"Fire and Ice"
Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: Everybody's normal. No Slayers, no vampires.
"You cheated!" five year old Melissa Riches yelled at the girl playing hopscotch with her.
Buffy Summers put her hands on her hips, stopping dead in her tracks. "I did not. I skipped the four!"
"No, you didn't! Your sneaker touched it. You lost, Buffy. I won."
"No, I won!"
Redheaded Willow Rosenberg ran over. "Don't yell. It's not nice."
"Willow, Buffy cheated," Melissa whined.
"You're lying. I didn't cheat!"
Melissa hated Buffy. She thought the little blonde girl was the meanest person on earth. "You are so mean, Buffy. I hate you." She shoved Buffy with both of her hands, causing her to fall backward onto the concrete.
From the other side of the playground, Melissa's twin brother saw his sister push their classmate. He ran over to find out what had happened. "Missy, why did you push Buffy?" he demanded angrily.
"She cheated, Angel!" Melissa explained. "So I pushed her."
"That's not nice," he chastised. "I'm telling Mom when we get home."
"You're a tattletale."
"I don't care. You shouldn't push people."
Melissa pouted. "You are as mean as Buffy is. Buffy and Angel sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Angel pushing a baby carriage. Sucking his thumb, wetting his pants, baby's gonna do the hula dance."
She kept singing it as she walked away, Willow following her like a puppy. Buffy was still sitting on the ground, angry tears in her green eyes. "I didn't cheat," she told Angel, whimpering.
"Missy's a sore loser." He took Buffy's hand and helped her up.
"Do you think I'm mean?"
Angel shook his head. "No. I think you're pretty."
She giggled. Her father was the only person who ever told her she was pretty. "I like you, Angel. You aren't mean like your sister. I don't like her."
"I don't like her either," he agreed.
"Will you be my boyfriend?" Buffy asked.
He scrunched up his nose. "Ew! Girls have kudies."
"I do not! And I'm not a girl. I'm Buffy."
Angel thought about it for a minute. "Okay, I'll be your boyfriend."
"Yay! I love you, Angel," she said, kissing him quickly on the lips.
"I love you, too, Buffy."
(13 years later)
"I can't do this anymore, Angel," Kelley Page said to her boyfriend when he dropped her off at her house after their date.
He sat behind the wheel of his Ford Taurus, looking at her with confusion in his brown eyes. "What are you talking about? Can't do what anymore?"
Kelley sighed. "Us. I'm sorry, but I just can't take it."
"I must be missing a piece of the puzzle or something because I'm really lost."
"How long have we been dating, Angel? Three years, give or take a few months? In some societies, we'd be considered an old married couple by now. And look at us. You don't touch me except to kiss me. In those three years, you've never even attempted to lay a hand on me."
Angel lifted his eyebrows at his girlfriend. "And that's a bad thing?"
"Yes! No! I don't know. Look, all I know is that we never got past the kissing stage of our relationship. We should have been at the next level years ago."
"I'm sorry, Kell, but you know that I don't want to yet. It's just not on my list of priorities," he explained. "There are other things that are more important to me."
She nodded. "I know that, but…but I can't wait any longer. I didn't want to be the last virgin in our graduating class, so I…"
"You what?"
"Found someone who wasn't as noble and chivalrous as you are, so to speak. I want to be with him. Parker doesn't have all the insane goals you do. Angel, I want to break up."
He processed the information. "Let me get this straight. You're dumping me because I don't want to have sex?"
"That's only part of the reason, but it is a reason. I want to get out of this town and do something with my life, make a name for myself. How can I do that if I'm Mrs. Angel Riches, wife of the local department store manager? You're never going to leave Sunnydale and I can't live here forever."
"I have dreams that I want to fulfill, I will get out of here," he swore.
Kelley shook her head. "No, you won't. You only think you will. As long as your mother is sick, you'll still be here supporting her. Angel, you're too loyal to leave. You have obligations that will always come before me. I'm fine with that; hell, I even understand it. But I want something more, and I am not going to find it with you."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
She shrugged. "I guess I just came to the realization. I still care for you, but I fell out of love with you a long time ago."
"Get out of the car, Kelley," he ordered softly.
"I'm sorry. You'll find someone else, I know you will," she said as she got out of his car.
After she shut the door, Angel peeled out of the driveway, heading home. For three years, he devoted himself to Kelley and to being the perfect boyfriend. And how did she repay him? By dumping him for Parker Abrams, the town bad boy.
Angel decided right then and there that he would no longer be anyone's doormat. He was sick and tired of people walking all over him. And he swore to himself that it would never happen again.
Adrienne Riches sat on the couch when Angel stormed through the front door. "How was your date with Kelley tonight?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Mom."
"Is something wrong?"
He nodded. "Kelley…she decided I'm not enough for her anymore. She wants more than she thinks I'm capable of giving her. So she got it from someone else."
"I'm so sorry. I know how much you care about her."
"She was my first girlfriend, the first girl I ever really kissed and the first I loved. And now after three years, I'm not what she wanted. I always expected to be with Kelley forever."
Mrs. Riches frowned. "Breaking up is never easy. It's hard and it'll hurt and it will take some time, but pretty soon you'll find another girl who's crazy about you."
Angel shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if there is anyone out there for me. Kelley sure wasn't."
"Hey, don't say that. You're smart, funny, articulate, handsome and talented. Not to mention loyal, gifted, kind, generous, hardworking and so many other things. You're a good boy, Angel. Girls like that."
"No, Mom, you're wrong. The girls at Sunnydale High like the bad boys. Guys like me end up alone, staying at home on Friday nights watching old movies with their mothers. The good guys don't always get the girl."
"Then maybe Kelley wasn't the right girl."
"Maybe you're right. You know, I always thought she respected me because I never pushed it, because I always acted like a gentleman when we were together. Turns out she wanted me to push it, and when I wouldn't, she found it with someone else. She walked all over me, seeing God knows how many other guys behind my back for I don't know how long. I'm never going to let that happen again."
"You're hurting. Just give your wounds time to heal," his mother suggested.
He took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm really beat, I think I'll go to bed now." He leaned down, kissing his mother softly on the cheek. "Good night."
She smiled. "Sweet dreams, honey."
Angel walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. A solitary tear fell out of his eye when he plopped down on his bed. He had refused to let himself cry in front of his mother, she had enough to worry about, she didn't need to add his breakup to the mix.
A soft knock came from the door and his sister Melissa came in a few seconds later. "How are you doing, bro?" she asked, sitting down on the bed next to him.
"I've been better. How about you?"
She made a face. "Who cares about me? I'm talking about you. Look, I heard you talking to Mom. Sorry to hear about you and Kelley. She's such a bitch for cheating on you with Parker."
"How did you know about Parker?" he wanted to know.
"I–I just heard about it today in English. She was telling Cordelia Chase about him. I guess she's been seeing him for a couple months now and he gave Kelley an ultimatum. Either you go or he goes."
Angel closed his eyes. "And she chose him. She let me go."
"That's her mistake, then. Obviously she doesn't know a good thing when she sees it. Want me to beat her up for you?" Melissa asked, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder.
He smiled for the first time in an hour. "No thanks, Missy."
She stood up. "Kelley will be sorry, don't worry. Do you want me to hook you up with one of my friends? Willow or Anya or someone? I'm sure there's plenty of girls at Sunnydale High dying to go out with you, Mr. Valedictorian."
Angel shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I don't think I'm ready to jump back into the dating pool right away."
"All right, have it your way. I'm really sorry, Angel. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, especially you. You're such a great guy, any girl would be lucky to have you. Hell, if I weren't your sister…"
"Thanks, I think."
"Get some sleep. Because tomorrow morning, it's back to the hectic world of being single. Girls will be chasing you down like you're one of the Beatles or something once they know you're available."
"Somehow, I doubt it. See you in the morning."
"Okay. Night."
He climbed out of bed at four in the morning, unable to sleep any longer. Kelley's revelation plagued his thoughts, his dreams, it consumed every part of him. Angel couldn't get over that his girlfriend of three years had dumped him for being too noble and gentlemanly. Throwing on a tank top, sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, he decided to vent his anger with extreme exercise.
Running out the door, Angel jogged. For miles; he sprinted through the town of Sunnydale, illuminated by only the moon and streetlights, trying to clear his head. A part of him was glad to be out of a relationship with Kelley. It was apparent that she wasn't nearly as committed to him as he was to her. Why suffer through a one-sided relationship with the end result being nothing but misery? But another part of him was bitter and angry that she had treated him like that, like he was simply disposable. And yet another part wanted to do nothing more than to forget.
He ran through the ritzy section of town, passing by the Summers' and Chase's mansions, side by side. The bedrooms in the houses were probably bigger than his entire house, Angel always thought. He wondered, sometimes, if his life would have been remarkably different if he'd lived in one of those houses instead of a tiny, three bedroom home in the poorest part of town. Would he be the same person? After years of pondering, Angel decided he'd never know.
Returning home at five-thirty, Angel immediately headed for the musty, damp basement. In the easternmost corner he'd put his workout necessities. A punching bag, rowing machine, bar and weights. Ripping off his sweatshirt and tossing it to the floor, Angel began to pummel the punching bag, pretending that it was really Parker Abrams.
