The Courtship of Buffy Summers

The following Monday the leading lady of this story makes her way up the front steps of Sunnydale High. She definitely isn’t looking forward to today. She knows she needs to make up with the redhead and the brunette best friend, and she planned a speech out last night, but she’s nervous. She doesn’t know what they’re going to say, or if they’re going to let her back into their inner circle. She’s definitely caused a bit of a riff between, even a blind person can see that.


She knows that Xander is going to be more forgiving, because he isn’t as passionate about Faith as Willow is. Or at least he isn’t as verbally judgmental. Most of the words of caution have come from the ginger girl and Buffy isn’t sure if she’s going to be able to get Willow to forgive her, and be friends with her again. ‘It’s not like I killed her dog. I got mad at what they were saying about my potential girlfriend and yelled at them. And I didn’t even say that bad of stuff. They said really mean stuff about Faith. I didn’t call them names or anything. At least I don’t think I did. Crap, I can’t remember!’


Even more freaked out and nervous then before she makes her way towards her locker. She subtly scans the hallways looking for any sign of Willow or Xander. She doesn’t see them and she lets out a small sigh of relief. She’s hoping not to run into them until lunch so she’ll have more time to apologize. She opens her locker and pulls out the book she’ll need for her first class. She keeps the metal door open, and stares at the inside. ‘I wonder if I can get a picture of Faith. No, I think it’s too soon. I said I didn’t want to be exclusive yet, and putting up a picture in my locker would definitely shout exclusive,’ she babbles to herself and shuts the door. She’s startled when she sees Percy West leaning against the locker next to her, staring at her with an almost blank look on his face, and chewing a piece of gum.


“Can I help you?” she asks when the boy says nothing. She holds her book up to her chest like she had done with Faith. She doesn’t know why she gets a little nervous when people she doesn’t know try to talk to her, she just does. And the book acts like a shield between her and the other person. Percy stands up a little straighter but not too much. ‘God, is he tired or just really lazy?’ She gives up on trying to decide and focuses on what the star basketball player has to say.


“Semiformal is coming up and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.” ‘I forgot all about that stupid dance. I totally thought no one was going to ask me since I’m new.’ She shifts from one foot to the other as she thinks about her answer. She doesn’t want to completely turn him down because she does want to go to the dance, but she wants to give Faith the opportunity to ask her first. ‘We agreed not to be exclusive so it wouldn’t be cheating. And I’m not going to lie to her about it so I’m not sneaking around. If she doesn’t want to go with me then she has no right to get mad if I go with someone else.’ With her reasoning set she gives her answer to the boy awaiting her answer.


“I’m not sure if I can go or not. I’m sort of grounded at the moment, and my mom never said when she’s going to un-ground me so I’ll have to check with her. And if she does I might be going with someone else, but they haven’t asked me yet. How about I get back to you on Wednesday?” she asks and she sounds a little nervous. He nods his head a little bit and scratches the back of his neck. He stands up a little straighter, slouched but no longer leaning on the locker.


“Ok, if that’s best for you. I usually hang out in the cafeteria on Wednesdays,” he tells her and walks off before she can answer. ‘Oh man he’s a prince, the guy of my dreams,’ she thinks sarcastically. ‘Yeah right. I wouldn’t date that guy if he was the last guy on earth.’ The bell rings announcing that it’s time for all the students to scurry off to class, and Buffy has to rush if she doesn’t want to be late for her first class, which she doesn’t. She takes her seat at the front of the room and zones out while the teacher babbles on about exponents.


‘Percy West isn’t that bad looking. He’s kind of cute, I guess. A little lacking on the personality, but I’ve only talked to him the once. Maybe he was nervous, or he’s shy? I can’t believe I’m considering this. But I do want to go to the dance, and Faith doesn’t seem like the type of participate in school activities. But I don’t want her to get jealous. Or maybe I do? I mean, if I go out with someone else and she gets jealous then that means she has feelings for me and she doesn’t just want to get in my pants. But I have to wait until I find out if she wants to take me or not or else I’d be the most horrible person on earth.’


When the class is dismissed, and the homework assignment is given, the students get up and leave to enjoy their break. Buffy stops by her locker to drop off that book and pick up the next one she’ll need. She looks at the inside of the locker door and contemplates some more about wanting a picture of Faith in her locker. ‘So does this mean that subconscious I want to commit, but conscious I don’t because I haven’t known her for very long? Does that even make sense?’ She rolls her eyes at her own mind babble, and closes the locker door. She’s startled for a second time that day when she sees someone leaning against the locker next to hers.


