-----Falling Into Step-----
Buffy is a senior in high school who's just broken up with her boyfriend, Angel, who moved to LA. Spike is the guy she can't stand…right?
Just a quick credit and thanks to Coquine who inspired this fic with her, 'The Marching Razorbacks'. Without her, this never would have come about, because I'm just a band geek who happens to be a Buffy fan, and never thought the two could mesh. Here's where I (hopefully) prove that wrong.
Dawn stopped outside of the room, feeling exceedingly nervous, like she might vomit, or run away…or both. She tightened her grip on the handle of her long rectangular case and took a deep breath. It was her first day of high school; rather, the first day of summer band, but it was all the same.
She walked in slowly, her legs feeling leaden as she stepped over the threshold, weighing her down with each step as she looked around desperately for a familiar face. No one. The room was large and spacious with a high ceiling and bright lights. Directly in her line of vision was the podium, which faced the entire room filled with chairs, instruments, and people. Lots and lots of people.
She stood and gazed around for a moment, taking in the sight before her. Everyone seemed to know everyone else; they were all standing in groups or setting up instruments. Occasionally she spotted someone who looked nearly as lost as she felt, but the majority of them seemed to know exactly what they were doing. She gulped and turned right, trying to appear confident by going over to the back row of chairs where several trumpets were already set up and taking a seat near the end.
She pulled out her instrument with shaking hands and put on her mouthpiece, and then slid her case under the chair and fiddled with her trumpet in her lap as she apprehensively raised her eyes. The chatter and bustle of over one hundred people trying to get situated in the small room was somewhat overwhelming, and the sense of detached awe swept over her once again.
That's when she saw them: a group standing in the front of the room, completely at ease, laughing, talking…oblivious to everyone except each other. There were six of them; four girls and two guys. Dawn knew instantly that they must be seniors. The girls, a pretty blonde, a redhead, and two with chestnut waves, looked completely perfect. Dawn felt a pang of envy. That's what girls in high school were supposed to look like…The guys, one with dark hair and the other with spiked brown locks, Dawn looked at with one thought, Wow, high school guys…
She stared at them, wishing she were a part of that group, not even noticing when a middle-aged man with glasses and a tweed suit entered the room from the same direction she had. Everyone else noticed, however, and began to sit down, some warming up and others continuing their conversations. Dawn knew she should warm up, but with all these superior musicians around her, she didn't dare play a note, instead contenting herself with biting her lip and smiling at anyone who came along while trying not to blatantly eyeball the group in the front.
So intent in her not-watching, she didn't even notice when one of the girls with chestnut hair came in her direction. At the last second, she looked up, spotted her, and stared at the floor and fingered her valves nervously. Try not to look like a complete dork when she passes…she told herself.
"Hi," the girl said, suddenly directly in front of her, smiling warmly and extending her hand. "I'm Tara."
In disbelief, Dawn took it. I'm meeting one of them. She looked up to where the group had been, but they had dispersed, and Dawn focused her attention on the one member who had actually bothered to approach her. Tara's long brown hair waved prettily down her shoulders, stopping a little below them. She wore jeans and a loose flowered shirt with matching sandals on her feet. "Um, hi," she said, standing up. "I'm Dawn."
"Freshman?" The girl, Tara, sat down next to the seat she had just vacated, absently moving a binder of music onto the floor.
She nodded, awkwardly sitting back down.
"You're going to like band. It's a lot of work, but it's really fun. Football games are the best."
Dawn nodded again, enjoying the girl's quiet demeanor and friendly chatter. She racked her brain for something interesting to say.
"Hey, Anya!" the girl called. Her voice was gentle, but the other girl responded instantly, walking over with a scowl from where she had been standing a few feet away.
"Xander didn't buy me a present," she complained, oblivious to Dawn's presence. "I think I deserve a present. We're seniors now!" It was another member of that group. Dawn sat a little straighter.
"Anya, this is Dawn." Tara announced pointedly, ignoring the other girl's complaints.
"Oh, hello." Anya turned her attention to the girl and looked at the instrument dangling in her left hand. "I see you're in my section. I'm the section leader," she proclaimed proudly. "Last year it was some moron named Gena, but this year will be much better, so you'd better practice."
"I- I will," Dawn assured the older girl, a bit disconcerted by her outspokenness.
