SPRING FLING (5/?)
 

"The Spring Fling?" Willow repeated with a puzzled look.
 

"What does that have to do with a favor?" Buffy asked, clearly confused.
 

"Hello! I'm the head cheerleader. The Spring Fling is sponsored by the cheer
squad. I'm in charge of the whole damn thing. This is only the biggest dance
before the prom," Cordelia said.
 

"And again I say, what does that have to do with us?" Buffy asked.
 

"I have to decorate and arrange the band and do the food and," Cordelia
groaned. "And Harmony and the other girls won't talk to me."
 

"Don't they have to help since their on the squad?" Willow asked.
 

"They'll help, but they still won't talk to me," Cordelia said, sighing.
"They hate me since I chose Xander over them. I don't really care because I
tend to ignore them during practices and things. They do what I say and we
don't really have to be friendly. It's a bit tense but workable. This,
though? After school and during lunch for a couple of weeks. I can't do all
of this alone."
 

"So you want us to help?" Willow asked, making a face.
 

"You wouldn't have to do all that much. Just help a couple of days after
school or during lunch with some decorations," Cordelia explained.
 

"And it wouldn't matter that we aren't part of the squad?" Buffy asked.
 

"Nope. It's strictly volunteer for decorations and stuff," Cordelia said,
chewing on her bottom lip. "You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.
It's just, after the entire Homecoming fiasco, I need a good dance
experience."
 

"Why us?" Willow asked, having not intended to do anything with that dance.
 

"Because," Cordelia said softly, "you're my friends."
 

Buffy and Willow exchanged another look before smiling, "Fine. I'll help."
 

"Me too," Willow agreed with the slayer.
 

"Really? You will?" Cordelia started to smile.
 

"Yep," Willow nodded. "We'll help, as long as I don't have to go."
 

Angel had stopped turning the pages at Cordelia's first words. He had been
intrigued by the words Spring Fling and listened to her talk about the dance.
He heard Willow, wondering why she seemed adamant about not going to the
dance. He studied her closely, wondering why she didn't want to go to the
school dance. He thought that all teen age girls loved the idea of dressing
up and going out to dance.
 

"You have to go," Cordelia protested. "You can't decorate and not see the
result."
 

"Yeah, I can," Willow smiled.
 

"It's a Sadie Hawkins, isn't it?" Buffy asked, running her finger along the
edge of the table.
 

Xander nodded this time, "Yeah, Cordy's already informed me that I'm taking
her."
 

"You gonna ask Jonah?" Willow asked the slayer, noticing the small smile on
the blonde's pretty face.
 

"I was thinking that I might," Buffy said with a soft laugh. "Have to see the
end result of all that decorating, after all."
 

"This might be the perfect thing for you," Willow said, nodding. "You can let
him know you're interested without making it some serious thing."
 

"You know, I think I will ask him," Buffy said, a determined look entering
her hazel eyes.
 

"See? Buffy's going. You have to go," Cordelia said, not liking the idea of
her friend not being at the dance. After all, she was responsible for the
entire thing. It only seemed right that all of her best friends attend. Not
that she'd let Willow know that she considered her a best friend.
 

"Sorry, I don't like dances," Willow said, sighing. She knew why she wouldn't
be attending the Spring Fling. There was only one man she would ever want to
have as her date and he was the one man that she could never, ever get enough
courage to ask. So, instead, she would help decorate and spend that night
with the man she wanted to go to the dance with. It wouldn't be quite the
same, but being with him was most important. "So, when do we start?"
 

"The first dance meeting is tomorrow after school in the gym," Cordelia said,
smiling. "I'll meet you after your lit class."
 

"I'll meet you two there, then," Buffy said. "At Miss. Jenkins, not the gym.
I'd rather not face Harm and the others without some back up."
 

"Anyone hungry?" Angel asked, startling the girls.
 

"I forgot you were there," Buffy said, laughing. "Did someone mention food?"
 

Angel smiled, not at all offended by his ex-girlfriend's remarks. "I believe
I did."
 

"I could eat," Xander said, smiling hopefully.
 

"Just something light for me," Cordelia said. "I only have two weeks until
the dance and can't gain a single pound."
 

"Willow?" Angel asked softly, drawing the redhead from her thoughts. He
smiled as he asked, "You hungry?"
 

"Sure," she said, smiling sheepishly. She hadn't been listening to him, too
caught up in her own thoughts.
 

"The diner," he decided, watching her smile.
 

"I would love some apple pie," she said.
 

"I'm sure Vera has a slice with your name on it," Angel said, mentioning the
usual night shift waitress at his and Willow's favorite diner.
 

Willow snorted as they all stood, not catching the looks that Buffy, Cordelia
and Xander shot her and Angel or the smiles on her friends' faces. "Yeah,
just cause she knows you love to eat it."
 

"Ah, you're just jealous because I get the larger slice," he said, winking at
her as the group left the library.
 

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