“I really wish people would stop doing that,” she says and holds her hand up to her heart and feels it slowly start to slow down. “One of these days I’m going to have a heart attack.” She looks into the dark, smiling eyes of the brunette standing before her. “Do you need something?” She asks and puts a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The girl in question is giving off a very cocky attitude about her, and Buffy can’t help but find it…enticing.


“Yeah, I do need something. I need to ask you out to the semiformal,” the brunette says and gives Buffy her best smiling. The blonde has to admit that it is a nice smile. But that can’t make up for the fact that she’s completely blown away by what the brunette just told her. She gets a stunned look on her face, which she can’t force away, and the taller brunette is finding it very amusing, which does nothing but irritate Buffy.
“What is it ‘Ask Buffy to the Dance Day’?” she says without really thinking. And she definitely isn’t expecting an answer, but she gets one.


“No, actually that’s next Thursday. Today is ‘Ask A Hot Blonde to the Dance Day’. And seeing as I don’t have a date, and you’re a very hot blonde, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.” She stares at the attractive brunette for a few seconds, and thinks about what she said. Then they both start laughing, and it seems to go on forever, when really it’s only two and a half minutes. When they stop things get a little awkward, but luckily the brunette jumps in and saves Buffy from making an ass out of herself by babbling. ‘I so wasn’t going to make an ass out of myself, you’re just being mean.’


“I’m sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners,” the dark haired girl says and holds out her hand for the blonde to shake. “I’m Kennedy.” The baffled blonde reaches out and shakes the offered hand and introduces herself to the brunette. But Kennedy already knows who Buffy is. She’s the major gossip of the school. Everyone is just waiting to see who she’ll go with to the semiformal. There’s even a bet going on with some of the students. Most have their money on Percy, the ones who knew Buffy went out with Faith have their money on Kennedy, and the ones who couldn’t choose have their money on Buffy going alone.


“So, not to be a bug, but will you go to the dance with me?” the brunettes asks again, sounding a little less upfront about it. She looks into Buffy’s hazel eyes with her own deep browns, and gives off a vulnerable look. Normally she wouldn’t be doing this. She only goes after the girls who are out and proud because there’s a lot less resistance, but she has a hundred bucks on Buffy going with her to that dance, and Kennedy is anything but a loser.


“I don’t know. Thanks for the offer, but I’m sort of grounded at the moment, and if I can go I was hoping to go with someone else.” ‘Will you just leave so I can head towards my next class? It’s on the second floor and I’ll be late if I don’t leave now.’ But Kennedy doesn’t leave, and Buffy doesn’t want to seem rude by just walking off. ‘Well, it’s only English, who cares? I think being able to speak it is good enough.’


“You want Faith to ask you, don’t you?” Kennedy asks and raises an eyebrow at Buffy. The blonde just tries not to look confused at the way Kennedy is acting. She’s never seen someone act like this before when asking her out. “Not to be rude, but I don’t think that’s going to be happening anytime soon. Faith doesn’t go to dances, never has, never will. You’re better off going with someone else. The only other person who’s asked you is Percy. If you wanna get felt up all night and then slobbered on when he tries to kiss you then go with him. I’m offering a relaxed, casual evening with dancing, some bad punch, and no strings attached. Here’s my number, and if you decide to go with me then give me a call.” She hands Buffy a small folded piece of paper and leaves before she can say anything.


‘Ok, the people in this school are just fricking weird. No doubt about that. I’m sure Kennedy can get a date no problem, so why is she asking me when she knows I want to go with Faith? Maybe Willow will know something about it.’ She puts the paper in the front pocket on her sweater and makes her way towards her next class. ‘Two invites in one day and they’re totally not from the person I want to take me. But she’s still in L.A., she won’t be back until tomorrow night.’ It’s true, the raven haired maiden called Buffy last night from a payphone and told her she wouldn’t be back until Monday night, possibly Tuesday morning.


Buffy zones out through her English glass and almost misses the assignment that the teacher tells them to do. ‘Write a two thousand word report on the impact Shakespeare had on writing plays. What kind of crap is that? Who cares about some dead guy who wrote a few plays. They’re all boring anyway.’ But even the blonde will admit that she would like to play Juliet to Faith’s Romeo. ‘Except for the double suicide part, that would totally suck. And weren’t they cousins? ‘Cause that’s gross, and illegal depending on what state you live in.’


