Title: Back to School
Author: Wynn
E-mail: effulgent_sun@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: All characters (Buffy, Spike, Willow, etc.) owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.
Author’s Note: Buffy is not the Slayer. There are no Slayers or vampires or other demons. There will be ghosts/hauntings later in the story. Buffy lives with Joyce and Dawn, and she attends Sunnydale High School with Willow, Xander, Oz, Anya, and Cordelia. Giles is the new librarian; he moved to Sunnydale with his son, William (aka Spike).
Chapter One: Back to School
By: Wynn
It was another gorgeous day in Sunnydale, California. The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue with fluffy white clouds floating pleasantly on the breeze. Birds chirped and dogs barked as Buffy Summers slapped the snooze button on her alarm clock for the third time. Buffy groaned as she rolled onto her back and squinted at the morning sun. She hated mornings, but this morning was especially hated because it marked the end of summer and the beginning of her last year at Sunnydale High.
“Mornings suck,” Buffy grumbled, climbing out of her bed. She opened the door and staggered into the hallway towards the bathroom. She turned the handle but found it securely locked. Pounding on the door, Buffy yelled, “DAWN! Hurry up! I need to take a shower!”
The door flew open and eleven year old Dawn Summers glared out at her older sister. “Cranky much?” she asked.
“Are you finished? ‘Cause I really need to take a shower-“
“Yeah, I know. You kinda smell this morning. But maybe if you had just gotten out of bed on time instead of hitting your snooze three times, you could’ve gotten here first. Now you have to wait.” Dawn smiled sweetly and slammed the door in Buffy’s face.
Buffy groaned again. “Mornings really suck and so do sisters.” She turned and shuffled down the stairs into the kitchen where she found her mother leaning against the counter drinking coffee. She kissed Joyce on the cheek and made her way to the refrigerator.
“Morning, hunny,” Joyce said.
“Yeah. Morning.”
Joyce smiled. Her eldest daughter was not a morning person. She watched as Buffy groped for the orange juice and asked, “Are you ready for school to start?”
“Mom, no one in their right mind is ready for school to start. We just suck it up and accept the inevitable.”
“Well, at least this is your last year. Next year you’ll be off on your own at college.”
“Not soon enough,” Dawn commented as she flounced into the kitchen. “Do I get Buffy’s room when she goes to college?”
“No,” Buffy snapped. She drained her orange juice and made her way out of the kitchen to the stairs.
Dawn stuck her tongue out at her sister’s retreating form.
“I saw that,” Buffy called over her shoulder.
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Did-“
“Girls, please stop.”
“She started it,” Dawn mumbled through her cereal.
“Dawn.”
“Well, she did.”
* * *
Joyce pulled the SUV to a stop in front of Sunnydale High. The courtyard was already full with students waiting for the first bell to ring. Buffy unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag off of the floor.
“Do you have money for lunch?” Joyce asked.
“Yes, Mom.”
“Ok. Call me at the gallery if you decide to do anything after school.”
Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled at her mom. “I will.”
“Have a good first day, hunny.”
“Bye, Mom.” Buffy opened the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk. As she turned and walked up the steps to the courtyard, a flash of red caught her attention. Buffy turned her head and saw her best friend Willow Rosenberg waving to her. Next to Willow sat her boyfriend Daniel “Oz” Osborne and Buffy’s other best friend, Xander Harris. “Hey guys!” Buffy called, weaving her way through the crowd.
“Hey Buff!” Xander greeted. “Lookin’ good today.”
“Thanks.” Buffy had contemplated for thirty minutes what she would wear for the first day of school before settling for a pair of white capris and a lavender tank top. “You too.”
“I try,” Xander said, looking at his faded cords and button-up T-shirt. “Countless hours of thought and preparation went into selecting the absolute perfect outfit for today, the first day of our last year of hell.”
Buffy laughed as she sat down on the stone bench next to Willow. “I’m excited about this year,” Willow said. “There’s prom and graduation. Both not-so-bad events. And we have a new librarian. No more Ms. Crandall.”
Everyone shuddered at the memory of their old librarian Ms. Crandall. The eighty-three year old spinster finally retired last year, albeit reluctantly. The students and the faculty had breathed a collective sigh of relief when the rumor of her retirement had been confirmed.
“Anyone has to be better than the library Nazi,” Buffy remarked. “Do you know who the new one is?”
Willow dug her schedule out of her backpack. Smoothing the paper out, she scanned it and replied, “Rupert Giles. He’s out fifth period study hall teacher, too.”
“Rupert Giles? Sounds stuffy.”
Willow shrugged. “Rumor has it he’s from England.”
“Devon said he has a son who is transferring here, too,” Oz said.
“Oh, joy. A mini-librarian. I bet he’s the life of the party.” Buffy sighed. She leaned back on the stone bench and looked into the morning sky. “Why couldn’t the son of a movie star or someone exciting transfer here? Wait… I know, this is Sunnydale. Nothing exciting ever happens here.”
The first bell rang, and the four friends gathered their bags and headed inside the school. Little did they know that excitement had already arrived in their supposed sleepy little town.
* * *
“I can’t believe you made me move here. I bet that they don’t even have a decent pub. And how am I supposed to watch Manchester United when I’m all the way in soddin’ Sunnyhell, California?” William Giles yanked a chair out from one of the library’s tables and plopped down into it. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at his father.
“William, Sunnydale is not as horrible as you make it out to be.” Rupert Giles took off his glasses and wiped them on his handkerchief. He stuffed the cloth into his front pocket and faced his fuming son. “I am positive that Sunnydale has some form of-of nightlife that you can participate in.”
“Yeah. Sign me right up for the cow tippin’ or whatever the hell they do here.”
Giles sighed. “I know moving hasn’t been easy for you William. But it’s for the best. We both needed a new start.”
“No, Rupert. You needed a new start. Not me. I was fine living in England.”
“Yes, fine enough to have been expelled from school and arrested three times,” Giles snapped. Father and son glared at each other for a moment before Giles sighed again. “And I have asked you repeatedly not to call me Rupert.”
Will rolled his blue eyes and stood. “Whatever, Father. I better go. Wouldn’t do for me to be late for my first class. Might miss out on an opportunity to take a nap.” He stormed out of the library, a blur of black clothes and bleached blond hair. Giles slumped into his son’s vacant chair. Will was a force of nature, a tightly wound bundle of energy, prone to finding mischief any and everywhere he looked. In short, he was exactly like his father when Giles had been a teenager. Giles hoped that by moving to the quiet California town his son developed some control before he self-destructed.
* * *
“Ugh. English first thing in the morning. Have I said how much I hate school?”
“Not in the last five minutes, Xan,” Buffy replied as the pair entered the classroom. “It could be worse. You could have Calculus first like Willow.”
Xander shook his head. “I don’t understand why she voluntarily chose to take Calculus. It’s unnatural.”
A voice piped up from behind them. “In case you failed to notice, my sister is a very strange human being.”