"Well, nice to meet you!" Anya smiled happily and walked back to the dark haired boy Dawn had noticed earlier, presumably Xander, and took his hand in hers. Damn…taken, Dawn thought. Tara too, rose and with a small wave, walked over to the clarinet section and sat next to the pretty blonde she had seen earlier who was now sitting first chair. Dawn was left alone again, but as the director finally took the podium, she felt much more at ease. They had talked to her…
Buffy sighed, sucking impatiently on her reed, when Tara plopped down next to her. "Introduced yourself to any of the freshmen yet?" she inquired.
"Nah," Buffy replied sounding bored. "Maybe later. Did you practice this summer?"
"Yeah." Tara smiled. "You better watch your back."
Buffy grinned. "So how are things with Kennedy?"
"Oh, w-we broke up. She had…control issues."
"Kinda noticed those," Buffy said sympathetically. "It wasn't too serious though, right?"
"No…just a summer fling. Kinda hard to get upset about."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed.
"Hey, G-man!" Xander yelled from across the room, slipping his neck strap over his head. "We starting yet?"
"Yes, yes, Xander. I know you're all eager to begin preparing for contest, but just a minute," replied Mr. Giles.
"Contest?" Xander laughed. "Actually I was thinking I wanna show off my new first-chair skills. The ladies love the sax." He patted his instrument lovingly and elbowed Sandy, the small girl sitting next to him who merely rolled her eyes.
"Alright, alright," Giles shuffled through some sheet music on his stand and raised his hands. "F-concert, please," he said, waiting for a moment while everyone got settled and then counting them off in clipped British tones.
A resonant tone filled the room and Giles listened intently for a moment, then, apparently satisfied, cut them off, announcing, "Warm Up 1. Do all the freshman have music?"
He waited, and when no one replied, he took it as assent, knowing many of them were merely too afraid to speak up. He knew the upperclassmen would help them along, and so he led them into the first chords of the warm up, stopping almost immediately. "Percussion, you're off," he said with irritation. He glanced up at them and paused. "Oz," he questioned. "Where is Spike?"
The drummer shrugged.
"Good lord, he's not here? He's head of the drumline, he can't be-"
Just then, as if on cue, the back door just behind the percussion section opened and Spike slipped inside. He looked exactly the same as Buffy remembered him; slicked back bleached blonde hair, worn black leather, and she knew if she could see, irritatingly clear blue eyes.
"Ah, William, so glad you decided to join us…" Giles said impatiently as Spike strapped on his snare, tossing his long leather coat in the corner and expertly flipping his sticks in his hands.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she ended her appraisal and noticed that half the eyes in the room, all of them girls, and nearly all of them freshmen, turned to stare at the new arrival. "Look at them!" Buffy muttered indignantly to Tara. "I'm surprised their eyes haven't fallen out of their sockets, what with all the ogling! What do girls see in that idiot?"
The other girl shrugged, the small hint of a smile on her face, then replied, "You thought he was cute in freshman year, and that was before the bleached hair and nice body. If you ask me, he's only improved."
"Well that was before I knew him," she said defensively.
"Well they don't know him either," Tara pointed out. "I don't think he's that bad."
"Well, I don't see why they have to look at him. Dumb little girls…"
Meanwhile, Spike had apparently won his argument with Mr. Giles, who polished his glasses as Spike muttered instructions to the other drummers. A moment passed, Giles tapped his baton on the stand in front of him, and they resumed playing.
"Agh, I'm tired," Buffy said as she packed up her instrument and headed out the back door with Willow and Xander. The front door was seldom used during summer band because it led straight into the school, and while useful when they had classes, not as practical as the back, which led straight out to the parking lot.
They had spent the last four hours teaching the freshmen how to march, a task that was completely hopeless in their opinion. "God, they're dense," Willow sighed, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "I mean, I know they're trying, but what's with all the wobbling and shaking and 'aah'?"
"Was I ever that dumb?" Xander asked, then rushed on, "No. Don't answer that…So, who's up for some frothy goodness? I'm proposing milkshakes for all."
"Yum!" Willow hurried around to the passenger side of his car and jumped in while Buffy unhurriedly made her way around and crawled into the backseat as they waited for Tara and Anya to come out. Anya, however, claimed fatigue and peeled out of the parking lot in her pink Volkswagen beetle, and Tara said that she'd walk home.
As they were backing out, they saw Spike exit the band room and climb into his black Desoto. "He's such a jerk," Buffy commented, immediately frowning on seeing the bleached blonde.
"All the drummers are…"
"Hey!" Willow smacked his arm in mock anger as they pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the quiet streets of Sunnydale.
"Except Oz…" Xander amended, fearing another onslaught from the redhead.
