Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

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Chapter 26

Thursday’s tutoring session soon came around. This time Buffy was at the library before Spike, leaning on the desk, chatting to Rupert and smiling at him as Spike opened the doors. He paused for a second before they saw him. He wished she’d smile at him like that or, better still, smile at him like she had in The Bronze that night. He shook his head to disperse the images in his mind. Buffy noticed the movement and turned to face Spike, smile dimming as she did so.

“Um, hi,” said Spike, walking towards the table where they’d worked last time.

“Hi,” she said. She smiled at Rupert once more before sitting down next to Spike.

“Ready to start?” she asked.

“Yeah,” replied Spike.

So out came all the textbooks and they settled down to work. After an hour Buffy yawned loudly, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, sorry,” she said.

“I’m sorry you’re having to do all these extra hours at school,” said Spike, eyes averted.

She glanced at him to see if he was being sarcastic but he just kept his head down on his work and kept writing.

“It’s okay. If it wasn’t you it’d be someone else. I volunteered to do this this year to get some extra credit on my record,” she replied.

“Well, I’m sorry you got me,” said Spike quietly.

“You can always ask Snyder for someone else if you don’t like me tutoring you,” snapped Buffy, anger flashing in her eyes, taking his comment the wrong way.

Spike sighed, “That’s not what I meant.”

“So what did you mean?”

He shrugged, “Doesn’t matter.”

What was the point in trying to explain himself to her, she just hated him. He had to face facts that Spike wasn’t what she was looking for…

“Yes, it does,” insisted Buffy, “Tell me.” She put her pen down with finality on the table and looked him in the eye.

He dropped his eyes as he felt his face start to flush.

“It’s just….er….well….um.” he glanced back at her for a second. She was still staring at him. He took a deep breath, “It’s just yer don’t like me much…at all…so I thought you’d rather ‘ave someone else to tutor.”

“It could be worse,” said Buffy. He looked up at her, “Poor Willow’s got George ‘The Pits” Bradley.” Seeing Spike’s blank look she continued, “so called due to the caustic nature of his B.O.” She smiled at Spike, causing his heartbeat to flutter a little. “So, as you can see, it could be worse.”

“That’s good to know,” said Spike, trying a small smile of his own.

“Come on, let’s get this finished,” ordered Buffy.

Spike obediently returned to his studies.

Ooooooo

At the end of the session Rupert drove Buffy home. Spike had insisted that she ride in the front of the car which earned him a quizzical look from her and an indulgent smile from Rupert.

As Rupert pulled up in front of Buffy’s house on Revello Drive, Joyce opened the front door and walked down the path towards them.

“Rupert, please come in and have a coffee before you go home. It’s the least I can do after you saved me having to drive to school,” she said.

“Thank you, Joyce, that’s very kind,” replied Rupert.

Both teenagers groaned slightly as they got out of the car. Soon afterwards they were all in the Summers residence; Rupert, Joyce and Buffy drinking coffee, Spike opting for a hot chocolate when he heard mini marshmallows were on offer with it.

“Buffy why don’t you take James…er…” Joyce stopped herself from saying ‘up to your room’, when she remembered he’d been in trouble for stealing and drinking and so perhaps wasn’t trustworthy, and settled for “..into the lounge room.”

Buffy was delighted to be out of the way of her mom and Mr. Giles ‘getting to know one another’. She took Spike through and turned on the TV. Spike sat on the couch and Buffy in an armchair; they looked at each other awkwardly.

“So,” said Buffy, realising that if she didn’t speak Spike never would, “What TV shows do you like since you got to America?”

“I like ‘Joan the Vampire Slayer’, he said and then cringed. Couldn’t he have thought of something else? “I know yer probably ‘ate it but it’s really well written,” he added in its defence.

“No, I like it too,” replied Buffy, “Kind of surprised you do though.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, most males don’t seem to be able to handle the whole ‘one girl versus the forces of evil’ thing. They seem to be threatened by a strong female lead,” said Buffy.

“Oh?” said Spike, somewhat stunned.

“Sorry,” she smiled the smile that made his heart miss a beat, “That sounded a bit like a lecture, didn’t it?”

“Just a little,” said Spike, “And preaching to the choir here.”

They settled back into silence.

“Um, Spike?” said Buffy hesitantly, “Did, er, William ever mention me?”

“Wot?” said Spike, * “Christ, wot do I say?” *

“I was friends with William. Well, I’d just gotten to be, er hoped to be friends with him before he went to stay with you, and I wondered…if…he…oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter now, does it?” she said and quickly walked out of the room.

Spike sat there for a moment then went back into the kitchen just as Rupert was rising from his seat. Buffy was nowhere to be seen.

“I think we’d better go home now, Joyce. Thank you for the coffee,” said Rupert, “Ready, Spike?”

“Yeah, thanks, Mrs. Summers,” he said as they left.

Ooooooo

Spike was feeling pretty restless. It was Friday night and normally he would have been out all evening with Angel and Davey and, more importantly, with a large amount of alcohol. It was the first time since Monday that he craved vodka. He’d e-mailed Rich and listened to some music but just couldn’t settle. He went out of his room, padded over to where Rupert was sitting in one of the armchairs, and slumped down in the other chair with a sigh, as ever avoiding the couch. He still hadn’t forgiven it for being so uncomfortable the first night he arrived back in the US. Rupert glanced up at him; he saw Spike was looking tense.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Mm,” said Spike, getting up again and walking into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, peered inside, but didn’t see anything he wanted so he pushed the door shut and stomped back to the chair and sat down again.

“Do you fancy seeing a movie?” asked Rupert.

“Yes!” said Spike quickly.

“What do you want to see?”

“Anything, don’t care, you pick it,” said Spike, just desperate to do something.

Rupert smiled at him, “Come on then, shall we have a meal first?”

“No, got to ‘ave popcorn with a movie. We’ll be too full to want it if we eat beforehand,” said Spike, grabbing his jacket.

“So, we forego a proper nutritional dinner so we can eat a bucket of popcorn?” asked Rupert.

“Yep,” said Spike with a grin, “but don’t forget the candy and sodas, too.”

“What have I let myself in for?” joked Rupert as they left.

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