The Glitch 2.0

Time seemed to be passing so slowly, and so quickly, all at the same time. Nataunia had, in essence, turned her entire life around in the course of less than three months. Less than a quarter of a year, and she was living a life so very different than where she had been. It had become somewhat of a pattern, even. She would go to school, most of the time, and then either go home to train with Willow, or sometimes Faith, and about every Tuesday or so she would go to the band's practice. Apparently her performance at the Bronze had garnered her a bit more popularity as well, because she was having to deal with more people at school trying to talk to her. It was nice most of the time, really, the attention and smiles; it was something that she hadn't experienced before Sunnydale. On the other hand, though, she really didn't know how to handle it. Having been in the situation she was, she didn't know what to do when people talked to her most of the time, or when someone would get what she thought was uncomfortably close. Dawn claimed there were tons of rumors about her floating around the school due to what people saw as mysterious and aloof behavior, which was really just her not knowing how to deal with them, and that there was a running pool to see who would get a date with her first.

That last bit of information had come as a surprise to her, and she had nearly snorted out the soda she was drinking when it came. A running pool... a contest for the first date with her... and she was one of the gossip topics of the school? She couldn't quite believe it, and would have chalked it up to Dawn's exaggeration, had they not been at their weekly Friday at the Bronze, and Clyde with them. The young man nodded, smirking at her happily, and gestured absently at where his crush, and several other boys, were trying to watch her without being noticed. The rest of the Scoobies were only a table away, at their usual spot in comfortable couches, whereas she and Dawn were hanging out with a few of the band members at a table that was not surrounded by comfortable and overused sofas. She glanced around discreetly again, and noticed that some of the girls were watching her too. "So... is it just a running pool with the over-confident jockstraps or is it the whole school?"

"Jockstraps. I like that." Clyde, the geeky drummer, laughed, and she saw the Lisa smirk as well. Neither of them were particularly fond of most of the sports players at the school, having been among the outcasted 'nerds' for most of their lives. "And nah. Some in the underground are after you too... and I think one of the cheerleaders started a 'rumor' about you being gay."

Taunie glanced around again, and this time caught the smirk on Faith's face. The Slayer had been evesdropping. "Is that why people keep getting up in my personal space? Fuck, why the hell, man? I should just tell them all I'm asexual or engaged or something. I can't deal with this." She sighed, comfortable with the people at her table at least. Dawn, when around the band members, had calmed down enough to where she didn't mind too much. The younger Summers could be a pretty cool person, when she wasn't nervous and jittery. The band members, too, were fairly laid back, and reminded her a great deal of Oz without the wolfy tendencies. It left for comfortable silences, a bit of witty banter, and a lack of awkwardness. The rest of the school wasn't so wonderful to deal with though, and the prospect of being the fox in a hound chase wasn't exactly appealing to her. How was she supposed to train with Willow, or help the Slayers, or deal with her winged lifestyle, with hormonal brats after her. She doubted any of them really even knew anything about her other than what she looked like and that she sang with the band once in a while.

"I could pretend to be your girlfriend, you know, to throw them off a little." Dawn volunteered, sounding a little too nonchalant about it. Taunie eyed her suspiciously. "If you're dating someone, only the skeeziest will hit on you, and you can just claim that you're a one-woman-gal."

"One, Buffy would kill me." Nataunia offered, shivering at the thought of having to explain to the blonde Slayer that she was leading the girl on in order to escape hormonal peers. "Two, it'd be weird to use a friend that way, Dawnie. Three, that's an amazing idea."

"Okay, that last one wasn't really along the same lines as the first two." Dawn complained, frowning, and then wrinkled her nose. "And Buffy can deal with it."

"No, no, no. The claiming I've got someone already thing. How do they know that I'm single or not?" Taunie smirked a little, and glanced over at the rest of the Scoobies. "I'm gonna have to get everyone to cooperate though. And figure out a name for the mystery girl."

"Or you could skip the drama and actually go out with someone." Lisa said, looking at the pair of them like they were a couple of clowns. "There's gotta be someone among the masses that you're attracted to."

"I may not be dating anyone, miss priss, but I am fair. There's someone, who you -already- know about, that I want. I know it won't happen, but I want nevertheless." Taunie rolled her eyes and poked at her drink, brooding. "I want badly... which sucks... but it wouldn't be fair to whoever I decided to go out with, because my mind wouldn't be on them. I mean, would you want to go out with someone who's thinking of someone else half or more of the time?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The girl waved her off, but was smiling indulgently in agreement. She tried to ignore Dawn's slight pout next to her. "Whoever this chick is must be one hell of a woman... and one hell of an idiot."

"Love, my friends, makes you do the wacky... the wacky including not wanting me." Taunie smirked, and watched as her small circle of friends laughed. "I doubt it makes her an idiot, but it does make her loyal... which adds to the hell of a woman part. Okay, different subject now. Everyone has their crosses, holy water filled squirt-guns, and stakes, yeah?"

"You are so weird, but yeah." Lisa rolled her eyes again, but once again smiling indulgently. "I can't believe you're making us carry this stuff."

