Life of Experience

Part Two


Xander started filling one of his many closets with clothes. The best thing was that the room was furnished and all he had to do was to fill the shelves with his stuff. His knees still hurt because of the falling. He was still cursing that stupid Will. How dare he make him trip on the floor like that? He was so immature! And to think he was the older one! Hearing footsteps behind him, Xander turned around to find Will standing in the middle of his room, holding one of his CDs. ~ speaking of the Devil! ~ He thought angrily.

Xander stood up grimacing. “Leave that alone!” he ordered the other boy. ~ Of all the nerve! Walking into my room and taking one of my CDs like he’d done nothing! ~

Will raised an eyebrow, and Xander noticed the scar that was on that brow. Will was holding out the CD. “Patsy Cline? Never expected you to listen to Country music.” He shook his head in amazement and placed the CD down. “I thought you were a pop nerd, big Britney Spears and N*SYNC geek,” Will explained.

Xander gave a disgusted face. “No! Who do you think I am?”

William just shrugged and looked around his room. Xander felt the pain in his knees and hated the way Will acted like he owned the room. He couldn’t kick him out. It was his first day living in this house and it *was* actually William’s for seventeen years.

Xander shifted from foot to foot. He had to make conversation, he couldn't just stay silent and let William rudely look around the room like he was Xander’s superior or something. “Do you like Patsy Cline?” Xander asked. ~ Good question, Xan! ~

Will barked a laugh. “No! I hate that sappy Country trash! I’m a rock n’ roll bloke. Rock is the real stuff,” the bleached boy pointed out with a nod as if he was the music expert.

“I wasn’t into it either,” Xander confessed. “But the guy in the music store said that this was the music of pain and I kinda needed that,” he whispered sadly as memories of his Dad flashed into his mind. Will didn’t seem to notice his distress.

“So who were you listening to before that bloke gave you that 'worthless recommendation'?” Will asked looking at that big glass project Xander did for school with interest.

Xander blushed looking else where. “Uh … pop music?”

“I guessed that, whelp. What I wanna know is who?”

Xander blushed even more but tried to act casual. “The Backstreet Boys,” he answered trying to sound as confident as possible. It would have been convincing if his cheeks weren’t as red as a tomato.

Will’s reaction was just a teasing smirk. The annoying older boy nodded. “Should’ve guessed that.”

Xander glared at him. “Like your choice of music is any better!”

Will looked at him challengingly. “Have you ever heard a song by the Sex Pistols?”

Xander blinked. “Couldn’t they find a less disturbing name?”

“I’ve got all their CDs. You better give them a try.” Suddenly, Will looked very excited.

Xander raised his eyebrows. “I think I’ll pass.” He looked up at the scar on Will’s brow. “Where did you get this?”

“Wot?”

“The scar. What happened?”

“Oh, none of your business.”

Xander was about to explode. ~ I can’t believe him! ~ “I thought we were having a conversation here!”

“Yeah, well, I’m bored with conversation. Just want to examine what other geeky stuff you got,” Will said while holding up some comics and action figures.

Xander moved towards Will snatching the magazines but couldn’t reach the action figures since the taller boy kept them out of his reach. Xander stood on his toes trying to catch them. “Give them back, Will!” he cried jumping up and trying to reach the action figures.

Will grimaced. “Don’t call me that! No one’s allowed to call me that except for Pops and teachers!” Will wasn’t even making an effort to keep the figures away from him. Being taller than Xander sure had its advantages.

“So, what should I call you? The Immature Bleached Wonder?” Xander gritted out heatedly.

“Name’s Spike, kid,” Will couldn’t sound any prouder.

Xander stopped reaching and just stood there staring at the older boy dumbly, before bursting into a gale of laughter. Will glared at him and lowered the hand he was raising. “Oi, what’s so funny?”

Xander looked at him and tried to talk but every time he stopped to compose himself he started off again. Will got annoyed and raised the hand that was holding the figures again. “If you won’t bloody stop, I’ll throw this crap out the window!” he threatened irritably.

Xander stopped right away but the mocking laughter was still shining in his big brown eyes. “It’s just … Spike? Couldn’t you find a cooler name? Not that I think that ‘Spike’ is a cool name or anything.”

“What’s wrong with Spike?” Will sounded offended.

“It’s a doggy name,” Xander explained as innocently as possible.

