Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

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Chapter 19

The Bronze was crowded when Spike got there just after nine p.m. He had barely taken three steps in when he saw Buffy. She was on the dance floor with a boy he recognised from his English class but didn’t know his name.

“No wonder she didn’t call me,” he thought bitterly as he walked to the bar to get a drink.

He had hoped she might have tried to talk to him, okay, so he ran out of English that first day but she’d passed him a couple of times and not made any effort to talk.

He got to the bar and stood waiting to be served. He glanced round the club - Willow and Oz were snuggled up together on a couch with Xander, looking a tad embarrassed, sitting on a stool next to them. The music changed and Buffy and the boy sat with the others. He wondered if he dare to go up and talk to them once he got his drink? He was still debating what to do when the barman spoke,

“What can I get you?”

Spike reluctantly tore his eyes away from Buffy.

“Um, a Coke, please.” He started to pull his money out of his jeans pocket.

“It’s okay, I’ll get this, and I’ll have two more.”

Spike froze - the voice was Angel’s. He turned to look at him.

“I’ll pay for mine, thanks,” he said.

“Nah, you can get the next round,” grinned Angel as he put his arm around Spike’s shoulder.

He’d never found it harder to keep the ‘Spike’ persona going; what was Angel playing at?

“This is my buddy Davey,” said Angel.

“Um, hi,” said Spike weakly.

“You’re James, right?” said Davey.

“Spike, call me Spike,” he replied.

“So, Spike, how are you finding life in Sunnydale?” asked Angel.

“Er….I ‘ate it, mate,” said Spike, finding his nerve finally.

Angel laughed, “It’s not that bad, Spike!”

Angel led them off to a table at the back of the club. As he walked toward it the people sitting there got up and walked away.

“Oh look, some empty seats.” He grinned at Spike.

“Cool,” said Spike, not really knowing what else to say.

They sat down and Davey pulled out a bottle from his jacket pocket.

“Want some?” he asked and poured a shot into all their drinks before Spike could answer.

Angel watched Spike as he took the first sip of the drink. Spike smiled when he tasted it - it was vodka and he remembered the Karaoke night. He took a bigger sip, liking the way the liquor burned on its way down. He looked at Angel and grinned.

“Cheers, mate.”

“This has got to be way better than moping and hurting”, he thought, eerily echoing his Mom’s way to escape from a reality she couldn’t cope with.

“All right!” said Angel. The three of them ‘chinked’ their plastic cups together.

After a couple more vodka-laced Cokes each, the three of them were laughing and joking loudly, drawing worried glances from those around them - when Angel got tanked up it usually ended in trouble.

“Uh oh,” said Willow, noticing Spike sitting between Angel and Davey, “Looks like the new boy’s found some great company.”

“What, William’s cousin?” asked Buffy, looking round, “God, what’s he doing with Angel? Surely William must have told him what a pig he is?”

“The fact that you’re getting bullied isn’t something a guy would tell everybody, Buff,” said Xander.

“Yeah, perhaps he doesn’t know what a sleazoid Angel is,” added Willow.

“He’s been through a lot, I don’t think he’s coping too well,” said Oz.

They all looked at him.

“How do you know that?” asked Buffy.

“Well firstly, it’s pretty obvious something like he’s had happen to him would screw him up, and secondly I saw him today when William’s memorial was on. I was late ‘cause I’d had to go to the dentist and I found him sitting out on the front steps, head in his hands, not moving,” replied Oz, “I asked him if he was okay and he said he wasn’t. I sat with him for a minute or two and then left. He didn’t say much.”

“That’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black,” joked Xander, “I think that’s the longest speech that I’ve heard you utter!”

Oz thumped Xander on his arm.

Willow looked back at Spike sandwiched between the two goons. They’d stopped putting the liquor into their Cokes and were taking turns swigging from the bottle.

“So, what you’re saying is that he’s probably pretty vulnerable right now and that Angel will hone in on that and take advantage of him?” asked Willow.