“Hello, Anya,” Buffy said as the blond Rosenberg sister brushed past them into the classroom. Anya waved to Buffy as she took her seat next to her best friend Cordelia Chase.
“Excuse me? You’re in my light.”
Xander turned and faced Cordelia. “So sorry, Your Highness. I wouldn’t want to block your light. The mirror might not break if it can’t see your face.”
“Get lost Harris.”
Buffy rolled her eyes at the bickering duo as she took her seat.
“That girl has no soul,” Xander said, sitting next to Buffy. “How can Anya be friends with her?”
“Don’t know. Sometimes Anya can be pretty harsh too. Maybe they bond over their mutual bitchiness.”
The door opened and their teacher, Ms. Fisher, entered. She placed her leather briefcase on her desk, turned, and addressed the class. “Good morning class. For those of you who did not take my Junior English class last year, my name is Ms. Fisher. Welcome to Senior English. We have a lot to cover this year, so be prepared to work hard. The first item of business: I would like to introduce you all to a new student here at Sunnydale. William Giles.” She gestured to the door and said, “Come in William.”
Uninterested in meeting the mini-librarian, Buffy leaned over and dug her notebook out of her bag. She heard Cordelia gasp and looked up to see the most gorgeous man ever at Sunnydale High.
“Morning all,” William said, a smirk on his face.
Buffy swallowed. That was not the voice of a mini-librarian. It was smooth and deep and sexy. As was the black clad body that accompanied it. White blond hair gelled into unruly spikes and curls framed electric blue eyes, razor sharp cheekbones and a full mouth.
“Welcome to Sunnydale, William,” Ms Fisher told him. “Please tell us a little about yourself.”
“Sure, ducks. My name is Will. I used to live in England, but now, unfortunately, I’m stuck here.” His gaze traveled around the classroom before settling on Buffy. “Although that’s turning out not to be such a bad thing.” He returned his attention to Ms. Fisher. “Where should I sit?”
The teacher looked around the classroom and pointed to the empty desk next to Buffy. “Right there. Next to Buffy.”
“Thanks, luv.” He sauntered over and slouched into the desk.
Buffy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her. She snapped her gaze back to the front of the classroom and tried to pay attention to Ms. Fisher, but her gaze wandered back over to the black clad blonde. He was still staring at her. Pursing her lips, she arched an eyebrow and asked, “Problem?”
Will smirked. “Not at all luv. Not at all.”
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. No doubt about it: He was gorgeous. Unfortunately, he was also full of himself.
* * *
Chapter Two: Party Plans
By: Wynn
Will entered the cafeteria, his tray loaded with food. He yawned as he searched the crowded room for a place to sit. His last couple of classes had been absolutely boring. Perfect time for him to take that nap. Not like his first class though. He grinned as an image of Buffy popped into his head. Honey blond hair and sparkling hazel eyes. She was a California girl, no doubt about that. Beautiful but with personality. She had confronted him directly about his blatant staring instead of blushing and becoming shy. A raised eyebrow at his staring intrigued him; a sarcastic eye roll at his smug line completely captured his attention. She wasn’t intimidated by him. He had found an equal, someone who would challenge him.
It was absolutely fabulous.
Will noticed Buffy sitting off to his right. She was alone, eating an apple. He walked over and set his tray beside her. “Hello, pet.”
Wide eyed, Buffy looked at him as he sat. She swallowed her apple and said, “Someone’s sitting there.”
Will smiled. “I’m sure they won’t mind. What with me being a new student and all and not knowing anyone here.”
Buffy smirked. “I’m sure you would have managed somehow.”
“Hey, Buffy.”
Will turned to see a red head standing next to a dark haired boy. Will recognized the boy; he had sat on the other side of Buffy in their first class.
“Hey guys,” Buffy greeted.
The duo walked around the table, set their trays down, and sat opposite of Will and Buffy. The red head glance at Will, then at Buffy, and raised her eyebrows. Buffy shrugged and mouthed a word which looked suspiciously liked “mini-librarian” before taking another bite of her apple. The red head smiled and glanced at Will again. “Hi! I’m Willow, and this is Xander.” She pointed to the dark haired guy staring at Will.
“We’ve met,” Xander said.
Will cocked his head at the boy’s attitude. “Yeah,” he said to Willow. “Xander and Buffy are in my first class. My name is Will.” He held out his hand to Willow, who shook it warmly.
“How do you like California, Will?” she asked.
“It’s all right. Rupert and I have only been here a couple of days. Haven’t had the chance to get the grand tour of Sunnydale.” He looked at Buffy. “I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far.”
Xander asked, “Rupert?”
“My father.”
“You call your father Rupert?”
“That’s his name.”
Willow giggled and Buffy smiled slightly. Xander glared at Willow; she quickly put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
“Hey.” A short spiky haired guy stood next to the table. She smiled as he sat next to her. “Oz, this is Will. Will, this is Oz, my boyfriend.”
Oz held out his hand and Will shook it. “Hey man.”
“Nice to meet-”
“Well,” interrupted Xander, “now that we’re all here let’s get started.” He looked at Will. “If you’ll excuse us…”
“Oh. Right then. You’re excused.”
Xander narrowed his eyes at the blonde. “Look, we have something to discuss and-“
“And it doesn’t matter is Will is here or not, Xander,” Willow stated, resolve face firmly in place. “It’s not like he’ll go blabbing it to the whole school. He doesn’t know anyone.”
Will snorted. “Thanks ever so luv. What’s the big secret?”
Buffy glanced at him. “It’s Anya’s birthday today.” At his puzzled look, she clarified, “Anya is Willow’s sister. We’re having a surprise birthday party for her at the Bronze tonight. Anya has a tendency to know everything, so we’re trying to keep it hush-hush. No big.”
Willow nodded. “Yeah, we just have a few minor details to iron out.”
Will smiled. He loved parties. Especially a party in which Buffy would be attending. “Sounds nice. What’s the Bronze?”
Buffy answered, “Local club. Well, actually, it’s the only club in Sunnydale. We rented one of the back rooms to set up decorations and stuff. Which reminds me, what time are we supposed to be there tonight?”
Oz spoke up. “The Dingoes and I need to be there at 6 to set up. And the place opens at 7. Willow and I thought that you could come with us and set up.”
“Sounds good,” Xander said. “What time is Cordelia bringing Anya? And, more importantly, why is Cordelia bringing Anya? That’s forcing us to be around her for the entire night.”
“Because Anya didn’t want to go to the Bronze with me,” explained Willow. “She said I would ‘abandon her to go watch my boyfriend play his musical instrument.’ She wanted to go out with Cordelia instead. I don’t understand it either. Anyway, Cordelia said that they’d be there around 8:30.”
Will took a drink of his Coke and asked Oz, “You play an instrument?”
Oz nodded. “Yeah. Guitar. Dingoes Ate My Baby is my band.”
“I played a little guitar back in England, among other things. I was never patient enough to stick with one instrument. Didn’t matter though if I played good or not. It still impressed the ladies.”
“And they must’ve been the cream of the crop,” Buffy quipped.