Buffy stared out the window, watching as they passed trees, houses, and the occasional person. She could practically see the heat rolling off the sidewalk in waves. Just looking at it made her sweat and she reached up between her two best friends to turn up the air conditioning.
Once they got to Willy's diner, basking in the cool air that enveloped them the moment they stepped inside, they all ordered milkshakes and sat down. "The show's going to be awesome this year," Willow commented enthusiastically as she sipped on the large icy mug of strawberry goodness that Xander had bought her.
"Yeah," Xander agreed, downing half of his chocolate shake in one gulp and wincing in the near immediate aftermath. He shook it off, commenting, "And the football team will go far, or at least they would've if Angel hadn't-"
Buffy stiffened. Angel… She felt the table jerk and knew that Willow had just kicked Xander not-so-discreetly underneath. "It's ok, you guys, he moved. It's not like he's dead. I'm over it. Or, I will be…but really, you can say his name."
Buffy and Angel had begun dating mid-freshman year and had been together ever since, but then his family had moved to LA and they'd both agreed it would be better if they ended things. The long distance romances never worked…It had broken her heart, and shocked everyone around them, but it was for the best. Or so she kept telling herself…
"Hey, guys, wanna-" she gestured towards the door with her head. "I'm beat. Those freshmen take a lot outta ya…" she joked, taking one last sip of her vanilla shake.
Her friends unquestioningly rose with her and the trio moved towards the door, pausing to let in a family of three. They recognized the daughter as one of the new freshmen and made an effort to make her feel welcome, as Giles so often reminded them to do. "Hey." Willow smiled kindly and Xander gave a small wave. Buffy nodded absently, lost in her thoughts, but noticing as the girl's face light up excitedly at the greetings from the older students.
"Hey," the girl replied happily. "See you guys!" she called as they breezed out the door.
Her parents smiled at one another, Our Dawnie's becoming popular already…
Outside, the three seniors shielded their eyes from the hot sunlight and hopped into the car. Xander asked casually, "What was her name again?"
There was a round of shrugs and they drove away laughing.
Buffy walked in her front door and went upstairs to practice her instrument, then decided against it, and collapsed onto her bed, sighing blissfully as she sank into the cool mattress. She ran her fingers over the flowered comforter and thought happily over the events of the day, scowling when reflections of Spike came to mind.
Spike walking in late,
the freshmen girls ogling Spike,
Spike playing his drum solo,
Spike calling out cadences, the low rumble of his voice reaching her ears even from the back of the room…
Dumb, arrogant jerk, she thought.
She couldn't wait until tomorrow. Their music was intense and she loved a good challenge. She thought of all the skips and runs of sixteenths that she had yet to master. For now, though, a nap sounded awfully nice…
The next week was filled with 'Mark time, huts' and three step intervals, instrument positions and 'presence' as they learned page after page of the ridiculously hard drill, Giles showing them no mercy.
"God, I'm exhausted," Buffy commented to Anya as she reached for a bottle of water during one of the few and far between breaks bestowed upon them by the British band director. There was only one left, and Buffy smiled gratefully.
"Move it, Summers," a rough British voice growled as a hand reached out and snapped the bottle from her grasp.
"Hey!" She turned angrily and her scowl deepened when her eyes confirmed who it was. He had on black jeans and a fitted black tee, his crystal blue eyes taunting, mocking her.
What kind of idiot wears all black in hundred-degree weather? she wondered. She was sweltering in her shorts and baby blue tank top. "I think that was mine…" she informed him through gritted teeth, trying to keep her cool, something proving to be very difficult when she again thought about the hundred degree weather and who had stolen her reprieve from it.
"Don't see your name on it…" He rolled his tongue under his teeth, a self-satisfied grin working its way over his features as he unscrewed the top and took a swig.
Normally, that would have been it. She would have forgotten about it. But it was hot, and at that point, she didn't care if Satan himself had drunk from that bottle. It was hers. "Spike!" Her fists clenched as she glared at him. She snatched at the bottle, but he held it above his head as he leered at her. "Give it to me!"
"Here, Summers?" he questioned, a faux shocked expression on his face. There were hesitant titters from the small crowd of freshmen girls who had gathered to watch the interaction between the two blondes. A few of them glared jealously at Buffy, but she was too angry to pay them any mind.
"Huh?" she asked, not getting it.
He gave her a knowing look.
"Eew!" she exclaimed when it hit her. "Pig!" She slapped his chest in disgusted anger.
"Now, now," he admonished, taking another sip of water and enjoying it way too much, rolling his dexterous tongue along the inside of the rim. "No need to get physical."
