Chapter One

The sun was creeping its way through the blinds in Buffy's room. She was smiling, having a pleasant dream. She was walking with Angel Connors, the hottest hunk in Sunnydale high school. They were walking home from a movie, holding hands, when he stops her to tell her how much he likes her and how beautiful she is. Then he leaned in for a kiss. Buffy slowly moved closer-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Buffy's eyes opened abruptly. "Come on!" She slammed her hand down on the snooze button. "He was going to kiss me," she whimpered. She pushed the blankets off of her body and stood up. She stretched her arms and welcomed the day with a yawn. Buffy went across the hall to the bathroom. The door was closed. She knocked.

"Occupied," a man said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Not much with the caring. I need to get ready."

"If you actually possessed something called a brain, you would remember that I too, go to school."

"Yes but no one's going to care how far back you can pull back your hair," Buffy said, frustrated.

The door opened and Spike's head popped out. "I do." He shut the door and continued gelling.

"Spike! Let me in my bathroom!"

"Sorry, I'm busy."

"Spike!"

"Buffy," Joyce said sternly. She was tying her silk robe around the waist. "Get dressed and then you can have the bathroom afterwards."

"If he's even out by then. He spends more time in the bathroom than any half respectable male."

"Honey, please stop bickering."

"I don't think you understand how important a high school girl's time is in the bathroom. If I don't' look nice, I'll never be accepted by my fellow peers. If I'm not accepted, then I'll be an outcast, forced to live my life in shame. I'll be depressed all the time, I'll never have any initiative and I'll live at home until I'm thirty and dating a man named Fred who lives with his parents." Buffy's eyes widened. "I'll end up a leper," she said terrified.

"And all this will happen if you don't get into the bathroom this minute?" Joyce asked, trying to make Buffy see how ridiculous it sounds.

"Yes."

No result. "Well I guess I'll have to make your room up in the basement. I don't want to be infected with your leperacy," she said kiddingly. Joyce started down the stairs.

"Mom!" Buffy pleaded. She took a deep breath and banged on the door. "Open up Captain Peroxide!"

The door opened. His hair was all slicked back, not a strand out of place. "Here you are your Leperacy." He smiled as he walked out of the bathroom.

"I hope you hit a bus!"

"Luckily you'll be in the car with me!"

Buffy screamed in frustration and slammed the door shut.

Downstairs Joyce was cooking some pancakes. There was butter and syrup out on the counter. "Good morning Spike," Joyce greeted.

"Morning Mrs. Summers." He opened a cupboard and pulled down a glass. He opened the fridge and grabbed the orange juice.

"Want some pancakes? Fresh from the frying pan." Joyce placed a white plate with four pancakes on the counter.

"Thanks Mrs. Summers."

"It's no problem. And stop calling me Mrs. Summers. Call me Joyce, I sound less old."

"Thanks Joyce." He sat on a barstool and made up his four pancakes. He can't remember how long he went without eating real food. His dad wasn't much of a cook and neither was he. There meals consisted of Spagettios and Macaroni and Cheese. On big holidays they'd splurge and order out.

Buffy came down the stairs. She was dressed in tight, bootcut jeans and a white shirt with a long, belled, see through sleeve on the right and a spagetti strap on the left. Her hair was left hanging down, covering her silver metal hoop earrings. "Morning Mom."

"Morning honey." Joyce kissed Buffy's cheek and Buffy did the same.

"Morning Seed of Chuckie," Buffy greeted Spike.

"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed.

"Morning Buffy," he said with a smile, knowing she would get yelled at.

"That's not what he really wanted to say," Buffy defended. "Come on, out with it. What's the term of endearment today? Barbie? California bimbo? Flat chest?"

"Buffy, stop it! Seriously, I don't understand why you give Spike such a hard time."

"He's invading my territory."

"I'm sorry, are we lions?" Spike asked.

"I wouldn't compliment you that much," Buffy sneered.

"Buffy, please! Eat your pancakes." Joyce handed her a plate.

Buffy kept her death glance on Spike as she walked to the other end of the counter. She buttered her four pancakes and lightly covered them with syrup. After cutting them into little pieces she started to put them in her mouth. He is such a pain in my ass. We should've just bolted the doors when him and Mr. Giles came to our doorstep. Definitely would've been better off.

"Better hurry Buffy, we don't want to be late for school." Spike got up and went to the front door to retrieve his black backpack.

Buffy put one more piece in her mouth and discarded the rest. "Thanks Mom." Buffy kissed her cheek. "Love you."

"Buffy, wait." Buffy turned around and walked back to her mom. "Can you try to get along with him? You are going to be married some day."

"Yeah, have I sarcastically thanked you for that yet?"

"At least once, every day for the whole three months they've been here."

"Just checking. I'll be back after practice." She grabbed her light brown, corduroy backpack and left.

Spike was waiting for her in his black blazer. Well, it's going to be his when his father thinks he's ready for it. Buffy got in the passenger side and buckled in.

"Ready for school?" Buffy just shook her head, annoyed with him, and looked out her window. "Anythin' interesting?"

"The sprinklers on the neighbor's lawn is moving back and forth, it's very exciting."

"Sounds like it." He backed out of the driveway and headed to school.

Buffy looked at him. She was a little freaked at him being nice to her. "What's with you?"

"What?"

"Are we feeling all Mother Theresa all of a sudden?"

"Can't I just want to have a civilized conversation with you?"

"Spike, civilized does not exist in your vocabulary. Along with many other words of the English language."

"Give me a break Buffy. We're engaged-"

"Because of our parents."

"My point is, we're going to have to get along so why not start now?" Spike gave her a sincere smile before turning in to Sunnydale High's parking lot.

"Well, okay."

Spike parked between a silver Eclipse and a red Toyota truck. He hopped out and ran to open the door for Buffy. She was still a little hesitant but accepted his gesture and got out of the car. "Let me get your bag for you." He reached over the seat and grabbed her backpack. "Here."

"Thanks."

They walked through the big wooden doors and down the hallways to their dark brown lockers.

"Willow!" Buffy said excitedly.

"Hi Buffy," Willow said with a wave.

"Xander," Spike stated.

Xander raised his hand as he pulled his Pepsi from the soda machine. "Hey Spike." They did a little friendship shake that ended with a snap of their fingers. "How's it going?"

"You'll see." Xander followed his glance to Buffy.

Buffy opened her locker and was pulling out a couple books. "It was majorly weird. He was all I-hate-your-guts one minute and the next he was making genuine small talk."

"Boys are confusing," Willow enlightened. "In kindergarten they pull your hair when they like you and in high school they suffer from multiple personalities."

"Got that right." Buffy opened her bag and reached in. She pulled out a rubber snake, which made her scream bloody murder. She heard laughing in the distance. Buffy looked up and saw Spike and Xander practically dying from lack of oxygen. "That little-" Buffy stopped when she felt someone behind her. She turned and saw Mr. Shorty Express himself. "Good morning Principal Snyder."

"Miss Summers. Miss Rosenberg. I trust you won't be tardy to classes today."

"Tardy? I've been tardy to a class? I wasn't told about this?" Willow panicked.

"Of coarse not sir," Buffy said with a fake smile.

"Good, then you better hurry. You have thirty seconds before the first bell." He smirked in conquest as we walked past them.