Following Day
Angel couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, at
one point= ripping his
sheet in two with impatience.
Across town, the rest of the gang felt the same,
unsure = on how to act and
a bit too preoccupied with the night ahead to remember certain
things or
shoes, Willow had forgotten all her homework, Riley had changed
three times=
and Cordelia had decided to leave her house with no keys.
Giles had even noticed the slight edginess of
each of hi= s students when
they arrived to class. After much persuasion by Willow and Buffy
during the=
summer, Giles had accepted the position as professor of psychology
in
Sunnydale University that had been offered to him some time ago.
He even ha= d
the luck of having some of his small group in his class, say Buffy,
Riley, =
and Willow. And even Cordelia whenever she did show up for class.
He couldn't help put glance at the preoccupied
looks of = his group as he
entered the newest chapter of the textbook. Riley was even fidgeting
in his=
student's aide desk. He made a mental note of asking them all what
had
happened once class was done.
Riley looked up, tying hard not to stare at
Willow, know= ing why she
looked so nervous. He had spent half the night up, wondering what
to do or =
tell her. Did he want to start something with the petite woman?
He looked o= n
as she chewed her pencil her nerves getting the better of her.
"Will, are you hungry or something?" Buffy ask=
ed a bit concerned.
Willow stopped her actions, unaware she had
nearly bitte= n down to the
lead.
"No, no, just=E2=80=A6. Forgot my homework and
stuf= f," she replied anxiously.
Buffy nodded as she looked back at Giles who
was speakin= g. Willow pulled
out another pencil from her book bag on the floor, her eyes glancing
over t= o
Buffy's feet.
"Buffy, why are you wearing one Ked and one
gym sho= e?"
Buffy looked down, colliding with Willow's head.
Cordelia hushed them, one bench behind them
as she check= ed her makeup for
the fifteenth time. She had noticed how many times Riley had looked
up at h= er
during class and tried to give him her best angle. He looked a
bit anxious =
which made her think of confronting him about the letter, but then
decided = to
not spoil the surprise the night ahead promised.
Once class was over, the students made a line
to Riley's= desk, handing in
their ten-page essay. Cordelia cut through, making her way to him,
pushing = a
bit to get through. She bumped into the desk, surprising Riley
and causing = a
bruise.
"Are you all right?"
"Fine. Fine, nothing too big, I got bumped."
After a moment of stillness, he asked her for it.
"Cordelia?"
"Yes?" her voice soft and low.
"Your essay?"
"What essay?"
"The one you're supposed to hand me."
"Oh=E2=80=A6 the essay.. yeah, well I was wondering=
," she leaned forward
whispering. "Would it be possible to have an extension on it?"
"You'll have to ask Professor Giles."
"Oh=E2=80=A6 okay=E2=80=A6."
"Good."
After Cordelia made no move to leave he urged
her on.
"Good idea."
Riley smiled and waited for the next essay from
the stud= ent behind her.
His eyes trailed down the line to Willow, who was fidgeting next
to the Buf= fy
while she still chewed on her pencil.
The redhead had never missed a homework assignment
but t= he excitement of
the night ahead had made her forgetful and lightheaded at best.
"Riley, I'm sorry=E2=80=A6 but I forgot my essay
at= my dorm," her voice low and
worrisome.
"Don't worry, Willow. You can bring it to Giles
lat= er today=E2=80=A6.he won't
mind," he replied.
"Thank you, Riley."
"No problem. I'll let Giles know you'll be by
later= =E2=80=A6 unless you'd like to
give it to me."
"No, that's fine. I'll be by the library later=E2=
=80=A6 to get something."
He smiled, knowing what she meant.
"See you later," Buffy said as she handed him
= the essay.
"Later Willow, bye Buffy."
Both women left, with a pair of eyes looking
on.
* * * *
= * * * * *
*&nbs= p; *
Xander walked to the local caf=C3=A9 shop where
they nor= mally ate in the
afternoon, their Bronze in the afternoon location. He stepped in,
finding <= BR> only Anya waiting.
"Hey."
"Hey, ordered already."
"Cool."
Anya shrugged her shoulders as she continued
struggling = with her homework.
"Is it really necessary to learn about calculus?&qu=
ot; she ex-demon hissed.
Xander simply chuckled. It still amazed him
they had bro= ken up and he was
still alive. After Cordelia had caught them kissing last year,
Xander had <= BR> tried to move on with Anya, but four months later
the ex-demon decided to <= BR> break it off, much to Xander's relief.
They had, however, remained friends,=
Anya even becoming a member of the Scooby Gang.
Xander ordered, sipping his drink then looking
at it on = the table.
"What's your problem?
"Nothing, I don't have a problem, who said I
have a= problem."
"Because you only get defensive when you have
a pro= blem. That and you
only ordered one sub."
"I'm just=E2=80=A6 I was=E2=80=A6" Xander trie=
d to explain. He looked up, seeing Buffy
and Willow making their way over.
"Fine, I'm fine," he replied loudly.
Anya gave him a puzzled look, then shrugged
her shoulder= s.
"Whatever."