Melissa heard her brother enter the house and got up to see what he was doing. She found him laying into the punching bag as if it had pissed him off, and cautiously took a step closer.
"You okay?" she asked.
Angel took another swing. "Fine," he replied without bothering to look up.
"Angel, it's not good to keep things in."
"I'm not keeping anything in."
Melissa placed her hands on her hips. "Really? Because that's not how it seems to me. Talk to me, tell me how you really are."
He stopped, holding the bag in place. "Do you honestly want to know?"
"I'm your sister, I love and care about you and I'm concerned. Tell me."
"If you really want to know, fine, I'll tell you. I hurt, my heart is broken and I feel like my entire life is over."
She shook her head. "Don't say that. You're life is not over. Kelley is just a stuck-up, self-centered bitch for treating you like her lap dog for so long. Don't give up on everything you've worked for over her."
"You make it sound like I'm planning on committing suicide or go on a mass homicide spree and take out everyone that ever hurt me. I'm not that far gone in my anger. I don't hate the world. Right now I want to vent my anger and get on with my life."
"Maybe it's for the best. This can be a new chapter in your life. A whole new Angel. Think of it as your golden opportunity."
"No, if people can't accept me for who I am, that's their problem, not mine. But I refuse to change, or be someone I'm not just to please people. I spent three years trying to be the guy Kelley wanted me to be and I'm no better for it. There's bound to be someone out there who'll accept me for me and vice versa."
Melissa clapped her hands at her brother's speech. "Good for you. It's about damn time." She turned and headed for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Angel asked, assuming that she's want to talk some more.
"Back to bed," she answered with a yawn. "It's too early to wake up for school. I can still get another hour of sleep. Oh, and do us all a favor before you get dressed for school…shower. You're sweaty and smelly. *So* not the impression you want to make on the single girls of Sunnydale High. Think less sweat and more stud. Later!"
Cordelia Chase bounded down the hall towards her friend's locker. She was practically jumping out of her skin with jubilation. Having just heard the best news in a long time, she needed to share it with her closest friend.
"I have got the greatest news in the world!" Cordelia exclaimed upon reaching the locker.
Buffy Summers pulled out her English book. "What's so exciting, Cordy? You look like you won the lottery."
"Kelley just told me that she went through with it. I can't believe it."
"Went through with what?"
Cordelia sighed. "Breaking up with Angel. I mean, they've been dating forever and she's been seeing Parker Abrams behind his back for months and now she gave Angel the old heave-ho."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "And why is this such great news to you? Some guy gets dumped and you're happy about it?"
"It's the opportunity I've been waiting for since…well, since forever. He's available, I'm available and *definitely* looking to hook up with him."
"You and Angel?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"Yep. Why, do you have a problem with that?"
She shut her locker door. "Not me. But if you want to lower yourself to that, then I say go for it. But you're risking your entire reputation."
"Excuse me?"
"Look, I'm going to tell you exactly what I think. First of all, he's a brain. Class Valedictorian. How are you going to keep up a conversation with him?"
"Well…we'll find something to talk about, I'm sure. Besides, who cares if he's a brain? The guy is gorgeous. Tall, dark and handsome with rippling muscles…hello, salty goodness!"
Buffy shook her head. "Okay, so he's hot. He's also dirt poor. Can you handle dating a guy that can't even afford a decent car? Look at what he drives; it's older than us and practically falling apart!"
Cordelia bit her lip. "I never thought about that."
"That's why you have me. To remind you of stuff like that. Cordy, do yourself a favor. Don't waste your time on some little flight of fancy. A loser like him isn't worth your time."
The bell rang for class. As she headed for her English class, Buffy smiled. She knew Cordelia wouldn't be able to stand a chance with Angel, not when she herself had been awaiting this opportunity for thirteen years. If anyone was going to be with him, it would be her.
Xander Harris took the seat next to his best friend. "Sorry to hear about it, man," he said to Angel.
Angel shrugged his shoulders. "It was probably for the best."
"You don't seem to be taking it too hard," Xander observed.
"I can't change the past, which is fine. I want to put it behind me. There's no sense dwelling on what might have been. Kelley and I are over and I have to move on. Three years of my life with her and this is where I ended up. It's over. End of story."
"What're you going to do about Prom?"
"Probably won't go. I'll work the late shift, more than likely," Angel answered.
Xander perked up, plastering a goofy smile on his face. "You can be my date," he offered jokingly.
"I'm not going to the Prom with you, as appealing as that sounds."
"Well, I am determined to win Class Clown and I need all the votes I can get. So you had better go."
"I'll tell Missy to vote for you twice."
"Does she have a date?" Xander questioned hopefully.
Angel laughed. "I know you've got a crush on my sister. Just ask her, I'm sure Missy will say yes. She's always saying how funny you are."
"You sure? She really said that about me?"
"Just ask her already!"
Mr. Giles, their English teacher, entered the classroom. "All right, settle down, class," he ordered in his thick British accent. "As you are well aware, today I am giving out your assignments for your final presentations. You'll be paired up with another student to give a five minute presentation about a specific author."
Angel listed with half an ear until his name was called out, pairing him with another student. "Angel Riches and Buffy Summers, you'll be working together regarding Nathaniel Hawthorne."
He turned his head around, looking at Buffy Summers sitting diagonal to him. She shook her head as a sign of boredom. 'Oh yeah, I'm going to really enjoy this,' he thought. 'The Ice Princess.'
Xander laughed when he heard who his best friend was paired with. He leaned over, whispering, "My sympathies, man. Expect your first B ever."
Angel sighed. It wasn't going to be a fun project, but he was not about to get anything less than an A on it, regardless of his partner.
Class continued, Mr. Giles lecturing about the symbolism in Walt Whitman's poem "Oh Captain, My Captain." As diligently as ever, Angel copied down what the teacher was saying, knowing full well that Xander was not paying the least bit of attention. Usually during lunch, his friend would copy the notes so he didn't fall behind. But Angel loved hearing about the poem and its relationship to the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. Literature intrigued him.
Mr. Giles stopped the class five minutes before the bell rang for the end of the period. "Now, I've ended class early so that all of you may get together with your partners and discuss your presentations. May I remind you that this project counts for thirty percent of your final grade. I expect nothing less than a three minute presentation from each pair. You may use visual aides if you deem them necessary. Very well, you have until three weeks from Tuesday. Also, keep in mind that I am aware that that particular date is the Tuesday following Prom and I will not accept any excuses for unpreparedness."
Xander patted Angel on the shoulder. "Good luck. See you at lunch."
Inwardly groaning, Angel turned around, finding that his partner was impatiently tapping her pen against her desk. He placed his books on the empty desk next to her and sat down.
"So, where do you want to start?" Angel asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't care. Wherever you want to begin is fine with me."
"You aren't going to make this easy, are you?"
"Sorry," she apologized half-heartedly. "I'm not in a study kind of mood right now."
Angel resisted the urge to ring her thin little neck. She was really aggravating him. "Look, obviously we're not going to get anything done right now. Do you want to meet at the library after school today?"
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Library?"
"Yeah. You know, where the books live."
"I know what a library is, thank you very much. Besides, I hate them. My dad has tons of historical literature books, including a lot of biographies. I'm sure he's got one on Hawthorne. Do you want to just meet at my house at three? You know where I live, right?"
"I think I can find it." 'Like anyone is Sunnydale *doesn't* know where Buffy Summers lives,' Angel thought. "But I can't stay for too long. I have to be at work at five."
She smiled. "Great, it's a date." 'Date. A date with Angel…well, sort of. This is turning out to be a red letter day after all. Eat your heart out, Cordelia Chase. He's all mine.'
"So, how'd it go?" Xander questioned Angel when he found his friend sitting at a table next to the windows, biting into his tuna fish sandwich.
"How did what go?"
Xander took a sip of his Pepsi. "Your little meeting with the Ice Princess. I'm surprised you survived the ordeal."
"Oh. She's completely exasperating. I honestly almost hit her. Total snob, that's for sure," Angel explained. "I'm going over to her house at three today to work on our presentation."
"Having a little tête-à-tête?
Angel scoffed. "Hardly. Five minutes alone with her and I might go insane."
"Five minutes with whom?" a female voice asked.
The two guys looked up, seeing Melissa holding a tray across the table from them. Angel smiled at his sister while the other boy remained tongue-tied. Melissa always took his breath away. It never failed; Xander thought she was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen, and had harbored a crush on her since he was a young boy.
"Buffy Summers," Angel answered.
"Why do you have to spend five minutes with her? She's evil, nasty, snobby and a whole bunch of other things that shouldn't be said in public."
"She and I were paired up by Mr. Giles to work on our final project together. Either I'll go nuts or homicidal, but it won't be pretty either way."
Melissa made a face. "Ugh. That's harsh."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm not at all looking forward to it. But, it's thirty percent of my final grade, so I guess I'll just grin and bear it. We only three weeks, and I'm sure we'll have it done by this weekend if we really work hard."
She laughed at her brother. "Sucks to be you. I'd hate to be working with Buffy. It's like working by yourself."
"I know. It'll definitely be a challenge."
Angel looked out the window to the sunny, grassy courtyard. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Kelley and Parker seated at one of the stone benches, engaged in a steamy embrace. Tears stung his eyes and one escaped, traveling down his cheek.
This didn't go unnoticed by his best friend. "You okay, Angel?"