Will smirked. “Always.”
Xander interrupted the bickering. “So we meet at the Bronze at 6?”
Willow nodded. “Yeah.” She turned to Will. “Do you want to come? I mean, I know you haven’t been in Sunnydale for a long time, and you probably have lots to do, but it’ll be fun. Or at least I think that it’ll be fun, and I hope everyone else thinks it’ll be fun too since it’s a party and parties are supposed to be fun-“
Buffy grabbed Willow’s hand. “Wills. Breathe.”
“Breathing.”
Buffy continued, “I’m sure that Will has plenty of other things he’d rather be doing. Other things far, far away from the Bronze.”
“Nonsense. There’s nowhere I’d rather be tonight than with my new friends, hanging out, and having fun.” Will winked at Buffy and grinned. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know Buffy and impress her with his English charm.
“Great,” Willow said. “So everyone be there at 6 ready to have fun. Oh, and don’t forget your gift because Anya’ll probably pout if she doesn’t get any. You know how she gets.” Willow turned to Will. “My sister is kind of materialistic.”
Xander laughed. “Understatement of the century there Willow.”
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Everyone grabbed their trays and headed for the trashcans. Once her tray was deposited, Buffy grabbed Will by the arm and drug him to the corner of the cafeteria. “You don’t have to come tonight. I know how Willow gets. She looks at you with the big puppy dog eyes and you can’t say no. My sister does the same exact thing. I can… tell them that something suddenly came up…or something.”
“No need to do that, luv. I wouldn’t miss being there tonight for the world.”
“Are you sure? Because Willow would understand if you couldn’t make it.”
Will cocked an eyebrow. “Is this really about Willow? I think that you don’t want me to be there tonight.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “What?! No, no, of course not. I’m perfectly Ok with you being there tonight. Perfectly.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
“Buffy!” Willow called. “We’ll be late if you don’t hurry up.”
Buffy sighed. “Gotta go. Class awaits.” She turned to leave. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder and said, “By the way, I can’t wait to meet your father, Will. I’m sure he can tell me all sorts of interesting things about you, you know, so we’ll have something to talk about tonight.”
Will blinked. “Yeah… I’m sure he’ll tell you lots.”
A dazzling smile appeared on Buffy’s face. “Great. See you tonight Will.”
“Bye.” Will watched her sashay across the cafeteria. He took a deep breath and smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand. She had to have a class with his father, who would have no problem with telling her embarrassing stories about him, especially after his fit in the library that morning. Will chuckled to himself. As soon as he had seen through Buffy’s attempts to de-invite him to the party and had made her nervous, in the blink of an eye, she had turned it around on him and knocked him off balance. She was almost as quick witted as he was. She could keep up with him. He smiled to himself. Tonight was going to be so much fun.
Chapter Three: The New Librarian
By: Wynn
Buffy and Willow exited the cafeteria into the hallway. Buffy glanced over her shoulder and saw Will still standing in the corner, laughing. He was laughing. Buffy frowned. Was he laughing at her? How dare he laugh at her! He was supposed to be panicked with the possibilities of juicy gossip Buffy hoped to learn from Rupert Giles. Instead, he was laughing. Stupid, bleach-brained-
“Buffy!”
Buffy’s gaze snapped to Willow, who stood ten feet away from her. She hadn’t noticed Willow had walked away. “Coming.” Buffy glanced once more at Will before jogging towards Willow. She reached her best friend, and the pair continued down the hallway towards the library. Buffy saw Willow looking at her, a broad grin plastered on her face. “What?”
“Nothing,” Willow said, attempting to suppress her smile. “So… what were you and Will talking about?”
“What… uh… were we talking about,” she repeated. “We were… uh…” Buffy racked her brain for a fake topic of conversation between her and Will. She couldn’t tell Willow that she tried to talk him out of coming to the party. She didn’t want to face the wrath of the resolve face. “He-he… uh… asked…if he needed to bring a present for Anya. Yeah. I told him he didn’t have to.”
“Huh. Really.” They turned a corner and walked to the entrance of the library. Pushing through the doors, Willow continued, “’Cause I thought he might have asked you out.”
“What?!” Buffy’s voice echoed through the quiet library, making several students frown at her. “No. He did not ask me out,” she murmured.
Willow placed her bag on a dark wood table and pulled out one of the chairs. Sitting, she said, “That’s too bad. He seems nice.”
“Not really.”
Willow smiled. “And he’s a definite hottie.”
Buffy crinkled her nose as she set her bag next to Willow’s. “I suppose he’s not totally without. But he’s not really my type. I like ‘em tall, dark, and handsome.”
“And boring.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Buffy sat in one of the chairs and looked around the library. Oak bookshelves, filled to the brim with musty volumes, surrounded the tables and chairs in the center of the room. To the left, a small office resided behind the checkout counter. Opposite the counter, there was a small caged area, filled with file cabinets and storage shelves, which held more books.
The library doors swished open, and a tweed covered figure struggling with an armful of books stepped inside. The man deposited the dusty tomes on the counter and pulled out a handkerchief. He drew the cloth across his forehead and said between gasps for air, “Hello. My name is… Rupert Giles. I am… the new… librarian.”
Buffy narrowed her eyes. He was Will’s father. The man in tweed fathered the man in black. Inconceivable.
Giles continued, “Please, make yourselves comfortable, and-and if you have any questions I’ll be in my office.” He replaced the handkerchief, picked up the stack of books, and shuffled into the office.
Willow and Buffy glanced at each other. They stood and followed Giles into the office. Open books covered the bookshelf, desk, chair, and floor in the small room. Giles was nowhere to be seen. “Mr. Giles?” Willow called out.
A muffled voice from under the desk said, “Yes?”
“Um, are you… Ok?” Willow looked at Buffy, who shrugged. The red head crouched in front of the desk. “Do you need any help?”
“No, no thank you.” Giles emerged from under the desk. He brushed his hands on his pants and reached for the lamp on the desk. Turning the switch, he smiled when light filled the room. “Why the only outlet is behind the desk I’ll never know.” He turned to the girls and said, “Now how may I help you?”
“We just wondered if you were going to take attendance,” Willow said.
“Oh! I’d forgotten.” Giles lifted a black briefcase off the floor and pulled out the attendance sheet. He asked Willow, “Your name is-?”
“Willow Rosenberg.”
Giles scanned the paper and marked next to Willow’s name. He turned to Buffy, who was staring at him, and said, “And your name is-?”
Buffy tilted her head and murmured, “You don’t really look like him. You’re so normal looking and he’s so not.”
Giles blinked. “Pardon?”
“Never mind,” Buffy told him. “I’m Buffy Summers.”
Giles blinked again and made another mark on the attendance sheet. “So- ah, I gather you’ve met Will.”
“Unfortunately,” Buffy said.
“Buffy!” Willow hissed.
Giles smiled slightly. “I gather he was still in a foul mood.”
“Not so much a foul mood,” Buffy said. “More towards the smug and conceited mood.”
