Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > Ordinary Lives
The one time of the day that Willow was really beginning to look forward to was lunchtime. She loved almost anything about school. Except, of course, getting harassed by the so called popular people. She was just a brainiac that way in loving all things to do with learing. As Xander had told her over and over and over again.
The reason that she was beginning to love lunchtime so much was it meant that she would be able to spend time with Tara. Even if she had to share that time with Xander and Buffy, it was still time that she got to spend with the blonde. And they only had home room and math class together. Not much time for talking in either of those classes.
There was that eternal struggle going on inside of her. Was this just a friendship thing? It couldn't be just a friendship thing. This was still only the second day of school and therefore only the second day she had known the blonde.
But she already felt something. She already felt something for Buffy too. But it was definitely in the friendship area. Maybe even best friend area. It was like she felt for Xander. But with Tara, it was different.
She spotted Tara sitting alone already. Buffy and Xander were no shows at the moment. She couldn't help but wonder where the two were at. But it also made her a little happy, heck, a lot happy. After all, she would be getting to have just a microism of time with the girl that made her heart do a little flip at just the mere thought of her. Definitely more than just a friendship thing. It had to be more.
Quickly, she made her way to sit next to the blonde. She could hear laughter coming from a few tables over. Cordelia had spotted her. No doubt she was making fun of the way she was dressed. Or maybe she was referring to the two of them as losers. It didn't matter. She was now alone with Tara.
A smile was instantly on her face as Tara looked at her. There was a smile on her face as well. It was as if she had been looking forward to this all morning, just like Willow. The red head wanted to be brave and daring and tell her that she felt something for her. But after not even two days? It was too bold for such a maneuver. But someday, she would definitely make her oh so scary move.
"Having a good day?" Willow asked. She opened up her little Scooby Doo lunch box. "Mine's been all right. It's better now that I get to talk to you." There was a little bit of a blush to her cheeks as she said that. But why? Friends could say things like that. They often missed talking to one another during the day, didn't they? So more than a friendship.
"I know the feeling." Tara's cheeks also reddened. Willow couldn't help but notice. "It was kinda a rough day."
"Hey, I'm here to listen." Willow put her hand on the blonde's arm. That was sorta a mistake. She felt like her hand was on fire and would surely burn the other girl's skin. But she also felt like she couldn't move it either. She definitely didn't want to move it.
Tara looked over to where there was more laughter. Angel and Cordelia were harassing a young man. Willow thought his name was Jonathan, but she wasn't sure. "They're at it again."
Willow saw Cordelia trip the guy. He fell face first into his lunch that he had just bought. A chorus of laughter erupted from the table. Her eyes widened a little as she saw Spike come over from the back of the cafeteria. He helped the guy up and took him back into the lunch line. The bleach blonde paid for another meal and took him to sit with him.
"Wow!" Willow couldn't help herself. "That's gonna really piss off Angel. But that's probably why he did it."
Tara looked back at Willow. "I'm not so sure. I get this good guy vibe off from Spike. I think he really is a nice guy. Unlike his brother."
Willow straightened at the words. Had Angel done something to her? "What happened?" Tara looked down at the table. Willow felt her hand begin tingling. She had forgotten that she still had her hand on Tara's arm. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Little tears sprang to Tara's eyes. "Angel paid this guy to ask me to the dance. I said no, but the guy insisted. Before long, everyone was making fun of me. That I wouldn't want to go to the dance with this popular guy. Faith found out from Oz that Angel had set up the whole thing. She told me in history class."
"He did, did he." Willow began glaring at Angel. She could feel this anger building up inside of herself. It was really something else. She had never been this mad before in her life.
Xander's voice broke through the stare. "Will, why are you sending looks that could kill anything at Angel?"
Willow shook her head trying to clear it. "Let's just say he was up to his old tricks. He was giving Tara a hard time earlier. I would so love to cream that guy. If I could, but I really can't 'cause, weakling here."
"What's going on?" Buffy looked at her new friends. "And why does Willow want to cream a guy." Willow sighed heavily.