Angel nodded quickly, wiping away his solitary tear. "Uh-huh. I–I'm going to the library to get a head start on that English project. Bye." He picked up his books and left the cafeteria in a hurry.
"What was that all about?" Melissa wanted to know.
Xander gazed out the window, seeing Kelley and Parker kissing. "I think I know." He pointed them out to her.
She fumed. "That brazen little bitch! Has she no common decency? I ought to go teach her a lesson for being so inconsiderate. And for breaking my brother's heart. She's making him miserable and they're not even dating anymore!"
"Angel's a tough guy, he'll bounce back."
"I can't believe she did that to him. After three years together and right before the Senior Prom. That girl has no class whatsoever."
Xander took a deep breath. "Um…speaking of the Prom, I…uh, I have a question to ask you."
"What question?"
"Would go with my date? That came out wrong, I meant to say, will you be my date?" he corrected himself nervously.
Melissa stared wide eyed at the boy. "Me? Go with you?"
He nodded. "Well, if you don't mind being seen going to the most important dance of our high school career with the class clown." When she didn't answer, Xander continued talking. "I'll understand if you say no, but at least –"
"I'll go with you."
"-- give it some thought…what?"
She grinned. "I'd love to go with you, Xander."
He jumped out of his chair. "This is so cool! I'm going to the Prom with Missy Riches!" He broke into a crazy dance, making Melissa laugh. She knew right then and there that she'd have a great time with him. Her only concern was finding a date for her brother.
Buffy applied a fresh coat of lipstick in the front hall, eagerly awaiting Angel's arrival. She wanted to look her best when he got there. In her mind, it was their first date; a date she'd been waiting for since their first kiss thirteen years earlier.
The doorbell rang and she jumped from the initial shock. 'He's here. Okay, act natural, Buffy. But charm him,' she reminded herself. She opened the door, smiling sincerely at the handsome young man on the other side.
"Hi. You're early," Buffy greeted.
"I figured we'd get more done that way," he replied. "Since I can only be here until four-fifteen."
She moved to the side, allowing Angel to step through the entryway. "Well, come on in and let's get started."
"Would you like something to drink? There's iced tea and soda in the fridge. Or if you're hungry, we have sandwiches and cookies," Buffy offered when she led Angel through the hallway.
He shook his head. "No thanks. I ate a big lunch," he replied.
"Okay. Do you want to get started?"
"Yes, I do. Did you find anything useful or helpful in your father's books?"
"Didn't get a chance to look yet. I just got home right before you got here." It was a lie. She'd sped the entire way home so she could adjust her hair and makeup before Angel arrived.
He clenched his jaw. "Why don't we look? The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll finish." 'I don't think I can take too much of this,' the thought. 'I'll really go nuts. She's driving me crazy already.'
"Follow me."
Buffy led him to her father's expansive library, cutting through the kitchen, family room and living room. Angel stared in awe at some of the furniture. Hand-crafted, most likely, along with expensive paintings and other antique decorations. 'I'll never live in a house this beautiful,' Angel concluded. 'Not even if I win the lottery four or five times.'
When they entered Mr. Summers' library, Angel practically had to hold onto the door frame to keep from falling over. Never in his eighteen years had he seen so many books in one place, including the Sunnydale Public Library. He could see rare first editions and collector's items.
"I know Dad's got a few books by Hawthorne but I can't remember their titles," Buffy said.
"I only know two off-hand. The Scarlet Letter and The Blithedale Romance. We'll probably have better luck if we take separate ends of the library. It'll get done quicker that way. You start here and I'll go to the other end," Angel suggested.
She nodded. It still astounded her that the boy she'd always had a crush on was actually standing in her home, and talking to her. It blew her mind. Granted, it took thirteen years and a high school English project to get it to happen, but Buffy wasn't about to let the opportunity pass her by. It was pretty much now or never.
She and Angel searched for five minutes in silence before either of them said anything. "Oh my God, I didn't realize Daddy still had this book. Have you ever read Charlotte's Web, Angel?"
He nodded impatiently. "A long time ago."
"It was one of my favorites. My mother used to read it to me before bed. What about Flowers in the Attic? Have you read that one?"
"Are you actually helping me look for these books or are you just reliving your childhood?" Angel demanded. "'Cause I have places to be."
Buffy sighed heavily. "Excuse me for trying to make civilized conversation."
"I didn't come here to converse, I came to work on this project we have to do. If you're not going to help me, then I'll leave and go to the public library."
"Sorry," she snottily replied.
"Look, maybe you don't care about this project, but I do. And I refuse to get anything less than an A on it because you have other things you'd rather be doing," he shot at her. His patience had worn thin and Angel was about to lose his temper.
Buffy glared at him. "Are you always this much of a jerk or is it because your girlfriend dumped you like yesterday's garbage?"
"You don't know anything about me or my problems. And don't you dare bring Kelley into this, or my relationship with her."
"Don't you mean former relationship? She's seeing Parker Abrams now, isn't she? Wow, she must have really gotten tired of the bug that seems to have crawled up your ass and died."
"Go to hell."
"No need to be so snotty. I was simply stating my opinion."
Something inside of Angel snapped. "That's it. I don't have to take this from you of all people. What the hell do you know about real people and their problems? Absolutely nothing! You live here in this grand old house of yours with your servants to wait on you hand and foot, completely sheltered from the outside world. You don't know what other people are going through.
"Not everybody has Daddy to take care of them. Some people are just getting by, working full-time and going to school while trying to survive because their father left when they were ten years old. And not everybody is going to automatically get accepted at an Ivy League college because their father plays golf with the Dean of Admissions. There are people who can work all their lives to get straight A's and have to go to community college because they can't afford to go to Emerson College, even though they got accepted there. So do me and yourself a favor, Buffy, and keep your opinions to yourself."
"You don't have to yell at me, my God. I don't appreciate it."
He shook his head. "I give up. I don't think I can work with you. I'll do the project by myself and drop off the notes when I'm done." Angel headed for the door, but turned around before exiting. "You know, I knew this wasn't going to work out. We're from two different worlds. Good-bye."
Buffy stared at the door after he left. 'What the hell just happened here? I don't know, but I have to do something. I can't let him think of me like that or he'll hate me. Not when I want him to love me like I love him.'
"Did you have fun at Buffy's house researching?" Melissa asked Angel when he returned.
"It was a blast, let me tell you. I'm doing the rest of the project by myself 'cause it beats the hell out of working with her," he explained.
She laughed. "Told you. Once a stuck-up snotty bitch, always a stuck-up snotty bitch. Some people will never change."
"I don't get women and I don't think I ever will. I've decided to give up on them," Angel announced.
"You can't do that, Angel. You can't give up on dating. Who's going to double at Prom with me and Xander?"
Angel raised his eyebrows. "You and Xander?"
She nodded her head. "He asked me today during lunch and I said yes. So, he's my Prom date. And now you have to go. I won't let you sit around at home while I'm there with Xander. Not going to happen."
"I don't know. Don't hold your breath, Missy."
"Angel…" she whined.
"We'll see. I have a question, though. What made you say yes to Xander?" he wanted to know.
Melissa shrugged. "He asked and I said yes. I've always like Xander, you know that. I know I'll have a good time with him and besides, you never know what might happen. It could be the beginning of something great."
"Congrats."
"Now all that's left is to find someone for you to go with."
"Kelley and I broke up less than twenty-four hours ago and you're already trying to set me up? Can't you just let nature take its course?"
"Because I know you. You're stubborn, Angel. If I don't take the initiative here and find you a girlfriend, or at the very least a Prom date, you'll never do it. And I won't stop until I do."
After dinner that night, Buffy drove to the department store her father owned. She needed to see Angel; needed to apologize for her nasty comments earlier that day. He'd mentioned that he had to work the night shift, so she decided to pay him a visit.
The store wasn't very crowded, and Buffy saw him as soon as she set foot inside. He was behind the cash register in lane seven, laughing with another employee, a pretty brunette girl she vaguely recognized from school. It burned inside to see Angel smile and laugh with someone that wasn't her.
There wasn't anything she needed to purchase; her sole purpose in going to the store was to see Angel. But she wanted to make it seem like a coincidence, them running into each other, not a planned effort on her part. So, she knew she'd have to buy something to make it seem less conspicuous.
"…so I told her she'd need a better excuse if she was going to call in sick. Her goldfish dying isn't a good reason to miss work. It's a fish, they die everyday. Big deal. Buy a new one and get over it."
Angel smiled. "A dog I could understand, but a fish? That I don't get, Liz."
"Me neither. But the two of us should be able to handle it. Besides, if I'm going to be stuck here until closing time, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be stuck here with than you," Liz flirted.
"Same goes for me." He knew she was flirting with him, but didn't care. Liz Daniels wasn't his type. Although after being with Kelley for so long, Angel wasn't sure what his type was anymore. Granted, Liz was a nice person, but she was someone he couldn't see as anything more than a friend. And the last thing he wanted was another girlfriend.
"I was surprised to hear about you and Kelley breaking up. You two seemed like you were in it for the long haul."
Angel frowned. "So did I."
"I guess you two just weren't meant to be."
"Guess so." He didn't want to talk about his breakup. It stung, knowing that he'd been more committed to Kelley than she'd been to him.