Willow broke into the conversation. “Will seemed like he was very nice, Mr. Giles. Buffy was the one in the bad mood.”
As Buffy glared at Willow, Giles said, “Regardless of who was in the foul mood, I know sometimes my son can be-“
“Annoying,” interrupted Buffy.
“Difficult. He-he is a good person, underneath the brash exterior.”
Willow changed the topic of conversation before Buffy could reply. “Are all of these your books?” she asked, stepping in front of Buffy and pointing to the multitude of books in Giles’ office. “They don’t have call numbers on them so I assumed they weren’t library books.”
“No, they are mine. My office at the British Museum was larger than this one, to say the least, so I’ve had to store them… well… everywhere.”
“What are they about?” Willow asked as she picked up a volume.
“These are mostly historical texts. English history, European history, a few American volumes. I’ve recently purchased a set of books pertaining to the history of Sunnydale. This town is full of strange occurrences, disappearances, things of that sort.”
Willow nodded. “I know. I’ve done a few ‘Net searches on Sunnydale before, and I’ve pulled up some weird stuff.”
“’Net?”
“The Internet. On a computer.”
“Oh yes,” Giles said. “I’ve not had much luck with those…machines.”
“What type of strange stuff have you guys found?” Buffy asked the pair.
“Well,” Giles began, “there are a fair number of unsolved crimes for a town the size of Sunnydale. There are stories of pirates, which is to be expected since Sunnydale is an ocean town. Also, the history books report almost supernatural occurrences. Hauntings, poltergeists, and the like. One in particular occurred at…” Giles paused and dug into the stack of books on his desk, emerging with an open leather bound book. “At the mansion on Crawford Street.”
Buffy shuddered. “That place gives me the wiggins. It’s so creepy.”
Willow said to Giles, “It’s been empty for years. No one will go near the place. They think that it’s haunted. My mother always told me that people said it was haunted to keep their kids away from it. She told me that it just had an unstable foundation.”
“It’s still creepy,” Buffy reiterated. “Whether or not it’s haunted.”
A boy poked his head inside Giles’ office. “Mr. Giles? Can you help me? I can’t find a book I need for my English class.”
“Yes. I’ll be right with you.” Giles placed the leather book on his desk and followed the boy out of the office.
Willow picked up the attendance sheet, which had fallen off the desk onto the floor. “We should probably take attendance.”
Buffy nodded. “We should. He’s probably not going to remember. He’s like the absentminded professor.”
“I like Mr. Giles. He’s nice.”
“He is nice. Even if he is kind of stuffy.”
“His son’s also nice,” Willow said with a sly smile.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Nice does not come close to describing Will. Annoying, maybe. Arrogant, definitely.”
The pair left Giles’ office. “I think Will likes you,” Willow said.
“Joy to the world.”
“Maybe you could get to know him better at the party tonight.”
“Maybe.” Buffy sat at the table as Willow took attendance. Will was nothing like his father; he was brash and cocky while Giles was reserved and polite. She couldn’t believe that Willow had invited him to Anya’s party. She couldn’t believe he was actually coming. Sighing, Buffy slumped against the back of her chair. It was going to be an interesting night.
Chapter Four: Red Shirts
By: Wynn
Buffy threw open her closet door. She stared at her clothes, mentally willing the perfect outfit to jump off of its hanger and dazzle her with its stylishness. After a moment with no jumping or dazzling, Buffy sighed and began to sift through the shirts, skirts, and pants. Willow and Oz were picking her up in an hour for Anya’s party. Only one hour to not only determine the perfect outfit, but put it on, add a dash of make-up, and style her hair. Should be a piece of cake. Or a complete and utter disaster. Tossing a few articles of clothing onto her bed, she came across her red halter-top. She pulled the shirt out of the closet and held it up to herself. As Buffy pondered the image in the mirror, her bedroom door banged open; Dawn walked into the room and plopped down on Buffy’s bed.
“Forget how to knock?” Buffy asked, throwing the halter on top of the potential outfit pile on her bed.
Rolling her eyes, Dawn picked up the shirt and said, “Pulling out the red top. Got a hot date?”
Dropping the skirt she held, Buffy snatched it off of the floor and replied calmly, “No, no date. Just Anya’s party tonight. Why do you ask?”
Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Dawn said, “Well, you only wear the red top if you’re looking to impress some guy. Like that one time with-“
“Dawn.”
“I don’t know why you’re so touchy about him. You’re better off without him. He was so boring. I mean, did he even know how to smile?” Ignoring Buffy’s glare, she continued. “Plus, you barely said a word during dinner, which was nice ‘cause sometimes you know you talk a lot. But that’s so totally beside the point. Also…” She paused, making sure she had her sister’s full attention. “I heard from Janice, who heard from her sister, who goes to Sunnydale that there’s a new guy. A hot new guy. Who just so happened to be sitting next to you at lunch.”
“So?”
“So?! Is that all you have to say about the mystery man?”
Buffy raised an eyebrow as she held up a black miniskirt. “It doesn’t matter if I say anything to you or not because you’re just going to read about it in my diary later.”
“Oh,” Dawn said. She shook her head at the skirt. “So he’s diary worthy. He must be interesting if he’s making space in the oh-so-secretive journal of Buffy.” She paused and cocked her head to the side. “Well… actually he’s probably boring if he’s getting diary space. You wrote pages and pages about…the person I’m so not going to mention but who is totally boring.”
“Will’s not really interesting. He’s more irritating.”
Dawn tossed Buffy a pair of hip hugging black pants. “He sounds cool. Janice’s sister said he has bleached blond hair and wears a cool leather coat.”
Buffy frowned. “I didn’t notice a jacket. Just black clothes… not that I was actually noticing what he had on. ‘Cause I didn’t notice.” She grabbed a top out of the closet and placed it next to the black hip huggers. “What about this?”
“Perfect. Very droolworthy. Not that you want him to drool over you. ‘Cause you’re just getting all dressed up for Anya’s birthday.”
“Exactly.”
Dawn stood, a small smile on her face. “Well, then, I guess I should leave you so you can get ready for… Anya and her party.”
“Yeah,” Buffy replied absentmindedly as she dug through her jewelry box for the perfect accessories.
* * *
“Have you seen my red shirt?! I can’t find it! Hello? Hello! RUPERT?!” Slamming his closet door in frustration, Will stormed out of his room, down the stairs, into his father’s study. He had looked everywhere for his red silk shirt, in drawers, suitcases, and his closet. It wasn’t under his bed or in one of the moving boxes. He saw Rupert sitting in front of his desk, looking at an open brown leather bound book.
“I’m sorry,” Giles said, calmly flipping a page. “Did I just here you bellow something unintelligible from upstairs?”
“I can’t find my red shirt.”
Taking off his glasses, Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “Do you know where you put it last?”
“Obviously not or I wouldn’t be asking you where it is.”
“Why don’t you check the laundry?”