"Angel." Xander shrugged. "Hassling Tara."
"Oh." Buffy looked over at the table. He really was a great looking guy. He just wasn't very nice. Not like his brother seemed to be. "I hope Spike is not like his brother."
"And why exactly would that be?" Xander smiled as he already pretty much knew the answer to that.
"Well, Spike asked me to the dance." She smiled shyly. "And I said yes. Am I stupid? Do you think he's using me?"
"No way!" Willow smiled at the relieved look on Buffy's face. "Spike has always been a good guy. Never been friends with us or anything. But he also doesn't give you a hard time. And I think that's oh so way cool."
Tara spoke softly. "He just helped a guy that Angel had been giving a hard time. It was something that he didn't have to do."
"I want him to be a good guy." Buffy looked over at Angel. Her heart did a thump thing. She scanned past him to where Spike still sat with the guy that he had helped. Her heart beat so loudly she missed what Willow said. "Huh?"
"Never mind." Willow smiled knowingly. She hadn't known the girl for long, but she knew that look oh so well. She was surprised that everyone couldn't see it on her face when she looked at Tara. "We gonna do anything tonight?"
"If you want, you could help me pick out a dress for the dance. You and Tara coming?" Buffy watched as Tara's face got really sad.
"Tara won't be able to make it. Family Friday night commitment thingy." Tara looked up at Willow. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. She smiled gratefully. "Me, haven't decided yet. No date prospects. And I don't really want to go alone."
"I wish I could go." There were those cheeks reddening a bit. Darn, why did they have to do that.
"It's no big. Family has to come first." Willow began pouting a little. "Unfortunately."
Buffy looked at the two girls. If she didn't know any better she could have sworn there was something going on between the two of them. And that would be cool with her. Everybody needed somebody. It was hard to be alone. And it was even harder to make any type of connection.
**
Angel couldn't help but stare at the petite blonde. Why, he couldn't fathom. She was one of the biggest losers he had come across. And she was hanging with the nerd herd. It was disgusting watching somebody so good looking be with them.
"Are you paying attention to me?" Cordelia's voice snapped his attention back to her. "I was asking when you were going to pick me up for the dance. But if you are too spaced out to care I can always find somebody else to take me."
"Don't you dare." Angel swooped in and kissed his girlfriend. "You're mine and it's going to stay that way. At least until I ditch you after I go to college and you're just a sophomore." He laughed as Cordelia slapped his arm. "What? I'm just kidding."
Cordelia rolled her eyes at him. "You better be, mister. You've seen me cranky. And I could get just a little cranky."
Angel laughed even more. Now his gaze met Spike's. His little brother was grinning from ear to ear. He had yet again shown up his older brother by helping that loser kid. It made him angry. "I still can't figure Spike out."
"And he's your brother." Cordelia shivered. "Is he like a nerd lover or what?"
Angel shrugged. "Beats me. I just think he'll do anything to show me up or get on my nerves. And I'm afraid it doesn't take that much. He's always been good at pressing my buttons."
"You can say that again." Cordelia saw the glare coming from a certain red head. "Looks like someone else has it in for you."
Angel snapped his head around. "Weird Willow? I wonder what crawled up her butt. I haven't done anything to her since school started. And that's taken a lot of willpower."
"It's only the second day of school." Cordelia raised one eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, but look at her." He sighed. "She's just screaming for someone to give her a hard time. Oh, well. Not gonna worry about what a loser thinks of me."
"Only what I think, right?"
"You know it, baby." The two were kissing again.
**
Giles was also on his lunch break. He was sitting in the faculty lounge alone. It seemed that all the others were either eating in their classrooms or had gone out to eat. That suited him just fine. He was trying to read as he ate.
A dark haired woman made her way in. She sat right next to the librarian. "Hey, Mr. Giles." She looked at the title of the book. "You know, there are authors that have had books published in the last hundred years."
He looked up at her to see a teasing smile on her face. "It just so happens that I like things from the dark ages."