"Does this mean you're looking for a Prom date?" Liz wanted to know.
He raised his eyebrows, knowing exactly what she was asking. "No. I don't think I'm going to go."
"Prom is such a big deal. Right of passage, coming of age deal, right?"
"I'd rather stay home by myself." 'Beats spending the entire night watching Kelley and Parker grope each other.'
"Oh. Um, you've got a customer, Angel."
He turned around, face to face with Buffy. 'She had to pick my lane? Can my day get any worse?' he wondered. "Did you find everything you needed?" he asked formally.
She smiled at him. Her heart fluttered the second his eyes met hers; it never failed. A simple glance form him always did that to her. "Hi, Angel. Yeah, I did find everything I needed."
"Do you want me to put this on your account?"
"No, I'll pay for it now." She paused before beginning her next sentence. "How are you doing?"
Several lanes away, Liz couldn't help but laugh softly. None of the employees of the department store liked it when Buffy came in to buy something. Liz personally couldn't stand the owner's daughter, thinking that Buffy was nothing more than a spoiled rotten, nasty bitch. Her nickname around town was "Ice Princess." Someone had jokingly called her that and it ended up sticking. In Liz's opinion, the name fit the girl's personality. Cold as ice.
"I'm fine. Not much has changed since this afternoon."
Buffy took a deep breath. "I want to apologize to you."
"Why?"
"I feel really bad. You don't deserve the things I said to you and I am sorry, Angel. About everything."
Angel simply gazed at her, his face devoid of expression. "Okay. Apology accepted."
"That's it?"
"Was there supposed to be more?"
"Do you forgive me?"
"Sure."
Another customer had come up behind Buffy in line. He stood there, listening to the conversation between the two. The man waited rather impatiently while Buffy and Angel spoke. "Hey," he began. "I'm in a hurry here."
"Calm down, buddy. We'll only be another minute," Buffy replied in a snappish tone.
"You're going to get me in trouble, Buffy," Angel whispered. "I can't afford to get fired. Are you finished?"
Buffy shook her head. "My dad's not going to fire you, don't worry."
The man behind her exhaled loudly. "If you and your girlfriend are going to be having a lover's spat, could you speed it up? Some of us have places to go and people to see."
"She's not my girlfriend," Angel told him. "And we're not having a lover's spat."
She turned to the man, smiling sweetly and innocently. "Excuse me, but I see other open checkout lanes, so why don't you go to one of them? My friend and I are trying to have a conversation."
The customer narrowed his eyes at Angel. "I am having you reported to the owner, young man. You won't be working here for much longer once I'm through."
"Oh, will you?" Buffy challenged. "You know what, sir? Go right ahead. I'm the owner. Buffy Summers, pleased to make your acquaintance. What's the problem?"
Aggravated, the man took his cart and pushed it to Liz's lane, mumbling something about the corrupted youth of America. Buffy laughed. "Well, that was fun."
"No, it wasn't."
"You need to loosen up a little, Angel. You're all work and no play. It makes for a dull Angel."
"I like myself that way," he replied.
She frowned. "Yeah, but you push people away with that kind of attitude. You keep yourself detached from the outside world when there are people like me who want to get to know the real you, not the image you give off."
"Are you done yet?"
"Not quite. Look, the main reason I came here was to see you. I wanted to say how sorry I am."
"You've done that already."
"And I want to make it up to you. I want to keep working on that project with you. I promise to be more productive of a partner and I won't get pissy with you again," she promised.
"Fine."
She smiled. "Good. There's one more thing, too. Do you have plans tomorrow night?"
Angel lifted his eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"
"I want to make up for my bitchiness this afternoon. I'd like you to come over for dinner. Home cooked by me, of course," Buffy invited.
"Buffy…"
"Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. I probably should have mentioned that before. Is five-thirty good for you? I checked your schedule while I was shopping, you're not working, so you can't use that as an excuse."
Angel had to admit that her invitation came as a surprise to him. The last thing he ever expected was for Buffy to invite him over for dinner. "It's fine."
"Cool. Then I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow." Buffy took her bag in her hand and walked out of the store, a huge grin plastered on her face.
'What did I just get myself into? A date with the she-devil herself,' Angel thought.
Before class the next morning, Angel stood in front of his locker, pulling out the books he'd need for his first three classes. He had been moving sluggishly all morning; he'd overslept and had not bothered going through his usual morning workout routine. Deep down, he knew what it was: nerves. The prospect of having a dinner date with Buffy was making him nervous and frazzled.
When he returned home from work and told Melissa what had happened with Buffy, his sister couldn't keep herself from laughing. To her, nothing seemed funnier than her brother going out on a date with Buffy Summers.
"It's not that funny, Missy," he chastised her.
Melissa doubled over in a fit of laughter. "Yes, it is. Buffy 'Ice Princess' Summers making you dinner. Does she even know how to cook? Or is she just calling for take out?"
"I don't know, but at least I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, you never know. I might have a good time."
"Yeah, sure you will. Just remember, I told you so."
'Maybe it won't be as bad as I think. Buffy and I might actually hit it off…nah,' Angel thought as he placed his Economics book into his backpack.
A shadow fell over his locker, blocking out most of the light. He looked up to see the source of the darkness. Standing off to his left was Kelley. She flashed him an unsure smile. "Hi, Angel."
"Kelley. Can I help you with something?" he asked coldly.
"How are you?"
"I'm okay. What do you want?"
Kelley shifted uncomfortably. "I came to give you this." She handed him several twenty dollar bills. "It's from Parker."
"He's giving me money in exchange for my girlfriend? I didn't realize it was a commercial transaction," Angel commented sarcastically.
"You're angry and bitter, I understand that," she began. "But you don't have to take it out on me, or Parker for that matter. What you and I had was over a long time ago."
"What's the money for, then?"
"The limo for Prom. Since you and I aren't going together anymore, Parker thought it would be nice to give you your money back. So, here it is."
He took it out of her hand. "Fine."
Kelley sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for hurting you. If it's any consolation, I still think you're a really great guy and that you'll make another girl very happy. I guess I'm just not that girl."
Angel nodded. "Tell Parker thank you. The money will pay a lot of bills this month."
"I will. How's your mother doing?"
On her way to her first class, Buffy passed by Angel's locker, witnessing the conversation he was having with his ex-girlfriend. She nearly stopped dead in her tracks, unsure of what to think. 'Why are they talking? Kelley broke up with him and should just leave him alone. Doesn't she realize it's my turn? She never loved him, not the way I do…the way I have since he and I were kindergartners. No, they can't be making up. It wouldn't be fair.'
"Hey, Buffy," someone behind her called out.
Buffy tore her eyes away from Angel and Kelley, turning to see who was calling her. It was Cordelia. "What's up?"
"Not much. Are you doing anything tonight?"
"Why?"
"'Cause I picked up a new DVD and I thought you'd want to come over and watch it with me. I hate scary movies."
Buffy laughed. "Then why did you buy it?"
"I heard that Denise Richards gets electrocuted in the hot tub and to me, that in and of itself is worth twenty dollars to watch over and over again for my enjoyment. The skanky little bitch. Not to mention that the guy in the movie is really hot. Are you gonna come over or what?" she asked.
"Or what. Sorry, Cordy, I've got a date."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? With whom?"
"Nobody you'd know." Buffy couldn't tell her it was with Angel. After what she'd said to Cordelia about him the day before, it would be too hard to explain her sudden change of heart.
"All right. Have fun. Gimme details." She caught sight of Angel and Kelley. "When did those two get back together?"
"I don't know if they did. Do you think it's possible?"
Cordelia shrugged. "I'm not sure. She did dump him, but she told me the other day that she enjoyed being with Parker. Something about the sex being really good."
"Oh. Sex with Angel wasn't?" She hoped Cordelia would not question why she was asking.
"More like the lack thereof. Kelley said they never did it." She paused for a moment. "Why do you care? I remember you telling me yesterday that he isn't worth our time."
"Just curious, I guess."
As promised, Angel showed up at Buffy's house at exactly five-thirty. His heart pounded rapidly and his palms were sweaty, though he couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he was going on a real date with her; it was dinner with Buffy. Taking a deep breath, Angel pressed his finger to the doorbell.
A minute later, Buffy opened the door. She flashed him a genuinely happy smile. "You're right on time. Come in, dinner's almost ready."
"Am I overdressed?" he wanted to know. While Buffy wore a pair of black jeans and a blue sweater, he'd chosen khaki pants and a white dress shirt.
"Not at all. You look really good."
"You look nice yourself."
Buffy turned away to hide the blush of her cheeks. "I, uh, I hope you like chicken. That's what I made."
"One of my favorites. You made it?"
"Yep. I promised a home-cooked meal by yours truly. Contrary to popular belief, we don't have a maid. I do all the cooking and cleaning; nobody's died from it yet, so that's a good sign."
He smiled. "I agree. But you didn't have to go to so much trouble."
"I told you last night that I wanted to make it up to you. So I made chicken breast, fried noodles and green beans. Hardly any trouble at all."
"Buffy…"
"Don't. Come on, let's eat."
"This is great. I've never tasted chicken like this before," Angel complimented halfway through the meal. "It's amazing."
"Thank you. I soaked it in chicken broth overnight. My mom said it keeps the meat tender and adds taste," Buffy explained.