Spinning on his heel, Will stalked to the laundry room and pawed through the dryer. Flinging clothes behind him, he pulled out a wrinkled ball of red silk. He set the shirt on the washing machine and shoved the discarded clothes back in the dryer. Will reached for the ironing board as Giles walked up to the laundry room.
“Is there some particular reason for this-this frantic search for your red shirt?” Giles asked from the doorway.
Glancing at his father as he turned on the iron, Will said, “No particular reason. Just felt like wearing the shirt.” He paused for a moment as he smoothed his shirt over the ironing board. “Well, I did get invited to this party at the local pub. Figured I should look nice. You know, to impress the ladies and all that.”
“And here I thought you relied on your natural wit and charm.”
“Ha bleeding ha Rupert.”
Giles walked over to his son and inspected the heat setting on the iron. Turning it down to the delicate setting, he began to iron Will’s shirt. “Who’s party are you going to?”
Will jumped onto the dryer and answered, “Anya Rosenberg. It’s supposed to be a surprise birthday party.”
“Rosenberg. Is that any relation to Willow Rosenberg?”
“Her sister.”
“Ah. I haven’t met Anya, but Willow and one of her friends are in my fifth hour study session. A young lady named Buffy, I believe.”
Shifting on the washing machine, Will glanced at the ceiling. “Buffy? What kind of name is that?”
“I don’t know. The young lady did mention meeting you.” Giles handed his son a freshly ironed silk shirt and unplugged the iron.
“So she actually asked you about me? You didn’t tell her anything embarrassing, did you?”
“No, I didn’t tell her anything because she didn’t ask. However, Miss Summers commented on your… apparent lack of charm. I believe she called you ‘smug’ and ‘conceited.’ She’s quite a lovely young lady.”
Laughing, Will jumped off the washing machine and inspected his shirt. “Lovely isn’t the right word to describe Buffy.”
“Is she going to be at the party tonight?”
“Don’t know. I didn’t really ask.” As he left the laundry room, Will turned to Giles and said, “Thanks for ironing the shirt, Dad.”
“You’re welcome. Have fun tonight. Try not to get into trouble.”
Grinning broadly, Will asked, “What’s the fun in that?”
* * *
Chapter Five: The Green and White Party
By: Wynn
The drumbeat pounded through the Bronze’s sound system as the Dingoes began the third song of their set. The club was about half full, with a steady stream of people flowing into the darkened building. At the back of the club, in the room rented for Anya’s party, Buffy, Willow, and Xander added the finishing touches to the birthday decorations. Green and white streamers crisscrossed the ceiling, balloons drifted around the room, and a ‘Happy Birthday Anya!’ banner stretched across the far wall. Along two of the walls were long tables, one held brightly wrapped presents while bowls of chips, cookies, and soda lined the other table. A third table, surrounded by metal folding chairs, resided in the middle of the room; a double layer birthday cake, complete with sprinkles and eighteen candles, sat in the center of the table.
“There,” Willow said as she sat down on a metal chair. She wore a green shirt sporting the image of a black cat with yellow eyes and an ankle length patterned jean skirt. She wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from her brow. “All done.”
Xander, dressed in an orange and yellow plaid shirt and a pair of jeans, sat across from his best friend; he looked around the room, examining the finished decorations. “It looks nice. But remind me again why we used green and white deco? They’re not exactly festive birthday colors.”
Willow smiled. “Green and white are Anya’s favorite colors. They’re the color of money.”
Buffy grabbed some chips from the food table and walked over to her friends. Leaning against the table, she munched on a chip and said, “Capitalist to the core.” She looked through the back room’s open door, out into the darkened club. “How much longer until they get here?”
Xander glanced at his watch. “About ten minutes. Assuming of course Cordelia can pry herself away from the mirror and get here on time. Which is a slim to none possibility. You feel like putting on your dancing shoes and boogying while we wait?”
“Sure.” She tossed the rest of the chips in her mouth and took a drink of water from her cup on the table. Turning to Willow, she asked, “Coming?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss a chance to watch my boyfriend play his musical instrument.”
The three left the back room and headed for the crowded dance floor. Willow waved to Oz as the trio maneuvered past the band on the Bronze’s stage. He smiled and nodded at her in return. Dodging dancing patrons, they reached an open area near the center of the floor and began to dance to the Dingoes’ music. Buffy moved fluidly to the beat, her movements graceful and sexy. Concentrating on the drumbeat and bass line, she closed her eyes and let the music wash over her, enjoying the freedom of the dance. Her eyes snapped back open and she stilled, scanning the crowd surrounding the dancers. Eyes narrowed in concentration, she looked around. The feeling of being watched had come over her suddenly, and she was unable to shake it. After a moment, one corner of her mouth rose and she began to dance again.
* * *
He watched her from the shadows, her honey blond hair visible through the crowd. Moving into the light, he stalked along the edge of the dance floor, eyes focused on the dancing vision. He smiled when the dancing crowd shifted slightly, allowing him to see all of Buffy. Her hair was down, and it curled slightly as it flowed past her shoulders. She wore a fitted bronze top, high in the front and dangerously low in the back, a pair of hip hugging black pants, and strappy black sandals; a bronze armband, in the shape of a dragon, adorned her left arm. He watched as the redhead touched Buffy’s arm and pointed in the direction of the club’s entrance. Buffy followed Willow’s gaze and waved; the two conversed for a moment before turning to the dark haired boy beside them. Xander shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched Buffy roll her eyes and the redhead grab the boy’s arm; the two walked off the dance floor in the direction of the club’s entrance. Smoothing a hand over his red silk shirt, Will took a deep breath, walked behind Buffy, leaned against her ear, and said, “Hello, cutie.”
Will watched as Buffy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head away and continued dancing to the music. Little minx. Smirking, Will walked around Buffy until they were face to face. “Happy to see me, pet?”
“Thrilled.”
“Of course you are. After all it’s been over six hours since you’ve seen me.”
She raised an eyebrow and said, “Not long enough.”
“Too long for me. Usually I arrive fashionably late to these little soirees, you know, make the big entrance and all, but I got here early. Just for you.”
“I’m touched.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, he grinned and replied, “I know.”
The corners of her lips turned up in a smile. “You know? Ego much?”
“No. No ego. I just know you’re happy to see me ‘s all.”
Buffy crossed her arms, an amused expression on her face. Eyes sparkling, she said, “Hmm. And how, oh omniscient one, do you know I’m happy to see you?”
Will took a step towards her, moving within arms length. He tilted his head to the side and looked into her hazel eyes. “I know,” he answered quietly, “because you’re still here talking to me. If you didn’t want to see me, you would’ve left already. Run off to find the red head so you wouldn’t have to talk to me. But you didn’t. And you won’t. You’re having too much fun.”
Buffy stared at him, her eyes wide as she contemplated what he had said. A minute passed then she moved towards him until they were nearly touching. She turned her head up to look at him and said, “Well. You were right.”
He grinned again. “I know.”
Buffy smiled at him as the song changed and one of the Dingoes ballads drifted from the speakers. Couples, dancing slowly to the music, began forming around the two blondes. Will reached out and grasped Buffy’s hand; he threaded his fingers through hers and asked, “Do you want to dance?”