"Could it be that you yourself are still in the dark ages?" The smile grew even bigger.
Giles simply shrugged. "I am old fashioned, I'll admit. But there are things that you don't know about me, Miss Calendar."
"Call me Jenny." She smiled even bigger. "So, you going to show me your lively step at the dance? Or do we have to wait for them to play a fox trot for you?"
Now Giles' face broke into a big smile. "I'll have you know that in my day, I was very hip and with it. I've just seemed to lost touch with today's music and dancing styles."
"Well, than." She smiled big. "If you're willing to let me, I could reacquaint you some time. It would mean you'd have to leave that stuffy old library and actually try and have fun."
Giles' face blushed a little. The woman that he had a little bit of a crush on seemed to be asking him out on a date. But it had been so long, he couldn't be for sure. "I may just take you up on that offer. And I'll be getting a little preview on Friday night."
"So, you're going to do the chaperone thing." Giles nodded. "I thought you were. Well, so am I. Maybe I can spend some time with you and we can learn together. I'm not saying I'm all that hip either. But at least I've used a CD in the last decade. Are you still using eight tracks?"
"I'll have you know that I have LPs. And some on CD as well." He smiled. The teasing was so much fun. And this was the best part of starting a new relationship. At least he hoped it was the start of a new relationship. Time would tell.
**
"The hair's now blonde, I see." Faith smiled as Oz walked by her. She was sitting out in the quad eating her lunch by herself. Xander and his friends were cool and she wasn't ashamed to be seen with them, but she like being mostly by herself.
Oz shrugged. "Felt yellow."
She couldn't help but laugh. "That's a new one." She looked down at her own red leather outfit she was wearing. "I must be feeling red. I wonder what that is."
"Fiery. Just like you." Oz did a little smile.
"Yeah. That pretty much would describe me." She eyed him for a moment. "You're band doing the gig thing on Friday?" He simply nodded in response. "Well, we'll just have to hang what little we can at the dance. I'm looking forward to it."
Oz smile grew a little. "Me too." He nodded to his guitar he was carrying. "Gotta jam. Don't want to. Later."
She watched him walk away. There was definitely something about the guy. He was really cool. He didn't talk much. They were basically polar opposites. Except for both of them seeming to be pretty much loners. But everyone had to have someone. It would be interesting if the two of them could hookup.
**
Wesley was walking around one of the book stacks, not watching where he was going. He instantly bumped into someone. "I'm terribly sorry..." He cut himself off when her realized it was the girl, Fred, that he had met that morning. "Fred, right?"
"Yes." Her voice was quiet. He barely heard what she was saying. "Wesley, right?"
"Yes, that'd be me." He smiled. He could feel the tops of his ears getting warmer. A sure sign that he would start blushing at any moment. "I am sorry for almost running you down. I was reading and walking at the same time. Almost as dangerous as drinking and driving it would appear."
Fred actually laughed. She didn't that often. It wasn't like her to laugh. Not that loud and not that long. But Wesley was funny and really nice. She just wasn't usually that comfortable around guys. Any guys. She even had trouble with Mr. Giles. "Sorry to laugh like that. But it was funny. And I'm all right. No major damage."
"Well, I'm glad." Wesley smiled large at her. "I was wondering something. This may sound very strange, but Mr. Giles suggested that I try chaperoning to get to know the students. Well, I don't know this town at all. I grew up in Boston with my sister Faith. Our parents moved here when I graduated from UCLA. I was offered the student teacher position here. It may lead to more. Anyways, what I was wondering was if you'd like to come with me. Not a date, just someone to show me around." His face was now bright red. "Unless, of course, you wouldn't mind being my date." His voice trailed off.
Her smile was huge as she mentally had to pinch herself to make sure that she had heard right. Someone was asking her out on a real date. O.K., it was like a chaperone thing, but still. He had used the word date. "I'd love to be your date."
"That's excellent." The bell rang, ending the lunch period. "I would love to stay and talk, but Miss Calendar will be expecting me back in class."