"I'll have to thank her for the recipe."
She looked down. "She died when I was thirteen."
Angel felt like he'd put his foot in his mouth. "God, I forgot. I'm sorry, Buffy." Her mother had died in a car accident five years earlier. It had slipped his mind.
"It's okay." She reached under the table, pulling out a stack of typed pages. "These are for you," Buffy said, handing them to him.
He looked them over. "Where did you find all this?"
"Nathaniel Hawthorne's official site online. I stayed up late last night printing it all up. I felt bad about being such a bitch to you yesterday that I wanted to do all the work I could. I remember you telling me that you wanted to get it done as quickly as possible."
"You didn't have to. I was rather cranky yesterday myself. I don't usually snap on people like that."
"I deserved it. But I know. You're always really nice, I've noticed that about you. How about we start out with a clean slate?"
"I'd like that," he agreed, smiling.
"Great." She extended her hand to him. "I'm Buffy Summers, pleased to meet you."
"Angel Riches," he replied, shaking the hand Buffy offered.
Buffy bit her lower lip. "So, Angel, do you have a girlfriend?"
He shook his head. "Not anymore. I was heartlessly dumped by my girlfriend of over three years for another guy."
"You must have been heartbroken."
"I was. But I'm getting over it. It doesn't hurt so much anymore." 'Especially when I'm with you.'
Much to his surprise, Angel had a good time. He and Buffy found that they shared a common interest: reading Shakespearean plays. Never in his life would he have expected to have an intellectual conversation with her.
"Thank you. I had fun tonight," he said when Buffy escorted him to the front door at nine o'clock.
"I did, too. Will I see you tomorrow?"
"Well, we do have class, so I assume the answer would be yes."
"I meant, do you want to come over and work on the project? Or we could just hang out and talk. That was fun, just doing that. Talking with you, I mean."
Angel only needed a moment to consider her offer. "It was. And sure. I'd love to."
She held the door open for him and he stepped down onto the porch. "Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." Without warning, she leaned over, placing her lips softly against his. She hadn't planned on doing it, but was pleasantly surprised when Angel returned the kiss.
"Good night," she said when it ended.
He could only nod. "'Night."
Buffy watched as he pulled out of the driveway. She'd kissed him and he'd kissed her back. Closing the front door, she leaned against it, sighing heavily. 'Maybe there is a chance.'
Melissa was waiting in the living room when Angel walked in the door at ten after nine. Both she and her mother were watching Dateline NBC when he came home.
"Did you have a good time, Angel?" Mrs. Riches asked.
"Uh-huh. I'm going in my bedroom, I'm tired. Good night."
Mrs. Riches stared after him. "Is he okay? Angel's usually more talkative about his dates. He hardly gave me any details. That's what I look forward to when you kids get home. The details."
Melissa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what his problem is. But I'm going to find out. Be back in a little bit with those details, Mom."
She headed down the hall and knocked on her brother's door. "Angel, it's Missy. Let me in."
"Go away. I don't want to hear it."
"Hear what? Come on, don't be this way. I only want to find out how your date went. Please," Melissa begged.
Five seconds later, he opened the bedroom door. She entered, taking note of the fact that he'd strewn his clothes on the floor. Something was bothering him, that she knew. He was never that haphazard about his belongings; he'd always been a neat-freak. Angel himself sat on his bed in a pair of sweatpants, reading a stack of papers.
"Was it really that bad?" she wanted to know.
"It was fine," he answered simply, not bothering to look up from the papers.
Melissa sat down next to him. "If you're acting this way, I'm going out on a limb and saying that everything's not fine. What is it?"
"You have to promise not to say anything."
"I'll keep my mouth shut, I promise. What happened with Buffy, Angel? Did she try to poison your food or something?"
Angel shook his head. "Dinner was great. She made chicken, noodles and green beans, then brownies for dessert. She's a great cook, the best I'd say."
"Hey! I take offense to that. Who cooks your meals everyday?" Melissa joked.
"I didn't mean it like that. I've just never tasted anything so good in my life. It was different from the stuff you make."
Melissa looked closely at him. "You've got that look in your eye, Angel. Don't tell me you're falling for the Ice Princess."
"You know, Missy, I don't know. I think maybe I am."
"What?!" she screeched. "No, you're just on the rebound from Kelley. You don't actually have feelings for her…do you?"
"I do. She's not as bad as everyone thinks she is. Buffy's nice and funny and…well, pretty. We talked about all kinds of things, stuff you would never expect she'd have any interest in. Like books and poetry and baseball. I like her. Really, truly like her."
"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird? She's just a girl. A rich, snobby girl."
"Forget it."
She widened her eyes. It all made sense to her. "Did you two actually do something besides talk?"
"There was a kiss. That's it."
"And you liked it," she assumed.
He nodded. "Yes, I did."
"Angel, we're talking about Buffy Summers here. The Ice Princess, the she-devil incarnate, whatever you want to call her. You're missing Kelley and that's making you think you have these feelings for Buffy. But you don't. It's not real. It's Kelley missage."
"You don't understand, and I wouldn't expect you to. But I felt more emotion and feeling in one kiss with Buffy than I did in three years worth of kisses from Kelley."
"Okay, let me get this straight. The super bitch from hell makes you dinner and gives you a kiss good night and now you're head over heels in love with her? You have gross emotional problems, are you aware of that?"
"There's nothing wrong with me, I'm emotionally fine. I'll admit it, I'm still hurt from what Kelley did, but you know what? When I'm with Buffy, the pain is less. It doesn't hurt. She makes me feel like me again," Angel explained to his sister.
"A girl like that will only hurt you. Please, don't get suckered in. I hate seeing you hurt."
He sighed. "I'm not going to get hurt. We shared a kiss and a nice dinner conversation."
"Are you going out with her again?"
"Tomorrow. We're working on our project at her house."
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"What do you have against Buffy? You don't know her and she hasn't done anything to you."
Melissa blinked. "I know what she will do to you. Girls like her find nice guys like you and use them for their own amusement until something better comes along."
"What do you mean 'girls like her'?" Angel demanded.
"Rich girls."
"Rich girls don't have feelings? They aren't capable of them?"
"None that their fathers haven't bought for them."
"If you gave her a chance, you'd see that she isn't like that. She's nice and normal, just like us. Only with a bigger house and a better car."
Melissa shook her head. "No, thank you. But you know what? Have your fun. Just don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart into a million pieces."
"How was your date last night?" Cordelia asked pointedly when she found Buffy standing by her locker the next day.
Buffy smiled softly at the memory of her date with Angel. "It was nice. I had fun with him. And he seemed to enjoy the dinner I made."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "Really? So tell me, is Angel a good kisser?"
Unable to believe her friend's question, Buffy stood still in shock. 'How did she know?' She'd taken precautions in making certain Cordelia didn't find out she'd gone out with Angel. "What? How did…?"
"How could you do that, Buffy? Less than forty-eight hours ago you told me that he's not worthy of my time; that he and I have nothing in common. What makes you so different from me?" Cordelia questioned. "What do you two have in common that he and I don't?"
"Angel and I were assigned to work on a project for English class together and –"
"That's a load of bull and you know it. You had this planned, didn't you? You said all those things to me because you wanted Angel all to yourself. Am I right, Buffy? Did I hit the nail on the head?"
She nodded. "You're right. I did say those things to you so you'd forget about him. I wanted to be with him; I have since we were kids. We were assigned to work on a project for Mr. Giles' English class. I made some really nasty comments about him and Kelley and Angel got really angry with me. So I invited him over for dinner last night as a way of apologizing. And as for the kiss, it was completely unplanned. It sort of happened. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. I don't think it made a big impression on Angel."
"From where I was standing, it looked like he was kissing you back," Cordelia said.
"I'm sorry, Cordy," apologized Buffy. "I didn't mean to do that to you."
She shrugged. "It's all right. At first it hurt, knowing you'd done that to me. But you can have him. I'll find someone else in the near future, I'm sure. It's pretty obvious that, after seeing you two kiss, you should be with him."
"You really think so?" Buffy asked.
"Oh yeah. He kissed you back, I'd say that's a good sign."
"I guess."
"When's the next date?" she wanted to know.
Buffy grinned. "After school. Angel's coming over to work on the presentation. Maybe hang out."
"You never did answer my question."
"What question?"
Cordelia laughed. "The kiss. Was it good?"
She sighed, a dreamy grin spreading across her features. "Made my knees weak. Does that answer your question?"
"Yep. Lucky you. No kiss has ever made me feel like that."
Xander nearly spit out his soda. "Are you serious?" he asked Melissa at lunch.
She nodded. "Dead serious. He told me last night when he got home."
"No way."
"Way. My brother and Buffy Summers engaged in a heated lip-lock. How gross is that? I had nightmares all last night from the mental images. Yuck."
"When? Why? How?"
Melissa shrugged. "Ask Angel. He's on his way over here right now."
They both watched as Angel walked over to their table to join them. It didn't escape his attention that Xander and Melissa were staring at him. "What? Do I have something on my face?" he wanted to know when he sat down.
"Are you on drugs?" Xander demanded, not very quietly.
Angel raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"Drugs. Are you on any?"
"Not to my knowledge," he answered. "What brought on that question, Xander?"
"Buffy Summers! You kissed her!" he shouted.