"Honey, this town has a huge death-rate, the last school was blown up, and there are more animal attack deaths slash gang-member-on-PCP attacks than a place like this warrants." Nataunia argued, eyes narrowed at the girl. "You promised to keep at least the squirt gun and cross on you in case of one of those PCP attackers came at you."

"Which will help so much." Clyde chuckled, but her glare made him silent.

"Yeah, well, when the wrinkly, fanged face is screaming in horror at the puny little watergun giving him an acid burn and has a smoking cross wound across his demonic features, you'll be thanking me... and then you'll be needing a nightcap because a shrink won’t believe you." She rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go check out what's up with Dawnie's varying degrees of guardian-caregiver-people that have been so kind as to take my lonely self in. You lot remember to squirt first and ask questions later."

"Aye-aye cap'n." The guitarist joked, finally adding to the conversation from where he'd been sitting, observing the band that had been hired for the night's sets. Likely he was comparing styles and getting ideas. "Squirt first, ask questions later."

“Be as snarky and sarcastic as you want, Derrick-dick, but do as I say, or I’ll stake your ass.” She growled at him, smirking, and he rolled his eyes, attention once again on the music. Obsessed. The boy was obsessed. Then again, she could get just as focused too, on certain things. With a wiggle of her fingers in farewell, and a few comments from Clyde about wanting to “stake someone’s ass”, she dragged Dawn back over to the rest of the scoobies. “Yo.”

“Yo-yo what-up home-y.” Xander joked at her greeting, making her roll her eyes and flop down on the couch between Faith and Willow. The pair chuckled at her reaction, and Dawn reluctantly leaned against the arm of Buffy’s chair. “You down wit it yo?”

“You have no idea what you’re saying, do you Xander?” Willow was still smiling, and the Zeppo grumbled something about Anya before standing from his chair and wandering off. The youngest Summers quickly took the opportunity at her own seat. “So… Faith mentioned something about people chasing after my little student.”

“I’m not little.” Taunie argued, instead of denying the information. Damn Slayer hearing. Faith chuckled. “So what’s up?”

“Awe Taunie-girl… ya don’t wanna talk about that crush ya said you had on someone?” Faith pouted at her dramatically, and Nataunia did her best to not blush. “How ya know she isn’t into ya anyway? You’re hot shit, T.”

“Thank-you oh so much, Faith. Your ‘faith’ in me is astounding, and your compliment fills my heart with confidence. I shall search this girl you are convinced exists out, and re-enact the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.” Taunie’s voice was grumbled in a deadpan as she rolled her eyes, making them all giggle. “Can we please change the subject? I have to plot on how to convince the school that I’m seeing someone… either that or develop mad-player-skillz overnight.”

“Well, other than your interesting soap-opera love-life, or lack-there-of,” Buffy offered, still smiling slightly, “we were talking about how the vampire activity seems to be increasing finally. It’s usually earlier, around the start of school, but they seem to have gotten a late run at it. Faith and Willow agreed you’re ready to try out patrols once a week with us. No big fights, but enough to get some working experience. She said that you’re kinda handy with a crossbow when you try real hard at it.”

“Meaning when she pisses me off I can make her dance with crossbow bolts at her feet.” Taunie smirked, and Faith laughed.

“Yeah, from like five feet away!” The brunette slayer continued chuckling her husky laugh, making Nataunia blush in reaction to the skepticism. “You’re good enough with one that if ya can keep up in the air, you’ll be a distraction if it comes t’ needing it. Other’n that, it’s fledgelings and watchin’ for ya.”

“I’d make a comment, but you’d either turn it sexual or snarky, so I thus keep my lips shut.” Taunie growled at her, but was smiling softly. “So when do I get to go out on one of these Slaying ventures with you, oh wise Slayer-woman.”

“We were gonna split off on a patrol after Bronzing, ya can start then.” Faith was looking smug, and Willow gave them both an apprehensive look. “Red said ya can just do the claw thingies. Those should be good for now, until ya get the hang of action.”

“Yeah… um… changing fully at the Bronze, with lots of witnesses, would be bad.” Taunie agreed, cringing uncomfortably. Willow gently patted her shoulder, expression protective, but what surprised her was the support she felt in Faith’s hand squeezing hers by her side, discreetly. “What about Dawnie? Ain’t she supposed to be, you know, learning the family business?”

“Dawnie keeps skipping her lessons.” Buffy growled, and the younger Summers made a face at her. “When she stops skipping lessons, she can start patrols with us.” Taunie looked questioningly at the redhead, and Willow shook her head. “Wills said she had some reading to catch up on… so it’s just you and the Slayers… or rather, you and Faith. I’m taking the opposite end of town, so we can get patrol done faster.”

Willow smiled softly, and winked, despite the both of them knowing that the patrol would result in… well… probably arguing and teasing instead of nothing, but not the result that Taunie would have liked. Then again, as the thought started to circle in the witch’s head, she frowned. Faith was, likely, not the best prospect for Nataunia to be dating in her opinion anyway.

TBC