Fred watched her date for the dance walk out the door. She had never been on a date before. She was so painfully shy that no one ever gave her the time of day. No one. And now, she actually had a date for the dance.
The reason that she was beginning to love lunchtime so much was it meant that she would be able to spend time with Tara. Even if she had to share that time with Xander and Buffy, it was still time that she got to spend with the blonde. And they only had home room and math class together. Not much time for talking in either of those classes.
There was that eternal struggle going on inside of her. Was this just a friendship thing? It couldn't be just a friendship thing. This was still only the second day of school and therefore only the second day she had known the blonde.
But she already felt something. She already felt something for Buffy too. But it was definitely in the friendship area. Maybe even best friend area. It was like she felt for Xander. But with Tara, it was different.
She spotted Tara sitting alone already. Buffy and Xander were no shows at the moment. She couldn't help but wonder where the two were at. But it also made her a little happy, heck, a lot happy. After all, she would be getting to have just a microism of time with the girl that made her heart do a little flip at just the mere thought of her. Definitely more than just a friendship thing. It had to be more.
Quickly, she made her way to sit next to the blonde. She could hear laughter coming from a few tables over. Cordelia had spotted her. No doubt she was making fun of the way she was dressed. Or maybe she was referring to the two of them as losers. It didn't matter. She was now alone with Tara.
A smile was instantly on her face as Tara looked at her. There was a smile on her face as well. It was as if she had been looking forward to this all morning, just like Willow. The red head wanted to be brave and daring and tell her that she felt something for her. But after not even two days? It was too bold for such a maneuver. But someday, she would definitely make her oh so scary move.
"Having a good day?" Willow asked. She opened up her little Scooby Doo lunch box. "Mine's been all right. It's better now that I get to talk to you." There was a little bit of a blush to her cheeks as she said that. But why? Friends could say things like that. They often missed talking to one another during the day, didn't they? So more than a friendship.
"I know the feeling." Tara's cheeks also reddened. Willow couldn't help but notice. "It was kinda a rough day."
"Hey, I'm here to listen." Willow put her hand on the blonde's arm. That was sorta a mistake. She felt like her hand was on fire and would surely burn the other girl's skin. But she also felt like she couldn't move it either. She definitely didn't want to move it.
Tara looked over to where there was more laughter. Angel and Cordelia were harassing a young man. Willow thought his name was Jonathan, but she wasn't sure. "They're at it again."
Willow saw Cordelia trip the guy. He fell face first into his lunch that he had just bought. A chorus of laughter erupted from the table. Her eyes widened a little as she saw Spike come over from the back of the cafeteria. He helped the guy up and took him back into the lunch line. The bleach blonde paid for another meal and took him to sit with him.
"Wow!" Willow couldn't help herself. "That's gonna really piss off Angel. But that's probably why he did it."
Tara looked back at Willow. "I'm not so sure. I get this good guy vibe off from Spike. I think he really is a nice guy. Unlike his brother."
Willow straightened at the words. Had Angel done something to her? "What happened?" Tara looked down at the table. Willow felt her hand begin tingling. She had forgotten that she still had her hand on Tara's arm. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Little tears sprang to Tara's eyes. "Angel paid this guy to ask me to the dance. I said no, but the guy insisted. Before long, everyone was making fun of me. That I wouldn't want to go to the dance with this popular guy. Faith found out from Oz that Angel had set up the whole thing. She told me in history class."
"He did, did he." Willow began glaring at Angel. She could feel this anger building up inside of herself. It was really something else. She had never been this mad before in her life.
Xander's voice broke through the stare. "Will, why are you sending looks that could kill anything at Angel?"
Willow shook her head trying to clear it. "Let's just say he was up to his old tricks. He was giving Tara a hard time earlier. I would so love to cream that guy. If I could, but I really can't 'cause, weakling here."
"What's going on?" Buffy looked at her new friends. "And why does Willow want to cream a guy." Willow sighed heavily.
"Angel." Xander shrugged. "Hassling Tara."