Angel's brown eyes glazed over with anger. "Not so loud! My god, the entire school doesn't need to know about it."
"Why? Is it supposed to be some big secret or something?"
"I don't know. But I don't want everyone knowing." He glared at his twin sister. "Missy?" he asked in a sedated tone. 'I should have known that she wouldn't keep it a secret,' he said to himself.
"Sorry. I had to tell Xander 'cause I figured you never would. Angel, it's only because we're concerned about you."
"This is my life, you know. And if I want to kiss Buffy Summers, I will. Frankly, I don't need your permission to do so," Angel defended himself.
Xander made a face. "Why would you even want to? Haven't you been tortured enough by the opposite sex this week? When did you become such a glutton for punishment? First Kelley, now Buffy."
"Did it ever occur to you that this is my life? I can do what I want and to whomever I want to do it to. I wasn't aware that I needed your permission. So just mind your own business. I don't spend my days and nights worried about who you're kissing. I'd appreciate it if you offered the same courtesy to me."
"Fine," Melissa agreed.
"Can I ask you one last question without you biting my head off?" Xander asked.
"What?"
"Why did you kiss her?"
Angel softly smiled. "It happened. I was leaving her house last night and when I turned around to say goodbye, Buffy kissed me."
"Was it a good kiss or a bad kiss?"
"A *very* good kiss. It threw me a little, though. I never expected it, but I liked it. A lot. I almost could get used to it."
Xander raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to go out with her again?"
"I wouldn't call it a date, but I am going over to her house after school today. We're going to finish up our English presentation.'
Melissa didn't want to hear any more about Buffy or her date with Angel. She knew that Xander and her brother would keep talking about it all through lunch, so she decided to end the conversation. "Can we talk about something else please?" 'Before I get nauseous.'
From three table away, Buffy sat half-listening to what Cordelia was telling her. She kept glancing in Angel's direction, hoping that he'd acknowledge her with a smile or a wave. But so far, no luck. He was engaged in a conversation with Xander and Melissa.
"Should I go with him? What do you think I should do?" Cordelia wanted to know.
Buffy looked up. "What?"
"I said Marcus asked me to the Prom. Should I go with him or wait for someone better?"
"It's up to you. Do what you want, Cordy."
"So what about you? Have you narrowed down the choices yet?"
She nodded. "I've got only one person on my list."
"Angel."
"Angel. I just don't know if he'll go with me," Buffy divulged.
"There's no harm in asking him. Do it when he comes over today. Besides, what guy could resist your charms?"
Cordelia was right. There would be no harm in asking Angel to go to Prom with her. The worst thing that could happen was that he'd say no. 'Then what? I'll be utterly heartbroken if he says no.'
Angel dropped the pen on the table. "That's it. We're done."
"The presentation's finished?" Buffy asked that afternoon.
"For the most part, yes. We just have to type it up, but I don't think that should take too long. Other than that, we're all done."
'Now there's no reason to invite him over anymore,' Buffy thought. 'What if we just go back to the way things were before? Me gazing at him from afar and Angel ignoring me.' "I guess that means you'll be going home now."
"Are you kicking me out?" he asked with a laugh.
"No!" she replied quickly. "Not at all. Unless you have to go, that is…"
"My shift doesn't start until five. So I've got another hour. Are you inviting me to stay for a little while?"
"If you'd like to. We could go upstairs to my room and listen to some CDs and talk," Buffy suggested.
Angel smiled at the invitation. "That sounds like fun. Lead the way."
With Angel only a few feet behind her, she led the way up the stairs to her bedroom. Buffy noticed his eyes widen when they entered. "You like?"
He nodded. "It's nice. Better than nice, actually. It's at least three times the size of my bedroom. You're really lucky."
"I guess. I have never considered myself lucky, though," Buffy admitted when she sat down on the edge of her bed.
Angel followed in suit. "Why not?"
Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's nice to have all these expensive things, but it all comes with a price tag."
"I don't understand." Angel couldn't believe that someone as wealthy and nice as Buffy could be unhappy with her life. She seemed to have it all.
She sighed. "I know what people really think of me, Angel; I know what they say behind my back when they think I don't hear it. They say I'm a bitch, a slut, that I'm stuck-up and snobby. That I live in this paper doll world, surrounded by maids and butlers. You think I don't know that everyone refers to me as the Ice Princess? It hurts to know that people can say those things about me without really getting to know me."
"None of those things they say about you are true, though." He himself had believed them but discovered how wrong he had been.
"Would you have honestly said that a week ago?"
"Probably not. But people are jealous of what you have. They don't hate you, they envy you."
Buffy lifted her eyebrows. "Even your sister?" It was common knowledge, even to her, that Melissa Riches hated her.
"I can't speak for Melissa, but I can speak for myself. Yes, I did envy you a little. And until yesterday, I believed all those things. I didn't want to give you a chance, I dreaded having to work on this presentation with you. Then I got to know you and I'm glad we were assigned to work together. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found out what a great, wonderful, lovely person you are."
Before she realized what was happening, Buffy felt Angel's lips on hers. They were warm and soft, pressing gently against hers. She instinctively moved closer to him and placed her hands on the back of his neck. Within a matter of moments, Angel pushed himself away.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have done that."
Buffy looked into his eyes. "Don't be sorry. I'm not. I'm glad you did it. Do you know how much I've wanted you to do that? How long I've waited for you to kiss me? You don't need to apologize for anything."
"Really? You actually wanted me to?"
She nodded. "Since we were five. You were my first boyfriend, remember?"
Angel laughed. "Yeah, I do." He glanced at his watch. "I think I had better get going."
"Do you want to come over tomorrow?" She knew she was being pushy and forward, but she didn't care. Knowing that she had a chance with Angel made her that way. His kiss had given her the confidence to ask.
"I can't. I have to take my mom to the doctor's for her checkup."
Buffy solemnly nodded her head. She remembered hearing that Angel's mother had breast cancer. "Okay."
"If you'd like, you can come with us. Keep me company. Missy has a softball game," Angel invited.
"I'd love to. As long as I'm not intruding."
"You're not. I'm sure my mom would like to meet you."
"Thank you for inviting me. What time should I be at your house?" she asked.
"Three-thirty?"
"I'm there."
He picked up his backpack. "Thanks for your help with the project. The internet information you dug up was a lifesaver."
"It's my project too. I couldn't let you do all the work."
They walked to the front door. "Um, Angel," Buffy started. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
She gulped. "I know it's short notice, but do you have a date for the Prom yet?"
"I was going with Kelley, but she'd rather go with Parker. So the answer is no, I don't have a date."
"H-How would you feel about going with me? As my date?" Buffy asked.
"I can't."
"Oh. Okay." She couldn't hide her disappointment at his refusal.
Angel immediately felt bad. "It's not that I don't want to go, I just can't. I signed up to work that entire weekend. I'm honored that you asked me, though."
"So, if you didn't have to work, would you have said yes? Be honest."
"Yes, I would have. We would have had a good time together. I'm sorry, Buffy. I really am."
"I understand." 'I'll find a way for us to go together if it kills me,' Buffy thought. 'And I know just the way to make it happen.'
Jason McKenzie sat in front of the company's computer, typing in the week's payroll. With the department store being slow, it was as good a time as any to get it done. A soft knocking on the glass of the door interrupted his work.
Looking up from the computer screen, he caught sight of the owner's daughter standing on the other side of the door. Saving his work, he waved her in, silently wondering what she wanted.
"Hi, Jason," Buffy greeted when she closed the door behind her. "I hope I'm not interrupting you."
He shook his head. "It's nothing that can't wait. What can I do for you, Buffy?"
"I sort of need a favor from you. You're in charge of the schedule, right? I mean, you decide who works what shifts, etc.?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm the manager. But I do more than that," Jason replied, trying to make his job seem more important.
"I'm sure you do. See, I have a problem and you can help me solve it."
"What problem would that be?"
"Prom. My Senior Prom is two weeks from tomorrow and I'm having a problem in the date department," Buffy said.
Jason raised his dark eyebrows. "You mean to say that a pretty girl such as yourself can't find a date? You're kidding."
"Kinda. I asked this guy I like to go with me, but he can't. It seems he signed up to work Prom weekend and therefore is unable to take me. And since you make up his work schedule, I was wondering if you could arrange it so he could have that weekend off," she explained. "You have no idea what it would mean to me if you could do that."
"Who's the lucky guy?" Jason wanted to know.
A small smile spread across her face. "Angel Riches."
Jason bit his lip. "If it was anyone else, Buffy, I'd say no problem, but Angel…I don't know. He works so many hours, it'll be hard to cover them. Even if it is only for a weekend."
"Hard, but not impossible. Please, Jason, it would mean the world to me to go with him."
"Friday I could definitely do, but the entire weekend? It's a holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend. Big sale, it'll be crazy in the store. Not to mention that he's our best worker."
"I'm aware of that. But it's just Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'll have him back to work on Monday afternoon, I swear. You guys can work short one body for a couple of days. Please, Jason. For me?" Buffy begged.
He relented. It could be done, everything Buffy suggested. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was upset the owner's daughter. "Okay, I'll do it. I will make sure Angel gets that weekend off, even if I have to work his shifts."
She grinned. "Thank you so much. You just made my entire Senior year."
"Glad to help. But I have a question. Why the whole weekend?"