“Oi, it’s not! And if you say that again I’ll …”

~ That’s it! He lowered his hand! ~ Xander thought as he reached out and grabbed his action figures away from Giles Jr.

‘Spike’ stared at him with astonishment. Xander gave a victory grin. “You’ll do what?” he challenged the older boy.

Spike glared. “Alright,” he muttered, as he reached with his hand towards Xander’s glass project and pushed it off the table. It fell down and crashed to the floor causing little pieces of glass to fly around. Both boys avoided being hit by the shattered glass. Xander stared at his broken project on the floor with wide eyes. He turned to Spike and smacked him on the stomach very hard. “Why the hell did you do that?!” he screamed furiously.

“You deserved it!” Spike yelled punching Xander on the face.

The pain was unbearable. Xander’s focus was so wholly on the pain from the punch, that he didn't notice that he had dropped on the floor until few seconds later. He was thankful that he hadn't fallen on the shattered glass. He was beyond rage. How dare that stupid punk beat him like that in *his* own room after breaking *his* project? That was rude!

Xander looked up glaring at Spike with eyes full of fury and anguish. “How could you?! I did this project with my Dad two years ago!!” he was yelling harshly and Spike just raised an eyebrow.

“So wot? Gonna cry now?”

Xander tried all he could to keep the tears of frustration from falling. No success. Rich drops of tears fell on his cheeks making Spike smirk widely. How could Spike be this cruel? This insensitive? He just punched him hard in the face and ruined a memory he had with his Dad and he was acting like it DIDN’T MATTER? Like he hadn’t done a thing? Wasn’t he afraid that Xander might tell Mr. Giles about that?

“So, you gonna tell Pops about this?” Spike asked as if he read his mind. “Thought you were a big boy when you didn’t tell him bout me tripping you earlier.”

Spike acted naturally, like he was certain that Xander wasn’t going to tell Mr. Giles. And he was right. Xander couldn’t tell Mr. Giles about this. He noticed how the man was worn out from their fighting earlier and he wouldn’t have him regretting taking Xander on as another son. It was Xander’s first day living here anyway. He didn't want to cause trouble for the man who took him into his care.

What bugged him so much was that knowing smirk on Spike’s features. He hated him! Spike was treating him so badly and was totally unconcerned that he just lost his Dad a week ago.

“Get out!” Xander snapped with a sob. Spike just shook his head and the annoying smirk was still in place. He walked *so* slowly towards the door attempting to drive Xander mad. And God it did.

The second Spike closed the door behind him; Xander released a low whimper of pain. He looked at his broken project and wept madly. He just lost his father, damn it! Wasn’t that enough?! Now he had to deal with Mr. Giles’ juvenile son?! That was unfair! It was beyond him the way Spike treated him! Maybe he really deserved the doggy name, 'cause he’s such a dog!

The boy looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit. The area around his left eye was swollen and he couldn’t let Mr. Giles see it. He was sure tomorrow the bruise would have a very nice color. He heaved a sigh before beginning to collect the shattered glass.

****

That night, Giles happily climbed up towards Xander’s room. It was dinnertime and he was thrilled to eat with someone else at the table. William always preferred eating in his room in front of the TV or outside with his friends. The last time they ate together in the kitchen was when William used to be in intermediate school. After that, the boy just wanted to be left alone and be separated from him. Something about ‘cool’ fellows don’t spend their time with their daddies and mummies. Giles respected his son’s wishes and left him to do whatever he pleased, thinking it was the right thing to do.

Ethan Harris, ~ May he rest in peace, ~ Giles thought melancholy, always disapproved of his way in raising his son. He used to say that what Giles was doing was spoiling William, but Giles wouldn’t listen to his friend. However, Giles always noted how Xander was better than William. He was polite and respected his father which was something William, sadly, lacked.

Giles stopped by Xander’s door and knocked. “Dinner is served, Xander. Would you like to come downstairs and eat?”

“Thanks, Mr. G, but I’m not that hungry!” came Xander’s reply, which was not the answer Giles had expected. The librarian frowned, that was unlikely strange. He always joked with Ethan about Xander’s apatite when it came to food. He was considering going in and seeing what was troubling the boy but just asked instead, “Are you alright, Xander?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just wanna sleep, big day with the moving in. You go and eat. I’ll be fine!”

“Alright then,” Giles replied softly and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Alone.

******