“Er, yeah,” said Oz, “Nicely put.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, which he returned by kissing her properly on the mouth.

“And that is my cue to go and get us some more drinks,” said Buffy, “Same again, everyone?” she stood up and as she did the boy she’d danced with started to get up too.

“I’ll give you a hand,” he said.

“No, Mick, it’s okay, I can manage,” said Buffy and she walked to the bar.

Willow and Xander exchanged a little ‘look’, knowing that their efforts to fix Buffy up with Mick had failed miserably. She just wasn’t interested.

Ooooooo

“I’m gonna get another Coke,” said Spike, “Want one?”

Angel and Davey shook their heads, content to carry on drinking the vodka neat. Spike hadn’t the tolerance for alcohol like they had since he’d barely drunk before, so he needed to get something to dilute it. He stood up and swayed as he did so, making Angel and Davey laugh.

“Is it me or is it ‘ot in ‘ere?” said Spike, taking off his jacket and leaving it on the chair. He went to the bar, he misjudged the distance as he went to lean on it and bumped into a girl who was paying for some drinks. She turned to glare at him.

“Be careful,” she said.

“’Ello pet, I’m Spike,” said Spike with a grin.

“You’re drunk,” said Buffy, wrinkling her nose.

“A little bit,” he replied. He saw her eyes fall on the tattoo on his right arm. “Like that, do yer? It means bravery.” His words slurred slightly.

“Should be stupidity,” she retorted.

“Wot?” he snapped, anger flashing in his eyes.

“For hanging out with Angel and Davey,” she said, “William hated them, they gave him hell.” She picked up the drinks and walked back to her friends.

He watched her walk away. “Well, they’re not giving William hell now, are they? Being friendlier than the likes of you,” he muttered. He turned away from the bar not bothering to buy the soda. He sat back down with a thump in the seat next to Davey and took a long swig of the vodka.

“Sod ‘er,” he thought.

Ooooooo

Buffy handed the others their drinks.

“I’m not sure your theory about Spike Norman is right, Will,” she said as she sat back down. “I think maybe he’s just found his own sort to hang out with. He’s drunk and he has a tattoo.”

“Gasp! Horror!” said Xander, “Both marks of being a bad guy without exception. God, Buffy, I can’t believe you just said that. What’s wrong with having a tattoo?”

“Well, you guys haven’t felt the need to get one done and Angel has that one on the back of his shoulder, so that proves my point,” she replied.

“Xander hasn’t gotten a tattoo ‘cause he fainted at the sight of the needle,” joked Willow, “You went to get one last summer, remember?”

“Willow!” said Xander sharply, “Save my manly pride, please.”

“Go on, Will, what happened?” encouraged Oz.

“Xander fainted before the needle even touched the guy who was having his done before him,” laughed Willow, the others joining in, “The tattooist never got close.”

“Thanks, Willow,” said Xander grumpily, making the others laugh even more.

Ooooooo

When it was time to go home Mick asked Buffy if he could walk her home. She thanked him very sweetly but refused the offer, knowing the price of being walked home would be that he’d expect a kiss and she didn’t want to kiss him. He took the hint with good grace and headed off home. Xander walked with Buffy, Willow going with Oz in his van.

Spike reeled as the fresh air hit him, making him feel even more intoxicated. He said his goodbyes to Angel and Davey and staggered in the direction of home. It wasn’t until he got there that he realised he’d gone to his old home, “William’s” house, rather than Rupert’s apartment.

“Shit,” he said when he saw where he was.

He kicked at the falling-down fence, breaking a few more planks before turning round and going to Rupert’s apartment. He let himself in as quietly as he could after fumbling with getting the key into the lock. He went and lay down on his bed not bothering to get undressed. The room started spinning. When he closed his eyes, it spun even faster. A wave of nausea hit him and he raced to the bathroom and was violently sick. He stumbled back to bed and this time propped himself up so he was sitting in order to stop things spinning quite so badly before he fell asleep.

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