"Oh." Buffy looked over at the table. He really was a great looking guy. He just wasn't very nice. Not like his brother seemed to be. "I hope Spike is not like his brother."
"And why exactly would that be?" Xander smiled as he already pretty much knew the answer to that.
"Well, Spike asked me to the dance." She smiled shyly. "And I said yes. Am I stupid? Do you think he's using me?"
"No way!" Willow smiled at the relieved look on Buffy's face. "Spike has always been a good guy. Never been friends with us or anything. But he also doesn't give you a hard time. And I think that's oh so way cool."
Tara spoke softly. "He just helped a guy that Angel had been giving a hard time. It was something that he didn't have to do."
"I want him to be a good guy." Buffy looked over at Angel. Her heart did a thump thing. She scanned past him to where Spike still sat with the guy that he had helped. Her heart beat so loudly she missed what Willow said. "Huh?"
"Never mind." Willow smiled knowingly. She hadn't known the girl for long, but she knew that look oh so well. She was surprised that everyone couldn't see it on her face when she looked at Tara. "We gonna do anything tonight?"
"If you want, you could help me pick out a dress for the dance. You and Tara coming?" Buffy watched as Tara's face got really sad.
"Tara won't be able to make it. Family Friday night commitment thingy." Tara looked up at Willow. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. She smiled gratefully. "Me, haven't decided yet. No date prospects. And I don't really want to go alone."
"I wish I could go." There were those cheeks reddening a bit. Darn, why did they have to do that.
"It's no big. Family has to come first." Willow began pouting a little. "Unfortunately."
Buffy looked at the two girls. If she didn't know any better she could have sworn there was something going on between the two of them. And that would be cool with her. Everybody needed somebody. It was hard to be alone. And it was even harder to make any type of connection.
**
Angel couldn't help but stare at the petite blonde. Why, he couldn't fathom. She was one of the biggest losers he had come across. And she was hanging with the nerd herd. It was disgusting watching somebody so good looking be with them.
"Are you paying attention to me?" Cordelia's voice snapped his attention back to her. "I was asking when you were going to pick me up for the dance. But if you are too spaced out to care I can always find somebody else to take me."
"Don't you dare." Angel swooped in and kissed his girlfriend. "You're mine and it's going to stay that way. At least until I ditch you after I go to college and you're just a sophomore." He laughed as Cordelia slapped his arm. "What? I'm just kidding."
Cordelia rolled her eyes at him. "You better be, mister. You've seen me cranky. And I could get just a little cranky."
Angel laughed even more. Now his gaze met Spike's. His little brother was grinning from ear to ear. He had yet again shown up his older brother by helping that loser kid. It made him angry. "I still can't figure Spike out."
"And he's your brother." Cordelia shivered. "Is he like a nerd lover or what?"
Angel shrugged. "Beats me. I just think he'll do anything to show me up or get on my nerves. And I'm afraid it doesn't take that much. He's always been good at pressing my buttons."
"You can say that again." Cordelia saw the glare coming from a certain red head. "Looks like someone else has it in for you."
Angel snapped his head around. "Weird Willow? I wonder what crawled up her butt. I haven't done anything to her since school started. And that's taken a lot of willpower."
"It's only the second day of school." Cordelia raised one eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, but look at her." He sighed. "She's just screaming for someone to give her a hard time. Oh, well. Not gonna worry about what a loser thinks of me."
"Only what I think, right?"
"You know it, baby." The two were kissing again.
**
Giles was also on his lunch break. He was sitting in the faculty lounge alone. It seemed that all the others were either eating in their classrooms or had gone out to eat. That suited him just fine. He was trying to read as he ate.
A dark haired woman made her way in. She sat right next to the librarian. "Hey, Mr. Giles." She looked at the title of the book. "You know, there are authors that have had books published in the last hundred years."
He looked up at her to see a teasing smile on her face. "It just so happens that I like things from the dark ages."
"Could it be that you yourself are still in the dark ages?" The smile grew even bigger.
Giles simply shrugged. "I am old fashioned, I'll admit. But there are things that you don't know about me, Miss Calendar."