"I have a little vacation planned for the two of us." She noticed the expression on Jason's face. "Stop it. I didn't mean it like that. It'll be purely non-sexual. Do you think you can do me one more favor?" she asked.
"What?"
"Don't tell Angel. I want to tell him myself."
"Why is she going with you?" Melissa asked her brother a few minutes before Buffy was supposed to be at the Riches' home.
"Because I invited her, okay?"
"Buffy Summers is not family, she doesn't need to be going to Mom's doctor's appointments. Those are personal, family things."
Angel sighed. "If it's so important, then why aren't you going?"
"I have softball practice. You know that, Angel."
"Then skip it."
"Coach would kill me. The state championship is next weekend and you know how important that is to me," she defended herself.
"Do you want to know something? Mom's health and well-being are important to me, and Buffy's kind and caring enough to want to share in that. If you weren't so god-damned self-centered, Missy, you'd understand that," Angel shot at her.
Melissa folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever. If you ask me, she's just looking for an excuse to get in your pants."
"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask you." The doorbell rang. "Must be Buffy. Be nice to her."
"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything."
Angel opened the front door, greeting Buffy with a smile. "Hi. Come on in."
"Thanks." She stepped inside, trying not to show her shock at how tiny his house was. Even though she'd driven by it many times, it seemed smaller than she'd thought. "It's…"
"Small, I know. Well, at least compared to your house."
"I like it, though. It has that homey feeling. Like a real family lives here. And there's an air of comfort; the only rooms I feel comfortable in at my house are my bedroom and the kitchen."
He took Buffy's hand. "Why don't I introduce you to my mom? She's anxious to meet you."
"Should I be nervous?"
"Not at all," he answered, shaking his head. "I've told her nothing but good things about you."
She squeezed his hand. 'First we kiss and now hand holding. What does it mean? Is Angel starting to think of me as a girlfriend? Or am I just imagining it?' "Okay. Lead the way."
As they were walking down the hall, Melissa stepped out of her bedroom. She glared at them, but said nothing. Buffy took the initiative and spoke up. "Hi, Melissa."
"Buffy." Without another word, Melissa went back inside her bedroom.
Buffy frowned. "Your sister hates me," she said to Angel.
"No she doesn't. Missy just doesn't know you."
"Sorry, Angel, but she hates me. If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now."
"Then ignore her. It's her loss."
He knocked on the last door on the right. "Mom? Can I come in?"
"It's open."
The walked in Mrs. Riches' bedroom, where she sat on the bed reading a book. "This is Buffy Summers, Mom."
She grinned and held out her hand for Buffy to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My Angel's told me a lot about you."
"All good I hope," she replied, shaking her hand.
"Every last word. You're Hank and Joyce's little girl, aren't you?" Mrs. Riches asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yes. You know my parents?"
"I didn't know your mother personally, but she was a lovely woman from what I hear. But Hank and I go way back. We actually dated back in high school."
"You did?"
"For a few weeks before graduation; we went to the Prom together. But then he went into the army and I met Angel and Melissa's father," Mrs. Riches informed them.
"That is so cool. I can't imagine my father as a teenager."
Angel's mother smiled softly. "Hank was very handsome and very popular. I couldn't believe he was ever interested in plain old me."
"You're beautiful, Mom," Angel complimented. "Missy's really lucky she inherited her looks from you and not Dad."
Buffy couldn't help noticing the bitterness in Angel's voice when he mentioned his father. "What time is your appointment, Mrs. Riches?"
She looked over at her alarm clock. "In twenty minutes. We should get going."
"How long has your mother been sick?" Buffy asked in the waiting room of the doctor's office.
"She was diagnosed two years ago. It was a benign tumor in her breast and she had it removed, but the doctors are keeping an eye on her just in case it spread," he explained.
Buffy frowned. "It must have been hard on you guys."
"Mom…Mom handled it well; she's a real trouper. Missy went off and did her thing and ignored it for the most part. Sometimes I think she lives in the land of denial. But we've all pretty much dealt with it in our own way."
"Is that why you work all the time? To pay off all those medical bills?"
Angel nodded his head. "Yeah. The insurance didn't cover everything so I had to cover the rest. Along with our other monthly bills."
"That's horrible."
"I know. This month won't be so bad, though. Kelley's new boyfriend gave me back my limo money, so that'll cover this month's electricity bill. One less thing to worry about."
She cleared her throat. It was the perfect time to tell Angel the surprise since he had brought up the Prom. "Remember yesterday when I asked you to the Prom and you said no?"
"Buffy, I'd love to go with you, but I just can't."
"You can. I arranged it so you'd have that weekend off," she said.
Angel gaped at her. "You did what?"
"I went to the store yesterday and explained your situation to Jason McKenzie. After a bit of convincing, he agreed to give you the weekend off. Now there's nothing keeping you from going with me. My dad already agreed to pay for the limo and I can pay for your tux. And I thought we'd spend the weekend at my dad's beach house, and if you want, we can invite Melissa and her date to join us." Buffy was frightened when he didn't reply. "Oh god, you hate it. You're mad at me."
He blinked. "No, not at all. Just shocked, I guess. Nobody's ever done something like that for me. You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"I want to go with you. Tell me you'll go." 'Please let him say yes,' she silently prayed to whomever was listening.
"How could I say no after you went to all that trouble?" Angel asked. He leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'd love to go with you."
Buffy beamed. It was really happening; her life-long dreams were finally coming true. "People will talk. They'll want to know what's going on with us; why we decided to go together."
"We'll tell them the truth, then."
She looked at him with questions in her green eyes. "What is the truth? What are we? Frankly, I don't have the answers to those questions. We've kissed, Angel, and we've held hands and I still don't know what's going on between us."
"Neither do I. I have these feelings for you that I never had for any other girl. It's been weighing on my mind for days now. To the outside observer, I would look like we're a couple. Dating, boyfriend and girlfriend. Is that how you see it?" Angel asked her.
"That's how I want to see it. But I don't want people to look at us and say that you're with me because you're on the rebound from Kelley. I guess I should know the answer to that right off the bat. Am I the rebound girl?"
"I don't think of you as the rebound girl, I couldn't if I tried." He sighed. "I just don't know what to do about this."
"Neither do I. But I don't want people to see us and think that it's out of pity or just because you're trying to get over Kelley. Maybe it would be better if we didn't tell anyone. At least until Prom," Buffy said. "What do you think?"
He didn't need to think about it for very long. For close to a week, he'd been getting looks of pity from his classmates and he was sick of it. Angel could only imagine the looks he'd receive if it became public knowledge that he was dating Buffy less than a week after being dumped by Kelley. Not to mention the looks Buffy would get, and he didn't want that for her. "That works for me. We'll go public at the Prom. Until then, it's a secret."
They sealed their decision with a tender kiss.
The next day when Angel made his way through the cafeteria, he saw not only Xander and Melissa sitting at their usual table, but Willow Rosenberg and Anya Emerson as well. It struck him as weird because the two girls never sat with them. 'I wonder what's going on,' he thought.
He caught sight of Buffy sitting a few tables away from Xander and Melissa, flanked on either side by Harmony Kendall and Cordelia Chase. Their eyes met briefly and they exchanged smiles.
"Angel! Get over here!" Melissa called.
Angel glanced at her with suspicious eyes. His sister was definitely up to something. And he wouldn't have to wait long to find out what it was. "What?" he asked when he reached the table.
"You remember Anya and Willow, don't you?" she asked.
"Yeah…I have classes with them. Hi, Willow. Hi, Anya," he said to them.
Willow smiled while Anya giggled. "Ever since that bitch dumped you, I've made it my personal mission to find you the perfect Prom date," Melissa informed her brother. "And Willow and Anya here don't have dates, so…"
Xander grinned, patting Angel on the back. "Your sister brought you a bushel of babes to choose from. Do you realize how lucky you are? I'd kill for that kind of treatment."
"I'm sorry, guys. I already have a date," Angel told them.
"It's okay," Willow said. "Oz asked me to go this morning so I think I'll go with him. I hope you have a good time, Angel."
Anya pouted. "Now I'll never get a date. Thanks a lot, Missy. You promised me Angel would go with me."
Melissa shot daggers at her brother. "Sorry. My twin brother here hasn't been keeping me all that well-informed about his social life."
Both girls got up off their chairs and left the table. Angel took a bite out of his grilled cheese sandwich, Xander busied himself with copying Angel's English notes and Melissa glared at her brother. He looked up at her. "What's wrong with you?"
"I should be asking you the same question. I worked hard and went out of my way to find you a date for Prom and you say you already have one. How the hell could you do that, Angel?" she accused.
"I didn't realize it was a capital offense to find my own Prom date. Sorry to ruin your plans."
Melissa narrowed her eyes. "It's her, isn't it? You're going with the Ice Princess."
"Don't call Buffy that. And yes, I am going to the Prom with her. She asked me yesterday and I eventually said yes."
"I thought you decided to work that night," she pointed out.
"She arranged it so I'd be off that weekend. So we're going together, followed by a weekend at her father's beach cabin. Which reminds me, Buffy asked me invite the two of you to go with us. We'll be back early Monday afternoon."
Xander's jaw dropped. "That is so cool. A weekend away from any parental control or supervision."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Melissa said. "You can tell your precious little Buffy to forget it. There's no way on God's green earth that I will spend an entire weekend with her. No way, no how."