"Asshole." She turned and flounced away, 'accidentally' stomping on his boot as she did so. If she had a seizure or got heatstroke or something from dehydration, she was so suing that idiot.
"Language, pet. Language…" he called out from behind her as their audience dispersed.
Anya ran up beside Buffy, handing over her own half-finished bottle. "Thanks," Buffy muttered. "You know, I really can't stand him." She downed the remaining half the bottle in one gulp.
"No. He's quite aggravating. But I'll bet he has a large penis," Anya remarked.
Buffy sputtered, coughing frantically. She was used to Anya's comments, but she so didn't want to think of Spike's…eew.
Just then, walking up and rescuing her from any icky Spike thoughts, Oz and Willow appeared.
"Hey you guys," Willow greeted. "I've finally got this flute solo down pat. And the drumline's doing great…especially Oz."
"Finally? Baby, it's only been a week," Oz told her with a sort of loving pride while modestly ignoring her compliment.
"A week is an eternity in band. And you guys are doing great…"
"Actually, it's Spike who come up with all the interesting rhythms and variations…I just play 'em. Without him the percussion part wouldn't be half as interesting…" Oz stated matter-of-factly.
"Please!" Buffy tipped the few remaining droplets of water into her mouth as she crinkled her nose in disgust. "You're giving him way too much credit," she argued.
"No, he's right Buffy," Anya said. "That guy has it."
"I think he's just a loner, slacker…stupid guy who is way oversexed." She rolled her eyes.
"But a stupidly oversexed guy I wouldn't mind getting my hands on…" Anya stated as the four of them glanced back to see him and the flag captain…enjoying themselves in a shaded corner next to the gym.
"Hey!" Xander declared, walking up.
"Get my hands on in a 'Grr, you woman user!' sort of way," Anya amended.
"That guy is blessed…"Xander stated. "He's just getting what the rest of us want. It's not like he tricks them into it. You know how open he is about the whole 'no-strings-attached' thing. Lucky bastard."
It was Anya's turn to exclaim, "Hey!"
"Who's that?" Oz interrupted the potential squabble, gesturing to a young girl staring wide-eyed as Spike ran his hands under the other girl's blouse.
"Oh, just the newest member of the Spike Fan Club," Willow said.
Her name's Dawn," Anya informed them. "She's in my section. A good section leader always learns everyone's name."
The others inwardly rolled their eyes at her boasting and the five of them sat wearily on the curb to discuss the merits of freshmen and make-out sessions until Mr. Giles called them back to the football field. This had to be against child labor laws…
"I'm so excited about the lock-in next week," Willow said that night over the phone. "Those are always so much fun."
She was referring to the official band lock-in they had every year to celebrate the end of summer band. By this time, the freshmen were fairly adequate marchers and the first part of the drill was learned; the reward was the entire gym reserved for pizza, coke, dancing, basketball, a big-screen TV, and sleeping bags shoved up against the wall.
Supposedly it was a 'get to know you' sort of thing, but people just hung with their friends and if you didn't know anyone, you wouldn't bother showing up. "Yeah, Wills," Buffy agreed. "It'll be great…I can't wait." She paused, then added, "Well, I gotta go…Mom needs to use the phone."
"Ok, see ya tomorrow, Buffy!"
"Bye!"
"Bye."
The phone clicked off and Buffy sighed, her stomach rumbling. She was excited about the lock in and excited about being a senior, but things somehow didn't seem as great as she thought they would, considering she had everything to be happy about. She had her friends, she was first chair, her mom had splurged on a killer new wardrobe for her…so why wasn't she thrilled?
There was Angel. She missed him, but truthfully, it had been three months. She just wanted to get over him. That was it. She needed a guy. Well, didn't need one, because she believed in all that feminist, don't-need-a-man-to-complete-me stuff of course, but a cutie for senior year was a must. She'd spent enough time brooding over Angel. It was time to move on…This year would be about fun flings and crazy dating. No seriousness for Buffy. She'd had enough of that for the past three years. It was time to get out there and find out what she'd been missing.
Angel-scmangel.
Do you really believe that? she asked herself. She'd told her friends she was over it, herself she was over it, but was she?
No…she knew. But dating? No-strings-attached dating? Yep, definitely the way to go.
Well, It's me again, with yet another new story. Its AU and not too conventional, so I hope you like. I'm not expecting many reviews for this, due to the fact that, well, like I said, it's different. But it IS Spuffy, and I promise to try and make it good, so please R&R!!