home across the Rosenberg's front lawn, she thought about what Liam did for her. And despite her anger, a part of her was glad he did it. She'd been waiting for over a year for Parker to get what was coming to him. The only thing she wished was that Riley had been the one to teach him a lesson. She didn't quite know what to think of Liam defending her honor when her own boyfriend hadn't.

Maybe you might have some advice to give On how to be insensitive Insensitive Insensitive

Riley cast his eyes at his girlfriend as they sat in his bedroom watching a movie. Buffy hadn't said very much since she arrived an hour earlier and he wondered if something was bothering her. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, he pressed pause on the remote control in hopes of her telling him.

"What's going on?" he wanted to know.

She sat up and gave him a curious glance. "Come again?"

"You've been really quiet since you got here, Buffy. I know when something is on your mind and I just wish you'd tell me what it is."

"It's nothing. I'm fine, Riley."

"Are you sure?"

Buffy nodded her head. "Yes, I'm sure. Stop worrying about me. Nothing's going on."

Despite her assurances to the contrary, Riley didn't find himself convinced by her words. After having dated Buffy for nearly seven months, and knowing her over a year, he liked to think he knew his girlfriend fairly well. And something was definitely on her mind. "If something was going on, Buffy, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course I would."

He decided to let the subject drop. It would not do any good to press her; when she was ready to tell him, she'd tell him. So they sat in silence for another twenty minutes, simply watching the movie playing on the television set.

"Hey, Riley," Buffy started as the movie ended. "What do you think about what Liam did to Parker? Do you think he was right in beating him up?"

"Depends on his reasoning. If it was for a good cause, then yes, he was right. But if he did it because…well, just because, then no."

"What do you consider to be a good cause?" Buffy asked him.

Riley shrugged his shoulders as he took the videotape out of the VCR. "Depends, really. If he was doing it to protect someone, that's a good enough reason."

"Would you punch someone – Parker, for example – if he said something about me that offended you?"

"Maybe, but it depends on what he said. I'm not the confrontational type, Buffy, you know that. I prefer to ignore things and maybe they'll go away. I don't exactly agree with what Liam did, or at least where he did it. School wasn't the best place for picking a fight, and the suspension he got was proof enough of that. But it think Parker had it coming, *has* had it coming for a long time. A small part of me wishes I was the one who did it."

Buffy sighed heavily. 'But it wasn't you.'

She walked into the Bronze the following Thursday night in search of her friends. Willow told her at school that morning they would all be there. Rather than sit at home with her parents all night, Buffy needed to get out and enjoy herself without her boyfriend to baby-sit her.

She found them sitting at a table not far from the stage; Willow seated as close to Oz as she could get, her half-brother sitting across from them. 'Good, Liam's here. Just the person I want to see,' thought Buffy.

"Hi, guys," she greeted, plastering a smile on her face. "Have you got room for one more at the table?"

Willow and Oz were very happy to see their friend, while Liam didn't know what to say or do. He'd been trying his hardest to avoid Buffy whenever she stopped over; trying to keep the petite blonde out of his thoughts since their confrontation earlier in the week. Not that he'd been successful with the latter, but he'd given it his best shot.

"Sure, go ahead," Willow offered, pointing to the chair to her left.

"We saved you a seat in case you showed up."

"Thanks." She pulled out the chair and sat down, keeping her eyes off of Liam sitting not three feet to her left. "Have I missed anything good?"

The redhead shook her head. "Nada. It's been kinda uneventful tonight. I have a feeling it's going to stay that way."

"Good. School has been eventful enough this week," Buffy commented, quickly stealing a glance in Liam's direction. Thankfully, he wasn't paying attention. "How's it going, Oz?"

"Alright. Yourself?"

"Not bad. Can't really complain."

"Where's your other half?" he wanted to know.

She frowned, but on the inside she was relieved. It was nice to have a night out with her friends. "Home. He had an Economics paper to write. So I'm here all by my lonesome."

Willow was about to respond when the deejay started playing a popular song. "This is such a good song. Oz, we have to dance."

The couple stood up and headed for the dance floor, leaving Buffy and Liam alone at the table. Neither one of them said anything for a long time until the elder of the two finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Buffy, I want to say I'm sorry," Liam apologized.

"What for?"

"For what I did to Parker. You were right, I had no right to break his nose for what he said and did. I should have left well enough alone."

She shook her head. "The weasel had it coming and I'm glad someone finally gave it to him. Even if it was you."

"Look, Buffy, I did it for you. When Willow told me what happened between you two, I freaked. The thought of him hurting you the way he did…something inside me just snapped. I can't really explain it. And I know we haven't had the best relationship since I came back to Sunnydale, but I'd like to rectify that," he explained.

"We'll see."

"Can you at least accept my apology?"

"Sure. But if you ever do that again, I'll rip off your arms and beat you to death with the bloody stumps," she threatened.

He laughed, stopping himself when he saw that she wasn't joking. "Got it. One more thing, though. I don't want you to think I punched Parker as some macho, male chauvinist show-off thing. I'm not trying to show up Riley."

"I never thought you were."

"Good. Now there's no miscommunication. We know where we stand."

'Right back at the beginning.'

Cordelia strolled down the hall following cheerleader practice nearly two weeks later. With her backpack slung over her shoulder, she sauntered through the empty halls as if she owned them. And being Cordelia Chase, she felt she did.

At four-thirty in the afternoon, she did not expect to see anyone else in the building aside from her fellow cheerleaders and a stray teacher or two. So when she spied Liam O'Neal walking in her direction, she found herself pleasantly surprised. Quickly fixing her hair, she plastered a grin on her face and made her way towards him.