She glanced down at their entwined hands. A small blush spread across her face. Her gaze returned to his face as she said, “I’d -”
“Hey guys.”
* * *
Buffy’s head snapped around at the sound of the voice behind her. Willow, Anya, Cordelia, and Xander stood in a semi-circle around the pair. The red head looked between Buffy and Will, a silly grin on her face, while Anya inspected the blondes quietly. Cordelia stared at Will, trying her best to garner his attention, and Xander glared at the still-hand-holding duo. Buffy’s gaze flickered from Will to their still entwined hands. She felt her face grow hot. Disentangling her hand from Will’s, Buffy focused on Willow and said, “Hey.”
Everyone was silent for a moment. Will was looking at Buffy, who was looking at Willow, who still had the silly grin on her face. Anya looked bored, and Xander still glared at Will. Finally, Cordelia broke the silence. “So, Buffy. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your… friend?”
“I, ah, I…”
Willow stepped into the center of the circle of friends and said, “Cordelia, this is Will. Will, this is Cordelia and this is my sister, Anya. And you know Xander and me and, ah, Buffy, so that’s everyone. Well, except for Oz.” She pointed to the stage. “He’s up there.”
Will offered his hand to Anya. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Anya shook his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you to.” She turned to Willow. “Is it time for the gifts?”
“Anya!”
“What? It’s not like I didn’t know about it. And I’m trying to move everyone past this uncomfortable situation before Xander blows a gasket.” She looked at Xander, who stopped glaring at Will under her gaze. He smiled sheepishly at her. “And I’m sure that Buffy would like to proceed to the gift opening as well.”
Buffy nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.” She grabbed Willow’s hand and headed for the back room. Pushing open the door to the back room, Buffy drug Willow through the threshold. “Oh my god.”
Willow turned on the lights to the room and walked over to Buffy. “‘Oh my god’ what?”
“I can’t believe I just did that. I mean, he’s so…so annoying, and I let him hold my hand. Not that it meant anything. ‘Cause it didn’t. ‘Cause he’s-he’s blonde and annoying, and I don’t like him. Not at all. Because he’s annoying.” Buffy sucked in a deep breath and plopped down into a metal chair.
Willow sat beside her and said, “You already said annoying.”
“I know.” She looked down at her hands and a tiny grin formed on her face; she bit her lip to try to contain it, but it broadened into a full fledged smile. She looked at Willow. “He is kind of cute though.”
The silly grin reappeared on Willow’s face. “Kind of?”
“Ok. He’s a major league hottie.”
“Who just so happens to have a major league crush on you.” Willow started to giggle. “Did you see Xander’s face? He did look like he was about to blow a gasket.”
“Yeah.” Buffy and Willow locked eyes, and the two friends burst out into laughter. They managed to calm themselves down before Xander entered the room, but the duo exploded into giggles again when they saw him being drug into the room by Anya. Will and Cordelia followed; a strained expression was on Will’s face as he listened to Cordelia talk. He looked at Buffy and Willow, eyes large with a plea to rescue him from the onslaught of Cordelia.
Anya inspected the back room, her eyes traveling over the food and decorations before settling on the presents. Her eyes lit up at the shiny gifts. Turning towards the small group of friends, she said, “Who’s present is first?”
* * *
Chapter Six: Dusters and Dragons
By: Wynn
The party was in full swing. The presents were opened, the cake was cut, and the guests were in the Bronze dancing to DJ that replaced the Dingoes after their set ended. Will broke away from the group and headed into the back room; he grabbed a cup with ice and a can of Coke and settled into one of the metal folding chairs. Popping the tab, he took a long drink. So far the party had been fun. Admittedly, it wasn’t the wildest party Will had ever been to, but it certainly was the most effervescent, even with Xander glaring at him every five minutes. Everyone was smiling and laughing and dancing, enjoying each other’s company. It was a nice change of pace for Will.
“Hello.”
Will looked up to see Anya standing near the entrance. She wore a cream lace top and a blue patterned skirt; a few of the more colorful bows off of her presents adorned her blonde curls. “Taking a break from all of the dancing excitement?” she asked as she walked towards the refreshment table. “Or are you taking a break from Xander and his infamous non-threatening glares?”
Will chuckled. “Both, actually.” He paused as she sat across from him and opened a can of Sprite. “So, does he always glare at the new guy or am I just special?”
“We’ve never actually had a new guy. The last and only new person Sunnydale has seen was Buffy, and she moved here two years ago.” Anya tilted her head and examined Will. “No, Xander doesn’t like you because Buffy likes you. And Willow thinks you’re nice, and Cordelia thinks you’re cute.”
“Everybody loves Will.”
“Not everybody. Just Buffy.” She sipped from her can of Sprite. “And that’s why Xander doesn’t like you.”
“Bit of a jealous side, then?”
Anya laughed. “He has nothing to be jealous over, except for the fact that Buffy has never been interested in him. Ever. And now here you are, with your blue eyes and black clothes and mysterious air, and she’s more than interested in you. Which is a good thing because her last boyfriend was… well comparing him to a mannequin wouldn’t be farfetched.”
Will snorted. “I take it this bloke was boring?”
“More than boring.”
Casually fingering the rim of his Coke can, Will asked, “What happened to the guy?”
Anya shrugged. “I don’t know the specifics. Willow wouldn’t tell me. Something about privacy or it being none of my business. Whatever. All I know is that he broke up with Buffy right after he graduated last May. Left town without saying goodbye.” She turned and looked into the darkened Bronze. Concern shone in her brown eyes. “He broke her heart. If vengeance came as wishes, the guy would be dead. All of us wanted to kill him for the pain he put her through. I don’t know what she saw in him.” Anya sighed and returned her gaze to Will. “But I can see what she sees in you. You’re interesting.”
Will smiled wickedly at the blonde birthday girl. “So I’m interesting, nice, and cute, huh? Total package here.”
“I said you’re interesting. Not I’m interested. I like Xander.” She arched an eyebrow and said, “And you like Buffy.”
Before Will could reply, the new friends were interrupted as the gang reentered the party room. He turned in his seat and locked eyes with Buffy; blue eyes met hazel, and Will smiled at her. She blushed slightly and grinned in return. Still focused on Buffy, he said, “I believe you’re right, Anya.”
Anya stood. Noticing the look between the two blondes, she said, “I usually am. Now go talk to her.” And with that last piece of advice, Anya left.
Will bit his lip and searched the room for Buffy. She stood with Willow by the food table. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and watched her. He had only known her one day, but he knew he was falling hard for the vibrant California girl. He felt light headed around her, as if the world was spinning like mad around him and she was all he could see. A smile appeared on his face; he hadn’t felt like that in a long, long time. Maybe Rupert knew what he was doing when he decided to move the pair to sunny California.