"Missy…"
"No. You're not going to change my mind. And if I'm not going, Xander's not going either."
His eyes widened. "Huh? Why can't I go?"
"Because I said so. Do you really want to partake in a weekend-long orgy at Buffy Summers' beach house?" Melissa wanted to know.
"Yes!" Xander replied.
"Then you can find yourself another Prom date."
Angel shook his head. "You're not even willing to give her a chance are you? One of these days, Melissa, you'll have to get over it. I don't know why you hate Buffy so much, but from now on, I suggest you keep it to yourself because I do not want to hear it anymore. I'm sick to death of it."
She shrugged. "Fine. Do what you want. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't come crying to me when she tramples all over your heart."
The next week and a half went by without incident. Buffy and Angel managed to keep their relationship a secret from everyone except Xander, Melissa and Cordelia. To everyone else, the two of them were only spending time together because of their English project. And until Prom, that's how they wanted to keep it.
The closing credits rolled on the movie Buffy had borrowed from Cordelia. She and Angel lay on their stomachs across her bed in silence, letting the movie's events settle in their minds.
Angel broke the silence. "That was…well, interesting doesn't quite seem to fit," he commented.
"Was it supposed to be scary?" Buffy asked. "I think I laughed more than I was frightened."
"Sure. I saw you jump when the killer impaled that woman on the shower glass. Not to mention the iron scene."
"I didn't say it wasn't gory."
"Oh, it was definitely gory. But it was so predictable. I knew from the second that Adam guy stepped onscreen that he was the killer."
Buffy laughed. "Yeah, but he was pretty to look at. The movie had a moral, though. Don't make fun of the geek, because he'll end up being a total hottie and come back and kill you for rejecting him."
"God, didn't those people learn anything from SCREAM? You don't run up the stairs when you're alone in a house with the killer. You run out the door," Angel stated. "And what was with Denise Richards' character? The killer trapped her in the hot tub. When he took out the power drill and started drilling holes into the plastic cover, she should have known that he wasn't trying to create air pockets for her."
"It wasn't all that bad, Angel. Granted, it had some plot holes –"
"*Some* plot holes? You could drive a truck through the plot holes in that movie. Half of the stuff the killer did made no sense to me whatsoever. What was the point of killing that guy…Campbell? And the maid? And the rich lady? I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. They had nothing to do with the killer or the main plot of the story."
"You overanalyze things. It's a movie; it was meant to be entertaining. I don't know, I thought it was kind of sweet. I mean, he killed all those girls so he could be with the woman he had been in love with for thirteen years. It's kind of romantic."
"It's kind of sick," he disagreed.
"Where's your sense of romance?" Buffy asked.
Angel shook his head. "No way. That movie wasn't romantic, it was stupid."
"Well, I liked it and I thought it was sorta romantic."
She moved a few inches to the right and placed her hands on the back of Angel's neck, pushing his lips to hers. As it grew in intensity, Buffy's elbow slipped out from under her, causing her to lose her balance, falling onto her back. Angel fell with her, pinning her body to the bed under his. She took the opportunity to wrap her arms around him, holding him in place. It was right where she wanted him to be.
He reluctantly broke their embrace several minutes later. "Well," he said.
"I certainly hope you can say that it was more than interesting, Mr. Critical," Buffy remarked with a soft laugh.
"I would give it three out of four stars."
"Glad you approve." Buffy and Angel sat up and she fixed her mussed blonde hair. "I forgot to tell you earlier. I picked up my Prom dress yesterday afternoon."
"Are you going to tell me what it looks like or do I have to wait another week?" Angel wanted to know.
Buffy pretended to think it over. "You'll have to wait. This dress is preferential to the element of surprise."
"You're a tease."
"And you love it. Any luck with Melissa? She still won't come to the beach house with us?" she inquired.
Angel shook his head. "Nope. She absolutely refuses. Getting her to share a limo with us was hard enough."
"Maybe she'll change her mind," she said, hope resonating through her voice.
"Doubtful. Missy can be as stubborn as a mule. Looks like it's just going to be you and me next weekend."
"That's really going to suck. You and I alone all by ourselves for an entire weekend. Whatever will we do to pass the time?"
He smiled. "I'm sure we'll think of something."
"There's hiking," she suggested.
"Swimming."
"And then there's always this." Buffy leaned over again to kiss him.
The night before Prom, Buffy came home from Cordelia's house to find her father packing his suitcase in his bedroom. She narrowed her eyes in wonder.
"Dad?" she began when she stepped into the bedroom.
"Oh, Buffy honey, I didn't see you standing there, I'm sorry. How was your day? Anything exciting happen at school today?" Hank Summers asked his daughter while folding a pair of trousers and then placing them in his suitcase.
"It was fine, nothing overly exciting. What are you doing? Why are you packing?"
He reached into his closet and pulled out several shirts. "There's an emergency stockholders meeting in Seattle this weekend. A big takeover fell through and now all hell is breaking loose. I have to be there by noon tomorrow," Mr. Summers explained.
"But tomorrow's my Senior Prom," she reminded him. "You're supposed to be here and meet my boyfriend."
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. I have to go to this meeting."
Buffy sighed. "You know how important this is to me. I've been looking forward to going to my Prom for years and now my own father isn't even going to be here to see me in my dress or meet my date."
"I can't get out of it. If I could, I would."
"Fine, do what you have to do," she said, dejected.
Mr. Summers sat down on the bed next to his suitcase and motioned for Buffy to do the same. "It's disappointing, I know. If I could be here to see you off, I would be. But I just can't. I *have* to be in Seattle."
She lowered her green eyes. "Mom wouldn't have missed it."
He smiled. "You're right, honey, she wouldn't have missed it for the world. Hell, Joyce probably would have made your dress herself. I really wish she were still alive, she'd be very proud of the beautiful young woman you've become."
"You really think so? She'd be proud of me?"
"I know so. But I also think she'd understand that I have to take care of this problem. It doesn't mean that I don't love you, I just have no choice in the matter. I hope you understand."
"Okay, yeah I do. I should probably get to bed. Big day tomorrow and all that," Buffy said.
Mr. Summers gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Take lots of pictures for your old man."
"I will."
"And be careful this weekend. I don't want you or your girlfriends to get hurt at the beach house. It's isolated, remember?"
"I remember. And yes, Dad, we'll be careful." She'd never told her father that she and Angel were going there by themselves. Mr. Summers would never have allowed it; so she said it would be herself and a few friends from school staying at the beach house all weekend.
"I called John yesterday and had the refrigerator stocked with the list of stuff you left me. Eggs, milk, soda, chips, etc.," he told her.
"Thanks." 'At least he made an effort,' she thought.
"Have a good time."
"I'll try. And you have a safe trip. 'Night, Dad."
Buffy left her father's bedroom, heading for her own. It was almost eleven-thirty and she needed to get some sleep. She stripped out of the jeans and sweatshirt she'd been wearing and changed into a white tank top and a pair of flannel shorts. As she brushed out her shoulder-length blonde hair, her eyes fell upon a framed picture of her mother taken only three weeks before her death. Buffy put the brush down, picked up the picture and sat down on her bed. Tears filled her eyes at the memory of some of the conversations they'd shared over the years. She and her mother had always been close; she was the only person Buffy ever told about her crush on Angel.
Buffy and her mother sat on Mrs. Summers' bed, flipping through the Sunnydale Middle School yearbook that Buffy had received that day.
"I can't believe how old you guys are getting," Mrs. Summers commented. "I can remember when most of these kids were just in diapers. Now you'll be starting high school in a year."
"Yep. I can't wait to start high school. Dating, driving and all kinds of fun stuff."
Mrs. Summers turned the page, glancing over the R's. "What's this?" she asked, pointing to what her daughter had written under a boy's picture.
Buffy quickly grabbed the book from her mother. "Nothing. It's nothing."
"If it's nothing, then why won't you let me see?"
"Because."
"All right then. I guess someone doesn't want any brownies for dessert after dinner tonight," Mrs. Summers threatened.
"Mom…" Buffy whined.
Mrs. Summers lifted her eyebrows. "Buffy…"
Frowning, she handed the book back to her mother. "Don't laugh at me."
"I'd never laugh at you, pumpkin." She read what Buffy had written. "'I love him.' That's so sweet."
"His name is Angel. He's really smart and funny and cute. And he's always nice to me. He smiles at me when everyone else is making fun of me or being mean to me. I love him."
"I'm sure you do. He sounds like a very nice boy."
"And I'm gonna marry him someday. We're going to get married and have lots of kids," said Buffy in a strong voice.
"Does he know you like him?" her mother wanted to know.
She vigorously shook her head. "No way!"
"You should ask him to the movies."
"He'll say no."
"You'll never know until you try. I bet if you do, he will say yes."
A tear fell out of Buffy's eye, landing on the glass covering her mother's picture. "He did say yes, Mom. Just like you said he would. And it only took me five years to ask."
She laid down on the bed, holding the picture to her breast. "I miss you, Mom. I miss you every day. You wouldn't miss my Prom like Dad is going to. You'd be here, all excited about meeting Angel. But you're not here. Why did you have to go away?" she asked. After what seemed like an eternity of crying, she fell asleep.