"Hi, Liam," Cordelia drawled when their paths crossed. She immediately turned around and started walking with him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here at this time of day."

Liam raised his eyebrows at the younger girl. He didn't know who she was or how she knew his name, but he wasn't about to ignore a beautiful young woman. "I had detention," he answered simply.

"You had detention? What did you do?"

"You mean you didn't hear? Damn, I thought everyone at this school heard what I did; you must be the only one who doesn't know. I broke Parker Abrams' nose a couple Mondays ago before homeroom."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. But I thought you just got suspended for a week."

He nodded his head. "I did. But when I got back, Snyder decided I needed to be punished a little longer. One month of detention. But like I've told everyone else, it was worth every second of it to hit that slimy bastard."

"He deserved it."

"That seems to be the general consensus around here." Liam paused for a moment, considering how to pose the question he was about to ask. "Okay, I don't want to see like an idiot or anything, but who are you? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with everyone around here yet."

She flashed him one of her famous million-dollar smiles. "I'm Cordelia Chase. Head cheerleader for the Junior Varsity squad. Sophomore and quite unattached."

"Oh, okay. How do you know me?"

"I've seen you around school and at the Bronze. I'd have introduced myself sooner, but the hideous losers you always sit with make me break out in hives when I get within five feet of them," Cordelia commented. "I can't seem to understand why you would even associate with them."

Liam tried not to take offense to what she'd said. "They're my friends."

"Willow Rosenberg and Buffy Summers? Puh-lease. You can do so much better. I know tons of popular people."

"Buffy lives next door to me. And it just so happens that Willow is my sister," he informed the brunette.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. She's my half-sister; we share the same mother."

Cordelia held her head high, undeterred by Liam's revelation. "Well, I suppose that goes to show you can't choose your family. You moved here from L.A., right? Why would you ever want to move to Sunnydale from there? I'd kill to live that close to that many shoes."

"I had my reasons."

"Such as?"

"*Personal* reasons. I really don't want to talk about them if you don't mind."

Shrugging her shoulders, she blinked. "Whatever you want. You know, I've got an extra ticket to the concert at the Bronze tonight. If you're not doing anything, maybe you'd like to go. As my date, of course."

Liam gave her offer his consideration. 'Let's think about this one. Go to a concert with a beautiful girl or sit at home moping and brooding over Buffy. Tough decision there.' "Sure, I'll go. What time?" 'Hey, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. And it doesn't look like I'll ever be with the one I love.'

"Eight o'clock. I'll pick you up."

"Do you need the address?"

"I should be able to find it."

As she walked down the hall to Willow's bedroom, Buffy saw that Liam's bedroom door was open and the light was shining into the hallway. She had come over to study for a history test, and Mr. Rosenberg allowed her to just go up to her best friend's room. Deciding to see what Liam was up to, she stopped in front of his doorway.

"Hot date tonight?" she teased.

He closed the closet door, having pulled out a long-sleeved gray shirt.

"Hi, Buffy. And yes, I do have a hot date tonight."

She watched with keen interest while he pulled the shirt over his head. 'Stop drooling, Buffy. You have Riley, who's just as good-looking and as built as Liam is.' But she couldn't keep herself from imagining his muscular arms holding her tight, and resting her head against his bare chest. "Who is the lucky girl?"

"Cordelia Chase."

"What?! You're going out with Cordelia Chase? Are you out of your freaking mind, Liam?" she demanded.

He laughed at her; Buffy's reaction was not what he'd been expecting, but he did find it amusing. "I take it you don't approve."

"She's the she-devil incarnate! Of course I don't approve. You can do so much better than her."

"Like who?"

"Anybody who's *not* her, that's who. Why on earth would you go out with her?"

"She asked and I said yes. Last time I checked, Buffy, I didn't need your permission to go out on a date."

Buffy fumed; how dare he give her an attitude! "You don't. Truthfully, I don't particularly care who you go out with. Although I thought you had better sense than to go out with Cordelia."

"I guess I'll just have to figure that one out on my own." He glared at her, anger apparent in his brown eyes. Why was she so concerned about his love life? She made it clear she wanted no part of it. "If you'll excuse me, I have to finish getting ready. My date will be here in a couple minutes."

With an aggravated sigh, Buffy stormed down the hall to her original destination – Willow's bedroom. Not bothering to knock, she barged in and slammed the door shut behind her. "Your brother has lost his mind!" Willow looked up from the textbook she was reading. "Huh?"

"Are you aware that he has a date with Cordelia tonight?"

"Yeah, they're going to the Bronze for that concert."

Buffy gaped at her best friend. "Are you okay with this?"

"What choice do I have, Buffy? He's old enough to decide who he wants to date. It's not like I can tie him to his bed and hold him prisoner."

The redhead bit her lip, realizing what she had just come out of her mouth. "Okay, that didn't come out right…"

"But Cordelia of all people? Why did it have to be her?"

"Maybe he likes her."

"He can't like her! They have absolutely nothing in common. She's too…fluffy for him. Besides, she's not Liam's type," Buffy argued.

Willow sensed where her friend was coming from. "Who is his type? You?"

"I never said that. I have Riley, remember?"

"You haven't acted like it lately. I've noticed it and so has he; you've been pulling further away from him ever since my brother came back to town. Do you still have feelings for him?" Willow wanted to know.

"That's absurd!"

"Do you?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I just happen to think Liam can do better, that's all. I love Riley, nothing is going to change that." 'Then why do I find myself drawn to Liam? He's made it quite clear he's not interested in me as anything more than his next door neighbor. That's all I'll ever be to him.'