* * *
“I wonder what he’s thinking about,” Buffy murmured as she watched a broad grin break out on Will’s face. She felt as though she was intruding on a private moment, a moment of vulnerability that she instinctively knew Will didn’t display often. But she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
“Go ask him, if you’re curious.”
Buffy gaped at her best friend. “I can’t just go over there and ask him what he’s thinking, Willow.”
“Why not?”
“Because… because… I don’t want to intrude.”
“Well,” Willow said as she slowly backed away from the refreshment table, a cup of punch grasped in her hand. “Looks like you won’t have to intrude. He’s coming this way.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “What?” she squeaked. She reached for Willow. “Where are you going?”
Willow almost laughed at the panicked expression on her best friend’s face. She had never seen Buffy flustered like this before. Usually the blonde was cool, calm, and collected around members of the male persuasion. But around Will the confident exterior lessened, exposing glimpses of the heartbroken, vulnerable young woman hiding beneath the bravado. “Buffy, you’ll be fine. I know we’ve only known Will a day, but I can already tell he’s not like Him.”
“I know,” Buffy whispered. “I’m just scared.”
Willow gathered her friend into a tight hug. “Carpe diem. Remember? You told me to seize the day, and I did. I met Oz and fell in love. It’s your turn now.” She pulled out of the hug and squeezed Buffy’s hand. “Don’t close yourself off. Will’s crazy about you. He won’t hurt you. But if he does, Anya and I will take care of him.”
Buffy smiled. “Never mess with the Rosenberg sisters.”
“Or with their friends.”
“Thank you, Willow.”
It was the redhead’s turn to smile. “Anytime,” she said as she rounded the table. She gave one more encouraging smile before turning and walking to Oz.
“I-I can do this,” Buffy muttered to herself, nodding. “Just seize the day. Be cool… but not too cool. Just-”
“Hey Buffy.”
Just melt into a puddle of babbling goo, all vowel sounds and mumblings. She turned and found herself caught in twin pools of fiery blue. From the depths of stuttering nervousness, she managed a smile half resembling a grimace and an articulate “Hi.”
* * *
Will stood mute. She had turned and flashed a brilliant, dazzling smile, rooting him to the spot. For a moment all he could do was stare, mouth hanging open, drinking in the golden beauty and warmth that radiated off of her. He was sure he was drooling.
Mentally kicking himself, he closed his mouth with a snap. “Um… thank you for inviting me to the party.”
“I didn’t.” He watched her eyes go wide. “I- uh- didn’t mean for it to sound that rude. Sorry. Technically Willow invited you. I tried to talk you out of coming.” She glanced at the wall then into his eyes. “I am glad that you came.”
“Me too.”
Visibly relaxing, Buffy reached out and touched his arm. Fingering the soft black leather of his duster, she said, “I like your coat. Where did you get it?”
Will smoothed his hand over the duster. A faint smile appeared on his face. “My mum. She bought it for me before she… before she died. Rupert hated it. Thought it was too wild for his prep school son, but Mum just laughed at him and called him a big ‘Fuddy-duddy.’ He couldn’t refuse her anything, so he let me keep the coat.”
Her hazel eyes filled with concern, Buffy’s fingers trailed down the sleeve of the supple duster, and she twinned them with Will’s long, calloused fingers. “How long ago did she die?”
“’Bout nine months ago.”
Her thumb caressed the side of Will’s hand. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my mom. Or Dawn. She’s my sister. A big pain in the ass most of the time, but I love her anyway.” Buffy paused. Lifting her arm, she indicated her bronze arm band. “My mom bought this for me. She owns an art and antique gallery… gets to travel all across the country, sometimes to other countries, looking for stuff for her gallery. She bought this in Spain. She got Dawn the matching bracelet.”
Light glinted off the dragon shaped armband as Will inspected it. Small chunks of lapis lazuli glittered from the dragon’s eyes and shards of rubies and emeralds adorned its scales and wings. “It’s lovely.”
“Thank you.”
“So… we never got to have that dance, did we?”
“No, we didn’t.”
Buffy smiled as he turned and led her from the back room into the darkened Bronze.
* * *
The bowls of food were empty, the presents were unwrapped, and the balloons were beginning to wilt. Anya’s party had come off without a hitch. The birthday girl was pleased with all of her presents, including a cashmere sweater from Cordelia and a small porcelain piggy bank from Xander. Male posturing had been kept to a minimum thanks to Willow, Oz, and Anya distracting Xander from constantly watching Buffy and Will. The group of friends now gathered around a table, reminiscing about the night. The atmosphere was tinged with melancholy as the realization that the party was drawing to a close resonated with everyone.
“So,” Will said to Buffy as he leaned back in his chair, blue eyes slowly perusing the back room of the Bronze. They sat at the end of the table, across from Willow and Oz. “What else is there to do in this town?”
Buffy scrunched her nose. “Not much. This is pretty much the place to be. Either here or at the movies, but they’re closed now. Everything else in Sunnydale is either churches, cemeteries, or creepy old buildings.”
Willow shuddered. “Like the Crawford St. Mansion.”
“Is that place still there?” Cordelia asked from the head of the table. “I haven’t been to it in years.”
Willow nodded. “Yeah. It’s still there. No one will go near the place to demolish it.”
“Our own personal haunted mansion,” Xander said.
Will looked at the faces of the native citizens of Sunnydale. A faint smirk appeared on his face. “This place is haunted?”
Anya rolled her eyes. “No one knows for sure because no one has actually ever been inside. The place was condemned fifty years ago. It’s been empty since. We used to dare each other to go inside, but no one ever went. The closest we got to was the front door.”
Willow smiled. “Yeah. It was that time that Xander got so scared-”
Xander glared at his best friend. “Willow.”
“Sorry.”
“Why don’t we go there?” Six pairs of eyes settled on Will as he suggested a night trip to the supposedly haunted mansion.
Buffy leaned forward a little, eyebrows drawn in confusion, and asked, “What?”
Will shrugged. “Well, the Bronze is about to close. It’s a nice night. Bright moon. Perfect for a little mansion crashing.”
Buffy shook her head. “No. Uh huh. Count me out.
Will smirked. “Scared?”
“No… I’m not scared. What would I be scared of?”
“The possibility of running into ghosts, the undead, stuff like that,” Willow said. “Not to mention the overall ooky factor involved. The place has been crumbling for half a century.”
Will smiled. “Sounds fun.” He turned to Buffy, blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “You up for a little late night adventure?”
Buffy sat up straight. Chin tilted in the air, she said, “I am if you are.”
“Good. Anyone else?”
“I’m in,” Cordelia said as she looked at Will.
Anya raised her hand. “I’ll go. I’ve always wanted to see the inside of the place, but everyone else was too chicken to go in with me.”
“Well, if you’re going, I’m going, too,” Willow said.
Oz looked at Willow, then Will. “Guess that means I’m in too.”
All eyes turned towards Xander. He sat back against his chair, arms folded across his chest, mouth in a hard line. He stared at Anya, then Willow and Buffy, before sighing. Standing, he said, “Fine. Let’s go. But if anyone gets possessed, I’m blaming Bleach Boy.”
