Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

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Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six


When Spike got to the school the next morning he went to find Cordelia. He needed to put a stop to this dance thing before it went any further. He found her surrounded as usual by her posse of vacuous friends.

“Um…Cordelia,” said Spike, “Can I ‘ave a word please?”

All the girls giggled as he spoke. He willed himself not to blush.

“Hi, Spike,” said Cordelia, shrugging off her friends and walking towards him with a wide smile.

“Look…erm…I’m not coming to the dance with yer, okay? I never asked yer and I don’t want to go with yer.”

Her smile disappeared to be replaced with a furious scowl. She grabbed his arm, looking back making sure that none of her friends had heard him.

“Don’t you dare do this to me,” she hissed.

“Do wot? I never asked yer and yer didn’t actually even ask me,” said Spike. “I’m not being your date at the dance – no way.”

“Yes you are.”

“Sorry, pet, but I’m really not.” He lifted her hand from his arm and started to walk away.

“You will be my date at the Thanksgiving Dance or I’ll get you expelled,” Cordelia snarled.

Spike halted and slowly turned around. He fixed her with a hard stare, tilting his head on one side.

“Wot did you just say?”

“If you don’t agree to accompany me to the dance I will tell Principal Snyder that you got drunk and tried to…that you got fresh, more than fresh, with me. You’ll be out before your feet can touch the ground.”

“He wouldn’t believe you,” said Spike, taking a backwards step away from her, “You wouldn’t do it.”

“Are you sure you want to risk it?” said Cordelia with a smirk, “Who do you think he’s going to believe? The most popular girl in school – captain of the cheerleaders? Or a misfit who’s already been in trouble for drinking and stealing? Who’s so stupid that he needs to be tutored, oh, and I nearly forgot, so screwed up he has to have counselling.” She smiled prettily at him.

Spike felt the jaws of the trap snap shut around him. His shoulders slumped. He hung his head for a moment before lifting his eyes to meet hers. His vivid blue eyes were ice-cold.

“Okay,” he sighed, “You win. I’ll go to the bleedin’ thing with you.”

“Don’t forget to get a royal blue tie,” she said, smile back at full wattage.

“For God’s sake,” muttered Spike, shaking his head as he walked away, “Unbelievable, she’s totally bloody unbelievable.”

Ooooooo

He was still musing over his encounter with Cordelia when he saw Buffy and Willow walking down the corridor towards him.

“Right, Spike, time to stop being a soddin’ coward and talk to her properly. Christ, you’ve bloody ‘it Angel, how ‘ard can it be?”

“Um…morning…er…Buffy,” he stuttered, “Willow.” “Yeah, real eloquent.”

“Hey, Spike,” said Buffy.

“Hi,” said Willow.

“Look, Buffy, can I ‘ave a word please?” he said with as much strength as he could muster.

She looked uncomfortable but nodded. “See you in class, Will.”

Spike waited until Willow was out of earshot before he turned to her.

“Buffy, I’ve got a bit of a problem. It’s something I can’t do anything about, okay? But I need you to understand that I don’t want to do it. That it doesn’t mean a thing, not that you’ll probably care whether it does or not.”

Buffy looked at him. “Spike, the bell for class is going to go any second. Have you actually got a point to this story?” She softened her harsh words with a smile.

“Yeah, a point? Yeah it’s…well…it’s.” He took hold of her hand, and when she didn’t pull it away he continued, “Right, okay, here it is.” “Come on, Spike, you soddin’ chicken.” “I’ve got to go to the dance with Cordelia. I can’t get out of it. I wanted to but…to be ‘onest she’s blackmailing me. She said she’d get me in trouble with Snyder. I’m not sure why she is so desperate to go with me, though. Thing is, I really would ‘ave liked to ‘ave gone with you.”

“You told me that last night-not the blackmail bit- but the ‘I wanted to go with you’ part.”

“I did?”

“Yes, and I told you I would have loved to have gone with you,” she replied.

Spike blinked. “You did? I didn’t hear that.”

She smiled and touched his face with the fingers of her free hand, tracing the scar around his left eye.

