Title: Criticism and Spelling
Author: Carol A. Clarke
Email: Carol.Clarke@mail.state.ky.us
Note: This happens after Faith Hope and Tricks but before Bad Girls.

It was giving her a headache. The letters just would not go together. It reminded her of school and why she dropped out. Only she didn't really remember everything about her life and why she dropped out. It was because the damn letters wouldn't do what they were suppose to and beating up a book just wasn't the same as beating up a vampire. Beating things was supposed to feel good. Killing things did feel good. Killing evil things felt really really good.

Why couldn't Willow let her read comicbooks instead? Ok so she couldn't really read them but she liked looking at the pictures. And Dick and Jane? Please who the hell cared what spot did. Faith just wanted to kill things. The others could read the damn books and point her at what needed to killin'.

Willow had been the only one to notice how Faith pretended to do the research, flipping the pages of the books or diking the team. So she couldn't tell which way was right side up, she could kill things. In elementary school they called it a learning disability. Her mother just beat her and told her to pay attention.

But Faith was smart, really smart. She had learned ways around the reading and the spelling. It was a lot of work hiding it, but Faith didn't do it because she was lazy. She did it because she had to. The letters danced in her eyes and she could not make sense of them.

Still Willow had found out. Faith had not been careful. And now Faith was stuck reading fucking Dick and Jane and writing her name, address, fucking first grade words. Faith should have just killed the little witch and her werewolf too. She still wanted to kill the werewolf. The fuzzy bastard touched her. So he was gay too and their whole thing was a big pretend deal. He still kissed her.

Faith wanted to kiss her like he did, in front of everyone. Stick her tongue down the redhead by her locker in front of that bitched Cordillia. What the cow's face as she claimed what was hers.

Yeah like Faith would ever have that kind of guts. She was more closeted then Willow and Oz. She had spent her whole life hiding her shortcomings. Hiding the fact she couldn't read. She was gay.

Hell all she ever talked about was sex. Sex with guys. God only knew what Buffy thought about her. Then she had seen Willow watching Buffy walk away. Well she had been watching too, but she caught the witch red handed. Faith had called her on it. And Willow had not only returned the call but nailed her on the reading. Faith killed a lot of evil things that night plus a row of lockers, a parked car, and a vending machine.

The next day Willow had come to her with Dick and Jane. Right to room #3. And Faith had started to learn to read. She had also discovered Willow was a natural redhead. It was the best sex she ever had. Harmony had taught the witch well. Secrets were a fun thing to have.

Willow stood over her. Faith could feel her breath on her neck as she copied the words on from the book. Willow was patient, helping her turn the letters around the right direction. Then Willow said most important thing Faith had ever heard.

"Faith the actual letters on the paper aren't as important as the message you send with them. Just concentrate on the message."