"Call me Jenny." She smiled even bigger. "So, you going to show me your lively step at the dance? Or do we have to wait for them to play a fox trot for you?"
Now Giles' face broke into a big smile. "I'll have you know that in my day, I was very hip and with it. I've just seemed to lost touch with today's music and dancing styles."
"Well, than." She smiled big. "If you're willing to let me, I could reacquaint you some time. It would mean you'd have to leave that stuffy old library and actually try and have fun."
Giles' face blushed a little. The woman that he had a little bit of a crush on seemed to be asking him out on a date. But it had been so long, he couldn't be for sure. "I may just take you up on that offer. And I'll be getting a little preview on Friday night."
"So, you're going to do the chaperone thing." Giles nodded. "I thought you were. Well, so am I. Maybe I can spend some time with you and we can learn together. I'm not saying I'm all that hip either. But at least I've used a CD in the last decade. Are you still using eight tracks?"
"I'll have you know that I have LPs. And some on CD as well." He smiled. The teasing was so much fun. And this was the best part of starting a new relationship. At least he hoped it was the start of a new relationship. Time would tell.
**
"The hair's now blonde, I see." Faith smiled as Oz walked by her. She was sitting out in the quad eating her lunch by herself. Xander and his friends were cool and she wasn't ashamed to be seen with them, but she like being mostly by herself.
Oz shrugged. "Felt yellow."
She couldn't help but laugh. "That's a new one." She looked down at her own red leather outfit she was wearing. "I must be feeling red. I wonder what that is."
"Fiery. Just like you." Oz did a little smile.
"Yeah. That pretty much would describe me." She eyed him for a moment. "You're band doing the gig thing on Friday?" He simply nodded in response. "Well, we'll just have to hang what little we can at the dance. I'm looking forward to it."
Oz smile grew a little. "Me too." He nodded to his guitar he was carrying. "Gotta jam. Don't want to. Later."
She watched him walk away. There was definitely something about the guy. He was really cool. He didn't talk much. They were basically polar opposites. Except for both of them seeming to be pretty much loners. But everyone had to have someone. It would be interesting if the two of them could hookup.
**
Wesley was walking around one of the book stacks, not watching where he was going. He instantly bumped into someone. "I'm terribly sorry..." He cut himself off when her realized it was the girl, Fred, that he had met that morning. "Fred, right?"
"Yes." Her voice was quiet. He barely heard what she was saying. "Wesley, right?"
"Yes, that'd be me." He smiled. He could feel the tops of his ears getting warmer. A sure sign that he would start blushing at any moment. "I am sorry for almost running you down. I was reading and walking at the same time. Almost as dangerous as drinking and driving it would appear."
Fred actually laughed. She didn't that often. It wasn't like her to laugh. Not that loud and not that long. But Wesley was funny and really nice. She just wasn't usually that comfortable around guys. Any guys. She even had trouble with Mr. Giles. "Sorry to laugh like that. But it was funny. And I'm all right. No major damage."
"Well, I'm glad." Wesley smiled large at her. "I was wondering something. This may sound very strange, but Mr. Giles suggested that I try chaperoning to get to know the students. Well, I don't know this town at all. I grew up in Boston with my sister Faith. Our parents moved here when I graduated from UCLA. I was offered the student teacher position here. It may lead to more. Anyways, what I was wondering was if you'd like to come with me. Not a date, just someone to show me around." His face was now bright red. "Unless, of course, you wouldn't mind being my date." His voice trailed off.
Her smile was huge as she mentally had to pinch herself to make sure that she had heard right. Someone was asking her out on a real date. O.K., it was like a chaperone thing, but still. He had used the word date. "I'd love to be your date."
"That's excellent." The bell rang, ending the lunch period. "I would love to stay and talk, but Miss Calendar will be expecting me back in class."
Fred watched her date for the dance walk out the door. She had never been on a date before. She was so painfully shy that no one ever gave her the time of day. No one. And now, she actually had a date for the dance.
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