Buffy and Willow took their regular seats, making
a bit = of chit chat
before someone came to take their orders.
"Are we bronzing tonight?" Anya asked a bit
ex= cited.
"I'm not feeling too well=E2=80=A6."
"I'm patrolling=E2=80=A6"
"Need to study=E2=80=A6"
Came the quick replies from all three of her
friends.
"Or you could ask Spike," Xander teased.
Anya's reply was a punch to his arm. He'd noticed
just h= ow she acted
around the blond vampire and loved to bother her about it.
"I have to go to class. Talk to you guys later.&quo=
t;
The brunette left, leaving the trio alone.
"So Willow, have you seen Angel?"
"No!.. I mean no, why would I see Angel. I didn't
s= ee Angel. Not tonight
no, why would I?"
"Cause you're his best friend?" Xander replied=
a bit confused by her
babbling.
"Oh=E2=80=A6 yeah=E2=80=A6 friends=E2=80=A6"
s= he blushed a bit.
And they had become just that over the past
year and a h= alf since Angel
had returned from Hell. She had been the only one, in the beginning,
who ha= d
offered him forgiveness and friendship, making the building blocks
for thei= r
closeness they shared now.
Xander tried not to stare at Buffy, but he wasn't
sure h= e was
accomplishing the task.
"So=E2=80=A6 um=E2=80=A6.patroling=E2=80=A6
tonight= ?" Xander asked nervously.
"All night=E2=80=A6 searching for that demon
and st= uff."
"I see," Xander smiled.
"And I'm going to study and stuff. Yep, dorm."=
The three friends sat in silence, deep in thought
and at= e in fidgeted
silence.
* * * *
= * * * * *
*&nbs= p; *
Nightfall
Willow prepared herself with a stake and some
holy water= . Even if the
maple tree was close to the church so was the cemetery. After fighting
with=
her clothes for some time, she decided to simply go with a pair
of jeans an= d
a sweater. Clothes that Angel already knew her in. She took a deep
breath a= nd
headed out.
Cordelia should have chosen a different pair
of shoes. A= s she walked
through the mud near the small park, her stiletto heels were getting
stuck,=
other then dirtying her toes. She had already been at the tree
once, findin= g
no one and wondered if she had the wrong tree. She left searching,
trying t= o
find her secret admirer.
Riley kept looking unsure of where the
maple tree = was located. He had
just moved to Sunnydale and still hadn't mapped out the entire
city. Maybe = he
would have more luck by the cemetery.
Angel crept up by the church, keeping to the
shadows, no= t seeing anyone
under the tree as yet. He had just arrived 10 minutes ago and wasn't
sure i= f
he was late or early. He heard movement near by and stepped closer,
hoping = to
see whom it was. To his shocked horror, he bumped into an equally
horrified=
Xander.
"What are you doing here?" Angel asked, creepi=
ng away from him.
"Nothing, what the hell are you doing here?"
X= ander asked panicked.
"Patrolling."
Xander looked at him suspiciously.
"You weren't=E2=80=A6. looking for someone=E2=80=A6=
were you?" he asked, shaking.
"No=E2=80=A6no=E2=80=A6 why?" Angel asked, at
= this point praying he wasn't the one that
had sent him the letter.
"Look man, I'm not that way, and if I was, your
not= my type," he replied
panicking.
With that small part, Angel agreed.
"What are you talking about?"
Xander looked at him closely, relief on his
face.
"Nothing. Nothing that matters."
"I have to keep patrolling. You should head
home or= something."
"Yeah, I'm going=E2=80=A6 leaving=E2=80=A6."
Xander left without a second thought.
"And you not my type either," Angel said befor=
e he cringed, heading out
to the cemetery, wondering who the hell was playing a game with
him.
* * * *
= * * * * *
*&nbs= p; *
"Willow?"
The redhead turned around, never suspecting
to see her f= riend.
"Buffy?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Nothing=E2=80=A6 I had to turn in the essay
and st= uff=E2=80=A6 and I had to go home=E2=80=A6
which is the other way=E2=80=A6 but I wanted to take a walk=E2=80=A6
and he= re I am," she
babbled.
Buffy nodded, wondering if that really was the
reason sh= e as out.
"You weren't=E2=80=A6"
"Weren't what?"
That was when Willow noticed something.
"Aren't you supposed to be slaying, Buffy?"
"In that?"
"Well=E2=80=A6 yeah=E2=80=A6Why?"
Willow looked at her once more wondering how
she could s= lay in such a
small and tight red leather dress.
"Were you planning on seducing them first? Can
you = even slay in that?"
"It's a bit tight, but yes I can," she said
as= she looked down at herself
wondering if it had been a bit too much to wear.
"Buffy=E2=80=A6."
"What?"
"You know that whole slaying thing. Might work
now.= "
Buffy looked up to see four vampires circling
around the= m. Three jumped
on her as one went after Willow. She took out her holy water and
stake,
over to find Buffy's dress with slits all around.
"Don't you dare say anything," she warned.
friend home.
* * * *
= * * * * *
*&nbs= p; *
Just more confusion=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6
So, tell us please, what do you think?
next