* * *
Chapter Seven: Just the Wind
By: Wynn
The van rolled to a stop in front of the mansion on Crawford St, its six passengers exiting the vehicle and grouping together on the sidewalk. The crumbling mansion loomed before them, moonlight highlighting the cracks and crevices created by half a century of decay. Dull grey paint flaked off of the exterior, and spray painted slabs of plywood covered the broken windows. Dead, brittle bushes surrounded the manor; dry grass covered the large yard. A broken path led from the sidewalk to the front stoop. The cool ocean breeze swirled around the house, whipping the discarded garbage and fallen leaves into a silent, frantic dance.
“Oh, yeah. Creepy and ooky and most disturbing and can we go now?” Willow moved closer to Oz, her wide green eyes locked on the ominous grey building.
“No,” Anya said. “I want to go inside. Be calm. There is no such thing as ghosts.”
“Tell that to Casper,” Xander muttered. He leaned against the van and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, this was a brilliant idea, I must say. One for the record books.”
Cordelia arched an eyebrow. “What’s the matter, Harris? Scared of the big, bad house?”
“I don’t see you running for the door.”
“Well, um, we just got here. Plenty of time.”
“Right.”
Narrowing her eyes, Cordelia stalked towards Xander. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned into him until their faces were inches apart. “If you’re such the Brave Boy, why don’t you go first? By all means, lead the way.” She backed away, arm extended, pointing towards the shadow laden mansion. “Come on, Xander. Show us that you’re not the loser you appear to be.”
A few beats of silence passed before Xander pushed off of the van, scowling at Cordelia. He took a few steps towards the mansion before he veered to the right and walked up to Will. “He should go first. It was his idea to come here anyway.”
Mouth opening and closing a few times, Will said, “Me? No. You’ve been here before. Know the area, the lay of the land. You should go.”
Xander shook his head. “No. You wanted to have this little late night adventure. You should go.”
Will clenched his jaw and glared at Xander. “No. I think you-”
“I think you both need to stop the testosterone display.” Buffy stepped between the two males, outstretched palms lightly pushing Xander and Will in opposite directions. She turned her attention from the two bickering men to the dark manor, hugging her arms across her chest. Drawing in a deep breath, Buffy said, “I’ll go.”
“What?”
Buffy glanced at Will from the corner of her eyes. “I’ll go first.” Without another word, she walked to the granite path.
“Yeah! Buffy should go first.”
Rolling her eyes at Cordelia’s false enthusiasm, Buffy straightened her shoulders and started towards the front door. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath came in shallow pants, and her hands were slick with sweat. Halfway down the path, she heard her name. Turning, she watched Will run towards her, black duster flapping behind him. He fell into step with her, a rakish grin on his face.
“Can’t let you have all the fun, luv.”
Buffy arched an eyebrow. “Hmm… yes, well, you seemed so eager to have ‘the fun’ a minute ago.”
“I was. I just, um, you know, played it close to the vest.”
“Really?”
Will nodded. “Yeah. You know us Brits. Stoic and proper and all that rot.”
Buffy’s gaze traveled from his bleached blonde hair, down his leather clad torso, to his scuffed combat boots. “You? Stoic and proper?”
“Well, not really. But it was the first thing that came to mind.”
The two blondes drew closer to the mansion, slowing to a stop before the neon graffiti covered door. Buffy licked her lips and stared at the house, mentally willing herself to walk up to the entrance. Her body didn’t listen. “Here we are. At the door.”
“Yeah,” Will murmured. His blue eyes traveled over the grey exterior, an unsettled, uncomfortable feeling twisting within his stomach.
“I guess one of us should open it.”
“Guess so.”
Buffy sighed. She slowly lifted her hand and reached for the doorknob. Her fingers brushed against the rusted brass handle when Will grabbed her wrist, stilling her movements. She turned towards him. “What?”
Will shrugged. “Don’t know. Just had a bad feeling. Something’s… off.”
Buffy pulled her hand from Will’s grip and crossed her arms across her chest. Her mouth curved into a smirk as she said, “Something’s off? At the abandoned, condemned, supposedly haunted mansion? What a shocker.”
Tearing his gaze from the mansion, Will glared at Buffy, irritation shining from his eyes. He shook his head when she broke out into giggles, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “Anybody ever tell you you’re quite the smart ass?”
“Frequently. It’s one of my many charms.”
“No doubt, luv.”
A faint blush colored Buffy’s cheeks. Her eyes flickered from Will to the door. “So…”
“Right. Supposed to be breaking into the haunted mansion now.” Taking in a deep breath, Will extended his hand. The tips of his fingers touched the handle when the door creaked open. Jerking his arm away from the doorknob, Will stumbled off the front stoop, knocking into Buffy, and sending them crashing to the ground.
Mouth dry, eyes wide, heart thudding in her chest, Buffy stared at the open door. “Did- did the…” She trailed off and silently pointed at the mansion.
Swallowing hard, Will nodded. “Um, yeah.”
“Ok. Not hallucinating then. Damn.”
“It could’ve been the wind.”
“Yeah. The wind. Not a ghost or-” Buffy screamed when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Scrambling to her feet, she spun around, coming face to face with a startled Anya.
“Someone needs to stay away from caffeine.” Anya glanced from Buffy and Will to the open door. “Why are you here and not inside there?”
Buffy looked back at the manor, then at Will, who pushed himself off of the ground and stood beside her. Turning to Anya, she said, “Door. It opened. On its own.”
A moment of silence passed. Anya stared at the two blondes, eyebrows raised. “Wow. A door popped open all on its own on a very windy night. That’s something one doesn’t see everyday.” Rolling her eyes, she maneuvered around Will and Buffy and started for the house.
Cordelia moved down the path, stopping next to Buffy. “Smooth, Summers. Very smooth.” Smirking, she followed Anya into the mansion.
Xander walked by the two blondes without saying a word. His hand covered his mouth, smothering a grin. He looked back at Will and Buffy, bursting into laughter as he entered the manor.
“Are you guys Ok?”
Buffy smiled at Willow and nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“‘Cause, you know, we don’t have to go in. It’s-”
“Willow!” Anya stuck her head through the open door and searched for her sister, frowning when she spotted her and Oz. “Come on. You have to come inside. I won’t let you back out of this.”
“But…” She sighed when Anya vanished back inside the dark manor. “Crap.” Clutching Oz’s hand, she flashed a strained smile at Buffy and Will before inching down the stone path and disappearing through the entrance.
“Ready to go in, luv?”
“No.” Gnawing on her bottom lip, Buffy closed her eyes and breathed. In, out, in, out, you can do this, in, out-
Will waved a hand in front of Buffy’s face. “Uh, pet? You Ok?”
Her eyes snapped open. She grabbed Will’s hand and stalked towards the house, mouth set in a determined line. Will stumbled after her, surprised at her abrupt change of mind. He glanced behind him at the van parked in the middle of the vacant street before he was pulled into the blackness of the Crawford St. Mansion.
* * *