“You’ll just have to make it up to me at The Bronze the next night.”

They both started as the bell rang.

“I’d better go,” said Buffy.

Spike kept hold of her hand. He had one more question to ask and it terrified him but he had to ask it.

“Do you wish it was William that you were going with, not me?”

Buffy stared deeply into his eyes. She missed William, she did, and the thought of him being hurt by her failure to call cut deep. But as she looked at the boy in front of her she realised she’d actually barely known William. She’d hoped she would have but in reality she hadn’t.

“No, Spike,” she said softly, “It’s you I want to be with.”

Spike’s face split into a grin.

“Really?”

She pulled her hand away from his and walked away. “Yeah, really.” She looked back at him smiling, “Now get to class.”

“Wot? Oh class…yeah…right.” Spike took a couple of steps to the left then remembered where his class was. He turned the other way and hurried off.”

Ooooooo

At lunchtime Spike made his way to the library to find Rupert. He had a couple of things to ask him and since he seemed to be on a roll for speaking his mind he thought he’d get it over and done with.

“Rupert,” he called as he swung the door open.

Rupert was standing at his counter talking to a student. Both turned to look at him. Spike stopped short when he saw them – it was Cordelia.

“Hi, Spike,” she said, nearly blinding him with her smile.

“Um, hi.” Spike walked towards them.

“I was just giving Mr. Giles the address of the best place in town to hire a tuxedo.”

“Yer ‘ave?” said Spike, “What was this girl on?” “Um, but I ‘aven’t even asked if I can go yet. I mean I might not be allowed to.” He looked at Rupert willing him to say no.

Rupert misread Spike’s look totally. “It’s alright, of course you can go. I wouldn’t make you miss it especially as you have such a pretty date,” he said gallantly.

“Oh, Mr. Giles, you’re so sweet,” trilled Cordelia. “Well, I must run. See you later, Spike, and don’t forget the blue tie.”

She rushed out of the library leaving a waft of her perfume behind her.

“Blue tie?” queried Rupert.

“Yeah, to match ‘er dress and my eyes apparently,” said Spike sullenly.

Rupert laughed.

“Rupert, I’ve got something to ask you,” said Spike.

“I know – can I go to the Thanksgiving Dance please?” said Rupert, grinning at him.

“No, it’s not that. It’s…I wondered if I could go to see the Dingoes play?”

“When is that?”

“Um, the day after the dance. Look, I know yer didn’t like me going out two nights in a row before – but I won’t go out for two weeks after it, okay, and...” said Spike desperately.

“Spike!” interrupted Rupert.

He stopped talking.

“I’m going to let you go so you don’t have to try to convince me, all right?”

“I can go? Really?” said Spike, his face lighting up. “That’s great! The others will be pleased.”

“Yes, you can go. Is Cordelia going with you too?”

“God, no!” said Spike with feeling.

“But if you’re going to the dance with her, isn’t she your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend!” Spike nearly choked on the word. “No, she’s soddin’ well not my girlfriend.”

“So why are you taking her to the dance then?”

“I’m not. She’s taking me,” replied Spike, “She asked me, okay? And I sort of can’t get out of it.”

“She must like you if she asked you,” said Rupert with a chuckle.

“I don’t think that comes into it. I think Cordelia wants to go with me ‘cause I’m new, English and …er...’cause I’ve been in a bit of trouble. Gives me novelty value, I reckon.”

“Oh, Spike, you really do have some odd ideas,” laughed Rupert. “Do you not think she might simply be attracted to you?”

Spike shook his head adamantly. Whatever Cordelia was up to, being attracted to him certainly wasn’t it.

“But you’re a good looking boy, even with the hair,” said Rupert, still chuckling.

“Wot’s wrong with my ‘air?” snapped Spike.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” gasped Rupert.

“I’m going to the cafeteria,” said Spike, turning on his heel and marching out.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” added Rupert as the door slammed shut. “Oh dear, I really shouldn’t have laughed at him. The poor lad’s embarrassed at being asked to the dance.”

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