With the lunch hour now here the blonde makes her way to the library so she can talk to her somewhat geeky friends. ‘What am I supposed to say to them? I had a speech but I don’t think it’s going to be good enough, and I can’t remember half of it anyway. Ok so this will be completely improvised. I should do ok. I don’t have a lot of apologize for. Just the fact that I yelled at them when they were nothing but concerned and then I ignored them for a week. Oh yeah, I’m sure they’re going to welcome me back with hugs and flowers.’ She nervously walks into the library and stops to watch the laughter going on between the two students. ‘Here goes nothing’. She slowly makes her way over to them, and as soon as they notice her they go quiet.


“Ok, I know this is awkward, so I’m going to just jump to the chase,” she says and nervously shifts from one foot to the other. “I know you guys are worried about me, and everything you’ve told me about Faith is because you’re concerned. And I’m sorry I lost my temper and yelled at you. I should have stayed calm, and maybe we could have talked it out. But it’s too late to go back now, so I’d just like to apologize for the way I’ve treated you.” She holds her breath while she waits for the jury to deliberate.


“Pay up,” Xander says and holds his hand out to Willow. The redhead rolls her eyes and hands over a ten dollar bill. “I told you she couldn’t resist us.” He puts the money in his front shirt pocket, and smiles at the blonde who is looking a little confused and slightly irritated. ‘They bet that I’d come crawling back to them, and Willow bet against it?’ “All is forgiven. After you blew up on us like that we decided to back off on the Faith bashing. You’re going to have to see for yourself what she’s really like since it’s obvious no one is going to be changing your mind anytime soon. Even though she has hurt a lot of girls.” Buffy rolls her eyes as the boy takes a large bite of his sandwich. She sits down next to Willow and she isn’t stupid to the fact that Willow hasn’t said a word to her yet.


“You keep saying that, you keep telling me that Faith has hurt all these girls, but you’ve never given me any names. I’m just supposed to take your word for it that she’s some kind of heartbreaking monster? Where’s your proof? Because I haven’t seen any so far.” Willow goes to speak but then shuts her mouth, and gives a pleading look to Xander. “Ok, why won’t you talk to me? Are you still pissed at me for throwing that tantrum because I apologized and I meant it, I really am sorry.” But the redhead remains silent, so Xander jumps in.


“We went to a Dingoes concert on Saturday and she still hasn’t gotten her voice back.” Buffy gives her a sheepish look and Willow nods her head a little, silently acknowledging that the blonde is sorry for yet again losing her temper. “And you never asked for names, but we can give you plenty. The girl you should really talk to doesn’t go to this school. Her parents put her in private school because she refused to come here anymore. This is after Faith ripped out her heart and put it in a blender.” ‘Gross, does he have to be so visual?’ “Her name’s Anna Mills. Here’s her address.” Xander takes one of Buffy’s notebooks and write down an address. “She usually gets home around four. Tell her you know us and she’ll talk to you.” ‘What are they secret agents?’


“I’ll do that,” the stunned blonde says and picks up her notebook. ‘She lives like three blocks away from me. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.’ The blonde is about to get up and go to a vending machine to get something to eat when she remembers she was going to ask the two about the strange events that took place this morning. “Do either of you know why Percy West and some girl named Kennedy asked me to the dance today? My ego is loving it, but they were both acting kind of…weird. Any idea what’s up?” Both teens play dumb because they also have some money in on the bet and don’t want to alert the blonde to what’s really going on.


‘Well, I guess I’ll think about that later. My mind is going to be too busy thinking about this Anna Mills girl. So, Faith broke her heart, huh? I wonder what she looks like. Oh God, don’t tell me you’re getting jealous over a girl you don’t even know, because the girl you’re not even dating obviously fooled around with her, maybe even had sex with her? You are, you’re getting jealous. Well you better stop or soon you’re gonna be labeled a jealous freak who talks to herself in the third person.’


So, with thoughts of this mystery girl on her mind Buffy makes her way to her next class wondering if it would be good idea to question her, or if the better idea would be staying in the dark. But curiosity wins and she decides to go see Anna today, even if she is risking getting into even more trouble with her mother. This is just more important, and if her mother doesn’t realize that then too bad. This is her love life we’re talking about. She needs to know what Faith is really about so she can decide if she wants to pursue this relationship or not. ‘So, I guess I’ve got a blind date with a girl named Anna.’